More Reclusive Than Toriyama

Author's Note: This comic is my lawyer-friendly version of the "Change My Mind" meme. Also, the background used is a chroma key green screen.

Ever wondered why Pokemon creator Satoshi Tajiri has been absent from every single Pokemon Direct? If you said Satoshi Tajiri is more reclusive than Akira Toriyama, you are correct. While Akira Toriyama is known for being reclusive, Satoshi Tajiri may have been more reclusive than the Dragon Ball author.

Swimming Pool Matriarch Visual Gag Variations 5

Author's Note: This is the first Matriarch of the Swimming Pool comic since Neo Retro Union started its Bluesky account.

Did you know that Japanese copyright law did not incorporate Fair Use? If you have found out about this, good job. You have found out why Nintendo, Square Enix and Toei have been copystriking so-called "rogue" fans for alleged acts of copyright infringement.

Speaking of Japan, it turns out there was no repentance for all the war crimes committed in World War 2 because many of Japan's war criminals were never punished. That's why the Japanese government can deny war crimes and get away with it. It gets even worse when you find out that there was no repentance in Germany as well. If it's revealed that many aspects of post-war Germany, including copyright management authorities, were influenced, dominated and administered according to the will of National Socialism, all I can say about modern Germany is "Democracy Über Alles, my foot".

In Dragon Quest VI, Ashlynn and Milly both commented about the angel leotard, which is known for increasing the wearer's resistance against instant death spells. Ashlynn says that the angel leotard is more of Milly's style, while Milly says that the angel leotard suits Ashlynn better than her. But true Dragon Quest fans say the angel leotard looks good on both of them.

With the deaths of Koichi Sugiyama and Akira Toriyama, Dragon Quest XII could possibly be the last Dragon Quest game. It's unknown if Yuji Horii will retire to honor the memories of the dead men after the launch of Dragon Quest XII.

When Rooster Teeth launched Red Vs Blue, there was no MySpace because MySpace was launched on 1 August 2003, while the first episode of Red Vs Blue came out on 1 April 2003.

When Vimeo was established, there was no YouTube because Vimeo's establishment was in November 2004, while YouTube was launched on 14 February 2005.

The Melancholy of 2024

2024 is turning into yet another Annus Horribilis. The earthquake that happened in Japan on the first day of 2024, followed by a runway collision at Haneda Airport that killed five Coast Guard officers in the line of duty was already bad enough. Funimation being assimilated into Crunchyroll made things worse. And now, Warner Bros is disbanding Rooster Teeth because they are no longer profitable. But the real deal has to be the death of Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, whose other works included Dr Slump, as well as artwork contributions to Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger and Blue Dragon.

Akira Toriyama died on the 1st of March, 2024. But his obituary was revealed seven days later. Japan is like a tortoise when it comes to announcements about several high-profile obituaries. Now that Akira Toriyama is dead like Koichi Sugiyama, who died in 2021, expect Koichi Sugiyama and Akira Toriyama to appear in the "In Memory of" section of the Dragon Quest XII credits.

When Red Vs Blue first came out, there was no YouTube, let alone no MySpace. Now that Rooster Teeth is disbanding due to lack of profitability, the fate of the final season is looking uncertain. Hopefully Phil Spencer will acquire the rights to Red Vs Blue because this web series was based on Microsoft's Halo franchise. Then Red Vs Blue can have the poetic ending it finally deserves.

If 2024 is the year our childhood starts dying, then we probably need to let go of zeitgeist nostalgia, because Isaiah 43:18-19 says that we should forget the former things and not dwell on the past because God is doing a new thing by making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Given that the turmoil that began in 2020 is going to get worse in the coming days, Isaiah 43:18-19 is going to be even more relevant now than ever before. To quote Dr Strange in Avengers: Infinity War, "We are in the Endgame now."

Farewell Akira Toriyama, and thanks for all the Kamehamehas, Fusion Dances and Dragon Quest Slimes.

Stages of a Boycott Campaign 2

Between the copyright takedowns that resulted in the termination of several YouTube accounts and the disastrous dumpster fire that was Balan Wonderworld that left Sonic the Hedgehog creator Yuji Naka considering retirement, it is safe to say that the time has come to boycott Square Enix. If you want to save your money for the rainy days, do not buy Final Fantasy XVI, Dragon Quest XII, or both, just like how people voted with their wallets to reject Balan Wonderworld after it was confirmed to be a catastrophic calamity.

So please, shut your wallets on Square Enix and get #ShameOnSquareEnix and #BoycottSquareEnix trending on social media right now. Avenge the fallen while we still can...