Top 10 Twists in BLEACH

One of the hot mangas/anime I am into is “Bleach”.  Bleach easily became popular for having badass fight scenes, a vast collection of interesting characters, and entertaining storylines.  One of the reasons why the storylines of Bleach are highly interesting is its incredible twists that were used as “what the -!” moments, plot augmentation, or/and just for the sake of good old fun.  Among these, here is my top 10 take.  

10.) Tōsen’s Defeat

Kaname Tōsen is the blind Gotei 13 captain, who aside from Gin Ichimaru, joined Sosuke Aizen and betrayed the Gotei 13.  In the battle in the Fake Karakura Town, Tōsen fought using his newly acquired Hollow powers from Aizen for the first time.  After equipping his Hollow mask, Tōsen would take on his former lieutenant, Shūhei Hisagi, and his former bestfriend, the Shinigami captain, Sajin Komamura.  In his Hollowified form, Tōsen was able to hold his own against Hisagi and Komamura, and then being able to get rid of Hisagi (temporarily, as we’ll see later on) and getting the upper hand against Komamura.    

Tōsen then released his Resurrección, transforming himself into a giant cricket-like creature.   He started opening his eyes, and was rapturous when he was able to see (we can conclude that that was the first time he ever used his Resurrección) for the first time in his life.    As he was about to deliver the finishing blow to Komamura, this happened…

It was a big surprise for me.  Just like that, Tōsen, who is clearly stronger than an Espada, in his Resurrección form, got blind-sided (no pun) by Hisagi, who is still not powerful enough to have a Bankai, to impale him with a mere Shikai.  No one saw that coming. 

9.) Yoruichi is a Woman

We first saw Yoruichi Shihōin like this…

A black cat with a male voice.  

“He” was the one who trained Ichigo’s friends and the one who guided Ichigo and his friends on their trip to Soul Society to rescue Rukia.  And everybody – audience and characters alike – at that point believed that Yoruichi is a man.  And “he” never gave any reaction to make us think otherwise.  “He” never corrected the assumption that “he” was actually a she.

Then after rescuing a wounded Ichigo (which he got from his battle with Kenpachi Zaraki), Yoruichi finally revealed “his” true form to him. 

And I was as shocked as Ichigo to discover that Yoruichi was really a woman.  In her own words, she loves transforming to her true form to surprise people, who always assume – because of the male voice in her cat form – that she was a male. 

Being in cat form, not only did we assume she was a male, but because of appearing in such “cute, harmless” form, we really did not take the character seriously.  Oh, we assumed the character might be strong, but not that awesome as revealed later on.   After the surprise we got from discovering she was a female, more revelations came that made us learn that she is one of the most badass characters in Bleach.  Princess of the Tenshiheisōban… former captain of the 2^nd Division of the Gotei 13 and former commander of the Onmitsukidō… former Corps Commander of the Corrections Corps and of the Executive Militia… considered the greatest “flash step” (high speed movement) master that she earned the nickname “Goddess of Flash”… what a resume.  Makes me feel silly for initially supposing that she was a one-dimensional, boring character.

8.) Hollow Ichigo

In his training to regain his Shinigami powers (after Byakuya destroyed its source), so he can rescue Rukia, Ichigo had undergone training under Kisuke Uruhara.   One of the processes (to regain his powers) is to cut his “Chain of Fate”, the chain that attaches the soul to its body.  When cut, the chain would corrode towards the chest, and when it reaches it, a hole would open that would transform the person into a Hollow.  Eventually, just as the chain’s corrosion completely made a hole on Ichigo’s chest and started turning him into a Hallow, he was finally able to tap into his Shinigami powers.

I (and Ichigo) never thought that Ichigo’s experience of nearly becoming a Hallow would have a consequence in the future.  Later on (during the mission to rescue Rukia), we got clues about this impending development when Hallow masks kept on appearing on places in his body where there would be normally fatal wounds.   Finally, in a fight with Kenpachi Zaraki, Ichigo encountered his Hallow alter-ego in his inner world.

I find this Hollow alter-ego of Ichigo an exciting surprise, especially when he took over Ichigo’s body when Ichigo was losing his battle against Byakuya.  The Hollow Ichigo would then proceed to get the upper hand, until Ichigo took back the control of his body from his Hollow self. 

From then on, several times, we would see times when Ichigo was on the ropes in a fight, a pissed Hollow Ichigo takes over Ichigo’s body to fight. 

As his Hallow split-personality’s control grows stronger, Ichigo sought the help of the Visoreds to allow him control of his Hallow self (and powers).      

After finally becoming a Visored, Ichigo finally was able to manifest the strengths (though probably not all) of his Hollow alter-ego without losing control.  Though, in his fight with Ulquiorra, a more powerful, more badass, and more violent Hollow Ichigo would appear.  

Ichigo, as of the present, has lost his Shinigami powers – and presumptively, his Hollow powers as well – after learning the Final Getsuga Tensho from the Zangetsu-Hollow Ichigo amalgam.  I am excited for further developments, especially on how Hollow Ichigo would manifest himself again when Ichigo regains his powers.   

7.) Wonderweiss

Wonderweiss’ first appearance was during his transformation to an Arrancar by Aizen.  Several Espada were present during this.  By then, I never ever thought there was something special about him.  I thought his “birth” was shown for mere demonstration on how Hollows become Arrancars.  At most, I thought he was a Fracción – a subordinate of an Espada, especially when he accompanied Yammy in the Arrancars’ third visit to Karakura Town. 

Later on, Wonderweiss was with Aizen, Tōsen, Ichimaru, and high-ranking Espada (with their Fracción) during their battle against Gotei 13 in the Fake Karakura Town.  He arrived with Fūrā – the biggest Hollow that appeared in Bleach so far (it is so big that it has masks of Gillian-class Menos for fingernails) in the middle of the battle.  At this point, I thought of Wonderweiss as nothing more of a “keeper” for this giant Hollow.   Then he did this:

By taking out Jūshirō Ukitake – one of the two strongest Gotei 13 captains who are not Commander Yamamoto – I finally realized that Wonderweiss is just no ordinary Arrancar… that he could even be somebody higher in rank than the elite Espada, and that his number 77 ranking was just a ruse.       

It is revealed that Wonderweiss is a “modified” Arrancar, and has the same spiritual energy of an Espada.  All forms of rationality, memory, retention, speech, and intelligence were removed to give more concentration on power instead.  He was designed by Aizen to nullify the abilities of Yamamoto’s Zanpakutō.  Though he would still lose in the end against Yamamoto, going head to head with Gotei 13’s legendary commander was badass enough. 

It’s a pretty good twist when a character we presumed to be weak was actually badass.              

6.) Bankai

The most constant developmental twist in the Bleach concept is the Bankai – the Zanpakutō’s second form.  What make this weapon so interesting are the various forms of Bankai shown.  

Some of these forms are: 

an exhibition that pink is badass…

a portable nuke launcher…

an abominable fetus from hell…

and, my personal favorite, a gundam swordsman…

There are still several characters that haven’t revealed their Bankais yet.   There’s no captain-level Visored that revealed his Bankai yet.  Ichigo’s father, Isshin Kurosaki, hasn’t revealed his.  Neither Aizen nor Uruhara revealed theirs.  And the Bankais of several captains – including Commander Yamamoto – haven’t been revealed yet.

Bankais are full of surprises.  A Bleach fan will always get excited whenever the words “Bankai” is spoken, especially if the shinigami would reveal his or hers for the first time. 

5.) Aizen is the Main Villain

If I had made this list years ago, this would be number one.  It was a real shocker back then when Sōsuke Aizen was revealed to be the main villain of the story – a first rate “what the hell was that!” moment. 

Initially, Aizen was shown as the nicest and most mild-mannered of the Gotei 13 captains, with those harmless kind eyes.  I mean look at him…

Then sometime when Ichigo and the other Ryokas was in Seireitei (to rescue Rukia), Aizen appeared to had been murdered. 

Suddenly, there was a mystery among Gotei 13.  Who could have killed Aizen?  Only a captain-level Shinigami could have done it.  Thus, there was a traitor among them.  And the prime suspect was Gin Ichimaru. 

Ichimaru proved to be a red herring, a mere minion, since the true mastermind was Aizen himself and the “Aizen” corpse was a mere illusion.  After obtaining the Hōgyoku from Rukia (which was hidden by Uruhara within Rukia’s soul), Aizen would leave for Hueco Mundo with his subordinates, Ichimaru and Tōsen.  In that epic scene, as Negacióncarried them away, Aizen, while removing his glasses and combing his hair by hand to change the hairstyle that changed his appearance from mild-mannered and kind changed to a cold and menacing, announced his intention of becoming a “god”.  Very dramatic.  He would proceed to rule in Hueco Mundo and build an Arrancar army.  

                                     

Eventually, during his forces’ encounter with Ichigo and his allies, he and his Espada would be defeated.  But since he’s immortal, he can’t be killed, thus he was sentenced to be imprisoned for 20,000 years.

I don’t think we’ll see the last of Aizen.  Heck, as I mentioned before, he has yet to reveal his Bankai.  I think he will still be a major player in a future story arc in Bleach.

4.) Ichigo’s Dad Turned Out to be a Shinigami

In the early parts of Bleach, Isshin, Ichigo’s goofy doctor dad, was more of a comic relief.  Nobody was expecting that he was far more badass than that.  However, he was actually a captain-level Shinigami.  The revelation of Isshin being a former Shinigami answered the question why Ichigo has hidden Shinigami powers.  But it raises some more questions as well.  What was his division and why did he leave the Gotei 13?  How and why did he lose his powers?

It is first revealed that he was a Shinigami, when he took on Grand Fisher – an imperfect Arrancar.  Later on, it is also shown that he was acquainted – even friends – with Ryūken Ishida, Uryu’s father (who is also a Quincy), and Kisuke Urahara.   .

Ichigo would only become aware that his father was a badass Shinigami when the latter pitched in in the fight against Aizen in the Fake Karakura Town.  Aizen would also show that he knew Isshin.   Later on, Isshin was instrumental on teaching Ichigo the “final” Getsuga Tenshō that helped in the defeat of Aizen.

There are still a lot of questions unanswered regarding Isshin, and fans are excited for further developments.

3.) The Eleventh Division is More Badass Than It Appears to Be

The 11^th division are composed of Shinigamis who only concentrate on melee combat and do not concern themselves with other Shinigami skills.  Their philosophy is to live for fighting – that if they are going to die anyway, they will go down fighting gloriously.   

      

We know how badass this division is because it’s a reflection of its captain, Kenpachi Zaraki.  Zaraki is one of the toughest and most powerful captains in the Gotei 13 even though he does not have a Bankai nor know the name of his Zanpakutō (thus, not being able to tap its full potential).  The lieutenant, Yachiru Kusajishi, is a mere child but she possesses immense spiritual pressure.  And two other lieutenants in other divisions, Renji Abarai and Tetsuzaemon Iba, were formerly from the 11^th. 

But what makes this division more badass than it appears to be is because of Yumichika Ayasegawa and Ikkaku Madarame. 

In the first time we saw Yumichika fought, he was beaten by Ganju.  Ganju is not one of the elite characters in Bleach, so Ayasegawa (5^th seat in the division) must be weak, right?  No.  Ayasegawa was not really at top form when he fought Ganju.  Not even close.  At one time, he beat Hisagi by finally showing his Shikai’s true power.  Yumichika’s Zanpakutō is as vain as its owner.  “Fuji Kujaku”, the nickname Yumichika uses on it, greatly annoys the Zanpakutō that whenever Yumichika uses that nickname, it would not appear in its true form, but instead transform to a (weaker) melee-type released form:

But when it is called by its true name, “Ruri’iro Kujaku”, it goes full power:

Yumichika is actually as strong as the strongest lieutenants of Gotei 13.  But he wouldn’t fight with his Shikai’s true form if anybody in the 11^th would know (especially Ikkaku) about it, since the true form of his Shikai is kidō-type.  That would be disgraceful in their division because the division’s unofficial rule is that members should only have melee-type Zanpakutō.  He would only use its full potential when his fights are hidden from spectators.  If not, he won’t use it and would even risk getting defeated by an opponent just to protect this secret. 

Like Yumichika, Ikkaku was defeated in the first battle we saw him fought (against Ichigo), thus since Ichigo was still weak at that time, we assumed that Ikkaku was insignificant.  Ikkaku (3^rd seat) is the same as Yumichika, he would even risk defeat just to hide a secret… that he had already achieved Bankai (making him the only non-Captain, aside from Renji, that knows Bankai).  

He’s also has the same fighting philosophy as with his captain, Kenpachi.  He would handicap himself (not using Bankai) just to make a fight more “enjoyable”.  Another reason he hides his Bankai from others is for the fear of being promoted, since he is satisfied as 3^rd seat serving under Kenpachi Zaraki. 

  

At first, I never really thought of them as someone special, I thought of them as mere “stepping-stones” for Ichigo in the Soul Society Arc.   I never thought they will be noteworthy after their initial fight.  I was wrong.   They turned out to be the proof that the 11^th division is the most badass in Gotei 13…

2.) Espada Ranks

The Espada were the top ten most powerful Arrancars.  Their power greatly outdistanced every other Arrancars (the Numeros).   Normal Arrancars are ranked depending on the order of their becoming an Arrancar, but the Espada are ranked depending on their power, with the highest number the weakest and the lowest number the strongest. 

The rankings of the Espada have some twists in it, though. 

First, it was revealed that Nel, the sniveling brat Arrancar that Ichigo had befriended…

…turned out to be a former Espada, with the number 3 rank. 

Second, I (as well as others) guessed the rank of the most prominent Espada rival of Ichigo (aside from Grimmjow), Ulquiorra Cifer, as, at least, in the top 3 of the Espada.  However, his actual number was 4, implying that there are at least three more powerful Espada than him.   But there was a “double twist”.  It seemed that assuming initially that he was a top 3 Espada was right after all when he revealed that he was the only Arrancar that was able to obtain a second release form of Resurrección (Resurrección: Segunda Etapa).  Aizen hasn’t seen him in this form, and Ulquiorra might have been ranked higher – even maybe number 1 – if the former did.      

Third, and most mind-blowing of all, the ranking of Espada was not at all from 10 to 1, but from 9 to 0.  Yammy Llargo was originally number 10, and was thought to be the weakest of the Espada.  It turns out he is the strongest as the “1” was removed from 10, leaving “0”, when he finally released his true power.  Among the three, this was the most surprising.

1.) Gin Ichimaru betrayed Aizen

This was the latest among the twists here.  And so far, in my opinion, the best, most dramatic, most surprising development ever.

Throughout the show, I have a gut feeling that there is more to Gin ichimaru.  The character is just so awesome and charismatic.  No way is he just a mere lackey.  Maybe he has his own agenda and is only using Aizen.  Those were my thoughts then.

In a way, I was right.  It turned out Gin indeed has his secret reasons for joining Aizen.  Just a few moments after Aizen and Ichimaru left the Fake Karakura Town to enter Karakura Town… 

The reason?  Revenge.  To avenge what Aizen did to Rangiku.  He waited for many decades to learn the vulnerability of Aizen, and then struck when the time was ripe.

Of course, Gin failed to kill Aizen, but nonetheless, what he did was still awesomely unexpected.  Though I was a bit expecting that Ichimaru would somehow betray Aizen, it still blew my mind when and why (which I was not able to deduce) and how he did it.  Just for the sake of avenging the honor of Rangiku Matsumoto, the only person he really cared for, he was willing to do a “sleeper agent” routine.  Serving under his target and enemy; the burden of the thought that Rangiku, the person he was doing it all for, was feeling disappointed (because he betrayed the Gotei 13 and “joined” Aizen) and thinking of him as an enemy; the pressure of observing and planning; and the many years it had to take… all the emotional and mental baggage these brought did not hinder Gin.  Such amazing patience and resolve.

Gin Ichimaru’s current status is unknown.  I would be disappointed if he’s now dead, considering the awesomeness of the character and the potential of being an invaluable ally to the main character, Ichigo Kurosaki.   

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Joy Church 23rd Anniversary

Here are the videos of the praise and worship and the dance number of the senior young people of Bicol Presbyterian Joy Church during its 23rd Anniversary service.

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"The Voyage of the Dawn Treader": My First Movie Experience With 3D

Bichara, a cinema theater here (where I live), just recently made the 3d-viewing experience available in the city.  Upon learning, I was curious since it’s the first time that this technology became available in the locality, and I had never experienced watching a movie in 3-d before.  Two factors made me to finally decide trying it.   Firstly, the ticket price cost 250php only, cheaper compared to the ticket prices in other places.  Secondly, the movie was “Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader”.   Its release date (US) was going to be December 10, but it was released December 3 in the Philippines.  Pretty cool, huh? 

So, I dragged my family to watch it (it was December 9, which was my mother’s birthday)  We bought our tickets for the last full show, waited at least one hour before being able to enter, took some pictures when we got in, got surprised that the theatre was nearly empty (as my mother puts it, it was as if we rented the place for private viewing), stood when the national anthem was played… and then the movie rolled.  And our eyes’ had a ball!

If it’s one’s first time to watch 3d, of course, he will like it.  But get him to watch 3d again for a few more times and he’ll realize that 3d is overrated and unnecessary.  At least, the method used on the Narnia movie.

There are two methods in using the 3d technology in movies.  First, is shooting it by using 3d or “two-eyed” cameras.  This device films a scene in a way that is similar to how the human eyes perceive depth.  The result?  “Avatar”.  I haven’t watched “Avatar” in 3d, but I watched it in a big screen and found the visuals awesome.  What more if it’s in 3d then?  Even those critics who hated the story of “Avatar” (for the record, as a serious sci-fi fan, I found the story of “Avatar” beautiful.  Maybe it was not very unique, but it was beautiful) gave high praises to the movie’s visuals.

However, shooting a film with the use of “two-eyed” cameras is very expensive.  The second way to 3d a movie is cheaper.  Thus, it is inferior.  Significantly inferior.  In the second process, the film is shot by the use of normal “one-eyed” cameras, which is the usual way of shooting films (the non-3d kind).   Afterwards, the filmmakers have engineers “cut out” the characters or foregrounds to create an illusion of layer or depth.  Result?  It comes out like a pop-out book.                         

The 3d method used in “Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader” was the second method.  The cheaper, more inferior method.  Ok, don’t get me wrong.  Again, since it was my first time, I liked the experience.  There are scenes in the movie which the “cut out” illusion had made pretty solid.  There were times I feel I could grasp the foreground.  There were times I have to instinctively flinch as water splashed or flakes of fire flew.  But there were “cut-out” scenes that were just plain silly.  And sometimes even messy, especially when the camera moves fast.

3d technology should be used as a tool to enhance the story of the movie or the viewing experience.  I would have liked “The Dawn Treader” as much in 2d as with in 3d.  Makes no difference between the two at all as far as impact brought by the movie is concerned.  In my opinion, I think filmmakers should stop making 3d movies using the second method.   You pay a higher ticket price and you get a “pop-out book” experience in the end.  Just stick to 2d if it will not really enhance the experience significantly at all.  If they will make a movie 3d, they should do it the right way: shoot it with 3d cameras.  It might be an expensive process, but that’ll make the viewing experience a jaw-dropping, heart pounding, mind-blowing one.

How about my thoughts on the movie itself?  I liked it, but I think it was the weakest among the three Narnia movies (with the first movie still being the best one).  However, I love how the epic Christian allegorical dialogues remained intact.   Hearing those lines made the ticket price worth it.  Especially the lines of Aslan, voiced perfectly by Liam Neeson.  Aslan’s voice (and roar) makes my skin crawl in a good way. 

"But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there."  When Aslan said that line, it was as if God was also speaking to me, that even through the fiction and pop culture I am fond of, which He allows me to enjoy, I should be able to learn something about God through them, which, ultimately, should help me know Him more in reality.

Good movie viewing experience.  Totally worth it.                  

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Floodgates at the "One Heart" Concert

Ten bands in our province - which includes the band I belong in (Floodgates) - performed in the "One Heart" concert held at Bicol College Gymnasium last December 10.  We did three songs, and here is a rough video of the first two.  The third song was not recorded because the digital camera used lacked the card (memory) space.  I might get a better footage from the concert's organizers since they were also recording the concert.  But until then, this will do for now.

     

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A Poem To Summarize Who I Am

(This is a simple poem I made and used to have as content in the "personal bio" part of my social network accounts.)

The boy, though with a knight’s heart, is a gunslinger
Beyond the laughter, not many can see the cold eyes
A six-shooter or a six-string, it does not matter
Both are weapons, as well as the pen of a writer
On knock downs, he'll hear invisible cheers then he'll rise
Never governed by the Laws of Odds, he rolls the dice

The boy, calm and cool as ice, patiently makes his stand
Life is Mexican stand-offs and showdowns and marvels
He aims well and true; a blur when he draws with his hand
Long adventures through the worlds of Oz and Wonderland
His destination is Home; with a smile, he travels
Should he be tempted by the diamonds and jewels?

The boy knows that guns are stronger than the world's magic
The blessing of always having an ace in his cards
The best combo is imagination and logic
Against the Dark - the theoretically tragic
Haunted by the ghosts brought by songs and tales of the bards
With silver bullets, he makes his stand in the graveyards

The boy only lifts his hat and bows down to Big Boss
And he has no fear even of his journeys at night
He’d been personally handpicked by the King for His Great Cause
There is no greater power he knows than of the Cross
Never can the Gates of Hell prevail over the Light
This world calls him a fool, but he'll soon reach that high height

My name is Bernel, of Legazpi, Son of Efren
Soon the day will come when I’ll ride towards the sunset
I will survive the stand-offs, oh, I am sure I can
At Home, I will see the fields of red roses by then
The Ultimate Joy and Pleasure shall be fully met
The music never stops; immortality, not death

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Top 10 Fictional Detectives

Mystery is one of the earliest genres of fiction that I grew to love (The first, aside from comic book or cartoon themes, would be fantasy.  Then again, fantasy also has elements of mystery).  I would grow to love most genres, but the mystery genre is special.  There is always something exciting and thrilling from the suspense brought by the unknown.

The mystery genre heavily romanticized the detective character.  Their observational, deductive, and analytical skills seemed to be superhuman. They made the solution to a difficult problem that baffled us – the audience – seemed so obvious and logical that it made us slap our foreheads and say, “Why did I not think of that?”  Moreover, we envy them for the adventures and excitement they enjoyed on their cases.

I have some favorites from these bunch of romanticized detectives.  As I’ve said, I love the mystery genre, thus, I am exposed to many of these characters in pop culture.  However, there are a lot of them, thus, I am also unexposed to heaps more of them.  Many say that Monk (from the TV show of the same name) is one of the best, but I can’t tell since I wasn’t able to watch him in action.  Same goes with a boy named Encyclopedia Brown.  I was not able to read his books.

Nevertheless, from the collection of fictional detectives that I am familiar with, I pick a ten.  Here you go:

10.) NANCY DREW

Even if I have more “Hardy Boys” books than “Nancy Drew” ones, even if I’m a boy, and even if I enjoyed the stories about the Hardies than Nancy, I pick Nancy over the Hardy Boys.  No, it’s not because this list is made up of almost entirely of male characters and I have to add at least one female. No, not that reason.   Why then?  Well, I find that the Hardy Boys have the advantage of being able to work on a case together.  And two heads are better than one.  Still, Nancy had her successes with no partner at all.  So one way we can interpret this is that Nancy’s smart enough for two Hardy Boys.  It is also advantageous to face the danger when there are two of you, and Nancy – a girl at most – faces it alone.  Nothing against girls, but boys are physically (and, often, psychologically) stronger and more durable.  So it is impressive that even if she is limited by her sex (physically), she boldly jumps at mystery and danger. 

Not convinced?  Well, okay, I admit.  I added Nancy Drew because this list needs at least one girl.  The 10th spot can go either way, to the Hardy Boys or to Nancy.  But, I still think Nancy has an edge.  By a hair (and a pretty reddish-blonde hair at that).

9.) THE 3 INVESTIGATORS

Yes, I have read more “Nancy Drew” and “Hardy Boys” books than “3 Investigators” books, but I think that the 3 Investigators – made up of Jupiter Jones, Pete Crenshaw, and Bob Andrews – are better detectives than the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew… put together.  Really.   

Usually, I find that Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys solve their cases more by the help of lucky coincidences rather than awesome detective skills.  Sure, Nancy and the Hardies are cool with all that sleuthing, but I see them lacking in analytical skills.  3 Investigators, however, have the combination of energy for sleuthing and rad analytical skills.  Or at least Jupiter Jones.  Jupe is actually the one among the three that has the admirable detective mental talents.  He’s smart; has great stock knowledge and observational and logical talents.  The other two – Pete and Bob – are more of “enablers” when Jupe is thinking, the muscles when the going gets tough (mostly Pete), the cheerers, or data gatherers (Jupe, then, would analyze the data).  Nonetheless, they are a great team and deserve my number nine spot in this list.

8.) DR. HALEDJIAN

I was not able to read even at least one of Donald J. Sobol’s award-winning “Encyclopedia Brown” books, but I did read his “Two-Minute Mysteries” books, in which a case follows the same format of an Encyclopedia Brown case but shorter (can be read in two minutes) and are more for teens and grownups (as Encyclopedia Brown was for kids.)  The hero of these two-minute mysteries is the famous Dr. Haledjian, a brilliant criminologist.  He is smart and sharp, who has an amazing talent for noticing the details and has knowledge on many facts.

7.) SHAWN SPENCER

The main protagonist of Psych is a unique detective (at least, the first I encountered in fiction).  As a child, his father – a cop – trained him extensively on observation, memory, and deduction.  Thus, he grew up to have genius-level detective skills: great observation skills, an eidetic memory (which revealed later on as something he inherited from his mother, and not really from the exercises), and deductive skills.  He is able to quickly logically interpret what the data he got from his observation mean (like being able to describe a person or past event accurately).  With these skills present, he often made tips to the police hotline, until the police started being suspicious, thinking that the information he gave at one time is so clear that they presume he was an inside source.  To avoid getting himself into police custody, he pretended that he was a psychic.  This would ultimately lead Shawn – with his bestfriend Burton Guster – to form a psychic detective agency called “Psych” (for the kicks of the adventures it can bring).  From then on, police regularly ask “Psych” as consultant in some of their cases. 

Shawn is always wacky and joking around, and seems to be solely motivated by the fun a case or activity can bring.  However, this actually helps him think and helps get rid of the pressure (as shown in the first “Mr. Yin/Yang” episode).  Moreover, as one character implied, Shawn is ashamed of the great intelligence he has and that’s why he acts juvenile.    

Intelligent but tinges of childishness, irresponsibility, clumsiness and immaturity.  This is the most interesting thing about Shawn.

6.) SHINICHIRO KUDO a.k.a. CONAN EDOGAWA

Shinichi Kudo is a 17-year old high school student and a famous amateur detective.  He was able to solve difficult cases that even professionals were not able to solve.   Then at one time, while he was on an investigation, he was assaulted and was forced to swallow a pill that turned him back to a child.  Being transformed into a child, he took the name Conan Edogawa (combination of two detective writers’ names) on himself.  He now lives with Ran Mori (Kudo’s love interest and friend), who has a private detective as a father.  Her father, Kogoru Mori, is greatly incompetent in deduction.  However, as Conan tags along with his cases, Conan would solve the cases behind the scenes and then he would give the credit of the solved cases to Mori.    

Personally, I find the show’s theme of “hero being turned into a child” completely unnecessary.  Why not just make an outright detective anime?  Something without ridiculous “pills-that-can-make-one-a-child-again” elements. Make the hero either a teenage detective or child detective and not a teenage detective turned child.  However, the Japanese anime “Detective Conan” is one the most entertaining animes ever created since the cases are interesting and it is fun to watch Conan in his investigations.

5.) C. AUGUSTE DUPIN

He would have ranked higher in this list if he appeared in more than just three short stories by Edgar Allan Poe.  Dupin is definitely one of the models from where Sherlock Holmes is conceptualized (by Conan Doyle) from.  He is not a full-time detective, but rather just tackled cases that caught his fancy (i.e. why there are only three stories).  Moreover, the word “detective” was not yet coined when Poe wrote about him.  

He is extremely smart; can absorb and retain data extremely well and has good analytical skills.  In fact, he even “read minds”, just by observing behavior (pretty much like Sherlock Holmes) to the astonishment of the one being observed. 

His detective method is by logical science and creative imagination.  A sort of combination of the objective and the speculative type of reasoning.  An illustration of this creative imagination is when he put himself in the mind of the criminal.  Like Sherlock Holmes, Dupin is portrayed as an ultimate logical and analytical thinking machine that is devoid of any emotion.

4.) HERCULE POIROT

I have yet to read an Agatha Christie mystery that involved Miss Marple – the legendary elderly spinster turned amateur detective.  All the Christie books I read involved the equally legendary Hercule Poirot.  Poirot is smart and sharp (yeah, yeah, this description is getting clichéd since all of these detectives in this list are).  He works efficiently with logic, piecing together all available information and turning it to a coherent solution.  This would involve analyzing all the suspects and possibilities.  Instead of directly accusing the culprit of the crime, he would, one by one, using a logical-type of reasoning, make the case for the suspects. He would enumerate the logical arguments that presume a suspect is guilty, and then make the counter-arguments against it.  It was as if he is the affirmative and negative sides of a debate rolled into one.  He would analyze the culprit for last. 

Poirot establishes himself as a psychological detective, as he deals more with the people – the suspects and witnesses – rather than the hard evidences (i.e. crime scene).  He is a master manipulator, and often would find a way to make people talk.  To get himself underestimated or to gain these people’s confidences, he would resort to different methods like portraying himself as a sympathetic confidant or telling them lies.   Aside from his detective skills, this ability for grifting or fraud is his greatest asset.

3.) ELIJAH BALEY

Elijah Baley is the agoraphobic hero of three of the four “Robot” novels (which, though it has several underlying themes, at the core, is a mystery novel in a sci-fi setting) written by Isaac Asimov.  He is a plainclothesman (homicide detective) and was paired with a “humaniform” robot (a robot with human  appearance) named R. Daneel Olivaw (who was first of his kind) to solve a murder.  Being an Earthman, Baley is prejudiced against robots.  However, he had made a strong lifelong friendship with Daneel. 

Baley is an excellent detective.  His methods are very much the same as Hercule Poirot: the use of psychology and logic. He analyzes and discusses all the points of the case – from different perspectives, presenting both arguments and counter-arguments for the guilt of a suspect – in an efficient logical manner.  

Yes, he makes mistakes in his conclusions sometimes.   But the train of logic to that conclusion never breaks.  His arguments are always valid – in a logical sense (since in logic, valid and true does not need to be the same).  In one instance, Baley built a perfect argument against Daneel’s claim that he is a robot.  Since Daneel is the first of his kind, Baley found it hard to believe that such human-like robot is a robot.  Based on a previous experience and other facts as premises, Baley deduced, in a perfect logical context, that Daneel is a human, and what the latter said about being robot was a lie.  Baley was only convinced fully when Daneel finally revealed his interior that proved that he is a machine.

2.) BATMAN

Batman is more known as a badass superhero/vigilante, but he operates in a detective manner.  That’s why one of his comic books is named “Detective Comics” and one of his nicknames is “The World’s Greatest Detective”. As a detective, Batman has proven to be an outstanding observer, proficient investigator and cold, logical thinking machine.         

I already wrote about his character in the previous top 10 list (on comicbook characters), where he was also number two.

1.) SHERLOCK HOLMES

No surprise.   Sherlock Holmes gets the first spot on this list.  A long time ago, he became my most favorite fictional character as soon as I read his stories (written by Dr. Watson/Conan Doyle).  His powers of logic, observation, and deduction amazed me.

Holmes considers himself a “consulting detective”, the person Scotland Yard detectives ask for advice when they are stumped by a case.  And, usually, Holmes let the police detective who asked him for advice to have the credit for the solving of the case if it is too easy for his standards (though the detectives who consulted him find it very difficult).  These puzzling mysteries are “elementary” to him.  He also accepts cases from the public, as long as it's unusual and challenging enough to catch his interest.   

Holmes is a better version of C. Auguste Dupin as a dehumanized logical thinking machine.  He strongly scorns emotion, since it can cloud sound judgment.   He gives more importance to the deductive or analytical reasoning, since he claims that deduction is more difficult than induction (but he’s great at both types).  Holmes possesses great observational skills, attention to details, and quick analytical skills to create a train of logical reasoning which arrives at a solution or conclusion.  His most famous analytical dictum is “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth”, which I find a very effective advise in elimination of factors.

  

Aside from his detective skills, he is very versatile and multi-talented.  He is a skilled combatant; an expert in fencing, boxing and baritsu (bartitsu).   He’s a great actor and master of disguise.  He’s an expert in forensic science and chemistry.  He is multi-lingual.   He’s a competent cryptanalyst.  He has a wide scope of interests and knowledge on different subjects.  He loves art and literature (particularly, of the sensational genre, though he also referred to works like the Bible and Shakespeare).  He loves music, and can play the violin.  He also has authorship of several monographs on different subjects.   

His great intellect and versatility makes him a very interesting character and, hands down, the best detective in fiction.

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Top 10 Comic Book Characters

I started loving literature because of comic books.  And comic books have some of the most interesting characters in literature.  Some of them even became global pop culture icons.  Who does not know Superman?  Nobody.  We can’t deny the impact that these characters made. 

Here are my top ten characters from comic books – Western (American) comic books specifically.  No manga characters here (I’ll probably make one exclusively for manga characters in a future “top 10” list).  So, here we go:        

10.) SIMON ARCHARD

Archard is the hero of the comic book “Ruse” – published by Crossgen (which is now bankrupt).   The elements of “Ruse” are very Sherlock Holmes-like; a brilliant detective (Archard), a Victorian setting, logic, mysteries, and all that… but with a touch of fantasy.  Yes, Archibald deals with magic and the supernatural, but he doesn’t have any superpowers at all (He does have an assistant – Emma Bishop – who is a sorceress.  Archibald is aware of this fact, even though Bishop conceals her powers to him).  Aside from his “Sherlock Holmes”-esque intelligence and persona, he also makes use of a network of agents that works for him when on a case.

So, why did he make the list?  (People who know my preferences will easily understand why) Simple.  Sherlock Holmes-like.

9.) JUGHEAD

Forysthe Pendleton “Jughead” Jones III is the bestfriend of Archie Andrews – who is Archie Comics’ flagship character (obviously).    Jughead is the deepest and most interesting character among Archie’s gang, thus, he is my most favorite character in Archie Comics (in fact, I have more Jughead books than Archie ones).  

Jughead has several hobbies and interests, in which girls are not part of them.  But above all of these is his love for food and eating.  The amazing thing about him is that no matter how much food he eats, he remains skinny.  And even if he consumes large amounts of food, he always have room in his belly to eat some more.  More amazing still is, since he’s a lazy and easy-going person, it makes you wonder why he isn’t fat since (the lack of) physical activity does not explain the burning of the food he eats.   A very rapid metabolism might explain it. 

It’s not that Jughead is lazy and inactive all the time.  He is sometimes portrayed as someone that is into sports and even part a varsity sports team, particularly basketball.  It is also shown the he is an adept skateboarder.  Indeed, Jughead does venture into physical activities when motivated or if he thinks it's going to be fun. 

He is probably the most versatile character in the gang.  He can play the drums.  He is a skilled food critique and cook (obviously, because of his love for food).  And he has an above-average intelligence and has vast knowledge on different subjects and topics, which surprises friends and teachers, even if he’s not the studious-type (his I.Q. is just behind Dilton Doiley’s and equal with or probably even higher than Betty Cooper’s).  My favorite thing about Jughead, though, is his wry and sarcastic type of humor and his ability to psyche out opponents with this.

8.) JOKER

The greatest comic book villain ever is the Joker.  I think a large amount of comic book fans will agree with me.  Joker’s characterization and creation is so well done.  The Batman mythos is made more enjoyable because of the Joker, as Joker’s twisted sense of chaos is a perfect antithesis to Batman’s gritty sense of justice.  He is batshit (no pun intended) insane but a highly intelligent criminal mastermind.  His madness is an advantage to him since it enables him to make lots of risky decisions without second thought.  He is definitely one of the most dangerous and evil villains in comic books, even if he does not have immense powers like Darkseid or Thanos (imagine if Joker has that kind of power... yikes!)

Why is he so popular and fascinating?  Because we can easily see the evil he personifies.  Joker is the greatest supervillain in comics because he is the perfect evil ever epitomized in comic books.

 

7.) VENOM

Venom is an alien symbiote that possesses several powers including shapeshifting, regeneration, and augmentation of its host strength and speed.  Its weakness includes fire, loud sounds, and electricity.  First worn by Spider-Man (in Secret Wars), it initially helped Spider-Man and allowed him to become stronger and provided him with new abilities.  However, when Spidy learned that it was a murderous sentient being that wants to permanently bind with him, he got rid of it.  Then, the symbiote merged with Eddie Brock, which allowed him to physically manifest his hatred on Spidy (Brock is driven by his desire for revenge on Spidy, who he blames for the demise of his life, marriage, and career).  The symbiote is currently with Marc Gargan (the former Scorpion), but Brock is the most popular Venom.  The Brock Venom, aside from being a major Spidy supervillain, also served as a vigilante, though the murderous desires were still present. 

Venom is very popular because it is a rich and charismatic character, and because of these, it earns a place in this list.  However, I am not a fan of Marvel’s decision of making the Scorpion as the new Venom (and Eddie Brock as the Anti-Venom antihero/superhero).  Nonetheless, Venom is one of the best supervillain/antihero ever created.      

6.) GAMBIT (Remy LeBeau)

Gambit is an early favorite of mine.  The X-Men animated series of the 90’s and the “Marvel vs. Capcom” game made me grow fond of Gambit.  His graceful bo-staff fighting skills and ability to throw explosive cards (due to his mutant powers) easily won me over. Or maybe I grow to like Gambit because he used his “hypnotic charm”, another mutant power of his, on me.  His character is just oozing with charisma and suaveness.    

A former thief and revealed to have had connections with Mr. Sinister, Gambit was accepted by the X-Men.  And he has proven himself a loyal and invaluable member, though there are a few times that he had made wrong decisions to alienate himself from the team.  But no matter what the flaws of Gambit are, he sincerely loves the X-Men and feels that they are family to him and does his best to redeem himself. 

Gambit is one of the coolest comic book heroes ever.  Ironically, he is also one of the most underrated. 

5.) SUPERMAN (Clark Kent)

The Man of Steel.  The Man of Tomorrow.  The Last Son of Krypton.  “It’s a bird.  No, it’s a plane.  No, it’s Superman.”

As I’ve said, who does not know Superman?  We all know him as, probably, the most powerful superhero – only rivaled by Thor – there is.  He has several powers like flight, super speed, super strength, super hearing, X-ray vision, heat vision, and freeze breathe.  But – non-comic book fans does not know this – he often “holds back” and would only go “all out” when his opponents are the most powerful kind like Darkseid or Doomsday.  This is to avoid killing or making too much (collateral) damage.  Thus, he’s actually not operating at full power most of the time!     

Non-comic book fans found it ridiculous that people around Clark Kent can’t determine that he’s Superman in disguise.  But actually, the glasses are not the only thing that separates Superman and Clark Kent.  As Clark Kent, he has a different hairstyle, voice, mannerisms, posture (Clark Kent is shorter), psyche, and other minor but accumulated details that greatly distinguishes the alter egos from each other.

What I like most about Superman is his character.  Power corrupts.  And Superman has too much power. But he never abused it.  Remember, that he often “holds back” with his powers.  And this is really admirable about him.  He adheres to a strict moral code because of his Midwestern (i.e. Bible belt) upbringing (by foster parents Jonathan and Martha Kent).  And because of this, he is called a “Boy Scout”, either in insult or good humored teasing.  He is, in my opinion, the superhero with the highest E.Q.  He seldom loses his cool, always patient, always having self-control, and having a healthy mental/emotional equilibrium. 

4.) WOLVERINE (Logan, James Howlett)

In anyone’s “best comic book characters” lists, Wolverine will always rank high.   In fact, he ranked as the number one comic book character of Wizard Magazine.  He’s only number four in my list since I have three more characters who I think are cooler than Wolverine.  Even so, this should not discount Wolverine’s greatness as a comic book character.  He’s one of the best.

Wolverine is badassery personified.  If you look up the word “badass” in the dictionary, there would be a picture of Wolverine on it (I know… I know… this wordplay is old already).  If Gambit is oozing with charisma, Wolverine is just overflowing with badassery… the claws and the sound of “Snikt!” when he extends them… his unbreakable adamantium skeleton…. his “devil may care” act first, ask questions later, anti-authority attitude… his toughness and durability, which are enforced by his healing powers… his “berserker”-mode… we love him because of these… for being the perfect down-to-earth, tough, antihero.    

Moreover, because Wolverine is rough and savage in nature, he is mistaken as the “all-brawns, no-brains”-type by non-comic book fans.  Wolverine is actually very intelligent. Though he overcomes opponents with brute, he is actually a very cerebral fighter and a proficient strategist.  He has a wide range of knowledge and skills, like flying planes and being able to speak several languages. Wolverine is both brains and brawns.

 

3.) RORSCHACH (Walter Joseph Kovaks)

Definitely, Rorschach is the most favorite character in Watchmen by comic book fans.  He is a crazier, grittier, extremer version of the Question (who is a major inspiration for the former’s creation) and Batman (another inspiration).  Unlike his fellow costumed crime fighters, he did not quit adventuring (crime fighting) when it was outlawed.  He, instead, started a one-man crusade against crime.  He brutally hunted and punished criminals and he would even kill them without hesitation if he thought they deserved it.  He’s an extreme right wing vigilante.  His intense cynicism and methods are attributed to him being mentally ill. However, this does not prevent him from thinking analytically and deductively.  Rorschach showed some merit as a detective.

As a combatant, Rorschach – similar with the other non-Dr. Manhattan characters in Watchmen – has no super powers.  But he is highly proficient in close-quarters street fighting.  He uses any available weapon or potential weapon – e.g. pepper, toilet bowl, cooking fat, etc. – to aid him.  He also possesses high tolerability to discomfort or pain.               

2.) BATMAN (Bruce Wayne)

Aside from being referred to as “The Dark Knight” and “The Caped Crusader”, he has also been called “The World’s Greatest Detective.”  And rightfully so.  Since he has no super powers, Batman’s main weapon is his intelligence.  He has brilliant analytical and deductive skills and he is an excellent strategist, always thinking one step ahead.  This plus the support of his (Bruce Wayne’s) wealth – arming himself with high-tech gadgets, equipment and vehicles – allow him to function and survive in the world of superheroes.    

He’s the model for the grittier, darker side of the superhero character (in which Superman is the “sunny”-model of the superhero character).  He believes that the ends justify the means.  That sometimes, to obtain justice and to make things right, he has to break the rules.  This is probably because he is vengeance-motivated; wanting to avenge the murder of his parents by fighting crime.  He makes use of this grim and cynical nature of his to his advantage.             

The trait of Batman that I like the most is his focus and work ethic.  He trained – and continues to train – himself hard; toughening himself both mentally and physically.  Thus, he is a brilliant scientist and logician, an expert in psychological warfare, adept in several forms of fighting styles, an above-average Olympic-type athlete, and a multi-skilled artist.   He continually makes himself better, in the best ways he can.  

 

1.) SPIDER-MAN (Peter Parker)

Spidey is my most favorite comic book character (and fictional character, before I encountered Sherlock Holmes) since I first picked up a comic book.  His greatest charm is of him being, probably, the most “human” among superheroes.  Yes, he has superpowers and all that, but, like the rest of us, he has human problems that we can relate to.  Girl problems, school problems, how to pay the bills, etc.  These he has to juggle with along with the hustles of being a superhero.  As a superhero, he is sometimes (or often?) underappreciated by the populace and even thought of as a menace – thanks to the anti-Spidey media campaigns of the number one Spidey hater, J. Jonah Jameson (ironically, the employer of Peter Parker).  But no matter what, appreciated or unappreciated by the people he saves, with or without the pressure brought by his personal problems, he continues to do the right thing. He saves people.  He fights crime.  He battles supervillains (even those more powerful than him).   He indeed lives by his “with great power comes great responsibility” motto, that God gave him a gift, thus, he must use it for good, no matter what (this he learned the hard way when his Uncle Ben got killed by a robber he did not capture when he had the chance).   Heavy stuff, right?  More admirable still is that Spidey started being a superhero when he was fifteen! A mere fifteen-year older already having a high sense of duty and morals amidst the heavy emotional burdens of being a teenager and a superhero?  Totally inspiring.          

Spidey possesses a genius level of intellect.  He is a science wiz as he invented the formula for his “webs” and the web shooters to shoot from.   When he goes against opponents, especially those that have more resources or are more powerful than him, he regularly makes use of his intelligence to aid him.  Aside from intelligence, Spidey also possesses a high-level of wit.  This he uses by frequently making jokes or clever statements, even when he is fighting.   In fact, he even uses his wit to “psyche out” opponents, to his advantage. 

His powers are cool and unique.  Besides superhuman levels of strength (spider-strength), balance, reflexes, stamina, durability, speed, and agility, he also has the ability to cling to walls like a spider and an early warning ESP device called “spider-sense” that tells him of a danger approaching.   Because of gaining spider abilities, he moves in a graceful arachnid motion and mannerism (thanks mostly to Todd McFarlane’s interpretation of the character) which is very appealing to see. 

And because of these – cool powers, cool and fashionable mannerisms, intelligence, charisma, high entertainment-value, and rapport – (even if he has undergone some of the worst storylines in comic book history) he remains one of the most enduring and iconic comic book favorites of all time. 

Spider-Man is number one.  The greatest comic book character ever.  

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