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thon717-fmp · 4 months

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Research into ninja games Part 2

Ninja blade

Concept: FromSoftware aimed to create a game with intense sequences like Hollywood action films, working with Microsoft to design the protagonist, Ken Ogawa.

Design and Production: Keiji Nakaoka from Capcom's 2nd Character Development Studio designed the character. The game was categorized as a "cinematic action game," blending hack and slash with context-sensitive commands. Norihiko Hibino's GEM Impact studio composed the soundtrack, and Production I.G. handled the animation.

Demo and Release: A demo was released in Japan in December 2008 and in North America in March 2009. The full game was released for Xbox 360 in 2009 (Japan in January, Europe in April, North America in April, and Australia in August). A Windows port was released in Russia in November 2009 and globally via Steam two weeks later. Iceberg Interactive released a retail version in Europe in February 2010, and the game became available through OnLive in North America and the UK in 2011.

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Ghost of Tsushima

Overview: "Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut" brings Jin Sakai's epic journey to PC for the first time, offering the complete game experience with enhanced features and graphics options.

Setting and Story:

Historical Context: Set in the late 13th century during the Mongol invasion of Japan.

Protagonist: Jin Sakai, a samurai warrior and one of the last surviving members of his clan.

Objective: Protect Tsushima Island from the Mongol invasion led by Khotun Khan.

Transformation: Jin must adopt unconventional warfare tactics, becoming the "Ghost," to liberate his homeland.

Mature Content Description:

Violence: Frequent intense violence, dismemberment, decapitation, and blood effects.

Gore: Graphic scenes, including a civilian being burned alive and a beheaded man’s head shown to the camera.

Blood: Visible in environments, on clothing, and from successful attacks.

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Shadow Tactics

Overview: "Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun" is a hardcore tactical stealth game set in Japan during the Edo period. Players control a team of specialists, each with unique abilities, to navigate and infiltrate various locations while avoiding or eliminating enemies.

Gameplay:

Tactical Stealth: Players must sneak through shadows, set traps, poison enemies, or avoid contact entirely.

Infiltration Missions: Locations include castles, monasteries, and forest camps, each requiring strategic planning and execution.

Character Dynamics: Over time, the team's diverse personalities learn to trust each other, forming friendships and developing a group dynamic.

Objective:

Master challenging missions by devising unique tactics and strategies to outsmart and defeat enemies, ensuring the team's success through careful planning and execution.

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Onimusha

"Onimusha" is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, blending historic Japanese figures with supernatural elements. The games feature action-adventure gameplay with third-person hack-and-slash combat and puzzles.

Plot and Setting:

The series retells Japan's history with a twist of the supernatural.

Players assume the role of a protagonist wielding the power of the Oni to combat the Genma, the primary antagonists.

Gameplay:

Combines hack-and-slash combat with puzzle-solving elements.

Players use Oni powers to battle enemies and navigate through challenges.

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Ghostrunner

Genre and Setting: "Ghostrunner" is a first-person perspective (FPP) slasher game set in a cyberpunk megastructure. It offers lightning-fast action in a grim, dystopian environment.

Plot: Players climb Dharma Tower, humanity's last refuge after a catastrophic event. They navigate through the tower's violent streets ruled by the tyrannical Keymaster, Mara, seeking revenge and confronting tyranny.

World and Challenges: Dharma Tower is a city filled with violence and chaos, where resources are scarce, and the strong prey on the weak. Players face overwhelming odds as they strive to restore order before humanity faces extinction.

Gameplay: As the most advanced blade fighter, players utilize a monomolecular katana to slice through enemies, dodge bullets with superhuman reflexes, and employ specialized techniques to overcome challenges.

Core Experience: Players are always outnumbered but never outclassed, offering a thrilling and intense experience of fast-paced combat and precise movement in a dystopian setting.

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Bushido Blade

Game Title and Concept: "Bushido Blade" is a 3D fighting video game developed by Lightweight and published by Square and Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. The game emphasizes one-on-one armed combat and draws inspiration from the Japanese warrior code of honor, bushidō.

Innovative Gameplay: Bushido Blade introduced a realistic fighting engine, notably featuring the unique Body Damage System. Unlike traditional fighting games, there are no time limits or health gauges during combat. Instead, most hits result in instant death, and players can disable opponents gradually with precise strikes from their weapons.

Sequel and Related Titles: The success of Bushido Blade led to a direct sequel, Bushido Blade 2, released a year later on the PlayStation. Additionally, another game with a similar title and gameplay, Kengo: Master of Bushido, was developed by Lightweight for the PlayStation 2.

Core Gameplay Experience: Players engage in intense one-on-one battles, focusing on precise strikes and tactical maneuvers to defeat opponents. The absence of health gauges and the emphasis on realistic combat mechanics set Bushido Blade apart from traditional fighting games, offering a unique and immersive experience.

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#games #indie games #youtube #pc games #japan #Youtube

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toonesque · 1 year

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FLCL, à la recherche de... maturité

nouvel épisode de la chronique, originale.

après avoir chamboulé l'animation japonaise avec EVANGELION, le studio GAINAX, accompagné de Production I.G. (Ghost in the Shell), propose un OVA, intitulé: FLCL, réalisé par le petit préféré d'Hideaki Anno, Kazuya Tsurumaki.

une oeuvre responsable de bien nombreux mélanges, ouvertures de portes et métissage culturels comme la popularisation de l'animation japonaise aux Etats-Unis via [adult swim], avec son doublage anglais qualitatif, comme bien le choix d'une soundtrack moins conventionnelle, avec du bon rock. un anime pour des fans d'animes, voir d'animation en général, par des fans d'animation.

#toonesque.#youtube #gainax #flcl #fooly cooly #adult swim #anime ova #french #english subbed #Youtube

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lignes2frappe · 2 years

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66 ANECDOTES QUI TUENT SUR « KILL BILL », LE MEILLEUR FILM DE TARANTINO

1. Kill Bill est né sur le tournage de Pulp Fiction.

Lors de discussions à bâtons rompues entre Quentin Tarantino et Uma Thurman, l’idée leur est venue d’imaginer un film qui débuterait sur le plan du visage ensanglanté d’une femme habillée en robe de mariée.

Bien qu’Uma Thurman n’ait ensuite pas été impliquée dans l’écriture du scénario, dans les crédits, il est mentionné que Kill Bill est « basé sur le personnage de La Mariée créé par Q & U ».

2. Kill Bill : Vol. 1 et Kill Bill : Vol. 2 ne forment qu’un seul et même film.

Nonobstant la campagne de promotion du Volume 1 qui annonçait « Le quatrième film de Quentin Tarantino » et les affiches du Volume 2 mentionnant « Le nouveau film de Quentin Tarantino », toutes les filmographies officiels du réalisateur considèrent Boulevard de la Mort comme son cinquième long-métrage.

La décision de sortir Kill Bill en deux volets distincts avait été prise de concert avec Miramax, le studio, afin de couper le moins de scènes possible.

3. Il existe une version longue de Kill Bill qui dure quatre heures.

Baptisé Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, elle a été montrée une première fois au Festival de Cannes de 2004.

Après avoir teasé une sortie DVD pendant des années, Tarantino a organisé une série de projections dans son cinéma de Los Angeles, le New Beverly Cinema.

À en croire les rares privilégiés à y avoir assisté, plusieurs changements sont à noter : le proverbe Klingon qui ouvre le film, « La vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid », a été remplacé par un hommage au cinéaste Kinji Fukasaku (le réalisateur de Battle Royale, l’un des films préférés de Tarantino), les dix chapitres se déroulent dans l’ordre chronologique, les scènes censurées sont rétablies tandis que des plans encore plus sanguinolents ont été rajoutés, l’animé qui raconte les origines d’O-Ren Ishii a été rallongé de sept minutes et le cliffhanger finale où Bill demande à Sofie Fatale si Béatrice sait que sa fille est vivante a été supprimé.

4. La version longue des origines d’O-Ren Ishii a été produite sans que Tarantino soit mis au parfum !

« Dans le montage final, on voit O-Ren tuer son patron, puis il y a ce mec aux cheveux longs qui débarque… Dans la première version, on devait voir un gros combat contre ce gars-là. Le studio Production I.G nous a dit qu’il n’aurait pas le temps de finir cette séquence à temps. Et puis, le studio m’a fait comprendre qu’on ne pouvait pas intégrer 30 minutes d’animation au milieu d’un film. C’était mon passage préféré, mais okay, c’est ce que les autres voulaient couper. »

L’histoire ne s’arrête toutefois pas là.

« Quand Production I.G a appris que je préparais The Whole Bloody Affair, ils m’ont dit qu’ils avaient toujours le script pour rallonger la scène. Et sans nous demander notre accord, ils ont investi dans ce projet et ont bouclé ce passage clé. »

Et QT d’ajouter : « Le résultat est dément. »

5. Quentin Tarantino a offert le scénario de Kill Bill à Uma Thurman le jour de ses 30 ans.

6. Le tournage de Kill Bill a été repoussé au dernier moment d’une année entière quand Uma Thurman a appris qu’elle était enceinte de son second enfant.

À aucun moment Tarantino n’a cependant envisagé de changer d’actrice.

« Oui, Kill Bill c’était mon film de samouraï. Oui, c’était mon film de meufs badass. Oui, c’était mon western spaghetti et mon film de comic books. Mais c’était aussi mon film à la Josef Von Sternberg. Et si Josef Von Sternberg est sur le point de faire Cœurs brûlés et que Marlene Dietrich tombe enceinte, il attend Dietrich ! »

7. Avant que ne commence le tournage, Quentin Tarantino a spécifiquement demandé à Uma Thurman de regarder trois films : le chef-d’œuvre de John Woo The Killer, le classique de la blaxploitation Coffy avec Pam Grier, et le western culte Pour une poignée de dollars de Sergio Leone.

8. Bruce Lee a énormément influencé Kill Bill.

Outre l’ensemble jaune que porte Uma Thurman qui fait évidemment référence à son survêtement et ses sneakers Asics Ontisuka Tigers Mexico 66 dans Le Jeu de la mort, on peut entendre une reprise du thème de la série Frelon vert, tandis que les Crazy 88 portent tous le même masque que Kato, son personnage.

Autre emprunt : la technique que le grand maître Pai Mei enseigne à Beatrix comment briser une planche en bois placée juste devant elle, il reprend directement l’une des techniques de combat de Bruce Lee, le « one inch punch » de Lee (« le coup de poing sans recul »).

9. Plusieurs Bill ont été considérés avant que le rôle n’échoue à David Carradine.

Tarantino avait tout d’abord écrit le personnage en pensant à Warren Beatty. Une fois les discussions engagées, ce dernier n’a toutefois pas été emballé plus que ça par le projet.

Kevin Costner est passé à deux doigts d’accepter, mais a dû refuser car il était pris au même moment par Open Range.

Jack Nicholson, Kurt Russell, Mickey Rourke et Burt Reynolds ont également été approchés.

10. Kill Bill se déroule dans « l’univers cinéma » de l’univers de Quentin Tarantino.

Explication du Christ : « Il existe deux univers séparés dans mes films. Il y a l’univers réel et l’univers cinématographique. L’univers réel est celui dans lequel les personnages de la vraie vie évoluent (ceux de Reservoir Dogs, ceux de Pulp Fiction…). L’univers cinématographique est un univers spécial composé de films, comme Kill Bill ou Une nuit en enfer. »

« Quand les personnages de Reservoir Dogs ou de Pulp Fiction vont au cinéma, ils vont voir Kill Bill ou Une nuit en enfer. »

Il est ainsi impossible pour La Mariée d’apparaître dans Boulevard de la mort, mais il lui est techniquement possible d’apparaître dans Une nuit en enfer. En revanche, Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) de Boulevard de la mort ne peut pas apparaître dans Kill Bill, quand bien même il aurait pu bosser comme cascadeur sur le tournage de Kill Bill.

11. Il est néanmoins possible qu’ici les univers réel et cinématographique ne soient pas complètement étanches.

De un, parce que l’on retrouve la Honda Civic avec laquelle Butch (Bruce Willis) renverse Marsellus Wallace dans Pulp Fiction garée sur un parking du club de striptease où travaille Budd.

De deux, parce que Tarantino a confirmé que la tombe dans laquelle Uma Thurman est enterrée vivante par Budd est celle de Paula Schultz, la femme du dentiste devenu chasseur de primes Dr King Schultz (Christopher Waltz) dans Django Unchained.

12. À l’exception de Michael Madsen, tous les membres du Détachement International des Vipères Assassines ont été initiés aux arts martiaux.

Pendant trois mois, Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Daryl Hannah, Vivica A. Fox et David Carradine ont passé huit heures par jour à s’entraîner aux techniques de combat.

Et à en croire Fox, la discipline était de fer : « Il valait mieux arriver entre 8h55 et 8h59. À 9h01, vous aviez des ennuis. On aurait dit les Jeux olympiques. »

Bon point pour elle, « ses fesses étaient superbes dans le film ».

13. L’iconique logo de la Shaw Brothers est inséré dans le générique d’introduction.

Société de production hongkongaise fondée dans les années 50, on lui doit parmi les films d’arts martiaux les plus cultes comme la trilogie de la 36ème Chambre.

Archi fan de la Shaw Brothers, Tarantino ne s’est ici pas contenté de cet hommage, il est allé tourner une partie de Kill Bill dans leurs studios !

14. La liste écrite au feutre rouge de La Mariée qui s’inspire de celle du western spaghetti El mercenario sorti en 1968.

15. La boîte aux lettres de Vernita Green est au nom de Bells, une dédicace à Zoe Bell, la doublure d’Uma Thurman avec qui Tarantino a été en couple pendant quelques années.

16. Les peintures accrochées au mur de la maison de Vernita Green (Vivica A. Fox) sont l’œuvre du frère de Pam Grier (l’héroïne de Jackie Brown), Rodney Grier.

17. Lorsque Vernita Green tente de tuer La Mariée en lui tirant dessus, son pistolet est dissimulé dans une boite de céréales de la marque (fictive) KABOOM.

18. Quand dans Kill Bill Vol. 1, le Texas Ranger Earl McGraw arrive à la Chapelle des Deux-Pins, on distingue sur son tableau de bord de sa voiture un alignement de lunettes de soleil. Il s’agit d’un clin d’œil à Henry Blight Halicki, l’acteur, scénariste, producteur et réalisateur des films de poursuite La Grande Casse (1974) et La Grande Casse 2 (1982).

19. Elle Driver, alias Serpent de montagne (California Mountain Snake), est le seul membre du Détachement International des Vipères Assassines dont le surnom n’est pas inspiré d’un serpent venimeux.

Hasard qui n’en est pas un, elle est empêchée d’épargner La Mariée à l’hôpital alors qu’elle voulait l’empoisonner.

Toujours est-il que le serpent de montagne est réputé pour s’attaquer à d’autres serpents, en particulier les serpents à sonnette. Coïncidence qui n’en est pas une, le nom de code de Budd est Serpent à Sonnette (Sidewinder).

20. En 2013, Daryl Hannah (Elle Driver) a prêté sa voix au documentaire Black Mamba – Kiss of Death.

Produit par Earth Touch USA, il suit les péripéties d’une femelle mamba lors de sa période de reproduction.

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21. Kobe Bryant a décidé de se surnommer Black Mamba après avoir vu Kill Bill.

« La morsure, le coup porté, le tempérament, c’était moi. C’était moi ! »

22. Les lunettes de soleil que piquent Uma Thurman à Buck après s’être réveillée de son coma sont les mêmes que portent Christian Slater dans True Romance.

23. Le Pussy Wagon que conduit La Mariée a été réutilisé dans le clip de Telephone de Lady Gaga en duo avec Beyoncé.

« Lors d’un déjeuner avec Quentin, je lui parlais de mon clip et de son concept, et là il me dit : ‘Tu dois mettre le Pussy Wagon dedans !’ » a raconté la chanteuse.

Le Pussy Wagon peut également être vu dans I’m Really Hot de Missy Elliot.

24. Le bar d’Okinawa dans lequel se rend La Mariée est tenu par Sonny Chiba et Kenji Ōba. Ce dernier était mondialement connu dans les années 80 pour avoir incarné le ranger de l’espace X-Or, le héros de la série du même nom diffusée en France dans l’émission Récré A2.

Ce n’est cependant pas ce rôle qui lui a attiré les faveurs de Quentin Tarantino.

Sonny Chiba a révélé que le jour où Tarantino l’a engagé, le réalisateur est venu le lui annoncer en personne le jour de son anniversaire.

« Quentin ne connaissait pas Kenji, mais se souvenait de son personnage au crâne rasé dans la série. Ce personnage de disciple chauve formait une bonne combinaison avec Hatori Hanzo. Je lui ai donc proposé d’en faire mon disciple forgeron. »

25. Quand La Mariée arrive à l’aéroport de Tokyo, on peut observer une publicité pour les cigarettes Red Apple qui met en vedette Sofie Fatale, l’avocate et meilleure amie d’O-Ren Ishii.

26. La compagnie aérienne japonaise Air O au bord de laquelle La Mariée voyage est la même que celle que Zoé emprunte dans Boulevard de la mort.

27. Le groupe de filles qui donne un concert dans Villa aux Feuilles Bleues, les 5,6,7,8’s, a été découvert par Tarantino au hasard dans un magasin japonais.

Intrigué par leur musique qui passait en fond, pressé par le temps, le réalisateur a insisté auprès des employés pour acheter directement leur copie du disque.

28. Gogo Yubari n’est pas vraiment un nom japonais.

Gogo dérive de l’animé Mach Go Go Go (Speed Racer dans nos contrées) dont Tarantino était fan enfant.

Yubari est le nom d’une petite ville au nord du Japon où se déroule un festival international du film fantastique. La toute première fois que QT s’est rendu au Japon, c’était pour présenter Reservoir Dogs à ce festival.

29. Chiaki Kuriyama (Gogo Yubari) a blessé Quentin Tarantino avec sa boule en acier.

Réputé pour s’approcher au plus près de ses comédiens lors des prises, il s’est avancé un peu trop près d’elle alors qu’elle faisait tourner son arme.

30. Gogo Yubari a une sœur jumelle !

QT : « Dans le script original, il y avait un chapitre intitulé ‘La revanche de Yuki’. Yuki, c’est sa jumelle. Elle aurait poursuivi La Mariée dans Los Angeles après la mort de Vernita afin de venger a sœur. Cela aurait été une énorme fusillade, la seule du film. Yuki est encore plus dingue que Gogo. »

Tarantino avait envisagé de mettre en images cette séquence sous forme d’animé, avant de reculer pour des questions de délais et de budget.

La scène où Gogo boit au goulot, puis éventre un homme assis au bar, était initialement une scène, non pas avec Gogo, mais avec Yuki en train de faire le deuil de sœur.

31. Aucun effet numérique n’est utilisé de toute la bataille contre les Crazy 88 !

Conséquence, il a fallu près de deux mois pour mettre en boîte la séquence (la durée moyenne d’un tournage entier).

Guère fan de CGI, Tarantino déclarait d’ailleurs en 2003 « en avoir ras le c*l de cette m*rde ».

« Aucun ordinateur ne vient n*quer mes films. Tout est fait à l’ancienne avec des p*tains de caméra. Si j’avais voulu faire un jeu vidéo, je serais allé fourrer ma b*te dans une Nintendo. »

32. La fille de Sonny Chiba, Juri Manase, joue l’un des Crazy 88 qui s’en prend à la Mariée.

33. Quentin apparaît brièvement dans le plan ci-dessous dans la peau d’un Crazy 88 mort. Il n’a cependant jamais précisé quel cadavre il incarne.

Lire la suite en cliquant ici.

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fighterxaos · 8 years

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Netflix Announces Cyborg 009: Call of Justice Stream Date Netflix has updated with the announcement that Cyborg 009: Call of Justice will be available on the service starting on

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hrodvitnon · 2 years

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The Elder Scrolls TV Idea

Someone’s probably already said this, but if The Elder Scrolls gets a Netflix adaptation (or so the rumor goes), it can go the way of Netflix’s adaptations of either Castlevania (excellent) or Dragon’s Dogma (an on fire garbage can). Because Skyrim is probably the series’ most well-known installment — to the point where I’ve met a guy who was genuinely surprised to learn it’s the fifth main entry — it would be extremely easy, and lazy, to simply adapt the story of Skyrim; the game’s been rereleased and ported so many times that anyone can tell you every single plot beat in this or that questline. It would give the impression of TES just being another generic fantasy world, or that Skyrim’s the only TES game worth playing, and some critic who doesn't know The Witcher from The Legend of Zelda will look at it and go "ho hum, another Game of Thrones wannabe. I don't need to play the game to know otherwise."

And so, I have a proposal: Do it like Halo Legends.

For the uninitiated, Halo Legends is a compilation of seven short animated films set in the Halo universe, telling a different story and animated by a different anime studio, from Studio Bones to Production I.G. to Toei Animation. They’re quite good; “The Duel” is my personal favorite.

So why should an Elder Scrolls adaptation be like Halo Legends? Because TES and its lore is simply too big and weird to brush aside in favor of rehashing Skyrim; from Tamriel’s two moons being the rotting corpse of a long dead god to the sun being a hole in the sky leading to Aetherius, to the very concept of Dragon Breaks, the Daedric Princes and their respective planes of Oblivion, to all the metaphysical stuff, and so on.

And then there’s the CHIM.

There’s so much potential! You can tell established stories in the lore, historical figures and events, you can even adapt the stories of books you can literally read in the games since some of them are actually plays intended to be acted out (including The Lusty Argonian Maid). Here are just a few examples of what can be done (also my lore knowledge is isn't perfect so there might be mistakes here).

Saint Alessia

Picture it: The Ayleid Empire, the First Era. The Ayleid elves employed cruelty and Daedra worship, utilizing slaves not just for practical purposes but also for “art-torture,” including but not limited to setting human children on fire for sport. If it weren’t for the aesthetics you’d think they were Warhammer’s Drukhari. Enter one of countless humans born into slavery, a woman who will become known as Alessia, who prays to Akatosh and the Aedra for liberation. She receives three visions from the Aedra; she escapes her slave masters and establishes a holy city, starting the first slave riots; she meets Morihaus the Man Bull, raises an army, teams up with the legendary elf-hating psycho Pelinal Whitestrake, and royally fucks over the Ayleids. Alessia declares herself the first Empress of Cyrodiil and is imbued with the “Dragon Blood” by Akatosh, and upon death her soul is placed into the Amulet of Kings, to seal the barrier between Mundus and Oblivion...

Also, Morihaus? The winged man bull demigod, son of Kynareth, one of Alessia’s champions? He was also her consort. Their son was one of, if not the first minotaur. It’s like, Joan of Arc meets Beauty and the Beast, and the beast stays a beast.

Pelinal Whitestrake

Remember Pelinal up there? Alessia’s other champion, all decked out in crusader knight armor, considered family by Morihaus, and depicted as a hero in modern Imperial dogma and also the Knights of the Nine DLC? Not only is he actually a batshit insane genocidal elf-hating engine of mass destruction, he’s implied to be a time-traveling semi-divine kinda cyborg from the future. Don’t indicate he’s got some divinity in him or you’ll be smothered by moths in your sleep, though.

Seriously, dude HATES elves like the Doom Slayer hates demons; Pelinal first meets Alessia when he’s caked in Ayleid gore and viscera. Pelinal nearly caused the Aedra to abandon Mundus in disgust after he erased Ayleid lands from existence in his psychotic rage (then again, this is the Ayleids we’re talking about, and they also killed his boyfriend). So yeah, Pelinal Whitestrake. Champion of Saint Alessia, Slaughterer of Ayleids, and an insane screaming vortex of gore and racism in an approximately humanoid shape! Proof that not all characters need be a perfect golden child.

The Dwemer

The Dwemer (deep elves) are TES' version of dwarves. One of the biggest in-universe mysteries is "what the fuck happened to the Dwemer?" They were hyper advanced, creating steampunk robots that still function after thousands of years, their ruins dotting the landscape and providing all sorts of questions for in-universe scholars to ponder over, casting off conventional magic and worshipping Aedra or Daedra in favor of something called tonal manipulation, they're even responsible for making the Falmer (snow elves) what they are now, built the Numidium (a giant automaton intended to be a new god and a weapon of mass devastation). And then the Dwemer vanished. Why wouldn't they get their own episode?

The Nerevarine

This is one of those episodes that could be an abridged retelling of games in the series, and this one tackles the plot of TES3: Morrowind; in which a certain someone fresh off the boat arrives in Vvardenfell, is inducted into the Blades, is declared a reincarnation of the hero Nerevar, and must fulfill prophecies regarding the Nerevarine in order to defeat Dagoth Ur and his cult.

The Oblivion Crisis

Of course it’d be an abridged retelling of TES4: Oblivion, but you can also show how it impacted the other provinces (or at least what we know about); like the Collapse of the Crystal Tower, the resurrection of the Ald Skar Emperor Crab who ultimately died fighting off the Daedric hordes, and how the Hist trees of Black Marsh called back the Argonians so they can make like an army of Doomguys.

Hircine and the Hunter

Here’s a story that doesn’t have to be tied with anything specific and can even be pulled from various quests involving our favorite Lord of the Hunt; just the tale of a hunter encountering the Daedric Prince Hircine and is given a task, whether it’s hunting down a unicorn or a werewolf or something along those lines. The hunter may choose to go along with Hircine’s commands or disobey them and must survive some cat and mouse game; at the end, when the hunter expects to die, Hircine instead congratulates the hunter for their cunning and rewards them with one of his artifacts.

Whodunnit?

You know that one job in the Dark Brotherhood questline in TES4: Oblivion that’s basically a murder mystery where you’re the killer? You can make an entire episode based on that. Either make it into a slasher movie where the victims try (and fail) to outrun or defeat their assassin; or go the more interesting route and not reveal the killer until the very end, manipulating everyone at the party to distrust and eventually kill each other until there's only one left...

And finally, The Hypothetical TES Version of “Odd One Out” in Halo Legends:

A Day in Skyrim

The obligatory comedy episode, nothing but pure zany screwball slapstick. Picture it: The Dragonborn and Lydia are wandering the lands of Skyrim when suddenly! A dragon attacks! Naturally our heroes take up arms against the beast, but something goes wrong; the Dragonborn is caught in the dragon’s talons, or their weapon is stuck and the Dragonborn is somehow tied to the dragon, and so the big scaly thing decides “fuck this shit I’m out” and leaves the field... with the Dragonborn stuck to it, screaming with indignation and rage, throwing Shout after Shout, forcing the dragon to do whatever it can to remove the annoying screaming thing from its scales. Lydia, undyingly loyal to the Chaotic Mess that is her thane, is like “ah shit, here we go again,” gets on horseback, and resigns herself to chasing a dragon across the province.

They go through towns, skirmishes between the Imperial Legion and Stormcloaks, interrupt a Daedric ritual that naturally goes horribly wrong, run past an Orc stronghold dealing with a giant attack and two dragons, and eventually the dragon stuck to our Dovahkiin is so worn down it collapses into a bandit fort. Lydia follows the telltale whistling rainbow winds of a soul being vacuumed and catches up, butchering her way through the bandits, and finally finds her very tired thane who now just wants to go home and sleep for like a week... but they might as well loot the place while they’re here, get some money for all the trouble. The episode ends with Lydia checking out a little chest somewhere up in the fort’s tower.

“A NEW HAND TOUCHES THE—”

Lydia slams the chest shut and throws it out of the tower. The Dragonborn shows up. “Find anything good?”

“Nope.”

*distant crash*

There’s simply too many things I could list that could be episodes in a TES TV show; Vivec, the Aedra and Daedra, Ysgramor and the Companions, the Battle of Red Mountain, Queen Barenziah, Tiber Septim/Talos, the tragedy of the Falmer (Snow Elves), the Sword-singers of Yokuda, the Pride of Alkosh, Gaiden Shinji, THERE’S SO MUCH!

And that’s why an Elder Scrolls adaptation should be like Halo Legends. It should be made by people who love TES and play the games and deep dive into the lore. It’s likely never going to happen, but one can still dream.

#the elder scrolls

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heyitsmejona · 4 years

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I am exited for Cantha and just got the new Skimmer mastery but don’t know what to do with it or myself - A GUIDE!

Hello fellow GW2-players! This is a guide for cool places you can explore with your Skimmer!

Requirements:

You theoretically only need the Skimmer but to get the full experience you may also need the Springer (bunny) or any other mount you feel is appropriate. You can follow this guide alone but it may be more fun to do this in a group, as it is most likely you encounter a few difficult situations! If you want to make some money with it you need to bring a few gathering tools like sickle & pickaxe.

You can also only do most of the stuff if you have PoF and LW Season 3 & 4!! However, this guide has 15 steps in total and if you want to save money, the first 5 steps can be done without using waypoints. Don’t worry if you don’t have the map on your character yet, you can use tp to friend if a player of your party is on the map! Furthermore, I did not calculate the time needed to complete the guide but I would estimate it might take ~ 2 h if you’re fast and 3+ h if you are in a group and/or you want to complete everything!

Oh, and to all the roleplayers out there, this includes a few awesome places for some rp-sessions.

DISCLAIMER: I am not accountable for any danger you get into or deaths that will happen to you!! Also this is a super super long post with visuals so I’ll hide the rest under the break!

If you’re ready: mount-up and let’s get into it!

Overview:

map

1. Bitterfrost Frontier:

Start from the Sorrow’s Eclipse WP and dive down! You’ll find a quaggan city and some corals! You can also loot all the chests gathered on the ice lake and maybe farm a bit of Winterberries if you feel like it. If you are finished you can leave through a portal to Frostgorge Sound and travel to the Earthshake WP and move on to the next step!

2. Fireheart Rise:

On this map are two cool places! The first one is in Highland Thaw (upper left corner of the map), to reach it you have to start at the Rustbowl WP (Portal from Frostgorge Sound) and move up/north. You’ll find a lake with some underwater ruins and if you’re lucky a rich platinum vein. But be aware, there is sometimes a group event to kill an ice worm, at least 3-4 players are required to finish it.

The second place is further down on the map, you can travel to the Severed Breach WP and swim in dirty water and travel up/ north again until you reach a cool spot where some lava rivers hit the water. Looks really beautiful. Also, if you’re feeling extra fancy, there is one jumping puzzle and a hidden mini dungeon near the lake you can complete.

To reach the next destination leave the map over the Sati WP to the Iron Marches and travel south to the Dew Claw WP and leave the map.

3. Plains of Ashford:

Start from the Ascalon City WP and go east to Foefire’s Heart (poi) and if you glide down with your skimmer you’ll reach a blue cave with a cool hidden spot for some roleplaying!

To reach the next step, travel to Lion's Arch with the portal in the Black Citadel and go through a portal there to the Southsun Cove.

4. Southsun Cove:

Start from the Pearl Islet WP and go down/south to the beach where you can roleplay a bit and then move west to Sawtooth Bay where you will find some cool sunken ships and lots of sharks. Sometimes there even is a group event to kill a shark! Also a cool fun fact, you can enter the Privateer's Moorage and go down to the cargo bay/the heart of the ship! Which is also a cool spot for some roleplaying as there are only some craps inside.

5. Rata Sum:

Go to the Port WP. There is nothing special in the water except some Triopen and weird electrical fishes but if you travel north you’ll reach a dam (wall) which you can climb onto with your Springer but be aware if you dare move further north you’ll land in Asura Jail, and I am not joking about that, try it out with your friends! To reach the jail like a normal person go to the Research WP and go north to the Peacemakers HQ where you can go down the stairs and you will enter the cell block of Rata Sum. Very cool for some roleplaying, if you are into that. (jk)

6. Draconis Mons:

Wow, have you ever wanted to swim in the sulphuric water of the volcano without dying? Now your time has come, mount-up and dive down. But not to deep or the game will threaten you with murder! You can start from the Mariner Landing WP and go wild. You won't see much anyways.

7. Ember Bay:

Start from the Promontory WP and travel south to the Sulfurous Deep, you’ll find a seaweed farm spot, some corals and if you feel like it, go farm some lotus on the nearby island/shore as well.

8. Malchor’s Leap:

There is much to explore here! It’s best if you start from the Lights WP and move west. You’ll find some cool statues from Malchor, an abandoned quaggan village, sunken ships and weird orrian architecture! Near the sunken ships is a group event where you have to kill a captain and her pet and in the big ship is something weird??? I haven't figured it out yet, but if you enter the bridge of the Harbinger (poi) there is like a veteran creature and some corpses swimming around, from there you can go deeper into the ship and you’ll find a door with some weird dialogue, idk man. Something cursed is going on there. Also The Harbinger has some cool lore, you can check out the Marriner Plaque on deck. If you move south from there you will find some weird swimming architecture and a group event with three bosses no one does, like ever.

9. Sirens Landing:

Okay, soo this one might be interesting for some of you! You can start from the Camp Reclamation WP and lo and behold, there are some shirtless Sylvari volunteers in the bay area! Yeah, moving on… you can find some orrian oysters and corals in the water and if you move east you’ll find The Buoyant Bough (poi) which has some nice plants on deck and if you put two and two together you’ll find some implied bouncing mushroom (HoT mastery) lore. Overall a good spot for some roleplaying! You can move up/north afterwards and do the jumping puzzle on the island, if you feel that's necessary. Otherwise there are more orrian oysters in the water and if you swim into the direction of the Choking Depths (what a cool name, you guys) you’ll find some very big and awesome sea urchins on the ocean floor!

10. Thunderhead Peaks:

Start from the Revolution’s Heart WP and move down to the Shattered Bay (poi in the bottom left corner), collect Volatile Magic and some Dragon Crystal Nodes on the way and if you finally reach the bay, there is a clam farming spot deep down in the water. From there you can move east to the Ice Floe and on the ground of the ocean you’ll find a seaweed farm. But be aware, both farming spots are guarded by some dangerous creatures.

11. Desert Highlands:

Start from the Brightwater WP and move west to the Transcendent Bay, if you have the Jackal portal mastery you can collect a chest in the giant vases, otherwise swim further east and you’ll find an underwater farming spot for clams!

12. Crystal Oasis:

Start from the Amnoon WP and take your Raptor on a walk and travel west to the harbor area, you can dive down and visit the old city of Amnoon, some sunken ships and a few corals. Afterwards swim south, you can make a stop at the swimming party boat for rich kids, do some roleplaying and move on. In the furthest bottom left corner of the map, like really far down you’ll find another clam farming spot. If you are lucky like me you’ll see a salomon and a shark fighting and a whale between the giant seagrass pillars. (Which was really beautiful, I cried a little bit.) And if you feel extra fancy and want to challenge yourself, you can climb on the weird cliff structure where the mastery point is. On top of the rocks are some Scarab Caches where you can get a Mini Scarab (small drop chance) if you’re lucky!

13. Domain of Vabbi:

You can start from the Market Ruins WP and move up/north or you follow the river down/south. Really far down in the south is a small chest, you tell me if it's worth it or nah. However, if you move up/north you can enter a cave right next to the red raid portal. The cave is super pretty and if you make it over a small wall you can enter a jumping puzzle of some sort, but there are super many branded elementals wandering around and at the end chest spawns a giant Volatile Magic man, whom you need to defeat for an achievement. (forgot which one though, sorry!) This one’s really dangerous, it's best if you do it with some friends. But I mean if you’re feeling especially daring like me you can do it alone too, I guess. I warned you though!

14. Domain of Kourna:

This one’s not really all that special, I just wanted to include it because I really like the meta on that map and would totally recommend it to you! I somehow like the map i.g., idk don’t question me. It’s best if you start from the Allied Encampment WP and follow the river and move down south, the water there is slimy but you’ll find some mussels on the shore! You can travel until you reach the bottom left corner where you’ll discover cute coelacanths swimming around and about. (Honestly, f*ck you Joko for polluting the water, have some Respect.)

15. Domain of Istan:

Phew, you have reached the last step! Start from the Champion’s Dawn WP and follow the river into the ocean. There is like a small empty fishing boat, cool, cool, great spot for some roleplaying. When you’re moving on, dive down to the ocean floor and travel further south until you reach Mehtani’s Blade, there is like an awesome anchor in the water, 10/10 would recommend. Also, more coelacanths in the water and in a much better and healthier environment. I am happy for them, this is what they deserve. Whoop, getting off track here, soo the bigger ship, the Mehtani’s Blade has some cool lore, you can speak to the ghost captain! (Also, a good inspiration for a character's story/backstory!) And to finish your trip on a good note, go west to the entrance of the Grotto of the Defeated where you can read some funny notes on the wall, really, go check them out!

Thank you for your attention, I hope you had lots of fun and discovered some new stuff in GW2!

#gw2 #gw2 lore #gw2 guide #skimmer #gw2 skimmer #crappy guide #guild wars 2 #gw2 skimmer explorer guide #canthaconfirmed

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iloveahangar · 4 years

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Ludwigshafen, Germany – May 27th 1944: “A huge explosion reaches skyward from the area near the I.G. Farbendustrie Chemical Plant in the river front district at Ludwigshaven (sic.) as one of the attacking B-17s of the 92nd Bomb Group, U.8th Air Force roars overhead on May 27th, 1944. Resulting fires spread unhampered over a large are. Smoke to the right is from hits scored on a nearby marshaling yard.” Src: US Archives The “PY” on the port side of the fuselage and Triangle B on the tail B indicate this B-17 is from the 407th Bomb Squadron. 🌎 www.iloveahangar.com #aircraft #airforce #airshow #avgeek #aviation #aviationdaily #aviationgeek #aviationhistory #aviationlovers #aviationphotos #avnerd #ww2aviation #instaaviation #militaryaviation #militaryaviationphotography #b24liberator #oldairplanes #pilot #planepics #b17 #b17flyingfortress #usaaf #vintageaircraft #warbird #warbirds #raf #ww2aircraft #ww2airplanes https://www.instagram.com/p/CKsCqmdhDZg/?igshid=1k1f538itky4g

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shifuto · 4 years

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about Astral’s “missing” eye, Yuma’s and Astral’s mind/body connection, “Kattobingu” as a password to access the Emperor’s Key and Numbers

it’s show on screen that Astral was born with both eyes the same, but at some point between then and his battle with Don Thousand, he has lost his right eye. this also happened before he lost part of “himself” to Yuma, so what could that mean..?

For both *Astralians and Barians, heterochromatic eyes are common ー and for the series itself, it’s important as they work as D-Gazers ー child Astral had both eyes because he had no need to duel from a young age so that could explain one thing; the other thing is why isn’t his eye blue like other Astralians then?

that could be for a number of factors such as: although he is an Astralian himself, his (birth) circumstances might have been different. Because he was created to be a weapon and, maybe, the eye relates to someone’s nature/traits (i.g: inhabitants of Astral World have blue-tinted eyes), he is one of them but also.. maybe not so much, at least from a social/cultural standpoint. The fact that he was born with both yellow eyes (or the “D-Gazer” Astralian eyes) also reinforces this

the other factor could be that the missing eye is a physical manifestation of his unique nature, maybe a “glitch” of some sort even, and/or it has some kind of link to Chaos. Maybe it acts as a “port” (computer), so power from external sources can enter him, vice-versa [pictured, on episode 20, Number 96 takes over Astral’s body completely but not his missing eye. It could’ve been a coincidence though]

in short: the missing eye could be a sign of Astral’s permanent state as a weapon. Because he has no links to Astral World other than being a weapon, he never took on all of Astralians’ natural traits. Also, that eye could work as a physical manifestation of a “port” for power exchanging. Ah, and the eye change probably happened as he hit “puberty” (assuming from his looks alone, Astral appears to be between 13-16 years old)

[also pictured, on episode 20, Astral communicates with Yuma through telepathy even though both have no control over their own bodies and Yuma doesn’t have the key with him]

throughout the series it is shown that both Astral and Yuma are connected by things other than the Emperor’s Key (although that seems to be their main and most tangible link) and this connection could be something that stands in-between dimensions: The Door

Kazuma received the Emperor’s Key from (presumably) Astral and (presumably) kept the key for sometime, before passing it onto Yuma. It’s unclear whether or not Kazuma suffered nightmares with The Door, as it’s also unclear if he modified the key in any way (he got it probably after Astral’s and Don Thousand’s duel, so Astral was probably trapped inside the key already)

when Yuma obtains the Emperor’s Key, he was able to access The Door dimension while unconscious, but it was not before a difficult situation, where he evoked the power of “Kattobingu” ー passed to him by his father ー that he was able to open The Door and unleash the power of the Emperor’s Key, Astral himself, and scatter his memories as the Numbers around the world. And, from there on, whenever a situation looked dire, Yuma would yell “Kattobingu” and a new power would come either from the Emperor’s Key or The Door. This is how he got his Chaos Numbers, and the ability to form Zexal with Astral, among other things

“Kattobingu” could work as a password to unlock new powers for Yuma (and Astral, to a degree), or it’s simply something that gives Yuma courage enough so he can gather all his energy ー and that would be what unlocks things actually ー and because Yuma is the lost half of Astral, it could also explain why he was able to access things that others could not, with a catchphrase (and maybe without it too)

and Yuma, according to Ena, has the power of Chaos within him ー which can explain how he is able to interact with the Emperor’s Key and, later on, with its pocket dimension ー and that has nothing to do with Astral and the key, maybe. Yuma was one of the only characters shown to not be possessed or taken over by a number (even when he did not have the key with him), and in all times it did happen, he was conscious of his actions and aware he was not being himself. The control numbers hold upon him seem weak compared to other people. But, again, this could be due to his origin as a part of Astral, therefore Numbers will not affect him (or not as much)

it’s, maybe, not that “all humans have Chaos” but Yuma has something other humans do not have, and it comes naturally for him, as he never did anything out of extraordinary (unless this has to do with the key, Door and Astral, and these might have unlocked Yuma’s own dormant powers), while other humans had to rely in external sources to gather this power, such as the Arclight

this also may have to do with Yuma, maybe, not being completely human. But since no explanation was ever provided, that’s another mystery that will never be solved..

(*or Astraliens, or Astrals)

#ygo #zexal #yugioh #yugioh zexal #some more hcs no one asked for #top 10 mysteries in anime #shif writes

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recentanimenews · 4 years

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WIT Studio Returns for New The Girl from the Other Side Feature Length Anime Adaptation in March 2022

Alongside the release of the final chapter of Nagabe’s award-nominated manga series The Girl from the Other Side in Japan today, it was announced that the series will be adapted into a feature-length original animation DVD (OAD) produced by WIT Studio, who is coordinating a Kickstarter campaign for the anime. A teaser trailer, key visual, and lead cast and staff were revealed for adaptation.

youtube

WIT Studio and directors Yutaro Kubo and Satomi Tani are returning to the franchise after originally animating a 10-minute OAD that was bundled with the manga's eighth volume in September 2019. Kubo and Tani are also working on the character design and screenplay for The Girl from the Other Side feature.

The other staff members include:

Art Director: Yusuke Takeda (Bamboo)

Director of Photography: Takeru Yokoi (WIT Studio)

Editor: Akari Saito (Mishima Editing Room)

Music: Schroeder-Headz

Music Production: Flying Dog

Sound Director: Shoji Hatashi

Sound Effects: Noriko Izumo

Sound Production: Sound Team Don Juan

Animation Production: WIT STUDIO

Production: The Girl from the Other Side Production Committee

Voicing the two lead characters are:

Jun Fukuyama as Teacher

A cursed "outsider." He is cloaked in a pitch-black form, lacking any sense of taste or pain. He finds the abandoned Shiva in the Outer Lands, and they begin to spend time with each other. Shiva gave him the name "Teacher" because of his expertise in medicine.

Rie Takahashi as Shiva

Shiva is a young human girl who was found by Teacher after being abandoned in the Other Side. She has white hair and wears a white dress. Even though Teacher is in a different form, Shiva is full of child-like innocence and isn't scared of him. She excels at making flower crowns.

To aid in the production of the OAD, WIT Studio has decided to start a Kickstarter with the goal of improving the quality of the animation and help increase the promotional budget for the feature-length anime. The campaign starts on March 10 and runs until May 9. The aim is to gather 3 million yen (US$27,837) to help out the production of The Girl From the Other Side.

The Girl From the Other Side manga series, created by Nagabe, is published by Mag Garden in Japan, an I.G. Port subsidiary, with the final volume of the manga set to be released on April 9. It was nominated for the Best Comic award at the 45th Angoulême International Comics Festival in 2018, and was on the Great Graphic Novels for Teens list by the American Library Association's YALSA division in both 2018 and 2019.

Seven Seas Entertainment is publishing the series in English, describing it as such:

In a world split between the Inside and the Outside, those living in both realms are told never to cross over to the other side, lest they be cursed. A young girl named Shiva lives on the other side, in a vacant village with a demonic guardian known only as “Teacher.” Although the two are forbidden to touch, they seem to share a bond that transcends their disparate appearances. But when Shiva leaves Teacher’s care to seek out her grandmother, the secret behind her mysterious living arrangement comes to light.

The Girl from the Other Side feature-length anime OAD will be released on March 10, 2022, with a special extra edition of the manga series.

Source: Supplied Press Release

----

Daryl Harding is a Japan Correspondent for Crunchyroll News. He also runs the YouTube channel about Japan stuff called TheDoctorDazza, tweets at @DoctorDazza, and posts photos of his travels on Instagram.

By: Daryl Harding

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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legiongamerrd · 3 years

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#Gamefemerides Hace 20 años se lanza en América Tales of Eternia (Tales of Destiny II). Es un RPG publicado por Namco (@bandainamcous ). Es el tercer título principal de la serie Tales. Inicialmente, fue lanzado para el 1er @playstation . Fue desarrollado por los miembros del Wolfteam de Telnet de Japón, quienes previamente trabajaron en sus predecesores, Tales of Phantasia y Tales of Destiny. Los productores del juego le dieron la característica de RPG de Eternidad y Lazos (永遠と絆のRPG Eien to kizuna no RPG). Un port fue lanzado para el Psp en marzo de 2005 en Japón, y en Europa para febrero de 2006. El juego, que sucede en el mundo de fantasía de Inferia, sigue la historia de un joven cazador llamado Reid Hershell y sus amigos, Farah y Keele, que luego conocen a una joven misteriosa que habla en un lenguaje desconocido. Sus misiones subsecuentes para descubrir sus orígenes les lleva a un cruce dimensional a un reino completamente diferente conocido como Celestia, donde se ven involucrados en un conflicto antiguo entre ambos mundos. Tales of Eternia fue bien recibido durante su lanzamiento inicial, y vendió aproximadamente 873,000 copias. Luego recibe un anime de 13 episodios, co-producidos por Production I.G, basado en la trama del juego. #LegionGamerRD #ElGamingnosune #Videojuegos #Gaming #RetroGaming #RetroGamer #CulturaGaming #CulturaGamer #GamingHistory #HistoriaGaming #GamerDominicano #GamingPodcast #Podcast #Namco #BandaiNamco #TalesofEternia #Talesof #WolfTeam #PlayStation #PlayStation1 #PS1 #PSP #ARPG #JRPG #RPG https://www.instagram.com/p/CTpFtLZL8YJ/?utm_medium=tumblr

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otakunews01 · 7 years

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Netflix to Co-Produce Anime With Production I.G, Bones, WIT Studio

Streaming service Netflix announced a comprehensive business alliance with anime studios Production I.G and BONES on Wednesday. With this tie-up, Netflix will co-produce anime episodes from the studios and stream them in 190 countries.

The alliance includes both Production I.G and its sister anime studio in the IG Port group, Wit Studio. (IG Port is also the parent company of anime studios Xebec and Signal.MD, but Netflix did not mention those studios in its announcement.)

#Netflix #anime #Production I.G #bones #Wit Studio

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japaneseotakucult · 4 years

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Analyzing the stylistic characteristics of the scenery depicted in Ghost in the Shell (1995)

Ana M. Poot

Introduction

The anime Ghost in the Shell (1995) has been regarded by Western critics as cyberpunk, which is a subgenre of science fiction featuring dystopian futures where humanity struggles for power against technological forces (Napier, 11; Denison, 20-40). In Japan, this anime is considered part of the mecha genre (short for mechanical), since it combines robotics with high-tech urban settings (Denison, 35). However, Ghost in the Shell is far less action-driven than most Western cyberpunk films or mecha anime, setting its style apart from such genres to a degree. Rather than containing this anime within a specific genre, the following review takes on a broader cultural approach that investigates the aesthetic expressions of the film’s scenery. To understand the unique style of Ghost in the Shell, scenes have been analyzed in connection to traditional and contemporary Japanese culture.

Figure 1. Film Still from Ghost in the Shell (1995). Directed by Mamoru Oshii. Captured at 33:12.

Figure 2. Film Still from Ghost in the Shell (1995). Directed by Mamoru Oshii. Captured at 34:31.

Connections between traditional Japanese culture and the scenery of Ghost in the Shell

There are some particular shots in GitS (Ghost in the Shell) that have struck me for their purely aesthetic qualities. No action or dialogue takes place during these scenes, but a multitude of imagery is shown depicting the fictional New Port City in a futuristic vision of Japan. In a slow-paced sequence of long shots, the viewer sees the city through the protagonist’s eyes, as she travels alone on a boat across the canals. There is something distinctively Japanese about the style of the animated scenery depicted, which expresses aspects of traditional Japanese culture.

Firstly, this series of wordless images (Figures 1-6) can be tied to the Japanese expression mono no aware. Despite its origins in classical Japanese literature, the term has been adopted by writers to describe elements found in many Japanese art forms (Meli, 60-63; Napier, 32). The term can be translated as the “sorrow or misery of things” which signifies an awareness of the transitory nature of life, evoking a profound sadness within the spectator (Meli, 60). This concept has mostly been linked to nature, finding its expression in the passing of seasons, water imagery, and cherry blossom (Napier, 31). In GitS, references to mono no aware are expressed through images of urbanscapes in combination with sentimental, Japanesque music (Napier, 32). As the pouring rain submerges the city and its citizens, the protagonist, Major Motoko Kusanagi, is shown observing the world (Figures 1-6). The element of water plays a crucial role in these scenes since it induces a melancholic atmosphere. Rain is also indicative of autumn, which is an important motif in Japanese aesthetics as it symbolizes the season of change. In Figure 4, a broken bicycle is depicted in muddy water, which may further symbolize the impermanence of things, regardless of whether they are organic or artificial. This slow-paced representation of the city allows viewers to become aware of the mutability of life since it captures everyday moments that pass us by incessantly. According to anime author, Napier, this series of images is presented to draw attention to the vulnerability and alienation of humanity (32). And even though Kusanagi is a cyborg, she is mortal, and in these scenes, she appears to be pondering on the meaning of her existence. Although the depicted urbanscapes are visibly dark and gloomy, they evoke a unique kind of beauty associated with the concept of mono no aware, as its aesthetic qualities emerge from a world of sorrow (Meli, 62).

Figure 3. Film Still from Ghost in the Shell (1995). Directed by Mamoru Oshii. Captured at 34:53.

Figure 4. Film Still from Ghost in the Shell (1995). Directed by Mamoru Oshii. Captured at 34:27.

Figure 5. Film Still from Ghost in the Shell (1995). Directed by Mamoru Oshii. Captured at 34:01.

Secondly, the stylized nature of the animated urbanscapes of GitS brings forths visual codes characteristic of traditional Japanese woodblock prints. According to Napier, the scenery depicted in GitS is reminiscent of woodblock prints by artists such as Hiroshige (32). Utagawa Hiroshige (1797 –1858) was an artist of the Edo period in Japan, who became famous for his ukiyo-e prints depicting landscapes and other scenes from nature. Ukiyo-e (pictures of the floating world) was a popular genre of woodblock printing and painting, produced between the 17th and 19th centuries in Japan (Harris, 9). Ukiyo-e prints portrayed reality in a stylized, simplified manner through the rendering of Japanese figures such as theatre actors and courtesans, as well as scenes from everyday life. The style of ukiyo-e has had an impact on the emerging modern arts of Japan, whose influences can be seen in the development of manga and anime in the latter half of the 20th century (Brenner, 2). This influence can be perceived in GitS’s urbanscapes, for instance in Figure 7, the depiction of diagonally inclined rows of buildings evokes the representation of Hiroshige’s Night View of Saruwaka-machi (Figure 8). Common characteristics between the depicted scenery of GitS and Hiroshige’s prints are the use of aerial perspective, two-dimensional rendering of space, and asymmetrical composition. In both cases, the imagery depicted captures moments from everyday life to highlight the beauty found in our vulnerable world.

Figure 6. Film Still from Ghost in the Shell (1995). Directed by Mamoru Oshii. Captured at 33:25.

Figure 7. Saruwaka-machi yoru no kei (Night View of Saruwaka-machi), Utagawa Hiroshige, 1856. Print. https://woodblock-print.eu/utagawa-hiroshige-saruwaka-machi-yoru-no-kei-night-view-of-saruwaka-machi-detail.html.

Is anime like Ghost in the Shell considered subcultural?

Anime was introduced on a larger scale to the West in the 1990s, but it was initially critiqued by mundane audiences for its controversial tendencies and was associated with subaltern groups (Denison, 3; Napier 5). While a few years ago anime was watched by small subgroups, it is progressively becoming part of global popular culture (Napier, 6). Napier argues that anime belongs to mainstream culture in Japan, while in foreign countries it exists as a subculture (4). Perhaps at the time of its release GitS and other anime were considered subcultural by foreign audiences since they did not fit the standards of dominant Western mass culture. Nonetheless, anime has spread throughout the world on an immense scale, becoming a part of global media production and consumption. GitS, in particular, has become very famous, so despite its distinctively Japanese roots, it can be considered mainstream due to its extensive dissemination.

Conclusion

Anime is increasingly regarded as an art form that builds on the traditional low and high arts of Japan. Although GitS deals with contemporary issues, namely the impact of technology on society and the shifting nature of identity in a rapidly changing world, the pacing, and representation of its scenery evoke aspects of traditional Japanese culture.

Bibliography

Brenner, Robin E. Understanding Manga and Anime. Libraries Unlimited, a Member of the Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007.

Denison, Rayna. Anime: a Critical Introduction. Bloomsbury Academic, 2015.

Groemer, Gerald. “Merchant Japan The Momoyama and Edo (Tokugawa) Periods.” Traditional Japanese Arts and Culture: An Illustrated Sourcebook, edited by Thomas Rimer and Stephen Addiss, University of Hawaii Press, 2006, pp. 137–224. De Gruyter, www-degruyter-com.ezproxy.leidenuniv.nl:2443/view/book/9780824874469/10.1515/9780824874469-007.xml.

Harris, Frederick. Ukiyo-e: The Art of the Japanese Print. Tuttle Publishing, 2011. Google Scholar, books.google.nl/books?hl=en&lr=&id=LznRAgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA7&dq=woodblock+print&ots=y5ZBwItBLh&sig=zjLSqbsflVqLDxFXsYdq4Esh7oM&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=woodblock%20print&f=false.

Meli, Mark. “Motoori Norinaga’s Hermeneutic of Mono No Aware: The Link between Ideal and Tradition.” Japanese Hermeneutics: Current Debates on Aesthetics and Interpretation, by Michael F. Marra, University of Hawaii Press, 2002, pp. 60–75, www-degruyter-com.ezproxy.leidenuniv.nl:2443/view/title/530856.

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ourhaileydavies · 5 years

Text

Did Randomized Clinical Trials (RCT) and Continually are Contributing Evidence for Progress in Radiation Oncology-Juniper publishers

Abstract

Since clinical trials have been advocated as evidence based guidelines for radiotherapy many RCTs were carried out. Can they be considered compared with empirical studies, as a milestone progress in radiation oncology. Large heterogenous tumor sites and stages were enrolled into the trials on hyperoxygen therapy, radiosensitizers and altered fractionations raise some uncertainties and criticism regarding therapeutic gain usually reported as median end-points. Local tumor control rates have been and still are related to the tumor TNM status, but almost never to initial tumor volume (number of initial cancer stem cells) whereas the effect of irradiation is cell killing, not tumor stage killing. Many RCTs became disappointing or at least therapeutic gain has been lower than expected. Well known trials are reviewed and discussed. In contrary, some retrospective studies have provided important practical information’s, i.g. tumor volume is more predictive to design dose fractionation than T stage, overall treatment time has been show as a strong determinant of treatment outcome. This finding initiated series of altered fractionation trials. Alpha/beta values for H&N tumors and cell survival curves derived from skin cancer data were one of the first estimations based on empirical clinical studies. Identifying very low alpha/beta for prostate cancer has attracted stereotactic hypofractionated radiosurgery as an effective therapeutic modality. In this review we discuss the pros and cons of the trials and empirical studies and it looks they are complementary to one another.

Keywords: Randomized clinical trials; Empirical radiotherapy; Head and neck cancer

Introduction

In oncology, including radiotherapy, there is a general belief and paradigm that randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have been emerged as a major or even the only source of evidence based clinical guidelines. It means that any recommendations of specific medical procedures should rely on evidence for benefits and costs for patients. Different RCTs “evidences" have been uncritically for major changes in the treatment strategy. However, in physics cause-and-effect relationship is clear, whereas in oncology and radiotherapy is not simple and easy to be established. Genetic and biological nature of malignant tumors and patients who suffer from them is widely individual and complicated, and a final common pathway, if recognized, is initiated from wide range of possible triggers [1].

For over last 50 years’ experience with RCTs in radiation oncology many uncertainties and doubts have been a rised, and important question, which expected to be is do they indeed play a major or rather modest role in the progress in clinical radiotherapy, and should they be continued based on classic protocols [2]. This topic was one of important discussion during conference of American Radium Society in May 2017.

RCTs Uncertainties

Well-known RCTs of head and neck tumors are reviewed to consider whether have they had an important impact on therapeutic gain in radiation oncology. Identifying hypoxic cells in human tumors various approaches were investigated to eliminate hypoxic cell subpopulation. Since middle 70-ties to the middle of 80-ties to increase tumor oxygen delivery, and to strengthen efficacy of conventional dose fractionation, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBO) was tested in 19 clinical trials (Table 1) which included all together about 2400 patients with various tumor sites and stages [3,4]. The early studies failed to show pronounced improvement in outcome, later studies gave conflicting results, with either showing some benefit or no significant gain. Cervix cancer was the only exception and the MRC trial showed 20% gain in the local tumor control in the HBO arm. However, it has been difficult to conclude whether this gain resulted from the HBO or due to the use of high fraction doses ( Table 1). Because it was no longer easy to recruit a high number of patients to such trials, they were discontinued in favor of agents which specifically target the hypoxic cells and sensitize these cells to radiation. In vitro studies demonstrated that highly electron-affinic nitroaromatic compounds can preferentially radiosensitize hypoxic cells. Different compounds were tested, i.g. misomidasol, pimonidasol, sanazole and others. In this promising field, 18 trials which recruited about 5000 patients were designed and carried out. Once again, in the 15 trials no therapeutic gain was noted, except DAHANCA 5 trial in which nimorazole in head and neck cancer was used it resulted in 16% improvement in the LTC [4]. Failure to note any benefit was generally caused by the fact that the drug doses were found too low, and a higher doses necessary for effective radiosensitization produced high risk of severe neurotoxicity. Once again, large series of these RCTs were more or less disappointing.

When overall treatment time (OTT) in radiotherapy for head and neck cancerswas recognized and well documented as one of a majordeterminant of therapeutic benefit [5-7], various altered fractionation schedules were designed as a challenge to conventional fractionation with relatively long OTTs. More than 33 RCTs, recruited over 11000 head and neck cancer patients, have been carried out for over 25 years. Putting it in a mildly way, expectation that one or some of altered schedules may become as a "Holy Grail” for head and neck cancers of various sites and stages seems to be a bit naive. If fact, some of the RCTs showed even inverse results [8,9]. CHART trial has shown average LTC gain of about 5% (which fell down to 0% after 10-years of follow- up), and it was noted mainly for T3-T4 tumors, young patients (< 50 years) with well differentiated cancer, but not for T1-T2 cancers of oropharynx, oral cavity and hypopharynx. However, similar efficacy 54Gy in 12 days and 66Gy in 45 days, may suggest that "the shorter is as effective as the longer”. Using L-Q model (α/β value = 10Gy) the CHART NTD dose is 51.7i 20 if given in 2.0Gy fractions. Total physical dose of 66Gy in control arm, corrected for accelerated repopulation (0.6Gy/day) above week 3 of irradiation [7], decreases to biologically equivalent dose (NTD) of 51.6izoGy20. Therefore, biological equivalent doses were almost the same in both arms, and mature results of this trial surprisingly revealed a few percents higher gain in favor of the control arm [10]. On the contrary in the PMH trial 2.5 times higher LTC gain was noted for small tumors (< 4cm), and mainly for the hypopharynx (Table 2). Among many RCTs, the DAHANCA-7 trial is one of the most reliable since it included laryngeal cancersonly, and it was carried out only in the Danish cancer centers using the same protocol [11]. Due to shortening OTT by one week average 10% gain in the LTC was noted, but, for the select subgroup of well differentiated tumors the LTC increased to about 20%.

Evaluation of the RCTs results may lead to a bit confusing comparison (Table 3). In some trials the LTC rates in altered arm are close to the LTC in the control arm of other trials. Results of two meta analyses (MARCH 1 and 2) have clearly shown that previously awaited "Holy Grail” do not show-up [8,9]. Twenty one of the 50 trials (42%) were potentially eligible, but finally, only 15 trials (30%) with 6515 patients were included to the meta analysis MARCH, and absolute 5-year LTC benefit was 3-4% (8% for hyperfractionation but only 2% for accelerated schedules). It is difficult to understand why only one/third of the trials was selected to the meta analyses. It suggests that excluded trials did not fulfil methodological requirements. It looks like more than 60% of the trials did not provide any contribution to progress.

Important step forward in radiotherapy has been expected due to studies on molecular tumor profiles as predictors and prognostic factors. From Buffa et al. [12] analysis fairly homogenous CHART patient' clusters shown that configuration of negative p53, Bcl2-, with low Ki-67 and low CD31 predicts the LTC gain significantly higher than 5%. It may suggest that therapeutic gain expected in many altered trials is hidden, and in fact it may exist not for all different H&N tumors but for clinically and biologically selected homogeneous group of patients.

Combined chemotherapy with radiation has raised a flurry of interest as attractive therapeutic modality regarding an improvement of both LTC and disease-free survival (DFS). Once again, meta analyses (MACH-NC, MACH-CH) showed [13,14] lower than modest average therapeutic gain of only 4%, (2% improvement for neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy, and promising benefit of 12% for concurrent chemoradiation). Denis et al. [15] study on efficacy of chemoradiotherapy for advanced oropharyngeal cancer has shown 23% increase in the 5-year LTC. This is a good example that when the RCT concentrates on single tumor type and site, therapeutic benefit can raise significantly. In contrary, when the RCTs include various tumor sites and stages which are the source of wide range of the initial number of cancer stem cells, then a real LTC gain can be washed away.

In a few trials misleading negative results have been reported. For example PORT meta analysis has shown no therapeutic benefit for postoperative radiotherapy for lung cancer patients. Thames (personal communication) reanalyzing the results of this meta analysis pointed out that a weak point was to mix together the 2D - 60Co and 3D-conformal results. When his cut-off the 60Co results and focused on the 3D trials only then reported negative results turned into significant 10% long-term therapeutic LTC gain.

Another example of the misleading results is the p-CAIR trial focused on accelerated (7-days-a week) versus conventional (5-days-a-week) postoperative radiotherapy for H&N patients with high risk of local recurrence carried out by Suwinski et al. [16]. At the first glance, the authors noted no significant LRC difference between two arms of the trials. However, they designed own numerical molecular scoring system, i.e. high EGFR=1, low p53=1, low Ki-67=1, and low nm-23=1. For patients with total score higher than 2, 40% increase in the LRC was found in favor of accelerated (7d/wk) schedule. Better outcome of HPV positive patients was well documented at least for oropharyngeal cancer, but this factor was not accounted for any previous trials.

RCTs Statistics

Generally, results of various fractionation schedules used in the trials do not allow to distinguish the effect of dose from that of the OTT. Survey of clinical papers in two journals (Radiother Oncol and J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys) has shown that only one-third of them contain a satisfactory description of how the dose was specified [17]. Although, authors generally agree that the RCTs in radiotherapy improve its efficacy, systemic interpretation of the results published in the literature is quite difficult and it should be taken with some grains of salt. Among 141 RCTs on therapy of advanced breast cancer (about 26,300 patients), reported on ASCO between 1984-1993, only three (2.1%) showed significant benefit from the experimental treatment arm. It leads the readers to the impression that specific results recommended as evidence based, are in fact general but not specific guidelines, and how to treat individual patients is still considered as a statistically average persons.

There is no doubt that the LTC gain with increasing total dose is almost axiomatic for radiotherapy, but variations in natural tumor biology may often dominate over the effect of dose fractionation. In biostatistics of the RCTs the sample size is not only important, but also its nature also [1,2,17,18]. Methodological problems sometimes make conclusions uncertain and for that reason they are likely excluded from the meta analyses, (i.g. MARCH).

Factor as tumors biology, cell density, radiosensitivity, not constant rate of cell killing after daily fractions are highly heterogeneous. But, even if the RCTs are well designed and analyzed, the results could be somewhat puzzling since within a specific tumor stage TCP may differ significantly.

One of the Achilles heel of the RCTs seems to be the belief that relatively wide range of tumor sites and stages enrolled to each arm of the trial will alike respond to irradiation schedule. It's difficult to understand why TNM tumor stage still remains as axiomatic criterion of inclusion to the trial, whereas initial number of tumor stem cells (indirectly represented by tumor volume) is in fact radiation targets. Therefore it seems inconsistent to tailor dose fractionation to the T or N stage. This indisputable fact is however ignored. Although at the first glance, randomized arms may look homogeneous clinically but there is about 10-fold difference in the initial number of tumor stem cells between the smallest and the largest tumors, within T2 stage, and much larger for higher T stages but a total dose given to all cases within each arm is the same. If, just by chance, in the control arm will be allocated more smaller tumors in each T category, and on the contrary, more larger tumors will be in the altered arm, it may likely lead to higher efficacy (higher LTC) in the control than in the altered one. Should such result be therefore considered as "an evidence” or rather as "an illusion”? Therefore it sounds logical that dose fractionation should be tailored to the volumetric staging which reflects number of the stem cells, but no longer to the T and N stages.

Usually the results of the trials are presented as an average and usually actuarial but not crude end-points in the selected time of the follow-up. Sometimes one can lose valuable information’s that are spread around and beyond such point. Glatstein [1] called it as a “Tyranny of the median". Major problem with the median value is that the rest of survival curve is usually ignored. Furthermore, the probability for outcome is related to whole group but not for individuals. Nevertheless, Bentzen wittily and also rightly pointed out that “Evidence of lack of significance, does not necessarily means the lack of evidence" On the other hand, statistical significance not always corresponds with clinical importance.

Considering at least major doubts and uncertainties of the RCTs, there is not unanimous answer to the question whether randomized clinical trials should not be considered as evidence based milestones of progress in radiotherapy, although it may seem that they have played a modest role. Glatstein [1] has used elegant Latin proverb “Caveat Emptor", which means a kind of warning that one should be cautious to make unequivocal conclusions. Although evidence based guidelines are addressed to clinicians, evidence has to be measured and weighed carefully, and frequently, and it requires clinical experience, common sense and logic. It does not, however, means that evidence should be ignored and dismissed out from practical radiotherapy.

Empirical Radiotherapy

For about 10 decades empiricism has been a source of knowledge, growing experience and also progress in radiotherapy, but not as an alternative to RCTs. A few decades ago, Fowler mentioned that - “If radiotherapist had to await for fully scientific evidence basis for treating, for first patient radiotherapy would not have started yet". According to David Hume (XVIII century) “empircism means the best contact between one’s understanding of knowledge and the world and it is not the point at which a mathematical proof crystalizes". In radiation oncology empiricism comes from generally accumulated clinical experience based, on “what has worked in the pastand what has not". Strong and important attribute of the empiricism are retrospective clinical studies, which for decades have been a source for growing clinical experience to select tumor volumes, dose and fractionation, timing, treatment techniques to design standards, long before the RCTs have developed.

In XX century, Gray Laboratory was a “Mecca" of experimental and clinical radiobiology. Almost all fundamental radiobiological mechanisms of tumor and normal tissue response to radiation were recognized, quantified as a basic rationale for clinical radiotherapy. In late 60-ties Fletcher proposed modern clinical radiotherapy based on radiobiology principles which became a major milestone in radiotherapy. For example, utilizing own clinical observations, Fletcher pointed out that if dose per week is not higher than 10Gy, then in about 60% of H&N cancer patients healing of the acute mucosal reaction (confluent mucositis) already occurs at the end of week 6 of conventional irradiation. His observations were confirmed by the results of many studies. In his time, accelerated repopulation was not discovered yet, but he intuitively and indirectly suggested that it plays important role in response of normal epithelium to fractionation, and the response is so intensive that effect of daily fraction of 2Gy can be neutralized by this process.

During 60-ties and 70-ties two cancer centers in Poland gathered over 1000 skin cancer patients treated with one of the seven different fractionation schedules from a single dose of 18-25Gy to 70Gy in 47 fractions [5,19]. In none of the RCTs such wide range of doses has been used yet. In fact, it is methodolically not possible. This large set of non-randomized empirical retrospective data [5,6,19,20], were later effectively used to:

a) Question reliability of the Strandquist formula for dose-time relationship and it showed that the exponent for time (T) in his formula should be higher than 0.33. It was the first indirect sign that process of accelerated repopulation exist and it should not be ignored;

b) Demonstrate that tumor volume as a one of the major determinant of effective dose fractionation (Figure 1); (small tumors can be eradicated even by a single dose whereas larger needs a number of fraction doses);

c) To estimate cell survival curves fromclinical data as a bridge between bench and bed site (Figure 2);

d) Estimate alpha/beta values for skin cancer (α/β = 13.0Gy) and skin necrosis

(α/β = 7.4Gy), which were one of the first published in the literature (Figure 3);

e) Prove that time factor is much more important for treatment outcome than it was previously assumed and that exponent for time depends on OTT itself and in the Strandquist' and Ellis' formulas this factor was underestimated.

All these findings came from a single retrospective clinical data set.

Quantitative analyses of a large retrospective series of head and neck cancer irradiated in Gliwice have shown that overall treatment time (OTT) is one of the major determinant of treatment outcome. Cell kill effect caused by about 0.6Gy daily fraction of 2.0Gy is neutralized by accelerated repopulation of the survived clonogenic cells [6,7]. Shortening the OTT results in an increase in the LTC, what has led to a milestone practical guideline that: "It is more effective to begin radiotherapy on Monday or Tuesday, and worse (never do it) to complete therapy on Monday or Tuesday” - (it means the last 2-3 fractions should be used as a second daily fraction in the previous week).

Although RCTs on altered fractionation failed to show pronounced therapeutic benefit, they were a source of important radiobiological information that accelerated repopulation previously estimated as a constant Drep = 0.6Gy/day, in fact is increasing during irradiation and it depends on time OTT itself, with the increase to even 1.4-1.6Gy/days at the end of the week 6 of irradiation. It means that 10Gy at the first week of irradiation is not biologically equivalent to 10Gy at the week 6, because in the week 6 cell kill effect of at least 3.5-4Gy (2.5 days x 1.4Gy) of 10Gy/week is balanced by repopulation during weekend and thereafter [7]. The RCTs results have shown that attention should be focused on Dose Intensity (DI) (number of Gray per unit of time, e.g. number of Gy/day), which is more reliable parameter corresponding with treatment efficacy then Dose Escalation (DE). The latter one simply expresses an increase in physical dose. Although, 60Gy in 42 days, 70Gy in 49 days and 80Gy in 56 days illustrate dose escalation from 60Gy to 80Gy, but the same DI of these three schedules (DI = 1.43Gy/d) means that they are biologically equivalent. Therefore, the DI seems more handy than DE to evaluate biological efficacy of different fractionation schedules (Figure 4). All these, practically useful information's came from empirical, often retrospective studies and have been used as rationale to design altered fractionation RCTs carried out through more than two decades.

A few years ago, Fowler, has mentioned that radiotherapy is like a "Round Game", that means, some rules and methods abandoned in the past, nowadays are coming back to the market. Fowler together with Ritter & Bentzen [21-23] using retrospective data have estimated unexpectedly low alpha/beta value of less than 2.0Gy for prostate cancer.

Revival a single dose or few large fractions as a high-tech stereotactic radiotherapy has been a real milestone "back to future" in radiotherapy. Nowadays, large single dose of 8-29Gy or a few fractions of 7 up to even 20Gy are more and more widely used as radical therapy of primary or metastatic brain tumors, head and neck, lung, pancreas, liver or prostate cancer. Results look spectacular and provide high rate of 80-95% of at least 2 year LTC. This is undoubtedly an important milestone in radiotherapy, with its empirical roots. Figure 5 illustrates this enormous “gain-jump" in curative radiation oncology, although a majority studies have a long empirical history and those on stereotactic hypofractionated radiotherapy also remains mainly empirical and RCTs just have begun. Despite many years of empirical and randomized studies, somewhat epical question - “Mirror, mirror at the wall-tell which therapy is the best at all" -still remains unanswered.

Conclusion

During many decades of radiotherapy we have learned that “cause-and-effect relationships" are not simple. Malignant tumors and humans biology is widely individual, and recognizable final common pathway is initiated from wide range of possible triggers [1]. Nobody can settle that whether empirical radiotherapy is advantageous or inferior alternative to the RCTs, because in fact they are complementary to one another. Empirical retrospective studies should not be ignored as a source of practical importance although they are not randomized.

The RCTs results, even significant, are not always useful to design individually personalized radiotherapy alone or as a part of systemic therapy. It should be remembered that about 80% of patients stay out of any RCTs. There is plausible expectation that genomics, proteomics and molecular tumor profiles shell influence philosophy and tailoring radiation oncology. Despite of preliminarily unsatisfied results of the CHART or p-CAIR show that molecular profiles allowed to select well defined clusters of patients with the LTC much higher than average median. Already translation research strongly influences present and prospective progress in radiotherapy. There is no doubt the RCTs should be continued to check and prove empirical findings but its methodological rules and criteria need likely to be updated. It seems that so-called “Feedback Trial" might be a reasonable solution. It means, that patients with molecular profiles estimated prior to therapy should be enrolled into the trial and randomized based on volumetric, but not TNM staging. Longterm results categorized as winners (cured) or losers (failures) should be confronted back with molecular profiles within each category and cross-checked for winners and losers to define specific molecular and/or genetic markers being a strong specific predictors for each end-point. It likely seems the only rational way to move from averages to evidence bases, individually personalized effective radiation therapy.

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