 Written by Nate Ming
Fate/Stay Night is one of those anime whose party I was late to. Everybody was freaking out about it for months, and all it elicited from me was a “well, that’s some nice animation.”
It turns out that waiting for it ended up being worth it: I marathoned the series over the course of a few days, and liked it enough to give it a watch before its prequel series Fate/Zero started here on CR.
 Briefly, the Fate series revolves around a contest of champions called the War of the Grail that happens roughly every sixty years, where magicians summon ancient heroes (known as Servants) to fight to the death over the Cup of Christ itself, the Holy Grail, capable of granting its bearer’s wishes.
While Fate/Stay Night chronicles the unusually early Fifth War of the Grail, Fate/Zero rewinds ten years to the Fourth War, and all the setup that took place for Fate/Stay Night’s epic buildup and finale. But like most prequels, it’s far less straightforward than it seems.
 You’ll see a few familiar faces this go-around--of course there’s Saber, the terrifyingly efficient female incarnation of King Arthur, and Archer, who might look very familiar to some of you who’ve watched all of Fate/Stay Night.
These ties between series make Fate/Zero a much more interesting watch than I was expecting from it. What really impresses me is that it’s also a perfect jumping-on point for people who haven’t watched Fate/Stay Night, providing plenty of high action and intrigue among rivals in magic. We’re still so early into the run that anything can happen--and a lot has already! Be sure to check out Fate/Zero every Saturday see where the battle leads!
 
 Written by freshar80
When Squid Girl (or Shinryaku! Ika Musume!) swam onto TV at this time last year, it was a bit of a surprise for me. I wasn’t expecting much, but it tidal-waved to being one of the top shows of the season. But will its new season keep the high tide set by the last, or is this new season a wash out?
The answer is yes, it has!
Thinking about it, you have to feel a bit sorry for Squid Girl. She comes to the surface to invade because of the human’s disrespect of the ocean, and she breaks a wall in a beach restaurant and gets forced to work the money back that it would take to fix it. It’s good she did, as her time there leads to chaos and laughter throughout.
 Each episode is split into 3 distinctly different stories, and this gives a nice pacing to the show, as you are constantly being shown a new story with new jokes, and stops it becoming stale like some other shows of its ilk. In fact, I sort of rather have shows done this way, as in the rare occasion it isn’t making you laugh, you know another story will come, and then you’re laughing again.
 Now when it comes to the music itself, it does become a bit of a love-it-or-hate-it sort of thing. I am in the camp who loves the openings and endings to it, but I know just about as many people who hate them just as much. Like I said, I enjoy them, but others won’t.
I have to say, as well, mind, that the animation quality is very good. Nice, fluid, bright – just what you want from this sort of show. I couldn’t fault it on that.
So, in the end, that is the sort of thing you should expect if you decide to give it a go (which if you haven’t you really should). If what you’re looking for is a light-hearted, funny comedy that’s well animated, then you should certainly give it a go. In fact, I’d love it for anyone yet to see this to try it. Who knows, the show could become your own catch of the day.
 Written by Patrick Macias
Ever wanted to create your own manga, but tragically lack the requisite drawing skills? Join the club, right? But now, there’s hope for all of us!
 Meet ComiPo! , a revolutionary new software application that allows anyone to make high quality comics and manga with their PCs. Users can easily create their own unique stories and situations simply by choosing and posing one of the 3D characters included with the software. The program also offers over 100 unique body poses and facial expressions to choose from, along with many background images, items, sound effects, word balloons…everything needed to make a visually impressive and professional looking comic come to life.
Originally released in Japan in December 2010, over 3,000 copies of the Japanese edition of ComiPo! were sold in the first month alone. The software – aimed at consumers who want to create manga, but who lack drawing skills – has since won numerous awards and has created a large community of Japanese ComiPo! users.
 Now it’s your turn to catch the ComiPo! bug! The new English version of ComiPo! ($49.95) is on sale now from Crunchyroll. You can also give the software a spin via a free trial located here. And after you have completed your masterpiece, or even just a 4 panel gag comic, you can upload it and share comments with others at the ComiPo! Image Gallery. There’s over 200 pages of wild and inventive fan created comics already for you to check out.
Either way don’t delay, become a ComiPo! creator today!
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Crunchyroll is an authorized distributor of ComiPo!
English Language
For Windows PC only
Price: US $49.95
Did you know that Shiori Teshirogi started off as a shojo manga artist who was a fan of Saint Seiya. After meeting series creator Masami Kurumada, she was offered the chance to write and draw one of his ideas. This turned into Saint Seiya, the Lost Canvas.
Naruto Shippuden ©2002 MASASHI KISHIMOTO / 2007 SHIPPUDEN All Rights Reserved., Soranowoto © Paradores/Aniplex/ 1121, Chu-Bra © Yumi NakataEFUTABASHA^CHU-BRA Partnership, Astro Boy, Dororo, Blackjack and Phoenix © Tezuka Productions All Rights Reserved, Nurse Witch Komugi-chan Magikarte Z © ADVFilms All Rights Reserved
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