Lord Truhan gave me a set of references pics to use for the poses, so I just had to arrange them in the sheet, trying to make them look nice.

Arranging poses could be quite bothering XD At first I wanted to set the sheet in a vertical position, then, realizing that the other figures were too covered by the main figure I decided to set the sheet horizontally. It’s quite lame, but at least I can give enough space to every figure.

I’ll focus on the main picture for this kinda tutorial. This is the reference pic  I’m using

Ok, stop drooling– CLOSE IT AND KEEP READING >_> !!!

Sketching the main “blocks” is vital. Head, the torso, and then legs and arms. Personally I think that the torso is the most important part of the human body, and also the most difficult.

Pay extra attentions to the conjuctions, or where the various parts of the body merge: neck, shoulders, hips.  They could be really expressive and they’re vital for the accuracy of the anatomy. Double check them constantly as you keep drawing.

As you add more details, start wondering about the light source.

Light and shadows are what make the pic looking 3D.

Using a picture as a reference could be tricky ’cause they overuse artificial light and artificial light is weird, making a proper rendition difficult.

Plus, his asshole has his body all smeared in oil, making the understanding of light even more complicated >_>;

Keep adding details, adding or editing stuff according to your needs.

As a photo is easy to accept as real since its medium, a drawing is more difficult to look real. Maybe your model has a muscle bigger than another, or the tricky light effects don’t show some details, making an irregular surface looking smooth.

An artist doesn’t have to simply copy reality. Cameras and copiers can do that.

An artist’s duty is making reality acceptable; if not for the watchers, at least for himself.

This is a full shot of the finished body.

By looking at it you can spot some errors. I guess that I’ll fix them later.

Sometimes taking pics of your drawings and glaring at them is a good exercise: cameras don’t lie (also if they distort perspective awfully XD) so you can look at your work critically.

Drawing well just means having a good sight.

In the end, add the head’s details. –Well, you don’t have to do it exactly at the end. You can do it at the beginning, or in the middle, or whenever you want.

But since the face is the most expressive part of the body I usually keep it for last: maybe you draw a perfect face and then you add the body, then realize that a set of muscles is wrong. It’s more difficult to focus on that set of muscles if you have your character looking at you…

Drawing faces gives a sense of completeness, so, in my opinion, it is always preferable to do in the end.
Please, note that when I say “face” I don’t mean “head”.

The head is the first thing that you have to sketch, ALWAYS.

Having the head’s size as a reference is of great help to develop your figure properly.

Now’s it’s time I’m explaining you how to ink it. I’m not particularly good at inking (and I hate it >_>), but I have some tips that you may find interesting :3

So, we have our pencil pic, ready to be inked.

A common error (but it’s not really an “error”, just a thing related to style) is inking all the parts you already outlined in pencil…

…If you wanna give a sense of softeness and “reality” don’t ink every single detail, expecially when dealing with a human body.

Emphasize only the most important lines, those you know will be more visible and darker in reality, those that really suggest the volume of the figure.

This is the finished inked boy.

Now we’re going to explore the last and most dreaded step : Coloring

This isn’t meant to be the ultimate tutorial about CG coloring but it shows how do I get certain results and obviously you can use it as a reference to develop your own style.

For this tutorial I’m going to use ADOBE Photoshop 7.0.

Every program that supports layers and multiplying would do, but I personally prefer Photoshop ’cause its brushes are really pretty and easy to use and edit.

Ok, so we have our freshly inked and scanned pic.

The first thing I like to do is adding some contrast, to make the inked lines darker and more defined.

Path: Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast; I just settled “Contrast” on +10 here.

Once I’m done I start with the most bothering part– Cleaning the lineart.

Mostly from the terrible things that lie on the glass of my scanner, then some extra pencil parts, the render of the sheet’s borders… Stuff like this.

I use a simple Brush tool for it :3

Once the picture is properly clean I like to set the pic in greyscale mode to delete all the weird little colors hiding in the scan.

It may seem a weird thing, but it’s useful, expecially when dealing with big sized pics.

So, Image > Method > Greyscale.

Once you’re done, switch to a color method; I used CMYK here, ’cause since it’s a commission it’s probably going to be printed ^_^

Image > Method > CMYK Color.

I like to have my linearts colored.

So Image > Adjustments > Variations, and I play with it until I get a pretty nuance of color ^^

Once we’re done with the image preparation we can start working on the real coloring.

Create a new layer via Layer/New/Layer.., select Multiply in the new layer’s option window and press Ok.

Now, select a color from the Tool Palette on the left, grab the Fill tool, set its Tolerance to 60 and start filling the pic with the chosen colors.

Some people like to have layers for every part of the pic; so, a layer for the background, one of Baki’s body, another for Gohan’s… Personally I like having everything on the same layer to keep it simpler.

Once you’re done, if the filling is not perfect, you’ll have to fix it with some Brush strokes.

On this same layer I also use to add the light/shiny effect of the characters’ hair with some extra strokes of Brush.

Now, let’s add the shadows.

Create another “multiplied” layer, grab your Brush and a select a color and start sketching the shadowed parts on your pic.

Get closer by the window’s Navigator and fix the borders of the shadows via Brush and Eraser until you’re satisfied.

Once I’m done with the shadows, I like erasing them a little more with a softer and bigger Eraser, just to add more softness to the charoscuro…

If you delete too much, tage the Brush back and add more shadows where wanted.

As a finishing touch, I create another multiplied level and I add some extra shadows with the Brush. Not many, just a bit to give some extra volume and expressiveness to some parts, like the eyes, neck of collarbones.

Again, fix them with Eraser and Brush and we’re finally done ^_^

And that’s it ^_^

1) How to count in Japanese :

Zero = 0
Ichi = 1
Ni = 2
San = 3
Shi = 4
Go = 5
Roku = 6
Shichi = 7
Hachi = 8
Kyu = 9
Juu = 10
Juu-ichi = 11
Juu-ni = 12
Juu-san = 13
Juu-shi = 14
Juu-go = 15
Juu-roku = 16
Juu-nana = 17
Juu-hachi = 18
Juu-kyu = 19
Ni-juu = 20
Ni-juu-ichi = 21
Ni-juu-ni = 22
Ni-juu-san = 23
Ni-juu-shi = 24
Ni-juu- go = 25
Ni-juu-roku = 26
Ni-juu- nana = 27
Ni-juu- hachi = 28
Ni-juu-kyu = 29
San-juu = 30
Yon-juu = 40
Go-juu = 50
Roku-juu = 60
Shichi-juu/Nana-juu = 70
Hachi-juu = 80
Kyu-juu = 90
Hyaku = 100

2) Basic colours :

Akai = Red
Daidaiiro = Orange
Iieroo = Yellow
Midori = Green
Aoi = Blue
Muasaki = Purple
Kasshoku = Brown
Shiroi = White
Kuroi = Black
Nezumiiro = Grey

3) Popular Food and Drink :

Bento = Box Lunch
Biru ippon = A bottle of beer
Cha = Tea
Choko = Sake cup
Choshoku = Breakfast
Daikon = Radish
Dezato = Dessert
Donburi = Food Bowl
Eiyo Drink = Supplement Drink
Eikeben = Station Lunch
Fugu = Puffer fish
Gohan = Cooked Rice
Gyoza = Potsticker
Gyudon = Beef Bowl
Hashi = Chopsticks
Haze = Goby
Hisago = Gourd
Hiyamugi = Noodles
Ika = Squid and Cuttlefish
Kakigori-ki = Shaved Ice
Kare Raisu = Curry Rice
Kayu = Rice Porridge
Kyuri = Cucumber
Maguro = Tuna
Manju = Bun, Dumpling
Masu = Box measure
Miso = Soybean Paste
Misoshiru = Miso Soup
Mizu = Water
Mochi = Rice Cake
Nasu = Eggplant
Nigirimeshi = Rice Ball
Niku = Meat
Ninjin = Carrot
Nori = Seaweed
Odoburu – Appetizer
Okane = Money
Osato = Sugar
Osechi-ryori = New Year’s Food
Ramen = Noodles
Sakana = Fish
Sakazuki = Sake Cup
Satsumaimo = Sweet Potato
Senbei = Rice Cracker
Shio to kosho = Salt and pepper
Shoyu = Soy Sauce
Tako = Octopus
Tekka maki = Tuna roll
Tokkuri = Sake Flask
Tori = Chicken
Tsukemono = Pickle
Umeboshi = Salted Japanese Apricot
Umeshu = Plum Wine
Ungai = Eel
Yakisoba = Noodles
Yasai =Vegetables
Wain = Wine

4) Family and Relations :

-chan = an affectionate honorific, used on very young children, or a significant other.
-kun = honorific for a young boy or inferior worker
-sama = high honorific, reserved for gods, emperors, etc.
-san = general honorific, equivalent to “Mr.” or “Ms.”
-sensei = honorific used for teachers and doctors.

Kaasan = Mother
Tousan/Otousan = Father
Kyoudai = Brother
Aniki = Older sibling, usually used for a brother, particularly for the older of a set of twins.
Niisan/Oniisan = Older brother
Neesan/Oneesan = Older sister
Imouto = Younger sister
Obaasan – Grandmother
Ojiisan = Grandfather/Uncle
Ojosan/Ojousan = Something you might call a younger girl you don’t know
Watashi = I/me
Boku = I/me (reserved for males only)
Atashi = female “I”, equivalent to boku
Watashi no = My
Watahi-tachi = We
Anata = You, usually used between close relationships, meaning ‘dear’
Hito = Person
Kodomo = Child
Otoko = Male
Onna = Female
Shonen = Boy
Shoujo = Girl

5) Time’s Notions :

Kyo wa nannichi desuka? = What is the date today?
Asu wa nannichi desuka? = What is the date tomorrow?
Kino wa nannichi deshitaka? = What was the date yesterday?
Ohayo = Good morning
Konnichi wa = Good afternoon
Konban wa = Good evening
Sayonara = Good bye
Ja ne = See ya
Nanji desuka? = What time is it?
Shogo desu = It is noon
Ichiji desu = It is one o’clock
Niji desu = It is two o’clock
Sanji desu = It is three o’clock
Han = Half past the hour
Yoji han desu = It is four-thirty
Sanji nijuppun desu = It is three-twenty
Goji juppun desu = It is five-ten
Yonaka no juniji desu = It is midnight
Gozen = Morning
Gogo = Afternoon
Ima = Now
Ima sugu = Immediately
Ato de = Later
Choshoku = Breakfast
Chushoku =- Lunch
Yushoku = Dinner

Getsuyobi = Monday
Kayobi = Tuesday
Suiyobi = Wednesday
Mokuyobi = Thursday
Kinyobi = Friday
Doyobi = Saturday
Nichiyobi = Sunday

Ichi-gatsu = January
Ni-gatsu = February
San-gatsu = March
Shi-gatsu = April
Go-gatsu = May
Roku-gatsu = June
Shichi-gatsu = July
Hachi-gatsu = August
Ku-gatsu = September
Juu-gatsu = October
Juu-ichi-gatsu = November
Juu-ni-gatsu = December

6) Various Basic Terms :

Aaa (Aa) = General sound of agreement. Say, well, er, oh, ah
Ahou = Moron
Ai = Love
Aidoru = Idol Singer
Ai Shiteiru = I love you
Aisuru = Beloved
Akushu suru = Shaking hands
Ame = Rain
Anou = Hesitation sound, basically “Ummm…”
Ano = Say, well, er
Arigato = Thank you
Asahi = Morning sun
Atakku = Attack
Atena = Address

Baka = Idiot
Bakemono = Monster
Baku = Dream Eater
Benjo = Toilet
Bishonen or bishounen = Literally, beautiful man
Buruma/Bulma = Gym shorts
Bosozoku = Gang

Cha-no-yu = Tea Ceremony
Che = Essentially the same level of swearing as “shit”
Ch’kushou = “God damn it”
Chotto = A little bit

Daijobu or daijoubu = It’s/I’m alright
Daijouba desu ka? Ah. Daijoubu = Are you Ok? Yes, I’m OK
Dai suki = I love you
Dare (Dare da) = Who ?
Demo = But
Denwa = Telephone
Do itashi mashite = You’re welcome /It was nothing
Dojinshi = Fanzine
Doushite = Why ?
Doushio = “What now?” or “What do I do now?”
Dozo = Please

Ecchi = Pervert
Egao = Smile, smiling face
Enka = Popular Song
Enkai = Party
Eto = Er, let me see

Fundoshi = Loincloth
Furo = Bath

Ganbatte = “Good luck!” or “Do your best!”
Genkan = Entryway
Genki = Spirit
Geta = Wooden Sandals
Gi = Traditional outfit for fighting.
Ginga = Galaxy
Gomen = “I’m sorry”
Goryo = Vengeful Ghost
Gozaimasu = Uh.. not sure about this one. It comes at the end of sentences.

Hachimaki = Headband
Hagoita = Paddle
Hajimemashite = Nice to meet you
Hai = Yes
Hakama = Trousers
Hanabi = Fireworks
Hankachi = Handkercheif
Hana-Kanzashi = Hair Pin
Hanaste = “Let go!” Forceful. Hansei = Reflection, meditation
Hanko = Seal
Hara = Stomach, belly
Hari = Acupuncture
Haori = Jacket
Happi = Coat
Heika = Your Highness
Hentai = Pervert, but stronger than ‘ecchi’
Hibachi = Charcoal Heater
Hidoi = Cruel, terrible
Higure = Dusk, sunset, twilight
Hime = Princess, usually followed by ’san’ or ’sama’
Hontou = Really
Homurumu = Homeroom
Hoseki = Jewelry

Ichimonji = Spatula
Iie (Iya) = No
Irasshaimase = Welcome
Irezumi = Tattoo
Irori = Sunken Hearth
Irui = Clothing
Itai (Ite) = Painful (ouch)
Itsumo = Always
Iya da, dame, yamete, hanase = No, no, stop, let me go

Jinzoningen = Android
Jizaikagi = Pot Hook
Jubako = Stacking Boxes

Kagayaku = To shine
Kame = Turtle
Kami = Go
Kappogi = Cooking Apron
Katana = Breeze
Kawaii = Cute
Kaze = Wind
Kazu = Numbers
Ketsueki-gata = Blood Type
Ki = Life force, internal energy
Ki-Ai = Shout
Kimono = Traditional Robe
Kippu = Ticket
Kisama = “Bastard” or “You” (vulgar)
Kisu = Kiss
Kitto = Surely
Koi = Love
Koibito = Lover, sweetheart
Kokoro = “heart”, “mind” or “soul”
Kore kara zutto itsumademo = Always and forever
Koko Yakyu = High School Baseball
Kon’in = Marriage
Korosu = To kill
Kosui = Perfume
Kowai = Scary
Kudasai = Please
Kurisumasu = Christmas
Kyuushi = Death
Kushami = Sneeze
Kushi = Comb
Kuso (K’so) = Shit

Mahou = Magic
Makudonarudo = McDonald’s
Makura = Pillow
Masaka = Impossible or Never
Matte = Wait, imperative form
Minna = Everyone
Mino = Rainwear
Miyage = Souvenir

Nanase = Be sensible
Nanda/Nan desu ka? = What is it ?
Nani = What
Nasai = Adds formality, ex. “Gomen nasai”
Ne = At the end of a sentence, “isn’t it?”. At the beginning of a sentence, a general attention.
Neko = Cat
Ningen = Human
Ninmu = Mission

Obi = Belt, Sash
Ogenki desu ka? = Are you well?
Ogi = Folding Fan
Ohayou (Ohayo) = Good morning
Oi = Hey
Ojii = Prince, usually followed by ’san’ or ’sama’
Ojou = Queen usually followed by ’san’ or ’sama’
Okaeri = Welcome home
Omae = “You”, very rough
Omae wa ore no mono da = You belong to me
Omocha = Toys
Onegai = Please
Onna = Woman
Oou = King, usually followed by ’san’ or ’sama’
Ore = male “I”, rough.
Oyasumi = Good night
Owari = The End

Sailor Fuku = School uniform for girl
Saiyajin = Saiyan
Sando-gasa = Hat
Saru = Singe
Sei Barentain no Shukujitsu = Valentine’s Day
Shimatta = Damn
Shinbun = Newspaper
Shogi = Japanese “chess”
Shugaku Ryoko = School Trip
Soka = Is that so?
Sugoi = Amazing, wonderful, Cool, Excellent, etc.
Sumimasen = Excuse me

Tabi = Split-toed sock
Tabidatsu = Depart/departure
Takushi = Taxi
Teme = very rude “you”
Tenki = Weather
Tenshi = Angel
Tooi Yoake = Far off Dawn
Tsuki = Moon
Tsunokakushi = Headdress

Wai = Yay!
Wakarenai, wakarimasen = “I don’t know” or “I don’t understand”
Watashi = polite “I”, either sex
Watakushi = very polite “I”, either sex
Wakateru – I understand

Yamete = Stop! Imperative form
Yaoi (Yama nashi, imi nashi, ochi nashi) = “No climax, no meaning, no resolution” used to describe male/male relationships manga/stories
Yare yare = Well, well
Yaro = Rascal, i.e Bakayaro
Yoroshiku = “Please look favorably upon me”. Tradition when greeting someone for the first time
Yoshe or yoshi = All right!
Yoshi = Adoption
Yuino = Betrothal Gift
Yukata = Lightweight Kimono
Yume = Dream

Zabuton = Floor Cushion
Zori = Thong Sandals
Zutto = Forever

The goal of this small article is to enlighten the occidental viewers, so they can spot and understand the references made to those holidays in Japanese anime. To make it easier to peruse, we sorted them out by months.

JANUARY

New Year (Shogatsu):

The Japanese celebrate Shogatsu for the first three days or the first week of January. It’s probably the most important holiday for the Japanese. Schools and businesses close for one to two weeks, and many people who live away from their families return home to spend this time with their families. Many people wear traditional Japanese-style garments, kimono, and go for the first temple or shrine visit of the New Year and pray for health and happiness in the coming.

In Japan, years are traditionally seen as completely separate from each other, and the new year as a fresh start. This means that in December all the duties should be completed and the new year prepared. In addition, bonenkai parties (“year forgetting parties”) are held in order to forget the worries and troubles of the old year. House entrances and cars are decorated with special decorations made of pine, bamboo and plum tree.

On New Year’s eve, toshikoshi soba (buckwheat noodles) that symbolize long life are eaten. January 1 is a very auspicious day and traditionally believed to be representative for the whole year that has just commenced. Therefore, the day should be full of joy and free of stress and anger. The house and clothes should be clean and no work should be done.

It is also tradition to visit a shrine or temple on January 1. In the New Year’s night big bells are rung 108 times in temples and shrines throughout the country driving away the 108 evil thoughts in Buddhism. Special food, osechi ryori, is eaten during the three days of Shogatsu. For breakfast, otoso (sweetened rice wine) is drunken and ozoni (soup with mochi) is eaten.

Coming-of-Age Day (seiji no hi):

The Coming of Age festival is celebrated on the second Monday of January (it used to be celebrated always on January 15 until the year 1999). Its Japanese name is Seijin no hi. All young people who turn twenty years old in that year are celebrated on Seijin no hi. Twenty is the age considered as the beginning of adulthood. It is also the minimum legal age for voting, drinking, and smoking. Celebrations are held nationwide in every town with most of the people turning 20 participating in formal dresses. Seijin no hi is a national holiday.

FEBRUARY

Setsubun:

Setsubun occurs around February 3 or 4 and celebrates the beginning of spring. In the old lunar Japanese calendar, each season had its own day (called Setsubun) to mark the change of the season. The first day of spring (rissyun) was considered to be the start of the New Year, so the Setsubun at the end of winter was the last day of the year, and had special customs. Today it is the only Setsubun still celebrated.

On the evening of Setsubun, generally, an oni-uchi (devil-extermination) and mame-maki (bean-scattering) ceremony is held. In the evening, throw soybeans inside and outside of the house saying “Oni wa soto. Huku wa uchi! (Out with the devil! In with good fortune!)” in order to drive out any bad spirits. Also, people throw soybeans at another person wearing a devil mask as a kind of fun.

National Foundation Day (Kenkoku Kinenbi):

According to the earliest Japanese history books, on 11th February 660 Before Christ, the first Japanese emperor was crowned. It was declared in 1966 and first celebrated in 1967.

Saint Valentine’s Day:

In Japan, St. Valentine’s Day, February 14, is primarily a day for women to let men know their feelings for them. In addition, there is another day, called “White Day,” (March 14th) for men to express their feelings to women, or to thank and to return gifts to women from whom they received Valentine’s day gifts.

MARCH

Doll’s Festival (Hinamatsuri):

Hinamatsuri is a seasonal festival (called sekku) celebrated on March 3. Also it is considered as a day for girls, most families with girls celebrate it for praying their health and happiness. Probably, the origin of Hinamatsuri is the Nagashi-bina (floating paper dolls down a river). Originally, the paper dolls were made to represent each person and all the ill-fortunes that might visit that person in the coming year were wished onto the doll. Then the doll was sent away on the river, taking the bad luck with it.

White Day:

White Day, March 14, as opposed to Valentine’s Day, is a completely Japanese event. While women give gifts to men on Valentine’s Day in Japan, on White Day, men should return the favour and give gifts to women from whom they received gifts or chocolate, or to women in whom they are romantically interested.

For White Day, cookies, candies or white chocolates are common instead of regular chocolates. There is a superstition among some young people that if someone gives you cookies, that means “I love you” candies mean “I like you” and white chocolate means “Let’s be friends.”

Spring Equinox Day (shunbun no hi):

Around the twenty-third of March (On the day of the Vernal Equinox) graves are visited during this week (ohigan). The day itself is a national holiday since 1948.

APRIL

Flower Viewing (Hanami):

Flower Viewing is an event mostly to go out to hills and fields and enjoy eating and drinking in order to see cherry blossoms. The blooming season is spread over several weeks because Japan is quite long from South to North. Generally, however, people enjoy flower viewing from the latter part of March through the first part of April.

Flower Viewing is still popular events today. However it is mostly known as only banquets which people enjoy eating and drinking under the cherry blossoms in the evening. Some young employees have to be keeping places to see cherry blossoms on sheets of plastic from early morning till night for their companies’ banquets. And some people have boisterous parties until late at night.

In Movie Eight “Brolly”, you can see in the beginning (just before the spaceship landed) that Trunks, Gohan, Master Roshi, Krillin, and Bulma were celebrating Hanami.

THE GOLDEN WEEK (APRIL/MAY)

The Golden Week is a collection of several national holidays within seven days. Together with good placed weekends, the Golden Week becomes one of the longest holidays of the year. Many companies give additional days free to make the Golden Week a continuous holiday, while others do not.

Green Day (Midori no hi):

April 29 used to be the birthday of Emperor Showa who died in the year 1989. After his death, the day was changed into a national holiday for environment and nature since the emperor was very concerned about the environment and loved nature.

Constitution Day (Kenpo kinenbi):

On 3rd May 1947, the new post-war constitution was put into effect. The day remembers the most important changes of the constitution such as the prohibition of leading war, human rights and the sovereignty of the people.

“Between Day” (Kokumin no kyujitsu):

The 4th May has recently been created national holiday to make the Golden Week a continuous holiday.

Children’s Day (Kodomo no hi):

This holiday is also called the boy’s festival (Tango no Sekku) and is celebrated on March 5. Families with boys celebrate this day to wish their sons a good future. Carp streamers are hung outside and samurai dolls put inside the house. They symbolize strength, power and success in life. Traditionally, special sweets are eaten : rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves and mochi wrapped in oak leaves. The oak and bamboo, again symbolize strength and a successful life.

MAY

Mother’s Day (Haha no hi):

Mother’s Day in Japan is almost the same as that in the United States. The second Sunday in May is a day to respect and thank mothers. This event originated from the customs in England and Greece. In 1914 President Willson of the United States declared it in the States, then it was introduced to Japan after the World War II. On the day of Mother’s Day, it is most common in Japan to give red carnation to mothers. Also people often send other gifts as well as flower, such as handkerchiefs, scarves, handbags, wallets.

JUNE

Father’s Day:

The third Sunday in June Japanese are celebrating Father’s day.

JULY

Star Festival (tanabata):

July 7 is the Weaver Star Festival (Tanabata). The Tanabata Festivals held in Sendai (Miyagi Prefecture) and Hiratsuka (Kanagawa Prefecture) are two of the most famous festivals in Japan. Several days before July 7, people write their wishes or poems on strips of poetry paper in various colors, and hang them on leafy bamboo; then on the night of the 7th, they are put out in the garden. These are attractive enough to be called summer Christmas trees.

Ocean Day (umi no hi):

July 20 is the Ocean Day. It’s a newly introduced national holiday.

AUGUST

The Buddhist festival of the dead (O-bon):

This is a Buddhist event, O-bon, occurring from the 13th to 15th of August to hold a memorial service to the spirits of ancestors. Because the spirits of the dead are said to return at this time, this is a festival for welcoming them home, making offerings to them and holding memorial services. In this season, in spite of huge crowds, many people want to return back to hometowns like New Year season.

Many people celebrate this event. Because in Japan ancestors are objects of profound veneration and are believed to have a supernatural power over the living. However, it depends on their religions. Fires are lit at the entrances to homes so the spirits of ancestors do not lose their way, and, in addition to lanterns being lit inside homes, the Buddhist family alters are tidied up and vegetables and fruit are set out as offerings. And when O-bon is over, the spirits are sent on their way by fires to speed their seeing off at entrances of homes.

SEPTEMBER

Respect for the Aged Day (keiro no hi):

Respect for the elderly and longevity is celebrated on this September 15. This is a national holiday.

Autumn Equinox Day (shubun no hi):

Graves are visited during the week (ohigan) before September 23 (Equinox Day). The day itself is a national holiday.

OCTOBER

Health Sports Day (Taiiku-no-hi):

October 10 is Health Sports Day (Taiiku-no-hi.) Its purpose is to familiarize with sports and nurture physical and mental health. Sports flourish in autumn because the weather is good, but, especially on or around Taiiku-no-hi numerous school and regional athletic meets and sports tourneys, Undou-kai, are held.

This day was made national holiday in 1966 to commemorate the opening of the Tokyo Olympics on October 10, 1964.

NOVEMBER

Culture Day (bunka no hi):

November 3 is dedicated to the promotion of culture and the love for freedom and peace. On the culture day, schools and the government award certain persons for their special, cultural activities.

Labour Day (kinro kansha no hi):

While on November 23, Americans are celebrating Thanksgiving; Japaneses are honouring labour. This is a national holiday.

DECEMBER

Emperor’s Birthday (tenno no tanjobi):

The birthday of the current emperor is always a national holiday. If the emperor changes, the national holiday changes to the birthday date of the new emperor. Actually it’s December 23.

Christmas:

Christmas is not a national holiday, but it is celebrated by an increasing number of Japanese.

Oomisoka (New Year’s Eve):

The last day of the year is called Oomisoka in Japanese. To welcome the New Year with good feelings, people clean up their house. Preparations for the New Year are to be made by Oomisoka.

Take a few minutes and get a cup of hot tea or take a bubble bath , read a book, take a walk, or watch a movie that really exhilarates you and has proven a mental stimulant before. If you recharge your optimism, then you can write, since ideas pop into your head faster.. If you are relaxed and optimistic you’ll be writing in no time.

2) Free write for a few minutes on a blank piece of paper. I grab a dictionary or any old book, pop it open and wherever the page opens to I pop a finger onto a word at random.. I write the word down then see how many words I can associate with the one that randomly got picked to get the mind to working in finding ways to make the connections.

**This exercise also helps with plotting when you don’t have blocks BTW.. Example: Write out the word escape; if you have a hero trapped somewhere, then different avenues come to mind for how escape can be achieved rather quickly…

You can do this by making lists of things, like objects, colours or whatever which might be put in the ficcy you are on at the moment, or for a later use. It isn’t where it goes Right Now that matters, Half the battle is fought by simply taking down the first three objects/ colours/ people names or whatever.. By starting to write, you open the door no matter how stuck it is. I do lists on objects in a room or mentioned in a book or whatever else I can think of to get the mind working. I later on expand by describing the objects if simply listing them doesn’t break the block open wide in a matter of minutes.

Example. The word Vase; How many types of vases are there? Boxy ones, square ones, thin, tall, long, hourglass shaped and Triangular, they come in ceramic, clay, glass, metal and many other forms of substance too. See how fast you can write out different types of vases that come to mind.. :) You can even start listing types of flowers and their colours if you like to start the process of listed free writing.

3) The Pep Talk: Ok this is another huge part of writer’s block I have found from way too much experience with the problem.. Finding the fear within that blocks the creative juices.. Read what you have aloud first and foremost.. Does it flow or is it stilted sounding? If it doesn’t sound right, then fix it so it does… Usually by doing a re-vamp.. Aka short form edit, You’ll get the mind working and cooperating because you will be able to say ok I can do this.

You can also explore the underside of what you are writing this way… Does something in the ficcie you are working on ring true and it is a truth you aren’t quite comfy with as an example. :) I do this one a lot.. You should always write about what you know, as per relationships between people etc..

If you know very little about the topic, the exact same thing can happen. Research can only go so far. If you’re writing about a submarine crew, but know absolutely nothing about submarines.. You may well find yourself blocked as well.

4) Turn the situation around in what you are writing. This is a different form of looking at the underside of what you are writing. It is a change in view points, and it is getting inside of your character’s head, literally.. You start by asking things like Ok if I was so and so what would I do in this situation. :) It’s a fun kind of role play game in short.. Or you make the villain momentarily the hero, and the hero the villain so to speak. :)

But the challenge here is that the villain has to stay in same basic character as does the main hero.. :) It makes for some funny stuff mentally… Trust me.. Could you see Android 17 being in Gohan’s shoes when Gohan lost his arm? How would he have reacted to the loss of a limb? And would he have given android 18 the senzu bean if it was the last one? Or would he have broken it in half and given half to each of them? See how this works?

Perhaps if the scene was set somewhere else, like a forest instead of an amusement park…. how would the forest setting impact the scene of the battle where Gohan lost his arm? What difference would Trunks battle with 18 have had in a forest instead of a fun park? I think these questions are giving you an idea of what this turn it upside down really means. It’s putting the fic under construction through major changes in your mind not in the paper format, and trying to determine what is or isn’t working for the current picture you are drawing of the fic you are blocked on. It means slowing down a bit, relaxing and trying to make a moment of whimsy of the piece in most regards… You could even have the idea of Gohan not losing limbs at all.. That the senzu bean was never needed, and the androids get hit in the face with cotton candy if you like.. Just so long as you shift the scene and look at how place changes the meanings of the plot, compared to something else (the actual show in this case)

5) Do an interview with the actors in your plot… Ask questions of them, write it out like it was a newspaper clipping or something of that nature to get the ideas moving in a manner that lets you really understand the characters better… Perhaps you do a family show like family Feud,… Gohan and Trunks Vs. Androids as example. :) How would they answer the Questions posed to them? who would answer faster? or read a newspaper for it’s headlines… Ok if this was Trunks or Gohan in this particular eye catching newspaper article, How would they answer the interview? Etc.. etc.. it forces the mind to concentrate on the character, and helps you get back to the plot line by giving you ideas to work with.

6) Role play AD&D your plot via Characters.. be the character in your own living room.. heheh I do this one a whole lot.. Or perhaps your a fringe character… You are not necessarily stuck being the main characters, You can be a fringe character watching the main ones interact.. You set up the situation, and you hear both sides.. Listen to what the imagination tells you. :) I have a tape record I use in this one.. I role play a lot like a D&D or AD&D adventure driving in my car.. I give short blunt descriptions of things, places, actions and people that float to my mind’s eye as I drive.. It makes the never ending 100 degree trips (40 miles one way) into town seem much more bearable and quickly run. Feel silly and have fun! Tee hee.. The sillier you feel at the start, the more likely you are to hit Gold mines when you get used to role playing in this fashion. :) You get blah, blah, blah to start with, but once gold is struck, it doesn’t run out for hours as I have been told by others I suggest this tactic to… Actions force the mind to mould itself to the concept and to work within the frame of the context being dealt with much more vividly.. That’s why the kids with the backyard war game are amused for hours.. They don’t have freak outs over role playing.. So be a BIIIIIG Kid for a few hours.. It will make you proud of yourself, and nobody has to know if you do such in your own living room with the shades drawn.

7) Write a Letter to and from your character.. This is fun. I do journals also.. As in what the character thinks and feels.. :) Letters are major communications.. So if you write saying gee how ya been Trunks? Then Trunks is obliged to answer right? what was his POV. (Point of View) when Gohan lost his arm rescuing his smarty ass… He did after all practically beg 18 to murder him so he could get a way out of Mirai timeline. :) Perhaps he thinks Gohan’s injury is all his fault.. Perhaps he thinks that he can deny any, and all, part in the incident and sets it up as if he’s an angel?? everyone comments on how vividly I catch characters, and guess which of my writer’s block 101 breakers that comes from?? You got it.. This exercise.. :)

LOL I have a document on my comp that is a trunks Journal.. I also have a Gohan’s views Journal.. And I am quick to add things from all the ficcies I write, No matter how off the wall the Journals get or how conflicting, each section is pertaining to a specific Fic or show I have seen. :) It really helps you stay in touch with your people. I have every character of importance in my fics whether DB/Z/GT or otherwise related to writing journaling while I work on their particular project and plotting.

8) Last thing I can think of for this day’s work.. Create a History or Profile master for the characters in the story… I mean in-depth profiles, not purple hair versus -black hair or brown eyes versus blue… Did they home school like Gohan, and Mirai Trunks and Gohan? How high is education level? It’s a form of in depth character formulizing and it also works great. :)

There is an example character profile list also here. I have it in a science fiction trilogy that is already taken , so the character and her home planet and culture are trademarked already, sorry you can’t steal her, Nor her world, language etc, but you can use her home and language etc, as places to jump start your own creativity if you like. As in gee this is possible? Ok what could I do with this concept?

Also use the profile master as a spread sheet for books you read, and movies you see. :) You’ll be surprised how few new ideas there are in the world.. It’s all in how it is written about. That should get rid of fears of being boring and dull as there are so many things that are already done that you think of redoing.. Ask yourself how you can take the old and make it new instead..

9) The last bit of advice I can give is simply ask someone who is capable of being open to what you are writing.. this M.L. has a few good writers, and there are probably others whom you know that might be of assistance if you get jammed and these other ideas don’t get you any results.

MASTER PROFILE SHEET

NAME:
SPECIES WHERE APPLICABLE:
RACE:
ETHNIC GROUP:
GENDER:
BIRTH PLANET:
PLANETARY SYSTEM:
CITY OF BIRTH:
STATE:
COUNTY:
COUNTRY:
BIRTH DATE:
CURRENT AGE:
NICK NAMES:
PHYSICAL STATISTICS
HEIGHT:
WEIGHT:
BODY TYPE:
NECK:
SHOULDERS:
ARMS:
HANDS:
BREASTS/CHEST:
BELLY & WAIST:
LEGS & HIPS:
VOICE:
FACE & EYES:
HAIR COLOUR & STYLE:
PERCEIVED PHYSICAL IMPERFECTIONS
1
2
3

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES:
1
2
3
CLOTHING STYLES & FAVOURITE OUTFITS:
1
2
3
4
PERSONALITY TYPE:
CHARACTERISTIC GESTURES
1
2
3
4
RELIGION; WHERE APPLICABLE:
GENERAL PERSONALITY TYPE:
INTROVERT?
EXTROVERT?
QUIRKS:
1
2
3
ECCENTRICITIES:
1
2
3
TEMPERAMENT:
SENSE OF HUMOUR:
METHOD OF HANDLING ANGER/RAGE:
ADMIRABLE TRAITS:
1
2
3
4
NEGATIVE TRAITS:
1
2
3
BAD HABITS/VICES:
1
2
3
4
PREJUDICES:
1
2
3
PET PEEVES/GRIPES:
1
2
3
4
FAVOURITE PET SAYINGS, WORDS/IDIOLECT:
1
2
3
4
SPEAKING STYLES;
PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE:
TYPE AND # OF CLOSE FRIENDS:
1
2
3
4
BEST FRIEND:
OTHER FRIENDS:
1
2
3
4
5
6
THINGS THAT MAKE UNCOMFORTABLE/ EMBARRASS:
1
2
3
4
MOST PAINFUL THINGS IN LIFE:
1
2
3
4
TRAUMAS/PSYCHOLOGICAL SCARS FROM PAST:
1
2
3
4
MOST CRUCIAL EXPERIENCE(S) THAT HELPED SHAPE PERSONALITY/ATTITUDES:
1
2
FEARS:
1
2
3
4
PHOBIAS:
1
2
3
4
MANIAS:
1
2
3
4
PHYSICAL ILLNESSES/AFFLICTIONS:
1
2
3
4
MENTAL DISTURBANCES:
1
2
3
4
HOBBIES:
1
2
3
4
INTERESTS:
1
2
3
4
SPORTS:
1
2
3
4
FAVOURITE PASTIME(S):
FAVOURITE SHOWS:
1
2
3
4
FAVOURITE MOVIES:
1
2
3
FAVOURITE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS:
1
2
3
PETS:
1
2
DRINKS ALCOHOL? :
HOW OFTEN?
IF DRINKS, WHAT IS FAVOURITE DRINK:
FAVOURITE MEAL:
FAVOURITE BOOKS:
1
2
3
DIET; RICH OR LOW CHOLESTEROL/FAT?:
FAVOURITE RESTAURANT/ETHNIC FOODS:
A:
B:
OPINIONS SECTION
OPINION ON ABORTION (As Example):
OPINION ON BIRTH CONTROL:
OPINION ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES:
OPINION ON HOMOSEXUALITY:
OPINION ON MILITARY INTERVENTION:
OPINION ON PROGRESS; SCIENTIFIC:
MEDICAL:
TECHNOLOGICAL:
OPINION ON CRIME/WEAPONS CONTROL:
OPINIONS PECULIAR TO CHARACTER:
1
2
3
4
LIVING SITUATION SECTION
HOME; APARTMENT/CONDO, MANSION, CASTLE ETC.. LOW INCOME/EXPENSIVE,
RENT OR OWN?
NEIGHBOURHOOD:
TRANSPORTATION:
OBEY LAWS:
DRIVE FAST/SLOW
INCOME:
INCLUDES BREAKDOWN OF EXPENSES IF POSSIBLE:
STOCKS/BONDS, INHERITANCE WHERE APPLICABLE.
1
2
3
SEXUAL ATTITUDES SECTION
FAVOURITE PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES OF OPPOSITE SEX:
1
2
3
ATTRIBUTES OF CHARACTER THAT ATTRACT OPPOSITE SEX:
1
2
3
SEXUAL TURN ONS:
1
2
3
SEXUAL TURNOFFS:
1
2
3
SEXUAL ATTITUDES; PRUDE OR PROMISCUOUS:
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
I G:
YEARS OF SCHOOLING:
MAJOR/MINOR STUDIES IN COLLEGE:
1
2
3
4
DEGREES EARNED/AWARDED/ HONORARY:
1
2
3
GRADES ACHIEVED:
SPECIAL OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING WHERE APPLICABLE:
SKILLS/ABILITIES/ & TALENTS:
1
2
3
4
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
1
2
3
CURRENT OCCUPATION:
PREVIOUS OCCUPATIONS:
1
2
3
4
MILITARY EXPERIENCE WHERE APPLICABLE:
WEAPONS OF CHOICE:
1
2
3
4
POLITICAL & SOCIAL ISSUES MOST IMPORTANT TO:
1
2
3
POLITICAL PARTY:
TYPE: LIBERAL, CONSERVATIVE, MIDDLE ROAD, RADICAL:
EVER BEEN ARRESTED? <IF SO FOR WHAT?:
1
2
3
SHORT TERM NEEDS:
1
2
3
4
LONG TERM NEEDS:
1
2
3
4
SHORT TERM GOALS:
1
2
3
LONG TERM GOALS:
1
2
3
MINOR PROBLEMS TO SOLVE/OVERCOME:
1
2
3
SOLUTIONS TO:
1
2
3
MAJOR PROBLEMS TO OVERCOME:
1
2
3
SOLUTIONS TO:
1
2
3
CHARACTER GROWTH BY END OF STORY; CHARACTER CHANGE/LESSONS LEARNED:
1
2
3
4
CHRONOLOGY OF ACTIONS FROM START TO FINISH OF STORY:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

CHARACTER LINEAGE:
CREATE FAMILY BACKGROUND FOR CHARACTER’S RELATIVES; INCLUDE HISTORY, OCCUPATIONS, ETC WHERE APPROPRIATE.

Draw an half and lightly elongated circle between the two exterior horizontal lines. That’ll be the ear, then add a jaw under the circle while imagining a curve that reaches the bottom of the ears.

Draw the eyes on the middle horizontal line (make them thin and triangular). Draw the nose and the mouth at the junction of vertical and lower horizontal line (make them very small and close together). Add the outline of the neck.

Erase all the useless guidelines. Draw the basic shape of hair, making it very thick and rounded.

Add more hair’s details, then some pupils, and shade beneath the mouth. Don’t worry if they don’t come out right at first. I always draw them many times before being satisfied by the results.

And here’s what you’re getting when you’re putting the two pictures together.

One last word of advice, the best way for you to progress is to study pictures done by Akira Toriyama. To help you, you’ll find below a large selection of references pictures scanned by Lord Truhan for this tutorial.

The age topic gets even more complicated when Mirai Trunks is concerned since it involves an alternate timeline with a different chronology from the regular Dragon Ball universe.

Therefore I calculated Gohan, Mirai Gohan, Trunks and Mirai Trunks ages at various key points of the Dragon Ball chronology. The calculus are accurate and based on exact dates given in the very official “Dragon Ball’s dictionary” which has been approved by Akira Toriyama himself. And after telling you how old they are, I’ll share with you a detailed chronology of the Dragon Ball key events.

A) The Characters ages :

Before starting I’d like to correct a mistaken yet popular belief : Dragon Ball Z IS NOT Dragon Ball’s sequel but a marketing idea of the anime producer. The truth is they split the manga Dragon Ball in two anime. The anime Dragon Ball covers tome 1 to 15 while the anime Dragon Ball Z covers the remaining tomes (i.e Tome 16 to 42).

1) Mirai Gohan and Mirai Trunks :

• When Goku dies in 764, Mirai Gohan is 7 years old and Mirai Trunks isn’t born yet.
• When Mirai Trunks was born in 766, Mirai Gohan is 9 years old, so there’s a 9 years gap between them.
• The androids appears in 767 killing everyone, Mirai Gohan is 10 years old and Mirai Trunks is 1 years old.
• Mirai Gohan dies in 780 he was 23 years old and Mirai Trunks was 14 years old.
• Mirai Trunks takes the time machine in 784 he’s 18 years old.
• Mirai Trunks returns to his timeline and defeats the androids in 785 he’s 20 years old (since he spent two years in the Room of Spirit and Time).
• Mirai Trunks defeats Cell in 788 , he’s 23 years old.

2) Gohan and Mirai Trunks :

• Gohan was born on May 757. One year after Goku’s wedding.
• 12th October 761, Radditz kidnaps Gohan. Gohan is 4 years old.
• 3rd November 762, Vegeta and Nappa land on Earth. Gohan is 5 years old.
• August 764 Mirai Trunks kills Freeza. Mirai Trunks is 18 and Gohan is 7 years old.
• 766 Birth of Trunks. Gohan is 9 years old.
• 12th May 767 Androids 19 & 20 appears and Mirai Trunks returns. Gohan is 10 years old and Mirai Trunks is still 18 years old.
• 16th May 767 Mirai Trunks and Vegeta exit from the Hyperbolic Room. Gohan is still 10 years old but Mirai Trunks is now 19 years old.
• 17th May 767 Gohan and Goku exit from the Hyperbolic Room. Mirai Trunks is still 19 years old but Gohan is now 11 years old.
• 20th May 767 Mirai Trunks exits again from the Hyperbolic Room. Gohan is still 11 years old but Mirai Trunks is now 20 years old.
• 28th March 774 Gohan goes to Orange Star’s Highschool, he’s now 18 years old.
• Birth of Pan in 779, Gohan is 23 years old.
• End of DBZ in 784. Gohan is 28 years old.

3) Gohan and Trunks :

• 766 Birth of Trunks. Gohan is 9 years old.
• 28th March 774 Gohan goes to Orange Star’s Highschool. Gohan is 18 years old and Trunks is 8 years old.
• 8th May 774 Goten and Trunks enters the Hyperbolic Room. Gohan is 18 years old and Trunks is now 9 years old.
• Birth of Pan in 779, Gohan is 23 years old and Trunks is 14 years old
• End of DBZ in 784. Gohan is 28 years old and Trunks is 19 years old.

B) Detailed Chronology :

Considering we have two different chronology (One for the main timeline and one for the Mirai timeline), I’ll use three different colors.

• Black is for the chronology which is common to both timelines
• Green is for the main timeline where the Z warriors survived.
• Violet is for the Mirai Timeline where Mirai Trunks is the sole surviving warrior.
  

-4237 : Garlick Junior’s ancester left planet Makyo and landed on Earth.

-238 : A Saiyajin’s legend talk about the coming Super Saiyajins defined as blood thirsty and great destroyers.

250 : Uranai Baba (Master Roshi’s elder sister) starts her foretelling business

430 : Birth of Master Roshi.

448 : 18 years old Roshi is trained by Mutaïto.

459 : Birth of Tao Paï Paï (Tenshinhan’s master).

461 : Garlick’s father defies Kami and is defeated. The old Kami retires in favour of a Namek one. The new Kami separates himself of his evil side which leads to Piccolo Daimao’s birth (it’s Piccolo’s dad).

550 : The Saiyajins land on Planet Plant and colonize it under the name of Planet Vegitisei.

650 : 7th may First World Art Martial Tournament : Winner Master Roshi.

658 : Birth of Son Gohan (Goku’s adoptive grandfather).

715 : Birth of Pilaf (First Goku’s arch nemesis).

731 : Alliance Treaty between Planet Vegitisei and Freeza. Wedding of Vegeta No Ouji (Vegeta’s father).

732 : Birth of Prince Vegeta.

733 : Birth of Bulma, Yamucha, and Tenshinhan. 8 May : Crowning of a new Earth king.

736 : Birth of Krillin.

737 : Birth of Kakkaroto (Goku). Freeza kills Vegeta’s father and Bardock (Goku’s father) and breaks the saiyajin’s rebellion by destroying planet Vegitisei. Birth of Chichi.

738 : One year old Goku falls from a cliff and got serious head injury, resulting in loss memory and reject of his saiyajin’s instincts.

740 : Birth of Oolong. Krillin becomes monk at the Oorin’s temple.

747 : Yamucha meets Puar.

749 :

• Bulma goes to highschool, and finds a dragon ball in Capsule Corp’s attic.
• 1st September Bulma meets Goku.
• 2nd September They meet Master Roshi.
• 5th September Goku defeats Oolong.
• 6th September Goku meets Yamucha and defeats him. They’re all kidnapped by Pilaf who’s stealing their dragon balls. Oolong manages to wish for panties before Pilaf could say his wish. It’s the full moon and Goku turns Oozaru. Yamucha cuts Goku’s tail.
• 10th September Goku and Krillin start training under Master Roshi’s guidance.

750 :

• End of the training with Master Roshi.
• 6th May Beginning of the 27th art martial tournament : Winner Master Roshi under the name of Jackie Choun (Toriyama is a great fan of Jackie Chan by the way). Beginning of the fight against the Red Ribbon Army.
• 8th May Goku meets android 8 (who’s looking like Frankenstein’s creature) and help to free him from his creator.
• 9th May Goku is defeated by Tao Paï Paï.
• 10th May Goku climbs on Karine’s tower and trains during three day with master Karine.
• 12th May Goku defeats Tao Paï Paï and destroys the remaining of the Red Ribbon army.

753 :

• Goku meets Tenshihan and Tchiaotzu.
• 5th May Beginning of the 28th tournament.
• 8th may Tenshihan wins the tournament. Pilaf frees Piccolo Daimao.
• 9th May Krillin and Master Roshi are killed by Piccolo Daimao. Piccolo Daimao gets the eternal youth from Shenron before killing him.
• 11th May Goku defeats Piccolo Daimao who’s laying an egg before dying. In this egg is his heir (who’s having all his powers and eternal youth) Piccolo Majunia.
• 12th May Goku accepts to train with Kami and Mr. Poppo for 3 years in exchange of the ressurection of Shenron.

756 :

• May 29th tournament. Goku defeats Piccolo and finally wins the tournament for the first time. During the tournament Goku get engaged with Chichi.
• 8th May Goku’s wedding (talk about a short engagement period)

757 : May Birth of Gohan (sorry people Goku didn’t marry Chichi because she was pregnant…)

761 :

• Unknown date, Goku fights against Garlick Junior because they kidnapped Gohan. Gohan traps Garlick Jr in the Dead Zone
• 12th October Radditz (Goku’s brother) attacks the earth. First death of Goku. Gohan is trained by Piccolo.

762 :

• Mars Yamucha, Krillin, Tenshinhan, Tchiaozu and Yajirobe start training with Kami.
• 29th April Goku finally reaches North’s Kaio’s planet.
• 2nd November Goku is ressurected.
• 3rd November Vegeta and Nappa land on Earth. Yamucha, Tchiaozu and Tenshinhan are killed. Piccolo dies while trying to protect Gohan from Nappa deadly Ki blast. Goku is defeated by Vegeta but Yajirobe cuts his tails. Goku transmits the genki dama’s energy to Krillin who uses it against Vegeta. Gohan turns Oozaru , and Vegeta uses his remaining forces to cut Gohan’s tails. Goku begs Krillin to let Vegeta escape.
• 4th November Krillin, Goku and Gohan are at the Western Capital’s hospital.
• 9th November Bulma finishes the reparations of Kami’s spaceship and leaves Earth for Namek with Gohan and Krillin.
• 18th December they land on Namek at the same time than Vegeta.
• 24th December Goku lands on Namek, Piccolo is ressurected by Porunga (the namek’s dragon), Krillin and Vegeta are killed by Freeza, Goku turns Super Saiyajin and kills Freeza. Destruction of Planet Namek.

763 :

• 3rd May Resurrection of Krillin and Yamucha by Porunga.
• 9th September Tenshihan and Tchiaozu are resurrected and the Namekians left Earth to found New Namek.
• October Planet Makyo is coming near Earth, increasing Garlick Junior’s powers and allowing him to escape the Dead Zone. Garlick Jr is once again trapped by Gohan.
• Unknown date, arrival of Cell in egg form inside of the Time Machine.

764 :

• August Goku comes back to Earth.
• Mirai Trunks kills Freeza and King Cold (Freeza’s daddy) and give a medicine to cure Goku’s heart disease (that Goku inherited from his mother). Beginning of a three years training period for all the Z senshis.
• Goku kills Freeza.
  

766 : Birth of Trunks. Goku dies shortly after from heart disease.

767 :

• 7th May 30th tournament : Winner Mr. Satan.
• 12th May Appearance of androids 19 & 20. Goku is ill during the fight. Vegeta kills android 19. Android 20 (dr. Gero himself) frees androids 17 & 18. Android 17 kills Dr. Gero before freeing android 16. Android 18 defeats Vegeta. Piccolo merges with Kami to beat the androids.
• 12th May Appearance of androids 17 & 18. In a couple of weeks they kill Vegeta, Tenshinhan, Tchiaozu, Yamucha, Piccolo and Krillin. Mirai Gohan is the sole survivor.
• 15th May Goku is healed by Mirai Trunks’s medicine, Mirai Trunks and Vegeta enter the Room of Spirit and Time.
• 16th May Cell finishes his mutation, Goku and Gohan enter the Room of Spirit and time.
• 17th May Piccolo enters the Room of Spirit and time.
• 18th May Vegeta enters the Room of Spirit and time.
• 19th May Mirai Trunks enters the Room of Spirit and time.
• 26th May Goku dies for the second time. Gohan reaches Super Saiyajin 2 and kills Cell.
• 27th May Goku’s funeral, Mirai Trunks left for the future.
• Around December Birth of Goten.

770 : Wedding of Krillin and android 18.

771 : Birth of Marron (Krillin’s daughter).

773 : Kibbito and Kaioshin land on earth to search Buu.

774 :

• 28 Mars. Gohan goes to Orange Star’s Highschool.
• 7th April Gohan becomes Satan City’s protector under the name and ridiculous disguise of Great Saiyaman.
• 8th April Videl figures out that Gohan is the great saiyaman.
• 9th April Gohan teaches Videl how to fly.
• 20th April Videl finally manages to fly properly.
• 7th May Goku resurrects for one day (all dead people can resurrect once for only one day with Uranai Baba’s help) to participate to the 31st tournament. Apparition of Buu. Vegeta sacrifices himself to defeat Buu but fails. Goku reaches Super Saiyajin 3 and teaches Goten and Trunks the fusion dance. Gohan frees the kaïo’s doyen from the Zeta sword in exchange the kaïo’s doyen frees all the hidden powers of Gohan allowing him to surpass SSJ3 without even turning SSJ (it’s called Mystic form).
• 8th May Buu absorbs Piccolo, Gotenks and Gohan. Vegeta is forced to fusion with Goku to form Vegito (Gogeta japanese version). Goku finally defeats Buu with a giant genki dama and comes back living with his family.

779 : Birth of Pan (Gohan and Videl’s daughter)

780 :

• Birth of Bra (Vegeta and Bulma’s daughter)
• Death of Mirai Gohan killed by Androids 17 & 18.
  

784 :

• 32th tournament, Goku meets Uub (Buu’s human reincarnation) and decides to train him, leaving his family behind and therefore ending the Dragon Ball manga.
• The time machine is completed and loaded. Mirai Trunks travels back to year 764 to change the past.
  

785 : Mirai Trunks comes back from his time travel. Being now powerful enough he kills Androids 17 & 18, bringing back peace in this timeline.

788: Cell tries to kill Mirai Trunks to steal his time machine. But Mirai Trunks is too powerful for him and aware of his plans. Cell dies, there’s no threats left in Mirai Trunks timeline.

Dragon Ball Great Travel or Dragon Ball Grand Tour (both are allowed) starts ten years after the end of Dragon Ball Z which would set it around year 794 (Gohan being 38 years old and Trunks being 29 years old). This isn’t covered by the current chronology simply because it’s not Toriyama who wrote it. Iff he had, SSJ4 Goku wouldn’t look like the result of a fusion between Goku and the Pink Panther nor would he had allowed Vegeta’s awful new haircut…. And if it wasn’t enough Toriyama said he’ll never draw a manga about DBGT.

I hope you found this article and chronology helpful.

Question #1 : What is Anime?

Anime is a cartoon style, produced in Japan, which reflects a great deal of the values of the people of that nation in subtle ways.

What is Yaoi? : The generic, oversimplified answer: It is two men involved with each other in a love relationship. If that is too vague an answer, then perhaps this one will suffice : It’s the story of two men who meet, and have sex with each other, or at least think about having sex, or any other form of romantic experience, with each other in the story.

For those not into the gay male relationship… Skip immediately to another website and do not pass go! I am saying this Once More… This is Man with Man intimate relationship material under discussion… As in… leading to sex/ including sex/ or anything therein that you can imagine with dating, Kissing, & all which Love between two people causes.

Now for all anti gay, homophobic people who have just read that last two paragraphs, feel free to exit stage left, right, or in any other direction you can manage, from this site! ::::::watches the intolerant, anti gay people race for exits in a stampede:::::

::::Looks around the vast expanse of cyber space and is happy to see someone who didn’t run away in the stampede::::: To those who are still here, Welcome to this section. We shall do our best to give you the best answers we can regarding the truth about such little words as Yaoi now.

In the first section of this frequently asked questions sector of the website I will endeavour to deal with the actual foundations of Japanese faith, culture, and society to help realistically define terms such as Yaoi and Hentai and Yuri (where applicable).

As is true of any language, tiny insignificant words hold a huge store of subtle meaning, and nowhere is this more true a statement, than in Japanese language and art. To read, view, or write anime is to learn, either through research, or through accident, certain integral values of the Japanese, which may explain the “new craze” that has been sparked outside of Japan for this particular cartoon medium. Anime is an art form of great beauty after all.

Like any well maintained, lavishly cared for high performance sports car, this little word has as many well oiled and smoothly running parts as a Lamborghini. It’s not just about sex between men. It isn’t just about stolen kisses when nobody is looking. It certainly isn’t the low class ideal of plain, every day, raunchy pornography. Yaoi can include these elements, and in many fics, as well as anime shows that are left uncut, it does contain these elements, sometimes to excess, sometimes as only the tiniest flickering hints.

Japanese society, unlike many modern social structures, differs in several ways. These differences are reflected to perfection in the small, 3 separately sounded out vowels, of the word yaoi, in many equally subtle ways. Like a rainbow Kaleidoscope that has many tiny variations of colour, the Japanese language is formed on subtle inflections of a single word… Like those subtle changes of stress in a spoken syllable, the first detail to become aware of when watching anime, is that in anime shows there are usually going to be subtle, through explicit, yaoi hints.

You see, yaoi is far more than romance. It encompasses all forms of respect and love between two men. It is reflected in the love/hate based relationships of the competitive natures of two or more men in the art of combat. It is reflected in the friendships of all the male characters to some degree. In short, “YAOI,” like that well versed tiny little English word “LOVE,” is the core of the very complex emotional palette of human nature, whether you, the reader, realise it or not.

A true fan of any form of anime, be it Final Fantasy, Ronin Warriors or Dragon Ball Z, will be drawn unconsciously, or consciously to these kinds of integral values such as the Yaoi formula of love knows no gender , whether they are aware of the fact or not.

Acceptance, inner truth and honour are very important factors in every anime story, as is virtuous death, and the spirit world’s influence upon the material, living world. So to help broaden the understanding of what anime truly is, as well as to place Yaoi within the correct context of the anime phenomena, you need a quick lesson on Japanese culture to start.

After that, we will deal with the reasons for the Gohan and Trunks romance preference of this particular Yahoo Group of Dragon Ball Z fans. It will be an in depth enough list considering everything, “hopefully”. The questions such as “why not Goten” or another male “in Gohan’s place,” as well as other issues like the Gohan and Videl connection will be covered in this section.

Question #2 : Why write Yaoi fiction?

Yaoi is a Japanese word that means homosexual or man in love with another man. The term Yaoi is an acronym for “Yama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi” which can be translated by “No climax, no punch line, no meaning” or “No peak, no point, no problem”. Another although more recent and ironic version of the term Yaoi is “Yamete Oshiri ga Itai” which translation is even more explicit “Stop it my ass hurt”.

For those who are taught that being gay is evil, such a concept is an affront to their sensibilities. To those, who are fortunate enough, such as myself, the writing of gay men being in love, is a door with which we can hopefully add to the acceptance, and eventual liberation of those who are perceived as being flawed, when in fact they are not. Japan does not have this prevailing association with homosexual or bi sexual gender orientation as being a sign of evilness, or internal corruption like the Western world does.

A true Life experience to shed light on my personal reasons for trying to help gay/lesbian equality to happen in modern society:

I was fortunate enough as a young teenaged girl to have had the awesome experience of getting to live with a gay couple for several years. I learned an invaluable lesson about what it means to truly love another person from those two men who chose to stand up to impossible anti gay pressures, hatred and discrimination with calm dignity.

They lived life as the people that they truly were, and thankfully still are, not as others wanted them to be, with one exception. They had to stand the appropriate distances from each other in public so that the discriminating, narrow minded people of the world wouldn’t kill one of them in a fit of panic.

See, I was a young teenager in a time when gays had no rights what so ever in my town, inside, or outside of the workplace. To be in love with another man was the same thing as career suicide if you were working in a respectable field. It took only one tiny whisper from someone else to trash an individual’s life utterly in the “small town mentality” zone I was living in.

I can still remember not quite understanding why I had to see these two wonderful people forced into unnatural distances in public. They played the “straight and narrow” in this manner for each other’s continued safety and their future security in the careers they both wanted so desperately to succeed in. They were always relieved to get home in the evenings where they could let their, deeper, more emotional selves shine behind the drawn shades and closed doors of the main household.

These guys were definitely not the pansy of mythic proportions either. They were boisterous football fans for the local college they attended. (grad students in their final stretch before getting their doctorate degrees) Both were involved in science based fields of study that demanded a lot of physical effort, (Rock climbing practically becoming a prerequisite to both of their future careers so to speak) and both had taught as underlings for their favourite professors at the college.

The funny thing is, it took me almost 2 full years to realise that they weren’t “straight” and that only happened because I got asked by one of my many teenaged girlfriend’s, why we never saw any girlfriends hanging around the house with them… (all of my G friends had crushes on one or the other of the two and with good reason. :) ::::Chortles..:::: These guys were dark haired hotties both, and not in the least bit effeminate like the drag queen myth one gets accustomed to seeing on tv or reading about in all forms of media.)

I know that a lot of people mistakenly think that if a kid grows up around gay people that they will catch the same habit, becoming gay, as if it were a disease. Actually the opposite is true. I am by no means gay, nor will I ever be. I am a mom first and foremost. I have friends that I have known since that long ago time when I was living in an eclectic home with some very wonderful, if gay guys who married each other… I therefore write about the real mental, emotional side… So no pansy patsy stereotype drivel in my fics, unless it will help the plot along by necessity.

Several of my guy pals from Junior High and High school still speak with this pair of guys, who have been for many years, favourite mentors. (Yep you guessed it… several of the boys, now men, go to my old roomies to try and get answers on how to figure out their wives!!!) I write Yaoi therefore to honour the ideals that my past roomies hold dear. Even when the issue of these two being gay came to light… everyone had known them for over a year or more who knew me… They had taken a lot of us on hiking trips, backpacking/camping trips, and many other things that they enjoyed doing.

To understand the value of this particular aspect of a foreign country’s values you have to understand some foundational evolution of culture, that mold a social value with the help of things such as religion and history, to contribute to the specific ideals within a culture.

Religion in a Nutshell :

(Research online terms: religion + Japan or Shinto + Religion to get real understanding of this culture)

Unlike the dominant faiths of many modern nations, Japan is a Shinto heavy religious area. Shinto is different from Buddhist or Hindu faiths and should not be confused with these religions, even though there are a fair number of Buddhism practitioners in some areas of Japan. Shinto has a lot in common with Buddhism from what my own research has shown me, but it is not to be confused with this other, equally complex and fascinating faith.

In Japanese culture and myth you can see that the Shinto faith has a non central to individuality structure. This means that the idea of “me” first is foreign to the social structure of the peoples of this area. Such things as Samurai committing suicide for having lost face, or their honour as the concept of losing face generally is interpreted to mean, shows that it is the ideal of the group’s welfare that comes first.

To lose face was to do something that endangered in some way, or in some potential way, the safety of the family or friends of the individual, which was, and in some cases still is, an unacceptable, and often unpardonable sin, as is seen repetitiously throughout the nation’s history. Only through voluntary suicide could the disgraced member regain their honour in some situations because of this contribute to the group safety first value.

Shinto faith also has an integral concept that the bi sexual, and in many ways, gay men are as powerful, or at times even more powerful fighters, than the strictly hetero male. Part of this belief is based on the concept that bi sexual and homosexual men are better attuned to their more intuitive or feminine side of the Yin and Yang of spiritual enlightenment. Yin is the feminine side of this concept with it’s nurturing and receptive nature. Yin is seen as being the negative half of the two sides. This is not to be mistaken with evil or bad such as many modern social orders view the word, as the Japanese do not consider negative to be such. Negative is more like the idea of the positive and negative charges found in a magnet. In short. Negative as perceived by this awesome culture has very little to do with the modern, everyday teachings of good and evil.

Yang is the masculine side of the concept which means that is the forceful nature of the universe. The Positive side of the Magnet to continue using the very oversimplified image, is the masculine half. Where yin or negative half of a magnet draws things to it’s self, the Yang or Positive charged half of the magnet will repel or force away. Hence the terms put into a more appropriate context through a very simple and easily proven experiment that pre-schooler often do.

The positive yang also pushes things into action, instead of drawing things to itself to hold them and give them a period of gestation or time to become something of physical character, which is Yin’s job. While an artist dreams of an image that they will some day shape into a physical object, they are living in a Yin state. Once they take out their paints or their clay or their other medium of creation and begin to force the dream into reality, they are in a Yang state of being.

The history :

(Research online Keywords like : History + Japan or Legends + Japan are good starting points)

The myths and legends of Japan are littered with Feudal Lords who have Samurai warriors as their men at arms. Often these somewhat romanticized feudal Lords would have a Samurai that they were involved with, both in the matters of running a disciplined and lawful social order, and in sexual love relationships. While the Lord made laws, the Samurai were the enforcers of law in many stories of old.

Feudal Lord’s had wives just like anyone else, so don’t assume that this meant that they were leaving behind their estates to no one due to these relationships with their male partners, as the opposite was true. Feudal Lords would often love their wives even as they loved their male partners, just in different levels of the concept as we understand the word “love” to be in modern context. The social structure of the feudal Japan society held many levels of love as valid and even worthy of pursuit, unlike our more static views on this very complex emotion.

The Social Evolution :

A favourite series of books that is on the current market, and has proven to be invaluable as it specifically mentions anime within the social structure of modern Japan, comes from Time Life Books. The series is called “Myth and Mankind.” The book specifically dealing with Japanese culture is “Realm of the Rising Sun ; Japanese Myth” It is a good place to begin to study up on the social evolution of this lovely country. The mythology is rich and vibrantly textured. For those who take the time to read it, you won’t be disappointed by what it unveils. This series also has a book on Chinese Myth. Since Dragon Ball Z is in fact based upon a Chinese Monk’s journey to find holy scrolls of the faith he belongs to, it is wise to study up a bit on their lore as well. “Land Of The Dragon ; Chinese Myth” is the name of this fascinating book on the myths that helped to create and shape the Dragon Ball Z universe in part.

The symbolism of the Monkey King, when viewed by the information about the monkey in a section of the Chinese Myth book, along with the dragon’s role in the Chinese hierarchy will shed much greater light on Goku’s never ending role in the 500 episode saga that we call Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball Grand Tour. It also will add some texture to the Dragon Balls significance in the story if you read up on the dragon’s symbol and meanings too. Goku is after all, the Monkey King in personified art. Piccolo and other characters also become more easily recognized for the symbols that they represent after you look through this book.

The Examples Section :

The next time you turn on your favourite anime show, pay attention to the way the characters react to each other. No matter if you have the overly butchered American version, or an original Japanese anime tape, (I can only wet dream of the last option personally… You lucky dog!!!) there is a very blatant sensuality in all of it’s subtle forms to guide you when watching. It’s not the words the character’s say, but how they react to things that the others in the story do and say in return. (** Especially in the butchered American by Funimation version of Dragon Ball Z which is often completely re written to fit a socially puritanistic status quo instead of honouring the full meaning of the actual show itself)

The Japanese are masters of drawing images that come alive, and this is very well illustrated in the Dragon Ball Z series among others. No amount of verbal editing or removing the nudity for the more prudish viewer’s peace of mind can change that fact. The Animes of Japan are filled with rich, vivid emotion in their details. Every movement of pen becomes an emotion, as these characters are drawn to reflect true human spirit. Just as the Mirror is revealed as the gateway to seeing the truth within one’s own soul, the anime character is drawn to be a mirror of humanity in it’s higher or lower form.

Example of what I am referring to : In “The History of Trunks” video, cut or uncut doesn’t matter, you will see that Trunks and Gohan have a lot deeper attachments to each other than a big brother, little brother relationship. It’s very obvious that the Mirai team are the only hope that the world of this dark and pain filled future has in combating the Androids 17 & 18. These two have no one but themselves to rely on. They have no one capable of understanding the things they can do. They have no one left to be a guide for them as they struggle to find the strength to defeat the undefeatable. They have only one thing going for them in short. They have each other to understand what the other can do. They have each other to defend and be defended by in turn. They can learn and go through the process of guiding and being guided by each other as the story unfolds.

It quickly becomes obvious during his training of Trunks to fight and to possibly die, that Gohan is becoming (In the American English dub at least) far more involved with his young apprentice warrior than the friendly big brother role put forth in the studios, as can be seen through his actions. He may address Trunks as “little brother” or “bro”, but the subtle lines of the character’s drawn shape speak clearly of other emotions that are more pronounced, if danced around and kept locked within the character’s own personal being.

When Gohan loses his arm to Android 17 during his desperate attempt to prevent Trunks’ potential, untimely demise at Android 18’s hands, the viewer gets a glimpse of how deep the character’s feelings run where his young partner is concerned.

When Gohan puts his last senzu bean in Trunks’ mouth several minutes later, telling him to live, even though Trunks is unconscious, and not nearly as badly wounded as himself, we again see this deeper emotion in action. Gohan is not a stupid person as the anime shows through his ongoing study habits of youth, yet he chooses to see Trunks’ healed, more than he wishes to be relieved from his own significant physical pain.

Mirai Gohan has good reason to be in far greater pain after all. He has just taken power blasts, and other severe abuses, that would have probably crippled or killed Trunks, and did so without thought of his own safety in his desperate attempt to save Trunks from being injured by the Androids. This is a point many try to look away from when the debate over the deeper relationship that exists in this show alone is brought to light by various slash loving groups who often want to stick Gohan with Piccolo, or Goten with Trunks. At least in the Mirai Time line, there is a definite and powerful message here that has nothing to do with “what would my daddy do?” (As portrayed by Funimation’s dub of this show).

Illustration 1 : Gohan’s Sword

This is a Roman gladius, short sword classification, most favored by the Phalanx style legionnaire approximately 2 thousand + years ago at the Height of Caesar’s campaign to rule the planet

Illustration 2 : Mirai Trunks’s Sword

This is hand and half bastard classification, European style weapon. It’s the lighter and shorter of the Bastard class, and is a Sub-division of full sized bastard class swords. Though Trunks weapon isn’t the typical wire and leather wrapped handle that is classical to the Agincourt sized weapons, as it is normally found in modern times, nor twisted wire only wrapped which is also found in museums, the name of the other two major campaign challengers for the title are the same size, and their names are escaping me at the moment. So consider the Agincourt to be a generic terms of sorts.

Illustration 3 : Gohan’s Zeta Sword

This is a full length bastard class sword, so is a bit longer and thicker of Tang, And Temper line as is clearly seen if you look at the thickness of the weapon versus the Hilt and Guard sections of the weapon.. The Guard is one that is traditionally used on full sized bastard
class, not the lighter hand and half.

Notes for those who have no idea what a sword is made up of :

#1 Pommel- the cap thing on top that keeps the Hilt, guard and blade aligned correctly.. Often screwed onto the long Tang of the Blade after the guard and then Hilt were placed upon the tang section of the weapon’s blade.

#2 Guard (as in protect hands) is the thing just on top of the sharp pointy part you stick, slice, or dice things with.

#3. Tang: this is the point where the blade itself ends in a long, thin, boxy kind of block from the main metal forged into the weapon.. there are rectangular or foil styled square tangs.. the longer the tang was the heavier and thicker the sword generally was.. Rectangular blocks were the main style for Broadswords and full bastard class. The thinner rectangle form for Hand and Half class Bastards to the heavier styled Scimitar and other large bladed short swords (favored in the Arab nations mostly, or by pirates in Hollywood’s eyes. ~> Snickering)

Thin Foil tangs were very boxy squares, but long, endings to a much lighter sword, like the modern fencing style Rapier, or Foil practice weapons…. or like a legionnaire’s short sword of Roman empire days..

#4. The Hilt is the handle portion you actually grab onto. The short hilts will only allow a single hand to be used to handle the weapon, but larger sized weapons have longer hilts..

The really big monsters, like the 11 pounds plus, 6 foot long or longer, Claymores aka Broad Sword class…. were a leather wrap only hilt due to the frequent need to replace the leather so the hilt’s leather wouldn’t get too rotten causing a person to lose their weapon in a fight.. (if not legs and toes in the process along with their head as the opponent sliced and diced the newly unarmed opponent up.)

Hand and Half or Bastard class main were either leather wrap, or leather and wire wrapped.. The Agincourt calass was the first Wire only wrapped hilt.. (Nobility made Agincourts the rage due to the ability for them to go through lots of Gauntlets… ( Gloves with chain mail sewn between the layers of heavy padded leather normally) since they could afford the wear and tear the braided, thin wire only hilts caused on the hands that wielded them…

Tang only hilts were the shortest lightest swords of the classical through renaissance era, and they were usually capped with a pommel that was of a gem cup variety, as this type pommel was usually referred too.. Normally, these were leather only styles of hilt preparation as they had very thin, foil like tangs instead of thick, rectangle blocks for tangs that larger swords would have to have in order to put a guard or hilt onto the weapon to protect the hands of the fighter, and to insure a descent grip purchase. The guard ring would be the only thing really needed, but the pommel in this case, though only a decoration, still acted as a guide… crew down pommels fit the ends.. While heavier gage pommels were normally a hammer on and then stick a hot iron pin through the holes hand drilled into the tang, and very tip of hilt for a fold over job…

A few things to get you started:

First things first. You have to know who and what you’re writing about. The first thing you do before writing anything down on paper (or on computer screen) is to watch the show you want to write about and become familiar with the characters. Although I have, in my time, written stories where the characters act horribly OOC (out of character), with experience I have realized that the best fanfiction is the story where the characters seem real. These are the stories where you sit back and say; ‘Yeah, I can see (insert character’s name here) doing that.’ A little OOC isn’t necessarily a bad thing, there are some things these characters just wouldn’t do (Piccolo and Vegeta falling madly in love? Come on, that’s horribly out of character if you’ve seen the series), so we need to bend their personalities a little to get them where we want them in a story. Just remember, too much bending is a bad thing. It not only irritates the reader (who really wants to see the character, not something that’s so horribly twisted it is no longer the character), but it is also in bad taste.

Step One: Study the characters

Get to know them intimately. You want to know these characters better than you know your best friend. Know them inside and out. Get a definite picture of them before you start to write. When you watch the series they’re in you might want to write down little things about them that you noticed. For example; In Gundam Wing, Trieze Khushrenada seems to enjoy roses quite a bit. He’s seen bathing in rose water, and carrying more than one rose around. In Final Fantasy VIII, Zell Dincht can often be seen moving, he’s rarely seen sitting still. Obviously he’s a person who’s, a; nervous, or b; energetic. These things you notice the characters doing can then be taken and elaborated upon. Remember, you aren’t creating these characters, you’re just using what has already been seen (or written) about them.

Here’s a non exhaustive list of Hobbies and Activities for Gohan to get you started.

Gohan’s Hobbies/Activities:

1. Reading: There’s countless episodes where we see him reading various books.
2. Massaging: If you remember the Cell Saga, Gohan and Goku went training for a whole year inside the Room of Spirit and time. There’s a scene where they’re taking a bath together, and Goku advices Gohan to massage thoroughly his body or he’ll get stiff muscles the next morning.
3. Whistling: In the Slug movie, Gohan is whistling a whole song. And that’s because of his whistling that Goku is able to defeat Slug, since Namekian cannot withstand whistling.
4. Painting/Drawing: If you remember the 3 years when Gohan trained daily with Goku and Piccolo, there’s one episode where they have to learn how to drive a car and Gohan is studying in his bedroom. In this scene we can see him drawing on his notebook a picture of Piccolo and Goku driving a car. There’s also this scene near the end of DBZ where teenager Trunks come to Gohan and Videl’s home. If you look very closely you can see there’s a scene where they’re in front of a fireplace. And just above the fireplace there’s a big painting of Namek, which suggest Gohan did it. Also a bit later in the same episode we can see another painting representing the small island on the Kai’s planet where Gohan removed the Zeta sword from the rock.
5. Swimming/Fishing/Scuba-Diving: There’s countless episodes showing Gohan performing those activities.
6. Camping: In the Turles movie “Three of might” we see Gohan and the other going to camp in the forest.
7. Baseball: During the Buu saga, when Gohan goes to Orange School, we see he’s initiated to baseball. There’s also the fact, his good friend Yamucha ended as a famous baseball player for a team named “The Titans”.
8. Stargazing: If you remember well the Cell saga, there’s one episode where they’re celebrating Gohan’s birthday, and if you look carefully you’ll notice Ox king gave him a telescope.
9. Studying Fauna: There’s countless of episodes where Gohan do that, either getting fascinated by butterflies, dinosaurs, tigers etc…
10. Meditating: This was part of his training routine with Piccolo. Also there’s a scene in the Buu saga where Gohan has to meditate several hours while the old kai is trying to freed his mystical powers.
11. Tinkering/Engineering: During the first episodes of DBZ Piccolo left Gohan in the wilderness for 6 months. There’s an episode where Gohan repair an old abandoned Robot that he founds inside archaeological ruins. There’s also an episode where in order to escape the desert where he’s trapped, Gohan build a sand yacht, and after it crashed, he build a small boat of his own. In DBGT we see him working with Bulma to create the spaceship Goku, Pan and Trunks will use to hunt the dragon ball through space.
12. Fencing: We often saw Gohan using swords like in his first training in the wilderness at the beginning of the Saiyan Saga or while he tried to master the Zeta Sword with Kaoishin and Kibito’s help during the Buu Saga.
13. Bicycle Riding: In the original opening of the Buu saga we see Gohan riding a bicycle.
14. Surfing: In the manga, there’s a small illustration of Gohan wearing a bath suit and holding surf board above is head. In the original opening of the Buu saga we also see Gohan driving a car with Videl. And on the car they’re carrying a surf board.

Step Two: Study the series

You want to be able to create a world around the characters that feels true to whatever series they’re from. Even if you’re writing an AU (alternate universe) story, knowing the storyline of the series will help keep things in perspective. Also, the storyline is often linked to the characters, so knowing the story helps us (fanfiction writers) to know the characters better.

Step Three: Write down everything

Any random thought or observation you have while studying the series, write it down. Try to organize things later so it’s easy to look back while you’re writing. These notes may later give you ideas on what to write, or even give you insight when you experience writer’s block or some other such thing.

Step Four: Become part of a community

Every writer needs friends. Join a message board, forum, Mailing List, or just visit chat rooms and discuss the series and characters with other people. Don’t adopt their opinions, but do keep yourself open to new ideas. Other people will most often have interesting insights or ideas about the series and characters that you might not have thought about. Once again, take notes. If something catchy is said, write it down. Save it for later. You never know where these little tidbits might come in handy. This step is the most important step when you’re getting to know the series you’re writing for. And the friends you make might later be your closest allies.

Writing the story:

Writing the story is sometimes the hardest part for some people. For me it was the easiest, the hard part for me is the research before you start writing. Once you’ve done your research though (and if you’ve done it well) the story writing shouldn’t be too hard. The most important thing during this process is NOT to share your story with anyone until it’s done. This might sound really hard, but it’s extremely important. More often then not the reason writers lose their inspiration is because they have received way too much input while they were in the process of writing. So, keep your story to yourself while you’re writing it. Don’t show anyone, under any circumstances (unless you’re writing the story with someone, and then an exception might be made).

This is very important! BEFORE you start writing, first figure out -why- you’re writing. If you’re not writing for you, don’t bother starting. Through all of this you must only write for you. The best fiction that you’ll ever write is the stuff that you yourself enjoy.

Step One: Brainstorm

I’m not going to tell you to write out a plot. In all honesty I write (or rather wrote) all the plots for my stories after writing the first few chapters. However, I will tell you this; Before you start writing, you need an idea. Something to base your story on. Maybe you think it would be cool to toss the boys of Argent Soma into a medieval setting. Or you were talking with your friends and someone mentioned that Aya (from Weiss Kreuss) looks like an angel. These ideas can be the start of a great story. So, write down any ideas you can think of. Things you would want to see in a story. Just free style write. Don’t worry about whether or not it makes sense. A lot of my notes for my brainstorming stages look pretty … disorganized.

Stupify (if anyone has read it >.<) came to life when I heard the song. From there I started to think about the characters in Final Fantasy VIII. So I sat down and wrote Chapter One. By the time I wrote Chapter Three I suddenly had the thought that it would be really cool if Laguna was really a clone. So that’s what I did. I played with that idea. In that particular series it could be pulled off because FFVIII is set in a futuristic world.

So play around! Listen to music, write down ideas that come to you while listening to the music. Just have fun. And, if you’re really stumped, ask a few friends what they would like to see in a story and if any of their ideas interest you, use them.

Step Two: Write

• Don’t Try to insert yourself into the story
• Don’t Use original characters. And if you must, be extremely careful how you do it.
• Don’t Correct your work while you’re writing. (The first draft is just a rough draft, so don’t worry about grammar or spelling. Correct all that later)
• Do Add a disclaimer, copyright information, your net name and email, any warnings that may apply (violence, explicit sex, profanity, and other things that might be in the story that others would find offensive), and pairing information (if you want. This is NOT mandatory but it can save some grief in the end).
• Don’t Add author notes to the end of every chapter. Only have author notes at the end of the entire story.
• Don’t Rush yourself. (Take your time! There is no rush. Besides, the story will be much better if you have taken your time)

Step Three: Correction

Once you’re done writing you’ll want to go back over it and fix the grammar and spelling, as well as other things that you may decide to change or take out. You might want to find a beta reader, they can be quite helpful, just remember; This is YOUR story, and if they suggest changing something that you don’t believe should be changed… don’t change it! It’s very important the you like your own work. If you can read it and enjoy it, then it’s probably as good as it’s going to get.

Getting your work read:

This is the hardest part of all this process. And the most important. No one writes essays on how to deal with the aftermath. Getting published is fairly simple. Find a website where you can post your work, or an Mailing List, or a fanfiction group, whatever, and post your stuff (once it’s completed).

Step One: Upload

Upload your work to an Mailing List (after making sure they accept fanfiction and making sure you’re posting the right series in the right Mailing List), or find a website or a forum where they accept fanfiction. If you’re really ambitious you can start your own website but that’s a whole other adventure.

Step Two: Network

Tell your friends about your work. Don’t beg them to read it, or pester them, just mention you have written a story and you’d really appreciate it if they read it. Keep your mind your friends interests when you do this though. If your fanfiction is in a series they don’t like, they won’t like your story either. Visit chat rooms, be nice to people and make sure that you’re highly visible. The more people you know, the more people will read your fiction, especially if you’re well liked.

Step Three: Relax

Sit back. Relax. If no one has read your fic yet, so what! You didn’t write it for them anyway (hopefully). All that matters is that you enjoy the fic. Everything else is inconsequential.

The Aftermath:

Once people have read your fiction, they’ll start making comments. Especially if your work is good. There are some things every writer needs to know about this part of the process.

Number One: Keep your head

If you’re receiving a lot of praise don’t let it stroke your ego too much. This can put a lot of pressure on a writer. So, if you’re receiving endless praise, accept it, but realize that these same people could turn on you the next time you write something. Don’t start to expect praise, or get cocky, you’ll lose your friends and your fans if you do. ALWAYS be nice to everyone who makes comments. Even the people who make not so nice comments. These people took time out of their lives to look at your work, so give them some respect in turn. They didn’t have to read, and they don’t have to read what you write next. Remember that.

Number Two: Criticism

You’re going to receive it some time. When you do, don’t let it rip you apart. If the person has something constructive to say, and are complaining about once specific part of your story, take that into consideration, but don’t let it ruin your enjoyment of writing. Criticism can sometimes be good, because it can help you grow and become a stronger writer. So don’t write off people who give you criticism. They can be your best friends sometimes. Be polite to them if you do respond to them.

Number Three: Back to the drawing board

Keep writing. Write, write, write… the more you write, the better you’ll get. Read a lot as well. As you do, you’ll figure out what you like and what you don’t. That’s important stuff to know when you’re writing.

Have fun. If you stop having fun, you need to stop writing. Fanfiction writing is a hobby. It will never make you money, so don’t do it if you’re not enjoying it.

That’s it.

Don’t be afraid to take the first step.

The best writers are the writers who don’t conform. These are the people who have original ideas, and don’t copy others. They have confidence, but are humble. They have a deep love for fiction, but first they have a deep love for the characters.

There’s a popular beliefs in all the fandoms that alive, creative and successful ml (especially if it’s dedicated to an exclusive pairing like ours) owe their success to the number and to quality of the fanfic writers and artists whom serving in their rank…

That’s probably true, but it’s a vision which is obviously underestimating the positive and invaluable contribution of the other members.  To attract talented writers/artists, to keep them productive as well as to help new ones to emerge you need a fertile ground. And this fertile ground is named REVIEW.

We have a wonderful community that consistently offers supportive and constructive reviews. It’s one of the things that makes writing/drawing Truhan very rewarding. The belief of the moderator board is that good reviews are obviously the biggest wealth of our website.

We know that a lot of you would like to review but are too shy or afraid to make fools of themselves because writing an insightful review isn’t an easy task. That’s why we wrote this small tutorial about the fine art of reviewing.

Please note, these are only SUGGESTIONS. They are not hard and fast rules you must follow. Simply a list of tips and ideas to help newbie to write their first review, so that a great number of shy member can too encourage our fanfic writing and fanart drawing community. Although it was designed for reviewing fanfic, most of those tips also work for art reviewing.

Lesson #1 : Praise and Courtesy.

We’re human. We all need to be told “job well done.” Writers give themselves headaches and will agonize over a comma for hours. They deserve to hear something for their trouble.

This is why it is important to use terms of praise when you write a review. Point out what you enjoyed. If you find issues with grammar or plot holes point them but be sure to kindly balance the pointers with an acknowledgement of the good things you saw.

Be specific, also. It is always great to be told “Good job.” But if you say “Good job with that funny Macarena dance Gohan did,” it will help the writer know that was an idea that worked well.

Specific praise is very satisfying for a writer. Quoting what you liked the most is an excellent way to accomplish that. It also lets the author know you read carefully.

It makes you feel wonderful when people want to read your work. But reviews that just say “Loved it! Update soon!” or “Great job, where’s the next chapter” Will not help the writer get better, even though they’ll obviously feel happy after reading it.

Here is two examples of the type of praise a writer might find useful and encouraging. We removed some part to keep it anonymous.

Example 1 :

Wow! “Name of the writer” it is just… I understand that … is proof of her mate’s infidelity, if it can be called that. (In my book, being cuffed to a cliff and ravished by a hot saiyajin probably doesn’t count as infidelity!) However, this immediate insistence that he …

*shakes head* If nothing else, the woman lacks any kind of sympathy for her mate.

In short, I want to smack her. Therefore, you accomplished your mission with her!

I liked that “Y” didn’t reject him. He often does…. I just don’t see “Y” throwing “X” at the door….
*laughs*

Example 2 :

This is feedback for your story “Name of the Story”. I absolutely love the story. I’ve never seen one this original. Hey I was wondering can you make one like this but with the Little Mermaid instead?

Also when are you going to introduce Gohan to the fic? I’m dying to find out what happens next! And I loved the song things, you fixed them to suit the fic so well. *eyes get all watery ^sniffle^ * I’m starting to love you man.

For your good story I hand you a giant macadamia nut cookie *hands “Author’s Name” giant cookie* hope you enjoy your cookie and please update soon! ~_^

Lesson #2 : Kind Honesty and Positive Criticism.

It is important to be honest in critique. Otherwise reviews lose some power. Of course part of that involves being polite and kind. When you review and mention something problematic, it may discourage or hurt the writer/artist especially is she/he is insecure about his/her writing skills or if he/she is a beginner.

Mean reviews often have a powerful and destructive force on the writer ego and his/her confidence and may be highly counterproductive if the writer/drawer ends thinking he/she’s writing/drawing worthless story/fanart.

However if you balance your critics with an observation about what they did well, it might actually motivate them to try harder. And this make a very big difference! Always keep in mind there’s a first time for everyone, and most of the actual great writers all probably started by writing fic which wasn’t perfect or even truly crappy. The point is we’re learning from our mistakes, pointing them is fine as long as it’s done nicely in a non-discouraging way.

For example, if an author gets a bad review, like “That was awful,” they might think it was simply not to the reader’s taste and dismiss it. When in reality it could have been because they had a huge plot hole. The reviewer missed a chance to encourage better writing, and the writer lost the chance to improve. Rude or curt criticism is usually dismissed at best.

A review that focuses on the bad stuff, like “You had a plot hole, I could not follow the story because of your typos, and they were all out of character,” will probably discourage the writer, make them wonder why they bother trying. Many give up. This is not what a review is for. It is not to silence writing, but improve it. So this type of approach is a waste of time for both parties.

The best type of criticism is constructive. And positive, always reminding the writer that they put in a good effort, that there were parts you liked, or had promise. And of course be considerate. Writers who are serious about their craft are often thankful for this type of review.

Lesson # 3 : Points of Analysis

There are several areas of critique I have always found helpful to get feedback on, as a writer. These are inspired by “Media Miner” evaluating system but also by the list of criteria that will be used by the Jury of various fanfic Contests :

A) Spelling-Grammar : 

Was the fic hard to read because of syntax problems? :  “Gohan happy was.”

Grammar problems? : “Gohan were happy.”

Spelling problems? : “Gohon waz hapy.”

Maybe the punctuation made it hard to read : “Gohan’, was happy,,,,”

These are problems that unfortunately make many otherwise good fics unreadable. Bad format and bad spelling/grammar are often pushing away the potential readers. Therefore you must point that.

B) Writing Style :

Some writers give a barebones or script like description. (“Trunks was sad.”) Others are very descriptive. (“Trunks felt melancholy flood his soul.”) Did the author pull it off well? Was it exciting? Did you feel like you were right there? Or was it hard to imagine? Is it too flowery ? Does the lemon make you believe you read a biology book or a cheap Penthouse book ? Did you have to read the same phrases several time to understand their meaning? Is it flowing nicely or is it chaotic? etc….

C) Originality/Interest :

Was the story unique? Did it keep you guessing? Or was it formulaic? Neither is necessarily bad nor good, if the story keeps your interest. If it is supposed to be a mystery, it should be unpredictable. A romance can be very interesting with a predictable ending. It all depends.

D) Story/Character’s Coherence :

Is it way too OOC “Out Of Character” i.e the behaviour inconsistent with the personality of a character as established by Akira Toriyama. Is there incoherence with the timeline of the anime or the timeline of the fic ? Were the characters believable? Or did they say things that seemed to make no sense, do things that were not explained through action, dialogue, or narrative?

E) Overall Enjoyment : 

So how did you like it? Was it funny? Did you stop reading in the middle of it? Or did you read it three times in a row? Did you cry?

This wasn’t an exhaustive list of what you may incorporate in a review. Barely suggestions to get started as well as to help reviewers get their analytic minds going, and ultimately benefit the writers.

We hope that helped you.