Plenty of Nothing

Usagi Yojimbo Stop Motion Animation

See here.

102nd Emperor's Cup, Semi-Finals

Victory Kickoff!! cosplay. Source.

It's the Emperor's Cup semi-finals.

Match No. 85: Ventforet Kofu (J2) [1 - 0] Kashima Antlers (J1)    Upset

Kashima Antlers won the 2016 Emperor's Cup. Ventforet have never made it past the quarter-finals before.

Match No. 86: Kyoto Sanga (J1) [1 - 2] Sanfrecce Hiroshima (J1)

Sanfrecce Hiroshima won the 1965, 1967 and 1969 Emperor's Cups under the name Toyo Kogyo. Kyoto Sanga are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year, and the 20th anniversary of their 2002 Emperor's Cup.

Victory Kickoff!! website.

Izu Dancer Anime, 1986

Source.

Zetsubou Sensei by Rumiko Takahashi

This is one of a series of end cards drawn by eminent mangaka for the Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei anime. Rumiko Takahashi drew Ranma 1/2 from 1987 to 1996.  Source.

Heike Monogatari (2021)

Trailer.

Nikko Ice Bucks versus Tohoku Free Blades

The autumn 2021 anime Puraore! Pride of Orange is set in Nikko and uses Ice Bucks team colours. Source. Also.

Tohoku Free Blades visit Nikko Ice Bucks at the Nikko Kurufuri Ice Arena in Tochigi Prefecture.

Covid prevented the Ice Bucks from starting practice before September 28th and caused the postponement of two September games against the Free Blades and two against the Cranes. Covid also cancelled this year's Shakaijin Cup of soccer, which was scheduled to take place at stadia across Tochigi-ken.

Ice Bucks vs Free Blades, the record:

2009/9/26      Ice Bucks 3 - 1 Free Blades    regular season

2009/9/27      Ice Bucks 3 - 5 Free Blades    regular season

2009/12/26    Free Blades 5 - 3 Ice Bucks    regular season

2009/12/27    Free Blades 4 - 7 Ice Bucks    regular season

2010/2/6        Ice Bucks 2 - 5 Free Blades    regular season

2010/2/7        Free Blades 6 - 5 Ice Bucks    regular season

2010/10/2      Free Blades 5 - 2 Ice Bucks    regular season

2010/10/3      Free Blades 2 - 4 Ice Bucks    regular season

2011/1/15      Ice Bucks 4 - 5 Free Blades    regular season

2011/1/16      Ice Bucks 1 - 4 Free Blades    regular season

2011/2/19      Ice Bucks 1 - 3 Free Blades    regular season

2011/2/20      Free Blades 6 - 5 Ice Bucks    regular season

2011/9/24      Ice Bucks 10 - 4 Free Blades    regular season

2011/9/25      Ice Bucks 4 - 1 Free Blades    regular season

2012/1/7        Free Blades 4 - 0 Ice Bucks    regular season

2012/1/8        Free Blades 1 - 0 Ice Bucks    regular season

2012/2/12      Ice Bucks 3 - 4 Free Blades    Japan Hockey Championship

2012/2/25      Free Blades 3 - 2 Ice Bucks    regular season

2012/2/26      Ice Bucks 6 - 5 Free Blades    regular season

2012/9/22      Ice Bucks 1 - 5 Free Blades    regular season

2012/9/23      Ice Bucks 1 - 5 Free Blades    regular season

2012/9/25      Ice Bucks 1 - 0 Free Blades    regular season

2012/12/9      Ice Bucks 3 - 9 Free Blades    Japan Hockey Championship

2012/12/13    Free Blades 3 - 0 Ice Bucks    regular season

2012/12/15    Free Blades 2 - 1 Ice Bucks    regular season

2012/12/16    Free Blades 1 - 2 Ice Bucks    regular season

2013/3/2        Free Blades 0 - 1 Ice Bucks    regular season

2013/12/1      Ice Bucks 2 - 3 Free Blades    Japan Hockey Championship

2013/12/7      Ice Bucks 4 - 2 Free Blades    regular season

2013/12/8      Ice Bucks 1 - 3 Free Blades    regular season

2014/1/11      Free Blades 0 - 1 Ice Bucks    regular season

2014/1/12      Free Blades 4 - 3 Ice Bucks    regular season

2014/3/1        Ice Bucks 2 - 3 Free Blades    regular season

2014/3/2        Free Blades 5 - 3 Ice Bucks    regular season

2014/9/27      Ice Bucks 1 - 6 Free Blades    regular season

2014/9/28      Ice Bucks 2 - 3 Free Blades    regular season

2014/9/30      Ice Bucks 2 - 3 Free Blades    regular season

2014/12/7      Ice Bucks 3 - 2 Free Blades    Japan Hockey Championship final

2015/1/22      Free Blades 8 - 2 Ice Bucks    regular season

2015/1/24      Free Blades 5 - 1 Ice Bucks    regular season

2015/1/25      Free Blades 6 - 2 Ice Bucks    regular season

2015/10/10    Free Blades 1 - 2 Ice Bucks    regular season

2015/10/11    Free Blades 4 - 2 Ice Bucks    regular season

2015/11/26    Free Blades 4 - 2 Ice Bucks    regular season

2015/12/6      Ice Bucks 3 - 5 Free Blades    Japan Hockey Championship

2016/2/25      Ice Bucks 4 - 1 Free Blades    regular season

2016/2/27      Ice Bucks 3 - 1 Free Blades    regular season

2016/2/28      Ice Bucks 4 - 5 Free Blades    regular season

2016/11/3      Free Blades 4 - 1 Ice Bucks    regular season

2016/11/5      Free Blades 5 - 3 Ice Bucks    regular season

2016/11/6      Free Blades 5 - 4 Ice Bucks    regular season

2016/12/3      Ice Bucks 3 - 2 Free Blades    regular season

2016/12/4      Ice Bucks 3 - 2 Free Blades    regular season

2016/12/6      Ice Bucks 0 - 4 Free Blades    regular season

2017/9/30      Ice Bucks 2 - 0 Free Blades    regular season

2017/10/1      Ice Bucks 5 - 1 Free Blades    regular season

2017/10/21    Free Blades 5 - 6 Ice Bucks    regular season

2017/10/22    Free Blades 8 - 1 Ice Bucks    regular season

2017/12/16    Free Blades 4 - 3 Ice Bucks    Japan Hockey Championship

2018/9/8        Ice Bucks 1 - 3 Free Blades    regular season

2018/9/9        Ice Bucks 4 - 1 Free Blades    regular season

2018/9/11      Ice Bucks 1 - 3 Free Blades    regular season

2018/12/15    Free Blades 1 - 3 Ice Bucks    Japan Hockey Championship

2018/12/27    Free Blades 4 - 1 Ice Bucks    regular season

2018/12/29    Free Blades 2 - 3 Ice Bucks    regular season

2018/12/30    Free Blades 5 - 1 Ice Bucks    regular season

2019/12/8      Free Blades 1 - 5 Ice Bucks    Japan Hockey Championship final

2020/1/17      Free Blades 4 - 3 Ice Bucks    regular season

2020/1/18      Free Blades 0 - 7 Ice Bucks    regular season

2020/1/19      Free Blades 5 - 2 Ice Bucks    regular season

2020/2/14      Ice Bucks 6 - 2 Free Blades    regular season

2020/2/15      Ice Bucks 5 - 2 Free Blades    regular season

2020/2/16      Ice Bucks 7 - 4 Free Blades    regular season

2020/10/24    Ice Bucks 6 - 2 Free Blades    Japan Cup

2020/10/25    Ice Bucks 4 - 2 Free Blades    Japan Cup

2020/12/5      Free Blades 6 - 4 Ice Bucks    Japan Cup

2020/12/6      Free Blades 2 - 5 Ice Bucks    Japan Cup

2021/3/27      Free Blades 2 - 3 Ice Bucks    Japan Cup

2021/3/28      Free Blades 3 - 2 Ice Bucks    Japan Cup

2021/11/6      Ice Bucks 4 - 3 Free Blades    Japan Cup

2021/11/7      Ice Bucks [4 - 3] Free Blades    Japan Cup

The Free Blades are ahead 47 wins to [34].

Tohoku Free Blades and Nikko Ice Bucks have never met in the ALIH playoffs.

(Sources: hockeyarchives.info for Asia League Ice Hockey from 2009-10 to 2017-18; flashscores.ca for ALIH 2019-20 and Japan Cup 2020-21; Japanese Wikipedia for the Japan Hockey Championship to 2015; Plenty of Nothing for the Japan Hockey Championship from 2016 on.)

Bunty Bailey

Bunty Bailey rotoscoped in the "Take On Me" video, 1984. View.

New Sherwood Forest Asteroid

Source.

Varezhka (1967)

A fable about the power of neglectful parenting. Watch. Source. If you need more stop action animation after that, look for a commercial after 6:30 minutes in this compilation from last winter.

99th Emperor's Cup, Round Four

Captain Tsubasa. Source.

There are not many underdogs left: a couple of teams from J2, one from the JFL, and one university team, the astounding Hosei Daigaku.

Match No. 73: Vissel Kobe (J1) [3 - 2] Kawasaki Frontale (J1)

Frontale beat Vissel 2 - 1 in league action in April.

Match No. 74: Sanfrecce Hiroshima (J1) [1 - 1] Oita Trinita (J1) [Oita win on PK.]

In two league games this year Sanfrecce won 1 - 0, and there was a scoreless draw.

Match No. 75: Sagan Tosu (J1) [4 - 2] Cerezo Osaka (J1)

Sagan Tosu knocked Cerezo out of Round 3 of the 96th Emperor's Cup.

Match No. 76: Júbilo Iwata (J1) [1 - 1] Shimizu S-Pulse (J1) [Shimizu win on PK.]

S-Pulse have won their one league match to date this season.

Match No. 77: Kashima Antlers (J1) [4 - 1] Yokohama F.Marinos (J1) (Sept 25)

Antlers knocked Marinos out of the semi-finals of the 96th Cup.

Match No. 78: Urawa Red Diamonds (J1) [0 - 2] Honda FC (JFL) (Sept 25)

[This is such an upset that a moment of awe is called for.]

Honda knocked the Red Diamonds (when they were called Mitsubishi Motors) out of the 71st Emperor's Cup but lost the final to another car company, Nissan.

Match No. 79: V-Varen Nagasaki (J2) [2 - 1] Vegalta Sendai (J1) [Upset!]

Vegalta went to the final last year.

Match No. 80: Ventforet Kofu (J2) [2 - 1] Hosei University

Hosei Daigaku made it to the final in 1929.

FC Primeiro in the Emperor's Cup:

77回    R1        FC Primeiro 0 - 1 Hannan University

78回    R1        FC Primeiro 1 - 0 Nihon University Yamagata Senior High School

            R2        Consadole Sapporo 1 - 0 FC Primeiro

80回    R1        FC Primeiro 1 - 6 Denso

81回    R1        FC Primeiro 0 - 4 Vegalta Sendai

85回    R2        FC Primeiro 1 - 4 Tsukuba University

86回    R1        FC Primeiro 0 - 1 Mitsubishi Motors Mizushima FC