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Analyze the historical accuracy (both at the time of conception and with our new-found knowledge, i.e. Marble thought to be white but now is known to be colorful). Additionally, point out the historical or mythological tales conveyed within the film. For example, Maximus being portray as a "general who became a slave who became a gladiator who defied an empire" is much like Spartacus in the Third Servile War in the first century B.C. He was a Thracian Auxiliary officer for the Romans who at one point apparently fell out from grace and was then enslaved to be trained as a gladiator in Capua. From there he led a group of other gladiators in rebellion which rocked the Roman world for a couple years. As for mythological tales, there could be a comparison the relationship and plot of Commodus and Maximus to Romulus and Remus's conflict and founding of Rome.

Are newer fans of anime missing out on old anime? I consider such anime as Cowboy Bebop, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Serial Experiments Lain, and even FLCL (although a little more modern but still under the radar from most newer fans) to be essential, classic anime viewing. Most anime fans today are into Attack on Titan, Madoka Magica, Kill la Kill, Angel Beats, etc. Do you feel that it's important that they watch some of the older anime series? I absolutely think so. A lot of those anime like those I mentioned tend to touch intellectually on a deeper level.

There used to be an almost unbridgeable gulf between critically-acclaimed roles in Oscar-worthy dramas and the roles in action movies. A new generation of stars, exemplified by Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac, and Michael Fassbender, is pursuing both Oscar-level performances and roles in genre films. Jennifer Lawrence won an Oscar for Silver Linings Playbook, but has also starred in X-Men and Hunger Games films. Michael Fassbender has played villains from Magneto to Macbeth, including a slave owner and a creepy android. Yet, beyond big-budget productions like Prometheus and X-Men movies, Fassbender has also starred in indie films like Frank. After critically-acclaimed roles in Inside Llewyn Davis and Ex Machina, Oscar Isaac has joined the cast of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and X-Men: Apocalypse. Why are some of the most talented actors now drawn to major franchise films in addition to more reputable projects?

A group of British librarians recently began legislative action against the U.K. government for its failure to protect public libraries from defunding. Argue why groups representing libraries, museums, and schools in the U.S. should do the same.

In Atonement, much attention is paid to items and their influence on the characters and world around them. This is portrayed through long, wide-angle camera shots that linger on objects such as Robbie's letter, the vase, Cecilia's star hairpin, etc. Address these items from a Marxist perspective, in particular, using the theory of the "commodity fetish". What does the film's focus on these items do for the plot development and narrative? Why is so much attention paid to them? My suggestion is that the items represent the culture of Britain pre and during World War II. As the film progresses, the items reflect the decay of wealth, power and culture in Britain.

Discuss the polyamorous marriage depicted between the two lead characters, Frank and Claire Underwood, in Netflix's House of Cards. Is the relationship depicted accurate or contrived? What does this depiction do for the characters on the show? How does the depiction of polyamory on television change society's perception of these relationships?

In light of the spectacular box office failure of "Jem and the Holograms," I think it's worth looking into what factors make a strong IP (Intellectual Property) and what factors make a weak one. I suggest using units of measurement including popularity (this can be measured through sales, views, audience engagement, etc.), critical reception, audience penetration (how widespread the IP was, can be determined by looking at the marketing campaign, for example), and nostalgic value (how relevant is the IP years after its air date?), as well as any other factors you come up with. Tie it all back to the failure of "Jem and the Holograms." We all know it was a weak IP that probably will never recover from that failure at the box office, but I want you to do a bit of research to find out why that is. You can also apply this research to other franchises if you like (for instance, talk about why an IP is strong), but the core of this paper is finding those units of measurements and defining them for subsequent researchers.

The words 'banned book' can tend to drive people away from good content. But there are many reasons why everyone should consider reading at least one book that has been challenged or banned. This article would explore the benefits of reading such books. What kinds of lessons do works such as "The Lorax" or "Go Ask Alice" have to teach us? Has some of the books on this list been falsely accused (for example the Oxford Dictionary)? In short, banned books still have a lot to offer us, and are vastly under-appreciated.

In the anime video distribution realm, there is one particular model that has either died out already or is on its last breath, and that is the market for direct-to-video for Japanese animation. If the term "OVA" doesn't ring a bell, or you never really knew what anime is categorized as an OVA, chances are you've seen those titles first hand at some point in your anime collecting hobby.

You can go to any local pawn shop, flea market, or mom and pop video store (if either exist for you in your area) and you can eight times out of ten pick up an anime off the counter that is considered a direct to video release in Japan before that title was licensed in the states… to be direct to video.

The 1980's had a landfill of OVA's that people mostly rented from their local video stores and took home their evening entertainment in the company of themselves or with a group of like minded anime fanatic individuals. All they had to do was press play and the creative force of an animation studios hard (or cheap) works will fill the eyes and ears of its audience for a mere hour worth of enjoyment (or pain depending). Now granted, in America, we have a direct to video market also, but it is no where close to the impact that it had in Japan during the 1980's, because an individual had the use of a VCR to watch their anime, and VCRs over the years became just as standard to households as a toaster and an oven in the kitchen, as well as a TV in the living room.

The term OVA means "Original Video Animation," and some will debate that it could be OAV for "Original Animation Video." Its the same kind of debate as when people talk about how to say caramel, or potato, or tomato, it all serves the same purpose in the end. The OVA titles were the first to be commercially available in the states through American anime publishers like AD Vision, AnimEigo, Streamline Pictures, US Renditions and Manga Entertainment to name a few. Before companies licensed from Japanese companies, tape trading happened in local comic, science fiction and early anime cons that people would find ways to fansub anime on VHS tapes through multiple generations of tape copying and trading, which most of those titles would be OVA's in some form or fashion.

Japanese video stores across the pacific were popping up left and right to meet both the demand of the tape rental business during those years. Sadly the market popped when the Japanese economy did, but there are enough OVA's out

In the Persona series by Atlus, we see the characters evolve through the story and normally attack difficult questions of life, existence, what is better for society, and how the individual grows. If one looks at the late game in Persona 4 we see that one has many options to choose from that can lead to the so called bad ending. We also see growth the of the characters and the theme that the bonds we make with people strengthen ourselves.

Analyze the development of certain characters throughout the series. For example, in the earliest seasons, Kenny is known for dying in most episodes. Later, his character is allowed to develop, since he doesn't die quite as frequently. Also, his identity as Mysterion and more active participation in recent episodes gives his character a bit more depth. Similarly, Wendy becomes more than just the girl Stan has a crush on and later dates. As the series progressed, she is portrayed as intelligent and thoughtful. Cartman can also be discussed, either as an example of a character whose characterization has changed (i.e. more outrageous) or as a character that remains more or less the same. Discuss the ramifications of such character development in relation to the show's themes and direction.

Every decade has a definitive sound when it comes to rock music. The 80s were the perfect time for leather-clad egomaniacs to express themselves through fast-paced rock and the occasional power ballad. The 90s belonged to brooding, flannel-wearing "dudes," expressing their angst through distorted guitar-driven lamentations. Even the 2000s had a special sound, even if it was commercial alt-rock. With so many of today's bands striving for a different sound, how will people look back ten years from now and describe rock music from 2010- present day?

The topic I would like to discuss focuses on side characters that could be used for a spin-off series and how it can be done. First off what is a spin-off series? A spin-off can be defined as: Something that is imitative or derivative of an earlier work, product, or establishment; especially: a television show starring a character popular in a secondary role of an earlier show.

In the West, there are plenty of series that get spin-off to try and continue squeezing out of the success of a popular series. In anime, there have been many successful spin-off series such as Scientific Railgun and Fate/kaleid, but also plenty that have not had as much success as their originals such as Rock Lee and His Ninja Pals or Soul Eater Not!

So what exactly are some qualities that make up a good protagonist? The first and most important piece is that they must be able to "Stand Alone" in their own series. How tied to the original protagonist of the series are they? Is it going to be in continuity to the original series?

So who is a character that can have a great spin-off series? An example of which being Klein from Sword Art Online. Personally I loved Klein from the moment I met him, but his character often became forgotten until seen once again. He had that kind of comedic but strong personality and had the potential to be more of a fan favorite but never really got the amount of time he deserved.

Klein is the first person Kirito, the protagonist of the series, is introduced to. In the first episode, an inexperienced Klein is taught by Kirito how to defeat monsters, with Klein thinking that a boar was actually a boss monster. Later on we see Klein actually leading his very own guild, Fuurinkazan (lit. "Wind, Woods, Fire and Mountain") and coming just as far as Kirito has without his wide range of experience and skill.

Instead of this being a lone wolf series, it will be one more about Klein's growth as a player and as a leader of Fuurinkazan and the brotherhood within his guild. It may deal with the death of some of his closest comrades, but the ability to continue on even after their deaths. The series can go more into detail and information about the world of Sword Art Online from the experience of a first-time player compared to Kirito as an experience beta-player.

The anime and manga series, Fullmetal Alchemist, shows heavy influence from a young German (Some would even say Nazi Germany). Nietzsche is said to have been Hitler's favorite philosopher; however, that is not the focus of this topic. The focus and reason for this topic is to discuss how alchemy, in the universe of Fullmetal Alchemist, makes people the Übermensch (translating in English to Overhuman or Superman). Nietzsche believed that the Übermensch would be the next part of evolution (if I remember correctly), so how does Fullmetal Alchemist handle these humans, that know alchemy, that are clearly more powerful than the average person. Colonel Roy Mustang, one of the series most powerful alchemist, can, with a snap of his fingers, destroy an entire town. Major Armstrong could be seen as an Arian ideal for the Übermensch. He is not only physically strong, but he represents perfection in form and art.

It's very hard to find a book about two men falling in love. Most of the time, if there are lesbians in TV or a movie, it is mostly to appeal the male audience. Females are used as sexual items. But, for the past few years, there have been breakthroughs. TV shows such as Faking It on MTV, or shows like Orange is the New Black really do show lesbian relationships and struggles. Are homosexual relationships finally becoming more common?

A timeline from the initial manga by ONE with sub par art to the anime adaptation that seems to be going well so far! Start with the original art and story by ONE that was the root of a series many are becoming fans of. Research into how ONE started releasing the manga (publisher, payment, etc.). Then explain how Murata Yuusuke came to be the artist for ONE's story and possibly his monetary compensation for the work. Finally, the animation quality for the anime is impressive, so focus on who the animators are (both company and individuals if possible) and what kind of budget they have. Are the animators compensated well for the beautiful work they are doing? Or are they putting in extra hours out of passion?

Anime vary wildly in length–some have hundreds of episodes (One Piece, Crayon Shin-Chan), whereas some only last 12 or 13 (Tokyo Ghoul, Angel Beats). Each ends of the spectrum have their own problems–watching a long-running shonen is a daunting task that's bound to be plagued with filler episodes and uninteresting arcs. Similarly, short shows might not have enough time to make a lasting impact. But is there a sweet spot in between? Is length irrelevant to the quality of a specific show? Is an anime more likely to be successful if it runs for a particular length?

Analyze the incongruity of releasing scary movies during happy holidays

In light of the release of Fallout 4 and the subsequent Game of the Year Award loss to The Witcher 3, message boards have exploded into wars over the quality of Bethesda's recent post-apocalyptic RPG. One of the largest and most frequent complaints for any Bethesda game is release content and stability – is a game devoid of the life that mods bring and running on a temperamental engine really worthy of the acclaim it receives?

This topic will cover the generally accepted writing formats for undergraduate/graduate level writing – MLA, APA and Chicago style specifically. Generally each are associated with a certain field of study and there is no generally accepted styles of writing. What are some of the benefits/drawbacks of each format of writing? Undergraduates normally only interact with one style (ex. I only use MLA but I know some liberal arts degrees require Chicago style proficiency). Explore the reasons certain styles are recommended when all of them have places in the same/similar fields. Also explore what, if any, is the most generally accepted writing style for graduate and undergraduate studies and how they are related.