News: Touken Ranbu, Shadow Paladin, Genesis Cards Shown in Weekly Broadcast, LINE Stamps for Cardfight!! Vanguard Manga

This morning's weekly broadcast commemorated the launch of Clan Booster 01: Academy of Divas last Friday with a special box opening guest starring Itou Ayasa, the voice behind Cardfight!! Vanguard G's idol character Yatomi Saya. For this box opening, Doctor O had Itou attack him with the units pulled out of their packs using a large paper fan emblazoned with the Harmony symbol, after which he would thank her for hitting him. (The gimmick itself was lifted from the most recent episode of Cardfight!! Vanguard G, turn 34 "The Mermaid Princess of Magallanica.") The box opening was followed by a look at Title Booster 01: Touken Ranbu -ONLINE-'s latest poster, and several cards from both Touken Ranbu -ONLINE- and G-BT04: Soul Strike Against the Supreme. The broadcast in its entirety can be viewed below, along with translations of the revealed cards.

In other news, manga author and franchise creator Itou Akira announced over Twitter shortly after the broadcast that the LINE messaging service has added stamps of his Cardfight!! Vanguard characters to their store, allowing users who purchase the stamps to send them as emoticons in their messages. The stamps are colorized versions of specific panels from the first three volumes of Itou's Cardfight!! Vanguard. Readers can purchase the stickers in LINE's in-app store for 50 coins (in-app currency) or $0.99. They can be found by searching for ヴァンガード. Itou, who is credited with the original concept of Cardfight!! Vanguard and began developing the manga in advance of the anime's 2011 debut, has over the past two years had his works published in English by Vertical Inc. The English-translated manga is almost caught up to its Japanese counterpart, with volume 6 having gone on sale last May. Volume 7 will launch on August 25th, and volume 8 on November 3rd. At the current pace, it may be possible for the tenth volume to have a simultaneous launch in both Japanese and English.

Today's broadcast unveiled Horikawa Kunihiro, a grade 1 from the Touken Ranbu clan with the new ability Shinken Hissatsu, "True Sword Special Technique." The Shinken Hissatsu ability can only be used while you have 3 or more damage. Doctor O compared the ability to a limit break in the broadcast, as it has a similar damage restriction, but unlike with limit break Hissatsu is a skill that can be used with rearguard units. Damage restrictions have been seen as redundant in the past, particularly when they require counterblast, as counterblast already restricts one's plays by requiring them to take damage to use skills. Horikawa's Hissatsu makes him a temporary 11000-power booster or attacker in exchange for one counterblast, providing a mid to late-game power option on par with Flail Seeker Isbuzzard.

Horikawa Kunihiro
Auto: Shinken Hissatsu: [Counterblast 1] When this unit is placed on a rearguard circle, you may pay the cost. If you do, soulcharge 1, during that turn, this unit gets Power +4000.

From G-BT04: Soul Strike Against the Supreme, Doctor O revealed Genesis and Shadow Paladin cards for each clan's Witch subclan, Cardamon and Adra. Cardamon is an updated version of Chamomile that is specific to the Witch deck, while Adra is a less restrictive print of Fiercebau that is specific to her subclan and its unique conditions.

White Rabbit Witch, Cardamon
Auto: [Counterblast 1] When this unit is placed into the drop zone from the soul, if you have a "Witch" vanguard, you may pay the cost. If you do, call this card to a rearguard circle, during that turn, this unit gets Power +2000

Secret Book Witch, Adra
Continuous (Rearguard circle): During your turn, if you have a "Witch" Vanguard, and your opponent has 2 or more grade 0 rearguards, this unit gets Power +2000 and "Auto (Rearguard circle): When this unit's attack hits a vanguard, countercharge 1 and soulcharge 1."


Itou Ayasa closed out the broadcast by asking viewers to say with them, "Stand up, myu Vanguard!" (Myu is the verbal tic used by Saya in the anime series.) Over twelve thousand viewers tuned into the broadcast, posting approximately eight thousand comments through NicoNico Douga's live commenting system.

Bushiroad's weekly information bulletins air every Tuesday evening at 8:50 PM Japanese Standard Time. They first began in late January to accommodate a new information distribution model for Cardfight!! Vanguard G, as the amount of card information covered in Monthly Bushiroad magazine decreased and was redirected to other routes of distribution. The previous week featured a fight between Harmony and Duo decks wielded by Doctor O and mascot character Vangarou-kun, while the week before contained the announcement of G-BT04: Soul Strike Against the Supreme.

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