News: Season 3 Details, Aichi to Attend High School

Japanese anime, manga and game news resource Otalab has recently published an article releasing new details surrounding the much-speculated upon third season of Cardfight!! Vanguard. The third season will be starting in January of 2013, and will, as previously promised, once more follow main character Sendou Aichi, this time as he enters into high school. This plotline appears to be based on recent chapters of the manga, in which Aichi transferred back into Miyaji academy for high school, joining Misaki and his sister Emi at the academy with Tatsunagi Kourin as his new classmate. Unlike in the anime, Miyaji was not stated to be an all-girls' school; whether Aichi will enroll in Miyaji or Hitsue High for the third season is unclear, as is whether or not Misaki will be cutting her hair as she did in the manga.

The third season has just recently been established as having Japanese rock band Psychic Lover perform its opening, making this the first opening sequence not performed by JAM Project. The January air date has confirmed the idea that the Circuit will end at under 65 episodes, unlike the first season. Currently about to air its 35th episode with only five air dates remaining and three more episodes currently announced, the Circuit is projected to end at ride 104, for 40 episodes in the season.

(via otalab, matibari)

Character: Christopher Lo

"Well, he does have a point."
"Run through the darkness, cutting down everything in your path! I ride School Hunter, Leo-pald!"

Christopher Lo/クリストファー・ロウ
Age: 12¹
Anime Biography: A university student and Vanguard prodigy, Chris is the captain of Team SIT Genius. As one of Singapore's up-and-coming star cardfighters, he represents a major obstacle against Q4 in the VF Circuit. Christopher majors in Cardfight studies, and skipped multiple grades to study at to the university level from a young age.

Along with Gillian and Charlene, he is currently one of the only characters of either season with a western name; as such, his name retains its western naming order even in the anime's original Japanese. In fan subtitles, his name has been mistranslated as "Chris Falo," ignoring how the name is written in Asia Circuit's credit sequences.

Spoiler warning: Asia Circuit details follow.
Chris first introduces himself to Q4 at the Singapore Institute of Technology, after a run-in with Katsuragi Kamui. Keeping his cool in spite of his teammates' brashness, Christopher later makes an appearance on TV as part of the favored team in MC Miya's breakdown for the Circuit winners.

During their initial match with Q4, Chris is paired up against his opposing team captain, Aichi. Their fight is interrupted abruptly by the appearance of Tatsunagi Takuto, who induces the two cardfighters into a vision of Cray. After briefly speaking with them, Takuto reinvigorates Aichi's PSY Qualia and endows Christopher with his own, leaving them to struggle with both their newfound powers and one another.
Spoilers end here.
 
Trivia: In the previews for ride 70, Chris' clothes are navy blue instead of green, and his expressions are drawn much more fiercely. By the time the actual episode aired, his design changed to that of a more calm and reserved boy.








Decks and Play Style
Chris plays with a Great Nature deck, powering up his units in the main phase before retiring them in the end phase. Of the four main Great Nature builds, Chris use Leo-Pald's, resurrecting his units with its limit break. By combining this with the Hammsuke series, Christopher adds to his hand while playing with a full field, giving him more room to guard and field additional units.

Rides 74-Current: The Nation of Zoo (24/50 cards)
Grade 0
x1 Flask Marmoset
x1 Ruler Chameleon CT
x2 Eraser Alpaca ST
x1 Dictionary Goat HT
x1 Triangle Cobra CT
Grade 1
x2 Monoculars Tiger
x1 Pencil Squire, Hamsuke
x2 Loop-the-Loop, Duckbill
x1 Cable Sheep
x2 Pencil Squire, Hammsuke
Grade 2
x2 Compass Lion
x3 Geograph Giant
x1 Binoculars Tiger
Grade 3
x2 Magnet Crocodile
x2 School Hunter, Leo-Pald

1. Cardfight!! Vanguard Asia Circuit Hen Ride 70. YouTube, 2012. Web. 3 June 2012.

Character: Fajr Ali

"Now, picture it! Me, famous and popular with girls all around the world!"

"Let me show you once more, the wild power of beasts. Here it comes! I ride the Guardian of Truth, Lox!"

Fajr Ali/ファジル・アリ
Age: 12¹
Anime Biography: Team SIT Genius' number 3, Fajr thinks little of other cardfighters, particularly those who he considers "too old" to become skilled. Having spent all his life in Singapore's merciless environment where ability is everything, Ali has zero patience for those who don't take Vanguard as seriously as he does. Despite his young age, Fajr is a womanizer with many female fans.

Note that while "Pajeel" has been used in both fan and official subtitles, and is the translation endorsed by Bushiroad through Crunchyroll, it appears to be a mistranslation of "Fajr". "Pajeel" is not itself a real name or word anywhere in the world, unlike the rest of the cast. Fajr's name is Arabic; Ali is his given name

Spoiler warning: Asia Circuit details follow.
Introduced with his teammates at the Singapore Institute of Technology, Fajr skipped many grades to join the university and participate in the Circuit. He taunts the other cardfighters openly, believing that those who study so late are doomed to failure when pitted against him. Later on Fajr appears in MC Miya's coverage of SIT Genius, as part of the favored team to win Singapore's VF Circuit.

In the Q4 vs SIT Genius round of Singapore's Circuit, Ali is paired up against Kamui, where he threatens to steal his opponent's goddess.
Spoilers end here.

Fan Culture: Fajr has developed some notoriety for apparently having a number of in-universe female fans far older than him, and for desiring their attention in turn.

Decks and Play Style
Ali uses a Locks-based Great Nature deck, evolving from one ride into the next while gaining back cards lost through skills. In this way he's able to retain a great deal of cards in hand while weighing heavily into his opponent's damage zone. Additionally, because each card in the Locks chain gains power from having its immediate predecessor in the soul, Fajr can demand a higher amount of cards out of his opponent's hand by forcing them to call more boosting units than usual, while minimizing the amount of cards he needs to guard with.

Rides 74-Current: Defender of the Constitution (22/50 cards)
Grade 0
x2 Schoolyard Prodigy, Lox (FVG)
x2 Ruler Chameleon CT
x1 Dictionary Goat HT
x3 Triangle Cobra CT
x1 Alarm Chicken ST
Grade 1
x3 Bringer of Knowledge, Lox
x2 Tank Mouse
x2 Monoculus Tiger
x2 Pencil Squire, Hammsuke
x2 Cable Sheep
Grade 2
x2 Compass Lion
x1 Binoculus Tiger
x2 Law Official, Lox
x1 Pencil Knight, Hammsuke
Grade 3
x2 Magnet Crocodile
x2 Guardian of Truth, Lox

Citations and External Links
1. Cardfight!! Vanguard Asia Circuit Hen Ride 70. YouTube, 2012. Web. 3 June 2012.