Podcasts about Fujimoto

Last time we spoke about General Zhukov's armor offensives at Nomohan. Following heavy Japanese losses in May and June, General Georgy Zhukov arrives in June, reorganizes the Soviet 1st Army Group, and bolsters it with tanks, artillery, and reinforcements. The July offensive sees General Komatsubara's forces cross the Halha River undetected, achieving initial surprise. However, General Yasuoka's tank assault falters due to muddy terrain, inadequate infantry support, and superior Soviet firepower, resulting in heavy losses. Japanese doctrine emphasizing spiritual superiority clashes with material realities, undermining morale as intelligence underestimates Soviet strength. Zhukov learns key lessons in armored warfare, adapting tactics despite high casualties. Reinforcements pour in via massive truck convoys. Japanese night attacks and artillery duels fail, exposing logistical weaknesses. Internal command tensions, including gekokujo defiance, hinder responses. By August, Stalin, buoyed by European diplomacy and Sorge's intel, greenlights a major offensive. Zhukov employs deception for surprise. Warnings of Soviet buildup are ignored, setting the stage for a climactic encirclement on August 20.   #191 Zhukov Steel Ring of Fire at Nomohan Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. On the night of August 19–20, under cover of darkness, the bulk of the Soviet 1st Army Group crossed the Halha River into the expanded Soviet enclave on the east bank. Two weeks of nightly Soviet sound effects had paid off: Japanese perimeter troops failed to distinguish the real deployment from the frequently heard simulations. Zhukov's order of battle was as follows: "Northern force, commanded by Colonel Alekseenko—6th Mongolian Cavalry Division, 601st Infantry Regiment (82nd Division), 7th Armored Brigade, 2 battalions of the 11th Tank Brigade, 82nd Artillery Regiment, and 87th Anti-tank Brigade. Central force, where Zhukov was located, commanded by his deputy, Colonel Petrov—36th Motorized Infantry Division, 82nd Infantry Division (less one regiment), 5th Infantry Machine Gun Brigade. Southern force, commanded by Colonel Potapov—8th Mongolian Cavalry Division, 57th Infantry Division, 8th Armored Brigade, 6th Tank Brigade, 11th Tank Brigade (less two battalions), 185th Artillery Regiment, 37th Anti-tank Brigade, one independent tank company. A mobile strategic reserve built around the 212th Airborne Regiment, the 9th Mechanized Brigade, and a battalion of the 6th Tank Brigade was held west of the Halha River." The Soviet offensive was supported by massed artillery, a hallmark of Zhukov's operations in the war against Germany. In addition to nearly 300 antitank and rapid-fire guns, Zhukov deployed over 200 field and heavy artillery pieces on both sides of the Halha. Specific artillery batteries were assigned to provide supporting fire for each attacking infantry and armored unit at the battalion level and higher. In the early hours of August 20, the sky began to lighten over the semiarid plain, with the false promise of a quiet Sunday morning. The air was clear as the sun warmed the ground that had been chilled overnight. General Komatsubara's troops were in no special state of readiness when the first wave of more than 200 Soviet bombers crossed the Halha River at 5:45 a.m. and began pounding their positions. When the bombers withdrew, a thunderous artillery barrage began, continuing for 2 hours and 45 minutes. That was precisely the time needed for the bombers to refuel, rearm, and return for a second run over the Japanese positions. Finally, all the Soviet artillery unleashed an intensive 15-minute barrage at the forwardmost Japanese positions. Komatsubara's men huddled in their trenches under the heaviest bombardment to which they or any other Japanese force had ever been subjected. The devastation, both physical and psychological, was tremendous, especially in the forward positions. The shock and vibration of incoming bombs and artillery rounds also caused their radiotelegraph keys to chatter so uncontrollably that frontline troops could not communicate with the rear, compounding their confusion and helplessness. At 9:00 a.m., Soviet armor and infantry began to move out along the line while their cover fire continued. A dense morning fog near the river helped conceal their approach, bringing them in some sectors to within small-arms range before they were sighted by the enemy. The surprise and disarray on the Japanese side was so complete, and their communications so badly disrupted, that Japanese artillery did not begin firing in support of their frontline troops until about 10:15 a.m. By then, many forward positions were overrun. Japanese resistance stiffened at many points by midday, and fierce combat raged along the front, roughly 40 miles long. In the day's fighting, Colonel M. I. Potapov's southern force achieved the most striking success. The 8th MPR Cavalry Division routed the Manchukuoan cavalry holding Komatsubara's southern flank, and Potapov's armor and mechanized infantry bent the entire southern segment of the Japanese front inward by about 8 miles in a northwesterly direction. Zhukov's central force advanced only 500–1,500 yards in the face of furious resistance, but the frontal assault engaged the center of the Japanese line so heavily that Komatsubara could not reinforce his flanks. Two MPR cavalry regiments and supporting armor and mechanized infantry from Colonel Ilya Alekseenko's northern force easily overran two Manchukuoan cavalry units guarding the northern flank of the Japanese line, about 2 miles north of the Fui Heights. But the heights themselves formed a natural strong point, and Alekseenko's advance was halted at what became the northern anchor of the Japanese line. As the first phase of the Soviet offensive gathered momentum, General Ogisu, the 6th Army's new commander, assessed the situation. Still unaware of Zhukov's strength, he reassured KwAHQ that "the enemy intends to envelop us from our flanks, but his offensive effectiveness is weak… Our positions in other areas are being strengthened. Set your mind at ease." This optimistic report contributed to Kwantung Army's delay in reinforcing the 23rd Division. Some at KwAHQ suspected this might be another limited Soviet push, like Aug 7–8, that would soon end. Others worried it was a diversion prior to a larger offensive and were concerned but not alarmed about Komatsubara's position. On Aug 21–22, Potapov's southern force pierced the Japanese main defense line at several points, breaking the southern sector into segments that the attackers sealed off, encircled, and ground down. Soviet armor, mechanized infantry, and artillery moved swiftly and with deadly efficiency. Survivors described how each pocket of resistance experienced its own hellish period. After the Japanese heavy weapons in a pocket were neutralized, Soviet artillery and tanks gradually tightened the ring, firing at point-blank range over open sights. Flame-throwing tanks incinerated hastily constructed fortifications and underground shelters. Infantry mopped up with grenades, small arms, and bayonets. By the end of Aug 23, Potapov had dismembered the entire Japanese defensive position south of the Holsten River. Only one significant pocket of resistance remained. Meanwhile, Potapov's 8th Armored Brigade looped behind the Japanese, reaching southeast of Nomonhan, some 11 miles east of the river junction, on the boundary claimed by the MPR, and took up a blocking position there athwart the most likely line of retreat for Japanese units south of the Holsten. In those two days, the Japanese center yielded only a few yards, while the northern flank anchored at Fui Heights held firm. Air combat raged over the battlefield. Soviet air units provided tactical support for their armor and infantry, while Kwantung Army's 2nd Air Group strove to thwart that effort and hit the Soviet ground forces. Before Nomonhan, the Japanese air force had not faced a modern opponent. Japanese fliers had roamed largely unchallenged in Manchuria and China from 1931 to 1939. At Nomonhan, the Soviets enjoyed an advantage of roughly 2:1 in aircraft and pilots. This placed an increasingly heavy burden on Japanese air squadrons, which had to fly incessantly, often against heavy odds. Fatigue took its toll and losses mounted. Soviet and Japanese accounts give wildly different tallies of air victories and losses, but an official Japanese assessment after the battle stated, "Nomonhan brought out the bitter truths of the phenomenal rate at which war potential is sapped in the face of superior opposition." As with tank combat, the Soviet air superiority was qualitative as well as quantitative. In June–early July, the Soviet I-16 fighters did not fare well against the Japanese Type 97 fighter. However, in the lull before the August offensive, the Soviets introduced an improved I-16 with armor-plated fuselage and windshield, making it virtually impervious to the Type 97's light 7.7-mm guns. The Japanese countered by arming some planes with heavier 12.7-mm guns, which were somewhat more effective against the new I-16s. But the Soviet pilots discovered that the Type-97's unprotected fuel tank was an easy mark, and Japanese planes began to burn with horrendous regularity. On Aug 23, as Ribbentrop arrived in Moscow to seal the pact that would doom Poland and unleash war in Europe, the situation at Nomonhan was deemed serious enough by Kwantung Army to transfer the 7th Division to Hailar for support. Tsuji volunteered to fly to Nomonhan for a firsthand assessment. This move came too late, as Aug 23–24 proved the crucial phase of the battle. On Tue night, Aug 22, at Japanese 6th Army HQ, General Ogisu ordered a counterattack to push back the Soviet forces enveloping and crushing the Japanese southern flank. Komatsubara planned the counterattack in minute detail and entrusted its execution to his 71st and 72nd Regiments, led by General Kobayashi Koichi, and the 26th and 28th Regiments of the 7th Division, commanded by General Morita Norimasa. On paper this force looked like two infantry brigades. Only the 28th Regiment, however, was near full strength, though its troops were tired after marching about 25 miles to the front the day before. This regiment's peerless commander was Colonel Morita Toru (unrelated to General Morita). The chief kendo fencing master of the Imperial Army, Morita claimed to be invulnerable to bullets. The other three regiments were seriously understrength, partly due to combat attrition and partly because several of their battalions were deployed elsewhere on the front. The forces Kobayashi and Morita commanded that day totaled less than one regiment each. It was not until the night of Aug 23 that deployment and attack orders filtered down to the Japanese regiment, battalion, and company commanders. Due to insufficient truck transport and the trackless terrain, units were delayed reaching their assigned positions in the early morning of Aug 24, and some did not arrive at all. Two battalions of the 71st Regiment did not reach Kobayashi in time; his attack force that morning consisted of two battalions of the 72nd Regiment. Colonel Sumi's depleted 26th Regiment did not arrive in time, and General Morita's assault force consisted of two battalions of the 28th Regiment and a battalion-equivalent independent garrison unit newly arrived at the front. Because of these delays, the Japanese could not reconnoiter enemy positions adequately before the attack. What had been planned as a dawn assault would begin between 9:30 and 10:00 a.m. in broad daylight. The light plane carrying Tsuji on the final leg of his flight from Hsinking-Hailar-Nomonhan was attacked by Soviet fighters and forced to land behind the 72nd Regiment's staging area. Tsuji managed to reach General Kobayashi's command post by truck and on foot, placing him closer to the fighting than he anticipated. Just before the counterattack began, a dense fog drifted across part of the battlefield, obscuring visibility and limiting artillery effectiveness. Using the fog to mask their movement, lead elements of the 72nd Regiment moved toward a distant stand of scrub pines. As they approached, the trees began to move away—the stand was a well-camouflaged Soviet tank force. The tanks then maneuvered to the south, jeopardizing further Japanese advance. As the fog cleared, the Japanese found themselves facing a much larger enemy force. A vastly heavier Soviet barrage answered their renewed artillery fire. Kobayashi and Morita discovered too late that their counterattack had walked into the teeth of far stronger Soviet forces. One account calls it "The Charge of Two Light Brigades."   Kobayashi's 72nd Regiment encountered the Soviet T-34, with its thick sloped armor and 76-mm gun—the most powerful tank in 1939. In addition, the improved Soviet BT-5/7 tanks, powered by diesel, were less prone to ignition. On gasoline-powered vehicles, the Soviets added wire netting over the ventilation grill and exhaust manifold, reducing the effectiveness of hand-thrown gasoline bombs. Japanese infantry regiments suffered near 50% casualties that day. Nearly every battalion and company commander was lost. Kobayashi was gravely wounded by a tank shell fragment and nearly trampled by fleeing troops. He survived the battle and the Pacific War but died in a Soviet POW camp in 1950. Morita's 28th Regiment fared little better. It was pinned down about 500 yards from the Soviet front lines by intense artillery. Unable to advance and not permitted to retreat, Morita's men dug into the loose sand and withstood the bombardment, but were cut to pieces. Shortly after sunset, the remnants were ordered to withdraw, but both regiments were shattered. Tsuji, a survivor, rejoined Komatsubara at his command post. Upon receiving combat reports from the 72nd and 28th Regiments, General Komatsubara "evinced deep anxiety." 6th Army chief of staff Major General Fujimoto Tetsukuma, at Komatsubara's command post, "appeared bewildered," and announced he was returning to headquarters, asking if Tsuji would accompany him. The major declined and later recalled that he and Komatsubara could barely conceal their astonishment at Fujimoto's abrupt departure at such a time. Meanwhile, at the northern end of the line, Colonel Alekseenko's force had been hammering at Fui Heights for 3 days without success. The position was held by about 800 defenders under Lieutenant Colonel Ioki Eiichiro, consisting of two infantry companies; one company each of cavalry, armored reconnaissance, and combat engineers; and three artillery batteries (37-mm and 75-mm guns). The defenders clung tenaciously to the strongpoint created by the heights and their bunkers, inflicting heavy losses on Alekseenko's force. The unexpectedly strong defense disrupted the timing of the entire Soviet offensive. By Aug 23, Zhukov was exasperated and losing patience with the pace in the north. Some of Zhukov's comrades recall a personable chief who played the accordion and urged singing during happier times. Under stress, his harshness and temper surfaced. Zhukov summoned Alekseenko to the telephone. When the northern commander expressed doubt about storming the heights immediately, Zhukov berated him, relieved him on the spot, and entrusted the attack to Alekseenko's chief of staff. After a few hours, Zhukov called again and, finding that the new commander was slow, fired him as well and sent a staff member to take charge. Accounts record that his tirades sometimes included the phrase "useless bag of shit," though others note harsher language was used toward generals who did not meet expectations. That night, reinforced by the 212th Airborne Regiment, heavier artillery, and a detachment of flame-throwing tanks, the northern force renewed its assault on Fui Heights. The battered Japanese defenders were thoroughly overmatched. Soviet artillery fired at two rounds per second. When the last Japanese artillery was knocked out, they no longer could defend against flame-throwing tanks. From several miles away, Colonel Sumi could see the heights shrouded in black smoke and red flames "spitting like the tongues of snakes."  After Aug 22, supply trucks could no longer reach Fui Heights. The next afternoon, Colonel Ioki's radio—the last link to the 23rd Division—was destroyed. His surviving men fought on with small arms and grenades, repelling Soviet infantry with bayonet charges that night. By the morning of Aug 24, Ioki had about 200 able-bodied men left of his original 800. Soviet tanks and infantry had penetrated defenses at several points, forcing him to constrict his perimeter. Red flags flew on the eastern edge of the heights. Ioki gathered his remaining officers to discuss last measures. With little ammunition and almost no food or water, their situation seemed hopeless. But Ioki insisted on holding Fui Heights to the last man, arguing that the defense should not be abandoned and that orders to break out should come only with reinforcements and supplies. Some subordinates urged retreat. Faced with two dire options, Ioki drew his pistol and attempted suicide, but a fellow officer restrained him. Rather than see his men blown to bits, Ioki decided to abandon Fui Heights and retreat east. Those unable to walk received hand grenades with the injunction to blow themselves up rather than be captured. On the night of Aug 24–25, after moonrise, the remaining resistance at the heights was quelled, and Soviet attention shifted south. Ioki's battered remnant slipped out and, the next morning, encountered a Manchukuoan cavalry patrol that summoned trucks to take them to Chaingchunmiao, forty miles away. Russians occupying Fui Heights on Aug 25 counted the corpses of over 600 Japanese officers and men. After securing Fui Heights, the Soviet northern force began to roll up the Japanese northern flank in a wide arc toward Nomonhan. A day after the fall of Fui Heights, elements of the northern force's 11th Tank Brigade linked up with the southern force's 8th Armored Brigade near Nomonhan. A steel ring had been forged around the Japanese 6th Army. As the Japanese northern and southern flanks dissolved under Zhukov's relentless assaults, Komatsubara's command ceased to exist as an integrated force. By Aug 25 the Japanese lines were completely cut, with resistance remaining only in three encircled pockets. The remnants of two battalions of General Morita's "brigade" attempted a renewed offensive on Aug 25, advancing about 150 yards before being hammered by Soviet artillery and tanks, suffering heavier casualties than the day before. The only hope for the surrounded Japanese troops lay in a relief force breaking through the Soviet encirclement from the outside. However, Kwantung Army was spread thin in Manchuria and, due to a truck shortage, could not transport the 7th Division from Hailar to the combat zone in time. By Aug 26 the encirclement had thickened, with three main pockets tightly invested, making a large-scale breakout nearly impossible. Potapov unleashed a two-pronged assault with his 6th Tank Brigade and 80th Infantry Regiment. Japanese artillery from the 28th Regiment temporarily checked the left wing of the armored attack, but the Soviet right wing overran elements of Sumi's 26th Regiment, forcing the Japanese to retreat into a tighter enclave. Morita, the fencing-master commander who claimed to be immune to bullets, was killed by machine-gun fire while standing atop a trench encouraging his men. The Japanese 120-mm howitzers overheated under the August sun; their breech mechanisms swelled and refused to eject spent casings. Gunners had to leap from behind shelter to ram wooden rods down the barrels, drastically reducing rate of fire and life expectancy. Komatsubara's artillery units suffered a bitter fate. Most were deployed well behind the front lines with their guns facing west toward the Halha. As the offensive developed, attackers often struck the batteries from the east, behind them. Even when crews could turn some guns to face east, they had not preregistered fields of fire there and were not very effective. Supporting infantry had already been drawn off for counterattacks and perimeter defense. One by one, Japanese batteries were smashed by Soviet artillery and tanks. Crews were expected to defend their guns to the last man; the guns themselves were treated as the unit's soul, to be destroyed if captured. In extremis, crews were to destroy sensitive parts like optics. Few survived. Among those who did was a PFC from an annihilated howitzer unit, ordered to drive one of the few surviving vehicles, a Dodge sedan loaded with seriously wounded men, eastward to safety during the night. Near a Holsten River bridge he encountered Soviet sentries. The driver hesitated, then honked his horn, and the guards saluted as the sedan sped past. With water supplies exhausted and unable to reach the Halha or Holsten Rivers, the commander of the easternmost enclave ordered his men to drain radiator water from their vehicles. Drinking the foul liquid, at the cost of immobilizing their remaining transport, signaled that the defenders believed their situation was hopeless. On Aug 27 the rest of the Japanese 7th Division, two fresh infantry regiments, an artillery regiment, and support units totaling barely 5,000 men—reached the northeastern segment of the ring around Komatsubara. One day of hard fighting revealed they lacked the strength to break the encirclement. General Ogisu ordered the 7th Division to pull back and redeploy near his own 6th Army headquarters, about 4 miles east of Nomonhan and the border claimed by the enemy. There would be no outside relief for Komatsubara's forces. Throughout Aug 27–28, Soviet aircraft, artillery, armor, and infantry pounded the three Japanese pockets, compressing them into ever-smaller pockets and grinding them down. The surrounded Japanese fought fiercely and inflicted heavy casualties, but the outcome was inevitable. After the remaining Japanese artillery batteries were silenced, Soviet tanks ruled the battlefield. One by one, major pockets were overrun. Some smaller groups managed to slip through Soviet lines and reach safety east of the border claimed by the MPR, where they were left unmolested by the Red Army. Elements of Potapov's 57th and 82nd Divisions eliminated the last remnants of resistance south of the Holsten by the evening of Aug 27. North of the Holsten, during the night of Aug 28–29, a group of about 400 Japanese tried to slip east through the Soviet lines along the riverbank. They were spotted by the 293rd Regiment (57th Division), which struck them. The fleeing Japanese refused to surrender and were wiped out attempting to recross the Holsten.   Japanese soldiers' refusal to surrender is well documented. Surrender was considered dishonorable; the Army Field Manual was silent on surrender. For officers, death was not merely preferable to surrender; it was expected, and in some cases required. The penal code (1908, not revised until 1942) stated that surrender was dereliction of duty; if a commander did his best to resist, imprisonment could follow; if not, death. Stemming from Bushido, regimental colors were treated as sacred. On the afternoon of Aug 28, with much of his 64th Regiment destroyed, Colonel Yamagata saw no alternative but to burn the regimental colors and then commit suicide. Part of the flagpole had been shattered; the chrysanthemum crest damaged. Yamagata, Colonel Ise (artillery regimental commander), an infantry captain, a medical lieutenant, and a foot soldier—the last survivors of the headquarters unit—faced east, shouted "banzai" for the emperor, drenched the pennant in gasoline, and lit it. Yamagata, Ise, and the captain then shot themselves. The flag and crest were not entirely consumed, and the unburned remnants were buried beneath Yamagata's unmarked body. The medical officer and the soldier escaped and reported these rites to 6th Army HQ, where the deaths of the two colonels were mourned, but there was concern over whether the regimental colors had been entirely destroyed. On Aug 29, Lieutenant Colonel Higashi Muneharu, who had taken command of the 71st Regiment, faced the same dilemma. The regimental standard was broken into four pieces and, with the flag and chrysanthemum crest, drenched with fuel and set on fire. The fire kept going out, and the tassels were especially hard to burn. It took 45 minutes to finish the job, all under enemy fire. Afterward, Higashi urged all able to join him in a suicide charge, and the severely wounded to "kill themselves bravely when the enemy approached." Soviet machine-gun fire and grenades felled Higashi and his followers within moments. When it became clear on Aug 29 that all hope was lost, Komatsubara resolved to share the fate of his 23rd Division. He prepared to commit suicide, entrusted his will to his aide, removed his epaulets, and burned his code books. General Ogisu ordered Komatsubara to save himself and lead as many of his men as possible out of the encirclement. Shortly before midnight on Aug 30, the bulk of the Soviet armor briefly pulled back to refuel and resupply. Some of the Soviet infantry also pulled back. Komatsubara and about 400 survivors of his command used the opportunity to slip through the Soviet lines, guiding wounded by starlight to safety at Chiangchunmiao on the morning of Aug 31. Tsuji was among the survivors. In transit, Komatsubara was so distraught he needed to be restrained from taking his own life. A fellow officer took his pistol, and two sturdy corporals helped to support him, preventing him from drawing his sword. On August 31, Zhukov declared the disputed territory between the Halha River and the boundary line through Nomonhan cleared of enemy troops. The Sixth Army had been annihilated, with between 18,000 and 23,000 men killed or wounded from May to September (not counting Manchukuoan losses). The casualty rate in Komatsubara's 23rd Division reached 76%, and Sumi's 26th Regiment (7th Division) suffered 91% casualties. Kwantung Army lost many of its tanks and heavy guns and nearly 150 aircraft. It was the worst military defeat in modern Japanese history up to that time. Soviet claims later put total Japanese casualties at over 50,000, though this figure is widely regarded as inflated. For years, Soviet-MPR authorities claimed 9,284 casualties, surely an underestimate. A detailed unit-by-unit accounting published in Moscow in 2002 put Soviet losses at 25,655 (9,703 killed, 15,952 wounded), plus 556 MPR casualties. While Soviet casualties may have exceeded Japanese losses, this reflects the fierceness of Japanese defense and questions Zhukov's expenditutre of blood. There was no denying, however, that the Red Army demonstrated substantial strength and that Kwantung Army suffered a serious defeat. Knowledgeable Japanese and Soviet sources agree that given the annihilation of Komatsubara's forces and the dominance of Soviet air power, if Zhukov had pressed beyond Nomonhan toward Hailar, local Japanese forces would have fallen into chaos, Hailar would have fallen, and western Manchuria would have been gravely threatened. But while that might have been militarily possible, Moscow did not intend it. Zhukov's First Army Group halted at the boundary line claimed by the MPR. A Japanese military historian notes that "Kwantung Army completely lost its head." KwAHQ was enraged by the battlefield developments. Beyond the mauling of the Sixth Army at Nomonhan, there was anxiety over regimental colors. It was feared that Colonel Yamagata might not have had time to destroy the imperial crest of the 64th Regiment's colors, which could have fallen into Soviet hands. Thousands of dead and wounded littered the field. To preserve "face" and regain leverage, a swift, decisive counterstroke was deemed necessary. At Hsinking, they decided on an all-out war against the USSR. They planned to throw the 7th, 2nd, 4th, and 8th Divisions into the Sixth Army, along with all heavy artillery in Manchukuo, to crush the enemy. Acknowledging shortages in armor, artillery, and air power, they drafted a plan for a series of successive night offenses beginning on September 10. This was viewed as ill-advised for several reasons: September 10 was an unrealistic target given Kwantung Army's limited logistical capacity; it was unclear what the Red Army would be doing by day, given its superiority in tanks, artillery, and air power; autumn would bring extreme cold that could immobilize forces; and Germany's alliance with the Soviet Union isolated Japan diplomatically. These factors were known at KwAHQ, yet the plan proceeded. Kwantung Army notified AGS to "utilize the winter months well," aiming to mobilize the entire Japanese Army for a decisive spring confrontation. However, the Nomonhan defeat coincided with the Hitler-Stalin pact's diplomatic fallout. The push for close military cooperation with Germany against the Soviet Union was discredited in a single week. Defeated and abandoned by Hitler, pro-German, anti-Soviet policy advocates in Tokyo were furious. Premier Hiranuma Kiichiro's government resigned on August 28. In response, more cautious voices in Tokyo asserted control. General Nakajima, deputy chief of AGS, went to Hsinking with Imperial Order 343, directing Kwantung Army to hold near the disputed frontier with "minimal strength" to enable a quick end to hostilities and a diplomatic settlement. But at KwAHQ, the staff pressed their case, and Nakajima eventually approved a general offensive to begin on September 10. The mood at KwAHQ was ebullient. Upon returning to Tokyo, Nakajima was sternly rebuked and ordered to stand down. General Ueda appealed to higher authority, requesting permission to clear the battlefield and recover the bodies of fallen soldiers. He was denied and later relieved of command on September 6. A reshuffle followed at KwAHQ, with several senior officers reassigned. The Japanese Foreign Ministry directed Ambassador Togo Shigenori to negotiate a settlement in Moscow. The Molotov-Togo agreement was reached on September 15–16, establishing a temporary frontier and a commission to redemarcate the boundary. The local cease-fire arrangements were formalized on September 18–19, and both sides agreed to exchange prisoners and corpses. In the aftermath, Kwantung Army leadership and the Red Army leadership maintained tight control over communications about the conflict. News of the defeat spread through Manchuria and Japan, but the scale of the battle was not fully suppressed. The Kwantung Army's reputation suffered further from subsequent punishments of officers deemed to have mishandled the Nomonhan engagement. Several officers were compelled to retire or commit suicide under pressure, and Ioki's fate became a particular symbol of the army's dishonor and the heavy costs of the campaign. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In August 1939, Soviet General Georgy Zhukov launched a decisive offensive against Japanese forces at Nomonhan. Under cover of darkness, Soviet troops crossed the Halha River, unleashing massive air and artillery barrages on August 20. Fierce fighting ensued, with failed Japanese counterattacks, the fall of Fui Heights, and annihilation of encircled pockets by Soviet tanks and infantry. 

The Anime Addicts execute a segment called "Watch this, Not That". A segment where you take a popular anime that you think is overrated and suggest a less popular but similar show that you think is better. Suggested by Mochi_Mochi from the Discord The crew also does a review of the series Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26! You can support the podcast in the following ways: Patreon: www.patreon.com/AAAPodcast Discord: www.AAADiscord.com Subscribe: www.aaapodcast.com/join Donations: www.aaapodcast.com/donate Thank you for your generosity and kindness

Ponyo - Ep 384: Our long form series continues as your hosts have something "fishy" going on as we try and “sea” if it is possible for a little fish to transform into a little girl. We find out if Ponyo and Sosuke's dreams manage to stay afloat and whether or not their friendship will sink or swim on this nautical episode of Normies Like Us! WE LOVE HAM! @Normies_Like_Us https://www.instagram.com/normies_like_us/ @jacob https://www.instagram.com/_j__a___c___o__b_/ @Mike_Has_Insta https://www.instagram.com/mike_has_insta/ https://letterboxd.com/BabblingBrooksy/ https://letterboxd.com/hobbes72/ https://letterboxd.com/mikejromans/

Being firmly children of the '90s, all three hosts of Indieventure are at least passingly familiar with Blind Date, the British dating game show that ran from 1985 to 2003 which was iconically hosted by Cilla Black and Paul O'Grady. Look, I promise this is relevant. When we realised we couldn't do our originally planned topic for this episode and needed to come up with something else at short-notice, and also that the release date fell right around Valentine's Day, we threw around some ideas and eventually realised we'd just re-invented Blind Date with extra steps. Such is the millennial curse, I suppose (one of many). So yes, this is one for the bit-o'-bullshit fans, as we trot out indie gaming's most eligible batches (I'm told that this is the gender-neutral term for bachelors and bachelorettes – I'm personally a proponent of bachelandorette but fine, it's fine) for a dating game panel show type arrangement. We each attempt to embody our chosen singletons (and a few that we thought just ought to dump their canonical partners); ask some off-the-wall questions of one another; get briefly weirded out because as long-time friends playing a dating game together is a surprisingly odd experience; and generally attempt to do improv despite none of us being trained in the art. It goes surprisingly well! We had a lot of fun, hopefully you will too. I won't spoil the surprise by revealing the dates right here, but suffice to say if you've ever wondered which character from another game should be the next addition to Melinoë's polycule, or whether Chef Fujimoto from Octodad has healed enough to move on with his life and find love… well, the answers are all in this episode. Allegedly. I cannot stress enough that none of this is canon, and for legal reasons we don't claim that it is. We finish, as ever, on our hyperfixations, and it says a lot about the vibes of this episode that they're comparatively quite hinged this week. In preparation for the imminent release of Resi 9, Liam has been addressing the sole gap in his Resident Evil franchise knowledge by finally playing RE6 to see if it's as bad as he remembers from when he played half an hour at launch and then dropped off it. Rachel continues her commitment to playing fewer games slower with shout-outs to upcoming Paranormasight sequel The Mermaid's Curse, Cairn, and hidden gem of the farming/social sim genre Before The Green Moon. Rebecca, meanwhile, has been tempted back into the MCU by the word-of-mouth reputation of Wonder Man – an honestly brilliant buddy dramedy about the vicious world of Hollywood that just happens to feature some superheroes occasionally – and can't believe that Disney isn't doing more to promote their best Marvel offering in years that just happens to feature two men of colour as the leads, hmmm how strange, GO WATCH WONDER MAN while you ponder that one everybody. Our music was written and performed by Ollie Newbury! Find him on Instagram at @newbsmusic. Meanwhile, you can find us at indieventurepodcast.co.uk or wherever you listen to podcasts. Don't forget that you can now join our dedicated Discord too, and be sure to check out our new Steam Curator page if you simply still can't get enough of us!

¡Nakamas! Estamos de regreso.

A young Fujino publishes a weekly comic strip in her school paper to the fanfare of all her classmates, dreaming to become a Mangaka when she grows up... However, after another student named Kyomoto is published in the same paper, the way Fujino and her classmates see her work changes forever. It's the start of an unlikely friendship and a tragic story: one that echoes it's creator's feelings and real life incidents. But is it worth reading?This week, Mat is once again joined by writer and illustrator, A.C. MacDonald, to discuss Look Back by Tatsuki Fujimoto. In this spoiler filled episode, we look at Look Back in relation to Fujimoto's other works, discuss how the creator reflects his own thoughts and feelings through the story, as well as asking each other questions on the nature of art and why we both feel the need to create things!Join us for perhaps one of the most introspective episodes of the podcast ever, but we hope you'll agree: it's likely the kind of conversation someone like Fujimoto would want us to have about this book!---Show Notes---Twistwood Tales by A.C. MacDonald---Other Works of Fujimoto:Fire PunchChainsaw ManGoodbye, EriBefore Chainsaw ManLook Back (the anime)---MangaBlame! by Tsutomo NiheiTower Dungeon by Tsutomu NiheiThanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!Find us on:X: Manga Tak PodBluesky: Manga Tak PodInstagram: Manga Tak Pod

The boys tackle the early works of Tatsuki Fujimoto's works that have been adapted to anime. Anilist: https://anilist.co/anime/198188/Tatsuki-Fujimoto-1726/ Support us on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/jordosbizarrepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/ZmdDRVsHXjfollow The boys on Blusky: https://bsky.app/profile/jordosba.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/seamonkies199.bsky.sociaMusic: Sashimi - Junior State

Looks can be deceiving. Kaoru Suzuki is a towering boy who strikes fear into the hearts of his classmates with his intimidating looks... If they just got to know him, they're realise he's a kind, gentle boy but unfortunately nobody takes the time! That is until one day on the train to his new high school, he's saved by a delicate but tough boy called Arata Haruna. The two boys hit it off immediately and slowly Suzuki begins to come out his shell to his new classmates, by revealing his unexpected passions for baking and gardening!This week, I'm joined by once again by Marg (aka MargReadsManga) to discuss Suzuki-Kun's Mindfull Life by Yuhki Fujimoto. Can this Shojo slice of life win us over? What does this book about challenging gender rolls have to say? And more importantly, how do we feel about the prospect of an age gap romance...---Show Notes---Manga---The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity by Saka MikamiWash It All Away by Mitsuru HattoriAfter The Rain by Jun MayuzukiBunny Drop by Yum UnitaMy Love Story!! by Kazune Kawahara & ArukoHoney So Sweet by Amu Meguro---TV Shows (and Podcasts)---Pluribus (and the podcast!)---Yuhki Fujimoto Interview (Japanese)Thanks to Juliano Zucareli for our theme music!Find us on:X: Manga Tak PodBluesky: Manga Tak PodInstagram: Manga Tak Pod

Quem era Tatsuki Fujimoto antes do sucesso de Chainsaw Man?No episódio #317 do Animes Overdrive, ⁠⁠Pedro Lobato⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Luis Hunzecher⁠⁠ e Ped conversam sobre Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26. Neste episódio, vamos fazer nosso primeiro bate papo de um anime da temporada de outono de 2025 para encerrar o ano com chave de ouro e nada melhor do que conversar sobre a série de curtas metragem baseados nas one shots de Tatsuki Fujimoto antes do seu sucesso.

[Skip to 32:27 for actual TF 17-26 talk]Time to finish an actual show for once! We wrap up our coverage of Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 with episodes 7 and 8 this week. What were our favorite episodes? Is the show good "overall"? Myles is in-person for this recording, if you think that's special. We also talk about charcuterie, rare Christmas songs, magician boxes, art class, and political uprisings. | Follow us on Apple Podcasts | Support us on Patreon | Follow us on BlueSky | We're on Threads/Instagram | Subscribe to us on YouTube | Join the fan Discord

Bienvenue pour ce treizième et dernier numéro de l'année 2025. Comme toujours en compagnie de Dim, on se retrouve, pour papoter de nos otakeries. Au programme : des news, le gros focus sur la sortie inédite en salle chez nous de L'Œuf de l'ange, des recos, des avis, du small talk et puis voilà, voilà… On se dit à 2026 pour d'autres aventures. AU PROGRAMME • [00:00] Small talk • [03:18] générique + sommaire NEWS • [06:25] Kore-Eda adapte du Fujimoto • [10:45] Adieu Gainax, snif… • [17:15] Vibe 80/90's en JV • [21:14] Street Fighter the movie • [28:43] FOCUS SUR LA SORTIE INÉDITE DE L'ŒUF DE L'ANGE RECOS/AVIS • [50:05] Little Nemo • [56:14] Scarlet • [01:01:50] Solo Leveling S2 • [01:02:35] Rise of the North Star • [1:11:46] Yoroï, un an dans l'armure • [1:15:25] DanDaDan Saison 2 • [1:19:05] Exposition Takahata + Zootopie2 CLAP DE FIN • [1:24:17] On dit au revoir à 2025 ??? • [1:27:41] Comme d'habitude, n'hésitez pas à donner vos avis, toute critique est bonne à prendre, mais surtout dans le respect. Bonne écoute.
 Passez de bonnes fêtes et on se dit au prochain numéro en 2026. Aaaah et comme je le disais, on lance une FAQ, donc si jamais vous avez des questions, n'hésitez pas à les balancer soit via BlueSky/Notre Discord/Instagram ou par mail : oyatacast@gmail.com. Pour nous suivre sur les RS : Le Discord Upcast.fr (n'hésitez pas à nous demander une invitation) Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/oyatacast BlueSky : @upcast.bsky.social Extrait des morceaux : • Look Back - Trailer • Orbitals - Trailer • Street Fighter Movie - Teaser • Tenshi no Tamago - Trailer • Different God (Tenshi no Tamago ost) • Little Nemo - Trailer • Scarlet - Trailer • Pledge (Taisei Iwasaki - Scarlet ost) • Falcon (Rise of the Northstar - Red Falcon Super Battle! Neo Paris War!!) • Yoroi, un an dans l'armure - Trailer • Extrait E12 S2 - DanDaDan • Stand By Me (Ben E. King) Crédit générique : Titre : Sakuya2 Auteur: Peritune Source: https://soundcloud.com/sei_peridot Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.fr Téléchargement: https://www.auboutdufil.com Et aussi avec l'autorisation de mon plus grand pour la voix. ^^ Crédit de fin : Kaos Syoten · Osamu Totsuka Yoroiden Samurai Troopers "Sei Ran Hen" ℗ 1993 SUNRISE MUSIC INC. Released on: 1993-02-05 Music Publisher: SUNRISE Music INC.

[Go to 29:10 for actual anime talk]We look at the episodes we missed from Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 this week - episodes 2, 3, and 5. We also talk about the members of Wu-Tang, disaster stories for kids, and Sisqo.| Follow us on Apple Podcasts | Support us on Patreon | Follow us on BlueSky | We're on Threads/Instagram | Subscribe to us on YouTube | Join the fan Discord

Puntata a cura di Untimoteo.Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 è una serie animata in otto episodi presente su Amazon Prime il cui titolo deriva dal periodo cruciale in cui sono stati concepiti i manga brevi: gli anni formativi di Fujimoto, tra i 17 e i 26 anni. È il periodo che lo ha visto passare dall'anonimato all'esordio con Fire Punch e, di lì a poco, al successo globale di Chainsaw Man.Questi primi manga, scritti e disegnati in gioventù, sono stati adattati da sette registi e sei studi di animazione differenti, e rappresentano la chiave perfetta per lo spettatore per inquadrarlo come cantore dei disagi dei tempi moderni. Fujimoto è un creatore di situazioni estreme e di personaggi perturbanti, spesso pescati direttamente dal subconscio collettivo. La sua opera riflette perfettamente le inquietudini e le contraddizioni dei giovani di oggi. L'antologia 17-26 è una capsula temporale delle ansie generazionali tradotte in manga.“Animazione” è il format del podcast di Mondoserie dedicato alle diverse scuole ed espressioni del genere, dall'Oriente alla scena europea e americana.Parte del progetto: https://www.mondoserie.it/  Iscriviti al podcast sulla tua piattaforma preferita o su: https://www.spreaker.com/show/mondoserie-podcast  Collegati a MONDOSERIE sui social:https://www.facebook.com/mondoserie https://www.instagram.com/mondoserie.it/   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwXpMjWOcPbFwdit0QJNnXQ  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mondoserie/ 

Aina Fujimoto Wins 2025 Women's Golf Rookie Championship in Japan

Join Rakush and Matt as they hang out in the clubhouse. Listen in on their talks about RAM, Steam, Fighting, and Fujimoto on this weeks episode of The Mistake Zone. (0:00) - Talking in Real life (4:38) - Random Access Memory (17:20) - Steam Machine (21:49) - Steam Controller 2 (25:02) - Steam Frame (36:50) - Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls (1:05:19) - Fujimoto 17-26 (1:23:12) - Don't Match Me: Clubhouse Edition

Talk about production value! If there were ever an argument for Jackie and Marc to catch up on Chainsaw Man, today's show is certainly it. We talk about three episodes of Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 (Eps 1, 4, and 6) on the podcast today. We also talk about shirts we can't wear anymore, carnivorism, couples' contracts, and Drew Carey's Phish tweets. | Follow us on Apple Podcasts | Support us on Patreon | Follow us on BlueSky | We're on Threads/Instagram | Subscribe to us on YouTube | Join the fan Discord

In this episode, I sit down with Kayla Fujimoto Epperson to talk about her journey and lessons learned working in pro tennis as a physical therapist.  I am personally inspired by Kayla and her mindset towards her career.  She's a "I will figure it out" kind of person.  She shares how her mind has changed on the utilization of breathwork.  We also get into the existential questions that come with working with elite athletes surrounding what to actually intervene on.  Definitely connect with Kayla if you're interested in getting into tennis world!    Clinical Athlete FB Community: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1AtraArCF2/

If you weren't paying close attention, you might have completely missed the new adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto's 17–21 / 22–26, recently published by VIZ. In this episode, we dive into Fujimoto's early, chaotic, and wildly imaginative storytelling—the raw creative groundwork laid long before Chainsaw Man made him a global sensation. Join us as we explore the adolescent mind of a creator on the cusp of redefining modern manga.

Every week it gets harder to choose which Oguri Cap face to use as the podcast header image.

¿Aman las antologías? Pues en este episodio nos clavamos en cómo estas son la forma perfecta para conocer nuevos autores y eso es exactamente lo que pasa con Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26. Al ser un compilado de historias cortas que el autor de Chainsaw Man escribió entre sus 17 y 26 años, podemos ver más sobre la mente del autor y nos clavamos en cómo especialmente estos 8 cortos tienen como tema relacionado la empatía. Nos clavamos igual en la narrativa, personajes, animación y géneros de cada una de las historias.Recuerda que Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 está disponible en Prime Video.

In questa puntata: il laboratorio del caos nelle storie brevi di Tatsuki Fujimoto, l’attesa spasmodica per l’ultimo atto di Stranger Things a Hawkins e una domanda che emerge dalle acque scure del fiume Perdido: nella saga di Blackwater, fa più paura il mostro o la suocera? Ehi, ma di quanti birimbini vi racconteremo in questa […]

Fujimoto Tatsuki is now fairly well known for his action blockbuster series Chainsaw Man, the very strange manga Fire Punch and his introspective short Look Back.But before any of these stories began, Fujimoto-san wrote several one-shot manga that he submitted to manga awards and contests between the ages of 17 and 26.These short stories were collected into two manga volumes in 2021 and were just released as an anime compilation series on Amazon Prime!Collecting a selection of his works from 2011 through to 2018 (Kyle apologises for getting the date wrong in the episode!), Fujimoto Tatsuki 17-26 shows how the manga-ka's work evolved over time and gives us glimpses of the ideas that would go on to shape some of his future work!They're also just great fun! You can watch it here: https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Tatsuki-Fujimoto-17-26/0O1YMOCTYRHW1QWHTGOS6YASPJ Join us at Hoshicon 2025!Kawaii-Fi will be on-stage at Hoshicon 2025 on the 29th & 30th of November!We're bringing back our Big Anime Quiz for the convention, with prize packs from our friends at Shumi Shop!Tickets: https://megatix.com.au/events/hoshicon-2025Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/859347316376809Shumi Shop: https://www.shumishop.com.au/VIDEOS!Kawaii-Fi YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/KawaiiFiKyle's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KyleinOrbitTifa's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thetkennedy SUPPORT USPatreon: Patreon.com/KawaiiFiBuy us a Coffee: Ko-fi.com/kawaiifi JOIN THE KAWAII-FI COMMUNITYFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/KawaiiFiAnime/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kawaiifianime/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@kawaiifianime TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kawaiifianimeDiscord: https://discord.gg/p9ccFx8vTQ LISTEN ELSEWHERE?Spotify: https://bit.ly/Kawaii-FiSpotifyApple: https://bit.ly/Kawaii-FiAppleYT Music: https://bit.ly/Kawaii-Fi-YMCastbox: https://bit.ly/Kawaii-FiCastboxGoodpod: https://bit.ly/Kawaii-fiGoodpodAmazon Music: https://bit.ly/Kawaii-FiAmazonPocket Casts: https://bit.ly/Kawaii-FiPocket EPISODE SEGMENTS00:00:00 – Show Opener00:02:28 – What We're Watching00:11:48 – Now Featuring: Fujimoto Tatsuki 17-2600:50:04 – Anime Communique01:09:11 – Next Time, digging a hole and Hoshicon 2025Tags:anime,podcast,anime news,anime podcast,anime reviews,anime recommendation,Chainsaw Man,Fujimoto Tatsuki,17-26,Fujimoto Tatsuki 17-26,A couple clucking chickens,Sasaki Stopped a Bullet,Love is Blind,Shikaku,Mermaid Rhapsody,Woke-Up-as-a-Girl Syndrome, Nayuta of the Prophecy,Suddenly Egyptian god,Spy X Family,Bocchi the Rock,Tatsuya Nagamine,2026 Oscars,Demon Slayer,Mamoru Hosoda,Gundam Hathaway,Undead Unluck

The team discusses two new anthologies: Star Wars Visions season three and Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26 to see which brought more bang for our buck. Also, Lynzee finally saw the Chainsaw Man movie and has THOUGHTS. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Noticias variadas de cine, anime, cine, etcRecomendamos Frankestein & Fujimoto 17-16

Diese Folge steht ganz im Zeichen eines Mannes: Tatsuki Fujimoto. Drei Jahre nach der ersten Staffel von Chainsaw Man legt MAPPA endlich den Reze Arc als Film nach. Und wow, das Warten hat sich mehr als gelohnt. Auf eine ruhige, unerwartet emotionale erste Hälfte folgt das größte Actionspektakel des Jahres in Anime. Da kann sich Lukas als Fan des Original Autors "Tatsuki Fujimoto" natürlich nicht zurückhalten, aber warte! Zufällig hat Amazon Prime die Adaption "Tatsuki Fujimoto 17⁠-26" seiner (fast) gleichnamigen Manga-Oneshot-Sammlung veröffentlicht, also welch besseren Zeitpunkt gibt es für Lukas über ihn schwärmen zu können. Nachdem wir schon über die Adaption seines Oneshots "Look Back" geredet haben, widmen wir uns nun 8 Kurzfilmen. Von Hühnern und Aliens über Vampire und Auftragsmörder bis hin zu Kunst und zwei ungleichen Schwestern. Die Stories könnten unterschiedlicher nicht sein, tragen aber alle unverkennbar Fujimotos Handschrift.

Irene llega cargada de Reseñas: Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26, Ranma ½, Spy x Family y Hatsukoi 2025. Allan… bueno, Allan promete traer algo la próxima semana 😅📚 🔥 Temas principales: Primer vistazo al tráiler del live action BL “10 Dance” 💃🕺 Reacciones al tráiler de la temporada final de Dr. Stone 🌍⚡ 🎁 ¿Quieres consentir a Irene? Aquí está su wishlist 👉 https://shorturl.at/iQZkd 💬 Cuéntanos en los comentarios: ¿Qué te pareció el tráiler de 10 Dance? ¿Ya estás listo para el final de Dr. Stone? #Anime #Manga #10Dance #DrStone #BL #Gokuraku

On this exciting episode of your favorite anime podcast, Fujimoto's done it again! The crew takes a step back to talk about his newest adaptation to drop, Fujimoto Tatsuki 17-26, as well as the new Virgin Punk movie. Are we in the midst of a new OVA boom? Is this a new golden age? Has Fujimoto saved anime? Only one way to find out!

On this exciting episode of your favorite anime podcast, the crew left their basements and saw the Chainsaw Man movie! What wild misadventures did they have going outside for the first time in years? Are theaters a scam? Was the movie even worth it? And who even is Fujimoto? There's only one way to find out!

Denji's heart wasn't ready—and neither were we. Chainsaw Man: The Movie – Reze Arc is part romance, part bloodbath, and full Fujimoto chaos. Grab your coffee, your sanity, and let's dive into this cinematic fever dream.Please be sure to rate, review, like and subscribe to MTH as well as all the other podcasts you consume, it takes no time, costs you no money and means the world to us podcasters and content creators. Sadly the algorithm only accepts 5-Star reviews...Keep up to date with Brendan here or find him on Bluesky | Instagram | TikTok | TwitterJoin our Discord full of likeminded anime and culture fans hereUpgrade your wardrobe via our merch storeSubscribe to our Spotify playlistPlease support our fantastic sponsors:Audio-Technica, the best in audio equipmentIced-Tea Aesthetics, the best in anime streetwear (use code sakurasociety5 at checkout to save $5 on your order)Dash Water, the best in sparkling waterJapan Crate, the best in Japanese inspired snacks and nik naks (use code ATEBIT15 at checkout to save 15% + get free shipping)

This week, we dive headfirst into emotional ruin — courtesy of Look Back, the devastatingly beautiful anime film by Chainsaw Man creator Tatsuki Fujimoto. Before we get our hearts ripped out, we unpack a flood of new music releases — including Testament's Para Bellum and Fayle's haunting Heretics and Lullabies — rail against Microsoft's Game Pass price hike, and talk streaming fatigue and piracy. Peter also shares his new plan to train like a writer-athlete with a three-month learning sprint, while Eden reviews Nine Inch Nails' Tron: Ares soundtrack, gushes about Apothecary Diaries, and explains why a Regency “choose your own adventure” romance might be the most fun book they've read all month. It all ends with tears, cello music, and a haunting meditation on why we create art in the first place.

☕ Otakissa News está de volta em formato podcast! O seu resumo de notícias do mundo otaku.No episódio de hoje (12/09):Demon Slayer recebe classificação 18+ no Brasil.A treta entre Yoshiki e Dandadan gera polêmica.Comiket registra queda de público.Novo anime antológico de Fujimoto Tatsuki (Chainsaw Man).

Last time we spoke about the Soviet invasion of Manchuria. Following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki amidst relentless Allied aerial campaigns, chaos engulfed Japan. Prime Minister Suzuki's cabinet debated surrendering to avoid annihilation while fearing for the imperial family's future. Meanwhile, the Soviet Union launched an unexpected invasion of Manchuria, rapidly advancing and catching Japanese forces off guard. As negotiations unfolded, a group of military conspirators, led by Major Hatanaka, attempted a coup to halt the surrender, believing they could rally support. They seized the Imperial Palace but failed to find the Emperor's recorded surrender speech amid the chaos. In a decisive moment, Emperor Hirohito accepted the Potsdam Declaration, stipulating the emperor's continuation, thus sealing Japan's fate. That same day, the world learned of Japan's capitulation, marking the end of the Pacific War. The once powerful nation now lay in ruins, yet the Emperor's decision bore the weight of a nation saved from further destruction, embodying a fragile hope for the future amidst the horrors of war. This episode is the Battle for South Sakhalin and the Kurile Islands Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  As we previously discussed, the Japanese Empire made the difficult decision to surrender on August 14, amid the turmoil of the Soviet invasion of Manchuria and South Sakhalin. The following day, this decision was announced to the world. However, in Manchuria, General Yamada's Kwantung Army chose to continue fighting until they received a clear ceasefire order. At this moment, several developments unfolded. General Hongo's 44th Army was on a forced retreat toward the Hsinking-Mukden line under General Ushiroku's command, leaving their 107th Division trapped behind Soviet lines. Meanwhile, General Iida's 30th Army was redeploying to Hsinking, which was starting to be evacuated, while General Uemura's 4th Army had orders to withdraw to Meihokou, taking over positions left by the 30th Army.  The advance of enemy armored columns in the west was severely hindering the evacuation of Japanese nationals. On the 10th, the Kwantung Army requested the Manchukuoan Government to facilitate the evacuation of Japanese residents in Hainking and its surroundings. They directed the Continental Railway Command to prepare ten trains for this purpose, with the first train scheduled to depart from Hsinking that same day. However, the Manchukuoan Government found it nearly impossible to carry out the withdrawal swiftly. They managed to transport only the families of officers and civilians linked to the army, and these families had to flee with just a few hours' notice, taking almost nothing but the clothes on their backs. By the 12th, Hsinking was in a state of chaos. The advance of enemy armored units, coupled with the retreat of the main force of the 44th Army, led to the evacuation of the capital by the Kwantung Army General Headquarters. This turmoil coincided with the arrival of the first refugee trains, carrying Japanese evacuees from the western border areas, causing widespread panic among local residents. Many hurried to the already overcrowded train station, desperate to escape the unfolding crisis. In the face of enemy pressure, the 80th Independent Mixed Brigade and the 119th Division continued to resist assaults at Hailar and Pokotu, respectively. The 123rd Division and the 135th Independent Mixed Brigade were heavily engaged in the fortified regions of Sunwu and Aihun, and the 136th Independent Mixed Brigade was directed to reinforce Tsitsihar, while the 134th Division retreated to Fangcheng. General Shimizu's 5th Army prepared for a last stand at Mutanchiang, while the isolated 124th Division made plans to withdraw. The 132nd Independent Mixed Brigade had already retreated to Tachienchang, and the 128th Division was getting ready to confront the enemy advance at Lotzokou, with General Murakami's 3rd Army holding strong in the Tumen fortified region. Meanwhile, the Nanam Divisional District Unit successfully repelled an amphibious invasion in Chongjin, and the 88th Division's 125th Regiment staunchly defended Furuton on South Sakhalin. In a desperate bid to avoid further disaster, Yamada finally instructed Ushiroku to adhere to their original plan and prepare for a withdrawal to the Hunjen area, even if it meant leaving Japanese citizens and their cities vulnerable to the approaching Soviets. Ushiroku hesitantly agreed to the order but never got the chance to act on it. On August 15, Marshal Vasilevsky's offensive advanced much like the previous days, facing an enemy that continued to resist fiercely. To counter this, orders came to intensify the assault to gain control of key operational and strategic points as quickly as possible. In Marshal Malinovsky's Transbaikal Front, General Pliyev's cavalry-mechanized units encountered heavy opposition from the Inner Mongolian 3rd, 5th, and 7th Cavalry Divisions at Kanbao. Meanwhile, General Danilov's 17th Army pressed toward Chihfeng but was hindered by water shortages, intense heat, and challenging sandy terrain. General Managarov's 53rd Army began its advance toward Kailu, while General Kravchenko's 6th Guards Tank Army continued its march along two fronts. The 7th Guards Mechanized Corps moved east toward Changchun, while both the 9th Guards Mechanized Corps and the 5th Guards Tank Corps advanced southeast toward Mukden. Notably, General Lyudnikov's 39th Army finally captured Tepossi and Wangyemiao.  Heavy Japanese resistance persisted in the sector of the 36th Army, notably in the Hailar Fortified Region and along the road and rail line through the Grand Khingan Mountains leading to Pokotu. The Japanese 119th Infantry Division put up a determined defense of Pokotu, successfully delaying the Soviet forces of the 2nd Rifle Corps from August 15 to 17, despite heavy rainfall. Meanwhile, in the rear of the 36th Army, the fighting in Hailar remained intense. The 86th Rifle Corps employed heavy artillery to systematically dismantle enemy strongholds in the hills to the northwest and southwest of the city. Position after position fell to relentless artillery bombardments, combined with sapper and infantry assaults. Ultimately, the Soviets extinguished the last vestiges of Japanese resistance in Hailar on August 18 when the remaining garrison of 3,827 men surrendered. Concurrently, in Marshal Meretskov's 1st Far Eastern Front, forward detachments of General Zakhvatayev's 35th Army secured Poli. General Beloborodov's 1st Red Banner Army broke through the frontline of the 135th Division and initiated an assault on the last Japanese positions just outside Yehho. Meanwhile, General Krylov's 5th Army, having successfully breached the Ssutaoling heights the previous evening, launched attacks against the 126th Division's positions at Aiho but was ultimately repelled by the defenders. In light of these developments, Generals Kita and Shimizu decided to order a withdrawal toward Hengtaohotzu, which they executed successfully after sunset, leaving behind some units to cover the retreat. Further south, General Chistyakov's 25th Army split into two columns at Heitosai. The 17th Rifle Corps and the 72nd Mechanized Brigade advanced west toward the Taipingling Pass, while the 39th Rifle Corps, along with the 72nd and 257th Tank Brigades, headed southwest toward Wangching. The 17th Rifle Corps effectively breached the main defenses of the Japanese 128th Division, forcing it to retreat to second-line positions southwest of Taipingling. On the morning of August 15, enemy air activity against Army Headquarters intensified significantly. Meanwhile, the Army Commander and several staff officers set out via Pataohotzu to inspect the defenses in the Hoeryong area, where the 101st Regiment was retreating from the Chonghak sector. At noon, while at the headquarters of the 127th Division in Pataohotzu, General Murakami and his accompanying staff listened to the Emperor's broadcast announcing the termination of the war. Opinions among the officers were divided regarding the veracity of this broadcast. After a brief discussion, they decided to continue military operations as per existing instructions until they received a formal cessation order. Later that night, a formal order arrived from First Area Army Headquarters, directing that all active resistance be halted, though self-defense measures were still to be implemented if necessary. Around the same time, a report came in from the 1st Mobile Brigade indicating that their positions in the Wangching area, about 25 miles northeast of Army Headquarters at Yenchi, were under attack by a sizable Soviet tank force. In response, a counterattack force was hastily assembled, consisting of two infantry battalions from the 127th Division. They were directed to advance to Wangching along the Yenchi-Chiulungping road to confront the enemy tanks. These battalions likely included the 3rd Battalion of the 280th Regiment and the 3rd Battalion of the 281st Regiment. Additionally, the 88th Rifle Corps took control of Hunchun and crossed the Inanho River, where they encountered well-entrenched Japanese forces from the 112th Division. To further pressure the enemy, the 258th Rifle Division crossed the Tumen River at Hunyong to attack the Japanese right flank. In General Purkayev's 2nd Far Eastern Front, General Mamonov's 15th Army continued its two-pronged advance toward Chiamussu, while General Pashkov's 5th Rifle Corps pushed forward to Poli. Meanwhile, General Teryokhin's 2nd Red Banner Army assigned some elements to maintain the siege of Sunwu and Aihun while forward detachments bypassed these fortified regions, moving south toward Nencheng and Peian. In South Sakhalin, General Cheremisov's 16th Army faced fierce resistance from Japanese forces at Furuton. Admiral Andreyev's Northern Pacific Flotilla prepared for an amphibious landing at Toro, while the Pacific Fleet, under Admiral Yumashev, successfully landed Major-General Vasily Trushin's 13th Naval Infantry Brigade at Chongjin in the early hours of August 15. This effort aimed to relieve the besieged Soviet naval units and gradually push back against the defending Japanese forces. On August 16, the entire Soviet force, commanded by Lieutenant-General Sergey Kabanov, secured Chongjin city and its port after overcoming strong resistance, just as the 393rd Rifle Division was arriving in the area. Simultaneously, Andreyev's fleet departed from Sovetskaya Gavan and approached Toro in the early hours of the day. At 05:17, 141 marines from the initial reconnaissance detachment successfully landed ashore quietly, and by 06:00, they had taken the port with virtually no opposition. The reconnaissance group then advanced about three kilometers east, where they encountered heavy resistance; meanwhile, the rest of the marine battalion landed successfully by 10:00. After securing Shakhtyorsk at midday, the Soviet marines began their push south toward Esutoru, their main objective, while a supporting infantry battalion landed behind them. To the north, the 56th Rifle Corps managed to break through and capture Furuton, though it failed to seize the strategically significant Happo Mountain. In Manchuria, the 88th Rifle Corps continued its attacks on the 112th and 79th Divisions but was unsuccessful. The 39th Rifle Corps column advanced toward Tumen and Yenchi, while the 17th Rifle Corps column effectively expelled Japanese forces from the Taipingling area to secure the pass. By evening, units from the 1st Red Banner Army cleared Mutanchiang, and the 5th Army units moved south of the city to continue their southwest advance toward Ningan. The 15th Army executed a coordinated amphibious assault, successfully capturing Chiamussu. The 39th Army advanced along the railroad from Wangyemiao to Changchun, with its main force ultimately securing Taonan by the end of the day, while other units reduced the Halung-Arshaan fortified region. Finally, forward detachments of the 5th Guards Tank Corps and the 9th Guards Mechanized Corps secured Tungliao and Kaitung, respectively. On August 17, Prince Takeda Tsuneyoshi, on behalf of the Emperor, arrived at Hsinking to deliver the official ceasefire order. However, this did not cancel ongoing operational missions, as the order stipulated that the cessation of hostilities did not apply to unavoidable acts of self-defense during enemy attacks made before the completion of armistice negotiations. Tokyo's orders demonstrated that Yamada was authorized to conduct on-the-spot negotiations for an armistice with the Soviets. Consequently, the Manchurian Campaign continued amidst the negotiations. Pliyev's Soviet-Mongolian units successfully defeated the Inner Mongolians at Kanbao; the 17th Army overcame light opposition from the 108th Division to occupy Chihfeng; the 39th Army concentrated its forces at Taonan while the 94th Rifle Corps mopped up rear areas; and the 36th Army defeated the 119th Division to capture Pokotu. Simultaneously, the 2nd Red Banner Army directed heavy artillery and air strikes to reduce the Aihun and Sunwu Fortified Regions, while the 15th Army initiated a push south along the Sungari River toward Sansing. The 363rd Rifle Division passed through Chihsi, with the 66th Rifle Division focusing on Poli. Units from the 1st Red Banner Army advanced northwest toward Harbin, and the 72nd Rifle Corps marched southward along the east bank of the Mutan River, attempting unsuccessfully to cross the river north of Ningan. The 17th Rifle Corps pursued the 128th Division, and forward elements of the 10th Mechanized Corps moved sixty kilometers from the Taipingling Pass to secure the critical rail and road junction at Tahsingkou. Additionally, the reinforced 72nd Tank Brigade intercepted the counterattacking force of the 127th Division at Nianyantsun. The 39th Rifle Corps broke through the northern defenses of the 79th Division to seize the outskirts of Tumen, while the 88th Rifle Corps successfully pushed aside enemy defenders at Mayusan to occupy Onsang. At South Sakhalin, as the marine force surrounded Esutoru, the 22nd Independent Machinegun Company was deployed to support the marine assault, which quickly penetrated the urban area and secured the city by midday. Meanwhile, fighting continued around Mount Happo, where the 214th Tank Brigade was dispatched south toward the ultimate objective of Toyohara. However, given the distance involved, it was decided to conduct a second amphibious assault on the port of Maoka. On August 18, Yamada finally issued the ceasefire orders to the 1st, 3rd, and 17th Area Armies, as well as to the 4th Army and the 2nd Air Army. His chief of staff, Lieutenant-General Hata Hikosaburo, met with Marshal Vasilevsky in Harbin to discuss procedures for disarmament, the protection of Japanese nationals in Manchuria, and related matters. Meanwhile, the Kwantung Army Headquarters made extensive efforts to relay as much information as possible about the termination of hostilities and disarmament to its subordinate commands using all available communication methods. However, these efforts were hindered by the wide dispersal of forces, many of which initially refused to surrender. General Higuchi's 5th Area Army received the ceasefire orders on August 17. Although he quickly notified his units—particularly those in Sakhalin and the Kuriles, war continued in these islands for a short period as he sought to prevent a potential invasion of Hokkaido. In Sakhalin, Major Yoshio Suzuki, the Chief of Staff of the 88th Division, received Higuchi's combat order on the afternoon of August 16, preparations for ceasefire were already underway, such as the disbandment of mobilized units, the discharge of some troops, and the disposal of the regimental flag. The division had no tanks or aircraft, and certainly no anti-tank or anti-aircraft weapons that could withstand Soviet forces. In light of this, Suzuki quickly ordered the re-arming of units and the occupation of positions, in accordance with the desire of Mineki and Higuchi to prevent the fall of South Sakhalin and a possible invasion of Hokkaido. Civilians, at this point, were already voicing complaints, wondering if the military was still going to continue fighting. After the surrender of the 125th Infantry Regiment, the Japanese command in the Northern District was effectively assumed by the staff of the 88th Division stationed at Kamishikika. During the fighting on the central military road, by the morning of August 17, evacuation of the civilian population from Kamishikika had been completed, and the town was burned to the ground by Japanese forces' scorched earth tactics, along with an air raid by 20 Soviet aircraft. Kamishikika was abandoned on August 20, marking the start of a full retreat. The construction of a defensive line involving the destruction of the Uro Bridge and the Chidori River Bridge was considered but ultimately abandoned due to the presence of evacuees. Meanwhile, in the Kuriles, a new operation was unfolding. According to Vasilevsky's orders, once operations against Manchuria and South Sakhalin were sufficiently advanced, a small force from the Kamchatka Defense Region, supported by naval units from the Petropavlovsk Naval Base, was to conduct amphibious assaults on the Kuril Islands in preparation for a future landing at the port of Rumoi on Hokkaido's west coast On August 15, President Truman and Soviet Premier Stalin agreed that Japanese forces north of the 38th Parallel would surrender to the Soviets, while those to the south would surrender to the Americans. Stalin's agreement surprised the US, as there was little chance of American forces landing on the Korean peninsula at that time. In what many scholars interpret as an attempt to achieve reciprocal generosity from Truman, Stalin proposed amending the order to include the northern half of Hokkaido and all of the Kuril Islands in the region of surrender to Soviet forces. This northern portion, he stated, should be demarcated by a line drawn ‘from the town of Kushiro on the eastern coast . . . to the town of Rumoe (Rumoi) on the western coast . . .', with both towns included in the occupation area However, Truman only acquiesced concerning the Kuriles, honoring the pact reached at Yalta, while specifying that all the islands of mainland Japan were to surrender to General MacArthur. Nonetheless, concerned by the exclusion of the Kuriles from the original agreement, Stalin instructed Vasilevsky to organize landings to occupy the islands. This mission was assigned to Purkayev's 2nd Far Eastern Front and Yumashev's Pacific Fleet, which, in turn, designated Major-General Aleksei Gnechko's Kamchatka Defense Region and Captain Dmitri Ponomarev's Petropavlovsk Naval Base to execute the first landings on Shumshu and Paramushir, followed by a subsequent amphibious assault on Onekotan. These inexperienced commanders had limited time to plan for their operations, assemble the necessary commercial vessels for transportation, and hurriedly gather the army units dispersed across Kamchatka. Ultimately, the primary unit chosen for the landings was Major-General Porfiry Dyakov's 101st Rifle Division, supplemented by a battalion of marines. Meanwhile, Ponomarev managed to gather an invasion flotilla of 64 vessels. Although the Soviets had air superiority, it was unreliable due to the peculiar climatic conditions. “There were very peculiar climatic conditions in the Far East and Sakhalin; almost every airfield had its own special microclimate. In the coastal zone, frequent outbursts of moist sea air, forming a curtain of thick fog, caused a lot of trouble.”. The limited firepower of Ponomarev's flotilla forced the Soviets to land on the northeast corner of Shumshu, which could be targeted by the coastal guns at Cape Lopatka. Additionally, Gnechko planned a diversionary landing on the southeast side of the island. Opposing the Soviets, Higuchi had Lieutenant-General Tsutsumi Fusaki's 91st Division garrisoning the northern islands of Shumshu and Paramushir, the 41st Independent Mixed Regiment on Matsuwa Island, the 129th Independent Mixed Brigade on Uruppu Island, and Lieutenant-General Ogawa Gonosuke's 89th Division stationed on the southern islands of Etorofu, Shikotan, and Kunashiri.  Shumshu is the northernmost island in the Kuril chain, separated from Cape Lopatka, the southernmost tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula, by the 11-kilometer-wide First Kuril Strait. Covering an area of approximately 388 square kilometers and roughly oval in shape , Shumshu's proximity to Soviet territory, similar to its larger neighbor to the south, Paramushir, ensured that it was strongly defended. The garrison on Shumshu comprised about 8,500 troops, whereas the larger island boasted a garrison of approximately 14,500. The strait between the two islands narrows to about 2.5 kilometers at its smallest point, thus allowing these garrisons to provide mutual support. As Slavinsky notes: “Shumshu and Paramushir, with their naval bases located opposite each other on both sides of the Second Kuril Strait, were, in essence, a single key position.” The capture of Shumshu was crucial to the success of subsequent island operations. While there were several airfields on these islands, they housed very few aircraft, which had been withdrawn earlier to the Japanese main islands in preparation for the anticipated “final battle” with the Americans. However, Shumshu was defended by a tank force from the 11th Tank Regiment, commanded by Colonel Sueo Ikeda. This force consisted of thirty-nine medium tanks, including nineteen Type-97 Chi-Ha tanks and twenty Type-97 ShinHoTo Chi-Ha (improved Type-97) tanks, alongside twenty-five Type-95 Ha-Go light tanks. Both Shumshu and Paramushir were equipped with permanent defensive works along the coast and inland. On Shumshu, these defenses included 34 bunkers and 24 pillboxes within several powerful strongpoints, featuring around 100 guns of varying calibers, some reaching up to 100mm. Approximately 300 prepared firing points were established for both heavy and light machine guns. Most of Shumshu's coast is bordered by cliffs, leading to a concentration of the strongest defenses in areas deemed vulnerable to amphibious assault. Notably, a battery was installed in the wreck of the Soviet tanker Mariupol, which had become stranded on the beach between Cape Kokutan and Cape Kotomari in 1943. Although the island is relatively flat, it possesses several hills with sides that are nearly bare of trees, and these heights also housed additional strongpoints. Shumshu features 120 kilometers of roads, which facilitated terrestrial communication between various points. Additionally, the garrison constructed numerous dummy installations to mislead reconnaissance efforts. Nevertheless, Ponomarev's flotilla departed from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at approximately 05:00 on August 17, moving slowly and stealthily toward their objective in foggy conditions. This weather ultimately forced Gnechko to cancel the planned diversionary landing. In any event, the first landing craft approached the beach at 04:22 hours on 18 August still hidden in the murk, but were forced to halt some 100–150m from shore in water up to 2m deep; they had been overloaded which prevented them getting closer in. The troops of the advanced detachment (two companies of marines, a maritime border guard company, and a submachine gun company) had then to wade, heavily burdened, to dry land. This went on undisturbed until personnel on one of the landing craft opened fire; this, spreading to the other ships, alerted the defenders, who replied with ‘promiscuous' machine-gun fire. Nevertheless, by 05:00 hours, and having suffered only ‘insignificant' losses, the advanced detachment was ashore and its main force, under Major Pyotr Shutov, was moving off the beach into the interior of the island. Two groups of marines moved left and right to deal with enemy positions on the capes flanking the landing ground. They managed to destroy several firing points, but were too few to overcome the stronger resistance nests protecting the gun positions. A series of hills inland formed the initial objective of the advance. Behind them, Dyatlov's first wave faced heavy bombardment from Japanese artillery, suffering significant casualties as the troops struggled to scramble ashore by 09:00. The second wave experienced a similar fate but managed to disembark by 13:00, joining the first wave in advancing on the high ground to the southwest. This second wave successfully repelled a series of Japanese tank counterattacks, resulting in the loss of Colonel Sueo. Despite being pushed back somewhat, the Soviets held their position while their aircraft targeted the naval bases on the island's southern side, aiming to hinder reinforcements from Paramushir. By nightfall, Gnechko's forces had secured a beachhead approximately 4 kilometers wide and 5 kilometers deep, while assault groups successfully destroyed Japanese artillery positions on Cape Kokutan and Cape Kotomari. Meanwhile, Kabanov's new Southern Defense Region command was ordered to quickly land naval units at Odaejin and Gensan to prevent the Japanese from evacuating their forces from Korea to the Home Islands. Consequently, a small naval force from the 13th Naval Infantry Brigade departed from Chongjin, successfully landing unopposed at Odaejin at 08:00 on August 18. Elsewhere in eastern Manchuria, the 25th Army consolidated its hold on northeastern Korea, dispatching the 10th Mechanized Corps west toward Tunhua and Kirin and northwest toward Tungchingcheng amidst the surrender of Murakami's 3rd Army. The 72nd Rifle Corps successfully crossed the Mutan River north of Ningan, while units from the 1st Red Banner Army and the 5th Army were deployed to receive and process surrendering Japanese units of Shimizu's 5th Army. To the north, the 2nd Red Banner Army maintained pressure on the Aihun and Sunwu Fortified Regions, leading to the surrender of the 123rd Division, although the 135th Independent Mixed Brigade continued to resist at Aihun. Be that as it may, the Japanese artillery positioned at Cape Kokutan and Cape Kotomari wreaked havoc on the second echelon, which was comprised of the 373rd Rifle Regiment. During this engagement, a patrol boat and four landing craft were lost, while eight others sustained serious damage. Once again, Soviet troops were forced to improvise ways to reach dry land; however, this time, the echelon's commander, Colonel P.A. Artyushen, along with his headquarters, managed to land via a torpedo boat. It took until 13:00 hours to fully disembark the second echelon, by which point its forward units had linked up with those forces advancing on the high ground to the southwest. By then, Artyushen had assumed command of all the forces ashore. While the number of troops was considerable, they still lacked heavy weapons, with only four 45mm anti-tank guns having been landed. Unsurprisingly, the Japanese counterattacked as soon as possible, with the advanced forward units under Shutov bearing the brunt of the assault. In a reversal of the combat situations previously encountered throughout the war with Japan, Soviet infantry now found themselves facing several tank attacks from the Japanese. One of these assaults was personally led by Colonel Sueo Ikeda, the commander of the 11th Tank Regiment, who was reported to be waving a samurai sword and Japanese flag from the turret, according to some accounts. Fortunately for the Soviets, these Japanese tanks were relatively weak compared to the T-34. While they posed a threat to unsupported infantry, they proved vulnerable to Degtyarev PTRD-41 anti-tank rifles and RPG-43 anti-tank grenades. The tank-led attacks were ultimately repelled, with Colonel Sueo perishing in the fighting. Despite being pushed back somewhat, the Soviets managed to withstand the onslaught. For his heroism during this challenging combat situation, in which he was wounded three times, Shutov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, along with the Order of Lenin and the Golden Star medal. Despite being somewhat pushed back, the Soviets held their ground while their aircraft targeted the naval bases on the southern side of the island to hinder reinforcements from Paramushir. The weather cleared sufficiently in the late morning, allowing Soviet air strikes to commence that afternoon. These strikes involved groups of eight to sixteen aircraft and were primarily directed at the Kataoka and Kashiwabar naval bases, successfully preventing the transfer of Japanese reinforcements from Paramushir. However, the sky remained cloudy enough to hinder any close battlefield support. As Zakharov et al. described it, the situation on the ground “remained tense.” The thinning fog later allowed seven Japanese aircraft to appear at 10:30 hours, attempting to strike at the shipping gathered off the landing beach. Their first strike targeted the Kirov, but it was unsuccessful, and the attackers were driven off by anti-aircraft fire. A second attempt at 12:00 hours focused on the minesweeper T-525, which also failed, resulting in two of the attacking aircraft being shot down by gunfire.  By nightfall on 18 August, it was evident that the Soviet landing had succeeded to the point where the forces would not be driven back into the sea. The invasion force had established a beachhead approximately 4 kilometers wide and 5 kilometers deep, and they were capable of defending this position against any immediate Japanese counterattacks, despite most of their artillery still being stuck offshore. Gnechko, stationed at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, ordered that enough artillery be transported ashore overnight to resume the offensive, with the goal of occupying the island by the end of 19 August. He also dispatched several self-propelled barges and kungas (shallow-draft boats used for fishing or transport) to assist with the unloading, although these vessels could not arrive until the following morning. To eliminate further artillery attacks on shipping, assault groups were formed to attack and destroy the Japanese strongpoints on Cape Kokutan and Cape Kotomari during the hours of darkness. Shortly after midnight on 17 August, a second order regarding the cessation of hostilities was received from the First Area Army, directing that all fighting be stopped. At daybreak, General Murakami dispatched his intelligence chief, Lt. Col. Fujimoto, to Chiulungping to inform the Soviet tank battalion commander of the end of hostilities. Simultaneously, he ordered all divisions under his command to cease all combat operations. At approximately 16:00 hours, the Soviet tank battalion commander arrived at the Army Officers Club in Yenchi, where he conferred with Major General Hanjiro Iketani, the Army Chief of Staff. The following day, General Iketani traveled to Wangching to conduct armistice negotiations. The 72nd Rifle Corps finally crossed the Mutan River north of Ningan, while units from the 1st Red Banner Army and the 5th Army were deployed to receive and process the surrendering Japanese units of Shimizu's 5th Army. Since the Army began its withdrawal, communications with Area Army Headquarters in Tunhua had been completely disrupted. On the morning of the 17th, a member of the Manchurian Telegraph and Telephone Company's Harbin office sent a message via railway telephone concerning disarmament, stating that he had been asked by the First Area Army Headquarters to relay the information. The Army Commander and his staff, however, suspected it might be another ruse from the enemy's fifth column. They agreed to exercise caution in addressing the matter and decided to send Staff Officer Maeda to Area Army Headquarters in Tunhua by railway gasoline engine car to verify the truth. Colonel Maeda proceeded to the railway station, and while preparing to depart, he received a railway telephone call from Staff Officer Tsumori at Area Army Headquarters regarding the cease-fire order. Subsequently, around 14:00 hours, the Army convened a meeting with representatives from each unit to announce the cease-fire orders. That evening, Soviet forces began entering Hengtaohotzu and immediately started disarming Japanese forces.  Looking west, the bulk of the 36th Army advanced southward and seized the railroad station at Chalantun amid the surrender of the 119th Division. The 86th Rifle Corps, after several days of intense artillery bombardment, finally extinguished the last remnants of Japanese resistance at Hailar, forcing the 80th Independent Mixed Brigade to surrender. Meanwhile, the 39th Army forces prepared for transport to Changchun and then on to the Liaotung Peninsula. The 17th Army moved toward the coast, capturing Pingchuan and Linguan before reaching the coastline at Shanhaiguan, directly across from the Liaotung Peninsula. Additionally, Pliyev's Soviet-Mongolian forces approached the outskirts of Kalgan, where they encountered a small contingent of the China Expeditionary Army. Indeed, with the surrender of the Kwantung Army, the war was coming to an end. However, several independent units, including the one mentioned, would continue to resist into the last days of August, thereby prolonging the Pacific War by another week. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In August 1945, amidst Japan's turmoil, the Soviet Union surprisingly invaded Manchuria. As chaos ensued, Japanese forces in South Sakhalin faced robust Soviet resistance. Ultimately, Japan's surrender shattered its imperial power, marking a historic end to the Pacific War, leaving a nation in ruins yet igniting a fragile hope for the future beyond the horrors of conflict.

EPISODE #456-- We're back! Not that we ever left. Today we talk about the Japanese suit move MECHANICAL VIOLATOR HAKAIDER from 1995. We also talk about Adult Swim's THE VENTURE BROS (2004 - 2022), the sequel 28 DAYS LATER (2002), and Apple TV's THE MURDERBOT CHRONICLES (2025). And some other stuff, probably. OTHER LINKS: Join the cause at Patreon.com/Quality. Follow the us on on Bluesky at kislingconnection and cruzflores, on Instagram @kislingwhatsit, and on Tiktok @kislingkino. You can watch Cruz and show favorite Alexis Simpson on You Tube in "They Live Together." Thanks to our artists Julius Tanag (http://www.juliustanag.com) and Sef Joosten (http://spexdoodles.tumblr.com). The theme music is "Eine Kleine Sheissemusik" by Drew Alexander. Also, I've got a newsletter, so maybe go check that one out, too. Listen to DRACULA: A RADIO PLAY on Apple Podcasts, at dracularadio.podbean.com, and at the Long Beach Playhouse at https://lbplayhouse.org/show/dracula And, as always, Support your local unions! UAW, SAG-AFTRA, and WGA strong and please leave us a review on iTunes or whatever podcatcher you listened to us on!

RISING is Melbourne's winter festival of new art running until the 15 June. - メルボルンでは6月15日までアートフェスティバル『RISING』が開催されています。

Randall Fujimoto is a game-based learning designer with over a decade of experience at GameTrainLearning.org, a non-profit where he develops educational experiences for classrooms and other learning environments. Part 2 of 2. Music by Danny Baranowsky

Randall Fujimoto is a game-based learning designer with over a decade of experience at GameTrainLearning.org, a non-profit where he develops educational experiences for classrooms and other learning environments. Part 1 of 2. Music by Danny Baranowsky

Your Nightly Prayer

Welcome to The Legacy Warriors Podcast! Highlighting and breaking down the two best feeder leagues to the big show, LFA and Cage Warriors. THIS PATREON IS FOR THE FIGHT LINK DATABASE, NOT MY PICKS/BETS/WRITE UPS.

In this episode, we dive into the emotional roller coaster that is Look Back, the 2024 anime movie adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto's powerful one-shot manga. We explore the film's deep themes of creativity, friendship, grief, and artistic growth while reflecting on how it captures Fujimoto's signature storytelling.Join us as we break down Look Back scene by scene, share our thoughts, and most importantly—did it leave us emotionally wrecked? (Spoiler: Yes.)

Come, sit down, and take a break with the BakaBois as they shoot the breeze on this laid back episode of BakaBites. Frankfurtter and MagicallyAverage talk about some random TikTok rumors spreading, the long-awaited English release of Kingdom, and plenty more. We're all about relaxing and unwinding on this episode, so take a breather and come chill with us on this week's mellowed out episode!---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Twitch: BakacopodcastTikTok: @bakacopodcastInstagram: @bakacopodcastBlueSky: @bakaco.bsky.socialYouTube: @bakacopodcast---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#anime #animepodcast #podcast #manga #animenews #animereviews #animepreviews #animerecommendations #mangacollectionSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/bakacompany-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

IR is cold into 2013. An injured champion on the rise. Putting teenagers in main events. No competition for Shida and Fujimoto. The promotion is not drawing, so what are they to do? Shows covered - Yokohama 5/24/13 & Shinjuku Face 7/14/13 Key matches include: International Ribbon Tag Team Title / REINA X World Tag Team Title Match Aoi Kizuki & Tsukushi (c) vs. Hikaru Shida & Tsukasa Fujimoto ICEx60 Title / IW-19 Title Match Tsukasa Fujimoto (c) vs. Tsukushi (c) Join the patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For LLPW reviews, Joshi 2010s Journey (2 weeks early), and more. Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@BowlingJD

Inaki fulfills patron DustyStars’ Golden Ticket request to read and review Fire Punch by Tatsuki Fujimoto. Regular Book Club cohost David also appears to assist in dissecting and pondering Fujimoto’s weird-ass manga. Topics include film nerd psychology, Inaki’s classic literature fixation, and Attack on Titan. Note: we get the name of a character confused so when we say Neneto, we actually mean Togata 99% of the time. Sorry. Runtime: 1 hour, 5 minutes Direct Download RSS Feed iTunes Spotify Google Music Send us Feedback! Support us on Patreon! Join our Discord server! More episodes Show Notes Opening/Ending Song: “Blues Machine” by Scott Gratton Episode edited by Evan Minto. The Review: Fire Punch Twitter: Ani-Gamers, Inaki David writes for Otaku USA Magazine Inaki and David stream video games every Saturday night on Twitch

Evie Fujimoto (RPTA '10), Crew Planner at Hawaiian Airlines, and Mattie O'Grady (RPTA '10), Interim Director of Community Services at the Town of San Anselmo (CA), talk with Dr. Brian Greenwood (Cal Poly Experience Industry Management) about their life and career to date.

This episode, we're jumping into the mind of Fujimoto Tatsuki, creator of Chainsaw Man and Fire Punch, as we talk his latest animated outing – Look Back!This 50-minute film is a beautiful semi-autobiographical tale of two young girls who bond over manga, showcasing the mangaka journey and the struggles it entails!This film doesn't pull its punches and showcases Fujimoto's ability to write and draw complex characters and emotions with some incredibly unique scenes.All this, plus a flood of anime news, manga recommendations - and a LOT of tangents for some reason!MANGA:https://www.viz.com/shonenjump/chapters/look-backhttps://www.viz.com/shonenjump/chapters/shinobi-undercoverhttps://www.viz.com/kagurabachihttps://www.viz.com/terra-formarsVIDEOS!Kawaii-Fi YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/KawaiiFiKyle's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KyleinOrbitTifa's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thetkennedy EPISODE SEGMENTS00:00:00 – Show Opener00:02:52 – What We're Watching00:26:09 – Cinema Club: Look Back00:49:26 – Anime Communique01:13:49 – Next Time, Zoids and… Cured Meats? SUPPORT USPatreon: Patreon.com/KawaiiFiBuy us a Coffee: Ko-fi.com/kawaiifi JOIN THE KAWAII-FI COMMUNITYTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kawaiifianimeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kawaiifianime/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KawaiiFiAnime/Twitter: https://twitter.com/kawaiifianimeDiscord: https://discord.gg/p9ccFx8vTQ LISTEN ELSEWHERE?Spotify: https://bit.ly/Kawaii-FiSpotifyApple: https://bit.ly/Kawaii-FiAppleYT Music: https://bit.ly/Kawaii-Fi-YMCastbox: https://bit.ly/Kawaii-FiCastboxGoodpod: https://bit.ly/Kawaii-fiGoodpodAmazon Music: https://bit.ly/Kawaii-FiAmazonPocket Casts: https://bit.ly/Kawaii-FiPocketTags:anime,podcast,anime news,anime podcast,anime reviews,anime recommendation,Look Back,Chainsaw Man,Fire Punch,Fujimoto Tatsuki,Shinobi Undercover,Kagurabachi,Terra Formars,Crunchyroll,Yurucamp,Laid-Back Camp,Godzilla,Pompo the Cinephile,Beastars,Oshi no ko,Go Go Loser Ranger

Like it or not, Japan has become one of the most critical actors in contemporary international politics. Read by Helen Lloyd. Image: A naval exercise conducted by Japan. Credit: World History Archive / Alamy Stock Photo 

In this episode, Phillip and Eric return to the shonen action manga Chainsaw Man by Tatsuki Fujimoto. Now that Eric is finally caught up, they discuss their reactions to Denji's character development, the differences between Part 1 and Part 2, and gush over Fukimoto's twisted sense of humor.

In this episode of AUHSD Future Talks, Superintendent Matsuda interviews Emily Gonzalez and Christina Kundrak from the USC Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning and Education (CANDLE). They are joined by AUHSD's Diana Fujimoto (Professional Development Coordinator) and Michael Switzer (English Curriculum Specialist). During the talk, the group discusses CANDLE's partnership with AUHSD, transcendent thinking, learning loss, purpose, finding the right language and mindset, intentional practice to support students, pausing to reflect, the connection between the 5Cs and transcendent thinking, and where can an educator begin with transcendent thinking.Emily Gonzalez is pursuing a PhD in Education at USC's Rossier School of Education. Before entering the PhD program, Emily worked as a researcher at Project Zero. She earned her EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and her BS in Elementary Education from Wheelock College. Emily is interested in promoting equitable educational practices and systems by reimagining educational opportunities for students and teachers. Her research uncovers the biological, psychological, and social processes engaged in effective K-12 teaching practices and dispositions, and how they impact learners' agentic development of interests, scholarly and social identities, and ability to self-author and engage with societal complexities.Christina Kundrak is a Senior Research Associate at the USC Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning and Education (CANDLE). Kundrak received her PhD in Urban Education Policy from USC Rossier School of Education. Kundrak was previously a high school science teacher and also worked in educational technology. She attended Pepperdine University, where she earned her bachelor's in psychology. Kundrak's research interests include neurobiological and psychological factors affecting student and teacher beliefs, motivation, engagement, and learning and the application of the aforementioned topics to educational systems to better support students in their academic and personal growth. Her current projects include an observational and neuroimaging study of teachers, funded by the Templeton Foundation and new work on agentic identity development and meaning-making from the Jacobs Foundation.

The episode may be late, but Gee and Ray have LOTS to say about the popularly divisive, oft-misunderstood, Tatsuki Fujimoto! From the bleak future of Fire Punch, to the quirky portrait of grief Goodbye Eri, Fujimoto's macabre madness is worth exploring, even for the squeamish in the audience.... Follow Ray on her channel ⁠Whimsical Pictures⁠ and ⁠Twitter⁠ And if you can't get enough of me, Gee, be sure to follow me on my ⁠YouTube Channel⁠ and ⁠Twitter a mangaka spotlight

Join us as we read the next volumes of #DRCL midnight children, Innocent, and Chainsaw Man for another installment of Twiple Dip! We also talk about the American Manga Awards, Jump Toon, Keibuho Daimajin, and more!!! Send us emails! mangamachinations@gmail.com  Follow us on Twitter! @mangamacpodcast Check out our website! https://mangamachinations.com Check out our YouTube channel! https://www.youtube.com/mangamactv Check out our new commentary channel! https://www.youtube.com/@MangaMacWatches Timestamps: Intro - 00:00:00 American Manga Awards - 00:13:52 Jump Toon - 00:20:39 00:37:25 - Fantom Comics X-Men '97 - 00:41:55 Keibuho Daimajin - 00:45:40 Next Episode Preview - 00:51:59 Chainsaw Man 17 - 00:55:16 #DRCL midnight children 2 - 01:14:32 Innocent 2 - 01:38:15 Our Rankings - 02:00:01 Outro - 02:01:10 Songs Credits: “Marshmallow” by Fassounds “Slappy” by Ido Maimon “Come to My Summer Dreams” by Alex Makemusic “Psychedelic Funkadelic” by Evert Z

Sue and Leah welcomed the first anonymous guest “Ryan” to the HeySue podcast! He kicked off the conversation by explaining that he is in the market for a coach who can help him get out of a funk. Sue and Leah invited Ryan to reflect on different parts of himself – from the achievement-oriented “higher self” to the cheese-loving slacker “Gary.” Ryan's curiosity and self-reflection shine through in this conversation that spans creativity, self-worth, quantified-self journaling, and Miyazaki's Fujimoto from Ponyo. This is a great listen for anyone (i.e. everyone) familiar with patterns of “productivity” and “laziness.” To go deeper, here is an exploration about how to allow yourself to rest. If you want to explore Ryan's pop culture references, listen to some Sufjan Stevens or watch the 1983 movie Wind in the Willows.