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We've been wanting to do Bleach for months, but had to pause it when we got busy with our Immortal Swordsmen launch. But now, we're so glad we did, because there's big news to share! Anime fans everywhere heard last month that Tite Kubo’s Bleach, one of Shonen Jump's most popular series, will be getting another anime season after a 10 year break. Resuming at the beginning of the manga’s final arc, Shonen Jump announced last month that in celebration of the series’ 20th anniversary, the series would resume in October 2022. So without further ado, today we’re going to look at Bleach through the lens of Essential Wuxia, something we’ve been excited to do for a while now! I gave Bleach a 14/15, a silver! Here's why... Is Ichigo Kurosaki a Wuxia Hero? I gave this section an 8 out of 8. Ichigo starts out as a jaded high schooler with a soft spot for ghosts, but Rukia’s attitude towards her work quickly rubs off on him. He soon finds himself reaching out to help people (both living and dead) that he never would have bothered with before, and frequently finds himself in harm’s way because of it. He decides to follow her example, and endeavors to save all souls, even at the risk of his own life. In a similar way, he starts off a bit stingy and selfish, but as his character grows, he rediscovers a version of himself from when he was younger, that gives selflessly of everything he has. As the series progresses, and his enemies are no longer just souls who’ve lost their way, we see Ichigo’s sense of justice extends not only to those innocents around him, but also to his enemies. His background in martial arts has given him an unshakeable sense of fair play and a healthy dose of respect for his opponents. He turns a fair number of enemies into comrades with this attitude, many of whom come from backgrounds quite different from his own. Ichigo is extremely loyal to his friends (even if they're former enemies), but, as is especially clear in the story of the upcoming anime, he isn’t afraid to stand up and stop them when he thinks they’re in the wrong. Is the series Essential Wuxia? While training and regular power-ups are a stock feature of the Shonen genre, Kubo Tite chooses to focus Ichigo’s training sessions on his inner world, the world inside his soul. We meet different aspects of Ichigo’s personality there, and different facets of his power; Ichigo variously accepts and overcomes them in turn. This emotional journey definitely devolves into fisticuffs fairly often, but the meditation we see Ichigo, and other characters, undergo in order to learn more about themselves (and get stronger) is actually very reminiscent of wuxia and xianxia training. In Bleach, almost every character has a unique weapon or power that's all their own. In the case of Ichigo and the other Soul Reapers, each of them has a sword that takes the shape of their soul power. Kubo Tite uses this to great effect, giving each individual in his impressive character roster a wide range of powers, and taking readers for a ride as he delves into their normal, released, and final release ("bankai") states. The soul reapers also have schools of sorcery ("kido"), and can learn some very qinggong-like movement skills ("shunpo") to give each character a greater range of abilities and specializations beyond simple sword techniques. Kubo Tite successfully intertwines several different worlds, each hidden from the other but directly impacting it in some way. He often describes the worlds like a dish of water that's very precariously balanced, illustrating each world as a different color in the bowl that swirls together with the rest but doesn't quite mix. His fascination with language meant that each of these were thematically created around Japanese words, English words, Spanish words, German words, and so on. The human worlds is, of course, oblivious to all of these parallel worlds, while still being aware of some forms of the afterlife through culture and legends. Essential Wuxia Score: 14/15! Missed Points: for all of the unique characters that Kubo Tite created in these other worlds, and all their diverse powers, there's still a very normal, human society at the heard of it, full of normal, average people with no powers. Ichigo and his friends want to protect these people at all costs, but it also means that not everyone can be a hero when they can't even see their opponents. The average person has no soul power, or Fullbringer power, or Quincy power, so they are not able to train or get stronger the way our protagonists do (though you do have to respect Don Kanonji for trying). by S. Sifton Immortal Staff If you like our articles, please subscribe to our monthly newsletter (click the button at the very bottom of this page), or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more!

There's a lot to talk about, so let's dive right in and look at celebrations across Canada and the States! Though the traditions we have talked about over the past week are no less important to the various diaspora communities in North America, the holiday does not have the same legal protections it does elsewhere, so traveling and celebrations are limited even under normal circumstances. Many of the celebrations in Canada this year have been cancelled, or scaled down, due to COVID. Many families have been unable to reunite, but have still tried to continue their traditions at home wherever possible. In Toronto and Vancouver, public celebrations will still continue for the next two weeks with remote programs, performances, and cultural . Check out this great article for more information on how you can join in the fun this weekend (most of these start on Saturday, February 5th, so mark your calendars!): https://dailyhive.com/toronto/lunar-new-year-toronto. If you're on the west coast, check out this website for information about online and remote events in Vancouver this weekend: https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/lunar-new-year-events-metro-vancouver. However, barring any changes, the Buddhist International Temple in Richmond should be open to everyone who wishes to offer their prayers there during the Spring Festival, so please check it out! For those down south in the United States, I hope you caught the parades in San Francisco, New York, Boston, Chicago, and Honolulu! While many cities will have already finished their celebrations on the first night, there's still some fun events to look forward to this weekend! In Honolulu, there are fireworks and special museum exhibits open in celebration of the Lunar New Year this weekend, and performances will be held all day this Saturday. In New York much of the celebrations have already finished, but there are festival games planned for the weekend, several storytelling events for children at libraries across the city (all about the history and legends around Lunar New Year and its traditions in different countries), and a concert by the world-famous New York Philharmonic. San Francisco also boasts a concert this weekend, as well as a beauty pageant, and purportedly the biggest Lunar New Year float parade in North America, scheduled for February 19th, the weekend after the Lantern Festival. Boston's parade is scheduled for February 13th (weather permitting), with special celebrations for Tết planned to be celebrated on February 6th this year (check out the link for some great food recommendations around Lunar New Year too). Chicago's Chinatown would like to give San Francisco a run for their money with their own floats and marching bands, also scheduled for Sunday, February 13th; like Boston, Chicago has separate celebrations for Tết this Saturday, February 5th. Obviously, this is far from a complete list of all the celebrations across North America (I didn't even have a chance to talk about the Lunar New Year festivals in Mexico!), so please drop us a comment at the bottom of this article, or on our social media, to tell us about Lunar New Year celebrations in your area! We'd love to hear from you. PS - and of course, please be safe and respect all social distancing and COVID guidelines in your province, state, or city. Have a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year! by S. Sifton Immortal Staff If you like our articles, please subscribe to our monthly newsletter (click the button at the very bottom of this page), or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more! Photo sources: please click the photos to see their original webpages.

Tonight marks the eve of the Lunar New Year, and celebrations around the world are well underway. The Lunar New Year festivities in Korea are very short compared to many other places, they're just three days long! But there's still a lot to pack into Korea's Seollal celebration. The first night of Seollal is the eve of the Lunar New Year, with celebrations continuing through through the next two days. Besides gifts to your family, the work culture in Korea means you often give gifts to your coworkers and employees as well. Families gather in their hometowns to honor their ancestors ("charye"), and children greet the adults of their family with very deep, traditional bows after dinner ("sebae"). Food traditions vary by region, but there's a universal tradition surrounding tteokguk in South Korea (its equivalent in North Korea is manduguk). Each Lunar New Year is the equivalent of a birthday in Korea, so Seollal is the new year, your family reunion, and your birthday, and everyone else's birthday, all rolled into one! When you are born in Korea, everyone starts off at one year old (the year you spent in the womb counts), and then everyone becomes a year older on the day of Seollal. Some traditions say you only age after eating a delicious bowl of tteokguk, or rice cake soup, on new year's day, so it's an extra special dish for children! Colorful hanbok (traditional Korean outfits dating back to the Joseon Dynasty and earlier) are often seen at significant events and milestones like weddings throughout the year, but it is traditional to wear a brand new hanbok for the first time at Seollal. For some families, this may mean renting them (as brand new outfits can be quite expensive), but it makes the celebration extra special. We barely scratched the surface with many of these traditions, as some of them go back a thousand years or more, but we hope we were able to help everyone get a glimpse of the rich culture of each country we visited this week. Once again, we at Immortal Studios would like to wish everyone happiness and prosperity in the new year as the celebrations begin! by S. Sifton Immortal Staff If you like our articles, please subscribe to our monthly newsletter (click the button at the very bottom of this page), or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more! Photo sources: please click the photos to see their original webpages.

In Vietnam, the Spring Festival is called Tết Nguyên Đán, or Tết for short. It almost always starts the same day as Lunar New Year in other parts of Asia, but every so often it will actually start a day earlier, due to the time difference between Vietnam and China. The biggest holiday of the year is also the longest work holiday, as folks leave the big cities and go home to their families over the 10 day festival. One of the most beloved holiday treats is banh chung, a sticky rice cake filled with red beans, onions, and pork, and wrapped in leaves (usually dong leaves) to cook in a steamer. Legend has it that a Vietnamese king could not decide which of his many, many sons would become his successor, and decided to give them all a test: he asked all of his sons to create a brand new dish for him to eat. All of them created complex, delicious dishes for their father, but one son created something very simple, which beat them all. Each part of the dish was steeped in symbolism, and their combination was so delicious, that the king decided immediately that his poorest son (the one who created the banh chung) would be the one to succeed him. It has been a Tết tradition, given by children to their parents as a sign of respect and filial piety. As in many other traditions, Tết in Vietnam marks when the gods all return to the heavens. At the start of Tết, it is customary to make offerings to the household gods, in the hopes they'll put in a good word for the family when they make their annual reports to the Jade Emperor. Another tradition that is unique to Vietnamese Tết is the cay neu, or bamboo tree. Similar to the kumquat or peach blossoms used in other countries, Vietnamese families put these in their yards or in front of their homes, and hang flowers, origami, fish decorations, and good luck charms in order to protect their home and family from evil spirits. The traditional charms vary from region to region, such as cactus branches instead of fish in some areas. We wish everyone a happy and safe Tết this year, Chúc mừng năm mới! by S. Sifton Immortal Staff If you like our articles, please subscribe to our monthly newsletter (click the button at the very bottom of this page), or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more! Sources: https://www.vietnam-briefing.com/news/how-should-foreign-businesses-prepare.html/ https://sonasia-holiday.com/sonabee/tet-vietnam http://yummyvietnam.net/original-banh-chung-recipe-how-to-make-best-square-cake-recipe/ https://www.archstl.org/chc-mng-nm-mi-happy-new-year-1091 https://studentexchange.vn/tet-traditions-vietnam-lunar-new-year/ Image sources: please click the photos to view their original sources.

In 2012, then-President Aquino declared that the the Lunar New Year would be a work holiday for all Filipinos, finally recognizing a celebration that had been a part of life in Manila for over five centuries. In the Philippines, Lunar New Year festivities center around Binondo, the world's oldest Chinatown, located in the heart of Manila. Binondo was created in 1594 under Spanish colonial rule, and was designed to isolate anyone of Chinese descent from the rest of Manila. Residents were subjected to brutal pogroms over centuries, but the community has continued to thrive and its vibrant celebrations have become famous the world over. Filipinos of all backgrounds gather here in the thousands to celebrate every year. As in Malaysia, the Tsinoy (Filipinos with Chinese heritage) also speak Hokkien, a dialect of Chinese, and greet the new year with "Kiong Hee Huat Tsai" (or "congratulations, and be prosperous!"). It is traditional to see dragon dances and lion dances line the streets of Binondo, and residents will leave red envelope offerings at the entrances and doors of their homes along the dance routes for the lions to "eat." The dragon represents power, auspiciousness, and strength, while the lions that accompany it represent safety and luck. All doors in the home must be left open when the clock strikes midnight, to allow good luck to enter, and in order to help scare away the mythical Nian, folks will also use horns and bang cooking pots to add to the din of the New Year's fireworks and firecrackers. It is extremely important for all family members to be present for the New Year's eve dinner, and families will traditionally prepare 12 different kinds of lucky or fortunate fruits for their families to eat that night. Speaking of food, tikoy, or sticky rice treats, are a huge favorite in stores across the Philippines, and are only sold during a small window around the Lunar New Year. Unlike in China and Malaysia, some communities in the Philippines deliberately avoid eating fish during days around the Lunar New Year, believing it to be associated with food scarcity instead of abundance. Though celebrations across the Philippines were cancelled last year due to COVID, they are back on this year, and we hope that everyone will be able to safely gather with their families after a very, very long year. by S. Sifton Immortal Staff If you like our articles, please subscribe to our monthly newsletter (click the button at the very bottom of this page), or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more! Image sources: please click the photos for links to their original pages.

The Spring Festival is a holiday celebrating family as much as it is about bringing good fortune, and what better way to do that than through food? Traditionally, almost everything eaten over the course of the Spring Festival represents something auspicious. Long noodles represent a long life. In the local Hokkien (a dialect of Chinese), tangerines are a homonym for ‘luck’ and oranges are a homonym for ‘wealth’. There exists a very long list of auspicious foods commonly eaten over the Spring Festival, but in Malaysia, there exists a very special food tradition called “Yusheng”. This tradition is both fun and accessible, even to those not living in Asia. Although most commonly eaten on the seventh day of the Spring Festival, it’s eaten any time before Chap Goh Mei, the Hokkien name for the Lantern Festival. Yusheng, also known as Yee Sang or the Prosperity Toss, is all about throwing food as high as possible. This dish is made up of many raw or pickled vegetables and seasonings, topped with raw fish. Every single ingredient has a connotation of good fortune to it, for example the fish being a homophone for ‘abundance’ or sesame seeds representing a prosperous business. Even the color of the spices carries symbolism, such as red pepper being lucky. Some of the more common ingredients include peanuts, carrots, radishes, five-spice powder, leeks, pepper, sesame oil, plum sauce and raw salmon. The assembly of this dish is very simple and very fun. One person is chosen to lead the meal, and adds ingredients to the dish one at a time. Each time an ingredient is added, a wish is made for the new year, typically related to the meaning of the ingredient. When everything has been added, all diners stand and toss the dish into the air shouting “Lo hei!” and making wishes. The tradition is that the higher one tosses the food, the more prosperous their year will be. As difficult as meeting friends and family might be right now, we wish everyone many joyous meals this Spring Festival: 恭喜发财 (Gong hei fat choy, or "wishing you prosperity and wealth")! by S. Howie Immortal Staff If you like our articles, please subscribe to our monthly newsletter (click the button at the very bottom of this page), or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more! Sources: https://www.wonderfulmalaysia.com/attractions/chinese-new-year-in-malaysia.htm https://www.travelfish.org/beginners_detail/malaysia/147 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yusheng https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/14168597/what-does-chap-goh-mei-mean/ https://www.fodors.com/world/asia/malaysia/experiences/news/the-salad-that-invites-wealth https://www.eatingwell.com/article/7888718/lunar-new-year-lucky-citrus-fruits/ Image sources: click photos for weblinks to their original pages

The Spring Festival - also known as Chinese New Year - is the biggest festival in Asia. It is a time to celebrate family and encourage good fortune for the new year. Fireworks light up the night sky, the sound of laughter and the smell of warm food fills the streets. Billions of people take a week off of work or school to enjoy spending time with family. We at Immortal Studios are proud to join the celebrations with a week of posts highlighting the best parts of the different Spring Festival celebrations across Asia! Traditionally, the spring festival is a two- week celebration, but three days of the celebration hold the most excitement: New Years Eve, New Year’s Day and the Lantern Festival, which is the last day of the celebrations. Festivities begin on New Year’s Eve as families get together for a meal. Older generations will give red envelopes of money to younger ones, and employees might be given some from their employers as a New Year’s bonus. Parties last late into the night, and then on New Year’s Day, people set off fireworks and make offerings for their ancestors. The day after New Year’s Day until the last night of the festival is a time for visiting relatives and enjoying the holidays. To end the Spring Festival with a bang, the Lantern Festival marks the end of the two-week celebration with a dazzling display of light. People enjoy tang yuan, a kind of rice ball soup, under displays of paper lanterns and fireworks. The Lantern Festival is also known as Chinese Valentine’s day, though the night’s romantic associations have faded over time. New Year’s celebrations are a period of excitement for what the new year will bring and a period of celebrating one’s community. This year, 2022, is the year of the tiger. In China, the tiger is a symbol of strength and bravery, and is said to have the power to exorcize evil. Immortal Studios aspires to a year just like the tiger - with stories of strength and bravery. We at Immortal Studios wish everyone a happy new year and look forward to the exciting next steps the new year will bring. by S. Howie Immortal Staff If you like our articles, please subscribe to our monthly newsletter (click the button at the very bottom of this page), or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more! Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/chinese-new-year#spring-festival https://www.chinatravel.com/chinese-new-year/lantern-festival https://www.history.com/news/symbolic-foods-of-chinese-new-year https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/festivals/new-year-facts.htm https://chineseparade.com/ https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/chinese-new-year-traditions Image sources: click photos for weblinks to their original pages

Today we wanted to talk about one of the weirder weapons we see in wuxia stories: paper fans. If you’re new to wuxia, you might be (understandably) confused how this could be a weapon…but in wuxia, everything can be a weapon if you can infuse it with qi. In the same way one can make their body hard enough to repel bullets, or light enough to float through the air, in wuxia you can infuse your weapons to give them similar properties. To a master, their weapons are but an extension of their body, after all. Of course, it doesn’t hurt if the fan is made of metal knives instead of paper, and the imagery of this weapon has taken off outside of wuxia as well, seeing appearances in everything from anime and manga in Japan, to children’s cartoons, superhero comics, and arcade games in North America. Here are some fun DIY videos on how to make a beautiful paper fan of your own, or a metal death weapon, totally your choice: Paper fans by SK Academy of Fine Art: Kitana’s War Fans (from the Mortal Combat series) by Man at Arms: Reforged: If you enjoy these articles, please subscribe to our monthly newsletter (click the button at the very bottom of this page), or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more wuxia. by S. Sifton Immortal Staff Image sources: https://thirdmirage.wordpress.com/tag/wuxia-weapons/ https://www.buzzfeed.com/candicedarden/jackie-chan-adventures-was-the-best-cartoon http://www.chinesedrama.info/2015/12/drama-legend-of-condor-heroes-2016.html

This week we decided to revisit a classic. Since its debut in 1999, The Matrix has been heralded as groundbreaking, famously combing elements of wuxia and kung fu movies with a cyberpunk setting to make a dystopian masterpiece. I gave it a 13 out of 15 for our Essential Wuxia, a silver! Is Neo a Wuxia Hero? I gave this section an 8 out of 8, full points! Like many dystopian movies, its setting relies heavily on the audience cluing into Neo’s sense that “something is wrong,” and spring boarding itself through the plot with that same innate sense of justice and courageous do-goodery that defies the logic the world is trying to force on our reluctant hero. Before leaving the Matrix, Neo’s generous nature is shown as he goes out of his way to help others, and once outside it he go so far as to repeatedly risk his life for those around him. The characters around him serve as foils for his dignity and discipline, and make his individual choices stand out all the more. Is the movie Essential Wuxia? I gave this section a 5 out of 7. We watch as Neo and the crew discover many things about themselves and their human nature as he struggles to adjust to life in the hidden world outside the Matrix. These human elements compliment the surreal nature of the training montages perfectly, as Neo learns he can literally download any program he wants in order to improve his knowledge, training, and reflexes; they showcase a variety of martial arts to great effect. And as disgusting and distressing as it is, the world does literally run on the life energy of the human race. Essential Wuxia Score: 13/15! Missed points: While the movies’ directors have been very open in acknowledging the influence of wuxia, kung fu, and other East Asian films, we cannot avoid the fact that much of the plot revolves around Neo’s Chosen One status. Morpheus says early on that only people below a certain age can adjust, which keeps the viewers in suspense while also leaving the door open a crack to other possibilities later in the movie, but the crux of the movie hinges on “Only Neo can beat the Matrix.” Additionally, there is no element of cultivation or sorcery. by S. Sifton Immortal Staff

This week, we’re taking a look at Netflix’s adaption of The Witcher (just Season 1 though, no spoilers!). Are you guys surprised? Well, we will be doing an article on the crossovers between wuxia, samurai, and knights real soon! So today, in honor of the release of Season 2, we’re looking at our favorite mutant monster hunter. I gave the first season a 9 out of 15, a bronze! Is Geralt of Rivia a Wuxia Hero? I gave this section a 5 out of 8. Mutations aside, Geralt’s story reads like that of a self-interested knight-errant; we cannot call him altruistic (by any stretch of the word), but for some poor souls he is still their knight in shining armor…or their knight in dripping monster guts, either way. He's got courage in spades (he would have to, with his job), and is strangely loyal to those he finds worthy. Though a clear example of an anti-hero, he nonetheless sticks to his own sense of justice, even when it makes his life harder or puts him at odds with the folks around him, and part of his individualism is that he does not shy away from giving voice to the harsh reality of his situation. While not truthful for the sake of it, he is disinclined to lie for his employers’ sakes or for anyone else’s peace of mind. Is the series Essential Wuxia? I gave this section a 4 out of 7. To start with, not everyone can be a hero. Those who fail to become Witchers die horribly, as do those who are born with the ability to use magic but fail to ascend. Yet many elements of the show are very similar to wuxia. Gerolt’s unique style of fighting was taught to him as part of the School of the Wolf, one of several different Witcher schools of combat. Each school was headed by a Grandmaster and had its own techniques and codes, or morals. With the addition of the various schools of magic, and other covert organizations, this series is full to the brim with secret societies of one sort or another. Essential Wuxia Score: 9/15! Missed points: As stated, Geralt is not altruistic, he certainly has his moments but ostensibly works for coin and is always on the lookout for himself first and foremost. No one could accuse him of being generous, and we certainly cannot say he is morally disciplined or dignified. As said, not everyone can be a hero in this series, and it often falls flat on the themes of empowerment and self-discovery in favor of dramatic combat or sex scenes (this may be a point of contention between the books and the TV series). The chaos/power used by mages is not present in all beings, and though there are certainly creatures in the Witcher bestiary that suck the life out of their victims, we cannot say there is a universal life energy or chi present. by S. Sifton Immortal Staff

Named weapons have a long tradition in wuxia stories. In Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the famed Green Destiny is one such sword. Green Destiny is a jian sword. Unlike the dao sword, the jian sword has a double-edged blade and a straight grip. Jian swords are traditionally known as “the gentleman of weapons.” Though two-handed jian swords exist, they were designed for martial arts rather than as combat weapons; one-handed jian swords were the norm. Throughout the course of the movie, we learn that this exquisitely crafted sword is 400 years old. Its custodian tells the audience that it is “seven-tenths of an inch thick” and was crafted with techniques that had been lost to time. Though not usually as thin and flexible as Green Destiny, jian swords are quite light compared to dao swords. Jian swords date back four-thousand years to the Shang Dynasty, and were used by everyone from merchants to emperors. Today, they are still a treasured part of Chinese culture. If you’d like to check it out, Man At Arms did a replica of Green Destiny using the precise descriptions used in the movie: Be sure to keep an eye out for a uniquely colored jian sword in our Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen! by S. Sifton Immortal Staff Top image source: https://za.ign.com/crouching-tiger-hidden-dragon-sword-of-destiny/98246/review/crouching-tiger-hidden-dragon-sword-of-destiny-review

Our final interview with the creative team that made our upcoming Chronicles of the Immortal Swordsmen possible is with Hank Kanalz, the comic's editor. Balancing script reviews and storyboard checks and artwork assignments, Hank Kanalz has helped us bring all the pieces together. He has previously worked for WarnerMedia and DC Comics, and is now Immortal Studios' Head of Publishing. When did you first become an editor? Hank Kanalz: Hahaha, a very long time ago. I started as a writer in 1988 for DC Comics, and after hopping around, ended up taking a staff position, editing comics. That led to a long career at Warner Bros and DC Comics, always keeping a finger or two on the editorial side, but also focusing more on the planning part of the business. Working with Immortal is bringing me back to hands on editing again, along with the long-range planning of what we plan to do in publishing. How did you get into the comics industry? Hank Kanalz: I was fortunate to “break in” during a time where there was an influx of new talent while the industry was experiencing rapid growth. I sent pitches to editors I met at comic conventions, listened to their feedback, then re-pitched follow-up stories in line with what they were looking for. Do you listen to music while you work? What music do you listen to? Hank Kanalz: Not so much, as I’m constantly on the phone, and when not, reading a tremendous amount of material. I find it hard to focus with music playing, as it’s usually awesome ‘80s, and I find myself humming along with those tracks, so it’s better for me to turn it off. What is your favorite food? Hank Kanalz: That’s a toss-up between sashimi and fried chicken. The perfect meal for me is a selection of sashimi served with an order of chicken karaage (Japanese fried chicken). I could eat that every day (but shouldn’t). In wuxia stories, special weapons are often given names. If you had a special weapon in real life, what would it be (and what name would you give it)? Hank Kanalz: Obsidian Shards, allowing me to better multitask and get my “To Do List” done. What was the last video game you played? Hank Kanalz: Clash Royale and Mario Kart, with my kids. If you could go back in time, what positive advice do you wish you could give yourself when you were first starting out? Hank Kanalz: Bring balance to your work and personal life. Early in my working career, I worked a graveyard shift with an older, former Olympic Silver Medalist, who said “Work hard when you’re young, so you’re not working a graveyard shift when you’re my age.” He used more colorful language, but it stuck with me, and it was solid advice – but I think I balanced things more heavily on the work side, so my advice would be to balance that out a little bit better.