Retsu Unohana may be in the background some of the time, but she's a steadying presence, a maternal figure, and handy with the healing powers -- just what every action-packed anime needs! In Bleach, patient and unfailingly polite Retsu is the captain (and Florence Nightingale) of squad 4, and also happens to be one of the most spiritually powerful folks in the the Soul Society, inspiring the respect and devotion even of well-established Soul Reapers like Shunsui and Jushiro. Just one thing: never try to sneak away before she finishes healing you of your injuries... We haven't seen her Bankai yet, but we're sure that it should be quite impressive when/if it turns up!

Be sure to send Retsu wishes for a happy birthday, and peruse some of her highlights from Bleach thus far:

Episode 55
While Byakuya and Ichigo fight it out and different factions clash, Retsu cares for the wounded on both sides.

Episode 60
In a stunning turn of events, Retsu puts the pieces of the puzzle together to determine that a traitor is in the Soul Society's midst.

Episode 62
While healing Byakuya, Retsu brings his sister Rukia over and helps the two siblings reconcile.

Character Info: Retsu Unohana
squad #: 4
Rank: Captain
Birthday: 21-Apr
Height: 159 kg
Weight: 45 kg
Zanpaku-to: Minazuki
Description: The captain of Squad 4, she specializes in giving aid to wounded Court Guard members. Even though she doesn't participate in battle, she is a daring and talented woman who is always remains calm and composed in difficult situations.

In this week's fresh episodes of Hikaru no Go, it is most decidedly "on," with the coveted title of Go pro at stake -- and Hikaru faces the difficult task of having to take down one of his buddies. But we can't forget about Hikaru's best friend of all, so in episode 43 we get a heartwarming little flashback with Sai, and further hints that he might not be with Hikaru much longer... You have to appreciate how well-paced Hikaru no Go is, and how seeds for plot and character turns are planted early and developed throughout the story.

Check out the series in uncut subtitled format in the Hikaru no Go section.

Episode 43: Hikaru vs. Waya
Now that Ochi has passed the Pro Exam, there are only two spots remaining. With only two games left in the exam, Hikaru faces off against Waya…

Episode 44: Comeback from the Brink
As Hikaru takes on Waya to advance towards the pros, Waya notices that his opponent’s game bears a interesting resemblance to Sai…

Time to roll out the latest Naruto Shippuden box set (#2 this month), and this time around we've included some extras (see below) -- and don't forget the box set 2 special edition, which also includes a Deidara mininja figure! Who knew that evil could look so cute? As always, you get uncut dubbed and subtitled versions of every episode.

Sound off about the Naruto Shippuden anime in our naruto.com discussion forum.

Box Set Summary:

KUNOICHI VS. THE PUPPET MASTER! Team Kakashi is joined by Team Guy in their pursuit of Gaara's kidnappers, Deidara and Sasori, but their way to the Akatsuki hideout is fraught with familiar enemies and deadly traps. Once inside, Sakura and Granny Chiyo must take on Chiyo's own grandson, the puppet master Sasori, whose complex tricks and genius puppetry demand every last ounce of Chiyo's and Sakura's strength and skill to counter. Meanwhile, Naruto and Kakashi take off after Deidara, who is once again on the run with Gaara in tow...

DISC #4: Finally! Kakashi Sensei vs Itachi Uchiha!
Episode 14: Naruto’s Growth
Episode 15: The Secret Weapon is Called….
Episode 16: The Secret of Jinchuriki
Episode 17: The Death of Gaara!

DISC # 5: Gaara Resuce Effort Goes into Overdrive!
Episode 18: Charge Tactic! Button Hook Entry!!
Episode 19: Traps Activate! Team Guy’s Enemy
Episode 20: Hiruko vs. Two Kunoichi!
Episode 21: Sasori's Real Face

DISC # 6: Sakura vs. Sasori of the Red Sand!
Episode 22: Chiyo's Secret Skills
Episode 23: Father and Mother
Episode 24: The Third Kazekage
Episode 25: Three Minutes Between Life and Death
Episode 26: Puppet Fight: 10 vs. 100!

Special Features:
- Voice Actor Featurette: Sand vs. Leaf
- Shippuden Quiz Show
- Interactive Character Relations Chart: Team Guy
- Production Art

So I did a little math, and I came up with this:

10,800 pages.

That’s how many pages are in the entire One Piece manga series at the end of the Speed Up — almost 11,000 pages of Oda-sensei’s masterpiece about grand adventure, loyalty, and a motley crew of Straw Hats Pirates. For almost seven years, we’ve been working hard here at VIZ Media to bring you the best pirate story that isn’t really about pirates. Yup, I looked up when we published our first printing of Oda-sensei’s wildly popular series. And now seven years later, we’re speeding up the release of North American graphic novels to bring it as close to the Japanese schedule as possible. That means we’re releasing 30 volumes in 6 months.

More math…30 volumes…every 6 months…*counts on fingers for a moment* That’s 5 volumes a month! And each one with a really sweet "Wanted Poster" sticker inside. Find the hint on the sticker to get a secret online goodie. 

And now, I’d like to make a confession. When I was first asked to take on the One Piece project, I hadn’t read One Piece. Okay, so I had seen a couple of anime episodes, the first three manga volumes, and whatever else had appeared in SHONEN JUMP magazine (whoo hoo, subscription!). But, I hadn’t actually sat down and really read One Piece in all its detail.

I thought, ”I can do this… 54 volumes to date? Thirty of them in six months…” Crossing my eyes, I did a little more math:

I can read a single manga in about 40 minutes when I take my time. (Yes, I timed myself. At this job, you need to know). So let’s see here: 40 minutes x 54 volumes is….2,160 minutes, which is equal to 36 hours.

Wow. I’ve spent nearly an entire work week reading One Piece. And you know what, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

There are so many wonderful characters—I can’t decide between Sanji or Zolo as my favorite—and awesome story lines. And of course, Oda-sensei’s art is amazing. I kick myself for not picking up the series sooner. It was the best 36 hours I’d spent reading in a while.

But it seems pretty daunting, doesn’t it? There is SOOO much good stuff to read in One Piece. You get the introduction of all the characters in the East Blue Saga, the saving of a princess and her country from an evil conspiracy in the Baroque Works Saga (not to mention Chopper!), the sea in the sky with the Kami in the Skypiea Saga, Luffy’s Afro in the Water Seven Saga (well, other stuff happens, but the Afro is fantastic), the new crewmembers in…well, you get the idea. More plot than this run-on sentence can handle.

If you’re still sitting there making this face: o.O, don’t worry, there’s always one thing you can do:

Start from the beginning.

No math involved, just a whole lot of awesome adventure and great characters. We’ll even help you out: you can read all of volume 1 online for free.

So once you’ve done what the rest of us have done—read the first volume and get yourself hooked—you can then come back here to vizanime.com and actually watch the One Piece anime. See for yourself why so many people are reading 54 manga that total 10,800 pages and why they're devoting 36 hours of their lives to the most epic of titles: One Piece.

— Lex Scheuble (Online Marketing Manager, VIZ Media)

It's championship time in this week's fresh episodes of The Prince of Tennis! The Seigaku team is raring to go, but the focus this week is crazy happenings on and off the court. First, how does a stray cat running out into the middle of an intersection affect a high school tennis match? We're about to find out! Then Ryoma's grizzled dad tries to pretend he's a member of the PTA (as if that's going to convince anyone). And what's with everyone on the Ginka Junior High team coming down with a "stomachache" at the same time? Should we also mention Oishi's teddy bear (aw, cute...) and the fake heart attack? Forget the real games, the mind games have already begun!

Catch these episodes and more in the Prince of Tennis section.

Episode 41: Trouble
The second half of the Metropolitan Matches begins! Fudomine Junior High plays badly due to circumstances beyond their control and forfeits. Ginka Junior High also forfeits and Seigaku advances to the next match to play Yamabuki Junior High!

Episode 42: Oishi is Targeted
Kikumaru and Oishi start their doubles match against Yamabuki Junior High’s Higashikata and Minami. Oishi confronts the same pair that he was unable to beat in last year’s match. And finally Momoshiro’s match with Sengoku starts!