Anime From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anime (Japanese: アニメ?, [anime] ( listen))[a] are Japanese animated productions featuring hand-drawn or computer animation. The word is the
abbreviated pronunciation of "animation" in Japanese, where this term references all animation without regards to the nation of origin.[1] Outside
Japan however, anime is used to refer specifically to animation from Japan or as a Japanese-disseminated animation style often characterized by
colorful graphics, vibrant characters and fantastical themes. [2][3] Arguably, the stylization approach to the meaning may open up the possibility of
anime produced in countries other than Japan.[4][5][6] For simplicity, many Westerners strictly view anime as an animation product from
Japan.[3] Some scholars suggest defining anime as specifically or quintessentially Japanese may be related to a new form of orientalism.[7]

The earliest commercial Japanese animation dates to 1917, and production of anime works in Japan has since continued to increase steadily. The
characteristic anime art style emerged in the 1960s with the works of Osamu Tezuka and spread internationally in the late twentieth century,
developing a large domestic and international audience. Anime is distributed theatrically, by television broadcasts, directly to home media, and
over the Internet. It is classified into numerous genres targeting diverse broad and niche audiences.

Anime is a diverse art form with distinctive production methods and techniques that have been adapted over time in response to emergent
technologies. It consists of an ideal story-telling mechanism, combining graphic art, characterization, cinematography, and other forms of
imaginative and individualistic techniques.[8] The production of anime focuses less on the animation of movement and more on the realism of
settings as well as the use of camera effects, including panning, zooming, and angle shots. Being hand-drawn, anime is separated from reality by a
crucial gap of fiction that provides an ideal path for escapism that audiences can immerse themselves into with relative ease.[8] Diverse art styles
are used and character proportions and features can be quite varied, including characteristically large emotive or realistically sized eyes.

The anime industry consists of over 430 production studios including major names like Studio Ghibli, Gainax, and Toei Animation. Despite
comprising only a fraction of Japan's domestic film market, anime makes up a majority of Japanese DVD sales. It has also seen international success
after the rise of English-dubbed programming. This rise in international popularly has resulted in non-Japanese productions using the anime art
style, but these works are usually described as anime-influenced animation rather than anime proper.

Definition and usage

Anime is an art form, specifically animation, that includes all genres found in cinema, but it can be mistakenly classified as a genre.[9]:7 In Japanese,
the term anime refers to all forms of animation from around the world.[1][10] In English, anime is more restrictively used to denote a "Japanese-style
animated film or television entertainment" or as "a style of animation created in Japan".[2][11]

The etymology of the word anime is disputed. The English term "animation" is written in Japanese katakana as アニメーション (animēshon,
pronounced [animeːɕoɴ])[3] and is アニメ (anime) in its shortened form.[3] Some sources claim that anime derives from the French term for
animation dessin animé,[12][13] but others believe this to be a myth derived from the French popularity of the medium in the late 1970s and
1980s.[3] In English, anime—when used as a common noun—normally functions as a mass noun. (For example: "Do you watch anime?" or "How
much anime have you collected?")[14] Prior to the widespread use of anime, the term Japanimation was prevalent throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
In the mid-1980s, the term anime began to supplant Japanimation.[12][15] In general, the term now only appears in period works where it is used to
distinguish and identify Japanese animation.[15]

In 1987, Hayao Miyazaki stated that he despised the truncated word anime because to him it represented the desolation of the Japanese
animation industry. He equated the desolation with animators lacking motivation and mass-produced, overly expressive products which rely on
fixed iconography for facial expressions and protracted and exaggerated action scenes but lack depth and sophistication because they do not
attempt to convey emotion or thought.[16]

Format

The first format of anime was theatrical viewing which originally began with commercial productions in 1917.[17] Originally the animated flips were
crude and required played musical components before adding sound and vocal components to the production. On July 14, 1958, Nippon
Television aired Mogura no Abanchūru ("Mole's Adventure"), both the first televised and first color anime to debut.[18] It wasn't until the 1960s
when the first televised series were broadcast and it has remained a popular medium since.[9]:13Works released in a direct to video format are
called "original video animation" (OVA) or "original animation video" (OAV); and are typically not released theatrically or televised prior to home
media release.[9]:14[19] The emergence of the Internet has led some animators to distribute works online in a format called "original net anime"
(ONA).[20]

The home distribution of anime releases were popularized in the 1980s with the VHS and Laser Disc formats.[9]:14 The VHS NTSC video format used
in both Japan and the United States is credited as aiding the rising popularity of anime in the 1990s.[9]:14 The Laser Disc and VHS formats were
transcended by the DVD format which offered the unique advantages; including multiple subtitling and dubbing tracks on the same disc.[9]:15 The
DVD format also has its drawbacks in the its usage of region coding; adopted by the industry to solve licensing, piracy and export problems and
restricted region indicated on the DVD player.[9]:15 The Video CD (VCD) format was popular in Hong Kong and Taiwan, but became only a minor
format in the United States that was closely associated with bootleg copies.[9]:15

Genres
Anime are often classified by target demographic, including kodomo (children's), shōjo (girls'), shounen (boys') and a diverse range of genres
targeting an adult audience. Shoujo and shounen anime sometimes contain elements popular with children of both sexes in an attempt to gain
crossover appeal. Adult anime may feature a slower pace or greater plot complexity that younger audiences typically find unappealing, as well as
adult themes and situations.:44–48 A subset of adult anime works feature pornographic elements and are labeled "R18" in Japan, but internationally
these works are grouped together under the term hentai (Japanese for "pervert"). By contrast, a variety of anime subgenres across demographic
groups incorporate ecchi, sexual themes or undertones without depictions of sexual intercourse, as typified in the comedic or harem genres; due
to its popularity among adolescent and adult anime enthusiasts, incorporation of ecchi elements in anime is considered a form of fan
service.[35][36]:89

Anime's genre classification is different from other types of animation and does not lend itself to simple identity. [9]:34 Gilles Poitras compared the
labeling Gundam 0080 and its complex depiction of war as a "giant robot" anime akin to simply labeling War and Peace a "war novel".[9]:34 Science
fiction is a major anime genre and includes important historical works like Tezuka's Astro Boy and Yokoyama's Tetsujin 28-go. A major subgenre of
science fiction is mecha, with the Gundam metaseries being iconic.[9]:35 The diversefantasy genre includes works based on Asian and Western
traditions and folklore; examples include the Japanese feudal fairytale InuYasha, and the depiction of Scandinavian goddesses who move to Japan
to maintain a computer called Yggdrasil in Oh My Goddess!.[9]:37–40 Genre crossing in anime is also prevalent, such as the blend of fantasy and
comedy in Dragon Half, and the incorporation of slapstick humor in the crime anime Castle of Cagliostro.[9]:41–43 Other subgenres found in anime
include magical girl, harem, sports, martial arts, literary adaptations, medievalism,[37] and war.[9]:45–49

Genres have emerged that explore homosexual romances. While originally pornographic in terminology, yaoi (male homosexuality)
and yuri (female homosexuality) are broad terms used internationally to describe any focus on the themes or development of romantic
homosexual relationships. Prior to 2000, homosexual characters were typically used for comedic effect, but some works portrayed these
characters seriously or sympathetically.[9]:50

6 Anime on Netflix You Have to Watch BEN SPEAR | 16 SEP 2015 20:00

Why is Japanese Animation worth watching? There are many answers. Some are obvious. Others are deceptively simple. Among the obvious ones
are Anime's wonderful imagery and aesthetics. In its use of sexuality and beauty, the imagery can be as tantalizing as a Klimt or a Goya. In its
evocation of fantasy and myth, the imagery reminds us of the 19th century Romantics. In its presentation of giant fighting robots fighting for
freedom, Space cowboys fighting against corruption, and vigilante flying ships juxtaposed against an utterly black void, Anime shows us the
irrepressible power of freedom.

If imagery is a partial answer to the question of Anime's continued place in popular culture, so too is its music. The music can be upbeat, sad,
stirring and peaceful, but like a Wagner opera, it is always a central part of, not a mere addition to, the narrative. The music borrows from all
idioms; we are as likely to hear jazz and hip-hop as we are to hear heavy metal, classical or blues. And it is all done to move the story forward, to be
a seamless part of a film's entire fabric.

Anime shows us the irrepressible power of freedom.

But these two reasons for watching anime, imagery and music, belong in the domain of the connoisseur; they are derived primarily from the
animators' technical skills, and while they, in themselves, are certainly valid answers to the question why we watch Japanese Animation, there are
two others that I believe are at the very core of the art. Without them, the other two are not possible. I am referring to the power of its characters
and the universality of its themes. The characters in Japanese animation are deeply and melodramatically human; they feel intense love,
happiness, and rage, yet they also certainly feel isolation and alienation. We are drawn to these characters because at their essence they are just
like us. We have experienced their joy. And we have endured their loss. Just as the characters are human so are the themes. They address real
world topics; themes of relationships, themes of corrupt corporations and politicians, themes of alienation and power, and certainly themes of
rebellion, liberation and freedom. Themes are often organized within the structure of Japanese mythology, seriously addressed by their directors
and creators.

As Darren Ashmore, an old friend who teaches at Yamanashi Gakuin University noted several weeks ago, much of animation was for kiddies, but
Japanese Animation creators didn't trivialize the characters, their stories, or their themes. But, you ask, where can we watch such wonderful stuff?
Japanese animation can often be hard to find. Fortunately, the folks at Netflix recognize the importance of Japanese Animation. As a start, I would
recommend these six. I think they'll cause you to make Anime a regular part of your diet...

Hoverboard From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A hoverboard (or hover board) is a levitating board used for personal transportation in the films Back to the Future Part II and Back to the Future
Part III. Hoverboards resemble a skateboard without wheels. During the 1990s there were rumors, fuelled by directorRobert Zemeckis,[1] that
hoverboards were in fact real, but not marketed because they were deemed too dangerous by parents' groups. These rumors have been
conclusively debunked.[1] Some companies hoping to leverage the commercial success of the movies have marketed hovercraft vehicles as
hoverboards, but these products have not been shown to replicate the experience depicted in the movies. Subsequent to the movies the
hoverboard concept has been reused by many authors in various forms of media in fictional universes not directly related to Back to the Future.
The Guinness World Records recognizes the term hoverboard to include autonomously powered personal levitators. In May 2015, the Romania-
born Canadian inventor Catalin Alexandru Duru set a Guinness World Record by travelling a distance of 275.9 m (302 yd) at heights up to 5 m
(16 ft) over a lake, on an autonomously powered hoverboard of his own design and construction.

Real world[edit]

Several companies have drawn on hovercraft technology to attempt and create hoverboard-like products but none have demonstrated similar
experiences to those depicted in films.

In the 1950s Hiller aircraft produced the "Flying Platform" which was similar to the modern concept of a hover board.[2] Rumors circulated in 2001
that inventor Dean Kamen's new invention, codenamed Ginger, was a transportation device resembling the Hoverboard. In reality Ginger was
theSegway Human Transporter, a self-balancing two-wheeled electric transportation device. In 2004, Jamie Hyneman and his team built a
makeshift hovercraft for MythBusters, dubbed the Hyneman Hoverboard, from a surfboard and leafblower. However, Jamie's hoverboard was not
very effective.

In 2005, Jason Bradbury created a "hoverboard" for The Gadget Show, using a wooden board that was levitated by means of a leafblower. The
original design was not propelled and could also not be steered. In 2009, a second version was made which was propelled/steered by a small jet
engine (rather than a fan as with an air boat), and also contained 2 (more powerful) leafblowers.

In 2011, French artist Nils Guadagnin created a hovering board that floats by magnetic repulsion between it and its base but cannot carry a load.
The board includes a laser system which ensures stabilization, in addition to an electromagnetic system which makes the levitation possible.[3][4] In
October 2011, the Université Paris Diderot in France presented the "Mag surf", a superconducting device which levitates 3 cm (1.2 in) above two
magnetized repulsing floor rails and can carry up to 100 kg (220 lb).[5]

In March 2014, a company called HUVr claimed to have developed the technology for hoverboards, and released a video advertising the product
on YouTube featuringChristopher Lloyd, Tony Hawk, Moby, Terrell Owens, and others riding hoverboards through a parking lot in Los Angeles.
Special effect failures such as incomplete wire removalhave conclusively identified the video as a hoax or joke, traced to the Funny or Die website
through identification of the cast and public references to the project.[6] Funny or Die later posted a video featuring Christopher Lloyd "apologizing"
for the hoax.[7]

In October 2014, American inventor Greg Henderson demonstrated a prototype hoverboard working on a magnetic levitation principle. Similar to
maglev trains, the hoverboard requires a surface of non-ferromagnetic metal such as copper or aluminum to function, carrying up to 140 kg
(300 lb) while hovering 2.5 cm (1 in) above the surface. Four engines were used to power the magnetic levitation, with the option of applying
thrust and spin to the board under user control. The prototype was promoted in a campaign onKickstarter the day of the news coverage, with a
price of $10,000 for the first ten boards.[8][9][10] The New York Times said that although the board worked, Greg Henderson had no personal interest
in skateboarding and that the Kickstarter was "basically a publicity stunt," designed to call attention to his California-based company, Arx Pax's,
Magnetic Field Architecture (MFA) which Henderson was more interested in using for other applications, such as an emergency maglev mechanism
capable of raising buildings from their foundations to protect them from earthquakes. Henderson was quoted as saying, "That's why we picked the
hoverboard: to capture that attention. If one in 10 people realize there is another use for this stuff, that would be a great success."[11]

In May, 2015, Guinness World Records announced that the Romania-born Canadian inventor Catalin Alexandru Duru had set a new record for
continuous travel as a controlling pilot on an autonomously powered hoverboard, travelling over a distance of 275.9 m (302 yd) at heights up to
5 m (16 ft) over Lake Ouareau in the province of Quebec, Canada. Video of the flight leading to a controlled splash-down is offered.[12] Duru had
designed and constructed the hoverboard himself over the course of a year. Its lift is generated by propellors, and the pilot controls the craft with
his feet.

On 24 June 2015, Lexus released a video as part of their "Amazing in Motion" series purporting to show a real hoverboard they had developed. It
was stated by Lexus that the board worked using liquid-nitrogen-cooled superconductors and permanent magnets. The board was shown moving
over a conventional looking concrete skateboard park surface, which led to some skepticism. Lexus apparently later admitted that it only works on
special metallic surfaces and the surface shown was not just concrete.[13] On August 4, 2015, Lexus revealed all the secrets of the The SLIDE
hoverboard with a promotional campaign, filmed in Barcelona and starring Ross McGouran, a professional London skateboarder. Lexus released a
series of videos explaining the technology and the whole engineering, research, and development process in association with all its partners. [14]

A U T HOR : R HE TT A LLA I N .RHE T T A LLA I N SCI E N CE / DA T E OF P U B LI CAT I ON: 10.20. 15. 10. 20. 15 / T IM E OF P U B LI CA T I ON:
7 :0 0 A M . 7:00 A M

HOW THE MOST PROMISING HOVERBOARDS ACTUALLY WORK

LE X U S

I’m not sure why everyone is obsessed with hoverboards, but they are. Perhaps would could just blame Back to the Future II and the scene where
Marty McFly used one. Personally, I am still just waiting for my flying car.
In case you haven’t been paying attention, there are three different working hoverboards that actually exist. Here is a review of the physics of
these three different boards.

Omni Hoverboard

I think this is the model that is the most like what we would expect of a hoverboard. It’s basically just a small helicopter, except you stand on top of
the rotors instead of sitting underneath them.

How does it work? For all hoverboards, you need some upward force to push against the gravitational force. For the Omni hoverboard, this upward
force is from the air. The props push air downward resulting in an upward force on the rotors. Here is a more complete explanation along with
some calculations.

Why is it awesome? Just like a helicopter, you can move both up and down as well as side to side. If you don’t think this flies like a hoverboard, I
don’t think you will find anything better. Also, as you can see in the video above, the Omni hoverboard can fly over water or land. It doesn’t really
matter what is below it.

Where does it fall short? The Omni hoverboard has two major flaws. First is the flight time. Since this is essentially like an electric powered
quadcopter, it needs a battery. Batteries are heavy, so you can only power the propellers for a couple of minutes of flight time. Second, this thing
looks super dangerous. What if you crash into a pedestrian standing on the ground? Would it kill that human or just seriously injure them?

Hendo Hoverboard

The Hendo hoverboard came out some time last year. It might not be just like the one in Back to the Future II, but at least Tony Hawk rode it. Also,
it seems Hawk is helping with the next version of the hoverboard.

How does it work? The Hendo engine uses electromagnets that produce changing magnetic fields to interact with a conducting surface. Basically
when these electromagnets change the magnetic field that produces an electric current in the metallic surface underneath the hoverboard. This
electric current then produces its own magnetic field to repel the hoverboard electromagnets. Although the idea seems straightforward, it’s
difficult to get it to work in real life. Why is it awesome? It’s clearly a skateboard that hovers. That’s pretty awesome.

Where does it fall short? The primary problem with this hoverboard is that it only hovers over a conducting surface. If you put this over water, the
electromagnets would still make changing magnetic fields but without an electric conductor below it there would be no repulsion. The other small
problem is that it doesn’t ride like a skateboard. Hopefully this can change with the help of Tony Hawk.

The Lexus Hoverboard

Yes, it’s true. Lexus made a hoverboard. It really works too. I’m still not sure why they did it.

How does it work? Again, this hoverboard uses magnetic fields. Instead of changing magnetic fields from an electromagnet, the Lexus hoverboard
uses superconductors. When a superconductor is placed near a magnet, you can get a levitation effect. That’s essentially what happens here. The
magnets are in the ground and the superconductor is inside the board.

Why is it awesome? This board is awesome because it’s much smaller than either the Hendo or the Omni hoverboard (at least for now). It looks the
most like a skateboard that also hovers.

Where does it fall short? Just like the Hendo, this board also requires a special surface to ride it on. It doesn’t work over water or any other surface
that doesn’t already have magnets embedded in the ground. Another drawback is the superconducting magnets. Superconductors need to be very
cold in order to have the levitating properties. This means that you need to add something like liquid nitrogen (-320°F or 77K) to keep them cold.
You can see the water vapor condensing in the air from the very cold magnets. That gives a cool look but you would have to keep adding liquid
nitrogen as you ride. I guess we are still waiting for the perfect hoverboard.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Percy Jackson & the Olympians, often shortened to Percy Jackson, is a pentalogy of adventure and fiction books written by Rick Riordan.[1] Five
supplementary books, along with 3 graphic novels, have also been released. More than 45 million copies of the books have been sold in more than
35 countries.[2]

As of October 28, 2011, the series has been on The New York Times Best Seller list for children's book series for 223 weeks.[3] The first book was
adapted into a film titled Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief in 2010, which was commercially successful, but received mixed
reviews. An adaptation of the second book, titled Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters, was released in 2013.[4][5]

Origins[edit source | edit]

Riordan at the Texas Book Festival in November 2007 (advance publicity for book 4)

Development for both The Lightning Thief and the Percy Jackson series commenced when Rick Riordan began making stories for his son Haley
Riordan, who had at the time been diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia.[6] His son had been studying Greek mythology in second grade and
requested that his father tell him bedtime stories based on Greek myths. When Riordan ran out of myths, his son suggested that he make up new
stories using existing mythological characters and new ones. This led Riordan to create the fictional character of Percy Jackson and create the story
of how he travels across the United States to recover Zeus's lightning-bolt.

While he left his manuscript to his agent and editor for review, Riordan took his book to a group of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders to read and critique.
He gained their approval, and with their help, came up with the name of the book and created the way Percy's sword works.[7] In 2004, the book
was sold to Miramax Books for enough money for Riordan to quit his job and focus on writing.[8] After it was released on 28 June 2005, it sold over
1.2 million copies. The book was released in multiple versions, including hardcover, paperback and audio editions. [9][10] It has been translated into
multiple languages and published all over the world.[11]

Books[edit source | edit]

The Lightning Thief[edit source | edit] Main article: The Lightning Thief
The Lightning Thief is the first book in the series and was released on July 1, 2005.

After returning home from his boarding school for the summer, Percy and his mother Sally Jackson, travel to their cabin in Montauk. However, the
trip is cut short and after a series of harrowing incidents, Percy finds himself at Camp Half-Blood, a training camp for demigods like him. He
discovers that he is a demigod son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, and that the gods are accusing him of having stolen Zeus' master
lightning bolt. To clear his name and save the world from another war between the Olympian gods, he sets out to retrieve the lightning bolt
from Hades whom they believe is the real thief. Thus Percy Jackson and his companions, a satyr named Grover Underwood andAnnabeth Chase, a
daughter of Athena, start on a journey to the underworld, facing numerous mythological monsters on the way. After confronting an innocent
Hades, they learn that their friend Luke Castellan, son of Hermes, is the real thief who stole the bolt to allow Kronos, the defeated king of the
Titans, a chance to rise again.

The book was adapted into a film by Chris Columbus and 20th Century Fox, under the title Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, and
was released on February 12, 2010.

The Sea of Monsters[edit source | edit] Main article: The Sea of Monsters
The Sea of Monsters is the second installment in the series, released on April 1, 2006.

Camp Half-Blood is under attack when Thalia's tree, which guards the borders of the camp, is poisoned and slowly begins to die. In order to save
the tree and the camp someone must recover the Golden Fleece which is somewhere in the Sea of Monsters. At the same time, Percy finds out
that Grover, who has left on a quest to find the missing god Pan, has been caught by the cyclops Polyphemus and that the Fleece is on Polyphemus'
island. Together with Annabeth and his half-brother Tyson, himself a cyclops, Percy sets out to rescue Grover. Meanwhile Clarisse La Rue, daughter
of Ares, is sent on an official quest by Camp Half-Blood to retrieve the Fleece. The trip to the Sea of Monsters is long and hazardous and along the
way the heroes encounter several dangers including Scylla and Charybdis, the sorceress Circe, the Sirens and their former friend Luke Castellan.
Percy also learns about a prophecy from the Oracle about a child of one of the three most important gods (Zeus, Poseidon and Hades), which in all
likelihood refers to Percy, playing a vital part in the success or failure of the resurrection of Kronos the Titan-King. The heroes eventually retrieve
the Fleece and restore Thalia's tree but also unknowingly revive Thalia herself, daughter of Zeus, who had been turned into the tree by her father.

The book was adapted into a film by Thor Freudenthal and 20th Century Fox, under the title Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, and was released on
August 7, 2013.

The Titan's Curse[edit source | edit] Main article: The Titan's Curse
The Titan's Curse is the third installment in the series. It was released on May 11, 2007.[12]

On a mission to rescue half-bloods Bianca and Nico di Angelo, Percy, Annabeth, Thalia and Grover are attacked by a manticore and rescued by the
goddess Artemis and her Hunters. However, Annabeth falls off a cliff whilst trying to fight the manticore and is said to be captured. Later, Artemis
is captured by Luke's army while on the hunt for the Ophiotaurus, a cow-serpent monster that was foretold to bring the downfall of Olympus when
its entrails are sacrificed to a fire. Her lieutenant Zoe Nightshade, daughter of Atlas, leads Bianca, Thalia and Grover on a quest to save her. Percy,
who was not invited to join the party, follows them on behalf of Nico Di Angelo, promising that he will do his best to protect his sister, Bianca. The
others eventually find Percy, and he joins their group. They become the prey of skeletons, who chase them across the country. Bianca is able to kill
one, which leaves the others mystified. Bianca later dies as they make their way across a godly junkyard. They find Annabeth with Luke and
Artemis, who is holding up the sky. Percy then takes it from Artemis and they trick Atlas into his original position under the sky again. Thalia
replaces Zoe, who dies, as Artemis' lieutenant. Thalia's induction as a lieutenant of Artemis ensures that she will become immortal, never aging to
16, thus escaping the Great Prophecy and leaving Percy to fulfill it. They return to camp and Percy informs Nico about Bianca's death during the
journey. Nico blames Percy for failing to protect her and runs away, only after killing skeletons that invade the camp, so that Percy realizes
that Hades is Nico's father.

The Battle of the Labyrinth[edit source | edit] Main article: The Battle of the Labyrinth
The Battle of the Labyrinth is the fourth installment in the series. It was released on May 6, 2008.

After being attacked by monsters, Percy returns to Camp Half-Blood and learns about the Labyrinth. Annabeth and Percy find an entrance into the
Labyrinth in camp. Percy soon learns that Luke will use the entrance to lead his army through the Labyrinth straight into the heart of camp.
Annabeth is chosen to lead a quest to prevent it, and chooses to bring Tyson, Percy,and Grover, even though it was traditional to bring only 2
companions on a quest, as explained by Chiron. While in the Labyrinth, Percy and Annabeth become separated from Grover and Tyson. They
encounter Nico, who begins to forgive Percy. Percy and Annabeth arrive under Mount St. Helens. Percy accidentally causes St. Helens to erupt and
washes ashore on Calypso's Island. He returns to Camp Half-Blood, rather than staying with her, stating that "she would always be his biggest
'what-if'". Then he and Annabeth recruit a mortal girl, Rachel Dare to be a guide in the Labyrinth, using her sight through the Mist, the magical veil
that separates the mythological world from the mortal world, and her knowledge for the quest. Daedalus is shown to be alive and to have given
Ariadne's string to Luke. They find Grover and Tyson and discover Pan, and Grover tells him that he must return to the world. But Pan says that he
cannot come and before dying tells Grover to tell those who will listen that he has died. Grover does what he is told. Percy also finds Luke's body in
Kronos' coffin. A final demigod joins the Titans' cause, and Kronos fully rises, using Luke's body. They flee to camp, trying to stop the invasion.
Kronos' forces attack the camp, but they are defeated. The book ends with Daedalus sacrificing himself after the battle to destroy the Labyrinth, as
it is tied to his life force, and Nico Di Angelo fully forgiving Percy and proposing a dangerous plan for defeating the Titans.

The Last Olympian[edit source | edit] Main article: The Last Olympian
The Last Olympian, the fifth and final book in the Percy Jackson series, was released on May 5, 2009.[13]

Percy Jackson learns that Kronos' forces are preparing to attack Olympus. Poseidon, Percy's father, decides that it is time for Percy to now fulfill the
Great Prophecy. Seeking to defeat Kronos, like Achilles did, Percy bathes in the River Styx, making his body invulnerable except one small chosen
part of his body (the small of his back). Kronos leads a siege of New York City and puts its citizens to sleep. Percy leads the campers, Hunters,
nature spirits, and centaurs to protect Mount Olympus from Kronos and his forces. While they protect Olympus, the gods hold down the monster
Typhon as he makes his way to New York. Kronos, possessing Luke's body, forces his way into Olympus and battles Percy in Olympus' throne room.
Typhon reaches New York but is defeated after the arrival of Poseidon's forces, led by Tyson. Annabeth is able to make Luke come back to his
senses, and Percy gives him Annabeth's knife. Luke stabs himself in his mortal spot (as he also was invulnerable from bathing in the River Styx) to
destroy Kronos and save Mount Olympus, but Luke dies. The gods reward Percy and his friends, and offer him immortality. He rejects the offer, but
instead requests the gods to claim all their children and to have cabins for all the gods, including the minor ones. Rachel Elizabeth Dare becomes
the Oracle and recites the next Great Prophecy. The book finishes with Percy and Annabeth becoming a couple, and ominous clouds looming over
Rachel's next Great Prophecy.

| Roger Ebert February 10, 2010 | Print Page

Every movie involving superheroes requires an origin story, and "Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief" has a doozy. The Greek gods
on Mount Olympus sometimes descend to earth to have children, you see, and these half god, half humans are demigods. They live among us. One
is Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman), who is the teenage son of Poseidon and Sally Jackson (Catherine Keener). But he doesn't know this. I wonder if his
mom noticed. Kind of a letdown to discover Greek gods are runaway dads.

Percy finds he can think best when underwater for 10 minutes at a time. Poseidon was the god of the sea, you will recall. His best buddy is Grover
(Brandon T. Jackson), who is revealed as a sort of assistant demigod assigned to watch over him. His teacher is Mr. Brunner (Pierce Brosnan), who
is actually Chiron, a centaur. Give Brosnan a lot credit for wearing the back half of a horse as if he'd been doing it for years. The movie, based on a
novel by Rick Riordan, has fun working out modern parallels for Greek mythology. Percy, for example, thinks he is dyslexic, but it's only that his
eyes instinctively turn English into Greek letters. That's no help in class. After learning of his real identity, he goes off to Chiron's demigod training
camp with Grover, and he becomes friends with Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario), a demi-goddess if ever I've seen one.

The plot heats up. Zeus (Sean Bean) and Poseidon (Kevin McKidd) meet atop the Empire State Building to discuss Zeus' missing lightning bolt, which
he believes Percy, Poseidon's son, has stolen. (The story requires a certain suspension of disbelief.) Why, when or how he allegedly might have
done so begins as a mystery to Percy, but eventually the situation leads to slam-bam special-effects sequences, as the gods and demigods do
battle. Undoubtedly the biggest attraction among the gods is Medusa, and Uma Thurman demonstrates she can wear a snake-covered head as
gracefully as Pierce Brosnan can trot around with a horse's netherlands. There is also the advent of Steve Coogan as Hades. Yes, Steve Coogan.
Hades, you recall, is the brother of Zeus and Poseidon.

Or maybe you don't recall. It's one of my weaknesses that I was never able to work up much of an interest in the Greek gods, who made for
discouraging fiction because they were entirely defined by their attributes. They had no personalities to speak of, but simply went about doing
what they did. You can understand why Zeus is so upset about losing his lightning bolt. That's what he does, hurl that lightning bolt. What is Zeus
without his bolt? Director Chris Columbus has fun with this goofy premise, but as always I am distracted by the practical aspects of the story. Does
it bother the Greek gods that no one any longer knows or cares that they rule the world? What are the genetic implications of human/god
interbreeding?

And, forgive me, I'll have to double back to Sally Jackson, Percy's mother. How did she meet Poseidon? At the beach, I suppose. Did he reveal his
true identity? If a guy picks you up at the beach and says he's Poseidon, do you say, fine, let's not date, let's just mate? Then when the bastard
dumps you and disappears, leaving you pregnant, what way is that for a god to behave?

My remaining question involves the title. Call me foolish, but I don't consider "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" an ideal title.
The movie's original title was "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief," which at least has the advantage of sounding less like a singing group.