First cards from Betrayers of Kamigawa revealed

[Oversoul]

Well, Arabian Nights was based on actual stories (and some history too). I have always found it to be rather cool.

The Ice Age block stuff was focused on the mechanics of the cards themselves, with the flavor drawing inspiration from European fantasy. This also holds for the Africanesque elements in Mirage, etc.

With Kamigawa, the purpose of these elements seems to have shifted. The whole Japanese thing isn't being used strictly as an inspiration. I think they might have gone overboard trying to force the block to seem more Japanese. Then again, some of it seems to have turned out pretty well...

 

[Spiderman]

I thought Mark Rosewater's article was interesting since it sorta covered why they decided to go ninja and Japanese theme (and away from European fantasy)

 

[Reverend Love]

Yea but the Ninjas in magic aren't really discernable from any other ninja. There's exactly 0% innovation. Unless you count dressing a rat up in a ninja costume as breaking new ground. There's nothing that marks these particular ninja's as Magic's Ninjas. That being said I like the mechanic and don't particularly care what it's attached to.

/Off Topic
As long as Anime doesn't creep its foul features into Magic I'll be fine. That would be one of the lines that if crossed I would quit the game.

Sorry guys, I know there are a few Anime fans here but as you can tell I'm not one of them.

 

[Notepad]

No, I am in no way an anime fan, sorry.

Hentai, on the other hand...

What!?

 

[Spiderman]

What would be "anime" features? Are there certain characteristics or characters (I assume you mean set mechanic-type stuff as opposed to just the art, which is easily discernible)?

 

[Notepad]

I think he means the same lame big-eyed goofy spike-haired "orphans with amnesia" crap that litters all of anime. Yes, that would be very bad in Magic.