Complex 69: Animation Control

Occult Academy

2010-11-24T21:36:00.000-08:00

Synopsis:

After the death of her father, Maya Kumashiro is appointed headmistress of Waldstein Academy to take over the job that he once held. The only thing is that Waldstein Academy is a school dedicated to the study of the occult... which she despises. She reluctantly assumes her role as the headmistress and also a student with the intention to destroy the school by superseding her fathers position. However, when she is visited by a time travelling agent that warns her of a forthcoming apocalypse, she puts her plans on hold until she can prevent the events as foretold in the Nostradamus Prophecy. Maybe Maya doesn't hate the occult all that much.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 13

Review:

The first thing I noticed is that when Occult Academy started, it didn't try very hard to capture my attention. In the first episode you're introduced to a very irritable Maya attending her fathers funeral. Although it's evident she doesn't want to be there, Occult Academy decides to kick things off by having a his final audio recording accidentally summon a demon that possess him and his dead body rises, floats around, and starts causing chaos all over the school. Now, doesn't this sound a little familiar at all? Evil Dead anyone? While some may think that this is an homage to some old school horror, to me it shows a lack of originality and ultimately... it's kind of stupid. Although this is the event that starts to being Maya back into the world of the occult, what follows in later episodes is even less eventful.

Now, bringing in a time traveller, named Bunmei, that forewarns the destruction of Earth in the future was sort of a saving grace in the earlier episodes. But Occult Academy does practically nothing with this angle on the story. Instead, this anime just keeps screwing around with having Maya and Bunmei fighting all these lesser, and not very interesting, creatures like an over-sized moth or goblins. Occult Academy goes along with this 'monster-of-the-week' presentation with each episode ending with Bunmei saying that they didn't find the Nostradamus Key which is rumored to be able to save Earth from it's impending doom. Stringing you along from episode to episode you'll realize, nothing is happening and as a matter of fact what you watch has very little to do with being related to the occult. It's not until the tenth episode where any plot Occult Academy has begins to show itself in the form of a witch that wants to kill Maya, detroy the Academy, and take over the world. Everything up to this point is just fluff and could barely hold my attention and it all concludes with an ending that can only be described as beyond stupid that will have you asking yourself, "What in the hell was that all about"?

The animation itself diverges from the classic style we are all used to and the characters are presented well with no stone unturned, even Bunmei's mysterious past is brought full circle. And sure, Maya is smokin' hot, but that's just not enough to go on with Occult Academy as this anime can't tell a decent story for the supernatural genre it wants to fit into. Instead, it holds about as many surprises as someone putting a sheet over their head in an attempt to look like a ghost and saying "Boo"! If you decide not to watch this anime you won't be missing much with this turd.

Occult Academy (opening)

Recommendation: |Very Low|

From: Crunchyroll
Media type: Internet streaming
Languages: Japanese
Subtitles: English

Watch it for free at Crunchroll: Occult Academy

Koi Kaze

2010-11-07T05:52:00.000-08:00

Synopsis:

27 year old Koshiro Saeki has just broken up with his girlfriend but he doesn't seem to be overly depressed about it. As a matter of fact it seems to have put him into an emotional hardshell that he has no intention of breaking out of. While exiting from his usual train ride to work he notices a young girl that has dropped her train pass and before she gets away he is able to catch her and returns it. She introduces herself as Nanoka and Koshiro starts to find himself strangely intrigued with her. Later that day he sees Nanoka again when he leaves work and decides to give her a pair of amusement park tickets that he received as a gift that he's been trying to give away all day. Nanoka accepts on the terms that he goes with her, with nothing better to do Koshiro agrees and what started as a simple way to kill time now has become a date as Koshiro has no problems talking with Nanoka and she tells him everything about her life. When leaving the park Koshiro meets up with his father whom he is moving in with after his recent break up and his father is relieved to see Koshiro has already been introduced to his lost sister... the 15 year old Nanoka who is standing right next to him that he just spent most of his day with.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 13

Review:

After Koshiro moves back in with his father and sister, you can pretty much guess what happens after reading the synopsis. The thing with Koi Kaze is that it's a bit different here as no matter how attracted he finds himself being toward his 15 year old sister he keeps fighting a losing battle using any means necessary from locking himself in his room, working massive overtime, ignoring Nanoka, even being verbally abusive to her.

However, Nanoka constantly pushes the issues of always wanting to be around him and do anything to make him smile, even breaking down and flat out saying she's in love with him... this 27 year old Frankenstein looking man that happens to be her brother. With most of the show you won't know whether to be creeped out by this in general or to have Koshiro quit being a brute and accept Nanoka... even though she is his younger sister. In the end I did find myself hoping that everything worked out for Nanoka even though it was sort of hard to get past the fact that her older brother looked like a reformed Swamp Thing.

Koi Kaze has some dated looking animation but it's also unique at the same time because it puts Koshiro and Nanoka in their own little world where you'll find yourself focusing on them and everything else is bleak and uninteresting. Even though you'll find yourself instantly attached to Nanoka you'll find your hatred continue to grow for Koshiro through the episodes and then he will try to redeem himself with the audience towards the end which by that time is almost too late. I liked this type of characterization as it's what carries the series and doesn't rely on a strong plot and it works out overall. I recommend this series not for only for it's story but for the way it makes you question your own method of thinking throughout the series. It's a drama, it's about incest, it's about incest involving a 15 (turned 16 through the course of the show) year old girl whose only source of happiness is her 27 year old brother, if you can get past that... it really is a good show.

Koi Kaze (AMV)

Recommendation: |Above Average|

Media type: DVD
From: Geneon Entertainment
Languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

Heroman

2010-11-04T12:57:00.000-07:00

"You talkin' ta me?"

Synopsis:

Joey is your average all American kid. Having to move in with his grandmother after his parents died, Joey spends his most of his free time working and trying to save up for a technologically advances toy robot called Heybo but he knows he'll never be able to afford it with his meager wage. Luckily though Joey happens upon one of the school bullies throwing a Heybo away after it was struck by a car. Not about to let this chance pass him by, Joey takes the broken down toy robot home and repairs it naming it Heroman. The same night that Joey finally gets Heroman the robot fixed there is also a huge thunderstorm that causes a bolt of lightening to hit Joey's house, go through the roof, and strike Heroman. But instead of turning the little guy into a pile of ashes, the lightening changes Heroman into a real robot and imbues him with a multitude of superpowers that Joey now has the controller for. What Joey didn't know is that the massive storm going on was caused by aliens that are about to invade Earth. It's time for Joey and Heroman to step up and become real heros.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 26

Review:

Y'know, I was really grasping for words to try an make a synopsis a show where every episode goes a little something like this:

Heroman... ATTACK!!

FABOOM!!!

To be continued...

That's all there is to it. But, let's try take a look at the show a little more in depth. Heroman is the production of Bones animation studio and Marvel Comics' Stan Lee calling it "A new hero for the 21st century" Really? I'm not so sure that a robot that looks like the Michelin Man on steroids is the ideal icon to fit the bill, especially when he's controlled by some kid that you mistake for a girl in the first half of the season. Also, using something like a bolt of lightening to change a toy into a huge robot is far too heavily cliched and just plain cheesy. It's almost like Stan Lee was out of ideas and gave Heroman his powers by picking random options out of a hat.

Other than Heroman's brief and crappy background, the surrounding story isn't all that bad as Heroman kicks off the series with a bang. The first part of the story you get to see is Earth's invasion from hostile alien's summoned by Professor Denton's curiosity of life on other planets. Sending out radio signals into space that attracts the unwanted visitors (looks like somebody's been watching Jimmy Neutron) called the Skrugg which look like a bunch of walking cockroaches. You get to see the humans pathetic attempts to stop the invaders prove to be frivolous but Joey puts Heroman to the test and attacks with superhuman strength and otherworldly power to suppress the hostile insectoids. The thing that makes Heroman a little different is that he doesn't say anything, no lame-ass catch phrases and no holier-than-thou attitude displayed from his controller, Joey... which makes for a damn good team. And even though Joey looks like a shy little girl at first, he starts maturing... character-wise, through the actions that he chooses to have Heroman act upon. That, and the episode where him and Lina go to the beach resolves and doubt I had about Joey's gender.

Luckily, Heroman doesn't focus it's story on having Heroman and Joey destroying aliens but manages to work in other opposing forces such as mad scientists and the government. This is done through subtle plot twists that are set in motion from the very beginning of the show instead of having monster A from planet B just show up and attack in every episode. So, when you think everything has been resolved you realize that a new story is taking place which makes for well paced progression. The only main drawback is Joey's companions as they present themselves as more of a hinderance and their flat and dull screen presence leaves them unnoticable except for Lina and her school cheerleader outfit that she wears... all the time. You can't ignore legs like that!

All in all Heroman is a predictable superhero tale that even follows the usual story progression going from new hero on the block to exiled war veteran and finishing up with being everyone's savior. This is one of the few times where the story itself is on par with the main characters both good and evil and neither overshadows the other. In the end, you can't deny the fact that Heroman has it's own charm and it's still worth checking out.

Heroman (opening)

Recommendation: |Average|

From: Crunchyroll
Media type: Internet streaming
Languages: Japanese
Subtitles: English

M.D. Geist & M.D. Geist II: Death Force

2010-09-19T01:38:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

On the post apocalyptic world of Jerra, Geist, a genetically engineered soldier of death has had his stasis satellite crashland planetside. Geist is part of a project called the Most Dangerous Soldier designed to tip the scales in favor of the Regular Army who is in battle against the rebels of the Nexrum Army in an ongoing civil war. However, the project is a failure and all of the Most Dangerous soldiers became mentally unstable and went on psychotic killing sprees. All of the soldiers were eliminated save for Geist who was far too powerful and was subdued into a space prison. Now Geist is back and ready for the next battle.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 2

Review:

Since there is not much to say about these OVAs I'll just cover them in one review. M.D. Geist is a sci-fi action flick, pure and simple. As a matter of fact, the show focuses on action so much that it's hard to pick apart what little plot there is other than watching a show that gives Geist a chance to don cool looking armor and strike poses while avoiding bullets without moving. This is your typical 80's macho man action movie so there really is no characterization or much of a plot other than watching Geist killing anyone in his way being an emotionally devoid machine of death. Geist's quest to constantly be in battle even leads him to accelerate the annihilation of mankind. This is one show that has not aged very well and it's 80's animation doesn't help and what may have been cool back then comes across as extremely cheesy these days. The sequel, Death Force, that was released 10 years later doesn't do much to change the formula with the mindset that the audience wanted more of the same but that prediction couldn't be further from the truth and plays out worse than the original. The only thing I can really give credit to is the fact that this movie uses a psycho as it's protagonist which isn't something that's done regularly but you'll still loathe the guy while watching him destroy mankind. The English track wasn't that bad but I find this hard to recommend as it's presentation is extremely dated that can't even hold onto it's nostalgic roots.

M.D. Geist: Merciless Soldier (AMV)

Recommendation: |Low|

*Note - The license for this was once held by Central Park Media then ADV films but both are now defunct so no media info.

Shinigami no Ballad

2010-09-14T23:40:00.000-07:00

Synopsis:

Momo is a shinigami, a god of death leading deceased souls to "the other side". But, unlike other shinigami, she is drabbed in white and tries to ease the suffering of everyone relating to someones death whether they are living or already dead. Such as, conveying messages from the dead to the living. As Momo is helping those in their transition into the afterlife though she can't help but cry in the process because those that are already dead can no longer weep for themselves. With her familiar Daniel, a winged black cat, this is her story of how the god girl of death emotionally affected several people during the end of the journey we call life.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 6

Review:

Shinigami no Ballad has a very interesting premise for a series. But, the downside is, that it plays out very slow and very boring for most of the series. Oddly enough, the emotional impact that it boasts falls short in it's delivery which will leave you feeling not overly involved with each person's transition to life after death nor anyone involved with the situation. It doesn't help that Momo, although cute, seems to hold herself at a distance from the audience making her screen presence rather weak and her plight to help those she is involved with rather disjointed and unable to garnish the any real feeling from the viewer. You'll notice that Momo also helps those who are destined for a premature death to remain in the realm of the living but this doesn't provide any additional sustenance to the overall story and what you're left with is an excruciatingly slow paced anime that's practically sleep inducing.

This anime has a whole lot of nothing to offer to the viewer with it's shallow drama and lax characters. While you're watching, you'll feel as if Shinigami no Ballad just didn't even want to achieve it's main goal of gaining the audiences sympathy towards the characters but instead blatantly bores you instead. The animation is decent enough but there is absolutely nothing to back it up and most who will decide to watch this anyway will more than likely lose interest and give up after the first episode making it hard to recommend. Sometimes an anime can have too much of a relaxed atmosphere to it.

Sinigami no Ballad (opening)

Recommendation: |Below Average|

Rumbling Hearts

2010-09-12T01:04:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

What we start with is your typical drama/romance anime where Haruka Suzumiya has a huge crush on Takayuki Narumi for the longest time. Being a brick-headed guy that he is, he never notices, so one of his outgoing friends Mitsuki Hayase decides that she's had enough of both ot their timidness and sets up a meeting up on a hill where Haruka and Takayuki meet but they have no idea that they've been tricked to see each other. When they see each other they realize that the whole thing was a set-up but Haruka takes a chance and flat out tells Takayuki she's in love with him and has been for the longest time. Surprised, Takayuki has no clue how to respond but agrees to date Haruka anyway and slowly realizes that he really does like being with her and drops the l-bomb on her too. On his way to visit Haruka for a date, Takayuki runs into Misuki and she mentions it's her birthday so being thankful for his setup between him and Haruka he takes a little bit of time to purchase her a gift making him late to his date (typical guy, eh?). Haruka gets worried about Takayuki's tardiness and decides to give him a call however as she steps into the phone booth to make a call the last thing she hears is the squealing of tires from a car that has lost control heading right towards her. Takayuki later learns that while she isn't dead but is in a coma that lasts for three years, Haruka awakens but doesn't realize the passing of time or the changes to peoples lives.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 14

Review:

Drama, drama, drama, this series... this series really made me question the human psyche as I just couldn't understand how these four people could put up with each others emotional issues and the uncomfortable situations it puts them in. Now, the characterization itself was great and is presented to the viewer in a straight-forward manner letting you know everyone's stance on life in general and how each others relationship changed and developed over time while Haruka was in a coma. Takayuki goes into a depression after Haruka's accident and Mitsuki constantly stays with him and takes care of him, gives up her dream of becoming an Olympic swimmer then takes on a shit job while Takayuki spends his time wallowing in self-pity and doing nothing else... for over a year. I gotta ask... are people really this stupid? Are you really gonna give up your dream to support some bum that can't get off his own ass (for over a year!) and get a damn job instead of moping around? Seriously, who wants this much drama in their life? I couldn't answer these questions positively and it left me feeling disjointed and mocking the characters rather than understanding their disposition in life and love. I like anime drama but not so much that it show everyone's lack of common sense and that really pulled the series down separating the somewhat decent plot from the irrational characters.

Recommendation? The animation was good and the story was solid but placing a bunch of nonsensical people to play the part will more than likely just have you shaking your head and sighing so I'll say... no, if this sounds like a drama you'd sit through then you're far more understanding than I.

Rumbling Hearts (opening)

Recommendation: |Low|

Media type: DVD
From: FAILimation Undertainment
Languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

Sono Hanabira ni Kuchizuke wo - Anata to Koibito Tsunagi

2010-09-10T00:17:00.000-07:00

Synopsis:

Mai and Reo are two girls that love each other very much. But when Reo becomes ill and is bed-ridden, Mai visits her at home and decides to employ some sexual healing to bring her lover back to good health.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 1

Review:

Did you really think there would be much of a synopsis for a one episode hentai anime? That's all there really is to it. This little anime basically shows two girls that undeniably love each other and how they express their feelings to each other before, during, and after sex. Now while this might sound boring or lame, I found it to be rather refreshing as not too many hentais (at least the ones I've seen) put this amount of heartfelt verbally expressive passion into it's character relations or sex scenes. The girls not only yell about what they feel when being touched, but also what feelings that they are holding toward each other in their heart while exerting their physical attraction towards each other. This presents some rather emotional muff-diving and melon-licking scenes filled with two good looking adorable girls making alot extremely cute moans and groans as they push each other to the point of ecstasy. This hentai does present a little back story on how Mai and Reo met and also exploits Reo's tsundere attitude alot because fight as she might, she can't stand being away from Mai for very long.

There's really no story here other than giving you a wonderful yuri themed anime with a few short but very passionate sex scenes. If you're a fan of yuri anime like I am, I would say give this show a watch because even though it is a hentai, it has a gentle presentation that shows you that it doesn't need to be hardcore to be erotic.

Recommendation: |fap-fap-fap-fap... oh, uh... High|

HEY YOU!!!

2010-09-08T10:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, well not that extreme, but it did get your attention didn't it? Complex 69 (i.e. me) is looking for someone who wants to have their reviews added and spread the good word of anime. I've been flying solo for over two years so why now you ask? Well, there's alot of shows out there and I can't very well cover them all and also there are some popular anime series that I have no desire to watch (see Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood or anything with Gundam in the title) No real reason, I just don't feel like watching them. I don't care what you review, as long as it's anime and you don't lace it with corporate fanboyism. Hell, you can write reviews for hentai just as long as you use some common sense in choosing your words. All that's really required is that you have finished the series, so no reviews for ongoing series like Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, and of the like and no reviews for shows you dropped.

Think you're up for it? It can't hurt to give it a shot, you know you want to, and out of the 6 or 7 of you who visit one of you wants to join the review (skeleton) crew, right? You already know the review format so send me a shout out over at the Wildside Cinema forums or reply here, I don't care.

Or don't reply and I'll just delete this post in a few days and I'll keep traveling down that lonesome road myself. Later!

Fight! Iczer-1

2010-09-07T23:41:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

An alien race called the Cthulhu (yeah, you read it right) have been wandering the galaxy in search of a new home and have come across Earth. The show opens with the Cthulhu planning their first attack but they have realized that Iczer-1 has already made it to Earth before them and must destroy her in order to proceed with their plan. Iczer-1 is an android created to fight and destroy any who oppose the Cthulhu but has turned on her creators opposing any evil actions that they take. During her time on Earth Iczer One has found a partner to synchronize with named Nagisa Kano, when synchronized, Iczer-1 becomes extremely powerful and it also unlocks Iczer Robos, Iczer-1's giant mechanical robot, full potential when fighting together. But, after a brief encounter with Iczer-1, Nagisa is very reluctant to accept anything that is happening and won't help. Will Iczer-1 be able to convince Nagisa that she is the only who can help save the Earth from it's ultimate take over?

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 3

Review:

Hey everyone, grandpa Endo here again with... 'scuse me, "Hey... Hey you kids get off my lawn!!" ... damn whippersnappers... with an anime classic, Fight! Iczer One. Now, maybe it holds some nostalgia for me but that doesn't deny the fact that it's still tells a strong story with some great sci-fi elements. First, let's take a look at our heros that bring about the excellent story. Here we have Nagisa who is beyond annoying with her constant screaming but to offset her practically unwanted screen time is Iczer One, the beautiful heroine from space. Iczer-1 is a quiet and sort of shy superhero but she is determined that Nagisa is the chosen one to help her stop the invasion of Earth by the Cthulhu but Iczer-1 one also has other deep-rooted feelings toward Nagisa. Next, the enemies, the Cthulhu, are ruthless and quickly give a sense of hopelessness to the story while Iczer-1 and Nagisa try to save the Earth and whatever they do seems to be too little too late and even then more obstacles arise and therefore you'll be mentally standing alongside Iczer-1 as she attempts to overcome the odds against her. To make things worse, the Cthulhu employ the services of Iczer-1's sister, Iczer-2, (Yeah, not very inventive with the names but what are you gonna do?) and all of this explodes into a furious battle of strength and emotion. It's not very often an anime can demand respect from the audience for both the protagonist and the antagonist but Fight Iczer One does this in one magnificent feat.

Now even though the story itself is a little primitive, aliens attack and one hero defends the Earth, that it might not seem like much. But it's the characters, both good and evil, that present themselves so remarkably well that they help tell this fictional tale in such a manner that you'll be planted to your seat until the last credit has finished scrolling across the screen. This show is still outstanding even today with great action, grotesque enemy designs, creative characters, an engaging (although somewhat cliched) plot, an awesome 80's soundtrack, and yuri undertones that are quite heartfelt throughout, makes this mini-series worth checking out as the 3 measly episodes really are the perfect length for this anime.

Fight! Iczer One (AMV)

Recommendation: |Very High|

*Note - Here's something interesting, each of the 3 episodes contained were originally released roughly about 1 year apart from each other in Japan. Damn! The first two episodes end in such a cliff-hanger waiting an entire year to see what happens next.

*Note 2 - The license for this series has been lost and no one currently holds the rights so no media info.

Project A-ko

2010-09-06T03:42:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

Transferring to a new school is never any fun and and Eiko (A-ko) Magami and her friend Shiiko (C-ko) Kotobuki are about to be late on their first day of class. While talking about their transfer to Graviton High School, Eiko notices the time and realizes they are about to be late and without a moments notice she grabs Shiiko's hand and starts running... at speeds in access of 100mph... Luckily they make it to school on time and introduce themselves to the class but Shiiko's lively introduction only garnishes the attention of the most wealthy and powerful girl in school, Biko (B-ko) Daitokuji. Biko is immediately smitten with Shiiko's cuteness and becomes determined to make Shiiko her best friend doing what ever it takes even if it means removing Eiko, but Eiko's unexplained superhuman strength and powerful bond with Shiiko isn't about to let that happen. Although Eiko not only has to deal with Biko's constant attempts to claim Shiiko for herself but she also learns that Shiiko is also the lost princess of a race of transvestite cross-dressing aliens that also intend to kidnap her and bring her back to their home planet. Whoever thought true friendship could be this complicated?

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 1 (It's a movie)

Review:

Today, I've got the ultimate slice of life/comedy/action hit of the 80's, Project A-ko... and although it was released in 1986 it didn't see the local market until the late 90's. This movie set the standard of so many cliched plots still used today, such as... "she was a typical high school girl, but..." and the whole female sailor-suit school uniform wearing slice of life comedy routine was sort of initiated by this movie. Not only that, but this movie also parodies a multitude of classic anime flicks while providing a low level of comedic fanservice and panty shots now and then... and we're talking 1986 here people. To me, this movie set the standard for so many genres used to this day in the anime community, and I still enjoy watching it even today as it's hilarious in it's own way and the Japanese voice actors give a phenomenal performance and it's classic 80s soundtrack only works to the movies advantage. The character set here is nothing short of brilliant as these wonderful ladies are so different from each other yet offset each others screen presence perfectly with A-kos superhuman strength, B-kos determination of making C-ko her friend, and C-ko who is just plain annoying as hell, and Marie who only says a few lines but pulls off one the of most hilarious scenes in the entire movie. These girls give an amazing performance that catapult this movie to its iconic status that it still holds to this day. I also like the way this movie presents it's message of friendship while putting it with crazy over the top action, decent animation, and hilarious comedic routines, that still make me laugh every time I watch it.

Don't be put off by it's age, give it a try... you might actually like it. I understand how most will avoid a movie this old but it really was ahead of it's time and remains a staple for me. Rent it, buy it, hell... stream it! No matter how you watch Project A-ko, it's a true classic in every sense of the way.

Project A-ko (trailer)
Dance Away & Follow Your Dream (Project A-ko AMV)
Come Out and Play (Project A-ko AMV)

Recommendation: |High|

*Note - This movie has traded license holders so many times that I'm not gonna bother with the media info on this. It now currently belongs to some company called Discotek. As for me, I saw the U.S. Manga version on VHS. Y'know, those old gigantic video tape things... nevermind.

Princess Resurrection

2010-08-31T23:15:00.000-07:00

Synopsis:

On his way to meet his sister in a new city, Hiro Hiyorimi notices a girl who is about to be crushed under some construction beams that have broken loose from the crane hauling them. Without thinking about his own safety he pushes her out of the way but is crushed by the steel beams himself resulting in his own death. But, before he takes his last breath, he sees the girl clad in gothic clothing standing above him asking herself why someone would do such a thing but replies that he is glad she is safe. However, the girl that he saved turns out to be the daughter of the king of all monsters and she is curious why Hiro sacrificed himself for her and decides to resurrect him with her power called The Flame of Immortality. She tells Hiro that he is now her servant and introduces herself as Hime and that his lifespan is only temporary and the flame must be renewed every few days or he will die permanently. Without much of a choice, Hiro humbly becomes Hime's new servant.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 26

Review:

Every once in a while a show comes along that is, for lack of a better word, fun. You just enjoy the anime from beginning to end for no real apparent reason. It has nothing to do with some sort of complicated plot or in depth characterization or anything of the sort. No, you are watching it for one reason, it puts a smile on your face and you don't even realize it. Well, that anime is Princess Resurrection and that's exactly the state of mind I found myself in while watching this anime. Princess Resurrection follows the "monster of the week" formula where a new foe will appear and it's up to Hiro, Hime, and one of her other followers to eradicate it in one or two episodes. Along the way they do encounter some remarkably original foes along with some familiar monsters that bear a striking resemblance to the old Universal monsters from the old black and white films of ages past. Not only does this help give this anime it's own hint of individuality but also lets you know the it knows how to pay homage to some of films greatest monsters.

With all this going on, Princess Resurrection also manages to put every single plot device in the hands of one of the most bizarre cast of characters that I have encountered to date. Hime the princess of monsters, Riza Wildman the half-human half-werewolf woman, Flandre the small but incredibly strong and almost indestructible maid that only knows one word "Huga", just to name of few. This way, not only are you given an interesting tale but it also helps to put each one of this anime's characters into perspective with each other in the overall story of they are attached to Hime in some way. Another interesting thing to point out is that every episode that Hime is in she uses a different weapon of destruction to fight her opponents such as a chainsaw, axe, hammer, circular saw, flail, mace, pitchfork, baseball bat, trident, and so on watching poor Hiro trying to protect an already lethal force of destruction is just plain comical but somewhat endearing. Even though there are dimes that Hiro does prove himself worthy of being Hime's servant or should I say, guardian, at times that still doesn't hide the face that for a main character Hiro is pathetically worthless most of the time.

Princess Resurrection boasts average animation but combines it with such a randomized plot that it brings out well presented character depth that it makes watching this anime a blast throughout the entire series. You'll find yourself laughing at the same time as being enthralled in it's off-the-wall plot and group of misfit protagonists that tackle any opposing force thrown their way. It may not be the epic series that you're looking for but if there was ever a series where you just want to turn your brain off and kick back and enjoy at face value then you owe it to yourself to watch Princess Resurrection. A high rating for being simple, strange, but a whole lot of fun to watch.

Princess Resurrection (opening)

Recommendation: |High|

Media type: DVD
From: Sentai Filmworks
Spoken languages: Japanese
Subtitles: English

*Note - Sentai! What up with the typos? For shame Sentai... for shame! It's not like we can fix it. You need to release a v2 DVD set with subtitle corrections.

Witchblade

2010-08-30T22:31:00.000-07:00

Synopsis:

Masane Amaha happened to get caught in the middle of a cataclysmic natural disaster that destroyed most of Tokyo. However she came through unscathed with no recollection of anything that happened beforehand but she realizes that she now posses a bracelet that she is unable to remove. She was found amongst the rubble protecting her daughter Rihoko Amaha who was also unharmed by the disaster thanks to the protection from her frail mother Masane. After they recover both Masane and Rihoko set out into whats left of Tokyo to make a living for themselves, however, unable to provide a stable environment for her child the NSWF's Child Welfare Division take Rihoko away to a shelter as Masane puts up a fight for her child but is imprisoned instead. While awaiting trial for her actions, Masane is assaulted in her prison cell by a mysterious bio-engineered half-man half-machine weapon of destruction (called an X-con) that escaped from a large weapons manufacturer. As Masane is about to meet her death for reasons even unknown to her, the bracelet reacts to Masane's will to fight for her daughter and transforms her into ultimate fighting machine... the Witchblade. After disposing of the X-Con, Masane breaks out of prison and uses her newly discovered power to locate her daughter. With the Witchblades power finally awakened, there are others who are set in obtaining the power for themselves.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 24

Review:

Here we have a woman who is down on her luck with no life to call her own but wants the best for her daughter. It's interesting to watch the lengths she will take to use the Witchblade to fight and protect her and also use it's powers to complete jobs for a large corporations as a bounty hunter of sorts. Witchblade isn't the dark gritty police drama that I remember, here it's centered around a group of friends that are really tight as one large family which makes from some unique characters that can make you laugh at times or cheer them on as they stand up for one another. Even once they discover that Masane is the Witchblade everyone helps her to protect her secret so she can provide the best life possible for Rihoko. Some might be put off thinking that it's a bunch of fluff, but it's presented very well within the series mainly because that direction isn't taken all that often with this type of show. Don't worry, there's still plenty of action from scantily clad big-breasted women fighting amonst each other... hey, that helps carry the series along too.

The animation here is above average and the characters, right down to the 6 year old Rihoko's motherly complex, are quite the bunch. I guess what really stood out for me is that even though the show had it's main character it mainly focused on the whole group of friends as the protagonists throughout the series not giving special treatment to just one person. Even though Masane was the Witchblade she held the same equal ground with everyone. Even the antagonists are quite the despicable bunch that you just enjoy hating in order to see them taken down one way or another. The only thing that disappointed me was the lack of backstory leaving alot of the Witchblade mystery unexplained which made for one very lame ending that ruined the overall series.

I do recommend Witchblade, whether it be for the decent story or just to see super powered babes attacking each other, it's a series that's easy to get hooked on.

Witchblade (opening)

Recommendation: |Above Average|

Online viewing: Available at FAILimations website -

Witchblade (subbed and a few dubbed episodes)

Media type: DVD
From: FAILimation Undertainment
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

Malice@Doll

2010-08-30T14:51:00.000-07:00

Synopsis:

After the annihilation of all humanity a lone robotic prostitute named Malice wanders the streets still looking for the next client. Broken down and aging, Malice heads in for another repair but takes a wrong turn and ends up in a room with a giant spherical... thing. Realizing that it's not the repair robot she was looking for, Malice decides to kiss it, after which a mutated phallus breaks out from the inside of the sphere and impales Malice. Malice ceases to function but then wakes up the next day as a human with the strange power to turn anything robotic into a living organism by kissing it.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 3 OVAs put together to make one horrible... horrible movie

Review:

That's about as straight forward as I can get because this movie explains nothing... NOTHING! This movie has no rhyme or reason to why anything is happening, who anybody is, why the world is now uninhabited, or what that sphere is or was. Ultimately, it's just one confusing mess that leads you to the intersection of "why" and "bother". Malice@Doll is a CGI anime movie and an extremely horrible one at that as it looks like something from an old PS1 video game or the computer rendering the show barely met the minimum system requirements for the software. The only way it could be enjoyed it if you're feeling nostalgic otherwise the presentation is very primitive and hurts what little story there is. This movie is just one big waste of time that presents you with a message that didn't have to be so cryptically hidden... "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Avoid this at all costs, the English track sounds like everyone phoned their lines in and no... it isn't some gritty, dark, cyberpunk thriller... it literally is nothing more than a pure crapfest. And y'know, that's all I can say about this one and that's pretty bad considering everything can be told in one and a half measly paragraphs.

Malice's Requiem (AMV)

*Note - No the guys computer isn't slow. That is how the CGI actually moves in the movie.

Recommendation: |None|

Media type: DVD
From: Arts Magic
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

2010-08-25T23:30:00.000-07:00

Synopsis:

2010. The Holy Empire of Britannia, an international superpower, has already dominated a third of the planet recently defeating Japan in less than a month with super-powered weapons called Knightmares. Japan lost it's freedom, it's independence, even it's name becoming known as Area 11. The Japanese people have even been renamed "Elevens". Although the Japanese try to fight for their freedom with occasional terrorist attacks, everything to this point has been futile. During a trip through the city a young man named Lelouch finds himself the unwitting pawn of a terrorist hijacking of a highly classified alien life form. However, the terrorists are overpowered by Britannian forces and the transport vehicle they stole... crashes. Although Lelouch had become a forced stowaway, Britannian forces make it clear they intend to kill everyone onboard. Then the bizarre life-form they were transporting is in fact a young-woman of unknown origin was accidentally released during the crash and senses the despise that Lelouch has for his own people and what they've done, offers a pact. She will grant him power over his enemies if Lelouch agrees to use the gift to oppose the the people that he not only hates but also blames for the death of his mother and the crippling of his sister. Lelouch agrees and with this Lelouch is given the power to control anyone to do anything he says with a simple glance. Lelouch not only escapes his captors but also starts to set in motion plans to destroy Britannia and bring justice to the Japanese and avenge his mother and sister.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 25

Review:

Wow... just, wow. I've read and listened to all the hype on this series and for a while, couldn't be bothered with it and honestly... I don't like mech-type shows. But after reading some positive comments and seeing how the DVDs were available for rent... I gave it a go. Let me tell you, I was blown away and it's almost impossible to review in one paragraph. I gotta say, this series does just about everything right and covers so many types of genres in one package that I was literally hanging on each episode from the get-go. It has one of the most intricate plot-lines I have ever followed full of complicated futuristic politics, espionage, terrorism, and military strategy. But, along with this it also supplies the viewer with more simplistic things like everyday life, drama, a little bit of comedy now and then, and just some plain old kick-ass action. Not only that, but the character depth is truly informative explaining things like Lelouch's hatred for Britannia, and how everyone he knows became involved in his life through the Japanese holocaust he was forced to be part of. And while this is explained you won't find it boring in the least because at the point it's presented, you *want* to know more about these characters you're watching as it fills in any gaps to the story. Don't be surprised if you find yourself stunned with the amount of thought put into the story line and making sure everything you see is presented in a coherent manner.

With it's unique animation style, a plot so thick you could cut it with a knife, and a fantastic orchestrated soundtrack... Code Geass must be watched, plain and simple... even if you like your anime dubbed in English. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion truly lives up to all the hype and if you were to pick one anime series to watch... this would be it.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (opening)

Recommendation: |High|

Media type: DVD
From: Bandai Entertainment
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

Serial Experiments Lain

2010-08-23T22:46:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

This is where I would normally give a brief intro synopsis for an anime however with Serial Experiments: Lain, there isn't one. Think of it like this, you're given a 1000 piece puzzle of a clear blue sky and you dump all the pieces out in front of you. You're overwhelmed at first and don't know where to begin but then you see 5 puzzle pieces stuck together that form a small portion of the corner. With this little boost to begin with you realize that you could start the border and work your way in. That's what Serial Experiments: Lain is, it's a puzzle that only gives you a small hint at the story but leaves it up to the viewer to piece it together to decipher it's meaning. What that meaning is though, could differ from person to person.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 13

Review:

Ah yes, our very own Complex 69 poster child makes her debut. I'll admit while watching this show I was confused but then again at times... I wasn't. Let me try to explain, now how I saw it is that the series is showing me how everyone on the Wired (kind of like the internet) is connected somehow by cellphones, computers, even television to some extent, but to someone that can't really see you does that mean you even exist? You can say what you want, be what you want... even God, but that still doesn't prove your existence. In reality no one is connected, you don't have to do or even say anything because you exist for the simple fact that you're there. But why be a slave to reality if it can't be controlled like the Wired?

This is only what I thought Serial Experiments: Lain was showing me by blending these two realities so close that it was sort of creepy at times. But, I could have someone else watch this anime and perceive something completely different and I couldn't tell them they were wrong. Hell, I'm probably wrong or maybe we would both be right and that's what makes Serial Experiments: Lain oddly refreshing. Some may be put off by the bleak colors and the lack of detail in the animation but I found that it really gave the series a very surreal feeling. With no plot to call it's own I still liked Serial Experiments: Lain for using a thinking persons approach to determine if you're going to like it or not, it really is a love/hate affair with this anime. I didn't care for the English track at all but the dialog is presented quite slow so I would go with subtitles unless you absolutely can't stand reading your television. But, would I recommend it? I would say yes but then again, just be prepared to actually think about what your watching because it's easy to get lost in this animes quagmire of existence.

Serial Experiments Lain (opening)

Recommendation: |High|

Media type: DVD
From: Pioneer Entertainment
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

*Note - FAILimation Undertainment now has the license for Serial Experiements Lain and will be releasing it... eventually... 1 or 2 years from now, probably.

Sora no Manimani

2010-08-22T23:20:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

Saku Oyagi finally returns to his hometown after seven years of traveling around Japan because his father was constantly changing jobs. But when the first person he runs into is the very one person he hoped to avoid, the loud and childish acting Mihoshi Akeno. Even though they've known each since they were small and she has always dragged Saku along everywhere she went, often against his will, he finds that he really doesn't seem to mind it at all. But the one thing that Mihoshi enjoyed most was stargazing and generally being fascinated with the universe in general and she has always taken Saku out at night with her just to stare at the stars hanging in the night sky. Even though Saku prefers to read and write, and is constantly annoyed by Mihoshi, when he finds out the school was threatening to close the astronomy club due to lack of interest he didn't want to let the school take away Mihoshi's favorite past time and regrettably joins. After time however, the more time Saku spends with Mihoshi and the club he starts to find himself becoming more captivated with the world above rather than having his face buried in a book.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12

Review:

When you take a look at the genres that this anime falls under you see two typical tags, romantic comedy and slice of life. But, I think they forgot to add one... educational. While watching Sora no Manimani I couldn't help but shake the feeling that each episode wanted to teach me something rather than present much of a story. Sure, yeah, the plot mainly revolves around different activities that the astronomy club does to try and gain new members and even throw in a little (and I do mean a little) bit of romantic elements but with this the show always veers off and goes into indepth explanations regarding the stars and constellations. Doing things this way doesn't leave much room for any kind of plot to work it's way in but yet I was still being taught things like how to recognize different constellations or flight patterns of comets. I guess that's also the main reason I kept watching was because I was educated instead of being entertained which made for an... odd, viewing experience.

While I was going through this anime I did find myself hoping that there might some sort of romance happening between Saku and Mihoshi or something... anything... to beef up the plot even just a little bit, but... it simply never happens. After about half way into the series I realized that it's not going anywhere but instead wants to pursue this route of being a very light-hearted slice of life series that wanted to teach me something worthwhile in the process. Even though this isn't a bad direction to go it also isn't going to appeal to a whole lot of people and you're either going to like Sora no Manimani or just disregard it after an episode or so. I'll commend Sora no Manimani for it's creativity and relaxed atmosphere but with it's uneventful plot and dry humor, there is nothing here that will make it a memorable viewing experience making it difficult to even recommend this anime to begin with.

Sora no Manimani (opening)

Recommendation: |Average|

Gift ~eternal rainbow~

2010-08-18T23:05:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

The Gift, a once in a lifetime opportunity to grant a miracle for someone. However, for the Gift to work the recipient must accept it and share mutal feelings or the Gift will become distorted and may even wreak havoc on those around it. Haruhiko Amami is a firm believer in the Gift ability since if it were not for the Gift he would not be alive today. However, the Gift is an ability that is only given the the residents of the town of Narasakicho as the unknown phenomenon known as the eternal rainbow hangs in the sky above which he suspects is tied into the town's strange magical abilities. Although Amami is not fully aware of his past when his sister Riko, who mysteriously left 7 years, shows up in front of his house with a loaded suitcase claiming she's back home... forgotten emotions and a clouded history are about to be revealed that Amami had all but disregarded.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12 + 1 OVA

Review:

You ever have those times you're between anime series and you're not really sure what to watch next? Sure you have. But, how about when you see one series just sitting there that you never heard of and you read a little bit about it and it sounds interesting enough to give it a try and it turns out to be a damn good show? That, my friends, is Gift ~eternal rainbow~. The first thing I noticed about this anime is that the animation style uses a very classic style that doesn't try to be different and by doing so presents some very well drawn characters and the girls are extremely... cute, if I do dare say so myself. Now, putting that aside, let's take a look at the story itself. You have one guy and a few good looking girls, this might read like your typical harem anime it really isn't as only 2 of the girls in this story, Riko and Kirino, are the only ones who show any interest in Amami and Amami himself only has an interest in one girl and his feelings never wain, not even for a moment, in which this makes him a respectable and likable guy. I liked this approach as I didn't have to deal with watching a bunch of girls fawn stupidly over one guy but instead Gift uses this to present some decent character depth to all the wonderful ladies you encounter while watching this anime and that makes for a quite different and pleasant viewing experience.

Don't get me wrong though, Gift does have some romantic conflict and don't be surprised if you find it tearing you up inside because both Riko and Kirino make for two fantastic female leads. But Amami has his heart and soul only set on one (no spoilers) and he remains true to that fact and you can't help but have your own heart go out to both girls as you will be cheering on the recipient of Amami's feelings but also be overcome with sadness at the victim of unrequited love. Gift really is an amazing little unknown anime that has a wonderful presentation that manages to give you a great story, deep rooted romantic tension, fantastic character depth, a great cast, and a love story with the right amount of comedy thrown in that is simply a joy to watch. Put all this with it's tried and true animation style, Gift ~eternal rainbow~ is an anime that should be watched by any fan who is a romance schmuck such as myself. Don't miss out on this little known gem.

Gift ~eternal rainbow~ (opening)

Recommendation: |High|

Beck

2010-08-16T21:41:00.000-07:00

Synopsis:

Koyuki Tanaka leads a boring life and he only has two friends. One, Tanabe, is your basic pervert that's been held back in the same grade for far too long and the other is a girl named Izumi Ishiguro that sees Koyuki as nothing more than a friend. On his way home from school Koyuki comes across a bizarre looking dog being teased by a bunch of kids. Even though Koyuki scares the kids away the dog turns and attacks him and with quick reflexes, he jumps up and grabs ahold of a telephone pole to keep from being bitten. Just then a young man with long hair calls the dog off in English, although Koyuki mistakes him for a foreigner he is actually Japanese and introduces himself as Ray Minami and gives his thanks. A few days later he meets Ray again and as a token of his gratitude, Ray gives Koyuki an old guitar as he explains that he is a guitarist himself as Ray's musical background starts to influence Koyuki to start playing the guitar and that there is much more out there than the typical Japanese pop singer.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 26

Review:

Beck is sort of a coming of age story that not only revolves around one kids life changing realization but also shows everything that's involved with trying to make that dream into a reality. But the thing that makes Beck stand out is that it doesn't sugarcoat anything and that life doesn't hand you everything on a silver platter. With this Beck is not the stereo-typical anime storytelling that some are familiar with but instead a reality that some may be able to identify with, especially if you're trying to start your own band. It really does an excellent job of presenting the metal underground scene and what goes on when there's no giant stage, no multi-million dollar record company support, no popularity, but your own hard work that's going to get you where you want to go. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do even if it means dealing with all the wrong people.

The only downside with Beck is that it wastes a little too much time on things that don't affect the overall plot giving you side stories that you probably won't care about and sometimes simply dropped leaving you wonder why it was brought up to begin with. Slow and steady, Beck gets back on course with the plot but with all the side tracking the series does seems to drag on longer than it should and could have been finished up in about half the episodes.

Even though the animation is extremely bleak it actually works for the show instead of against it and the plot is a bit slow but still interesting none the less I say give this anime a try. I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. Oddly, when watching Beck, every time I saw them perform I couldn't help but think that they remind me of Rage Against the Machine... just saying is all..

Beck (Tribute AMV - Typhoon 24)

Recommendation: |Above Average|

Online viewing: Available at FAILimation's website, sort of...

Beck (subbed and dubbed)

*Note - Well, the pea-brained fucktards at FAILimation only put up like 3 episodes to watch at their website. Sure, *that'll* make you want to run out and buy this. Do yourself a favor and just rent it and if you like it that much after you've watched it then, well... the choice is yours.

Media type: DVD
From: FAILimation Undertainment
Spoken languages: English; Japanese
Subtitles: English

Naisho no Tsubomi

2010-08-12T00:12:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

Tsubomi Tachibana is a fifth grader who is starting to encounter some sensitive issues in life through her slow transcendence into adulthood. She is about to become an older sister but she doesn't understand why, she finds blood in her panties but has no idea why and finds it embarrassing, and she can't understand recent feelings she's been having when being around a boy in her class named Nemoto. Nobody ever said growing up is easy and Naisho no Tsubomi helps to shed some light on what exactly is going through a young girls mind at an early yet critical point in their lives.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 3

Review:

Now, I know what you're probably thinking... "What do kids possibly have to worry about? They got it easy!" Well, what this anime shows you is that there are a lot of things going on in their head but they don't know how to comprehend the situation and are afraid to ask. Well, Tsubomi explains the flip-side that you're not understanding as an adult and how a young girl views the situation before her. Although she thinks confiding in friends for advice will put her mind at ease, watching the bad advice she receives might put a smile on your face because since they know nothing more than Tsubomi does it's like the blind leading the blind. But, Tsubomi does eventually confide in adults for answers to her questions and it's interesting how the anime portrays the Gates of Knowledge slowly opening on a pre-pubescent mind and how it's comprehend.

Naisho no Tsubomi doesn't really have a plot to speak of. Instead, what this extremely short series does is show you how life is a challenge for everyone and that just trying to understand the world around you is a big part of a young person's life. Although the animation is a little dated looking, with this series spanning only 3 episodes I would say look into it if you might be interested in how the younger generation perceives the world with new emotional and physical changes that arise in everyday situations and the questions kids have but are most of the time afraid to ask. This anime is cute yet somewhat informative in it's own nonchalant way, recommended... but only if you're curious.

Recommendation: |Average|

Chu-Bra

2010-08-09T23:32:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

Nayu Hayama is obsessed with underwear, so much to the fact that she is an "underwear monitor" She tests out new underwear products designed by her very own brother and then reports her insight on the comfort and style of what she's wearing back to him. But, during the entrance ceremony for school as Nayu heads to the stage to give a speech as the class representative she trips and reveals her adult-styled panties to the entire student body. But after this accident, Nayu is approached by several girls interested in her style of undergarments even though she's only 12 years old. Combine this with Nayu's obsession for frilly things, she decides to start the Underwear Appreciation Society to assist girls with different types of underwear that would best suit their body. But getting the the to actually acknowledge this as a legitimate club could prove problematic.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12

Review:

Middle school girls trying on different types of panties and bras and then walking around and talking about how it feels... what self-appointed perv wouldn't be curious about this? Okay, honestly, when I read about the plot summary for this anime I couldn't help but think that the industry was really grasping for some kind of story by introducing a show about girls' underwear. But, my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to give Chu-Bra a try and sure enough... it was just as stupid as it sounded. Within less than 5 minutes you get a close-up of Nayu's ass which pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the series... young girls interested in adult underwear. But are you one to complain? No? Didn't think so.

From here one Chu-Bra! takes things a step forward and starts to instruct the viewer on how different underwear feels or how different styles of bras affect a girls comfort during their transcendence into adulthood. Don't worry now, this is not completely an educational anime about panties and bras, there's somewhat of a story in there on how more and more girls start overcoming their embarrassment and approach Nayu for suggestions on what bras and p-p-panties that would best contort to the curvature of their young... middle school... maturing... bodies... FFFFFFFF-HNNNNNGGGGG!! Wait, what was I talking about again?

Joking aside though, there is really no plot here other than showing you what girls think about when it comes to underwear and how Nayu's shamefulness on the matter helps other young ladies come out in the open for answers to their questions regarding secretive comfort and it also presents some very risque humor. Strangely enough I found myself actually enjoying this series but was it for the out of the ordinary story and informative insight on bras and panties or was it because I'm just a dirty old man wanting to watch half-naked girls in every episode. Hmmm, let's just say it's a little from column A and a little from column B, but in the end I can definitely say... I am now a panty professional.

Chu-Bra (opening)

Recommendation: |Average|

Online viewing available at Crunchyroll:

Chu-Bra

Media type: Internet streaming
From: Crunchyroll
Spoken languages: Japanese
Subtitles: English

Spirited Away

2010-08-08T22:46:00.000-07:00

Synopsis:

As the movie opens we see young Chihiro on her way to a new town, a new school, during a move and Chihiro complains the entire way. However, her father decides to take a shortcut and ends up at a dead end with nothing more than a large wall and a tunnel that is big enough to walk through. Curious, her mother and father both decide to walk through the tunnel and see whats at the other end and not wanting to be left alone, Chihiro joins them. At the end of the tunnel they discover a stone path that leads to an abandoned theme park and decide to investigate the forgotten wonder. Oddly enough what they find amongst the wreckage is a strip of food stores that have a hot meal waiting for them but no one around to serve it. As Chihiros parents decide to partake in the feast, she decides to look around some more and comes across a young man that tells her to leave immediately before night falls. Scared, Chihiro runs while noticing the shadows beginning to move with a life that is not humanly possible and as she goes back to where her parents were all she finds is two large pigs stuffing their faces. She continues to run towards the way that they came in only to come across a large lake that has now surrounded the entire area. Curling up into a fetal position Chihiro hopes that this is all a dream but as the shadows close in she realizes that this is a new reality.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 1

Review:

Simply put, Spirited Away is an amazing film and I don't give a damn if it is tagged as a kids movie. Not only are you given a boisterous living parallel universe full of demons and other denizens brought to life with the use of vivid colors, but a wonderful lesson about maturing presented through the actions of one 10 year old. I gotta be honest that I was captivated by Chihiros' character and how she affected every person... er, demon... she came in contact with by her actions or just by listening and reading between the lines, that there is so much more than whats on the surface of any one being. Her innocence to all the matters at hand only fuel the the already present fantastic story being told and combining this all with superb animation makes this a film that should not be passed up at any rate. Rent this, watch it with the family, and enjoy the originality of a wonderful parallel universe to ours being turned upside down with the actions of one young girl by a most bizarre twist of fate.

Beautifully animated and a captivating story set in a world that only the stuff of dreams are made of, Spirited Away is one of the finest animated films I have seen to date and simply should not be missed. Highly recommended.

Spirited Away (trailer)

Recommendation |High|

Media type: DVD
From: Walt Disney Pictures
Languages spoken: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

Durarara!!

2010-08-04T00:03:00.000-07:00

Synopsis:

Looking to pursue a life that's anything but normal, Mikado Ryuugamine transfers to a school in the city of Ikebukuro with a little encouragement from his friend Masaomi Kida. But, what he encounters may be a little more than he was looking for. Warring gangs, a secret society that exists to include everyone but then no one, a man dressed as a bartender that posses supernatural strength and a short fused temper to accompany it, a bizarre shop selling Russian sushi, a slasher that roams the streets at night leaving a trail of dead bodies but has never been seen, and an urban legend that Ryuugamine witnesses on his first night in Ikebukuro... a headless motorcycle driver named, The Black Rider. Oh yeah, Ikebukuro is far being... normal.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 24

Review:

Y'know, when you watch anime on a constant basis you start to see re-occurring trends when it comes to any genre. So much to the point you almost start to get bored with everything or you already know what the show will be about and how it will end just by reading it's description. And honestly, when I read the summary for Durarara!! and looked and the artwork I was less than impressed, as a matter of fact I totally disregarded it altogether. But when online digital media distributor Crunchyroll announced they picked up this title I could have cared less but since everything Crunchyroll had obtained for that season was utterly pathetic I decided to give Durarara!! a chance as I figured, what have I got to lose... I might as well use this premium subscription I paid for. Well, let me put it this way... it only took one episode and I was totally hooked. Now, don't get me wrong, Crunchyroll still sucks peanut infused turds through a shit encrusted poop chute but that's not the point here. The main picture here is that Durarara!! is one of the most well thought out anime series to show itself in a sea of mediocrity making it one series that must be watched even if you're only a casual anime viewer. How so, you ask? Let me try to break it down for you without going into some long winded boring ass review.

What Durarara!! does so well is taking a truly strange and uncommon character set that hasn't been used before in any anme series that I've seen and puts them together in plot that they share one common element, they all know each other. But as the story moves on, even though everyone shares some sort of common bond you also get to see their dark side that they are hiding from each other. The only person that has nothing to hide is the Black Rider herself, Celty. She is a headless entity that is more than willing to show anyone that nothing exists behind that tinted visor on her motorcycle helmet but this also ties her into each character with her search for her missing head. But what of everyone else? Well, since I don't want to spoil the plot let me put it this way... Ryuugamine is the quiet guy that keeps to himself but what is his real story, Kida is his best friend and outspoken but there is something about this guy that just doesn't set well, then there's Sonohara who is a very apprehensive girl that doesn't have much to say yet she is a living age old curse, three friends that look out for each other but with their secrets that they hide have unknowingly made them each others own worst enemy.

The wonderful thing about Durarara!! is that it manages to hide this dark fact from the audience for a good portion of the show and reveals everything slowly and very effectively. This gives the show the right amount of pacing and takes the plot in just the right direction that really pushes you to want to keep moving from episode to episode non-stop. To make this trip even more enjoyable is the fact that it's Celty, the headless motorcyclist, that manages to help reveal everyone's hidden identity to each other without wanting to kill one another in the process but instead accept each other for who they truly are. Durarara!! drops in short stories regarding everyone's past that prove informative but not overly boring making for simply fantastic characterization and as everything winds down you're left with somewhat of an unfulfilling yet satisfactory conclusion. Average animation with a strong cast and deep rooted plot to back it up, Durarara!! is one show that should not be missed by anyone who enjoys anime and it is completely worthy of every minute you spend watching it.

Oh, and about the title? FFFFFFFFF... hell if I know...

Durarara!! (opening)

Recommendation: |Very High|

Online viewing: (Available at Crunchyroll) -

Durarara!! (English subtitled)

Media type: Internet streaming
From: Crunchyroll
Languages: Japanese
Subtitles: English

*Note - And it looks like Crunchyroll has failed again as Aniplex USA has taken this title away and will be releasing it on DVD along with an English dubbed track. You can still stream it but since streaming online licks balls, the DVD version is on the way. But, if you want to see this awesome series now then just click and watch-it! Why wait?

Rin ~Daughters of Mnemosyne~

2010-07-27T00:20:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

Rin Asogi and her friend Mimi run a private investigation agency in Tokyo performing all sorts off odd jobs. Finding lost pets, locating rare stamps, helping clones recover their lost memory, stopping angels from causing mass murder, it's all routine work for Rin as she posses a unique ability... she's immortal and can't die. Well, she can die but her wounds heal rapidly and she's back on her feet in no time as is the same for her partner Mimi. But when Apos, the guardian of the Yggdrasil which is responsible for both Rin's and Mimi's immortality grows bored and decides to satiate his sadistic sense of amusement by throwing the world into chaos by making the secret of immortality known to everyone. Rin decides to stop Apos even if it means losing her immortality and her life.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 6

Review:

FUNTURDmation iz releasing hentaiz!! ZOMGBBQDESU~!!!!111 That's just a little summary of some of the comments I read about this DVD and let me just say this up front, no... no it's not. But first, let's take a look a the story, two immortal women... actually I should say one woman and a teenager running a private investigation firm and right from episode one this was an interesting premise. But, after a little while you start to notice how Rin seems to get her ass kicked on a regular basis regardless of her badass ninja skills. The only purpose this serves is to display some gore and show off Rin's regeneration capabilities but don't be surprised if you find yourself sighing wondering how she accomplishes anything by constantly getting the shit kicked out of her. To add insult to injury though is that the first few episodes aren't very imaginative or thought provoking for that matter and present little to no mystery giving you a long drawn-out episode where the case could have been solved in half the time with some intelligent story-telling.

After little while you start to see a pattern. Rin takes on a case, gets killed, comes back to life, has sex with her lesbian informants, goes and kicks ass and nearly dies in the process, then... case closed. But, sometimes Mimi has to use her own loli body to get info from the lesbians that seem to know everything about anything for the price of a round of carpet munching. Now don't go all getting excited as it's all done with scenes of soft-core sex, in other words, you don't really see anything amongst all the extreme close-ups but you sure get a lot of moaning going on. It's not until about half way though this mini-series that you start finding out about the source of Rin and Mimi's immortality and what's really happening unseen by the human eye but it turns out to be less than spectacular. When you think about it, this series feels like it threw in a bunch of sex scenes to try an make up for the recycled antagonist that's been used so many times before. An omnipotent being that became bored... feh.

In the end I will give this this anime credit for one thing, the time-line used for it's presentation. Even though Rin and Mimi remain the same age, the world around them keep progressing and changing with each episode. Technology advances, people age, buildings decay, but Rin and Mimi are still the same. Now this... this was very imaginative but unfortunately it's not enough to save the series from becoming an uninteresting mix of divinity and sex. Rin ~Daughters of Mnemosyne~ should have just either focused on action and mystery or just went for all out hentai because as it is you almost feel frustrated that this anime can't really focus on one thing very well making for one very lame conclusion which isn't really worth your time since you won't be getting the action you crave or the sex you desire. Go find something else to watch, you're not missing much here.

And now for Grandpa Endo's bonus material! Yes, I just had to bring this out in the initial review. Even though Rin ~Daughters of Mnemosyne~ is an adult oriented anime I just thought you want to know that the FAILimation DVDs are... (drumroll please)... CENSORED!!! Isn't that awesome? How so you ask? Well, any scene that contains massive gore is shrouded in shadow and you can't see a damn thing and snatch shots, especially of Mimi, have the mysterious ray of sunlight blocking it! FUCK YEAH!! Just think about that if you're wondering if it's totally uncensored. Makes me glad I can put the DVD back in an envelope and return it once I'm done watching it.

Rin ~Daughters of Mnemosyne~ (opening)

Recommendation: |Low|

Media type: DVD
From: FAILimation
Languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

His and Her Circumstances

2010-07-17T00:06:00.000-07:00

Synopsis:

Yukino Miyazawa, a freshman in high school is the envy off all her classmates for her good grades and immaculate appearance. At home though she is a completely different person, a stubborn, rambunctious, and... slob of a girl. But, she maintains her 'miss perfect' facade at school simply to win the praise of everyone. However, the new boy in her class Soichiro Arima begins to steal Miyazawa's limelight with even higher test scores and a warm and welcoming personna that everyone likes. Miyazawa considers him to be an academic enemy but Arima is completely oblivious to her one sided competition and pays no mind. Arima has different thoughts towards Miyazawa and instead confesses his love for her which she immediately turns down yet somehow slightly regrets her choice. Thinking that she is no back at being number one in her class with nothing to worry about her armor is quickly destroyed when Arima pays Miyazawa a visit at home to loan her a CD but is greeted at the door by a very plain looking but loud-mouthed girl in a pair of worn-out sweats and glasses. Now that her flawless exterior that she has maintained for years has been destroyed with a single glance, Miyazawa agonizes at what Arima will do. But the next day Arima doesn't mention it nor has told anyone about what he saw... just what are Arima's intentions?

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 26

Review:

Well, this anime sure did "jump the shark" in the first couple of episodes. You get a confession and everything not leaving a whole lot for the story to go on after that and, let's not be stupid here, of course she accepts his feelings after a couple of episodes. So what does this anime do? Turn to comedy, this anime decides to make the audience laugh instead of using much of a story and to my surprise I found myself laughing at this rather than looking for a plot. You get perfectly timed slap-stick comedy mixed with a wafer-thin plot that Miyazawa might actually like Arima after all. But this isn't really the main focus of the story but more of how Miyazawa tears down her own walls of falsehood and even with this she still retains her friends and even gains a few in the process.

But now let's take a look at Arima. He is not without his own dark past though, so in the process of indirectly helping Miyazawa in accepting her true identity she also aids him in coping with a rather unpleasant childhood that he hides behind with a smile. This is all done through listening and understanding his untold pain and suffering not realizing she is the only person that has been capable of subsiding his personal demons just by being with him. Now by this time the series is about half over and there doesn't seem like much to go on and you're right. From here on this anime just seems to rely on slapstick comedy, flashbacks, and annoying recap episodes. It's as if the anime didn't know what to do and was rushed to present at least something of an episode but all you got was a shallow plot rehash with little to no new content.

As this goes on I found myself getting bored or skipping by all the "remember when" sequences but luckily the shows hilarity only made me want to watch even more. I found myself laughing at the stupidest shit but that's probably not saying much because I'm easily amused. Another thing that I would like to point out is the randomized artistic style. From black and white slide shows, chibi-styled presentations, fade-in and out panaled stills, His and Her Circumstances doesn't stick with one particular type of animation giving it somewhat of it's own style of individuality. But, even all this can't save this anime from the horribly inexpicable and abrupt ending. Right when somewhat of a story comes back into the picture with Arima starting to look like an over-obsessive psychopath the show stops... it just fucking STOPS!! What the hell is that all about? Did they want me to read the manga to continue it? Fucking hell? Do they think I have time for that shit? I guess I'll never know what happens because I can't rent manga and I sure as hell can't afford to be blindly buying it so screw it, on to the next show...

In the end I must say that it is a good series. It's very amusing and had a unique presentation and even the supporting characters other than Arima and Miyazawa held their own screen presence but their overall affect on what little story there is, is very minuscule. It's just so unfortunate that the ending failed so hard that you're left with the big nothing and you'll never really know what happens. It's sort of hard to recommend it because nothing is ever resolved but I still liked His and Her Circumstances regardless of it's multitude of short-comings.

His and Her Circumstances (opening)

Recommendation: |Average|

Media type: DVD
From: Right Stuf International
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

*Note - HOLY GREAT WALL OF TEXT! Hope I didn't bore you too much with this one but there is one thing I'd like to point out. I'm a subtitle viewer and when it comes to corporate subs one fact has always remained... they look like shit, read like shit, and will always continue to be shit. But Right Stuf is the only corporate subber that actually puts care into their subtitle track and His and Her Circumstances is a prime example. Everything was translated, every sign, on screen text, and background conversation. Not only that but Right Stuf also color coordinated the subs to match the on-screen kanji all the way down to the same text style. To me, this was an amazing feat to pull off from a DVD player and it shows that with some effort that these anime licensees really can give you a decent subtitle track. Then again, maybe this is the reason for Right Stuf's excruciatingly slow release schedule.

It's just too bad that Right Stuf's effort was wasted on an anime that feels like an unfinished product.

Aki-Sora

2010-06-26T02:39:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

Sora Aoi and Aki Aoi have always had a rather close bond throughout their childhood. Whenever Sora found himself alone or in trouble, his sister Aki was always there to protect and comfort him. As time moved on, Sora also started taking care of his beloved sister by cooking and cleaning up after her, but also found himself becoming attracted to her but he keeps that skeleton in the closet. However, Aki slowly comes to realization of Sora's lust through his own actions when he's around her and she begins to exploit his fantasies and decides not to hold herself back any longer unleashing her own pent up sexual frustration and love for her own brother. But will Aki and Sora be able to continue consummating their relationship in secret from his twin sister Nami?

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 1 (That's it guys)

Review:

Y'know, I used to think incest plot related anime was just plain creepy but now I think it's one of the hottest storylines for the romance genre. In the real world it's still creepy but in realm of anime where everyone is cute and good-looking to a fault, it's deemed acceptable and it's just plain steamy! But incest anime always uses the same scapegoat "We're not related by blood so, it's ok" which gets old and over used but then again it keeps the characters in good relations with society. But how about an anime that... didn't... use that ole fallback? What if they really were true siblings doing the horizontal mambo because they loved each other? Well, now we have Aki-Sora. The softcore incest hentai anime that actually has a straightforward plot and characters that would disgust you in life but are quite likable when animated. The thing I like about this show is that it uses it's twisted subject matter but yet can make the viewer *want* Sora to hook up with his own sister. What makes it even better is the fact is that it's Aki that wants to move things forward with Sora even though he tries to prevent it but due to Sora's weak will and fragile mind he lets himself become dominated. Sora is one of the few males in anime that never instigates anything and is constantly a victim of circumstance which always seems to be of a sexual nature and always in his favor.

Aki-Sora is probably the first softcore hentai I've ever seen. Meaning, you can't see anything but they are still doing the bump-n-grind. But, the sex scenes are never really over bearing or very long for that matter. This episode focuses more on Aki trying to get Sora to give in to her which is kind of typical in romance anime, it's just that it's a brother and sister. Do I recommend it? Hell yes! It does a magnificent job of mixing it's twisted plot with a great cast and some hot incestuous softcore sex. And the thing is, the show presents itself much better this way instead of going for balls out hardcore hentai.

(A teaser video? You're kidding, right?)

Recommendation: |Above Average|

B Gata H Kei

2010-06-21T23:43:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

Yamada has just started her high school year with one goal in mind, to have 100 fuck buddies! (sigh) Okay... sex partners. But for her first encounter she decides to start with someone inexperienced and bland before moving on to other guys. She then meets Takashi Kosuda who she decides to bestow to him her "golden cherry" ... so to speak. But Yamada's sexual assault tactics towards Kosuda fail and she is constantly met with her own insecurities as a virgin. Will Yamada ever achieve her goal or will it end when she finds herself falling in love for one very confused boy that was only to be a stepping stone in her sexual conquest.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12

Review:

When I read the 'plot' for B Gata H Kei the first thing I thought was "Wow, well that sounds about fucking stupid." But, after the first two episodes I gotta admit... I was hooked. What was it about this show that kept me hanging on from episode to episode? Well, I hafta say that it's the reverse pretense that's right in the shows description. A perverted girl on the prowl for sex instead of some lame-ass pervy dude looking to score with some shy and apprehensive girl. This time, it's Kosuda that is taking that role which actually gives the show a new spin on a plot device that has been used countless times. So not only do we get the same old story going in a new direction but this also makes for some extremely funny situations that will have you laughing and even playing the same scene over again because seeing it one time just wasn't enough. To make this even better, Yamada and Kosuda's "Ero-gods" constantly break the fourth wall to explain everything to the audience which only adds to the shows overall hilarity.

Honestly though, there really isn't much of a story here other than watching Yamada's attempts at intimate relations (sex) with Kosuda only to end in some sort of hilarious failure which is the result of some life event that is simply out of their control. You also get to see Yamada mature in her own way in that maybe it's not a sexual conquest that she's after but more so the fact that she really does like Kosuda after all... however, she tries to refuse to accept it. The animation is quite good, the story is lame, but it's the backwards character development that accents the main plot perfectly making this one hilarious anime that is worth checking out.

B Gata H Kei (opening)

Recommendation: |Above Average|

Kodomo no Jikan

2010-06-17T22:43:00.000-07:00

Synopsis:

Daisuke Aoki has just landed his first teaching job as a grade school instructor at the Futatsubashi Elementary School placed in charge of Class 3-1. However, teaching elementary school children becomes alot more difficult than it seems when during his first roll-call a mischievous little girl named Rin Kokonoe proclaims herself as Daisuke's girlfriend and develops and intense crush on him. Daisuke not only has to learn to understand and teach his elementary class but must now also deal with Rin's constant advances while trying to maintain the professionalism of a teacher... and keep his job.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Episodes Watched: 12 + 1 OVA

Review:

Right up front I'll tell you that this show is wrong in so many ways but in all honesty, this is what works for the series and I loved every minute of it. It takes a very questionable plot and just uses it without sugarcoating it by having any of the characters get all timid when presented with some embarrassing situation. It's interesting to watch Aoki-sensei have to deal with Rin at every turn and keep a cool head when she tries some sexually-oriented tease or tries to humiliate him publicly both during and after school. But there's a lot more to the precocious 9-year old and her close friends, Kuro Kagami and Mimi Usa, as Aoki-sensei becomes more involved with their life in general and helps them deal with other things that may affect their school life such as family issues, problems with self-identity, or even... wearing a bra.

Kodomo no Jikan really does have some excellent plot elements hidden within it's loli exterior and presents them with perfect timing within it's 12 episode run. Not only that but the character depth is explained extremely well for all the main protagonists which allows you to connect with everyone and understand who they really are. Kodomo no Jikan gets a little intense towards the end but never loses sight of it's loli-humor making it one great series, with decent animation, interesting plot, and over-the-top comedy... this series is *highly* recommended.

Kodomo no Jikan (full opening)

Recommendation: |High|

Umi Monogatari ~Anata ga Ite Kureta Koto~

2010-06-15T22:57:00.000-07:00

Synopsis:

Marin and Urin are two sisters that live in the sea. Always exploring new areas, Marin happens across a ring sinking from the surface of the water. She notices how beautiful the ring is and that it must have been dropped by accident and decides to find the owner of the ring. Thinking that this would be a great time for a new adventure, Marin puts on a bracelet that will allow her to breathe air and heads to the visit the "sky people" (that's us land lovers) and Urin, being her sister, follows her. However, what they encounter in the world above is not like the stories they've heard among the sea people.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12

Review:

Here we have these sisters that... (sigh) They're from the sea or some such and... and... there's this ring and, (yawn) aaahhh, it's the darkness but magic girls save the... the day, yeah. (yawn) G'night.

Zzzzzzzzz...

Recommendation: |Below Average|

Oh, uh... sorry, sorry. I was just thinking about this show and started to doze off, my bad. Umi Monogatari ~Ana... screw it, let's just go with Sea Story, is a show that suffers from one major problem... it's boring. I don't know how many times a nodded off while watching this anime but the strange thing is that it's really not a bad show. But, it moves so freakin' slow you might be tempted to just stop watching it. As it opens you're even greeted with a very soft melody that is practically a lullaby to your ears but, if you make it through that what you'll get is a show that presents itself in a very laid back and calming fashion. This anime relies heavily on love, goodness, and friendship to bring everyone together making it rather cheesy in the overall scope of things. Now, you might be thinking that this is the premise of all magic-girl styled anime but even that angle is isn't really emphasized as the girl-to-magic-girl transformations are very short and the so called powers they have don't ever seem to have as much of an effect of ridding evil as much as a hug and saying "I love you!" Ridiculous, but true.

The characters didn't really stand out and displayed no individuality but you'll still like them just the same as the shows main message is really to just tell a tale of love and peace and how that is all that's needed to overcome sadness and evil. The animation is blah, the story is schmaltzy, but you can't help be put at ease by the overall relaxing atmosphere. Do I recommend it? Sure, if you find turtle races exciting. I mean... the show moved along like molasses in January and it's one that's not worth a second viewing, let alone a first.

Umi Monogatari ~Anata ga Ite Kureta Koto~ (opening)

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei

2010-06-12T22:55:00.000-07:00

Synopsis:

When racing downhill on her bike against her friends, Rika pulls ahead but is struck by an oncoming truck and killed. When Rika wakes up this time though the world she is in is now a sinless version of her own. Keiichi never came to Hinamizawa, Rena's parents never divorced, Satoshi never disappeared, and Satoko's and Rika's parent never died. Rika realizes she finally has arrived in the perfect world she's been trying to reach for so long but each time it resulted in her own death. Rika must now chose to stay in this new world forever or commit the first sin and return to her own reality.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 5

Review:

Okay, first of all, if you haven't seen Higurashi no Naku Kori ni (When They Cry) or the sequel Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai then stop reading this. Just stop. Because if you haven't seen the rest of the series then this 5 part OVA series isn't gonna make much sense watching it as a stand alone mini-series. Now, saying that, let's get started.

In it's traditional sense, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei (Damn that name is a pain in the ass to keep typing. Screw it, I'm just gonna truncate it to 'Higurashi') starts off with one episode dedicated to portray it as a comedy which by now you know it's not. But, what is the 'Higurashi' series without a few episodes of comic relief? Don't worry, after the first episode the creepiness settles back in as the next few episodes put Rika into that perfect world she's always wanted to obtain by constantly altering the events that took place leading to her death each time but now she's stumbled into it by being killed... yet again. Most of the characters make a return with different attitudes and lifestyles and in just a few episodes you begin to see that the reality that Rika's been trying to achieve all this time might be... too perfect.

Even though the the original Higurashi no Naku Koro ni is notorious for it's high level of violence, this installment into the series sidesteps the violence just as the second season did. Which I guess it doesn't really matter because this time it's just a small story of being handed something that you've always wanted but didn't have to work for it. This is a nice addition to the series even if it's only a few episodes long and it still boasts the same great animation, characters, and intriguing storytelling as it's full length counterparts making this a must see if you're a fan of the 'Higurashi' series as I am.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei (opening)

Recommendation: |Very High|

Paranoia Agent

2010-06-05T14:33:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

Paranoia Agent begins with a story about a woman named Tsukiko Sagi who is under alot of pressure at work to create a new character for a plush toy. She's had a huge success with her current one called Maromi but the higher-ups demand more. On her way home one night however she drops her Maromi-on-a-keychain figurine but when she kneels down to pick it up she looks up to see a young boy wearing golden in-line skates bearing down on her as he swings a metallic bat knocking her unconscious. With this, detectives Keiichi Ikari and Mitsuhiro Maniwa are assigned to the case to find out more about this street assailant. With no leads and no witnesses the two detectives are to the point of giving up hope and blaming the incident on Tsukiko herself considering it a cry for attention but then they receive a report that the mysterious Shonen Bat, or Bat Boy, has claimed another victim...

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 13

Review:

For this short and strange series Paranoia Agent really doesn't have that much of a story to tell as it's coming at you with a new presentation as far as animation is concerned. When you watch this show you shouldn't try to connect yourself with the characters or over analyze the plot because that will only make you wonder what in the world is going on. Actually how it's best enjoyed is that when one person is talking what you'll be seeing is what that character is perceiving the in their mind at the same time so while they are talking the world around them is changing and the viewer is the only one who is seeing what's running through anyone's mind at any given time. This can seem hilarious at times or just downright confusing every now and then. You'll also see how an urban legend manifests itself from a simple rumor into a city-wide phenomenon through story-telling and gossip and how people view the Shonen Bat as he contorts his appearance to match the stories being told.

The animation leans toward being more realistic than the classic anime style that I prefer but it's still a good series. The only thing is that it's *supposed* to be confusing kinda like watching one long episode of The Twilight Zone so don't expect to really follow the plot completely. You just have to keep in mind that what you're seeing is what's going through a persons mind and how they perceive the Shonen Bat whether he be a demon or a savior. Not sure if I can recommend this one as I liked it but it wasn't a series I could really get into. Available for rent, hard-to-find-purchase (Geneon is out of business), and shown on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim check it out if you have a taste for the bizarre.

Paranoia Agent (trailer)
Paranoia Agent (promo)

Recommendation: |Average|

Media type: DVD
From: Geneon
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

Nabari no Ou

2010-06-01T23:41:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

By no interest of his own, Miharu Rokujo, learns that he is the sole possessor of the Shinra Banshou. The most powerful secret art of the ninja world. But the thing is, he doesn't doesn't care and even though every ninja clan is out to claim his power their own if he could just give his power away... he would. But one ninja, Yoite, with the power to hurt others at the expense of his own life-force pleas with Miharu to use the Shinra Banshou and erase his existence so that he will not be remembered. Miharu decides to help Yoite's and decides to learn to use his new found power to honor Yoite's request.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 26 (Yeah, I managed to sit through the entire show for you guys just for me to tell you DO NOT WATCH! Be grateful to grandpa Endo.)

Review:

"The ninja world is at war. Whatever." This is FAILimation's marketing 'slogan' that might have you thinking 'So, it's like a ninja show with cool ninja dudes that kick ass and don't give a shit? Cool!' Sorry, no. Here, let me rephrase it and put a little more truth to the matter. "The ninja world is at war. But for now some punk-ass bitches will whine about their existence for the next 26 episodes." There we go, that about sums it up. What one has to do with the other... I don't know, but I do know that Nabari no Ou manages to do two things that no anime has done before as it both annoyed me to no end and was also extremely boring. At the beginning there are a few ninja fights but after Yoite hits the screen this anime tries to get the audience to become empathetic towards him by constantly hammering you with the 'his power is killing him' angle by dropping that bomb in every conversation. Then, Yoite speaks up for himself by whining to have Miharu erase his existence with his 'almighty' power. But it gets better as he *constantly* bitches about wanting to be erased... for the entire fucking show! At some point you'll be begging for someone, anyone, to kill the whiny little shit just so he'll shut the hell up about it.

But no. What you're gonna see is Yoite and Miharu get much closer turning your ninja anime into a yaoi (homosexual) ninja anime. Oh don't worry, this happens to some of the other male characters also turning this anime into a bromance of sorts and by this time the whole ninja aspect of the show has all but been killed off. None of the characters are noteworthy other then the fact that the constant bitching of "I wish I was never born!" "I don't want this!" and all the boo-fucking-hooing *will* grate on your nerves. The animation is lacking and everyone is drawn to look like they are suffering from Buhlemia. And there is nothing even remotely interesting about the overall story leaving you with an ending that makes you glad that it's finally over if you even made it that far. Almost makes you sad to think that anyone would actually buy this thinking "Hey, this looks cool!" Appearances can be deceiving.

Nabari no Ou (opening)

Recommendation: |Less than zero!|

Online viewing: At FAILimation's website

Nabari no Ou (subbed and a few dubbed episodes)

*Note - Y'know, it's pretty fuckin' bad when FAILimation doesn't even bother putting up the rest of their own shitty-ass dub version to stream but only a few dubbed episodes amongst the subtitled version. It's like they couldn't be bothered with trying to overcompensate for this fuming pile of crap that no one in their right mind should be watching anyway.

Media type: DVD
From: FUNimation
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

Sora no Otoshimono (Heaven's Lost Property)

2010-05-20T00:37:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

Tomoki Sakurai wants nothing more than to lead a peaceful, quiet, life without interruption. One evening he comes across a large gaping hole in the sky one night, a large ball of light shoots out of it and it almost hits Tomoki. As he inspects the large crater that it left behind Tomoki notices an unconcious girl with wings at the bottom. As debris also starts falling from the large void in the sky Tomoki decides that he doesn't want to get involved and runs for cover but doesn't get far before he realizes that he can't just leave her there. Tomoki rushes back and tries to carry the strage winged girl as best he can but he doesn't get far before he sees a large pillar coming right down on him. But just as Tomoki is about to meet his demise he suddenly notices he is high above the ground being flown saved by the strange girl he tried to rescue moments ago. As they land, she imprints a chain onto Tomiki and claims him as her master. Well, so much to Tomoki's quiet and peaceful life.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 13

Review:

Soro no Otoshimono or, Heaven's Lost Property, is a perfect example how to completely waste the potential that a series has. You've got a great story that could have been used with an angel coming down to earth and swearing loyalty to the guy that tried to save her. Followed by other angels who are out to bring her back to the heavens above. The thing is, you don't learn much about "the heavens" but all you really get is a sneak-peak at the travesty that takes place above and the humiliation that these angels endure. No, what they've done is take the intersting part out and laced the show with ecchiness. Now, I like ecchi stuff as much as the next guy but here it feels like a tacked on after-thought that was used to try and make the show appeal a larger core group of fans but instead it ends up ruining the shows presentation. What you get in return is an annoying main character, big boobs, a loli, and lots of flying panties which makes for very low-brow humor that doesn't fit well at all. But, as I was watching I couldn't help but hope that things would change and the gutter humor was only an introductory way to relax the audience and I would eventually learn more of Icarus or Nymph. But no, that hope was dashed as the show kept going down the same road that completely overshadowed the real story that could have been so much more had a little more thought had been put into it because the story was there but this anime was afraid to actually use it.

Sora no Otoshimono is probably also the first anime that I can actually say that I despised the main character to no end. Tomoki is beyond annoying and has practically zero redeeming factors to keep you from wanting to hurl a brick at the guy. He's lewd, perverted, and just plain stupid with a voice that makes you wanna smack the shit out of the guy every time he opens his mouth making him horribly out of place amongst the shows characters. Another thing is that the animation puts too much emphasis on using chibi style (or migitizing) imaging to try and accent the humor which is just not needed and looks downright pathetically emphasized most of the time.

All in all, as a whole, Sora no Otoshimono was still an "okay" show but there is nothing here to make you watch it more than once or even make it a memorable viewing experience.

Sora No Otoshimono (opening)

Recommendation: |Average|

Online viewing: No longer available, Cruchyroll lost the license 30 days after the show ended.

Media type: Free internet streaming
From: Crunchyroll
Spoken languages: Japanese
Subtitles: English

*Note - Cruchyroll has lost the license to this show and it has now been picked up by FUNimation. Really? This? Who was the brainiac that decided to license this turd? I mean, I can see maybe offering it as a free stream but if the show goes gold, that would be downright stupid. But after they dub it and give it the shiny treatment, about 1 or 2 years from now, the show will flop and they'll dump the idea of picking up the second season that's already been announced. But this has been the fate of many of FAILimation's other shows.

Dance in the Vampire Bund

2010-05-15T02:14:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

Vampires and werewolves are the stuff of legends, just a myth, right? Well, that's what everyone thought until a young girl named Mina Tepes announces that she is the queen of vampires and has just paid off Japan's national debt and procured land as a haven for vampires to exist in called the Bund. As Mina integrates vampires into society, not everyone is willing to accept such a merger. There are those of the human race that do not want to even acknowledge the existence of monsters but also vampires that want to display their superiority. This, of course, puts Mina in a dangerous position with the constant threat of death from those who wish to oppose Mina's ways but along with the protection of her loyal followers she has chosen one boy, Akira Kaburagi Regendorf, to protect her as her personal bodyguard. The only thing is, he has no idea why. Akira's about to discover something about himself that he forgot long ago.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes: 12

Review:

Werewolf and vampires and... other things, oh my! Dance in the Vampire Bund is the complex story of how such beings would live along side us mortals and the rules which govern their lifestyle and... oh wait. I'm thinking of the manga, silly me. Let me start over. Dance in the Vampire Bund, the anime, is the tale of the queen of vampires that resembles an underage girl who's in love with her amnesiac werewolf bodyguard Akira. In the anime's defense though, there is so much going on in the manga that you really couldn't hope to fit much of it into a measly 12 episodes so they chose to loosely base the story off the source material focusing on what most people wanted, the relationship between a young man and an eternally underage girl. Hey, she's the ruler of all vampires. But as the anime tends to jump around from one situation to the next you see what Akira has to deal with to be Mina's guardian and he meets all the challenges head-on and he starts to become quite the likable character. Eventually you start to see how Mina's bull-headed and almost sadistic ways offset him perfectly which makes them a well matched pair despite the physical age difference. The only thing is that this tends to push everyone else aside and practically makes them non-existent in your mind putting the world around Akira and Mina as just a blur.

A dark tale of vampiric proportions? No. If you want that then go read the manga. I can't believe I just said that but it's true. No, what the anime version of Dance in the Vampire Bund is an almost unprogressive forbidden romance that is constantly interrupted by real world events that, at times, you just won't care about. Why? Mainly because of what Dance in the Vampire Bund really encompasses in no way can be portrayed in a mere 12 episodes making the plot seem like it's jumping all over the place with no steady flow to it. What you're left with is an average anime that doesn't give you much more than you started with making for a very medicore viewing experience. It doesn't help that Shaft's presentation was nothing more than an extreme close-up of someone's eye 50% of the time. That's not the usual head-trippy Shaft that I'm used to.

Dance in the Vampire Bund (opening)

Recommendation: |Average|

Online viewing: Available at FUNimations website -

Dance in the Vampire Bund (subtitled)

*Note - You may have to verify your date of birth to watch due to adult content. Also, the only version available is with TV station censorship but as an added bonus you also get FAILimation's own censorship and edits to go with it, YAY!

Media type: Free internet streaming
From: FUNimation
Spoken languages: Japanese
Subtitles: English

Sola

2010-05-13T21:13:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

Yorito Morimiya is a photographer at heart, but he especially loves taking pictures of the sky any time of the day at any time of the year. While taking more pictures of the sky very early in the morning Yorito notices a strange girl trying to get a can of tomato juice out of a vending machine. Yorito helps her while trying to strike up a conversation with her but by the time he gets the juice out of the machine he turns to notice that the girl is mysteriously gone. Yorito manages to run into the strange girl a few more times during the night over the next few days and learns that her name is Matsuri Shihou. But when he decides to go looking for her he finds that she has been taking shelter in an abandoned church only to happen upon a confrontation between her and a man weilding a sword.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 15

Review:

Ah yes, the "sudden girlfriend" genre of anime. It never gets old. Why? Because we all wish it would happen. But, Sola takes a different approach to this tried and true plot device and puts a little spin on things that are not apparent at first but as the story progresses you see the overall impact of it's outcome. Sola adds an extra level of complexity to it's tale by leading the viewer along a predetermined path that you practically feel that you've been down before and know what to expect. However, your predictions are cast aside when Sola goes off in a completely different direction from what you had thought leaving you saying to yourself "This wasn't supposed to happen... " With it's minor but impacting plot changes it takes the audience away from it's comfort zone and leaving them wondering what is really going to happen now?

This is what I liked about Sola as I was being set up from the beginning and at the end I was thrown the emotional curve-ball and I was shown that not all anime in the same genre follow the same path. The animation is done well, the plot may seem typical, but don't be fooled by Sola's apparent simplicity. There's another side to the story that you're just not seeing until it's too late and the series comes to an open ended yet, satisfying close.

Sola (opening)

Recommendation: |Above Average|

Media type: DVD
From: Bandai Entertainment
Spoken languages: Japanese
Subtitles: English

Ghost Hound

2010-04-27T23:24:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

When Taro Komori was young he and his sister Mizuka were kidnapped for reasons unknown to him. But, only Taro was found alive and since this tragic experience he has been having an out-of-body experience every time he sleeps being able to see every thing that is going on in his homewtown but no one can see him. However, during his out-of-body experiences Taro also has flashbacks that portray his own kidnapping with odd sybolism that he doesn't quite understand and therefore records his nightly other worldly travels on audio cassette. However due to one kid, Masayuki Nakajima, who can't keep to himself and tries to make friends by prying into everyone's personal life Taro finds out that he is not the only person experiencing these out-of-body phenomenons. Along with Makoto Ogami who has also been experiencing the same thing the 3 boys decide team up, despite their differences, to confront thier past and find out what their own subconscious is trying to show them while they sleep.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 22

Review:

Now here is one creepy little show that doesn't need buckets of blood or some demon from beyond to set the mood. Ghost Hound is all about atmosphere through it's unique use of audio effects that can occasionally since a chill up and down your spine. This not only makes the overall story even more intriguing but it also sets Ghost Hound apart from most anime currently out there. Oddly enough, sometimes the audio alone keeps the show from becoming predictable as you'll be wondering what's going to happen next even though in the back of your mind you already know but you still want to see it with your own eyes. Another thing that you will notice is that the main characters are somewhat soft spoken individuals that never really go to one emotional extreme or another. Sure, there is the occasional argument but the thing is that they all seem to let life push them in any direction it wants and everyone just follows along. Other than Masayuki Nakajima's curiosity to pry into everyone's past no one really displays any kind of individuality which I liked. This made me think of everyone as a whole and not single out any one character as more intriguing than the next.

Ghost Hound is one anime that makes excellent use of atmospheric tension through the use of a remarkable audio presentation combined with a cast that's practically asleep-at-the-wheel making for one hell of a unique presentation. Ghost Hound is going to appeal to you on one level or another and you'll find that once you start watching that you can't stop. Is it because you find it interesting? Or is it simply because you don't want the head-trip to end?

Ghost Hound (opening)

Recommendation: |High|

Media type: DVD
From: Sentai Filmworks
Spoken Languages: Japanese
Subtitles: English

Red Garden

2010-04-11T00:15:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

After a bizarre set of murders in New York City four girls, Kate, Rachel, Rose, and Claire, awake one morning to find themselves tired, dizzy, and no recollection of the previous night. Only related by attending the same class at school, they learn that one of their classmates, Lise Meyer's body was found in the woods but the authorities have deemed as a suicide. When school is cancelled for the day, instead of going home the four girls find themselves drawn to a park where they are approached by a strange man and woman. They explain to the girls that the reason they can't remember anything from the night before is because they were murdered. The girls are then given a choice, fight and kill monsters that appear in the dead of night to find out the truth and given a second chance at life, or do nothing and die... permanently. The choice is theirs.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 23

Review:

Fight and kill monsters in the afterlife or don't and die forever. Why does this sound really familiar? Oh yeah, it was called Gantz. Well, if you're not an anime junkie then that won't make any sense. Now, for Red Garden, this is one show that does just about everything wrong. To start with, the animation is horrid. Was this to give it some new look or try to present the show in a more realistic fashion? I couldn't tell you but it sure did give everyone a big-ass nose. But to make things worse is that this show starts out excruciatingly slow and it doesn't help that we have four very irritating girls that do nothing more than cry, whine, bitch, and complain for 3/4ths of the entire series. Every time these girls had to encounter a "monster" (which is really just some guy walking around on all fours and growling like a dog) they cry and get slapped around, then scream and get slapped around some more, then question the morality of what they are doing and get slapped around even more, then sort of fight back barely escaping a second death. This goes on for pretty much the entire series. At some point you're going to yell "Just shut the hell up and kill the damn thing!" at your screen. Oh but don't worry, our ladies aren't without the typical life-after-death superpowers. These girls have the mighty ability to jump... really high. No... I didn't get the point of it either.

Hideous animation, a plot as thin as tissue paper that plodded along for far too many episodes, and four main characters that do nothing more than grate on your nerves with their indecisiveness in the face of death, Red Garden is a horrendously bad anime. And in Gonzo's usual fashion, they try to tie up everything in the final episode that could have been presented and solved in parts throughout the show rather than trudging along then going for the final rush. Simply put, do not watch. FUNimation picked a real winner here folks.

Red Garden (closing)
*Note - The opening song blows

Recommendation: |None|

Online viewing: Available at FUNimation's website -

Red Garden (craptastic dub)

Media type: DVD
From: ADV/FAILimation
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

El Cazador de la Bruja

2010-03-24T23:58:00.000-07:00

Synopsis:

Looking to cash in on a huge reward, bounty hunter Nadie is hired to accompany a mysterious young girl named Ellis in a journey to head... south. However, Nadie quickly learns that Ellis has a large bounty on her head and is the target of practically every hunter in the countryside. As Nadie escorts Ellis south she slowly starts to learn the truth why Ellis has such a large bounty on her head as she's an artificial life-form fused with the DNA of an ancient witch clan which is said to harvest great power. But Nadie and Ellis begin to form an inseparable bond which motivates Nadie to help Ellis reach her goal, the Winay Marka, no matter what the odds are.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 26

Review:

There's nothing like a good ole anime action series to sit back and pass the time with. But from the moment I started watching El Cazador de la Bruja within the first episode I could tell that there was more to this show than what's on the surface. Although the plot was standard fare it was Ellis that captivated me as she has this odd, yet very open way of describing her feelings to the audience without any hesitation on her part. It's like everything that goes on in this girls mind is practically worn on her sleeve, so to speak, and this makes her a very intriguing yet laid back character as all this is accompanied by little to no emotion on Ellis's part. Nadie however is a different story as she portrays the tough as nails good looking heroine with a heart of gold which may seem almost commonplace in every anime but it accompanies Ellis's mysterious ways elegantly making these girls a magnificent pair.

But what about the story itself? Well, it's not all that intriguing as you'll be following Nadie and Ellis as they travel across the countryside through small towns usually encountering one unique character per episode. Then, Nadie and Ellis help that person overcome some personal hurdle and end up forming a small bond until everything is resolved and then they continue on with their journey. But, This anime never loses it's focus on the overall main plot of Ellis's self-discovery. This kept things fresh as I found myself going from episode to episode and when the I hit the last episode on the DVD it felt as if almost no time had passed.

Although this anime is portrayed as an action series, something you'll quickly notice is it's non-violent approach to violence. In other words, if someone is killed, all you'll see is a silhouette or the "camera" will cut to an outdoor scene and you'll here a gunshot in the distance only to return the viewer to a body laying on the ground. Luckily, this doesn't really detract from the series overall and it's still very enjoyable. El Cazador de la Bruja is a great action romp with a decent story to back it up that turns out to be a lot better than what you'd expect just from reading it's description.

El Cazador de la Bruja (opening)

Recommendation: |Above Average|

Online viewing: Available at FUNimation's website -

El Cazador de la Bruja (subbed and dubbed)

Media type: DVD
From: FUNimation
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

*Note - I'm almost sad to see this didn't include a Spanish dubbed track considering the setting of the show.

Howl's Moving Castle

2010-03-17T23:08:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

In a time that resembles the Victorian era, Howl's Moving Castle tells the story of a young 18 year old girl named Sophie that works in her late father's hat shop. On her way home from work she is harassed by some patrolling soldiers but is rescued by a mysterious wizard named Howl. But, her involvement with Howl has drawn the attention of the Witch of the Waste who is a rival of Howl's and she puts a curse on Sophie that turns her into a 90 year old woman and she is unable to tell anyone of the curse. In an attempt to find a way to lift the curse Sophie sets out into the Waste to locate Howl and beg for his assistance.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: Well, 1... it's a movie

Review:

I never thought I would enjoy a family movie like this however, I found myself captivated from the moment the movie began. It might have been the superb animation or maybe it's off-kilter fantasy setting that kept me planted in one spot with my eyes fixed to the screen. As the story unfolds you can't help but admire the movies originality that proves to you that some things are only possible in the animated world. But, your journey through this surreal animated world will be guided by an amazing cast that is so far removed from the typical cookie-cutter lot that you have come to predict that even a simple conversation will have you hanging on every word. Not only do you follow Sophie as she tries rid herself from her aging curse but you see that no matter what form she takes whether it be old or young her influence on the world and the people closest to her is the same. Through this Sophie also learns a little about herself and almost starts questioning in her mind if everyone will think of her the same once she reverts back to her 18-year-old self.

A remarkable film that can be enjoyed by any age group, Howl's Moving Castle is an animated work of art that should be watched at some point in your life. It lives up to the hype. For those prefer English voice overs, well you're getting an all-star cast such as Christian Bale, Jean Simmons, Billy Crystal, and Lauren Bacall, so it's sure not to disappoint.

Howl's Moving Castle (trailer)

Recommendation: |High|

Media type: DVD
From: Walt Disney Pictures
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

Hellsing

2010-03-08T23:01:00.001-08:00

Synopsis:

As an officer of Division 11, Seras Victoria was assigned to investigate the mysterious happenings in Cheddar Village. Shortly upon arrival her team was overcome by ghouls and she alone remained the sole-survivor of the attack. After a few moments though her fallen comrades rose from thier deathbed as ghouls themselves and turned their blood-lust towards Seras. Unable to pull the trigger on her once former friends she turns and runs into the forest without looking where she is going as long as she can distance herself from the monstrosities that remind her of people she once knew. After running for a bit Seras comes to an opening in the forest with a cemetery and a church behind it. Looking for shelter she runs inside church only to find that the priest that resides within is actually a vampire that created the ghouls in the village. Seras is quickly overpowered but before she is killed a man dressed in red and wearing sunglasses appears from no where and attacks the vampiric priest but before he is bested in combat the priest takes Seras hostage and threatens to kill her. With only one option, Seras allows the man in red to shoot the priest having the bullet go through her and into her antagonist as she learns the bullets are actually created from blessed silver crucifixes that were melted down into ammunition. With this the priest is killed but Seras also feels her own life fading away as blood flows from the huge gaping wound in her, the man in red kneels down next to her and tells her his name is Alucard and she realizes he is also a vampire and he offers her a choice... die as she is or allow Alucard to mix his blood with hers and continue the fight against the undead. Not wanting to let her friends die in vein she makes her choice as Alucard bites her neck... Seras is then employed by the Hellsing corporation that Alucard works for and fights against vampire uprisings throughout the world.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 13

Review:

I gotta tell you, I normally dislike vampire stories since I find that particular "monster" to be highly over-rated. But here we have a new spin on things, we have an extremely powerful vampire Alucard (spell it backwards) being kept by humans in a secret organization that is bent on exterminating vampires in general. But you find that Alucard loves his job because he can't stand "instant freaks" like teenage vampires that live for the moment as they only piss him off so he stays with the Hellsing family always looking for powerful opponents and will never betray his keepers for some unexplained reason. This made the show highly enjoyable and I was hanging on every episode as I wanted to know more about Alucard and why he is being kept by humans and the somewhat comic relief being supplied by Seras as she learns to deal with her new vampiric state helped lighten the mood at times. The integration of vampires among humans is portrayed extremely well and how you learn that the old school vampires dislike of the modern vampire and it's lack of disregard for the elders, this was probably my favorite aspect of the whole series.

Even though the animation was pretty average, the remarkable story and intriguing characters supersede that in every way. From the Hellsing families' leader Sir Integra (It's a woman, I never got why she is referred to as sir...) to Alucard and Seras you are given some extreme character depth which is done very well for a 13 episode run and you almost feel bad when the Hellsing organization is given a bad reputation for anything. You'll be cheering on Alucard and chuckling while Seras learns to accept her new life that was granted by Alucard, it's a fantastic series and I recommend it.

Hellsing (opening)

Recommendation: |Above Average|

Media type: DVD
From: Geneon
Languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

Kujibiki Unbalance

2010-03-07T03:46:00.000-08:00

Synopsis:

Unlike most schools, Rikkyouin Academy has a different way of electing it's student council. Instead of the traditional voting process they use a lottery to determine what positions will be held and by whom. Once elected however, each student must complete a variety of tasks set before them but these tasks can range anywhere from the mundane up to dealing with robots, aliens, spies, and even terrorism. Failure, is not an option as it results in immediate expulsion. Chihiro Enomoto's lottery drawing, to become the next candidate for student council president has just brought his string of bad luck to an end... maybe.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12

Review:

Kujibiki Unbalance is an anime that tries to go a slightly different route in telling it's story by combining it's nonsensical story elements and confused characters and attempts to put everything into a comedy routine... but in the end it turns out to be less than humorous. When you put all this together, don't be surprised if you're asking yourself "What's the point of this show?" to which the answer would be, there is none. The only underlying plot-line that is even note worthy is seeing if Chihiro has what it takes to become the next student-council president or will he give up and fail in his endeavor. The thing is that when watching this show you see how these kids have to deal with some bizarre and practically life-threatening situations, but unfortunately, the characters that this anime drops into these half-baked scenarios are uninteresting and have no forceful screen presence. This leaves you feeling indifferent and not really caring if they will complete a task or fail and the end result isn't all that funny even though this anime really tries to lean more towards comedy in the overall scope of things.

The animation is typical but putting that with a lame group of school kids that are making their way through a hodge-podge of odd-ball tasks from episode to episode, the end result doesn't provide many laughs and the entire show is easily forgettable. Actually, I can't think of any worthwhile aspect of this show to even convince you to pick it up to begin with.

Kujibiki Unbalance (opening)

Recommendation: |Low|

Media type: DVD
From: Anime Works
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki

2010-02-28T07:38:00.001-08:00

Synopsis:

A thousand years ago the God of Destruction, Enka, said that it's child would destroy the world. To prevent this the Great Japanese Empire Paranormal Phenomena Bureau of Measures assigns one man, Ouka Midarezaki, to protecting the Earth from this threat. However, instead of fighting against some powerful being the bureau decides to gather all the beings of the Earth thought to be the child of Enka and have them live together as a family in hopes of teaching them through love of family that the Earth should not be destroyed. Ouka is then forced to marry Kyouka Midarezaki... a god from the underground kingdom called Shangri-la and inherits a family consisting of Hyouka the biological weapon, Teika the lion, Yuuka the daughter of a demon family, Ginka the gay son of a Yakuza clan, and Gekka the... jellyfish. Later they are joined by Chika who is Yuuka's sister but doesn't carry any of Enka's DNA. This crazy mismatched family not only stays together to protect the world from themselves but also anyone else who threatens life on Earth.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Episodes watched: 26

Review:

Whoa! What a wild idea and it worked well in the beginning but as the series went on it seemed to lose some of it's flair. I thought this anime was going to go in the comedic direction but other than a few laughs every couple of episodes it wasn't all that funny and the series wanted to use more of a 'crazy anime' type of angle which worked out okay. It sort of felt like that the show was running out of ideas towards the end of the series leaving things kind of flat and predictable in a sense. A new enemy appears, Kyouka talks a mile a minute, the family goes into a 'frenzy' and overcomes all odds, lather, rinse, repeat. Where this anime really shines though is the character depth as it dedicates 2 episodes to each member of the Cozy Family explaining their past, present, and acceptance into modern society. Even the ending themes that were sung by each member of the family was a nice touch.

Look at it this way, it's a decent show and I still say watch it, but don't go into it expecting a whole lot because what you see in the first few episodes is pretty much what the entire series is like. Giving you standard fare animation and an off-the-wall plot, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki still falls into the 'one time viewing' category.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (opening)

Recommendation: |Above Average|

Kanon (2006)

2010-02-25T22:28:00.000-08:00

Synopsis:

After a seven year absence, Yuichi Aizawa, returns to the city of Moriguchi to stay with his cousin Nayuki Minase and her mother for the new school year. He meets Nayuki after returning to town and she takes him on a tour but when Nayuki says she has to stop at the store to pick up a few things Yuichi says he'll wait outside but while waiting he is knocked over by a girl running from something, she then quickly grabs him by the hand and pulls him into a nearby cafe. She says her name is Ayu Tsukimiya and explains that she inadvertently stole a bag of taiyaki (A Japanese fish-shaped waffle. The most common filling is red bean paste that is made from sweetened azuki beans.) after being scared away before paying and that's when she ran into him. Yuichi scolds her saying that wasn't the smartest thing to do and says he'll pay for the taiyaki if she apologizes to the vendor she stole it from. After settling her debt, Ayu then says she must go home but will meet with Yuichi again, he then goes and meets up with Nayuki back at the store. The next day Yuichi goes to school and meets a few of Nayuki's friends that seem to remember him but Yuichi has no recollection of who these people are or how he came to know them. With this group of people somehow sharing a past he tries to remember how he came to know everyone through his own acts of selflessness.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 24

Review:

Kanon is a mysterious story of unresolved pasts and the shroud of the unknown is slowly lifted throughout the series by watching Yuichi's actions. Whether he's doing it for the sake of his own knowledge or because he truly cares for those around him is determined by the viewer. This is a very intriguing series that brings forth memories of the past and represents them in the form of symbolism which is very effective in showing the power of which memories present if they are let go. The characterization is extremely deep since everything relies on the past and watching Yuichi recall how each person he comes in contact with is linked to his past is quite original and even may tug at a few heartstrings as everything isn't always a bed of roses. The animation is superb and plot is refreshingly original even if it is a drama mixed with somewhat of an unexpected romance... I give it one of my highest recommendations as it's one of the best series I have ever seen. But hey, who here *hasn't* seen this anime? If you haven't then leave this place now, go watch it, and don't come back till you're done with all 24 episodes. Full viewing of Kanon 2006 is mandatory... okay, so I made that up but that gives you an idea of how excellent Kanon really is

Kanon 2006 (opening)
Kanon 2006 (closing)

Recommendation: |Very High|

Available at FUNimation's website:

Kanon (2006) once again, shitty dub only

Media type: DVD
From: ADV/FUNimation
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

Girl's High

2010-02-21T22:50:00.000-08:00

Synopsis:

Girl's High (High School Girls) is an anime series that is nothing more than following six friends through one year of high school. It shows the viewer how girls act when only amongst themselves and if I'd known women were this uninhibited then I need to find a time machine and go back to my high school years and pay more attention. It touches upon subjects like first day of school, physicals, friendship, dating (or lack there-of I should say), lesbianism, sibling rivalry, blackmailing teachers, bikini waxing each other, festivals, and even touches upon... date rape.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12

Review:

I'll admit, I started watching Girl's High for the title alone because... well... I'm a pervert and the name intrigued me. After watching the show for a bit I started to lose interest as the story seemed far too typical and the animation was nothing special but I decided to ride it out anyway. The thing with this show is that it seems to know when it loses the viewers attention and throws out some fanservice and ecchi-type situations at just the right time to keep your interest. This series has no qualms about about it's fanservice loaded ecchiness and puts it in your face because I did find my mind wandering from watching girls talk about everyday life but then I was given a bit of fanservice and it brought me back. It's loaded with comedy but alot of it feels borrowed and relies too much on the fanservice or sexually related bad comedy aspect to come across as funny which would make me laugh at times or get a sigh the next, it was hit or miss. I will give this series props for poking fun at the heavily cliched "love at first sight" that plagues some anime and really buries it in the ground and that managed to get a chuckle or two out of me every time. The animation is typical so nothing special there and character depth is kept to a minimum since this is more slice-of-life style story telling mainly focusing on the present and I would only recommend it if you want an inside view of how girls act behind the scenes when put with a comical routine, as for me... I liked it I suppose. I still say give it a try as it's only 12 episodes but it's nothing you'll remember in the long run.

Girl's High (opening)
Girl's High (closing)

Recommendation: |Average|

Online viewing: Available at Crunchyroll -

Girls High (English subtitled)

Media type: DVD
From: Anime Works
Spoken languages: Japanese
Subtitles: English

*Note - Due to poor video quality, I wish the streaming version was available somewhere other than at Crunchyroll but... there you go. I've said it before and I'll say it again... Hey, what do you want for free?

School Days

2010-02-18T22:18:00.001-08:00

Synopsis:

Every day that Makato Ito takes the train to school he admires a girl named Kotonoha Katsura, who rides the same train, from afar. After taking her picture with his cell phone, Sekai Saionji, notices him admiring her picture during class and starts teasing him and asking questions about her and if Makoto likes Kotonoha. Makoto admits he does have a crush on her but is reluctant to pursue his emotions so Sekai decides to make it her duty to help Makoto and Kotonaha get together. With some name dropping and coy word play she manages to get Kotonaha to agree to a date with Makoto. Though Makoto is extremely grateful to Sekai for her help she tells him that he is going to owe her, big time, but before she boards the train home Sekai then steals a kiss from Makoto and tells him that this will do and his debt has now been paid in full.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12 (OVAs were unrelated to the overall story so I didn't include them.)

Review:

I can honestly say that School Days is unlike any anime I've come across. This anime takes a simplistic plot of high school romance and it adds all the things that you don't want to watch twisting it into a gut-wrenching drama that will have a terrible outcome but the thing is, the viewer already knows this but will continue to watch regardless.

School Days does something that most anime don't in that it makes you despise the main character Makoto and therefore hate the series overall, not because of bad animation, not because of a poorly scripted plot, but because of characters that are truly despicable and it does nothing to hide this fact, if a girl shows interest in Makoto he doesn't get all timid and embarrassed about it but instead leaps at any chance that he gets and to make things worse, every girl easily accepts this ruse and it will sometimes genuinely piss you off. You may be fooled by it's innocent exterior but School Days will take you by the hand and lead you down a an unlit staircase that delves into despair, hatred, depression, irrational outcomes, but the worst part of it is you won't be able to stop watching as you're always hoping to see the light at the end of the tunnel that you may realize... is a fleeting desire.

The animation is about the average fair, the plot is a trap, but the characterization is of the type you can't stand and the sad thing is... that's the whole point of the show. You may not like the this series at all but ask yourself this... are you hating School Days because it just plain sucks or are you hating it because it wants you to? Although it's hard for me to recommend School Days I am still gonna say, watch it at least once because there really is no other anime like it.

School Days (opening)

Recommendation: |Above Average|

Online viewing: Available at Crunchyroll -

School Days (English subtitles)
*Note - Due to adult content, you may have to verify your date of birth to watch.

Media type: Crunchyroll free internet streaming
From: Crunchyroll
Spoken languages: Japanese
Subtitles: English

*Note - Use the Firefox web browser combined with AdBlock Plus to block all website and in-video ads when using Crunchyroll's free streaming service. Purchasing a premium membership at Crunchyroll is not recommended at this time due to poor playback quality and a very minimal buffering allowance for videos (Often times, less than a minute) in the media player causing video lag and/or stuttering issues. Use the free service and keep your wallet closed.

Half-Broken Music Box (Kowarekake no Orgel)

2010-02-15T21:43:00.000-08:00

Synopsis:

Taking shelter from a rainstorm at a nearby shrine, Keiichiro finds a young android girl that has been thrown out and left amongst the garbage to be hauled away. Keiichiro decides to take her with him and stops by a local repair shop on the way home to see if there is anything that can be done. Unfortunately, the shop owner tells him that due to her being such an old model that parts are no longer available. But, instead of returning her to the trash pile, Keiichiro takes her home anyway and stores her in the closet only to wake the next day to the smell of breakfast being cooked by his new found companion.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 1 (That's it, one small 28 minute OVA)

Review:

Upon watching this I was curious as to how much could be done in a single, slightly less then a half-hour, episode. To my surprise, I got one compelling little tale that presented more of a story than most full anime series out there. Kowarekake no Orgel manages to show you how Keiichiro finds Flower (the android) and even how she got in the trash in the first place but doesn't waste a lot of time on that in order to also show you how Flower affects Keiichiro's life. Through her own innocent curiosity about life and her owner she inadvertently brings him out of seclusion and his return to perusing life as a musician, a dream that Keiichiro decided to abandon long ago. And even though you'll enjoy Flower's cuteness combined with Keiichiro's laid-back attitude don't be surprised when you consistently feel the cloud of despair hanging over your head knowing that Flower's time... is limited.

Wonderful animation combined with hand-painted backgrounds and a very well thought out story presented remarkably for it's small time-span, Kowarekake no Orgel is a magnificent one-time viewing experience. Don't pass on this.

Recommendation: |High|

Welcome to the N.H.K.

2010-02-13T17:35:00.000-08:00

Synopsis:

Hikikomori, a person who has withdrawn from social life and seeks total isolation and refuses to leave their homes. Sato Tatsuhiro is one such person. Living off an allowance supplied by his parents, feeding himself with instantly prepared foods, and constantly thinking about how everyone is out to belittle him, as he is unable to cope with any type of social rejection. However, one day he is visited by a strange girl named Misaki who claims that she can cure him of his condition, but only if he signs a contract saying that if he refuses counseling or fails to redeem himself after it's over he is subject to a penalty... one million yen.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 24

Review:

Wow, and I though *I* was anti-social... Welcome to the N.H.K. follows the life of a complete shut-in, or NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training) because he has a fear of social rejection. However, when he is given that one chance of salvation, Welcome to the N.H.K. steers clear of any type of predictability in that even though the answer is right in front of Sato's face in the form of a girl willing to cure his mental illness he chooses a different path. Instead, Sato tends to plague his own life with an onset of constant failures. This is where I sort of have to commend the show on it's dark comedy element as you watch Sato try to take on every easy out he can find but it never works in his favor. Through this you see how Sato causes his own downward spiral of social depravity but the thing is that it's only happening in his own mind where as the real world around him could care less making Sato come across as a very unlikable character. You will practically feel no sympathy for since everything that happens is basically a result of his own laziness but luckily, it's the supporting characters of Welcome to the N.H.K. that help make up for Sato's own stupidity and balance things out. But through their contact with Sato you will also get to see how he indirectly brings out everyone's dark side or what skeletons they have been hiding in the closet that they must ultimately face.

Welcome to the N.H.K. doesn't follow the typical anime set of plot devices but instead does everything completely opposite giving you a somewhat original story with a moderately despicable main character. But you'll see Sato grow mentally as every scheme he tries to use to make life easier always ends in failure and he learns that there is no easy way through life.

Welcome to the N.H.K. (opening)

Recommendation: |Average|

Online viewing: Available at FUNimation's website -

Welcome to the N.H.K. (shit dub only)

Media type: DVD
From: ADV/FUNimation
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

Shigofumi

2010-02-06T22:31:00.000-08:00

Synopsis:

Shigofumi, a letter from the dead. The one last attempt from someone to contact the living to say their last words before finally moving on. Fumika is a mail carrier that delivers the shigofumi but she is not set to the job alone as she carries a special staff named Kanaka that not only provides magical assistance but also wisdom in a time of need. Although Fumika is concerned with nothing more then the task at hand through her most recent deliveries she begins to learn about her previous life in the mortal world. However, unlike other mail carriers, not all of her ties to the realm of the living have been broken as Fumika carries one shigofumi that has yet to be delivered...

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 13

Review:

When Shigofumi first started I almost thought that this series was going to follow a bland routine of showing a letter from the dead delivery and it's adverse emotional affects. But this was pushed aside after two episodes as the series not only tells a mini-story with each episode but also holds it's focus on the main characters as well. This is what really drew me into the series as Fumika is a cold and emotionless girl with only one thing in mind, deliver the letter and move onto the next job. But Shigofumi not only presents you with an interesting story in each episode but also unlocks a little bit of Fumika's personality and mysterious past each time giving you two story lines that run parallel throughout the series.

It was interesting to see how my focus changed from wondering what effect each letter would have on a person to wanting to know more about Fumika herself. The series does this extremely well and will soon have you pushing aside the main story and put your attention to the characterization instead. But, you know what? That's fine, because Shigofumi doesn't force your attention to one story element or another but yet seems to know what your interest is at that point in time and gives you the right amount of depth that you're looking for.

Shigofumi is a fantastic series that not only tells a great story with excellent animation but also gives you one hell of an interesting anti-hero... Fumika.

Shigofumi (opening and closing)

Recommendation: |High|

Kiddy Grade

2010-02-05T22:12:00.000-08:00

Synopsis:

In the distant future humanity is no longer restricted to life on Earth as it has now inhabited multiple planets throughout the universe. Technology has gone beyond anyone's wildest dreams and as humanity grows so does everyone's political stand points and styles of government used across space which also causes an increase in crime. To keep the peace and laws enforced the GOTT was formed, Galactic Organization of Trade and Tariffs, or a kind of Galactic Police more or less as they not only enforce the law but also keep the peace by performing odd jobs such as protecting political figures or enforcing peace treaties. The GOTT has a special unit called ES that contains 16 superpowered individuals, two of which are Eclair and Lumiere, that are the focus of our story. After a variety of relatively simple missions Elclaire and Lumiere are sent to planet Aure to prevent a violent uprising of it's citizens against it's own government run by a race called the Nouvelesse. But what Eclaire later learns is that the planets citizens were actually enslaved by the Nouvelesse and Eclaire begins to question her orders to support this dictatorship. Later, during a violent stand off between the people of the city and the local military Eclaire realizes she can no longer condone the senseless slaughter of innocent people simply because they are protesting for a better life and turns against the Nouvelesse military and, with the support of her partner Lumiere, manage to destroy most of the militant opposition within a matter of minutes. Although Eclaire and Lumiere are now hailed as saviors of the planet Arue they are now the target of every GOTT member with only one order, execution. Not about to lie down and die Eclaire and Lumiere take off to find out more about the dark side of this galactic law enforcement that they've been employed by for so long.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 24

Review:

Kiddy Grade is a different style of anime which takes something potentially typical and really complicates it, which in this case, it's a very good thing as it's refreshing. As the series starts it just looks like you're getting the usual good looking underage superbabes with ridiculous powers going on a new mission in every episode. They get an assignment, go there, blow tons of shit up and look good doing it with scantily clad space outfits and gratuitous panty shots, and the day is saved. Kiddy Grade puts things on a different level because about the time you start to get bored with this routine the show mixes things up and brings out the real plot it's been hiding all along and reaches out grabs you and pulls you back in. Now, you're watching a plot that gets thicker and thicker with each passing episode which has you wondering if Eclaire and Lumiere will ever get out of the hole they've dug themselves with numerous obstacles that are piling up against them. While all this is going on the series also does a magnificent job of dropping in a few episodes to help explain Eclaires super strength, why Lumiere can control anything with a computer, and why neither of them have aged in almost a hundred years all the while maintaining that sense of hopelessness throughout the latter part of the series. So, enjoy the uber-babeness in the first few episodes because that quickly fades and is replaced with betrayal, espionage, and shadows of the past that bring forth the question of what really is true friendship. This really is a great series by taking it's really shallow looking exterior and hiding away the overly complicated plot that lies within which makes for one awesome show. The animation is top notch, the women are hot (that's always a plus), the right amount of sci-fi action, and the plot has some great twists that present themselves at just the right time. There are no other story arcs to follow as you'll be with Eclaire and Lumiere for the entire 24 episode ride which is fine since things will get complicated enough because even in the future, nothing is ever as easy as it seems.

Kiddy Grade (opening and closing)

Recommendation: |High|

Online viewing: Available at FUNimation's website -

Kiddy Grade (English dubbed) - Sorry guys... no subs, shit dub only

Media type: DVD
From: FUNimation
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

Rozen Maiden

2010-02-02T23:11:00.001-08:00

Synopsis:

Jun Sakurada is self absorbed punk that relies on his sister to take care of him. He suffers from Agoraphobia or Hikikomori and spends all of his time in his room browsing the internet and because of the he tends to yell at everyone that tries to talk to him which has now been narrowed down to his sister Nori. Jun has developed a strange hobby of purchasing strange and bizarre things online only to send them back before the return policy expires. One day he gets a letter telling him that he's won a prize and if he wants it to answer "yes" or "no" and to put the letter in his desk drawer and a spirit will take his response. Well, with all the weird things he's bought lately Jun went ahead and accepted his prize and as soon as he closes the drawer and opens again the letter is gone and in the middle of the room an elaborate leather suitcase with a gold monogrammed rose appears in the middle of the room. Curious, Jun opens the case and sees an extremely detailed female aristocratic looking doll laying within and a gold key next to it. Naturally, he picks it up and admires the quality and decides to wind up the doll. After a few seconds he can hear the small mechanics within start to move as the dolls eyes open and the first thing she does... is slap Jun across the face and says she doesn't like to be man-handled. She explains that her name is Shinku that she is the fifth of seven dolls made by the legendary creator Rozen but as she is telling her story Jun is assaulted by a psychotic clown doll that seems to come from nowhere. Shinku tells him that if he wants to stay alive that he must enter a pact with her and become her servant, panicked, Jun accepts and Shinku quickly disposes of the psycho clown and a ring of servitude appears on Jun's finger. As Shinku's unwilling servant he starts learning to deal with his anti-social disorder but Shinku also in turn learns of Jun's modern world and that not everything centers around her.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12

Review:

Rozen Maiden is a great series that has the right running time of 12 episodes and presents itself in a light-hearted manner for all types of plot aspects like, comedy, drama, even a little action. It has a very interesting story that applies to the Rozen Maidens themselves (the dolls) and each one is unique with her own attitude, look, and vocal style which really stands out and gives them their own remarkable individuality. Each of the Rozen Maidens learn about sisterhood instead of fighting and while this happens Jun is finding himself being drawn into their squabbles as he slowly realizes that he's overcoming his own psychological disorder and begins to fight his own personal demons. This series presents a great message about self discovery through tough love and that everyone has a good side to them no matter how deeply it's buried, you just have to read between the lines sometimes.

My take on this series? It's wonderful, I actually thought it was going to be this overly cutesy goofball comedy and it's not... not even close. Sure, it's funny at times but doesn't rely on stupid gimmicks to make you laugh nor does it try to smash the viewer with complicated drama either. Instead, the series mixes everything with an interesting enough story that you will be pressed to go from episode to episode to learn more of the Rozen Maidens and if Jun will overcome his personal fears while becoming more mature in his own way. Even though the show is a few years old the animation is superb and the orchestrated soundtrack fits perfectly with the look and style of the Maidens with it's semi gothic undertone. I thoroughly enjoyed it. There is a season 2, Rozen Maiden Traumend, but it's no where near the accomplishment of season 1 as it had too many loose ends and incomplete story arcs where as season 1 had closure and you could just simply stop there and be satisfied. But, if you're like me and there is a next season to any anime you like you'll watch it regardless.

Rozen Maiden (opening)
Rozen Maiden (ending)

Recommendation: |High|

Media type: DVD
From: FUNimation/Geneon
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

Elfen Lied

2010-01-31T18:03:00.000-08:00

Synopsis:

Lucy, one of a race of mutated humans called a Diclonius, has just escaped from a government research facility that had been studying her bizarre race. The Diclonius are born with a rare disease that give them two cat-ear like horns and are able to control transparent telekinetic "vectors" which can be used from simple things such as moving items around to destroying anything within it's reach. For seven years Lucy had been tested and tortured but endured everything until her time came for revenge upon her captors and life itself and eventually escapes by carving a path of destruction and with no regard for human life she makes her way to the outside world. Before she gets away however Lucy is shot at with a .50 caliber rifle that breaks a metal helmet she still had on her head and knocks her into the sea. The next day while at the beach, university student Kohta finds Lucy battered and bruised on the beach but the only thing she is capable of saying is "Nyuu" and she isn't even aware of her surroundings. Since Kohta is a maintenance man for his cousin's inn he takes Lucy (who he calls Nyuu since that's all she knows how to say) to the inn to take care of her and maybe help her recover her memory.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 14 (13 + 1 OVA)

Review:

Watching the first seven minutes of Elfen Lied is like having a championship boxer punch you in the gut with all his strength and leave his fist there while grinning right in your face. This is how Elfen Lied attacks you upon your initial view as this series throws senseless blood and violence your way with a no holds barred attitude. Simply put, Elfen Lied is an amazingly powerful series that will have you questioning the length at which revenge can be taken. Through the 14 episodes you learn about Lucy's past and how she is connected to Kohta while the government makes it's move to try and locate Lucy and eliminate her at any cost. What's scary is how Elfen Lied presents it's cast of characters and how they are all tied together somehow by some coincidence and everyone's life has an impact to the main story whether it be past or present. You can't decide whether to love or hate Lucy/Nyuu as you'll question that if her means of revenge are overcompensating her saddened past or if Nana (another Diclonius) is being too naive in her attempt to please everyone around her by doing the right thing no matter what may happen to her. With a few plot twists and a haunting tale of revenge, humanity, the reclaiming of forgotten pasts, and an ending that will linger in your mind for a long time to come... Elfen Lied should not be missed

Elfen Lied (trailer)

Recommendation: |Extremely High|

Media type: DVD
From: Section23/ADV
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

Elemental Gelade

2010-01-26T23:07:00.000-08:00

Synopsis:

Set in the fantasy world of Guardia, our story takes place in some unknown time as we see young Red Lynx sky pirate Coud Van Giruet (or just Coud) about to embark on another raid for treasure. However, the rest of the crew isn't so fond of having Coud tag along since he tends to act before thinking which causes more trouble for than the Red Lynx than any enemy that they face. Excluded from the recent raid Coud decides to check out the teams most recent plunder in the store room and finds a coffin. Curious, he takes a closer look and see that it contains a young girl with a huge jewel that is just laying on top of her seemingly lifeless body. Well, since no one is looking, Coud decides to take a closer look at the jewel but when he removes it the girl awakens and her first words she says to him after an awkward moment of silence is "I hate all humans." then slowly walks away. As Coud is about to go after her the ship is suddenly attacked by some unknown military force determined to take the girl they found away, but for some unknown reason Coud decides to protect this strange girl named Reverie Metherlence from everyone. When Coud and Reverie are both backed into a corner during the fight she reveals her true identity as an Elemental Gelade, a living weapon, and fuses with Coud as a giant sword on his right arm. After a lengthy fight Coud learns that Reverie (or Ren) wants nothing more than to find her homeland, with a smile on his face Coud says he promises to help her no matter what it takes.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 26

Review:

I'll admit, when I first started watching this anime I was really put off by the animation and the somewhat lame setting it started with. But, when the shows saving grace, Ren, hit the screen I felt like I was slapped in the face as what I was watching was telling me "take another look..." and her character made me sit up and pay more attention and watch Elemental Gelade from a new angle. From the very first episode this series will actually present you with two stories that walk hand in hand very well from beginning to end one being the overall story about the gelades as humanoid weapons and then the other about relationship of Coud and Ren. But at one point the main story starts to get overshadowed by their mysterious romance and at you'll start losing focus on the main story and start finding yourself going from episode to episode wondering what will happen with Ren and Coud instead.

But you know what? This won't bother you in the least because this fantasy style romance is so well paced that it's what really makes this series unique in it's own way. It's interesting to watch Ren cope with feelings even though she doesn't know what they are and Coud accepts Ren as a person and not a weapon of power and the difference in species doesn't affect him at all.

Although the overall story is a bit weak and the animation kind of dated looking, the extremely powerful romance presented here more than makes up for everything. When it's all said and done you'll get complete closure that might even leave a smile on your face. Recommended to watch at least once if anything, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Elemental Gelade (opening)

Recommendation:|Above Average|

Media type: DVD
From: Geneon/FUNimation
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0

2010-01-24T04:02:00.000-08:00

Synopsis:

What if everything you had, everyone you knew, was gone in an instant? Would you actually miss them? Would you realize you were taking everything for granted? Maybe the real person behind your mask would finally reveal itself when faced with this dilemma. These are the questions self absorbed little brat Mirai Onozawa asks herself when her and her younger brother Yuki are caught in a massive earthquake while visiting Odaiba for a robot exhibition. The little boy that she found to once be annoying becomes a beacon of strength for her to return home with through a city ravaged by mother nature.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 11

Review:

Here we have a show taking on somewhat of a different angle in terms of storytelling. What we get is a show that tells us about how mankind works together when opposing an uncontrollable force, the Earth itself. As you watch you see everyone does what they can to help each other survive in a time of desperation and also explores the outcome of such devastation. But that's not Tokyo Magnitudes main focus either as it also shows how these turn of events affect one girl and her self-centeredness when she's given the mass destruction she wished would happen for so long. Her outlook on life changes as she realizes she needs to open up and rely on others and also that life at home isn't so bad. As the turn of events unfold she starts to regret her attitude towards her family, and now the young little brother she found so annoying is now her only reason to return home. At first, I completely despised Mirai and just wished someone would slap the shit out of her but as the show progressed you actually begin to understand her bitterness somewhat when she begins to realize how unwarranted it was. Mirai's character growth is amazingly well portrayed and will have an impact on the audience in that you just can't bring yourself to hate this girl like you once did in the very beginning.

Now if you're thinking "An Earthquake destroys Tokyo? Awesome! Let the body-count rise!" Let me stop you right there because that's not what the show is about. It's more like about what happens *after* the Earthquake and how people deal with it. No one person is looking out for themselves but rather what they can do to work together to survive against an un-opposable force. What you get is a remarkable, yet sad, coming of age story of human survival. An excellent and short anime that is worth it's small time investment

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (opening)

Recommendation: |High|

Mahoromatic

2010-01-22T18:17:00.000-08:00

Synopsis:

Mahoro is a battle android, she is extremely powerful and fast but being revered as the greatest fighting machine ever created has it's price... she has a rather short life span of only a few years. As our story opens we see Mahoro being given a choice from her superiors, retire with a remaining life span of 398 days or continue to fight which will shorten her life span to just 30 days. With an old debt to repay Mahoro retires and heads to Earth to look after Suguru Misato a junior high student whose father happened to be Mahoro's commander that she was forced to kill during an alien terrorist attack. Unbeknownst to Suguru that his father was even a space commander, he hires Maharo as a maid to take care of him since living on his own has started to take it's toll.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 26

Review:

What we have here is a potentially great premise for an over the top hilarious series, but as it turns out it's only average at best... and that's giving more credit than it's due. What this anime wants to do is combine two types of story telling of comedy and dramatic sci-fi and in the end it's shoving way too many story elements in your face and tries to give you closure in a very short period of time. The series could have worked better had only one path been followed but instead it feels like the show goofs off with showing you things like Mahoro cleaning the house, a school festival, Suguru hiding his porn collection, and then towards the end... a near death android battle which, while cool, was out of place with the rest of the events in the season. It doesn't help that all the characters except for Mahoro and Suguru that go with this plot are easily forgettable and you probably won't even remember their names during the show nor will you care. Even the relationship between Mahoro and Suguru seemed to be stuck in neutral until the very end where the series tries to wrap that all up with one episode which only felt like it was taking the easy way out before rolling the credits.

With primitive animation and it's lazy plot that has you going through the motions and then tries to tie all it's loose ends within the last two episodes of the second season, Mahoromatic isn't one I'd recommend all that much. Granted the show does have it's moments but the heavy sci-fi undertone could have been dropped altogether to make this a fun series... but instead, all it does is dig plot holes leaving one of the worst told final episodes I have seen to date. Although semi-enjoyable, by passing on this series you're not missing much.

A tribute to Mahoromatic

Recommendation: |Below Average|

Media type: DVD
From: Hentai Filmworks (Hm? What's that? Whoops, my bad...) I meant Sentai Filmworks
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

Grenadier

2010-01-21T22:32:00.000-08:00

Synopsis:

Set in an unknown land on a parallel yet different timeline we follow Yajiro Kojima who has dedicated his life to becoming a master swordsman and refuses to fight any battles with a firearm. However, when his lord is kidnapped by a group of gunmen he then launches a frontal assault on the gunmen with his fellow samurai which fails miserably. During a retreat to regroup Yajiro happens across a young, busty woman, taking a bath in a hotspring that introduces herself as Rushuna Tendo. With the enemy in pursuit Rushuna hides Yajiro in the hotspring with her and camouflaging his face against her gigantic yabos. After the gunmen pass, she explains that she is traveling the countryside to spread the word of her ultimate battle strategy which is to remove the enemy's will to fight. Yajiro then hears a renewed assault on the enemy fort and leaves to rejoin the battle, however Rushuna follows him. When she arrives at the battlefield Rushuna explains that she needs to go through the fort to continue her travels, within a blink of an eye she incapacitates the entire army of enemy gunmen with a lone pistol and a seemingly endless supply of bullets stored in her cleavage, and without killing a single person. After recovering the lord of his samauri tribe Yajiro vows to follow Rushuna on her travels determined to find out more about this pleasant yet deadly woman and her bizarre mission in life.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12

Review:

Although it may sound intriguing, blonde-haired babe with big knockers, legs-a-plenty, and god-like accuracy with a gun, Grenadier still falls into line with a lot of typical anime with this type of character. If you're just getting started in watching anime, this does come across as pretty damn cool as the gunfights are quite imaginative and present some sweet choreography, but for me I've seen this type indestructible superbabe all too often and while it's not necessarily a bad thing, it does get a bit old. The main downside with Grenadier is that the characters lack alot of originality and don't present themselves well as their own person and get heavily overshadowed by Rushuna's presence and you tend to find yourself losing interest when she isn't on screen, which isn't very often. The antagonists that Rushuna encounters through her travels do have some merit and are unique but it seems that the thought put into them gets lost as there are just too many to be presented well in a short 12 episode span and therefore are taken out by Rushuna and Yajiro in a matter of minutes and are quickly forgotten.

If you're looking for brainless action with no sense of seriousness then check out Grenadier because at no time does this show take itself seriously and even puts comedic elements at just the right places to lighten the mood. But if you're looking for a solid story to back up the onscreen firefights with a dark aura of seriousness then you just might want to keep looking. I do recommend Grenadier but it's one of those shows that you really have to be in the mood for because Rushuna's cuteness and positive attitude prevent the show from sinking into the realm of despair even when she is causing massive destruction.

Grendier (opening)

Recommendation: |Average|

Media type: DVD
From: Anime Works/Meida Blasters
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

Love Hina

2010-01-11T23:20:00.001-08:00

Synopsis:

Keitaro who just failed his entrance exam to Tokyo U... again. Down on his luck he gets a message from his grandmother that she needs help running her dormitory. With nothing better to do while studying for the next exam, Keitaro accepts. However, once he gets there he quickly realizes that it's an all girls dorm. All the residents deem him as unacceptable and constantly give him trouble and usually end up kicking his ass in some form or another. Instead of backing down, Keitaro busts his ass to be accepted as the new manager.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 30 (25 episodes and 5 OVAs to bring total closure)

Y'know, I don't know what the deal is with harem anime but I find them so freakin' hilarious. Anyway... Love Hina, probably one of the better shows I've sat through. For Love Hina, it's loaded with slap-stick comedy and there really is no plot because something changes from episode to episode. What keeps it going strong is watching each character change thier view towards Keitaro and eventually form some kind of bond with him and everyone starts looking out for one and other. But then there's Naru, she and Keitaro are *constantly* fighting but of course... start taking a liking to each other. The whole series blends comedy and romance just right and it can be summed up in one word, fun... including the three follow up movies. I watched it, I liked it, but that's just my opinion. Yes, the English track is utterly horrid and the intro song is corny as hell.

To get the full story on Love Hina you'd have to watch the entire series first followed by the Christmas Special, the Spring Special, and finally Love Hina Again which brings this great series to an epic closing.

Love Hina (opening)

Recommendation: |Above Average|

Media type: DVD
From: FUNimaition/Bandai Entertainment
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

*Note - FUNimation failed to obtain the entire series and all they offer is the original 25 episode series without the OVAs. This is makes the anime incomplete and a total waste without them which can only be summed up in two words... EPIC FAILURE! Unless they can provide us with the complete series from start to finish with OVAs included on DVD like Bandai did then just pass on it altogether. It's not worth your hard earned cash as it is!

Armitage III: Dual-Matrix

2010-01-09T16:35:00.001-08:00

Synopsis:

Naomi Armitage makes her return in Dual-Matrix but not as a smart-mouthed loose-cannon cop but this time as a family oriented mother hell bent on revenge for robot rights. Yes, robots and humans co-exist but these robots aren't always obedient and sometimes think for themselves and there is a system of government in place to pass a law that either allows robots to live as they please or become slave-like to obey humans. Armitage is the only successful "third" type android to exist which is ridiculously human-like capable of human emotion and conceiving life... yes, she can get pregnant. She also has the ability to perform telepresence which allows her to hack any system and also connect to other robots. Dual-Matrix picks up as Armitage and her husband Ross are beginning to have a normal life on Mars (which is, of course, colonized) under assumed names with thier daughter Yoko. Armitage receives a video signal from earth that displays other third type robots such as herself in a research lab getting slaughtered (destroyed?) by soldiers in mech suits. Armitage decides to take it upon herself and head to earth to investigate the incident and dons her leather suit and computerized sun-glasses once again.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 1 (it's a movie)

Review:

Just a note to start Dual-Matrix is a sequel to Poly-Matrix. I had seen the original Arimitage III a very long time ago so if you haven't watched Armitage III or Poly-Matrix (which are almost the same thing) then you might wanna check those out first.

The expansive worlds that Dual-Matrix drops you into is impressive as it's vision of the future is quite original. Nothing ever feels displaced and every little detail shows some sign of what technology could be in years to come. To me, this really stands out especially for a 90 minute movie instead of a lengthy series. You'll find yourself instantly connecting with the protagonist Armitage as her strong will and cocky attitude while maintaining her family woman mindset make for one original character and you'll even find yourself cheering her on in almost every battle. Even the other people in the story have a sense of individuality that helps everyone stand out in thier own way whether they be hero or villain. There is no trip into anyone's past as it's doesn't seem necessary because what you're getting in the present is good enough it would simply be wasting time.

The animation here is above average but I didn't appreciate the primitive CGI used in some scenes with it's low color palette that stuck out like a sore thumb... badly. You're also given a cast of characters that are either welcome or despicable put into an imaginative universe making Dual-Matrix stand nicely on it's own and with this combination I would recommend it. But please, watch Poly-Matrix or Armitage III (if you can find it) first. Yeah, the English track was good but I've come to expect this from Pioneer releases.

Armitage III: Dual-Matrix (trailer)

Recommendation: |Above Average|

Media type: DVD
From: Geneon
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

Armitage III: Poly-Matrix

2010-01-09T16:11:00.000-08:00

Synopsis:

In the distant future Mars is now inhabited due to Earths over-population, humans and robots (called seconds) are co-existing but the fight for robot rights rages on. More advanced robots called 'thirds' are considered 'too human' and are deemed illegal but robot right activists want all robot types to be accepted as equals and become part of normal society. However, someone has made it their responsibility to eliminate all third types in existence since they are quite rare and to make sure that humans are only existing for humans. On the case is loose-cannon cop Naomi Armitage with her sexy outfit wearing unorthodox manner of solving crimes and recent transfer from Earth fellow officer Ross Sylibus. Ross is assigned to the case even though he despises robots from some unknown reason he won't speak of but the more time he spends with Armitage as his partner the more his opinion of robots and humanity changes as he slowly realizes that she is also an illegal third type robot.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 1 (originally it was 6 episodes long, not 1 90 minute "movie")

Review:

Poly-Matrix is supposed to be a stand alone movie. However, what it really is, is a *heavily* butchered version of a 4 OVA (Original Video Animation or 'direct to video') series called Armitage III that's taking a 140 minute anime and cutting to down to 90 minutes. 140 minutes... 90 minutes... so it's gonna *really* be hard for me to focus on any positive points but since the original Armitage III set is hard to find and you can't rent it then I'll have to try and look at it from that point-of-view. But I originally watched it on laser disc so if that's not a dead giveaway of how long I been watching this stuff then I don't know what is.

I always liked this series as I found it to be quite original using the 'humans and robots' story that can sometimes feel like it's tired from it's constant usage. Armitage III takes this plot and sticks it into a cyberpunk world that really shows it's originality by combining great animation and a soundtrack that fits perfectly using classic 80s sounding cheesy keyboard pop rock. This gives the entire movie a great dated feeling that makes it look like it was pushing the limit of technology at the time it was created. The thing about this butchered version though is that our two protagonists have had all shreds of characterization stripped from them leaving Ross looking like a 7 foot tall mannequin that's just being lead around and accepting everything he's told and Armitage going from kicking ass one minute to being depressed the next while questioning what she really is. This ultimately leaves you with a movie that sort of feels flat as you'll have trouble connecting with the characters since they will be rapidly changing their emotional state but enough of the plot is intact to still make it worth checking out. It still remains better than it's sequel Dual-Matrix.

I was disappointed with the DVD as it doesn't have the original Japanese track with it and you have to deal with Elizabeth Berkley and Keifer Sutherland trying to make an extra paycheck. While Berkley did a decent job with Armitage, Sutherland's performance as Ross sounded like he just phoned his lines in and called it a day. Branding anime with familiar names doesn't mean it's going to make it any better.

Armitage III (original opening)

Armitage III: Poly-Matrix (trailer)

Recommendation: |Average| for the movie, |High| for the uncut OVA series

Media type: DVD
From: Geneon
Spoken languages: English (movie), English;Japanese (uncut series)
Subtitles: None (movie), English (uncut series)

Needless

2009-12-21T22:32:00.001-08:00

Synopsis:

In A.D. 200X, World War 3 began. All of Earth's cities, including Tokyo, became the targets of bombings, and were bathed in frightful red flames. Half a century has passed since then. The contaminated former epicenter is still isolated from the city creating a hole in the middle of Japan... it is commonly known as the Black Spot. As time passed people began to inhabit this wasteland. They were deemed unnecessary by those who lived in cities. Among these unnecessary people were one who could command strange abilities. Fire, wind, gravity... they had the ability to control these supernatural powers. Thus, those who possessed Fragments were regarded with fear as... The Needless!

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 24

Review:

That synopsis up there is actually the intro to the show since I couldn't have given a better synopsis on my own. Anyway, you ever watch an anime series hoping for something new or different only to find out the show falls back on some typical stereotype? The over-powered protagonist, ninjas who yell out their next attack instead of using stealth, scantily clad babes (actually, I never get tired of that one), the cool acting villain, and how the heroes get a second wind in a fight just by telling each other during the heat of battle that they can win if they work together. You know what I'm talking about. Well, what if anime took all these over-used stereotypes and put them all together, throwing in some lolis and loads of panty shots into one series and what you will get, is Needless. An anime that doesn't try to be something it's not, but instead, just the opposite.

Needless wants to be as shameful as possible and cliched as hell and damn does it succeed, and this is what makes it so great. Story? Please... it's just one gigantic battle for power of good vs. evil. The fight scenes are over-the-top epic and can stretch out for multiple episodes. And did I mention there were girls? Lots of girls... lots of half naked girls? No? Well, it's time for you to die and go to Heaven as the girls of Needless are the embodiment of awesomeness. Whether they be good or evil, underage or not, you can't help but love every minute these ladies are on screen whether it be from minor banter, fighting, or just showing you their panties, Needless manages to take all this, adding in some perfectly timed humor to the mix, and throws it into one big melting pot of chaos that you'll be more than happy to partake in.

A total "guys" anime from start to finish that doesn't want to break the mold but instead re-use it as much as possible in 24 flashy episodes. The entire show is a riot and the forced mediocrity makes it all that much better.

Needless (opening)
Needless (ending)

*Note - Quite possibly the best opening and ending for an anime... ever!

Recommendation: |High|

Mushi-shi

2009-12-12T23:19:00.001-08:00

Synopsis:

Mushi, supernatural lifeforms that co-exist with humans but go unseen by most. Mushi are creatures of habitat that have their own methods of survival and even though the Mushi are only acting upon their own instincts, it sometimes clashes with the human way of life... even endangering it. For this there are certain individuals who can not only see the Mushi, but also, provide assistance to anyone whose life may be affected by the presence of a Mushi even though they may not know it. Ginko, is one such individual... A Mushi-shi. Ginko is a traveling man that jouneys from town to town on a never-ending quest to help humans and Mushi to co-exist even if the methods may seem unorthodox and also gives healing to individuals whose lives have been negatively affected by the presence of a Mushi. Follow Ginko in his travels to help mortals co-exist with the supernatural... one person at a time.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 26

Review:

Out of all the anime I've seen, Mushi-shi manages to do something that no other anime has. It manages to create a relaxing atmospheric viewing experience for the audience without relying on anything but it's own calming aura to captivate the viewer. There's no action, guns, or blades, no re-occurring characters, no ninjas, and no babes. Just one man trying to help people cope with the fact that there isn't always a logical explanation to everything that happens. As Ginko assists people who encounter a Mushi you begin to realize that the Mushi aren't just some trouble-making pest but rather an entity that roams on a parallel plane of existence that is doing nothing more than what comes natural. The interesting part is that each Mushi's method of survival sometimes tends to have adverse affects on some living creatures, especially humans, and this is where Ginko comes in by either expelling the Mushi, relocating them, or assisting someone in living with a Mushi.

There are also times you'll get to see Ginko learn that his intervention is not always needed either. Ginko himself is a rather likable character as his laid back attitude and his level-headed way of explaining mysterious happenings are informative and easy to understand. But, as the show progresses you might find questions start to arise in the back of your mind about Ginko himself but Mushi-shi already predicted this and there are a few episodes that are dedicated to explaining where Ginko came from and how he become a Mushi-shi. The anime even manages to give some back story as to why you only ever get to see one of his eyes after this the anime quickly returns audience to following Ginko again and to what his next challenge is.

Now, you're probably thinking that this all sounds rather boring and I'll be honest with you... if the thought having to learn something about what you're watching sounds lame then you may want to pass on this altogether. While Mushi-shi is a no-frills anime it does expect the viewer to actually learn about the Mushi through the shows episodic presentation and this is what captivated me because I actually wanted to know more about these supernatural beings and how they exist. With this, Mushi-shi is a rare and very enjoyable experience from beginning to end and is highly recommended. The only real mystery that is never solved is why is it that Ginko is wearing modern day clothes while everyone elses wardrobe is from a previous time period?

Mushi-shi (trailer)

Recommendation: |Very High|

Media type: DVD
From: FUNimation
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

Ghost Stories

2009-12-07T15:00:00.000-08:00

Synopsis:

After moving back to her hometown, Satsuki Miyanoshita's first day at school doesn't go as planned when her younger brother Keiichirou decides to bring along the family cat, Kaya, to school with him. After Kaya is discovered hitching a ride in Keiichirou's backpack he decides to run off ahead but ends up going into an old school building which is said to be haunted. After teaming up with her annoying neighbor Hajime Aoyama and the schools self appointed paranormal researcher Leo Kakinoki along with Satsuki's friend Momoko, they all enter the abandoned school to search for the cat but end up encountering a troublesome little demon named Amanojaku. Although the ghost hunting youngsters manage to banish Amanojaku from the building with the help of Satsuki's deceased mothers book of spirits, something went wrong and Amanojaku ends up possessing her cat Kaya instead. Now due to local urbanization taking place, more and more spirits are re-awakening but with the help of her friends and one back talking cat with a bad attitude they decide to continue the use Satsuki's book of spirits and put the vengeful entities back in their resting place.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 20

Review:

Four kids and a talking animal confronting a new ghost or monster in every episode. This sounds sort of familiar but I just can't seem to put my finger on it... Anyway, Ghost Stories can be summed up in two words, horror light. It's the type of show that can create a tense an creepy atmosphere and still deliver somewhat of a scare without using any intense horror elements at all. There's no blood and no body count, even the ghosts themselves aren't very frightening in appearance but each of them does have a rather interesting story to tell as to why they still roam the world of the living. However, no matter how hopeless things look, our band of pre-pubescent paranormal sleuths always manage to find a way banish the spirit so that it never returns to our mortal world. This makes the show predictable but still enjoyable at the same time but before this anime received it's DVD release, ADV decided to do something a little different to make the show stand out in it's own way by making the English dubbed track more of a comedy routine in which it has the characters breaking the fourth wall, making American pop culture references, and just flat out ad-libbing random lines that in no way match the original script. Of course, you can see the original dialog through the subtitles but ADV's attempt to take a mediocre anime series and add a little something extra in the way of gutter humor is definitely one of a kind. As for me, I just stuck with the subtitles. Hey, if I want to laugh at raw comedy as it was intended in an animated series... I'll go watch an episode of South Park.

Even though the animation is a little dated, the self-contained ghost stories in each episode are somewhat interesting but Ghost Stories doesn't try to be overly frightening nor does it want to be. This show seems to be targeted at a younger audience... as long as you stay away from the dubbed track. Because that one little audio switch changes this series into a tongue and cheek comedy that should be kept away from a youngsters ears at all costs.

Ghost Stories (opening)

Recommendation: |Average|

Media Type: DVD
From: Section23/ADV
Languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

Kiss X Sis

2009-11-30T22:45:00.001-08:00

Synopsis:

Keita Suminoe has the good life, a roof over his head and his own room, a loving family, three meals a day, things just couldn't get any better. Or could they? When Keita's dad remarried he gained himself twin step-sisters who also love Keita very much... actually, they are *IN* love with Keita. Not only that, but his own father and step-mother both encourage him to make a choice and eventually get married to one of his own step-sisters! Although Keita thinks this whole scenario is completely wrong, he finds that maybe he does have some affection towards the step-sisters that make his life more complicated than it needs to be.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 3 (Sorry folks, that's all there is)

Review:

Now you gotta admit, the story of two step-sisters that are in love with their own step brother piques your interest just a little bit eh? Or should I say... a hell of a lot! Kiss X Sis is a no-holds-barred attack on a taboo subject that goes about it in such a way that you'll be laughing and getting turned on at the same time. There really isn't much of a story but the comedy routine that the show uses to present Ako and Riko's constant battle for Keita's affections beyond that of a family member is what keeps you coming back for more. And no matter how much Keita resists his sisters aggressiveness there is the occasional time he lets his guard down and things can get quite steamy. And to make this uncomfortable situation even worse for Keita is that his own parents encourage him to fool around with his own sisters which not only has you laughing but also almost finding hard to believe what you're seeing. This is what makes Kiss X Sis so great, taking something that would be shunned in the real world but as you watch the events unfold you find yourself encouraging the girls and also leaves you wanting much more than a mere 3 episodes.

It's sexy, it's hilarious, it's just good ol' plain sleazy fun, and the cock-tease soft core hentai presentation fits this uber short series perfectly and I can't recommend it enough. This *is* wincest!

(Sorry, no teaser video available)

Recommendation: |Very High|

*Note - Due to the OVAs popularity this anime has been granted a full series for the future. Life, now has meaning...

Canaan

2009-11-28T04:36:00.001-08:00

Synopsis:

With biological terrorism on the rise, reporter Minoru Minorikawa is sent to Shanghai to an upcoming Anti-Terrorism Conference and is accompanied by fellow reporter Maria Osawa. During a local festival Maria witnesses a man in the audience fall victim to a strange death by writhing in pain and spurting blood before collapsing. Even though he is unnoticed by the public as he just seems part of the rowdy crowd, when Maria goes to examine the now non-moving body she is also unaware that two men donning costumes have drawn their guns with Maria as the target. Before she meets her demise, a woman runs up to Maria and grabs her hand to help her escape by rushing them both into the populous and also avoid a bullet that was meant for her. Maria then realizes her savior is Canaan, an expert in combat training, a skilled markswoman that can utilize the ability of synesthesia, and also... Maria's best friend. Even though Canaan has no time to explain the situation, Maria has just become the unwilling participant in a bio-terrorist plot to destroy the worlds leaders.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 13

Review:

Using mindless violence, unexplained deaths, blood, and an emotionally devoid female lead, Canaan wastes no time gaining your attention and manages to keep it for the entire series. Even though Canaan is an anime that uses the typical indestructible heroine, she's part of a much bigger story that has enough mystery and interwoven history that is all comes together as a well thought out story. But Canaan herself will remain indifferent to the audience as she and everyone else that becomes involved with her are not the main driving force behind the anime as it will rely more on it's somewhat complex story rather than trying to use characterization to divert the audiences attention. Another interesting aspect as you're watching the show is that you'll find yourself hating to admit it, but the enemy starts to become more interesting than the shows protagonists as they almost seem to have a valid point to their driving force to their path of destruction. With this the anime tends to balance everything out quite well and when put with nicely choreographed action scenes, it's got enough tenacity to push you through all 13 episodes without so much as taking a break.

Great animation, a plot that never falters, fluid action scenes, and enough female gunplay to make any man with a pulse happy, Canaan is one anime that is worth your time. Just don't be expecting to really connect with any of the shows characters as that's not the point here but more or less just to tell one hell of a tale.

Canaan (opening)

Recommendation: |Above Average|

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

2009-11-24T23:34:00.000-08:00

Synopsis:

Set in some unknown future, most of human civilization has been destroyed by a environmental catastrophe called the Seven Days of Fire that not only almost destroys humanity, but also the Earth's original ecosystem. Rebuilding itself, the Earth develops the Sea of Decay which is literally a growing jungle of giant plants, insects, and fungi. But the new natural self preservation, including the air within the Sea of Decay is lethally toxic. Among the scattered surviving human settlements is the Valley of the Wind and one of it's leaders Princess Nausicaa that seeks to bring peace between the warring human settlements and the insects. But when a plane crash lands nearby and the cargo is discovered to be carrying an embryo of one of the God Warriors from the Seven Days of Fire is found and Nausicaa realizes that things are about to go from bad, to worse.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 1 (it's a movie)

Review:

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is yet another story about what could happen if the Earth's own natural habitat is destroyed by the humans that live there but at least Nausicaa does this in a sci-fi setting that manages to keep things interesting with it's own unique vision of the future. When you think about the age of the film (1984), it's depiction of the barren wasteland that humanity struggles to survive in is very well portrayed in a way that has never really been presented before. Not only does this movie entertain you but also shows you that even after we've destroyed our own planet that humans are still fighting amongst each other for who gains control of nothing, which not only makes you think but is also showing you how pathetically sad humans can be. What makes it worse is when the story makes you realize that Mother Earth is trying to rebuild her environment for humans through "tough love" by using a lethal atmosphere and and deadly creatures to keep us away while she is at work, but humanity still seeks to destroy her opposition and each other through our own stupidity instead of leaving nature to take it's course. Princess Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind inhabitants do realize this and attempt to make everyone understand but there are those who feel her message is all for naught and think that what the human race doesn't understand... should be destroyed. A movie and bonds with it's audience through a presentation of disparity and a warning of what life could be in things to come, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind may end on a positive note but also manages to implant it's haunting vision of the future into the back of your mind.

The only real downside though is that the cast of characters that are devoid of any individuality making them completely uninteresting, but, luckily enough the plot tells a tale that is enough to keep your attention through the entire show even with it's environmentalist theme. The animation is a little on the dated side and the plot sounds like it would only appeal to hippies, once you watch Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind you realize just how far this anime movie was ahead of it's time. Worth a one time viewing. But y'know, with all those giant insects roaming around I couldn't help but keep thinking that I wanted a giant boot to come down and squash everything.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (trailer)

Recommendation: |Above Average|

Media type: DVD
From: Buena Vista Home Entertainment/Walt Disney
Spoken languages: English;Japanese
Subtitles: English

Outlanders

2009-11-17T22:31:00.001-08:00

Synopsis:

While in the midst of an alien invasion, photojournalist Tetsuya Wakatsuki uses it to his advantage to take pictures of the horrors of war. But Tetsuya puts himself too far into the midst of the battle field and ends baring witness to a few up close murders and it’s executioner… a scantily-clad green-haired woman with a big sword. She takes notice of Tetsuya’s inquisitiveness as he’s rapidly snapping pictures of her in action and turns and faces Tetsuya pointing her sword at him as if to claim him as her next victim. She charges towards him and raises her sword to bring his life to an end but Tetsuya dodges the attack and his alien attacker only manages to accidentally set off his camera and at close range, the flash stuns her. Tetsuya seizes the opportunity and grabs ahold of her pushing her against a wall and as the two are locked in a power struggle. But Tetsuya takes notice that he’s fighting a metallic bikini-clad attractive woman and that the alien girl has stopped resisting his feeble attacks. Tetsuya backs away not knowing what to think but she quickly walks towards him and plants a kiss on his lips and introduces herself a Kahm. Before Tetsuya can comprehend the situation, Kahm knocks him unconscious and takes him aboard her spacecraft as she has decided to claim Tetsuya as her husband.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 1 (Yeah, that's it, one 46 minute OVA)

Review:

Originally from 1986, this short film took almost 10 years to hit the U.S. and this little gem has all the story elements you could want packed within it's short 46 minute life span. You get action, thrills, science-fiction, and romance, in a neat little package that will be leaving you wanting for so much more. The thing is, even with it's truncated presentation it still manages to tell a fantastic tale. From the moment Princess Kham hits the screen you almost feel a slight hatred towards her until she realizes what she is doing is inherently wrong and she changes her status about the attack on Earth and it's amazing how this anime does this... in a matter of minutes! Your view will instantly change and you really start to like this bull-headed girl and her claim to Tetsuya as her husband. Not only that, but you also understand how Tetsuya is trying to comprehend all that is going on with everything being thrown at him at once and how he deals with it without being indecisive or overly shy. Also, this anime starts bringing in more and more side characters but the thing is they only need a moment of screen time to determine your feelings towards them as your outlook towards them will never change throughout the course of the show and this is what I really enjoyed about Outlanders. An amazing cast, a short but compelling story, a wonderfully orchestrated soundtrack, and one of the finest forms of quick but appropriate tsundere romances to ever hit the anime scene... Outlanders should NOT be passed up as the animation still stands out even after being over 20 years old.

(Sorry, no teaser video available)

Recommendation: |Very High|

Media Type: DVD
From: Central Park Media
Languages: Japanese;English
Subtitles: English

*Note - Central Park Media is now defunct and this DVD is out of print. If any of you big conglomerate anime companies are reading this, please, do the anime community a favor and pick this up and re-release it!! *AND*... and put the original Dark Horse Comics dub with it as it was fantastic... and I *hate* dubs! Can't find it? Contact me as I have two, count them "t-w-o", copies of the original VHS tape that Dark Horse released and I'd gladly lend one to anyone wanting to do another DVD release with both the Central Park Media and Dark Horse dub on a DVD... along with subtitles of course. I'm not joking about this... anybody? Hello?

Speed Grapher

2009-11-03T23:05:00.001-08:00

Synopsis:

After receiving a tip about an underground club that caters to ones most bizarre and perverted desires for the right amount of cash, Tatsumi Saiga, a freelance photographer, decides to investigate. Saiga's lead proves to be true and after sneaking into the secretive establishment he also realizes that most of Japan's most powerful people are satisfying their lust for the strange in hiding from the public. As Saiga witnesses a bizarre ritual taking place at the center of the club he decides to try and get a closer look and notices a young girl (15 year old Kagura Tennozu) being lowered from the ceiling towards a a short pudgy looking customer in the center of the establishment. Saiga is in complete awe of the girl and decides to take a picture while the moment is right, however, he is immediately discovered and attacked by security and also the clubs patrons. As the young girl decends to the ground during all this commotion she kisses Saiga and awakens something within him, a bizarre desire and with the next picture Siaga takes... causes an explosion. Not one to question his new found power, Siaga escapes from the underground pit of hell taking the now confused girl with him to discover the truth behind whats happening to him.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 24

Review:

Take a picture and shit explodes, wow... talk about a lame superpower. Anyways, Speed Grapher did initially have my attention with it's gritty depiction of an underground club that caters to corrupted politicians and government officials by exploiting their hidden desires all for money. But once Siaga snapped a picture and it caused an explosion I found myself asking... "This? Are you kidding me?" I instantly lost almost all interest in the show as it not only had a ridiculous protagonist but it turned into a cat-and-mouse type of show of the Tennozu family taking Kagura back from Saiga and then Saiga turns and rescues Kagura again putting them both on the run from the Tennozu family once more. As this goes on for the remainder of the series it only barely touches upon it's gritty feeling the introductory episodes presented making it a rough ride to even to see the series through to the end.

Now even though Speed Grapher isn't all that great, I gotta admit that the character presentation is actually very well portrayed and manages to answer any nagging questions you may have. You learn the truth behind everyone, where they came from, where they are going and why they are the way they are... including the antagonists. But, this anime tries to put Saiga's enemies in a positive light towards the end of the series which seems out of place because at this point you already have a hatred towards these characters and the attempts at viewer sympathy towards the enemy are unwarranted leaving you wondering how long until they just die and get off your screen.

Speed Grapher is one anime that manages to shoot itself in the foot early on making the remainder of the series a lackluster experience that I myself was even tempted to hit the 'stop' button on my DVD remote. The only things that kept me moving on through all the episodes was to see if Saiga gives in and admits to being a lolicon and Ginza, the smokin' hot detective that abuses her power of authority to try and claim Saiga for herself, no matter what it takes. But, in the end as with all Gonzo shows, everything tries to end on a positive note which in this case makes almost no sense as it could have benefited more had the series stayed true to it's original roots.

Speed Grapher (opening)

Recommendation: |Low|

Media type: DVD
From: FUNimation Entertainment
Spoken languages: Japanese;English
Subtitles: English

*Note - The opening here is the original opening from the series that is done to Duran Duran's Girls on Film but FUNimation failed to obtain the rights to use the song and the opening for the DVD version was replaced by some cheesy synth music that's just plain crappy.

Aoi Hana

2009-10-24T00:53:00.000-07:00

Synopsis:

After moving back into the town where she grew up in, Fumi Manjome becomes reacquainted with her childhood friend, Akira Okudaira, that had disappeared from her life over ten years ago... and she doesn't even realize it at first. As both girls start reminiscing about memories past they come to realize that even after ten years of separation that nothing has changed between them. Even though the girls go to separate schools it has no affect on their friendship but when one of the ladies at Fumi's school, Yasuko Sugimoto, takes a liking to her and even asks her out. Although Akira supports her friends decision to date anyone she chooses, Akira can't deny the hint of jealousy that goes with it. Fumi and Akira are the best of friends but both girls also realize that there is alot more to thier friendship then they care to admit.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 11

Review:

ZZZzzzzz... hm? Oh, my bad, I just dozed off after watching an episode of Aoi Hana. Aoi Hana, it's a good show, really... it is. The problem here is that it moves so incredibly slow that it's almost impossible to watch more than one episode within 24 hours as it would probably bore the viewer into a negative outlook on the show. But, when watched in single episode viewings over a long period of time, Aoi Hana is actually quite the compelling story of yuri (lesbian) romance amongst high school girls. The only thing is that the plot doesn't quite move in the direction that you were hoping for. What do I mean by that? Well, if I told you that would be spoiling things just a little bit now wouldn't it? Even with Aoi Hana's concrete shoe wearing progression, it does a wonderful job of holding your attention through character relations with each other. As the story may be at a stand still at times, the anime never let's go of your attention while you're watching as you'll be seeing how each one of the characters relate to each other on some level whether it be by sharing similar interests in school activities or on a romantic level of some sort. This is where Aoi Hana shines by managing to show you something that will keep your interest in some way despite the shows lack of progression. Another thing that tends to stand out is the animation. When you look at the background you'll notice how the lack of detail is actually tastefully done on purpose. This not only gives the anime it's own look and feel but also helps you focus your attention to any character on screen no matter how small the part may be, the person speaking just seems to stand out in their own way.

Yeah, I might as well tell you right up front, Aoi Hana is a boring show. But, the thing is... once this anime snags you, you'll be like a fish on a hook and you almost can't stop watching as this shows fabulous character interaction and banter is what carries the non-existent plot along till any real progression is made. Recommended? Yes, but only as a show that's not top priority to finish and this will make for a more enjoyable viewing experience that emits an aura of calm once the show has finished making you glad you saw the whole series from beginning to end. Just make sure you take it in slowly, like an episode a week or so, and you'll find that you enjoyed this anime more than you thought you would.

Aoi Hana (opening)

Recommendation: |Above Average|

Media type: Crunchyroll free internet streaming
From: Crunchyroll
Spoken languages: Japanese
Subtitles: English

Watch the entire series here: Aoi Hana

*Note - Crunchyroll is best viewed with the Firefox web-browser with AdBlock Plus and NoScript plug-ins installed to prevent advertisements. You can also purchase a subscription for HD streaming content with no ads. Crunchyroll's online player is crap... but it works. Hey, what do you want for free?

Cromartie High School

2009-10-14T22:16:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

Cromartie High School, well... uh... hm. Y'know, I'm kind of stumped here. How do you write a synopsis for an anime about nothing? I guess it goes a little something like this, Takashi Kamiyama has just enrolled himself into the famous school of delinquents, Cromartie High School. Instead of taking the high road and proving himself better than anyone at school, he attempts to better the student body through a series of stupid questions and idiotic situations that actually make the ruffians think before acting.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 26 (each clocking in at roughly about 10 minutes)

Review:

It's crazy, it's random, and it's pretty damn funny, it's Cromartie High School. An anime that manages to present it's own style while being as stupid as it wants to be and it pulls this off quite well. Each episode usually contains 2 small skit episodes which usually consist of nothing more than a bunch of close ups of peoples faces saying something random that you would not expect from a delinquent. Thinking about things like car sickness, how to become a famous comedian, and who gets to use the bathroom next, you'll either be laughing or sighing at this shows constant shallow humor. There are also the running visual gags like having a robot, a gorilla, and some guy that looks like Freddie Mercury during the later years, as fellow students that appear in almost every episode which I found to be freakin' hilarious. Despite this anime's ridiculous comedy routine, with each episode only being 10 minutes the Japanese dialog tends to come at you rather fast which is fine if you're a seasoned subtitle reader but otherwise things might fly by too quickly to read. Well, (and I can't believe I'm going to say this but...) flip it on over to the English dubbed track as it's actually not bad and listening to a bunch of gruff sounding guys belting out "Americanized" punchlines helped the one-liners sink in alot easier because some of the anime, manga, and Japanese culture parodied references might fall on deaf ears if you're not a veteran anime viewer.

Cromartie High School is a stupid show that will make you laugh at it's lame-ass comedy one way or another and dammit, you gotta respect that. Not something I'd recommend to rush to see but if you got 10 minutes to spare then watch an episode, laugh, then move onto something else but don't forget to come back because everyone needs a little brainless humor. But, if you don't understand this anime's take on humility, then please... go pick up your sense of humor you left at the door and leave.

Cromartie High School (opening)

Recommendation: |Average|

Media Type: DVD
From: ADV/Section23
Spoken Languages: Japanese;English
Subtitles: English

Skip Beat!

2009-10-12T03:48:00.000-07:00

Synopsis:

Devoting her entire life to supporting her childhood love, Kyoko Mogomi has done nothing but wait hand and foot on the man she thought she loved, Shotaro Fuwa or "Sho" as he likes to be called. But when Sho grows bored with his life he decides to leave for Tokyo to become an entertainer and asks Kyoko to go with him and she gleefully agrees not knowing what Sho really has in store for her. Upon their arrival, Sho begins to pursue his new career leaving Kyoko to work multiple jobs, rent an expensive apartment to fit his needs, not to mention cooking and cleaning, all to support Sho's rise to stardom as a musician living nothing of her life for herself. However, upon delivering lunch Sho at the studio he works in, Kyoko overhears Sho telling his manager that he's been using Kyoko as a live-in maid and stepping-stone for his rise to stardom. Instead of shedding any tears Kyoko bursts out in a fit of anger vowing revenge upon Sho, but not by physical harm but instead by entering showbusiness for herself and destroying his career.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 25

Review:

Revenge, a dish best served cold. I love a good revenge story, one filled with hardships and complications to meet the ultimate end goal... to make your victem suffer and regret what they did to you with every fabric of their being. To me, Skip Beat started out so well and showed some serious potential. Only after a few episodes I also wanted to see Sho suffer as Kyoko was scary when pissed off, we're talking so scary that when she looks at the viewer you almost want to turn your eyes away from that accusing scorn. Unfortunately, about half way into the series, you start to realize the show started to move Kyoko away from her hatred fueled revenge plot to more of a trip of self discovery. I gotta say I was rather let down by the fact that this anime started to head off in a new direction as Kyoko starts to regain her compassion that was lost when Sho betrayed her. From here on in the show starts to become more of this realization of how Kyoko truly is underneath the surface but this isn't what I wanted, I wanted to see this naive girl turned cold-hearted bitch destroy a man's life... the man she once actually cared for. I wanted to see Kyoko push Sho down so hard the he has a complete mental collapse and decides to jump off the nearest bridge... but no. Instead, Kyoko starts to reflect on how her ulterior motive affects her showbiz career and those around her and everything turns into this personalized documentary of what goes on behind the camera and how there's more than what you're watching on-screen. With this change of events in the show, that look of death that Kyoko had in the beginning was gone no matter how much she scowled at the screen, the piercing gaze now only serves to remind you of that frighting girl you now probably miss from the beginning.

The animation is decent and I really liked Kyoko, when she was Hell bent on making Sho pay for wasting her life away. But as she grew soft, I lost interest, and it made it quite hard to continue watching. And on top of all this, Skip Beat is left with a bunch of loose ends and no real closure so that suggests a second season but I haven't heard anything and as it is... Skip Beat is rather hard to recommend. If this anime stuck to it's original roots... it would have been a different story.

Skip Beat (opening)

Recommendation: |Below Average|

Media Type: Crunchyroll free internet streaming
From: Crunchyroll
Spoken Languages: Japanese
Subtitles: English

Watch the entire series here: Skip Beat!

*Note - You can purchase a subscription there for high definition streaming and no ads. The site is best viewed using Firefox with AdBlock Plus and NoScript installed for better playback with no ads. Crunchyroll's online player is less than spectacular but it works... sort of...

Gilgamesh

2009-10-10T03:20:00.000-07:00

Synopsis:

Twin X, the event named after an accident at the Heaven's Gate research facility that had a catastrophic affect changing the Earth's sky into a mirror-like ceiling destroying anything the comes near it and causing all electronics to no longer function. Below this dome of death, two teenagers, Tatsuya and Kiyoko Madoka are on the run from the Yakuza because of a debt owed by their now dead mother. Taking shelter from their pursuers and the rain, Tatsuya and Kiyoko in what appears to be an abandoned building. However, they happen upon a group teenagers dressed in skin tight leather outfits and display extraordinary psychic powers that call themselves "Gilgamesh". After the Gilgamesh teens quickly dispatch of the gunmen in chase, they come to realize the the two kids taking shelter in their humble abode are also the children of Dr. Madoka, the absent leader of their group whose dream it is create a new more powerful human race. Unsure of what powers Dr. Madoka's children may posses, the Gilgamesh try to convince Tatsuya and Kiyoko to join their group of gothic depressants.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 26

Review:

First off, I gotta apologize on that synopsis up there. My mind is a little cloudy since it took me over a year to finish this series.

... yyyyyeah...

Anyway, the first thing that will probably get your attention is how dark and brooding this anime's visual appearance is. Only a handful of colors make up the palette ranging from several different shades of gray and brown to a few dull instances of red, blue, and one very faded yellow... and that's it. Let me put it this way, this show makes you depressed just by looking at it even if the episode was on pause. Unfortunately, this doesn't help the overall boring plot that just slowly plods along and never seems to produce anything interesting to keep your mind from wandering off. The show did start out interesting enough with everyone displaying their psychic abilities and how much power they have but the story behind it is incredibly boring offering up nothing that you didn't already expect. By the time the show hits it's climax and puts everything together it only comes across as ridiculously lame and almost makes you want to shut off the last episode and not even finish it. And there really is no point in getting into any kind of character depth because you just won't care at all about a bunch of angsty teens whose constant barely audible mumbling make it seem like they are trying to be as uninteresting as possible on purpose. Well, it worked.

The only thing that sort of stands out about this series is the actual animation itself as it appears very out of the ordinary for anime trying to take on a more realistic appearance instead of the classic style that most are used to. Other then that, this show has nothing to offer other than showing you what happens when goth vs. emo is pitted against each other in a supernatural brawl. If that sounds interesting then by all means, check it out but as for me the interesting animation style just didn't mesh very well with the extremely slow moving plot and characters that had about as much enthusiasm as being awake only after two hours of sleep. Like I said, it took me over a year to actually get through the entire series.

Gilgamesh (opening)

Recommendation: |Low|

Media type: Netflix 'Watch Instantly' internet streaming
From: ADV/Section23
Spoken Languages: English
Subtitles: None

*Note - This series is available on DVD that contains both Japanese and English audio and does have subtitles available. Information posted is what was watched for review.

Shigurui: Death Frenzy

2009-10-08T22:25:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

1629, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Two samurai of incredible skill are about to face off against one another in a tournament and only one will walk away with his life. Fujiki Gennosuke, the one-armed swordsman will be fighting Irako Seigen who is both blind... and crippled. But before the duel begins, let's see what happened to bring these two together to this death match.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12

Review:

Never before has show as powerful as this one drawn me in so quickly within the first episode. It wasn't the plot or that the characters held any real on-screen presence but it was the realistically styled animation combined with a wonderfully haunting soundtrack that it heightened the atmospheric tension making it so thick you could practically cut it with a knife. This is a magnificent presentation of a story that involves a samurai school called the Kogan-Ryuu school with it's own fighting techniques and secret stylized sword-fighting and it shows you all the hardships it's students endure to be accepted and remain as a pupil under it's demented grandmaster Kogan Iwamoto. This anime portrays this out to the audience so well that every time a blade cuts through the flesh or a balled up fist strikes with such power to dislodge a few teeth, the anime uses a quick yet very dramatic effect and you can practically feel the pain being inflicted upon the victim but at the same time you can sense the power of the predominant character. This presents you with clashing feelings of sympathy and dominance at the same time which is an incredible way of causing inner conflict in the viewer and when the blood flows... it comes as more of a shock to the system rather than something to be expected. Throughout the show not much is really spoken but the eerie soundtrack is more than enough to keep the audience wondering what will become of this school as things keep getting worse when things like money, power, and debauchery, enter the story you watch as one of the most extremely powerful samuari schools implodes into a shadow of it's former self.

Superb animation, a magnificent soundtrack that makes an incredible atmosphere that offsets it's lack of detailed characterization that sends chills up and down your spine, and enough blood to make you wince in pain every time you see it seep from a fresh wound, Shigurui: Death Frenzy should not be missed. Even if you're not an anime fan, give this two-disc set a shot as it will not disappoint.

Shigurui: Death Frenzy (trailer)

Recommendation: |High|

Media type: DVD
From: FUNimation Entertainment
Spoken languages: Japanese;English
Subtitles: English

Watch the entire series at FUNimation's website here:

Shigurui: Death Frenzy (subbed)
Shigurui: Death Frenzy (dubbed)

*Note - I do not care for English dubbed anime so I can't comment on the English audio track. However, there were no typographical errors in the subtitles so this anime kept me enthralled the entire time. What are you standing around reading this for, go watch this... NOW!!!

*Note 2 - You may need to disable AdBlock Plus to view the videos. I've read that there are some issues with the online player that are being addressed. At this time it occasionally tends to lock up so if something happens, just refresh the page with the video and skip to the point where it left off and you're good. Videos play much more smoothly with the Firefox web browser.

Kaze no Stigma

2009-10-05T23:02:00.000-07:00

Synopsis:

Kazuma Yagami, a weak member of the Kannagi family of fire magic users. So weak to the point that he was banished from his own family for the inability to control flames. After leaving, Kazuma's desire to obtain greater power leads him into a "contract" with the Wind Lord that allows him to manipulate the atmosphere around him. After a four year disappearance, Kazuma returns as a freelance magic user employed to rid any demons that may be troubling someone... for the right price. However, when members of the Kagammi family are murdered by what appears to be wind magic, the blame immediately falls on Kazuma who doesn't really care about the situation but decides to defend his innocence anyway. As Kazuma teams up with Ayano, a flame sword wielding girl, and his younger brother Rin, he learns that the Kannagi family has more than one enemy. Kazuma is about to profit nicely for his services.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 24

Review:

Kaze no Stigma has to be one of the few shows where every episode annoyed me to the point of just wanting to shut it off, put the DVD back in the Netflix envelope and remove the rest of the series from my rental queue. Not because of it's lame plot or average animation but for the fact that I could not stand the protagonist, Kazuma. From the very first episode I kept thinking that this guy is a self-righteous prick and the thing is, he never changes and my hatred for this guy grew episode after episode. To make things worse, the anime tries to throw in this romance aspect between Kazuma and Ayano which almost felt like it was throwing a monkey wrench into a poorly kept machine only dragging the series down... as if the series could sink any further. These "romance" scenes usually consist of Kazuma being a dick, Ayano getting mad then getting flustered at him, and then some more of Kazuma being a dick. This doesn't compliment plot of elemental magic users (Avatar?) at all, but it doesn't matter anyway as the battle scenes all boil down to one thing, Kazuma getting pissed or acting all cool and destroying any enemy with his wind magic in an instant which becomes both boring and predictable after a couple of episodes. This series also suffers from the fact that it's way too long for it's own good. About halfway into the series hit it's peak with a huge battle and an episode ending that could have concluded the entire anime but no... now we get episodes of Kazuma and Ayano on a date, Kazuma and Ayano going to the amusement park, and of course... Kazuma being an asshole the entire time. What the hell is this crap? I thought I was watching an anime about families of magic users facing off against one another but this romance aspect is completely tacked on, tasteless, and a total waste of the viewers time.

As it is, Kaze no Stigma is neither entertaining nor satisfying in the least. It would have benefited more had character relations been kept to an extreme minimum because the main character, Kazuma, does nothing more than draw audience negativity upon himself. This would have fit the overall series better had magical action sequences been the main focus or maybe some sort of drama or comedy been interjected but no. What we get is a flimsy plot, a horribly failed romance aspect, poorly scripted action sequences, and in the end the typical Gonzo fashion... a rushed ending that makes you feel like the creators just wanted this series to end so they could be done with it. Kaze no Stigma is complete crap from start to finish that isn't worth anyone's time, and Gonzo... Ayano's constant panty shots didn't help at all and only made things somewhat sexy but still pathetic.

Kaze no Stigma (opening)

Recommendation: |None|

Yumeria

2009-09-24T23:00:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

"Life is so dull. I just wish one day something amazing would happen that would change my life forever." is probably what 75% of the worlds population is thinking right about now. Well, so is 16 year old Tomokazu Mikuri, moaning and complaining about his upcoming birthday and to top it all off he doesn't even have a girlfriend. After his usual boring day Tomokazu drifts off to sleep but ends up having a very bizarre dream where he wakes up in some bizarre world in which he sees a young girl fighting some unknown enemy. However, the mystery girl takes a hit and falls from the sky landing in Tomokazu's arms which seems to give the young lady a second wind and with an enthusiastic "MONE!" (pronounced by her as, MOE-NEH) and a smile, she attacks her enemy again and utterly defeats it. When Tomokazu wakes from his strange dream he tries to decipher his vision he soon realizes that he's not alone as the dream girl is lying next to him in bed and greets him with a "Mone!" Oh yeah, Tomokazu got his birthday wish alright as life will never be dull again.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12

Review:

Ah, harem comedy animes... I never get tired of them. A bunch of cute girls, some doof, and a brainless comedy routine that will make you laugh or at the very least smile in some way or another and Yumeria is no different. But Yumeria does try to stand out a little by using a somewhat uncommon group of girls, 2 lolis, 2 buxom curvaceous teens, and a milf, now... before you say "Lolis? Oh yeah, bring this on!" I gotta tell you straight up that the story that brings everyone together falls a little on the idiotic side of things. So much to the fact that this series feels like it almost didn't want to use the plot about dream warriors at all but would have rather focused on one guy dealing with this wide age range of ladies all sharing the same interest in one guy. Because, after it uses this plot device to bring everyone together the show disregards it goes on to focus on home life, school life, and everyone getting along as one happy family. The few episodes that do delv into the dream world are very rushed and really serve no other purpose than to show girls in scantily clad outfits that always get a second wind and wipe out the enemy in one fell swoop. Is this a bad thing? Well... no, but you can't help but get the feeling that it's tacked on somehow and almost comes across as pointless.

Yumeria is the type of anime where you really have to go into it not expecting much at all because that's what you'll get in return and with that mindset you may enjoy it more than you probably thought you would. It's main plot about dream warriors and their challenge to save the Earth seems pushed aside and far from being the main focus as it's group of girls seems like what the show wanted to spend more time on and it did to some degree. Unfortunately, this anime can't seem to get it's focus straight as to how it wants to present itself to the audience and falls back on trying to use cute girls to divert your attention away from it's poorly told story and very loose ended characterization. And you know, it almost worked. In the end Yumeria is what it is and that's fun... just good, stupid, fun... and nothing more. Now, if you'll excuse me... I'm gonna go take a nap and see if I can pull a girl out of my dreams. Hey, why should only Tomokazu get to be so lucky?!?

Yumeria (opening)

Recommendation: |Average|

Peach Girl

2009-09-16T23:29:00.000-07:00

Synopsis:

Momo Adachi has a slight "problem", she tans more easily than all the other girls in school. Well... she considers it a problem anyway because she heard the guy she likes, Toji, doesn't care for tan girls. To try and rectify this problem, Momo refuses to join the swim team she has been with for so long and also cover up as much as possible when out in the daylight just to get Toji to like her. But when her so-called friend Sae, who's actually more of a sadist that enjoys seeing Momo in emotional distraught, tries to find out who Momo likes Momo points to a boy named Kairi Okayasu just so Sae doesn't attempt to claim Toji for herself. Of course, Okayasu finds out about Momo's fake attraction to him and begins to tease her constantly about it even though he knows that Momo will only yell at him. But when Sae does eventually find out about Toji and tries to take him for herself, Okayasu is there to help Momo any way he can even if it means turning the entire school against Sae. Momo begins to think that there is more to the self centered jerk that Okayasu pretends to be.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 26

Review:

DRAMA!!!

Peach Girl (opening)

Recommendation: |Low|

...

...

Hm? Oh, you need a little more detail then that eh? Well I thought that explained everything pretty well but alright. Peach Girl, as you can tell, is another romance anime but the thing that makes it stand out somewhat is the fact that it over-dramatizes everything heavily and then places situations like romance, jealousy, betrayal, discontent, and good ole angst in the hands of teenagers but mixes in comedy by using exaggerated facial expressions at just the right moment. I couldn't help but thinking while watching this that most people would have rather killed themselves than put up with the crap that Momo dealt with through the entire series and the comedy element starts to get phased out as the series progresses. But even my sympathy for Momo having to endure all this started to wane because more often then not... she brings emotional distraught upon herself. You watch Momo come to some realization every couple of episodes that she loves this guy, no... that guy, wait... maybe she was kidding herself all along and doesn't need anyone. Oh the turmoil! After a few episodes of this you'll be shaking your head in disbelief and ask "What the hell are you doing?"

I will say that Peach Girl did start out quite well. It began pulling me into the series as I initially liked Momo and I felt bad for her dealing with Sae's sadistic intent and Okayasu was hilarious and an easily likable character. And this was all well and good... for 5 episodes. After those first 5 episodes told a small tale of Momo trying to relay feelings to Toji but Sae making trouble for Momo and Okayasu causing trouble for Sae acting as Momo's revenge. After that, everything just turned into over-dramatized crap. Seriously, I could have dropped the series after the first DVD and not missed a thing and may have had a better overall outlook on this show.

With animation that makes you ask "What's with coloring everyone's upper lip black?", a ridiculous amount of drama, a plot that could have been finished in 5 episodes, and an opening that reminds you of the Ambiguously Gay Duo, Peach Girl holds about as much realism as a mid-day soap opera and makes you ask yourself "Do people really put up with this crap?" Recommended? Not really, unless you want to insult the shows characters while watching how much shit they deal with that makes your life look like a ride on cloud 9.

Berserk

2009-09-13T21:12:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

A hulking mass of a man that wields an abnormally large sword named Guts that calls himself "The Black Knight" takes the audience into his estranged past through medieval times filled with fighting, bloodshed, pain, and why he has a personal vendetta against demons.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 25

Review:

Think of Berserk as one big flashback because, well... it is. It gives you a little taste of The Black Knight's current lifestyle in the first episode and then delves into his past for the remainder of the series. The thing is, within that one episode, Berserk manages to raise enough questions that you'll want to know the answers to. Who is The Black Knight? Where did he come from? Why the big-ass sword? What is he so pissed off about? What's with that necklace thing? What happened to his eye? And the list goes on and on. Luckily, Berserk manages take all those questions and answer them with one hell of a compelling medieval anime that will never lose your interest the entire time. Not only can it keep action fans occupied with epic sword-fights and massive amounts of bloodshed but it also combines that with some remarkable character depth. From the moment Guts hits the screen this anti-hero's presence alone makes this series worth watching but when allies such as Caska, Judeau, and the homoesque Griffith become part of his life through forced intervention... things only get more interesting. Guts doesn't need anyone nor does he want anyone in his life but when people start forcing their way in he quickly builds up the emotional barriers but yet still holds respect for his allies and starts to acknowledge them on the battlefield as Guts begins to leave his self-centeredness behind. You'll see that the more Guts changes, the more he stays the same. Because, you'll never tire of seeing Guts cut someone in half with that huge sword.

Don't let the age of the series turn you away as it has some truly great animation and put with it's hand-painted backgrounds Berserk is one fantastic looking anime. Action, blood, a magnificent plot, enough character depth to bury you, and one of anime's greatest anti-heros, Berserk is one series that should not be passed up. The only downside here is that there is no sense of closure and will have you clamoring for a second season but since it's been over ten years things were looking bleak... until recently. Rumors of another season of Berserk have risen along with a few stills of the show but nothing has been confirmed. Maybe there's some hope after all.

Berserk (opening)

Recommendation |High|

Gunslinger Girl II: Il Teatrino

2009-09-09T22:31:00.000-07:00

Synopsis:

The girls that bring death to your doorstep are back for a second season. Bullets fly, knives cut, and the blood still flows... somewhat, but this time... we get to see the young ladies outlook on life on a more personal level.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 13

Review:

Short synopsis eh? But really, there isn't much more to it than that from season one as all this anime does is expand upon season one on a more personal level this time around. We still have our group of under-aged assassins but for the second season the girls have something extra added to thier character... personality. You're either going to like or just not accept the new attitudes as it almost doesn't fit but the thing is that was one of my main gripes with the first season as everyone had about as much enthusiasim as a cardboard box. This time the girls will giggle, laugh, smile, get angry, cry, even show a little jealousy. But it's not just our loli assassins either, the handlers (or fratello in this season which means brother) are actually showing some compassion towards their little cyborg killer this time around. Hell, even other members within their government agency even support the idea that of instead of hiding emotions to let it be known that the fratellos actually care for or love their deadly sidekick. Now this... this was a complete opposite from the first season where the agency wanted emotions bottled up so as not to let the girls soften and become sidetracked.

So, does the new angle of characterization work for Gunslinger Girl II? In a word, no... This entire season is about as boring as the first and any real progress is only made in the last two episodes. Watching Guise get closer with Henrietta, seeing Triela's softer side and her fratello Hilshire responding to it, even Marco's regret from season one with him coming back as a more supportive somewhat likable person is all rushed development in the last couple episodes. If this had been mixed in with the lame terrorist plot and strung along the entire season things could have been more interesting but as it is all of it was done out of order and never really gets your attention until it's almost over.

I will commend the new animation style that gives you a more welcoming presentation rather than the cold look of disparity the first season had. But, the only real reason to watch this is if you've seen the first season and now you want to see how the girls spend their leisure time and that even though they are cyborgs they also have emotions. Less action, less bloodshed, weak ass main plot, but more characterization still makes for a boring series that holds about the same amount of interest it's first venture.

Gunslinger Girl II (opening)

Recommendation: |Below Average|

Gunslinger Girl

2009-09-09T22:27:00.001-07:00

Synopsis:

Gunslinger Girl doesn't really have a main plot. It's more of a collection of different stories about a government agency that's called The Social Welfare Agency. They perform odd jobs, usually assassinations using adolescent girls as the killers. These girls have been brought back from the brink of death through cybernetic implants and brainwashing to clear their minds for training and mental conditioning. Each girl is assigned a handler (... huh-huh... handler...) that will train the cyborg girl in weaponry and also provide emotional stability so the girls won't let feelings crowd their judgment.

Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 13

Review:

There is nothing cute about Gunslinger Girl, it's the exact opposite. It's an extremely dark look at the behind the scenes life of being an assassin but in this case focusing on the mental impact it has on each one of these kids. There is some action but it's not the focus here nor do you see things like half of a city being destroyed just because it's about robotic children, there is not even a single hint of comedy to be found. The series plays out at different angles focusing on a different girl every episode or two and her relation with her handler and what she is doing affects her life and how she reacts to certain situations... there really isn't a main protagonist although about half of the episodes will be about Henrietta and her handler Guise.

Even though this might sound like a really good series, I was sort of put off by the pacing which is quite slow and there wasn't much variety of situations. It's usually the same thing just with a different girl and I was sort of expecting something different each time but it never happened. The characterization is hit and miss here as each cyborg girl has her own attitude that sets her apart from the others but all the handlers are cold and callous and treat their cyborg sibling as just that... a cyborg. Only Guise sometimes let's Henrietta be what she really is, an adolescent child but he never forgets the overall scope of his job. Gunslinger Girl has some great animation, decent plot (or plots I should say), even the English track is done well it's just that I found it slow moving and lacked variety between episodes but that isn't what Gunslinger Girl is trying to give you. It wants you to see the hard truths of how the world may be viewed by a killer that happens to be a soulless child.

Gunslinger Girl (opening)

Recommendation: |Below Average|