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Synopsis
Meet Yucie. A girl under a spell. She wants to be a Platinum Princess, and the only way to do that is to attend the Princess Academy. Under the guidance of Queen Ercell and with the unwitting help of a schoolmate named Glenda, a princess from the Demon World, she will embark on her journey to obtain the Tiara of Eternity. As Yucie meets new friends and works odd jobs, she will discover that becoming a princess is more work than she thought.

Review
Petite Princess Yucie is an amazing piece of work. There is a great deal of fun involved in it. The story is touching at times and it blends together so well with the characters displayed. The animation seemed as if it was a reflection from water; it was so fluid and lucid that I was fascinated by its beauty. Well, you can say that all of this was expected from a title by Gainax. But let us put the producer part aside, Petite Princess itself is a very entertaining series that will certainly have your emotions running on its edge as it progresses.

So an anime about a girl with the situation Gary Coleman has, that is so boring right? Not! Petite Princess plays with your emotions throughout. You will feel anger, happiness, sadness and whatever else you can feel. Those three emotions are the ones I recall myself feeling as I was watching this show, but there is certainly more than what meets my eyes. The beautiful aspect of it; every episode has some sort of moral in it. At the beginning of Yucie’s day might be despair, but at the end, the show will work itself to something joyful.

What else can you expect from Petite Princess? A bunch of unusual characters that is what! The shy and quiet Cocoloo, the always energetic Yucie, the “what rhymes with witch, but starts with a B” Glenda and the list goes on. These characters make the show that much more interesting. I mean, sure, sometimes you might find the arguments that Yucie and Glenda have are annoying, but when you look at it lightly, it is quite hilarious the way that they get at each other’s throats. I am undoubtedly astonished by this title and I will be looking forward to the next installments.

The Breakdown
Petite Princess Yucie is awe-inspiring. The foundation of this piece of art is built strong by Gainax from top to bottom. I am certainly liking what this title is showing me.

Synopsis
Darkness hides the pieces of her beloved’s shattered heart, and time is running out for Duck to find them. Using the power of an enchanted amulet, Duck becomes Princess Tutu to uncover the mystery and keep herself and the Prince alive. What secrets bind this passionate girl, a clumsy duck, with an omnipresent storyteller?

Review
In a world where talking animals are seen as a norm, and a story based on another story, comes this fun and elegant piece called Princess Tutu. This anime is probably the only one with the simplest names to remember! Mr. Cat, Anteaterina, Duck and etc. From the character names you can probably guess what age group this is aimed towards; twelve and up. Do not be discouraged by its demographics though. This title is suitable for people of all ages. I certainly loved the unexpected comedic segments and the art of ballet portrayed in this show; it was a fresh idea that I have never seen.

As stated before, Princess Tutu is a story within a story, or if you want to make things a bit less complicated, it is the sequel of a book titled “The Prince and the Raven.” The author Drosselmeyer past a way as he was writing the story, but magically he appears before a duck who was admiring the ballet performed by Mytho (The Prince) and poof, duck becomes Duck (human).

The main point of Princess Tutu is that she must find the broken heart shards of the prince. Upon retrieving each heart shard, he will regain a piece of emotion. Thank god the retrieval process is going pretty fast, because I just cannot stand the dead voice of Mytho. The guy sounds like he is struggling for a breath of air just to say, “I don’t know.”

The Breakdown
Princess Tutu is an enjoyable cute little title with a great music score. Those who are macho fans will not like the ballet aspect of the show, but I am certain that every fan will discover something to like about Princess Tutu upon viewing it!

Synopsis
Wada, a Japanese salary man, is sent by his company to investigate claims of a priceless vein of jade in a small chinese village. On his arrival, Ujjie, a yakuza who is owed by Wada’s company, accosts him and intends to take the debt out of the jade.

Guided by an old Chinese explorer, Shen, who forgets where the village actually is, they set off on an overwhelming adventure that will change their lives forever.

Review
From the superb directing skills of Takashi Miike comes “The Bird People of China,” a true masterpiece. This movie contains a mixture of elements that are essential for any show to be extraordinarily successful and special. Humor, drama, action, mixed with a bit of imagination on both parts (viewer and creator) and an attractive story. As a matter of fact the story pulls you in right from the start as Mr. Wada says one of the most interesting lines I have ever heard. “I’ve slept more than 10,000 times, but I’ve never dreamt of flying like a bird.” I know this line means something, but I just cannot break it down to parts in which I can comprehend. Maybe I am thinking too much of it, but there has got to be a legitimate reason for Miike to input the line in the movie.

For those who are not familiar with Takashi Miike. He directed other works, such as, Audition, and Ichi the Killer. Both are sick, sadistic and gruesome, but The Bird People of China has none of that goriness. This was a side of Miike that was brand new to me. I was conditioned to expect something violent, but instead was given a delightful piece to enjoy.

They moral of the story? I believe it is the fact that you have to attempt to try something, before deeming it an impossible task to do. In the end, dreaming is everything you would want and would like to do in reality. Therefore you cannot dream of flying like a bird, as flying like a bird symbolizes freedom. You as a human being is always locked up by laws and the rules of society. This could be defined by a quote from Jean Jacque Rousseau that goes, “Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains.” Hence flying like a bird is the lowest in your priorities. Oh wow, I just broke down the phrase I could not a paragraph or so ago :P.

The Breakdown
The Bird People In China is the best ArtsMagicDVD release so far, keep them coming bud!

Synopsis
The last thing Kei remembers is the train running over his body, crushing him. Now he finds himself in a room filled with strangers, all recently deceased, all resurrected by the strange black sphere known only as Gantz.

Their reprieve from death may only be temporary, however. Unless they complete the brutal missions that Gantz assigns, none of them will live long enough to leave the room. Is this strange ‘afterlife’ real, or just a dream? All Kei and the others know is that if they fail the mission, they will all die again.

Review
In this advance screener review I will just go over the concept of Gantz. Since only two episodes were included in the DVD, I cannot make a full assessment of the show, other than from what I have seen at this early stage. So let us start it off. This show is gory, but at the same time it manages to maintain a fun atmosphere. What I am most fond of Gantz is that it is exciting; to the point where you feel like you want to be in the world with them. Gantz achieves this because it plays like a game. And most of us have a gamer in us, therefore we tend to attract to the show immediately. This game we call Gantz is like the Matrix, or any adventure game, where the goal is to seek and destroy the designated target(s). If you fail to obliterate the target within the time limit… something bad will happen. (I do not know what will happen since the one hour limit has not full elapsed yet in episode two :P).

The animation is amazing, astonishing, astounding and much more. A simple word cannot do its justice. The sound is great, but the opening theme is just senseless. The story so far is very interesting and has gotten me anxiously waiting for the full version of volume one to be released. Gantz is flat out impressive as I am completely addicted to it. Let us go onto the main characters a bit now.

There are three main characters: Kei Kurono, Masaru Kato, and Kei Kishimoto. Kei Kurono was a brave boy, but as time passed, he became less impulsive and more cowardice. He would stand back when he feels threatened by a situation, and is a bit of a hentai too. But what can we do, he is probably going to be the main focus of the three later on. Masaru Kato is Kei Kurono reversed. He was a shy boy, but now he will stand for what he believes is right. Kato is tough looking, but deep inside he still needs to convince himself badly in order for his body to act. Kei Kishimoto is a sexy babe oops, I mean she is hot, err, I mean she is a character that tried to commit suicide as she was taking a bath and winds up naked in front of a group of dead men that were brought to the Gantz. As she regains her consciousness, she almost gets raped by one of the yakuza in the apartment, but was saved by Kato.

The first mission these players have to accomplish is to kill some onion loving alien. It all seemed too easy as the players except the three main characters destroyed Onion Boy, whom only wanted to eat his onions. But when they thought it was over, the real deal just begins as the father of Onion Boy shows up and sees that his son is blown into pieces. At this moment, the second episode comes to an end and I am left with this show in my mind through my Christmas week. Oh how nice of ADV Films to do that to me :).

The Breakdown
When the show began, I immediately knew it was a show for me. Gantz was more than I expected and it certainly deserves all the hype it is receiving; as it strikes you to a point where a luxury (anime) becomes a necessity (Gantz).

Synopsis
Mugen’s a buck wild warrior-violent, thoughtless and womanizing. Jin is a vagrant ronin-mysterious, traditional, and well-mannered. These two fiercely independent warriors couldn’t be more different from one another, yet their paths cross when Fuu, a ditzy waitress, saves them from being executed when they are arrested after a violent swordfight. Fuu convinces the two vagrant young men to help her find a mysterious samurai ‘who smells of sunflowers.’ And their journey begins.

Review
This show has been getting a lot of hype. And for good reason. Reason one: the guy who directed Cowboy Bebop, Shinichiro Watanabe, is also directing Samurai Champloo. Reason two: one of the two credited screen/scriptwriters for Samurai Champloo was also one of the credited screen/scriptwriters for Cowboy Bebop (Dai Sato). Reason three: the other screen/scriptwriter, Shinji Obara, has made it a rule (basically) that no character can have more than two-three lines of dialogue before someone else speaks, so as to cut down on needless and annoying exposition, an anime staple that really does need to go away. These three reasons alone are good enough to create the hype Champloo has been getting, and in the end it’s well deserved.

It’s unfortunate though that this show gets compared to Bebop so much just because of the same scriptwriter and director. Bebop is a class A anime, and to top it (even by the same people) is an unfair pedestal to put this show on. I’ll state here and now that so far, Champloo is not as good as Bebop. But it’s still amazing in its own right, and far better than most other anime shows out there. So far, anyway. But please, put the Bebop comparison aside. This is its own show.

The first thing I should mention is the animation for this show. It’s amazing. Along with the splendid roughness and gritty character designs (a far different style than used in Bebop), the animation is fluid and colorful, while keeping a darker, more somber tone in the background. Colors represent characters, with Fuu’s kimono looking bright and happy, Mugen’s clothes looking fiery red (to symbolize his recklessness) and Jin, who wears dark, foreboding colors. The fight scenes especially scream of high production values, where every fight is shown on screen instead of blue sword-slash still-screens or off-camera action. The action scenes in Champloo are treated like good, real action sequences.

The music as well, with hop-hop artists like fat jon, Nujabes, and Tsutchie contributing to the score, is stellar, and took me by surprise (I mean…samurai and hip-hop?). Watanabe planned the show around the music, and it shows. He shows and treats the show with the inventiveness that hip hop showed in its early days. He doesn’t take the show to seriously, and even goes so far as to use record scratching as a transitional tool. It’s very slick.

The Breakdown
The hype was called for. This show rocks completely and I absolutely cannot wait for Vol. 2 to come out. In fact, I think I’ll go rewatch it again right now.

Synopsis
A sinister tree lurks over a village, sheltering the inhabitants for a terrible price. Victims are plagued by voices, then driven to madness and death. When renegade surgeon Black Jack operates on the latest casualty, he discovers a horrifying parasitic plant. Does the tree’s spirit seek to possess a human host? Now the doctor who plays at being god must defy the ancient fury of nature!

Review
Is there anything, anything at all that Black Jack cannot display? Just when you think you have seen basically everything Black Jack could offer and toss at you, there are other weird procedures happening. This time around we are dealing with a “Chia Pet.” A boy suddenly falls ill and plants begin to sprout from his skin. As this phenomenon occurs, his brother calls Black Jack and requests a visit from the doctor. When Black Jack arrives he is stunned by this illness as he has never seen such a thing before and begins the diagnoses.

Now up to volume five, the drama is still as constant as ever. With various plot twists, adds more intensity, which creates even more excitement that benefits the viewers’ experience. I mean, sometimes I get goose bumps just seeing what unfolds on the screen. It is that impressive. The dialogue brings the characters out of the television set and into your room. As the story progresses to the medical treatment scenes, you feel as if you are there watching every move that Black Jack does. Not only that, in every scene you feel that you are a witness. The show is so amazing that it is mind boggling.

I really cannot predict what else there is for this series, but I know it will be a hell of an opportunity to observe the great mind of Osamu Tezuka at work. I know for sure that if you are up to volume five, you will most definitely continue on this masterpiece, if you are just on the borderline, your mind will impulsively act on its own to make Black Jack a part of your collection.

The Breakdown
This title we call Black Jack, is really something! I cannot imagine where I would be without it! ^_^;;

Synopsis
In the 24th century, intergalactic space travel has become a reality. One of the first outposts in the far reaches of space is Watcher’s Nest – an inflation hole drive portal – which has recently come under attack by a mysterious force known simply as Ghoul… A group of young female cadets assigned to the portal are unexpectedly thrown into a hornet’s nest of trouble as they finalize their training to become elite pilots in the Seraphim Squadron. What more could you ask for than a bevy of beauties forced to put their lives on the line to answer the call of duty. Divergence Eve is a bold and imaginative voyage leading directly into the heart of evil. A dark tale enlivened by a shocking mystery which will have you guessing until the final fade out.

Review
Divergence Eve has a strange plot, a plot in that the movement of the story is put in reverse. Indeed it is strange, but that is what makes a show like Divergence Eve unique. You begin confused as hell, as scenes are just passing by and you have no idea what the story is or how the characters arrived at the destination they are at. Slowly, but surely though, everything becomes clear to the viewer as the show runs from episode to episode.

This ploy that the crew behind Divergence Eve plotted out is not only smart, but can be quite an enjoyment as well. Why? Because not everything is shown to you. One thing I cannot stand in my years of experiencing anime is when an anime treats me like a person without a mind or without any form of imagination prowess, and this anime here does not do any of that. It works your mind into predicting what may happen next, as fun and excitement swarms within your head.

The thing that picks my mind about Divergence Eve is that the opening theme is serious, whereas, the closing theme is a fun filled piece. Not that it is a bad thing though, because it is showing Masaki Kureha in a cosplay marathon :). Nope, there is nothing to complain about that.

Now how can I review Divergence Eve without mentioning the babes :P. Although not much is revealed to the audience in the first volume, but what is revealed is that there is going to be something rather interesting about Ensign Masaki Kureha. Her past is the main focus so far in the show, as hints of it is shown to the viewer. Her power is hehe… I will let you discover that when you pick this title off the shelves.

The Breakdown
Let us face the facts, Divergence Eve is not going to be loved by everyone due to the way it runs, but for those who see through the preceding issues, Divergence Eve is an anime worth every cent you paid for.

Synopsis
In the near future, the planet is run by a federation of twelve powerful corporations. Amid the general populous are psychics — metahumans capable of converting thought into energy. Known as “E’s”, these outcasts wield the power to control the world… or to save it! Kai awakens in Ashurum, a military contractor that has put together an elite special forces team of E’s called AESES to bring about law and order. But when Kai is sent to wipe out an anti-corporate guerilla outfit from the slum town Gald, he discovers not all is as it seems.

Review
Is it me or are some anime just created to be predictable? Once I got through half of the first episode, I already know the direction the show will go. I do not want to ruin it for you so I will keep my mouth shut about it. E’s Otherwise is a great title. Even though I say that it was predictable, it was only predictable to an extent. After the third episode my predictions were true and so from then on, I have no idea :P. We begin the story with Kai, who has been in the care of Ashurum since he was a little boy. His mother was involved with Ashurum, and since his sister has a health condition she needed their medical facilities. After Kai’s mother passes away, both he and his sister go into the guardianship of Ashurum. Due to the fact that he was basically raised by Ashurum and the help that they have provided to his sister for free. He joins and trains with AESES, the group of elite psychics that were compiled across the world of E’s Otherwise.

As you watch this show, you will ponder whether Ashurum is of the good or evil. There really is not a true statement of the side they are on. But one thing is for sure, E’s Otherwise is highly entertaining. The way psychic powers are displayed on the screen is astonishing. I like everything that this piece has shown me so far. The plot is not too complicated to comprehend; pretty straight forward if you ask me. The characters are not fully developed yet; hence, they are still mysterious. The sounds are amazing. The opening theme sounds like something Ayumi Hamasaki would sing, but it is by someone else.

E’s Otherwise is certainly an anime series that will leave a bang in the anime industry. This show is well planned out. There is no way you can get enough of it. This piece is certainly going into my DVD collection when it becomes available in stores. Make sure you jot this down in your to do list!

The Breakdown
E’s Otherwise is impressive all over. So far it is one of the titles that I can see having tremendous success. Watch for it!

Synopsis
Yume is a 15-year old girl from the contryside of Japan. The only thing unusual about this ordinary girl is her ability to use magic! This summer, Yume reached the age required by the government to begin an apprenticeship to harness her natural talents and become a licensed wizard. Yume’s first time away from home and she travels to the big city of Tokyo and finds herself living above a night club in the same apartment as her mentor, the handsome but mysterious Wizard Oyamada. Yume has so much to learn!

Review
Someday’s Dreamers is a show that is literally dream like. It is wonderful in the way it is made up. I loved the flow of everything. The voice of Yume is one of the top voices that I have heard from any seiyuu; it is most definitely a voice that I can identify if she ever worked on something else. Kikuchi Yume is a mage in training. Her mother was a certified mage, and she sends her into the city to train for her license. Being a country side girl that she is, Yume is overwhelmed with the sight of the city side of Japan. After several scenes, she finally makes it to Pachanga, a bar at night and a mage office in the morning. This show has always attracted my attention with its beautiful DVD cover arts. The title also has a good ring to it that like magic, it sticks to your head. Geneon Entertainment did a great job in bringing Someday’s Dreamers to the States. The show is just phenomenal.

So what exactly makes Someday’s Dreamers phenomenal? Well to start it off as stated above, the attractive arts. It is dream like and distinctive from others; therefore it stands out. Secondly, while the story of a girl who wants to train as a mage does not excite everyone, it will command your respect as you watch it. There are morals in this story that are deep, but at the same time comprehendible. Thirdly, the animation, sounds and characters are all top notch. Only a character with the qualities of Yume can run this show, any other character would have had a different effect. The sounds of this piece all add to the enjoyment factor of the show. This is what I would dub, a work of art, but of course, any anime is ‘a work of art,’ but to be a work of art in my terms, is something on a bit of a different plateau, if you ask me. I am a very picky person in life, not that it matters to you, or maybe it does :). And while I do watch a large amount of anime routinely, I rarely dub anything as a masterpiece or a work of art, unless it deserves it. There are only one or two titles in my mind that I know I have dubbed that title, and considering the amount of anime that I have reviewed since the beginning of Animesou.com, you know I am not joking when it comes to greatness.

In Someday’s Dreamers you are put into various situations where you ponder if you should do what your mind tells you, or what your job tells you. Yume, being the good natured girl that she is, conflicts with the two states of minds. While she knows it is her job as a mage to do whatever is requested from the people that go through the process of requesting a mage, she also wants to be able to please everyone at the same time. Her battles between herself represent what people do in actual life. When you have to select between two things, either one you select, the other one would end up being sacrificed. Hence, accepting and trusting the decisions that you make is the core value of this show. While not everything you choose will have a happy ending for people involved in the decision, as long as you are behind yourself with the decision making that is all that matters in the end.

The Breakdown
With a great cast of characters, a storyline to remember, the animation so amazing and the sounds so phenomenal, Someday’s Dreamers is a sure hit that you should recognize.

Synopsis
In a digital realm between life and the hereafter, there lies an empty room, a black sphere, and the trapped souls of the unfortunate. Here, the only meaning left is in the brutal game. Welcome to GANTZ, the next level of action, horror, and science fiction. Inspired from nightmares, Gantz brings forth a shocking vision produced in precise 2D/3D animation to showcase a slick and bizarre tale.

Review
In volume two, the episodes three and four are displayed. While episode three is not new to me due to the advance screener I had received a while ago, it was a nice refreshment. The show continues off with Onion Boy’s father, pissed as hell after the gamers gangbanged his son to death in other words, killed him. No, no, let us put it in better terms; slaughtered. And from volume one we all know what happens to the scrubs of the show, so let us continue on and discuss what is about to happen to the four left over gamers.

So Kei, Kato, Ms. Melons and the mysterious dude is still alive in the world of Gantz. After having to exert a tremendous amount of effort to run away from Onion Man, they finally get backed into a position of no escape. With Onion Man mad and the there newbies scared how will it turn out? Are you intrigued yet? If your answer is no, this volume finally explains quite a bit of what Gantz really is. It is certainly very interesting to know briefly what it is all about.

The action so far is just magnificent. I cannot find a better way to word it. All that blood and gore flying all over the place will make you even more excited for what will come next. The story is ichiban. Everything in this show accompanies each other so well. Gantz has become one of my favorites in such a short time. The replay value of Gantz is like none other. Sometimes I think I am sadistic for liking what I am seeing. Maybe I am a bit crazy… x_O.

While I dislike the way this series is released, at least the dates are closer together, which makes the wait time for the next volume shorter. I am more for the three to four episodes for $29.99 rather than the two for $19.99 format. It seems, no wait, it is that ADV Films has found a special cow and they are milking it for all that it is worth, down to the last drop. Hey, there is nothing wrong with that, unless you have an unlimited amount of resources in your hands’ reach. Which I can assure you, no one has :).

The Breakdown
With the action so fluid and the storyline so addictive. Who can possibly resist the lust for Gantz?