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Synopsis
When a mysterious woman gives Palme (an apathetic robot made from the sacred kuroop tree) The Egg of Touto and charges him with a crusade which has put the fate of the world into his hands. A journey of rebirth and discovery unfolds. Chased by a mysterious group of mercenaries, Palme teams up with a band of misfits only to discover the complexity of the human condition and what it truly means “to be alive.”

Review
You know, as I was watching A Tree of Palme, I was wondering where have I seen something like this before? It seemed to me like another one of those “robot wants to be human” kind of anime. The story of this OAV is extremely deep. You would not even comprehend it if you take quick look away from it. Everything moves so fast, yet it does not feel that way. I could have sworn I was sitting in front of the television for like three hours, but of course, that was an exaggeration. The film runs for 136 minutes which is the same as saying, two hours and sixteen minutes. During the run time you get to see how an innocent little puppet, Palme, becomes infected with the selfish idea of becoming human with his current form by finishing his journey of delivering the Egg of Touto to Soma, the ancient Kuroop tree who controls life.

In this adventure Palme has to discover a purpose to his life. Throughout the story he is joined up with abandoned kids with the exception of Popo, whom has a mother, but by the way she treats her… you might as well consider her abandoned as well. In life, most people want to fit in and most people want to have power. I know “fit in” and “power” are very general words, but for Palme, those are the exact words that fit him. He wants to be human, which is fitting in. He wants to be human, which to him equals to power. All he wanted to be was human, is that selfish? I mean, everyone wants to be someone and sometimes at the expense of others, but with Palme, he becomes blinded by the urge of being human. He becomes addicted to the idea and until the end he finally finds out that it does not matter, whether he is human or puppet for as long as he knows his identity it is all that counted.

A Tree of Palme resembles a person who wants to change himself and be in another league without considering the consequences or the people that would be sacrificed along the way. The comparison with Pinocchio gets brought up with this OAV, and I have to say, they are quite similar in ways. The differences might be the violent scenes and a little more emphasis on how Palme is brought up. That is about it. If I were to pick between the two, I would go with the more appropriate for adults animation; A Tree of Palme.

The Breakdown
Maybe it is I, who is not getting the whole idea, but I consider myself a casual fan, and like stuff to get spoon fed to me. A Tree of Palme is an animation with all the right concepts, but has a difficulty in bringing it all out to entertain fans, such as, myself. I would investigate the OAV again… but the problem is, the replay value is not high due to the long run time :).

Synopsis
Spike and Jet are back, along with Faye, Ed, and Ein, in this movie comeback that takes place between episodes 22 and 23 of the TV series. A new foe has risen in the form of a mysterious man in a black trenchcoat who is using chemical warfare in a metropolis on Mars. A bounty has been put on his head, and so the Bebop team heads out to get him. The strange thing is, he’s already dead.

Review
Sweet, more Bebop! That’s never a bad thing, especially if you’re a fan of the franchise (like me). If you don’t know what Bebop is, I recommend you watch the TV series first, so go read my review of the TV series first. If you’ve already seen the TV series, then by all means, keep reading. After the end of Bebop in 1998, a lot of fans were hungry for much much more. What we got  was a  full-length film, while  not as good as getting another whole TV series, really helps to flesh out the Bebop universe and Spike’s character, which is a huge plus and tells us why he made some of the decisions he made at the end of the TV series. The rest of the cast aren’t there for much other than to be there, though Faye and Ed help out in weird and interesting ways.

Two things should be lauded for before anything else about the movie: the music and animation. While the music isn’t as strong as in the TV series,  composer Yoko Kanno  tries a lot of new thing (like pop and soft rock instead of jazz) and it works well. The animation, one of Bones Studios’ (RahXephon, Scrapped Princess) first projects, is downright amazing. The two major hand-to-hand fight scenes in the film are good enough to watch over and over again, and we’re talking about animation. The style and flair with which they are directed is remniscent of Bruce Lee and John Woo mixed as one. It’s quite a sight. Other than the fight scenes, everything else still looks great, from ships to backgrounds to characters.

One minor annoyance in the end is the length. Since the film is really just one long filler episode of the TV series, there’s a lot of downtime with no action or tension, leaving us bored and looking at our watches. I don’t see how this can be rectified, which proves why the 30 minute per episode time frame of the TV series worked so well.

The Breakdown
Buy it, and try it out. If you’re already a fan of Bebop, this would be a great addition to your collection. Very fun and enjoyable to watch.

Synopsis
High school student Kazuki Shikimori comes from a line of powerful magicians with extraordinary DNA and he attends the most prestigious school for wizards in all of Japan. It would seem that life is good for Kazuki. Unfortunately, that couldn’t be further from the truth. He’s not the most smooth when it comes to the ladies, his grades are poor, his athletic skill is next to none, and to top it all off, he can only use his magic eight times before he turns into dust! However, three magical hotties have learned of his genetic secret and are all after him! Suddenly he has become the most “popular” kid in class. Are all these girls out to romance him, or are they only after his DNA?

Review
Kazuki Shikimori, an average high school kid with a not so average magical ability for Aoi Academy’s standards, is suddenly is approached by three hottest babes of the entire school. What can the biggest loser do, now that he is the biggest winner? Heck what can he do other than to dodge and hide? Anyways, this comedy has got to be one of the all time greats. From the start I liked the character interactions, the fluid animation and the music that this series boasts. The thing that was not so up to par was the English dub… it is just horrible how character names are pronounced, it seems so strange. It is enough to drive my head to the wall every time someone says a name. Other than that, the dub actually was good. I am no expert on dub since I usually do not watch anime with that feature, but I believe anyone would probably agree with me on that one :P.

The story commences with the girls all wanting Kazuki’s genes, so that their own family’s bloodline will become stronger with the child that will result. But Yuna on the other hand, has another motif, other than his genes. Kazuki and Yuna first met when they were children, during that meeting she made a promise to him that she will be her bride when the right time comes. And lucky her, when her family told her to go get Kazuki’s genes, she finds out that he was the boy that she had met and now for her, it is not about the genes, but rather the love for him.

I love shows like this. It gives me this weird sense of emotion that I cannot explain. Maybe I am just happy that I get to watch things like this (^_^). I have probably viewed Maburaho twenty to thirty times already since getting it in the mail from ADV Films. It is truly an amazing title that comedy goers should definitely look out for. Ecchi humor fans would also be grateful of Maburaho. And I know this might sound absurd to some of you, but I truly believe that this series definitely has the potential to top titles, such as, Ai Yori Aoshi and Love Hina, if it has not already in my heart.

The Breakdown
Maburaho is a series, such that, it brings a special warmth into your heart, a smile onto your face and a delightful experience for you to reminisce. All in all, you will fall in love.

Synopsis
Popotan is about a trio of sisters, Ai, Mai and Mii, who travel through time and space in search of the reason of their existence by following clues left only by the words of the Popotan (flowers) they encounter on their journey.

Review
Popotan starts out seeming like little more than an average anime. It has a bunch of girls with mysterious powers, each of whom fulfill a role that has been seen a million times before. There is the older sister who acts like the kind mother, the middle sister who is of course the emotional teenager and the youngest sister who is cute, happy and energetic. Despite these cliches, by the end-through surprisingly deep character development that is slowly and with subtlety revealed over the twelve episodes-the story comes through in a way that is powerfully emotional and rewarding. The viewer becomes completely attached to the characters.

The Breakdown
Popotan succeeds in being an emotional and enjoyable drama.

Synopsis
Thirteen years have passed since the One Year War of 0079 in the original Mobile Suit Gundam series (making it 0093). A lot has come to pass since then for the Earth Federation and the colonies, and now Char Aznable (with his Sazabi) has come back yet again, this time with a Neo Zeon Army backing him up. His plan is to drop colonies and asteroids on Earth until it creates a nuclear winter and every human will be forced into space and evolve into Newtypes. There to stop him are Amuro Ray (his arch-rival) and his army unit, the Londo Bell. Amuro has a new, all-powerful Gundam on his hands (the Nu Gundam) to stop Char and save the earth from a nuclear winter.

Review
Man oh man. A Gundam fan’s wet dream. Char’s Counterattack came out in 1988 to finally finish the Zeon/Federation and Amuro/Char rivalries once and for all. Everything comes to a head in this film, with people dying left and right and political betrayals up and down the ranks. Despite being the end film after the release of three major Gundam series (Mobile Suit Gundam, Zeta Gundam, and Gundam ZZ), the only returning characters are from Mobile Suit Gundam, which has already been released in the States. So my recommendation is you make sure to definily watch that, and then you can watch this with relatively free hassle.

Being the end of an era, there’s a massive amount of action scenes, a lot of people dying, and a lot of philosophizing. If your a Gundam fan, you’ll love this. If you’re not, then you won’t like this. It basically comes down to that, since Counterattack is a Gundam show through and through. There’s lots of awesome Gundams in this one, a lot of Newtypes, and a lot of useless technical jargon. The music isn’t anything special, but the animation for a film from 1988 is wonderful. The mobile suit action sequences are done with a style and veritas I rarely see with giant robot anime, and I can see myself watching these again for fun many times over.

The Breakdown
As I keep saying, only the Gundam faithful should watch this, since otherwise you won’t really understand what’s going on. If you are a Gundam fan, this is exactly what you’re looking for. Tomino couldn’t have resolved everything any better.

Synopsis
Spike and Jet are two down-on-their luck bounty hunters (called cowboys) always looking for the next big score. Spike is brash, young, and tough. He practices Bruce Lee’s martial arts style, Jeet Kune Do, and treasures his little space fighter, the Swordfish II. Jet is the wiser, older of the two, knowing when to make a move and when to hold the cards. They move from plant to planet in their spaceship, the Bebop, and go from one bounty to the next, never staying in one place too long. Rarely ever making money or getting food, Cowboy Bebop is a set of tales  in the life of these two as they go about space, encountering the pasts they left behind along the way. Of course, during the course of their adventures, they obtain three new crewmates: a sultry woman that goes by the name Faye Valentine, a dog with a high IQ that goes by Ein, and a computer hacking wizard named Ed. Along with Spike and Jet, they travel the stars.

Review
I was browsing our reviews section for any big omission from our reviews archive, and as of this writing, no one had completely reviewed Cowboy Bebop. The first three volumes had been reviewed by three different people, but that was not a good enough indication of just how great this show is. Taking it upon myself to rectify such a huge problem, I am now here to review my favorite anime series, right next to Neon Genesis Evangelion and Trigun.

I won’t be one of those guys who likes to say that the first anime they got into is also their favorite one. ‘I got into anime through Bebop…and it still rocks!’ I’d seen plenty of anime before Bebop came around, and I wasn’t there to see it when it first came out in America either. I just happened to be flipping through the channels when I came upon Adult Swim and noticed they were airing the five ’story’ episodes of Cowboy Bebop. I tuned in right from the beginning to see what it was about, and didn’t stop till I saw the whole thing. What I saw was unlike any anime (or anything, for that matter) that I’d seen before. I hold very fond memories of that night and seeing this show.

The first thing to jump out to most people about Bebop is the absolutely-frickin’-tastic music. Yoko Kanno (also responsible for such great music in Escaflowne, Macross Plus, and Ghost in the Shell) created a mix of blues and jazz that resonates with the material like nothing else could have. The show fits the music more than the other way around for me. Another thing that pops right out about the show is its still wonderful animation, despite coming from 1998. Most shows from that time did not look this good, and a bunch still don’t. It’s a testament to Bebop’s wonderful production values.

Bebop is made up of a bunch of vignettes strung together by the main five characters. These guys go from one episode to the next, with rarely any connection from one to the other. Each episode delves into different themes and ideas, from the nature of man and God to blaxploitation. I love the episodic nature of this series, and despite that, you get a wonderful understanding of each character through their experiences, even though you don’t get much character background. There are episodes devoted to each character’s pasts, but they come few and far between. But I’ll bet you anything you’ll be hard pressed to not feel even a slight hint of sadness during the final episodes’s closing moments. Bebop is amazing.

The Breakdown
After all is said and done, is Cowboy Bebop really one of the best animes ever? Simply put: YES. I haven’t seen anything better, and only a couple of shows are equal in quality and enjoyability as to that of Bebop. I know there are Bebop-haters out there. To them, I say: you’re missing out. Bebop is overhyped, I agree. But take the hype away and you get one of the best animes of the last two decades.

Synopsis
A touching tale that illustrates the subtle and confused teenage emotions experienced by 11-year-old Hiromi, and her unique friendship with Junkers, a talking dog. As their relationship develops, Hiromi struggles with a longing for adulthood as she is faced with the challenges of her parents’ unexpected divorce. Will Hiromi be able to restore happiness in her life?

Review
Junkers Come Here has deceived me. When I first heard of this title I quickly came to a conclusion that this was another kiddy anime. I could not be more wrong. Junkers Come Here is a very well done anime. It is one of a handful of anime that proves to the world that it is not necessary to have the 3D CG scenes or female characters with big breasts in order to be good. I loved the way how the story flowed as the characters were growing with it on the same pace. By doing that, everything is in sync, and confusion would be kept to a minimum or none at all.

Hiromi, like every immature eleven year old, wanted what was good for herself and did not think of what would happen to others by her actions. When Junkers reveals his secret to Hiromi, at first she did not believe it, but when she subconsciously wished for “something” to happen, Junkers granted it. All of a sudden the story is about what this little girl can do to try and heal everything; her parent’s relationship being the top priority. This movie is touching. It taps into the viewers’ hearts and delivers a warmth that is unrivaled by any other movie that I have seen that is set in the present time period.

Junkers Come Here, make sure this title is on your buy list. You will be entertained by this work of art. This is a rare classic, and I sure hope that more anime of this caliber is created. No need for the violence, no need for the ecchi humor. Just a need for a deep, well thought out story that can somehow relate to the viewers. Junkers Come Here, wow.

The Breakdown
Junkers is so cool!

Synopsis
2225 AD an act of sabotage has sent a space station plummeting towards a dense plasma phenomena known as the Sea of Geduld. With only hours to spare before the collapse of the entire station, The group of teens and young children, all that were training on-board the ship, will seek safety aboard the Ryvius, an interstellar spacecraft hidden deep inside the station. With the adult crew and instructors killed, these young astronauts must rely on their training, courage, and most importantly… each other. Prepare for the journey home.

Review
Annoying characters, Bad relationships and Complicated human emotions all make up Infinite Ryvius. This is the ABC of what not to do in an anime. From the beginning to the end, all you have are questions. Every action taken is a question. All the senseless shouting and back stabbing are questions and all the crap Kouji Aiba takes from people are questions. What the hell? I am watching an anime and trying to have a good time doing it. Why am I faced with such annoying circumstances? By the time the series have drifted mid way I am already angry with the show itself. It became an obligation for me to ride this pony through.

A person who is neck to neck with his brother and shows no reason as to what generates his anger should shoot himself in the face. Really. I am sick of seeing Yuuki Aiba arguing with his brother or fighting with his brother just because of something so small. Something such as a position change, Kouji from sitting in the cockpit of the Ryvius to the cockpit of the Vital Guarder.

With all the negatives, the only positive I found while watching Infinite Ryvius is the portrayal of the true nature of humans. It is very accurate. People bully one another to get a certain thing. Corruption, fear, uncertainty, jealousy, love, happiness, sadness and selfishness are all in this show. There are more, but that is all I can list from the top of my head. This part of the show is realistic, therefore it contributes even more to why I dislike this show. Was it meant for the viewer to feel hatred? If so, was my hatred from the show a positive thing for the creators? You see, those are the questions I am talking about; non-stop flowing of questions with multiple to no answers at all. Argh! I need rest, I am going crazy. Ja ne.

The Breakdown
Okay, okay, maybe I am being too harsh on this title. There are some interesting points. I mean it did made me continue watching it… oh wait that was because I had to in order to do this review. :P

Synopsis
This very special Collector’s Series DVD Boxset contains a bonus disc containing never-before-seen features!

Dragged through a time warp by a giant machine, Shu is thrust into a hellish future just as it explodes into war! He is caught in the carnage as a tyrant unleashes deadly force against a rebel army. But Shu is not alone? he is surrounded by courageous soldiers, a battalion of enslaved children, and enigmatic wanderers, each with their own fascinating story. Together, they face the ultimate challenge of survival in a world gone mad!

Review
In a world where water is scarce, a mad tyrant, Hamdo tires to obtain control of an infinite supply of water by capturing Lala Ru, who has the ability to generate water from her mysterious pendant. His plan almost succeeded if not for Shu, a punk kid who got involved with everything because he was a bit nosy – curious.

Upon his arrival at Hellywood, he goes through exactly what the name of the place suggests; hell. He is tortured, battered, kicked around and just beaten so bad that he could not walk. All this because he told the truth? Well even if he lied he would still get the crap beaten out of him. What kind of world is this? Villages were pillaged as women, kids and men were enslaved in the Hellywood system. Kids were used as soldiers to fight this “war” of Hamdo’s. Every rule of invasion is broken. No one as the cahones to stop Hamdo’s ambitions, that is until Shu stepped up and sought justice in this unjust world.

Now and Then, Here and There is a superb series. It brings a variety of emotions to the viewers. For an example, you would laugh at the way Hamdo acts, because he is obviously crazy. Ehh… you sometimes ponder how he obtained his power over the people of Hellywood in the first place, with the state his mind is in.

Akitaroh Daichi has done a great job with Now and Then, Here and There. The interest meter goes up as the story unwinds. This has really been an entertaining show to me, and it certainly would be for you as well.

The Breakdown
Thirteen episodes of addictive television. That is not good for my eyes! No!!!!!

Synopsis
When Alice Hayashi, the youngest person ever to go into space crashes her shuttle at the North Pole, she is thrown thirty years into the future. But her trip through time is far from accidental. The world is now ruled with an iron fist by Nero and his supercomputer, the SS10X. And because of a common link between her, Nero and the SS10X, Alice may be the future’s only chance for freedom…

Review
ArtsMagicDVD did a good job with this release. The story is cold at the beginning, like the setting (North Pole), but towards the end the story becomes quite an experience. Alice Hayashi who was on her way to the moon, suddenly was in what she recalled an accident. When she woke up she was being chased down by both Nero and the Federation Liberation Forces. After a lengthy speed chase, she wipes out and is then found by Yuan, one of her only friends in this strange world. When Alice came to, the situation was stated to Yuan, in other words, us. Then the escape plan was put into play as they were being chased yet again. This time they get away and the meat of the story begins here.

Obviously in order to find the answer to why people were being captivated by Nero, they would have to pay a visit to Nero. I love the twist of the story this part of the movie brought. It was predictable, yet it was not. Something that you can work out the answer if you thought about it for a long time, but you would have never thought about this factor. This really got me up to appreciate this full CG movie more.

The ending was enjoyable. Everyone got what they wanted. Yuan and Maria (SS01X) found the location of where the people were captured and they venture out to free them, and Alice goes back to her time and has a surprise awaiting her rescue. :P. Overall, this movie got entertaining towards the end. Only if it was like that throughout, it would have been great, instead of now, being mediocre.

The Breakdown
You will like the unexpected ending. It baffled me for a while, but I slowly processed the information and enjoyed it.