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Synopsis
D has been hired to track down Meier Link, a notoriously powerful vampire who has abducted a Human woman, Charlotte Elbourne. D’s orders are strict – find Charlotte, at any cost. For the first time, D faces serious competition. The Markus Brothers, a family of Vampire Hunters, were hired for the same bounty. D must intercept Meier and conquer hostile forces on all sides in a deadly race against time. Despised by Vampires for his profession and by Humans for the blood in his veins, D relentlessly pursues his prey for a price.

Review
Vampire Hunter D strikes back! The anime that could be said to start all the other vampire type anime flicks is finally back with another theatrical release. It was long waited, but well worth it. The story is just awesome. Everything connects with each other, and one of my favorite directors, Yoshiaki Kawajiri directed Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. His work just came to me a week ago and I am already in love with the things he worked on.

The story is tricky, it makes you think this way, but it is actually the total opposite of what you think. Just as the abduction of Charlotte Elbourne by Meier Link. Nobody would have thought that there was love between the two. I thought that Meier Link was just hungry for blood. I was completely surprised as it is shown that Charlotte wanted to be with Meier forever. This title certainly does live up to its’ hype. The action was fast paced and fluid. The animation, thanks to Madhouse, was very good. Even if you did not see the first Vampire Hunter D movie, do yourself a big favor and buy this movie for your collection!

The Breakdown
I just love when Anime makes their big comeback. Ever since the release of Vampire Hunter D, it launched other Vampire Anime flicks, and now Vampire Hunter D is back to retain the crown in Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust.

Synopsis
Gaia is a mythical realm ruled by sword and sorcery and immersed in blood and violence. Thrust into a conflict she doesn’t quite understand, Hitomi helps aid the young Prince Van as they embark upon their journey of discovery. The battle over a legendary suit of dragon armor, Escaflowne, has begun.

Review
Escaflowne the Movie is the retelling of the hit TV series. Hitomi also known as the Wing goddess of Gaia was persuaded to go to Gaia by Faulken. The depressed Hitomi, who thought there was nothing to cherish in life anymore gets warped to Gaia and ends up inside Escaflowne as Van is trying to awaken the sleeping Guymelef.

The visuals of Escaflowne the Movie was well done. Although the ending was pretty much the same, the process of bringing the movie to the ending was very entertaining. In the show, it was more of a human battle than the guymelef battles we have experienced in the TV series. In the final battle, Escaflowne versus Alseides, the action was cool, after Escaflowne destroys Alseides. It turns black and reveals its’ true nature, ‘the destroyer of Gaia.’ Then after a few more scenes Van and Hitomi flies to Faulken’s castle and ‘What do you think?’

There were many additions to Escaflowne the Movie. One of the more noticeable was that the guymelefs were more organic. If you have seen the TV series, remember when Van pricked his finger and his blood dripped on the dragon’s heart? Well in the movie it is sort of different. In the control chamber of the guymelefs there are actually needle looking things that sucks the blood from the person controlling it. The blood then becomes the guymelef’s blood and enables it to move. That’s pretty cool huh?

The Breakdown
Escaflowne the movie is one of those retelling movies that doesn’t just put scenes of the TV series together and say that’s a movie. (This happens quite often at times to OVAs.) Nonetheless, this movie is a great retell and gives the viewers some fresh ideas that weren’t in the TV series.

Synopsis
Crusher Joe: The Movie
Joe and his team are hired to med-evac a cryogenically frozen heiress to the planet Miccola, only to have her kidnapped out from under their noses while in hyperspace! Before they know it, the team gets accused of space piracy by the United Space Force and suspended by Crusher HQ.

Crusher Joe: The OVAs
A double feature of derring-do! The team gets hired to adjust the orbit of a prison cometary core before it impacts on an inhabited planet, only to get caught up in a political double-cross of astronomical proportions. Then they take on the task of rescuing a military officer who is safeguarding an ultimate weapon that can destroy all the life on the planet while leaving the real-estate intact, only to find that the planet she’s crash-landed on is infested with mutineers (not a problem) and self-replicating quasi-organic semi-intelligent kamikaze death-bots (big problem!).

Review
Upon watching Crusher Joe, I have finally noticed how good it is to go back in the days, where all that digital, and CG things were not used. Crusher Joe has comedy and action. I have not seen a good action mixed with comedy like Crusher Joe since Ghost Sweeper Mikami. Once you see it you will be able to tell the differences between old comedy and new comedy in the anime world today. Of course Crusher Joe’s main focus is not comedy, but mainly space action.

The space battles are unique; there is just an immense amount of action taken place at times. Looking back at when Crusher Joe was made, I was very impressed with all the action the animation staff has put together. The story of Crusher Joe is interesting in ways. It is difficult to compare Crusher Joe to any modern series today, because this show came before them, and probably has set some guidelines for space action anime today.

Throughout the three hours and fifty-eight minutes of run time, the show gets better. From the movie, which I thought it was mediocre, to the first OVA (The Ice Prison), which was becoming better, and finally to the second OVA (The Ultimate Weapon: Ash) in which I thought, it was very entertaining. This show is definitely a must watch for those who crave space action and are tired of what modern shows have to offer.

The Breakdown
Crusher Joe is not your average Joe. Watching Crusher Joe was definitely a new experience in which I have gained. I liked the action a lot. The comedy gave me some laughs. Such as, how Talos punched this big dude’s face in and the way Alfin acted after just drinking a glass of whiskey. When putting all the pieces together, Crusher Joe is a good watch and a good value.

Synopsis
From the golden pen of Ryo Mizuno, comes an all-new adventure set in the aftermath of the Lodoss Wars! Ashram, desperate to find a home for his people, is tricked into selling his soul. 300 years later, Pirotesse’s devotion to her king remains unshaken. In the sacred world of Crystania, amidst a civil war waged by shape-changing warriors, she searches for her beloved Ashram. She meets Redon, a young prince obsessed with avenging his murdered parents. Together, they confront Ashram’s captor, Barbas, who aspires to rule Crystania as “The Gods’ King.” Will they free Ashram’s soul… or will Redon’s innocence become the next sacrifice to Barbas’ emerging power?

Review
Lodoss war fans, gets a little more of the Lodoss taste as Ashram and Pirotesse is back. The first thing that strikes anyone is the title name. No longer is it Record of Lodoss War, but Legend of Crystania. I recall, Crystania was mentioned somewhere in Record of Lodoss War, but was never really developed for the fans. This show bored me for about fifteen minutes, but then as action and story kicked in, my system reacted by kicking in turbo.

The shape-changing warriors are interesting. Their transformation is based on which god ruled the region that they were born in. They can either go, full man, half man-half animal or full animal. Record of Lodoss War is known for its’ RPG style, Legend of Crystania brings that style back, of course not as good as Record of Lodoss War, but adequate. The show is now more violent than Record of Lodoss War. Soldiers get sliced in half with blood gashing all over. There was one scene where a lizard warrior had a whole chunk of neck bitten out. So… yeah, I hope you get the idea after the last example :P.

Record of Lodoss War fans should stick with Record of Lodoss War. Legend of Crystania is different from Lodoss War. The animation is not the same, the setting is not the same, and although the action and story can be entertaining at times. I do not see a reason why a fan of Lodoss War should go on to something that is not Lodoss War. Unless you are a fan of Ashram and Pirotesse then I can see the reason.

The Breakdown
Legend of Crystania is not something you would watch every two weeks or so. It is something you would watch once every two years or so. The re-watch value is just not up there.

Synopsis
Hayao Miyazaki had been cradling the idea for this wonderful fantasy for a long time before he finally decided to write and direct it. Although it’s set in the mid 1950’s in Japan’s rural area, the sceneries with lots of trees, of fields and meadows with colorful flowers bring a universal feeling of joy and harmony even to those who have never left the big cities or living in other countries. Another charm of the movie is of course it’s heart warming tale of the two little sisters and their relationships with the land’s mysterious creatures (including a ‘Cat Bus!’) whose plots aren’t forced or condescending in any way, which makes the film such an enjoyable experience for kids and adults alike. It’s a 2-disc set with loads of special features, including a storyboard-to-film comparison for the entire film.

Review
I remember back when I was a child, around five years old. I have watched Totoro and loved it a lot. As a child’s point of view, I liked Totoro for its cuteness and story. It gives me, as a child, the thought of, “What if there was Totoro and I saw it?” Certainly it will be cool, but seeing something that big with big teeth… I would get scared. A few years have passed since I watched Totoro. Now that I am seventeen almost eighteen, I revisited what I have once visited. The old feeling was still there, and I still get attracted to Totoro for its cuteness and story. I guess my mind has not changed through out the years.

Totoro attracts not only children, but adults too. The story of two sisters who live with their father, as their mother is in the hospital is fun to watch, because of the happy atmosphere that Mei and Satsuki create when they are running around their back yard having fun or doing funny things such as, catching a “Mak kuro kurosuke.” There are a few tense moments such as, close to the end of the movie. The character animations are similar to other Hayao Miyazaki works after all it is created my him. What impressed me was that the quality of the animation looked as if it was from 1995 instead of 1988.

The Breakdown
After rewatching Totoro, I feel like going out and buy the doll… it’s so cute just like Puuchuus.

Synopsis
Lupin, Jigan, Goemon, and Fujiko are back for their ninth movie adventure! Lupin has been trusted with a mystical Twilight diamond which, as legend has it, is the key to an amazing treasure. So the whole gang heads off to Morocco to get rich. However, they will have to dodge the ever-present Inspector Zenigata and a new organization that is only out for one thing… Lupin’s head!

Review
Wow…I never thought I would say this about a Lupin movie, but I’m a bit unimpressed. Heck, I’m even going to say that I was disappointed. Lupin is my favorite anime character of all time, but this just isn’t even close to the best of his adventures. No one expects a Lupin film to make too much sense, but this flimsy tale is both underwritten and badly paced. The chase scenes (always a wonderful Lupin mainstay) generate little excitement, and the fights lack the flair that is normally present in the series. Although Lupin III remains one of the most greatest franchises in anime history, Twilight Gemini ranks among the least of the his adventures.

The Breakdown
It’s decent and worth a watch for true fans, but I would recommend The Castle of Cagliostro for newbies to Lupin.

Synopsis
Now this one is an oldie (but it’s good). Made in 1982, Otaku no Video (Fan’s Video) is a ‘mockumentary’ of sorts, and also a thinly veiled history of Gainex. It mocks those crazy fools who love anime. It stars a college student named Kubo who HATES those damn anime geeks. But then he runs into his old high-school friend Tanaka, who is a big GEEK. So, he’s gets led into the world of anime, SF, and even cosplay (yay!). After facing rejection from the rest of the world because of his love for anime, Kubo decides that he must fosake the world and live soley on anime. He will become an ‘Otaking’!

Review
Actually, this is two movies in one, the orginal ‘Otaku no Video 1982 and the sequel ‘More Otaku no Video 1985. These movies are great for any true anime fan, the literal meaning of the title being ‘Your Video’. Although it starts out a bit critical of otaku, which is shown through the ultimate ‘loser-ness’ of Tanaka’s anime group and Kubo losing his girlfriend because of anime in ‘1982, it changes mindsets in ‘1985 when Kubo decides to become the ‘Otaking’.

Also, there are a huge amount of in-jokes for old-school anime fans, so many in fact that AnimEigo included six pages of linear notes describing them and an address to which you can send any more that you see in the movie.

There are also interviews with ‘real otaku’ (I haven’t yet figured out whether they are real or not) about the how they are/were otaku, and how being an otaku has affected their life.

However, near the end of the anime, things become very silly and segue into a strange Sci-Fi adventure

Overall, these movies are the ultimate combination of all that is ‘Otaku’, from the many, many reference to old anime and Japanese culture, to the crazy storyline and slightly frightening interviews. It’s even more fun to watch it with friends and see who ‘gets’ the most in-jokes.

The Breakdown
This is a amazingly fun old-school trip. Heck, it’s even a history lesson of sorts. Go and get this ASAP!

Synopsis
Powerful Demons and beautiful, noble Guardians have battled for Earth since the dawn of time. Ages ago, the arrogant Demons enslaved humans, while the Guardians fought for human freedom. A deep hatred burns between Demon and Guardian; the Guardians know the Demons thirst for blood and power would destroy humanity and the world itself.

Neo-Shinjuku, 2089 - few Demons or Guardians remain to continue their epic war. Humans rule the Earth, with no real memory of the Demons or Guardians. Yet, deep within the dark underworld of the city, the supreme Demon is still alive and plotting, once again, to overtake mankind. Only one Guardian is left to do battle, and the fate of the human race hangs in the balance.

Review
Wow, this is a short one. It’s another one from Director Hisahi Abe (Vampire Hunter D), which means lots a pale people, black backrounds, nudity, and very bloody fights.

Although the opening narration tells of the Great Mother creating demons and guardians, humans are transformed into demons through bioengineering. As he’s celebrating his engagement, Eiji, a pharmaceutical researcher, suddenly changes into a disgustingly nasty monster, but is caught by the nastily incestious brother/sister team of Chen and Huang Long, who take him to a sex club and feed him prostitutes (how nice!).

Eiji is part of an experiment conducted by Mr. Takamiya, the master demon. Enter Tsunami Shijyo, Guardian, demon hunter, and ‘fire manipulator’. He’s hired by Eiji’s fiacee, Shizuka, to find him as she goes out to find (and kill) him herself.

I don’t want to tell anymore…but only because it’s just not worth it. The story has so much potential, but isn’t allowed to develop. No backround story is given for any of the characters, they just kind of…exist. In this aspect it reminds me of X/1999. But overall, this was a horrid, sub-par flick. I actually enjoyed watching the trailers more than the anime. However this may just be because I am not a huge fan of this genre. I would say only get this if you are a either a die-hard genre fan, or a die-hard Hisashi Abe fan.

The Breakdown
If you are truely desperate for a man vs. demon anime/manga, I’d recommend Ogre Slayer

Synopsis
Set in medieval Japan, Miyazaki’s original story envisions a struggle between nature and man. The march of technology, embodied in the dark iron forges of the ambitious Tatara clan, threatens the natural forces explicit in the benevolent Great God of the Forest and the wide-eyed, spectral spirits he protects. When Ashitaka, a young warrior from a remote, and endangered, village clan, kills a ravenous, boar-like monster, he discovers the beast is in fact an infectious ‘demon god,’ transformed by human anger. Ashitaka’s quest to solve the beast’s fatal curse brings him into the midst of human political intrigues as well as the more crucial battle between man and nature.

Review
This epic, animated 1997 fantasy has already made history as the top-grossing domestic feature ever released in Japan, where its combination of mythic themes, mystical forces, and picturesqe visuals tapped deeply into cultural identity and contemporary, ecological anxieties.

Miyazaki’s slightly twisted fable is clearly not the stuff of kiddie flicks, nor is the often graphic violence depicted during the battles that ensue. If some younger viewers (or less attentive older ones) will wish for a diagram to sort out the players, Miyazaki’s amazing world and its lush visual design are reasons enough to watch.

I find the characters to be the most intriguing part of this expansive feature however. None of them are perfectly black and white. Ashitake may be seem to be a standard ‘good guy’, but he does have a demon living within him; Lady Eboshi is destroying the enviroment and killing off the forest gods, but she is suprisingly kind to the prostitutes and lepers that she has rescued from other cites, and they love her for that.

Princess Mononoke is not your standard ’style over substance’ anime. It not only looks magnificent, but has an intriguing story as well. A definate ‘must see’!

The Breakdown
Great movie, although I’d recommend it for kids 12 and up.

Synopsis
At the dawn of the new millenium, mankind has awakened a threat unlike any faced before: the Angels. Conventional weapons are useless against them. They can only be stopped by means of the Evangelions - bio-engineered vessels born from the Angel’s own technology mixed with human science. But the knowledge brought by the Angels is also the key to bringing about a startling new genesis for the human race. Placed in the hands of three young pilots, the final fate of humanity resting upon their shoulders, the Eva’s are the world’s last hope…

Review
Hoo boy, a review of Evangelion. Not the easiest of  anime’s to review. This ‘movie’ is really two things. There is the ‘Death’ part of this disc, which is a recap of the first 24 episodes with new footage strewn about made especially for this recap. Then there is the ‘Rebirth’ part, and this is where Manga Entertainment  once again falls flat on it’s face. In Japan, Rebirth was the first 30 minutes of End of Evangelion, but there were parts missing since technically, the End of Eva wasn’t finished yet. On this release, Manga just saw fit to shove the first 30 minutes of actual footage from the End of Eva on the disc. I really wanted to see the differences between Rebirth and End of Eva, but I guess I don’t get to (at least with the US DVD release).

Aside from that, how’s the actual content? Good…and bad. I will say right now that unless you’re a hardcore fan, do not buy this disc. There is nothing really new in it aside from some special footage for Death, which doesn’t make it that worthwhile to the normal fan. However, to the hardcore (like me), you will eat this stuff up. Rebirth is most defintely pointless, because if your buying this at all you already have or are planning to buy End of Evangelion anyway…which Rebirth is the first 30 minutes of. Buy this disc for its extras and for the cool new footage  in Death. Also, do not plan to watch this recap if you haven’t seen the show. The recap cannot help you understand anything. It was originally made in Japan to remind everyone what is going on in Evangelion, since the movie was coming out soon but it had been quite awhile since the series came. Death is good though if you’ve seen the series (as a recap).

The Breakdown
Has some very good extras (who knew Manga was smart enough to pretty much translate and put the Red Cross book on the DVD?) And I must reiterate, I thoroughly enjoyed Death and it’s new footage (while there isn’t to much, it’s still good.) Rebirth is End of Eva’s first 30 minutes, making it useless, because once you buy End of Eva, you have Rebirth anyway. Also, for some, the Mokuji special featureon the DVD  won’t work for them, and it’s a really great feature to. I, however, did not run into any problems with it on my DVD player.