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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
Unbeknownst to the general population, an alien force opened an inter-dimensional gate in Antarctica over 30 years ago in an attempt to invade the Earth. The unified forces of Earth formed an elite military unit under command of the United Nations to combat the aliens and to push them back towards their own dimension. But the war still rages on.

Rei Fukai is an elite pilot of the Special Air Force (SAF) and designated pilot of the Yukikaze, an advanced fighter armed with a sentient computer control system. When fear of alien infiltration within the SAF spreads, the Yukikaze may be the only weapon humanity has to bring an end to this war.

Review
Think of any Macross series before Zero, juice up the animation and you will get Yukikaze. The title sounds cool, but does it actually live up to its’ name? When I watched this I was already bored out of my mind so it was only natural for me to throw anything in the DVD player… anything. The attractive point of this show is that it looks good. The DVD cover looks cool, the planes look cool and of course the fighting scenes look cool. Other than those listed criteria the show is not much attractive. The story is about aliens invading Earth, by creating a warp hole to directly send their troops to attack Earth. The humans on the other hand have to battle back the aliens and try to stop them from invading permanently.

Yukikaze is a title that draws the viewer in closely as they are watching. Even if the viewer does not know anything about it, the show makes it so that the viewer will want to know more about it and soon enough, you will find yourself craving for more and more. Titles that feature air planes usually do not live up to my expectations, maybe it is because I expect a lot, but nonetheless, Yukikaze just does not have that deep impact I was looking forward to experience. Not that I am drawing a comparison here, but those of you who have seen Macross Zero should know how it feels watching that show. There is this excitement, this feeling where you want to get in one of those planes and fly it kind of feeling. Yukikaze does not provide that, it gives you the story and you, the viewer will just have to follow through with it.

Certainly this show is very enjoyable, especially the air craft designs, the animation and the battle scenes. Turn on your subwoofer to max and you will feel the engines of the planes roaring down the runway. Think that is not enough? The missile explosions are all deafening, so do turn up those subs with caution. I do not know what happens later on as volume two is not released yet, but this show right now is good as is. There is not a stupid love relationship going on within the story to mess up things. Do not get me wrong, I like anime series that incorporate love relationships, but Yukikaze just does not flow right with one. The lead character, Rei Fukai is way too freaky to be in one :).

The Breakdown
It is unfair to compare two different titles, but I have to say that Yukikaze is inferior when compared to Macross Zero; another air planes title.

Synopsis
In a world where witches abuse their supernatural powers, a special team is tasked with hunting this new threat to society. This organization is known as the STN and comprises of several highly skilled craft users and experts in covert operations. But their most powerful craft user is a young woman named Robin. Her mysterious gift to summon deadly flames will determine the fates of her colleagues and lead her into a dark world of mystique and witchcraft.

Review
It’s a refreshing spin on a detective story. Although it’s something I can see being done in a vampire story. Just replace the witches with vampires and there you go. But the term, ‘witches?in this show is used as a way to describe someone using their magic powers for evil. Not every person who practices magic is considered a witch.

The shows artistic style reminds me more of an American comic than your average anime. (It’s the eyes I tell ya!) The tension between Robin and Amon keeps the workplace interesting, as does the growing friendship of Robin and Michael. I can’t put my finger on it but WHR reminds me of Rahxephon. Perhaps it’s the pacing.

The Breakdown
Overall, there is room for improvement. But I see it getting better in the later volumes. If you’ve had your fill of zany comedies this year then do yourself a favor and check out Witch Hunter Robin.

Synopsis
Anything Mutsumi Goro does in life, he is so unlucky. He always gets on the train late. It rains on the day he neglects to bring an umbrella. The company where he was finally able to get a job just went bankrupt. Afterwards, he can’t even get a part time job. He is two months behind in rent for his apartment and begs his parents to send him money. Worse, he has never gone out on a date with a woman. But, that is all about to change when a fortuneteller enchants Goro’s cell phone. As he gets out from taking a bath, three guardian angels have already arrived.

Review
Ran, Tsubasa, Kurumi, Tamami, Mika, Nana, Ayumi, Akane, Yuki, Midori, Momo, and Ruru. Twelve guardian angels that were once the souls of pet animals that Mutsumi Goro raised as a child but all died tragically. They’ve now come back to return the favor for what he did for them in the past pledging to protect him even if they have to sacrifice themselves. A heart warming anime series, Angel’s Tail (Tenshi no Shippo) is directed by Kazuhiro Kochi and produced by Wonderfarm, also known for its work in Hand Maid May.

The Breakdown
Angel’s Tail has more to offer than Hand Maid May and Ah! My Goddess. If it stretched 26 episodes then it might be on equal standing to Love Hina and Fruits Basket.

Synopsis
Was it all just a dream or a vision? No, it was real all right. It all began on the day Kanzaki Hitomi asked the tarot cards if she’d find true love. She made a promise that if she could run 100 meters in under 13 seconds, then Amano-sempai was to give Hitomi her first kiss. As Hitomi sprints, the Earth and the world of Gaea overlap momentarily creating a portal. From the gateway proceed forth Van, heir to the throne of Fanelia, and a fire-breathing land dragon.

Review
Escaflowne or Vision of Escaflowne is a 26 episode anime television series produced by Sunrise Studio. It first aired in Japan from April 2 to September 24, 1996. It then was broadcasted BRIEFLY in edited form on FOX Kids between August and October 2000 episodes 2-10 (episode 1 was cut) and a butchered half of episode 11. It was canceled officially during early plot development and replaced with Nascar Racers due to ratings. The shows before and after it both received higher ratings than Escaflowne. Word on the internet says that the FOX network originally acquired Escaflowne in order to compete with Gundam. The edits in background music and a focus more heavily on Van as the main character instead of Hitomi clashed with the animation and story. As latter episodes revealed that Vision of Escaflowne was more of a dramatic love story than action series it was yanked off the air. Another reason is that the series was too episodic, that missing an episode meant missing a vital part of the storyline (I myself did not know Escaflowne was on tv until I accidentally stumbled upon it while flipping through channels. Already it was in the middle of episode 4 and I had no idea what the story was like in the previous episodes). The show did appear on YTV in Canada for some time after it was cancelled in America, much like how the English Yugioh episodes on YTV are already past the final rounds of Battle City while KidsWB is painstakingly behind.

The Breakdown
Escaflowne has everything one can ask for in an anime. You see battling with the sword and in their guymelefs, floating ships and castles, cat girls to princesses to a doppelganger, love triangles and affairs, prophesying, fortune telling, and luck amplification. The ending is moving and picture perfect.

Synopsis
Was it all just a dream or a vision? Kanzaki Hitomi is an unfortunate girl. She is without a boyfriend, doesn’t belong in any clubs, and has just quit the athletics squad. Everyone is energetic except for her. Hitomi is tired of it all. She sleeps all day long to disappear from a world that takes no notice of her. Suddenly, a shrouded man calls out to her: Let this sad world and everything in it just vanish. You who share the same dreams as I come to my far away homeland. You the chosen one, the Goddess of Wings, shall fulfill your destiny.

Review
Escaflowne the Movie A Girl in Gaea appeared in select theaters January 25, 2002. It was advertised as A Place You’ve Never Seen and A Story You’ll Never Forget. For an already perfect series, there was great expectation for the movie to either be as astounding and on equal footing as the originals or even surpass them on a whole new scale. However, it was that expectation that lead the movie to its downfall. The movie was not meant to be a sequel or prequel but was to be appreciated standing alone as a retelling of the story from a totally different viewpoint. The plot itself has little resemblance to the series storyline. Those turn of events that were similar and the choice of characters to include in the movie were forced.

The Breakdown
Escaflowne the Movie proved impossible to stand up against the anime series.

Synopsis
Ryu Soma continues to work for the people of FUNERAL. But he has not exacted his revenge yet on Frank, though he has already had two chances to do so. He begins to doubt himself and his reality, and soon enough he is taking blind action against Frank, going into rage and madness.

Meanwhile, the largest alien ever to approach Earth has come to head towards Pilgrimage Point, but right in it’s path lays FUNERAL’s home base of operations. It starts thrashing FUNERAL, and  when their last resort to defeat the alien, a particle cannon known as Fefnir, fails, all hope is lost…

Review
Halfway through the series now, I’m still enjoying it immensely, and love everything about Argentosoma. We have another 4 great episodes here. Especially interesting is Ryu doubting his path of revenge, and his very odd hallucinations of seeing Hattie as his lost love. The last episode gives us a lot of clues as to what has been going on, though it’s done in the tried but true ‘organization meeting.’ FUNERAL deals with some very interesting aliens on this disc, one that is extremely large for one, and the way FUNERAL defeats each still strikes me as ingenuitive and all out cool. Things are just getting better.

The Breakdown
Nothing not to like. Buy it now. Were you expecting me to say anything else?