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Synopsis
In a world where the grim reaper can strike at any time, a renegade surgeon known only as Black Jack operates outside the law. For the rich and dying, he performs miracles of a macabre medical nature. Unafraid of mysteries that verge on the paranormal, Black Jack is the one man with the power to cheat death… for a terrible price!

Episode 1:
Lured to a cursed island, Black Jack is curious to see what sort of disease is worth a three million dollar fee. When he gets there, however, he discovers a century-old virus that causes the victim to suffer painful spasms as all the water drains from his body - leaving the victim dead from dehydration. But when a frightened mob decides to take matters into their own hands, it’ll take all of Black Jack’s skill to keep his patient alive.

Episode 2:
Fate brought Black Jack into the lives of four teenage girls when they most needed his help. Now, six months later, fate has reunited them. But this time, the prognosis is not good. Two of the girls have already died. One of the girls is alive, but mentally unstable. The last girl is lying on a hospital bed, but her chances are slim. Her only hope is immediate brain surgery. Black Jack must perform the complicated surgical procedure and discover what happened in his absence…

Review
Black Jack is one of the surprise series of the year for me. Do not be fooled by the title, just because it sounds corny, Black Jack is nothing of that caliber. Although it sounds like and looks like another typical action flick, Black Jack is actually a series about the medical field. Now those of us who are not fans of doctors would not appreciate this as those who are. But I guarantee you will have a different outlook at doctors after you finish watching just volume one. I definitely had fun watching this show. Black Jack just has something about it that attracts the viewer. Maybe it is because I hardly see anything that relates to doctors, but that just adds originality to this great series.

One thing that I find strange is that Black Jack (the character) has the ability to fix up other people’s bodies, but not his own. He stitched up some girl’s face without a scar, but his own face looks so patched up. What is going on there dude? Each volume contains two episodes, which to me is not enough. Black Jack is like that drug addiction that the character in episode two had. When you are watching it your mind is unconscious of your surroundings and when you are not watching it you want to go back for extras.

Anyways, this title is a, what I would call a sleeper hit. There is not much hype about it, but damn it, this show is one of a kind and a good one at that. Black Jack is a strange anime. The little girl you see that is with Black Jack is not as little as her appearance hints, I find her being a character that lightens the show up at certain periods of times. Anime fans, go check this gem out now!

The Breakdown
Never have I been so interested in the medical field than after watching this show. I am looking forward to how the story will break out (get it? Infection hehe).

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
WARNING!!! THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THIS REVIEW IS NOT SUITABLE FOR PEOPLE UNDER THE AGE OF 18. FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY!!! Claude is a scholar aspiring to traveling the world as a great merchant. Sofie Delmotte beckons him to return to Ebenbourg, where his late father dwelled until his death. She explains to his amazement that Claude is to be the new Lord of Ronsard, a town in the Grand Duchy of Ebenbourg. Will he be able to revive Ronsard and bring a new wind to Ebenbourg?

Review
Wind of Ebenbourg, also called Ebenbourg no Kaze, is based on the PC hentai game by Studio e-go released in Japan on July 26, 2002. You might find it misspelled online as Edenbourg for example at http://www.archonia.com/, an anime retail company located in Belgium and at http://www.hkflix.com/. Studio e-go is famous for the PC titles Twin Way, Gakupara, Minute Work (or Men at Work), Natsu Kagura, and Castle Fantasia: Seima Taisen (a monster breeding game), the last was also available for the Dream Cast. Gamefaqs classified them as adventure games but they also fall under the role playing category and dating simulation. The game homepage for Wind of Ebenbourg can be found at http://www.studio-ego.co.jp/030/ego/game/maid/maid.htm.

The main website is located at http://www.studio-ego.co.jp/ where you can find tons of pictures, game information, opening songs to download, opening game animation and previews, actual game demos, wallpapers, screen savers (cute birds!), and desktop icons.

The Breakdown
Dedicated to that special someone you made a promise of marrying when you were only children.

Synopsis
Episode 3:
Two victims thrash in agony, scarred by the war of nations. Once again, renegade doctor Black Jack is caught in the crossfire. With Death breathing down his neck, he braves bullets and deadly biohazards to save the afflicted. Will the detective doctor prevail once more? Or will he pay the ultimate price for his mercenary ways?

Episode 4:
An infamous actress is suddenly stricken gravely ill. While she’s visibly undernourished and weak, she doesn’t seem to be able to eat. He has run every conceivable test, yet nothing appears to be wrong with her. Unable to hold her food down, the young star has become desperate. Considering suicide to end her torment, she has found a special doctor to help her die. Black Jack must race against time to save her - his only lead: the girl’s past and a deadly secret from World War I. It is a perplexing question of faith when Black Jack is hired to keep her from dying.

Review
In this volume of Black Jack, we are the spectators of a war that for some odd reason resembles what is going on in Iraq. In the show the United States is referred to as Federal Unites and Iraq is the Ortega Republic. Anyways, politics is not my specialty and certainly is not the goal of this episode, so here we go, let us start the review.

The show starts off with a beautiful woman seeking medical help from Black Jack for another person. This person later on turns out to be her father and the ruler that the Federal Unites imprisoned (sound familiar?). The situation turns bad as the army of the Ortega Republic ambushes the prisoner transport and retrieves their leader back. It is a full proof plan until, his health catches up to him. I know Black Jack is not real, but it is real enough that he cannot cure everyone, of course this was displayed in the first volume already too. The episode soon turns into a battle field rather than settling for the emergency room atmosphere that we all expected. From needles and scalpers we go to guns and bullets. It no longer is about the health of a man, rather it becomes the strength of a dying person trying to deliver a last sense of morale for his citizens to build upon. This is some top notch stuff, I surely enjoyed it tremendously.

In the next episode, a lot of males might like it. It is about a female actress, who simply wanted to act. But when financial problems strikes her, she is forced to model for a porn magazine. Then it began… one porn movie after another. It was the only movies she was getting cast in. Until she becomes ill with an unknown sickness that causes her to throw up everything she eats. With a noticeable frail body, she requests our good doctor, Black Jack to help. I will stop here with the spoilers; it gets good throughout the show, so you might want to tune in yourself.

Black Jack is just great. It is not one dimensional. It is not solely about patching up people. There are small messages generated through it that if given the enough thought to it, it might latch on to you. Since minds are different, what I make out from what I saw, is sure to be different from yours so see what you come up with and make sense out of it. It is actually quite fun to put your mind to work after watching an anime, you not only understand better, but will like it better too.

The Breakdown
Addictive and fun! What more do you need?

Synopsis
The war between the clans reaches its climax as Shigure is kidnapped by the Kimon clan, leaving both the Hiruko and Jubei desperately chasing after them. As the powers of the Light Maiden grow stronger, friends and enemies become harder to tell apart and Shigure, pursued by legions of creatures, finds she can no longer deny her responsibilities as the Light Maiden. She is the key to finishing the war, and the drifter ninja Jubei has committed himself to seeing her to the end!

Episode 9 “A Dragon Within”
Until now, no one has fully understood the secrets of the Light Maiden. But they are revealed at last when the Hiruko warrior Zofu saves Shigure from a clan of assassins and forces her to face a place and purpose she did not choose.

Episode 10 “The Heart of the Hiruko”
Who is Rokai? When Shigure is threatened by Yamidoro and his clan, a protector appears in the form of a strange little man with amazing abilities. However, even he cannot prevent the Kimon from kidnapping Shigure. Someone must save the Light Maiden!

Episode 11 “Yagyu Renya”
The action moves to sea as Jubei’s party searches for Shigure, who is stranded on the water with the Kimon clan. Onboard Jubei’s ship is a mysterious samurai. Is he friend or foe? The group must find out as passengers on the ship start turning up dead.

Episode 12 “Dynasty Restoration” How far can you trust your senses? Jubei’s commitment to save Shigure pays off when he, Dakuan, and Tsubute execute a successful rescue mission. But something is wrong, and Shigure is acting strangely. The outcome of war may depend on Jubei finding out why!

Episode 13 “Farewell Jubei” The memories of the Light Maiden are awakening inside Shigure’s head. But her recovery comes too late—Jubei has fallen in battle, and this leaves only Shigure to unlock the powers of the Light Maiden that will decide the fate of them all. She must face a finale without Jubei and witness one final fight that will decide who comes out alive.

Review
Whatever is good must have an end. Sadly, Ninja Scroll the series is done in this third and final volume. This volume certainly did not disappoint. It is action packed, and the story also gets very interesting. There are various moments that might touch a fan emotionally, and overall the final experience of Ninja Scroll is just great. Just when you think it is over and you have predicted everything, it is not. Things become crazy towards the end, it is just unpredictable. The only thing you could have probably predicted was that Jubei was going to defeat everyone, but that is a given so it does not mean anything.

The flow of this last volume is very smooth. There are no story breaks; it is just a pure build up of the summit high climax. I certainly appreciated that. It made it fun to watch. When an anime does that, you no longer feel an obligation to pull yourself through; the show itself does those honors, so that you do not feel enforced to stay in front of the screen.

Call me crazy, but for an odd reason, Ninja Scroll the series to me, does not seem to have random senseless killings that other ninja genres out there have. By that I mean, the killings that exist only to boost the cool factor. Yeah, a few henchmen might die, but those killings leads to their boss during the episode, unlike some, where they just die and the show goes on to the next scene, never seeing the boss until further down the road.

This show was extremely enjoyable. I really do feel bad for the doubters of the show. They do not know what they are missing. I believe Jubei will be hanging up his sword after this for good… but who knows, there might be a come back somewhere along the way, way along the way hehe.

The Breakdown
Will Jubei make another come back? Hmm…

Synopsis
Thousands of fans have followed the adventures of the beautiful and powerful android Steel Angel Kurumi-from her awakening at the kiss of the young boy Nakahito to the climactic battle that toppled the floating fortress known as The Academy. Now find out what becomes of your favorite characters in the aftermath! Has shy Saki gone Hollywood? Can a secret admirer help Karinka forget about her crush on Nakahito? Is Kurumi capable of becoming a graceful and dignified woman?
It all wraps up with a hilarious competition between the dozens of Steel Angels who have tracked Nakahito down for a taste of his miracle kiss.

Review
Steel Angel Kurumi cannot just end with such a small amount of fan service! And even though this volume is all fan service it is still not enough for me. The adventure continues after most of everything was destroyed in the last battle. Kurumi, Saki and Karinka all return to their normal lives and in these last episodes of season one they make it a point that they are here to stay.

There is not a particular story here; it is just fan service, very enjoyable fan service I might add. No, there are no nudes, but there is comedy. Steel Angel Kurumi is such an addictive anime series. It is something you cannot get enough of. Thank god there is a season two. If the next season has the same atmosphere as the first, it will definitely be another fun filled work of art.

There is not much to review for this final volume of the first season, as there is no progress in the story. Nakahito is still with Kurumi and Saki and Karinka just spices things up. Saki gets an episode dedicated to her where she becomes an actress and Karinka receives a love letter from someone, who also asks her out on a date in the letter as he professes his love for her. The final episode is a good one. Nakahito finds himself the target of all the Steel Angels, as they receive information that if Nakahito kisses them they will become as powerful as Kurumi. How that turns out? You should find out for yourself.

The Breakdown
Time to move to season two. Whoo hoo!

Synopsis
Life is but a dream?

- or so the story goes.

But is it? As you read these, are you wake or dreaming? A silly question perhaps, but if you’re a high school student, and your classmates include Lum, a beautiful alien princess, Ataru, the lecherous and luckless lad she loves, and Mendou, the scion of the richest family on the planet, you quickly learn not to take anything, even reality, for granted.

So when the gang at Tomobiki High find themselves endlessly repeating the day before the School Festival, they may be confused, but they aren’t surprised!

Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer is writer-director Oshii Mamoru’s magnum opus, combining the insanely funny comedy that made Urusei Yatsura a huge hit in Japan with a deeply philosophical tale of time and space, reality and fantasy. Yes, life is but a dream, but who is the Beautiful Dreamer?

Review
My first experience with Urusei Yatsura was a vague one. I remembered Lum by her dressing style when I was around eight or nine years old. That was it. Now I guess it was fate that I finally found out what it was about. Urusei Yatsura: Beautiful Dreamer is truly beautiful. There is a joy to watching something this well done considering when it first started. Newer anime these days have the same formula, comedies are not funny and actions do not contain much action. That is why old school anime like Urusei Yatsura is so great. It is enjoyable and hilarious. Let me tell you this too, another good old series you should look out for is Ghost Sweeper Mikami… that is if it ever gets licensed in the United States. I will take Ghost Sweeper Mikami over Excel Saga or Puni Puni Poemy any day. Okay, back to Urusei Yatsura.

The story of this movie focuses between reality and dreams. What is considered reality and what are considered dreams? What makes you so sure that your dream is not reality and your reality is not a dream? All these questions are brought up and broken down in a very fun adventure. Imagine a world with no one but yourself and your friends. You can do whatever you want, whenever you want and live happily ever after in this non-aging world. Quite cool is it not? That is until you start realizing that you are living the same day over and over again. As Onsen and Sakura start realizing what was happening in the world, Lum and friends also begin to feel that things were acting strange. There was not a soul to be seen on the streets or anywhere for a matter of fact. So the investigation begins and the fun as well.

I loved how this movie was funny throughout. With every scene there is bound for something good to happen and surprisingly it does not lose its edge. Everything is well scripted, compliments of Mamoru Oshii and of course Rumiko Takahashi, the creator of Urusei Yatsura. Finding a boring moment in this movie is like trying to find your keys in an ocean… it just is not going to happen :P. That really explicates a lot about how fond I am with this title. Urusei Yatsura is truly a classic and an example of high quality entertainment at its best.

The Breakdown
I am really looking forward to seeing more of Urusei Yatsura. I definitely recommend this title with five stars, two thumbs up or whatever you like to use to judge a great anime.

Synopsis
Ever wonder what it would be like to work for an animation studio? Kuromi just landed her dream job at the famous Studio Petit, and boy is she in for a rude awakening! The boss is hospitalized moments after she arrives (he gave his life to anime), and suddenly Kuromi is the new head of the ultimate team of slackers! It’s up to her to finish “Time Journeys Episode 2,” or fans everywhere will be let down. Will Kuromi’s love of cartoons clean up this horrible mess… or make an even bigger one?

Review
As an anime fan, we all dream of working in the anime field one day. Some fans are lucky enough to live that dream, and some fans can only dream. In this animation comedy, Mikiko Oguro was an anime fanatic since she was young. Her most memorable work that sparked her interest was titled Louis Monde III. I am sure we all have an anime that left us with the same effect as Kuromi’s. Mine being Love Hina.

In Animation Runner Kuromi, we are shown a group of animators whom lack the much needed self motivation for the job. It is funny how I can relate to some of the animator’s personality. I am smooth like Tanonaka, distracted by toys like Haryu, and sound uninterested like Shihonmatsu. That does not mean I am an animator, it just means I am human. And that is where Kuromi strives. It is life like. The depiction of the whole animation process was quite accurate according to Matt Sheridan in an interview included in the special features. The director Akitaroh Daichi also stated that the characters in Kuromi are actually three to four actual people combined into one. He also announced that Kuromi 2 is also in the works, but would not over extend the title, because after all it is only interesting because Kuromi is a rookie at what she is doing.

Animation Runner Kuromi is not a laughathon type of anime. It is not funny as it looks like it would be. You would get a chuckle here and there, but not a rolling on the floor type of laughter. This OVA will appeal to fans who are interested in how anime is created. You can learn a few jargons animators use to call things, such as, cuts and in-betweens, other than that you just get an average anime. I would not say that Animation Runner Kuromi is a must have title, it actually is not a title that would most likely be rented or owned only if you are really interested in how anime gets created.

The Breakdown
I knew creating anime was a difficult and long process, but I did not imagine that animators will give a hard time to the producers. I look forward to Animation Runner Kuromi 2, hopefully it will be a tremendous upgrade over the first, not that Kuromi 1 is bad; it is just average.

Synopsis
Martian Successor Nadesico is the story of a spaceship and its somewhat unlikely crew that begins on a journey to Mars, which has been occupied by aliens. Their mission is to discover the fate of the humans that lived there before the invasion and to search for and rescue any possible survivors. Of course, that’s just basic background information. Really, Nadesico is about the crew themselves and their own personal journies and relationships. The main character, Akito, has the most to deal with and the longest to travel, dealing with a frightful past and an uncertain future.

Review
Nadesico is an anime with a lot of genres. It’s mech action, it’s drama, but more than anything else, it’s comedy. The way the characters behave and interact is very fun. Even in the most dramatic moments the comedy is there, which is a double-edged sword. You might say that the comedy cheapens the drama and spoils the serious moments. But on the other hand, the comedy is part of what draws you in towards the beginning of the series when things are more frequently light-hearted. Still, in an anime as funny as this one it is a bit shocking when things go wrong. Almost unbelievable even. A couple events occur that make you think, ‘Did that really happen?’ And then you’re left with this worry in the back of your mind that things aren’t as light-hearted as they seem. But then they are. So it’s a little confusing.

Putting all that aside, Nadesico has a lot of great characters. Akito is an interesting unlikely hero type that the rest of the cast grows attached to. Ruri is a child-prodigy with a mysterious past. Yurika is the Nadesico’s ditzy captain who constantly claims that Akito is in love with her. The list goes on to include the mech pilots and others who are all very interesting.

Then there’s Gekiganger 3, the anime within the anime that has way too much impact on the storyline. It plays an almost rediculous role, especially towards the end of the series. I’ll spare you the details though since I don’t want to spoil anything.

Beyond that is the presentation which is of high quality. Good artwork and animation is complimented by a talented voice cast and decent soundtrack.

When it’s all over, Nadesico doesn’t really follow the path expected of it, but it does manage to remain an entertaining adventure.

The Breakdown
Nadesico is a worthwhile comedy with fun characters and some interesting story elements.

Synopsis
Video Girl Ai is about a young and ‘dateless’ man named Youta who can’t seem to tell the girl of his dreams how he really feels. One day he starts watching a video and a girl (Ai) pops out of the TV into his bedroom! She makes it her mission to make sure that Youta and his dream girl end up together. But will she really be able to stay focused on that goal?

Review
Video Girl Ai is excellent. While it could have easily been just another girly romance anime, this one did it right.

The key here is character development. Every single character feels real and emotional, and as a result, they are easy to become attached to. I cared so much about the characters, and I was surprised to be at that point in such a short series. Consider it proof of what can be accomplished in a short anime.

The Breakdown
I am completely impressed by Video Girl Ai.