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Synopsis
In Feudal Japan, the Edo period brought a time of delicate peace bought with blood. Ninja Scroll: The Series chronicles the life of Jubei Kibagami as he wanders the countryside as a ninja for hire. At this time, ninja clans are everywhere. Once clan, known as the Hiruko Clan, doomed to live and die in darkness, protects a sacred treasure called the Dragon Stone. The Kimon Clan, however, bent on reviving the power of the Toyotomi, wants the Dragon Stone and the treasure it hides. Jubei is the best man for the job of protecting both the Dragon Stone and the only one who can use it – The Light Maiden.

Review
Finally the highly anticipated sequel to the original Ninja Scroll has arrived and it is taking the industry by storm. Urban Vision has done a real fine job in giving us a treat so sweet that I am now worrying about cavity. The story starts off with Rouga, a character that has the ability to change into wolf form. He holds what they called the “Dragon Stone.” His goal is to get the stone, to the Light Maiden. Of course, nothing in the Ninja Scroll world is easy. Rouga finds himself trapped by two Kimon clan members and guess who comes out of the blue. That is right, Jubei. He took out one person with just one move! The action of Ninja Scroll: The Series is really amazing. There is speed, blood and finely arranged battles, a lot of them as a matter of fact.

A few scenes later we are taken to the village that the Light Maiden resides in. She is clueless about the real world and clueless about the village that she lives in. When the Kimon clan attacked the village, all the villagers defended and protected the Light Maiden to their death. As a result, the whole village was wiped out and Jubei is there to help out. Rouga was also there to fight, but he was severely injured and said his last words to Jubei. Keeping his words to a dying man, he goes a find the ran away Light Maiden.

If I go any further I will just spoil more so I will stop with the summarization of the DVD. Everything was top notch in the four episodes that I have viewed. And with the release date not so far away, please remember to save your pennies for this!

The Breakdown
This long awaited series has certainly not disappointed me. Believe me this will really be a treat for all Ninja Scroll fans and non-Ninja Scroll fans too.

Synopsis
Youko Nakajima is a normal Japanese high-school girl. She tries to act perfect and please everyone, being the popular friend, the smart student, the teachers pet, and a good girl at home. But, for some reason, she just doesn’t seem to fit in with  the world. With red hair, which neither of her parents have, and a distant longing to be somewhere else, Youko can only make the best of what she has. But, when a mysterious long blonde haired man appears right in the middle of class, tells her that he is her protector, and she is whisked away to a far off place with two of her classmates, she is not sure what to do. And that’s just the beginning…

Review
Wow! This anime blew my mind away. I had been told to check this out by a couple of friends of mine, and me, being the skeptic, was very wary of this anime once I bought it. Then I watched the entire disc in one sitting, and realized that this is one of the best animes I’d ever seen, and I’m only five episodes in. A lot of comparisons will be made to Aura Battler Dunbine and Escaflowne, and for good reason. It does borrow elements from those, but much like Tolkien’s classic Lord of the Rings novels, what makes Twelve Kingdoms so good is the entire scope of this new world that’s been created. Every facet is new and different, much taken from Chinese mythology and Japanese mysticism, and it just completely sucks you in that you feel you have been spirited away to some far off land yourself. What really amazed me was the animation as well.

Done by the up and coming Studio Pierrot, the animation features very nice and dark colors that gives the show an ominous feeling but with a hint of light to everything, and it’s all very nice to look at. I have to admit I was confused by all the terminology used in the show for all the beasts and such, and the politics and underpinnings that are going on in TheTwelve Kingdoms still confuse me, but that’s to be expected when your trying to set up an entirely new world whilst introducing characters and getting to know them. All I can say is that I’m enchanted and very interested in what is happening in The Twelve Kingdoms.

The Breakdown
While the show is currently at 45 episodes,  it has stopped being made at this point, so for now I’m simply loving every bit and piece of this show. I’ve said enough as it is and I think everyone needs to see this at least once.

Synopsis
Anata wa Takogo, sung by Ruma (Shiratori Yuri), explains it all: ‘Teach me about your love. I don’t understand tete chichi kaka popo. As you eat the octopus, you’ll lose it. Your words can’t reach me.’ It is spoken of in legend that a demon cursed the humans that ate the octopi. What’s more, the demon bestowed upon the octopi a strong guardian. To prevent its release, heroes sealed the guardian in a shrine deep beneath the ocean. Now an evil sorcerer has broken the seal and all hell breaks lose.

Review
The final Slayers release to date, Slayers Premium, movie number five for those of you counting, hit the theaters of Japan in July 2001. What makes Premium exceptional is that it features the characters from the TV series - Gouury, Zelgadis, Amelia, and Xellos. The timeline of the movie is a side quest set in between Slayers Next and Slayers Try; Gouury is still equipped with the sword of light and Lina wears Xellos’s blood talismans. Nahga, the white serpent, finally catches up with Lina but only gets a few seconds of fame in the movie. No appearances by Sylphiel, Filia, or Prince Phil though. Following the trend in all the movies is a new female lead character named Ruma, a white mage.

The Breakdown
Not the usual Lina and Nahga combination. The top characters of the TV series make their return with same humor, excitement, and fun as Slayers Next.

Synopsis
A sinister plot is afoot and only one schoolteacher - a special agent with an affinity for rare books - can stop it. She is Ms. Yomiko Readman - better known to her colleagues in Section A of Library Special Operations as ‘Agent Paper.’ Someone is bent upon procuring a lost Beethoven manuscript and has enlisted a few of history’s most extraordinary personalities, cloned from stolen DNA, to aid in the endeavor. Readman and her fellow super-powered operatives must tangle with the likes of Tokugawa-era scientist Gennai Hiraga, aviation pioneer Otto Lilienthal and 19th century entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre in a desperate race to find the books and save the World!

Review
Read Or Die is simply short and sweet. Three episodes make up this OAV, approximately thirty minutes each. Although R.O.D. is short, it is still very enjoyable. The story kicks off with the destruction of the Library of Congress, and one thing I noticed was people urinating on themselves. That is the first time I have ever seen an anime going that detailed in showing fear.

Yomiko Readman is a book enthusiast. Her living quarters is filled with books all over. Her love for books is really amazing as she ignores everything that is happening around her once she starts reading (I wish I can have that much fun reading books). In any case, Yomiko finds a book in a bookstore which later on turns out to be a book by Beethoven. Beethoven will play a significant role later on as the story progresses. The thing that comes into my mind while watching R.O.D. is ‘How can such an innocent looking girl be the main character of the show?’ To my surprise, her ability to manipulate paper comes in quite handy at times when she is in the heat of battles, hence earning the moniker ‘The Paper.’

Overall R.O.D. starts off slow, but the pace picks up and soon you will be noticing that you are zooming through the whole OAV. That is the fun part though; it keeps you in your seat anticipating for the next scene to happen.

The Breakdown
Read Or Die huh? Who would have thought paper could be so cool?

Synopsis
Excel Saga is quite possibly one of the most bizzare creations in the history of anime. There have been many strange animes over the years (FLCL, Jungle wa Itsumo Hare nochi Guu), but Excel Saga manages to stand out as something truly unique.

Review
The story centers around Excel, a highly excitable girl who is completely loyal to the mysterious organization Across and her commander, Lord Llpalazzo. Throughout the course of the series she receives and obeys her orders to the best of her ability. Across’ goal is to take over F City as a ‘realistic’ first step towards world domination. …not that any of that matters though, since at its heart, Excel Saga is a completely random comedy which varies so greatly from episode to episode that the overall storyline is quite secondary.

Excel Saga has a tremendous sense of humor that never lets up. The jokes are endless. Each episode begins with Koshi Rikdo (Creator) giving his approval to change Excel Saga’s genre. Through this plot mechanic, Excel Saga covers almost every common anime genre in existance today. After the ending credits, Excel previews the next episode while speaking at lightning fast speeds. These previews rarely describe the next episode in detail, but are always humourous and entertaining and should not be skipped. The end credits feature a dog named Menchi singing about her lot in life while a woman in the background translates. As simple as that sounds, after having watched those credits roll 26 times, I never got sick of it, and always laughed as I watched it. That is a rarity in and of itself. Also, Excel Saga frequently parodies other anime including Fist of the North Star, Di Gi Charot, Great Teacher Onizuka and Galaxy Express 999-just to name a few. Fans of any of the parodied anime will find that much more to enjoy about Excel Saga.

Excel Saga manages to stay funny from start to finish. You will laugh, you might cry, and you will definitely be scratching your head, but above all, you will enjoy Excel Saga.

The Breakdown
Bottom line, if you like to laugh, watch Excel Saga.

Synopsis
A boy sacrifices himself before what seems to be an unbeatable monster, many levels ahead of his own. All becomes dim and gray. A sudden fear comes over him as he realizes he can no longer move his body. He cries for help. A mysterious girl in white raiment says these words: ‘You must not die.’ She revives him and bestows a powerful bracelet on his wrist. ‘If you use Data Drain you can defeat him. The only one who can save The World is you - the one to continue the legend of the dot hackers.’

Review
Hack//Dusk or officially titled Hack//Legend of Twilight’s Bracelet is a 12-episode sequel to the Dot Hack video games and the first anime series Hack//Sign. The anime is about a junior high school student, Shugo, and his younger twin sister Rena who have both won a Limited Character Campaign to play as the legendary heroes Kite and Black Rose respectively. Because their parents are divorced, they use this opportunity to spend time with each other, even if it is in a fake virtual environment.

The Breakdown
Few sequels have ever surpassed their originals. However, Hack//Legend of Twilight’s Bracelet does just that.

Synopsis
Ground Defense Force Mao-chan is set in modern Japan during a time of alien invasion. The three Japanese military forces, the Ground Force, the Air Force and the Sea Force are responsible for protecting Japan from these invaders, but there is a problem. They cannot fight back with their existing forces because the aliens are… too cute. Public support for their defensive actions would plummet if the citizens saw a bunch of heavily armed soldiers attacking the cute aliens, and that’s where the main characters come into play.

What better way to attack cute aliens than with cute soldiers? Certainly seeing an eight year old girl hitting a stuffed animal with a baton is not nearly as offensive as a soldier with a pistol. Mao-chan is the granddaughter of the general of the Defense Force. The general eagerly outfits her with the latest defensive technology, and happily shows off his cute granddaughter for all the world to see. Soon, the generals of the Air Force and Sea Force also employ their granddaughters, and so the team of Japan’s defenders has been formed. Three grade-schoolers.

Review
Ground Defense Force Mao-Chan is a very cute series with a youthful sense of humor. The main characters are as cute as can be, as are the aliens they must defend against. The episodes are quite short, only twelve minutes long, and each contain one alien falling to earth in a parachuting toy capsule only to be confronted and defeated by the three girls.

The animation is very good, as it would be expected from the makers of Love Hina, and the characters are well drawn and memorable. Their voice actors are also quite talented, though I found the three main character’s voices a bit too similar, and when they were off screen, it was hard to tell which one was talking. The piano music was also quite nice, but used way too often. Especially during the rediculously long transformation sequences in which the girls basically change their outfits. After a few episodes, that particular piano piece becomes quite annoying, not to mention the tranformation sequence itself.

The Breakdown
Looking past the minor flaws, there is a lot to enjoy about Ground Defense Force Mao-Chan, especially if you are able to get past the fact that it is a kid’s show. Those looking for another Love Hina will be sorely disapointed. There is no violence, there is no ecchi content, and everything is so sugarcoated that certain audiences will not be able to take it. It was definitely designed for the kawaii at heart, and if that describes you, don’t miss out on Ground Defense Force Mao-Chan.

Synopsis
Claus’s father was a unique nobleman, coming down to the land of Norikia, longing for the free sky. Soon after Claus’s family moved next door, he became close friends with Lavi’s father. They soon formed a vanship team of pilot and navi. From age one, Claus and Lavi spent their childhood together learning from their fathers the trade of vanship flying. However, this story ends in tragedy. The last time Lavi and Claus saw of their fathers was departing through the Grand Stream delivering a treaty of peace. The document never reacted its destination, and the war between the country of Dusis and Anatore continues to this day…

Review
Directed by Chiaki Koichi (Magic Knight Rayearth), Last Exile first aired April 6, 2003 and ended with episode 26 on September 29, 2003. Do not let the title fool you. Last Exile is not tied to any religious movement and is not a banishment of any kind (unless you count the expelling of the Guild from the world of Prestale). The Exile, the final weapon, refers to an ancient migration ship hidden in the Grand Stream. It is said that it was used by the beings that created the world. Now it is the last hope the people of Prestale have to change the world.

The Breakdown
An all-star cast of characters: Claus, Lavi, Sophia, Tatiana, Alex, Moran, Al, Alistia, Dio, and the crazy crew of mechanics.

Synopsis
The year is 2046. A mysterious alien force has attacked a Mars base and is escaping from the solar system. Earth drastically sets up an attack mission to chase the aliens and a girl is chosen to be a part of the crew. She leaves to go fight the aliens, leaving her boyfriend Noboru alone. The only connection they have between each other is through cell-phone text messages, which first takes days, then months, and then years to reach each of them. Can their love survive the years of loneliness?

Review
Voices of a Distant Star is the hard laborious journey of it’s creator Makoto Shinkai. He, alone on one iMac, made this 30 minute anime film and is one of the most impressive works of an independent filmmaker I’ve ever seen. It’s powerful and sad, uplifting yet depressing, and in the small time of 30 minutes the film will draw upon every ounce of your emotions to send you through one of the most memorable animes ever. I kid you not. The two main characters are interesting, you feel for their plight, the action is actually fairly cool with these ethereal alien designs and very gundam-esque designs for the Earth’s mechs and the story is gut-wrenching. I haven’t felt so depressed in such a short amount of time.

Mikako’s journey through the stars is a long, arduos journey of longing for the one thing she really wants, but cannot have. It’s made all the worse when the ages between Noboru and Mikako start to spread out because of Mikako’s space travel outside of our solar system. At one point in the film, a text message is sent to Noboru from Mikako saying, ‘Happy 24th birthday from your 15 year old girlfriend.’ It was an emotional strain for me just to hear it, and that’s when you know you are watching something so powerful, so visceral that it might just be something stunning.

The Breakdown
I really have said everything I wanted to say. There are only so many ways one can say: ‘buy this good sh** [editted for the kiddies, just to show you we care] now.’

Synopsis
Twenty-two years ago, a cataclysmic earthquake destroyed the Kanegawa region of Japan and threw the country into choas. The damagaed region was abandoned and labeled the ‘Muraji Special Economic District,’ more commonly known as the Lost Ground. After the earthquake, the Lost Ground became home to a rising number of Alter Users, those with the psychic ability to change matter and create Alters (think summons, like from Final Fantasy) with unique powers. Two percent of anyone born on the Lost Ground obtain these powers for some unknown reason. To keep the Lost Ground under control, the special police force HOLD was created. Within it is an anti-Alter unit, HOLY, which was formed to combate the renegade Native Alters in the Lost Ground.

None of this really matters to Kazuma, a Native Alter who uses his powerful alter, Shell Bullet, in his search for money and thrills. But when Kazuma runs into the oppressive HOLY, he is forced into fighting for the freedom and safety of those he cares about. Unfortunately, a powerful Alter user in HOLY’s group, Ryuho, is just to much for Kazuma to handle…

Review
And with that very long synopsis, the review! Right. Anyway, I’d been anticipating this show for quite a long time, since it had finished airing in Japan, in fact. It sounded like a new era DBZ-style show but shortened with to 26 episodes and does not spend it’s time on useless power levels and long stares. And that does hold true. So far, the show has almost no filler and is filled with stylish fights aplenty including some interesting alter powers. Kazuma is an interesting hero, trying to act tough but merely coming off as a helpful guy. It’s Ryuho who is more interesting. He has a dark, messed up past, he’s changed in the 7 years he’s been seperated from his love interest (oh, who by the way, has come back to the Lost Ground), and doesn’t really want to do anything with anybody. He’s got a big chip on his shoulder. The characters, despite what other reviews may tell you, do in fact get a good bit of character development, in these 5 episodes anyway. You learn quite a bit about each characters past and idiosyncrasies, and I have to tell you, some of these Alter users are funny.

Anyway, the story is interesting, the characters fun, and there are no useless filler episodes. Another plus is the rather nicely choreographed fights and the dialogue doesn’t grate on the nerves. Good stuff.

The Breakdown
Let’s see. The story, characters, animation, and so forth are in excellent shape. On the other hand, the music isn’t great, there are one to many characters (and some are rather bland and useless) and the story moves a bit to fast in this first volume. With that in mind, you make the choice. What do I recommend? If you have some spare cash lying around, use it to buy this and give it a try, but it’s not an absolute must-own.