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Synopsis:
The year is 2034, and the face of terrorism has changed. No longer restricted to the limits of the physical world, the war on terror has exploded onto the net. In an attempt to confront this new threat, an elite counter terrorism and anti-crime unit was formed: Public Security Section 9. Two years have since passed when the team’s commander: Major Motoko Kusanagi, resigned from her post. After a rash of mysterious suicides Section 9 is forced to confront the “Puppeteer,” a dangerous hacker with unsurpassed skills. As their investigation of this terrorist threat takes them deeper into the bowels of a potential government conspiracy, Section 9 once again crosses paths with the Major, but is her sudden reappearance more than a coincidence, or is she somehow connected to the “Puppeteer”?

Review:
In this third release of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society, we are not dealing with a film where it is a compilation of scenes from the television series. This is a new story and a continuation of where Stand Alone Complex left off. After the incident of “Individual Eleven,” Major resigned from Section 9 to do stand alone investigations on her own. Upon her net dives, she stumbles upon the case that Section 9 is just starting to get into; the suicides of people and a lead with the name “Puppeteer.” The whole situation began with one aspect, suicides, but balloons to bring in other concepts, such as, abducted children, and the aging population. Director Kenji Kamiyama brought the current social issue in Japan and mixed it within the Ghost in the Shell world.

While the population is in decline due to low birth rates and the aging population goes up with not enough able bodies to replace their place in the working populace. So what is the solution to this problem? According to the show, one way to solve this problem is to take a look at the death total of children. What if those children did not have to die? So as suggested, the government will devise a plan where they will take in these children who are on the brink of dying; kids that receive abuse etc. And put these kids in position where they will at least contribute to society, instead of just dying somewhere if they were left where they were. This sounds like something that will work, but is it ethical? Is it really that simple? Of course not, when it comes to Ghost in the Shell, someone always has to take it to another extreme. Otherwise, there would not be a show.

So what I thought about this show as I was watching it. Obviously, this time around the feature is in 1080p and not 1080i. I will not get into “p” or “i” but just know that “p” is better. And also, Nissan was brought into the mix. They meshed in flawlessly, because if I had not recognized the Nissan and Infiniti logos on the cars, I would have thought they were normal Ghost in the Shell world vehicles. I have to bring this into light as well. When you are watching an anime, you must pay full attention to everything on screen, or else you will miss the tiniest of hints that the film crew puts in. What do I mean? Well, for one, when Section 9’s Infiniti Kuraza pulls up, the license plate reads “3923.” If you pronounce it in Japanese it reads, “San Kyu Ni San,” which really means, “Thank you, Nissan.” Well that was the Nissan plug, but back to the story. When Motoko goes back to her pad after the scene where she retrieves the ampoules, as she gets out of the elevator, a man gets in. For a short moment you get to see that person’s face. And as you could expect, that person will make a strong appearance later on.

In Solid State Society, there was not an evil villain that the viewers can hate. Actually, the Puppeteer does not make many physical appearances. He hacks from a far and lets the people that he hacked do his dirty work. So throughout the show, there is a feeling of there is a threat out there, but where? In this feature, there was a lot of story development and action scenes were short and to the point. I have to say this again, but watching this one, I had to pay a hundred percent attention or else I would have been lost. And honestly, I might not have even comprehended the whole show on the first go around. Now that I have seen all three of these releases, I will say that Solid State Society was not as entertaining as the others. While I enjoyed my time with it, there was not anything where I got overly excited about. Do not get me wrong. This film was good, but I think the standard has been set so high by the previous Ghost in the Shell shows that Solid State Society just could not climb over.

The Breakdown:
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society features a social issue that has been around in Japan for a while now. It attempts to take that angle and put a twist to it to make it work within the Ghost in the Shell world. While the overall product was good, there was just too much dialogue and not enough action as you would expect from a Ghost in the Shell series. At least in the end, there seems to be some “closure” between Batou and Motoko’s relationship. That was a plus!

Synopsis:
The year is 2030 and six years have passed since the end of World War IV. Influxes of refugees are allowed into Japan to fill the labor gaps of the growing economy. Terrorist cells identifying themselves as the Individual Eleven have begun a series of ultranationalist attacks targeting refugee camps, foreign consulates and even the Prime Minister. A charismatic new leader rises amongst the refugee’s resistance movement, a former member of the Individual Eleven. Simultaneously a top member of the Cabinet Intelligence Agency contacts Section 9 with shocking revelations and unknown ambitions regarding the current state of affairs. When the refugee resistance procures a nuclear bomb can Major Motoko Kusanagi and Public Security Section 9 diffuse the situation and help avoid a catastrophic civil war? Can they uncover the mastermind orchestrating the situation? Who is the mysterious resistance leader and what link does he hold to the Major’s past?

Review:
In this release of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: 2nd GIG: Individual Eleven, the story revolves around a mysterious resistance leader Hideo Kuze and the villain Kazundo Gohda. The history behind Kuze is deep. He was a part of an elite infantry unit of the SDF in the Peninsula War. While his group was setting up for a preemptive strike on the People’s Army, they stumble upon a camp that was not in the intelligence report that they were briefed with. Seeing how these soldiers of the People’s Army turned into a band of bandits. Kuze’s group mobilized and fought the group of bandits, saving the villagers in the process. The news of this was never revealed and members of Kuze’s unit suffered from post traumatic stress disorder. While a cameraman was questioning a wasted soldier, Kuze traded his rifle for a camera and walked off by himself. The scene was very symbolic. In a sense, he told people that he did not want to fight and if others feel they can perform better, here is the rifle. Maybe I am thinking too much into it and Kuze only wanted the camera so he can go off to his solitary life watching refugees’ daily life routines. But the great thing about Ghost in the Shell is that certain aspects of the plot are up to the viewers to decipher. And this point is proved even more during the conversation between Major and Kuze’s trapped scene.

As for the story behind Gohda, who has to be one of the ugliest villains ever created in anime. He is the head of the Cabinet Intelligence Agency and the mastermind behind the whole Individual Eleven event. His entrance into the show was fitting and he did prove his point during his introduction to Chief Daisuke Aramaki, where he states that people remember his name once he corrects them and also by seeing his disfigured face. This is a certain fact, because the viewer will vividly recollect Gohda throughout the show. As I watched “Individual Eleven,” I often thought what part did Gohda played in this event or that event. You can see that he had a lot of knowledge of the whole situation, and that part of his character was displayed during the initial encounter with him and Major Kusanagi. During the helicopter incident where a pilot had heart failure and his helicopter went rogue, Gohda exuded a sense of confidence that the situation was not going to go out of hand and Section 9 was going to take care of it rather easily.

As the plot progressed, a romantic relationship seems to develop as well, with Motoko and Kuze, after Motoko’s brain dive into Kuze. They had a relationship earlier in their childhood. Where does Batou stand in all this? Motoko gives a small reference to Batou when Kuze questions whether Motoko has anyone who she can share her deepest thoughts with. Her reply, “I suppose.” Quite what you expect from the Major and after the scene you see Batou digging her out of rubble and at the same time screamed out what he did in “The Laughing Man,” “MOTOKO!” Those were some powerful scenes and puts the whole film into perspective.

“Individual Eleven” has a faster pace than the previous release, “The Laughing Man.” There are a lot more action scenes that describe the story, than there are dialogues that explain it. Director Kenji Kamiyama wanted a quicker pace for the film. This resulted in a pace that was gripping and held me as a viewer on the edge of my seat. By using this strategy, the show becomes a bit of a mystery and is up for the viewer’s interpretation of certain events. Depending on a viewer’s emotions certain scenes appear differently. If you were someone who liked the character of Gohda you would not like what happens to him in the end. If you were fed up with his crap, you would feel that he deserved what he got. It is things like that, that make Ghost in the Shell such a unique piece of anime. While there is a lot of information that is shown, the viewers have to take an active part in making sense of it all and stay tuned. This release was fun. Once again, it was an amazing experience to have seen this in high definition. With pictures so crisp and smooth and the audio so clear, I was fully immersed in what was in front of me on the screen.

The Breakdown:
I have to thank the folks at Anchor Bay Entertainment, Manga Entertainment and Bandai Entertainment for making the Blu-Ray release possible. This installment of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: 2nd GIG: Individual Eleven was tremendously entertaining and thought provoking. It is action packed and viewers are in for a very good time.

Synopsis:
The year is 2030 and six years have passed since a criminal known only as “The Laughing Man” swept through top medical nanotechnology firms committing acts of cyber terrorism, kidnapping, extortion, and corporate espionage leaving no known suspects. New information is revealed to Japan’s top homeland security force, drawing Major Kusanagi and Section 9 into the hunt for a suspect capable of hacking the eyes of every operative, obscuring all details of his appearance and leaving behind a trail of copycats and hacked cyborg citizens. Who is The Laughing Man? What are his motives? And how do you catch a criminal that you cannot see? Join the beautiful cyborg Motoko Kusanagi in a world of high technology and deadly conspiracies as she searches for the answers to these questions and more!

Review:
Let me be honest with you, and this might even sound ridiculous. I have not completed watching the television series of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex… so the story of “The Laughing Man” is completely foreign to me. I can understand from a stand point that for those who have seen the series that this special release is nothing more than an OVA that summarizes the happenings of the series with the potential of some re-edited scenes to make the short animation work. In a sense, not having previous experience may play to my advantage, as I have nothing to compare this story to, therefore my views are strictly directed toward what I have in my hands and what I just saw in 1080i HD (I will discuss the Blu-Ray edition later).

Moving right along, the run time of this piece is 160 minutes. But it felt so much longer. I commend director Kamiyama for that effect, after watching the extras on the Stand Alone Complex Archive I found out that he was visioning this special release through different eyes; the eyes of people who have seen the television series and those who have not. Utilizing those points of view, he was able to direct the story in a way where I felt I did not miss a thing from not having seen “The Laughing Man” from the series. From the beginning to the end, the plot flowed fluidly. The dots were connected flawlessly and the viewer is put in the position to enjoy the excitement that is about to unfold on the screen.

The story revolves around an incident that happened six years ago in the world of Ghost in the Shell. “The Laughing Man,” a criminal that has become a cult icon in a way, is back at it again. For those who have seen him, only recognize the happy face icon with a cap pointing to the side. That is because he is able to hack into the sights of people. But what is the true story behind “The Laughing Man?” With a slew number of copycats, the real motive of his actions diluted and skewed, the original “Laughing Man” is out to prove that he is not really about what the news out there portray him to be. The uniqueness from this release was that what you learn from the start is not what turns out to be later on. The viewer is put through a series of scenarios and has to think about them. And just when you thought you got the gist of the show, a twist is thrown at you in various ways to knock you off, forcing you to readjust. This constant mind play is fun and entertaining. And while the action was superb, I believe the way the plot was told was where the bread and butter were. It was truly an amazing experience.

This special release is one out of three. And if this is an indication of what to expect from the others, I must say, I am very thrilled. Maybe I am late in watching these releases, as they have been out on DVD for a while now. But while I feel sorry for myself that I have not exposed myself to these great stories, I am in no means feeling any sorrow for letting myself feast on the Blu-Ray editions of these releases. Watching anime on Blu-Ray is something else. While DVD is still very competitive in video quality, the high definition of 1080 resolution blows anything else away. Especially for a series like Ghost in the Shell, where the viewers are expecting explosions, guns, mechas, Tachikomas, computer hacking effects and futuristic themes. Everything was crisp and clean. I have no complaints in the animation department.

The Breakdown:
It has been a while since the stories of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex were told. For those who have missed it, now is your time to discover the excitement that surround this work of art. Produced by Production I.G ,directed by Kenji Kamiyama and with music by Yoko Kanno, comes the tale of “The Laughing Man” available now on Blu-Ray.

Synopsis
In a world where sorcery and science co-exist, the power of magic comes with a price: humans who do not take proper precautions are transformed into horrific demons. Those who destroy these demons and run the highest risk of all are tactical sorcerists known as ‘Strait Jackets.’ But when terrorists unleash a plague of demonic carnage, the Sorcery Management Bureau must enlist unlicensed assassin Leiot Steinberg to stop the slaughter. Even if this rogue killer and a mysterious young girl can end the outbreak, will he be able to face their own dark secrets? Monsters, murder and redemption collide in this explosive anime written by Ichiro Sakaki (Scraped Princess) and based on his popular novel.

Review
In the recent years of anime, humans mutating into monsters and wrecking havoc, while a stopper comes in and saves the day has been quite a common theme. Strait Jacket is of the same theme, but it possesses something more. Maybe it is because of its small cast of characters, or its short story. There is something about this anime that just attracts a viewer to the screen for the amount of time it runs. The whole time I was watching this show, I was anticipating something big was going to happen. And when it does happen, it comes with a bang.

We begin Strait Jacket with Nerin Simmons, an inspector of the Sorcery Management Bureau. When she gets put into the situation of hiring an unlicensed tactical sorcerist or risking more lives to a monster on the loose, she chose the better option of the two. From there, we are introduced to Leiot Steinberg and Cappeltetta. Leiot Steinberg is a well known unlicensed tactical sorcerist who gets the job done, but at the expense of destroying things in the process as he breaks the rules that a licensed tactical sorcerist will abide by. Now if we did not have a bad ass protagonist for Strait Jacket, the anime will just not work. This show is dark. A main character without a messed up past will hinder its’ development. The story revolves around the mystery and history behind the relationship that Cappel and Leiot have. It is from there that makes the story interesting. While I was watching, I wanted to learn more. But since we are dealing with an OAV, the time spent expanding on certain things are limited. We only learn a small part of how they got together and why she is with him. Although that is not a negative it would have been nice to know more. But by getting to the point, the show is focused. The viewers are not left there hanging around waiting for something exciting to occur.

Strait Jacket is filled with action. For those of you who like big guns, this is it. Every shot fired is like a blast. The destructive power behind it can level buildings and whatever gets in its way. Another aspect that is great about this OAV is that it is bloody and a bit gory at times. People die in ways that make you say, ‘Ouch.’ The animation is good; it is not something I have never seen before. Therefore there was not much of a wow factor. The character designs were a nice touch. I liked how Cappel’s eyes glow red. It just gives out a creepy feeling when that happens. The OAV did not consist of a large set of characters, which kept the story tied within a small circle and everyone in the circle somehow related to each other one way or another. The story, while albeit was short, it was satisfying. The plot flowed well, there was not any confusion. I knew what was going on throughout, which is a plus in anyone’s book.

Breakdown
Overall I enjoyed this OAV and would recommend it to those who like an action anime, without all the commitments of watching episodes after episodes of fluff just to arrive at a mediocre ending. Strait Jacket is a show that has a bit of everything. Emotions of all sorts, continuous action, guns, blood, gore, animation that satisfies the viewers, audio that puts you into the feel of the show and a story that leads to a great closing. It was definitely a nice experience that I would like to share with fans who like this kind of show.

Synopsis
Picking up precisely where The Prophecy ends, the new Karas, Otoha, seeks vengeance against the Yakuza that murdered his buddy and almost killed him. Meanwhile the old Karas, Eko, unleashes his wrath and contempt for the final epic battle to save the city and protect the will of the people as Prophecy becomes Revelation!

Review
It has been more than a year since ‘The Prophecy’ was revealed. To be honest, I nearly have forgotten what Karas was mainly about. ‘The Revelation’ also does not help in trying to recover the viewer’s memories of the previous events that took place in the show. When I was watching the first few minutes of the show, I was sitting there trying to grasp anything I can that I faintly remember. I was even pondering if I might have skipped something, maybe another volume before ‘The Revelation.’ Of course, I could not have and within due time things began to make sense again and I was enjoying this piece more than the first.

As we begin this volume, Otoha has lost his Karas powers as Yurine is captured by Eko, and Nue is hurt from a previous battle. What this volume provides is the real background story of both Otoha and Nue. We are revealed why they are the way that they are. Otoha was a part of the Yakuza, not knowing the feeling of pain, he was the perfect killer. I believe the creators did a nice job in showing how Otoha is deep down. We are not given a super hero that is perfect and flawless. Karas is/was human, before he is Karas, he makes mistakes just like other humans and to bring that side of him into light really connects the viewers with the character. As for Nue, he was a supporter of Eko, until both his brother and him realized that with Eko’s vision, both humans and demons will be annihilated. In the lose-lose situation they both rebel with his brother ended up being captured by Eko.

Eko was the city’s Karas for years, protecting humans, why has he turned into what he has? I never understood that aspect until this volume revealed that his sudden obsession for annihilation is due to the greed of humans. Eko grew tired of protecting a city that never learned. And in order for Eko to create a new city, he has to start from zero.

Karas: The Revelation is on a whole new level from Karas: The Prophecy. I was truly astonished from beginning to the end by its lovely visuals; action sequences that push boundaries I never thought were possible and the overall experience the show delivers is just sweet. This piece manages to put you in a hole, making the viewer think to themselves, ‘How is Otoha going to get out of this one?’ and what are the creators going to do to maximize the entertaining factor of the ending? I will not say that I have never been so synced up with an anime before, but in ‘The Revelation’ the acoustics, the animation, and the flow of the show is simply overwhelming. As I was watching this anime, I could not get enough of the action. It was consistent, and was definitely a fun experience to be had.

The Breakdown
Certainly, Manga Entertainment has made us wait for the continuation of Karas, now that it is here, I have to say, I was not disappointed with the results. The show is balanced, the sounds are effective and forces you to pay attention to what is going on in the scenes. The music score is amazing as it was in the first volume. And as I have stated previously, the animation is superb, with the varying use of chase scenes and head to head battle scenes. What this volume has that the first did not have is the meat of the Karas story. If you were one of those viewers that did not really comprehend the things that were going on in ‘The Prophecy,’ you will see the light with ‘The Revelation.’ And if you knew where everything was from the start, you will definitely love how the show plays out in the end. I applaud Manga Entertainment for bringing such a great show to the States and while it took a long time, the finished product is what really matters.

Synopsis
Takarada Go comes from a family of archaeologists. A self-proclaimed treasure hunter, Go goes in search of a secret door leading to the legendary treasure of the Salamander. Somehow he ends up falling from a 30-story building. Just then, in a flash, a naked elven nymph appears right before his eyes. The zany adventures of Rane and Go have only just begun!         

Review
Before FLCL, Excel Saga, Puni Puni Poemi, there was Elf Princess Rane. The anime is over a decade old, 1995, but still has its charm. Go is reckless and often misunderstands discussions, going off on some tangent exploit. Mari is his rich neighbor and girlfriend since childhood who fails to get Go’s attention. Then you have the two pint sized characters, Rane and Leen. Add in the blue haired Zenshuin antagonist and some pink haired females, mix everyone up thoroughly, and you have a recipe that spells mayhem.                     

Synopsis
Densuke Mifune, a junior high student at Zashono Academy, just happens to find himself at the wrong place at the wrong time. Near the end of the semester, he was caught peeping into the school infirmary where by chance the girls were all in their underwear. Among them was Chiharu Shinonome. Because Densuke blew his allowance on Dead or Alive summer time special edition, he enters a schoolwide competition. With the prize money, he can reconcile with Shinonome by buying her a birthday present. The whole Eiken Club members stand by his side lending their support.    

Review
Eiken (pronounced Ehh-ken) is a 2 episode OVA series, more like one whole story subdivided into two parts. Some websites might classify Eiken as a hentai. It is rather a hentai parody since there is no explicit sex scene. Still, the E in Eiken is definitely for Ecchi! But as Strongbad once said in one of his e-mails, ‘Too much of a good thing is an awesome thing. And too much of an awesome thing is…umm…a really bad thing.’ Eiken tends to go overboard on the big-breasted females. It is so unnatural.        
  
The official Japanese website can be found at:
http://www.jcstaff.co.jp/sho-sai/eiken-shokai/eiken-index.htm

The Breakdown
Beware of the banana peel!           

Synopsis
Lately, shy Manami has been flirting outrageously and sparking vicious catfights! Afterwards, she remembers nothing. Can it be that another personality seethes beneath her own - a wild woman who’ll do anything to find trouble?

Review
I requested this title from Central Park Media a while ago, and I just could not find the time to toss it in the player, and since I am kind of on my vacation right now, what better time to enjoy this sweet title than now right? Anyways, when you hear Sprite (no not the soda) and see the DVD cover of Sprite, I cannot fault you for just passing it on and going onto something else at the video store. In reality, if I was shopping, I would most definitely not have picked this title up due to how it looked and sounded in my head. STOP!!! Newsflash, when I do that assumption thing (not sure about you), I am usually wrong, and in the case of Sprite, I was wrong.

Manami Sakumoto is smart, not to mention, the hottest girl in school, but when her distant relative Toru Takamura transfers to her school, she begins to feel weird, it is like something or someone is trying to come out from within her. As a shy and quiet spoken girl, she is the perfect target for bullies. And as expected from her school, jealous girls find their way to pick on Manami. Toru is your average perverted guy, who tries to put up a good front. This was proven on the first meeting between Manami and Toru. While this was not the first time they met, it has been a good couple of years since they last saw each other. Now they are all grown up, going to ‘college’ (I will explain the quotations around the word later), and shares a secret between each other… the fact that Manami has another personality within her; the complete polar opposite of the shy, kind and cute Manami, Nami is a cool, no nonsense, ‘will kick your ass’ chick who has her charms as well.

Before I forget to mention, let me just throw it out there that Sprite is not a title that you would like to watch with your parents. There is nudity and some sexual content. While there may not be anything too hardcore… I just had to let this point be known so that the pervs out there will bite ^_^. Throughout the show you will go between Manami and Nami. We get to see their differences and how Manami’s alter ego can help her in some situations. Sprite plays out exactly like a teen love drama, but with more flavor. The incorporating of that mature stuff really gave this title a nice touch; it makes it less boring. I was a hundred percent attentive to everything that was going on. There was never a dull moment to this gem.

The Breakdown
Sprite is truly a show that embodies all there is to embody in a show that yearns and deserves your view; especially if you are into that teenage romance genre. I have never felt such excitement (no, not down my pants, hardy har har) as I am watching a teen drama. Sprite delivers a gripping story that has you choosing between Manami, Nami… or both. But at the end, this title is nothing short of an amazing accomplishment. I will definitely make time for seconds!

Synopsis
Kuromi is back, and more determined than ever to make it in the anime business. But all hell breaks loose when the boss quits smoking just when the workload bursts out of control. Can Kuromi overcome this almost insurmountable obstacle?  

Review
Those who are fans of the first Animation Runner Kuromi will find that this sequel is a nice little touch to a neat title that gives anime fans a peek at how anime is… or at least the processes that it goes through in order for it to be released. In the first installment of Animation Runner, Kuromi had to lead her unique, slacking team to create an episode of anime. If putting together one episode was that difficult of a task, then you would definitely want to see what kind of havoc would develop when the crew has been given the assignment to create one episode for three different series; that is three episodes by the way for those who are bad at math.  

How is Kuromi going to motivate her lazy staff? Well, she almost does not, because a hot shot animation runner comes barging in their studio and starts demanding things to be done by using strict methods… that works. Of course, since this hot shot animation runner is all about making the dead line, at the expense of the quality of the anime; we got a dilemma here. While Shihonmatsu is on the edge, going cold turkey from cigarettes, and the staff’s motivation runs low, it is time for Kuromi to take back Studio Petit, for the sake of her staff and for the sake of producing great anime.  

Animation Runner Kuromi 2, pretty much sticks with the same formula as the first installment. Nothing much changed, and nothing much added. As I was watching it, it felt like it was a good bridge between the two OAVs, but that is about it. Certainly this show is about delivering fun to the audience and at times it does. However, the fun is not always there, there are some tense moments that make you wonder if this really is what you wanted to bargain for.

Synopsis
When do children stop believing in Santa Claus? When they’re four? Five? Kids begin to take a closer look at reality during elementary school. But for one individual his version of reality was different. He has never celebrated Christmas with anyone. Presents were always mailed to him. In his loneliness, the boy decided that there was no Santa and that he didn’t need him.   
  
But this Christmas, perhaps his streak of unhappiness might end. A girl appears out from nowhere and asks him, ‘Would you like to spend the night with me?’      

Review
Itsudatte My Santa is a 2 episode OVA holiday series released last year on December 12th by none other than Ken Akamatsu whose most famous works include Love Hina and Maho Sensei Negima/Magister Negi Magi. Modern day Christmas shopping where department stores hold sales date back to the 1930s coinciding with the end of the year bonuses. Christmas Day is not a national holiday although it is common for people to exchange gifts, have parties, and eat cake on Christmas Eve.       
  
The official Japanese website for Itsudatte My Santa can be found at http://www.threefatsamurai.com/mysanta/. On the right hand side in pink are four options: story, characters, DVDs and CDs, and special trading cards.                    

Likes: Maimai’s appetite

Dislikes: In less than a few frames of animation in episode 2, time skips from winter, to summer, to fall, and back to winter again.        

The Breakdown
Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!