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Synopsis
The worlds of humans and demons have overlapped since time immemorial, and a young woman named Yurine and her servant, the Karas, have long maintained order and balance between the worlds. But humans have finally lost their fears of the denizens of darkness.

Disgusted by human arrogance, the Karas turns his back on the laws he helped uphold for so long, taking the name Eko and leading a group of mechanized demons in an attack against the human race.

Meanwhile, a detective named Kure who works at the police division in charge of demon-related incidents opens a case involving a series of bizarre murders that look like the work of a water demon. Elsewhere, the demon Nue, who came to town to fight Eko, spots a water demon disguised as a famous warrior… and then Yuri shows up with another Karas.

This new guardian of the city is determined to stop Eko’s evil ambitions, but he has a fierce fight ahead of him.

Review
After reading the package that I have received along with watching the DVD sampler, I can say that what I have seen so far from Karas is too good, way too freaken good. The blending of 2D and 3D animation is amazing. The action makes it even sweeter as it is quick and hard hitting. This show has some sort of magic to it that attracts the viewer. I was mesmerized by the details and the way the show flows so seamlessly together (animation-wise) at times. But I am sure you have heard enough about the animation and how good it is. Let us go into what Karas is really about.

We commence with an exciting chase scene that will get anybody’s heart racing. During the sequence, there are some things that one could pick up about the show, such as, characters that will have a significant role later on, the transforming ability of Karas, and the sometimes confusing flow of the feature. Why would I say that it is confusing? Well, Karas feels like it just pieces together scenes one after another, whether they connect or not, it is up to whether you have the ability to think fast and connect it yourself. I actually watched the first twenty some odd minutes of the show three times to finally realize why this part happened and why that part occurred. Maybe it is because it is only six episodes long and things might have to be skipped over to fit all there is to fit. It certainly does not make it fun to feel like you are always catching up and just when you do make sense of what is happening, the show blazes away again. It is a marathon, so stay strong people!

Okay, what is Karas about? The story goes something like this. The previous Karas dies in battle fighting Eko (the ex-Karas). With Eko and his crew of blood consuming mechanical demon monsters running around Tokyo, a new Karas has to arise, and that leads us to, Otoha. There is not much detail about how or why he was chosen, but his side job is a demon doctor and of course, his main job is to be the protector of Tokyo, the Karas (it translates into crow, by the way). Anyways that is pretty much how the show starts out. It builds up from there. We follow Nue (a mechanical demon), who left Eko’s Mikura group in order to follow his own path. What that path is, is still to be determined, but he does help Karas. But then we also follow other characters of the show as well; Kure, Sagisaka and even Hinaru (the girl who seems to be everywhere). When you go further, other characters will appear, such as, a female Karas and a Yurine twin. But just when things begin to reach a high point and get extremely exciting, the first DVD ends :(.

The music score of Karas drags you into the show. The main theme is beautifully composed and is sweet to the ears. Every time it came on, I could not resist from sitting up straight and direct all my attention to the show. The dub was not bad either, having three big names in the project: Jay Hernandez, Matthew Lillard, and Piper Perabo (Because of this, you know Manga Entertainment was serious about this release). The voices of the characters were pretty sweet. I liked how Karas sounded in both English dialogue and Japanese dialogue. Of course, I am more on the subtitles side though :).

The Breakdown
Certainly, Karas has the looks and sounds of a killer hit, that is something we cannot deny. From the get-go you get your monies worth of action, animation and audio. Although, the way the plot flowed, has gotten me a little skeptical about whether some of the audience would like it. As I have stated above. At times, the anime, would seems like scenes are just being pieced together without any sort of transition or development. But other than that complaint, from the time you play the feature initially to the time the run time has fully elapsed. In the end, when the smoke clears, Karas is entertaining. Manga Entertainment deserves a lot of props for delivering this top notch OAV to the fans of the States. You must see it to realize what I am talking about!

Synopsis
‘X’ is the first of a new generation of robots which contain an innovative feature - the ability to think, feel and make their own decisions. However this ability could be very dangerous. If ‘X’ were to break the first rule of robotics, ‘A robot must never harm a human being’, the results would be disastrous and I fear that no force on earth could stop him.

Approximately 30 years will be required before we can safely confirm his reliability. Unfortunately I will not live to see that day, nor do I have anyone to carry on my work. Therefore, I have decided to seal him in this capsule, which will test his internal systems until his reliability has been confirmed. Please do not disturb the capsule until that time.

‘X’ possesses great risks as well as great possibilities. I can only hope for the best.

September 18, 20XX
T. Light

Review
The Japanese title for the PSP game is Irregular Hunter X and was released on December 15th, 2005. The US title is Maverick Hunter X released January 31st, 2006. The Day of Sigma OVA is a short unlockable movie that you have access to after beating X mode once. It’s similar to how the .hack game series for the PS2 was bundled with the four part anime .hack//Liminality. The OVA takes place before the events in Megaman X. Sigma had already been infected with Dr. Wily’s virus (ever since his encounter and fight with a berserk Zero, revealed in a flashback in Megaman X4). The OVA marks the turning point when Sigma finally declares his reploid war.

The Japanese Capcom website devoted to the game is located at http://www3.capcom.co.jp/psp_x/ with sound. Along the top are menu buttons. Click and you’ll find a basic storyline overview, 3 movie trailers, screenshots from The Day of Sigma in addition to an interview with the Japanese cast, a boss list, a description of Vava/Vile mode, and plenty of in game footage.

The pitiful excuse for a US website is located at http://www.capcom.com/xpml/game.xpml?gameid=850038 where you’ll be lucky to find in game screenshots of only X. This goes to show how much they care. The US game manual is even in black and white (cheap skates).

The Breakdown
If you are a diehard Megaman fan and by now have invested in a $300 PSP, then chances are you will buy the game. The anime is a more than satisfying bonus.

Synopsis
Scantily clad space princess Kahm arrives on Earth to shake things up! As her father’s armada pummels the Earth’s forces, the busty space maiden plunders the planet in search of a good man to call her own. Soon hapless Earthling Tetsuya finds himself caught between the alien invaders and the warrior woman who would be his wife!

Review
Outlanders is a very simple concept. We have an alien, Kahm, and a human, Tetsuya. We have a marriage between them, and then as a result, Earth will be saved from destruction due to their bond. It certainly does not sound all too impressive, but this show has definitely delivered in terms of quick hitting entertainment. Outlanders, begins with Kahm looking as if she was doing the wiping out of the Earth herself, but as the slicing and dicing was going on, photographer Tetsuya finds himself unable to point his camera away from Kahm and run for safety. As the shutter snaps, Kahm notices Tetsuya and comes after him. During the process we discover that he is not just a photographer, but a perverted one at that. :).

You can pretty much expect what is going to happen, when Tetsuya gets dragged into space for a joy ride (no, not ‘that’ joy ride ^_^). Troubles brew from left and right and Kahm and her friends will have to battle it out with their enemy in order for peace to finally come between Kahm and Tetsuya.

Outlanders is a great short show for those who want to try something new in terms of flavor. The quick pace and entertaining plot are great attributes that make this piece fun for its forty-eight minutes run time. There is minimal character development and the show stays focused throughout; which is bringing Kahm and Tetsuya together no matter the obstacle put in between them. This anime also incorporates its comedy very well. There are chuckles here and here, laughter there and there. Outlanders just provides the viewers with an enjoyable experience.

The Breakdown
This is definitely a title I would recommend for a viewer who wants low commitment, but high fulfillment in return.

Synopsis
‘The twentieth century gave birth to a great war. It was a full-blown war that raged between the humans and the monsters. At the end of this gruesome war, indescribable with words alone, the monsters were the ones left standing. Time passed and the dawn of a new century came. And people started to forget that melody…’

Bocca, who just discovered this identity as being a Meros warrior, abandons everything except for his skills, goes in search for The Melody of Oblivion: the only hope left in the fight against the Monsters.

Review
After being pestered by many people to watch this anime and random ‘moooo-ing’ at me during conversations, I realized two things: one, that I should have watched this earlier, and two, what the ‘moo’ was all about.

Gainax has done it again with The Melody of Oblivion attempting to bring to viewers a fresh and original (not to mention insane) anime going through leap and bounds with it’s action packed fighting and adventure setting that would make even role playing games envious. But of course, this is Gainax we are talking about so it’s common to expect girls who super charge arrows by rubbing it against their thighs and face followed by heart shaped things shooting out. Well… that’s only half the fun because things get even more crazy especially near the end. Seriously, what anime can get you teary one episode then have you ‘wtf-ing’ the episode after…*tumbleweed floats by’… exactly. Aside from the sexual innuendos and insane fan-service, The Melody of Oblivion still manages to deliver an adventure greatly worth watching.

The plot for The Melody of Oblivion is Bocca who leaves on a journey in search for The Melody of Oblivion after he discovers his identity as a Meros warriors ( a person with a born tattoo that can charge arrows to make them explode if rubbed against). Here are a few things to note to make things more clear. Monsters have already won the war against humans. There is now a Monster Union Agency of some sort which is almost like a social controlling mechanism along with a Monster Union Agent, chosen by ‘Monster-sama’ to rule a certain area. Every three or four episodes, a new arc begins as Bocca continues his travels in search of The Melody of Oblivion while fighting against new and unique Monster Agents. Though the ending of the anime does leave a few questions unanswered like what the **** is up with the girls and the moo-ing song, I was pleased with how it ended and the double irony involved (considering this is Gainax we are talking about).

For characters, I want to talk about everyone but it is apparent the focus is on Bocca and his relationship with Sayoko. In case it wasn’t brought up, Sayoko is a runaway girl who stumbled upon Bocca in search for Kurofune, another Meros warrior who saved her life in the past. As the anime progressed, I noticed two very interesting conflicts in both Bocca and Sayoko. For Bocca, he is a Meros warrior and does not want to involve Sayoko in his own fight. Of course Bocca likes Sayoko and he saved her life many times showing that he wants to protect her. However, Bocca is a warrior and it conflicts with his feelings for Sayoko. Sayoko is traveling with Bocca only to find Kurofune because she is certain he is the one for her. Here, her feelings for Kurofune conflicts with her feelings that are developing for Bocca. Near the end, we see enormous character developments within both Bocca and Sayoko that gives meaning to the title and over all meaning to the name ‘The Melody of Oblivion’

As far as the animation goes, I thought it was original and nicely done. To start, the coloring of the sky, clouds, mountains, trees, and everything that served as a background had a pastel look which I really enjoyed. The consistency with colors, especially the color red, was plain and simple yet effective almost like what you would see in Dick Tracy or Sin City giving a surreal feeling in some of the scenes. But while I do appreciate the originality of the animation as a whole, there were some scenes where I didn’t know whether I should feel sorry or laugh at someone who got hit with an enemy attack because of how silly and absurd it is. I mean… a person in a giant pig robot with the ability to use little piglet robots as a slingshot while screaming ‘ Viva viva viva viva viva viva viva..’?…uhhh… I prefer to stay sane thank you.

While I usually skip the opening theme songs of most anime I’ve seen, the opening and especially ending of The Melody of Oblivion was just too attractive to resist. But even though I thought the ending theme was more pleasant to the ears, both are considered equally good. However, the OST of The Melody of Oblivion is surprisingly good and contributes greatly to the anime as a whole.

If you love fan-service, adventure, great ending and interesting characters. STOP! This is it.

The Breakdown
Yet another great 25 episodes.

Synopsis
It’s a blast from the past as the Fool reveals Sora’s journey to becoming a Kaliedo Star. But Sora’s glory is short lived as two new rivals appear at Kaleido Stage and steal the spotlight.

As her stage time is usurped by the dashing Leon Oswald, an Asian beauty named May Wong appears and proclaims herself the next Layla Hamilton. She is certain to win a leading role, and if she’s lucky, Leon’s attention. But they are not the only unexpected newcomers to Kaleido Stage. One little runaway will find herself in some very hot water thanks to Sora’s never-ending eagerness to help!

Review
I have always been intrigued by what Kaleido Star has to offer. Its’ unique look grabbed my attention from the get go. There are some series where you can just pick it out and say this is going to be special, and for me, this is one of them. The second season commences with Fool narrating the events that had taken place in the first season to lead to where they are now. For a fresh Kaleido Star viewer, it helped me a ton in grasping some aspects of the show. Although the experienced viewers whom have watched the first season might not like the recap episodes; well buddy let me break it to you, deal with it.

After all the drama that occurred in the prior season, the crew of Kaleido Stage try everything they could to begin a new Kaleido stage. If you are new to the show, it might not make sense to you what I just said, but the Kaleido stage was screwed over by Yuri as he forcefully takes over and disbanded the whole Kaleido performance team. With Sora’s un-withering spirit she looks for other ways where she could deliver her abilities. One of it was to perform at an amusement park… a lot of trials are put in front her and as she attempts to tackle them one after another the viewers benefit from the quite hilarious experience.

Kaleido Stars’ fault has to be the English dub, I feel like sometimes the voice actors had to slow their dialogue down, just so the lip movements are in-sync. It sounds horrible when that happens, yet it is bearable. If anything, refer to the Japanese dialogue and subtitles, your life will definitely be better.

The Breakdown
Season two seems to be getting off the right foot. With rivals arriving and drama and comedy to be recognized. We are in for a real treat.

Synopsis
Channel ATV is in serious trouble. With viewer ratings at an all-time low, they’ve got to come up with an amazing gimmick, and fast, or else their sponsors are going to cut their funding! But a whirlwind is headed for ATV in the form of one Keiko Nakadai - a substitute weather girl for the prime-time news. In one quick flash of her panties, the ratings are sky-rocketing! Thanks to the public’s overwhelming support of Keiko’s brazen tactics (not to mention her gorgeous body), she’s finally secured the bright and sunny future she’s always wanted.

However, there’s a dangerous storm brewing on the horizon. Michiko Kawai, ATV’s former prime-time weather girl, is furious that Keiko has stolen her job, and she’ll stop at nothing to get it back! But poor Michiko may have bitten off more than she can chew because Keiko’s soft exterior hides a nasty vicious streak, and she’s not about to give up her dream job so easily. Japan’s airwaves are about to get a whole lot hotter this year!

Review
What a perverted little title. Weather Report Girl is an anime based on a story by Tetsu Adachi and directed by Kunihiko Yuyama that spans just two OAV episodes, but in those two episodes were a lot of fun times. Now I am not a hentai by any stretch of the imagination, but I kind of liked this experience. Nakadai Keiko, a regular employee at Channel ATV was waiting for her big break and when current weather girl Michiko Kawai takes a night off to attend a graduation reunion, the ATV staff immediately looks for a one night replacement. As Michiko selects the ugliest girl out of the group of pictures, she was not ready to see what the secret behind the picture she had selected was.

After receiving the good news in the bathroom (doing something 18+), Keiko rips her crappy get-up off and proceeds to meet the staff. As she starts off the weather report, Michiko intently watches how miserable her ‘ugly’ replacement will look. To her surprise, the woman she saw, was not ugly, in fact, she looked better than herself… and when Keiko shows the audience how ‘high’ the flood water level is at a certain part of Japan. She is immediately approached by the ATV crew after her report the next day. Everyone was against her… that is, until the ratings came in and it jumped so much that they decided to replace Michiko with Keiko.

Of course, having just lost her job to a newbie, Michiko plans her revenge at her arch rival and attempts to take back her job! Several hilarious events occur, including a reunion with an old friend of Keiko’s from her bullying high school days. Man, it was funny through those scenes and especially when there were dirty and toilet humor involved. But when the storm is over, Michiko ends up as Keiko’s servant. And that is where the series takes off as another rival hits Channel ATV. With a tough competition, how will Keiko react? That is about all I will leak, check it out yourself to discover just how dirty, kinky, and ecchi this title can get. But umm, this is a show, just bordering the light-weight hentai barrier. If that is your thing, you might enjoy it quite a bit. :)

The Breakdown
Dang, now I might even have to go check out the live action version of Weather Report Girl. :D.

Synopsis
They’re doing it all for love! Life isn’t easy for the girls in the super-secret Virgi Fleet. Schoolwork is rough and the competition’s brutal. Luckily, cadets are trained in the use of “Virgin Energy,” serous blasting power useful for playing pranks, scuffing with the (ick!) boys, and blowing enemy war planes out of the sky!

Review
Virgin Fleet, the name of the title already suggests the wrong idea. No, this is not a hentai title, as much as it sounds like one. Instead it is a title about a character named Shiokaze Umino, whom goes about finding her reason to fight in an effort to save her nation… although it did not begin that way.

Before Shiokaze’s parents passed away, she had a marriage arranged for her already. The circumstances? She must graduate from the Academy, in which she learns to hone her “virgin” energy. This energy hidden within females was powerful enough for both sides of the war to call a cease-fire agreement previously. But as tie goes on, people tend to forget about the past and again a new breed of virgin energy must emerge.

Virgin Fleet is pretty much an average title. There is nothing splashy and nothing too bad about it. The comedy is there, but obviously it was not the main focus, as some of it, you probably would not even understand until a minute after what was said. The story is quick paced, it could be the fastest ninety minutes experience ever. Because it was fast, there was not any excess time for it to get side tracked, hence, creating a story that is to the point and enjoyable for those who like to keep their anime time to a minimum. For me? Well, my anime time is for as long as I can stay awake the whole day, so I will have to say, Virgin Fleet is a nifty title, but it is not for the viewers who would want to a lengthier story development in their anime.

The Breakdown
This title is average at best. The re-view value is low and it felt like everything was rushed right through. One scene to another, bam bam bam and the credits roll. :/.

Synopsis
In school, they were best friends. And they shared two passions: the plane they built together, christened Bela Ĉielo, and a girl, Sayuri. Oblivious to the tense international environment, the three form an indelible bond and it seems nothing can ever come between them and their dream. The boys believe that someday they will reach the distant tower – and touch Sayuri’s heart – however far away it may be… Come to The Place critics the world-over have hailed as a work of new animation genius. A mystical, lush and moving masterpiece about the passion of friendship, the pain of war, and the power of a promise that will touch, move and inspire you.

Review
I assume most of you have read what I thought about The Place Promised In Our Early Days in May when I went to the New York – Tokyo screener, but what I am about to say now might just sound like two different people have gone to view this show. First off, I loved the animation. Makoto Shinkai is the man! No more details are needed, okay? Okay. Now the story, when I first saw this anime, it was boring. I said to myself, what the hell can Shinkai-san be thinking? But I guess a month or two or three can really change a person’s view on things. When I was watching this on DVD, I could not believe how different things were. Everything suddenly seemed understandable, and unbelievably incredible. I know I have said some harsh things in that Rant-ON I did on The Place Promised In Our Early Days, and now I have to take those comments back.

The story of three friends, Takuya, Hiroki and Sayuri began in their middle school days. While the two buddies, Takuya and Hiroki were building the Bela Ĉielo, Sayuri was there as moral support I guess. Anyways as time passes, Sayuri suddenly disappears and Takuya and Hiroki no longer had the will to complete the airplane due to the promise that they had made to Sayuri about flying together to the Union Tower. As their lives take on a different path, it all wounds up back to that promise that they had made. When the whereabouts of Sayuri was discovered, a turn of events also occurs. Her disappearance was due to her sleep. As time went on, her body’s ability to stay awake diminished and for three years she was lying in the hospital sleeping… and dreaming about the same dream, over and over again. It is truly a very special plot, looking back at it. You will definitely not be disappointed.

The Place Promised In Our Early Days is a show that is on the same level as Voices Of A Distant Star. While it is not as emotional, it sure is good. The interest factor was great due to the animation details. It kept your attention intact. The story also makes you want to dig deeper and comprehend as much as you possibly can. In the end, I was happy with this show. And my previous thoughts about it have been disposed of properly.

The Breakdown
While I still like Voices of a Distant Star over The Place Promised In Our Early Days… the separation is not all too much.

Synopsis
WARNING!!! THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THIS REVIEW IS NOT SUITABLE FOR PEOPLE UNDER THE AGE OF 18. FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY!!!

A half-year has passed, and it has been decided that Kanenone academy will be a co-ed high school next academic year. Winter has ended and spring is on its way. Midori’s energetic presence can still be felt in the hearts of Yuusuke and Futaba-chan…

Review
Green Green Erolution continues where the 12 episode Green Green TV series left off. Futaba is eager to see her boyfriend Yuusuke but neither of them has yet to confess that they love one another. Wakaba and Sanae tag along to reminisce their past experiences with Chigusa-sensei supervising. Unlike the TV series, Erolution or episode 13 is a 30-minute hentai.

The official Japanese site can be found at http://www.starlink.co.jp/grgr13/ where you’ll find a 24 MB trailer, scrollable thumbnails, and the 1MB ending theme song.

The Breakdown
The hilarious conclusion to the Green Green TV series.

Synopsis
Among the five star systems known as the Joker Systems, there are many kingdoms, each under the protection of valiant knights that control massive robots called Headliners. Bound to the knights are fatimas. Human in appearance and mind, the fatimas possess expanded physical capabilities and make it possible to control a Headliner. The  Five Star Stories follows the ascension of two such fatimas - Clotho and Lachesis, the latest and greatest creations of famous fatima designer, Dr. Ballache - each on the verge of their ceremonial unveiling to the world of the God of Light, Amaterasu, and his Mirage Knights.

Review
Well, this is an interesting little nugget of a film. An anime adaptation of a very very long running manga series by Mamoru Nagano (currently unavailable in the US), The Five Star Stories is a 70 minute long adaption of the first volume (or volumes, I’m not sure how much has been covered in these 70 minutes, though I’m told it adapts the manga to a tee, so I imagine they didn’t animate too much of the manga). What’s presented here is a small tidbit of what one could expect from a much larger story. It’s a very cohesive tale, but doesn’t go anywhere. When it wraps up, the board has been set for, say, a long TV series or something similar. But instead, it just ends, and there’s no animated sequel of any kind. Think of this as a pilot to a television series, or a long commercial to goad us into buying the manga (it worked, I want it). Unfortunately, this was made back in 1989, so I think it’s doubtful to expect some sort of continuation of the story.

Which is a real shame, since what’s presented here is really interesting. It introduces us into this whole new world (the Joker Galaxy), which has it’s own rules, solar systems, machines, politics, etc etc. They properly and slowly introduce all of this, and I liked what I saw. The only problem is, it ends too quickly, as I said earlier. This could have been really great, and it’s no wonder the manga is so popular.

There’s not much more I can elaborate on. The story (even in this short OVA), is very detailed, and to try and explain it would only confuse you. I do recommend people check it out, only if to see a nice, old-school anime done right, at the peak of the 80’s anime industry before the anime bubble burst.

The Breakdown
I’m really glad I was able to see this after all the controversy of it having been lost from existence. I had heard the premise of the manga story and ever since couldn’t wait to see the short anime adaptation (since the manga isn’t available here). I was lucky enough that ADV did license and release it, and I’m pleased to say I wasn’t dissapointed. I only wish someone would license the manga and bring that over to the US as well, because I want to know where this story heads. I hope people give this a shot, more of this needs to come over here and be licensed, but that’ll only happen if releases such as this sell well.