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Synopsis
Episode 5:
While on vactation, Black Jack comes across a young man haunted by the vision of a woman who beckons him to return to a town he’s never visited. He also has vision of being shot in a battle in which he was too young to have possibly fought! Bullet wounds mysteriously appear on his body, bleed, and disappear. Is the young man insane? Could it have anything to do with an operation performed on the young man many years before? Or are they other forces at work? It’s up to Black Jack to solve the mystery!

Episode 6:
In the middle of a strange blizzard, Black Jack finds himself trying to rescue a dying princess. Taking poison to avoid a loveless marriage, she would prefer death to a life where she was forever denied the arms of the man she truly loves. Now, Black Jack is forced to question what is real when he opens up the girl and finds a demon waiting inside…

Review
Black Jack is not failing to impress me with each volume. In volume three, Incubation, Black Jack is put up with a mysterious illness of a soldier. When his illness strikes, his back will sprout bullet hole wounds and blood will splatter all over. Coincidently, Black Jack and Pinoko was on the same vacation that the soldier was taking therefore, when his attack struck, Black Jack was there to investigate the cause of the illness and curing him in the process. What nobody expected was that the cause of his condition was not due to a disease or any sort of illness. You get hints, but you will never guess the cause of his condition. Because of this, Black Jack is unpredictable, unlike another anime I was watching recently where I can even predict what the character was going to exactly say in Japanese.

In the second episode of this volume, we go from present to past and back to present. Crazy? Unique? Whatever you call it, I just did not know how the plot of the episode was going to connect to the main plot of the entire series. Surprisingly, as you are watching it, it does not matter; you do not even think about it much. All you will be doing is trying to solve the mystery before Black Jack reveals it to you.

All in all, I am very happy with how this series is developing; great attractive and unpredictable plot. There is without a doubt in my mind that Black Jack has to be one of the best anime releases this year, hands down!

The Breakdown
This is really a great series!

Synopsis
Mad science runs in her family, but Hikaru has always been an ordinary girl. It’s a dream come true when she discovers that she’s really a super-powered alien! With her hyper-speed battle mecha, the Grandoll Armor, she is humanity’s last hope against a hideous alien invasion!

Review
Hyper Speed GranDoll is not an impressive series. It is very predictable in dialogue, the upcoming scenes and plot. As a matter of fact, it makes me sick to my stomach that the characters will say or do something so predictable that in your own mind you will say, “Oh my god! What the hell is this?” Also, just to set things straight, GranDoll is not a hentai, even though the DVD cover may say otherwise.

Hmm… where to start? The plot I guess. GranDoll is about a little girl who was from another planet, who landed on Earth as a couple was going about their business. Ever since they have discovered the girl, they took her in as their daughter. What seems to be a high school teenage love drama turns out to be a high school teenage love drama with some action; fighting action I mean heh. The story develops fast. In the first episode, the character, Hikaru already tells you everything. What she will do in the series and etc. Hence, the reason why I say this series is very predictable.

Now GranDoll is not filled with negatives only, there are some good about it. There were some scenes that were funny. Even though going through this series is like an obligation, but the viewer must keep in mind that this is a three episode, all in one volume series. Therefore, it is short, quick and the points might not have been as developed as it would have if the format was a bit longer. But oh wells, since the show is what it is, I reviewed it accordingly to my taste hehe; in other words it was bad.

The Breakdown
It seems to me that no time was put into Hyper Speed GranDoll, that is the feeling I get when I was viewing this piece.

Synopsis
Welcome to Mipross Island, the Promised Island, known for its impenetrable fog that is so dense that not even birds can fly freely through it. At a certain time each year marked by the appearance of fairy souls, the island unveils itself and accepts visitors from the continent. According to legend, there is an ancient site that dates back to the time elves once roamed. It is at that site where the past and the present overlap allowing you a glimpse of the future.

Review
Meet the world renown Lina Inverse, the robber killer. Even mighty dragons would run away after speaking her name. Alongside is Naga, the white serpent, Lina’s most powerful and foremost rival. They are quite the dirty pair: Lina specializing in fire and elemental spells while Naga prides herself on her ice and summoning magic. Initially coming to Mipross to vacation at its famous hot springs, they soon find themselves fighting through the 10 strongest men on the island. Girl power~! Of course it all comes back to the great legend of the island and correcting the present history.

The Breakdown
Outstanding scores in all areas. If you liked the movie, you’ll like the series. If you liked the series, you’ll like the movie.

Synopsis
When Pegasus J. Crawford went to Egypt in hope of bring back to life his girlfriend, he found some stone carvings of strange monsters, monsters that were created by the pharaoh and his high priests in order to rein the country. Being tempted by those carvings, Pegasus revived the dark game of duel monsters. Finally, he even brought back the three God Cards. However, their combined power was so great that he sealed the three God Cards in Egypt. Now the fate of the world rests on Yugi Mutoh, as the three God Cards are unearthed.

Review
In the 1990s, it was Pokemon that penetrated internationally into the hearts of children in Europe, America, and Asia. Today after the millennium, the anime, video game, and card collecting fad continues once again through a series called Yugioh, meaning ‘King of Game.’ The Yugioh shown on KidsWB is actually season 2 of the original anime. Season 1, 27 episodes total, was aired from April 4th 1998 to October 10th on TV Asahi. Season 1 was not as successful compared to season 2 titled Duel Monsters in part by a disagreement between the producer, Toei, and the author, Kazuki Takahashi and due to a story emphasizing relationships and drama more than actual dueling.

Two years after, Duel Monsters began televising on TV Tokyo since April 18, 2000. Both the anime and manga in Shonen Jump Weekly still continue to this day, well into the Egyptian Memory Arc. The rise in popularity of season 2 is attributed to more of a focus on the game element and digital gadgets, satisfying post-digimon/pokemon addicts. In fact, every episode is a duel with virtual monsters fighting against each other either in an arena or anywhere within the grounds of Battle City with the aid of a duel disk tray, even in the skies.

The Breakdown
For fans of the American show and want to watch it unedited even see it before the general public does, to poke-lovers and other monster fanatics who just can’t get enough, and those who own the card game and want more strategies.

Synopsis
The village of Biatz, famous for its nearby elven community and an important something or other. Treasure? Perhaps. It was an object that the elves warned was not to be touched. If it were, it was said that Biatz would be destroyed. It is at this time generations later that an evil-minded sorcerer seeks the power of the ancient relic. Why? With such power one can easily take over the world. Or so it was thought…

Review
Slayers Returns (kinda like Batman Returns) is the second movie setting prior to the original Slayers anime series, Next, and Try. Like its predecessor, the main heroines are the ever so glamorous Nahga the serpent and her underling Lina Inverse. The villain, hardly a worthy match as Joyrock in Slayers the Motion Picture, Lord Galef and his band of lesser demons enslaves the Biatz villagers and forces them to excavate the relic. Lina with her eye set on the treasure and secondly on beating evildoers wherever they may be makes way towards Biatz. Things get more complicated as the treasure is not all that it seems.

The Breakdown
If you have seen the series first, you’ll like the movie. If you watched the movie before ever watching the series, you’ll like the series even more. Doesn’t really matter which you see first.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Synopsis
The beginning of each episode starts with the following monologue: Where monsters rampage, I’m there to take them down. Where treasure glitters, I’m there to claim it. Where an enemy rises to face me, victory will be mine! If you add to that the line Where there is the sweet aroma of food, I’m there to eat to my heart’s content, then you’ll have a basic overview of the life of Lina Inverse, the sorcery genius.

Review
Hailed as the best of the fantasy genre, Slayers is the story of the heroine Lina Inverse who one night storms into an evil bandit hideout and robs them of their treasure all in the name of vanquishing tyranny. That simple task from episode 1 soon rebounds into dire consequences all because of what she stole. Men shrouded in mystery - Rezo, one of the five wise men of the age, and Zelgadis, a chimera - pursue her. Endless streams of monsters ranging from a flying dragon and a sea dragon, trolls, skeletons, mantis warriors, golems, berserkers, a wolfman, a fish creature, and a five-eyed demon await Lina on every step of her adventure. No woman should stand alone against the forces of evil for she is joined by Gouury, a blond haired master swordsman a wielder of the legendary sword of light. Keep fighting, Lina! Never say die, Lina!

The Breakdown
One of the best anime series ever. Slayers has a solid storyline, hilarious dialogue, memorable characters, and all the fantasy elements to make this a smash hit.

Synopsis
Of all the books of sorcery without exception the most famous one is the Claire Bible. It in itself is a legend imparted to the world. Supposedly, inscribed is the remaining knowledge of the Water Dragon King after he exhausted all of his strength in the battle with the Demon Lord Shabranigdo 1000 years ago. It is a mysterious book, which faithfully records the deepest secrets of sorcery unknown to the dark lords and demons of the netherworld. Those who have been touched by this knowledge wrote it down in various forms. Those different versions are known as Claire Bible manuscripts.

Review
By popular opinion, Slayers Next is the best out of the three series, Season 1 and Try. Next is a continuation of the storyline from Season 1 setting several months after Amelia, Lina and Gouury, and Zelgadis have parted ways. They reunite in the distant kingdom of Xoana and from there travel the ends of world in search of manuscripts of the Claire Bible. From Season 1, Zelgadis risks everything to reverse Rezo’s spell and turn himself from a chimera back to a normal human being. Two new characters join the adventure. Martina the Princess of Xoana, who once lived a life of luxury, vengefully stalks Lina. The second is Beast Master Xellos, the mysterious and powerful priest, who has his own agenda. The closing of the series, episode 23, marks the return of Sylphiel and the swordsman Zangulus. With all these characters you can be assured of one thing: Lina Inverse will never stop, and she will let no one stand in her way!

The Breakdown
No doubt one of the best anime series of all time.