Animesou.com

Synopsis
In the year 2167, Mankind suffered from a cataclysmic disaster as a massive wave of electromagnetic radiation from a nearby supernova washed over the Earth. Yet, Mankind was able to survive by pulling together to support each other in this time of crisis.

The year is now 2326 and the new generation of people are preparing for the second wave to hit. A young girl named Shima Katase is going off to the Space Station Stellvia, a space pilot academy, where she will meet new friends, fulfill her dream of seeing space up close and fighting for what the people of the past tried so bravely to survive through.

Review
Stellvia of the Universe starts off with a scenario showing Shima Katase’s family. Almost instantly, you can tell that Shima and her mother don’t exactly agree on things. The focus isn’t put on this much, seeing as how Shima has little contact with her family in the first episode. On her way to the Space Station Stellvia, she sees a brilliant light show made by the current student base in an attempt to encourage the students to do their best. I wish all schools were like this. Shima’s best friend and roommate is then revealed. The ever hyper Arisa Gennorth and her wild hair meets Shima on the shuttle to Stellvia and out of the blue asks Shima to become her best friend. This is my favorite scene in episode 1; Shima and Arisa shake hands while the brilliant light show outside of the shuttle is taking place. Later on, Arisa introduces Shima to two new friends, Akira Kayama, a tall, quiet girl and Yayoi Fujisawa, a girl who seems to have a past that’s more than meets the eye.

I noticed the plot doesn’t really grace the first DVD much other than the Great Mission, mankind’s plan to save the earth from the second wave. Shima is the main focus here, and she displays the ever familiar start of school. Starting off with school, there’s the fuss of getting new classes, meeting new friends, and occasionally and inevitably walking into trouble. I’m sure we all had our share of trouble on the first week or so of school, but Shima takes this to a new extent. Her best friend Arisa even mocks her and gives her the nickname ‘Shipon’ during pilot training, because her ship was bouncing around with a ‘pon pon’ sound. I can’t help but cheer Shima on to do her best, though.

What volume one does show of the plot hints at future events. At the end of the volume, Shima does make a hint that Stellvia is a coming-of-age story when she has a revelation during a crisis in class. The Big Four, the four highest ranking students in Stellvia, are also introduced. Obviously they will make a bigger role, especially the leader, Machida Ayaka. Ayaka meets up with Shipon and friends. Yayoi greets her with a simple hello, unlike the high respect that Arisa and Shipon show her. Also, a boy from Shima’s and Arisa’s class, Otoyama Kouta, joins Shima and the gang along with three other boys in a study session Shima is holding. From that scene, you can tell Kouta is more interested in something else other than in his studies, but I will leave that for you to figure out.

One thing that kept me hooked to watching this show was the music. Stellvia’s OST is my favorite OST by far, even if it’s not the best. An opening and ending sung by Angela also proves to be good. The opening is especially good, since it is one of if not the best anime opening song I’ve ever heard.

The Breakdown
Stellvia of the Universe is an excellent show. With good animation, excellent music, colorful and fun characters and a dramatic story to boot, I can say Stellvia is one of my favorite series.

Synopsis
Shiratori Ryushi, age 18. Currently, he takes vocational school classes in hopes of becoming a children’s book author and illustrator. However, it’s inconvenient for him to ride the train to Tokyo for three hours back and forth everyday. His mother urged him to move closer to Tokyo. It just so happens that their cousin owns an apartment complex called Narutakisou. Upon arrival, Shiratori is greeted by the beautiful landlady, Kozue-chan. But he has yet to realize that she possesses a mysterious secret…

Review
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) or better known as Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) in psychology is described as the presence of two or more separate and distinct personalities that exist in the same individual at different times. Kozue-chan would be considered among the rising documented cases of MPD (since 2000, American Psychiatric Association). As seen in the anime, the transition from one personality to another occurs suddenly and is associated with mental stress. The original personality (Kozue) has no knowledge of the alternate personalities, but all of them including Kozue are aware of lost periods of time, dissociative amnesia. As demonstrated in the anime, Saki-chan, Nanako, Chiyuri, and Natsume are incredibly different from Kozue. Studies have shown that the personalities may even be of another sex, race, age, or species such as a dog. The disorder seems to be more prevalent in women than men, and women tend to have more identities averaging 15 or more! (Huffman, Psychology in Action.  ©2004)

The Japanese site can be found at http://www.mahoraba.info/. It has a flash intro page showing all the characters and their corresponding apartment numbers. In the main page you’ll find subsections for characters bios, episode summaries with screencaps, a nice gallery with group images, soundtrack information, an interview with Jony, and a staff and cast list.

The Breakdown
Anime food analogies! Kanon: Taiyaki. Onegai Sensei: Pocky. Da Capo: Bananas. Mahoraba: Umeboshi (pickled plum). Oo, sour!

Synopsis
In Miss Yukari’s English class, every day is an adventure. First off, there’s the teacher herself. A bit of an air-head, she may have graduated from high school, but she sure hasn’t left.

And with the arrival of not one, but two transfer students, one ten-year-old prodigy and one space cadet, along with a super energetic girl who almost defines ADHD, a quiet girl in love with cute things, and… a normal girl? (yeah right), and two highly interesting teachers, it’s going to be an interesting year!

Review
Azumanga Daioh is a show about seven girls and three teachers. Seems simple enough, right? Well, you’re right there, since there is basically no plot except for going through high school. However, this small formula made what I and many others believe is the best comedy anime series ever made.

First off, Azumanga Daioh has some excellent characters. To start off, we have Tomo Takino, the girl who makes ADHD look like child’s play. She’s extremely energetic, but she has zero talent in whatever she does. Next we have a girl who grew up with her; Koyomi Mizuhara. She loves food, but you’ll always see her try to lose weight. Now, every series needs a character that everyone else looks up to, right? Sakaki (last name unknown) enters the scene. Sakaki isn’t your natural “cool” person though; even though she’s very athletic, she’s in love with cute things and will stop to stare whenever she sees it. Kaorin’s a girl who totally idolizes Sakaki, and will stop wherever she is to take a quick peek at Sakaki sitting in the shade doing nothing in particular. Finally of the regular students there’s Kagura
(last name unknown). She’s Sakaki’s self-proclaimed rival, and tries her best to out-do Sakaki in whatever comes by; from track, to swimming, even to eating food.

Now, we get to the special ones; the two transfer students! First off, we have the super cute Chiyo Mihama. She seems to be the excellent little high schooler. She is extremely smart and extremely cute. She also can take care of herself and is very responsible, unlike a regular 10 year old. She takes care of her own dog, Mr. Tadakichi,
studies on her own, can go to her beach house on her own, wakes up her parents in the morning and even makesher own lunch! Wouldn’t you want a kid like this?

Finally, there’s one character left of the students. She is by far my favorite anime girl ever. That’s right, I’m talking about Ayumu Kasuga, but no one calls her that. She transfered in from Osaka, so everyone forgets her name and just calls her Osaka. She has her own special brand of “intelligence”, and she’s not afraid to spread it to the world. From questioning kanji to spreading puns everywhere, to being a space cadet (joking) and even her ability to fly like a bird, Osaka is a character in which you’ll never see one like her again.

Now that the students are done, we have the teachers. Yukari Tanizaki is one of those teachers who never left high school. She sleeps late, and is extremely lazy. Her friend and PE teacher, Minamo “Nyamo” Kurosawa is one of the two normal characters in the school. The only interesting thing about her is that she went to school with Ms. Yukari and has trouble in her love life often. Finally we have Mr. Kimura. Ah, what would school be like if we didn’t have a roaming out-of-the-closet pervert running around? He blatently states why he became a teacher; because of high school girls. He never fails to entertain, either. You try becoming a teacher and then asking the PE teacher for some pool water that the female students just finished swimming in.

The Japanese VAs are great, especially Osaka. The english VAs are okay, except for Osaka’s VA. Osaka’s VA is the reason I didn’t watch more than 5 minutes of the dub.

The Breakdown
Azumanga Daioh is one of the greatest series you’ll ever see. Great characters, great music, and most importantly, great laughs.

Synopsis
Everyone knows the feeling. Returning to find your home broken into. Your possessions thrown around. Dresser drawers ransacked. Everything you own having the unmistakable feel of a stranger’s fingers on them. The only thing worse than that is what isn’t there: The thing that once belonged to you that has been taken by creeps.
But now is not the time to despair. There is no time for anger. There is only time to call Ban and Ginji. They’re the GetBackers, and they live by a simple motto: “If it was taken, we’ll get it back.” No one will be refused. (At least not until that huge tab they’ve run up gets paid off!)
Prepare to meet your new heroes. The guys who will restore order where there is only chaos and justice where crime has run free.
They’re the Getbackers. They’re one phone call away, and they’re ready to take your case!

Review
“If it was stolen from you… don’t get mad… get it back!” is the slogan of GetBackers, and it manages to summarize the plot of the series perfectly. Of course, GetBackers is more a series of thrills, action, fanservice, and of course, the incomparable Ban Midou than it is of story, so who cares?

The first disc starts out with a few random cases for the GetBackers. The duo of Ban and Ginji, our heroes, work as professional GetBackers; people that (for a price) retrieve items that have been stolen from you. Due to some rather bad luck though, it seems that every case they take on results in both an abundance of trouble and a scarcity of cash.

This doesn’t phase our heroes though, as they aren’t your everyday muscle for hire. Ginji is a human battery, capable of dishing out heaping amounts of electricity upon his enemies. Ban Midou has the Snake Bite, his vise like grip which is capable of 200 kilograms of force. Alongside the Snake Bite, Ban also possesses the mysterious power of the Jagan, an eye technique he uses with devastating results.

Needless to say, returning a stolen Cat Trinket from a dirty cop and allowing an old man to see his daughter one last time prove to be easy, although somewhat complicated, work for people as talented as Ban and Ginji.

However, the third case is the first in which Ban and Ginji get to compete against fighters at their own level; and this is where the real meat of GetBackers kicks in. GetBackers is at it’s heart all about the fights. And With colorful villains like Kurodo “Dr Jackal” Akabane gracing it, there is no wonder why. Each fight scene is loaded with cool techniques, dramatic dialogues, and even a heaping dose of comedy.

The pacing of the show is another key element which makes GetBackers an entertaining watch. The series never takes itself too seriously, which keeps it from ever getting bogged down. Instead, it knows what it is and knows what it wants to do: make us laugh with some first rate comedy, and make us sit at the edge of our seat during each and every fight. This all comes together to make GetBackers a top notch ride.

The Breakdown
Overall story or not, GetBackers is a hell of a ride. From comedy to action, and even snippets of drama from time to time, GetBackers is a series that I would recommend to any action series fan looking to burn a few hours lost in a fun show.

Synopsis
Go!! Panda-Z! Defender of Peace and Justice! Robnimal World is under attack from the Warunimal Empire. Now, wearing the scarf left to him by his father, Pan-Taron takes flight in Panda-Z, the undefeatable robot built by his grandfather. So no matter how strong the enemy, the forces of good will always prevail!

Review
Panda-Z is an anime in that after finishing the volume it leaves your mouth wide open asking yourself, “What the ___ was that all about?” This compilation of kiddy type episodes speed by quickly. It is probably the fastest thirty minutes I have ever experienced. There are no voices in Panda-Z; only captions. While some might argue that having no voices is a negative. But I find it more enjoyable. Now I can imagine the robonimals’ voices through the captions. It leaves room for the viewer to take the show into their control… sort of.

The animation quality is very crisp. There are not many details, but it was not necessary. The robonimals were all pretty cute. I am not sure if I want to classify this show as a kids’ show, because of some of the materials that were displayed. But I believe that these five or so minutes episodes will only appeal to viewers who have a soft side; those who like characters like, Hello Kitty or Doraemon.

There really are not much to say about an anime that is short and silent, other than in the episodes that are in volume one, we get to see quite a few whacky things. I personally liked the “Table Manners” episode and the “A Quiet Duel” episode. They were both very amusing.

The Breakdown
Panda-Z is cute, but its appeal is limited to those who are either: collectors who want to collect the figure, or viewers who love Sanrio kind of things.

Synopsis
Meet Tomokazu Mikuri: Typical high-school freshman. Certifiable loser. Self-admitted pervert. Just an ordinary, unmotivated slacker. In a word… BORING! But when he falls asleep on the eve of his 16th birthday, things start to change – BIG TIME! He enters a fantastical dream world, where he’s surrounded by a gaggle of gorgeous girls, oodles of otherworldly predators, and an ever-increasing influx of all-out weirdness! [Did we already mention all the gorgeous girls?] It’s a test of good versus evil, real world versus dream world, and lots of action-packed, scantily clad battles for the very survival of mankind! Will Tomokazu save the world? Will he finally get lucky? Or will he just die trying? The answer is right here in the funny, freaky first volume of Yumeria!

Review
Here we are, another ecchi humor, where the main character Tomokazu Mikuri is a self admitting hentai. I find it rare so I guess it was worth to mention it heh. Anyways, the dude is surrounded by females… although two of them are kind of underage for him. But that does not stop Tomokazu, now does it? Not when every one of the females around him has a special attachment towards him. This is revealed in the later episodes. So let us start off with how the whole show commences. As the synopsis pretty much summed up the situation… during his first visit to the dream world, Tomokazu sees a girl fighting some alien form mecha and as soon as he realizes, he comes back to reality… only to find out that that girl is now laying right beside him… on his bed; half naked.

A few comical scenes later, the girl is named Mone; as that is the only thing she can say. In a totally unfamiliar world, she picks up some of the living habits quickly, but there are still a lot of things to learn, such as, common sense. I mean, she does get in a bit of trouble because of it. After Tomokazu’s sixteenth birthday occurs, he is again brought back into the dream world as he was sleeping. But this time, Mizuki, his childhood friend gets dragged in as well. Not knowing what the heck is going on, they start running as soon as the alien form mecha comes back for some revenge. That is when Mone comes to the rescue! By the time they wake up, Tomokazu and Mizuki questions the dream, until they found out from each other that they had the same dream. Weird? Well I guess that is just what Yumeria is all about: ecchi humor and how it can get ecchi-er.

What I really like about Yumeria is the amusing atmosphere. Sure there are tense moments, but after the storm is over, everything reverts back to normal. The episodes roll by quickly, but you will surely like the stuff that was shown in it. What you can really expect is this shounen title to deliver ecchi humor like cake. :).

The Breakdown
Crap, if I dream, will I get the same results? Hehe, just kidding. Yumeria is a great show that will slowly creep into your head. By the time you know it, you will catch the Yumeria fever.

Synopsis
Loki is a powerful Norse god banished by the Allfather, Odin, from Asgard, the land of the gods. For some unknown reason, Loki is forced to live in the world of mortal men as a child! With limited powers of a god, he tries to uncover the truth about his banishment and how he can return home by running a detective agency with his trusted assistant, Yamino and a teenage school-girl with an addiction for anything mysterious, Mayura. Meanwhile, Odin sends god after god to destroy him. Whether these gods come as other children, beautiful maidens or vicious giant creatures, the cunning Loki will have to summon all of his powers to be victorious.

Review
Mythical Detective Loki: Ragnarok is one of those anime that builds itself. The first impression might not be strong, but by episode two, you will find yourself liking the show more and more. The story commences with almost no character introductions, it gives off the feeling that they expected you to know who everyone was. And I have to agree with them, because unless you are really slow, you would have picked up the characters’ names and a sense of themselves without any introductions.

Now I did say almost no introductions, not none at all. What I have acknowledged is that Mayura is a mystery freak. Her curiousity carries the show as she runs into trouble every time. She is a very likable character as she is way too jolly for her own good. Loki on the other hand is a banished Norse god (although not looking like one). He runs a detective agency, much like Ginji and Ban of Get Backers (Yeah, I know, they run a retrieving business) in that they rarely got any business at all. Then on one faithful day, Mayura’s curiousity for mysteries leads her into an abandoned clock tower, where she finds one of those freaky scary dolls with the beady eyes giggling. With fame on her mind, she takes the doll home only to be dragged away by a black cat. As Mayura tries to find the whereabouts of the doll, she stumbles in front of a detective agency, and from here is where the story commences.

Mythical Detective Loki: Ragnarok is a highly entertaining piece. The interactions between the characters are delightful. The plot thus far is as amazing as an anime can get. The dub was adequate and there was nothing much I could say other than I prefer the Japanese audio any day. As for the show as a whole, I have no better way to put it other than I had a big smile on my face and an urge to crave for more after the volume came to an end. Man, it was fun.

The Breakdown
Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok is astonishing. This show just leaves a great impression on the viewer.

Synopsis
The country of Gazth-Sonika has been engaged in a civil war for more than a decade, struggling to stay afloat amidst attacks from the anti-government faction known as Garza. With lies and corruption seeping into the political food chain, a mysterious book in one young girl’s possession may be the only key to uncovering the truth and bringing an end to the war. This book, however, is sought by many. And when the invincible agent Madlax is hired to protect those in search of its truth, Gazth-Sonika dispatches a ruthless soldier to make sure that truth stays in the darkness!

Review
What are all these things I am hearing pertaining to Madlax? From the title I imagined that it was another one of those macho gory anime series, but after viewing the screener, there is nothing gory or bloody with this anime. As a matter of fact, it is actually quite entertaining with as much as I have seen. So Madlax, a female mercenary or an “invincible agent” according to the synopsis is another hot anime babe ready to pull the trigger at any give moment. First Noir, then Najica and now Madlax. ADV Films seem to dig these gun toting ladies.

My first impression of this new series is how it all flows so nicely. The action blends with the animation and the music blends just as well as with the action. Because of this astonishing achievement by Bee Train, Madlax never tends to bored out the viewer with lame scenes. As a matter of fact, in these two episodes that I have watched, I was so addicted to it that it became apparent that this will be on my “to-get” list in the near future.

The story so far is quite mysterious; not much is exposed for both main characters. The first two episodes just bring you into their world and let you have a feel for it before they go into story development in the upcoming volumes. The potential lies within this show. It is quicker paced than Noir and I will have to say, I prefer Madlax over Noir. The reason behind that? Right from the beginning, it grasps you with Lady Madlax (^_^), her stunning looks and her lethal abilities as a secret agent. The story is also starting out great, I cannot wait to see the finished version of volume one, so that I can add more to this review!

The Breakdown
Madlax has enough fire power to blow the roof off the house. Its’ action, pace and plot is really an art form to be reckoned with. Be on the look out.

Synopsis
A band of terrorists claims to have possession of a girl who was kidnapped some years ago, but when the Major and company are called in to resolve the situation, they realize that something is very wrong-the girl appears to be the same age she was when she was kidnapped! Things get even tougher as the team is assigned to guard a very wealthy and reclusive businessman who is a target for assassination by an international crime syndicate. As machines learn to evolve and human emotions cloud judgment, Section 9 will come face to face with a brave new digital world.

Review
Keep in note that I am beginning this series on volume four, so please bear with me if I am missing or if I am mistaking anything in the prior volumes. From the standpoint of the volume itself, Production I.G. is one amazing bunch. It brings a whole new ideal with futuristic themed anime. The animation speaks for itself, so I do not even need to describe it. What I will get into is the interest factor that Stand Alone Complex has. I have to admit, I am not a big fan of the original Ghost in the Shell, but this series right here sheds a different ray of light. I really enjoyed a lot of the things that happened on screen. The Tachikoma-kuns was a good fun touch added. Maybe it was just the less serious factor that makes Stand Alone Complex so much better than the original movie.

Let us move onto the music score. Although I do not understand the language the opening song was sung in (maybe Russian), I did like the beat a lot, it blends very well with the show. It puts you right into the flow of things. It pumps you up and by the time you know it, you are dumped directly into the show; primed, set and ready for action. The character designs and details are some of the finest that I have ever seen. The fact that it is DVD quality also helps a lot in bringing out the clarity. Major is still the top ass kicking female in anime today, and probably forever heh :).

In this volume of Stand Alone Complex, you should expect to see a test sample going bad, Batou going undercover, and the Tachikoma-kuns’ rally for survival. The entertainment value is superb and from what I have seen so far, I derive that the Second season can only get better whenever that should be released here in the States.

The Breakdown
HOLY COW! I need to catch up in this series :P.

Synopsis
Idle Hands are the Devil’s Plaything. Nyu is a babe in the woods. Washed up on the shore, unable to communicate, she’s discovered by a pair of college students-Kohta and Yuka-and counts on them for everything. Lucy is a vicious killer. Equipped with a battery of deadly psychic arms, she dismembers her enemies before they have time to scream. The two personalities couldn’t be more different-if only they didn’t have to share the same body! In Elfen Lied, Volume one, innocence and evil collide in some very dark places. As the rooms in Kohta’s rented house fill with runaways and killer mutants-danger mounts outside. Whether it’s from a renegade solder or a mutant assassin-one wrong move could mean the difference between life and death!

Review
If you are worried that ADV Films might be shy with the blood and gore of this series, rest assured, because it is all here. With a rating of mature, Elfen Lied will please any fan who is interested in a drama with a very nice plot and action that will not only give you goose bumps, but also an adrenaline rush that commands you to just beg for more and more. In the three episodes that I have viewed, I just cannot get enough of this series. I did not want it to stop! Elfen Lied’s addictive meter is off the barometer. I do not know what to do with this itch that I am getting as a result of watching such an awesome anime.

The first thing you may hear about Elfen Lied is that Lucy/Nyu is naked quite often. Hey I do not mind, and it does add to the entertainment factor… so umm yeah, let us get off that subject. The second thing you probably will hear is the blood and gore that surrounds this piece. The last anime that I can remember watching that could be compared to the violence level of Elfen Lied is none other than Gantz. And Gantz is Gantz, so let us not compare apples with oranges.

Elfen Lied commences with Lucy breaking loose from her captivity. This, this and this happens (hehe, spoilers skipped, because you sure as hell will be amazed by all the things that go on) and she is suddenly discovered by Kohta and Yuka on a shore as Nyu. Okay, are there any cat girl lovers over here? Because that is who Nyu is; a cat girl, at least to me, she portrays one. Everything is fun until episode two rolls on, which is just hardcore violence taken to the extreme. I somehow wonder if it can get any worse. How many more ways are there to decapitate people? Torturing? How about just killing in general? Whatever happens happens, but I want to be impressed when any characters’ life gets taken, even if he or she played no particular role in the show. That way, Elfen Lied has to keep topping itself over and over, which I believe it can and will happily accept the challenge.

The Breakdown
Elfen Lied is incredible, the action along with the story is astounding. It grips you with so much force that you just have no other choice, but to love it and love it with everything you have got baby!