Animesou.com

Synopsis
In a world caught in the grip of information overload, where artificial intelligence is more than the real thing and cyborg cops spend their lives surfing on an electronic sea of living data, only the Ghost - the indefinable element of human consciousness - exists to determine who is alive and who is purely a creation of the net.

Major Motoko Kusanagi is an elite officer in the Section 9 security force: a cybernetic agent so heavily modified that little more than her Ghost remains. Along with fellow cyborg Batou and the mostly human Togusa, Kusanagi is set on the trail of a computer-criminal known as the Puppet Master, a data thief skilled enough to hack into the very minds of his victims. His human marionettes live out existences that are nothing more than computer generated fantasy, unwittingly committing their master’s crimes while the Ghost-hacker hides in the darkness.

But as Kusanagi digs deeper into the walls of secrecy surrounding the case, it appears that the Puppet Master has a special interest in her alone. And when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the shadowy Section 6, enter the scene, Kusanagi becomes tangled in a web of plot and counterplot, and realizes that the true identity of her invisible assailant lies at the center of a vast and lethal political conspiracy…

Review
Ah, Ghost in the Shell. It brings back good memories. For me anyway. I think by now anyone who knows anything about anime has at least heard of this movie. Considered the ’90’s Akira’ because of its similar style and the fact that it further brought anime into the American mainstream consciousness (much like Akira before it), Ghost in the Shell has gotten a reputation as being either the most deep, philosophically profound anime film of its time, or as those who hate it say, a very superficial, plodding, dull and boring film with little substance and a lot of ego. I’m of the first group who believes this film rocks on many levels.

It’s hard to actually decribe Ghost in the Shell on paper. It was originally a manga done by Shirow Masamune (Appleseed, Black Magic, Dominion Tank Police) which was then taken and adapted into this anime film by Mamoru Oshii, who should ring a bell with everyone. He was the mastermind behind films such as Jin-Roh, Angel’s Egg, and the first two Patlabor films, as well as series such as the Patlabor OVA and Urusei Yatsura. I’m a big fan of Jin-Roh, and I absolutely love his directing style, even if it tends to be a bit obtuse, verbose, and over-done in the psychological-philosophical department. While he’s very talented technically, Oshii has yet to learn how to show more than tell. But, unlike it’s sequel, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, where Oshii goes overboard on the quoting and philosophizing, this film doesn’t do too much talking, and is instead all about the visuals.

And what visuals they are. Even though it was made all the way back in 1995, the film still looks astounding, even today. And now with the special edition DVD out, it couldn’t look much better. The mesh between 2D cel animation and up-and-coming CG is very convincing, and the beautiful panning shots Oshii does of the city and skyline are breathtaking. It has aged a bit, but not nearly as much as a movie from 1995 should have.

What also bears mentioning is the great, if sparsely used, music. Kenji Kawai (Patlabor, Ranma 1/2, Gunparade March) uses a lot of Noh and choral chanting and ethereal instrumentals as ambiance (a lot like Akira, actually, except not as loud and bombastic). It works along with the somber, indifferent tone and mood the film establishes, rather than calling attention to itself. It’s extremely well-done and very solid, but, like I said, it’s used sparingly, unfortunately.

As for the actual story and plot? My synopsis (long in and of itself) at the top of the page will have to do. Beyond not wanting to ruin anything, it’s just very hard to explain the politics-heavy, thematically deep story that Ghost in the Shell is. I’d only confuse you more by trying to explain it to you. So trust me when I say it’ll probably take you more than one viewing to understand everything that’s going on.

The Breakdown
For those who are fans of this genre, this is a must buy. There are reasons why The Matrix films borrowed so much from this movie. There are reasons why it’s quality and underlying story are so hotly debated. There’s a reason people simply love it or hate it. I recommend everyone watch this film, if not outright buy it. Everyone should have this film in their collection.

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.

Synopsis
Kanae is Kouta little sister. When they were children, Kanae, Kouta, and their cousin Yuka used to play together. She had a habit of finding shells along the beach. One day something tragic happened on their way home…As a result of this traumatic experience Kouta, now a college student, suffers from amnesia. A mysterious girl, Lucy, with pink hair and horns seems to be the missing link to unlocking that buried memory.

Review
Anime News Network and Animenfo.com classify Elfen Lied as a horror anime. Animenfo defines horror as: ‘Creepy tales of ghosts, demons, vengeful ex-girlfriends and other frightening creatures.’ Animenfo lists Arc the Lad as horror which tells me that their classification system is somewhat at ends with itself. In my opinion, Perfect Blue is the prime example of the horror genre. Elfen Lied is not scary in the sense that it’ll raise your heartbeat and have you grasping for air, but it will get you to perhaps cover your eyes when decapitated heads and limbs fly everywhere and blood starts spewing. Lucy does fall into that last category as Kouta’s frightening vengeful ex-girlfriend. I have to admit if I was to meet Lucy in person I would be scared and attempt to run. Not that it would do me any good. I would be dead on sight.

The official Japanese site can be found at http://www.vap.co.jp/elfenlied/ There you’ll find episode summaries and previews, screen shots, DVD information, character bios and sketches, and wallpaper galleries.

The Breakdown
The most overrated anime of 2004, it is that good. At least ADV thought so. They licensed it days after the second episode aired much to the dismay of fansubbers. It was a must have acquisition.

Synopsis
Spike and Jet are two down-on-their luck bounty hunters (called cowboys) always looking for the next big score. Spike is brash, young, and tough. He practices Bruce Lee’s martial arts style, Jeet Kune Do, and treasures his little space fighter, the Swordfish II. Jet is the wiser, older of the two, knowing when to make a move and when to hold the cards. They move from plant to planet in their spaceship, the Bebop, and go from one bounty to the next, never staying in one place too long. Rarely ever making money or getting food, Cowboy Bebop is a set of tales  in the life of these two as they go about space, encountering the pasts they left behind along the way. Of course, during the course of their adventures, they obtain three new crewmates: a sultry woman that goes by the name Faye Valentine, a dog with a high IQ that goes by Ein, and a computer hacking wizard named Ed. Along with Spike and Jet, they travel the stars.

Review
I was browsing our reviews section for any big omission from our reviews archive, and as of this writing, no one had completely reviewed Cowboy Bebop. The first three volumes had been reviewed by three different people, but that was not a good enough indication of just how great this show is. Taking it upon myself to rectify such a huge problem, I am now here to review my favorite anime series, right next to Neon Genesis Evangelion and Trigun.

I won’t be one of those guys who likes to say that the first anime they got into is also their favorite one. ‘I got into anime through Bebop…and it still rocks!’ I’d seen plenty of anime before Bebop came around, and I wasn’t there to see it when it first came out in America either. I just happened to be flipping through the channels when I came upon Adult Swim and noticed they were airing the five ’story’ episodes of Cowboy Bebop. I tuned in right from the beginning to see what it was about, and didn’t stop till I saw the whole thing. What I saw was unlike any anime (or anything, for that matter) that I’d seen before. I hold very fond memories of that night and seeing this show.

The first thing to jump out to most people about Bebop is the absolutely-frickin’-tastic music. Yoko Kanno (also responsible for such great music in Escaflowne, Macross Plus, and Ghost in the Shell) created a mix of blues and jazz that resonates with the material like nothing else could have. The show fits the music more than the other way around for me. Another thing that pops right out about the show is its still wonderful animation, despite coming from 1998. Most shows from that time did not look this good, and a bunch still don’t. It’s a testament to Bebop’s wonderful production values.

Bebop is made up of a bunch of vignettes strung together by the main five characters. These guys go from one episode to the next, with rarely any connection from one to the other. Each episode delves into different themes and ideas, from the nature of man and God to blaxploitation. I love the episodic nature of this series, and despite that, you get a wonderful understanding of each character through their experiences, even though you don’t get much character background. There are episodes devoted to each character’s pasts, but they come few and far between. But I’ll bet you anything you’ll be hard pressed to not feel even a slight hint of sadness during the final episodes’s closing moments. Bebop is amazing.

The Breakdown
After all is said and done, is Cowboy Bebop really one of the best animes ever? Simply put: YES. I haven’t seen anything better, and only a couple of shows are equal in quality and enjoyability as to that of Bebop. I know there are Bebop-haters out there. To them, I say: you’re missing out. Bebop is overhyped, I agree. But take the hype away and you get one of the best animes of the last two decades.

Synopsis
The flow of time is complicated. Even if you remove one cause, a new cause is born…

Makimura Koutarou is your typical high schooler, an avid member of the boxing club who all of a sudden resolved to confess his love to the school idol Serizawa Kaho. That night by accident, a mysterious person showers Koutarou with tachyon particles. As a result, his body randomly jumps forwards and backwards to different dates within a one-month time span. This phenomenon is what is called a ‘day drop.’ On August 31, the last day of summer vacation, he discovers that Kaho’s life passes away due to a car collision. Does Koutarou stand a chance at changing Kaho’s depressing fate?

Review
Natsuiro no Sunadokei, or Natsuiro Komachi, translates to the Hourglass of Summer Colors. It is based off of the Playstation 2 hentai dating simulation game developed by Princess Soft. Princess Soft is most famous for releasing Kimi ga Nozomu Eien. Other game titles include Suika, Moekan, Cafe Little Wish: Mahou no Recipe, and 21: TwoOne for the Dreamcast, and F: Fanatic, Love Doll: Lovely Idol, Final Approach, and Happy Breeding: Cheerful Party for the PS2.

The official anime site is located at http://www.kss-inc.co.jp/anime/natsuiro/ where you can find episode screen captures, brief character and casting, and DVD information with covers. The video game site is located at http://www.oaks-soft.co.jp/princess-soft/natsuiro/ and features a better character profiles page.

The Breakdown
Natsuiro no Sunadokei is a romantic, short summer anime series. Perfect for going back to school.

Synopsis
Chise is cute, but a bit dense. She’s also small and timid. On top of that, she’s clumsy and her grades are below average. She does excel in world history although nothing positive will come out of it. She has a habit of apologizing. Her goal in life is to become stronger. To me, she seems like a really troublesome kid. Regardless, I was her boyfriend, and she was my girlfriend.

Review
Based on the original 7 volume manga by Shin Takahashi in 2000, Saishu Heiki Kanojo, also known as Saikano or in english She. The Ultimate Weapon, truly is The Last Love Song on This Little Planet. Here at Animesou we bow in respect to our sempais THEM, Anime Academy, Anime Agency, and Anime-Axess for we are The Last Anime Site on This Little Planet to present a review. Saikano breaks all the stereotypes of the robot or android girlfriend genre. It is not a Chobits, Hand Maid May, or Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden, all of which were past Pioneer series. It is the romance of two high school students, Shuji and Chise, juxtaposed to the desolate World War 3 environment. Set in the remote countryside of Hokkaido, Japan, the anime begins five days after Chise first asked Shuji out. Though Shuji still has his doubts, as time passes he finds himself falling more and more in love with her. Then one day while shopping in Sapporo, what looks to be 100 unidentified bombers commence their assault on the civilian population. Buildings collapse and amidst the muddled debris Shuji, bleeding, perceives to his astonishment Chise, decked out and battle ready.

The Official Saikano Website can be found at http://www.saikano.net/tv/index.html with a beautiful flash interface carrying over the same sense as the opening animation sequence. There you can sample three instrumental music tracks, read episode summaries (Japanese), view the cast of characters, and download wallpapers and calendar images.

The Breakdown
Farewell my love, I won’t forget about you, Because I dwell on the people I say farewell to. I’m sad.

Synopsis
Space age technology transforms girl-phobic Junta into the infamous Mega-Playboy! (He hasn’t got any special powers, but the force of his charm is superhuman.) All the prettiest girls in school fall madly in love with him, and with so many in pursuit, mayhem is sure to follow!

Review
If you thought puking when experiencing something sexually stimulating was bad, think again. How about farting when you are nervous? Do not laugh; I am sure there are people in this world that propel methane gas when they are nervous, in this case, Kotomi Takanashi. But let us not get too ahead of volume two; Kotomi plays a role in the later episodes in this volume. So things are starting to get real interesting, Junta’s mega playboy DNA goes on and off at any given moment. He already has Tomoko, Ami and Karin in his grasp; well Ami is different from the other girls in a way, because she loves Junta for Junta, not the mega playboy.

The thing about Junta is that he likes Karin, not Ami or the other girls. So in episode three he goes and shops for a gift to show her his love for her. A simple task right? Well, not when you are limited by your life savings, which is five thousand yen. After much struggle with what he should get, Junta makes his purchase and bumps into Tomoko (Saeki). Tomoko who is one of the girls on mega playboy’s hit list quickly thinks that the necklace Junta had bought was for her. This causes the fun for us and the hell for him as he is forced to go shopping with Tomoko (Comon guys, we all know how it is when shopping with females :P). Anyways after some scenes Tomoko invites herself into Junta’s home and the necklace problem is solved… or is it? Now that the necklace is passed onto Ami, Junta is now in an even deeper problem than he was before. Since Ami is his childhood friend, he has to consider her feelings more. It would hurt her if he had just requested the necklace back from her. Ahhh! What to do now? As if this was not troublesome, a new girl gets on the mega playboy hit list!

You heard that right. Kotomi, who is Ami’s best friend, falls in love with Junta when she sees him in the mega playboy form on one sunny morning. Quite a twist we have here, because Kotomi at first had no feelings for Junta and Ami was on the verge of confessing her love to Junta, but now Ami knows about Kotomi’s feelings and they both are best friends… Ami would leave the triangle (well, not really a triangle considering the other girls involved with Junta). The main focus of volume two finally comes in as the story merges Kotomi into all of the fuss. As I have pointed out earlier, Kotomi has a gassing problem when she gets nervous. Funny and sad at the same time; funny in that she passed gas at the right and wrong time (right time, because Ami was confessing her love to Junta and this prevented it, wrong time, because Ami was in the act of confessing to Junta!!) Sad, in that she went out and change her whole image because her mind set was that, “It is the exterior that counts, not the interior.” (Basically, low self-esteem) Pretty typical mind set for some girls nowadays. Girls, trust me, guys prefer personality than a pretty face. What kind of stupid relationship will it be if you only loved someone for their looks? Humans do age; a pretty face will not last forever. If a guy loves you only for your looks, then you should move on, as that kind of guy will always pursue looks, not love. So anyways moving back to DNA2, I do not think you would be too proud of yourself if you dropped a bomb in front of the person you love or like. As a result, Kotomi changes herself and whew, she is a completely different person than she was before. I am sure Kotomi will give a lot of problems to Karin as the volume comes to an end with Kotomi wearing a leotard for Junta at the school gymnasium.

The Breakdown
DNA2 is moving smoothly and as I continue to watch the series, I become more eager to watch what is coming up next. My views on this series have changed dramatically and for the good due to volume two. It might be the same for you, so if you doubted to continue the series after watching volume one, consider again as it might grab your attention later on.

Synopsis
Beautiful but bungling time traveler Karin Aoi accidentally transforms a high school loser into the super-charming Mega-Playboy, with disastrous results. The Mega-Playboy wreaks havoc throughout the school, wooing every female in his path. Worse, Karin finds herself falling for her own flirtatious creation. If she cures him, she’ll lose the only man she’s ever loved, but if she doesn’t, the Mega-Playboy will break the heart of every girl on Earth!

Review
So here we are, DNA2: Mutation, volume three of a five volume series. The show starts off strong as we begin where we left off… somewhere along the summit of Mount Everest is the analogy I like to use lately ^_^. Anyhow Junta is one lucky dude because Kotomi is dressed in a leotard solely just to get his attention. This strategy worked as Junta puked all over the place in front of Kotomi. After some dialogue, he tells Kotomi that he also has a condition that is more embarrassing than hers. At the end of this scene they both agree to help cure each other’s condition, yeah sure, here comes the fun.

Things get really hot and spicy as each episode in this volume portrayed a relationship that mega playboy has with the girls, Kotomi, Ami and then Tomoko. But that is not the most important point that this volume brings up. The most important point this volume brings up is that, “Is the mega playboy really a bad person who got a hundred women pregnant?” From the looks of what happened to Kotomi, the answer is, “No.” The mega playboy did not take advantage of her when she was willing to give in to him, and his words were not the cheesy lines that guys use to pick up girls from the streets. This led me to think that Junta has some idea of what is going on when the mega playboy DNA takes over his body. You guys do remember that Junta promised Karin that nothing was going to happen between Kotomi and him, and it turned out that there really was not anything between them, as Junta helped cured Kotomi’s condition by… check it out, you will see :P.

With all this commotion due to Kotomi, Ami begins to avoid Junta, Karin begins to realize her love for Junta bit by bit and Tomoko makes out with Junta (mega playboy) in front of Ryuji (ex-boyfriend who will not let go). Is not that the only love square? I can tell you this though, by the end of this volume, the square will turn into a triangle. Anyways, I mentioned that Mega Playboy was making out with Tomoko on the roof with Ryuji watching up close and personal, and Ami watching behind the roof door. There is also another guest that does not appear on the same roof as them, but on the roof of the building across from them. As soon as Mega Playboy and Tomoko plug lips, Karin fires a DCM bullet, this time, the correct bullet at Mega Playboy, problem is that, her aim was off due to her emotional reaction with what was happening, thus, causing Ryuji to be accidentally shot by a DCM bullet. The volume comes to an end as Ryuji changes to Tomoko; basically, the DCM bullet that he was shot with gave him the ability to shape shift. Hence, you can feel the havoc that is about to be unleashed in the upcoming episodes Stay tuned!

The Breakdown
I am pretty much used to surprises, and Ryuji being shot with a DCM bullet was sure surprsing but I adjusted to it quickly. Although at first I did not like the fact that he was shot, but I do not know how it will turn out yet, so it might be for the better of the series. Look forward to the volume four review!

Synopsis
When Ryuuji meddles with technology he doesn’t understand, he is transformed into a dangerous shape-shifter. Unable to handle his new powers, Ryuuji sets out to take over the school, win the love of all the girls, and teach everyone who’s ever insulted him a painful lesson. Only his genetically altered classmate Junta can stop him, by becoming the most unlikely of heroes, the infamous Mega-Playboy!

Review
In this volume we continue with Ryuji as Tomoko in the men’s restroom. Boy is this dude a complete hentai; rubbing on his on butt thinking that he even replicated Tomoko’s body features. But, he does not notice until he wanted to take a peek of “Tomoko’s” chest. That is about all the fun parts you are going to be getting in volume four. This volume focuses on Ryuji trying to get revenge on Junta for stealing his girlfriend (Tomoko) away from him. Although I personally do not like Ryuji’s character, but I have to give him credit, because he was the first character I have seen that figured out his powers in a matter of a few minutes. You almost never see that in anime. A character usually takes a few episodes to truly utilize their new found powers. Take Ryu from Street Fighter V for an example, that dude took approximately ten episodes just to launch one hadoken. Quite an amazing accomplishment on Ryuji’s part… Hooray!

Anyhoo, set to make Junta’s life miserable, Ryuji shape shifts into Junta and attacks Ami. With Ami now hating the real Junta, Ryuji makes his move with Tomoko as well. Now that he is causing all this trouble, he makes a challenge to Junta. But of course, we would not think that the actual Junta could have a chance in a battle with Ryuji right? The Mega Playboy must be brought out in order to attain even a slight winning chance. Problem is though, the possibility of Junta remaining as the mega playboy the next time he changes is ninety-eight percent. Karin would not allow that to happen, so she takes on Ryuji herself. With the power crazed Ryuji sucking up the many DNA of fighters he invited into his mansion, he has stolen their various fighting abilities to accommodate for his powers. Now that he is all juiced up, he is even more unstoppable. What will Junta or Mega Playboy do now?

This is by far the most action packed volume of DNA2. And as a result of the action, we could see that Mega Playboy is not only powerful, but not that bad of a person at all. The true relationships are also shown as a result of the action in this volume. Ami confesses to Junta, Junta accepts her love, sort of, because Karin returns for more fun, after she left for home for a brief moment of the show. What more is there to this series? Ryuji is defeated, and now a new character? Whoa, the creators are not letting this show slide out with just a little battle between Junta and Ryuji. Next up, volume five, look forward to it.

The Breakdown
A new character is about to emerge, what role will she play? How will Junta, Ami and Karin’s love triangle hold out? I really do not know, let us hope it would not be a disappointing ending.

Synopsis
Junta’s teenage great-granddaughter Lulara appears from the future, but not for a joyful family reunion. To save her own life and the future of all her kin, she’s determined to permanently transform Junta into the Mega-Playboy. His one chance for survival may be to destroy his flirtatious alter-ego… but if he succeeds, his great-granddaughter might disappear forever!

Review
Just when I thought volume four was the end of DNA2, more is added to it. In volume five, as the synopsis stated, Lulara, Junta’s great granddaughter time travels back to his time along with Mori (her master) to activate Junta’s mega playboy DNA. If this task is accomplished, Junta and his descendents will all be under Mori’s control. Quite a bright idea is not it? You have a mega playboy in Junta who could get any women in the sacks and then have a whole army of mega playboys with both the abilities to charm the ladies and fight with usual prowess. It is the perfect army anyone could ask for. But it would not be easy to accomplish their evil plans. Karin defends for her life in this volume as Mori is set to take her out with his little posse, which includes Ryuji, Lulara, and… Junta!

What? Junta?! You heard that right, Mori sent Lulara to shoot Junta with a DCM bullet that also had the ability to control a person according to his likings. So now that Junta is under Mori’s control, Karin has no chance in winning the fight; she does put up a good one however. Anyways, what could be done, now that Junta is on the evil side? Absolutely no one could do anything except for himself. That is right; Junta’s DNA has not been stabilized yet, so he flashes back to the normal Junta back and forth. Mori’s going crazy as a result of Junta changing back and forth, till finally he is not able to control him anymore.

The ending of this series was not as good as I thought. I firmly believe that if DNA2 had ended with episodes loaded with fun, it would be better. Although, if that was done, we as fans would want more, hence, giving us an unwanted obsession over DNA2, in which I would not be pleased with, because there are other things I have to get to as an anime reviewer. We have come a long way, fifteen episodes seemed as it was twenty plus episodes. DNA2 is a fun adventure that has all the elements of a great anime series. Sigh… time to move onto another series :(.

The Breakdown
DNA2 is a great series that all fans of the ecchi humor genre should pay attention to.