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Synopsis
Welcome to Papuwa Island. Check your sanity at the door. Led by a mysterious vice, pretty boy brat Kotaro awakens from a long slumber and comes to Papuwa Island, a tropical paradise hidden away from the world of man. However, as soon as he arrives, a traumatic experience causes him to lose his memories and forget the horrifying secret that binds him to the strange island. Now, under the questionable are of the young Papuwa and his maid, Liquid, Kotaro begins his new life of bizarre adventures in a world of transvestite fish, fruity pink dinosaurs and hallucination-inducing poisonous mushrooms. Plagued by the island’s wacky inhabitants and an army of assassins aimed at kidnapping him, Kotaro struggles o keep both his life and his sanity intact. Get ready for fun, sun and hermaphroditic snails in the first, hilarious volume of Papuwa!

Review
I am still trying to pick my jaw up after watching Papuwa. The difference between this jaw dropping and the others that had happened to me in the past was that this one was not necessarily a good thing. From the beginning to the end, the show was exactly what the volume’s title hinted; Wild Things. From human sized fish wearing fishnets to pink dinosaurs and talking animals, this show has all that it needs to be considered crazy. And to me, that is all Papuwa is; something that just tries to pull all sorts of ridiculous stunts in an effort to get some laughter out of the viewer. While there were times that it was successful in getting me to laugh, it never got to the point where I was dying from it though. To me, it is a shame, because Papuwa has a lot of potential to be a great comedy. And while a story obviously exists in the world of Papuwa, it really does not play much of a role at all. Sure, most of the actions were a reaction of retrieving Kotaro back to Gamma, but the majority of the time ‘Rotaro,’ Papuwa and the others just go on wacky adventures to satisfy their hunger and to prevent Kotaro from recovering from his amnesia or else they would be in some deep waters :).

At a first glance, Papuwa felt like it was a semi-serious anime with some fun, but what I received in return for my expectations were like planets colliding… or the past coming together with the future. When I saw how Papuwa looked compared to the other characters around him, it was like it did not belong… but then again, a poisonous human looking mushroom who encourage people to take a bite out of him do not mix either. Okay, maybe that was not funny. But I tried and Papuwa has scenes that are quick hitting and it comes down to a ‘get it or not’ scenario. Most likely the jokes here are pretty simple and comprehendible. They are some you would see or hear in real life actually.

The Breakdown
Papuwa is aimed towards the fan who liked a show like Excel Saga. A show where the plot is not focused, but the laughter is. While most, if not all, of the jokes have been seen or heard in other anime shows one way or another, Papuwa throws it together all in one small show.

Synopsis
Spread your wings and fly! Welcome to the world of Storm Riders, where motor-powered inline skates called ‘Air Trecks’ take extreme sports to a whole new level. Those who dare to ride with these high tech devices risk life and limb in a struggle for fame, power and wings to take to the sky. Enter Ikki Minami, the toughest fighter on the east side of town. He rules his school, takes on violent gangs single-handedly and lives with the Noyamanos: four sexy sisters with a surprising secret. And after a humiliating defeat by a terrifying gang of Storm Riders, the sisters welcome him to the world of Air Trecks, where his strength, speed and ambitions soar to brand new heights. Now, with powerful new sings, he must protect his friends, his school and his pride in fierce Air Treck battles known as ‘Parts Wars.’ One mistake could cost him everything, but each victory brings him one step closer to becoming the king of the sky.

Review
Air Gear is a 25-episode anime series based off the manga by the artist Oh! great (Ogure Ito), the mastermind behind Tenjho Tenge. Air of course is what we breathe. It is what surrounds us and enables us to live. Gear is mechanical and refers to the powered inline skates.

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

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

Synopsis
Meet supernatural sleuth and writer Kantaro Ichinomiya. Kantaro spends his days traveling the Japanese countryside, fighting demons and writing about his adventures in hopes of finding the resting place of the mysterious Demon-Eating Goblin. During a trip to the countryside, Kantaro finds himself face-to-face with the creature he’s been searching for since childhood. Will Haruka the Demon-Eating Goblin join Kantaro’s band of supernatural adventurers? Can Haruka peacefully coexist with fox demon Yoko, heiress Suzu Edogawa, Sugino the White Goblin and his wife Muuchan? Will Kantaro be able to solve feudal Japan’s growing demon problem AND finish his book by his editor’s deadline? Find out in Volume One of Tactics!

Review
I knew from the moment I pressed play that there was something familiar with this anime. Of course, I thought about just about everything that I have seen that has left a mark on me and it came to me that Tactics is very similar to Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok. From the way the characters look to the opening and closing themes. The similarities are visually there. So if you are a fan of Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok then you should enjoy Tactics as they flow alike (and the reason for the similarities was the results from Studio DEEN). We are still searching ‘mysteries,’ and the only major difference is that the time setting has a huge gap. But enough with the Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok comparisons as Tactics has its own unique aspects as well. For one, it manages to hold its own when it comes to characters that have a growing effect on you.

Kantaro Ichinomiya was a unique child growing up; he had the ability to see things other kids could not. Because of his ability he was almost an outcast. He tried to tell people that his ghoul friends existed, but nobody believed him. One day, as he and his spirit friends were playing and talking, the name Demon-Eating Goblin was brought up. It was said that the Demon-Eating Goblin was the most powerful of all, with that said, Kantaro was intrigued and from that day on has followed his path to find his Haruka.

As stated earlier, the characters have a growing effect on you. In the beginning, Kantaro’s character has a habit of making you assume that he is one of those silent type, keep everything to himself kind of characters, but as it turns out, he is actually quite the conversation starter. Yoko, the fox is the usual nagging, but cute ‘friend’ of Kantaro and the rest of the characters are unique in their own way, hence it makes this piece of anime that much better. I really liked the blend of personalities as it works very well when mixed up together. You pretty much get a little bit of here, and a little bit of there, never too much, and never to little. So it is quite hard to find yourself hating on anybody in the show, due to the fact that it is so balanced.

Since we are speaking about characters, then we might as well go into how great the designs are for this show. The lovely animation and details really bring out the life of Tactics. It is like one of the episodes that is featured in volume one where the mannequin comes to life, the characters come to life as the animation is one of the best I have seen so far. But please do keep in mind that animation is not all Tactics has to offer, in the acoustics department, the show slaps you with a few nice beats, and if both the animation and sound does not get to you (usually its not enough for the average fan :P) then the plot will definitely open your eyes and drag you into the world of Tactics.

The Breakdown
What is great about Tactics is that it is a joy to watch. It is a show that is balanced on all fronts and as a result of this balance the interest for the show never seems to fade away. If you are a fan of Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok and could not get enough of that show, then Tactics can pretty much fill your need for more.

Synopsis
“There’s nothing I can do to make a difference. Wars will be fought. People will die,” Takeru said. “I’ll never matter.”

He didn’t know how wrong he was. Takeru has a very special place in this universe. And he doesn’t know how special until he meets a beautiful girl who falls from the stars.

Hikari seems to have no memory of who she is (or, for that matter, where her clothes are). So Takeru takes her into his care. And that’s when things get nasty.

Hikari is not like other girls. Her name may mean “light,” but she has a dark history - and an even darker future. One that will change Takeru and his friends forever, and show them all just how beautiful yet cruel this universe can be!

Review
The name of this title is one that will strike some attention. ‘This Ugly Yet Beautiful World,’ I enjoy saying that for an unexplainable odd reason. Now to start off, let us mention the name Gainax. Alright now that the introductions are exchanged we head off to a world where as stated in the synopsis; a world where the main character Takeru feels that he has no influence on the world no matter what he does. To some of us, we can understand his state of mind. I mean, we are all just a small part of this highly populated planet we call Earth. It would require that one do something amazing in order to be noticed or world changing. With his laid back state of mind, one day as he heads off making a delivery for his job along with his best friend, a bolt of energy suddenly appears and comes right at them. As the bolt of energy got near, it rose up and separated into two. And as they all say, ‘The rest is history.’

When the two friends decide to look for the light that they saw, they were in for a surprise… a girl who looks exactly like the portrait artwork of Takeru’s dream girl appears from the light. And at that time, Takeru, not realizing what he was doing, says, ‘Hikari,’ which in turn gives the mysterious girl her name. The moment did not last very long as a monster appears from the forest and begins to attack Hikari. In the events that occur after this scene you will realize why the title is called, ‘This Ugly Yet Beautiful World.’ Out of nowhere, Takeru transforms into this super being and before it is said and done, Hikari shows a bit that she is not someone to be messed with either.

Of course, in the first volume we are just getting acquainted with the characters and nothing deep is being uncovered here, obviously. I do find that this show may cause some viewers to be confused as to what genre it really falls in. I mean, everything in the first thirty minutes or so of the show points it to the ‘average teen high school drama’ direction. But after getting a taste as to what ‘This Ugly Yet Beautiful World’ has to offer, you can make a claim that it will get some attention from anime fans. Especially those Gainax freaks that we seem to have everywhere :D.

Now as for the makeup of this piece, those of us who have seen one or two Gainax shows can already tell by the style that ‘This Ugly Yet Beautiful World’ is done, but for those who do not know, the animation is very clean and the characters are superbly designed; from the wardrobe to the features. I just have a difficult time admiring this anime at times, but who would not?, after seeing Hikari and the archaeologist, Jennifer Portman.

As for the acoustics go, the theme songs were great to listen to and the voice actors did not disappoint either, so we have a great balance of everything in this show. This was a nice pick up by ADV Films and a great job done by Gainax again.

The Breakdown
“This Ugly Yet Beautiful World” occupies a place in my heart. It is beautiful in form and the way it was delivered to me. If you are looking for a short series with a lot of great memories, give this anime a try. I would be surprised if you come back to me disappointed.

Synopsis

A deadly virus has attacked humanity with vicious intent! At the forefront of the battle is the enigmatic Akamatsu Industries. Disguised as a heavy machine factory in Tokyo, this clandestine organization uses neural enhanced weapons known as Awakeners to battle the virus. But will the combined efforts of this secret organization and the mysterious warrior Betterman be enough to save Tokyo?

Review

Humans have searched for the possibility of mortality throughout their past history. Alexander the Great once searched for the fountain of youth in India. Ponce de Leon went on the same mission and ended up discovering the Bahamas and Florida. But despite what science has told us, people in today’s society are persistent in dealing with this issue in maintaining their ‘immortality’ through plastic surgery and ‘miracle’ pills in hopes of looking younger and more revitalized. This is one of the themes we see address in the Anime Betterman.

The name Better Man is pretty self explanatory: he is better than the average man. With the ability to transform into many things by eating different fruit looking objects, Better Man is always there when help is needed. But despite how fancy Betterman looks or how bright and shiny his attacks are, it does nothing to savage the confusing and hopeless trajectory of its plot.

It starts out with Keita who meets his childhood friend Hinoki, as he joins Akamatsu Industries because he possesses the inherited ability to pilot a robot. Asami, an agent of Mode Warp who receives the help of Akamatsu Industries, tags along and takes account for every incident that happens hoping to solve the mysterious illness caused by Algernon. As simple as it sounds, the plot spirals into confusion as the coherency slowly breaks down with each succeeding episode. For example, rather than showing episodes where the audience is allowed to decipher what is going on, information is just being tossed at at the beginning introduction. In fact, most of the time we see Keita and Hikoni running for their life as something is always chasing them that ends with Better Man coming to the rescue. It’s as if the plot is on standby in order to show how bad ass Better Man’s transformations are. Irrelevant information is given every time at the end of each episode which contributs nothing to the identity of Algernon or of Better Man. Only until the last episode is everything explained. But despite these aspects, the Anime still has well crafted themes and ideas. For example as mentioned, the idea of searching for the possibility of immortality. Also, Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest is strongly emphasized (as if it isn’t in many other anime). So while there are confusing points in the plot and times when it goes off tangent, the ending did answer many questions previously introduced. However, there is also a lack of character development.

It isn’t rare to see Anime with character flaws and “Betterman” is no exception. First of all, I have no idea what on earth Keita has to do with all of this Algernon and Better Man thing. The reason for why he is in this mess doesn’t add up. For example, why does he even care to go into the robot and risk his life? Just because he can pilot the robot he would? What about his parents? His personal life? What does he feel that the audience can’t just see through his physical reactions? None of these things are present. I think this anime is allowing me to appreciate Evangelion more for some odd reason. And the fact that we do not know anything about Keita, his character becomes out of place and becomes too important when he is, how should I put this, worthless. The same goes for Hinoki. Who is she? What is her past? The only thing that is known is that her parents vanished 4 years ago during an operation called the Dive Inspection and she is looking for them through working with Akamatsu Industries. In fact, the whole cast is literally filled with stale characters as boring to watch as a piece of bread mold. Betterman fails horribly in developing any of the characters since none of the thoughts and feelings of the characters connect with the audience (at least not me). However, I do enjoy some of the misadventures Keita has like the episode when he is attacked by worms. Aside from the characters, the animation and music are conflicting.

When it comes down to art and music, one would expect them to be one sided: either excels or fail in that area. A good example is like Final Fantasy: Unlimited where the animation is horrible in a general sense. Why did I bring that particular Anime up? The reason is because I did not think there would be a worse design than some of the things you see in FF:U. Betterman however beats it by a mile. The idea of worms attacking people then forming into a giant worm as it unites with each other is such a stupid idea I don’t even know how or why it’s applied. I can understand that B.P.L. is a place where one would see earthly creatures like that. But I mean…come on. The artist and mastermind responsible for unique character design couldn’t do any better than a monster that looks like a piece of ramen noodle with a mouth? In addition Kankel, the ultimate immortal creature, has less fashion than a decorated snowman. And I don;t even want to go into the mecha designs. The conflicting reason is because there is nothing wrong with the actual cast of Akamatsu Industries characters or Better Man and it’s transformations art wise. In fact, I think the transformations of Better Man are pretty well designed. So while there are these distinguishing, crappy designs, there are also well crafted ones. It goes the same with the sound track of Betterman. The opening theme is unbearable. It sounds so off tune and the way it’s made looks so cheap with the ocean and characters fading in and out. On the other hand, there are some pretty decent insert songs during episodes.

The Breakdown

All in all, Betterman is an entertaining show to watch. While the plot is confusing at times and seems to be going nowhere, the ending does a good job in explaining a lot of unanswered questions. And while some of the animation is pretty bad, there are some goods eye popping fights between Better Man and whatever else. Check it out for yourself.

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

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

The Breakdown
Beware of the banana peel!           

Synopsis
Space vixens and manic mannequins. Animation and claymation. J-pop music videos and violently desperate housewives. Sexy assassins and biker babes. You’ve never seen or experienced anything like this rainbow-acid-hued, mind-tripped, sonic and sensual assault. Tokyo pop (and Tokyo pop art) has made Vermilion Pleasure Night an international sensation. From the Tate Modern to MoMa, from college capuses to home computers, this sexy kaleidoscope has captured everyone’s attention. And now you can get off on it. Get ready for pleasure, Vermilion Pleasure.

Review
From the director of The Fuccons, come Vermilion Pleasure Night, a show that is borderline crazy and at points make you question the reason why you got yourself involved with it in the first place. Like what The Fuccons was meant to do, ADV Films is trying to deliver a new flavor for this otherwise pretty general audience. What I mean by this is that, most of the people who watch anime, believe that anime is all that Japan has to offer, other than porn. Err… yeah, anyways; Vermilion Pleasure Night is a show that tries to show you things so wild that you would wonder if Excel Saga just turned real life. For those who understood the Excel analogy, good for you, but for those who did not, what I meant was that it seems like this show here is a compilation of random wackiness. It is like, Vermilion Pleasure Night does not have to make sense at all, but at the same time there would be followers of the show, just like Excel Saga did, due to the fact that it is random and crazy.

It is very difficult to compare an animation with a live action, for the most part. And after watching Vermilion, I am still trying to collect my thoughts to put together something that makes sense to my mind. But nope, I still got no picture. Maybe that is what the goal of this show is all about. While obviously there is no story, there is a plot. What that plot is, is to try the hardest to entertain the viewers. I honestly felt that at times the show was trying too hard to be funny or ridiculous, and because of that, it had an opposite effect for some sequences.

A title such as Vermilion Pleasure Night is a hit or miss title; it either falls into your outstretched arms or face first onto the concrete pavement. If you liked The Fuccons, then you would definitely like how this piece plays out. The replay value to my surprise exists. Why? Well, after finishing up the screener, there is this feeling inside me that wanted to re-watch it again. Maybe out of curiosity or trying to make sense of the show, but to put it simply, I felt that I had to see it again to make certain that what I saw happened really happened. Yeah, I was in disbelief at some parts of the show.

The Breakdown
Whether you liked The Fuccons or not, if you are a fan of pure random, crazy and wacky entertainment that features a cast that consists only of Japanese females (… well, males were in the cast as well, but they were only there vocally, not physically, except maybe that lovesick alien heh), then Vermilion Pleasure Night is a perfect fit for you. It satisfies a lot of people’s guilty pleasures, while bringing you some laughter. That is not a bad combo in my book.

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

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

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

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

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

Synopsis
An amazing downhill specialist appeared in the mountain passes of Akina. For five years beginning in the 7th grade at the age of 11 Takumi Fujiwara has been delivering tofu to a hotel via Akina everyday at 4 o’clock in the morning be it rain or snow. His method of training: a cup of water. If he spilt some water that would mean that he disrupted the integrity of the tofu. Bunta, his dad, told Takumi to rotate the water in the cup by shifting the weight of the car. Unknowingly, Takumi acquired and perfected his incredible driving technique. He became Akina’s hero overnight, and many strong rivals came to challenge him. Takumi continued to learn race after race.    

Review
Initial D fourth stage is 24 episodes long similar to first stage. 2 episodes were aired at a time every other month starting in April 2004 to February 2006. Not quite as bad as Macross Zero’s schedule. Fourth stage naturally comes after the Initial D movie, third stage not the live action Chinese one, where Takumi has decided to join Ryosuke’s exclusive racing team called Project D. Takumi and Keisuke are the double aces challenging the top opponents outside of the Gunma prefecture.            
  
The official Japanese Initial D website can be found at http://avexmode.jp/animation/initial/initial.html.   
  

  
For an in depth explanation about TOKYOPOP’s botching of the previous stages I suggest you check out ViperMask’s PS2 Initial D Special Stage guide at Gamefaqs
http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/game/589379.html. F*** TOKYOPOP!

The Breakdown
Someone please teach me how to drift.