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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
Daisuke Aurora and Android ‘J’ are partners who work together as part of a special division ‘pre-crime’ police force. Together, they are a great team, taking down crime anywhere in the oceanic-cityscape of Judoh. But with a mob family vying for power against all others, with the head only known as ‘VAMPIRE’; and another man, with a hidden past, with the head of a werewolf, Daisuke and J have a lot to handle.

Review
I’d heard good things about Heat Guy J for a year or so now. I anticipated its release stateside, hoping it would live up to the hype. I was not let down in any way. As of late, I had been getting into many shoujo anime series, this show brought me back into the shounen fold, where I belong. This is male drama and action at its core. I enjoyed this volume a great deal, and cannot wait for the next. There’s almost nothing I did not like with this show.

The show oozes cool much like famed series Cowboy Bebop and has action to spare much like Trigun or Hellsing. It’s most definitely the sum of it’s parts with beautiful animation, excellent music, and a top-notch enjoyable detective story.

The Breakdown
It has great action. Beautiful animation. Awesome music. A great story. There’s really not much not to like in this. Buy the first volume, and give it a try.

Synopsis
Show Zama, an up and coming motocross racer in Japan, is warped through a ‘trans-dimensional aura highway’ one night while driving away from a bunch of motocross thugs. From there, things begin to become extremely odd. Show Zama, along with a few others (a Russian and an American) have been transported to a world known only as Byston Well. Apparently, all the people of Byston Well know of our world (Earth), which they refer to as Up World, and they have now, along with the help of an American from California, created mechs known as Aura Battlers. Unfortunately, this technology has been obtained by only one nation of Byston Well so far, the House of Drake Luft. They have started to conquer the rest of Byston Well, and now Show has been forced to pilot an Aura Battler for the wrong side…

Review
I’ve only heard great things of Aura Battler. Having been created through the excellent mind of Yoshiyuki Tomino (creator of Gundam) there were high expectations from me. All my expectations were filled and then some. Being an early 1980’s TV series, the animation is very poor, which could put some people off entirely. Once I got past that though, the story was all that mattered. Being the predecessor of such great and similar shows like Escaflowne, which borrows heavily from this, there are only great things to say about Aura Battler. The story is very inspired, with themes such as love, trust, betrayal, and whatnot. Tomino knows that all great war stories are told on the human level, and this one exemplifies those ideas ten-fold.

The Breakdown
Tomino did it again here, and you can see he’s  at the top of his game with Aura Battler Dunbine. Do not miss this chance to pick up an old classic onto DVD. This is a great release.

Synopsis
Ryu Soma continues to work for the people of FUNERAL. But he has not exacted his revenge yet on Frank, though he has already had two chances to do so. He begins to doubt himself and his reality, and soon enough he is taking blind action against Frank, going into rage and madness.

Meanwhile, the largest alien ever to approach Earth has come to head towards Pilgrimage Point, but right in it’s path lays FUNERAL’s home base of operations. It starts thrashing FUNERAL, and  when their last resort to defeat the alien, a particle cannon known as Fefnir, fails, all hope is lost…

Review
Halfway through the series now, I’m still enjoying it immensely, and love everything about Argentosoma. We have another 4 great episodes here. Especially interesting is Ryu doubting his path of revenge, and his very odd hallucinations of seeing Hattie as his lost love. The last episode gives us a lot of clues as to what has been going on, though it’s done in the tried but true ‘organization meeting.’ FUNERAL deals with some very interesting aliens on this disc, one that is extremely large for one, and the way FUNERAL defeats each still strikes me as ingenuitive and all out cool. Things are just getting better.

The Breakdown
Nothing not to like. Buy it now. Were you expecting me to say anything else?

Synopsis
In Feudal Japan, the Edo period brought a time of delicate peace bought with blood. Ninja Scroll: The Series chronicles the life of Jubei Kibagami as he wanders the countryside as a ninja for hire. At this time, ninja clans are everywhere. Once clan, known as the Hiruko Clan, doomed to live and die in darkness, protects a sacred treasure called the Dragon Stone. The Kimon Clan, however, bent on reviving the power of the Toyotomi, wants the Dragon Stone and the treasure it hides. Jubei is the best man for the job of protecting both the Dragon Stone and the only one who can use it – The Light Maiden.

Review
Finally the highly anticipated sequel to the original Ninja Scroll has arrived and it is taking the industry by storm. Urban Vision has done a real fine job in giving us a treat so sweet that I am now worrying about cavity. The story starts off with Rouga, a character that has the ability to change into wolf form. He holds what they called the “Dragon Stone.” His goal is to get the stone, to the Light Maiden. Of course, nothing in the Ninja Scroll world is easy. Rouga finds himself trapped by two Kimon clan members and guess who comes out of the blue. That is right, Jubei. He took out one person with just one move! The action of Ninja Scroll: The Series is really amazing. There is speed, blood and finely arranged battles, a lot of them as a matter of fact.

A few scenes later we are taken to the village that the Light Maiden resides in. She is clueless about the real world and clueless about the village that she lives in. When the Kimon clan attacked the village, all the villagers defended and protected the Light Maiden to their death. As a result, the whole village was wiped out and Jubei is there to help out. Rouga was also there to fight, but he was severely injured and said his last words to Jubei. Keeping his words to a dying man, he goes a find the ran away Light Maiden.

If I go any further I will just spoil more so I will stop with the summarization of the DVD. Everything was top notch in the four episodes that I have viewed. And with the release date not so far away, please remember to save your pennies for this!

The Breakdown
This long awaited series has certainly not disappointed me. Believe me this will really be a treat for all Ninja Scroll fans and non-Ninja Scroll fans too.

Synopsis
Youko Nakajima is a normal Japanese high-school girl. She tries to act perfect and please everyone, being the popular friend, the smart student, the teachers pet, and a good girl at home. But, for some reason, she just doesn’t seem to fit in with  the world. With red hair, which neither of her parents have, and a distant longing to be somewhere else, Youko can only make the best of what she has. But, when a mysterious long blonde haired man appears right in the middle of class, tells her that he is her protector, and she is whisked away to a far off place with two of her classmates, she is not sure what to do. And that’s just the beginning…

Review
Wow! This anime blew my mind away. I had been told to check this out by a couple of friends of mine, and me, being the skeptic, was very wary of this anime once I bought it. Then I watched the entire disc in one sitting, and realized that this is one of the best animes I’d ever seen, and I’m only five episodes in. A lot of comparisons will be made to Aura Battler Dunbine and Escaflowne, and for good reason. It does borrow elements from those, but much like Tolkien’s classic Lord of the Rings novels, what makes Twelve Kingdoms so good is the entire scope of this new world that’s been created. Every facet is new and different, much taken from Chinese mythology and Japanese mysticism, and it just completely sucks you in that you feel you have been spirited away to some far off land yourself. What really amazed me was the animation as well.

Done by the up and coming Studio Pierrot, the animation features very nice and dark colors that gives the show an ominous feeling but with a hint of light to everything, and it’s all very nice to look at. I have to admit I was confused by all the terminology used in the show for all the beasts and such, and the politics and underpinnings that are going on in TheTwelve Kingdoms still confuse me, but that’s to be expected when your trying to set up an entirely new world whilst introducing characters and getting to know them. All I can say is that I’m enchanted and very interested in what is happening in The Twelve Kingdoms.

The Breakdown
While the show is currently at 45 episodes,  it has stopped being made at this point, so for now I’m simply loving every bit and piece of this show. I’ve said enough as it is and I think everyone needs to see this at least once.

Synopsis
A sinister plot is afoot and only one schoolteacher - a special agent with an affinity for rare books - can stop it. She is Ms. Yomiko Readman - better known to her colleagues in Section A of Library Special Operations as ‘Agent Paper.’ Someone is bent upon procuring a lost Beethoven manuscript and has enlisted a few of history’s most extraordinary personalities, cloned from stolen DNA, to aid in the endeavor. Readman and her fellow super-powered operatives must tangle with the likes of Tokugawa-era scientist Gennai Hiraga, aviation pioneer Otto Lilienthal and 19th century entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre in a desperate race to find the books and save the World!

Review
Read Or Die is simply short and sweet. Three episodes make up this OAV, approximately thirty minutes each. Although R.O.D. is short, it is still very enjoyable. The story kicks off with the destruction of the Library of Congress, and one thing I noticed was people urinating on themselves. That is the first time I have ever seen an anime going that detailed in showing fear.

Yomiko Readman is a book enthusiast. Her living quarters is filled with books all over. Her love for books is really amazing as she ignores everything that is happening around her once she starts reading (I wish I can have that much fun reading books). In any case, Yomiko finds a book in a bookstore which later on turns out to be a book by Beethoven. Beethoven will play a significant role later on as the story progresses. The thing that comes into my mind while watching R.O.D. is ‘How can such an innocent looking girl be the main character of the show?’ To my surprise, her ability to manipulate paper comes in quite handy at times when she is in the heat of battles, hence earning the moniker ‘The Paper.’

Overall R.O.D. starts off slow, but the pace picks up and soon you will be noticing that you are zooming through the whole OAV. That is the fun part though; it keeps you in your seat anticipating for the next scene to happen.

The Breakdown
Read Or Die huh? Who would have thought paper could be so cool?

Synopsis
Excel Saga is quite possibly one of the most bizzare creations in the history of anime. There have been many strange animes over the years (FLCL, Jungle wa Itsumo Hare nochi Guu), but Excel Saga manages to stand out as something truly unique.

Review
The story centers around Excel, a highly excitable girl who is completely loyal to the mysterious organization Across and her commander, Lord Llpalazzo. Throughout the course of the series she receives and obeys her orders to the best of her ability. Across’ goal is to take over F City as a ‘realistic’ first step towards world domination. …not that any of that matters though, since at its heart, Excel Saga is a completely random comedy which varies so greatly from episode to episode that the overall storyline is quite secondary.

Excel Saga has a tremendous sense of humor that never lets up. The jokes are endless. Each episode begins with Koshi Rikdo (Creator) giving his approval to change Excel Saga’s genre. Through this plot mechanic, Excel Saga covers almost every common anime genre in existance today. After the ending credits, Excel previews the next episode while speaking at lightning fast speeds. These previews rarely describe the next episode in detail, but are always humourous and entertaining and should not be skipped. The end credits feature a dog named Menchi singing about her lot in life while a woman in the background translates. As simple as that sounds, after having watched those credits roll 26 times, I never got sick of it, and always laughed as I watched it. That is a rarity in and of itself. Also, Excel Saga frequently parodies other anime including Fist of the North Star, Di Gi Charot, Great Teacher Onizuka and Galaxy Express 999-just to name a few. Fans of any of the parodied anime will find that much more to enjoy about Excel Saga.

Excel Saga manages to stay funny from start to finish. You will laugh, you might cry, and you will definitely be scratching your head, but above all, you will enjoy Excel Saga.

The Breakdown
Bottom line, if you like to laugh, watch Excel Saga.

Synopsis
Claus’s father was a unique nobleman, coming down to the land of Norikia, longing for the free sky. Soon after Claus’s family moved next door, he became close friends with Lavi’s father. They soon formed a vanship team of pilot and navi. From age one, Claus and Lavi spent their childhood together learning from their fathers the trade of vanship flying. However, this story ends in tragedy. The last time Lavi and Claus saw of their fathers was departing through the Grand Stream delivering a treaty of peace. The document never reacted its destination, and the war between the country of Dusis and Anatore continues to this day…

Review
Directed by Chiaki Koichi (Magic Knight Rayearth), Last Exile first aired April 6, 2003 and ended with episode 26 on September 29, 2003. Do not let the title fool you. Last Exile is not tied to any religious movement and is not a banishment of any kind (unless you count the expelling of the Guild from the world of Prestale). The Exile, the final weapon, refers to an ancient migration ship hidden in the Grand Stream. It is said that it was used by the beings that created the world. Now it is the last hope the people of Prestale have to change the world.

The Breakdown
An all-star cast of characters: Claus, Lavi, Sophia, Tatiana, Alex, Moran, Al, Alistia, Dio, and the crazy crew of mechanics.

Synopsis
The year is 2046. A mysterious alien force has attacked a Mars base and is escaping from the solar system. Earth drastically sets up an attack mission to chase the aliens and a girl is chosen to be a part of the crew. She leaves to go fight the aliens, leaving her boyfriend Noboru alone. The only connection they have between each other is through cell-phone text messages, which first takes days, then months, and then years to reach each of them. Can their love survive the years of loneliness?

Review
Voices of a Distant Star is the hard laborious journey of it’s creator Makoto Shinkai. He, alone on one iMac, made this 30 minute anime film and is one of the most impressive works of an independent filmmaker I’ve ever seen. It’s powerful and sad, uplifting yet depressing, and in the small time of 30 minutes the film will draw upon every ounce of your emotions to send you through one of the most memorable animes ever. I kid you not. The two main characters are interesting, you feel for their plight, the action is actually fairly cool with these ethereal alien designs and very gundam-esque designs for the Earth’s mechs and the story is gut-wrenching. I haven’t felt so depressed in such a short amount of time.

Mikako’s journey through the stars is a long, arduos journey of longing for the one thing she really wants, but cannot have. It’s made all the worse when the ages between Noboru and Mikako start to spread out because of Mikako’s space travel outside of our solar system. At one point in the film, a text message is sent to Noboru from Mikako saying, ‘Happy 24th birthday from your 15 year old girlfriend.’ It was an emotional strain for me just to hear it, and that’s when you know you are watching something so powerful, so visceral that it might just be something stunning.

The Breakdown
I really have said everything I wanted to say. There are only so many ways one can say: ‘buy this good sh** [editted for the kiddies, just to show you we care] now.’