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Synopsis
Second sight is a curse for Yumemi, a psychic schoolgirl who just wants to be normal. But she’s about to discover the true value of her gift, when Magical King Munto arrives in her world, with enemies in hot pursuit! Munto’s realm is linked to ours by magic, but that power is fading, and his world is on the brink of death. Yumemi is the only Earthling with the power save his people… if she can only find the courage to use it!

Review
Munto is a strange anime. The DVD cover shows some SD characters, which led me to think that this title was going to contain some fun segments in it, but of course it did not happen. The show is about a deteriorating world parallel to the Earth. In this world, the life source, Akuto is soon to be used up and in order to slow down the process, the magical kingdom must be taken down from the skies. The plan to tear down the pillars that support the floating island has already been carried out. Now it is up to the Magical King Munto to prevent everything from happening. That is, the full consumption of Akuto and the wrecking of the magical kingdom.

On the other end of the spectrum, Earth, Yumemi our main focus in this title is a human with some sort of innate special power that will be able to rescue Munto and his situation. The thing I did not like about Munto is that there is rarely a point in the story that is appealing. There are several things that just happen for the hell of it. It seemed to me that no effort was put into the planning of Munto. It was like a puzzle being put together randomly. I cannot comprehend it, heck; there was nothing to comprehend about.

When there are titles created without any focus in it, it makes it a very difficult task for the viewer to fall in love with it. The fifty minutes of run time that Munto took from me was like hours waiting at the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles). Yeah, it was not only boring, but also long for a show that did not make much sense for a good portion of it.

The Breakdown
Suzume is probably the only good part of Munto. I demand her to be the main character!!!

Synopsis
Meet Yucie. A girl under a spell. She wants to be a Platinum Princess, and the only way to do that is to attend the Princess Academy. Under the guidance of Queen Ercell and with the unwitting help of a schoolmate named Glenda, a princess from the Demon World, she will embark on her journey to obtain the Tiara of Eternity. As Yucie meets new friends and works odd jobs, she will discover that becoming a princess is more work than she thought.

Review
Petite Princess Yucie is an amazing piece of work. There is a great deal of fun involved in it. The story is touching at times and it blends together so well with the characters displayed. The animation seemed as if it was a reflection from water; it was so fluid and lucid that I was fascinated by its beauty. Well, you can say that all of this was expected from a title by Gainax. But let us put the producer part aside, Petite Princess itself is a very entertaining series that will certainly have your emotions running on its edge as it progresses.

So an anime about a girl with the situation Gary Coleman has, that is so boring right? Not! Petite Princess plays with your emotions throughout. You will feel anger, happiness, sadness and whatever else you can feel. Those three emotions are the ones I recall myself feeling as I was watching this show, but there is certainly more than what meets my eyes. The beautiful aspect of it; every episode has some sort of moral in it. At the beginning of Yucie’s day might be despair, but at the end, the show will work itself to something joyful.

What else can you expect from Petite Princess? A bunch of unusual characters that is what! The shy and quiet Cocoloo, the always energetic Yucie, the “what rhymes with witch, but starts with a B” Glenda and the list goes on. These characters make the show that much more interesting. I mean, sure, sometimes you might find the arguments that Yucie and Glenda have are annoying, but when you look at it lightly, it is quite hilarious the way that they get at each other’s throats. I am undoubtedly astonished by this title and I will be looking forward to the next installments.

The Breakdown
Petite Princess Yucie is awe-inspiring. The foundation of this piece of art is built strong by Gainax from top to bottom. I am certainly liking what this title is showing me.

Synopsis
Darkness hides the pieces of her beloved’s shattered heart, and time is running out for Duck to find them. Using the power of an enchanted amulet, Duck becomes Princess Tutu to uncover the mystery and keep herself and the Prince alive. What secrets bind this passionate girl, a clumsy duck, with an omnipresent storyteller?

Review
In a world where talking animals are seen as a norm, and a story based on another story, comes this fun and elegant piece called Princess Tutu. This anime is probably the only one with the simplest names to remember! Mr. Cat, Anteaterina, Duck and etc. From the character names you can probably guess what age group this is aimed towards; twelve and up. Do not be discouraged by its demographics though. This title is suitable for people of all ages. I certainly loved the unexpected comedic segments and the art of ballet portrayed in this show; it was a fresh idea that I have never seen.

As stated before, Princess Tutu is a story within a story, or if you want to make things a bit less complicated, it is the sequel of a book titled “The Prince and the Raven.” The author Drosselmeyer past a way as he was writing the story, but magically he appears before a duck who was admiring the ballet performed by Mytho (The Prince) and poof, duck becomes Duck (human).

The main point of Princess Tutu is that she must find the broken heart shards of the prince. Upon retrieving each heart shard, he will regain a piece of emotion. Thank god the retrieval process is going pretty fast, because I just cannot stand the dead voice of Mytho. The guy sounds like he is struggling for a breath of air just to say, “I don’t know.”

The Breakdown
Princess Tutu is an enjoyable cute little title with a great music score. Those who are macho fans will not like the ballet aspect of the show, but I am certain that every fan will discover something to like about Princess Tutu upon viewing it!

Synopsis
In a world laid waste by nuclear war, alone at the bottom of the ocean, fourteen year-old Amamiku holds the key to the planet’s salvation; special seeds that are able to restore the Earth back to its natural glory. But in her efforts to plant the seeds, she unleashes the wrath of the muderous Glyptofane, a primal being determined to wipe out the remnants of the human race.

Review
Blue Remains commenced with a played out plot. It was the typical, “humans going to war against each other and finally destroys the natural habitat for all living organisms.” The land is inhabitable, but the ocean was not affected as much, hence to the ocean blue we go with this show!

Blue Remains was not catchy for a quarter of its run time, but as the show progressed the animation and action grabs a hold of you. You become drawn in and will start to appreciate it more. The voice acting needs some work as Amamiku’s voice actress sounds horrible and non-compatible with the character at times. The mouth movements is noticibly not in sync with the voice, but that is just a small problem to deal with.

The largest problem Blue Remain has, was probably the lack of budget. Some scenes are ridiculously simple, such as, using less details for the environment by making it dark enough so that you cannot make out the details and spotlighting one of the three brain characters every time they spoke. An annoying sound also plays with the spotlight, so it was like playing a game of “guess who is talking.” When a “bling” sound plays, you go looking to see which brain is lit up. Even though the animation is not the highest quality possible, it works, and that is the most important part that needs to be considered.

The Breakdown
ArtsMagicDVD keeps releasing titles that are better than the other. At this rate, I am certain that they will have another title to top Blue Remains… I think they have already :) (The Bird People in China).

Synopsis
Wada, a Japanese salary man, is sent by his company to investigate claims of a priceless vein of jade in a small chinese village. On his arrival, Ujjie, a yakuza who is owed by Wada’s company, accosts him and intends to take the debt out of the jade.

Guided by an old Chinese explorer, Shen, who forgets where the village actually is, they set off on an overwhelming adventure that will change their lives forever.

Review
From the superb directing skills of Takashi Miike comes “The Bird People of China,” a true masterpiece. This movie contains a mixture of elements that are essential for any show to be extraordinarily successful and special. Humor, drama, action, mixed with a bit of imagination on both parts (viewer and creator) and an attractive story. As a matter of fact the story pulls you in right from the start as Mr. Wada says one of the most interesting lines I have ever heard. “I’ve slept more than 10,000 times, but I’ve never dreamt of flying like a bird.” I know this line means something, but I just cannot break it down to parts in which I can comprehend. Maybe I am thinking too much of it, but there has got to be a legitimate reason for Miike to input the line in the movie.

For those who are not familiar with Takashi Miike. He directed other works, such as, Audition, and Ichi the Killer. Both are sick, sadistic and gruesome, but The Bird People of China has none of that goriness. This was a side of Miike that was brand new to me. I was conditioned to expect something violent, but instead was given a delightful piece to enjoy.

They moral of the story? I believe it is the fact that you have to attempt to try something, before deeming it an impossible task to do. In the end, dreaming is everything you would want and would like to do in reality. Therefore you cannot dream of flying like a bird, as flying like a bird symbolizes freedom. You as a human being is always locked up by laws and the rules of society. This could be defined by a quote from Jean Jacque Rousseau that goes, “Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains.” Hence flying like a bird is the lowest in your priorities. Oh wow, I just broke down the phrase I could not a paragraph or so ago :P.

The Breakdown
The Bird People In China is the best ArtsMagicDVD release so far, keep them coming bud!

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
Mix Juice, a hot new girl band, is managed by Michael Hanagata… a man who would do anything for success! But he’s underestimated how serious the girls are about making their dreams come true! No matter what he throws at them, they’ll do whatever t takes to “make it!” And they’ll do it with a smile. Destiny takes a turn, when Mix Juice hooks up with Dr. Susumo Tsukumo, a boy genius scientist, who wants the girls to be the first band on the moon. Will their career soar or plummet? Will perky Kiku #8 keep them safe or drive them crazy!? One thing is for sure: there’s never a dull moment when you’re chasing your dreams Wandaba Style!

Review
What in the world is Wandaba exactly? It is like Excel Saga and Puni Puni Poemi gone proper, which is a good thing. This crazy zany show is officially better than any of the loco shows out there. I mean there are girls, comedy, and girls and comedy and girls and more comedy. What more do you need? Absolutely nothing, as you toss in the fact that these girls will have to perform on the moon with the assistance of a genius scientist kid, Dr. Tsukumo. In each episode, Dr. Tsukumo attempts to send Mix Juice to the moon utilizing natural means, but it ends up with a calculation error or another as they fail to land on the moon. With these strange girls and their wacky characters, a lot of amusement is created. I just love how this show keeps its sanity within the insanity. If that make sense or not :).

The Wandaba theme will give any viewer a bad case of earworms; I mean it just hits you without you even noticing. Soon enough, you will bop to the theme, every time they go Wandaba Style. This show is hilarious, Kiku #8 is a real treat, and she keeps everything calm even when Mix Juice was facing a life and death situation. But then, her energy ran out on them without telling them how to control the ship back to Earth. Whoa was that a sight to see, when the girls go wild out on the ship.

This blend of comedy and craziness is finally right. The various personalities will have you wondering why all the other shows like this cannot be like this. You know, be entertaining and comprehendible? That is one thing most of these shows lack, since every attention is paid to try to get a cheap chuckle out of the viewer. Wandaba Style is no cheap chuckle; you will find yourself laughing out loud and at the same time loving what you are watching.

The Breakdown
With a full cast of fun characters, along with a tremendous amount of laughs dished out. Wandaba Style will make a mark in 2005! Watch for it.

Synopsis
The last thing Kei remembers is the train running over his body, crushing him. Now he finds himself in a room filled with strangers, all recently deceased, all resurrected by the strange black sphere known only as Gantz.

Their reprieve from death may only be temporary, however. Unless they complete the brutal missions that Gantz assigns, none of them will live long enough to leave the room. Is this strange ‘afterlife’ real, or just a dream? All Kei and the others know is that if they fail the mission, they will all die again.

Review
In this advance screener review I will just go over the concept of Gantz. Since only two episodes were included in the DVD, I cannot make a full assessment of the show, other than from what I have seen at this early stage. So let us start it off. This show is gory, but at the same time it manages to maintain a fun atmosphere. What I am most fond of Gantz is that it is exciting; to the point where you feel like you want to be in the world with them. Gantz achieves this because it plays like a game. And most of us have a gamer in us, therefore we tend to attract to the show immediately. This game we call Gantz is like the Matrix, or any adventure game, where the goal is to seek and destroy the designated target(s). If you fail to obliterate the target within the time limit… something bad will happen. (I do not know what will happen since the one hour limit has not full elapsed yet in episode two :P).

The animation is amazing, astonishing, astounding and much more. A simple word cannot do its justice. The sound is great, but the opening theme is just senseless. The story so far is very interesting and has gotten me anxiously waiting for the full version of volume one to be released. Gantz is flat out impressive as I am completely addicted to it. Let us go onto the main characters a bit now.

There are three main characters: Kei Kurono, Masaru Kato, and Kei Kishimoto. Kei Kurono was a brave boy, but as time passed, he became less impulsive and more cowardice. He would stand back when he feels threatened by a situation, and is a bit of a hentai too. But what can we do, he is probably going to be the main focus of the three later on. Masaru Kato is Kei Kurono reversed. He was a shy boy, but now he will stand for what he believes is right. Kato is tough looking, but deep inside he still needs to convince himself badly in order for his body to act. Kei Kishimoto is a sexy babe oops, I mean she is hot, err, I mean she is a character that tried to commit suicide as she was taking a bath and winds up naked in front of a group of dead men that were brought to the Gantz. As she regains her consciousness, she almost gets raped by one of the yakuza in the apartment, but was saved by Kato.

The first mission these players have to accomplish is to kill some onion loving alien. It all seemed too easy as the players except the three main characters destroyed Onion Boy, whom only wanted to eat his onions. But when they thought it was over, the real deal just begins as the father of Onion Boy shows up and sees that his son is blown into pieces. At this moment, the second episode comes to an end and I am left with this show in my mind through my Christmas week. Oh how nice of ADV Films to do that to me :).

The Breakdown
When the show began, I immediately knew it was a show for me. Gantz was more than I expected and it certainly deserves all the hype it is receiving; as it strikes you to a point where a luxury (anime) becomes a necessity (Gantz).

Synopsis
The next level of man’s evolution is through the brain. One day we will be able to attach our minds directly to a machine and control it with our thoughts. As science further advances at an alarming pace, the entire city of Tokyo has become the guinea pig of experimental research as unethical clinical trials are conducted amongst its innocent populace. Who will defend us when the government is in on this scheme? The fate of Tokyo rests in the two hands of one maverick woman.

Review
Baku-ten, short for Bakuretsu Tenshi, first aired on April 6, 2004. The English title is Burst Angel or Explosive Angel referring to Joe’s alias: the angel from Hell. Blasts and smoke are always left in her wake. Lara Croft Tomb Raider eat your heart out! No one can mess with Joe and expect to come back in one piece.

The official Japanese flash site is http://www.baku-ten.com where you’ll find character biographies and incomplete story information. The website is largely under construction with no special wallpapers. It is like it was abandoned an no longer updated. Bandai’s site http://www.b-ch.com/contents/bakuten/index.html can finished episode descriptions with a small screenshot.

The Breakdown
Everybody loosey!

Synopsis
Enter Sawamura Seiji. He has spent the last 17 years and two months of his entire life without a girlfriend. His record now stands at 20 rejections. Well with a reputation as Mad Dog Sawamura and his Devil’s Right Hand, it is far from easy to find a girl that will accept him. They are either afraid of him or see him as a delinquent. Is he doomed to spend the rest of his life with only his right hand as his lover? There is more truth to this statement than it seems when magically out of nowhere a miniature girl is affixed to where his hand used to be.

Review
Midori no Hibi is one of the latest and by far the best of the romance animes of 2004. It is the most bizarre idea ever that can only be made possible in the anime world. A beautiful girl, not to mention naked, attached to where your fingers and right palm once were. This takes the mysterious dream girl appearing out of nowhere animes like Ah! My Goddess and Ai Yori Aoshi to a whole new level. It is like the story of sleeping beauty minus the annoying dwarves where Midori, who is incredibly shy in real life, finally gets her wish granted to confess to Seiji her true feelings about him. Seiji, Midori’s prince, must first cope with his new lifestyle with a talking right arm and find a way to merge Midori back to her original body.

The official website is simple enough, http://www.midorinohibi.com. On the front page is a cute picture of Seiji wearing the scarf Midori knitted for him.

The Breakdown
Seiji for life! Seiji Zakkon!