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Synopsis
Kaoru Hanabishi just wanted to help. Aoi Sakuraba just wanted to find her first love. They never realized they were looking for each other. Ever since their arranged marriage 18 years ago, Aoi had been in love with Kaoru, but she traveled to Tokyo to meet him when she learned the marriage had been called off. While Kaoru’s impressed by Aoi’s loyalty, innocence and beauty, to accept her affection, he might have to return to the Hanabishi Clan and the emotional and physical pain he suffered during his childhood… Their self-control and their love will be put to the test when she moves in and he tries to stay a gentleman!

Review
Here in Ai Yori Aoshi (Bluer than Indigo), we are put into what seems to be a modern anime version of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. There are two families, Hanabishi and Sakuraba. Hanabishi Kaoru, who ran away from the Hanabishi family, is a college student who has supported himself ever since he left the Hanabishi. Sakuraba Aoi, is a childhood friend of Kaoru and she was arranged a marriage with Kaoru at a very young age. The arranged marriage was later cancelled, because of what had happened. Aoi, a very well mannered young lady cannot possibly forget someone who she have spent her childhood years so happily with. She even promised to herself that Kaoru will be the only person that she will love. With this state of mind, Aoi runs away from her home, the Sakuraba in hopes to find her childhood sweet heart Kaoru.

Having only a little memo with Kaoru’s address on it, Aoi arrives and she immediately notices the difference of lifestyles. As she looks for help, she gets bumped by someone and falls to the floor. Kaoru helps her up, but Aoi does not know who this person is. Being a kind person that Kaoru is, he continues to help Aoi to find the person she is looking for and he does exactly just that.

I stated above that Ai Yori Aoshi seems to be a modern anime version of Romeo and Juliet, because we have two families whose statuses are similar, and two lovers who are separated, because of their status difference in the present time of the show. I said, ‘Seems,’ because Aoi and Kaoru get to see each other, and be with each other, but they have to keep their relationship hidden or else it will cause uproar within the Sakuraba.

Kaoru is no longer a member of Hanabishi; therefore he is a person without any status. Without the status of the successor of the Hanabishi family, the Sakuraba family will not hand over their daughter to a nobody. The husband of Aoi will become the president of the Sakuraba. This is where Ai Yori Aoshi separates from Romeo and Juliet. Both families do not dislike each other. This was shown, because of the childhood memories that Aoi and Kaoru possess. If that was the case, Aoi and Kaoru would not have played with each other when they were kids.

When Ai Yori Aoshi first appeared, it was often compared to Love Hina. The first thing I noticed that was different from Love Hina is what others have been saying as well. Ai Yori Aoshi is definitely a more matured version of Love Hina. The way I see mature is how the main character is not being kicked around and have things done to him that would have normally killed anyone. That is where the maturity is at, when people hear that (Ai Yori Aoshi is a more matured version of Love Hina) they start to think it has more fan service. To me the fan service of both series are quite on the same level if not equal.

The Breakdown
Break down? I will have a break down if volume two does not come soon enough!

Synopsis
Surrounded only by his inventions, Techno doesn’t really interact with other people much. However, one day, a girl attempts to ‘break into’ his fortress. This hapless passerby, a girl named Hitomi, becomes the object of his affection. Techno decides to name her ‘Daisy,’ and begins planning to make her his, using all his skills as an inventor and scientist to win her heart.

Review
Since I began watching anime (all those years ago ^^), my friends have been saying nothing but good things about this series. So I had high expectations for it, and it actually lives up to most of them. It is actually alot
funnier than I was told. From Techno replacing his teacher with a robot that shoots lasers from her eyes to him kidnapping Hitomi for a ski trip (in Siberia, of all places), Techno’s cluelessness is just hilarious. But other than this silliness, this is just another romantic comedy. But in the midde of the series, Techno makes such huge error (which I can’t tell you..it’ll ruin the story ^^) and from then on the story truely gets interesting. However from that point it also speeds up to a breakneck pace, stuffing what could have been 10 episodes into only six. But in the end, this is really a
creative and very funny series, which has not got the attention that it so richly deserves.

The Breakdown
Wonderful, creative anime! It doesn’t go amazingly beyond the surface of the characters (other than Techno), but it is a fun diversion.

Synopsis
Lupin, Jigan, Goemon, and Fujiko are back for their ninth movie adventure! Lupin has been trusted with a mystical Twilight diamond which, as legend has it, is the key to an amazing treasure. So the whole gang heads off to Morocco to get rich. However, they will have to dodge the ever-present Inspector Zenigata and a new organization that is only out for one thing… Lupin’s head!

Review
Wow…I never thought I would say this about a Lupin movie, but I’m a bit unimpressed. Heck, I’m even going to say that I was disappointed. Lupin is my favorite anime character of all time, but this just isn’t even close to the best of his adventures. No one expects a Lupin film to make too much sense, but this flimsy tale is both underwritten and badly paced. The chase scenes (always a wonderful Lupin mainstay) generate little excitement, and the fights lack the flair that is normally present in the series. Although Lupin III remains one of the most greatest franchises in anime history, Twilight Gemini ranks among the least of the his adventures.

The Breakdown
It’s decent and worth a watch for true fans, but I would recommend The Castle of Cagliostro for newbies to Lupin.

Synopsis
Hideki, or Motosuwa-kun, is a 18 year old farmer who decides one day to become a Tokyo University student. He moves to Japan’s capital in order to attend a preparatory class for the entrance exam. Upon arrival almost like a tourist, he is awed by the fact that everyone has their own Persocon: a robot, no more like an android since they resemble the human anatomy, that acts as their personal servant helping out in daily chores form carrying groceries to home cleaning. They are more like computers since each persocon has it’s own built in hard drive, and they can instantly send and receive e-mail to one another. Hideki stumbles upon what appears to be a discarded persocon lying near a dumpster and decides to bring it home. After turning it on, the first word she says is ‘Chii.’

Review
Although it’s from a different anime series, I’d like to quote from Episode 11 of To Heart because I believe it captures the philosophical questions prevalent in Chobits perfectly: Man: ‘What’s the difference between a machine and a human? Machines are made by humans, but that’s not the case with humans. But, come to think of it, living creatures are in fact creations. Coincidence, environment, and nature…What’s your opinion? About the differences between humans and machines? For one thing a machine is incapable of thinking. It can only act out the program it has been given. No matter how successful a machine is, it can never become human.

‘Hiroyuki-san: ‘Whether we are talking about pigeons or robots, if it can laugh or cry or just enjoy being with you…If it’s something like that, that’s good enough for me.’

The Breakdown
Chi is adorable. When Hideki found her she was not pre-programmed with an OS. So raising Chi correlates to raising any human child. It is cute watching Chi’s reactions to Hideki explaining the meaning of certain phrases and places. When we first meet her, she mimics Hideki’s movements. But as she becomes proficient in her vocabulary and understanding, we see her steadily become more and more human.

Synopsis
Now this one is an oldie (but it’s good). Made in 1982, Otaku no Video (Fan’s Video) is a ‘mockumentary’ of sorts, and also a thinly veiled history of Gainex. It mocks those crazy fools who love anime. It stars a college student named Kubo who HATES those damn anime geeks. But then he runs into his old high-school friend Tanaka, who is a big GEEK. So, he’s gets led into the world of anime, SF, and even cosplay (yay!). After facing rejection from the rest of the world because of his love for anime, Kubo decides that he must fosake the world and live soley on anime. He will become an ‘Otaking’!

Review
Actually, this is two movies in one, the orginal ‘Otaku no Video 1982 and the sequel ‘More Otaku no Video 1985. These movies are great for any true anime fan, the literal meaning of the title being ‘Your Video’. Although it starts out a bit critical of otaku, which is shown through the ultimate ‘loser-ness’ of Tanaka’s anime group and Kubo losing his girlfriend because of anime in ‘1982, it changes mindsets in ‘1985 when Kubo decides to become the ‘Otaking’.

Also, there are a huge amount of in-jokes for old-school anime fans, so many in fact that AnimEigo included six pages of linear notes describing them and an address to which you can send any more that you see in the movie.

There are also interviews with ‘real otaku’ (I haven’t yet figured out whether they are real or not) about the how they are/were otaku, and how being an otaku has affected their life.

However, near the end of the anime, things become very silly and segue into a strange Sci-Fi adventure

Overall, these movies are the ultimate combination of all that is ‘Otaku’, from the many, many reference to old anime and Japanese culture, to the crazy storyline and slightly frightening interviews. It’s even more fun to watch it with friends and see who ‘gets’ the most in-jokes.

The Breakdown
This is a amazingly fun old-school trip. Heck, it’s even a history lesson of sorts. Go and get this ASAP!

Synopsis
Hi there! I’m Honda Tohru. In May of this year, I lost my mother who raised me all by herself in a traffic accident. After that incident I’ve come to live secretly in a tent. It’s definitely not too comfortable, but that’s alright! Since one of my mottos is ‘Never quit under any circumstances!’

Review
‘Long, long ago, Kami-sama [God] told all the animals, ‘I invite all of you to a party tomorrow. And on no account be late.’ When the mischievous mouse heard that, he told a lie to his neighbor, the cat, that the meeting was to take place the day after tomorrow. The next day, the mouse rode on the ox’s back and arrived in front of the meeting place. After that the ox, the tiger, and so forth had a fun time there until morning except for the cat that was fooled.’

‘Why are you crying Tohru?’

‘That’s so sad! I feel so sorry for the cat! I know what I want to do, instead of a dog I want to be a cat!’

The Breakdown
26 episodes full of the ideal mix of humor and drama.

Synopsis
Anime show ‘Onegai Teacher’ started airing on January 10, 2002 on WOWOW. The show’s heroine Kazami Mizuho - an alien observation specialist - is played by the voice of hugely popular voice actress Kikuko Inoue. -CDJapan

Review
Onegai Teacher will always be one of my favorite titles. This is one of those OAV’s, where the director just wants to give what the fans want. The 7th Mail does a fine job bringing what the fans want, by displaying relationships that are in the TV series and extend upon it. Of course this final episode to the first series is not only about that. Our buddy Kei seems to have problems with our lovely teacher Kazami Mizuho. Well, both Kei and Mizuho are kind of shy and they still have not done what married couples do. What is better than having his mother in law, Hatsuho, stepping in, and give a little hand to the two?

The whole episode was all fun as it displays Kei being spotted by all of his best friends with a girl (something he did not want). One of his friends, Matagu made a big deal out of it, because he still does not have a girlfriend. That is when he gets teleported to the storage room by Hatsuho. Mizuho was everything but happy when she found out about her mother holding Kei’s hand and taking him into a hotel. Even Maho was going out with Kei until Matagu came in and confronted the two.

I did mention this OAV is all about fun right? As episode thirteen comes to a close, we get a little surprise from Hatsuho. Although the real ending comes after the end credits roll. I hope One * 2 will be as good as Onegai Teacher.

The Breakdown
Bandai Entertainment has licensed this series and scheduled a release date of somewhere around April. Keep those pennies saved, as this is a series you don’t want to miss if you are a fan of shounen type anime.

Synopsis
Powerful Demons and beautiful, noble Guardians have battled for Earth since the dawn of time. Ages ago, the arrogant Demons enslaved humans, while the Guardians fought for human freedom. A deep hatred burns between Demon and Guardian; the Guardians know the Demons thirst for blood and power would destroy humanity and the world itself.

Neo-Shinjuku, 2089 - few Demons or Guardians remain to continue their epic war. Humans rule the Earth, with no real memory of the Demons or Guardians. Yet, deep within the dark underworld of the city, the supreme Demon is still alive and plotting, once again, to overtake mankind. Only one Guardian is left to do battle, and the fate of the human race hangs in the balance.

Review
Wow, this is a short one. It’s another one from Director Hisahi Abe (Vampire Hunter D), which means lots a pale people, black backrounds, nudity, and very bloody fights.

Although the opening narration tells of the Great Mother creating demons and guardians, humans are transformed into demons through bioengineering. As he’s celebrating his engagement, Eiji, a pharmaceutical researcher, suddenly changes into a disgustingly nasty monster, but is caught by the nastily incestious brother/sister team of Chen and Huang Long, who take him to a sex club and feed him prostitutes (how nice!).

Eiji is part of an experiment conducted by Mr. Takamiya, the master demon. Enter Tsunami Shijyo, Guardian, demon hunter, and ‘fire manipulator’. He’s hired by Eiji’s fiacee, Shizuka, to find him as she goes out to find (and kill) him herself.

I don’t want to tell anymore…but only because it’s just not worth it. The story has so much potential, but isn’t allowed to develop. No backround story is given for any of the characters, they just kind of…exist. In this aspect it reminds me of X/1999. But overall, this was a horrid, sub-par flick. I actually enjoyed watching the trailers more than the anime. However this may just be because I am not a huge fan of this genre. I would say only get this if you are a either a die-hard genre fan, or a die-hard Hisashi Abe fan.

The Breakdown
If you are truely desperate for a man vs. demon anime/manga, I’d recommend Ogre Slayer

Synopsis
Junta has a problem: he’s deathly allergic to girls! All this changes when a beautiful woman arrives from the future and transforms him into the super-suave Mega-Playboy. But the transformation is unstable, and if Junta can’t unravel the time traveler’s mystery, he (and the fate of the world) will never be the same!

Review
As it was said in the synopsis, Junta Momonari has a serious issue when it comes to girls. He stutters, and pukes, making him not an idealistic partner that any girl would love. Junta’s life of puking and stuttering are kind of over as Karin Aoi travels back in time from the future to prevent the mega playboy from awakening and create the over population problem that the future is currently experiencing by shooting him with a DCM (DNA Control Medicine) bullet. Things seem to go right, until she finds out that she used the wrong DCM bullet and actually helped in awakening the mega playboy than preventing it.

Now what? Junta now has two different personalities, since his mega playboy genes still is not in full swing. When he sees a girl’s tears or situations where he feels a sense of sadness from the girl, the mega playboy comes out, then, after a while it vanishes. I did say that his puking and stuttering days were kind of over, because after his mega playboy mode goes off, he returns to the original Junta who stutters and pukes when he sees things that excite him (pornography, etc.). Karin of course tries to correct her mistake, but she also almost falls for the mega playboy Junta.

This first volume is not what I had expected. There were not much comedy or it was that I just do not have a good sense of humor. The only reason why I stayed through the seventy five minutes was, because I am a fan of series in this genre (shounen).

The Breakdown
This title certainly was not what I had expected. I thought it was going to be better. However the future to past romance theme of DNA2 is quite interesting. Let us just hope that the next volume will be better than the first.

Synopsis
Set in medieval Japan, Miyazaki’s original story envisions a struggle between nature and man. The march of technology, embodied in the dark iron forges of the ambitious Tatara clan, threatens the natural forces explicit in the benevolent Great God of the Forest and the wide-eyed, spectral spirits he protects. When Ashitaka, a young warrior from a remote, and endangered, village clan, kills a ravenous, boar-like monster, he discovers the beast is in fact an infectious ‘demon god,’ transformed by human anger. Ashitaka’s quest to solve the beast’s fatal curse brings him into the midst of human political intrigues as well as the more crucial battle between man and nature.

Review
This epic, animated 1997 fantasy has already made history as the top-grossing domestic feature ever released in Japan, where its combination of mythic themes, mystical forces, and picturesqe visuals tapped deeply into cultural identity and contemporary, ecological anxieties.

Miyazaki’s slightly twisted fable is clearly not the stuff of kiddie flicks, nor is the often graphic violence depicted during the battles that ensue. If some younger viewers (or less attentive older ones) will wish for a diagram to sort out the players, Miyazaki’s amazing world and its lush visual design are reasons enough to watch.

I find the characters to be the most intriguing part of this expansive feature however. None of them are perfectly black and white. Ashitake may be seem to be a standard ‘good guy’, but he does have a demon living within him; Lady Eboshi is destroying the enviroment and killing off the forest gods, but she is suprisingly kind to the prostitutes and lepers that she has rescued from other cites, and they love her for that.

Princess Mononoke is not your standard ’style over substance’ anime. It not only looks magnificent, but has an intriguing story as well. A definate ‘must see’!

The Breakdown
Great movie, although I’d recommend it for kids 12 and up.