Hellsing

CLANNAD

CLANNAD is pure moe, whether that is a good quality or not is really depends on ones view of the moe craze that has more or less dominated anime for the last four to five years or so. The proceedings are quite straightforward, and occur in a way that makes the series visual novel origins painstakingly obvious at points; set a high school (where else?) a self professed "delinquent" spends his free time helping moe archetype girls with their wide array of emotional, social or psychological problems. Emotion and melodrama, built around many a tear jerking moment is the name of the game here, and to it's credit, the staff/studio behind CLANNAD(who also helmed the moe cornerstones Air and Cannon) have gotten this down to a kind of science. CLANNAD takes a while to get into, the slow pacing(agonizing at points) and some gag inducing over-the-top cute shtick doesn't help matters either, but it can also be quite absorbing and at times, rather funny. The characters, especially the main and his tag along rambunctious friend, have enough personality, quirks and air of natural likability that one invests in their various dilemmas and exploits. The animation is crisp and fluid and the writing, especially in several story arches is solid. Moe enthusiasts will eat it up, haters will wretch and newbies will likely be dumbstruck, in short ClANNAD isn't for everyone, but patient viewers who don't mind the genre will find it a worthwhile view.

Grade: B-/B

Reviewed: episodes 1-23 (complete) Format: English Sub, DVD.

Maburaho

Has far as anime goes, Maburaho scrapes the bottom of the barrel, and is the type of show that gives the medium a bad name in some circles. Plot wise it's similar to Negima (add your own punctuation at the end) or The Familiar of Zero in the fact that it primarily takes place at magical school/school of magic and has a mild mannered male protagonist with latent powers surrounded by gorgeous women. A Harry Potter Harem if you will. In this case we have the ridiculously bland spineless nice guy protagonist who is the black sheep of his school, seeing how he can only use magic a handful of times before he dies. It is surprising then(actually, no not really) when the school hotties throw themselves at him because, as it turns out he has the blood of the greatest wizards in history running through him, so if he were to produce an offspring with a one of the girls.......yeah I think you see were this is going. What follows is an utterly pointless fanservice comedy with obnoxious characters that are nothing more than cardboard cut outs of genre staples and some of the most lazy writing and storytelling Ive witnessed in anime(that is really saying something...).
The only appeal I can see this show having is for it's fan service, which isn't that titillating to begin with. If its a fanservice/ecchi/harem show your looking for you can do so much better.

Grade: F

Reviewed: episodes 12/24 Format: English Dub, DVD.

Nerima Daikon Brothers

Hideki is a poor daikon farmer who lives with his trampy cousin Mako and his soft spoken, effeminate brother Ichiro, the trio long to be music superstars but don't posses the funds to break into the big time. Thus the plot revolves around the trio's schemes/attempts to get there hands on enough cash to realize their dreams; although they are constantly being scammed by various villains who the characters eventually take revenge apon and unwittingly help those who were also victimized.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that this is a musical. Yes, elaborate song and dance numbers often break out at random in this oddball comedy by Excel Saga director Wantanabe. As awesome as a anime musical by Wantanabe might sound, the end result is less than stellar. Wantanabe's directorial style that worked so well in Excel Saga, Puni Puni Poemy and The Wallflower falls flat here, the jokes tend to be more miss than hit, gags are endlessly recycled and series crass sexually oriented humor is sometimes funny and but some scenes(particularly in the first episode) are far more squirm inducing and unpleasant than humorous. Perhaps the biggest issue is the extremely repetitive episode structure that quickly becomes stale and renders the proceedings largely uninteresting after the first four or five episodes.

To be fair Nerima Daikon Brothers isn't a total flop; some of the humor is genuinely funny, there was one moment in particular were I had to hit the pause button because I was laughing so hard. Likewise while the musical numbers are a mixed bag, the ones that work are pretty clever and irresistibly fun. It's moments like these that showcase this shows true potential, ah, what could have been.

Grade: C-/C

Reviewed: episodes 7/12 Format: English Dub, DVD.

BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad

One certainly doesn't have to be knowledgeable of rock or a musician themselves to enjoy BECK, but it would certainly enhance the experience. BECK is an utterly compelling, exhilarating homage to the rock and roll mythos that takes place in Japan, but really could have taken place anywhere(that's not a knock on it, rather it shows how universally appealing the story and it's subject matter are). Indeed, with BECK, I sometimes forgot I was watching an anime altogether, the story, script and characters would do just as well in a live action tv series .

Koyuki is Japanese teenager who is a good guy, but on the meek side and nothing to show for himself. His life is forever changed when he incidentally crosses paths with Ryusuke, a street smart, charismatic sixteen year old who used play guitar for a famous American band, but since then has spent his time playing for unsuccessful groups in the local underground rock scene. After several chance meetings with Ryusuke, Koyuki begins hanging out with him and his new, fledgling band Beck, while teaching himself guitar. After his eventual acceptance into Beck, Koyuki pursues his passion while riding the turbulent ups and downs with his fellow bandmates while simultaneously experiencing the growing pains of adolescence and young love.

While BECK is still a underdog story a heart, it never less is very realistic in its portrayal of the band's journey from obscurity to "success". This realism and grittiness makes the characters up's and down's even more dramatically and emotionally charged then they normally would be. On the same note, the writing for BECK, especially in the dialogue department is excellent, as is the flawless (and superior) English dub. Likewise, the series boasts excellent production values seen in the top notch animation and most of all the abundance of original music created specifically for the show. The character development results in a core cast of characters that are simply fantastic, by the time the show ends you'll miss them quite a bit. The only two detractors for this stellar anime is the open ended conclusion that fails in giving a true sense of closure and then there are several weak episodes that are hurriedly paced and shoddily put together. Besides these relatively small complaints BECK is a winning, unforgetable anime that is refreshingly original in its execution and content while containing some of the best characters and drama ive seen in awhile in an anime. A definite must see.

Grade: A

Reviewed: episodes 1-26(complete) Format: English Dub, DVD.

Green Green

Impressive title aside, I went into Green Green expecting at the very best a saucy, funny yet poignant coming of age romcom set in the freedom of the great outdoors and at the very least a fun,sexy and occasionally sweet fanservice comedy. I soon found out that both my expectations were set way to high.

Set in the serene, heavily wooded wilderness of rural Japan, an all boys academy is in the process of being transitioned to co-ed, so the officials use the summer as a opportunity to try and integrate the two sexes. The story centers around a mild mannered male lead who is actually a step up from most shows of this ilk who is surprised, to say the least to find out that one of the gals who just arrived is claiming to have traveled from the future(where they were lovers) to be with him.

That really is all the plot that one needs to know about. While the male lead may be slightly better than average, his friends more than make up for this improvement by nearly destroying the entire show by themselves, they are beyond obnoxious and uncomfortably creepy and pervy to such a degree that their antics(which take up a way to much screen time) are jaw-dropping in their bad -taste and sometimes downright unsettling. They are made out to be sympathetic characters, which adds a whole new unpleasant vibe into the mix, you begin to dislike the main character for even associating with them. Green Green tries to be romantic and sweet, and sometimes it actually is, but the series remains firmly entrenched in the gutter, with its non-stop fanservice(which is actually pretty well done as far as fanservice goes), a hand full of squirm inducing situations that you really have to see to believe and incessant preoccupation with sex, one begins to wonder why they didn't just take the leap and make the show into a full blown hentai.

Green Green isn't terrible, its actually works rather smoothly from time to time,but anyway you look at it its a mediocre show, sure the ridiculous fanservice and ecchi humor are above and beyond the norm(which is good and bad) and it's never really dull but on the other hand it never escapes the feel of a low rent show employing outrageous content in order to distract viewers from its blandness and numerous short comings.

Grade: C

Reviewed: episodes 1-12(complete) Format: English Sub, DVD.

xxxHolic

Watanuki has had to live his life with the curse of being able to see and interact with spirits, turning him into a magnet for the supernatural. This understandably is quite a burden to bare, especially for a teenager who's orphaned, living by himself and attending high school. On particularly bad day while trying to evade spirits, he stumbles a across a mysterious shop and meets the owner, a sultry witch named Yuko who sells "wishes" to the troubled souls who happen upon her shop. Yuko agrees to take away Watanuki's ability, but in return he must work for her in the shop until his debt is paid in full.

Ones of studio CLAMP's most well known series, xxxHolic is fantasy series that focuses on traditional Japanese folk lore and is structured episodically, with an episode or arc focusing on one of Yuko's client's or the characters interacting with supernatural beings or places. There are few action scenes to be found in Holic, instead the series relies on it's characters to tell the story/advance the plot, in that respect some viewers may be put off by it's slower pace. I was surprised by xxxHolic, I put off seeing it for quite some time,but I am very glad I did, there is much to like about Holic; its interesting take on folk lore, a refreshing worldview rare in anime, memorable characters; especially Yuko who is probably one of the most entertaining and unique female protagonists Ive seen in a while and finally it's just a hugely enjoyable, original show despite a couple arcs/standalone episodes that weren't up to snuff.

Grade:A-

Reviewed: episodes 1-24 Format: English Dub, DVD.

Karin

Based on the Chibli Vampire manga, Karin is a fun, wholly entertaining romantic comedy that happens to involve vampires. They are not the same vampires we are used to , yes they suck blood and such, but the mythology is pretty much turned on its head after that, so vampire purists are best to leave their scrutiny at the door going into this series. The plot of Karin greatly resembles that of Fruits Baskets only with the genders reversed, an guy who has it pretty rough(his well meaning mom's somewhat of a deadbeat and as a result they live in poverty) meets a shy, nice girl named Karin at school and eventually discovers her embarrassing secret; she is a unvampire, she makes blood in large quantities rather than sucking it, so (again very much like Fruits Baskets) when her blood level reaches high levels or she experiences intense stress or comes in contact with a member of the opposite sex, blood comically geysers everywhere. Our male protagonist naturally befriends her and helps her keep her condition(and identity as a vampire) secret. Has the couples friendship grows, the more Karin's vampiric family becomes involved, unsure whether they can trust a mortal with their secret and their daughter's safety.
Karin starts out as a sweet, funny high school romance/slice of life with a supernatural bent, the characters (save for an unfortunate later addition who can get pretty irritating at times), especially Karin and her oddball family,are appealing. Later on the series throws in some nice dramatic content and twists and gets surprisingly serious and even a bit dark near the end, but this never feels forced or out of place and ends up working out very well for the series. It's actually refreshing to find an anime that isn't afraid to push the boundaries of it's genre a bit, and while Karin isn't free from genre/romcom/melodrama conventions, the overall feel is original and satisfying. In the end Karin is well worth your time.

Grade:B+

Reviewed: episodes 1-24 (complete) Format: English Dub, DVD.

This Ugly Yet Beautiful World

A rather low key offering from Studio Gainax, TUYBW tells the story of a teen boy who finds a girl in the local forest who seemingly fell from the sky, and discovers that her presence is upsetting the natural world around him; awaking ancient creatures intent on devouring her and also that he's been gifted with powers in order to protect her, but what purpose does she serve ? Despite feeling condensed and wearing its obvious enviromental message on it's sleeve, TUYBW is enjoyable, lightweight entertainment, aided by nice, crisp animation and generous helpings of fanservice/nudity. The characters, like the plot serve their purpose, but are largely forgetable. In the end not one of Gainax's best offerings but a good show none the less, worth a look, especially for fans of the studio.

Grade:B-

Reviewed:episodes 1-12(complete) Format: English Dub, DVD.

Shigurui: Death Frenzy

Death Frenzy is a accurate title for this numbing, only periodically entertaining orgy of violence and depravity. The series opens with a infamous tournament being held in feudal Japan where skilled warriors are pitted against each other in a battle to the death for the amusement of a rather demented ruler. One of the first pairs to fight are a blind man and a warrior missing an arm. It turns out the two have a deep hatred for one another that spans back many years, when they were both students of the same fighting style. The rest of the series goes back in time to show us how these hardened warriors met and the tragedies that befell.

Shigurui is atheistically well made, both the art style and soundtrack complement the setting greatly and are somewhat minimalist(especially the use of color ) for the most part, although the character models are very detailed. The story telling is also strong point of Shigurui, the unraveling tale aided by careful pacing. The two major problems with Death Frenzy are in its characters and the excessive graphic content.
Our two protagonists, while having their moments are bland and rather unlikeable. I'm certainly not saying characters must be tailored for audiences approval, but the way these two are presented leaves much to be desired, it is hard to feel anything strong for them, which is imperative since the whole plot revolves around them. The rest of the cast fare even worse, they come in two flavors, psychotic or simply evil. This leads me to my next big gripe, the pervasive and often gratuitous sadism and cruelty, the worst of it against women. It reminded me of the content found in some of Tashiki Miike's more extreme films like Ichi the killer, but lacking in the artistic creativity and black humor found in his work. I have nothing against graphic content in anime or film, and posses a stomach of iron, but Shiguri wades in it incessantly and certain scenes are clearly only meant for shock value, whats worse, none of it is presented with any creativity, humor or purpose, it just contributes to what is already an incredibly bleak series, making for a rather depressing and eventually unpleasant viewing experience. Well made and not without its moments, but not worth the ordeal.

Grade:C+

Reviewed: episodes 1-8(out of 12) Format: English Dub, DVD

Love Hina

Love Hina is one of most well known and popular harem series in anime, and not without reason. One of the most appealing aspects of Love Hina is that it is rooted in reality(as far as harem series go) there are no aliens, magical girls(unless you count Su)or supernatural elements. The main story involves typical nice guy Keitarou trying to fulfill a promise he made many years ago to a childhood sweetheart that they both would meet again has Tokyo University students. Now a young adult, Keitarou is understandably in a bind; hes a poor student trying to get into one of the most exclusive colleges in the world. In the meantime he is called on by family members to take over management of a quaint (all female) inn. It's at the family inn that he meets Naru, a beautiful girl around his age, who is trying to get in to Tokyo U based on a long ago promise as well, is Naru Keitarou's childhood sweetheart? Has the female population of the inn increases, hi jinks galore ensue.

Love Hina is based off the mega-popular manga, and I must say, is inferior to its source material, while it's a good anime in it's own right, it fails to capture all of the magic of the manga. With that issue aside, Love Hina is a very energetic, humorous romantic comedy that can be both charming and sentimental at turns. The cast, like the animation is bright and colorful. Naru makes for a excellent female co-lead, which brings me to the show's biggest problem; Keitarou himself.
At first you can't help but cheer him on and feel sorry for him, but after awhile, you end up being thoroughly annoyed by him. He fits the bill of a male harem lead much to well; he is a utter doormat, and completely lacking of a backbone. Kietarou's spinelessness becomes unspeakably frustrating, leading to moments were you just want to shut the tv off. There are also some completely unnecessary and pointless detours in the plot that don't exactly work in the show's favor as well. Despite it's disappointing shortcomings I would still gladly recommend Love Hina, taken has a whole, its an entertaining, fun anime and still one of the better offerings this genre has.

Grade: B

Reviewed:episodes 1-24(complete) Format: English sub, DVD

Afro Samurai

Western and Eastern pop-culture collide in this bloody, action packed tale of vengeance and the shonen placed importance of numerical rankings. After young Afro's dad is killed by a pistol toting baddie(delightfully played by a snarling Ron Peralman) in order to obtain his fathers number one ranked bandanna, the stoic Afro dedicates his life to cutting his way to the top of the bandanna chain and eventually slay his fathers killer. First of all, let me state that the production values on this thing are incredible, blowing countless other titles out of the water. Obviously an ish load of money was available for this production, and it shows; from the eye-poppingly fluid animation to the Rza soundtrack to the presence of Samuel Jackson proving the vocal talent for the near mute Afro and the relentless chatterbox that is his sidekick of sorts, Ninja-Ninja. Afro Samurai is a triumph of style over substance, the plot, besides the rather involving, exciting flashbacks to Afro's childhood, is completely throwaway, serving as a link to one evisceration to the next, the characters follow the same route ranging from completely badass, but still rather cardboard to horribly annoying. The show also makes the sin of wasting an awesome villain(Pealman's gunslinger), he gets maybe several minutes or so screen time, most of it in a disappointing final battle, the show creators instead thought it would be wise to introduce a pointless shadowy organization led by one of the most obnoxious characters I had the displeasure of seeing,What a missed opportunity. In conclusion, Afro Samurai is like many a mega budget Hollywood f/x blockbusters; unparalleled eyecandy and kick-ass wall to wall action,but that's all your getting, which, especially in Afro's case isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Grade: B-/B

Reviewed: episodes 1-5(complete) Format: DVD

Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu

The second entry into FMP! series drops the action/mecha and drama aspects from the original entry and focuses entirely on comedy, resulting in one of the funniest anime's I have seen. Sousuke Sagara continues his role as Kaname Chidori's "protector" while posing as a a student at her high school. Sousuke and Kaname have wonderful chemistry together and Fumoffu takes full advantage of this by following their daily(although I wouldn't say normal) high school lives and by putting the large, colorful FMP! cast in supporting roles. A great deal of the humor is elicited from the socially awkward, battle hardened Sousuke overreacting to benign situations and in the process causing all sorts of mayhem and general chaos, with the hair trigger tempered Kaname en route. While the show is solid, both content wise and from a technical point of view(the excellent animation remains from the original FMP!) several episodes are a bit flat and noticeably weaker than the collective whole, and there are one or two running gags I didn't really care for. This being said even if you aren't a FMP! fan, I honestly can't see anyone disliking this series. On the other hand, if you are a fan, this is chance to reunite with beloved characters in a hilarious, high energy comedy that despite losing its serious edge, still reminds the viewer why they love FMP! so much.

Grade:A-

Reviewed: episodes 1-15(complete) Format: English Dub, DVD

Gun X Sword vol. 1

Gun X Sword follows the adventures of a mysterious man who is seeking the killers of his bride on a planet where apparently everything resembles the wild west to some degree(trigun), and in the most gratuitous use of mecha i have seen, can call an all powerful mech from space for reasons still unclear. Our dashing hero's body has been lifted off Spike from Cowboy Bebop and his personality, Vash the Stampede(trigun yet again). In one his escapades, he saves a village from bandits and reluctantly acquires a spunky female sidekick who is probably the most interesting person in the show so far. In the four episodes on the disk, our protagonists get into one sticky situation after the other; the series takes itself somewhat seriously, but then they include a episode dealing with a cult of mustached men who are kidnapping women for wacky mating purposes, oh yah and their gigantic mustaches have special powers(I never thought I would see someone get slapped around with by a mustache...) WTF!? I almost stopped right there, but at least I stuck around because the last episode on the disk was actually the best. Gun X Sword is a Frankenstein anime assembled from various sources(trigiun being the most frequent donor) and it sometimes mistakes originality for uncomfortably bizarre going ons. In short its not a very good show, at least so far, at least there is one interesting episode, the animation is good and the proceedings/pacing are energetic, it could get better, but.....

Grade:C-/D+

Reviewed(vol 1: episodes 1-4) Format: English Dub, DVD.

Chobits

Chobits is sci-fi romantic-comedy that is aimed pretty squarely at male viewers, which is a significant departure for CLAMP. Hideki is a young adult who has recently moved from rural Japan into Tokyo to become a college student. One day he finds a beautiful persacom(android) laying in a trash heap next to his apartment complex, which is unusual seeing how persacoms are both expensive and popular. Naturally Hideki takes her home only to find her memory has been wiped clean, the only word she knows how to speak is "chi", which Hideki names her. Aided by several tech savvy friends, Hideki tries to unravel the mystery behind chi's origins while at the same time finding himself slowly falling for her. Chobits is in turns surprisingly less and just about as creepy as it sounds. As expected there is alot of fan-service and some unpleasant undertones, but as a whole Chobits is a nice, sometimes charming, slow paced piece of fluff. The series biggest weakness is the underlying plot that doesn't really become prominent until the latter half, while the revelation about chi is unexpected and interesting, the whole thing for the most part is handled clumsily, most notably in the end segment of the series which is poorly paced, leading to a forgettable climax/conclusion. Overall, I would recommend Chobits, it's a warmhearted romance, layered with humor, wrapped in a guilty pleasure.

Grade:B

Reviewed: episodes: 1-24(complete) Format: English Dub, DVD

Blue Gender

Wow, never before have I seen an anime series self-destruct so utterly and completely than Blue Gender, but it wasn't a quick fall, no Gender extends its suicide into a maddening dozen or so episodes. This wouldn't have bothered me in the least but Blue Gender showed some real promise(hence why I stuck around, holding out hope till the end, but alas). The sci-fi action series takes place in the post-apocalyptic future, were the human race has been devastated by a new species of called the blue (the look similar to the bugs of Starship Troopers) whose natural instinct seems to be the extinction of the human race. Has a result the last silvers of humanity live in a space station in Earth's orbit, but conduct military operations on the planets surface in order to obtain humans still in cryogenic sleep or "sleepers", whose role are essential to the human's survival. The first half of the show follows a small group of soldiers, lead by a hardened, icy woman called Marlene. They are charged with bringing a sleeper named Yugi back to the space station, which is a bit tough, seeing as they are cut off from their comrades in a land crawling with blue. While the first several episodes are a little iffy(Yugi starts off as a whiny little bitch, you just wish they would duct tape his mouth shut at some points) but out of nowhere the show really starts clicking, Yugi ends up being rather likable and Marlene goes through a nicely paced charter metamorphosis. The action scenes with the blue are messy and frenetic, the sci-fi storyline is gritter and more realistic than most sci-fi mecha series, which is a refreshing change of pace, a romantic chemistry builds between are leads and the show becomes pretty compelling in general. Oh, if only they just ended it at the halfway point...Once the mission is complete and the protagonist go to the space station, everything and I mean everything goes to hell. For and foremost, with utter disregard for being true to character ,Yugi' does a complete, 180 degree turn and for the rest of the series is a completely unlikeable,self absorbed, hair-pullingly obnoxious waste of screen time. Every other character except Marlene at this point (who is actually probably the reason I watched till the end.) are devoid of any remotely likable(or human) qualities. Unsurprisingly, the writing and plot departments take a free fall into the crapper. This slow, agonizing torture goes on for many episodes before the incredibly(but at this point I just wanted it to end) piss poor excuse for a climax/resolution that spares no expense with the dime store new age philosophizing. I will say that at least the ending, though cookie-cutter d was a happy one, and leaves the protagonists in a good place. Blue Gender was a horrible disappointment, to this day I'm still wondering what the hell happened, but at least the first half was great.

Grade:C (on the virtue of the first half)

Reviewed:episodes 1-26(complete) Format: English Dub, DVD

Welcome to the N.H.K

Welcome to the NHK is a dark comedy/character drama that both satirizes and seriously examines the more problematic, unseemly side of otaku culture as well as a troubling trend in Japanese youth. Sato is a 22 year old NEET (no job, no work experience, a recluse) who has a serious phobia of the outside world and as shut himself inside his dank, cluttered apartment(paid for by his parents). He believes/fantasies the the cause of his problems is a massive, nation-wide conspiracy aimed at turning japanese youth in recluses so the media will turn a hefty profit. Enter Misaki, an odd teenage girl who knows an unusual amount about Sato's life and is determined to turn him back into a productive member of society, although Misaki herself as quite a few issues of her own. Sato is both helped(and hindered) by several acquaintances from his high school days;his next door neighbor/best friend who is a hardcore otaku and aspiring erotic game developer, and a successful,yet troubled career woman who has shares a strong, intimate connection with Sato. The series benefits greatly from its small cast, each main characters is given a great deal of screen time and development. I have heard some criticize Welcome to the NHK , claiming it is overtly mean spirited to it's characters. I strongly disagree, while its true that the show goes to some dark places and puts the cast through the wringer, it is also incredibly humane and sympathetic to its cast. If anything Welcome to the NHK is rarity in anime, it treats its characters very realistically, it doesn't sugarcoat their problems or suffering. It is this attention to realism that probably turns some viewers off, its true that I found several segments of the show(mainly near the end) rather depressing and dark, however these moments were not unwarranted. While the show does finds humor in it's deeply flawed characters, it is never feels exploitative and you really grow to care and relate to them, this being said it also treats the cast with respect that is lacking in most other anime that deal/use these themes. Welcome to the NHK, despite some minor flaws involving animation quality and borderline filler in several episodes, is a well written, character driven series that is at turns funny, powerful and melancholic.

Grade: A

Reviewed: episodes 1-24(complete) Format: English Dub, DVD.

Shuffle!

In my review for the first volume of Shuffle!, I was largely unimpressed by the first four episodes of this moe harem series, I didn't hold out to much hope for improvement. Shockingly enough, Shuffle! does get better, I soon found myself pretty much addicted to it. Shuffle!'s plot is pretty much the standard for many a dating sim/hentai game(which it's actually based off), normal nice guy has his normal life turned upside down by a horde of beautiful women madly(and illogically) falling head over heels for him. Shuffle! adds a reverse-gender overfiendish bent to the mix, were the main competitors for the guys affections are the princess of heaven and the princess of the demon realm, seeking to make him their groom(unlike overfiend, no tentacles are involved). Has I stated in my first review, Sfuffle! is filled with cliches, but like the better harem series it has them glossed up and pretty much perfected. The odd thing about Shuffle! is that is it starts off mediocre and progressively gets better, leading up to a the series end segment, which, if your a harem or moe follower, is simply gangbusters; the series at this point makes a unexpected, ballsy move throwing in a jaw dropping, delightfully dark twist. While Shuffle! certainly inst for everyone(I doubt it has any sort of crossover potential to anime viewers who aren't accustomed to, or simply don't care for the genres Shuffle!represents), I was greatly entertained.
Grade: B/B+

Reviewed: 1-24(complete) Format:DVD, English Dub

Vandread

Since the days of space pioneering, men and women have been cut off from one another. They have developed their own seprate colonies and cultures, they are also mortal enemies. Welcome to the world of Vandread, which offers a original take on the mecha genre by pitting the two genders together in the ultimate battle of the sexes. The plot follows Hedeki, a boastful teen male who's a stowaway on a battleship that's off to engage the women, unfortunately it gets hijacked by an all female pirate ship. When a far greater threat against humanity as a whole comes into play, its up to the female pirates and their male captives to try to put aside their many differences and work as a team. Vandread's unusual premise has a lot of potential humor and promise, it's somewhat of a shame that its execution is simply better than average. The show never finds a calm, steady pace, and as a result feels a little choppy at times, unsure if it wants to be a straight up mecha show or a character/situation driven dramady. The shows strengths are obviously in the second department, the mecha action scenes are frankly, boring. It doesn't help that the The CGI is sometimes of very poor quality . This would be easy to look over but they are excessively frequent, leading to the idea that they serve more as episode filler than being actually integral to the story/plot. Despite this, Vandread is still a worth a look for its characters, original premise and humor.

Grade:B-

Reviewed: episodes 1-13(complete) Format: English Dub, DVD

Berserk

Set in a dark fantasy version of medieval Europe, where demons still roam the land,Berserk tells the violent tale of three outcasts; Guts, a troubled warrior whose skill and on the battlefield is nearly unmatched. Griffith is the eerily beautiful, charismatic and brilliant leader of the Band of the Hawk;a mercenary army that is rising to power in the feudal kingdom of Midland. Finally there's Caska a female officer in the Band of the Hawk with quite a few demons of her own, who secretly longs for Griffith. As the Hawks grow in favor among the royal family, and Griffith's aspirations of power become tangible, the three souls fates become irreversibly binded and the stage is set for a tragic fall aided by political treachery, betrayal and Griffiths own horrific secret. Berserk is masterpiece of anime. The complex, multilayered plot is magnificent, surpassing many others in both anime and live action. Berserk also as some of the most complex, three dimensional and well written characters in anime. Griffith especially stands out, he is the greatest villian ive seen in this medium. While the animation is a bit outdated and there are some other minor techinal issues, I hardly noticed them because I was so involved in everything else. Peheps the biggest issue that cant be ignored is the sudden, brutal ending, which no matter how you prepare yourselves is going to leave you shellshocked. Beserk is a anime classic of increadiable pathos, power and depth and amoung the greatest animes ever made.
A must see, sepecially for fans of dark fantasy.

Grade: A+

Reviewed: episodes 1-26(complete) Format: English Dub, DVD

Negima!? Spring and Summer specials

While I disliked the series behind these OVA's, I actually didn't mind the Spring and Summer Specials to much, it's only a slight improvement mind you, but the animation is crisp, the girls are cute and the whole thing is certainly easy on the eyes; it's easy to sit down and relax to. I wont bother discussing the plot because there really isnt one, just a bunch of contrived situations used to hold the thing together(negi losing his glasses ect.) Bottom line, see it if your a negima fan, if your not or haven't heard of the series before, skip it, but if you end up seeing it anyways, theres worse ways spend a half an hour or so. I do need to give props to the creative opening scence which was pretty awesome.

Grade: C

The Wallflower

This title turns the harem genre on its head, with amusing results. Four bishonen men who are freeloading off a middle aged rich women are assigned an impossible task; take her scary,unkempt goth niece and turn her into a lady....or else pay rent. This is from Wantanabe, the famed(or infamous) director of Excel Saga and Puni Puni Poemy, and much of his trademark humor is to be found in the Wallflower(though the raunch is dialed down considerably), he also displays some depth by finding humor in the characters, but in a surprisingly sympathetic way, don't get me wrong, there is very little seriousness to be found here, but beneath the madcap silliness, the exaggerated metro sexuality of the boys and ghoulish goth hijinks of the lady in training, there's a respect for the characters that really goes along ways for the series. That being said, while the Wallflower is funny;sometimes riotously so, the humor gets extremely repetitave and many gags that should have been used once or twice get replayed ad nausem. Another detractor is the low-budget animation, which takes some getting used to, especially the excessive use of SD characters. In the end The Wallflower doesn't reach it's full potential, which is a shame, but is still a quirky, funny show that hard not to like.

Grade: B

Reviewed: episodes 1-25(Complete) Format: English Dub, DVD

Full Metal Panic!

Sousuke Sagara has spent his life in war zones, he now is under the employment of Mithril, a secretive mercenary organization that intervenes in various conflicts across the globe. But the battle hardened teen faces the most difficult assignment to date;posing as a regular high school teen in order to serve as body guard to Japanese High-Schooler Kaname Chidori, who is one one the "whispered"(people who unknowingly possess knowledge of "Black Technology"). Sousuke must adapt to high school life while protecting Kaname from power hungry foes bent on using the black technology for their own devices. FMP! is a delightful hybrid of mecha, comedy, action and romance anime, while most genre mashing anime have trouble juggling their various parts, FMP! deftly combines them into one cohesive product; thus it truly has something for everyone. On top of this, the cast of characters are some of my favorite in anime, the supporting characters are fantastic and Kaname and Sousuke are perfect as leads and share wonderful chemistry. The animation is some of studio Gonzo's best and the action set pieces are genuinely exciting as is the storytelling.
Well I could go on, but i'll sum up my praises in a couple lines. Full Metal Panic! is seriously one of the most entertaining and addictive anime titles out there. If you haven't seen this one yet, pick it up immediately.

Grade: A+

Reviewed: episodes 1-24(complete) Format: English Dub, DVD.

Romeo x Juliet(vol 1)

In the midst of the otakugasm that that was Sakuracon, I managed to find time to attend the premiere of this anime Shakespeare adaption. I had reasonably high hopes, given the source material and the fact that I recently finished the anime adaption of the Count of Monte Kristo, and it was terrific.However, after the first then minutes I realized there was no way in hell this was going to be the next Gankutsuou. Romero x Juliet reminded me of one of those campy, but well meaning direct to video/cable movie genre mashup/ lit adaptions. It isn't has bad as it sounds, yes there are plenty of cliches, eye-rolling moments and unintentional humor(the only fantasy element injected into this tale so far is flying horses(WTF!)) also distracting was the dub's abrupt back and forth from regular English to Shakespearean prose, but the show has energy and charm, not to mention a nice sense of intentional humor(the bard has a hilarious, tongue in cheek extended cameo for example.) The two leads have good chemistry so far, which could lead to a satisfying, if inevitable romance down the road. Worth keeping an eye on, hopefully it can find its footing.

Grade: C+

Tenjou Tenge

From the goofy, shamelessly poppy OP, I had an inkling that this would not be your run of the mill beat 'em up anime; my suspicions proved correct. We are introduced to two likable hoodlums who pick the wrong school to start a rumble at; a ancient academy devoted to the study of martial arts. After getting their asses kicked by a beautiful, shape shifting upperclassman named Maya, they naturally decide to become stronger and enter Maya's club, which is controversial within the community due to its dark, checkered past involving the academy's leaders and Maya herself. It isn't to long before the school deploys its brutal policing unit; the enforcers, which doesn't bode well for our heroes. Despite my summary, one of the most surprising aspects of Tenjou Tenge is how good the plot is, for a fighting series it goes above and beyond the standard. What other action series do you know that could get away with a multiepisode flashback used to explore the characters interlocked pasts? Speaking of which the characters are another surprise for the genre, you really give a damn about some of them, It also features a big, colorful cast with some wonderful supporting roles. But what would a action/ fighting anime be without the elaborate set pieces or the plentiful beat downs? Not surprisingly, Tenjou Tenge excels in this arena, providing quite a few bloody spectacles. Tenjou Tenge stands at the top of the heap of the fighting genre; its violent, sexy, funny and interesting, action fans will not want to miss this one.

Grade: B+

Reviewed: episodes 1-24(complete) Format: English Dub, DVD

Battle Angel

Along with Akira and Armitage III, Battle Angel is one of best anime to come out of the cyberpunk sub genre that enjoyed great popularity in the late eighties through the nineties. The story takes place in the decay of Scrap Iron City, a dumping ground for the higher class who live comfortably in a magestic city in the sky. Gally is a amnesiac android who is salvaged and taken in by a scientist/bounty hunter who found her in laying in a landfill. She discovers early on that she was built for lethal combat and putting her power to good use, she decides to take on the profession of a bounty hunter and clean up the streets of Scrap Iron City. Battle Angel is bittersweet anime, its a wonderful blend of sci-fi, character drama, noir, gruesome action scenes and dark horror elements. Unfortunately this OVA series is very short, with only two hourlong episodes, which to their credit wrap up the narrative somewhat, but still leaving the viewer unsatisfied and wanting more. Indeed it feels like these OVA's were just the introduction to a longer, full length series. What a shame that Battle Angel got cut short because it really had something going. Highly recommended to fans of sci-fi/cyperpunk anime.

Grade:A-

Reviewed: Ova's 1-2(complete) Format: English Dub, VHS

Mahoromatic:Automatic Maiden

Now heres a show feminists will love; a powerful, accomplished war hero female android with less than a year to live decides that the best way to spend the remainder of her days...... is as a maid to her commanding officers son. Obviously this isn't going to be everyones cup of tea, but it manages to be a fun show despite some rather blatant sexist overtones. Mahoromatic also has a copious amounts of fanservice/nudity and ecchi-ish humor, in short its a guilty pleasure, and as that Mahoromatic succeeds with flying colors. It's obvious Studio Gainax did't aim to high with this title, and its shows, epecially as the formulaic proceedings start to wear thin near the end of the series. But for what it is Mahormatic is a enjoyable, short and often funny anime that wears its own ridiculousness on its sleeve.

Grade: B-

Reviewed: episodes 1-12(complete) Format: English Dub, DVD.

Outlaw Star

Gene Starwind and his child-genius friend Jim Hawking run a seedy service for hire business. They soon get in over their heads after accepting a job from a mysterious women and they find themselves in possession of a state of the art spaceship and a highly coveted piece of stolen cargo; a female android who possess knowledge of the mythic galactic layline . With deadly space pirates and rival outlaws hot on their trail, Gene and his ever expanding crew set out to find the universes ultimate treasure, the galactic layline, but first he will have to overcome his fear of space travel.

Outlaw Star is a throughally enjoyable, funny and action packed sci-fi adventure that pays homage to other sci-fi giants before it, especially Star Trek (just look at the names of the two protagonists).
Gene is a excellent main character, and he and the rest of the supporting cast are quite memorable and likable. Outlaw Star borrows a little to heavily at times from other anime series,but this is never very distracting, also the series has its rough patches(the pirates aren't the most compelling villains.) Overall, Outlaw Star is up there with the cream of the crop of sci-fi anime and is highly recommended.

Grade: A-

Reviewed: episodes 1-26(complete) Format: English Dub, DVD.

Gantz

Kei, a pessimistic teen, along with an estranged childhood friend, are killed while trying to save a drunk who fell onto the tracks of an oncoming train. To his shock, he and his acquaintance are transported to a mysterious apartment filled with people of all ages, whom have just died. In the center of the room lies a giant black orb, who commands its visitors to participate in an ultraviolent "game" where they must run around Tokyo, invisible to the living, and exterminate vicious extraterrestrials, if they fail or try to escape, they die, permanently. Gantz plays out like some unholy hybrid of Men in Black and Battle Royal, its an intense, graphic, utterly engaging and sometimes quite powerful experience. The characters are some of the most realistic i ve seen in anime, they are multilayered and very believable. Take Kei, a complete asshole, he is deeply flawed and nihilistic, but he is a commanding presence, and eventually sympathetic as the lead protagonist. Injected into this lurid sci-fi fantasy is thought provoking social commentary and the study the darker sides of human nature. There are two flaws in Gantz that brings the score down; one is the significant pacing issues the other is the WTF ending which is very unstatisfying. Needless to say, this isn't for everyone, many will be turned off by the extreme violence, gore, gratuitous nudity and strong sexual content. But for those who can stomach it, Gantz is a bloody tour de force.
Grade: A-

Reviewed: episodes 1-26(complete) Format: English Dub, DVD.

Bleach Season 1

I put off watching Bleach for over a year, I thought it was just a shallow, over hyped fad. Reviews/comments from some Bleach fans only justified my opinion. In short, I was being snoody.
I finally sucked up my pride/ego and gave the series a shot. I was relived to find Bleach to be greatly entertaining. Yes, it chalk full of the same shonen cliches and plot devices that are the standard for countless other shonen series, the difference between Bleach and most of it's peers is that it has perfected them, making them feel less derivative. While the animation is sub-par, the fight scenes are well done. The characters work for the show, especially Rukia, who is by far my favorite character, her and Ichigo's odd relationship is probably one the best part's of the Bleach. Another strong point of Bleach is its ability to keep you wanting more and employs many a cliffhanger or twist to ensure the viewer will be back. Despite this filler is still an issue, there are several awful episodes that really serve no purpose but dragging out the proceedings to excruciating lengths. Watching Bleach is like eating sugary candy, its sweet, tasty and fun but isn't completely filling, this show is far from the "greatest anime", but what a ride!
Grade:B+

Reviewed: Season 1(episodes 1-20) Format: English Dub, DVD

Rune Soldier

In the tradition of slayers, Rune Soldier opts for a wacky, spirited comedy set in the realm of high fantasy. Louie, a dim witted, rowdy yet good natured oaf who is in training to become a mage, gets hired to assist a band of relic hunters (a priestess, amazon-like female warrior and a thief). To the ladies dismay, Louie isn't particularly good at anything except brawling, but with no other magic users available for hire, the foursome continue to meet up and go on a variety of quests and missions, and encounter many ridiculous complications and set backs. The characters, while not being especially deep each have their own distinct personalities and are likable. They also develop through out the course of the series, which is rare in this kind of anime. Rune Soldier is not a masterpiece, nor does it aspire to be; its a funny, entertaining show that while lacking in some departments, makes it up to us with humorous antics and good, quasi-developed characters.

Grade: B

Reviewed: episodes 1-24(complete) Format: English Dub, DVD.

The Familiar of Zero

Ever wonder what Harry Potter might be like if it were an anime? Well look no further then The Familiar of Zero. So much is ripped from the poor boy wizard that certain scenes in the show have a certain surreal, twilight zone effect, or lead to some disconcerting moments such as Dumbelldoors pervy anime doppelganger engaging in some workplace sexual harassment. Needless to say the first several episodes are a bit hard to get into, but fortunatley thats the worst section of the series. Once you get past the shakey, cliched opening episodes, Familiar becomes an enjoyable, entertaing romantic/comedy romp sprinkled liberally with fantasy action and sexy humor as our wizard in traing protagonist deals with having summond a ordinary japenese high school student for her familiar.

Grade: B

Reviewed: episodes 1-13(complete) Format: English Dub, DVD.

Trinity Blood

I had my doubts going into Trinity Blood, I'd read quite a few negative reviews and was unimpressed by the small fragments of it I saw on Adult Swim, but once I began watching the DVD'S I was pleased to see my doubts washed away. The plot is set in the future after mankind has waged a devastating war called Armageddon, which ravaged most of the Earth and unleashed a race of Vampires. Many years afterward, mankind is under the rule/protection of the Catholic church and is locked in a shaky truce with the vampires, who govern a large chunk of Europe. We are immediately introduced to the series protagonist, Abel Nightroad, a kind heated, bumbling priest who also happens to be a Crusnik, a powerful being who drinks the blood of vampires. When a mysterious organization appears and threatens to ignite a war between the humans and vampires, Abel and his colleges at the Vatican must uncover the threat before the gears of war are set in motion.

Trinity Blood is an epic sci-fi fantasy with strong horror elements, its boasts a compelling narrative featuring some truly standout moments and several jaw-dropping twists, add to this excellent animation, kick-ass action scenes, some refreshing twists on the vampire mythos, and a memorable cast of characters and you have one absorbing show. Unfortunatley, the climax and ending are simply terrible, not to mention rushed. A dissapointing cap to otherwise top-notch anime.

Grade: A-

Reviewed: episodes 1-24(complete) Format: English Dub, DVD.

Ah, My Buddha! vol 1

No, Ah, My Buddha ! has nothing to do with the beloved Ah, My Goddess series, save that it is a harem comedy set in a temple/shrine/place of worship. The plot pretty much tells the viewer what to expect; a randy teen priest in training lives in a temple with a gaggle of hot priestesses. Better yet in order to release his mystical power, he must get an eyeful of nudity. Surprisingly, given that the plot seems ripped from a henati, there's no actual T&A, but the fanservice is virtually nonstop. Besides the fanservice and some ho-hum echhi humor, there just not much worth mentioning about Ah, My Buddah, there are some good laughs to had here and there, but for the most part, the humor is stale and forced. The episodic narraitive features some awful storytelling and the characters at this point aren't anything special.

Grade: C-

Reviewed: episodes 1-4(vol 1). Format:English Sub, DVD.

Claymore Vol 2

The first volume of Claymore ended with a half-finished flashback arc, those episodes, depicting Claire's heart wrenching and tragic past and her doomed companionship with Theresa, took the fledgling series to new heights. Volume Two concludes this arc, resulting in some most gripping storytelling in modern day anime. The viewer knows Clarie and Theresa are doomed, but the ending still leaves you awestruck and breathless. The remainder of the volumes episodes take us back to the present, with new found admiration and investment in Claire. The "organization" assigns Claire to accompany a small group of Claymores who are seeking out an awakened being said to be living in a remote mountain pass.

It is very interesting seeing how the other Claymores interact with each other, we learn that each Claymore has a number ranking, and needless to say Claire's ranking is a bit of a surprise. In several episodses leading up to the inevitable battle are very compelling, we see Claire in a completely different light than the powerful heroine we are used to, she is a misfit; vulnerable and mistreated by her peers. Along with plot and character development, the action has improved significantly from the first volume, it is much more visceral and graphic, and while the technical issues I spoke of in my review for the first volume persist, they are less noticeable. Also, while they are working for the moment, the series introduction of shonen elements could be a problem down the road.
That being said this volume of Claymore raises the series into a definate must see staus, its dynamite.

Grade: A Reviewed: Vol 2 (episodes 6-10) Format: English Dub, DVD

Chrono Crusade

Set in 1920's Chicago, Rosette Christopher, a sixteen year old member of the Magdalene Order ( a order of nuns dedicated to fighting demonic forces) along with her longtime partner and friend Chrono (a demon) try to prevent a demon lord from unleashing the apocalypse. Chrono Crusade as a whole works, its usually entertaining, and the plot, while a bit overblown is always throwing some new twist or unexpected development at the viewer. However, Chrno Crusade is a uneasy mesh of slapstick comedy and dark, violent supernatural horror. This might not be an issue but the two are mixed together very clumsily, proving a major distraction; Rosette's character often feels like Lina Inverse in a Habit. For the last four episodes or so, the wildly shifting tone finally swings permanently to one side; making for an almost unbearably dreary and relentlessly dark climax/ending that is one hell of a downer. Once Again, wouldn't have been a problem if the series hadn't handled it's split personality so ham-fistedly. Worth a look, but consider yourselves warned.

Grade: B- Reviewed: episodes 1-24(complete) Format: English Dub, DVD

Armitage III

Anime is well known for it's cyperpunk sub genre that flourished from the late 80's trough the 90's, and the Arimtage III OVAs are an example of one of the better offerings this era produced. In the future Mars has been colonized by humans, the center of the bulk of the colonist live in a sprawling metropolis(which looks like an anime version of Blade Runner's Los Angeles) where androids exist has second class citizens. When a string of brutal murders targeting androids occurs, the martian police for put Armitage, feisty, trigger happy, leather clad female android on the case, partnered with a stoic officer from Earth, who has his own issues with androids. Together the two uncover a deadly conspiracy that could affect both planets futures drastically and discover the truth behind Armitage's origins. These OVA's are a treat to sci-fi and/or cyberpunk fans. The animation has held up fine, the plot is complex and intriguing, there are plenty of high voltage action scenes and Armitage herself is a hugely appealing main character; strong, smart, sexy, spunky and very easy to sympathize with and root for. Alas the same cannot be said for our male protagonist who is a bit to wooden and low key for his role. Also, the show looses a bit of steam during it's final lap, while this is unfortunate, it not nearly enough to make one loose interest in the proceedings. Armitage III is highly recommened.

Grade:A-

Reviewed:OVA's 1-4(complete) Format: English Dub, DVD.

Tokko

A special branch of the police agency dedicated to fighting the supernatural dukes it out with zombies in this horrible misfire. Tokko goes for bloody shocks and dark supernatural horror, but doesn't have the chops to pull it off, scenes that should have been bad ass and visceral come across as ho-hum. The characters fare even worse, resulting in horribly bland cardboard cut-outs that we are supposed to root for, the scariest thing in this show is the main characters hair-do(seriously, its frightening). The best thing about this series is the hilariously creepy relationship between our ugly-haired hero and his sister (who live together and have a definite backwoods vibe) its worth watching the first couple episodes just for that. Tokko would have been better if it had embraced it awful cheesiness and ran with it, but it takes itself seriously, which is unfortunate for the viewer.

Grade: D Reviewed: episodes 1-5 out of 13. Format: English Dub, DVD.

Tales of Phantasia: The Animation

Based off the popular jrpg of the same title, the OVA series sticks to its roots, retelling the games story with few if any liberties taken. Likewise, the characters as well as the plot are all RPG archetypes. Despite this our heroes are likable and sustain interest, although character development is sparse. This brings me to Tales greatest flaw, its way to short. Clocking in at exactly two hours, it feels like an outline for what could have been a much more in depth, interesting title. That being said the animation is drop dead gorgeous, the character designs are a plus as well. All in all this title is a love letter to the game's fans, although viewers who have not played the game will find this a brisk, worth while two hours.

Grade: B- Reviewed: OVA'S 1-4 (complete) Format: English Dub, DVD

Claymore vol. 1

Claymore takes place in a land similar to medieval Europe, were shape shifting, flesh eating monsters called yoma terrorize the human population. The only hope commoners have for survival is to hire Claymores, mysterious, sword wielding women whose frigid beauty(not to mention icy personalities) are complimented by their pale skin and hair. They are not quite human and far more powerful than a mortal, so they are feared by the same people they protect. They simply go to a town, slay the yoma(s) and leave, their payment given to a shadowy man who represents the equally shadowy "organization" who controls the Claymores. On one such mission, Claire, the main character, comes across a boy whose family had just been killed by a yoma, Claire has a brief moment of sympathy and finds a family for the boy to stay with in the town. But fearful that he is cursed from his contact with a yoma, the towns people later banish him from the village and Claire finds him again, wandering in the desert. She allows him to travel with her temporarily and the two slowly bond. it is soon obvious that there is more to Claire than her icy exterior. We certainly understand this much more when a flashback arch begins on the last several episodes of the volume, showing Claire's life before she became a Claymore.

Claymore is a compelling, interesting take on the dark low-fantasy sub genre. The plot is only getting geared up at this point, but all ready there are many points of interest and the viewer can certainly tell its going to be a hell of a story. The flashback episodes in particular are a gutsy move, but completely pay off so far, they pack a emotional punch and give you a strong attachment to and better understanding of Claire. The Claymores themselves are amazing, their character designs are some of the most appealing i've seen in anime. It is refreshing to see powerful, beautiful female characters in anime that aren't running around half naked all of the time. The claymores exude femininity and sensuality but are fully clothed in battle suits and armor. While Claire and Theresa are excellent characters, the young boy that follows Claire around is not. He earns sympathy from the viewer and has his moments, but gets rather obnoxious at times. Also, while there is plenty of gory action scenes, some very well choreographed, the frame rate is a bit slow and there is a over reliance on still frames. Despite this, Claymore looks like it is shaping up to be a top notch series.

Grade:B+ Reviewed: episodes 1-5 Format: English Dub, DVD

Boys Be...

Boys Be...is a nostalgic, slice of life high school romance series with a refreshing twist, it is told primarily from the male point of view. We follow three male protagonists (an emotionally reserved artist, a jock and a wanna be ladies man) through the many ups and downs of young love and friendship. The characters, male and female, are very well developed and are much more than the one dimensional stereotypes that this genre often resorts to, making it very easy for the viewer to emotionally invest in them. Boys be... thankfully avoids many of the traps, cheap humor and recycled plot devices that sometimes plague high school/romance amine, resulting in a more realistic and believable feel, that being said, I doubt Boys Be... will have any kind of crossover potential for those who don't care for the genre. Due to it's episodic nature and short length , the self-contained mini-story archs or stand alone episodes stick out and are given more weight. This is a mixed blessing because some episodes are noticeably weaker than others, while several episodes in particular achieve nirvana. Boys Be... is a must see for romantics and genre aficionados.

Grade: A- Reviewed: 1-13 episodes (complete) Format: English Dub, DVD

Negima!?

Negima!? is a remake of the previous Negima! anime, apparently the original(which I have not seen) irked fans of the manga enough the the series was completely redone only a couple years after the original anime came out.

The titular charcter is a ten year old boy wizard, who just completed magic academy in Britian. For the next step of his training, Harry-I mean Negima must study under a great wizard in Japan, while teaching at a all-girls school as cover. The troublem is, none of the girls must see him use magic, and if they do there are two options: take them in as his partner(a kiss is required to seal the pact), or erase their memory. Negima hasnt quite mastered the latter, so naturally he soon as half of his class bestowed with magical abilties; this is a good thing because all sorts of supernatural villians come into play.

Negima!? is painfully riddled with cliches, the series main selling point is the massive amout of girls, all with there own quirks and tempermants, which make up Negis class. They are not so much characters they are walking, talking archetypes, weve seen them many times before in anime, and only several are actually developed. Pretty much everything about Negima!? is bland and feels recycled from a several dozen better series before it. The only real saving grace is the wacky, completly random humor that prevades the series. This factor alone gave me the strenghth to trudge forward, until I just lost interest all together, who knows, it might have gotten better, but I doubt I will pick it up agin and find out. Negima!? is far from the worst anime out there, but I wouldn't recommend it anytime soon.
Grade:C- Reviewed 1-12/out of 26 episodes Format: English Dub, DVD

Ergo Proxy

Ergo Proxy is really a bittersweet series for me. It had an incredible amount of potential, and quite a few sublime and simply brilliant moments, it also looks and sounds amazing (boasts one of the best OP's I've ever experienced), no expense was spared in the making of this series, hell they even got the the rights to use Radiohead's "Paranoid Android" for the closing theme. Unfortunately Ergo Proxy posseses many deep flaws and misteps that would render a lesser series unwatchable.

Ergo Proxy is set in the distant post-apocalyptic future, where man has turned the earths surface into a cold, barren desert-like wastleland. In this landscape of decay lies an oasis, a utopian city that has sealed itself off from the outside world. The citizens of this meterpolis live out their existance ignorant of the outside world and make use of androids(called auto-raves) to assit them in everyday tasks and activities. Enter Re-L Mayar (who bares an uncanny resemblance to Evanesence's lead singer Amy Lee), a member of the police force and the daughter of one of the city's mysterious founders. She, along with her auto-rave parter, are investegating a stange virus that causes auto-raves to act irractically and sometimes violently. In her investegation, she meets Vincent, an immigrant to the city trying to earn his citizenship. After Re-l is attacked by a strange winged monster, she finds herself the victim of a coverup, she probes for answers, finding dark secrets and clues that point to both the outside world, the strange creature that attacked her and Vincent. When Vincent becomes a fugitive and escapes from the city, Re-l follows him. Together, along with an infected Autorave named Pino, they embark on a journey arcoss the forign land to find the truth about the winged god-like monsters, called Proxys, who seem drawn to Vincent.

Ergo Proxy is a anime of many high and low points. Some episodes are a marvel, utterly compelling and powerful, yet the series contains some of the worst filler episodes I have ever seen, likewise the story is very interesting and original sci-fi, full of many unexpected twists and turns. Re-L and Vincents jouneys feels like a sci-fi version of Apoclaypse Now, complete with a couple paticularly haunting, surreal stops along the way.The story however is also extreamly complex, sometimes ridiculously so, and especially twords the end, becomes hoplessly muddled and distracted, the writers all to content with jetsoning the main story line in favor of brain-melting pop-pschyo-philospophy and mental cross-examianations of the charcters psyche ala Neon Genesis. Vincent and Re-L have a nice, sometimes intesnse chemistry, but not enough screen time is given to this. Ergo Proxy is nearly drailed by its flaws, but despite this it I will always have a special place for it it, the viewing experience was unforgetable(although I screamed at my TV more than one) and it really spoke to me at times. If you have the patience, this is good series to check out.
Grade:B/B+

Reviewed:episodes 1-23(complete) Format: English Dub, DVD

Angel Cop

In the near future, Japan becomes the most economically powerful country in the world. Naturally this makes it a prime target for terrorists, namely the international terror group known as the Red May, who seek to bring Japan(and thus the world market) to its knees. Enter Angel (who happens to be a cop) a member of an anti-terror force who hates terrorists, loves ultra violence and is a complete bitch to boot (her appalling lack of empathy is borderline sociopath). It seems however that someone else has it in for the Red May, vigilantes with telekinetic powers and a fondness for 80's hair-metal fashion! Suddenly Angel and her cohorts find themselves drawn into a cesspool of government corruption, kooky science and more carnage than you can shake a stick at.

Angel Cop easily falls into the so bad, its good category; the excessive violence and gore, horrendous dialogue(including the immortal, climax killing line "If this is justice than I'm a banana!") and overblown plot are all so ridiculously cheesy and overdone that one cant help but laugh aloud, it pure, brain-cell killing entertainment, it feels like a 80's action B-movie on steroids (its also worth mentioning that the actions scenes are exciting and well executed).
Grade: B-
Reviewed:Ovas 1-6(complete) Format: English Dub, VHS

Blue Submarine No. 6

In the future, Earth is almost entirely covered with water ala waterworld, due to a catastrophic environmental disaster caused by a rogue scientist. Mankind's survival rests on it's fleet of submarines who stave of the armys of aquatic mutants(which were also created by the afromentioned rogue scientist). The three protagonists (a disillusioned pilot, a headstrong female officer and a kind, beautiful mermaid type mutant.) are compelling characters, its a shame the series didn't have enough time to complety flesh them out. That being said one, if not the best part of Blue Submarine No.6 is the captivating relationship that devolps between the pilot and mermaid/mutant, its very touching and powerful. The series also boasts some impressive action scences, top-notch animation and a strong enviromental message. Unfortunatley the main villian is obnoxious and feels sorley out of place as does the musical score, which takes some of the intensity out of the battle scences. Finally, the plot feels rushed at times, the series could have benefited from a longer running time. Qualms aside, Blue Submarine No.6 is fine series that should especially appeal to the sci-fi/fantasy crowd.

Grade:B

Reviewed: episodes 1-4 (complete) Format: English Dub, DVD

Shuffle! vol 1

Shuffle! starts off laying the groundwork for a run of the mill harem romcom. The average guy, his childhood friend, his school life etc. Then who should transfer to his high school, but two beautiful girls who both want the poor guy as a husband. Furthermore, one is the princess of heaven, the other the princess of the demon world (could this turn out to be Legend of the Overfiend lite?). Fanservice and hijinks follow as several more females enter the picture. I have to admit, for all the relentless cliche's,(although its overfiendesque supernatural bent is a nice touch ) Shuffle! has its moments, and is fine, brainless entertainment, for the time being anyway. I'll have to see if it improves or self-destructs in the next volume(S).

Grade:C+

Reviewed: vol 1(ep 1-4) format: english dub, DVD