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