Anime Fans Online

Yeah, I know I said something about not reviewing any more volumes of Ultra Maniac the last time I reviewed one. I changed my mind. I like Ultra Maniac, so there must be a few other people that like it too. So here’s my review of Ultra Maniac Volume 4.

I’ll keep the story summary short. If you’re reading the series then you already know the basic. If you’re not reading the series, then you should check out the reviews of the first few books.

Then you should read Ultra Maniac.

Story

Yuta’s girlfriend is beginning to get suspicious. Looks like he’s not hiding his real feeling as well as he thought. He tries to pass it off as concern over the threatening letters, but could that really work?

Hiroki confesses his interest in Nina, but Nina isn’t so sure. Does Hiroki like Nina for who she is or because she’s a witch?

Now for the big news, Nina’s mysterious stalker is discovered and attacks Ayu.

My Opinion

Overall I think Ultra Maniac volume 4 is good. Nina does some more magic. It’s been so long that even the characters in the story comment on it. They even refer to the anime version doing more magic, which I thought was cute.

I was a little disappointed that the story line of the threatening letters was ended so abruptly. I think it would have worked better if it had lasted a little bit longer. I think it needed to build some more suspense. Other than that I thought the ending was handled very well. It really gave some insight into a couple of different characters involved.

Is it worth it?

Yep, Ultra Maniac Volume 4 lives up to the standards set in previous books. Even if the stalker story line was cut a little short the rest of the stories make up for it.

Manga, Reviews, Ultra Maniac, Volume 4, Ultra Maniac Volume 4, Wataru Yoshizumi, Shojo Beat, Shojo Beat Manga

According to a post on AnimeNewsNetwork is looks like something is up over at ADV. They’re removing stuff from the site and the store. That can only lead to wild speculation about what’s going on.

So let’s get to it.

Cutbacks?

Could ADV be cutting back on the number of titles they’re licensing? I suppose it would make sense. I’d rather see cutbacks in the titles than see them disappear like Geneon. I know I’ve given ‘em some crap in the past, but I like ADV. They’ve released some great stuff.

This theory may be supported by the fact that they’ve cancelled NewtypeUSA and replaced it with PiQ, a downsized version that doesn’t focus as exclusively on anime and manga.

Rearranging?

Maybe ADV is just rearranging things. They may be getting ready to announce something new. Maybe they’re breaking down their titles into smaller imprints. Maybe they’re just moving stuff over to a different site.

It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that they’re launching a different site to support PiQ. This could be part of the effort. Move a few titles over to the magazine site so fans of the titles go there. They look around and maybe subscribe.

Ideas?

I’m sure there are a lot of things that could be going on. Leave a comment and tell the rest of us your theories. What do you think is happening over there? Does this mean trouble? Is it being blown out of proportion? Have aliens taken control of the ADV site?

Ok, maybe that last one isn’t very likely.

Anime, News, ADV, ADV Films, Titles Removed, Anime News Network, AnimeNewsNetwork, Alien Mind Control

I read the first volume of the Full Metal Panic! manga a few years ago and I didn’t like it that much. When my girlfriend wanted to rent Full Metal Panic? FUMOFFU I was expecting something similar. It’s a sequel after all. Full Metal Panic? FUMOFFU is very different from the manga I read.

Story

Full Metal Panic! back story.

Sousuke Sagara is a highly trained military expert. He is proficient with all types of weaponry. When it comes to battle, he’s ready for anything. What he isn’t ready for is high school. Sousuke Sagara has been assigned to protect high school student Kaname Chidori. Sousuke enrolls in Jindai High School to carry out his assignment.

My Opinion

Full Metal Panic? FUMOFFU takes the basics of Full Metal Panic! and turns it into a comedy. If you liked FMP! that might be a bad thing. I didn’t like what I saw of FMP!, but I do enjoy FUMOFFU. I’m not saying the original is bad, it’s just not something I like. I might give it another shot though. It’s been a while and my tastes in anime and manga have changed since then.

Full Metal Panic? FUMOFFU puts most of the focus on Sousuke’s trouble fitting into a normal high school. A lot of the humor comes from his overreacting to perfectly normal situations. When he finds a love letter in his locker, he assumes it’s a trap. He proceeds to blows up the lockers. That might be the appropriate response in a war zone, but a high school is different.

Most of the time.

It it worth it?

I think Full Metal Panic? FUMOFFU is worth checking out. Even if you’re not familiar with the characters from Full Metal Panic! you’ll catch up in no time.

Anime, Reviews, Full Metal Panic, Full Metal Panic!, Full Metal Panic?, FUMMOFU, Full Metal Panic? FUMOFFU, Comedy, Sequel, High School

Vandread is kind of a weird mashup. Stir up Star Trek: Voyager, Battlestar Galactica (the newer one) and just a splash of transforming Mecha. Oh, and why not set it in the middle of a Gender War? That’s Vandread.

Surprisingly it’s not as bad as it sounds. They’ve managed to use humor and action in just the right amounts to make that goofy description into a fairly entertaining anime.

Story

Hibiki is a third class citizen from a planet in the middle of a war. Their enemies are the most savage and bloodthirsty creatures imaginable. Women. On Hibiki’s world babies are made in factories and not many men have ever seen a woman, unless it was on the field of battle.

Then Hibiki is captured by pirates, lady pirates. During the battle his ship is flung to a far corner of the galaxy. He has no choice but to join forces with the enemy just to survive.

My Opinion

I was kind of skeptical when I started watching Vandread. It just sounded so weird. After a couple of episodes I was hooked. They’ve managed to make a good anime show from a really strange concept.

The mecha are pretty darn cool. Hibiki’s Vanguard is altered during the battle, and so are the pirates’ Dreads. Thanks to the alteration they’re able to combine and make a few different super mechs. It’s like getting hit with a club inscribed with “Working Together Is Good”. I’m a Star Trek fan though, so I’m used to ham fisted morals.

Is it worth it?

As strange as it sounds this one should go to the top of your rental list. Vandread has some good humor and decent space battles. If you can ignore the message of “Can’t we all just get along?” then I think you’ll enjoy this anime.

Anime, Reviews, Vandread, Mecha, Sci Fi, Comedy, Space Battle, Star Trek, Star Trek: Voyager, Battlestar Galactica

When I reviewed the Midori Days Volume 1 DVD I mentioned that the way I watch anime is changing. I think it’s because I’m writing anime reviews. When I watch an anime now I don’t just sit there and enjoy it. I’m actively looking for things to write about. I’m not sure that’s a good thing.

Oh it has it’s good points. I notice more about what I’m watching now. I’m beginning to recognize some of the names in the credits, more than before anyway. I think I’m even beginning to like more types of anime. I’m just not sure if I’m enjoying it as much as I used to.

I still enjoy anime, I’m just wondering if I would have gotten more enjoyment out of some of the shows I’ve watched recently if I wasn’t sizing it up in my head. Would I be more forgiving of an anime’s faults if I wasn’t trying to decide if I should recommend it? Would you judge something more harshly if you knew you would be giving your opinion of it?

Perhaps it has nothing to do with the reviews or the blog. Maybe I’m just becoming more demanding as an anime viewer. It could just be the natural evolution of anime fandom. Could I be desensitizing myself to the simple joys of animation? That’s not a pleasant thought. I certainly hope that’s not it.

Have you noticed anything like this? Have you become more critical of anime the more you watch it? Should I be worried about this?

Fell free to leave a comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Anime, Otaku, Evolution, Blogging, Critic

Story

Otomes are super powered women enhanced with nanotech to protect the rich and powerful. They’re trained at a special school, the Gualderobe Academy. Arika Yumemiya came to Gualderobe Academy looking for information about her mother, but found her dream. Arika wants to become an Otome. Along the way she makes friends, makes enemies and generally makes a mess of things.

My Opinion

I’m undecided about My-Otome. I’ve seen a handful of episodes and I’ve enjoyed ‘em, but I’m not that picky. I don’t think there is really anything that stands out about this anime. It seems like a combination of several kinds of anime, so it doesn’t excel at any one thing.

My-Otome does ok with the different types of stories it tries to incorporate, it just doesn’t do any of them spectacularly. My-Otome may be trying to do too much. If it had focused on action, or comedy, or even the political intrigue it may have been better.

Don’t get the wrong idea. It’s not a bad anime. I enjoyed My-Otome and I’ll probably finish watching the series.. It had some pretty cool moments. I just think it would have been better if it had stuck to doing one thing and doing it well. It has a lot of potential, I just don’t think it quite reached it.

Is it worth it?

My-Otome is a rental. This is an anime that you’ll need to check out before buying it. It’s a decent anime, but it’s not quite good enough for me to tell you to drop some cash on it.

Anime, Reviews, Magical Girl, Sci Fi, School Comedy, My Otome, My-Otome

When I was looking into Mezzo Forte I kept seeing a earlier anime from Yasuomi Umetsu mentioned. That anime was Kite. Since most of the comments about it were positive, I decided to check out Kite too.

Warning: Much like Mezzo Forte, Kite comes in different versions. Hentai and Non-Hentai. The Director’s Cut and Special Edition are both hentai. The General Release is not hentai, but it’s still extremely violent and not suitable for younger viewers.

Story

Sawa is an assassin. Her parents were brutally murdered and she is taken in by a corrupt cop named Akai. He promised to help her kill the ones responsible for her parents deaths. Before she gets that chance, she has to work for him. She kills whoever he wants so she can someday get vengeance.

Oburi is also an assassin working for Akai, but he wants to quit. Can he survive long enough to leave his life behind?

My Opinion

I can see why there were so many positive comments about this anime. Kite has a very powerful story and some amazing action.

In the hentai versions the sex scenes actually help the story. It really does highlight how manipulative and corrupt Akai and his associate Kanie truly are. I don’t think they need to be quite as graphic as they are, but they do fit the story.

The action in Kite is amazing and just as graphic as the sex scenes. If you’re squeamish you’ll probably want to find different anime. Not only do the bullets in Kite do some major damage, but they also explode. That causes whatever they’re lodged in to explode as well.

Is it worth it

Sure it is… For older viewers who aren’t sickened by the sight of blood, or genitals. If you have problems with graphic sex or violence, find something else.

Kite is a very powerful anime. Some of the methods Yasuomi Umetsu uses to tell Sawa’s story will be objectionable to some people.

Anime, Reviews, Action, Hentai, Kite, Yasuomi Umetsu, Sex, Violence, Blood

I saw a couple of episodes of Midori Days before I started writing for Anime Fans Online. I remembered liking it, so I rented the first DVD to review. I noticed a couple of things this time that I missed the first time. I think writing about anime is changing the way I watch it.

Story

Seiji Sawamura is a tough high school student known as the “Mad Dog”. He’s got a reputation for having a demon right hand. He’s not someone you want to fight. Apparently he’s also not someone you’d want to date either.

Seiji has never had a girlfriend. After striking out with yet another girl he goes home and thinks about his situation. He’s worried that he’ll never have a girlfriend other than his right hand. As soon as he says that his right hand turns into a girl named Midori.

Midori Kasugano has had a crush on Seiji for a long time. She admires him because he’s strong and uses his strength to protect the weak. She likes him so much that just seeing him makes her freeze up. Imagine her surprise when she finds herself attached to his wrist.

My Opinion

This anime takes a couple of episodes to get used to it. It’s pretty good, once you get used to the idea of Midori and Seiji being attached in such a weird way. It takes them some time to get used to it too. It looks like the episodes consist of Midori and Seiji trying to find a way to return Midori to her body while keeping it all a secret.

The story in this anime is very sweet. I was kind of surprised to notice that it was published in a shonen manga magazine. I guess I shouldn’t be. The humor is often crude and there is some nudity to go along with a lot of fighting. Just what boys like.

The dub is pretty good. I actually preferred watching it without subtitles. Midori is pretty darn good. Kether Fernandez did an excellent job. I wonder why I haven’t heard of her before. What else has she been in?

DVD Features

The extras on this DVD are pretty basic. Textless opening and closing, a few trailers and some outtakes from the dub. Nothing really special about the special features, though a couple of the outtakes were pretty funny.

Is it worth it?

I’d recommend it. It’s an interesting blend of sometimes crude humor and a sweet story. If you like romantic comedy then you should definitely check out Midori Days.

Anime, Reviews, Romantic, Comedy, Midori Days, DVD, Volume 1, Midori Kasugano, Seiji Sawamura, Kether Fernandez, Outtakes

I’ve been having trouble from my Internet connection. It’s been randomly going out for the last few days. Most of the time it’s only unavailable for a few minutes, but Wednesday it was off for half the day.

I’m writing about this just to let you know that it could affect my posting. I was trying to work on a post earlier and it dropped me.

I’ve reported it to my ISP. Hopefully it will soon be back to the reliable service I’ve grown to expect.

Mezzo DSA is a bit different than the Mezzo Forte OVA. They’re not big differences, but they add up to a slightly different anime. Maybe that’s because it’s an ongoing series and we get to know the characters better. Maybe it’s because it was made for TV and some changes had to be made.

A lot of it is the same though. There’s still lots of great action. The fight scenes are still imaginative. There are still naked boobs, sometimes. Lots of people swear. Lots of things still explode. Isn’t that what’s really important?

Story

Kenichi Kurokawa, Tomohisa Harada and Mikura Suzuki make up a group called the Danger Service Agency, the DSA. They’re an odd mix. An ex-cop, a tech specialist and an amazingly gifted fighter. For the right price you can hire them to do dangerous jobs.

The dangerous jobs that the DSA get hired to do range of jobs. There’s the basic A-Team type of stuff, such as removing yakuza from their headquarters in a condemned apartment building. Then there’s some freaky supernatural cases, like being hired by a ghost.

My Opinion

I like the different things that the DSA gets hired for. The paranormal stuff kind of surprised me to start with. I really wasn’t expecting that. Once I accepted that it was possible in the world of this anime, I had no problem with it. I just wasn’t expecting that sort of stuff.

Since the TV show is more recent than the OVA the art is a bit different. It’s not much, but it is noticeable. I prefer the art in the TV show. It seems like it’s a bit more clean, more polished. That’s not always a good thing. Polish can be overdone. In this case I like it.

Is it worth it?

Yep. Mezzo DSA is a good action anime with quite a bit of humor. It’s worth a rental at the very least. I’d recommend checking out Mezzo DSA.

Anime, Reviews, Action, Comedy, Mezzo DSA, Danger Service Agency, Nudity, Swearing, Explosions, Naked Boobs

Mezzo Forte is a decent anime, and a good action movie. There are a couple of versions of this one. There’s the regular edited version and a director’s cut. I saw the regular version, but from what I understand the director’s cut contains some hentai scenes. Not just sex scenes, graphic sex scenes.

It might not make much of a difference though, the edited version isn’t kid friendly anyway. It has a lot of bad language and violence. They just cut out the bits that take it from an R to an X rating. I’ll make an update here when I rent the director’s cut DVD.

Story

The DSA, Danger Service Agency, is a group specializing in dangerous work. They have some very dangerous work to do when they’re hired to kidnap the owner of a pro baseball team with ties to organized crime. Things do not go well. The man’s daughter wants him back. Too bad for the DSA that she’s a dangerous psycho. The next thing they know they’re in some very hot water with only a slim chance of making it out alive.

There’s more, but that’s best enjoyed when you watch it.

My Opinion

Like most action movies Mezzo Forte is kinda light on story. It makes up for it with some very cool, very imaginative action. The fight scenes are awesome, even if they’re a little bit on the unbelievable side.

The reason I wanted to see this OVA was because of the sequel. Mezzo DSA is a TV series that takes place after the movie. I saw a couple of episodes of that and had to check out the OVA. I’ll have a write up of the Mezzo TV show later.

Is it worth it?

The edited version is definitely worth seeing. It’s a good action movie that rivals some of the stuff that comes out of Hollywood. You get fights, explosions and a little humor. What else could you want?

Oh, yeah. The sex scenes. I’ll update this part too when I check out the director’s cut.

Anime, Reviews, Action, Mezzo Forte, OVA, DSA, Danger Service Agency, Edited, Edited Version

Afro Samurai wasn’t quite what I expected. Maybe it’s all the praise I’ve seen heaped upon it. I could have gotten my hopes too high. Maybe I was just expecting something different.

Whatever the case may be, I gotta say that I’m a bit disappointed. It was entertaining, but it wasn’t the revolutionary anime that the hype would lead you to believe.

A little word of warning. I rented the directors cut. It’s a very violent anime, and that violence is extremely graphic. There’s also a fairly graphic sex scene as well as lot’s of swearing. All in all, if this were a movie it would probably be rated NC-17. Not something to watch with the kids.

Story

After seeing his father murdered Afro sets out on a quest for vengeance.

It’s a tale of legendary headbands. Yes, headbands. The person who holds the Number 1 headband is said to have the power of a god. The only person who has even the slightest chance of defeating him is the person that holds Number 2. Pretty much sucks for whoever has Number 2, because everyone wants it.

Guess who has Number 2.

My Opinion

This anime would be a lot better if it didn’t take itself so seriously. There are a few things that just seem so out of place that the story seems disjointed. A little bit of humor would go a long way towards smoothing out the disjointed parts. As it is I was knocked out of the flow of the story from time to time.

The art is cool. Very cool. It suits the story very well. The only problem I had with the art was a small one. It kind of reminded me of the Boondocks series on Cartoon Network. There were times that I was wondering when Huey and Riley were going to show up.

Is it worth it?

Yep, Afro Samurai is definitely worth checking out. Just don’t believe all the hype or you might end up disappointed.

Anime, Reviews, Afro Samurai, Boondocks

Burn Up Excess is a slightly older anime. I don’t think it really matters all that much, because the anime isn’t all that serious. It’s a an action comedy with jiggly police women. The DVD I rented even had a jiggle counter as an extra. That should give you some idea of what the anime is like.

Story

I’m not even going to get into the story, what little there is of one. It’s just not worth it. The girls investigate a crime, stuff blows up and the girls jiggle. Throw in some innuendo and some not quite funny jokes and you have an episode of Burn Up Excess.

My Opinion

I wanted to like this anime, but I can’t. It’s not like Burn Up Excess is horrible, it just doesn’t do anything well. Even the fanservice isn’t all that great. It’s a completely forgettable anime. If you want something like this, there are much better options. Miami Guns is one. It’s similar, but much better. I’m sure there are others as well.

The anime does contain some nudity and course language. That’s too bad. Kids might be able to overlook it’s flaws, but it isn’t suitable for kids.

I’m not going to bother renting any more Burn Up Excess DVDs. It’s a waste of a rental that I could use for something I might like.

Is it worth it?

Nope. Don’t bother with Burn Up Excess. There are better anime out there. If you want cops and comedy check out Miami Guns instead. There isn’t as much jiggling, but it’s a better anime.

Anime, Reviews, DVD, Burn Up Excess, ADV, Cops, Comedy, Fanservice, Jiggle Counter

I’ve got some questions for you. Would you be interested in more giveaways on AnimeFansOnline? I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about contests and giveaways lately. Maybe it’s because I’m doing a book giveaway at Fanatic Space. Whatever got me thinking about it, I’ve come up with a couple of ideas.

Grab Bag

I’ve been buying a lot of manga since I started writing for Anime Fans Online. I kinda have to. I can’t review it otherwise. So far I’m not important enough to get review copies from the manga publishers. If that changes then this idea gets even better.

I’m thinking about starting a regular grab bag giveaway on Anime Fans Online. I’ll take the manga and stuff that I get for reviews and put it in a grab bag. Every so often I’ll write up a grab bag post, all comments on it would be entered to win some free manga. The prize is a random pick. I don’t know what your getting and neither do you, but… hey, free stuff!

Gift Certificates

The old standby, I’ve done it before. Enter and win $XX amount at Amazon, Barnes and Noble or some other online store. This is a no brainer. It’s easy for me to do, and you can buy what you want. If I decide to do this, don’t expect a huge amount. It’ll probably be in the $15 to $25 range. That’s enough to buy a couple manga or an anime DVD. Not bad.

What do you think?

I’d really appreciate your input on this. So I’ve got a couple of questions for you.

• Think the grab bag is a good idea or would you rather get a gift certificate?
• What about doing both on an alternating schedule?
• Do you have any other ideas for giveaways?

Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

General, Opinion, Anime, Manga, Giveaway, Contest, Free Stuff, Grab Bag

Newtype USA Canceled

I almost fell out of my chair when I read the article on AnimeNewsNetwork. Newtype USA will stop publishing. February is the last issue, but it’s unclear if that means the one that goes on sale in February or the one that’s marked as February.

I liked Newtype USA, even tough it seemed like an expensive magazine. I enjoyed reading it when I could bring myself to drop $12+ for it.

I bet Patrick Macias over at OtakuUSA is thinking “One down…”

Bandai Recalls DVDs

If you bought any of the following DVDs and you’re having trouble with them then you might want to check out the Bandai site on January 17. They’ll be adding a link to the site so that you can exchange them.

The problem DVDs are

• Gundam Seed Destiny Vol. 12 regular and special editions
• Eureka Seven Vol. 11
• Flag Vol. 2
• My-Otome Vol. 4.

Anime Network TV Channel Canceled

The VOD is still available, but the linear service is gone. The only anime channel left on TV is the FUNimation Channel.

That just sucks.

You can still check out Anime Network’s broadband shows. If you can get it to work. I’ve had problems with it lately. Maybe all those people that lost Anime Network on their TV lineup are clogging the server.

Is there any good news this week?

Looks like anime and manga businesses are folding left and right. First Geneon, now Newtype USA and Anime Network. Things aren’t looking too good right now. If only there was some way to fix the problem. Whoever came up with a solution would be as a god among men.

News, Anime, Newtype, Newtype USA, OtakuUSA, Otaku USA, Anime Network, Bandai, DVDs, DVD Recall