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Story

When middle school student Yurie Hitotsubashi unexpectedly becomes a god overnight things begin to get a little weird. Before she knows it she has a new friend, her cat is acting weird and she’s being called in to help the government deal with aliens. If this keeps up how will she study for her tests?

What’s a middle school god… er, girl to do?

My Opinion

I caught a little piece of Kamichu! back when it was released in the states and I wasn’t that impressed. I must have seen the wrong piece because I just finished watching the Kamichu! Volume 1 DVD and it was great.

Kamichu! combines the slow pace of a slice of life anime with the bizarre characters and situations of a modern fantasy. The end result is a sweet and touching anime that reminds me very strongly of some of Hayao Miyazaki’s work. I would have believed it completely if someone had shown me this anime and told be that it came from Studio Ghibli.

Everything in this anime works beautifully together. The art does a wonderful job combining the miraculous and magical with the everyday and ordinary. The characters are likable and entertaining. The story keeps you wondering what’s coming next. All together they produce a great anime.

The English voice acting deserves some mention as well. The English voices were very well suited to the characters in my opinion. Granted, I didn’t become a fan of the anime before it was translated so I didn’t suffer the shock of hearing a new voice when I watched the dub. I still think the English cast did a great job.

Is it worth it?

Kamichu! is more than worth it. Anything that can be confused with something from Studio Ghibli is worth checking out. I highly recommend Kamichu!

Anime, Reviews, Comedy, Drama, Magic, Romance, Slice Of Life, Supernatural, Gods, Moe, School, Kamichu!, Yurie Hitotsubashi, Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli

Saiyuki is loosely based on Journey to the West, a great piece of Chinese literature. Journey to the West has been used in anime movies and TV shows quite a bit, so some of the names and situations may seem very familiar.

Story

Humans and demons once lived together peacefully. Until something happened to break that peace. Now the demons are attacking and killing people. One priest has been chosen to stop it.

Genjo Sanzo along with his companions Cho Hakkai, Sha Gojyo and Son Goku are travelling west to India. There someone is trying to reawaken a great demon that has been sealed away.

Will Genjo Sanzo make it there in time? Will humans and demons be able to live together again?

Will Goku be able to defeat Cell? Whoops, wrong show…

My Opinion

While it may be based on Journey to the West, I kinda doubt the original had a dragon that turned into a jeep. I’m not saying that’s a good or bad thing. I’m just saying that Saiyuki isn’t a replacement for reading the story.

I’ve liked what I’ve seen of Saiyuki, but it’s not great. It’s not bad, but it’s not super-awesome either. It’s got some fairly interesting characters trying to save a world that hates them. Sounds like X-Men, and I love me some X-Men.

Is it worth it?

Saiyuki is a rental. It’s a decent anime to pass the time with until you can find the anime you really want. The characters can be entertaining, and one kinda looks like David Bowie, but overall there are just better shows out there.

Anime, Review, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Supernatural, Saiyuki, A Journey to the West, X-Men, David Bowie

Story

Kurohime is the most beautiful and powerful witch in the world. She’s also a gunslinger that uses magic bullets. She’s also cursed and in the body of a little girl named Himeko.

The only way to break the curse is for Kurohime to fall in love. Unfortunately her love is fleeting, so the curse is never broken for long. Can she find someone other than herself that she can love for more than a few moments?

My Opinion

The art is pretty cool, and it has some pretty entertaining moments. Unfortunately Kurohime’s curse undermines almost all of the positive points. Yep, the curse is that bad. There are about 3 short story arcs in the first volume of Kurohime, and by the time I finished the book the curse was already making the stories repetitive and boring.

Repetitive and boring.

After 3 stories.

That’s pretty darn bad. To make things even worse it looks like the stories would have been pretty good if the curse had just been left out. Yeah, I know the curse is needed to turn Kurohime from a narcissistic bitch into a decent person, eventually. I think it could have been handled better. If the conditions for breaking the curse had been structured differently or if she slowly regained her powers as the story progresses instead of the instant transformations. The formula of the stories isn’t hard to figure out, so you have a pretty good idea about what’s going to happen.

Is it worth it?

Nope, not really. The art is cool and the story had potential, but the curse did more than turn Kurohime into Himeko. It also ruined the story.

Look somewhere else for your gunslinging babes.

Manga, Reviews, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural, Kurohime, Magic, Witch, Gunslinger, Shonen Jump, Shonen Jump Advanced

Story

Vincent Law is still on the run, still being chased. The farther he gets from the domed city of Romdeau the tighter he becomes bound to the mystery of the proxy. Vincent Law and his pursuer both have questions that haunt them. Unfortunately they’re both running headlong into the answers they’re trying so desperately to escape.

My Opinion

Ergo Proxy Volume 3 continues to impress. No matter how many questions are answered, even more pop up to take their place. Even the answers you see coming are handled so well that it still seems like a surprise. That’s the trick isn’t it? Revealing enough information to keep us interested without giving it away all at once. Getting us to ask the right questions at the right times. Ergo Proxy accomplishes that and does it well.

The story, art and acting work beautifully together to create a mood and atmosphere that pulls you in. The dark future so often presented in sci-fi anime is well crafted and grows beyond a mere setting. I’m looking forward to seeing more of it.

Though I haven’t seen any signs of it yet, the only thing I’m concerned about is that the show will start to collapse upon itself. The sheer weight of everything that’s happening could begin to distort the story.

Is it worth it?

Yep. Ergo Proxy Volume 3 follows up the strong beginning of the first 2 volumes with some excellent anime. As long as the story can stay focused I think the entire series will be worth it. I got my fingers crossed.

Anime, Reviews, DVD, Geneon, Adventure, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Psychological, Science Fiction, Supernatural, Sci-Fi, Vincent Law

Story

Hare is going about his day in his tropical island(?) village when something strange happens to him. That evening his mom brings home an orphan girl named Guu to live with them. She seems nice, and she’s awfully cute, so Hare overcomes his misgivings. The next day Guu’s real personality comes out. It’s such a big change that Hare thinks it’s someone else.

After that Hare spends his time trying to keep Guu out of trouble. He has his hands full.

My Opinion

Hare+Guu is ok. It has some pretty funny moments and can be fairly entertaining. The simple art style is simple enough for kids but flexible enough to interest parents too. It fits because you could describe the whole show that way.

Hare seems to be aimed at older kids, but that’s a call for parents. If you’re concerned about some mild bad language like the occasional “damn” or Hare’s mom drinking pretty heavily, then this anime is not for you. If it doesn’t bother you to let your kids see it, then I’d recommend Hare+Guu. It’s something you might enjoy watching with ‘em.

Extras

The special features weren’t out of the ordinary, but there’s plenty of ‘em. Text less opening and closing, production gallery and cultural notes.

The extra I enjoyed the most was the English outtakes. I always like to see those in the extras. To me it’s the same as seeing outtakes or a gag reel on a movie DVD. I enjoy ‘em both.

Is it worth it?

Hare+Guu is a rental. It has it’s good points and I enjoyed it, but this isn’t one you should just pick up without seeing some of it first.

Hare+Guu might be aimed at a younger audience, if you can get past the language and alcohol, but it has some entertainment value for older viewers as well.

Anime, Reviews, DVD, Comedy, Older Children, Kids, AN Entertainment, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Hare+Guu, Hare Guu, Special Features, Extras, Outtakes

Story

Train Heartnet used to work for the secret organization Chronos as an assassin. He was known as the infamous “Black Cat”. When that life became too much for him he gave it all up. The Black Cat died and came back as a stray.

Now Train works with his partner Sven as a sweeper, a bounty hunter. In their latest job they’re working with a thief to find a dangerous weapons dealer before he can release the most dangerous weapon in his arsenal.

Will they make it in time? What’s up with their new ally?

My Opinion

Black Cat is pretty darn good. I wasn’t sure quite what to expect because there are some things about it that seem similar to other manga and anime. You got the whole bounty hunter thing going on, which seems to be a pretty popular career choice for manga characters. Then you got the whole secret, possibly criminal, organization that the main character used to work for. All you need is an ex-cop partner and you got Cowboy Bebop.

Wait… What was Sven’s old line of work? Hmmm…

Well, Black Cat isn’t Cowboy Bebop, but there are similarities. It doesn’t come across as a copy or a rip off though. Black Cat has it’s own thing going on, and it’s pretty darn good.

The art and story work well together. There’s a great balance of action, drama and humor. The characters are pretty likeable, even if they kind of remind you of someone else from time to time.

Is it worth it?

Yep, Black Cat is worth checking out. A the story is well balanced, the art works well and the characters are likeable. While it might seem like Cowboy Bebop without the spaceships at first, it’s own personality shines through.

Manga, Reviews, Action, Adventure, Shonen Jump, Black Cat, Kentaro Yabuki, Train Heartnet, Bounty Hunters, Cowboy Bebop

Story

After a few unfortunate events Mai Taniyama finds herself working for Shibuya Psychic Research. Specifically she’s an assistant to it’s 17 year old President, Kauya Shibuya. Shibuya Psychic Research is currently investigating Mai’s school, or at least the old school building on the property.

A lot of strange things have happened in the old building and even more rumors have been spread about it. What’s really going on with the old building? Could it really be haunted?

My Opinion

I like the Ghost Hunt anime, so I was expecting to enjoy the manga as well. I did notice a few differences, but they really do more to enhance the manga than detract from it.

There’s a bit more humor in the manga. That’s not a bad thing, suspense and humor work very well together if done properly. It worked for The X-Files. I think the mixture of humor is done very well in Ghost Hunt.

The pacing is also a bit different. No surprise there, there’s always a pacing difference between anime and manga because the two mediums just work differently. In the manga I could read the first story in one shot. The anime tends to break things up. I don’t think there’s a single story in the anime that doesn’t require multiple episodes. I could be wrong, I haven’t seen the whole thing.

Is it worth it?

Yep, it’s worth it. If you like supernatural suspense with a bit of humor to break the tension every so often, you won’t go wrong with Ghost Hunt. It’s a darn good manga.

Manga, Reviews, Horror, Romance, Supernatural, Humor, Mai Taniyama, Kauya Shibuya, X-Files

Story

Itsuki “Babyface” Minami is the toughest guy in Higashi Junior High School. With that position comes respect and responsibility. He protects the school and they love him for it. yeah, things are pretty great for Itsuki.

Things can change. One of Itsuki’s defeated opponents calls in a favor from some real criminals, the Skull Saders. The Skull Saders are a group of Stormriders. Stormriders are gangs that use Air Treks, a kind of superpowered roller blade. When the Skull Saders defeat and humiliate Itsuki, he hits rock bottom.

When you’re at the bottom, there’s nowhere to go but up.

My Opinion

I really liked this manga. The humor, action and emotion are all done very well. The ar is great too. I would think it would be hard to draw a story where movement is so essential, but Oh!great does an excellent job. Oh, and don’t you just love that pen name?

Nudity and Violence

I found a few differences from the anime kinda surprising. The differences I noticed most were the nudity and violence. The nudity in the manga is covered up, but the anime doesn’t bother to cover anything. The violence goes in a different direction. In the anime the Skull Saders are stormriders that also happen to be a bunch of thugs. In the manga the Skull Saders are dangerous criminals. The manga Skull Saders would eat the anime Skull Saders for lunch, possibly even literally.

The manga seems to be for an older audience than the anime. The age rating on the back of the manga is 16+. That sounds about right. I wouldn’t argue if it was 18+.

Is it worth it?

Yep. Air Gear is just as good in manga form as it is in anime, maybe better. There are some trade offs though. More violence, fewer boobs. I’d recommend checking it out.

Manga, Review, Air Gear, Comedy, Sports, Underground, Extreme, Itsuki Minami, Babyface, Noyamano, Storm Riders, Skull Saders, Sleeping Forest

Story

After the death of her mother Sachi finds out that her grandfather is the head of a yakuza family. She moves in with him because he’s the only family she has left.

Sachi is still getting used to living in a house full of some really scary guys, but things are looking up. Her grandfather needs to visit an old friend and she get to come along… to the beach. Watermelon and a hot new guy named Azuma. It’s a trip to remember.

Fun in the sun isn’t all that Sachi is up to in volume 2. There’s also a school camping trip and a school festival, not to mention a love triangle between Sachi, Rakuto and Azuma. Things almost get out of hand, but Sachi has the help of Rakuto and her new family.

My Opinion

I may not have described the story in volume 2 very well. A lot happens, but I don’t want to give away too much. There’s a lot of story packed into Wild Ones volume 2, but the flow of the story never seems to be too fast. Kiyo Fujiwara is able to pack a lot of story into a little space.

Out of the story lines in the book, I think I like the school festival the best. Maybe it’s the idea of a Netherworld Cafe, a combination haunted house and cafe. Maybe it’s the connection between Sachi and Rakuto. Nah, I think it’s the head of the film club. She looks like someone, but I’m not sure who. Maybe another director. Possibly even an Ultra one.

Is it worth it?

Yep. Wild Ones volume 2 is worth it, even though I don’t think it’s quite as strong as the first volume. A lot seems to happen and the story progresses nicely. Plus there’s a cameo from Haruhi Suzumiya, even if it’s unintentional.

Manga, Reviews, Wild Ones, Kiyo Fujiwara, Sachi Wakamura, Rakuto Igarashi, Azuma Inui, Raizo Asagi, Yakuza, Shojo, Shojo Beat, Beach, School Festival, Haunted House, Netherworld Cafe, Ultra Director, Haruhi Suzumiya

Story

The investigation into the proxy takes a dangerous turn when Real leaves the saftly of the Romdeau dome to find Vincent Law. Will she recognize him after all the changes he’s gone though?

Vincent is having troubles of his own. The patrols outside the city have increased and some are blaming him. Hoody manages to save him from an angry mob.

Can Vincent live up to the lies Hoody had to tell to save his hide?

Will Real find the connection between Vincent and the proxy?

My Opinion

I was afraid the second volume might start to lag after the strong opening from the first few episodes on the first volume. I guess I had nothing to worry about. The second volume of Ergo Proxy lives up to the standards of the first DVD.

As the story progresses some questions are answered, but others take their place. This anime does a great job of drawing you in as the mystery unfolds. Questions are answered, not like some shows that try to keep the suspense up by sidestepping the questions at the last second.

DVD Extras

None. Well, Geneon Previews and DVD Credits. Those aren’t extras those are ads. That’s really disappointing. How hard would it have been to throw a couple of commercials on the DVD? Maybe some concept art? Anything would have been better than when we got. Oh wait, we didn’t get anything. I would almost prefer not to see an “Extras” menu option if it’s going to be empty.

Is it worth it?

Yep, Ergo Proxy is a great anime. The story more than makes up for the complete lack of extras. I’d recommend this anime. if you don’t want to buy it, then at least rent it. It’s good.

Anime, Reviews, Geneon, Adventure, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Psychological, Science Fiction, Supernatural, Real Mayar, Vincent Law

Story

Lucky Star follows high school friends Konata Izumi, Miyuki Takara, and twin sisters Kagami and Tsukasa Hiiragi. The friends do what ordinary young girls do. They go to school, try to pass their tests and try to have some fun in between.

My Opinion

I’ve been waiting to see what the English version of Lucky star would be like. I was especially interested in hearing the voices for the characters. I knew that at best it would take a while to get used to them and at worst… Well, I was hoping no one would be stupid enough to do that to Lucky Star.

It will take some getting used to. Like the Japanese version, Konata is played by the same person that played Haruhi Suzumiya. I hope that was done because she was the best person for the job, and not so that the jokes and tie ins to The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya can be imported more easily.

After watching the first DVD I’m not so sure. Konata just doesn’t seem right in English, the jokes fall a bit flat. It’s not just Wendee Lee’s portrayal of Konata. If it were I’d just say she wasn’t right for the part.

There is another English version character that stands out, this time from the Lucky Channel segment. Akira Kogami seems to be too restrained. When she’s White Akira she doesn’t have that over the top cuteness. She seems to be trying, but she’s not quite making it. As Black Akira she doesn’t have enough bitterness. She seems mildly cynical, but that’s about it. The performance stayed in the middle of the road and as a result never quite lived up to the character.

I’ll have to give it a few more episodes, at least 2 more DVDs, before I make up my mind. If the English cast doesn’t grow on me by then I’ll just have to switch over to subtitles. Yay DVDS!

DVD Extras

There are a couple of good extras on this disc. The key scenes galleries offer a little more insight into the show. Pretty cool. My favorite special feature would have to be “The Adventures of Minoru Shiraishi #1“. In the Japanese version Minoru Shiraishi plays himself, or a characterization of himself.

Is it worth it?

Lucky Star DVD Volume 1 is worth the money. Even if the English cast makes your skin crawl, you can always switch over to the Japanese audio and read subtitles.

Buy Lucky Star, I’m going to.

Anime, Reviews, DVD, Lucky Star, Lucky Star Volume 1, Dub, Sub, English, Japanese, Konata Izumi, Miyuki Takara, Kagami Hiiragi, Tsukasa Hiiragi, Akira Kogami, White Akira, Black Akira, Minoru Shiraishi, Wendee Lee

Online anime rental seems like the perfect option, at least for the fans that don’t want to download illegal fansubs. I’ve already reviewed Blockbuster’s anime offering, now it’s time to take a look at a more specialized outlet.

RentAnime

RentAnime is run by the folks at AnimeNation, an anime retail site that’s been around since 1995. If you’ve been a fan of anime for a while you’ve probably heard of AnimeNation. Whatever opinions you may have formed about them can probably be safely transferred to RentAnime. I’ve never had any problems with them, neither the retail or rental branch.

Pros

• Much Better Anime Selection -

I have yet to think of an anime that I couldn’t find on there. Because they specialize in anime, and probably because they sell anime, they have a much better inventory.

• New Anime Added Constantly -

This is probably because they’re run by AnimeNation. AnimeNation has to keep on top of new releases so they can sell ‘em, so it makes sense that they’d also order some to use in their rental program.

Cons

• Horrible Website -

This is probably the biggest problem that RentAnime has. The website needs a complete overhaul. The only way to find an anime is to know what anime you’re looking for. The “Rental Categories” are not categories at all, they’re alphabetical listings of the anime that they offer. That is mind bogglingly bad.

• Useless Search -

Because of the lack of categories, I have to include the site search here too. This is what I got when I searched for “shojo”.



I find it incredibly hard to believe that RentAnime has absolutely no shojo anime. They need to fix that A.S.A.P..

• Slow Turnaround -

The amount of time between sending back a DVD and getting the next one in the mail is unacceptable. I sent back DVDs to RentAnime and Blockbuster on the same day. I had new Blockbuster DVDs a couple of days before I even got the e-mail from RentAnime telling me they got the DVDs. That could probably be fixed with some regional shipping centers.

Bottom Line

RentAnime has a great selection of anime. They’ve also got enough of it that it’s not often you have to wait very long for a particular title. The problem is waiting to get any titles thanks to their slow turnaround.

Once again I have to say that the website needs to be re-worked. Finding something to watch can be a huge headache unless you know the exact anime you’re looking for.

The selection is amazing, but if they can’t fix at least one of their problems I might have to look for another specialty anime rental site.

Anime, Rental, RentAnime, Rent Anime, Online, AnimeNation, Anime Nation, Review

I did a post that talked about places to rent anime online. Since then I’ve used 2 of those services. Here is a short review of one service based on my experience with them.

Blockbuster

Blockbuster is known across the country as a family friendly video rental outlet. With a large chain of stores and the good sense to use those stores as a factor in it’s online rent by mail business, it has a few advantages going for it.

Pros

• Selection -

You can rent more than just anime from Blockbuster. You can get pretty much any mainstream movie delivered to your home.

• Real Stores -

Blockbuster uses it’s many locations to it’s advantage. You receive coupons every month for free in store rentals. You can also return your Blockbuster Online rentals to a store and exchange them for another movie.

Cons

• Weak Anime Selection -

Blockbuster has some mainstream anime. The more popular it is, the more likely they are to have it.

• Extremely Long Wait -

The wait times for anime can be extremely long. I’m pretty sure that they didn’t even have some of the anime I wound up removing from my list, they just haven’t bothered to update the listings. It seems that way anyway.

This doesn’t seem to be the case with newer movie releases, just older releases or specialty topics like anime.

• Family Friendly Means No Hentai -

I’m not even talking about porn. Everyone that might be interested in porn knows you can’t get it at Blockbuster. I’m talking about things like Kite or Mezzo Forte. You won’t be able to see the uncut versions of those movies because they contain a scene or two that are hard core.

Bottom Line

If you’re looking for an overall video rental account, Blockbuster is pretty darn good. Quick service and some coupons to use at your local store make it worth checking out.

If you want a rental account for specialty topics, such as anime, then you might be better off going with a rental company that specializes in what you’re looking for.

Story

Black Blood Brothers is the story of Jirou and Kotaru Mochizuki, brothers and vampires. Relations between the vampires, a.k.a. black bloods, and humans, a.k.a. red bloods, are tense. The tension is only made worse by the reappearance of a vampire bloodline that even other vampires are threatened by, the Kowloon Children.

The Kowloon Children are different from other vampires, they’re far more infectious. While other black bloods have to give their blood to humans to infect them and make them a vampire, the Kowloon Children only need to bite them. Everybody one of the Kowloon Children feeds on becomes one of the Kowloon Children. This makes them very dangerous, but even more dangerous is their ability to turn other vampires.

My Opinion

Black Blood Brothers takes an interesting view of vampires. By taking bits of folklore, movie magic and even making up brand new pieces to fill in the gaps a very cool vampire mythology is presented. I especially liked the ability of the Kowloon Children bloodline to turn with a bite while other bloodlines have to do things the old fashioned way. It gives the heroes of the story something to fight against, something better than the infighting between vampire bloodlines that you normally see.

This is a great anime for vampire fans, but you don’t need to be one to enjoy it. Black Blood Brothers is more of an action anime than a horror anime. It’s more like Blade than Near Dark (best vampire movie ever).

Extras

FUNimation gives us the basics. Clean opening and closing, trailers and TV promo spots. We also get commentary for each episode. That’s something you don’t see very often for anime, at least I don’t, so that’s kind of cool.

Is it worth it?

Black Blood Brothers is worth checking out. Vampire fans will love getting to know the different bloodlines and everyone else will enjoy the fights and comedy.

I’d recommend checking out Black Blood Brothers. This one might even be worth buying for the collection.

Anime, Reviews, DVD, FUNimation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Supernatural, Vampires, Bloodlines, Kowloon Children, Blade, Near Dark

Story

Mahoro is a combat model android built to fight off the alien invasion of Earth that no one even knows happened. Her preset life span is set to expire, but living a civilian life will lengthen the time she has left. Due to her service against the alien aggressors she’s given a choice. Continue fighting and expire in about a month or retire to a civilian life and live for another year.

Mahoro chooses to retire and become a maid, but that doesn’t mean the action is over. On her way to a job interview she stops a bus highjacking, then she almost kills her new employer.

Looks like the life of a maid has challenges of it’s own.

My Opinion

Mahoromatic - Automatic Maiden is your basic “battle android/maid comedy action fanservice ecchi drama“. What, you haven’t heard of that category of anime? ok, so maybe it’s not a fully fledged category of anime. I can really only think of a couple more anime like Mahoromatic. If you’ve enjoyed one of those then you’ll probably enjoy this one too.

I was a bit surprised by the amount of nudity and sexual humor. It wasn’t anything extremely offensive, but it might not be one you want to watch with the kids. Older teens? That’s probably ok, but as a parent (and or guardian) it’s your call.

Extras on the disc are pretty sparse. Clean opening, some art and trailers are all you get.

Is it worth it?

If you’re a fan of ecchi comedies with a little bit of action and a lot of boobs, then Mahoromatic - Automatic Maiden might be just right for you.

I recommend it.

Anime, Reviews, DVD, Action, Comedy, Romance, Science Fiction, Ecchi, Fanservice, Fan Service, Nudity, Sexual Humor, Maid, Boobs