After watching and reviewing the first season of Emma, I knew that I had to see more. Thanks to a DVD sale at Deep Discount I was able to pick up the show relatively cheap and let me tell you, this is a show that is worth just about any price.

Picking up where the first season lets off we see Emma in a new house working for the Molders, a wealthy German family. She has a new life and even makes new friends and tries desperately to leave William behind and to, in her eyes, set him free.

William, on the other hand falls into a state of depression and drowns his sorrow in work and longs for Emma. When his attempts to find her fail his eyes turn to the ever available Eleanor Campbell as a means to ease his lonliness. He even goes so far as to propose to her. While we the viewers look on in shock, it's all that's needed to get the gears of fate moving as he is reunited by chance with his beloved Emma at his own engagement party.

Season 2 is quite different from its quaint romantic predecessor. Instead of the subtleties we learn from the quiet pace of the courtship of William and Emma, we instead are treated to something a bit more conventional in the way of romance. The story has its twists and turns yet you always hope and know that we will eventually get a happy ending.

Emma is a rare breed in the world of anime. In most anime containing maids they are there simply for fanservice or to add moments of slapstick. Emma instead moves us beyond that stereotype of the teenage boy's fantasy and instead shows us what life was like for an entire profession and class of women in the 19th century.

My only disappointment is that since Emma is a rather niche title a dub was impossible as it would be too cost prohibitive. This is a show that really deserves a full dub of British actors using various accents to flesh the characters out a little. I can almost imagine what extra dimension this could add to an already fine show.

While Emma isn't a masterpiece in the true since of the word, it's flaws of a somewhat predictable story can be easily overlooked in its masterful storytelling. For the same reason people flock to see the newest romantic comedy or why they want to see Lassie get Timmy from the mineshaft for the umteenth time people love a good romance. You can certainly do a lot worse than Emma.

Highly Recommended!

Labels: Anime, Classics

As this is the first time (I think) that I've reviewed a show only in fansubs I'd like to have a bit of a history lesson to start.

I've been an anime fan for a good 10+ years now. There's no secret that in that time anime has gone from an emerging niche market to a full blown marketable product that just about everyone knows about. While it still has yet to become mainstream, you can at least walk into your local video store (or even Walmart) and pick up a copy of some of the more popular titles.

Back when I was just starting to become an anime fan I got my fix through VHS tapes which cost $20 and up for two to four episodes. In order to watch as much as I could on my limited budget I got into the fansub market trading tapes and requesting Nth generation copies from fansub distros. Back then I was watching mostly shows from the 80s and early 90s as all the "new" stuff would take a year or two to come to LaserDisc in Japan and then it might get picked up by a fansubber. If not, you were SOL.

Today, if you want a fansub you can usually get an episode a few days after its airing on Japanese TV. Many in the anime communities feel that fansubs have lost that amateurish feel and that "By fans for fans" comradery and that today's fansubs are little more than piracy. While I won't argue that fact here, I will state that fansubs are still the only way to see some shows and sadly, they will most likely be the only way to ever see such shows.

Bewitching Nozomi is such a show. Made in 1992 around the Barcelona Olympics we get the story of a young boy named Ryotaro who, after being scouted by his neighbor Nozomi starts his trek to become a boxing champion and fulfill Nozomi's dream for him.

The plot is relatively simple and yet it works. The element of realizing a dream for a female love interest is certainly not new to anime. Touch did it back in the 80s with baseball instead of boxing. Yet there is something enduring about the show which I can't put my finger on. Perhaps it's because the characters are so enduring despite only getting to know them over the course of three episodes.

As a three episode OVA from 1992 the animation is perhaps a bit dated by today's standards but it holds up very well, outside of a few early digital type effects in the OP.

It should also be noted that the OP song, "Flash of Thunderlight", bears a striking similarity to both "Eye of the Tiger" and also Bonnie Tyler's "Ravishing". Not that that's a bad thing.

If I had any complaints about the show it's that the story does, at times, feel a bit rushed and that it could have easily have been expanded to a 13 episode TV series. Yet I'm satisfied with what we have and I think you will too.

Nozomi Witches a.k.a. Bewitching Nozomi is a pretty rare find, even for fansubs. Checking the usual places I can't find a copy. Mine was a copy of the old Lupin Gang SVHS so the video quality isn't quite what you expect. Still, I say this is a show worth hunting down. When you finish it, be sure and send a note to the anime companies in the States and ask them to license it.

Labels: Animation, Anime, Fansub only

Emma: A Victorian Romance is the tale of two lovers across social divides trying desperately to overcome prejudice and social constrictions of 19th century London. Sure the story has been done countless times in books, films and television shows and yet never once does it feel forced or fake. They could have taken this in a trashy romance novel direction and yet they deliver a great deal of honesty and accuracy. I really don't want to say any more as that would spoil the plot but I will say that the show kept my interest throughout.

For someone who appreciates antiques and Victorian fashion in general the show is a plethora of Victorian fashion and stylings. To do such a show in live action would require either an astronomical budget or fall into the anacronism trap that many period pieces fall into. Still, it would be nice to see.

RightStuf (aka Nozomi Entertainment) did a great job on this DVD set. The picture and sound are excellent and the extras are nice. I try and support every release of Nozomi as they tend to listen to the fans the most. In fact I already have Season 2 of Emma and Season 1 of Maria Sama ga Miteru ordered.

In short it is simply one of the best anime releases this year.

Labels: Anime, Classics

In what seems like ages I have returned again to one show that gets put on the shelf for far too long. Maison Ikkoku is quite simply put an absolute masterpiece. It's also a crying shame that I shelve it to "spread it out" over time instead of just watching it all. After all, I can tell that once I'm finished with it I will go back to it again and again.

In these episodes we get to peek more into the life of young Yusaku Godai. The poor guy never can catch a break and yet strangely has a few female admirers despite his undying love for Kyoko. In these episodes things seem to get more and more confusing for the guy as he now heads out looking for a "real" job. As a man who was in this situation last year (and is somewhat considering doing it all over again next year or the year after) I can certainly see where he is coming from and how frustrating life can be.

What's a crying shame is how these are now out of print. Sadly, despite Maison Ikkoku being a masterpiece, the American anime fan never was willing to pony up the cash for it. If you do get a chance, check it out. You won't regret it!

Labels: Anime, Classics, Maison Ikkoku

Well, after waiting almost a year since watching volume 5, I finally have gotten around to watching the final volume of Sugar.

Basically since I don't want to spoil the show, I will simply state that it is one of my favorite anime shows that I've seen. There really is something magical and delightful about the show that really keeps me entertained. There's nothing objectionable and I can certainly see this as a show that I would show my kids someday should I ever have any.

Excellent and recommended in the highest way possible! Too bad it's out of print.

Labels: Animation, Anime, Classics

Every once in a while I come across a fansub that really grabs me as something unique and interesting. Of course, then a lot of times I find stuff that's just so generic that if brought over they wouldn't make a cent off of it.

_SUMMER (pronounced Underbar Summer) is an anime which made me wonder if I was supposed to do some prerequisite reading for. Come to find out, it's a video game but unlike another video game anime I'm currently watching, it's really more of an introduction than an attempt to sum up the story of the game.

In fact, in many ways the show plays out like a dating game with two episodes introducing the situation with each girl and then left open ended for us to go dive into the game and choose a path for our young lead.

I really can't recommend it despite having nice animation and cute designs. There just isn't enough here.

Labels: Anime

Yes, I know I used to be so good about keeping this blog. I know that if only for me it's a great window into my life which I can use to sort of track my habits back.

The majority of my TV time has been spent with a controller in hand. If you check out my other blog, you can kind of see more about that but I've gotten lazy on that as well. Since I've been watching a few random episodes of things, I'll try and post at least a quick update here.

MST3K - Time of the Apes: Editing TV shows into movies is never a good idea. While there are tv movies based on shows which are made to be split into pieces (i.e. Super Ducktales) going in the reverse almost never works. Sometimes it's passable like another MST episode Riding with Death and other times like with the Mobile Suit Gundam series fans even accept them greater than the original show. In the case of Time of the Apes, we get the worst scenario and get total trash. 26 episodes really can't be chopped down into an hour and a half without losing something and so we end up with a mishmash of plots which don't make a whole lot of sense. Like Johnny, I just don't care.

The riffing is excellent, however. I actually see myself watching this one again.

Tales of Symphonia - the Animation: This anime is really good ... if you loved the game. Luckily I loved the game so I'm enjoying this show but I doubt many others would like it as a stand alone OAV.

Touch!: What an excellent series! Now once I get time to watch more I'll enjoy more.

Wrestlemania 24: Wow, what a FANTASTIC event. I got to see this at the college which makes me glad to be an alumni.

'Taker's streak continued, Orton retained and Ric Flair wrestled in one of his best matches ever with a fitting end to a LEGENDARY career.

I'll try to post more later and at least keep up. Here's hoping I can at least do that.

Labels: Anime, MST3K, site news, wrestling

So I'm starting a few new anime series to try and break me out of my anime slump. Figuring I should go for a classic instead of taking a chance on some mediocre backlog entry I went ahead and tried a classic: The Rose of Versailles.

The Rose of Versailles (or Lady Oscar) is a great 18th century drama in pre-Revolution France about a woman raised as a boy who excels in swordsmanship and raises to head of the Royal Guards and ends up as the personal protector of the new princess Marie Antoinette.

So I'm eight episodes into the show and I can really see why people adore it so. The characters are rich and interesting instead of many of the stereotypical anime characters of most other shows. I guess it's true that a classic does last forever.

Labels: Anime, Classics

Moving away from the theme of finding a "twinkle" Volume 5 of Sugar talks more about the relationship between Saga and Sugar as well as Saga with her friends. Saga goes through quite a bit in this volume including losing her mother's piano to her friend and rival, Greta. These episodes were quite nice and actually I'm seriously considering marathoning the series after I finish it, or at least parts of it.

Sugar is a show that is readily growing to become one of my favorite shows made in the last decade. It is steadily growing to show the different layers it contains. Between the fairy tale fantasy, silly comedy and wonderful music it reminds me in many ways what it was like to be a child and also reminds me of a time when I tended to enjoy just about every anime I watched. While many claim I'm a huge pessimist about shows made after the move to more computer animation techniques (and they'd be right) Sugar is a show that makes even someone like me step back and realize that not everything out there is trash, just 90% of it.

Labels: Anime, Cute, Japanese

Diving into the backlog is another volume of the incredibly strange movie about some mixed up aliens.

Urusei Yatsura is a show that I'm really unsure of how to take. The show seems to go to great lengths to establish Lum as a likable character and while I do feel for her fruitless attempt to keep Ataru faithful, there are times I wonder why she doesn't just give up.

I have one more disc of this and perhaps if my backlog was zero I'd get some more but for now, the show is continuing to be quite blah.

Labels: Anime, Comedy, Japanese

Whenever I want to see a great comedic action anime, I always reach for Lupin the 3rd first. This disc brings the show to 32 episodes out of 155 total so there's still a ways to go. Therefore the show is still pretty fresh and exciting with one episode on this disc (Lupin Dies Twice) that actually had me guessing as to how the world's greatest thief could steal himself away from an assassin's bullet.

I really enjoy Lupin and while many will argue that the movies are a bit more solid and enjoyable, the show is undoubtably a classic and is something every anime fan should watch. That is, if they can put down their CGI flashy shows and appreciate this admittedly dated classic.

Labels: Anime, Japanese, Lupin

Every story must have a beginning and Dragon Ball is no exception. Before there were super Saiya-jin level 20 billion and an entire season devoted to five minutes, there was a little comedy story loosely based on A Journey to the West. Here is where we first meet Goku, Bulma, Oolong, Yamucha, Muten Roshi and Chi-Chi in a more comedic and fairy tale-like show that may not please all Dragon Ball Z fans but is quite entertaining on its own.

Since the video rights of the first 13 episodes of Dragon Ball are caught in somewhat of a snag in the States, Funimation has not been able to release them uncut. In Austrailia, however, things are a different story. Working on a sublicense through Funimation Madman has released all the FUNI Dragon Ball sets much to the delight of those down under as well as importers worldwide.

The first thing I should mention is that these sets are not an alternative to the US sets. Since Madman licensed these through Funimation, any gripes you have on the American sets are present here plus one. These discs are encoded to fit the dimensions of the PAL video system and thus are incompatible with most American DVD players including those that are Region Free. If you plan on watching these on a computer with region free capabilities, you should be okay, otherwise make sure you have PAL to NTSC conversion as a feature on your region free player before buying this.

Despite all the issues, I still recommend this set. Dragon Ball is a great show which is sadly overshadowed by its sequel series. Yet when given a chance on its own it's a lot of fun.

Labels: Anime, Comedy, Dragon Ball

Four more episodes of this adorable little anime are sure to make your teeth rot. It delivers some good stories centering around the fairies while allowing us to look more into Saga's life and how she deals with it all. Usual cuteness warnings apply.

As I get further along with Sugar, the more it is certainly growing on me. When I first started the show I found it almost too cute to get through although now I find myself enjoying it more and more. I guess my main advice to those thinking about the show is that you might have to invest some time and watch a bunch of episodes before giving up on it.

Labels: Anime, Cute, Japanese

In the thrilling climax and conclusion to Chobits the true origins of Chi are revealed as well as all the secrets that everyone has been hiding suddenly come out to the forefront. It's quite the clash at the end and the ending actually had me guessing for a while.

Labels: Anime, Japanese

Tonight I tackle the next disc of Lupin the 3rd. As episode three Hitler no Isan (Hitler's Legacy) was skipped on the first disc due to fears it may taint the run on Adult Swim they put it off until this volume to show it. Due to this we get a full six episodes here instead of the usual five.

The episodes on here were quite good, actually and I can see myself going back to rewatch them at some point in the future. I especially enjoyed the episodes which focused more on Goemon and Jigen as I feel that at times they tend to be neglected.

I also loved the copious amount of classical music featured here with selections from Carmen as well as the Voice of Spring making appearances in the soundtrack.

Labels: Anime, Japanese, Lupin

Bottle Fairy is the adorable and educational story for four little fairies who wish to become human. Before they can do that, however, they must first learn the ways of the average Japanese person which leads to some rather silly situations.

This is a show that I can easily recommend to the casual viewer as well as the otaku. Due to its length at just 13 episodes with each episode running about 12 minutes there is not a great time investment needed to understand the show. One other aspect that is inviting is the fact that it is so easy to just pick up an episode here and there without having to remember what happened in the last episode.

I definitely recommend it but, as always, watch for sales.

Labels: Anime, Cute, Japanese

Since today was a rather dreary and somewhat lethargic day it almost seemed appropriate to liven things up with a little Sugar.

Here on this disc we get a nice story arc centered around a group of traveling actors who put on a show about a bear who plays the piano. The whole town seems caught up in it including Saga and the season fairies. During the course of events Saga meets up with Vincent, the man in the bear costume and the relationship between the two as he teaches her about the piano is done in a rather nice manner and the whole show gives you a warm fuzzy feeling after watching it.

That said, Sugar is still best taken in small doses, but a few episodes now and then is good for just about anyone.

Labels: Anime, Cute, Japanese

After giving the first disc a less than favorable review two years ago I honestly thought I was done with the series. I eventually changed my mind, however, when RightStuff offered the rest of the show at $4 a disc.

Burn-Up, for those unfamiliar is a franchise of anime that started back in 1991. The original show was fairly standard in terms of comedy, fanservice and action, although later elements like Excess seemed to rely more on the fanservice. With Scramble they decided to take the tried and true characters of the originals and totally reinvent them with a completely different art style. What they ended up with is a sort of Tenchi in Tokyo scenario where fans of the original series may be completely turned off and new fans may not understand the big deal.

The Burn-Up franchise is admittedly something that is not a favorite of mine. While I do own a Burn-Up W laserdisc, I have yet to watch the DVD sitting in my backlog for several years now. I think the problem with a show like Burn-Up was that back when I was in high school I could enjoy just about any anime as long as it had a large supply of busty women. Strangely I suppose I have grown up and the fanservice shows don't seem to interest me as much and Scramble doesn't have enough comedy to keep me that interested.

At $4 a disc, I don't feel too ripped off but I doubt I will rewatch this anytime soon.

Labels: Action, Anime, Comedy, Ecchi, Japanese

Plastic Little is an odd little anime that I first picked up a few years ago. Over the years I have tried a few times to actually watch it and yet I was never able to actually finish it. After finally watching the entire movie, I can understand why.

What you have here a basic sci-fi and action anime with hefty doses of fanservice. Despite what should be a winning combination I found myself bored throughout most of the movie due to the rather bland plot. Therefore I can't recommend it although someone out there may find it interesting.

Labels: Action, Anime, Comedy, Ecchi, Japanese

Disc 1 Review: 6/6/07 - 6:16PM

Here's a show that's been on my shelf for a few years which for one reason or another I never made an effort to watch. Feeling I was in the mood for watching something different I gave it a shot.

Jubei Chan is about a young girl named Jiyo Nanohana. Not only is she the most adorable girl in her 8th grade class (not to mention the bustiest) but there is more to this bubbly girl than her bra size. It turns out she is the reincarnation of the legendary swordsman, Yagyu Jubei. With an eyepatch shaped like a heart she transforms and gets all of the power of the real Jubei. Of course, the funny thing is Jiyo doesn't want anything to do with this power much to the disapproval of most everyone else.

The show is quite amusing and it will be interesting to see where it goes from here.

Disc 2 Review: 6/26/07 7:52PM

Jiyu is now Jubei whether she likes it or not, and in fact she hates it. The episodes on this disc, while comical, take us away from the "monster of the week" feel of the first disc with a central plot emerging and more emphasis being placed on the emotions of Jiyu as she deals with having this curse of power.

One thing that so far has impressed me with the show is how

Note: This show was originally released in singles but the content appears to be the same, down to the extras. I am not 100% sure about the newest complete collection but I assume it is just a new pressing with a different cover.

Labels: Action, Anime, Comedy

While not technically a backlog or real DVD in the sense of what I usually review, I did watch the next five episodes of Dragon Ball Z on the DVD-R I made from my old fansub tapes. I have debated on buying the R2s which, amongst other things, have have great cover art and definitely have better video quality than the crappy old tape prints I have.

Labels: Action, Anime, Dragon Ball Z, Japanese

Dragon Ball Z: Vol. 9 - Vegeta Saga II - Ultimate Sacrifice

The battle against the Saiya-jin continues on with Tenshinhan meeting his fate along with Piccolo as the warriors still wait for Goku to return and help them fight the alien invaders off. These episodes are particularly poignant for fans of the original Dragon Ball as it is in some ways the last elements of the older show are literally being killed off in favor of the bigger and stronger bad guys that would follow.

With this the last release of Dragon Ball Z Ultimate Uncut edition I'm afraid my watching habits will now have to change to the fansubbed tapes I copied to DVD-R. While their quality is garbage, at least the aspect ratio is correct. Sad that FUNimation is the top selling anime company in America after doing garbage transfers and then screwing up Dragon Ball Z even worse than before. At least I bought the ultimate uncut used ...

Labels: Action, Anime, Dragon Ball Z, Japanese

Dragon Ball Z: Vol. 8 - Vegeta Saga II - Saiyan Invasion

The showdown with the Saiya-jins has begun. Gohan, Piccolo, Kuririn, Tenshinhan, Chaozu and Yamucha stand ready to face the evil warriors and the first major battle in Dragon Ball Z is about to begin. This is the last major fight where some of the major secondary characters from Dragon Ball such as Yamucha and Yajirobe are relevant and it's sad that this is their last hurrah.

For those unfamiliar with this series, or at least with the way the show works, it can basically be assumed that when there is a battle it will not end for many episodes. Just one segment of a fight or even one attack can take up an entire episode. Seeing this for the first time can either turn you off of the show or, in my case, fascinate you and keep you hooked.

Dragon Ball Z has its fans and detractors. If you like it, you probably already own this DVD. If not, you can get it used for dirt cheap on Amazon.

Labels: Action, Anime, Dragon Ball Z, Japanese

Doki Doki School Hours: 5th Hour

Finishing up the show are the last four episodes which seem to be quite mixed. The first two have more of a fantasy element which plays with the characters in different ways. While these episodes were good it's nice to know that the show ends on a more serious note with Mika-sensei going through the arranged marriage route and she and her students contemplate what it would mean if she was to get married.

Doki Doki School Hours is an odd show. The comparisons to Azumanga Daioh will be apparent to fans of that show but that the Doki Doki manga predates Azu by two years. Still, it is a fun show and is quite entertaining in its own right.

Give the show a shot. It's cheap at Rightstuf right now.

Labels: Anime, Comedy

Dragon Ball Z: Vol. 7 - Vegeta Saga I - Back From the Dead
After several discs of filler the show gets down to business. Goku finally meets Kaio-sama for training and the Saiya-jin appear on the Earth with Goku still in the other world a day late. This disc seems to have more plot than the last three combined and while it would have been nice to perhaps extend Goku's training, it's time to let the battle against the Saiya-jin commence.

These are really the last silly episodes of the show with the rest of the series being more about the fighting and the next big enemy. So cherish them while they last as there's a whole lot of yelling and fighting to come.

One side note: I'm really quite amazed that I made it through 7 discs (21 episodes) of a show so fast. I almost never do that.

Labels: Action, Anime, Dragon Ball Z, Japanese

Melty Lancer - Vol. 1: Alpha

I'm really not even sure where to start with a title like Melty Lancer. It's almost a stereotype in itself. We have a show where several hot girls are formed into a counter-terrorism group. No, this isn't Burn-Up! as that would be giving it way too much credit. Instead it's a steaming pile of waste based on a Playstation Game.

I find myself losing patience with the younger breed of anime fans. I had a coworker about 2 years ago who loved the latest and greatest shows and I remember him declaring once that GONZO made the best anime. Well, here we have a GONZO show that left me not only bored but had me wondering if this was the kind of show that appeals to the new otakus on the block. Hopefully I'm wrong and this is just a turkey.

Skip this.

Labels: Action, Anime, Crap, Japanese

Dragon Ball Z: Vol. 6 - Vegeta Saga I - Doomed Heroes

The filler episodes wind down a bit as Gohan begins training with Piccolo and Goku finally makes it to the end of the Serpentine path to the home planet of the great Kaio-sama for training. Meanwhile Yamucha, Kuririn, Tenshinhan and Chaozu all train at Kami's place fighting Saiya-jin from the far past to see just how weak they really are.

This disc is certainly one of the more interesting ones as we build up for the coming of the Saiya-jin. I'm really enjoying this series again and I believe that the show has great rewatchabiliy as I find myself feeling as though this is the first time I've seen the show, despite the fact that I have seen these episodes countless times uncut on old fansubs.

Labels: Anime, Dragon Ball Z, Japanese

Bottle Fairy - Vol. 1: Spring and Summer

Taking a break from the action and adventure of most everything else I was watching, I decided to give Bottle Fairy a try. I anticipated that this would be a cute show made for little kids yet as I watched the show I began to question whether this was made for more for the otaku crowd.

The show jumps right in without an origin explanation or any real introduction to the characters. What I was able to figure out is that they are, as the title suggests, Bottle Fairies and they are searching for a way to become human. They do this by reading up on various subjects such as school and marriage and misinterpreting them to the ridiculously cute degree. Realizing their mistakes they get their help from the girl next door, Tama, who seems to get the girls even more confused. Usually it's up to Sensei-san (who doesn't appear to have a real name) to sort things out at the end.

The show is totally contrived of cuteness yet at the same time I've heard it is a good show for western fans to watch to understand a little about Japanese culture and festivals. I can also see this being a good tool for students as well and perhaps introducing children to various aspects of another culture.

Labels: Anime, Comedy

Lupin the 3rd - Vol. 04: Thieves' Paradise

It's no secret that Lupin is one of my favorite anime characters of all time. Strangely while I was putting out the money for things like Fujiko figures and such I never put out the dough for the DVDs. Luckily it was RightStuf to the rescue which allowed me to buy most every disc I had been missing.

The episodes here were fairly good. I really liked the Goemon centered episode which allowed us to look a bit into his past as well as find out more of what's going on inside his head. The rest were all classic Lupin with plenty of fanservice, hijinks and adventure. Of note I had to smile at one scene where Lupin and Fujiko were playing Pong against one another. Ahh, the 70s!

One of the aspects of Lupin that may appeal to some American fans is the sheer episodic nature of the show. There aren't long story arcs but instead just simple 23 minute adventures. Because of this Lupin the 3rd is a show that isn't exactly for every anime fan and its age does show. Still, Lupin is a classic and deserves to be seen.

Now I just wonder if we'll get the original 1971 show.

Definitely a reccomended viewing for those not afraid of a show with some age.

Labels: Anime, Japanese

Dragon Ball Z: Vol. 5 - Vegeta Saga I - Goku Held Hostage

Another disc of Dragon Ball Z and we have three more episodes to prepare for the coming of the Saiya-jins. Watching these brought back some memories and at the same time surprised me a bit too with things I had forgotten.

While these are more filler, the show is still entertaining in the comedic way that would be abandoned later on. Basically all that happens of interest on this disc is that Goku has some perils along the Serpentine Path and Gohan decides to try going home.

This disc also has the episode that featured the infamous "Home For Infinite Losers" censorship which made me smile and simultaneously cry remembering how cut up this show used to be shown.

Labels: Anime, Dragon Ball Z, Japanese

Dragon Ball Z: Vol. 4 - Vegeta Saga I - Gohan's Trials

Dragon Ball Z can be summed up into basically two types of shows. There are episodes with major events taking place over the course of several episodes and then there is lots of filler with no real plot development stuffed in-between. With Goku still on the Serpentine Road and the Saiya-jins still en route to Earth this disc is 100% filler which is not awful but it would've been nicer had Funimation released more episodes to a disc. The reason for this filler was a necessary in order to allow Akira Toriyama more time to write the manga so that the show would not get ahead of his pace.

While this disc is just filler, at least it is enjoyable filler. Included here was one of my favorite episodes growing up which is where Vegeta and Nappa stop at a planet inhabited by giant mantis-like creatures and overthrow a dictator only to blow up the planet anyway. Other than that, we get to see Yamucha, Puar, Tenshinhan, Chaozu and Lunch for the first time in Z as they all head to be trained by Kami.

Personally I really enjoy the first season of Dragon Ball Z the best. Perhaps it is because it was in that transition between the original and Z or because it seemed so fresh and new to me back in 1997 or so. Either way, these are the episodes I enjoy the most and wish that the series had continued to be more like this over all the "Super Sayia-jin" stuff that it would end up as.

Labels: Action, Anime, Dragon Ball Z

Ai Yori Aoshi: 5. With All My Heart

Harem shows are a dime a dozen these days. The premise which started way back with Tenchi Muyo was repeated over and over through the years. You take a rather awkward teenage boy and surround him with gorgeous women who all have the hots for him. While there have been variations on it over the years with such series like Angel Tales with the girls being pets and series like Love Hina where all characters are made as unlikeable as can be.

Ai Yori Aoshi is at the higher end of the harem spectrum. What makes this show interesting is not the fanservice as clearly that is not overwhelming in the show but it's the fact that it does set out to tell a story and include some very interesting cultural overtones such as the traditional lifestyles of Aoi's family blending with the more western and modern style of Kaoru and how it shows that while the two may not mesh well all the time, there are high points of both.

I personally really enjoyed Ai Yori Aoshi despite the fact that it took me so long to watch it all. The show really, for me, is a great relief from the pratfall a minute and two-dimensional characters that so many harem type shows have as standard. It was also refreshing to see Kaoru as such a strong male lead who can stand up for himself and not be a pervert or doormat like so many other male leads seem to be.

Ai Yori Aoshi is easy to recommend. It has a lot of laughs and a lot of quiet moments to get you thinking about the characters and their life. If you want to see if a harem show can be deeper than Love Hina, you can't do much better than Ai Yori Aoshi.

Highly recommended!

Labels: Anime, Romance

Sugar: Vol. 2: Friends and Dreams
Here we have four more adventures of the little fairies who are working hard to become full fledged season fairies so that they can control the weather. The story itself is rather plain but it's obvious that this show was made for cuteness overload which can be a good or bad thing depending on your preference.

Sugar, like its namesake, is something best taken sparingly. While some children may eat it up, older anime fans such as myself who can appreciate cuteness will most likely feel that it is better in small doses.

I recommend it as an average show when watched an episode or two at a time but it gets boring when watched in "marathon" form.

Labels: Anime

Hyper Police - Vol. 6

Natsuki and Co. continue with the adventures of the dome from the last disc and expand upon it with time travel as well as coming to terms with the mingling of the beast world and the human world. Natsuki is given the chance to live in the human world where beasts never coexisted with humans which leads to perhaps one of the most interesting parts of the show with Natsuki shown as an ordinary teenage schoolgirl.

If I was to have any complaints about the disc it would be the ending. Personally I would've either have liked to see something more conclusive or more episodes of the show.

I saw Hyper Police not long after I started getting into anime seriously. While I had been buying anime dubbed back in 1997 or so, it wasn't really until 1999 that I was seriously buying fansubbed VHS tapes. One of the first shows for me to get my filthy mitts on was Hyper Police which I watched to death back in the day. For that reason it, along with my other early fansub finds Saint Tail and Wedding Peach hold a special place for me in my collection.

Hyper Police is an easy show to recommend as it is a nice blend of comedy, action, catgirls and fanservice yet not being too overly ambitious in one area over another and still maintaining a decent plot. The discs are fairly cheap so pick them up if you can!

Labels: Action, Anime, Comedy, Japanese

Chobits - Vol. 5: Disappearance

Chi, as the volume title suggests, has gone missing and in plain sight. It turns out she was abducted by a persocom enthusiast who want to know the secrets of Chi and Chobits but it seems he may have gotten more than he bargained for.

With this being the next to last volume of Chobits, the show is really commencing to build up the suspense as well as reveal that this is no ordinary fanservice anime. As Hideki searches for Chi he is reminded over and over that Chi is a machine and not a human as Ueda (the shop owner where Chi works) tells his tragic story of falling in love with his persocom and how it was no Coppelia-like comedy. This brings up some very deep thoughts from the usually clueless Hideki and seems to only make his desire to find Chi stronger.

I definitely recommend this volume and personally I can't wait for the conclusion to see how this all ties together.

Labels: Anime, Japanese

Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Vol. #1:

This show begins with a strange story shown in the form of a grainy student film apparantly made by our main characters. It is certainly interesting, especially after seeing many such "fan films" myself over the years and the fanservice wasn't so bad, either.

Haruhi Suzumiya should be a normal high school girl. She excels in sports, gets good grades and is quite easy on the eyes. However it seems she is determined to find aliens, time travelers, espers and other such supernatural things. She drags a poor first year student, Kyon, who sits in front of her in class into her little club. What comes next is a series of misadventures with poor Kyon caught up in a world of insanity that unfolds around him.

It's not very often that I buy new releases of anime but for some reason Haruhi seemed to catch my eye. Perhaps it was the box or maybe the massive Haruhi dance at Anime Boston.

Labels: Anime, Comedy, Japanese, sci-fi

Hanaukyo Maid Team La Verite - Vol. 2: Lost in Kamakura:

Harem Shows are a dime a dozen and this show is no exception. While I will admit to enjoying the show as a time waster, it really brought nothing new to the anime table and, sadly, doesn't seem to add anything new over the original series. In fact I'd go so far as to say the original show in its 15 minute format was more appropriate for this light fluff.

What the show does deliver is a lot of silly fanservice. If that's what you're in the mood for you can certainly do a lot worse. Besides, maids are pretty hot.

Labels: Anime, Comedy, Ecchi

Wandaba Style: Vol 3: Idol Invasion!

So the girls of Mix Juice finally get to land on the moon. Of course, now the real question is "How to get back?" Even though he lost to his mother in the moon race, it's Tsukumo to the rescue again. Then when the girls come back to Earth there are more problems with their newly gained fame of performing on the Moon.

Wandaba Style is at the surface just another silly and disposable anime series. Digging deeper than that you see that indeed that is all that it is. There are some fun songs along with some rather silly moments that make for a good waste of time.

This show gets my half-hearted recommendation to buy it cheap and enjoy.

Labels: Anime, Comedy

Dragon Ball Z: Vol. 3 - Vegeta Saga I - Into the Wild:

As the Saiya-jin are on their way to earth the earth's warriors must train. Goku continues along the Serpentine path, Gohan has his survival training in the wild, Piccolo goes on alone and the rest of the gang are invited up to Karin's tower to train. This means that this disc as well as the next are mostly filler.

Still the episodes here are interesting and if you have never seen the show uncut before, they are worth watching. As a matter of fact, the last episode of the disc where Gohan meets a lost robot was cut completely from the US release for unknown reasons though it's position as a disposable filler episode is probably the answer.

Out of curiousity I checked out the dub to see what FUNi could do with it. It's still crap, just like it's always been. Of course that's why I don't watch dubbed anime, especially from FUNimation.

Labels: Anime, Dragon Ball Z

Dragonball Z: Vol. 2 - Vegeta Saga I - Piccolo's Plan:

In these episodes Goku and Piccolo take on and finish off Raditz with Goku dying in the process. However they learn the horrifying fact that two much stronger Saiya-jins are on their way to Earth to use the Dragon Balls to wish for immortality. So the warriors all have to train in the coming year and prepare for the coming danger.

As I continue with my quest to watch all of Dragonball Z I can't help but think that the main appeal here is simply the nostalgia. I love being transported back to when I first saw these on television years ago and also allowing me to see these uncut and subtitled.

These episodes get Z off to a good start and we haven't yet reached the loads of filler that is to come in the next few episodes. I can see why the season sets, despite their stupid and ignorant cropping, seem to be selling so well as getting a season of twenty some episodes at once of DBZ is more necessary. Unfortunately the video quality is certainly less than stellar and yet they are so much better than my crappy old tapes and unlike the season sets are in their original aspect ratio and thus I'll just continue to collect these.

Labels: Anime, Dragon Ball Z

Chance Pop Session: Session Two:

The trio of friends continue in their quests to become singers and they are met with failure, success, setbacks and even a wardrobe malfunction. We also learn some interesting revelations about Akari and Yuki and about their early lives and how they are connected.

Chance Pop Session seems to continue along at a rather steady pace and while the show is completely predictable, it still is a decent time waster.

What I find quite fascinating about this show is the fact that Akari is a Christian. I think this is the only anime I've seen where a character is a practicing and apparently Protestant Christian. While the show doesn't seem to really go into that much, it is an interesting aspect since sadly so few in Japan are Christians.

Labels: Anime, Japanese

Dragonball Z: Vol. 1 - Vegeta Saga - Saiyan Showdown

As anyone who knows my history in regards to anime will most likely remember when I first got started into the hobby. Back while waiting for the bus to take me to high school I would watch Dragonball Z in my living room. I enjoyed the show quite a bit despite realizing the edits and went so far as to get fansub tapes with horrendous quality up to the end of the original edit job and then bought the rest of the Freeza saga on DVD.

Unfortunately after Freeza my interest in Dragonball Z waned. Part of this was the fact that during each new saga the Saiya-jins got that much stronger and the more interesting humans would get that much weaker. By the end of the Cell saga and the beginning of Buu, I just gave up. However I never stopped enjoying the first few seasons and waited patiently for them to be released to DVD.

I snatched this volume up when it first came out but like other things, I just never had the nostalgia to put it in and watch it all. Plus the cost of buying the series three episodes at a time was always difficult for me to do and thus, I stopped.

Fast forward to the present and FUNimation is now releasing these episodes again in season boxsets but the video is horrendously cropped to fit widescreen TVs under the silly notion that this is "the way it was meant to be seen."

Calling bullshit on that, I decided it was time I went ahead and bought all those released (used of course) and began transferring the rest of my fansubs to DVD-R. If FUNI wises up and gives the remaining episodes a proper release I may support them with my wallet. Until then, they can stick their fake widescreen where the sun don't shine.

Labels: Anime, Dragon Ball Z

Wandaba Style - Vol. 2: Warp Speed!

Boy genius Dexter Dr. Tsukumo continues his plans to get to the Moon by any means necessary. This of course means putting Mix Juice through many more trials, tribulations and experiments. It also gives us a chance to see a bit of his backstory and learn about his family and why he must get to the moon before his mother does.

The show is incredibly comical and while it does have its perverted moments with the occasional bra and panty shot, the show is mostly fitting of its PG rating.

As I said before, the show is decent enough but not really worth paying full price over. I stand by my recommendation to get the collection instead.

Labels: Anime, Comedy

Ai Yori Aoshi Vol. 4: Truly Yours: Today I sat down and watched five more episodes of Ai Yori Aoshi. This above average harem show does take some getting into but at the same time it seems to have a charm that others seem to lack.

In this disc we are introduced to the last member of the harem, Chika. She is Taeko's cousin and seems to think that Kaoru is just perfect for Taeko. Thus she seems to try and push them together a lot leading to some rather amusing scenes and situations.

The disc was quite enjoyable and I know I'll have to take some screenshots of Tina as a tiger gal and Taeko as a cow girl (but not in the Dale Evans model unfortunately) and just the general cuteness of the show.

If you liked the others, no reason to stop here.

Labels: Anime, Comedy, Japanese

Wedding Peach Vol. 10 - DX: Ending the classic Wedding Peach series is a four episode OAV which takes the show and expands upon it in ways the original never did before.

As anyone familiar with my anime taste knows, I am a big fan of Wedding Peach and have been ever since I saw the first four episodes in high school. This was back when Techno Girls were subtitling and Animerica was telling us how bad this show was. Strangely while I always knew more of the series existed and my belief it would never be picked up, I never got the rest of it. At least now, after probably eight years of first learning of it, I have finally seen Wedding Peach DX.

I had heard that DX was different and yet I had no idea just how different. The OAV seems to pick up right where the TV show left off in some ways acting like a few "lost episodes" yet with the benefit of an OVA budget they were able to have somewhat better animation. Being released straight to video also seemed to allow the fanservice to be upped a notch or two. What was once a tame show for young girls now has cleavage, panty and bra shots. Not that I'm complaining, of course but it is certainly different.

Labels: Anime, Japanese

Chobits - Disc 4: Love Defined: Finishing up the night is the fourth volume of a rather enjoyable anime series. Chobits seems good at being a good silly and ecchi show when it wants to be.

On the other hand, beginning with the last episode the show is starting to add a decidedly more serious side, especially when it comes to the notion of people falling in love with their persocoms and thus avoiding the real world. I wonder if this is perhaps Clamp's way of telling us that we need to get off of our computers and away from our technology lest we be engulfed by it. Or perhaps I'm looking into it too much.

Labels: Anime, Japanese, sci-fi

DiGi Charat Nyo! - Vol. 1: Nyo Arrival: After close to two years of delays Di Gi Charat Nyo finally comes to DVD. I preordered this title when it was announced and forgot about it when it was delayed until I got an email that the card used for this order was long expired. I guess when something is delayed for two years it's not a surprise that cards would expire before then. Still, depite all this it's now in my grubby hands.

The show itself is fantastic. I am a DiGi Charat fan and have been ever since I saw Panyo Panyo so long ago. While Panyo was more of a show for little kids and the original being more of an "otaku only" show, this one is quite interesting in retelling the original series but in a more accessible story format.

If I had a complaint, it would be the dub. The ADV dub of Panyo was almost preferable to the original but the dub here is a little on the weak side. That's not to say it's bad, I'll just watch the show subtitled is all.

Labels: Anime, Japanese

Lupin The III: The Castle of Cagliostro: Here we have the first of the Lupin the 3rd movies. In this film Lupin instead of selfishly stealing great treasure instead uses his skills to help rescue a princess in need.

I have to say after watching it I have a bit of mixed feelings over it. On the one hand it was a fabulous adventure. The sheer scope and magnitude of the castle and the lengths Lupin went to rescue the princess were amazing. I was literally on the edge of my seat during most of the film.

On the other hand, I kept thinking to myself during the film that it really didn't seem like Lupin. He seemed a bit too kind in a way and I expected him to be more of the letch and con-man that we've all come to know and love and yet here we see a more kind and caring Lupin. That's not to say it's a bad thing, it's just different.

This film has taken a life of its own thanks to its director, Hayao Miyazaki. Before creating Studio Ghibli and creating such classics as Totoro and Spirited Away, Miyazaki was an animation director for a few Lupin the 3rd TV episodes and was chosen to direct this film. This is most certainly the reason for the changes and the art style of the film is very Ghibli-like.

I definitely recommend this film to all anime fans and also to those looking for a good movie. After checking it out, though, I suggest you go check out the Lupin the 3rd TV series next.

Labels: Anime, Classics, Japanese

Lupin the 3rd - Vol. 3: Family Jewels: After Anime Boston I decided it would be a good idea to watch anime and then update this blog. Since I bought an awesome figure of Fujiko, Lupin was an obvious choice of anime.

Lupin the 3rd is one of those vastly underrated series here in the States. Part of the reason is the age and the general look of it but getting beyond the surface you have perhaps one of the most fun anime series ever released.

Definitely recommended!

Labels: Anime, Japanese

Ai Yori Aoshi Vol. 3: Hugs & Kisses: In a little over two weeks I'll be going to Anime Boston. Because of this, I am going to be reviewing quite a bit of anime in the time being. Unfortunately I have a lot of papers due at the same time, so I shouldn't expect regular reviews.

Ai Yori Aoshi is another typical harem show and in this disc, more harem things happen. We are introduced to a new character, Mayu. Mayu is another girl enamored with Kaoru, our male lead. Of course this leadds to jealousy between her and Aoi and, of course, she ends up living with them.

The show is progressing nicely and while there's nothing wrong with a good harem show now and then, the premise has been done dozens of times before.

Labels: Anime, Japanese

Chobits - Disc 3: Darkness Descends: Moving on to something much better is Chobits Disc 3. Here were have the further misadventures of Hideki and Chi in what is turning out to be one of the best anime shows I've seen in a long while.

The highlight of this disc has to be the last episode where Hideki is loaned a DVD player and video game system. I certainly found the whole online gaming experience to be portrayed quite nicely, especially in the sense that it showed how many hours are wasted by people on them. I'm sure that doesn't sit well for those who devote months of their lives to World of Warcraft, but oh well.

Chobits is cute, funny and most of all it's just plain entertaining. I can't wait to start disc 4.

Labels: Anime, Japanese

Chobits - Vol. 2: The Empty City: After getting my new widescreen monitor I decided it might be a good idea to test it out with a good widescreen disc. Diving into the backlog first, I pulled out the second volume of Chobits a mere two and a half years after watching volume 1.

Chobits is the charming tale of a boy and his robot (or Persocom.) Hideki is your typical country bumpkin who has gone to the big city to study. Along the way he finds his own Persocom named Chi whom he takes home and gets to know.

In these episodes we see the relationship between Chi and Hideki grow. It's quite entertaining watching Chi being incredibly naive about the world and Hideki almost taking a father-like approach to teaching her while at the same time being attracted to her.

This is one of the better anime show I have seen recently and I certainly look forward to watching the rest.

Labels: Anime

Wandaba Style - Vol. 1: Rocket to Stardom!: When the ADV sale hit a few weeks ago, I got the chance to pick up some anime I normally would have passed by. One of those releases I never knew existed was Wandaba Style. Since it was $5 a disc, I decided to give it a try and while my satisfaction is somewhat mixed I'm not sorry.

Four cute idols of various genres are put together by their afro sporting manager, Michael Hanagata. Included are a child star singer, Sakura Haruno; Ayame Akimo, a folk singer who claims to see fairies; Himawai Natsuma the enka balladeer and Yuri Fuyude, a tough rock star. Mixed together they become Mix Juice and play the lowest venues such as advertising for a supermarket.

Desperate to make the girls stars again their manager signs them up for a new project: to be the first band to give a concert from the moon. They attempt to accomplish this by participating in the experiments of the eccentric boy genius, Dr. Tsukumo who plans to send them to the moon using hair brained schemes such as using the power of a giant seltzer bottle or a giant slingshot.

In the end this ends up being one of those predictable shows that I probably would have eaten up about five to ten years ago when anime wasn't so common. I did, however, laugh at parts and I do feel it was worth the $5 I paid for it, so I guess I shouldn't complain too much.

If you can get it cheap, by all means buy it. Otherwise, I think buying the complete collection might be a better idea.

Labels: Anime, Comedy

The Cosmos Conqueror: Over the last few months, I've been searching for the newest batch of IFD releases from Digiview. After finding two recently, they ended up at the top of the pile and I am so not disappointed.

This film, like the others has a rather thin plot. Aliens are again attacking the Earth. Lucky for us three kids got command of another alien robot, the "Robot King." Unlike the others, I did not detect any direct copyright infringement in the mech or character designs.

This one was definitely above average and I am more than satisfied with the last couple. Now I just need to find the other three.

Labels: Anime, Bad Movies, Cheap DVDs, Dollar DVD

Captain of Cosmos: They're BAA-ACK! Yes, just when you thought it was safe to visit the dollar bin, more Korean anime ripoffs come our way via Joseph Lai and the good people at Digiview.

In this release we see ripoffs from the Gundam universe in the form of character designs. Our hero in this film, Captain Leo of the Cosmos Warriors, bears a striking resemblance to Char when he has his helmet on and with it off, he looks just like Amuro. Now if that's not enough to get Gundam fans' heads spinning, they should know that the female lead alternates between Sayla and Kycilia Zabi depending on whether her helmet is on or not. The similarities stop there, I'm afraid as despite what the cover art shows, there are no Gundams or giant robots in the film at all.

The story in this was rather weak with an alien queen kidnapping humans to rebuild her destroyed planet and the Cosmos Warriors coming to the rescue. The evil queen has her army of robots and green centaurs apparently can fight but cannot think or build like the humans can. Forcing humans into slave labor the evil queen ends up capturing our heroes and the predictable happens.

What I will congratulate the Koreans on with this is that the plot actually seemed to be somewhat coherent as opposed to some others like Space Thunder Kids which flat out made no sense. I can't say I was enthralled with this DVD but I did get a good chuckle or two and it kept me awake.

I'm going to go out on a limb and recommend this one. Unfortunately I had to pick up my copy online at eBay since my local Wal*Marts have yet to pick them up for sale. Hopefully someone gets them in soon, or I can find the rest on eBay.

Labels: Anime, Bad Movies, Cheap DVDs, Dollar DVD

Urusei Yatsura: TV Series 03: Continuing with the backlog reduction, I decided to give this series another shot.

Volume 3 continues the story of Lum and Ataru. If you have seen the previous two volumes you know what to expect. The show continues to be silly and predictable and thus I admit I am getting a little bored with it. I doubt I will ever finish up the series but I might as well watch what I have.

Labels: Anime

Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon: Season 1: Many anime fans my age were either brought into the genre by either one of about three or four series. Your "gateway" was either Dragonball Z, Tenchi Muyo, Pokemon or Sailor Moon. While my personal gateways were Speed Racer and Dragon Ball Z, I must confess that in my eleven years as an anime fan I had never seen the first Sailor Moon series in its entirety. Back in Summer of 2004 I was willing to give the show another chance and due to a sale at RightStuf I was able to snag this and Season 2 for $50 each. Since then the show has gone out of print and the DVDs nearly impossible to find. Still, I feel it necessary to at least say a few words about it.

Sailor Moon is a series that really needs no explaining. It has transcended as an anime and has become a pop culture icon from Japan to Europe to the US. Since its original manga form it has spawned several TV series, a live Action Japanese version, several musicals, a horrid Americanized live action version which, thank God, never got beyond a promo reel and more merchandise than one could ever hope to collect in a lifetime.

Viewing it without anything else and placing this series in a bubble is a bit difficult if not impossible. To be quite honest, many of the episodes are silly filler where Sailor Moon and co. go up against another monster of the week and using the same stock footage are able to defeat her. Of course this is quite entertaining filler, it is filler nonetheless.

Still, throughout it all I will say that I am glad that I did watch it, even if it took me over two years to finish the set. I guess in two more years I'll have watched R.

Labels: Anime,