Working!! Anime OP ED Opening Ending OST Character song Lyric

Ai Yori Aoshi Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

2011-06-01T23:32:00.002-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/12-ai-yori-aoshi.html

Sometimes humorous, occasionally brutal, and nearly always fun, the complex plotting and voluminous casting, combined with strong dubbing, animation, and musical score, make this a must-see series for fans of American mobster stories. If the remaining three volumes (space in the art box suggests that there will be four total, which presumably means that all three bonus episodes from the Japanese DVD releases will be included) are as sharp as this one then this could be one of the year's best series.

Then in A Crowning Performance by the Gratan the nefarious Lord Gargoyle makes a cameo appearance and traps the Nautilus in a mine field. As the title suggests, the Gratan plays a key role in its escape. New Recruits for the Nautilus and Grandis and Her First Love show the adjustments the group makes to life on the Nautilus and Grandis' new hobby: pursuing the affections of Captain Nemo.

Star Driver Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

2011-06-01T23:32:00.001-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/3757-star-driver-.html

The first volume can be obtained separately or with the cardboard art box, with the cover of the DVD case offering an amusing attempt to use period speech patterns in the advertising. The inside liner includes similarly-styled brief profiles on four prominent characters, while textless songs and an audio commentary for episode 4 constitute the on-disk Extras. The latter features the English ADR director and English VAs Caitlin Glass and Brian “Ladd” Massey in a discussion mostly about series content, performance style issues, and inspirations for this effort, which include the mobster movie Miller's Crossing.

After facing the threat of world annihilation in the previous volume, the whimsical adventures of this volume provide a nice interlude. In Nemo's Secret Nadia, Jean and King are stranded on the Gratan with the Grandis Gang. Having teamed up in the last volume the truce between them seems to be holding. Because of the state of disrepair the Gratan – or Catherine, as Grandis calls it – is in, the Nautilus picks up the group of hitchhikers.

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

2011-06-01T23:32:00.000-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/198-tengen-toppa-gurren-lagann.html

J. Michael Tatum and Caitlin Glass steal the show in every appearance as Isaac and Miria, but theirs are not the only good performances. The dub script also sticks surprisingly close to the original (by Funi standards) everywhere except in the Next Episode previews, with most modifications involving use of appropriate period/setting slang and even a couple of tricky translation issues being handled smoothly.

The third volume of the DVD series does not leave quite the impression that the previous two did. There are few major plot advancements made in these four episodes and they seem to be mainly light-hearted filler. Which is not entirely unwelcome though.

Futari Ecchi Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

2011-06-01T23:31:00.001-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/165-futari-ecchi.html

Funimation's English dub cast represents a mix of long-time Funi stand-bys and fresh voices, as several important cast members are doing only their first or second prominent voice role. Aside from an occasional shaky accent, though, the dearth of experience in some roles does not hamper the dub at all. The casting is surprisingly close in sound to the Japanese originals and the performances follow the delivery styles of the originals while infusing them with accents and speech patterns more appropriate to the settings and time period, the lack of which are the biggest weaknesses in the Japanese dub.

With Gargoyle's terrible weapon, the Tower of Babel, destroyed, Jean, Nadia and the rest find themselves once again rescued by the Nautilus. Grandis and her henchmen are now apprentice members of the crew, and everyone else pitches in to help too. However, Nadia finds it difficult to trust her former enemy and the people on this strange ship. Now hot on the tail of a fleeing Gargoyle, the pursuers become the pursued. Will Hanson and Sanson be able to save the ship alone? Why was Captain Nemo so shocked to meet Nadia? What are the memories the Nautilus has triggered within Nadia? Watch four more wonderful episodes and find out for yourself!

Shiki Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

2011-06-01T23:31:00.000-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/3106-shiki.html

Brain's Base, whose other work can be seen in titles like Demon Prince Enma, Innocent Venus, and Shin Getter Robo, gives its characters and setting a distinctive look heavily influenced by classic caricatures of mobsters and American Depression-era cities and mostly devoid of anachronistic elements, unlike the similar time period Chrono Crusade; it looks like character designer Takahiro Kishida (also from Koi Kaze) actually did his homework on appropriate period costuming. The artistry also uses a lightly muted color scheme that avoids any hint of typical anime garishness. The animation stands on the high end of the scale as TV series go, including a couple of impressive point-of-view shots in certain fight scenes, some nice fight choreography, and minimized short cuts.

Although Bang Zoom! Entertainment already has a strong reputation for its quality dubs, they've outdone themselves on this disc with an English track that shows no faults from start to finish. The characters don't always have unique, individual voices, but that's really more a fault of the story than the voice acting; the entire cast does a solid job of performing the serious, militaristic dialogue in this series. Even in emotionally charged moments, nobody falls into the trap of overacting, and the young characters all sound natural and realistic. This would have been a great DVD for a voice actor interview/commentary/making-of section, but instead viewers will have to settle for a cleaning opening and ending as extras.

Legend of the Legendary Heroes Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

2011-06-01T23:27:00.000-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/3060-the-legend-of-the-legendary-heroes.html

Although the inner workings of the story need improvement, the visual presentation is commendable. The environment of Fafner is a vivid, eye-catching vision of the future, much like Studio XEBEC's previous youth-and-robots series Stellvia. This time, it's an oceanic paradise instead of gas-tinted space, with beautifully colored sea and sky. The character animation and battle scenes are rendered proficiently as well, moving smoothly from moment to moment with hardly any drops in frame rate. The characters themselves are a matter of taste: fans of Gundam Seed will recognize the work of character designer Hisashi Hirai, whose love of big, intense eyes and hatch lines on the cheeks may be a bit too idiosyncratic for others.

The loopy psychopath Ladd, who skips down a hallway as he eagerly anticipates upcoming gunplay and promises his fiancée that he loves her so much that he will torture her to death last (as in, only after he's killed everyone else in the world) offers an entirely different kind of appeal, and there are many other options, too. The way much of the cast crosses paths on board the Flying Pussyfoot assures that future episodes will show an even livelier experience than the first four episodes, as that plot element is only starting to heat up as the volume ends.

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Season 2 Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

2011-06-01T23:24:00.003-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/117-mobile-suit-gundam-00-season-2.html

In a series where everything is named after Norse and Germanic legends, it's not too surprising that the music score turns out to be some kind of Wagner Lite. Although it doesn't quite match the virtuosity of the 19th-century masters, the soundtrack certainly has a dramatic and epic quality worthy of the full orchestra that's playing it. Kazuki's battles against the Festum are all the more stirring thanks to the music, which manages to add emotional weight to just about anything that happens in the series. However, the theme songs performed by Angela aren't quite as catchy and memorable as the ones they did for Stellvia.

The style and plotting alone might carry the production, but the storytelling also finds support from a great jazz-based musical score. The opener “Gun's & Roses” by Paradise Lunch, whose visuals include key scenes from the previous episode starting with episode 3, is an up-tempo jazz number so much in the spirit of Cowboy Bebop's “Tank!” that it has a similar potential to be an anime classic. Closer “Calling” is a melodic Yuki Kajiura arrangement with more ordinary visuals. In between the score liberally sprinkles period jazz themes with harmonica pieces and more intense numbers to create a balanced, easily adaptable sound.

Aki-Sora OVA Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

2011-06-01T23:24:00.002-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/1485-aki-sora-ova.html

It's a certain kind of look that says "giant robot series" all over it, but sadly isn't unique to this show. (Hey! When does Kazuki get to pilot Freedom?) Meanwhile, Fafner the robot itself isn't all that striking, and some might actually call it cheesy—maybe that's the biggest fault of the animation, having a giant robot series where the robot isn't cool enough. Nonetheless the visual style is pleasing and thankfully avoids taking shortcuts.

For all the fun factor, though, this is actually a pretty brutal series. Its TV-MA rating is well-earned through occasional displays of intense graphic violence, including scenes of a seeming child's head being blown off, a rat smashed with a hammer, a man's face literally pummeled into a bloody pulp, characters riddled with bullets, and a man waving around an arm whose forearm has been reduced to its bones. Granted, these scenes are only flash points and not constant representations of content, but the series' ability to smoothly mix ugliness and light-heartedness without either seeming forced or awkward is amazing.

Shinrei Tantei Yakumo Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

2011-06-01T23:24:00.001-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/3770-shinrei-tantei-yakumo.html

However, the latter setup is one that works against the series, as it crowds the exposition of Kazuki's character with all the other kids. With classic protagonists like Amuro Ray and Shinji Ikari, it doesn't take long to know exactly where these guys are coming from and what they're all about, but that same feeling doesn't come with Kazuki. His classmates keep jumping in on the action, and it's one more obstacle to understanding Kazuki's personality—and understanding the series itself.

The most entertaining characters are the brains-light robber duo of Isaac and Miria, who offer much of the series' comedy relief in their silly dialogues, amusing costume-themed robbery schemes (they pull off one robbery dressed as Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb where they use bats for weapons, for instance), and Maria's tendency to agree with Isaac no matter how lamebrained his comments are. Their glee in just about everything they do is infectious.

Black Butler Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

2011-06-01T23:24:00.000-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/839-kuroshitsuji.html

Those who do manage to immerse themselves in this world may soon find it to be a déjà vu experience. Isn't this the giant robot storyline that's been explored so many times before? A young man chosen to pilot a supremely advanced machine, fighting a mysterious enemy, while other political and military forces clash and a strange girl with unknown powers wanders around. Fafner does have some features that set it apart: placing the story in the middle of nowhere rather than in Japan, and introducing the other young robot pilots early on instead of just starting out with Kazuki.

Treating this series as a primarily intellectual exercise misses its point, though. It is meant to be an entertaining romp, and that is precisely what it delivers. Like bloody fight scenes? These episodes won't disappoint. A fan of gangster action? Plenty of that going around. Enjoy watching whacked-out psychotics and their masochistic mistresses, or people coming back to life after being riddled with bullets? They offer that, too, as well as lively characters running the gamut from whiny scaredy-cats to the toughest of Mafia punks to everything in between.

Hunter X Hunter + OVAs Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

2011-06-01T23:16:00.001-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/1174-hunter-x-hunter.html

Aboard a ship in 1711, a group of alchemists summoned a “demon” that gave them an immortality elixir, but they quickly realized that they posed a threat to one another and dispersed across the world. In Depression-era New York City the immortals gradually gather together again over attempts by some to replicate the original immortality formula, in the process accidentally either directly or indirectly involving numerous other individuals, including robbers, made men, Mafia bosses, cultists, psychopaths, and the female homunculus servant of one of the original alchemists.

Even then, the sense of compelling adventure is strangely absent, due to the aspects of the show that make it difficult to follow. Futuristic military and technical terms pop in without explanation, characters casually refer to events and ideas that won't make sense until later on, and people do things with unclear motivations. Brushing up on Northern European culture might help, though, as everything is named after Norse and Germanic legends (i.e., anything that appeared in Wagner's Ring cycle), but the world of Fafner is still a tough one to get into.

Asu No Yoichi Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

2011-06-01T23:16:00.000-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/291-asu-no-yoichi.html

Events come to an early head in late 1930 on board the new transcontinental train Flying Pussyfoot when the crossing paths of the robbers, psychopath, cultists, other thieves, an immortal, a senator's wife and daughter, and agents secretly escorting a special bomb create a potentially grossly bloody situation, while in 1931 and 1932 a girl seeks information on her missing ruffian brother.

Fafner goes for the hook early and starts out with a battle scene, and then jumps back to the events leading up to it. It's a common narrative device, but here it seems almost like bargaining: "Watch past the first episode, and we'll eventually show you this bit!" It takes a full episode just to get Kazuki into the robot, and getting there is a drag—for several minutes it's like having walked into a boring school drama, at least until the sci-fi stuff starts up.

History's Strongest Disciple - Kenichi Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

2011-06-01T23:15:00.002-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/529-historys-strongest-disciple-kenichi.html

The above synopsis only hints at how convoluted this series actually is, and indeed, the synopsis explains more about what's really going on than the first four episodes actually do. Knowing the basic outline about the immortals and the Elixir of Life goes a long way towards helping make sense of the first volume, but in the end it does not really matter much. The first volume is so much fun to watch that making full sense of it is not (yet) necessary for enjoying it.

Ah, to live in the shadow of Evangephon. Or is it RahXelion? It takes a lot of nerve to produce a dramatic giant robot anime these days, when every attempt at the genre is instantly compared to the masterworks of BONES and Gainax. (Gundam gets a free ride because it's a subculture unto itself.) On its own, Fafner presents an interesting enough story in a slick package, but seasoned fans will know it all too well. Here's an anime that does such a good job following the template set by its predecessors that it becomes exactly that—a copy of something greater, and one that's not as easily accessible, either. Can it go beyond that after this opening story arc?

Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

2011-06-01T23:15:00.001-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/1987-ichiban-ushiro-no-daimaou.html

In any lesser production the approach of jumping haphazardly around between the stories of nearly two dozen named characters (18 of which are introduced in the opener) and three different years (1930, 1931, and 1932) would come off as scatterbrained, but Baccano!'s producers show a deft talent for managing all of the disparate threads by hinting at ultimate results while showing how things developed in that direction and how these threads are all gradually becoming entwined.

Meanwhile, several of Kazuki's classmates have been taken to the military base for training, and then the government decides that it's time to move the island away from prying international eyes. Can this have anything to do with the glowing red girl that seems to have "awakened" and is hiding in the lowest levels of the military base?

Chrome Shelled Regios Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

2011-06-01T23:15:00.000-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/290-chrome-shelled-regios.html

(Given that the director-writer team for this also produced the masterfully-written Koi Kaze, the quality level should be no surprise.) Watching the first four episodes is an experience in gradually assembling the story piece by piece in a vertical as well as horizontal direction, and it can be a fascinating exercise.

The idyllic paradise of Tatsumiya Island is disrupted when the Festum—a mysterious being that's part technology and part mythology—appears over the island and threatens to destroy it. The island government quickly sends out the giant robot Fafner to battle the Festum, but only certain high-schoolers can sync with the machine. Kazuki Makabe is the first one to pilot the robot, and his mission ends in retreat, but he gets a second chance when the monstrous being re-emerges a few days later.

B Gata H Kei Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

2011-06-01T23:11:00.000-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/1975-b-gata-h-kei.html

After all, this tedious churning is simply a pretext to send Simon and the gang into space to defeat all the bad guys in the universe. That's where the movie really hits its stride, charging full speed to the end credits with robots piloting bigger robots piloting even bigger robots, and trans-dimensional travel, and pocket universes, and space-time distortion so thick it moves like seawater, and basically every single law of physics being violated (plus several new ones being made up on the spot).

Not all of the jokes work, and some of the routines are more purely crude than actually funny, but the hits come plenty often enough that nearly every viewer should find something to laugh at in nearly every episode. Even Shin's regular Ass Dance can be terribly amusing with the right timing and context. Regardless of whether you have seen previous installments or not, give this one a try and it may surprise you with its entertainment value.

Seikimatsu Occult Academy Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

2011-06-01T23:10:00.001-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/2061-seikimatsu-occult-academy.html

But amidst such showboating, one must not forget the true soul of this saga: the characters, who despite their lack of nuance are still able to stir honest emotions in the hearts of viewers. How can anyone not be moved by heroes who stand up for what they believe in, friends who lay down their lives for each other, and a love that transcends multiple dimensions? Even at the end, with all guns and lasers blazing, there are moments of tenderness: the freshly-added "parallel worlds" sequence, the finale where Simon walks off into the sunset, and a surprisingly mellow epilogue.

The Extras in this volume are split between the two disks. On the first is an English audio commentary track for episode 28, which is not worth listening to since those involved (Laura “Shin” Bailey, ADR Director Zach Bolton, and head writer Jared Hedges) are clearly struggling to find things worthwhile to say. The second disk has both karaoke and sing-along versions of the closer, storyboards for the “Shin Wars” episode, and the newest installment of “From The Bowels of the Booth,” which includes alternate dialogue takes that are even nastier than the originals, bloopers, and full versions of the in-episode songs used throughout this volume.

Kiss x Sis (TV) Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

2011-06-01T23:10:00.000-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/2023-kiss-x-sis-tv.html

Still, the story itself is only half of Gurren Lagann: this grand adventure would never be complete without the spectacular visuals that illustrate Simon's journey. Although the newly imagined world of seven years later is shiny and ambitious, with Jetsons-like cityscapes and revamped character designs, it still can't hold a candle to the sensory overload of deep space. As the battles and environments get more outrageous—in about two hours we go from standard human-piloted mechs to giant super-beings flinging galaxies at each other—the animation technique goes through similar levels of escalation.

As with the Season One releases, Season Two comes with no Japanese dub or subtitles, but these are the fully unedited versions of the episodes that aired on Adult Swim. Those at least tolerant of dubs do get to enjoy the quality work which is Funimation's Shin-chan dub; it was widely-considered to be one of the best English dubs in 2008 and will continue to lay claim to that honor in 2009. Not a single vocal style fails to hit the mark, and Christopher R. Sabat proves once again that he is the go-to guy when comical narration is required. (He also narrated Negima!?.)

Hayate no Gotoku! 1st Season Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

2011-06-01T23:09:00.000-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/876-hayate-no-gotoku-1st-season.html

The final battle for the universe is fought in wild shades of technicolor (except when it changes to black and white for dramatic effect), with loose pencil-sketch lines and abstract shapes destroying any preconceived notions of "the anime look." Even the appearance of the final Anti-Spiral villain—a vague, humanoid apparition—redefines the idea of what a "Big Bad" ought to look like. With director Hiroyuki Imaishi at the helm, every fight becomes a showcase for Imaishi's frantic sense of motion; this is enhanced even further by additional scenes and new robots not seen in the TV series.

The musical score provides little of note except for the insert songs; the first one, involving the dancing at the school Parents' Day, is a riot if one listens to the lyrics closely. As with the first season, the regular openers have been replaced with much briefer intros, although the dubbed version of the spirited fifth closer remains.

To Aru Majutsu no Index Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

2011-06-01T23:08:00.000-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/78-to-aru-majutsu-no-index.html

The movie soundtrack is similarly grand in scope, encompassing genres from pop-rock (mainly in the Shoko Nakagawa insert songs) to hip-hop to full orchestral soundscapes. As a composer, Taku Iwasaki knows exactly how to get that extra layer of emotion out of each scene, although the film ends up recycling many of the cues and themes heard in the original. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing—the reuse of "Sorairo Days" as an uplifting battle theme is a fine choice, and in fact ends up trumping the melodically weak songs that were written specifically for the movies.

The comedy value of the content certainly compensates for the artistry. Some people apparently appreciate the unique artistic style for the contrast it makes with typical anime stylistic standards, while others will just call the character designs and rough, shaky lines ugly; this reviewer leans heavily towards the latter viewpoint, but mileage will vary. The animation is actually not that bad, standing up fairly well in the few true action scenes.

My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

2011-06-01T23:05:00.002-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/3749-ore-no-imouto-ga-konna-ni-kawaii-wake-ga-nai-sub.html

The series otherwise just meanders merrily through all its toilet humor, sex jokes, parodies, romantic foibles, weird dreams, and play-acting, with even Shin's dog Whitey occasionally taking the spotlight. With episode titles like “It's Actually Better For Anal” and inventive movie parody titles like “Wet Dreams May Come,” A good opportunity for a joke is rarely missed, and political correctness be damned.

Although still young, Simon the digger has already accomplished many things: he's ventured forth from his underground village, taken command of the giant robot Gurren-Lagann, and defeated the tyrannical Spiral King. The surface of the planet is once again a safe place to live, and the people of the underground are quick to colonize it, building massive cities with advanced technology.

Dance in the Vampire Bund Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

2011-06-01T23:05:00.001-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/1552-dance-in-the-vampire-bund.html

These episodes are all about the fun factor, too, since plot is virtually nonexistent beyond the five-part “Action Bastard” storyline, whose segments appear in episodes 31-35. Unlike in the previous episode set, this one has no story advancement, and in fact it revisits the Noharas' Falling Apartments days in episodes 35 and 36. Presumably this was done to explain the circumstances surrounding the reappearance of one of the Nohara's apartment neighbors in one of the second disk's later episodes, because otherwise the backtracking makes little sense.

Seven years later, however, an unprecedented disaster befalls humanity: their advanced progression has awakened a mysterious race known as the Anti-Spirals. Without warning, the Anti-Spirals take away Simon's lover Nia, rain destruction across the surface of the planet, and threaten to destroy all life-forms on it. Now disgraced and imprisoned, Simon must overcome his guilt, bring his old friends (and some enemies) together, and surpass the limits of Gurren-Lagann's powers in order to save the world—if not the entire universe.

IS: Infinite Stratos Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

2011-06-01T23:05:00.000-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/4370-is-infinite-stratos.html

Funimation's rendition of one of the most popular and long-running of all anime series may not be the prettiest anime series available in the U.S. but it is one of the funniest. It proves this repeatedly through the run of what Funimation calls episodes 27-39, which compose the first half of what they call Season 2. (In actuality the episodes are composed of shorts collected from over a span of dozens of original Japanese episodes.)

When the last TV episode of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann finished airing in 2007, the series had all but established itself as the most bombastic, most over-the-top, most ridiculous giant robot anime of the modern era. But what if someone dared to surpass it? Such impertinence could not be allowed—surely this franchise must reign supreme atop the giant robot pantheon. And so, just in case anyone tried to outdo it ... just in case anyone tried to top that which could not be topped ...

Arakawa Under the Bridge Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

2011-06-01T23:04:00.001-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/2007-arakawa-under-the-bridge.html

A school ski trip turns into snow and bath hijinks, and Penny continues her nefarious intimidation and/or bribing techniques to drag the others into her play-acting. Visitors from the Noharas' days at the Falling Apartments drop by, while Georgie tries to swing a deal to get a certain set of action figurines. The series even contemplates what the kids might be like in their high school days.

This raucous follow-up to Childhood's End is Studio Gainax throwing fuel on the fire, making absolutely dead sure that their work would have the final say in intergalactic mecha warfare. Imagine the spectacle of the final episodes, then add in new animations and new fight sequences, multiply it several times, and condense it into the length of a feature film—that is how one arrives at this movie.

Kiss x Sis (OVA) Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

2011-06-01T23:04:00.000-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/279-kiss-x-sis.html

Roughly three dozen more stories about Shin Nohara, his family, and friends unfold as the daily life of the butt-obsessed kindergartener continues. In “Shin Wars,” the cast of Shin Chan take on the roles of characters from the original trilogy of Star Wars movies as they make their own twisted version. In more mundane stories, Hiro represents at Parent's Day at Shin's school and briefly contemplates a work-related affair, while Mitzi gets sucked in by a beauty cream of questionable origin.

However, such a chaotic approach does not lend itself to elegant storytelling, and the first forty minutes are an unholy mess of rushed exposition and abridged plotlines from the TV series. The gleaming towers of Kamina City rise into the sky, the Anti-Spirals launch their attack, Nia turns evil and disappears into space, morally ambiguous Rossiu turns against Simon, Simon goes to jail, and at this point the only people who understand what's going on are probably the ones who watched the original in the first place.

Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

2011-06-01T06:11:00.000-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/4441-kore-wa-zombie-desu-ka.html

The main problem with E’s Otherwise results from the fact that its story continues to be a polyglot of elements lifted from innumerable other comic books and anime series, resulting in a concept and story which lies somewhere between the American comic X-Men and the anime series s-CRY-ed. Apparently the creators hoped that the “cool” factor would hide the story inadequacies, but that has not turned out to be the case so far.

Originally I hoped to intersperse watching episodes of Rio with episodes of Kaiji, season two, but it didn't work out. I do like to think that Rio is the flip side of Kaiji, a show about a man addicted to gambling and hounded by the yakuza for his debts.

Inuyasha: The Final Act Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

2011-06-01T06:10:00.002-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/1213-inuyasha-the-final-act.html

With 18 episodes packed away by the end of this volume and only eight left to go, the plotting lacks serious tension or a clear sense of direction. That isn't a Good Sign. Enough interesting things are going on to keep a dedicated fan watching, but there isn't a great sense of urgency or a feeling of the story building towards a climax. It's like the story is just creeping towards its midpoint rather than racing towards its conclusion.

Rio drags a little towards the end, as the “Goddess of Victory” gears up to fight the ultimate showdown. I could've done with one or two fewer dramatic episodes building up to the climax. Nevertheless, although I thought the “Gate” premise was totally stupid, I was pleasantly surprised by the last episode. I have to admit the ending was very sweet.

Seikon no Qwaser Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

2011-06-01T06:10:00.001-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/1628-seikon-no-qwaser.html

The source of the problem is the writing. Dialogue isn't as smooth as it should be, characters make statements that are just mindless adaptations of lines from other series, characterizations aren't fresh (Yuki's mildly interesting, but that's about it), and the plot is going nowhere. Although some action scenes are staged, they aren't as dynamic as they should be given the powers involved. Overall the series lacks energy, style, zest, and interesting characters, the four key elements which turned its less-pretty predecessor s-CRY-ed into a vastly more fun and entertaining product.

But let's say for just a minute that this show was actually about Rio, the best blackjack dealer in the entire world. If Rio was to gambling what Eyeshield 21 is to football, I'd gladly ignore the excess cleavage. In point of fact, Rio is like a shonen sports title as-is; after all, Rio's mother was one of the greatest card dealers of all time. Furthermore, Rio is a keeper of one of the thirteen magic “gate” cards (lame!). Other gatekeepers keep challenging her. Whoever gathers all the gate cards can open the mysterious “Rainbow Gate”.

The World God Only Knows Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

2011-06-01T06:10:00.000-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/3848-kami-nomi-zo-shiru-sekai.html

The one area where E’s Otherwise does do well is with its character designs. Although a couple of characters are a bit generic or otherwise unappealing, most are both well-drawn and eye-pleasing, whether it's Asuka's endearing lolicon look, the cuteness of the kid psychics, the bishonen designs for Kai and Maxim, or the superb balance of colors between hair, skin tone, and clothing which makes Maria look so pretty. Costuming is also consistently done well, especially Shen-long's uniform and Shen-Lu's sharp street clothes/hairdo ensemble.

Rio proved to be an interesting take on a database show. Although a new girl is introduced in each episode at first, and the girls fulfill types like “the criminally dangerous klutz,” this show's harem has no guy at the center. Instead of ladies forming a make-shift family in some blank-slate high school boy's house, they are all (or mostly) casino employees (or regulars) who are (or become) genuinely her friends. I found this far less irksome than usual.

Bakemonogatari Episode 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

2011-06-01T06:09:00.000-07:00

http://minitheatre.org/x264-completed/1094-bakemonogatari.html

Those looking for fan service won't find it here, as all the female characters have proper body proportions beyond their eyes and none wear anything revealing. Background art is also generally good, with a color scheme that favors a brighter look. Some problems do show up in the integration of background and animated art, where the distinction between the two is sometimes too easily discernible. The animation is otherwise respectable, giving a good sense of character movement when slo-mo and typical fight scene shortcuts aren't being used.

One such game is a bizarre waterslide race. The camera zooms crazily in and out on Rio's crotch throughout the wild, wet ride. That kind of camera movement is hard to do in animation, and it speaks to the high budget (and priorities) of the series. Throughout the show, the use of passable CG and shiny backgrounds points to a sponsor with deep pockets.

Working!! Chapter 75 read online manga

2011-05-09T03:00:00.004-07:00

The video presentation is unremarkable. This may have to do with the fact that the movie is five years old, or that much of the film is intentionally dark and drab. But the picture does not jump out and grab you, as much of the TV series did (despite the infamous "Evangelion-jitter"). There are substantial audio options, including 6.1 surround in English and Japanese as well as the more standard 5.1 and stereo options. The stereo and 5.1 sound quality is good, though 6.1 will not play at all without surround sound.

There are, obviously, a few misreadings and a couple of stumbles, mostly on the part of background characters, but such things are forgivable and ever-present in today's anime dubs. Given that the Japanese sound mix on this series not only drowns out the dialogue with bafflingly loud music but also loses the atmosphere the director was going for thanks to the Japanese voices, there's no reason not to revel in New Generation's nigh-perfect dub. Don't miss it.

Working!! Chapter 74 read online manga

2011-05-09T03:00:00.003-07:00

I will say that as a work of animation The End of Evangelion is a visual marvel. Though obviously rotoscoped, Asuka's battle against the nine winged EVA units is a blood-splattered triumph of fully-animated action that far surpasses any of the Angel battles from the TV series. The film also makes use of some gorgeous CGI that is a little dated by today's standards but is still impressive nonetheless. Though much of the imagery is grotesque, the whole film is an opulent wonder to behold, possessing a kind of horrific beauty. The end of the world never looked so good.

Overall, Licensed by Royalty is undercooked. It's a question whether or not such a mediocre offering deserves the marvelous dub it's been given; it would have been nice if the show itself had been as good as the talent on display in the English language version. Unfortunately, it's mostly a mediocre action series. There are plenty of fun moments and the two main characters are extremely likeable, but that's really all it has going for it.

Working!! Chapter 73 read online manga

2011-05-09T03:00:00.002-07:00

Working!! 73

You're not gonna want to watch this movie unless you're already an Eva fan, and if you're already an Eva fan you've probably seen this picture fansubbed at least twenty times by now. Therefore I will forego any lengthy discussion of the film's plot, content, or meaning(s), and focus on the technical aspects of this release and its English translation. Those looking for more info on the thematic aspects of Evangelion should check out my previous article on the subject.

Aspiring pop songwriter Soichi Negishi can't believe his success in the music industry—mostly because his success comes from his loathsome alter ego, death metal guitarist Johannes Krauser II. But even as the dark emperor of metal, there is no rest for Krauser: he has to deal with his manager's demands, troublemaking fans, and fellow performers who also want their due.

Working!! Chapter 72 read online manga

2011-05-09T03:00:00.001-07:00

Working!! 72

The End of Evangelion is a film that needs no introduction. Perhaps the most highly anticipated anime release ever, this theatrical conclusion to the historic Neon Genesis Evangelion television series has been promised to be "coming soon" from Manga Entertainment for almost three years. It's finally, officially hit American shores, but was it worth the wait?

Mild-mannered Negishi, meanwhile, has issues of his own as he tries to break into the indie-pop scene: his aesthetic sense is suspect, fellow artists don't acknowledge him, and his own family doesn't respect his musical aspirations. However, such problems are miniscule compared to the arrival of a dark force who dares to challenge Krauser's throne ...

Working!! Chapter 71 read online manga

2011-05-09T03:00:00.000-07:00

Working!! 71

Misato wages a desperate battle to protect a despondent Shinji from the enemy, whose orders are to terminate the three Children on sight. Meanwhile Asuka wakes from her coma to engage the new EVA series alone in Unit-02, and Gendo summons Rei to put his final plan in motion. But Rei has plans of her own, and ultimately leaves it up to Shinji to decide the future of humanity.

With each passing volume, Detroit Metal City seems to become ever more unglued, still searching for a solid storyline. Is it about Krauser having to perform increasingly perverted acts to maintain his reputation? Is it about Negishi and his continued failings as a wannabe hipster? Is it even about—as one chapter suggests—the struggles of one of Krauser's musical rivals?

Sekaiichi Hatsukoi Volume 4 Chapter 6 read online

2011-05-09T02:46:00.004-07:00

Noelle, a young girl featured in the third episode, is performed with panache, completely avoiding the ‘generic anime girl’ voice problem prevalent in so many other shows. Cloud7's chief is performed by a veteran voice actor who is an absolute joy to hear in anything, and he does another amazing job here. Most of the cast seem to pass their lines off with ease; the result is a fantastic dub, nearly on par with New Generation's other bar-raising work, Hellsing.

The English dub continues the solid work seen in the first set of episodes. The script remains fairly tight and by now viewers should be used to the most distinctive vocal changes (Monica Rial as Bulma, for instance). New additions to the cast are, without exception, on the mark, with Chris Ayres doing an especially fine job of making Frieza sound like the thoroughly evil bastard that he is while still giving him a distinct character; this is one of 2010's finest male English dubbing performances. Maxey Whitehead also does a nice job as the new Dende, whose voice is almost indistinguishable from earlier versions.

Sekaiichi Hatsukoi Volume 4 Chapter 5 read online

2011-05-09T02:46:00.003-07:00

The dub showcases New Generation Pictures in fine form, yet again. While the series' characters are not technically British, the show is so obviously based in and around England that using American voices would have ruined the feel of the series. New Generation elected to find a completely British cast for this show and the results are astounding and refreshing. Jack and Rowe have that perfect British edge to them; they're soft spoken, understated and come across as effortlessly cool, much more so than in the Japanese.

Funimation's Blu-Ray print is presented in 1080p format using the AVC codec, which when combined with the frame-by-frame clean-up and restorative effort produces unquestionably the best-looking version of the series to date. Yes, there are still some very minor flaws that show through at the highest resolutions, but this still looks as sharp as could be hoped for given its age.

Sekaiichi Hatsukoi Volume 4 Chapter 3 read online

2011-05-09T02:46:00.002-07:00

Normal screenwriting technique states that if you're going to start with the present and then have the episode's story told as a flashback that eventually catches up to the sequence at the top of the episode, you spend more than 10 seconds to establish why you chose this point in the story to begin the episode with. Something unique or exciting should happen. In this episode, however, the director chose a seemingly random spot later in the episode to show us first, almost as if he's aping what he's seen in other movies but doesn't understand how to use such a device in terms of film. There's a lot of awkwardness like this throughout the series, and it makes the proceedings somewhat uncomfortable.

DBZ can justifiably be considered one of the classics of shonen action series and the Blu-Ray release of this treatment of the material is its best possible version, whether one looks at storytelling, technical merits, or physical presentation. Even a pathetic musical score cannot keep all of its other advantages from shining through.

Sekaiichi Hatsukoi Volume 4 Chapter 4 read online

2011-05-09T02:46:00.001-07:00

The animation is mostly excellent. We get a few shots of digital cheapness and the same cut corners every other anime series on the market showcases, but the character animation is above par. The music is marvelous as well. The opening theme, sung by Billy Preston (who collaborated with The Beatles on the White Album), is catchy; it's probably one of the best anime theme songs from the past five years, mostly because it doesn't sound like an anime theme song.

The 5.1 lossless audio for the English language track does mix the sound a little better than the 2.0 lossless Japanese track does, but this release does not have the tremendous drop-off in audio quality between the two tracks that was heard on all earlier releases of DBZ. Extras on the second of two disks (which have a 9-4 episode distribution) entirely consist of various iterations on clean opener and closer.

Sekaiichi Hatsukoi Volume 4 Chapter 2 read online

2011-05-09T02:46:00.000-07:00

Whether you're a fan of the manga, the TV show, or just interested in an enjoyable series, Great Teacher Onizuka is something you won't want to pass up.

It's more than all that, though. Several of the technical elements in this series make the pacing seem very awkward. There's something amiss about the editing, screenwriting and direction. For instance, in episode four, we start with maybe 10 seconds of Rowe and Jack in the desert, facing down a fence. Rowe has one line and then they cut to the chief briefing them on their mission.

NERV has defeated the last Angel, but their biggest threat proves to be SEELE, which is still determined to initiate the Third Impact at any cost. Sending the Japanese army and nine automonous EVA units to invade NERV headquarters, SEELE plans to realize their goal using Unit-01 as their tool.

Dollgun Chapter 30 read online

2011-05-09T02:39:00.004-07:00

The main reason to watch DBZ was, of course, for all of the outlandishly super-powered fighting, and in that respect Kai's take on the series will not disappoint. Although this set has only the one major fight, it offers no shortage of lesser slugfests and, thankfully, only a minimal amount of training footage.

In the first episode of the anime, Onizuka-sensei is introduced as a lecherous high school student teacher. He starts his day, hoping that his class will be filled with beautiful girls. Much to his disgust, he learns that he has to teach the "O" class. Shattering his perverted dreams, the "O" class is nothing but a group of delinquent men, and women who look like men.

Dollgun Chapter 32 read online

2011-05-09T02:39:00.003-07:00

Comments on technical merits here are mostly the same as for the first set: the cleaned-up and reedited artistry holds up remarkably well for episodes made back around 1990 and the contrast to the new digitally-drawn images used in the intro, closer, and eye catches should allow long-time fans to breathe a sigh of relief that the series was not entirely redrawn; yes, the art may be a little rougher than series made in the most recent decade, but more recent series also do not have the kind of visual charm that this one does.

If you've ever thought your teachers were strange, then you've probably never heard of Onizuka Eikichi. Onizuka-sensei is an ex-motorcycle gangster who yearns to become a schoolteacher in the manga, anime, and TV series GTO, Great Teacher Onizuka. GTO was published in 1997 by KC Magazine Shounen Comics. Written and drawn by Fujisawa Tooru, GTO was a rapid success.

Dollgun Chapter 31 read online

2011-05-09T02:39:00.002-07:00

Those fights offer plenty of opportunities for assorted characters to show off what they can do and deliver more smackdown than pro wrestling and Mixed Martial Arts combined. The series takes itself seriously enough at this point that little of the franchise's traditional humor survives the cuts, but that also means that few of the series' irritatingly ridiculous elements also survive. (Although that will only remain true until the Ginryu Force, which is first mentioned but not seen here, shows up. . .)

It has been printed in multiple languages, including a Japanese and English bilingual manga translated by Stuart Atkin and Yoko Toyozaki. GTO was later developed into a TV drama series, and also an anime series. The TV series starred the singer Takashi Sorimachi as Onizuka-sensei, and aired on Fuji TV. The anime series also aired on Fuji TV, animated by SPE Visual and Studio Pierrot.

Dollgun Chapter 29 read online

2011-05-09T02:39:00.001-07:00

With Frieza, DBZ gets its first ultimate villain, a character who, comparatively speaking, stands on the same level as King Piccolo did in the original Dragon Ball series and will become the focal point of events for the next few dozen episodes. (Yes, technically Frieza made a brief appearance back in episode 1, but this is the first place where he becomes an integral part of the current-time storytelling.) The other is the young Namekian Dende, who may seem like a throw-away character at this point but will still be around playing a prominent role through the end of the series.

To his surprise, there happens to be one girl in his class who is extremely beautiful. He befriends her, later to find that she and the other students are using her good looks and his pervertedness to blackmail him for money, or get him fired.

Dollgun Chapter 28 read online

2011-05-09T02:39:00.000-07:00

This run of episodes also makes some other important contributions to the overall Dragon Ball franchise. It provides the first taste of Gohan finding his fighting resolve, puts Bulma back into play in a prominent way for a while, and shows the first combat use of the Spirit Bomb, but it is much more important for the introduction of two characters who will have a major impact on the Dragon Ball universe.

The anime series is definitely something no one would want to miss. It has all the characteristics of a great show. The scenes are exciting, the script is cleverly written, and the humor will have you chuckling nonstop. Some of the most memorable moments are simply the expressions on Onizuka's face as he goes through various emotions.

Gin no Saji Chapter 9 read online

2011-05-09T02:35:00.004-07:00

Here's where the intense focus on the main characters becomes a serious problem; the show is so obsessed with seeing these two in action that we see very little of anyone else in the show, even the guys they're supposed to be fighting. The end result is a show that's all flash and no substance; that's OK for an action series like this, but the screenwriters would have done well to maybe read the scripts a second time to check and make sure the plot makes sense. The episodes are fun enough if you switch your brain off, but for the most part, the holes are too big to ignore.

Goku has returned to battle the villainous Saiyan Vegeta, but while he can damage and knock down Vegeta, even his tripled Kaio-ken technique is not enough to keep Vegeta down. Irritated that he is struggling against Goku, Vegeta pulls a trick to go Great Ape, but thanks to a team effort involving Krillin, Gohan, and even Yajirobe, the gang is eventually able to knock Vegeta back down to size and hurt him enough to force him to retreat off-planet. While cleaning up afterwards, Krillin posits the idea that more Namekians, and thus more Dragon Balls, might be found on Kami/Piccolo's home world, so the gang soon locates planet Namek and Bulma, Krillian, and Gohan use Kami/Piccolo's original spaceship to set off on a new Dragon Ball quest.

Gin no Saji Chapter 8 read online

2011-05-09T02:35:00.003-07:00

Where Licensed by Royalty tends to get itself in to trouble is with episode structure and plot progression. Frequently within the series (particularly in episode 2), the plot points just don't make any sense. There are holes in the plot here large enough to drive a catbus through. Characters act without much motivation, and the “villains” in each episode are given very little back story.

This time, though, their opposition is more fearsome than ever before, for Vegeta, after healing up, has also headed to Namek with the same intention, as has his uber-powerful boss Frieza, who is intent on wiping the Namekians out as he hunts down the Dragon Balls. The situation is not entirely bleak, however; Vegeta's pride puts him at odds with his former coworkers and master, a rescued Namekian boy helps Krillin realize a new level of power, and Goku is on his way, training in ultra-high-gravity as he goes.

Gin no Saji Chapter 7 read online

2011-05-09T02:35:00.002-07:00

The “zany doctor” character is a cliché, and most of the other characters are wasted. Virtually none of them are developed whatsoever. Clearly the intent of the series is to go along on the ride with Jack and Rowe, and for a short series like this, that's totally acceptable.

Episodes 14-26 of Kai cover the same chunk of story originally told in episodes 31-56 of Dragon Ball Z, which covers the period in the story from the time that Goku goes to Kaio-ken x3 in his battle with Vegeta to the point where Vegeta defeats Zarbon on planet Namek. Moreso than the first set of episodes, this run is a triumph of editing, as the scene transitions are so smooth, and the brief bits of added connecting animation so innocuous, that those new to the franchise will probably be unable to tell that this part of the story was originally double this length.

Gin no Saji Chapter 6 read online

2011-05-09T02:35:00.001-07:00

Their devil-may-care attitudes prevent them from becoming cold ‘hardcore’ warriors, a character archetype that's all too common in anime. Instead, Jack and Rowe quip their way through each episode, rolling with the punches. There's very little pretension about them; the dialogue between the two of them works very well. On the other hand, there aren't many other characters worth talking about.

Those familiar with the original episodes will probably not find anything wanting, either. This is the way the series should have been done in the first place: a tight, fast-paced action story which does not dillydally around with ultimately minimally important details.

Gin no Saji Chapter 5 read online

2011-05-09T02:35:00.000-07:00

Gin no Saji 5

If you're going to sit through 6 to 12 hours of animation, chances are, you're going to want endearing and charming (or at least interesting) characters to watch. Licensed by Royalty succeeds in this arena, at least where the main characters are concerned. While they don't reach the sublime level of “cool” attained by Cowboy Bebop's titular hunter Spike, Jack and Rowe are just laid-back enough to be sympathetic and fun to watch.

Even so, the first signs of the dragging out of combat scenes that the series is infamous for do start to show here. The first Goku/Vegeta battle is a suitably epic fare, but by the end of it even diehard action fans may start rolling their eyes at how ridiculously long the battle is, at how many instances of each combatant pulling out yet another trick the battle has. It does prove sufficiently satisfying, but moreso because the secondary players (especially Yajirobe) make their own significant contributions than because it shows Goku at his most puissant level to that point.

Kimi no Knife Chapter 23 read online

2011-05-09T02:31:00.001-07:00

Diamond Daydreams isn't the kind of series that every anime fan is going to appreciate because it's a decided step away from the norm for anime storytelling. Seeing the earlier two volumes is not required for appreciating anything except the last story, nor is having played the game on which the series is based. Those familiar with the game or earlier episodes, however, should undoubtedly find this volume to be a great way to round out the series. This particular volume is an excellent value, and the series as a whole is very approachable even to those who aren't normally anime fans.

Toshio Masuda's guitar-metal-meets-traditional-music score hasn't substantially changed since the series' inception, but as Hayato Date's direction loses all subtlety going into the Sasuke fight, so too does his deployment of Masuda's score. It's still a blast to listen too, but here it is more a blunt instrument than an effective support. A new hard-rocking punk-pop opener heralds the coming of the Sasuke fight, while the new closer is an unremarkable ballad that represents one of the series' few outright opener/closer mistakes.

Kimi no Knife Chapter 22 read online

2011-05-09T02:31:00.000-07:00

(For those who missed them the first time around, these are basically animated bloopers and alternate visual, instead of dialogue, outtakes.) This volume also adds two new extras: a behind-the-scenes wrap-up piece featuring the entire principal Japanese cast speaking in the wake of recording the final episode, and a feature called “Jurota Tokibi's Love Diary,” which explains the whole deal involving Jurota and Mafuyu and shows some clips of where they can be spotted in various earlier episodes.

After this length of time, there's little new to be said about Viz's dub. The cast handles the heavy stuff with what grace they can muster, the adaptation is lively, and Brian Donovan's humorous handling of Rock Lee's Drunken Fist fight (far and away this set's highlight) is but the latest demonstration of the series' dead-on casting.

Some production art and storyboard-to-film comparisons are this box set's only extras of note.

Kimi no Knife Chapter 21 read online

2011-05-09T02:30:00.002-07:00

Despite containing five full episodes, the last DVD packs substantial extras. All of the recurring features from the previous two volumes are back, most notably final installment of the highly informative Hokkaido Travelogue. Others include a clean opener and closer, the third installment of Panda's DVD Diary, more installments of the “DDD Time” radio talk show, and a recurrence of the Japanese Outtakes, some of which are repeats of those seen in the previous volume but many of which are new.

As with any relationship gone sour, in hindsight the signs that all was not well with Naruto are obvious. The three battles that begin the volume end in cop-outs, the series consistently forgets that its leads are supposed to be tweens, and the fact that the conflicted, complicated Shikamaru snakes the set's most affecting moment out from under Naruto—despite all his angst-mongering—is merely the latest of many indications that Naruto's one-note personality is beginning to wear thin. This set does leave the series in an interesting place, but as any fan of the franchise knows, it will be a long, long time before anything comes of it: after the botched honeymoon comes an eighty-episode marriage to flabby filler.

Kimi no Knife Chapter 20 read online

2011-05-09T02:30:00.001-07:00

Kimi no Knife - Chapter 20

Its only alterations of consequence are the complete rewrites of the Next Episode previews, which are arguably improvements since the irrelevant babble of the originals is replaced with actual intros of the upcoming episode.

There's only one organization capable of stopping the various crimes perpetrated against the royal family: Cloud7, an elite team of special agents. Using wit, style, and plenty of cunning, Cloud7 agents Roe Rickenbacker and Jack Hefner thwart countless nefarious plots. There's no intrigue too thick, no danger too great, and no woman too gorgeous to stop these suave heroes from their appointed task!

Kimi no Knife Chapter 19 read online

2011-05-09T02:30:00.000-07:00

Kimi no Knife - Chapter 19

English VAs for the other characters coming back for the final episode are uniformly good fits, making this a strong dub overall. More issue could be taken with how liberally the English script interprets the dialogue, but the essential meaning of a scene is never lost or changed and the script does flow very smoothly.

Licensed by Royalty (changed from the original Japanese Engrish title, Licensed by Royal) is something of a conundrum. The elements are here for what could have been a smash hit series; there's spectacular animation, excellent music, a decent storyline and likeable characters. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, what we get is something of an undercooked mixed bag. The elements of this series that are successful just don't quite come together.

Billionaire Girl Chapter 8 read online

2011-05-09T02:26:00.004-07:00

After hours of frustrating stop-and-go (mostly stop) action, the series does salvage an episode-long fight from the mess, and even throws in a follow-up episode for good measure, giving the characters time to clean up all that ninja stuffing—but only after so many false starts, meandering flashbacks, and male-bonding interludes that it seems small recompense for all the hair we tore out getting there.

The musical score for these episodes just repeats the wistful recorder, string, and piano themes used in earlier episodes, to varying degrees of effectiveness. The most melancholy recorder number is a bit overused, but that doesn't keep it from strongly contributing to the emotional impact of the climatic scenes. The happy, energetic opener fits better with the last episode than it does with the rest of the series, while the longing tone of the closer is an excellent cap to story arcs about loss, heartbreak, and self-doubt.

Billionaire Girl Chapter 10 read online

2011-05-09T02:26:00.003-07:00

Pint-sized ninjas leap over water, bounce off cliffs, and fight atop floating logs. The animators put all the love they could into the fight, and it shows, in spite of the artistic details that are sacrificed in favor of fluid movement. If only they had put half as much effort into structuring the fight—though in a manner of speaking their decision to water it down did succeed: by the end of the fight it isn't Sasuke that you want to spank, it's the series' creators.

By contrast, Blake Shepherd's Akiyuki is quite conformist. The English script should certainly raise no objections, as it sticks as close to the subtitles as is feasibly possible.

For the DVD release, Sentai Filmworks splits the 13 episodes across two disks. (A Blu-Ray version is also being released simultaneously but was not available for review.) The Extras, included on the first disk, consist of clean versions of the opener and closer used for this release and also for the alternate opener and closers used for the original PSN releases; though those alternate versions are decent numbers, they also feature graphics more squarely from the second half of the series and are completely upstaged by their TV broadcast counterparts anyway.

Billionaire Girl Chapter 9 read online

2011-05-09T02:26:00.002-07:00

That isn't to disparage the execution of the fight. Though it does make one yearn for the clean choreography of Rock Lee's straightforward martial-arts, there's no denying the impressiveness of the Sasuke fight's visuals. Naruto clones explode from a lake like ninja-shaped surface-to-air missiles and glowing energy limbs ambush enemies from underground and cling to rock faces like neon prehensile tails.

Xam'd: Lost Memories is probably going to list as a mecha series but actually has a feel more akin to a supernatural or fantasy series. Despite its tendency to ape other series and some bland stretches, it does sport some respectable writing and couples its visual appeal with a concerted effort at character development. That is enough to carry the series for now.

Billionaire Girl Chapter 7 read online

2011-05-09T02:26:00.001-07:00

The tedious speechifying alone (distilled: Naruto: “Come back with me.” Sasuke: “No!”) would be enough to slow the fight to an irritating crawl, but the series goes the extra step of using the fight to repeatedly bookend a series of long Sasuke-fleshing flashbacks. Sasuke has been in need of development, but couldn't they have done that before they built a ginormous climax around him? We didn't make it this far to be force-fed more bleak back-story, we came to watch Naruto and Sasuke beat the ninja stuffing out of each other.

The English casting for the Shoko episodes is exceptionally good, with only one very minor role not sounding at least close to the tone and style of the original and most being dead-on. (It could be argued that making Shoko's director sound gay was a change, but that's probably the closest American equivalent to the kind of inflection his seiyuu was using.) Each of the roles is also just as well-delivered in English is it is in Japanese, making the dub for those two episodes good enough that even sub fans should appreciate it.

Billionaire Girl Chapter 6 read online

2011-05-09T02:26:00.000-07:00

An earnest but seriously ham-fisted desire to fashion something deep and serious from the climactic battle soon transforms what should have been an exhilarating whirl of action and high emotion into a patience-testing, time-distending showdown that recalls the worst excesses of Dragon Ball Z.

The Akari episodes are weaker; although the acting is generally solid and Kelli Cousins does a great job performing the lead role, her voice is pitched a bit too deep, and sounds a bit too old, to be a good match for Akari. The Akari arc does slickly solve the issue of the English class in in one episode by turning it into a Spanish class, however.

Baka to Boin Chapter 31 read online

2011-05-09T02:17:00.000-07:00

Both are sharply and appropriately dressed for their roles and the season, as are the other leading ladies appearing in the final episode. Supporting male characters actually come in a wide and distinctive variety of looks, which is a little unusual for series so focused on female characters. As with earlier volumes, background art is a strong point, especially in the way it replicates the varied Hokkaido locales being used, and photos of actual famous sites from each city continue to be shown during the eyecatches. The animation is good enough to support the story but not a highlight, and it doesn't have much of an opportunity to show off anyway.

Orochimaru's rascally underlings have absconded with Sasuke, attempting to ferry him off to the Sound Village with Naruto and a team of crack Genin recruits hot on their tail. As Shikamaru, Kiba, and Rock Lee occupy Orochimaru's errand boys, Naruto trails after Sasuke, newly hatched from Orochimaru's superpower-granting coffin. While his comrades end their desperate battles with a little help from an unexpected quarter, Naruto tries to convince an obstinate Sasuke to return to his home village. Sasuke replies by wasting entire episodes exploring his dark, dank past before trying quite earnestly to kill Naruto off.

Baka to Boin Chapter 30 read online

2011-05-09T02:16:00.003-07:00

The artistry for this volume is too obviously digital at times but generally good. Shoko's design is convincingly mature and pretty without being overtly sexy, while Akari's high school-aged design reverts to the chubby-cheeked syndrome seen in the younger leading ladies from earlier volumes. She also is given some of the least flattering hair design and color of any leading lady in any recent anime title.

Imagine yourself as a blushing Shonen Jump bride. You've been courting Naruto for a Victorianly appropriate period, from the first clumsy overtures to the seductive whispers of untold fulfillment in the latest handful of story arcs. “The best is yet to come,” they breathe in your ear. “The rivalry between Naruto and Sasuke is about to explode,” they husk. In the ninth box set, when Sasuke leaves the village, the engagement is set.

Baka to Boin Chapter 29 read online

2011-05-09T02:16:00.002-07:00

To understand the deal with them, you have to know that the series is based on a dating sim game. As is explained in one of the Extras, Jurota is a background character throughout the original game and Mafuyu is a secret character. The nature of her “secret,” which is referred to in this episode but not revealed or explained, can be found within the game, so the appearances of her and Jurota are more a bone being thrown to fans of the dating sim than just a cute gimmick.

Things progress nicely, if predictably, through the preparations for the big day. Big, life-threatening fights revolving around long-term characters set the tone, and after much ceremonial hullabaloo the long-promised moment finally arrives. And there you are, the blushing bride, waiting to be swept away, only to have the show suffer a debilitating performance malfunction at the worst possible moment.

Baka to Boin Chapter 28 read online

2011-05-09T02:16:00.001-07:00

Baka to Boin 28

This episode also gives significant screen time to Jurota Tokibi, the guy with the message T-shirts, and Mafuyu, the pretty red-haired woman, both of whom pop up in nearly every previous episode if you watch closely (and in some episodes you have to watch very closely) but the latter of which wasn't identified by name or had any speaking part until this episode.

Which gives you a rough idea of how deflating a let-down the infuriating, clumsily-structured Naruto/Sasuke fight is. The set starts out quite well, riding high on the energy of the three-way battle that closed out the last set. Shikamaru's showdown is a clever battle of wits, Kiba's is a dirty, desperate struggle to live, and Rock Lee's is pure kung-fu bliss (complete with a healthy helping of drunken-boxing goodness).

Baka to Boin Chapter 27 read online

2011-05-09T02:16:00.000-07:00

Baka to Boin 27

Most cross paths with at least one other leading lady and some have their stories from earlier arcs fleshed out a bit more. Viewers who have taken to the series so far are likely to find this episode to be a highly satisfying conclusion, even if they are left wanting to know more about the stories of some of the characters.

There's a lot in the first half that is genuinely exciting and even touching, however, it's all merely a prelude to the inevitable mano-a-mano with Sasuke, at which point the series promptly falls apart under the weight of its own ambitions.

.hack//Quantum OVA 3 Watch Download Sub

2011-05-02T08:13:00.000-07:00

Number of episodes: 3
Vintage: 2010-12-27 to 2011-01-22
Ending Theme:
"雫 Shizuku" by Yuuka Nanri

The first .hack//Quantum volume will ship on January 28, 2011 with the first episode (about 25 minutes long) of the anime series, the planned bonus CG anime, several promotional videos, and footage from the related online TV project. However, there will be an early limited edition that will only be available (with a drama CD) at Bandai Visual's "Anime Fes. 'VS'" theater screenings this November. (The limited edition's tentative cover art is pictured at right.) The online retailer Amazon.co.jp will bundle another exclusive drama CD on the regular January retail date.

The second volume will follow on February 25 with the second full episode, another planned bonus CG anime, two versions of a promotional video, and more online TV project footage. Just like the first volume, the second volume will have an early limited edition that will only be available (with three kinds of bath powder and a hand warmer as bonuses) at the second round of "Anime Fes. 'VS'" screenings this December. The third volume will then ship on March 25.

watch .hack//Quantum OVA Episode 3 part 1

watch .hack//Quantum OVA Episode 3 part 2

hack Quantum 2
http://ifile.it/z2mw9sj/HQ%2002.mkv
hack Quantum 1
http://ifile.it/uis4za1/HQ%2001.mkv

Twelve Kingdoms DVD 9
Those who have followed this series since its beginning should find this to be an exceptionally satisfying volume of anime, as it wraps up both the recent story arc and many long-term story points.

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai Episode 16

2011-04-28T18:52:00.007-07:00

Containing four episodes on one disc, Bandai does a good job of packaging. Also included is a set of stickers, which I thought added a fun touch. Packing aside, I didn't enjoy this volume of MS Gundam as much as I expected. In the first place, I thought the characterization lagged a bit at times, with random characters coming and going without any introduction or details. Also, because of the way their actions were portrayed, some of the characters were really starting to piss me off, especially the women. In the first episode, Sayla takes the mobile suit into battle, assuming she can pilot it just after a few sessions in the simulator. Her repeated excuses of, "Oh, I didn't think it would be this hard" failed to elicit any sympathy from me; rather, it frustrated me that she wanted to prove herself in a "man's role" even though she obviously couldn't. As for other females that got on my nerves, Fraubo is definitely one of them. She can't seem to get it through her head that maybe Amuro just doesn't like her that way. She insists on following him around like a whining puppy, and frankly, I could hardly sit through it. The cocky, ignorant Zeon woman, the little girl on board the White Base . . . even though I happen to be a female, I couldn't help disliking women in general after I was through with the disc, they were portrayed like such dumb flakes. (Don't get me wrong, the male characters were getting to me too, especially the childish decisions that Amuro and the rest of the crewmembers were making.)

Obviously, no one can be blamed for the way the series worked out; the series is quite old, so the societal and cultural differences must be excused. At the same time, I kept telling myself that maybe it wasn't just the characters that were bothering me; it was the combination of them in addition to the English dub. When I first started watching the series, I didn't mind the dub too much, since I knew I had to live with it if I wanted to watch the series. Evidently, as the episodes progressed, my nonchalant attitude toward the dub changed. Either the actors got progressively worse as the series went on, or the prolonged duration of listening to dubs after years of assiduously avoiding them finally began to wear me down. For the record, though, it must be stated that some of the actors did a fine job. Unfortunately, some of the minor characters were so dull and lifeless that I would have muted them and read the close captioning had there been any available. I could get into the bad casting, too, but perhaps I should save that for a later review.

Sailor Fuku Shinryou Tsumaka (2011) OVA 1 2

2011-04-28T18:52:00.006-07:00

Wait a minute…Nicori, that minimally designed, flesh-toned creature which looks like nothing so much as a wide-eyed rat, is supposed to be a meerkat? A meerkat?! As in the South African species of diurnal mongoose??? Mangaka Machiko Sakurai must have been watching Meerkat Manor; it's the only plausible explanation. (The applicable dates work as well, in case you were wondering.)

She also admits to having been watching Pixar's Toy Story, and this much beloved animated film is, without question, the single most important thematic influence upon the Minima! manga. But never mind the fascinating socio-economic implications vis-à-vis global flows and counter-flows of popular culture—wherein a Japanese manga borrows from an American film, and then that manga is repackaged by a German media conglomerate for American consumption—this influence serves the manga magnificently…by providing it a rich foundation on which to construct a secret social life of toys.

One Piece 3D: Mugiwara Chase movie download

2011-04-28T18:52:00.005-07:00

Her heirloom sword damaged, Leina seeks out the renowned blacksmith Cattleya, a former dragonslayer who has retired to a domestic and business role. Ymir, a dwarven princess from Steel Mountain, also seeks out Cattaleya, but for different reasons: she's irked that Steel Mountain is losing business for their top-quality weapons to Cattaleya's cheaper productions. Battles, of course, ensue. In the wake of that incident Leina finally runs across Risty, who is now traveling with Tomoe and Shizuka, but gets a rude shock when Risty rejects her for her continuing weakness. Leina makes an arrangement with Echidna to get special intensive training to help her overcome her biggest flaws, which gives both her older sister Claudette and her younger sister Elina a chance to catch up with her; before either can move on, a reckoning between Leina and Claudette over their relationship and respective roles must be had. Afterwards, most of the prospective Queen's Blade participants approach the capital city of Gynos, but so, too, do the minions of the Swamp Witch, who are intent on slaughtering the prospective contestants before they can even participate. Before the gates of Gynos a climactic battle rages, one in which Leina must prove her mettle in the face of daunting odds and Queen Aldra herself might get involved.

Carnival Phantasm OVA 1 download

2011-04-28T18:52:00.004-07:00

Despite the aspects of this volume that turned me off, the disc also had some redeeming qualities. For an old series, the animation is rather impressive. Granted, it may not be the most fluid display of cinematic excellence I've ever seen, but it's pretty good considering its age. The mecha fights continue to be exciting and they still deliver an action-packed display of pyrotechnics. There are times in the series when normal sequences are inconsistent with the scenes around it, but that can be expected and excused. One thing I noted about the disc, though, was that the opening theme has been replaced with a spliced montage of the war, with a narrator talking about the war between the Federation and Zeon. The ending theme was replaced with a generic techno-ish beat similar to the ones found on many of the shows that have been aired on Toonami. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's not what's supposed to happen. (I could be wrong, though, so please let me know if I am.) Albeit I wasn't a huge fan of the opening and ending themes to begin with, I certainly preferred them to whatever they've been replaced with.

If you've already started watching Mobile Suit Gundam, then by all means, forge on and watch this volume. Even though I didn't enjoy this volume as the ones prior to it, I still recommend it if only for the mecha fights and the obvious realization that volume four is necessary in order to understand the connection between volume three and five. Personally, I'm not a fan of the dub (or dubs in general), but a little bit of discomfort and angst can surely be tolerated for a chance to watch the original Gundam series. If you happen to speak Japanese, though, I implore you to import the series instead, as you'll probably enjoy it much more in its original format. If not, well, Bandai deserves credit for giving it their best shot. So, all in all, it's worth at least a rental.

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai Episode 15

2011-04-28T18:52:00.003-07:00

Oh, and for goodness' sake, don't let the dinner-plate eyes of the characters on the cover of the manga deter you. The obvious lack of effort and lackluster artistry characterizing Sakurai's color art is quite disappointing, especially given the quality of her draftsmanship on interior pages. Unlike others of her ilk, she manages line work that is attractive and delicate as well as layouts that are interesting and dynamic. Those sequences involving Nicori are especially so, and I love how seamlessly and naturally panels shift from human-sized perspectives to toy-sized ones and back again. They are a perfect complement to an entertaining little ditty of a story and just go to show that, once again, you should never ever judge a book by its cover. Minima!, much like its meerkat toy hero, comes to exuberant life when you're least expecting it.

Kokurikozaka Kara movie download

2011-04-28T18:52:00.002-07:00

For, as any veteran consumer of the medium knows, the plots of most mainstream shoujo manga are driven by the social lives of their characters, such their friendships, their romances, their interpersonal conflicts, their reconciliations, etc. Generally speaking, the scope remains limited to a single social milieu, such as that of the Japanese high school, and inasmuch as boys and girls represent different schoolyard cultures, it all starts to feel very inward-looking and myopic very quickly. Minima!, on the other hand, is a kind of cross-cultural tale dressed up as a fantasy and is, as such, a somewhat rarer bird. It would not be too much of stretch to say that Ame and Nicori are two very different kinds of people from two very different cultures who will eventually realize that, together, they are stronger than the sum of their parts. A Japanese reader may prefer to read this as “strength in solidarity,” whereas an American reader may prefer to read this as “strength in diversity.” Either way, the story is bound to achieve widespread appeal.

The manga also proves surprising in the depth of its emotional affect. Out of proportion, in fact, with what is, on the face of things, a plot of, at best, only moderate originality. Ame is, unlike most shoujo heroines, neither ditzy nor spunky; if anything, she's a clinically depressed wallflower who takes refuge in collecting toys and whose classmates talk about how pathetic she is behind her back. Nicori, likewise, is an unpopular toy recently discontinued who decides to seize the reins of fate in his own two little hands, but he soon realizes that the media attention which soon comes calling just isn't the same as an owner's affection. Besides, you gotta love a palm-sized stuffed animal that marches fearlessly off to rescue its owner from kidnappers, right? Sakurai's depiction of her two characters is nuanced but not over-dramatic; I readily admit to feeling a number of sympathetic pangs while reading the first volume. I also find that, as with Toy Story, the notion that toys come to life when humans aren't looking is a provocative one that fires the imagination. No wonder Sakurai chose it! How many people started looking at their children's toys in a whole new way after Woody, Buzz…and now Nicori? (Raise your hand, now; don't be ashamed.)

Seikon no Qwaser II OVA 1 download

2011-04-28T18:52:00.001-07:00

Ame Oikawa is a gloomy, retiring schoolgirl with an age-inappropriate fixation upon toys and character goods. With the exception of her childhood friend Midori, the rest of her class treats her with either contempt or pity. But this all changes in the blink of an eye during a class trip to an amusement park after an impulse buy at a souvenir kiosk lands Ame a stuffed toy that comes to life and talks! Toys, it seems, are actually alive—but ordinarily they only start walking and talking when humans aren't around. Nicori, on the other hand, has decided not to live a life of ignominy anymore, and the attention that he draws to himself and to his owner Ame is bound to change both their lives forever.

Angel Beats! OVA 1 2 download

2011-04-28T18:52:00.000-07:00

Anime of Hajime Asano's light novels about girl disguised as boy to air in July

Starchild's website for the Mayo Chiki! television anime began streaming the first anime promotional video on Friday. Unlike the previous promotional video for Hajime Asano's original light novel series, this video contains actual animated footage.

In the school romantic comedy, Subaru Konoe (Yuka Iguchi) is a beautiful boy who serves as a butler to a classmate named Kanade Suzutsuki (Eri Kitamura). However, another boy named Kinjirō Sakamachi (Satoshi Hino) accidentally discovers Subaru's secret — Subaru is really a girl.

Keiichiro Kawaguchi (Hayate the Combat Butler, Mayo elle Otokonoko) is directing the project at the anime studio Feel with series script supervisor Reiko Yoshida (K-ON!, Chu-Bra!!) and character designer Kōsuke Kawamura. The series will premiere in Japan this July.

Today We Start Our Love Chapter 70 Kyou, Koi wo Hajimemasu

2011-04-28T03:14:00.005-07:00

Wallflower has been running in place for so long that even the mildest of advances are as water to a trout in the Sahara. By that measure, this volume is a freshwater oasis. It is the first volume in recent memory to be composed of pure, unadulterated character development. Shallow, manipulative, and silly character development to be sure, but like that trout in the desert, we'll take what we can get.

The first two chapters are a two-parter that finally (sorta) puts to rest Sunako's aunt's impractical expectations of Sunako's imminent induction into the world of "ladyhood." Despite the time spent on Sunako and Kyohei's bedroom antics, these chapters are more remarkable for their occasional "Scary Sunako" moments, and for spotlighting Sunako and her aunt's deep mutual affection. The other two chapters are part of an ongoing plot that is continued in the next volume. In the first chapter, after Sunako and Kyohei are kidnapped, Yuki gets some much-needed depth when he attempts a rescue. The final chapter provides Kyohei with a little background. Unfortunately, the attempt falls flat due to the utter preposterousness of the developments. While passable as humor, expecting the audience to seriously accept that Kyohei is traumatized by being too pretty is asking for a bit much. Luckily there's just enough Sunako on tap to keep the manga's head (barely) above water: Sunako preparing—Sunako-style—for a party, Sunako's predictably ugly altercation with the Devil-worshippers, and to top it off, a couple of doses of Sunako's peculiar brand of twisted logic. Sunako and Kyohei's relationship also evolves ever-so-slightly as Sunako's constant rejection of Kyohei begins to take its toll on him. For the first time in the series, their relationship actually feels like more than a narrative convenience. As always, most of the humor in this volume is so self-indulgent (yes, I know the four guys are really, really pretty, give it a rest already) that it fails utterly, but some of the humor—more so than is the norm for this recent stretch of volumes—works quite well, especially once the identity of the Devil-worshippers is revealed.

Today We Start Our Love Chapter 69 Kyou, Koi wo Hajimemasu

2011-04-28T03:14:00.003-07:00

There is very little new to say about Tomoko Hayakawa's art. It has become painfully apparent that it will never return to the quality of the first few volumes. Characters still spend far too much time in SD and other simplified forms, backgrounds are still used sparingly—if at all, Sunako is still a faceless blob some eighty percent of the time but is still stunning when fully drawn (how could anyone believe that she is unattractive?), and the majority of Hayakawa's time is still spent drawing her perfect, androgynous bishounen. Also returning this volume is Hayakawa's love of the macabre, this time in the form of the detailed religious statuary of the Devil-worshippers.

Del Rey continues to do well with their presentation. All aspects of the production are above average, although the translation notes are sparse. The author's extras are Hayakawa's usual band-babblings, as well as some stories about her beloved pet cat. Sound effects are left in situ with translations nearby.

Today We Start Our Love Chapter 68 Kyou, Koi wo Hajimemasu

2011-04-28T03:14:00.002-07:00

Wallflower's greatest attribute has always been Hayakawa's obvious affection for her unabashedly antisocial lead. This volume, while not Sunako-free, is slightly Sunako deficient. It fills the void with an unusual amount of characterization for secondary characters, which is a welcome change of pace, even if the developments go beyond straining or spraining credulity and instead grab credulity by both ends and snap its spine over their collective knee.

Today We Start Our Love Chapter 67 Kyou, Koi wo Hajimemasu

2011-04-28T03:14:00.001-07:00

In the waning days of World War II, first-grader Gen lives in Hiroshima with his younger brother, older sister, father, and pregnant mother. Food is scarce, but the Allied bombing that ravaged northern cities has so far spared Hiroshima, so Gen and his brother are able to play and live a safe, if often hungry, life. Everything changes on August 6th, 1945, when the Enola Gay drops the first atomic bomb ever used in warfare. In an instant the city is obliterated and most of its citizens are killed or horribly injured. In the wake of the bombing Gen must learn to survive without most of his family and despite the horrors that surround him.

Barefoot Gen 2
Three years have passed since that fateful day and Gen, who still lives with his mother and adopted little brother, is now a fourth-grader. Hiroshima is still a ruin, and Gen must scrounge for scrap metal to help keep himself and his family fed, but at least commerce has returned to the land. As his mother gradually grows ill from radiation sickness, Gen and Ryuta befriend a group of orphans led by a tough-nosed older child and including a girl who still bears ugly burn scars from the day of the bomb. An old man suffering from depression is also drawn into the group as they come together to support each other and form a makeshift family. Reality is still harsh, however, as many orphans still die lonely deaths and the grim reminders of what happened linger everywhere.

Today We Start Our Love Chapter 66 Kyou, Koi wo Hajimemasu

2011-04-28T03:14:00.000-07:00

Barefoot Gen will never achieve the same standing as Grave of the Fireflies, the other prominent anime movie about the Japanese home front during WWII, because it suffers by comparison in production values, shows its age much more (though dating to 1983, it looks older), and isn't as tightly-written. It also has taken much longer to achieve its initial DVD release. That makes it no less important or powerful a production, however, and it's a film that anyone serious about understanding the devastating consequences of warfare should see.

The movie begins typically enough as we see Gen and his family struggling to get by in Hiroshima in the summer of 1945. The narration sets the scene and provides a brief account of Japan's situation in the war at that point, but most of that is well beyond the comprehension of Gen and his brother, who are as playful as any boys their age. They think the soldiers are kind of cool and know their father doesn't like or agree with Japan's military identity, but their main concern is having fun and how hungry they usually are since food is scarce.

Onihime VS Chapter 23 manga online

2011-04-28T03:12:00.003-07:00

The long-delayed crap finally hits the fan when Sunako's aunt discovers her wallowing in the darkness in her pit of a room. Infuriated at her lack of progress, she decides that Sunako needs a jump-start, and what better method is there than to force Sunako to have sex with her supposed boyfriend Kyohei? Afterwards Kyohei and Sunako are kidnapped by an army of Devil worshippers who have strong ties to Kyohei's past, and their only hope for salvation lies in... Yuki?

Onihime VS Chapter 22 manga online

2011-04-28T03:12:00.002-07:00

For other readers, the back of the book may be the most valuable part: here's where you'll find the dedicated yaoi and adult sections. Both sections are prefaced with enlightening historical overviews, and the reviews adjust accordingly to the material—sexiness is as much of a determining factor as the fundamentals of story and art. Push on all the way to the appendices, and you'll also find what may be some of the most interesting material in the entire volume: controversial aspects of manga such as sex, violence, racism, and profanity are discussed at length, explaining the differences between Japanese and American cultural standards without trying to put either nation on a pedestal. Far less controversial, but still useful, is a brief (if oversimplified) primer on the Japanese language, and it's about then that everything you could possibly discuss about manga has been discussed, so it's off to the glossary, bibliography and index after that.

It's been many years since Frederick Schodt first introduced the idea of "manga" to an American audience—and has it really been 5 years since Tokyopop decided to unflip everything and shot the market into the stratosphere? With the dynamic worlds of manga now taking up entire bookstore aisles, it can be hard for readers to pick out what's good, and this book singlehandedly solves that problem. Heck, it ought to be parked on a podium in front of every manga aisle, the same way dictionaries are deployed in libraries for instant lookup. If you thought reading manga was addictive, just wait until you get hooked on reading about manga.

Onihime VS Chapter 21 manga online

2011-04-28T03:12:00.001-07:00

Certain biases creep into the review portion, although in some cases they are justified: anything "old" and "classic" seems to get an automatic 4 stars out of 4; anything "edgy" seems to get a free pass just for being different; certain big-name hits earn full marks even if they're not the pinnacle of artistic achievement (Naruto, 4 out of 4? As one of the greatest shounen works, sure, as one of the greatest manga ever ... hmm). Just to keep things balanced, though, a number of other fan favorites do get crushingly low ratings as well. The actual reviews help to provide justification for the numbers, but it's probably best to treat them as rapid-fire opinions, and to take the star ratings with a grain of salt. Let's just say, if you're not a young adult male with a scholarly bent (even though there are plenty of those in the fandom), you may not find yourself agreeing with everything in the book.

Full-length articles are the other crowning jewel of the guide, providing in-depth information on various aspects of manga and the surrounding culture. Right before the main listings, readers can brush up on a general history of manga, with particular emphasis on how it reached America, along with a discussion of the artform's main characteristics. The remaining articles are scattered alphabetically throughout the encyclopedia section: the Big Four Demographics (shounen, shoujo, seinen, josei) show up, as well as major genres (fantasy, sci-fi, romance, comedy, even the oddball ones like salaryman) and other related topics (history of Japan, otaku subculture, tokusatsu, video games). Most of the articles follow a chronological format describing how that genre has developed in the past half-century of manga, followed by a listing of representative titles. It's a great way of getting the big picture, especially for fans who may have only come in recently and want to know how their favorite genres have evolved over the years.

Onihime VS Chapter 20 manga online

2011-04-28T03:12:00.000-07:00

Thompson does allow for foreign collaborations with Japanese artists, though, which makes for a couple of questionable inclusions like Tokyopop's comic-by-committee Princess Ai and a number of Marvel Comics spinoffs. Anthologies also prove to be something of a gray area: Japan: As Viewed by 17 Creators makes it, despite being half-French by birth; meanwhile, Range Murata's artist-jam project Robot is puzzlingly left out—possibly because it's almost a periodical and an artbook in some respects. In general, though, if it's a Japanese comic that's been translated into English, it's found in here. Even Kodansha's short-lived bilingual line counts, so now's the time to check up on those classics like Doraemon and Sazae-san.

The book's encyclopedia format serves it very well here: each work is listed alphabetically by title, followed by original Japanese name, author(s), publishers (in Japan and abroad), dates of publication, number of volumes, genre, and age rating. Sure, this is all stuff you could look up on a website, but no website will ever give you the joy of just flipping through randomly, discovering titles both obscure and familiar. Sample artwork is a bit sparse—for such a strongly visual medium, it's a bit disheartening to see maybe one excerpt of a well-known series every 20 pages—but that's not really the point anyway. What comes in most useful are the plot summaries and reviews, even if the latter is inevitably colored by the tastes of Thompson and his staff.

Onihime VS Chapter 19 manga online

2011-04-28T03:11:00.000-07:00

It's hard to imagine a reference book being highly addictive, but Manga: The Complete Guide accomplishes just that. In one bumper volume, Jason Thompson and his crack team of writers present synopses and reviews of every manga ever translated into English, as well as a number of informative articles. It's all too easy for a fan to pop into the book, look up one of their favorite series, flip past another familiar name along the way, start comparing similar artists and titles, maybe stop by one of the articles to read up on a favorite genre—see how addictive this can get? The guide proves to be a vital resource for readers at all levels: newbies looking to branch out, veterans filling up gaps in their knowledge base, and High Supreme Otaku plunging into the most obscure corners of fandom lore. Needless to say, anyone who loves manga at all should be picking up this book.

For a guide like this to work in the first place, some basic principles need to be laid down. The most obvious—"What is manga?"—is still a topic of argument for many, but Thompson is quick to mark his boundary lines: comics from Japan, by Japanese creators, for a Japanese audience, that have been licensed for publication in English. "Cine-manga" screenshot collages don't count. Korea, China and Taiwan don't count. Manga-influenced works by artists of any other nationality don't count. Magazines and periodicals with!! manga in them don't count.

Princess Lucia Chapter 18 read manga

2011-04-28T03:09:00.001-07:00

Neither do the visual aspects of the series distinguish it enough to attract viewers on their own merits alone, unless Feena's cleavage-emphasizing royal outfit is enough to catch your wandering eye. Mediocre animation backs the few true action scenes and the art quality is also very typical in both character renderings and backgrounds. The production does do a respectable job of making its younger female characters attractive without overly emphasizing their sex appeal or cuteness and also does a nice job of giving Feena clothing which complements her hair color and gives her a proper and respectable look without being garish, but the rendering quality and consistency leaves something to be desired. The waitress uniform Feena gets at one point provides an interesting color contrast while still highlighting her beauty. Spaceship designs in the early flashback battle scenes are bit corny, though, as they adapt too much from 20th century naval warships to be fully credible as space warships.

The musical score does better. Opener “Prelude – We Are Not alone –” sets a gentle, melodic tone which continues throughout the series and caps with the similarly toned “Crescent Love” at the end of each episode. These low-key numbers suit the material well, although they do get suitably dramatic and/or intense when needed.

Princess Lucia Chapter 17 read manga

2011-04-28T03:09:00.000-07:00

Most importantly, every time the series seems like it is going to get stuck in a rut, it collects itself enough to achieve a moment of heartfelt sincerity. This first happens at the end of episode 2, again in episode 7 when the central pair finally declares their love, and at a couple of points in the later episodes as the lovers try to overcome the obstacles in their path. The climax of the series is also satisfying, although the sheer audacity of the near-literal deus ex machina stunt it pulls may leave many viewers' jaws on the floor.

The series does also at least attempt to be funny, but the humor is as much “miss” as “hit.” Two of its four chief recurring gags – about Natsuki's brother's paddle-worthy idiocy and the paparazzi-like documentarian's ability to appear anywhere and get any shot – are not especially funny to begin with and get old very fast, although the latter is a little more tolerable because it does become a plot point at times. The third recurring gag, which involves why one character is nicknamed The Carbonizer (charred lettuce salad?!?), works much better in part because it is used more sparingly; it gets one feature episode but is otherwise only occasionally brought up. Likewise for the fourth recurring gag, which involves a certain rarely-seen character cast as a blatant parody of a well-established American movie hero. The one other gag which works especially well is the whole out-of-control business involving the bugs in one episode, especially how Feena and her security officer react to the “threat.” The good laughs do not come often enough for the series' comedy aspect to be a significant draw, however.

Princess Lucia Chapter 16 read manga

2011-04-28T03:08:00.002-07:00

Even with them, much of the series – especially in its first half – wallows in story elements that are as derivative as an anime romance can get. Amongst its tried-and-worn-down aspects are a princess from an off-world political entity cohabitating (and falling in love with) a common Earth boy; said good-hearted boy showing said princess the joys of everyday activities like attending school, working a part-time job, and taking a trip to the beach; an unwanted fiancé who complicates matters; a female childhood friend for said boy; a girl who is an epically bad cook; and a male supporting character who, at least once per episode, gets smacked and sent flying for some kind of idiotic and/or irritating behavior. The series even has an episode where the male lead must quickly learn to fight for the sake of his love and uses the Brief but Fateful Childhood Meeting gimmick. In fact, at times the writing gets so mundane that disregarding the whole thing as one big cliché is a tempting prospect.

Not everything in the series is so ordinary, however. It avoids playing the Fan Service card sufficiently enough that the series carries only a TV-PG rating, the purpose and opponent in the aforementioned fight is different than a veteran anime fan would normally expect, and the female childhood friend, quite surprisingly, does not form the third corner of a love triangle; in fact, Natsuki only ever shows vague romantic feelings towards Tatsuya and gives up on them entirely to help him and Feena get together. That childhood meeting is also more profound than most; given the circumstances, few will question why it becomes part of the foundation for their later romance. The story also explores deeper than most the political ramifications of Tatsuya and Feena's relationship, though it moves things along with improbable (and likely physically impossible) speed towards the end. There is nothing wishy-washy about Tatsuya, either, and Feena does have at least a bit of a hard edge which occasionally shows through her otherwise-flawless Nice Girl demeanor. The presence of Wreathlit, and what she represents, is so far out of the norm that it seems almost incongruous for this type of series.

Princess Lucia Chapter 15 read manga

2011-04-28T03:08:00.001-07:00

Review:

A certain suspension of disbelief is typically expected for fully appreciating almost any anime title, but this fall 2006 TV series by studio Daume (best-known to American fans for producing Sorcerer Hunters, Please Teacher!, and a slew of '90s and early 2000s OVAs which includes Le Portrait de Petite Cossette and the original El Hazard) requires greater latitude than most. That someone as important as Feena could do what's she doing, and in the situation in which she is doing it, without some kind of constant security presence is incomprehensible, as is her ability to do it without attracting hordes of media attention, as she hardly makes an effort to do the homestay incognito. The lack of security in some scenes on the Moon late in the series is also appalling; if you had the king, all of his top advisers, and the kingdom's most powerful nobleman all in one room (especially at a time when intruders are known to be on the premises), logic dictates that someone would be standing guard outside the door!

Like having streets improbably empty for action scenes, though, these are things which must be accepted for sake of convenience, as they simplify the animation and avoid unwanted complications. And Brighter than the Dawning Blue is certainly not without its own story-induced complications, either; in fact, it is those very same complications which give the series at least some separation from run-of-the-mill anime romantic comedies. Without them, this is a very generic tale indeed.

Princess Lucia Chapter 14 read manga

2011-04-28T03:08:00.000-07:00

Princess Lucia 14

Some time ago, the Moon was colonized and eventually formed its own independent kingdom, called the Sphere Kingdom. Tensions between Earth and the Sphere Kingdom eventually led to the devastating and inconclusive Oedipus War, in the wake of which relations remained strained despite the efforts of Sphere Kingdom's Queen Sefiria to improve them. The Queen's daughter and heir, Princess Feena Fam Earthlight, looks to pick up where her deceased mother left off by conducting a homestay on Earth (with personal maid Mai in tow) to learn more about its people and thus build better relations with her kingdom. The family she stays with, that of the Earth President's Executive Secretary, includes the secretary's younger cousin Tatsuya, a teenaged boy who, unrealized by either of them at first, actually first met the princess when both were little kids. As Tatsuya helps Feena adjust and shows her the charm of an ordinary life, love naturally blossoms between the two. Practical, political, and even supernatural forces threaten to thwart their coupling, however, and the nobleman fiancé that Feena has tried in vain to reject also intrudes to fulfill his own ambitions and anti-Earth agenda. When a princess from the Moon and a commoner from Earth try to make their relationship work, the stakes can become quite high indeed.

Arago Chapter 69 read manga online

2011-04-28T03:04:00.001-07:00

The story of Maison Ikkoku centers on the successes and mishaps of the tenants of the housing complex by the same name. The main character, a college student named Godai Yusaku, is always threatening to move out of the house, as he can't get peaceful study time with his noisy neighbors. His life is dramatically changed one day though, with the arrival of the house's new manager, a beautiful young woman named Otonashi Kyoko. Although he is smitten with her and would do anything for her love, he discovers that she has recently been widowed and still has strong feelings of attachment to her departed husband, Soichiro (which is also the name of her beloved dog). To make matters even worse, there's another man with his eye on Kyoko, her charismatic and striking tennis coach, Mitaka Shun.

Arago Chapter 68 read manga online

2011-04-28T03:04:00.000-07:00

As for Takahashi's signature odd characters, the other tenants of Maison Ikkoku include a sneaky peeping tom, a nosy housewife and her son, and a waitress who runs around the house with see-through clothing. Needless to say, every page is filled with excitement, whether it's a confrontation between characters, or just deep personal feelings expressed by either Yusaku or Kyoko. Like in her other works, Takahashi does a remarkable job in her development of the main characters. Possessing a unique style that combines soliloquies and flashbacks, she is able to effectively depict the background and motivations of the lead characters. Takahashi utilizes her skill extremely well in Maison Ikkoku; with a clear cut and rather simple plot, she is able to concentrate on the characters, using them to drive the story, while at the same time ensuring the proper reader reaction intended for each scene.

Arago Chapter 67 read manga online

2011-04-28T03:03:00.002-07:00

An interesting quirk about the series is the convention used for the characters' names. Takahashi must have had a blast naming the characters, as they all are named after numbers. For example, Kyoko's family-in-law's surname is Otonashi, which through the kanji, can be interpreted to mean zero. Incidentally, Kyoko lives in the manager's room, which has no room number. Another example of this numbering system would be the Ichinose family (ichi being one). The family also happens to live in room number one. A good way for non-Japanese speakers to relate a number to a name would, in fact, be to see which room number each tenant resides in. Every room number corresponds to a certain character's name. For example, GOdai - room five, NIkaido - room two, ROPpongi - room six, and so on. The one exception to this rule is Mitaka, who is far too rich to live at Maison Ikkoku. The numbers go from one to nine, and with an extra one thousand. Although the series story and plot is interesting enough, this odd naming convention is just one more thing for readers to look for!

Arago Chapter 66 read manga online

2011-04-28T03:03:00.001-07:00

Perhaps the simple story line of Maison Ikkoku is actually the most endearing part of the series. Basically, the entire series follows Yusaku and Kyoko's relationship with one another, showing the various nuances of their lives. The only purpose that the other characters serve is to create conflicts, exposition, and comedic relief. This allows the reader to concentrate on the other aspects of the story, such as the emotional tone in the scenes, instead of worrying about what's going on plot-wise. As far as the writing goes, Takahashi has a very smooth style that is very pleasant. Even as a manga author, she incorporates many literary angles into her works, effectively providing foreshadowing to create suspense, and carefully inputting bits of symbolism into her writing. Another interesting touch she has is the way she employs names in the series. In order to understand the double entendres behind the names, a knowledge of the Japanese language is necessary, as oftentimes the pun resides in the spelling of the kanji. Other times, it's obvious to see the fun she has in naming her characters. In Maison Ikkoku, for example, the characters follow a numbering scheme, with multiple names containing numbers in them, like Nanao, Godai, Roppongi,

Arago Chapter 65 read manga online

2011-04-28T03:03:00.000-07:00

Arago 65

Even though the artwork in Maison Ikkoku still carries Takahashi's unique flavor of character and setting design, it somehow seems more gentle than some of her other series. The serenity of the characters at certain moments combines with the emotional impact of the scenes and creates a moving effect. Some of the most enticing aspects of her art are the facial expressions on the characters' faces. Skilled at drawing a variety of emotions, ranging from elation through depression to anger, Takahashi manages to give life to the people on the page, giving them a sense of realism and making the story more believable.

With hordes of fans all over the world, Rumiko Takahashi is undoubtedly one of the most popular manga artists in the industry. With the skill and creativity to pen a broad range of genres, she is responsible for introducing a large portion of fans to the world of manga and anime. She is known for her characterization and artistic expression in her works, and Maison Ikkoku is no exception. It is a must-read for any and all fans of Takahashi. With endearing characters and an engaging plot, the series has situations that can apply to everyone, making readers feel as though they too can be tenants at Maison Ikkoku.

Witch Hunter Chapter 63 ova read online

2011-04-28T02:59:00.004-07:00

Possibly one of the most well known female manga artists, Rumiko Takahashi is the author of multiple acclaimed works. Among her most popular include Ranma ½, Inu-Yasha, Urusei Yatsura, and Maison Ikkoku. When one thinks of Takahashi's works though, the first things that often come to mind are quirky characters and slapstick comedy. Perhaps that's the reason why her romance story, Maison Ikkoku seems so radically different from all her other works. Although the odd characterization and wacky humor are still there, the story flows much more smoothly and can be highly emotional at times. Originally published by Shougakukan, the manga was later compiled into fourteen volumes of tankouban, known in the United States as graphic novels. Because of its popularity, it was made into a ninety-six episode anime series that ran from 1986 to 1988. Both the manga and anime series eventually made their way across the Pacific where they were distributed by Viz.

Witch Hunter Chapter 62 ova read online

2011-04-28T02:59:00.003-07:00

Given the quality of the others, saying that the music is the weakest of the series' technical qualities really isn't a very strong criticism. It only means that it supports the visuals, manipulates mood (the score is particularly effective at heightening energy), and is occasionally utilized in unusual ways. That it doesn't cling to the mind like jingle is probably more an advantage than a drawback. Both the opening and the ending are fun songs that are completely overpowered by the visuals.

The almost bewildering array of art galleries, interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and other extras continues. This is as comprehensive a collection of extras as anyone could reasonably desire. The "Adventures of the ASOS Brigade" also continue, with three new installments. On top of (attempted) entertainment, they also provide some welcome interviews with the English cast.

This isn't the best volume of Haruhi to date. Which doesn't mean squat in terms of its domination of the other comedies on the market, a fact that speaks volumes for the series' overall quality. It remains pure fun with a healthy respect for its audience's intelligence...not something readily found in any entertainment format.

Witch Hunter Chapter 61 ova read online

2011-04-28T02:59:00.002-07:00

Kyoto Animation forgoes large-scale actions and complicated camera movements in exchange for animating characters that are actually animated. Of course, even though everyone moves in uncharacteristically realistic ways and has a wide array of expressions and motions, Haruhi is special. Haruhi is the show, and the animators know it. She's simply a joy to watch; she never sits still for a moment and her personality fairly bleeds from her face and body language. The animators know exactly when to punctuate her actions with a shift in expression, a blink, or some other incidental but infinitely meaningful detail. Combine that with her sassy, distinctive design and you have an entity that embodies exactly the energy that makes her such an irresistible force of nature, believably communicating both her half-insane idiosyncratic personality and her almost pathetic desperation to live a life less ordinary. The rest of the cast features strong designs and fluid animation (with a marked preference for the female members), but are never allowed—quite rightfully—to approach Haruhi in terms of visual appeal (or any other type of appeal for that matter).

With the exception of Kyon, that is. He hasn't as flashy a part, but his snide running commentary is crucial to the series' humor, helped by a lot of mouth-obscuring compositions that allow the director to play off the uncertainty of whether his dialogue is internal or external. Kyon's caustic wit and intelligence also make him something of an anomaly among the sea of personalityless male leads. His importance is such that the slower tempo of his English rendition, and the attendant loss of the original's breathless quality, actually has a noticeable effect on the overall tempo of the show. The extreme fidelity of the dub is actually a bit of a liability in this case, as a wordier, looser adaptation would have preserved the feel of his internal monologue better. Which is, of course, the grand bull-moose of petty nit-picking criticisms. Crispin Freeman does a fine job in the role, as does the rest of the cast with theirs. Those for whom a dub is important will hardly mind, or even notice, the difference and the vast majority of the series' appeal makes the transition to English intact.

Witch Hunter Chapter 60 ova read online

2011-04-28T02:59:00.001-07:00

At the center of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya lies a question asked by everyone from the Wachowski brothers to a small platoon of science fiction writers and nearly every disaffected teenager in America: "What if the world really did revolve around you?" It isn't a question unknown in the anime world; Paranoia Agent and Lain brushed up against the question and other shows have tackled the subject head-on with varying degrees of success (does anyone remember Interlude?). The key to Haruhi's success is to approach the question with intelligence and wrap its musings in a conventional (if originally nonlinear) entertainment that doesn't skimp on humor, style, or characterization. That something can meld paranormal stereotypes, moe, romantic comedy and semi-hard science fiction into one perfectly seamless whole may be a difficult proposition to sell to skeptics, but that's exactly what Haruhi does.

This third volume, however, isn't quite Haruhi at its prime. There's a dearth of brain-tickling sci-fi ponderings this volume, largely attributable to the fact that two thirds of the volume is spent on a murder mystery of a decidedly more Earthly nature. The mystery of Haruhi takes a backseat, and the discussion of observer effects and questions about the nature of reality are more a matter of flavoring than of serious consideration. Still, even when running in place for a bit, the series outpaces most of its competition. Naturally, Haruhi's influence on reality gives the perfect excuse for the contrived mystery setup (ripped straight from any of a hundred fictional mysteries), and that fact is cleverly worked into the mystery itself. Even if the two-part mystery is far too easily solved by a little application of logic (independent of any of the clues) and the sci-fi angle isn't really worked, every episode still provides a virtual smörgåsbord of the other qualities that make the show such a blast to watch. The series' sharp oddball humor continues to prove that a show doesn't have to be stupid or frivolous to be funny; its mildly disorienting approach to story-telling is wielded in amusing ways; the cast continues to grow strongly on one (despite not being terribly deep); and there's even a little romance as Kyon and Haruhi grow a bit closer.

Witch Hunter Chapter 59 ova read online

2011-04-28T02:59:00.000-07:00

Haruhi's melancholy now apparently cured, the biggest threat to the world as we know it is her boredom. An idle Haruhi is a dangerous thing, so it's probably for the best that she has the SOS Brigade to keep her busy. The brigade gets a request from a girl to find her missing boyfriend, who just happens to be the poor computer club president that Haruhi railroaded into giving the SOS Brigade his best PC. Naturally this all leads to the brigade going head-to-head with a giant extraterrestrial camel cricket. Later Itsuki invites the entire club to a newly-constructed mansion on a deserted island. Haruhi hears "deserted island" and automatically thinks "super-sleuth." Which spells big trouble for everyone, 'cause how can you have a super-sleuth without a murder?

Irotoridori no Sekai download いろとりどりのセカイ　応援中！！

2011-04-25T00:14:00.007-07:00

http://www.favo.co.jp/soft/index.htm

Kaname has resurrected his master and longtime nemesis Rido, though his reasons are far from benign. Long has he plotted Rido's demise and now that Yuki has awakened as a pureblood vampire, and Rido is hot on the scent of her blood, the plan can wait no longer. But players in his scheme aren't behaving exactly as planned. Yuki insists on battling Rido herself, and his trump card Zero is languishing in a physical and emotional prison of his own making. Until an uninvited visitor rends the bars of his cage, and frees him to become the monster that Kaname wants him to be. A monster that Kaname, and even Yuki, may not be able to control.