Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou OP ED Opening Ending OST Character

Freezing Episode 12 Watch online Subbed Download Stream

2011-11-18T21:13:00.000-08:00

Synopsis
Set in a slightly futuristic world where Earth has been invaded and is at war with aliens from another dimension called the Nova, the story follows the adventures of a Japanese boy named Kazuya Aoi who enrolls for training at a special school for genetically modified girls called Pandoras who battle the aliens, and their male partners, called Limiters, who use a special power called "freezing" to limit their opponent's mobility. The protagonist makes the acquaintance of an unusual older girl named Bridgette L. Satellizer who appears to be the most powerful Pandora in her class, but has not yet chosen a male partner to be her Limiter, and in spite of the warnings of all his friends, he decides to be her Limiter.

Cast
Kana Hanazawa as Lana Linchen
Mamiko Noto as Bridgette L. Satellizer
Mitsuhiro Ichiki as Kazuya Aoi

Akeno Watanabe as Yumi Kim
Ami Koshimizu as Ingrid Bernstein
Aya Uchida as Tichie Fenille
Eri Kitamura as Ganessa Roland
Fumie Mizusawa as Elise Schmitz
Izumi Kitta as Cleo Brand
Kana Ueda as Atia Simones
Kazuyoshi Shiibashi as Leo Bernard
Marina Inoue as Chiffon Fairchild
Natsuko Kuwatani as Miyabi Kannazuki
Nobuhiko Okamoto as Arthur Climpton
Rieko Takahashi as Sister Margarett
Rumi Ookubo as Kaho Hiiragi
Yuko Kaida as Elizabeth Maybury
Yuu Asakawa as Arnett Macmillan

Freezing Episode 12 [Final] part 1

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Freezing Blu-Ray SPECIAL 01 http://www.mediafire.com/?y3i6e8g2396e831

NANA
Manga 15
No one in NANA is traditionally religious. No Buddhist, Shinto, or even Christian rituals for these young people. Even Hachi's wedding to Takumi happens in the unromantic, after-hours environs of a Tokyo government office. However, they do indulge in one particular ill-formed superstition that started with Hachi way back in volume one and has proven—due to its effectiveness as comic relief—remarkably contagious: their troubles are the fault of the Demon Lord.

Dragon Who Chapter 17 read online

2011-04-29T04:15:00.006-07:00

Both the Japanese and the English cast must be commended for being able to convincingly bring their characters to life despite the one-note personalities and the incomprehensible story. All the actors in both versions are very good, which is to be expected from a Pioneer release. However the American voice of main character Kyosuke, while believable, comes across as insufferably whiny. Unlike his Japanese version, you just wanna smack him. Komugi and the Flickers are likewise performed in English by accomplished actresses, but their extremely J-girl designs make them seem more appropriately voiced by their typical high-pitched Japanese seiyuu.

"Soul Taker's" incidental music is suitably moody in most places. The one exception is the laughable theme song, in which "Soul Taker!" is shouted in English several times. This theme has the unfortunate habit of popping up within the episodes during Kyosuke's transformations and subsequent battles as the Soul Taker. What was once a brooding, serious anime suddenly becomes as hokey as Ultraman (or dare I say, even Inframan), as a truly dark and evil-looking mutant savagely attacks his enemies while a Japanese chorus shouts "Soul Taker!" accompanied by synthesized electric guitars. If you've seen Jackie Chan's live-action "City Hunter" you know what I'm talking about....but that film was trying to be funny.

Dragon Who Chapter 19 read online

2011-04-29T04:15:00.005-07:00

A tear-streaked desk, a crumpled pillow, a soggy stuffed kitten, and Puddles of Memories—the items in the list may seem like random components of a sad movie, but some viewers will understand that these objects, or derivatives of them, often go hand in hand. A show mixing in a dash of comedy, a bit of wisdom, a pinch of cuteness, and a whole lot of grief, Fruits Basket is easily one of the most enjoyable shows to be released this year. With seven episodes gracing the third disc in the four volume series, Funimation marks the second half of the series with more of the same packaging finesse that they carried for the first two DVDs. Not only are the seven episodes being retailed at a very approachable price, but the disc comes full of great extras that were seen in the original Japanese release. Amongst the more common ones is a page of character profile, giving brief descriptions about the main characters and also a few of the side characters that pop up. There's also the requisite textless opening song that appears on most DVDs, but with such a sweet theme, it certainly doesn't hurt to have the song appear in more places. What's especially a joy is a special feature entitled “Fruits Basket Room #2.” This turns out to be an interview of Tomokazu Seki (the voice of Kyo) conducted byYui Horie, the lady who gives voice to Honda Tohru. This rather lengthy extra gives some insight into Tomokazu's personality and his thoughts on Fruits Basket. It also does a magnificent job of entertaining viewers with funny anecdotes, character impressions, and just other miscellaneous oddities that the two actors spout off. If that wasn't enough, there's also an extra that shows a gallery of all of the “Ka-ching Eye Catches” that are used from episodes 13 to 26, narrated once again by Horie Yui. This actually proves to be very amusing and fascinating, especially since the eye catches swipe too fast during the series to really see clearly. With the colorful commentary by Horie (“Those are bandages! Not toilet paper!!!”), the gallery is able to provide viewers with an odd assortment of useless information and just plain amusement. With such a packed DVD, Funimation is showing how impressive they can be and frankly, they do a wonderful job of showing off.

Dragon Who Chapter 16 read online

2011-04-29T04:15:00.004-07:00

But what style. Boasting some of the boldest anime art design since Serial Experiments Lain, "Soul Taker" is an opulent but unfortunately failed experiment in the use of extreme lighting, color schemes and layout in narrative storytelling. From a purely visual standpoint much of the series is beautiful to behold. Characters are often spotlighted with unnatural hues that would be never be used in a more conventional production: Shiro is almost always seen colored completely in shades of neon green while perky Hospital nurse Komugi is lit with hot pinks, and moody Flicker Asuka in a purplish hue. The backgrounds and staging are equally daring. Like the characters the scenery is frequently painted in shades of a singular hue, and the camera is often partially obscured by shadows and silhouettes of tombstones, broken glass, or other ominous symbols. It all blends to create moody modern art, but while it's very pretty to look at "Soul Taker's" art design only serves to cloud the already hard-to-follow story. The show boasts some very finely animated action scenes, but the unorthodox layouts make it difficult to tell what's happening. One glorious exception is a graveyard gunfight in episode 3 between Asuka and the Kirihara agents that is expertly staged within the limiting design of the show. But more often than not the audience never gets a good clear look at what is actually going on, and when they do it is often static and abstract. The overall effect is that one is watching a radio play illustrated by pieces from a modern art gallery. In the end it only makes things doubly confusing. As gorgeous as it may be, if the artwork does not service the story then it has failed in it's purpose.

Dragon Who Chapter 18 read online

2011-04-29T04:15:00.003-07:00

Before it's over with "The Soul Taker" may actually have something to say, but by the end of the three episodes presented in the first volume the series shows no signs of making much sense, or more importantly, populating itself with any interesting characterizations. Even it's one true strength, the innovative art design, is a doubled-edged sword, as it ultimately defeats it's own purpose in presenting action the audience can follow. "Soul Taker" may shine on the surface, but when you get down to it there's really not much to look at.

Dragon Who Chapter 15 read online

2011-04-29T04:15:00.000-07:00

You know you're in trouble when your anime comes with a 12-page manual to help you understand the plot. "The Soul Taker" is a bizarre series that mixes Devilman with the more confusing aspects of Neon Genesis Evangelion and Serial Experiments Lain, but with little of the charm that made those series watchable despite their incomprehensibilities. "Soul Taker" wastes no time in piling on the mysteries. Instead of gradually pulling the audience into it's web of weirdness, things begin right smack in the middle of the insanity; Kyosuke is murdered, buried, dug up, alive and well and living with his sister-who-really-isn't within the first 5 minutes. By the time the first episode is over things have gotten even more muddled. Over the course of Volume 1's three episodes things become a little clearer, but it only makes true sense if you've read your manual...

"The Soul Taker" is less concerned with explaining itself than in coming up with the most unusual characters and action setpieces possible. When not engaged in faux-Evangelion psycho-babble the characters are invariably taking part in some sort of outlandish battle. Some of it is so out-there it proves pretty amusing, such as Kyosuke's as-yet unexplained transformation into the gargoyle-like Soul Taker, or the mutant doctors and nurses of the Hospital who fight with giant scalpels and hypodermic needles. But the show never takes the time to imbue any of it's players with much of a personality, and the visually interesting cast never succeeds in engaging it's audience. Though the Flickers' unique backstory make them involving characters none of them stick around long enough to truly liven things up, and they leave us with a show that is all style and little substance.

Blazer Drive Chapter 30 read online

2011-04-29T04:12:00.004-07:00

17-year-old Kyosuke Date is stabbed to death by his mother only to find himself resurrected and exhumed by the sister he never knew he had. Only it turns out she's not really his sister, she's a Flicker: artificial beings somehow created by Kyosuke's true sister Runa. When Kyosuke learns that the mysterious Flickers are being hunted by the mysterious corporate Kirihara Group as well as the mysterious Hospital Organization he teams with the mysterious Shiro Mibu to protect the Flickers and get to the bottom of his own mysterious mystery. Along the way he discovers that he possesses a rare gift, the ability to transform into an invincible winged monster, the Soul Taker.

Blazer Drive Chapter 29 read online

2011-04-29T04:12:00.003-07:00

Also customary for a 4Kids production is that viewers of the movie will have to settle for English-dubbed audio. Fortunately, it's a consistent, competent dub—if you're used to the voices from the original TV show, this has everyone exactly in character. The bonus disc is another matter entirely, however; this 40-minute special (a forgettable 10th anniversary piece packed with "Poke-fanservice") features the new voice cast from Pokémon USA and all the controversy that entails. Aside from the bonus disc, other extras include a slideshow of character designs—mostly featuring the fantasy costumes worn in the first part of the movie—and a kid-friendly making-of feature showing the basics of animation. The DVD packaging also contains various peripheral goodies, including a Mew card for the collectible card game and an "ani-manga" booklet.

So maybe Pokémon deserves a fair shake after all. Lucario and the Mystery of Mew isn't out to change the face of animation forever, but it's set to entertain, which it does with its fantasy flavor and strong back-story. Kids will get to see their favorite characters, while anyone who's babysitting them will get to see a fairly decent adventure. Heck, even someone who's dropped out of the craze and is wondering how things are going now might want to check this out (and marvel at how many new Pokémon there are, and how they still haven't run out of names). Fads come and go, but what themes could be more timeless than friendship, challenge, and victory?

Blazer Drive Chapter 28 read online

2011-04-29T04:12:00.002-07:00

So, what does the franchise do with all the money it makes? Funnel it into the feature-film budget, apparently, which in this modern day means splurging on CGI. Fancy computer tricks abound—sweeping 3-D landscapes, large moving crowds—but most viewers will spot the unnatural textures of computer-generated work. The simple character designs are easier to handle, though, and show consistency from scene to scene. Animation is smooth throughout, with a handful of genuinely thrilling action scenes: Ash's reunion with Pikachu is a particularly heart-stopping sequence that rides on the adrenaline of being 500 feet above the ground. And of course it wouldn't be a Pokémon world without flora and fauna; the scenery at the Tree of Beginning is vivid enough to be worthy of Miyazaki, while the brightly colored Pokémon should appeal instantly to younger viewers (although the newer-generation creatures lean more towards "stylized" than "cute").

In true 4Kids style, the Japanese theme songs in the movie have been replaced by third-rate pop-rock productions with stock lyrics about training and winning and being the best. Fortunately, the background music suffers from no such mediocrity; a full orchestra provides a strong, familiar-sounding film score that captures the spirit of adventure.

Blazer Drive Chapter 27 read online

2011-04-29T04:12:00.001-07:00

What stands out the most is the epic premise. This is not just another Pokémon adventure, kids; this is a Pokémon adventure with hundreds of years of history behind it! A totally fictional history, sure, but with enough weight to sustain an hour and a half of action. The entire opening of the movie is a departure from the franchise: full-out fantasy with massive warring factions and earth-shattering sorcery. Historical parallels between Ash and Aaron, flashbacks cleverly told through "time flowers," and the gigantic chip on Lucario's shoulder all add substance to the story. (It should be noted that Lucario is one of the few Pokémon that can communicate in other words besides its own name, and boy does it have some harsh things to say.)

Despite the ambitious setup, though, the execution falls flat midway through. That's when it reverts to being just another normal Pokémon episode, trundling through the wilderness and watching the supporting cast fade into irrelevance—it basically becomes the Ash and Lucario show after the first half. Once everyone arrives at the Tree of Beginning, things get more exciting, albeit predictable: before the quest is over, there will be a shocking revelation, a heartbreaking sacrifice, and a handy-dandy deus ex machina. To be fair, it's the easiest way to tie up an adventure story in a way that kids will understand. The denouement also brings out the usual morals in the series: the value of friendship and respect for all living things. Basically it's the lessons learned from a regular episode, except with a touch of gravitas.

Blazer Drive Chapter 26 read online

2011-04-29T04:12:00.000-07:00

Blazer Drive 26

It's easy to dismiss Pokémon as the figurative black hole of anime, every critic's favorite punching bag, and the fandom's source of infuriation when regular folks see anything remotely Japanese-looking and ask, "Is that Polka Man?" Certainly, a lot of that fury is well-deserved: endlessly repetitive TV episodes, insufferable cross-media promotion, rowdy kids stinking up the comic shop on Pokémon Card Game day ... the phenomenon has mellowed out over the years, but it still has the power to annoy.

Then along comes something like the latest Pokémon movie, and you start to wonder if that fury is misplaced. (Surely our hate would be better spent dishing it out on the fake Americanized One Piece?) Despite all the knee-jerk reactions that the Pokémon name incites, the Lucario movie proves that this can still be solid children's entertainment—solid enough that even "old folks" will enjoy it.

B Gata H Kei Chapter 220 read online

2011-04-29T04:06:00.007-07:00

Ash, Pikachu and friends travel to Cameron Palace, the center of a kingdom with a rich history. One legend in that kingdom tells of an ancient hero, Aaron, who saved the land from being torn apart by war. Accompanying that hero was a powerful Pokemon named Lucario—who suddenly emerges from a historic relic when Ash gets his hands on it! At the same time, however, Pikachu is kidnapped by a mischievous Mew and taken to the "Tree of Beginning" where Aaron supposedly saved the kingdom. Ash wants Pikachu back, and crusty old Lucario wants closure with his former master, so off they go on a quest to the Tree where they will discover some very ancient history and ecology.

B Gata H Kei Chapter 219 read online

2011-04-29T04:06:00.006-07:00

There is plenty of room left for Our Home's Fox Deity to fail disastrously. All manner of badness could befall it in the next twelve episodes. It isn't good enough to fully dismiss the possibility that it'll make a dunderheaded move like having Ku fall in love or Noboru take a stab at big drama. It is good enough to make finding out if it will a priority, however.

B Gata H Kei Chapter 218 read online

2011-04-29T04:06:00.004-07:00

But even if it isn't great, it is enjoyable. The fights usually have interesting strategic turns and occasionally allow Ku's beastly nature to burst from beneath her bishojo looks. Light-comedy veteran Yoshiaki Iwasaki rarely overplays the characters' quirks, letting them surface unexpectedly for knowing chuckles. He knows exactly how to animate Ko's impossibly cute habit of using hand signals and sound effects when her vocabulary fails her, and how to wring more laughs out of Misaki's internal tsukkomi/boke routine than should really be possible. He makes good comedic, and occasionally empathetic, use of both the charmingly light score and the equally charming character designs. Fox Deity may be little more than a diversion—Iwasaki directs little else—but it's a well-made diversion.

NIS America's release follows their now-familiar pattern: twelve episodes across two discs in a gorgeous box with a gorgeous hardcover booklet. Yeah, the large box will have to sit on top of your DVD shelves, and yes there's no dub, but suck it up—you won't find packaging this beautiful anywhere outside of Nozomi Entertainment. The booklet, by the way, is less comprehensive than those for Toradora! but it makes up for it with a wealth of promotional art.

B Gata H Kei Chapter 217 read online

2011-04-29T04:06:00.002-07:00

The fruits of those bonds can be very sweet, as when a Noboru-influenced Ko begins an adorably halting friendship with Misaki, and the light they throw on Ku's character even recasts some of the first episode's events in a more interesting light. Their real achievement, however, is the warm and often amusing dynamic of the Takagami household. Ko's appealing awkwardness, Ku's capriciousness, Noboru's well-meaning worries, Toru's unprejudiced acceptance, their father's smiling sangfroid, the regard they all have for each other—it all makes for a highly appealing home, a place that, if you can't live in, you can at least enjoy visiting. The series is smart enough to recognize that, and treats its potentially bombastic magical-action plots with a calmness that befits the easygoing nature of the Takagamis and leaves plenty of time to spend in their company.

Now, no one will ever mistake Fox Deity for great anime. The characters are simple, and too often defined by their central quirks. Toru's much-remarked intelligence lapses conveniently whenever an excuse is needed to get him in supernatural trouble. Ku's personality can get abrasive, particularly when she starts throwing "I want ice cream! Now!" tantrums. The action sequences are frequent, but feel obligatory. They're generally pretty cheap, with shortcuts aplenty and little attention paid to impact, excitement, or the all-important coolness factor. Often they're exceedingly silly (magical Whack-a-Mole anyone?) and are even more frequently peripheral to the plot (which usually revolves around something like getting a part-time job or harassing Noboru at school).

B Gata H Kei Chapter 216 read online

2011-04-29T04:06:00.000-07:00

The first hint that something is interesting in dullsville is the episode's post-credits coda, where a glimpse of an actual sense of humor can be caught. The show goes on to distinguish itself in a lot of dumb, little, yet strangely important ways. Noboru, it turns out, isn't really the main character. At least, not alone. He shares the throne with Ku and, most importantly, Toru. Noboru doesn't live alone, as countless romantic heroes do, but with his amusingly even-keeled dad. Ku's avowed asexuality turns out to be quite real. While for the purposes of clarity she's been assigned the female pronoun, Ku is equally comfortable in male or female guise, and equally comfortable seducing policemen or flocks of teen girls. The focus on eleven-year-old Toru, the presence of a chaperone, and Ku's absolute disinterest in matters of the heart effectively banish romance from Fox Deity's bag o' ambitions. The only romance going on in Fox Deity is inside the too-active imagination of Noboru's wannabe girlfriend Misaki, who incidentally is the closest thing Noboru has to a real romantic interest.

It may seem a small thing to remove the romance from a cohabiting-with-hot-girls premise, but in addition to simply being a refreshing change of pace, the series' disinterest in romantic bonds also frees it up to focus on infinitely more interesting family bonds. The trust and respect Noboru, Toru and their father have for each other infuses the episodic tales of attacking yokai. Ku's fierce protectiveness of the brothers grows until it is almost frightening, reaching perhaps its peak when she torches a local god rather than allow Toru to come to harm. In the meantime Noboru works to acclimate Ko to the informal ease of the Takagami house while Toru takes to Ku like a motherless child to a potential surrogate.

Oniichan Control Chapter 13 read online

2011-04-29T04:02:00.002-07:00

There's a lot of expository dialogue in Comic Party. Normally, this would be a bad thing, but luckily, most of it is delivered by Taishi. An overzealous fanboy that delivers impassioned speeches with flames in the background, he seems just like the type to do such a thing and pulls it off nicely. On the downside, the other characters don't seem to have this same explanatory knack, so the show's rather dull and strung out on these occasions.

For the most part the dub script does a good job of adequately “approximating” the original Japanese. It stays true to the meaning of the original without being stilted, stiff, or literal. However, in a few cases the dub script inaccurately conveys the original script's meaning. One of the more obvious examples of this is in the 3rd episode when Taishi is explaining that convention organizers could refuse a doujinshi based on its content. In the English dub it seems as if he's suggesting t they do this on a whim.

Oniichan Control Chapter 12 read online

2011-04-29T04:02:00.000-07:00

Comic Party doesn't have a great plot, but it's still very entertaining. After delivering a long-winded speech about challenging oneself, Taichi drags his friends Kazuki and Mizuki to a doujinshi convention. Kazuki's experience, although not quite enjoyable, is just enough to leave him curious enough to look further into the world of doujinshi. Mizuki, on the other hand, can't get beyond the smelly, crowded and noisy atmosphere, all of which compels her to stay far away from anything that's even remotely related to doujinshi. As you can imagine, she isn't very supportive of Kazuki's further exploration of doujinshi. But of course, the story must go on, and Kazuki ends up drawing his very own Doujin for an upcoming convention. Mizuki's grumbling about doujinshi, Taishi's oddbal antics, and a few of the other supporting characters provide the majority of the comedy relief as they interact with the relatively deadpan Kazuki. The result is an on-screen farce that entertains with its unlikely plot, physical comedy, and verbal humor.

Main characters are all well cast, although the casting of Yuu's voice is somewhat questionable. Yuu is a bit of a country girl, and she speaks with a noticeable accent. While the Japanese dub gives her a cute-squeaky girl voice, the English dub manages to show her “different-ness” well, but rather than giving her the squeaky voice, she's the exact opposite: low and gruff. It's not really a miscast, as there's nothing to her character that requires her to be squeaky-cute, but it certainly makes her seem like a completely different person. Unfortunately, the English dub features some complete miscasts for some of the minor characters. Mizuki's shopping friend sounds like she's in her 20s or 30s as opposed to being a teenager, and the shy, demure Aya Hasebe doesn't sound shy or demure at all. Most importantly however, Kazuki, Mizuki and Taishi are all appropriately cast, with actors that sound the part and act the part appropriately well. Although Kazuki is the main character, Taishi was perhaps TRSI's biggest opportunity to mess up one of the voices, and Liam O'Brian plays the part beautifully.

Oniichan Control Chapter 16 read online

2011-04-29T04:01:00.003-07:00

Our Home's Fox Deity has one of those premises that give jaded anime fans heartburn. An everyday teen (that would be Noboru) finds out he's not so everyday and is bonded with a magical girl who then moves in with him. That pang you feel in your chest is your gorge rising. The wonder of Fox Deity is that it somehow makes that premise not just painless, but thoroughly pleasant.

The series' poor initial impression comes mostly from its first episode. There's little hint within its introductory confines that Fox Deity will be anything but pseudo-romantic supernatural twaddle. It does all the usual drudge work: introduce the über-nice hero; explain his connection to the curvaceous magical heroine; throw in another female stereotype—Ko, the blunt inexpressive girl—just for fun. An undistinguished magical battle follows and the episode ends with the guy and the two girls heading back to the city to live under the same roof. The urge to watch the next episode is not acute. About the only thing the series can claim in the way of promise at this point is an unusual level of attention to the details of traditional Japanese magic and Ku's domineering personality (and avowed asexuality).

Oniichan Control Chapter 14 read online

2011-04-29T04:01:00.002-07:00

Comic Party is a visually pleasing show, with pleasant—though unoriginal—character designs, especially the female ones, which are particularly fine but also particularly unoriginal. Colors are rich and vibrant through out the series, but the animation isn't very advanced, relying heavily on “lazy animation” techniques like panning, looping, and completely static backgrounds. As long as you don't expect to be blown away, Comic Party is capably animated.

Extras on this disc are plentiful and good. My favorites are the translator's notes and the bonus episode. There's also an image gallery with some 25-odd sketches, Character Bios for Kazuki, Mizuki and Taishi, and a hilarious interview with their Japanese VAs.

Right Stuf's dedication to putting out quality DVDs is just as evident in Comic Party as with their previous series. From the well-made main menu and associated sound and animation to the great digital transfer, the production values are top notch. Combined with a fun story, a decent dub and tons of extras, Comic Party's a great disc to add to any Otaku's collection.

Oniichan Control Chapter 15 read online

2011-04-29T04:01:00.001-07:00

When the Mizuchi clan's Hashirame sees something troubling in her forecasting, she conspires to lure her grandchildren Noboru and Toru Takagami to the clan's headquarters. Though neither is aware of it, their mother was the clan's priestess and Toru, having inherited her tasty power, is now the target of an army of hungry yokai. The brothers take this in with surprising equanimity. So too do they take in stride their grandma's insistence that they seek the assistance of the Mizuchi's guardian deity, the powerful fox yokai Tenko Kugen. That their Mizuchi bodyguard is a spell-slinging young priestess named Ko is no problem. Seeing Kugen (Ku to her friends) thrash a snake yokai in a frightening display of magic and cunning doesn't stop the pair from inviting her, and Ko, to come live with them. After all, it's better than ungratefully sealing her inside a rock again, which is what Grandma wants. The effect of a gluttonous fox and a butterfingered priestess (oh, the china!) on the family budget, on the other hand, gives them pause. Mysterious are the ways of man.

Oresama Teacher Chapter 54 read online

2011-04-29T03:57:00.005-07:00

Ever wondered how doujinshi are made? Kazuki never did, but much to his chagrin his oddball friend Taishi knows all about them and plans to use doujinshi over the world. Even worse, he's decided that Kazuki will create the comics for him. What follows is an amusing plunge into the world of the “fan-comic”.

Much like anime's other great mockumentary, Otaku no Video, Comic Party is a sort of in-joke, a hilarious, self-defacing look at a certain aspect of Otaku culture. Comic Party will undoubtedly be enjoyed by any comedy fan who has a healthy interest in manga, especially if the interest covers the doujinshi-side of things. One doesn't need to be a complete and utter devotee of doujinshi to enjoy this show, but some interest is a pre-requisite.

Oresama Teacher Chapter 53 read online

2011-04-29T03:57:00.004-07:00

Kotaro Nakagawa's typically excellent score helps too. It handles action, creeping horror, incremental tension, and even light humor with pretty much equal skill. It knows how to go over-the-top, and frequently does, with occasionally beautiful results, but also knows how to fade into the background for invisible support. Just as importantly, it shuts up when it needs to, letting dialogue or birds or restless ship's noises take over when appropriate.

Gosick isn't a great mystery series, or for that matter a great series period. If you like to flex your sleuthing muscles, Case Closed or even Spiral are better options. Gosick is better enjoyed for its pretty pictures and twin leads. The series would do well to realize that itself, and move away from classical mystery homages to focus more on its central duo. Which is exactly what it seems poised to do in the last of these episodes. If Kazuya and Victorique's visit to the village of the Gray Wolves successfully combines the series' periodic potency and established aptitude for winning character byplay with a genuinely meaty story, and perhaps even an original mystery or two, the result could be estimable indeed.

Oresama Teacher Chapter 52 read online

2011-04-29T03:57:00.003-07:00

Whatever else it is, Gosick is an unfailing treat for the eyes. Gorgeous alpine vistas and bright forests frame St. Marguerite's elaborate Victorian architecture. Dark atmosphere shrouds the series' uglier turns, just as humorous cuteness marks its playful ones. The library where Victorique spends most of her time is a maze of spiral stairs and crisscrossing walkways stretching through the empty space of a medieval tower topped by a luminous botanical garden lush with tropical plants. Ill-structured story arcs are a lot easier to ignore when your eyes are busy feasting on the art.

And it isn't just the show's weaknesses that benefit; pretty much anything that works in Gosick works in part because of its visuals. Victorique's charm is very much tied up in her adorable habits: rolling on the floor in boredom, laughing her sarcastic monotone laugh, chomping down on her adorable little ceramic pipe as she spins her improbable webs of logic—all of it animated with amusing care. Our impression of Kazuya's inner strength comes as much from his perfect form when throwing a life-or-death punch as from anything the script tells us. And the danger the two are put in is made real by the believable nastiness of the violence and the even nastier things that register on their opponents' faces.

Oresama Teacher Chapter 51 read online

2011-04-29T03:57:00.002-07:00

Oresama Teacher - Chapter 51

This is good, because the series doesn't bring its A-game to much of anything else. Gosick is nominally a mystery series, but you wouldn't know it from the mysteries. They tend to be pretty transparent, and even if they weren't Victorique solves most of them so quickly that it leaves you very little time to appreciate them, much less work through them yourself. Those that do get their due tend to be spoiled by creaky sleuthing tropes anyway, dusting off musty mystery oldies like the locked-room murder, phantom thieves, and the Ten Little Indians dinner party o' death. As for the plotting itself, the first arc plays out smoothly if predictably enough, but the second is a hodgepodge of three mysteries, a lumpy and graceless thing that hardly bothers to connect its disparate crimes and even has the gall to leave one of them, the best one no less, only partly resolved. One can hope that the dangling loose ends are intentional—something to be woven into a larger plot at a later date. And there is precedent for that in the first arc, which uses a murderer's unexplained motive as a springboard to a nasty bit of business aboard a doomed ocean liner. For now, though, it simply comes across as sloppy.

Suspect plotting and a lack of criminological creativity don't stop the series from getting pretty intense once it gets a head of steam going. At its best, mainly during the business on the ocean liner but also at the denouement of the phantom thief mystery, the show wields a credibly dangerous mixture of gothic superstition, queasy-making criminal unpleasantness, and very real violence. That it wields it against as likeable a duo as Kazuya and Victorique makes it all the more potent. Unfortunately the series is only rarely at its best.

Oresama Teacher Chapter 50 read online

2011-04-29T03:57:00.001-07:00

Oresama Teacher - Chapter 50

Anime is rife with outré mash-ups of divergent genres and plot elements, but seriously, Sherlock Holmes and Gothic Lolita? In what fever-dream was that idea born? Actually the idea works better than you might think, if only because the series knows what any good Holmes fan knows: the heart of the story isn't its crime or even its mystery; it's Holmes and Watson. That holds true even if your Holmes is a little girl and your Watson a long-suffering Japanese teen.

Unlike a good many detective/sidekick combinations, Victorique and Kazuya genuinely work well together. There's the obvious utility of their relationship—Kazuya provides a convenient dupe to whom everything must be explained, as well as the muscle to match Victorique's brains—but it also has less obvious benefits. Kazuya's naturally tolerant nature allows Victorique to act out as much as she wants, revealing the proud and occasionally insecure girl beneath her formidable intellect. Victorique's investigations test Kazuya's mettle, uncovering his indomitable courage and almost indestructible loyalty. Together they don't just make a formidable detective unit, they make a tight and sympathetic duo. A duo thankfully free of any ungainly romantic baggage...for now. If the show did nothing else right, it would still be worth watching just to see their personalities mesh and their friendship strengthen (and maybe to see them bicker in that cuddly cute way of theirs).

Kure-nai Chapter 46 manga scan

2011-04-29T03:50:00.006-07:00

The students at St. Marguerite's Academy in the tiny European nation of Sauville love scary stories and urban legends. So much so that it's a little unhealthy. Kazuya Kujo learns this the hard way when the entire student body takes to calling him the "Dark Reaper" and enthusiastically spreading rumors about his evil supernatural influence because of his black hair and eyes (Sauvillians have apparently never seen an Asian). In an attempt to understand their horror-mania, he visits the library to read up on local legends. Weirdly there is a greenhouse at the very top of the library, itself fashioned from a medieval tower. In the greenhouse is a golden-haired girl named Victorique. Victorique takes an interest in the good-natured Japanese exchange student, and before too long they're using her uncanny deductive prowess to crack all manner of heinous crimes. Which naturally does nothing to improve Kazuya's reputation.

Kure-nai Chapter 45 manga scan

2011-04-29T03:50:00.005-07:00

Abe's continual over-use of the sad parts of Shiro Sagisu's score is less a decline in his skill with sound than it is an extension of his overall musical strategy for Bleach. There is zero subtlety in Bleach's score. It steamrolls emotional subtlety, but also creates eerie supernatural soundscapes to match the washed-out supernatural landscapes and bolsters the action with shameless abandon. Hazel Fernandez' insert song “Number One,” with is screaming guitars and lurid glorification of being the best, could be the theme for every Shonen Jump property ever published, and the rest of the action score is wielded like a guitar-edged weapon, punctuating the fights with timely bursts of rock noise.

Anyone who searches hard enough can find something wrong with Viz's English adaptation of Bleach: the occasional unnecessary word or clunky phrase, a few less-than-perfect performances, a lapse in emotional veracity. But for my money, it's one of the best adaptations currently in production. Not because it does any one thing exceptionally well, but because it succeeds so consistently in replicating exactly the effects of the original. Unlike the previous volume, there is no point at which the dub exceeds the original here, but when the series is funny, the dub is funny. When it's exciting, the dub is exciting. When it's touching, the dub is touching. Rukia continues to provide Michelle Ruff with opportunities to show off her emotional range, and she seizes every one of them while the remainder of the cast turns in faithful, uniformly excellent performances. The script smoothes over some rough translation issues by deviating from strict translation, and yet retains all the specialized terminology and the vast majority of the original dialogue. In many ways, especially for a hard-core auteurist like myself, the highest compliment one can pay a dub is to point out that regardless of which language you choose, you're guaranteed the same experience.

Kure-nai Chapter 44 manga scan

2011-04-29T03:50:00.003-07:00

By this point Bleach has perfected the art of satiating that inner teenager. The timing of Ichigo's inevitable arrival is impeccable, and his new stripped-down, half-mummified look (lovingly detailed) is ridiculously cool even before his ridiculously cool Bankai transformation. The displays of power are ridiculously flashy, the inevitable fight turnarounds and blood-spattered one-upmanship ridiculously satisfying, and the fights themselves ridiculously fun. Yoruichi's aerial acrobatics are a triumph of slick fight choreography over budgetary limitations, and Genryusai's unleashed rage is both hugely over-the-top and very, very cool thanks to director Noriyuki Abe's infallible eye for attention-grabbing compositions and massive destruction.

It isn't pure action of course. Each episode's omake—which keep track of the characters left behind in the human realm—maintains a high level of humor (oh, the K-ON!-abuse), and one of the minor fights amusingly devolves into a glorified drinking game. Unfortunately maintaining some semblance of the series' usual mixture of content also means the return of the series' clumsy character introspection—complete with redundant voice-over and omnipresent weepy piano score. It's the volume's only real stumble, though it does add an oddly touching shoujo-ai undertone to Yoruichi's fight, bringing it to a surprisingly bittersweet conclusion.

Kure-nai Chapter 43 manga scan

2011-04-29T03:50:00.001-07:00

Any shonen series with an ounce of brains knows the importance of a careful build-up. Action is the payoff, but if the series can't make you care about the outcome, then no one's going to enjoy it. But as necessary as mounting tensions and unfolding emotional stakes are, knowing when to vent them is just as important. After establishing the personalities, powers and objectives of the mushrooming cast of Soul Reapers and imprinting upon us with unnecessary force the tragedy of Rukia's predicament, Bleach is finally ready to blow the lid off of the “Rescue” story arc. Other volumes may have included rumbles of the oncoming payoff, but volume fourteen is the payoff. Well, part of it at least.

With Rukia's execution opening a rift in the Soul Reaper hierarchy, the execution ceremony almost immediately splinters into a series of Soul Reaper showdowns. The result is an object lesson in what shonen action is capable of when done right. The stakes have been clearly delineated, the towering odds faced by the heroes carefully established, and the opponents chosen for maximum unpredictability. The groundwork laid, the characters are allowed to throw everything they have at each other. New powers are flaunted, old techniques dusted off, and pent-up tensions explode in a catharsis of violence. It's an orgy of preposterous shonen-action cool as characters power up, bleed waves of energy and alter landscapes in ways that would make a strip-miner cringe. Distractions such as intricate plotting and characterization are minimized in favor of visceral thrills aimed directly at the teenager in us all.

Kure-nai Chapter 42 manga scan

2011-04-29T03:50:00.000-07:00

Time is out for Rukia. On the execution grounds, the Soukyoku is unleashed on her, and it's only the timely intervention of Ichigo that saves her from total annihilation. Fortunately for Ichigo and his outsider friends, unrest is spreading through Seireitei. Ichigo's arrival precipitates a series of fallings-out, as Head Captain Genryusai takes it upon himself to punish Captains Ukitake and Kyouraku, whose attempt to stop the Soukyoku feeds the chaos of Ichigo's rescue attempt, and Yoruichi sidetracks Soul Reaper enforcer—and former subordinate—Soi Fon. Which leaves Ichigo with the small task of stopping Rukia's ice-cold brother Byakuya from executing her himself. Predictably, it all leads to carnage.

Domina no Do! Chapter 35 read online

2011-04-29T03:46:00.002-07:00

It is only in the 6th episode that the series really starts to find its footing, as Saga is pushed to her limits and actually kicks Sugar out of the house. That kind of emotional strain is necessary for the bonds of friendship to really start forming—and it makes for much better storytelling than another 25 wasted minutes hunting for a nebulous magical entity (which really is just a metaphor for something else). Then comes the real heart and soul of the series' first half: the tale of a traveling acting troupe that comes to town to put on a play. More than just an entertaining sideshow, this little story arc spanning Episodes 9-12 turns out to be the most in-depth exploration of the characters yet: we learn much more about Saga's background, especially the musical connection with her deceased mother, and even her friends from school learn some life lessons along the way. This arc also gives us the series' first true moment of magic: Saga fills in as the pianist for the last performance of the play, and at last it seems that our uptight, ever-exasperated heroine has found a place to shine. The fairies' quest may be far from over, but as far as telling tales of friendship and personal growth, these first 13 episodes accomplish plenty.

Domina no Do! Chapter 34 read online

2011-04-29T03:46:00.001-07:00

Less accomplished, however, are the show's visuals, which have a good artistic foundation but just don't translate very well into animation. If this series were graded entirely on the basis of still images and screencaps, it would be one of the all-time magical-fantasy greats: charming character designs (courtesy of Koge-Donbo), bright colors and imagery, and mouth-watering backgrounds based on an actual German village. It's the perfect setting for a modern-day fairytale—until everything is put into motion, and the shortcomings of the animation studio become painfully clear. For every dose of unabashed cuteness—usually when Sugar bombards someone with hugs and kisses—there is an equal or greater dose of cheap animation shortcuts, like slow panning across a still image, or entire scenes where the only moving components are the characters' mouths.

Such budget limitations don't seem to have affected the music production, however, which is actually one of the show's strongest aspects. Of course, when music is one of the central themes—the fairies generate weather by playing magical instruments, and Saga is an accomplished pianist who inherited the gift from her mother—one would expect to hear a lot of skillful melody-making. In that respect, the soundtrack does not disappoint; piano-based classical influences and clever little motifs for each of the fairies provide a tuneful background for every occasion. Even the theme songs are a cut above the rest, with catchy oldies-remake "Sugar Baby Love" as the opener and the soothing ballad "Sugar Snow" closing out each episode.

Domina no Do! Chapter 33 read online

2011-04-29T03:46:00.000-07:00

As a compilation of a previous release, this DVD set conveniently packs 13 episodes into a single case, but it also packs in one of those awkward Saturday-morning-cartoon English dubs. Although the voice acting isn't overtly bad, it does have that stilted edge to it, as if the characters were reading off cue cards instead of speaking naturally. To its credit, the adapted script hews fairly close to the original translation, but given the stiffly-delivered lines it might just be best to switch over to subtitles. Bonus content on the discs is slim, but there's a gem of a documentary on Disc 2 featuring video footage and photos of Rothenburg, the German town that provided the real-life basis for Saga's hometown.

Thankfully, it looks like A Little Snow Fairy Sugar is one of those series where the "it gets better later on" clause applies. Although it stumbles out of the gate, and the animation quality never quite catches up to the level of artistic conception, this series eventually finds its footing after a few episodes and begins to weave a charming tale of friendship. Admittedly, there is no epic magical warfare, or swooning romantic melodrama, or raunchy goofball comedy, but what it does have is a quality that seems to have gone missing from the industry as of late. It's honest. One of the last few honest anime shows. Enjoy it while you can.

Domina no Do! Chapter 32 read online

2011-04-29T03:45:00.001-07:00

There is something disturbing about A Little Snow Fairy Sugar. In an era of carefully honed market research, where every series is an amalgam of tropes and fetishes designed to appeal to its target audience, this relic from the early 2000's is strangely devoid of any gimmicks. Saga is not some unwitting nymphet for creepy older men to drool over, and neither is she a wish-fulfilment vehicle for little girls who want to be idols or pastry chefs or surrounded by hot guys. The fairies are not secretly fighting a battle in the magical world where they must face tougher and tougher opponents. And the search for the "Twinkle" is not a plot device designed to sell a collectible card game. What's so disturbing about Sugar is that it is exactly what it is: a heartwarming children's series with an infusion of magic. For that, we can all breathe a sigh of relief.

But wait, is that a sigh or a yawn? The show gets off to an incredibly weak start, and if this were the bad old days of 4 episodes per disc, people would be quitting the series in droves after Volume 1. Saga's first encounter with Sugar is presented with lackluster pacing, and even the arrival of Sugar's friends (the appropriately named Salt and Pepper) fails to raise the series above a mindless fetch quest where the fairies keep searching for the Twinkle but never find it. At the same time, Saga's exasperated dealings with them never quite reach full comedy potential; instead, she just seems to be stomping around being mad at the fairies all the time.

Domina no Do! Chapter 31 read online

2011-04-29T03:45:00.000-07:00

Saga Bergman is a young girl living an idyllic life in a small European town. That's all about to change, however, when she encounters a mysterious little creature and decides to take it home. "It" is a Season Fairy named Sugar, whose job is to create the snow that comes in winter. Eventually, Saga learns that there are fairies for every weather occasion—sun, wind, rain, clouds—and that Sugar and her friends are in search of a magical "Twinkle" that will make them full-fledged Season Fairies. However, Saga is the only one who can see them, and to everyone else, she looks like she's going crazy as she tries to take control of the Season Fairies' boisterous antics. Can Saga learn to get along with her tiny new friends?

B Gata H Kei Chapter 215 Special

2011-04-20T02:04:00.009-07:00

http://www.mangafox.com/manga/b_gata_h_kei/

The Norse theme suggested by the first episode gets more firmly-established here, with Norse naming conventions becoming the norm. Conversely, the penchant for fan service and perverse content regresses. Oh, sure, there are still a couple of panty shots and a big joke about where the residence's milk supply really comes from (let's just say that there is a reason why a certain character wears a bell), but the “sucking life seed” business turns out to be a more traditional succubus method. The focus is instead much more on Lotte's petulance about dealing with Naoya and Naoya's efforts to work his own brand of magic on Lotte. These are simple, honest ploys that are not overplayed, allow Lotte the dignity of being insightful as well as appreciative, and are wonderfully supported by low-key background music instead of more typical hijinks.

The technical merits of this series are not the greatest (and what's up with the R-shaped part of Lotte's domicile?), but the funny, endearing, and just slightly saucy tale being set up here now looks like it has a lot of promise.

OVA Oniichan Control Chapter 11

2011-04-20T02:04:00.008-07:00

http://www.mangafox.com/manga/oniichan_control/

Here's a surprise: although the first episode gave many indications that this could be one of the season's seediest series, the second episode instead turns out to be one of the season's most gently charming episodes to date. People on the fence about this one after the first episode will likely find themselves won over by the second; even those tired of tsundere characters voiced by Rie Kugimiya may not find that to be a barrier.

In the wake of episode one, Judit has succeeded in bring human harem candidate Naoya to the Monster Realm of Ygvarland, and now Princess Lotte must deal with the consequences. Though the princess tries to sabotage Naoya in various ways, Naoya soon learns about why the princess hates men, guesses at the princess's state of mind, and decides to be kind and understanding about it. His attitude is not lost on the servants around Lotte, nor, ultimately, on Lotte herself. In the end, Naoya earns the position, though he must suffer with the official job title of “Toy” (hence the name of the series).

Anime Domina no Do! Chapter 30

2011-04-20T02:04:00.007-07:00

http://www.mangafox.com/manga/domina_no_do/

The good news is that the rest of the film is so much fun that this seems like a minor concern. The characters, Makoto and Chiaki in particular, are so lovable that spending time with them is a joy. Makoto, with all her high-spirited but thoughtless energy, feels like Sana-chan from Kodocha grown up. Chiaki feels like a shoujo version of Ichigo from Bleach. Voices supplied by live action teen actors Riisa Naka (from the Japanese drama version of My Boss, My Hero) and Takuya Ishida (Night Time Picnic) lend just the right amount of realism (I much prefer this approach to voice acting over the use of traditional seiyuu). Yoshiyuki Sadamoto's sumptuous linework takes simple curves and makes them so compelling, we'd be content if the characters did nothing but sit there.

As Makoto jumps, she learns more and more about what the people around her are really thinking, and how much of a self-absorbed bubble she's been living in. The lessons she learns about herself and her friends are heartwarming and triumphant. If only the conclusion could have taken the ball and run with it, we could have had a masterpiece. But instead, we'll have to settle for “great.” Like Makoto, we'll just have to deal with it.

Anime manga Smash! Chapter 146

2011-04-20T02:04:00.006-07:00

http://www.mangafox.com/manga/smash/

Makoto blasts gleefully from scene to scene, knocking into garbage cans and plowing into classmates at a record pace, trying to fix things but making a mess. At one point, her best friends are asking her out on dates. Upset that the relationships went there, she makes attempt after attempt to go back and steer the conversations in another direction. When they finally they turn their attentions elsewhere, she finds she's jealous! It's like “Run Lola Run” meets “Groundhog Day,” where the most important thing is keeping her happy little world of friends intact, without realizing she's ignoring the needs of others.

So, what's missing? It doesn't really come together. While the first two thirds of the movie are a blast, the last third derails badly, shifting into something much more desperate and requiring what is nearly a Deus Ex Machina to explain why it all took place. Major questions are left entirely unanswered, as the film prefers to fake us out with non-endings to the point where the real ending feels drawn out. We never do find out if Makoto's “Aunt Witch” is anything more than an occasional confidant, or the relevance of the painting she's restoring. These are not minor plot threads. I have no way of knowing if this is an issue with Tsutsui's story or screenwriter Satoko Okudera's adaptation, but regardless, this needed a few more rewrites.

Anime Dragon Who Chapter 14

2011-04-20T02:04:00.004-07:00

http://www.mangafox.com/manga/dragon_who/

Except she doesn't die. Rather, she finds herself a few feet away, a few seconds earlier, and more or less, safe. Freaked out, she consults her aunt, who tells her she's simply time-slipped, and that it happens all the time. Soon, she finds she can control her time slipping by taking a flying leap.

Of course, this power is way too much fun not to abuse. When the time in the karaoke room runs out, she leaps back a couple hours earlier and starts all over again. When she knows what's on a test, she leaps back and takes it over again. If she wants to oversleep, all she has to do is jump and she's right on time. Soon, she's fixing up friends, correcting her mistakes, and gleefully going back and forth trying to make life better. It almost goes without saying that she unintentionally makes things worse, and in repeated moments, manages to dig herself into deeper and deeper trouble.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time has more in common with some of the best shoujo manga than Tsutsui's other recently-animated work Paprika. The maturity, the gravity, and the deep symbolism of the latter has been replaced here with the wistful buoyancy that only the Japanese seem to be able to associate with high school. The winding, narrow streets of suburban Tokyo haven't looked this gorgeous since Whisper of the Heart.

Kure-nai chapter 41 movie

2011-04-20T02:04:00.002-07:00

http://www.mangafox.com/manga/kure_nai/

“The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” is anime of rare pedigree. Director Mamoru Hosoda, the Ghibli refugee originally slated to helm Howl's Moving Castle, Gainax's master character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto and longtime Ghibli art director Nizo Yamamoto coming together at MADHOUSE to adapt a story by Paprika author Yasutaka Tsutsui? Sounds like it should be absolute magic… and it very nearly is.

We meet Makoto Konno, an outgoing high school girl living a daily life of fun. She's not the best student in the world, but she has two of the best friends in the world - Kousuke, who's the strong, smart dependable type, and Chiaki, who is a fun-loving slacker. They spend their days together goofing off, singing karaoke and playing catch. But on this particular day, things aren't going so well for her. After failing a pop quiz, nearly setting her cooking class on fire, and enough physical accidents to fill a Buster Keaton movie, she gets killed when the brakes on her bike stop working, sending her directly into the path of an oncoming train.

Anime Tonari no Kashiwagi-san Chapter 15

2011-04-20T02:04:00.000-07:00

Tonari no Kashiwagi-san 15

When 17-year-old Makoto Konno gains the ability to, quite literally, "leap" backwards through time, she immediately sets about improving her grades and preventing personal mishaps. However, she soon realises that changing the past isn't as simple as it seems, and eventually, will have to rely on her new powers to shape the future of her and her friends.

Movie Zettai Karen Children Chapter 258

2011-04-20T02:03:00.000-07:00

http://www.mangafox.com/manga/zettai_karen_children/

Like any normal anime DVD, this one also has Extras. Vocal Warm-Ups shows various warm-up techniques used by VAs, while Virtual Voice Actor gives the viewer a chance to practice voicing lines from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (as either Haruhi or Kyon) under the direction of ADR director Tony Oliver. Words of Wisdom provides written advice from many of the VAs involved in the interviews, while the Additional Footage offers the segments talking about being an anime fan (or not) in the business, content that did not easily fit into the flow of any of the episodes.

The DVD does have some flaws. A few people are listed in the credits as being shown in interviews but never actually appear in any of the interview pieces (most notably Colleen Clinkenbeard), and conspicuously absent from any of the discussions is any commentary about foley work (i.e. the grunts, sighs, and other innocuous vocal sound effects in a dub), which is often mentioned in VA audio commentaries as one of the most taxing aspects of their work. The content also mentions almost nothing about interacting with fandom, which is a significant part of the job for many anime VAs. On the upside, the producers make an especially classy move by ending the production with a dedication to the memory of the recently-deceased Bob Papenbrook, who appears regularly throughout the production

The Tyrant Who Falls in Love Chapter 27 Anime

2011-04-12T19:57:00.002-07:00

Studies done in 2001 and 2010 rank Japan dead last (by a wide margin) on frequency of sexual activity by its citizens, a phenomenon that has no doubt contributed to its worrisomely low birth rate. That's the only way to explain why this series, which is adapted from a guide book designed to educate older virgins about sexual activity and how to get it, even exists. In what will apparently be 13 minute blocks, each episode explores a quartet of lessons from the guide book about how to get and please a woman, with shy 30-year-old salary man Hayao Imagawa as a guinea pig being taught the tricks of the trade by a persistent “sexual love god.” A potential candidate for love shows up at work over the course of the episode and Hayao has to deal with some shenanigans involving an apparent Dutch wife, a mouse pad shaped like a woman's chest (these really do exist, incidentally), and a god determined to help Hayao lose his virginity by any means possible, even if it means getting Hayao to “experience a god's butt” (an actual quote from the episode).

http://www.mangareader.net/529/the-tyrant-who-falls-in-love.html

Anime The Legend of Maian Chapter 54

2011-04-12T19:57:00.001-07:00

http://www.mangareader.net/1164/the-legend-of-maian.html

The above synopsis cannot even begin to capture how much fun this first episode is to watch. Brains Base has turned in an outstanding visual effort here, especially in its high-quality and occasionally inventive use of animation; animated TV series which have the degree of depth in visual treats that this one has (even in its opener) are rare indeed. The use of musical numbers in the series is equally inspired, including great opening and closing songs, and the writing is sharp and witty. And what would a Go Nagai production be without fan service? The opener has a one racy scene, but the first true indicator that you're in for something truly different is the suggestion about what, exactly, the old lady in the bath house is actually twirling. Further naughty treats await, though even with them this one doesn't seem as heavy-handed as many of the only-exists-for-fan-service shows that have come out in recent years. Here, that content is just a nicely-balance complement.

This one gets a nex-maximum rating because it is hard to imagine that this kind of concept could be done any better. Don't overlook it in your quest for the new season's hidden gems.

Tough Chapter 171 Anime

2011-04-12T19:57:00.000-07:00

http://www.mangareader.net/737/tough.html

The original 1973-1974 TV series Dororon Enma-kun was a horror/comedy based on one of Go Nagai's most famous manga. Though the 2006 OVA based on the same subject matter took a more purely serious route, this inventive reimagining returns to its roots, resulting in a series that may look at first like a kids’ show but most certainly is not, as it gleefully captures both the fun-loving high spirits and perversity for which Go Nagai's works are well-known.

The heroine of the story this time around is Harumi, a primary school student who, despite her better judgment, cannot resist following some boys who are daring to investigate their haunted-at-night school (appropriately named Youkai Primary School). When the boys literally lose their faces to a demon, Harumi flees in terror and eventually runs into Kappaeru, a “lady-killer” kappa who leads her to his teammates, who are holed up under the school's warehouse's basement. There she meets the fire-wielding Demon Prince Enma and his childhood friend, the ice-controlling Princess Yukiko, who join with Kappaeru and a talking hat to form the Demon Patrol, a team charged with sending escaped demons back to Hell. With Harumi reluctantly serving as bait, they gallivant off to find, confront, and defeat the Face-Stealing Demon.

Anime New Prince of Tennis Chapter 50

2011-04-12T19:56:00.004-07:00

New Prince of Tennis http://www.mangareader.net/343/new-prince-of-tennis.html

Those who have seen and liked the previous two OVA episodes will be disappointed by the comparative tameness of this half-episode (which is the main reason I'm giving this only a mediocre rating), though the humor is done in the same style, is still at least somewhat raunchy, and can still click. Those who have not seen the OVAs may find themselves a little confused about the character relationships being tossed around, though the essence of all the principle characters comes through pretty clearly. The artistry is rather rough and has only a little visual fan service, but this is a show where the content being talked about is often as much the fan service as what you actually see. It isn't all about sex, either; the OVAs also delved into things like poop farming, and there is no reason to believe that, even in toned-down form, future episode won't stray into territory like that. If you can tolerate content like this, though, then watching Nanako's reactions to it alone can be quite entertaining.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Chapter 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 Movie

2011-04-12T19:56:00.002-07:00

http://www.mangareader.net/285/yu-gi-oh.html

Probably moreso than any other new series this season, this is one that will be either a huge hit or a huge miss for most viewers, as it can be very funny but is also seriously twisted.

This 12-minute episode features short vignettes mostly centered around Nanako Matsutaka, an innocent, first-year university student who finds herself decidedly in over her head in the title seminar, which is run by a sharp-toothed professor who essentially grades on the degree of aberrant behavior his students report about. In the vignettes presented here, Nanako must deal with fellow students (including the one she's sweet on) who insist that physical contact of the naughty kind isn't the only kind that can give a thrill, students conducting a project that involves getting panty shots of women as they walk down a staircase, farting underwater, and a rather disturbing means for growing flies.

Anime Sun-ken Rock Chapter 29

2011-04-12T19:56:00.001-07:00

http://www.mangareader.net/1119/sun-ken-rock.html

The second episode is not as visually sharp as the first episode, nor is writing quite as fine (the development with the boy is very predictable, for instance, as is the endangering of Kotetsu's daughter and how that plays out), but the drop-off from the first episode is not huge and there's still a lot to like here. We get to see where “Bunny” gets his nickname from and the humor ratio is certainly higher, particularly in the way the first assault on the statue backfires and the graphic demonstration of how Wild Tiger's new suit compares to his old one. Though it involves one of the most minor of the action sequences, arguably the freshest moment is the appearance of Mr. Legend, which could have been played for a joke but instead shows an older, paunchy man still performing with admirable and effective heroic dignity. If rock bands can still keep performing even into their 60s, why not super-heroes, too?

Do be sure to watch past the credits, as this series seems to be making a habit of tossing in important scenes as epilogues.

Id Chapter 123 Anime

2011-04-12T19:56:00.000-07:00

http://www.mangareader.net/314/id.html

Newcomer Barnaby is now Wild Tiger's official partner, but Barnaby's attitude doesn't sit well with Kotetsu, nor does his relegation to sidekick status. Things go miserably wrong in their first effort to deal with the giant walking statue, but on the second time around they figure out that the NEXT controlling the status may, in fact, be a boy. When that same boy uses a different animated statue to assault the skating arena where Kotetsu's daughter is performing, Kotetsu steps in to try to talk the boy down and do the same inspirational “take the hero's path” turn that a former hero named Mr. Legend once did for him as a youth. In the process, though, his daughter winds up idolizing Barnaby instead.

Shigurui Chapter 77 anime

2011-04-12T15:13:00.000-07:00

Shigurui http://www.mangareader.net/1364/shigurui.html

While this description may sound bland, more is going on here than can easily be described in a simple plot summary. Earnest heroes/heroines who enthusiastically tackle tough jobs are a dime a dozen in anime, but over this episode Ohana shows more depth than most. Her earnestness is more often criticized as praised, which frustrates her, as does her trouble dealing with the easily-offended Minko, the too-timid Nako, and her too-demanding grandmother. Hers is a struggle to find a place to fit in, and this episode shows her thought processes as she tries to puzzle out how to make that happen. That nothing is played for laughs helps legitimize her efforts and make them feel more real.

The storytelling so far can be justly criticized for using some stock elements and situations, though a plot twist at the very end could have some interesting implications. There is certainly nothing wrong with the artistry or technical merits, either. This episode may not have quite the “wow” factor that the first episode did but it is still a solid entry in what looks like it could be one of the season's best series.

Gangsta Chapter 3 English manga

2011-04-10T10:14:00.008-07:00

http://www.mangareader.net/gangsta

Having learned that the key to Johan's past may lie in Prague, Tenma makes his way there. Fugitive that he is, the trip isn't easy, but he receives a timely helping hand from an investigative reporter also on his way to Prague. Unbeknownst to him, the reporter Grimmer is tracking down a lead on the infamous orphanage 511 Kinderheim where Johann was raised. Grimmer's investigation leads the intrepid reporter to Pedrov, the former director of the orphanage, whereupon he discovers to his horror that the old man might well be continuing his inhuman research in Prague. Before long Grimmer is up to his ears in a morass of murder, betrayal and scheming that eventually draws a troop of orphans and a rookie detective named Suk into its lethal clutches.

English One Piece Chapter 621 manga

2011-04-10T10:14:00.007-07:00

As the series comes into its own here, much changes. Adults take center stage, the plot levels out, and the tone (and content) grow dark. But just as much stays the same. Even as external battles consume it, its heart still lies in the internal ones; its insight and restraint are unflagging; and no one, but no one, can do queasy-making peril to children the way it does. This particular arc has one eight-episode OAV yet to go, and it cannot come soon enough.

http://www.mangareader.net/103/one-piece.html

Infinite Stratos Chapter 8 english manga

2011-04-10T10:14:00.006-07:00

English Kimi No Iru Machi Chapter 131

2011-04-10T10:14:00.005-07:00

http://www.mangareader.net/225/kimi-no-iru-machi.html

Far more impressive are the simpler, more emotionally complex scenes. Kurapika's post-battle depression showcases the power of traditional animation to represent complicated feelings with the drawn image, while the presentation of one doomed character's flight as one of those slow-motion nightmares where you run but never move transforms what could easily have been a disposable scene into something memorably terrifying. Elsewhere Furuhashi lavishes care on creepy atmospheric touches—moons leaking blood, Kurapika's eerily lifelike chains—even as he uses static compositions and cheesy streamers of ki to decide climactic battles. It's no coincidence that the set's most memorable fight is the one that never happens (when Gon and Killua must escape the Spiders by not fighting).

Tough Chapter 170 English

2011-04-10T10:14:00.004-07:00

http://www.mangareader.net/737/tough.html

Kurapika's quest also brings an unusual focus to the show. For once an entire set is driven by a single plot, allowing for a slow-mounting tension that builds incrementally but inexorably to a cataclysmic climax. The show has its side-bars, but eventually everything comes back to the Spiders, the auction, and Kurapika's murderous determination. Even Gon and Killua's seemingly silly game-search eventually merges (though not entirely gracefully) into the greater Spider/mafia tale. For a show that has shown remarkable stubbornness in sticking to its short-arc structure, it's a cleanly orchestrated and thoroughly professional extended arc. And if the conclusion isn't entirely satisfying, that's only because it refuses to compromise its psychological realities for the sake of neat closure.

For an action show, Hunter X Hunter has always been curiously indirect in its action. It's always been the kind of show that knows it doesn't need to blow something up every three minutes to keep your attention, preferring mind games and strategic positioning to the good ol' fist to the face. That is less true for this set than sets past, however, as the Spiders afford far more opportunities for general mayhem and mano-a-mano unpleasantness than the Hunter Exam or even the tower tournament did. A lot of stuff blows up and at least three times the series allows itself the luxury of full-blown martial freakouts. For all the upwelling in testosterone, though, Furuhashi's heart doesn't really seem to be in the straight action. In comparison to the no-hold-barred invention of past action sequences, the Spiders' many mafia-massacres are almost rote. Violent to be sure, but also repetitive, even bored.

English Baby Steps Chapter 41

2011-04-10T10:14:00.002-07:00

Baby Steps - Chapter 41

Hunter X Hunter's first two sets, hampered by a very traditional shonen structure, relied heavily on Kazuhiro Furuhashi's directorial prowess to separate them from the herd. The third was a choppy interstitial affair; solid shonen entertainment, but more concerned with laying the foundation for future events than succeeding on its own merits. This set, the last in the series' television run (three lengthy OAVs follow), is finally the real deal: fully matured shonen action—focused, intelligent, and blessedly free of narrative crutches. If the first three sets were all about Hunter's potential as a grown-up shonen title, this is the potential grown up, blossomed into something just a few shades short of great.

This is Kurapika's show. Gon and Killua get their fair share of screen time, but it's Kurapika who drives the show forward, who evolves the most, and who ultimately gives this set its darkly human heart. While anime is clogged with tales of revenge, Kurapika's stands out for its restraint and its firm handle on the effects that a nasty quest can have on a decent man. Never does the series stoop to preaching or even overtly judging, but it nevertheless communicates clearly the emotional and mental costs of hatred. The change in Kurapika once he begins his Spider-hunt is startling, and when he finally does face off with one of their number, the result is more sickening than exhilarating. The aftermath of the act, when Kurapika momentarily lets slip his implacable mask to reveal the havoc wrought beneath, is positively heartbreaking.

Tubame Syndrome Chapter 29 english

2011-04-10T10:14:00.001-07:00

http://www.mangareader.net/643/tubame-syndrome.html

The first clues Gon and Killua gather about Gon's father lead them to a video game called Greed Island. The two kids look it up only to discover that the game will cost them in the realm of nine billion Jenny, which, if they're anything like yen, translates to about ninety million dollars. While they parse their options, elsewhere Kurapika has gained employment under a Mafioso who is attending the Yorknew auction. His boss turns out to be the prescient daughter of a powerful don, and her divinations indicate that something very unpleasant will go down at the auction. Kurapika has a pretty good idea that that unpleasant something will involve his archenemies the Spiders, and he proves more right than he could ever know. The entire troupe has moved in to rob the Mafia blind, and the aftermath combines with Kurapika's vendetta to paint the city in hues of blood and fire.

Yumekui Merry Chapter 35 manga english

2011-04-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

http://www.mangareader.net/939/yumekui-merry.html

Overall, if you're a huge Nuku Nuku fan, you probably already owned the original VHS release of this series from Japan in 1998 and, failing that, you preordered this disc and ate it up like caviar. For a twelve-episode OVA series (a relic in this day and age and a rare length for an OVA), Nuku Nuku Dash isn't particularly inspiring or exciting, but if you're a science-fiction fan and have a Sunday afternoon to throw away, you may want to give it a rental.

Tough 170 manga happy

2011-04-07T05:14:00.000-07:00

http://www.mangafox.com/manga/tough/

Aniplex splits the nine episodes across two disks which come in a case that, like the first part, has a see-through slipcover marked with police tape. Included in the case are series-themed postcards, while the second disk has a pair of music videos featuring the full-length, live-action versions of the original opener and closer. Aniplex also apparently has this warped notion that the English credits should classify as an Extra. (The openers and closers have the original untranslated credits.)

Many have claimed that Durarara!! decidedly drops off in its second half, but episodes 13-17 show little evidence of that. The pitfalls the storytelling has during this time – excessive use of introspection, nothing interesting about its teenage romantic relationships, relies too much on narration – have been pitfalls since the early episodes of the series, and events in the second arc are no less dynamic. If the writing is off after episode 12, it is only by a small step. There is still plenty enough going on at this point to keep a fan's interest and the end of episode 17 gives the promise of much more to come.

Sekitou Elergy ch 17 online

2011-04-07T05:12:00.004-07:00

http://www.mangafox.com/manga/sekitou_elergy/

The musical score also continues with the themes it established in the first third, although this is more of a plus. Makoto Yoshimori effectively uses his laid-back and light-hearted themes to promote the playful mood of scenes and comes up with some nice options for the more dramatic moments. Episode 13 institutes a new opener and a new closer, neither of which (especially in the case of the opener) is quite as good as the originals.

In these episodes Bang Zoom! gets its best English dub performance from Kari Wahlgren, who truly shines in capturing all of the personality quirks that spill out from Celty's headless body, but that is hardly the only good performance or wise casting decision. In fact, the dub's only real failure is recasting the characters from Baccano!, as the English voice actors used here neither feel nor sound right compared to the original English performers. The English script varies between being dead-on and broadly interpretive, but aside from the aforementioned flaw this is a top-rate dub job.

Matsuri Special Chapter 20 picture

2011-04-07T05:12:00.003-07:00

The structure of the series also continues to draw inspiration from some of anime's least conventional series, with clear influences from both Boogiepop Phantom and Baccano! still pervasive. Perspectives shift with each episode (and often within each episode), events sometimes repeat from alternate perspectives, and the bonus episode mostly plays out backwards. Like both of the aforementioned, this is also decidedly an ensemble cast show, as even Celty and Mikado only marginally get more attention and focus that other major characters and even they take back seats in some entire episodes. Unlike its predecessors, Durarara!! continues to glory in all of the anime and manga references it casually or deliberately tosses off, the most prominent being a couple of appearances by two characters from Baccano! – and given who they are (fans of Baccano! shouldn't have to guess), it is entirely plausible for those two characters to show up here, rather than just being the normal out-of-context cameo appearances, if one assumes that the two series share a common universe.

The artistry merely continues the standards set by the first third, with the only special new elements being a cool coloring trick pulled off in the scene where the Dollars gather and Shizuo's big fight scene. The practice of only coloring featured characters in crowd scenes is still an interesting gimmick but is also starting to feel a little lazy, especially combined with the rough edges of some characters and the simplified animation in some action scenes. The series can look sharp at times, does integrate in a lot of setting detail, and has some impressive use of CG effects, but there are definitely prettier series out there.

http://www.mangafox.com/manga/matsuri_special/

Strobe Edge ch 39 image

2011-04-07T05:12:00.002-07:00

The other main draw is the fun factor of watching all of these oddball characters interact with each other and deal with oddball situations. Celty gets the greatest attention and considerable more opportunity for character development, which saps her mysterious and flagrantly cool side in exchange for creating a supernatural creature whose idiosyncrasies run deeper than most humans; the notion that an immortal, headless woman could be afraid of aliens, freaked out by a hard-nosed cop, or girlishly in love is inherently amusing. The whole “I love you even without your head” relationship that she has with the doctor isn't even the most perverse romantic relationship in the series, either, and then the doctor's even loonier father shows up. Mikado's hesitant actions towards Anri are more typical and bland, but Anri and Masaomi both get developments only vaguely hinted at in the first part. Shizuo has several moments of his own, including a glorious action scene where he gets to show off the true extent of his strength, and Izaya continues to redefine what it means to be an ass.

http://www.mangafox.com/manga/strobe_edge/

P.A. Chapter 23 manga e book

2011-04-07T05:12:00.001-07:00

Aniplex's second installment in its scheduled three-part release of Durarara!! covers episodes 10-17, which wraps up the arc focusing on Celty's active quest for her head and contains the entirety of the main Slasher arc. It also includes episode 12.5 (the one involving the supposed aliens), a stand-alone intermission which was originally a DVD-only episode. Along the way the series shifts from its character introduction phase into its character and plot development mode, with some juicy results. Although these episodes are not without their weak points, the series' quirky spirit strongly persists as it delivers a highly entertaining run of episodes which includes the startling truths behind the natures of the Dollars and the Slasher, what really happened to Anri's friend Mika, and the situation with Celty's head.

And it is that plethora of sharp twists, turns, and revelations which give these episodes some of their greatest appeal. Most prominent characters introduced so far get caught in up these dramatic shifts; even the sexual harassment-prone teacher who has been interacting with Anri has his own twist, and one atypical for a character like him, too. The first big culmination of these developments comes in episode 11, when the trouble stirred up by a certain head wandering around Ikebukuro directly leads to the first in-person meeting of the Dollars, a wonderfully-executed scene well worthy of having been chosen by reviewer Carl Kimlinger as his Scene of the Year for 2010; even if you have guessed who many of the Dollars are, you will not have guessed them all. That is just the first of many surprising major developments, however, and that includes the way the series is plotted. The whole business with the Slasher, especially what the Slasher's motives are, plays out in a novel way and with connections that run much deeper into the series' backstory than will initially be apparent. In fact, the presence of Izaya in the story assures that everything is more connected than is initially apparent.

http://www.mangafox.com/manga/p_a/

Bleach Ch 444 print free

2011-04-07T05:08:00.003-07:00

On any given day a million people traverse the streets of Ikebukuro. Most are ordinary souls simply going about their daily business but a few are extraordinary, such as a Headless Rider on the verge of recovering her head (which seems to be walking around on a different body), an impossibly strong bartender who finds himself the object of affection for a serial slasher, mysterious leaders of prominent gangs, a doctor with a fetish for headless women, and a man who perpetually wears a filter mask. Then there's the information broker who is covertly trying to orchestrate a war in Ikebukuro just to test a supernatural theory of his, a tough new cop who doesn't scare easily, a reporter who has a close encounter with the supernatural while trying to write an article on who's the strongest fighter in Ikebukero, various individuals who claim to have spotted aliens, and a scientist whose morally suspect efforts to help her brother just might run her afoul of the Dollars. Friends Mikado, Masaomi, and Anri each have their own encounters with elements of this stranger side to Ikebukuro as a kinda sorta love triangle develops between them, but each has their own secrets which ultimately could play into the goings-on in Ikebukero in unexpectedly big ways.

http://www.mangafox.com/manga/bleach/

V.B. Rose Chapter 45 manga no wait

2011-04-07T05:08:00.002-07:00

http://www.mangafox.com/manga/v_b_rose/

Musical themes used in these four episodes do not offer much that is fresh or new, although its established themes get used quite well in key dramatic and action scenes. Sometimes the music comes off as grandiose, but often that is matched by the nature of the scene playing out at the time, and the soundtrack does know when to be quiet, too. The second opener remains in use throughout this volume, while the second closer holds position for episodes 23-25; episode 26 reverts to the original opening theme, which plays in the background as the scene finishes and the credits roll.

Extras this time around include an audio commentary by Japanese staff and seiyuu for episode 26, another video game trailer, and a textless closer for episode 26. This volume's edition of the Voice Actor Interview features the seiyuu for Holland and Talho in a dual interview. The Special Edition version also includes an exclusive T-shirt and volume four of the accompanying manga.

The drama and character development piles on heavily as the series reaches its midway point, but the end-of-season payoff is equally big as the stage is set for the second half of the series run. Even if you've been following the series on Adult Swim and haven't bothered to purchase previous volumes, this one is worth getting if for no other reason than the replay value of episode 26.

Boku Wa Ne Chapter 18 read at work

2011-04-07T05:08:00.001-07:00

Crucial to the success of these episodes is the voice acting in both dubs, but fortunately the English acting has improved enough to be exactly on-the-mark with the original Japanese performances, especially in the more emotional moments. Some small variances between the English and Japanese scripts do alter meaning a tiny bit in a couple of scenes, but not in a significant way, and in general the English script stays pretty tight. The one place where the translation becomes slightly awkward is in one scene in episode 23 where Renton explains to Charles that he has difficulty calling him and Ray “Papa” and “Mama” instead of “Mom” and “Dad,” as the reason why Renton is saying it that way may not be entirely clear unless one listens to the original Japanese and knows common honorifics. Also notable is the way the “to be continued” statements are handled throughout this batch of episodes; only Renton's VA voices them while he is alone, but Renton and Eureka say it together after they are reunited.

The visuals and animation are still at their best in the limited number of dynamic action sequences spread across these four episodes, which are full of movement as LFOs and characters on individual boards zip around the sky, their trapar trails flashing in their wake. The series also puts more effort than most into animating backgrounds, which becomes especially apparent in episode 26 if one watches closely. Designs for younger characters are excellent, for adults less so; Holland is a little too sharp-jawed, and Charles and Ray are both a little too angular and somewhat inconsistently drawn. Mecha designs, as usual for the series, are well-drawn but nothing spectacular until seen with their armor stripped off, while airship designs distinguish themselves much more. (Ever notice how the military airships seem to be patterned off of the series' skyfish?) Though it does not use the bright palette of colors so common in recent digitally-colored anime series, Eureka 7 is nonetheless beautifully colorful, especially in the scenes set in the Sea of Rainbow Clouds. Quality control is a little too lax for this volume to be considered top-tier artistically, but it is nonetheless a quite good-looking series.

http://www.mangafox.com/manga/boku_wa_ne/

Takkoku!!! Chapter 24 read at school

2011-04-07T05:08:00.000-07:00

http://www.mangafox.com/manga/takkoku/

All of this character development and philosophizing about growth, finding a purpose, and discovering who you are lay the drama on pretty thick, at the cost of a complete absence of humorous elements. It also restricts nearly all of the true action to the latter half of episode 26. The payoff, however, is more than worth the wait, as the aptly-titled “Morning Glory” proves to be one of those gloriously transcendent episodes in anime, one where everything comes together so perfectly that you can't help being swept up in the moment even when you know exactly what's coming – in this case, the inevitable joyous reunion of Renton and Eureka. In the initial Adult Swim broadcast it was one of 2006's best anime moments, but it also marks a major turning point in the series; all confusion and denial over who Eureka is ultimately going to connect with is now over, Holland finally settles on a new purpose that will define his character for the rest of the series, and the path towards the eventual series resolution is now set. It also throws in a couple of arcane references that do not mean much right now but will have a bigger impact later on. (Pay careful attention to what Charles and Holland are saying as the scene continues through the closing credits.) In short, the last ten minutes of episode 26 sets the stage for the entire second half of the series.

History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi 426 read at home

2011-04-07T05:07:00.000-07:00

Eureka 7 has had flashy action scenes and a certain “cool” factor going for it from the start, but what has separated it from the pack over the course of time is an Evangelion-like devotion to character development. All that set-up effort put in over the first few volumes pays big dividends in this one, as the focus of the first three episodes remains firmly on its characters and what they are thinking and feeling. These are not just your cookie-cutter stereotypes anymore, as each of the core cast members has stepped at least a bit beyond the norm. Eureka is hardly the first person in an anime series who struggles to understand and cope with an unfamiliar emotion called love, but she does it more convincingly than most, and the tension generated between Holland and Talho (and within Holland himself) over his reluctance to confront Renton's growing importance to Eureka, instead of him, is palpable; as cool as he may be, Holland is also deeply flawed, but that makes him all the more interesting. Renton continues to struggle through his own growing pains as he tries to deal with the consequences of violence and come to a decision over where his priorities lie, while Charles and Ray make one of the neatest anime couples to come along in quite a while.

http://www.mangafox.com/manga/history_s_strongest_disciple_kenichi/

Fairy Tail Chapter 230 book free

2011-04-04T22:16:00.000-07:00

Superheroes. You know the standard set-up: ordinary people start to emerge that have unique and fantastic powers, some of them turn to crime while others turn to vigilantism. Good vs. Evil and the responsibility of power, it's the basis of every caped crusader story since the time began (well, up until Alan Moore wrote Watchmen, arguably). But what if things didn't work out quite like that? What if, instead, you could only legitimately fight crime if you had the official backing of a corporate sponsor? What if your ratings, celebrity status and performance in front of the cameras were more important than catching the actual crooks? Welcome to the city of Stern Bild.

Tiger & Bunny is so far the most interesting concept for an anime show this season, and may in fact be one of the most interesting ideas in anime for quite a while. At a time when the industry has to fill every show with product placement and sponsorship deals, watching a story about exactly how those things work is fascinating. For a start, when watching a hero being told how to do their job by a sponsor that is breathing down their neck it's hard not to wonder if the writer or director is relating a personal experience. Oh, and don't forget that some of the heroes are sponsored by real world companies like Pepsi, Ustream and Soft Bank, presumably meaning that the studio is receiving money actual money from them and making the relationships in the story even more interesting. Likewise when it is announced that the award ceremony song will be sung by one of the heroes - and is also available to buy - its impossible not to be reminded of those god awful OP and ED songs that are on every show these days, bear seemingly no relevance to the story, and are really just there to launch the careers of whatever Z-list pop starlet Sony music are trying to sell this season. Tiger & Bunny seems to be talking about a lot of things – from the commercialisation of the superhero genre through to reality TV – but most importantly it wants to tell you something about the state of the anime industry today.

http://www.mangadaddy.com/fairy_tail

Boy of the Female Wolf Volume 9 Chapter 7

2011-03-21T06:50:00.002-07:00

Summary

Eun-soo Cha is the main character of the story. Eun-soo has hated her mother ever since she was abandoned by her. Raised by her grandma, she became a wild child who likes to fight. She has even disguised herself so well as a guy that people won't believe her even if she says she's a girl. She can fight well, and is even referred to as hot by girls. One day, however, her grandma's already bad health worsens, and she promises not to fight anymore. When Eun-soo's grandma dies soon after, she decides to leave Dae-Jeon (where she lives) and goes to Seoul to live with her mother, despite still hating her, because she has nowhere else to go. There, she runs into one of the best fighters, at her new school, and immediately gets on his bad side by calling him pretty boy. Will she break her promise to her grandma and will she find love?

http://www.mangafox.com/manga/boy_of_the_female_wolf/

Skip Beat!'s primary downside, if it could be called a weakness at all, is its artwork. Although they often require an idiosyncratic, method of visual reading, the pages invariably boast excellent layouts that, once you get accustomed to the mangaka's style, provide an easy, natural reading experience. She also has wonderful expressive range, taking her characters from seductive to silly and back again with grace and élan. Yet the character designs themselves are, let us not mince words, shrewish at best and ugly at worst. The strangely feral facial features of the principal characters, especially the female ones, may be enough to discourage casual book store browsers from buying altogether.

This series is one of the best contemporary shoujo manga titles—hands down—that Viz Media is currently releasing in English. It is simply not to be missed…especially if you have a weakness for showbiz stories spiced up with a heroine's epic quest for vengeance.

Boy of the Female Wolf Volume 9 Chapter 6

2011-03-21T06:50:00.001-07:00

Boy of the Female Wolf Volume 9 Chapter 5

2011-03-21T06:50:00.000-07:00

Summary

Eun-soo Cha is the main character of the story. Eun-soo has hated her mother ever since she was abandoned by her. Raised by her grandma, she became a wild child who likes to fight. She has even disguised herself so well as a guy that people won't believe her even if she says she's a girl. She can fight well, and is even referred to as hot by girls. One day, however, her grandma's already bad health worsens, and she promises not to fight anymore. When Eun-soo's grandma dies soon after, she decides to leave Dae-Jeon (where she lives) and goes to Seoul to live with her mother, despite still hating her, because she has nowhere else to go. There, she runs into one of the best fighters, at her new school, and immediately gets on his bad side by calling him pretty boy. Will she break her promise to her grandma and will she find love?

http://www.mangafox.com/manga/boy_of_the_female_wolf/

Fate/stay night is a reviewer's dream. Not because it's indisputably great (or deliciously bad), but because its pros and cons can be boiled down to one of each: a surfeit of atmosphere and a dearth of involvement. To be sure, there are other positive and negative aspects—the historical hook of the Servants for instance—but the vast majority of these first four episodes falls into one category or the other.

The spooky atmosphere of supernatural menace is largely the achievement of the show's more technical elements, with some help from the script (nothing keeps you on edge like a show that kills its protagonist at least once in the opening set of episodes). All of the visuals are cued towards replicating this atmosphere: the proliferation of empty nighttime settings; the perpetually slanting sunlight and long, deep shadows; scenes that suddenly shift crimson as if filtered through blood; even the striking, sometimes frightening Servants in their eye-catching, fanciful costumes. The size of the budget (large) gives everything an extra boost, particularly during the kinetic combat scenes in which the Servants demonstrate their lethal capabilities (once Saber begins moving, it's easy to believe that, with the right Master, she could indeed be the most powerful of all). Underscoring everything is Kenji Kawai's haunting, subdued soundtrack. Ranging from simple, creepy melodies to borderline ambient noise, and peppered with pseudo-religious choral chants, and fragile, wordless arias wreathed in empty-cathedral echoes, it permeates important scenes until they ooze quiet dread. And everything unfolds at a deliberate pace (Saber doesn't make her grand entrance until the end of the second episode) that perfectly mirrors the overall atmosphere.

Boy of the Female Wolf Volume 9 Chapter 4

2011-03-21T06:48:00.000-07:00

Summary

Eun-soo Cha is the main character of the story. Eun-soo has hated her mother ever since she was abandoned by her. Raised by her grandma, she became a wild child who likes to fight. She has even disguised herself so well as a guy that people won't believe her even if she says she's a girl. She can fight well, and is even referred to as hot by girls. One day, however, her grandma's already bad health worsens, and she promises not to fight anymore. When Eun-soo's grandma dies soon after, she decides to leave Dae-Jeon (where she lives) and goes to Seoul to live with her mother, despite still hating her, because she has nowhere else to go. There, she runs into one of the best fighters, at her new school, and immediately gets on his bad side by calling him pretty boy. Will she break her promise to her grandma and will she find love?

http://www.mangafox.com/manga/boy_of_the_female_wolf/

But, other than the meticulously established atmosphere, there's little in these first four episodes that engages or involves. How could you not like a cast whose lead aspires to become a "Champion of Justice"? Well, start by making him as dull as ditchwater. Then pair him with a female lead whose most salient features are an abrasive surface and an inexplicable soft spot for the limp lead (that will inevitably be expounded upon later). And then sprinkle it liberally with an assortment of female stereotypes from ye ol' anime vat-o-romantic-rivals (the subservient doormat who cooks for the main character, the outgoing best-friend athlete girl). Yuck. The only spices in the mix are the Servants (mainly Archer and Saber) who owe their appeal as much to their air of mystery and delicious visual representation as to any inherent personality traits. Character-building scenes of everyday life, due to the characters' total lack of magnetism, bog the story down, occasionally transforming the pace from "deliberate" to "dull;" a process that is greatly abetted by clunky exposition-laden dialogue, and long rule-establishing info-dumps. It isn't entirely devoid of narrative interest—the introduction of Saber to Shirou's household promises to stir things up a bit—but it is hardly enough to retain one's interest throughout the entirety of the volume.

Oni Chichi Re-birth Vol 1 2 download

2011-03-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Based on: game Oni Chichi ~Manamusume Kyōsei Hatsujō~ by Blue Gale

sequel of Oni Chichi 2 (OAV)

Alternative title:
鬼父 Re-birth (Japanese)

Release dates:
2011-04-28 (Japan DVD 1: Limited Edition)
Konamaiki na Hips Hole
小生意気なヒップホール

Original Work: Blue Gale
Production: PoRO

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So while Ponyo may not be what Miyazaki fans expect – or even want – from him at this point, it succeeds at what it's trying to be, which is an old-fashioned fairytale with some truly breathtaking moments. It probably won't go down as his best, strongest, or most thoughtful film, but it's clear as day that he made exactly the film he set out to make.

The end credits for Ponyo are scrolled vertically over pleasant sketches of the ocean, the words “we made this movie” scrawled in crayon up top, with a little crude hand-drawn cartoon image set next to the names of everyone involved in the production – nobody is given a title aside from the principal cast, director, writer and composer, and each name is a first initial with the surname listed after. It's highly reminiscent of a kindergarten class roster, as produced by the class itself. That pretty much tells you what you need to know about Ponyo.

Birei Okami Mie Vol 1 eng

2011-03-13T05:46:00.000-07:00

Alternative title:
美麗女将・美恵 (Japanese)

Based on: game Mofuku Tsuma by Lune

Distributor: Marigold (Girls Talk)
Original Creator: Lune
Planning: Marigold
Production: schoolzone

Release dates:
2011-04-22 (Japan DVD 1) 小料理屋の慕情～喪服妻第二巻～

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In real life, school is a boring everyday routine, and sometimes Doki Doki School Hours is like that too, collapsing under the pressure of having to be funny all the time. However, as long as the quirky students (and their quirky teacher) at Okitsu High keep running into each other, laughs are sure to pop up. The art isn't the prettiest, and the jokes are hit-and-miss, but if you're tired of other school shows that pretend to be deep and momentous and emotional, then turn to the one honest series that isn't afraid to admit: sometimes, you just want to see the crazy funny stuff.

Cosplay Roshutsu Kenkyuukai Vol 1 subbed

2011-03-13T04:31:00.000-07:00

Based on: game Cosplay Roshutsu Kenkyūkai by Pin-Point

Alternative title:
コスプレ露出研究会 (Japanese)

Release dates:
2011-04-22 (Japan DVD 1)

Original Creator: Pin-Point
Production: MediaBank Co., Ltd.

(Adults Only!) http://www.mediabank.co.jp/anime/detail/WBR-043.html
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Although the series changes gears several times over these couple of hundred pages, the artwork provides a unifying thread, with distinctive characters and a flowing style that's equally suited to comedic pratfalls, showy battles and everything in between. Of course, the showy battles of a pure action/fighting title are still superior, but for a series that bridges so many genres, Rinne's scythe-wielding technique and the shapeshifting creatures of the spirit world provide some worthy fireworks. On the other end of the scale, though, it's clear to see that comedy is Rumiko Takahashi's natural element, with visual gags and old-school slapstick (plus a fair share of cute animal mascots) working their way into every chapter. Best of all, there is none of the forced "Hey! Hey! Look at me! Isn't this hilarious!" mugging that so often passes for comedy—these gags just come flying in without warning, making their humor that much more effective. The uncluttered panels and straightforward layouts also help the story to move at a quick, easily readable pace; even that knock-down drag-out battle in the middle doesn't drag for too long.

Ore wa Kanojo o Shinjiteru! Vol 1 2 watch

2011-03-13T04:18:00.000-07:00

Release dates:
2011-04-22 (Japan DVD 1)

Alternative title:
俺は彼女を信じてる！ (Japanese)

Original Work: Lune Team Bitters
Production: L.

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Hayao Miyazaki loves flight, and after seeing this movie, you might develop a love affair with the sky as well. There's no shortage of breathtaking aviation scenes in Porco Rosso, and the multi-layered characters and story add plenty of substance to the eye candy. It may not have the epic quality of Nausicaä or Mononoke, or the sheer whimsy of Totoro and Kiki, but for a jaunty account of the days when pilots were celebrities, this is definitely worth the time and money. Whether you're a fan of Miyazaki, a fan of airplanes, or a fan of good animation, make sure to check out Porco Rosso.

Nana to Kaoru OVA 1 2 Nana to Kaoru Vol 1 2

2011-03-13T04:08:00.000-07:00

adapted from Nana to Kaoru (manga)

Alternative title:
ナナとカオル (Japanese)

Cast

Junji Majima as Kaoru Sugimura
Kaoru Mizuhara as Nana Chigusa

Director: Hideki Okamoto
Original creator: Ryuta Amazume
Character Design: Atsuko Watanabe
Animation Director: Atsuko Watanabe

Genres: romance
Themes: bondage, submissive/dominant

Along with a clean version of the ending, the most substantial extra on this disc is a 32-image lineart gallery. Unfortunately, a textured background obscures finer detail while upper and lower margins waste available space. A word of advice to the DVD production staff: put the art on a white background, and use the whole screen.

If the first volume of Girls Bravo made you a fan, then you can expect more of the same here, and with new girls to boot. It isn't really essential for anyone else, though—other comedies are funnier, other romances are sweeter, and other ecchi shows have hotter girls. It can still be cute, and even ridiculously funny, but that isn't enough depth to carry the entire show. A laugh can last a few seconds, but what are you going to do with all those other minutes of pointless waffle?

Gakuen 3 Vol 1 2 Gakuen season 3

2011-03-13T03:57:00.000-07:00

Based on: game Gakuen 3 ～Karei Naru Etsujoku～ by BISHOP

sequel of Gakuen 2 (OAV)

Alternative title:
学園3 (Japanese)

Release dates:
2011-03-18 (Japan DVD 1)

(Adults Only!)
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Subtlety is nowhere to be found in the artwork, and neither is it found in the dialogue—you can't go more than a few pages without Viu spouting tired old catchphrases about how he wants to get stronger. Just because it's one of the guiding principles of the boys' adventure genre, doesn't mean it needs to be repeated constantly. Meanwhile, the rest of the story reads something along the lines of: "I'm going Gun Blaze West!" "No, I am!" "I'll beat you in battle!" "Not if I beat you first!" It ought to be an easy translation job, yet this one manages to miss a few words—yes, readers will actually find a couple of typos in the text. Sound effects also play a key role in this loud adventure, and because they're so prominent in the artwork, the obvious deletion and replacement of the characters actually grates on the eyes in certain places (plus, the translation of "DON" to "DM" just looks like some wacky vowel shortage).

Author's notes don't usually deserve special mention as bonus content, but because Watsuki has so much to say in this volume, readers can get a deeper look into the artistic process than most manga-ka allow. (None of this "Thank you for supporting my work. I like cats" kind of drivel.) The discussion on character and story development reveal an artist in love with action comics, as well as someone very concerned with trying to please every single reader. Things get kind of embarrassing once the cancellation is announced and Watsuki starts apologizing like crazy, but his unused character sketches provide an interesting "what if?" look into where the story might have gone next.

Shoujo Senki Brain Jacker Vol 1 2 Shōjo Senki Brain Jacker

2011-03-13T03:17:00.000-07:00

Based on: game Shōjo Senki Soul Eater by Lune

Alternative title:
少女戦機ブレインジャッカー (Japanese)

Distributor: Marigold (Girls Talk)
Original Work: Lune
Planning: Marigold
Production: schoolzone

Character Design: Yuji Ushijima
Release dates:
2011-03-18 (Japan DVD 1)

(Adults Only!)
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Though ADV is distributing this title, and its personnel did the subtitling and production work, the series was actually licensed by Sentai Filmworks, whose name exclusively appears on the case, in the credits, and in the North American copyright notices; in fact, a viewer not familiar with the names of key ADV personnel might not even be aware that ADV was involved with this project. That may partly explain why this is a subbed-only release, something ADV itself does not normally do. (Given the number of typos that pop up in the subtitles, though, ADV might not have wanted its name associated with this one.) All thirteen episodes come on a pair of disks in a normal-thickness case, with the only actual Extras being a clean opener and closer. In another departure for ADV, the original Japanese credits are retained, with the English credits following after.

Although some episodes do pretend like they strive for depth, a series like this does not really need a plot to be entertaining – which is good, because beyond Hime and Sherwood making an alliance against the older siblings trying to kill them and some shenanigans involving a second vampire of uncertain motives, not much actually happens in the underlying plot. All the series really needs is Hime being Hime, monsters to fight, a few laughs sprinkled throughout, Hiro valiantly dying on a regular basis, and the occasional interesting setting or situation. For the most part, the writing does that, except in the tediously-overblown hospital episode. (Raise your hand if you screamed at the doctor to just SHUT UP AND GET ON WITH BUSINESS!!!) If you want a far darker, more involved, and more serious series based on a similar premise, check out 3x3 Eyes instead. For lighter fare, this one will do.

Kyuuketsuki Vol 1 吸尻鬼

2011-03-13T00:28:00.000-08:00

Alternative title:
吸尻鬼 (Japanese)

Based on: game Kyūketsuki ~Anal Hime Kōkan Chōkyō Roku~ by Valkyria

Release dates:
2011-03-11 (Japan DVD 1)

(Adults Only!) http://www.ordin-soft.com/ap-kyuketsuki1.html

Original Work: Valkyria

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Golgo 13 – Queen Bee Special Edition DVD is an original feature based on the popular Golgo 13 manga. This movie reunites much of the original staff that worked together on The Professional: Golgo 13, the first movie in this series. Queen Bee is the second movie, coming some 13 years after the original. The Special Edition DVD contains both the original Japanese soundtrack as well as an English Dub.

Based on a rather gritty manga, Queen Bee presents the world of Golgo 13 as a cold and dark place. As such, the character designs are not the friendly big-eyed characters more familiar to Anime fans. These designs tend to follow the idea of big bulky muscular men and tall lean and well-endowed women. The world of Golgo 13 is also a very violent one, so the violence is very graphic in nature.

Sailor-fuku Sinryou Tsumaka OVA 1 video

2011-03-13T00:17:00.000-08:00

part of [(The) Vanilla Series]

Alternative title:
セーラー服心療妻科 (Japanese)

Based on: game Sailor-fuku Sinryō Tsumaka by Rose Crown

(Adults Only!)
http://www.vanilla-jp.com/catalog/sailor/vol1/main.html

Animation Production: Y.O.U.C.
Distributor: Vanilla
Original Work: Rose Crown
Production: Digital Works

release date: 2011-03-11

After three volumes heavily focused on the awakened sleepers just trying to survive in their nightmarish thorn-and-monster-strewn environment, the story settles down for a while and spills its guts. Many of the things that have heretofore gone unexplained see extensive clarification in this volume, most notably what, exactly, the Medusa “virus” really is and how it is directly connected to the disastrous events which created the current environment. The mechanics laid out here offer some intriguing twists on sci fi and horror gimmicks and, to an extent, explain the mysterious little girl who has been hanging around since the beginning. They also imply that the title of the series most likely refers to the newly-introduced character Zeus. During that time we also get a more detailed background on Marco which decisively lays out exactly who he is, what he's doing here, and (more or less) what his real goals are.

The other big secret to be dealt with is, of course, the security videotape which first popped up in volume 2. At the time other characters commented that Kasumi needed to see it, and by the end of this volume readers will finally understand why. Though the ultimate revelation is shocking and raises oodles of fresh questions, it should not be entirely unexpected given the way the storytelling has set things up so far. It certainly casts many previous events in a new light, especially given what the survivors learn about Medusa, the actions of Zeus, and the misconceptions Marco probably had about the content of the video. Annoyingly, the whole videotape business gets spread out over five chapters while decidedly less interesting events and flashbacks progress. Sure, Marco's backstory is critical to a full understanding of what has transpired, but did it really need to be so long?

Otoko no Ko Ojou-sama Vol 1 English

2011-03-13T00:04:00.000-08:00

Release dates:
2011-03 (Japan Download Ep. 01)
2011-03-11 (Japan Download Vol. 1)
2011-04-15 (Japan DVD 1)

Official website:(Adults Only!)
http://chichinoya.jp/chichi/common/otokonoko/index.html

Production: ChiChi No Ya

Alternative title:
オトコの娘お嬢様っ (Japanese)

Episode titles: 1.
光と綾奈の秘密レッスン
Hikari to Ayana no Himitsu Collection

I read manga for entertainment, not for educational purposes. I do not assume that they will teach me about another culture. Yet, in the back of my mind, I could not help but hope against hope that I might glean some insight into some aspect of contemporary Taiwan from Yu-Chin Lin's Vision of the Other Side, the first ever Taiwanese girls' comic to be licensed and translated for American release.

Alas, no such luck was to be had. The story doesn't even take place in present-day Taiwan; rather, it is set in an alternate universe most closely resembling China of a millennium ago—certainly a popular manga destination…but one that doesn't have much directly to do with the title's country of origin. And, save for what might be construed as a brief nod to mainland Chinese mythologizing of its multi-ethnic unity on the second page (which some Taiwanese purportedly buy, while others don't), there is nothing at all to distinguish this manhua from its countless Japanese shoujo counterparts. When you get right down to it, it's just another star-crossed romance between two young people who hate each other for most of the series until they don't anymore and the story ends.

Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

2011-03-05T00:16:00.007-08:00

Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Chapter 336 ENG

2011-03-05T00:16:00.006-08:00

Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Chapter 335 ENG

2011-03-05T00:16:00.005-08:00

Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Chapter 334 ENG

2011-03-05T00:16:00.004-08:00

Read Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Manga Scans Online!

Tsuna one day comes home, greeted by a little baby mafioso who apparantly is his new home tutor. His job is to guide Tsuna into his role as the 10th Boss of the Vongola family. With the help of all his new friends and an array of special items such as the ",Dying Will Bullet", he might just be able to do it.

Author: Amano Akira

Category: Shounen , Comedy , Anime , Action

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Hayakawa's artwork, like the story, is a showcase of things she likes: all the detail goes into specific elements like the bishounen characters, Sunako's horror props, and elaborate period dresses. However, she gets lazy everywhere else—backgrounds are sparse or nonexistent, crowds get rendered as simplified cartoon figures, and Sunako is regularly seen as a faceless mass of black hair. (Sounds like a certain character from The Ring, no?) While the chibi-Sunako design is a humorous contradiction to her morbid nature, it also makes some scenes hard to understand—for instance, her explosive nosebleeds in the presence of handsome men looks more like random black-ink splatter. Many of the gags depend on one's ability to understand the super-deformed look.

This being one of Del Rey's earlier releases, there are some publishing kinks in the first volume: blurry artwork, dull paper, and blotchy inks, but those problems are gone by the next two volumes. Meanwhile, the company's dedication to good translation is always evident—frequent cultural and language notes accompany the natural, conversational dialogue. Some attempts at dialect feel forced, like the effeminate modeling agent and the hard-talking gangster in Volume 3, but the text is generally a smooth read. Japanese sound effects are left alone, with small, unintrusive translations placed alongside each one.

Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Chapter 333 ENG

2011-03-05T00:16:00.003-08:00

Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Chapter 332 ENG

2011-03-05T00:16:00.002-08:00

Read Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Manga Scans Online!

Tsuna one day comes home, greeted by a little baby mafioso who apparantly is his new home tutor. His job is to guide Tsuna into his role as the 10th Boss of the Vongola family. With the help of all his new friends and an array of special items such as the ",Dying Will Bullet", he might just be able to do it.

Author: Amano Akira

Category: Shounen , Comedy , Anime , Action

http://www.mangadaddy.com/katekyo_hitman_reborn

Ah yes, the asshole hero...bane of the melodramatic villain, source of aggravation for fellow adventurers, and darling of the spectators. There's just something infinitely entertaining about watching someone like Xelloss or Dark Schneider in action...totally badass, totally undependable, utterly unrepentant and simply beyond caring what anyone thinks of how much of a jackass they are. You'd never want to associate with these people, but damn is it funny to watch them kick ass, take names and piss off everyone in the process when it's not YOU being pissed off. Gokudou-kun takes the crown for being the biggest jackass in anime...he REALLY doesn't give a rat's ass about anyone but himself and if there are any redeemable features to his personality he has hidden them better than the purloined letter. He has a propensity for nose-picking, ear-picking and pick-pocketing, and is possibly even more mercenary than Lina Inverse.

But the lovable asshole isn't the only thing this show has going for it; the other players are no slouches either. The innocent-looking Princess Rubette is as almost as good with a sword as Gokudo, and usually ends up doing all the grunt work while Gokudo sits and watches. Djinn, Gokudo's sidekick, is a lawful good genie...the worst thing anyone like Gokudo could ask for, and he can't get rid of him till his wishes are used up (too bad the genie has some rather strict ideas of what is an acceptable wish and what isn't). Lastly we have a really freaky prophetess who keeps bugging Gokudo with "advice" and manipulating the party into doing her bidding. Gokudo just wants her to shut up, which usually results in her whacking him over the head a few times. I swear I've been in D & D groups that were at least as convoluted as this.

Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Chapter 331 ENG

2011-03-05T00:16:00.001-08:00

Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Chapter 330 ENG

2011-03-05T00:16:00.000-08:00

Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Chapter 329 ENG

2011-03-05T00:14:00.000-08:00

Read Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Manga Scans Online!

Tsuna one day comes home, greeted by a little baby mafioso who apparantly is his new home tutor. His job is to guide Tsuna into his role as the 10th Boss of the Vongola family. With the help of all his new friends and an array of special items such as the ",Dying Will Bullet", he might just be able to do it.

Author: Amano Akira

Category: Shounen , Comedy , Anime , Action

http://www.mangadaddy.com/katekyo_hitman_reborn

Never heard of a 2002 OVA series titled Step Up Love Story, even though it's based on a best-selling seinen romantic manga? Its official title may sound drab and forgettable, but mature, hard-core anime fans may be more likely to recognize it under its alternate titles Futari Ecchi and/or Futari H, both of which make much better titles than the one actually used. That a series like this actually got licensed for semi-mainstream release is more than a little surprising, given subject matter more typical of a hentai title, but if a racy non-hentai OVA like Weather Report Girl can make it into release in the States then there must be at least a small market for something like this. Licensor Media Blasters must have been thinking along those lines, as they have given it the niche-marketed sub-only release treatment under their AnimeWorks label.

Everything about this title, from its subject matter to its explicit displays to the behavior of many of the characters, gives the vibe of a full-blown hentai title, but SULS always stops just one small step shy of straying into material that would require digitization by Japanese release standards; think of those soft porn Adult flicks Cinemax airs in its late-night programming for the closest American parallel. Even so, accompanying the plentiful nudity, undergarment shots, and sex scenes are topics including graphic discussions and depictions of foreplay, masturbation, blow jobs, premature ejaculation, and general sexual activity, with references only made to cunnilingus. One major plot point even involves Yura not realizing that Makoto's “quick on the draw” initial performance did not bring her to orgasm, since she has apparently never had one before and so has no point of reference. How Media Blasters got this one by with only a 16+ age rating, instead of the more suiting Mature Audiences rating, is beyond me.

Karigurashi no Arrietty Movie download

2011-02-19T09:36:00.000-08:00

Based on: "The Borrowers" (novel) by Mary Norton
Plot Summary: Sho moves into his great aunt's house and soon discovers the presence of tiny people, the Borrowers, living there. A 14-year-old Borrower named Arrietty strives to prove herself by helping her father gather materials that her family needs from Sho's new home. However, Arrietty and Sho meet, breaking the rule that humans must not know about the Borrowers' existence. As Sho and Arrietty's relationship develops, human interference endangers the Borrowers' lives. Arrietty and Sho work together to try and protect the Borrowers' way of life.

Alternative title:
Arrietty
Arrietty le petit monde des chapardeurs (French)
Arrietty the Borrower
The Borrowers

With the story getting as multi-threaded as it is, the dialogue and text must take on the challenging duty of being informative, clear and entertaining all at once. Fortunately, this translation handles the balance well: all the relevant story points are explained without verbally tripping over themselves, while the characters are still able to infuse color and colloquialisms into their speech. The sound effects, meanwhile, are all completely replaced with English equivalents, and while this can be visually distracting at times, it never actually interferes with the artwork.

There are times when Fullmetal Alchemist seems to drag out its storyline to the point of exasperation, and there are times when Fullmetal Alchemist delivers one powerful punch after another. Guess which one this volume is? The turning point of the Briggs arc may have come a few chapters ago when Armstrong was called back to Central, but this is something much more critical—the turning point of the whole series itself, at least if Hohenheim's story is to be believed and if the discoveries in the last couple of chapters are the real deal. We'd like to hope that Edward and Alphonse will, someday, get their bodies back as they have vowed. But for now, just seeing the grand stage of battle unfold is a climax in itself; cliché as it may be to say it, the fate of Amestris truly hangs in the balance right now. This installment of the series is one that was worth waiting for—and the next may be even better yet.

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Movie video

2011-02-19T04:28:00.000-08:00

Plot Summary: It is the year A.D. 2314. Two years have passed since the defeat of the ruthless A-LAWs, and the new Earth Sphere Federation government has sought for peace by establishing a weapon-free world. However, a long forgotten ship that was sent to Jupiter 130 years ago somehow returns to Earth, seemingly with no signs of life onboard, but actually bringing with it a dangerous new alien threat - the Extraterrestrial Living-metal Shapeshifters (ELS), who have started assimilating Earth's technology and inhabitants. Now, with humanity at risk of total destruction, the Celestial Being makes its return to defend against the invasion of the ELS.

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie 01 http://ifile.it/ys97bpk/g00-movie-tb-muxed-001.mkv
Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie 02 http://ifile.it/bhm407x/g00-movie-tb-muxed-002.mkv
Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie 03 http://ifile.it/l5r4x7s/g00-movie-tb-muxed-003.mkv

At the heart of any film is the story. Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, being a sequel, has an already established world to work with. This allows the film to work more towards character development and conflict. Of course, there is worry that it being a sequel will make it difficult to follow, but Bloodlust stands well on its own, providing enough information to allow new viewers to keep up.

The story works on a variety of levels, being something different for how the viewer watches the movie. At its heart it is an action film, with chase scenes, fighting scenes and lots of explosions. Next to that is the dramatic subplots of a man struggling with his inner demons and a couple locked in a forbidden romance. These various subplots and almost contradictory storylines meld together to produce a strong film with a stirring plot. The visuals and sound add to this to provide a very entertaining movie.

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is a strong epic tale not seen in American cinema in a long time. It's strong plot, exciting visuals and excellent pacing take the audience into a very vivid world.

Kampfer fur die Liebe episode 2 eng

2011-02-19T04:19:00.000-08:00

sequel of Kämpfer (TV)

Alternative title:
けんぷファー für die Liebe (Japanese)
Genres: action, comedy, romance, supernatural
Themes: ecchi

The Japanese broadcaster TBS and King Records' Starchild Records label revealed on Friday that one of the two episodes in the all-new Kämpfer für die Liebe anime sequel will not be televised. Instead, the entire sequel will be screened during the first official Kämpfer event, which will be held at the Odaiba Cinema Mediage theater in Tokyo on March 6

The story of Toshihiko Tsukiji's original Kämpfer light novel series centers on Natsuru Senō, an ordinary high school boy who discovers that he has been involuntarily chosen to participate in battles as a "Kämpfer." Moreover, he must have the body of a girl to use his powers in battle.

TBS announced on Monday that it will air the one televised Kämpfer für die Liebe episode on March 31, and its network affiliates will follow suit between April 7 and April 23.

A new project based on the light novel series was first announced at the TBS Anime Festa event in Tokyo in August. The light novels already inspired a television anime series last year, and the two Kämpfer für die Liebe episodes will serve as episodes #13 and #14 to that previous television anime.

In most ways the first five episodes of Tokyo Majin resemble other dark, graphic supernatural action series involving a team of individuals brought together by their powers and circumstance to combat paranormal threats. Like X, Ten Tokyo Warriors, and several others, the heroes come from diverse backgrounds, have diverse powers generally in tune with their natures, do not necessarily get along with each other, and fit comfortably within well-established archetypes. While it may emphasize its horror aspect a bit more than most, such a slant is too common in the genre to give this series any separation.

The one place where Majin does distinguish itself from other titles of its ilk – in its propensity to insert goofy moments – cannot be considered a plus. The creators go through all of this effort to establish an effectively dark and edgy environment only to disrupt it with random silliness like the nature of Anko's first appearance, her being bottled up in a large vase later in the volume, or the ridiculously caricatured appearance of Daigo's wrestling team. Sure, Hellsing Ultimate gets away with a similar approach, but in that case it fits better because of the high-spirited nature of the series; for all its graphic content, it isn't meant to be taken entirely seriously. This one, contrarily, relies too heavily on its serious content for its credibility and plot progression to tolerate the inanity it has. This becomes increasingly apparent later in the volume when Anko, whose overzealous “get the scoop” efforts make her one of the primary sources of comic relief, gets into a situation which radically changes her demeanor, thus pulling her out of that role. (Whether this will be a temporary change or not remains unclear at the end of the volume.) The only place where the humor does work is in the behavior of the teacher Maria, but that may be because her behavior is more a reflection of her attitude than an outright attempt to be funny.

Kampfer fur die Liebe episode 1 watch

2011-02-19T02:33:00.000-08:00

sequel of Kämpfer (TV)

Alternative title:
けんぷファー für die Liebe (Japanese)
Genres: action, comedy, romance, supernatural
Themes: ecchi

The Japanese broadcaster TBS and King Records' Starchild Records label revealed on Friday that one of the two episodes in the all-new Kämpfer für die Liebe anime sequel will not be televised. Instead, the entire sequel will be screened during the first official Kämpfer event, which will be held at the Odaiba Cinema Mediage theater in Tokyo on March 6

The story of Toshihiko Tsukiji's original Kämpfer light novel series centers on Natsuru Senō, an ordinary high school boy who discovers that he has been involuntarily chosen to participate in battles as a "Kämpfer." Moreover, he must have the body of a girl to use his powers in battle.

TBS announced on Monday that it will air the one televised Kämpfer für die Liebe episode on March 31, and its network affiliates will follow suit between April 7 and April 23.

A new project based on the light novel series was first announced at the TBS Anime Festa event in Tokyo in August. The light novels already inspired a television anime series last year, and the two Kämpfer für die Liebe episodes will serve as episodes #13 and #14 to that previous television anime.

Kampfer fur die Liebe Episode 1 part 1

Kampfer fur die Liebe Episode 1 part 2

Because of the need for a quick setup, Asagi and his friends are sketched out in bold, simple strokes of personality—perhaps too simple, since they're all recycled from well-known character types. Each role is clear by the end of the first chapter: Asagi is the sly leader, Amano is a whiner who gets huffy whenever Asagi makes amusingly suggestive overtones towards him, and Tokiko uses her one-word vocabulary ("Freeksh!") to sniff out the enemy. Later on, Mahime shows up as the token ditzy girl, although her dual nature is more confusing than it is compelling. Somehow she's related to another Stand known as Yahiro, but does she actually turn into Yahiro? Or does she summon Yahiro and step aside? In a series that goes for a straightforward approach, this split-personality character (or pair of characters?) just gets in the way.

The way that the characters are drawn might also confuse the reader. Sakurako Gokurakuin's designs are sharp and stylish, but everyone looks the same—a problem that plagues plenty of mediocre artists. The sparse, angular artwork is appealing to the modern eye, but that appeal won't last long when you realize that you have no idea whether that light-haired person in a scene is Asagi, Mahime, or Yahiro. Of course, the story context ought to make it clear, but when everyone's got supernatural powers, it's hard to say whether someone might have just popped out of nowhere. At least the cleanly lined rectangular panels try to keep things in logical order. Ominous shadows, grotesque body parts and splashes of blood establish the horror tone of the series, along with some gratuitous nudity that earns the book its 18+ rating. (Yep, nothing says scary like a naked woman with a knife in her chest.) However, some of that stark imagery gets diluted through the overuse of gray tones—they're a necessary stage between black and white, of course, but too much at once just muddles the art.

Break Blade Movie 6 watch

2011-02-19T02:28:00.000-08:00

Premiere date:
2010-05-29 (Japan, Book One - The Time of Awakening)
2010-06-26 (Japan, Book Two - The Split Path)
2010-09-25 (Japan, Book Three - The Mark of the Assassin's Dagger)
2010-10-30 (Japan, Book Four - The Earth of Calamity)
2011-01-22 (Japan, Book Five - The Horizon Between Life and Death)

Opening Theme:
"Fate" by Kokia
Ending Theme:
"SERIOUS-AGE" by Faylan

So, a high school boy with an attitude meets a stranger from a parallel spirit world, who then tells the boy that he has a special ability that relates to that other world, and because of that ability, the boy is now destined to fight some great evil. What series is being described here? If you failed to answer Monochrome Factor, no one would blame you; this ripoff of a ripoff does such a good job of copying everything else in the supernatural genre that it's hard to tell where the imitation stops and an original story begins. If this complete lack of creativity hasn't caused you to flee in terror yet, there might still be some good points to discover in this volume—neat visual effects, flashy action scenes, and a couple of entertaining characters. But even these bright spots can't save a work that's trapped in the shadowlands of mediocrity.

The early chapters of this series copy the action-supernatural formula so closely that one could read it blindfolded and still know what the story was. But even within the bounds of formula, the storyline manages to stumble into some really dumb plot holes: when Akira asks about being the chosen one, Shirogane responds with "It's not a matter of having a reason or not having one. It must be you." Wow, how's that for logic? In fact, the more we learn about the shadow world, the more brainless it turns out to be. Akira is forced into becoming a shadow because Shirogane says so, which is about the most artificial way of advancing the plot. Later on, he discovers that he can't become human again because of the deal he made with Shirogane, but wait! He can still pretend to be human anyway thanks to a gigai—oops, wrong series, here they call it a doppelganger—which completely cancels out the point of being no longer human. It's like Kaili Sorano is just making up the rules of the shadow world on the spot, fudging over inconsistencies to suit the story—and if you can't trust the author, whom can you trust?

Break Blade movie 5 video

2011-02-19T02:21:00.000-08:00

Premiere date:
2010-05-29 (Japan, Book One - The Time of Awakening)
2010-06-26 (Japan, Book Two - The Split Path)
2010-09-25 (Japan, Book Three - The Mark of the Assassin's Dagger)
2010-10-30 (Japan, Book Four - The Earth of Calamity)
2011-01-22 (Japan, Book Five - The Horizon Between Life and Death)

Opening Theme:
"Fate" by Kokia
Ending Theme:
"SERIOUS-AGE" by Faylan

Beyond Rose, additional character development is minimal. Firmly-establishing Rose's position in Roy's household marks the limits of the actual plot development, and that is done by the end of episode 8. Not a lot else with long-term meaning (or originality) actually happens, nor does SOLTY get more than a small handful of opportunities to show off her phenomenal might, but events move along at a steady enough pace and with enough fun factor that at least a viewer won't get bored. Most of the volume carries a lighter tone, although darker moments surface in parts of episodes 8 and 10. The series misses no opportunity to show the implied nudity of a female character in a shower, but it generally doesn't resort to panty-flashing gimmicks.

If series like Basilisk mark Gonzo's A-team effort, then Solty Rei is an example of their B-team effort. (Speed Grapher, by comparison, is a C-team effort.) Very little is actually conspicuously wrong with the artwork, but the level of quality seen in Gonzo's best works just isn't there. The artwork is at its strongest in Rose's character design, although most of the designs beyond Roy work well. (Is it just me, or do Japanese animators seem to have a problem handling adult male characters with stubble?) SOLTY's hair, while clearly designed to make her stand out in a crowd, is just a little too weird, and that Mahoro Ando-like affectation feels too much like a copycat. Background art and equipment designs, beyond Rose's outrageous bike, are well-done but not spectacular. Normal animation sufficiently supports the action content, but the CG animation effects deserve more attention. Gonzo apparently uses some kind of automatic animation software to simulate vehicle movements and background pedestrian traffic, which can create a jarring contrast with the regular animation if one pays enough attention. Foreground vehicle and mecha movements, which look more like they were guided by hand, integrate much better.