4) Transmigration: Juna's weaknesses are attributed to her upbringing in a large city and not knowing anything at all about how life tends to work on a balance. She goes to a remote mountain with her boyfriend and meets an old man who shows them both the limitations of modern society. Juna's body and mind have been sensitized to all forms of imbalance with regard to ecological matters and her life to date had never prepared her to think outside of very narrow constraints. From Bandai: "Juna and Tokio stumble upon a miraculous encounter in the Japanese mountains when a mysterious old stranger shows them a rustic field. Juna and Tokio marvel at this wondrous verdant green field that flourishes in spite of -- or perhaps because of -- the unchecked weeds and insects. The two enjoy a brief moment of peace admist the fighting and wandering. However, a monstrous Raaja breaks the mountain tranquility with its howling roar..."

5) The Small Voices: Having learned how corporately grown food is far from healthy, Juna finds out firsthand how her now improved body can't handle fast-food without consequences. The small voices refer to the healthy bacteria can't save her from her eating habits although her powers might, if she can learn to use them effectively. From Bandai: "After their harrowing journey, Juna and Tokio return home to Kobe. However, Juna continues to hear Chris's voice in her mind, challenging her to reject her former life. Thanks to the hypnotic Drop of Time amulet, Juna can now see the hidden dangers of the city life she once took for granted. With the unrelenting psychic pressures, she begins to buckle under the strain.
Meanwhile, Tokio and members of the anti-Raaja S.E.E.D organization are falling under a mystifying malignant illness. A Raaja is infiltrating their very bodies! Can they fight off this new threat?"

6) The First One: This episode dealt with a math teacher who pointed out to Jun a number of limitations of modern living by means of numerical concepts. It's actually pretty deep but I can't explain it without going into a lot of spoiler oriented detail. From Bandai: "Even at home, one crisis after another disrupts Juna's life. Her father appears one day after leaving the family, and the awkward reunion does little to dissolve the bitterness between them. Worse, a Raaja attacks her school admist her oblivious classmates, and she and Chris must confront the being. Meanwhile, Juna makes new revelations about one of her teachers."

7) The Invisible Words: Juna's predecessor, Chris, is dying and only she can save him. Deep within the chambers of the S.E.E.D. headquarters, Juna is made to realize that words sometimes hamper meaning and can be used as weapons. From Bandai: "Confused by Juna's transformation, Tokio begins pulling away from her and spending more time with another girl named Sayuri. To make matters even more surreal, Juna can now see Tokio's uneasy thoughts take physical form! Meanwhile, Chris's body wilts and falls ill after confronting the Raaja all over the world. Cindy, his companion, summons Juna to S.E.E.D's underground sanctum to rescue him. When Juna reaches Chris, a mysterious power envelopes them all..."

Picture: The picture is presented in anamorphic widescreen of either 1.78:1 or 1.85:1 and looked great. The anime styles employed here incorporate a few methods which enhance the overall experience.

Sound: There was 5.1 and 2.0 tracks with both English and Japanese as well as an isolated score. I noticed no problems with any of the tracks although I favored the 5.1 Japanese track slightly. Very well done.

Extras: There was an interview with the creator of the show, Shoji Kawamori that filled in a lot of background (I haven't seen the first dvd). There were some trailers and previews along with the isolated score. There was a paper insert with the dvd that explained each episode pretty well as well as provide full credits to the cast and crew. Lastly, there was a dictionary of some of the words and concepts used in the episodes.

Final Thoughts: I really liked this dvd except for the heavy-handed manner in which it force-feeds leftist ecological doctrine down the throat of the viewer. Much of the message is worth hearing but I strongly suggest any viewer go to a good library if they want to learn more about the environment and the limitations of modern farming practices. The anime looks and sounds great and the action is solid with plenty of detail for repeated viewing. This one will give you a lot to think about, just don't accept the preaching information provided as absolute truth. I look forward to seeing more of the series soon.