On the verge of its tenth anniversary FUNimation has released the cyberpunk anime Texhnolyze. Originally released in 2003 the show was produced by Madhouse and released with 22 episodes. The series came out in the States years ago under Geneon, and I had it on my radar, but never checked it out. The second go around I managed to snag a copy. How does this cyberpunk romp standup to scrutiny?

Texnholyze takes place in a dark future where humanity lives above and below the surface. Life is hard to be sure but a technology known as Texhnolize makes things a little easier. Lose an arm? Lose a leg? If you're wealthy enough you can get the latest in prosthetic technology with a mechanized appendage that is top of the line. In the case of one of the main characters for the show he winds up with an arm and a leg in need of prosthesis.

The show starts out b...Read the entire review

Oh Dirty Pair. Laden with innuendoes, fan-service, and science fiction action this franchise is one of the classics that resurfaces now and then, but never goes away. It's a good thing really. The original series was an entertaining sci-fi romp with great leading ladies and a wonderful sense of humor. In the 90s Sunrise revitalized the franchise with Dirty Pair Flash. Nozomi Entertainment has secured the license to the show and has released a complete 16 episode collection (three separate OVA pieces spread out from 1994 to 1995). The question remains to be answered whether or not Flash is better than the original.

Flash takes place in the year 2248, which is roughly a hundred years after the first series. It's not necessarily a sequel, but rather a re-imagining of the concept. Kei and Yuri are back as younger versions of their former s...Read the entire review

Not long ago I had the opportunity to check out FUNimation's first release for Shangri-la. The show was on my hit list for a while and needless to say, if you read the review, it didn't exactly turn out the way I expected. It was a befuddled mess with a sloppy premise, quirky characters, and the story was crazy slow in its own development. Now the second and final half has arrived. Does the show redeem itself? Or does it wallow in all its flaws.

In case you missed the review for the first release, Shangri-la is an anime that tries to do a lot. It's a supernatural show with mystic elements, it's a post-apocalyptic setting with nature running its course and humanity struggling for survival, the economy is driven by CO2 emissions, and it's a utopian dream of a sorts with a massive powerful and thriving city being built above crumbling civilization. Oh...Read the entire review

I remember a few years ago seeing artwork from Gonzo's Shangri-la. It was a gorgeous depiction of a young girl with a giant futuristic boomerang and it instantly grabbed my attention. I identified the design as Range Murata, an artist whom I love, and vowed to check out the series one day. Purposefully I didn't read reviews, check opinions, or even find a summary about the show. I wanted to enter it blindly because I felt that if Murata and Gonzo were on a project together it would be something I would inherently enjoy. Boy, was I wrong.

Shangri-la presents a somewhat interesting premise. The world's economy has shifted from stock market exchange and trade and commerce to a carbon emissions index. It's a bizarre setting as countries, cities, and towns reduce their carbon footprint in order to lay low under the military's radar. As a result technolog...Read the entire review

In a nutshell: Pants are largely overrated anyway.

Oh, Strike Witches. What have you been up to for the past couple of years? Have you found pants? Nope. Have you given up on the panty shots and fan-service? Uh-uh. So what have the cute little witches been up to? Honestly, not much. Come to the second season of Strike Witches expecting more of the same, though that's not necessarily a bad thing.

FUNimation's release of the second season brings all twelve episodes to the States on two Blu-ray discs. Fans of the original are in for a treat because this time around it's not only familiar ground, but it's marginally better with more focus. That's not to say that the first season was scattershot by any means, but fan-service was the primary objective and story played a second fiddle. While that's still sort of the case here, there's a greater e...Read the entire review

In a nutshell: For fans of the series only.

Fate/Stay Night is a freaking awesome franchise. Based on a visual novel of the same name (or similar depending which version you're looking at), the anime has made some serious waves here in the States. Originally released in 2006, the Fate/Stay Night anime offered a compelling concept, exciting action, and great character development. It really should be no surprise that it remains near the top of many anime fan's "must watch" lists. If you haven't seen it, you should definitely check it out. With that in mind, is Unlimited Blade Works a good starting point?

Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works is a rather unique beast in its own right. It's not really a completely standalone piece, and yet it is. It doesn't tell a totally new story, and yet it does. Confused yet?

The fact tha...Read the entire review

In a nutshell: There goes 325 minutes of my life I'll never get back.

When Deadman Wonderland the manga was released, I checked out the first few volumes and enjoyed what I read. The characters were fun, the atmosphere was dark and disturbing, and the story had a mystery backing it that made it a compelling read. When I heard the show was being made into an anime, naturally I was excited. Most manga-to-anime adaptations these days are faithful to the material, after all. When the complete series from FUNimation was dropped on my lap I popped the first disc in without hesitation.

Deadman Wonderland is grotesquely violent for the sake of being so. Granted the manga was pretty much this way, but it seems exacerbated by the animation somehow. Blood flies, body limbs get ripped off, and there's even a scene that involves someone having an eyeba...Read the entire review

Steins; Gate is just about the best damn show I've seen all year. Period.

I've admittedly been out of the anime loop for a while and though I had heard of Steins; Gate before, I hadn't seen it yet. Holy freaking crap! I loved every second of this first collection and absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on the second!

The series begins with a raving lunatic of a scientist, Okabe, on his way to a lecture on the theories of time travel when all manner of hell breaks loose. A satellite crashes into the building he's in and some girl he's never met before grabs his attention in a hostile way. Then there's a flash and the girl is dead. There's really no rhyme or reason for it, but soon enough Okabe is left alone after pressing a button on his cell phone and he's disoriented as events occurred differently throughout the day than he remembered. Did he...Read the entire review

In the first ten seconds of Freezing you know exactly what you're in for. Like Queen's Blade, Ikki Tousen, Sekirei, and so many others that came before it, Freezing isn't ashamed to pit female against female and disrobe them in the process. Heck, those first ten seconds of the show feature the main character, Satellizer, completely nude for essentially no reason other than to give fans some eye candy. Fan service? Oh yeah, Freezing has it in droves.

As far as a plot is concerned, frankly, you should already know the drill. Aliens have attacked earth in the future and only hot large-breasted can save the day with their super-powers invented by flaky science. Oh look, there's a hapless boy that just happens to wander into the scene and finds himself an object of desire by many of the girls in the show. Queue up sci-fi mumbo...Read the entire review

Years ago (we're talking back when Geneon was still in business and releasing titles) I had the opportunity to pick up a volume of Shakugan no Shana. It was late in the series and the episodes housed within were mostly out of context, but the show piqued my interest. Ever since then I made a commitment to myself to check the rest of the series out at some point, and that day has finally arrived thanks to FUNimation. Newly released in a Blu-ray/DVD Combo pack, Shakugan no Shana's first season comes presented on three Blu-ray and three DVD discs.

Animated by J.C. Staff Shakugan no Shana hit Japanese airwaves in 2005. The franchise dates back to 2002 when Yashichiro Takahashi first released the series as a light novel, and later adapted it to a manga. Since then two subsequent series have come out along with a film and multiple OVA releases as w...Read the entire review

House M.D. has been around for a while and it's in that awkward part of a show's journey where it is struggling for longevity. The series has survived cast changes aplenty, lengthy pieces of story that worked (and didn't), and we've seen a lot of growth in its main cast as the writers finally settled in beyond the "case of the week" mentality. Sure the seventh season still has a quirky medical mystery as its force of gravity, but the character drama continues to be the big draw. That, and House is an ass, and that's always entertaining.

The sixth season of House left things on an interesting note, as most season finales do. House (Hugh Laurie) had just made it through a traumatic experience when helping a woman in a collapsed building. Just when things seemed their bleakest Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) showed up to lick his wounds with a little sexual ...Read the entire review

The Show:

I knew what I was getting into when I first picked up Samurai Girls. The generic title alone should have been a warning sign, but I normally look past superficial things like that. The cover, well...scantily clad girls attempting to cover themselves should have been an indication, but I never judge an anime by its cover. No my friends, it was the description on the back that lead me to the inevitable conclusion that I was about to watch an ecchi harem show.

"The samurai code was never this sexy. Muneakiru Yagyu is a gifted student of the samurai way, but until he arrived at his dojo, he never knew just how gifted he truly was. There, beautiful girl Jubei falls naked from the sky and right into his arms, and when they kiss, he magically transforms her into a powerful master samurai. So, naturally, every beautiful girl at the dojo can't wait to kiss him now! And some, like...Read the entire review

Soul Eater has definitely been around the block a few times for such a recent show. Even so, the Blu-ray release is something to get excited for. Rather than having to pick up four installments, as FUNimation initially released the show as on DVD, Blu-ray collector's have merely two releases to buy. The first came out a few months back, and now it's time for the second collection.

The first installment of Soul Eater on Blu-ray featured episodes one through twenty-six on three discs. The second is fairly similar in the sense that it's presented with three discs, but this time around we get episodes twenty-seven through fifty-one.

In the first half of the show we were introduced to the truly bizarre world of the DWMA, which is a school run by Death. Here students known as Meisters utilize peers known as Weapons in order to collect evil souls and pro...Read the entire review

Here at DVDTalk we have a love affair with Fullmetal Alchemist. Ever since the first series began being released in the States it has been on the top of our favorite anime lists, across the board. When the remake, Brotherhood was announced, well...I don't think I need to tell you that we were pretty stoked. Through four volumes we've been sitting through one of the best damn shows of the past decade, and now the final volume is upon us.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is an identical to the manga retelling of the popular franchise. It's closer to source material and that's a fantastic thing. The story is better, there's more continuity, and quite honestly the lack of filler is really, really appreciated. In every installment the sense of drama rises so that events reach a boiling point and the climaxes are much more satisfying as a result....Read the entire review

I literally just finished posting my review for the first volume of Toradora! and inspired by love for the show, I simply had to get my impressions for the second volume written down. In case you missed the review, Toradora! is an incredible romantic comedy. This is one for the ages in terms of the rom-com and it's arguably the pinnacle of anime when you're talking about the genre.

Toradora! was a 2008 anime produced by J.C. Staff. It's based on a series of light novels and manga created by Yuyuko Takemiya, which has actually been around since 2006. NIS America has handled the release of the show in the States and up until now a Premium Edition boxed series was the only way to get the show. Finally NIS America has made Toradora! available as a standard edition DVD release. The second volume features the final twelve episodes on two...Read the entire review

Romantic comedy anime isn't exactly a rare thing. What is rare, however, is when a show gets it right. I mean, really right. Toradora! is one of the finest examples of the genre and it's successful on so many levels. I was glued to the TV from the moment I put the first disc in, and that simply doesn't happen all that often.

Toradora! is a 2008 anime produced by J.C. Staff. It's based on a series of light novels and manga created by Yuyuko Takemiya, which has actually been around since 2006. NIS America has handled the release of the show in the States and up until now a Premium Edition boxed series was the only way to get the show. Finally NIS America has made Toradora! available as a standard edition DVD release. The first volume (of two) features thirteen episodes on two discs.

Toradora! starts out innocently enough with a young ...Read the entire review

For a while now Dragon Ball Z: Kai has been kicking ass and taking names. The show has jammed a whole lot of DBZ into a much smaller segment of episodes that it's almost daunting to think about how the project was handled on the editing room floor. Then again, the original series had a ton of filler and it simply needed to be gutted, in my opinion. Thusly it's no surprise that Kai is one of my favorite releases for the show.

FUNimation has released Dragon Ball Z: Kai on both DVD and Blu-ray. The sets have each contained thirteen episodes on two discs, and in each case the picture quality and audio were above what we've experienced before. The fifth release has just hit the market and this time around we get episodes 53 through 65.

Episode 53 starts out with the destruction of Planet Namek. The battle between Frieza and Goku was simpl...Read the entire review

Dragon Ball Z: Kai kicks a lot of ass, and for my money it's probably the best way to experience the Dragon Ball Z saga. Almost all the fat has been trimmed out of this updated release of the classic anime, and it's hard to argue with that. The core story and action in the show was always the highlight anyway, and with nothing but that the series really excels. Today we're looking at the fifth installment.

FUNimation's treatment of Kai has gone over pretty well with the anime community. With thirteen episodes a pop, each part packs a lot of action onto two discs, and the options to get the series on either DVD or Blu-ray is definitely appreciated. This fifth release features episodes 53 through 65 and starts out with one hell of a bang.

That particular "bang" just so happens to be the destruction of Planet Namek. In the final moments of the...Read the entire review

You know, when High School of the Dead was announced I was super excited. I mean, "zombies + anime = win", right? It's only logical. Well, I didn't quite catch the stream of the series, but I read responses to the show and a collective groan from much of the anime community. After mostly negative response from a few early episodes I figured I'd reserve judgment for myself. And here we have the complete series being released on DVD by Sentai Filmworks.

Prior to checking out the anime, I actually read a couple volumes of the English translation of the manga. I kind of saw what people were talking about. As much as zombies, or "Them", were a focus for the franchise, the torpedo shaped boobs and gratuitous fan-service really bogged down an otherwise good concept. The show unfortunately follows suit and is ridiculous with the amount of bouncing bazooms that fil...Read the entire review

Project A-Ko is one of those classic anime OVAs that really takes me back. I haven't watched the show in forever and yet after a few minutes waves of nostalgia overcame me. A silly grin was plastered on my face and I found myself laughing at all the same gags and jokes. Thank goodness Eastern Star rescued this license and has released it on DVD for the first time in nine years.

Originally released in Japan in 1986, Project A-Ko is an 86 minute OVA produced by Soeishinsha and Studio A.P.P.P.. The release proved to be popular enough with the masses and two sequels were produced as well, but this review is strictly for the original (and best in my opinion). Just what makes Project A-Ko so great?

For starters, let me just say that one of the things I love most about Project A-Ko is the irreverence of it all. There's really no rhyme or re...Read the entire review

There aren't a lot of shows on the market that pop in just about every way. From characters to story, style, and design, Soul Eater is one of those rarities that has a lot going for it. The series has been popular both in Japan and in the States, and though it's been released on DVD FUNimation has put together a Blu-ray release. Is this latest set worth picking up?

Soul Eater comes from the manga of the same name by Atsushi Okubo. The show was produced by Bones and ran from 2008 to 2009 with a total of 51 episodes to call its own. FUNimation has collected the first 26 episodes for this Blu-ray release and has presented them on three discs.

Soul Eater takes place in a skewed version of our world. Death, as in the Grim Reaper, runs a school called the Death Weapon Meister Academy (DWMA), which is located in Death City. At the DWMA students le...Read the entire review

If you've been coming to DVDTalk and checking out anime reviews, you've undoubtedly come across me glowing about a manga-ka group known as CLAMP. Their projects, such as Tsubasa and xxxHolic have proven to be highly entertaining, but those are just their modern works. An older show such as Chobits really highlights the quality of the CLAMP craft.

Chobits is a 24 episode series from 2002 and was produced by Madhouse. Based on a manga of the same name by CLAMP the series takes place in present day Japan, though there's something of a twist. Powerful and convenient android computers known as Persocoms populate the metropolis. These devices are loaded with programs that assist humans in their daily living. From internet to phone calls, note taking, and even household chores, the Persocoms are an integral part of society. They also happen to...Read the entire review

Earlier this year Sentai Filmworks released Koihime Musou on DVD. You can check out my review for the first season here. If you want me to save you the trip to that page, all you need to know is the series was light, fluffy, and full of fan-service and yuri elements. It wasn't terrible, mind you, but it wasn't exactly refreshing or worth your money. Does the same hold true for the third season?

In case you're wondering what happened to the second season review, well...I haven't watched it. The set never arrived and I'm going straight from the first to the third, which naturally leaves some stuff out of my realm of expertise. Then again, considering the material I probably wasn't missing a whole lot anyway.

For the third season, Shin Koihime Musou: Otome Tairan<...Read the entire review

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is, in many ways, one of the most iconic anime films ever release. It stands as the launching point of Hayao Miyazaki's career and helped form Studio Ghibli as we know it today. It's a classic among classics, though compared to other Ghibli films it's probably the darkest of their efforts. Considered an epic by most this masterpiece has finally been given the Blu-ray treatment.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind was originally released March 4, 1984. The film has had a few releases here in the States thanks to Disney, so American animation fans are most likely well aware of the film. If you're not, however, know that this is a film that deserves to be in everyone's collection.

The movie takes place roughly a thousand years after something known as the "Seven Days of Fire". Basically at that point giant beings fr...Read the entire review

Eden of the East left a mark on me when it hit our shores last year. The show was powerful with a thought-provoking plot, well-developed characters, and an open ending that really made you think. Ultimately I was satisfied and I'm not ashamed to admit that I power watched the entire eleven episode series the moment the first disc went into my DVD player. Now that some time has passed, FUNimation has released The King of Eden. Does this film add anything else to the series?

Eden of the East: The King of Eden is available in two formats: A two-disc DVD edition, or a three-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. After watching both versions of the film, I can definitely say the Blu-ray edition is the way to go. With that being said the bonus features and quality of the film are similar in both cases; you're just going to get better video and audio with t...Read the entire review

Goemon is the latest live-action release from FUNimation, the leading anime licensor in the US. With flashy special effects the film promises to endear itself largely to that demographic, but does it have staying power with more mainstream audiences? This is the latest effort from Casshern director Kazuaki Kiriya and in many ways it's a similarly styled piece of work.

Let it be said right from the outset that Goemon is a visual powerhouse. The film is grandiose and liberal in its use of computer generated effects, and for the most part it could almost be considered an animated masterpiece with live action actors. The fight scenes are often jaw dropping, the backdrops are fantastic, and more often than not the film is pure eye candy. Unfortunately that's more or less a flashy distraction, because the narrative comes up short and the plot isn'...Read the entire review

Is saving our planet the thing to do? Is the power really yours? These questions and more are answered in Captain Planet and the Planeteers. This classic Saturday morning staple came out in the early 90s and stuck around for quite a while. It's been unseen on DVD, however, and somehow it only seems right that Shout! Factory would get their hands on it.

Captain Planet and the Planeteers was a creation by DIC Entertainment and later wound up in Hannah Barbara's hands. The show lasted for six seasons and a total of 113 episodes. That first season has been collected by Shout! Factory and today we're looking at the eco-friendly release with 26 episodes on four DVDs.

Captain Planet and the Planeteers takes place in the present (or the equivalent of back in the early 90s) and features ...Read the entire review

The Blu-ray most Region 1 anime fans have been waiting for has finally arrived! Evangelion 2.22: You Can (Not) Advance has been released by FUNimation, and it's every bit worth the anticipation and hype.

FUNimation has released Evangelion 2.22 on both DVD and Blu-ray. Like the first film the quality of the picture and sound was far greater on the Blu-ray, but the quality of the film and extras are the same on both accounts. This edition features two discs: one with the main feature and the other with the bonus content.

Evangelion 2.22: You Can (Not) Advance is a complex animated feature. It's not something that stands on its own, but in the context of the franchise it could easily be likened to Empire Strikes Back thanks to the tone it sets and what it does for the characters and plot. It's an integral part of the experience and it'...Read the entire review

Guin Saga touts itself as a "Sweeping anime epic for the ages" and is "based on the multi-million dollar, best-selling Japanese novel series", but I'll be damned if I haven't heard of it before. I've got my finger on the pulse of the anime community and there has been virtually no buzz on this series, either when it was aired in Japan or when it was announced for Region 1. And so I head into the series with no expectations, and maybe a little speculation. What's the verdict?

To my surprise Guin Saga has actually been around since the late 70s in book form. For over two decades Kaoru Kurimoto wrote novels for the series and it's become something of a mainstay fantasy franchise in Japan, though she passed away in 2009. Here in the States there's apparently only one book that has been released. The anime, produced by Satelight (Heat Guy J, Hell...Read the entire review

Just the other day I finished watching Hero Tales and posted my review for the first half of the series. My impression was that, while good, it wasn't exactly great. The show had all the pieces, including support from Hiromu Arakawa, but it didn't seem to pull it together. The manga was more tightly knit in this regard, but I kept the ball rolling and finished off the second collection. Does it get any better?

Once again FUNimation has released Hero Tales with another three disc release, featuring 13 episodes on two discs, with bonus features being available on the third.

Hero Tales takes place in a world that's reminiscent of ancient China by design, though there are many magics and fantasy elements. There's all kinds of talk about celestial alignment and destiny as each of the protagonists (and antagonists) represent a star. The series fol...Read the entire review

A while ago I was able to read some of the Hero Tales manga and was fairly impressed. It's a collaborative effort between Huang Jin Zhou (A unit composed of Hiromu Arakawa, Genco and Studio Flag) and was illustrated by Arakawa. Arakawa, as many of you may know, was the creator of Fullmetal Alchemist. The simple fact that she was involved in Hero Tales drew me to it. Now that the anime has been released in the States, how does it stack up?

Hero Tales has been licensed for Region 1 by FUNimation. Produced by Studio Flag, Hero Tales was released in Japan in 2007. The 26 episode series has been broken up into two releases, with six discs in total (four for the show, two for bonus features).

The series takes place in a world similar to wuxia China, where martial arts rules the land. There are also heavy fantasy elements and the sho...Read the entire review

At this point, what can really be mentioned about Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean franchise that hasn't been said before? Across the board they are quality big budget flicks with entertaining characters, solid special effects, and swashbuckling scripts. The films have become iconic all over the world and brought pirates to the forefront of pop-culture.

With a fourth installment on the way, the franchise continues to see release on home video. On DVD and Blu-ray the films have been a success, and Disney keeps milking the cash-cow. A 7-Disc Trilogy Blu-ray Collection has recently been released. While this is essentially yet another rehash with familiar supplemental content and picture quality, there is a new seventh disc that has been included with never before seen deleted scenes and a sneak peak at the new film; On Stranger Tides. For now thoug...Read the entire review

The fourth installment of Dragon Ball Z: Kai has been released, and this one contains episodes 40 through 52. Like the previous installments of Kai this one has been trimmed to the core action and most of the filler has been removed. The end result is a leaner version of Akira Toriyama's classic, but how does this volume compare to the ones released before it?

I'm not going to both recapping the series as a whole, but I will say that prior to this volume Frieza showed his ugly mug and gave the Z fighters something to complain about. With Planet Namek on the verge of destruction Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, and the rest all came together in an effort to stop the purple/white menace. Their results were for naught as Frieza continued to increase his power in stages with different versions of himself. Towards the start of this fourth installment he enters his...Read the entire review

A while ago FUNimation released the first installment of Black Butler's first season. The show proved to be a fun enigmatic supernatural romp with fan-service (on the yaoi side) and a rather interesting premise. Ultimately I was left with a positive impression of the show and was eagerly anticipating the second installment. Guess what I just finished watching?

In case you missed my review of the first release, Black Butler is a series about a young boy named Ciel Phantomhive. He is the heir to the Phantomhive estate and along with the riches comes power to some extent, as he's a tool for the Queen to use as she sees fit. Cie's reputation precedes him in nearly every circumstance, which is remarkable considering he's just a young boy. Behind every great boy is a sketchy man (at least in the perfect yaoi world) and in this case that guy is Sebastian, C...Read the entire review

What can be said about Fullmetal Alchemist at this point that hasn't been said already? I mean, we've reviewed the first series multiple times, checked out the movie, and have been working our way through the second series, Brotherhood like nobody's business. Across the board we here at DVDTalk love the series, and it's received loads of praise. Should the fourth installment of Brotherhood be any different?

If you haven't read a review for Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood yet (or the original series for that matter), please feel free to utilize our search engine. I'm not going to bother recapping the series for this review, and instead we're looking at the fourth installment as it is. In this second-to-last volume of Brotherhood we received episodes 40 through 52 presented on two DVDs.

With there being only one volume left, an...Read the entire review