The Series:

Yozakura Quartet, a 12-episode anime series based on a shonen (boys') manga by Suzuhito Yasuda, is an unmistakably Japanese creation. Most of its characters are youkai, the "demons" or monsters of Japanese folklore, but here they are (mostly) cute teenage girls rather than monsters. At the same time, the series assumes familiarity with modern otaku fetishes like tsundere (a girl with a cold exterior who is really soft and sweet inside), meganneko (a girl with glasses) and nekomimi (cat ears). Each of these stock character types appears in Yozakura Quartet, and while the show winks at us, it certainly has a particular target audience in mind.

Don't get the wrong idea - this series doesn't contain sex or nudity and it would be fine for teenagers. The animators actually show a remarkable amount of restraint here. Despite...Read the entire review

The Movie:

My Bloody Japanese Valentine

Long-haired high school pretty boy Mizushima (male model and actor Takumi Saito) is given Valentine's Day chocolate by new transfer student Monami Alucard. After taking a bite, he starts tripping big time and seeing disembodied circulatory systems walking around campus. That's because Monami is a Vampire Girl, and the chocolate contained some of her special vampire blood. Monami wants Mizushima for her own; the only problem is that Mizushima has already been claimed by Keiko (Eri Otoguro of Chambara Beauty), leader of a gothic lolita clique and daughter of the school's timid vice principal (Kanji Tsuda).

There are other cliques, or circles, at "Tokyo High School". There is the wristcutters circle, a group of girls that enjoys hacking up their arms with box cutters. Most outrageous, and no doubt most offensive (especially to Western audien...Read the entire review