There are only a few anime on the market that set out to screw with your mind right from the very beginning. With a wildly different art style and a plot rife with dimensional shifting and time travel, Noein weaves an astounding tale that leaves you bewildered. Right out of the gate this show is about as surreal and unique as it gets. Fortunately this befuddlement gives way to amazement because all around this is a top-notch show.

Directed by Kazuki Akane and Kenji Yasuda this 24 episode series uses a breathtakingly original art style filled with dramatic sketchy marks and wild animation to tell its story. While the series is complex the plot can be summarized simply by saying that it focuses on the lives of some children. Warriors from a futuristic parallel dimension come back to nab one girl in particular in an effort to save their world from being destroy...Read the entire review

Background: Ghouls and zombies, demons and vampires, and all sorts of other supernatural beasties are finding favor these days as people find themselves bored with the mundane necessities of life. This has inspired more manga translations onto anime that incorporate the other realm elements; though given the nature of the business, few shows are as bloody as needed for a true translation into the format. Two of the most popular genres in anime seem to be related to horror and police with scores of titles over the years relating to either or both in an effort to give the fans what they want. With cop shows, the focus is typically on crazy antics by rogue officers sporting highly advanced gear smashing similarly equipped villains. With horror, the rich tapestry of supernatural legends from Japan tends to allow for more diverse styles, though your mileage may vary. One that combines a more realist...Read the entire review

There are only a few anime on the market that set out to screw with your mind right from the very beginning. With a wildly different art style and a plot rife with dimensional shifting and time travel, Noein weaves an astounding tale that leaves you bewildered. Right out of the gate this show is about as surreal and unique as it gets. Fortunately this befuddlement gives way to amazement because all around this is a top-notch show.

Directed by Kazuki Akane and Kenji Yasuda this 24 episode series uses a breathtakingly original art style filled with dramatic sketchy marks and wild animation to tell its story. While the series is complex the plot can be summarized simply by saying that it focuses on the lives of some children. Warriors from a futuristic parallel dimension come back to nab one girl in particular in an effort to save their world from being destroy...Read the entire review

It's not often that a series comes out and can be called unique these days. Studio DEEN's latest, Tactics, is a prime example of one of those rare titles that makes you stop and take notice. Originally a manga by Sakura Kinoshita and Kazuko Higashiyama the anime is 25 episodes long and being published here in America by Manga.

Tactics is a show about exorcism and spiritual study. Each episode features one unique demon or another and for each of them there is a story to be told. This is a point in time where technology has started to surface but the old Japanese traditions are still thriving amongst the people. There's a certain dreamlike quality to each episode and in the end it feels like a surreal Japanese fairy tale. Sure there are things that this show does that may be similar to others but the characters and world are some of the most unique tha...Read the entire review

Background: Two of the most popular genres in anime seem to be related to horror and police with scores of titles over the years relating to either or both in an effort to give the fans what they want. With cop shows, the focus is typically on crazy antics by rogue officers sporting highly advanced gear smashing similarly equipped villains. With horror, the rich tapestry of supernatural legends from Japan tends to allow for more diverse styles, though your mileage may vary. One that combines a more realistic cop show with supernatural horror elements is the subject of today's review of Tokko 1.

Series: Tokko 1 is set in contemporary times in Japan. The hero of the story is a new detective by the name of Ranmaru Shindo, a young man who got into law enforcement in part because of the wholesale slaughter of his parents and nei...Read the entire review

There are only a few anime out there that set out to screw with your mind right from the very beginning. With a wildly different art style and a plot rife with dimensional shifting and time travel, Noein weaves an astounding tale that leaves you bewildered. Right out of the gate this show is about as surreal and unique as it gets and from the very first volume these truths are evident. Read the entire review

It's not often that a series comes out and can be called unique these days. Studio DEEN's latest, Tactics, is a prime example of one of those rare titles that makes you stop and take notice. Originally a manga by Sakura Kinoshita and Kazuko Higashiyama the anime is 25 episodes long and being published here in America by Manga.

Tactics is a show that focuses entirely on exorcism and spiritual study. Each episode features one unique demon or another and for each of them there is a story to be told. This is a point in time where technology has started to surface but the old Japanese traditions are still thriving amongst the people. There's a certain dreamlike quality to each episode and in the end it feels like a surreal Japanese fairy tale. Sure there are things that this show does that may be similar to others but the characters and world are some of ...Read the entire review

There are only a few anime out there that set out to screw with your mind right from the very beginning. With a wildly different art style and dimensional shifting/time traveling plotline, Noein is easily one of the most confusing shows to get into right out of the gate. Directed by Kazuki Akane and Kenji Yasuda this 24 episode series focuses on the lives of some school children and futuristic warriors from a realm known as La'cryma.

Right from the very beginning you can tell that this series is going to be different. The art style is very fresh and reminded me of FLCL though to be fair Noein probably has more in common with Heat Guy J which is another of Kazuki Akane's series. Everything has a dramatic sketchy appearance to it and characters move in lively ways instead of like you'd expect them to. Facial expressions are another area where thi...Read the entire review

It's not often that a series comes out and can be called unique these days. Studio DEEN's latest, Tactics, is one of those rare titles. Originally a manga by Sakura Kinoshita and Kazuko Higashiyama the anime features 25 episodes and is being published here in America by Manga. The surprising thing from the DVD aspect is that so far, with two volumes under its belt, we've been seeing five episodes per release. That's a far cry from the three or four that some series get, but it's the quality of the program that makes this series worth checking out; not just the quantity.

At its heart Tactics is an exorcism and spiritual anime, meaning that the main characters walk around vanquishing demons and passing the souls of the dead to the afterlife. The thing with this series that makes it so unique in the genre is the way that it's handled. Everything has a d...Read the entire review

The Show:

The final volume of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gigbrings the series to a very satisfying conclusion.  Many of the questionsthat the series has raised are answered and viewers who were wonderingjust what Mr. Gohda has been up to and what Kuze's goals are will comeaway happy.  Of course, things don't end quite the way anyone wasexpecting it to, but that's part of the show's charm.  It always keepsyou guessing.

Series Synopsis:

In the not too distant future, most humans are augmented by cyberneticimplants.  These implants make people faster, stronger, and more powerful. No longer do you have to spend excruciating hours in the gym to get theperfect body, you can just order one.  Crime is still prevalent inthis future society, and the criminals are now much more powerful. In order to combat...Read the entire review

Things really start to heat up in the penultimate volume of Ghostin the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig.  While this sixth volumeonly has three episodes they sure pack a wallop as Japan gets pushed tothe brink of war, despite the best efforts of Section 9.  With thePrime Minister painted into a corner it seems that Mr. Gohda is holdingall the cards.  These shows set the stage for the show's conclusion,which should be exciting.

Series Synopsis:

In the not too distant future, most humans are augmented by cyberneticimplants.  These implants make people faster, stronger, and more powerful. No longer do you have to spend excruciating hours in the gym to get theperfect body, you can just order one.  Crime is still prevalent inthis future society, and the criminals are now much more powerfu...Read the entire review

THE MOVIE:

The Castle of Cagliostro is a classic of Japanese animation. Marking the feature film debut of writer/director Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away), it continued his highly regarded television adaptation of the much loved Monkey Punch manga Lupin III. Lupin is a gentleman thief with a weak spot for the ladies, and his light-hearted adventures had an international flavor that eventually garnered an international fanbase. As far as screen adaptations of the comic are concerned, this 1979 feature is easily the best. Manga Video originally released The Castle of Cagliostro on DVD back in 2000, and even though it wasn't the most elaborate of discs, the strength of the film was strong enough to earn DVDTalk's highest ranking back when it wa...Read the entire review

With Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting getting ready to makes its move to Xbox Live via the 360 Marketplace there is a lot of buzz surrounding Capcom's beloved fighting franchise. Since the original Street Fighter II came out fifteen years ago nearly countless remixes of the game have been released. Ironically it wasn't until another six years later that the third Street Fighter game actually came out. With a series as beloved at Street Fighter it should be no surprise that it has leaked into other material over the years.

An anime series, American cartoon, live-action film, a manga, and a Japanese animated movie have all seen the light of day since the franchise began. While the live-action picture left a lot to be desired, Manga's re-release of the anime film shows why it was superior in every way. It probably has more to do with the way in which the material i...Read the entire review

The current anime series that I most look forward to viewing is Ghostin the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig.  This program has everythingthat makes anime so enjoyable:   entertaining episodes, creativebackgrounds, detailed animation, and a mysterious overriding plot. The fifth volume is just as good as the preceding instalments, presentingfour more excellent episodes including (believe it or not) a nice homageto Wim Wenders filim Wings of Desire.

Series Synopsis:

In the not too distant future, most humans are augmented by cyberneticimplants.  These implants make people faster, stronger, and more powerful. No longer do you have to spend excruciating hours in the gym to get theperfect body, you can just order one.  Crime i...Read the entire review

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig just keeps gettingbetter and better.  The fourth volume is another stand out releasepresenting four episodes that move the plot forward while keeping thingsmysterious.  In addition details about some of the characters pastare revealed including how the sniper Saito lost his left eye.  Anotherexciting installment of this excellent series.

Series Synopsis:

In the not too distant future, most humans are augmented by cyberneticimplants.  These implants make people faster, stronger, and more powerful. No longer do you have to spend excruciating hours in the gym to get theperfect body, you can just order one.  Crime is still prevalent inthis future society, and the criminals are now much more powerful. In order to combat these criminals, a spec...Read the entire review

Studio DEEN is no new comer when it comes to producing anime. The list of shows that they have had some part in is daunting and their latest creation proves that there is no end in sight. Tactics was originally a manga by Sakura Kinoshita and Kazuko Higashiyama the concept has been fully realized in the animated sense. The show ran for 25 episodes and ended last year in Japan but the DVDs have just started arriving here in America. Published by Manga the introductory volume features the first five episodes of this bizarre yet interesting series.

The last "exorcism" anime I sat down to watch was Ghost Talker's Daydream and to be honest it left a bad taste in my mouth. Fortunately the Approach for Tactics is much different, though the fact that the characters have more room to develop (Daydream was only four episodes long) definitely helps things...Read the entire review

Movie: While most anime is brightly lit and colorful, both conceptually and physically, there has long been a market for material that embraces a different path. The idea is that darkness begets light and any sort of balance between the two must be examined on both sides to effectively tell a story. Such was the case with the subject of today's review of Karas: The Prophecy, the latest release from Manga Entertainment (and the first volume of a two part show). The basic premise is a long established one of a supernatural being charged with the responsibility of maintaining order but there were some interesting quirks this time that gave it a refreshing edge worth exploring deeper. Here are a few thoughts on the show and the DVD itself:

Set in modern day Tok...Read the entire review

The anime company Tatsunko Productions (Speed Racer, Gatchaman)has been around for 40 years, and to mark this feat they decided to dosomething special: create an OVA series that showcases just what they arecapable of.  The result is Karas, a present day tale of demonsand demon hunters with some decent 3D and 2D animation.  Unfortunatelythe story itself isn't very engaging and the plot is something that we'veall seen before.

Tokyo has a problem.  There is a killer on the loose who has avery bizarre MO; he kills people in bathrooms by draining them of all bodilyfluids.  This happens to groups of people, in seconds, and one witnessis always left alive.  The pol...Read the entire review

The third volume of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gigcontinues to craft an interesting and multilayered story.  The plotthickens as the enigmatic and grossly disfigured Mr. Gohda reveals a tinyportion of what's up his sleeve, and the problems with the refugees escalate. The disc ends with some bizarre events taking place that don't seem tomake any sense, drawing viewers deeper into this season's mystery.

Series Synopsis:

In the not too distant future, most humans are augmented by cyberneticimplants.  These implants make people faster, stronger, and more powerful. No longer do you have to spend excruciating hours in the gym to get theperfect body, you can just order one.  Crime is still prevalent inthis future society, and the criminal...Read the entire review