Produced by Zexcs, Rental Magica originally aired in Japan in 2007. The show was later licensed for release in the States by RightStuf/Nozomi Entertainment, and in the latter part of 2009 the first boxed set was released. We recently received the collection to review and I checked out the first half of the show earlier this month. In April of this year the second part was released and I just wrapped up watching that one too. What's the final verdict?

Rather than direct you to the first review and force you to read the whole thing, I'll summarize my impressions of the first set for you. It wasn't very good. The show's concept is interesting enough but it's downright generic with flat characters, uninspired storytelling, and an atmosphere of "meh". There were elements of the show that popped and some of the action was pretty cool, but by and large the first ha...Read the entire review

Movie: As various anime series wind down, they tend to try and tie up all (or most) of the loose threads made during the run of the show, especially if there won't be a follow up season offered to follow in the footsteps of the characters. This was the case with Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars 5: Fateful Conclusions, the anime series so many people have been talking about of late. If you've read my reviews of Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, and Volume 4; you'll understand why I've enjoyed it as a cut above the pack since it weaves a multitude of clichés into a far more complex whole, never revealing too much information in order to keep the fan inter...Read the entire review

Weather Report Girl started out as a manga series written andillustrated by Tetsu Adachi. A two part OVA series was released in1994, but the series really gained cult status with the 1996 live actionmovie, Weather Woman, staring Kei Mizutani. Having enjoyedthe Mizutani film for years, I was eager to see the animated version. Unfortunately, the earlier version isn't nearly as wild and outrageousas the live action film, but it still has it's moments.

Keiko Nakadai gets her chance at stardom when she's picked to go ona local news show in place of the regular anchor, Michiko Kawaii. Sure, it's only for one night, and she doesn't get to do anything but theweather report, but for Keiko, that's all the chance that she needs. While wrapping up the weather report, Keiko flashes her panties and theratings soar. With such a positi...Read the entire review

Movie: I've long admired some of the cultural traditions and complexity of Japan as a civilization that could teach us quite about life. The country has a long and rich history and while its people have gone off the deep end more than a few times in their history, they have often come away learning from their mistakes too. One of the areas they excel in is in the relationship between war and peace; having fought many struggles both internally and externally over the centuries. That is one of the reasons why they seem to offer such thoughtful anime series such as Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars 3: Deadly Limitations; the latest volume of the Shingu saga. Like Volume 1 and Volume 2, the show advanced the idea of aliens from outer space taking an active role in the devel...Read the entire review

Movie: As more companies import increasing numbers of anime series to the USA, fans lament that they can't afford to get everything, unlike a few years ago. This increases the need for good reviews to help those fans pick out which series suit them since it's pretty much common sense to say that the companies aren't going to be particularly truthful in their descriptions (remember; they want to sell product, not help you limit your purchases to choices you'd really enjoy). Thankfully, with more choices come more quality product for all tastes and the latest epic series I got hold of was Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars by Right Stuf.

The show is set in the year 2070 although there aren't a whole lot of visible signs of technol...Read the entire review

Movie: When I start a new series that I have heard nothing about, I tend to think as positively as possible since I've been burned more than a couple of times in the last couple of years. Let's face it; anime tends to rely very heavily on the same creative forces in Japan (same companies, same producers, directors, and the like) so it often falls into the trap that many critics of the genre have fussed about, the primary one that it all looks the same. I can generally refute such talk as the ramblings of those who don't know any better or that have usually not actually watched a few episodes from a series but in larger terms, they often have a point. This is why I've learned to rely on reviews from trusted sources, which are sadly limited these days with so many websites acting as shills for the production companies rather than offering up some critical analysis of the shows in question. That wa...Read the entire review

In a nutshell:  Boooooooring

Unlike the US where virtually all of the comics are aimed at males,Japan has a booming industry in shojo manga, comics for girls.  There'salso a good number of shojo anime, though only a few of them have madetheir way across the Pacific.  While Sailor Moon is probably the mostfamous example of this genre, that show is aimed at children and thereare many shows that are for an older audience such as X and FushigiYugi.  I've enjoyed a lot of shojo anime in the past, they often have more characterization than their male counterparts, and havemore deliberately paced stories.  When the first volume of Pianoturned up in my mailbox, I thought it might be an enjoyable series. How wrong I was.  The tone and conflicts in this series are too lowkey and subdued...Read the entire review