“Over 9000” – Excel Saga – 4/10 Pumpkin Pies

Humor is a reminder that no matter how high the throne one sits on, one sits on one's bottom. ~Taki

Genre: Action/Comedy/Sci-Fi/Parody

Review Status: Incomplete (3 Episodes/26 Episodes)

Licensed: Yes, this anime is licensed in the US

Art/Animation: Pretty good, still looks nice for when it was made.

Dub Vs. Sub: I only listened to the dub. I found Excel’s voice to be loud, annoying, and screechy 90% of the time. The rest of the V.A.s were pretty good and fit into their roles well.

Summary: Hyperactive Excel does anything and everything to try to please her lord, Ilpalazzo, who wants to take over the planet. Excel's misadventures take her and her partner, the ever-dying Hyatt, all over the world, meeting several strange people as they go. Everything is bizarre and goofy, as any kind of anime or entertainment genre gets mocked and spoofed. (ANN)

Review: Humor is a very subjective thing, so I really hope I’m not going to get hate mail over this. Excel Saga is a mile-a-minute joke, parody, and tale of a woman who merely wants to please her master in taking over the world. With all that coming at you every moment of the runtime, this will either overload you with laughter or give you a headache.

Unfortunately, for me, it’s the later. I did find some things funny (those darn aliens! And the whole creator-death thing), but overall I found this to be strange, obnoxious, and irritating. The one thing that brought this up a notch was one, single character- the dog. I found Menchi to be cute, tragically funny, and the ending’s parody of Animal Crossing (K.K. Slider, anyone?) really got me going! I could have watched that dog all day long. Alas, this had to focus on somebody I didn’t find at all amusing.

Overall, while this has its moments, I would avoid it hard.

Recommended: 18+. This has some suggestive scenes and dark comedy, along with a little language and violence (mostly offscreen, but Excel’s partner has “OMG They Killed Kenny!” syndrome, though not on an episode-long basis).

Other titles you might enjoy:
Arakawa Under the Bridge (anime and manga)
Saint Young Men (manga)
Slayers (anime)

“Calling Out To You” – Voices of a Distant Star (manga) - 6/10 Pumpkin Pies

Absence diminishes small loves and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and blows up the bonfire. ~Francois de la Rouchefoucauld

Mangaka: Makoto Shinkai and Sumomo Yumeka

Genre: Romance/Sci-fi/Drama/Mecha

Review Status: Complete (1 Volume/1 Volumes)

Licensed: No. this manga is not licensed in the US currently, but it was formerly licensed by Tokyopop.

Art: Light and sketch-like. There really isn’t solid shading, it’s mostly in shades of gray and done lightly. The character designs and layout are pretty solid and true to the anime.

Summary: To what distance would you go for your one true love? In the midst of an alien invasion, Mikako joins the resistance, leaving behind the one young man she loves. As she goes deeper into space, Mikako's only connection with her boyfriend is through cell-phone text messages. The war rages on and years pass, but Mikako barely ages in the timelessness of space while Noboru grows old. How can the love of two people, torn apart by war, survive? (Tokyopop)

Review: There are a few things that make a manga. One is the art and whether you can stand to look at it. The other two are the story and the characters, which combine to make something enjoyable. This manga mixed them in a way that leaves me with confused feelings.

On one hand, the characters and sentimentality this manga evokes are strong and moving. This manages to capture the longing for a loved one, impossibly far away, in a way that really speaks to anyone who has had to be far away from their own family and loved ones. Being away from them is hard in the first place- being away from them for years at a time, rarely in contact, and not knowing when you’ll ever see or speak to them is something else.

What mars that wonderful feeling of longing that is so exquisite in its presentation is the whole premise. People are randomly selected to be pilots of very large, expensive machines. The idea that any government, no matter how desperate, would throw people at random into these machines and then send them into a war zone is completely unbelievable. There’s no sign that there is some sort of shortage of people who are over the age of 18 and are smart, intelligent, and able to be pressed into service if it’s that desperately needed- one need only take a look at how Israel manages its army to see that it can and is done. However, it’s just taken as a matter of course for this lottery to exist.

Unfortunately, this means a lot of the feelings and sorrow I had were constantly interrupted by the thought that no government would ever do such a thing and made the whole storyline stupid and ridiculous.

Overall, suspension of disbelief is necessary to create a world that the reader can get lost in, and that failed hard in that respect, which ruined the emotion that the manga had.

Recommended: 10+. There are brief mentions of death- there is a war going on- but there is no language, no fanservice, and the worst there is in terms of gore are the burn scars on a victim of the attacks.

Other titles you might enjoy:
5 Centimeters Per Second (anime)
The Place Promised In Our Early Days (anime)
Children Who Chase Lost Voices From Deep Below (anime)
Saikano (anime)
Ef- A Tale Of Memories/A Tale of Melodies (anime)
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (anime)

“The Trials Of War “- Andromeda Stories (manga) – 5/10 Black Cats

On a large enough time line, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero. ~Chuck Palahniuk

Mangaka:Keiko Takemiya (art), Ryu Mitsuse (story)

Genre: Sci-fi/Action/Drama

Review Status: Complete (3 Volumes/3 Volumes)

Licensed: Yes, this manga is licensed in the US

Art: The art and character designs are kind of girly (pretty boys and large, sparkly eyes), with lots of sparkles and flowing hair to be found. It’s not bad, though- all the characters are pretty distinct and easy to recognize. And this particular art is pretty distinctive to this mangaka.

Summary: Cosmoralia’s Prince Ithaca is about to wed Princess Lilia of Ayodoya and be crowned Astralta III. The apparently favorable celestial bearings mean he will be no mere monarch but holy king of a new ‘papacy’. Alas, the peaceful inhabitants of Planet Astria have no clue that they’re next in line for invasion by a ruthless machine force- a threat that seems to metaphorize the inherent perils of politics and desire in this multilayered saga. (back cover of V. 1)

Review: An overlooked omen turns out to not be an omen at all- it’s the actual ship of machines that spell doom for the world. Twins are born as the country is slowly taken over, that are separated and one sent away in hopes of keeping a fight over the inheritance of the throne from occurring between them. However, as they grow, darker forces bring them together again.

This has a solid start, building the love between the queen and king of Cosmoralia, and how grave it would be if there were twins vying for the throne. Characters that are important are introduced. The beginning of the end takes root in the kingdom. And one twin is discovered to be the bearer or a mark that could signal the fulfillment of a vague prophecy.

From the second volume onward, things get a little shaky. Some plot threads are forgotten about, such as the mark and prophecy of one of the twins, others are brought in (the computers that can resist the temptations of the program that’s ravaging the planet) which have nothing done with them. The general plot remains solid, with the machines that invaded taking over bit by bit. To put it simply, ‘resistance is futile’. For everything the rebels do, the machines follow close after, destroying quickly and relentlessly. Machines can be made on assembly lines- humans can’t.

All the while, we’re seeing how the people deal with the effects of the extermination and following the stories of those who have been told that they’re destined to save the world and lead the humans to victory. It’s hard not to like them. Affle, who’s had his true identity suppressed for his own safety, is distrustful of others and does not welcome his brother with open arms. Slowly but surely, bonds grow, and it turns to strong feelings. Jimsa is more open to the prospect of a long-lost sibling, and is intrigued by his brother from the beginning. Going out of his way to protect Affle, he’s even willing to sacrifice himself as his feelings of love grow. Both are tossed about by the desires and ambitions of others but manage to take a stand for themselves as doom encroaches on them.

So how to save the world? Well, that would be spoiling it. However, I’m not fond of how the story kind of jumped the shark at the end. It decides to take a route that could have worked in other circumstances, but given the plot threads that were dropped or ignored, feels more like a cop-out. It also doesn’t really make any sense, which is even more of a shame.

Overall, this was an interesting premise but a bit of a letdown in execution.

Recommended: 16+. There is virtually no gore outside of the occasional body and bloodspill. The only thing that might cause some to pause is the implication of sex, a panel glimpse of boobs (important to revealing something plot-wise), and there is incest.

Other titles you might enjoy:
To Terra… (manga and anime)
Bokurano (anime and manga)
Historie (manga)
Cesare (manga)

“Fight On” - Megaman NT Warrior – 7/10 Black Cats

Tell me what company thou keepst, and I'll tell thee what thou art. ~Miguel de Cervantes

Mangaka: Ryo Takamisaki

Genre: Action/Mecha/Sci-fi/Shounen/Kids

Review Status: Complete (13 Volumes/13 Volumes)

Licensed: Yes, this manga is licensed in the US

Art: If you’re familiar with the Megaman franchise, then these will look very familiar. If you’re not, then there isn’t a lot that’s going to stand out. I’m vaguely familiar with it, and still managed to mix up characters on occasion.

Summary: The year is 200X and everyone is now connected to the Cyber Network. People carry their own PET (Personal Terminal) and are paired up with an artificial intelligence program called a NetNavi (or NetNavigator). Computers have turned the world into a bright and shiny utopia but there's always trouble in paradise. While the invention of the PET and NetNavis has brought great benefits to the world, computer hacking, virus spreading and other high-tech crimes are becoming a major problem. A sinister organization by the name of World Three has appeared and they've vowed to destroy this technological wonderland. Enter our young hero, Lan Hikari, an intensely curious and cheerful fifth grader. Synchronized with his NetNavigator, MegaMan, he becomes a super-charged dynamo. In and out of the Net, Lan and MegaMan do their best to thwart World Three's never-ending quest to take over the world! (Amazon.com summary)

Review: First off, I want to clarify that the score on top is scoring it as a children’s manga, and how good it is for that age bracket. I would give it a seven because it’s a very typical story, with characters that could be ripped from any storyline from the same age bracket. Lan and Megaman are both upbeat and determined, who fight for their friends and refuse to fight against them. They’re always willing to risk themselves from others. His friends aren’t any better off, nor are his opponents, except for Blaze, who is the sole character that shows actual depth, though it’s not explored since this is an action manga.

The story also doesn’t stand out too much from others like Digimon or the like. He encounters low-level thugs, gets stronger, finds out there’s high-level thugs that he needs to defeat to save the cyberworld, gets stronger and defeats them, and finally saves the world. It would be more effective and moving if there was actual characterization, but for a kid’s story, it’s pretty solid and I can’t make many complaints- except for one.

The major drawback is that this is so shallow that the two girls (Roll and her NaviOp) that get more than one appearance suffer from ‘Daphne syndrome’. They exist only to be saved/protected/be a general burden and distraction. This ends up being both confusing and frustrating when Roll is brought to an ‘ultimate level’ alongside other super-strong Navi’s, must be saved, and then is completely forgotten about plot-wise.

As an adult reading this manga, I have to score it a 5/10, possibly lower. There were some genuinely funny moments, rare as they were, and the story is somewhat solid, but this has flaws out the wazoo. I would never want to live in this world since the security of the network is so poor that in the space of a few days (once a volume for about 5 volumes straight) the appliances in houses explode and start fires. Apparently, the terrorists have nothing better to do than burn down a small city. Fighting online is illegal without a license, but PETs are sold with the ability instead of the stuff to block it that they put in Lan’s PET at one point in the manga. And of course, the ability to synchronize NetNavis with NetOps without any sort of machinery or technological link to facilitate it- which comes off as realistic as me being able to synch with my Pokemon game while holding a Nintendo DS. It just isn’t going to happen.

To top it off was, of course, the ever-present ‘Daphne syndrome’, which was old by the second volume. Please note that none of the major players were female in this story. I found it to be sexist and discriminatory and definitely brought down my rating a notch or two.

Overall, while it’s an okay children’s manga, it has a few too many issues to really be enjoyed by an adult.

Recommended: 5+. This has no language, no fanservice of any kind, cartoon violence (except for one scene where they show the hand of someone who had been crushed). If your kid can handle that, then they're good to go.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Dennou Coil (anime)
½ Prince (manga)
Real Drive (anime)
.hack//Sign (anime)
Digimon Adventure: War Game (anime)
Summer Wars (anime)
Angelic Layer (anime)
Yureka (manga)

“Seas Of Destruction” – Nausicaä Valley of the of the Wind (anime) - 10/10 Black Cats

Brotherhood is the very price and condition of man's survival. ~Carlos P. Romulo

Genre: Sci-fi/Action

Review Status: Complete (1 Movie/1 Movie)

Licensed: Yes, this anime is licensed in the US

Art/Animation: It's Ghibli. Soft faces, large eyes, pretty girls and guys with mustaches.

Dub Vs. Sub: Both are wonderful. There might be a wince-worthy moment or two in the dub, when Nausicaa says her own name (and fails to pronounce it correctly), but nothing that should really be a deterrent.

Summary: A thousand years after a global war, a seaside kingdom known as the Valley of the Wind remains one of only a few areas still populated. Led by the courageous Princess Nausicaä, the people of the valley are engaged in a constant struggle with powerful insects called Ohmu, who guard a poisonous jungle that is spreading across the Earth. Nausicaä and her brave companions, together with the people of the Valley, strive to restore the bond between humanity and the Earth. (back of DVD cover)

Review: Nausicaä is right up there in Ghibli’s darkest films, second only to Grave of the Fireflies. This is a land almost overtaken by desolation- one where breathing the air for too long will send you to an early grave, as is happening with Nausicaä’s father, one where the hardest struggle may not guarantee your survival.

Even in the face of this, Nausicaä remains optimistic- that perhaps she can cure her father’s disease, and that they can live in peace with the creatures of the forest if humans take the time to understand them instead of simply fighting against them. Her fairly peaceful world is shattered when a warship carrying an important prisoner crashes in her valley with a weapon of devastating power left from the war that destroyed the world.

Nausicaä is a powerful work of anti-war, pro-environmentalist themes that never is preachy or condescending or takes it to a level that would make people unconfortable. The story is strong enough that it feels as natural and obvious as anything- and not in a bad way. Even looking back, there are lessons that are true in it. Nausicaä brings the conflict home in her character- in a fit of rage, she ends up killing others, but hates herself for it and vows to never allow it to happen again. She also tries her hardest to protect others from death. Since she understands the motivations behind how the creatures of the forest act (and they are animals, acting on mostly natural instinct), Nausicaa teaches others how to respect them and shares her knowledge- they can live together on each other’s periphery if humans can learn to calm down.

There’s action, adventure, and the plot threads are tied together very nicely. It’s a wonderful film in its own right- no need to actually read the manga it’s based off of. (Side note: The manga and the anime are quite different. The movie is the adaptation of the first volume or so- the manga goes its own route after that).

Overall, this is one of the best of Ghibli’s films, and it shows.

Recommended: Yes! 13+, since the ideas of death are very prevalent. Nausicaä’s father is killed onscreen, a girl dies from injuries, there’s the implication of the Sea of Decay killing the inhabitants of a kingdom. The reminders that this is a deadly world are everywhere. No death is graphic or gory. No language is in the movie. There is a scene where Nausicaä unbuttons a girl’s shirt to see the extent of the injuries- you only see the shirt- the angle lets you see Nausicaä’s face before she buttons it back up.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Real Drive (anime)
+Anima (manga)
Princess Mononoke (anime)
Origin: Spirits of the Past (anime)
Erin (anime)
Earth Maiden Arjuna (anime)

“It’s All In The Numbers” – No. 6 (anime) – 6/10 Notebooks

Perhaps the greatest utopia would be if we could all realize that no utopia is possible; no place to run, no place to hide, just take care of business here and now. ~Jack Carroll

Genre: Sci-fi/Shounen-ai/Action/Josei

Review Status: Complete (11 Episodes/11 Epsiodes)

Licensed: Yes, this anime is licensed for streaming on Crunchyroll.com

Art/Animation: Overall average. The colors are nice and bright, the character designs decently memorable. The animation suffers a bit in the slice-of-life segments where nothing much happens. The action scenes, especially at the end of the series, have wonderfully fluid fights that are a great watch.

Dub Vs. Sub: There is no dub for this title.

Summary: Sion is a bright teenager living a comfortable and promising life inside No. 6, one of this six remaining city-states created by The Babylon Treaty after the last great war devastated the world. On the rainy evening of his twelfth birthday, he meets a savvy adolescent who calls himself "Nezumi" (Rat) and is desperately trying to runaway from the authorities. For helping a fugitive of the state, Sion is stripped of all his privileges. Four years later, they meet once again. For better or for worse, Sion is about to unravel the secrets guarded deep inside No. 6. (ANN decription)

Review: No. 6- a utopia for those who love their city and never question it. A place of exile and terror for those who dare speak a word against it. Created to be a haven after the wars destroyed most of the world, those in power grew too hungry for power, and try to harness the power of a forest to try and revive the world.

This anime has some good ideas, but suffers for its length and attempt to balance character development with plot development. There is great build-up for the first 4 or 5 episodes, with the meeting of Nezumi and Sion, the clues that not everything is as it seems in the city, the way Sion sees life for those around him outside the place and his determination to save the people in the city. Unfortunately, the relationship with Sion and Nezumi gets rushed because they have to move the plot along, and the plot suffers because they spent time on the relationship.

Nezumi, you come to understand, has a deep-seated grudge against the people of No. 6. His family killed off and captured to be experimented on, he wants nothing more than to see the city destroyed. Sion has lived a charmed life within the city… until he helps a boy who has escaped from it. His perceived betrayal of the city casts him into the lowest of jobs and responsibilities, and his questioning of the city when people start dying in suspicious ways. In the peripheral is Safu, a childhood friend of Sion’s, who has a deep crush on him and becomes a key player late in the series. Things that connect her and Sion clue them in that things are very wrong in the city. The first half is where you really get into their characters and their motivations, and they become genuinely likeable people.

The great build up in the beginning all goes to waste in the second half. Unanswered questions and plot holes about. It’s easy to tell that they had expected a second season, and ended up struggling to give a good ending to the season. That still leaves the questions of who or what Elyusia is (and a giant bee? Really?). How was it determined that nothing of Safu remained? After all, there seemed to be enough of her consciousness at the end. Why would anyone program all the computers to destroy themselves if the main computer was gone (by far the dumbest programming mistake ever)?

The finale delivered in terms of action, explosions, emotional punches, and destruction, which is why I'm still rating this over a 5. There are few things I’ve found more horrifying than what was inside the walls of the correction center. The action and fights were beautiful and fluid, and the emotional scenes during it didn’t feel out of place or forced. Unfortunately, it was marred by one of the most overdramatic, obvious, and downright stupid revival scenes I’ve ever seen. Even so, the ending brought back some of the goodwill that it lost during the second half.

Overall, the flaws in execution really bring my opinion down, but the good parts still manage to outweigh the bad- just barely.

Recommended: 16+. There is very little language, perhaps one or two swears but none stronger than the d-word or h-word. There are two kisses between Nezumi and Sion, neither of which last very long. Besides those scenes there really isn’t any sign that they’re more than friends, sometimes even behaving more like brothers. Safu, being a very direct character, admits that she likes Sion and asks him to have sex with her. It is very blunt, but not out of character, and never brought up again.

This does have some scenes that are horrifying- the town of No. 6 outcasts is razed by the military, and lots of people are killed. You do see bodies and blood spatter, though no gore per say. Later, they are dumped in a pit to die, that’s filled with the bodies of outcasts that were thrown there to be forgotten and die. Nezumi and Sion must climb to the top of the pile to escape. No gore, though the thought can be enough to turn some stomachs.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Ergo Proxy (anime)
King of Thorn (manga)
Wolf’s Rain (anime)
Tegami Bachi (manga)

“I, Android” – Karakuri Odette (manga) – 10/10 Notebooks

I believe that at the end of the century the use of words and the general educated opinion will have altered so much that one will be able to speak of machines thinking without expecting to be contradicted. ~Alan Turing, 1937

Genre: Sci-fi/School/Drama/Romance

Review Status: Complete (6 Volumes/6 Volumes)

Licensed: Not currently. It was formerly licensed by Tokyopop.

Art: For a shoujo, the art is surprisingly plain. Backgrounds of any sort are minimal. The characters can look awkward and gangly at times.

Summary: Odette is an android created by the young talented scientist Dr. Yoshizawa. Wanting to find the ultimate difference between humans and his android, Odette decides to persuade Dr. Yoshizawa to enroll her in a local high school. Follow Odette's adventures as she ventures through high school, in search of the true meaning of being a human. (amazon.com)

Review: The idea of an android wanting to be recognized or wanting to be like humans is a common one in science fiction. Manga isn’t very different. This shoujo takes advantage of the idea to approach the subject from the emotional standpoint of the android.

After watching a tv show, she gets the idea that it would be interesting to go to her high school and study humans. She makes friends by obeying her first directive- never to hurt a human. Odette is unusual in that she picks up most social cues very easily, figuring out what friends are and being accepting of everyone. This lands her in interesting situations, such as being a best friend (and potential love interest) of the school delinquent, and befriending other androids that weren’t made with the best of intentions.

Some of the interesting things are comparing how Odette grows and changes through the series in comparison to her companion android Chris. He ends up disappearing for a volume or two, and they are in such contrast with each other that it’s hard to believe that she was like he was a short while ago, or how ingrained she has become with her human friends. Of course, her uniqueness isn’t unnoticed by others.

A protective human guy friend (and potential love interest- but those who are going in for just that might be a tad disappointed by the ambiguous ending), an android that wants to marry her and have their parts mended, a jealous love triangle, and a scientist that only wants and values the best all end up complicating her life. Even so, friendship and family win the day. I think this ended exactly where it should have- a good note.

Overall, this was a sweet story about an android slowly becoming human.

Recommended: 10+. There was one swear in the volumes I read, the d-word. Some of the robots are assassination robots, and in two chapters you see people disappear in a flash of light. Unless the idea of seeing robot parts scattered over the floor at other parts disturbs you, then this is a very safe read.

Other Titles You Might Enjoy:
Time of Eve (OVA and Movie)
Chobits (manga)
Absolute Boyfriend (manga)
Lovers Doll (manga)

“Turning Time On Its Head” – Steins;Gate (anime) – 10/10 Notebooks

Life is like a game of cards. The hand you are dealt is determinism; the way you play it is free will. ~Jawaharlal Nehru

Genre: Sci-fi/Romance/Thriller

Review Status: Complete (24 Episodes/24 Episodes)

Licensed: Yes, this anime is licensed and available for viewing on Crunchyroll

Art/Animation: Very nice. The colors are vibrant, taking on appropriately darker tones in the appropriate places, though the art and character designs fairly standard. The animation is quite nice and fluid.

Dub Vs. Sub: There is no dub. However, since it has also been picked up for distribution by Funimation, one can be expected when it’s finally released.

Summary: Steins; Gate follows an eclectic group of individuals who have the ability to send text messages to the past. However throughout their experimentation process, an organization named SERN who has been doing their own research on time travel tracks them down. Now it’s a careful game of cat and mouse to not get caught and moreover, try to survive. (CrunchyRoll)

Review: This makes up for Chaos;Head in every way. C;H, infamous for being a terrible adaptation of a rather good VN, ended up being the benchmark for whether there could actually be a decent adaptation of a Nitro+ VN. S;G surpassed it in every expectation. Thankfully, you do not need to see or play Chaos;Head to enjoy everything about Steins;Gate.

Okabe Rintarou, Mad Scientist Extraordinaire, is attempting another one of his mad experiments- a microwave phone. Something just keeps going wrong, though. Things that they put into it turn into jelly-like approximations, chemically destabilized almost beyond recognition. He deems it a failure and goes on the trail of another crazy science experiment and conspiracy theory; Time travel. A shocking discovery, and an emergency cell phone call later, and Okabe feels the world change around him. Something is different, and he realizes that the girl that he had discovered dead is now alive. How? Why?

Recruiting her into his ragtag group of friends and their secret ‘lab’, Okabe discovers that time travel may not be as impossible as previously thought. It doesn’t quite work the way they thought it would though. By sending a message to people in the past, the present is changed. Only Okabe seems to remember the past, though, and each time the present is changed, he gets drawn deeper into the conspiracy that the organization STERN has planted around them. The eventual discovery of a horrific fate leads Okabe to try and return things to the way they were.

The one thing that you might want to look up on Wiki is “John Titor”. His explosion onto an internet board, with his claims of time travel and explanations of it, are somewhat important though not necessary to enjoy this anime. You do get the basics of it in the show. It provides the basis for how he is jumping timelines and changing fate.

This builds the story excellently. From who and what the STERN organization is, how and why people send the messages they do, to trying to escape the fate, to the knowledge of what the change will mean for Okabe and the girl he comes to love, there is really no wasted episode. It has some pretty good comedy and pretty heavy drama. The way it’s done, it doesn’t feel forced, and you come to like and care for the members of the group. The ending was very touching- and as much as I would love a follow-up episode, I think that this couldn’t be improved on.

Overall, for a solid sci-fi series that does what it does well, this is exactly what you’re looking for.

Recommended: 13+. There are a handful of swears, virtually all in the first half of the series. The worst it gets is one instance of the b-word. No fanservice except for one instance where Okabe accidentally walks in on Christina and Makise in the shows- you only see their backs. A guy who wishes he was born a girl sends a d-mail to his mom, and she’s born a girl in that timeline (the one instance where I was made truly angry by the science here. There is no way that eating vegetables or meat determines the sex of your child). There is a decent amount of violence, but the use of discretion shots is prevalent. You never actually see the wound being given- you see the aftermath, such as blood trickling down a face, or shadows and some blood, or a limp arm and a broken watch. The worse it gets is seeing the body fall after the wound, or in Okabe’s case, the knife in his gut and blood falling to the floor.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Real Drive (anime)
Steins;Gate movie (anime) (not yet released)
Higurashi: When They Cry (manga, anime season 1 and season 2, and VN)
Occult Academy (anime)
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (anime)
Future Diary (manga)
Time of Eve (anime)
Puella Magi Madoka Magica (anime)

“Space Invaders” – Mars of Destruction (anime) – 1/10 Notebooks

"...why I'm so sympathetic to the monsters. The answer is simple. Because I am one." ~Laurell K. Hamilton

Genre: Sci-fi/Horror

Review Status: Complete (1 Episode/1 Episode)

Licensed: No, it’s not licensed in the US. Thank goodness.

Art/Animation: Even though this was made in 2005, the animation would only be acceptable in 1990- MAYBE. It’s choppy, slow, inconsistent, and in some places non-existent. The art is standard, nothing exceptional.

Dub Vs. Sub: There is no dub. The sub, however, is overdramatic and perhaps the sorriest thing about it is that the voice actors seem to be trying. It’s not done well, though.

Summary: Some time after a space mission to Mars ends in destruction, strange monsters called "Ancients" begin appearing around Tokyo. A group of specialists consisting of three girls and one troubled young boy must fight the Ancients until they can come to understand exactly what it is they are fighting. When one of the Ancients tells them that they are the true invaders of Earth, they must search within themselves to grasp what truly is reality. (Source: ANN)

Review: This is a title that is well-maligned in the circles of anime fans as being one of the worst anime out there. Just to see whether this could hold up to such high standards, I gave it a shot.

There is no exaggeration when people say that this is a terrible anime. It starts out somewhat promising, with some lovely classical music, along with some shots of Mars and space to go along with it. And then you get to the re-entry of a spaceship into the atmosphere, which is dialogue set to a still shot. It doesn’t get any better from there.

This is filled with some of the worst dialogue and logic I’ve ever heard. There was an astonishing leap of logic when someone said that DNA from Mars started humanity on earth (wha?) and another man said that it meant humanity originated in Japan. There was an assertion by one of the ‘aliens’ that they had been awakened by the virus that had destroyed life on Mars, even though the aliens had only shown up a few months before and life on Mars had been gone for thousands of years. The worst of it, though, had to be when the characters were in the hospital. They were in an ICU unit, not surgery, but you heard calls for a ‘heart massage’, and someone said that the girl whose head had exploded wasn’t going to make it. Really? I would never have guessed! To top that off was the interesting way that guns didn’t injure the “Ancient” at all until the young man on the task force had shot him once. Then the bullets proceeded to rip into the alien’s flesh.

Of course, a train wreck of this proportion would be nothing without some stellar characters to carry it through. You have the members of the elite force that are young teenage girls of multi-colored hair. None of them are ever given a name. The only one that seems to be of any importance is the guy, who’s forced into a suit that should give him some serious internal injuries, and forced to fight these creatures. Too bad all we know about him is that his father created the suit and that one of the girls on the team likes him.

There is no reason to like or care about anything in this OVA. The characters are cookie-cutter, the plot entirely nonsensical, and the animation completely sub-standard. It’s a complete waste of the space it takes up, on the internet, on cellulite, and in my mind.

Overall, only watch this if you haven’t seen anything worse than Speed Racer, and you need something to compare it to.

Recommended: Um, no. 16+, though, for the gore. People are killed in this- one girl’s head explodes, two cops have holes shot in them.

Other titles you might enjoy: Anything else. However, for some shows with similar, better storylines…
Ga-Rei Zero (anime)
Macross Frontier (anime)
Super Dimention Fortress Macross (anime)
Gantz (manga)
Birdy the Mighty: Decode (anime)
Bubblegum Crisis (anime)

“Amazing Grace” – Sound of the Sky (anime) – 6/10 Notebooks

Sometimes I think it should be a rule of war that you have to see somebody up close and get to know him before you can shoot him. ~ M*A*S*H, Colonel Potter

Genre: Sci-fi

Review Status: Complete (12 Episodes/12 Episodes)

Licensed: Yes, this anime is licensed in the US. It’s available on DVD, or for free viewing on Crunchyroll.com.

Art/Animation: The animation is wonderful, very fluid and consistently good. The art is a little more iffy. The character designs are similar to those of the girls from K-On!, and not surprisingly gets a lot of flack for this. They really aren’t that memorable. While the art tends to be very well-done, the CG can be a little harsh and ugly, feeling very out-of-place in comparison to the rest of it.

Dub Vs. Sub: This is only available in subtitles.

Summary: In a lonely corner of the world, on the edge of No Man’s Land, sits Clocktower Fortress. It’s home to the 1121st Platoon of the Helvetian Army, and their newest member is a 15-year-old volunteer named Kanata Sorami, who enlisted to learn how to play the bugle. When she was a child, Kanata was saved by a beautiful soldier and found inspiration in the clear, golden sound of her trumpet. From that day forward, Kanata decided music would be her life. As the other platoon members train her how to be a bugler and a soldier, Kanata's enduring optimism will inspire them to look for happiness and beauty, even in a world haunted by war. (Rightstuf.com)

Review: The world as we know it has ended- a war has split the world into many countries, the old technology has been lost for the most part, and all that remains is a legend of maidens at a city at the edge of the border to nowhere, and a song that has managed to last through time.

At this outpost in the middle of nowhere, four girls welcome their newest member and interact with the villagers in ways that wouldn’t be approved of by the military or Church headquarters. They take part in local celebrations, help the children that the Church also takes care of, illegally make and sell wine to supplement their meager rations, and fix an old tank left over from the war that ended scant years before.

These activities make for some memorable episodes, from the one where they get involved in a tomato-throwing festival, to an episode where they foil some yakuza and scare Sorami in the process, to the one where the villagers honor the dead in a time-honored tradition. The first two thirds of this series are all about daily life in the fort and village, and while not all of it stood out, it most definitely had its moments. The less memorable moments would have been far better had the characters been stronger- as it is, they’re just carbon copies of all the other girls from 5-girl shows. There’s nothing really memorable about them or their personalities, so it’s the situations themselves that end up being what you really remember.

Then you get to the last few episodes. The drama really begins there, with a girl from the other side of No Man’s Land having traveled to find the village that was spoken of in tales from her homeland. From here on in, the story is serious business. There’s risk of attack, the fort is taken over by the main military force, and there is a surprising, out-of-nowhere reveal about one of the girls. And of course, music helps save the day.

As nice as this is, the first two thirds of the story aren’t all that special though it does have it’s moments.

Overall,this was a nice but indifferent slice of life (until the military storyline kicked in, which is where it became an indifferent story about the war).

Recommended: 13+. There’s no real language, a little bit of inappropriate humor (one of the girls has to stay in front of a phone until it rings and almost has an accident in one of the episodes). There’s one or two scenes with undetailed nudity, one when a girl is dressing and another with the girls in the bath- they’re having a slumber-party setup- but it’s like Totoro in execution. There is also some violence in the last few episodes. You see a battle that one of the girls was involved in- her squadron is killed in action. You do see the bodies. She also comes across a skeleton of a soldier that died many years ago, and hallucinates that it’s telling her to give up and commit suicide.

Other Titles You Might Enjoy:
K-On! (anime)
Yokohama Kaidashi Kiko (manga)
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (anime and manga)
Library Wars (anime and manga)
Haibane Renmei (anime)

“A Little Bit Of Life” – Four Shoujo Stories (manga) – 7/10 Beach Balls

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. ~Maria Robinson

Genre: A mix of Shoujo and Josei stories. Other than that, it’s in the review for each one-shot.

Review Status: Complete (1 Volume/1 Volume)

Licensed: Yes, this manga is licensed in the US. However, it is out of print, and due to when it was brought over (’96), the art is flipped in the US printing.

Art: The art is slightly dated, though still pretty typical for shoujo series. The lines aren’t always clean, but you have long-haired girls and big eyes. Some of the art is better than others. The one-shots collected in this are from all different time periods- They Were 11 was published in ’75, while some of the others date from the 80’s and 90’s.

Summary: In the review for each one.

Review:
This collection of stories is was the first shoujo manga published in the US. It’s a bit of a shame that it’s now out-of-print. Four stories from various mangaka that sprawl various genres and situations, this collection shows the roots of shoujo. However, I regret that they didn’t always pick the best stories to be published and really show Shoujo’s abilities. Two were very good, but the other two were poor in execution and story. However, the two that are good are worth seeking out on their own.

‘Promise’ by Keiko Nishi (Slice-of-Life/Drama/Supernatural)
A girl’s who’s become lost in life meets a stranger who is strangely familiar, and helps her gain back some understanding and happiness in life. Reiko always knew her mother wasn’t going to stay a widow forever, but when her mother suddenly introduces her to her husband-to-be, it comes as a shock. Reiko’s feeling as confused and as in turmoil as many people do when their parents decide to remarry- something that’s far from uncommon in today’s society. She has a hard time coming to terms with it and wishes she were dead so that she wouldn’t have to deal with it all- like her twin brother who never got a chance to live. Of course, the mysterious stranger who becomes friend and confidant expresses the idea that perhaps her brother is the one who is jealous of her. Perhaps in dealing with all the stress and discomfort of family life, Reiko is the lucky one. This was nice because it’s so relatable for so many people. While it’s not the best one-shot I’ve read, it most definitely is one for when you’re stressed by family and feel like giving up. 8/10

‘They Were 11’ by Moto Hagio (Sci-fi/Psychological/Mystery/Shoujo)
Only 10 students were sent out in on the mission into space. So why are there 11? Who is the extra, and why are they there? This is by far the best one-shot in the volume. This slowly explores the mystery of the ship- why it was abandoned, what happened to the people on it- while getting into the psychology and suspicions of the students. Tensions start building from the beginning as they can’t verify who is and isn’t a student. Accidents begin to happen and things start centering on one student who has empathetic abilities. Whether these students will survive is questionable, and will keep you on your seat! Good enough to have had a movie version made of it, this is a great story for anyone who enjoys thrillers! 10/10

‘The Changeling’ by Shio Sato (Sci-fi/Shoujo/Drama)
Lin has come from earth to contact and research a civilization started a thousand years ago. What she finds is a civilization that had a revolution 70 years ago, destroying a decadent noble class and establishing a virtual utopia. But why did it happen only 70 years ago and no sooner? What’s the secret behind these people that have genetically engineered themselves to no longer be able to breed with humans? This story is pretty short and to-the point, written in the vein of ‘I, Robot’ or ‘Bicentennial Man’. It isn’t half as sophisticated as those stories, though, and fails to have much dramatic emotional impact when the secret is exposed or when the explanation for everything is given. With such weak characters and a rushed pacing, this is a very weak addition to the volume. 6/10

‘Since You’ve Been Gone’ by Keiko Nishi (Josei/Drama)
The second contribution to this collection by Keiko, this story is about a man who’s been visiting his mistress when an earthquake hits. Enticed to stay, he starts reminiscing about how he met and fell in love with his wife. But was it really love? Or does he love his mistress? What does each woman really mean to him? It’s not as well put-together as her other work in this, ‘Promise’, is. It only shallowly explores his feelings for his wife and how they got together, and his relationship with his mistress is downright annoying. His mistress behaves like an immature child, while his wife lives out-of-touch with the world. The plot is pretty tragic, though, since when he realizes who he truly loves that person ends up dying. Overall, though, this is another poor story. 5/10

Overall, the four stories in here do manage to convey the range of shoujo and josei stories out there, but are of mixed quality.

Recommended: 14+. There is a little language, I remember the d-word being said twice. There are two instances of Barbie-doll nudity or where the genitals are covered up. ‘They Were 11’ had alien races involved, and two of them are hermaphroditic until maturation- one never matured and lives an extended life as a monk among his people, another will gain the ability to become fully a man if s/he passes the test they are on. S/he and another guy develop a somewhat romantic relationship, and s/he states that s/he would become a woman for him. In another story, a man is having an affair. No nudity or sexual situations are shown, just his bare chest and some of her legs. Any and all deaths are either offscreen and/or implied.

Other titles you might enjoy:
They Were 11 (anime)
Solanin (manga)
Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan (manga)
Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms (manga)

“The Final Frontier” – Planetes (anime) – 10/10 Beach Balls

"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity..."
- extract of a T.E. Lawrence quote

Genre: Sci-fi/Romance/Slice-of-life/Drama

Review Status: Complete (26 Episodes/26 Episodes)

Licensed: Yes, this anime is licensed in the US

Art/Animation: Very nice. This goes for a more realistic look to the art, and the animation holds up to standards. There’s some absolutely wonderful CG work thrown in, and while it can be rather obvious where it is, it’s not an eyesore.

Dub Vs. Sub: Dub is pretty decent. I overall preferred the sub merely because the voice actor for Hachimaki puts such energy into his performance, but both are watchable.

Summary: In 2075 AD, regular commercial flights can take you to cities on the moon or space stations orbiting the Earth. But there exists a thread that may seem trivial but left unchecked can prove fatal: Space Debris. This is the story of the Debris Section of the space station ISPV-7 who diligently collects orbital debris to keep space travel safe. Hachirota “Hachimaki” Hoshino, an experienced EVA (extra-vehicular activity) worker, toils away at his thankless job, hoping to one day own his own spaceship. (from back of DVD cover)

Review: I had read the manga a while ago, so I came into this thinking I knew the story. I was wrong. These are different enough that I cannot compare them on any level, and so will not be doing this review with any comparisons.

The members of Debris Section, or “half-section” as they are oft referred to due to a lack of a full crew, are all working hard to fuel their hopes and dreams. We follow Tanabe as she meets and gets to know them, the perils of the job revealing themselves to her the longer she stays and becoming more than she could ever have imagined. Tanabe herself is a rather naïve newbie in Half Section. She believes in love- that everyone should be cherished, that tributes to it should be admired, that people want nothing more than to be together and love one another deep down. Her idealism is brought down a notch in the first episode, but throughout it morphs into a deep faith in people and into doing the right thing- and she is a strong character for it. Hachimaki is an unrepentant dreamer. He manages to hold tight to his dream of having his own ship for a good long time, and must face demons of an accident in order to cling to them. He goes down the wrong path in trusting and loving others, but manages to make it back. The rest of Half Section are almost as deep and complex, from Fee, a rather mysterious smoker that is willing to face down terrorist attacks to get a smoke and has friends in high places in the system, to Ede, a temp worker that almost never talks, but has a drive and determination to overcome her past that puts many to shame. Even minor side characters manage to come across as multi-dimentional, real people. The first half of the anime is spent developing them, rarely taking itself too seriously, but with undertones that more serious stuff is afoot.

Character development is blended beautifully with the plot. At first it seems like the daily life of the debris collectors- sharing in their lives and loses, discovering the things that keep them in space or away from Earth. It seems very down to earth, with realistic situations involving the hierarchy of the company and various company politics. It soon grows into more than that. Internal and national politics come into play early on- the same episode that Tanabe’s idealism comes against a wall. An early forewarning of a more serious plot is the bombings of the smoking rooms on the Moon- as funny as the episode where this is introduced was, it’s terrorism nonetheless. As the crew of Half Section is pulled into these events during the regular course of their duties, they find themselves mixed up into planetary politics and company politics that have far-reaching consequences for everyone on and off of earth. Friends become foes, conspiracies and double-dealings abound, and subtle maneuvering wins the day though it might not be a perfect happy ending to the situation.

Of course, that’s not the end of things. Not by a long shot. Bad things happen to good people. No one within Half Section is left unaffected, least of all our main characters. And a decision is placed before Hachi that makes fulfilling his dream of going out into space on a 7 year cruise to Jupiter a hard choice to make. It does get a little philosophical as Hachi wrestles with the fears that were left from an accident that occurs during the series, but it’s through this that he’s able to come to terms with leaving and why, and who exactly he’d be leaving behind. He’s lived with his father doing it to his family, and he must figure out how to be at peace with it… or abandon his hopes altogether. The very ending is beautiful- a simple scene of family life that is touching and yet so bittersweet when I realized what exactly it meant.

Overall, this is a realistic and brilliant anime about garbage men in space.

Recommended: 15+. There’s some rough language- I don’t remember any f-bombs being dropped, but at least once an episode someone was dropping a “What the h---“, and occasionally using the alternate word for donkey, calling someone an illegitimate son, and there was one written instance of the word for female dog. Sometimes it was unnecessary and just the way the person spoke (which I can sympathize with as my brother speaks like that), and sometimes it was definitely situation-appropriate. The anime also deals with some heavy themes. One woman was abused and forced into prostitution by her husband, a few characters deal with the idea and consequences of killing another person- when it’s okay, and how one can be brave enough to sacrifice themselves- along with the dangers that come along with their jobs (from being hit with debris, to drifting off into space, to dying of cancer from radiation).

The violence is just a bit worse than Star Wars- most of the instances of death have discretion shots. The first people who die you see some blood fly and then another person moves over so you don’t see the bodies. Many of the shots you see some blood fly and then they fall over. However, there were about three times when the death was emphasized for horror and to show how terrible it was, not by making them gorefests but by making the people fall into another’s arms or other things. There was never anything excessive shown- I actually feel that it was done more tactfully than most PG-13 movies show. As far as sexual content, in the first episode Hachimaki picks up a porn magazine and tells Tanabe (who’s outraged) that it’s a long trip and things could happen between men and women, so it’s necessary. He’s forced to put it back. It does make a cover appearance in two other brief shots in the anime, but one time unless you’re paying attention then you’ll probably miss it. There is some slight sexual tension a few times- they are asked whether they’ve had sex twice, Tanabe is told that having dated for about two months might be the time to do it, and they do end up in a hotel room together. This goes absolutely nowhere, though.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Planetes (manga)
To Terra… (manga and anime)
Saturn Apartments (manga)
Eureka Seven (anime)
Moonlight Mile (anime)
Twin Spica (manga)
The Wings of Honneamise (anime)
Real Drive (anime)

“Going Back Home” – To Terra… (manga) – 9/10 Beach Balls

We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

Genre: Sci-fi/Action/Drama

Review Status: Complete (3 Volumes/3 Volumes)

Licensed: Yes, this manga is licensed in the US

Art: This looks like a cross between manga and comics from the 70’s. There are some things that could be considered rather shoujo-ish (lots of sparkles, big, expressive eyes), this still manages to stay very close to what we still consider future styles to be like and keeps a nice retro look to it.

Summary: The future. Having driven Terra to the brink of environmental collapse, humanity decides to reform itself by ushering in the age of Superior Domination (S.D.), a system of social control in which children are no longer the offspring of parents but the progeny of a universal computer. The new social order, however, results in an unexpected byproduct: the Mu, a mutant race with extrasensory powers who are forced into exile by The System.

The saga begins on educational planet Ataraxia, where Jomy Marcus Shin, a brash and unpredictable teenager, is nervously preparing to enter adult society. When his maturity check goes wrong, the Mu intervene in the great hope that Jomy, who possesses Mu telepathy and human physical strength, can lead them back home, to Terra… (from the back cover of the first volume)

Review: Humans have a tendency to dislike what they can’t understand. This holds true to other humans, other cultures, and in this future that is depicted, other species. They react to this in many ways, much of them violent and terrible. In this future, humans kill Mu as soon as they are discovered. Since Mu can be found at any age, this means children and adults alike are subject to brutal extermination. All the Mu want, though, is the chance to live life normally back on Earth- even if it’s not among the humans, then at least in peace.

Jomy, a boy who is subjected to many tests for psychic powers over his childhood, is finally captured by the Mu because their leader, Soldier Blue, realized Jomy is the perfect Mu… one born without a disability or weak body as most Mu are, and with strong psychic abilities. Jomy is named the future leader of the Mu- against much opposition and hatred from the rest. At the same time, Keith Anyan, an elite member of human society that has strong anti-psychic abilities, is being raised on a ship that readies humans for their trip back to Terra. He is favored by ‘mother’, the computer that controls the lives of everyone on board. No one knows why he is, but he displays excellent reflexes and very little emotion outside of a drive to get rid of the Mu.

Their stories are told side by side- those of the Mu that want peace and to live out their lives happily, and those of the humans that want nothing more than to get rid of them. There are certain questions that go throughout the story- why does the computer wish the Mu to be exterminated? Why can’t the computer get rid of the gene that creates the Mu? Can humans and Mu really live peacefully together? As the Mu destroy the computers on the ‘educational planets’, Mu children are taken in and cared for by the human caretakers. Efforts are stepped up on Terra to find and eliminate Mu and potential Mu, at any cost. Mu of any age are used in horrific experiments or outright killed. When the Mu finally arrive, there’s a battle of epic proportions- pitting the destinies of both against each other.

This presents issues of being different and change in an interesting light. Neither the Mu nor the humans are always right in their actions- Jomy remains the only character that attempts to treat others with kindness and understanding, though with the pressures and disappointments of command he is not always successful. Other Mu tend to have the same disdain towards humans that humans do for Mu, but never resort to outright murder or violence against them. Humans tend to be shortsighted and easily controlled, except for Keith, who has no past and comes to know he is merely a tool for the computers. How can both end up living together? Can there be peace for humans and Mu?

This answers the question in an interesting way. While the ending is happy in some ways, it is most tragic in others. But both do show that they can live together and help each other when the situation is dire, and that doesn’t change.

Overall, this was a moving story about people who wanted to be accepted.

Recommended: 13+. I can count the scenes with nudity in them on one hand. They are almost all Barbie-doll nudity, except one panel where Physis is in a glass case, and you see her breasts. There was one swear that I recall in the entire 3 volumes. This has unusually graphic death scenes. While there is no gore and the actual injuries are undetailed, people are burned alive, one man dies when he loses half his body to a weapon, another is shot through the heart, and others are crushed with falling rocks. What’s surprising is that as undetailed as the pictures are, it’s the injuries and deaths themselves that are quite brutal.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Toward the Terra (anime)
Time of Eve (anime)
Real Drive (anime)
Jyu-Oh-Sei (anime and manga)

“Can You Keep A Secret?” – Himitsu: Top Secret (anime) – 8/10 Beach Balls

Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets. ~Paul Tournier

Genre: Mystery/Psychological/Sci-Fi/Josei/Thriller

Review Status: Complete (26 Episodes/26 Episodes)

Licensed: No, this anime is not licensed in the US

Art/Animation: The palette of colors used is dark and subdued, almost dull. It’s a less well-know title by Madhouse Studios, so the animation is quite good, though the CG is very apparent and not always integrated well. Some of the styles look a little dated, but it has been over a decade since the manga came out, and that’s what the anime is based off of.

Dub Vs. Sub: There is no dub for this anime.

Summary: A newly developed method allows to display the memories of dead people. It is used to solve difficult murder cases. But at what cost? What of the dead's privacy as strangers poke about in their most private memories? What about the effects the imageries may have on the persons whose jobs require going through psychotic murderers' minds and experience whatever emotions and feelings these murderers felt as they skin and disembowel their victims?
(adapted from manga description)

Review: What are the secrets that drive people? Everyone has them. Some just happen to drive people into death and murder. Those are the secrets that this section investigate. By piecing together clues from the memories of those who have died, they discover things about people that are shameful, that are sad, that make them more human and real than just reading a case file.

How does this work? They take the brain of someone who has died in the last two days, hook it up to a machine that can ‘read’ the signals coming from the neurons within the brain, and using those connections they are able to see the things that happened within a persons’ life. It isn’t perfect- they are limited to what that person saw and sometimes heard, and we don’t store our whole life in our memories- there are some random ones, and some emotionally charged ones, and some important ones, but our lives are not stored like movies. However, using the clues within the memories of people, sometimes leaping back years, they are able to piece together most of what happened in a crime. Each case manages to make an innovative use of the machine and what it can do, keeping it fresh and interesting.

However, this isn’t a story about piecing together crimes, although that is a major component in the story. No, this anime is about the people in Section 9. Aoki, our main character, has been brought to Section 9 as an investigator. He navigates the world of Section 9, his own morals, and his family in order to try and find a balance in his life. It’s his questions and thoughts on what is happening that drives the best part of the series- the moral questions and issues that drive the series. The rest of the team all have their own issues and backstories, from Maki, the section leader that has a hard past to deal with, to Amachi, a woman with a slight sixth sense that is brought down in an investigation. Each person gets an episode to get into their characters, and while it does make them more real, they still receive very little character development.

The mysteries, while well done, and the characters, while decently interesting, are merely vehicles for the issues that are presented in the anime. This is all about privacy- how far does one go in investigating using these methods? When is it okay to divulge secrets that may destroy someone’s reputation? What happens when they intrude on another section member’s life? These things extend beyond the cases they work in and into their own lives- Aoki worries about his coworkers discovering his secret lust for his sister should he die and his father has secrets that have a lot to do with him. His coworkers carry similar worries and ideas. And even those issues delve beyond privacy and into things that affect society- you have problems concerning body modifications, homosexuality, and more.

How these are presented and handled creates much of the drama and makes the stories compelling. Everything is well done, but dealing with these is where the anime shines. This has a heavy psychological atmosphere that makes this heavy watching, but a very good show and handles these issues well. However, the anime does have some issues with various plot threads being dropped. The most noticeable of these is Aoki’s love/lust for his sister, which only is relevant for the first 4 or so episodes and then forgotten.

Overall, if you enjoy dealing with moral issues and society, then this is one to pick up!

Recommended: 16+. This is an anime that deals with some very heavy things. One person they investigate is homosexual. Some are having affairs. One deals with body modifications. Aoki is dealing with lust for his sister (this is not exploited or really dwelled on, merely mentioned). This does deal with murder mysteries, so there are deaths. Most are non-graphic, though the details behind what’s happening can delve into gruesome. I don’t recall any nudity, though there was at least one scene where Aoki sees his sister getting dressed and we see her back and the back of her bra.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Mail (manga)
Monster (anime)
Mouryo no Hako (anime)
Aoi Bungaku (anime)
Shiki (anime or manga)
Bokurano (anime and manga)

“Layer Upon Layer” – Serial Experiments Lain (anime) – 9/10 Beach Balls

The Internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn't understand, the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had. ~Eric Schmidt

Genre: Sci-fi/Mystery/Psychological/Supernatural

Review Status: Complete (13 Episodes/13 Episodes)

Licensed: Yes, this anime is licensed in the US. However, it is out of print.

Art/Animation: This goes for pretty realistic artwork, but with slightly rounder edges. Think Saotshi Kon but a bit cuter.

Dub Vs. Sub: I preferred the sub ever so slightly on this- Lain’s voice was just a tad too high in the dub for me to enjoy listening to her. However, all the other voices were equally good in the sub and the dub.

Summary: Lain Iwakura appears to be an ordinary girl, with almost no experience with computers. Yet the sudden suicide of a schoolmate, and a number of strange occurrences, conspire to pull Lain into the world of the Wired, where she gradually learns that nothing is what it seems to be... not even Lain herself. (ANN.com)

Review: When one thinks of mind-bending anime, Serial Experiments is the one that most people are familiar with, the one that most people will recommend right off the bat. Lain doesn’t start off flashy, nor is it one that goes for strange things right off the bat. It’s a slow build into the strange and unusual. She gets an email from a classmate who supposedly committed suicide… but the email is too recent, too strange to not be from her. In an effort to find out more, Lain asks for a new computer. Though she has no skills, she reads up on them, and builds and modifies. Time progression can be measured in how complex and complicated her computer gets, taking over her room until there is almost nothing left.

While she is doing this, Lain encounters people that say they know her, but she has no memory of having encountered before. She encounters things that were dropped or left by this other Lain, things that allow her to delve deeper and deeper into the wired. As she becomes more involved in the Wired, looking for the other Lain, looking for answers as to what’s happened, Lain begins to open up and make friends. Alice, a classmate, begins to wonder about her, and as she and Lain grow close, things begin to speed up and complicate Lain’s life.

Serial Experiments has spawned a thousand theories- what is Lain, exactly? What are her powers? What is the overall message of the anime? During the course of the anime, many questions are brought up about this. She is obviously more than human- the fourth episode makes that clear. But things are brought up during it that conflict and contradict eachother. Is she an alien? A god? Something more? These are things that the person viewing must decide for themselves.

As those who are close to Lain and come into contact with her fall to terrible fates, and Lain is isolated even more than she was, she must make a decision: Will her presence here make those she cares about more miserable, or should she try to stick it out in the ‘Real World’?

Overall, this was a great anime that threw me for a loop. This is definitely something for those who like mysteries and conspiracy theories.

Recommended: 14+. This has some seriously disturbing scenes in it. A man becomes a creature that cannot be described in words, but is disgusting. There is some drug use. There are several implied suicides and murders that happen offscreen, and one death by fear/psychosis that happens onscreen (non-gorey, just some thrashing around). Because the friendship Lain has for Alice is so deep, this has been accused of having shoujo-ai undertones.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Kara no Kyoukai (anime)
Darker than Black (anime)
Negative Happy Chainsaw Edge (manga)
Aoi Bungaku (anime)
Haibane Renmei (anime)
Ghost Hound (anime)
King of Thorn (manga)
Paranoia Agent (anime)

“Shattered To Pieces” – Fractale (anime) – 4/10 Pools

Technology... the knack of so arranging the world that we don't have to experience it. ~Max Frisch

Genre: Sci-fi/Adventure/Fantasy

Review Status: Complete (11 Episodes/11 Episodes)

Licensed: Yes, this anime is licensed in the US.

Art/Animation: Overall the art is very nice, especially the backgrounds. However, a few poor choices in coloring the characters made a key point impossible to guess, and actually seems silly when you think about it (this does have something to do with Nessa and Phryne’s hair in the promo art).

Dub Vs. Sub: There is no dub for this anime.

Summary: The story takes place on an island, where a "Fractale System" is beginning to collapse. One day, Clain finds an injured girl called Phryne under a cliff. She disappears leaving a pendant. Clain sets out for a journey with the girl-shaped avatar Nessa to look for Phryne and discovers the secret of the Fractale System. (MAL.net)

Review: This started out with bright promise. Clain, our hero, is a boy who lives alone in a small village, with his father and mother’s “dopples” (computer-generated avatars) looking after him. Virtual Reality has been taken to a new level- people are implanted at birth with machines that allow them to access Fractale, a program that allows people to interact with a virtual world in every way that’s important, except for touching them. He discovers a girl, helps her get better, she disappears, and within the pendant she leaves is a unique dopple named Nessa.

The next episode is full of him and Nessa exploring their world, discovering just how unique she was. And then they are kidnapped by a rogue faction named “Lost Millennium”, a group that is against humans being dependant on the Fractale system.
That is where the show takes a logic leap over the cliff. Everyone, regardless of which side they are on in the debate, is either

A) Evil
B) Insane

To some extent. Clain is very right when he says late in the series that both sides have right ideas and wrong ideas. However, they are completely unable to work together. Everyone views the other side as completely monstrous or a nuisance. In order to try and stop the Fractale system to be removed, the group that Clain and Nessa fall in with decides to attack the Church when they are dealing with people and the system. This does mean they end up shooting innocent civilians. The Church fires right back to defend themselves- killing still more innocent people. This is the first clear sign that everyone is bad news around here!

only gets worse from there. Sunda, the leader of one town’s Lost Millennium group, treats those he disagrees with as inferior- he bullies them. And there’s another leader that makes him look downright nice in comparison! This anime also decides to propagate the idea that the Church is run by evil manipulators and madmen. Phryne’s father figure lusts for her in a very obvious, creepy way. One of the other leaders is jealous and insane. It all means that there’s no one that you can really sympathize with, and Cain himself teeters between the sides the entire time.

There are other little things that only bring my opinion of this down lower. Virtually all of the comedy revolves around Cain being called a pervert. It’s only amusing so many times, and that joke far outstays its welcome. The romantic development between Phryne and Clain seems forced and convenient for plot purposes. Clain never develops beyond an indecisive boy who’s only looking out for Nessa and Phryne. Phryne is an unfeeling stoic character for most of the series. Almost none of the characters are genuinely likeable, except for Nessa! She’s a bright, enthusiastic spot in the middle of madmen, murderers, and dull people.

All if these things made this show one long chore to watch. I was highly unimpressed. Nice visuals and a great soundtrack do not a good story make. Buy the OST and make up your own story for it- anything would be better than what this studio put out.

Overall, this was a disappointment in so very many ways.

Recommended: No. 16+, though, since although this seems like it’s for kids, there are people killed onscreen quite a few times, constant references are made to men being perverts (“naughty” in the subs). In one episode Clain wakes up to a pair of knockers in his face, and the lady teases him about what a wild night they had the night before (nothing happened, as it turns out). She says she has a collection of date rape drugs that they could take and have a wild time with. Phryne’s father figure insists that the only way to make sure she’s fit to be the ‘key’ is to see whether she is still pure- she ends up getting into stirrups (if you don’t know what I mean, ask your mother) but is saved before the examination can take place.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Dennou Coil (anime)
Ghost Hound (anime)
Origin: Spirits of the Past (anime)
Ghost in the Shell (manga and anime)
Summer Wars (anime)
Time of Eve (anime)

"Seeing is Believing" - The Animatrix (anime) - 8/10 Pools

I shall never believe that God plays dice with the world. ~Albert Einstein

Genre: Action/Sci-fi

Review Status: Complete (9 Episodes/9 Episodes)

Licensed: Yes, this anime is licensed in the US

Art/Animation: Different for each short due to them all having been created by different directors. I have detailed this in the reviews for each because of it.

Dub Vs. Sub: Both are perfectly watchable. The sub is very decent- a few voices might sound a little deep for the character, but nothing terrible. The dub has some very excellent acting, though the lines tend to be stilted in some due to trying to match lip flaps that were obviously created for Japanese words and sentences.

Summary: Detailed in the reviews for each.

Review: Each episode of the Animatrix is approximately 10 minutes long, and within those ten minutes, each director had to create a story that either built on the world that was presented in the Matrix movies, or stay true to the themes and ideas that are in it. This creates some very interesting scenarios.

The Final Flight of the Osiris
Just so you know, the title says it all in terms of what the story is about. This has some of the best CG I’ve seen in a while- in certain scenes, the people looked very real. The effects were very flashy, and it had some good pacing for most of it. Unfortunately, this segment was perhaps the weakest of them all. The opening would do nothing to dissuade someone that anime wasn’t all violence and sex- two characters are engaging in training, which involves a lot of swordplay that gradually is stripping them of their clothes. For something that’s about to be very tragic, it doesn’t set the mood very well. Neither does it add to the story. It takes far too much time, which could have been spent adding to the actual fight and destruction of the ship. The pacing also goes off near the end, with a conversation with an old woman throwing a wrench into the intense action scenes that it’s spliced with. It left me a little less than impressed, with some of the scenes that were supposed to touch me leaving me feeling cold.

The Second Renaissance Part 1 and 2
This title is used ironically- the Renaissance was a time of enlightenment, when people expanded their worldviews. Instead of doing that and embracing or engaging the robots that have gained souls and emotions, mankind rejects them and- out of fear- end up bringing about their own destruction and the rise of the machines. This falls into a more traditional 2D art style, with some CG thrown in. This is a very direct story. How did the machines rise in the first place? How did the earth become like it is in the movies? It’s a fairly typical sci-fi premise, and yet is pulled off with a few twists. There’s a lot of symbolism to the story, most of it aiding the flow and pacing, but also enriching it. And as people who have seen the trilogy know, this doesn’t have a happy ending for us. It’s a very good piece, one that really can draw the viewer in.

Kid’s Story
While this OVA was done in traditional animation, the art itself has a sketchy and surreal look to it. I’m indifferent for what it does to the plot. This ends up being perhaps the most uplifting piece of them all, which can be considered a surprise. This echoes the first movie’s premise, and will feel very familiar to those who’ve seen it. A young teen, dissatisfied with how he feels towards life, sends out a question- “Am I alone?” The answer is that he’s not. But to find out the truth, he must escape his school and the reality constructed for him. Because I have seen the movies, this felt a little too close to Neo’s own awakening to really stand out.

Program
In a scenario that blurs the line between CG and traditional stylized animation, a woman is put to the test: Will she follow the man she loves into the arms of forgetfulness and the machines as Zion is threatened? Or will she keep forging ahead to the future and the truth? Almost the entire ten minutes is made of the debate between them and the literal fight between them. How far would they go once the decision has been made? Again, this hearkens back to the first Matrix movie and a scene within it. Overall, I can’t say much about the ending- it was conclusive but rather unsatisfying as a whole.

World Record
In a style of animation that hearkens back to comic books or visual novels, this story has the most potential to be uplifting and heartbreaking- a man who is charged with drug use must fight to win his medals back… but through his running, might be able to break the slumber that keeps him from the truth of the Matrix. With dramatic shading and dark but vibrant colors, each step of his downfall to his rise again is documented, from training to the personal issues that he must surpass or fight against to be considered the best. All the while, the machines are keeping watch on him. What happens when he comes close to awakening? This was perhaps my personal favorite due to the unique style in how it approached the Matrix and how it leaves the viewer interpreting the ending as either hopeful or not.

Beyond
While searching for her cat, a girl discovers a place that the children of the neighborhood have known about- one where things are a bit stranger than normal. Defying gravity, strange weather patterns, all of it takes place in a house that the machines have marked out as having errors. The art is bright and colorful, closer to the traditional anime style that most are familiar with. As the computers realize that there’s an issue with the system and rush to fix it, she realizes that there’s something more out there, something strange about this world, and when it’s over, is only left with the memories of having glimpsed something more. This I would rank highly since it speaks to all who have had an experience that leaves them wondering- but have been unable to recapture it.

A Detective Story
Film noir is the order of the day in this black-and-white, incredibly realistic-looking OVA. A detective is hired to find the hacker ‘Trinity’, and delves into the Alice in Wonderland themes that brought Neo back to reality. He discovers that others that have followed the trail have been lead to horrible fates. However, one is still alive- and there he discovers the Red Queen, and makes a plan to meet her. Sometimes, being told the truth about your reality isn’t good for your health. It’s true that no one who has followed Trinity’s trail has had a good fate. Will his be any different? The anachronistic style of the detective’s POV with the technology and weaponry that is around him is well-known to the detective, and he makes a decision that changes his own world and the path of his life forever. I think that this is perhaps the best of them, as it is true to the style and tone of the Noir films that it is an homage to. It also manages to be an incredibly interesting story, even if the action seems to be lacking.

Matriculated
If you can't get them from without, get them from within. This is the policy taken by a group of rebels against the machines. They choose ones with above-average inteligence, capturing and hooking them into a program designed to show them that they could live together, that humanity is more than something to be detroyed. This follows one such machine as he is taken through stylized worlds designed to show him humanity. Too bad things aren't all sunshine and flowers- the place comes under attack. What will their fate be? This one is highly depressing, but very well-executed. Using great CG and stylized art, this shows that sometimes humans can't fight things they have aversions to... and being alone is a terrible thing for anyone. Definitely one of the better shorts in the series.

Overall, this was an interesting look into different perspectives on what’s happening within and outside of the Matrix.

Recommended: 18+. Some of the images presented here are very violent or disturbing, from people being gruesomely impaled to heads being crushed and exploding. Not every OVA has something violent happening, or has blood being spilled, but you can’t tell which ones will beforehand. Some have sexual undertones- in one, a woman walks around in little more than her undies, in another the couple are cutting off eachother’s clothes during training, turning it into forepay (he eventually is in nothing while she in nothing more than underwear, though you never see any genitals), and in a third, a couple are engaging in similar sexual teasing. In that same one, the characters are stylistically nude- that is, they are floating people-looking things made of different colored lights, and the nudity is like Barbie-dolls.

The nice thing is, you don’t necessarily have to have seen the movies to enjoy the ideas and concepts presented in most of them (though you would want to watch The Second Renaissance beforehand to get a background on what’s happening). However, I think that for maximum understanding of what’s happening would be for those who have, since there are various concepts that would only be understood by doing so (who Neo is, what the significance of putting a letter into a mailbox is when inside the Matrix).

Other titles you might enjoy:
Ghost in the Shell (movie, SAC, 2nd Gig, manga)
Dennou Coil (anime)
Serial Experiments Lain (anime)
Ergo Proxy (anime)

"Coming Back To Haunt Us" - Origin: Spirits of the Past (anime) - 8/10 Pools

The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it. ~Anonymous

Genre: Adventure/Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Romance

Review Status: Complete (1 Movie/1 Movie)

Licensed: Yes, this anime is licensed within the US

Art/Animation: Very nice! The art is consistently good (in some places, stunning), with lush forest scenes and stark valleys. While the CG might not always be well-blended in, it still looks very good and not entirely out-of-place with the world and scenery. The animation is also very good quality, with smooth, fluid motion, even in the most action-packed scenes.

Dub Vs. Sub: Both are equally nice. While you do have some line changes due to the differences in language, they don’t try force the Japanese lines into the equivalent English, making other, similar lines that flow more naturally with the lip flaps. I’m not fond of Toola’s voice in the dub, for the most part, though when the VA isn’t trying to make her sound high-pitched, it’s rather pleasant.

Summary: Ages past, the forest was awakened and the Moon unleashed a ravenous Beast upon the Earth. Man cowered in fear… Three hundred years since and the landscape of the world has been drastically rewritten. The remains of humanity are divided as never before. Half seek a tenuous coexistence with the Forest, half seek to dominate and subdue that which they cannot understand. Agito, the son of an aged hero, inadvertently sets in motion the destruction of all that is left when he revives the young Toola from her timeless slumber. Unable to reconcile life as she once knew it from the world as it is now, Toola calls forth ancient technology to reshape the future from the ashes of the past. With the blessing of the forest, Agito must first save the girl from herself in order to rescue them all… (from the back of the DVD cover)

Review: After viewing this movie twice, once by myself and the other with my family, we decided unanimously that the rating for this movie comes in several parts:

Art: 10
Music: 10
Story: 8

The first thing that this anime did was showcase the art and music. In one of the most interesting, well-done openings to a movie I’ve ever seen, the events that preceded the events of the anime (the destruction of the moon and travel of the Forest to the earth) is set to a very interesting, beautiful song. The visuals as well as how great the music is, are consistently high quality. The world seems rich and vibrant, and the music draws you in, never seeming inappropriate for the scene.

The story, while still very good, doesn’t quite hold up to the promise that the rest of it gives.

What do you do when you are one of the last people who remember what Earth was like before an apocalyptic event? For Toola, the answer is to seek out others who might remember- others that were also put into suspended animation and survived. She is thrust into circumstances very different from what she knew, and believes that things before were far better. Agito attempts to bring her around to seeing that things really aren’t so bad. Life can be hard, but they have a steady supply of water, have food, and are generally happy.

It’s easy to see how lonely Toola is- there is a haunting, memorable scene that impresses that deeply- but we never see how life from Before really is better from life After. The case is never properly made. In fact, the one thing that really seems to drive her over the edge and into the hands of those that would destroy the forest is the idea that a person can bond with and borrow energy from the forest. With genetic mutations and enhancements a common thing in sci-fi and fantasy stories, this doesn’t seem as outrageous or scary as she makes it out to be.

Failure to really compare why things in advanced cities are better than the life they have in the ruined city also makes the drive of the main protagonist seem unrealistic and overzealous, especially when the main goal to return things to the way they were wouldn’t bring back the technology that they lost or the loved ones that have died- it would merely make the vegetation less likely to attack someone.

However, even with that uncertain logic, the story still flows well and is well-told. The characters are likeable, if a little stereotypical. The action is exciting and draws the viewer in. You can’t help but root for Agito to be able to find the ability to bring Toola back and convince her to not destroy the forest, and Shunak makes a good, fairly convincing antagonist. While the environmental message might be there, it’s no stronger than anything you wouldn’t see in a Ghibli movie, and ends up being fairly well-integrated and not overbearing.

Overall, the production values may have outshone the core story, but it was still a fun movie to see.

Recommended: 8+. There are some comedic injuries- early on in the movie, one of the boys manages to fall pretty hard onto a sharp rock… on his butt. Obviously very painful and played for laughs, but it’s no more violent than the Looney Tunes. You do also have some fighting where the injuries caused are more serious, however no blood is spilled and all the characters are perfectly fine afterwards. There is implied death, and you do see skeletons for a few moments near the beginning. When Toola’s medical scrubs get wet (and they look like a short dress) you do get some skin-tone showing, but nothing detailed. This only happens once near the beginning. In one scene where you see the forest spirit ‘avatars’- two young girls- they are portrayed in a very stylistic way though they are nude in it. It’s like looking at a classical painting for dryads or nymphs. There is also a scene where the girls ‘meld’ into one being- this is not graphic, nor is there any blood or gore.

Other titles you might enjoy:
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (anime and manga)
7Seeds (manga)
Seirei no Moribito (anime)
Princess Mononoke (anime)
Avatar: The Last Airbender (anime)
Please Save My Earth (manga)
King of Thorn (manga)