11 EYES – COMPLETE COLLECTION (A J!-Ent Anime DVD Review)

“”11EYES” is a thriller anime series filled with action… and mild fan service.”

Image courtesy of © Lass/Rainbow High Modernology Club. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: 11EYES – COMPLETE COLLECTION

DURATION: 325 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: 16:9 WIDESCREEN, JAPANESE 2.0 STEREO

COMPANY: Sentai Filmworks

RATED: TV-14

Release Date: January 11, 2011

Original Created by Lass

Directed by Shimoda Masami

Music by Shoichiro Sakamoto

Art Direction by Masato Miyake

Main Character Designs & Executive Director of Animation by Shoji Hara

Character Designs by Tomoya Hiratsuka

Produced by Makoto Ito/Yuichiro Takahata/Eiji Mannou/Mana Tsurugi/Uesama

Featuring the following voice talent:

Daisuke Ono as Kakeru Satsuki

Mai Goto as Yuka Minase

Yuu Asakawa as Misuzu Kusakabe

Oma Ichimura as Yukiko Hirohara

Shoutaro Morikubo as Takahisa Tajima

Noriko Rikimaru as Kukuri Tachibana

Emiko Hagiwara as Shiori Momono

Ayano Niina as Lisette

Raised in an orphanage after witnessing his sister’s suicide, Satsuki Kakeru’s life has already been dark and cruel enough. When he and his friend Yuka are thrown into a alternate dimension called the Red Night, it takes a gruesome turn from bad to horrific. Now, trapped flickering between our world and the Red, Kakeru quickly discovers that he and Yuka are not alone, and that, together with the other so-called “fragments,” they must defeat the malevolent entities known as the Black Knights.

Facing monsters from beyond imagination and at the center of a deadly hunt, Kakeru’s only chance of saving their lives now hinges on finding the power buried within himself and unraveling the mystery of his own origins and family… if he can survive long enough to do it! The horrors of the Red Night are just the beginning of the nightmare as shocking truths are exhumed!

“11EYES” is a horror action anime series based on the eroge of the same title. The story centers around Kakeru Satsuki, a high school student who grew up an orphan and always wears an eye patch on his right eye because for some unknown reason, is a different color than his normal eye. His older sister took her own life when he was quite young and ever since then, his only real friend has been a girl named Yuka. One day, Kakeru and Yuka are sucked into a terrifying alternate reality called the Red Night where they are attacked by weird monsters and a group of beings called the Black Knights. They are able to escape the Red Night after some time, but find themselves trapped in that world once again very soon after they were able to leave. But this time they discover that they are not the only ones from the normal world who get trapped in the Red Night. They encounter Misuzu, an onmyouji priestess and upperclassman. They then encounter a mysterious girl being held captive within a crystal by the Black Knights. They soon realize that Kakeru’s right eye might hold the key to figuring out what is happening and possibly save them as well.

“11EYES” focuses on the following main characters:

Kakeru Satsuki – Kakeru Satsuki is the male protagonist of the series. Currently a high school student, he is an orphan and his sister took her own life when he was still very young. His right eye is a different color than his left, therefore he wears a eye patch to cover it up to avoid any questions that should arise. He and Yuka get stuck in the weird dimension called the Red Night and their lives are changed forever. He soon finds out that his right eye is more than a different color and may play a large part in what is happening to him and the others that get stuck in the Red Night.

Yuka Minase – Yuka is Kakeru’s only childhood friend. They grew up together at the orphanage and they are extremely close. While she is usually rather sweet and calm, her personality starts to change when others start to get too close to Kakeru, who she apparently has very strong feelings for…

Misuzu Kusakabe – Misuzu is an onmyouji priestess that they find trapped in the Red Night with them. She is a senior classmte and very strong. She acts as the leader to the group an helps train Kakeru to become stronger. However, the more time that they spend together, the more her feelings seem to grow for him.

Yukiko Hirohara – Yukiko is a classmate of Kakeru and Yuka and for the most part, a very cheerful and silly girl with a slight fascination with boobs. She is from a country called Dransvania and has a very dark past. When she takes her glasses off, she becomes a completely different person: a cold-blooded killer who is very skilled at fighting. It is pretty apparent that she has feelings for Takahisa.

Takahisa Tajima – Takahisa is a delinquent at Kakeru and Yuka’s high school. He was adopted by the school nurse, Saiko. He is another person who gets sucked into the Red Night. He has the ability of pyrokinetics and at first, he has no interest in the others that get sucked into the Red Night along with him. However he has feelings for Yukiko and eventually is willing to help the others.

Kukuri Tachibana – Kukuri is someone that has the exact same name and appearance as Kakeru’s sister that died years ago. She’s shrouded in mystery and a mute for an unknown reason. She is introduced to Kakeru and Yuka by Misuzu.

Shiori Momono – Shiori is a mysterious transfer student that suddenly appears in their school when all of the events involving the Red Night start happening. She doesn’t have much direct contact with Kakeru and the others at first, but she seems to be observing hem by hanging around their friends Kaori and Tadashi.

Lisette – Lisette is the mysterious girl they find trapped within a crystal and held captive by the Black Knights in the Red Night. They soon find out that she’s not all that she seems to be.

The Black Knights – The Black Knights are the enemies that Kakeru and the others find themselves fighting against in the Red Night. Calling them “Fragments”, for some reason the Black Knights are hunting down Kakeru and his friends, trying to kill them. They have unearthly appearances and have special powers. They are holding Lisette prisoner within a crystal.

“11EYES” features a total of 13 episodes on two DVDs. Here is a spoiler-less summary of each episode:

DISC 1:

• Episode 1- Red Night – Kakeru and Yuka are sucked into the Red Night.
• Episode 2- The Girl in the Crystal – ts and convict him of the hit?.
• Episode 3- Lonely Pride – Kakeru wants to protect Yuka and asks Misuzu to train him.
• Episode 4- A Smiling Mask – Yukiko reveals a much darker side of herself.
• Episode 5- For Friends and For Tomorrow – Kakeru and Yuka are introduced to Kukuri, who looks exactly like Kakeru’s dead sister.
• Episode 6- Disturbed Minds -The secret about Kakeru’s eye is revealed; Yuka misunderstands something between Kakeru and Misuzu and runs off.

DISC 2:

• Episode 7- Twisted Awakening – Yuka awakens to her power, but with an unlikely cost.
• Episode 8- The Witching Hour – Yuka becomes more and more emotionally unstable.
• Episode 9- Broken Bonds – Takahisa goes berserk and Yukiko has to make a difficult decision.
• Episode 10- The Witch Awakens – Kakeru and the others learn the truth about the Black Knights and everything else.
• Episode 11- The Option of Destruction – The tables have turned and the last battle starts.
• Episode 12- The Dawn of Darkness – The battle with Liselotte concludes.
• Episode OVA- Pink Phantasm – A very naughty parody of he series…

VIDEO & AUDIO

“11EYES” is presented in 16:9. The art and character designs look great. There is a big difference between the normal world and the world of the Red Night and I think they did a great job showing the contrast between the two worlds through the art.

Like most Sentai Filmworks titles, there is only the option of Japanese audio with this series. The voice acting is well done and the cast is full of very well known seiyuus such as Daisuke Ono, Yuu Asakawa, and Shoutaro Morikubo just to name a few.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The only special features available on the discs are Sentai Filmworks Trailers, Clean Opening and Ending Animations, and DVD Credits.

First impression of the series: A horror action series, where the number of girls completely outnumber the guys; by the end of the series and ova: wow, that was somewhat predictable.

Viewers who were already thinking about checking out this series probably already know it’s based on an eroge (erotic video game) but for those who don’t know about the series at all may want to keep that in mind. This series is pretty mild (until the ova) but it is created for a 14+ male audience, but once you watch the ova the rating jumps to 18+. Not that there aren’t any female viewers who won’t enjoy this… but I would say the majority of the audience would be male. However, despite being based on an eroge, there weren’t that many eroge elements throughout the series until the ova. But like an eroge, it seems to lack a compelling story.

What you will find in this series: action, violence, a couple of humorous characters, fan service and some nudity. What you may not find: a very creative story. Of course this isn’t the first series guilty of such. The story is rather generic and predictable, but characters like Yukiko keep the audience entertained (A super cute, happy girl becomes a psycho killer when she takes off her glasses. That could be creative… nah. But nonetheless, she is amusing.). The first half of the series is pretty light and can be humorous and isn’t as dark, but the second half of the series definitely gets much darker and weirder (how about a razor blade in your tea?).

Of course there are positive things in this series. There’s plenty of action, and I enjoyed some of the banter between some of the characters, as well as the interaction between Yukiko and Takahisa. Takahisa’s relationship with his adoptive mother was also cute. The music is great, especially the opening song “Arrival of Tears” by Ayane. The animation, character design, and the voice acting are all great.

There is an ova after the 12 episode series and that episode is ridiculous. Of course, that’s the point of the episode and they make that clear in the beginning of the episode. While there isn’t full on nudity, there’s plenty of brief nudity (cleverly hiding any naughty bits) and there’s some questionable objects such as a vibrator sword (which is mosaic-ed out but it’s still obvious what it is.). You may not see much, but everything that is implied in the episode is definitely naughty. Pretty much even if the series as a whole may be okay for 14+ to watch, I’d definitely say the ova is 18+. I know I keep stressing that but it really is a bit of a jump. The ova is either going to be absolutely hilarious or too perverse and possibly offending depending on the viewer. I’ll admit that I found it funny but very disturbing at the same time.

The bottom line: this series is great if you’re looking for a series with cute girls, some fan service, action, violence and some humor. If you’re looking for a series with a series with a deep plot, you may not find it in this series. It’s definitely not the worst I’ve seen but “blah” sort of describes most of the series for me. However if you’re a fan of the eroge, you’ll probably enjoy it.

 

RoboGeisha (A J!-ENT DVD Review)

“RoboGeisha” is a movie about sisters bonding… or about murderous cyborg geishas.  If you enjoyed ““Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl”", “RoboGeisha” is for you!

Images courtesy of © 2010 FUNimation Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: RoboGeisha (

FILM RELEASE DATE: 2009

DURATION: 100 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: 16:9, Dolby Digital, Japanese Stereo, English 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound, English Subtitles

COMPANY: T.O Entertainment, Inc./FUNimation Entertainment

RATED: TV MA

RELEASE DATE: November 16, 2010

Written and Directed by Noboru Iguchi

Executive Producers: Satoshi Arashi, Manabu Harada, Takeichi Honda, Hirofumi Ogoshi

Producer: Naobumi Ashi, Akira Fujita, Kazunari Okuma, Yui Shibata

Co-Producer: Masayuki Kaneko, Sen Katayama, Hiroshi Kogure, Akira Yamaguchi

Music by Yasuhiko Fukuda

Director of Photography: Yasutaka Nagano

Production Design by Gen Ito, Aya Suzuki

Special Effects Director: Yoshihiro Nishimura

Visual Effects Director: Tsuyoshi Kazuno

Starring:

Aya Kiguchi as Yoshie Kasuga

Yoshihiro Nishimura as Yakuza Boss

Naoto Takenaka as Kanai

Asami as Onna Tengu 1

Takumi Saito as Hikaru Kageno

Cay Izumi as Onna Tengu 2

Suzuki Matsuo as Tetsuma Gotokuji

Shoko Nakahara as Hideko

Hitomi Hasebe as Kikue Kasuga

Kentaro Shimazu as Kogure

Yuya Ishikawa as Suzuki

Demo Tanaka as Hachiro

Kikuke is a geisha known for her glamour and grace. Yoshie is her abused sister, banished to the shadows. When a mysterious corporation transforms their soft bodies into murderous machines, the rival vixens rush toward an ultra-violent final confrontation.

Yoshie Kasuga (Aya Kiguchi) was always treated terribly by her older sister, the renowned geisha Kikue Kasuga (Hitomi Hasebe). One of Kikue’s clients, Hikaru Kageno (Takumi Saitoh) discovers something about Yoshie that no one had ever noticed before. Soon Yoshie and Kikue are kidnapped by Hikaru’s company, Kageno Steel Manufacturing and they are forced to become a part of a secret plan to create murderous cyborgs.

The tables turn for Yoshie and she finds that she’s quite good at this and soon finds herself in the higher ranks of the secret army. However after being sent on a couple of missions, she starts to wonder if what she’s doing is morally right or not, especially after she is sent on a mission to kill a group of older people who just want their kidnapped family members back from Kageno Steel Manufacturing.

Will Yoshie choose to help Kageno Steel Manufacturing take over Japan or will she help the group of family members get their kidnapped loved ones back?

VIDEO:

“RoboGeisha” is presented in 16:9.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“RoboGeisha” is presented in Dolby Digital. The English dub is presented in 5.1 Dolby Surround while the Japanese track is presented in Japanese stereo.

Subtitles are in English.

The English dubbing decent… they got the popular American anime voice actors to do the dubbing and it sounds okay but the dubbing doesn’t always match the lips moving. But overall, it’s pretty well done. The voices don’t seem out of place and match the characters.
SPECIAL FEATURES:

“RoboGeisha” comes with the following special features:

• GeishaCop: Fearsome Geisha Corps – Go To Hell- (16:50) A short film spin-off of RoboGeisha…
• Original Trailer- (2:02) The original trailer for “RoboGeisha”.
• Coming Soon- Trailers of other FUNimation live-action releases.

“RoboGeisha” follows the story of Yoshie Kasuga and her rise from lowly geisha servant to a powerful cyborg assassin geisha. Think that sounds insane? But wait, there’s more! How about an evil organization with castle robots with a plan to kill politicians with cyborg geisha assassins so they can take over Japan? How about booby machine guns and booty swords? Sounds good to you? Then you’ll love this movie.

This movie is totally ridiculous. The best way to describe this movie is that it is a dark comedy B movie. It is not to be taken seriously, at all. I think a good comparison for this film would be all the ridiculous movie spoof movies in the US like “Scary Movie”, “Dance Flick”, etc. However this film doesn’t really spoof a specific movie… But it still has that kind of a feel. Maybe a slight reference to the Super Sentai series with the big castle robot in this movie… Anyways.

One thing that surprised me about this film is that it wasn’t nearly as bloody as I thought it would be (I am totally not complaining) considering this film featured some of the same people involved with “Tokyo Gore Police” and “Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl” (Nishimura had a hand in all three films) which were extremely bloody.

However, the cheesy B movie special effects that give these movie their… Uniqueness was definitely present in “RoboGeisha” as well. There isn’t really any nudity… Just some torsos and well, there are booby machine guns, booty swords, and tengu bras which I’m sure some people would find inappropriate. However, I sadly thought one of the funniest parts of the movie was when there was a duel with the booty swords and all either of the girls could do was face their swords at each other and repeat “…Hazukashii” (I’m embarrassed) over and over.

I don’t mean to say that this movie totally lacks a plot, but it’s very minimal. I guess you can say that deep down this is a movie about the bond between sisters… But that would be under layers upon layers of violence, cheesy effects, and just sheer ridiculousness. I’m also not saying that movies always need a strong plot however if that’s what you look for in a movie, you may want to skip this one. Despite how I actually feel about this movie, I know people will enjoy it. For example, if you enjoyed “Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl”, you’ll probably enjoy this too.

Speaking of “Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl” a familiar face from that movie shows up. Takumi Saitoh plays the villain in this movie, Hikaru Kageno. The acting in the movie itself isn’t too terrible… It just is about as good as you’d expect in a B movie.

However, there are some big names in this movie like Naoto Takenaka (probably most recognized from the original “Shall We Dance” in the US) and Etsuko Ikuta. Some may be surprised that well known actors may appear in a movie like this but Takenaka has made some rather strange movies himself and gas played some very weird roles in the past so I wasn’t very surprised to see him in this movie. Not to mention his role in the movie is absolutely hilarious.

So, if you’re looking for a movie rich in plot, great characters, action.., you won’t really find that in this film. If you like watching B movies or ridiculous and offensive comedies full of WTF moments, you’ll enjoy this movie. If you do like any of the latter, check this movie out.

 

Uta∽Kata – The Complete Series (a J!-ENT Anime DVD Review)

“”Uta~Kata” is a cute little magical girl series that offers a little bit more.”

Images courtesy of © gimik-HAL/BANDAI VISUAL. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: Uta∽Kata - The Complete Series

ANIME SERIES RELEASE: 2004

DURATION: Episodes 1-13 + 2 Specials (325 Minutes)

DVD INFORMATION: 4:3, Color, Japanese 2.0, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: Sentai Filmworks

RATED: TV MA S

RELEASE DATE: November 2, 2010

Directed by Keiji Gotoh

Series Composition by Hidefumi Kimura

Script by Hidefumi Kimura

Produced by Atsushi Yukawa, Katsunori Haruta

Music by Megumi Oohashi

Anime Production by Hal Film Maker

Character Design: Megumi Kadonosono

Art Director: Toshiharu Iijima

Featuring the voices of:

Masumi Asano as Manatsu Kuroki

Youko Honda as Ichika Tachibana

Maria Kawamura as Saya Kogure

Nobuo Tobita as Sei Tōdō

Nobutoshi Canna as Kai Tōdō

Tomoko Kawakami as Satsuki Takigawa

Yukari Tamura as Michiru Munakata

Yurika Ochiai as Keiko Takamura

Before you make a deal with a girl in a mirror, reflect seriously on the source of the offer. Ichika Tachibana fails to take this advice in order to retrieve a lost charm, and as a result suddenly ends up with the magical forces of a Djinn at her command. Sounds like a good deal, right? Wrong.

At first things seem wondrous, with her new friend Manatsu assisting her via text messages and the occasional spell; but as her powers grow, Ichika’s situation quickly goes from magical to nightmarish, and she finds herself drawn into an ever expanding web of deceptions, lies and increasingly dangerous situations. For what she’s really done is subjected herself to seeing mankind as the Djinn see them. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to place a high value on human life.

Ichika Tachibana for the most part is a normal middle school student. She is kind, straight-laced, and wants to always do the right thing. One summer she encounters a girl named Manatsu… who comes out of an old mirror at school. Manatsu does something to a charm that Ichika had on her phone and suddenly, she is able to use magical powers, given to her by beings called Djinn. In exchange, Ichika is asked to write down what she feels when using the powers. Manatsu also starts living with Ichika, being introduced to her parents as a text-message friend… however this small lie is just the start of a web of lies that starts to build.

Ichika uses the powers from the Djinn to help her friends. Each stone on her charm represents a certain Djinn and once it’s used, the color disappears. However, the more she uses the powers, the more she realizes she’s changing and soon the powers she was using to help her friends, start to act on their own with terrifying results. Who exactly is Manatsu and what exactly are the Djinns? What destiny awaits Ichika and Manatsu when all of the stones are used?

“Uta~Kata” focuses on the following characters:

Ichika Tachibana – Ichika is a middle school student that lives in Kamakura. One summer, she finds out a charm she recieved from her tutor is much more than it seems. She is kind, helpful, and honest and is always trying to do the right thing. It’s actually pains her to lie to people. She is terrified of ghosts so when she first encounters Manatsu in the mirror, it scares her. However they quickly get along and together they help out Ichika’s friends with the magical powers of the Djinns using the charm on Ichika’s phone.

Manatsu Kuroki – Manatsu is a young girl Ichika meets in her dreams and then in the mirror at school. She introduces Ichika to the powers within the charm. She is the exact opposite in personality to Ichika, however she likes and dislikes the same things as Ichika.

Satsuki Takigawa – Satsuki is one of Ichika’s friends. She is a strong girl that usually takes the lead of their group of friends. Something that happened in her past makes her avoid most boys.

Keiko Takamura – Keiko is another one of Ichika’s friends who despite being from a very wealthy family, is very sweet and kind. However, her parents are rather controlling.

Michiru Munakura – Michiru is another one of Ichika’s friends. She is very quiet and possibly shy. Despite her quiet demeanor, she’s very sharp and may also be able to see ghosts.

Sei Todo – Sei is a high school student and one of Ichika’s tutors. He is the twin brother of Kai, who is also one of Ichika’s tutors. He is the one that gave Ichika the charm and he seems to have some connection with Saya.

Kai Todo – Kai is a high school student and Ichika’s other tutor. He is much more extroverted than his brother and may also have feelings for him…

Saya Kogure – Saya is Ichika’s neighbor and supposedly works in the fashion industry. However, she seems to be much more and seems to be in control of the circumstances that lead Ichika to use the Djinns.

“Uta~Kata” features a total of 13 episodes on two DVDs. Here is a spoiler-less summary of each episode:

DISC 1:

• Episode 1- Early Summer of Chance Meeting – Ichika encounters the girl in the mirror, Manatsu and is given special powers.
• Episode 2- Night Sky of Near Approach – A friend’s ex-boyfriend causes trouble for Ichika and Manatsu.
• Episode 3- Sandy Beach of Scorched Heat – While helping a friend at the beach, Ichika loses her father’s watch.
• Episode 4- Lake Shore of Sudden Shower – While on a camping trip for summer courses, one of Ichika’s cabin mates falls into a hole.
• Episode 5- Flowering Buds of Shed Tears – Satsuki finally shows some feelings towards a boy she met at the fireworks festival.
• Episode 6- Slight Fever of Wet Skin – Ichika sees Sei together with Saya.

DISC 2:

• Episode 7- Jealous Envy of Tree Tops – Ichika feels jealousy towards Saya and she finds out that mixed with the powers of the Djinn can lead to terrible things.
• Episode 8- Impulsive Urge of Scattered Petals – While volunteering at the hospital, Ichika realizes that she’s becoming someone else.
• Episode 9- Painful Itch of Romantic Love – Keiko and Satsuki reflect on painful memories.
• Episode 10- Second Encounter of Life and Death – Ichika tries to throw the charm away, but it comes back.
• Episode 11- Surging Wave of Parting and Separation – Ichika has to deal with moving away in a week.
• Episode 12- Poem Verse of Fragmented Pieces – Ichika faces her final test.
• Episode 13- Twin Summers of the First Winter – Manatsu and Kai visit their reflections one last time.

VIDEO:

“Uta∽Kata” is presented in 4:3.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Uta∽Kata” is presented in Japanese 2.0.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Uta∽Kata” comes with the following special features:

DISC 1:

• Uta~Kata Special 1 – Ichika & Manatsu’s Enoshima/Kamakura Travelogue- (10:20) Ichika and Manatsu’s seiyuus: Youko Honda and Masumi Asano take you to various places in Kamakura that show up in the anime.
• Uta~Kata Special 2 – Ichika & Manatsu’s Enoshima Travelogue- (14:36)Youko Honda and Masumi Asano continue to take the viewers on a tour of Kamakura, this time concentrating on Enoshima.
• Sentai Filmworks Previews

DISC 2:

• Japanese Copyright Warnings
• Japanese TV Safety Warnings
• Uta~Kata Alternate Next Episode Previews- (2:27) Alternate versions of the episode previews done by Manatsu instead of Ichika.
• Clean Opening Animation
• Clean Ending Animation

“Uta~Kata” at first seems to be a magical girl series with hints of fan service, but it gradually evolves into something more.

At first, the series starts off looking like it’s going to be somewhat of a light-hearted anime featuring a girl who gets magical powers to transform and a not-so-human sidekick. Starting at episode 1, there are random panty shots and brief nudity when Ichika transforms. Nothing heavy… but the fan service is there. For the first half of the series or so, I thought it moved a bit too slow. Each episode, one of Ichika’s friends would be in trouble, Ichika would transform into her costume of the episode and then somewhat save the day. However, about half way through the series things start to change.

If audiences are patient enough, they will see that this series offers more than just magical girls and panty shots. Around episode 4, you get the idea that this series may have a little more to it and they start seeing a darker side of the story. We see glimpses into the lives of Ichika’s friends and there are some heavy issues that come up (ex: child abuse, possible yakuza family ties, etc). Another darkness we see is within Ichika herself as the series goes on and how she deals with it.

However it’s because of the darkness of the series that I believe the series broadens its audience. This series is obviously marketed for guys (panty shots, booby shots, awkwardly scantily clad 14 year old girl…) and up until the middle of the series, I really did find it boring (could be because I’m a girl). It’s when Ichika starts struggling with her darkness within that the series even caught my interest. Without spoiling too much, the more Djinns Ichika comes in contact with, the more she starts seeing the darkness that lies in humans. Not to mention Ichika keeps finding herself in situations where she’s forced to lie and this is a huge conflict for her. Ichika is a very straight-laced and innocent character and she absolutely despises lying… but she keeps telling small lies to help those around her. With all the small lies and the constant use of the Djinns powers, she sees herself changing. The series ends up mostly dealing with Ichika’s struggles with herself and how she gets over the obstacles she’s given.

I was a bit slow on this, but I also liked the parallels between the relationships of Ichika and Manatsu as well as Sei and Kai. Once again, can’t say much more without giving too much away but my biggest question for this series would be: Why on Earth would he do that to her? If you watch the series, you’ll know what I mean.

Fans of “Kiddy Grade” and the art of “Kiddy Grade” will probably enjoy this series as the same studio, Gimik did this series. I’m not a big fan of their art, but in no means is it bad. The backgrounds are fun to look at because most of the backdrops used in this series are actual places in Japan (mostly around the Kamakura area). In the special features, the two main seiyuus take you on a tour of the places that come up in the series.

One of the major things I did enjoy about the art is the fact that every episode featured a guest artist that designed Ichika’s costume for that episode. You can also see the original artist’s sketch during the end credits of each episode. Guest artists include Mine Yoshizaki (“Sgt. Frog”), Rikdo Koshi (“Excel Saga”), and Ken Akamatsu (“Love Hina”). The seiyuus in this series all did a great job with their characters and like many other Sentai Filmwork releases, there is no English dub. There are a couple of small translation errors in the subtitles, but for the most part it’s well done and the mistakes aren’t too distracting.

So to sum it up, I think this series will be enjoyed by audiences who enjoy magical girl series and fan service as well as audiences who enjoy a coming-of-age series emphasizing the importance of friendship and the bond that two people can have on one another. It’s a cute series, give it a shot.

 

Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl (Kyûketsuki Shôjo tai Shôjo Furanken) (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

“Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl” is one big bloody mess… literally”.

Images courtesy of © 2010 FUNimation Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl (Kyûketsuki Shôjo tai Shôjo Furanken)

FILM RELEASE DATE: 2009

DURATION: 90 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: 16:9, Dolby Digital, Japanese Stereo, English 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound, English Subtitles

COMPANY: Eleven Arts/FUNimation Entertainment

RATED: TV MA

RELEASE DATE: October 19, 2010

Based on the manga “Kyuketsuki Shojo tai Shojo Furanken” by Shungiku Uchida

Directed by Yoshihiro Nishimura, Naoyuki Tomomatsu

Screenplay by Naoyuki Tomomatsu

Executive Producer: Shuji Omata

Producer: Masatsugu Asahi, Jun Nakajima

Associate Producer: Ruka Tanaka

Music by Kou Nakagawa

Cinematography by Shu G. Momose

Edited by Yoshihiro Nishimura

Production Design by Nori Fukuda

Starring:

Yukie Kawamura as Monami/Vampire Girl

Takumi Saito as Jyugon Mizushima

Elly Otoguro as Keiko/Frankenstein Girl

Sayaka Kametani as Midori

Jiji Bu as Igor

Eihi Shiina as Monami’s Mother

Kanji Tsuda as Kenji Furano

Yukihide Benny as St. Francis Xavier

Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl is the terrifying story of two classic monsters re-imagined as super hot – and extremely lethal – Japanese school girls. Gore rules supreme in this blood-cake cavalcade of carnage, and aficionados of psychedelic blood-filled chocolates, mad scientist principals, sumo wrestlers from hell, and sex-crazed school nurses are guaranteed to lose their heads over this old-school splatter-fest.

“Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl” is your classic love story (not really). Girl falls in love with boy. Vampire Girl also falls in love with boy. Girl dies trying to protect (?) boy from Vampire Girl. Girl comes back as Frankenstein Girl thanks to her father being a mad scientist and tries to get boy back from Vampire Girl… and then all hell breaks loose. Meanwhile, boy is just stuck in the middle of this mess…

Monami Arukado (played by Yukie Kawamura) is a transfer student that just happens to be a vampire. Nobody ever really paid any attention to her and actually, most people have a habit of forgetting she’s even there. Keiko Furano (played by Elly Otoguro) is the princess of the school who’s father is also the vice principal. She’s used to getting what she wants, including her boyfriend Jyugon Mizushima (played by Takumi Saito). However, Jyugon really never agreed to this relationship. One day, Monami approaches Jyugon and asks him to take the chocolate she made for him. Jyugon thinks nothing of this and takes the chocolate. He bites into the chocolate and realizes there’s something weird inside the chocolate… blood. It happens to be Monami’s blood, meaning he just got turned into a vampire. Thus begins the weirdest love triangle you will ever see.

Keiko obviously doesn’t like the fact that Monami is getting close to Jyugon and eventually finds out the fact that Monami is a vampire. She attempts to protect Jyugon from Monami… on the roof of the school and that doesn’t end so well. Luckily for her (?), her father is not only the vice principal, but also happens to be a mad scientist using students for his experiments (yes, really…). He is able to save (?) her and turns her into Frankenstein Girl. So begins the battle between Vampire Girl and Frankenstein Girl for their true love…

“Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl” is brought to you by the same people who brought you “Tokyo Gore Police” (directed by Yoshihiro Nishimura). Bloody, quirky, and absolutely insane: “Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl” is definitely something else…

VIDEO:

“Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl” is presented in 16:9.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl” is presented in Dolby Digital.  The English dub is presented in 5.1 Dolby Surround while the Japanese track is presented in Japanese stereo.

Subtitles are in English.

The English dubbing is actually pretty well acted out… however, it’s rather hard to time when the mouths move and sync the English words with the original Japanese dialogue… so at times it looks like any other Asian movie dubbed over into English. If you don’t mind this and don’t want to read subtitles, then the dub is decent. If you prefer to just stick with the original Japanese, the subtitles are very well done.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl” comes with the following special features:

• Opening Day Stage Greetings- (20:38) Greetings from the directors as well as actresses Yukie Kawamura and Elly Otoguro as well as a Q&A from opening day.
• Making of Video Part 1- (14:17) Behind the scenes footage of the film part 1.
• Making of Video Part 2- (50:00) Behind the scenes footage of the film part 2.
• Original Trailer- (1:12) The original trailer for “Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl”.

“Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl” is one big bloody mess. Literally. However, it can be a humorous big bloody mess… or it could just be insulting, it depends on what kind of person you are. With that, if you don’t like the sight of blood (despite it being obviously fake), this movie is not for you. If you don’t mind the sight of blood and guts and enjoy some dark humor, you may enjoy this film. However, the humor is really, really dark and some of the stuff in this film is bound to offend viewers. I myself don’t mind blood and guts and I enjoy dark humor… but this film may have been a bit much for me, and in a way, it may not have been enough.

Other than the amount of violence and fake blood in this film, there is a Wrist Cutters’ club as well as a Ganguro club… The Wrist Cutters’ club is self explanatory and I don’t think I need to elaborate on how disturbing that is… (at least I hope I don’t) Also the leader of the Ganguro club happens to wear an afro wig and has prosthetics on her face to make her lips, nose, and cheekbones bigger… Pretty much this movie has at least one thing that will offend almost everyone. Not much nudity in this film, but there’s plenty of other offensive material. In general there’s plenty of stuff in this film that will make you think WTF.

The special effects in this film look ridiculous, but adds flavor to the kind of movie this is. The special effects and CG pretty much look like they are from a B movie and well… this pretty much is a B movie. This movie isn’t a serious movie so cheesy effects were the way to go. The acting itself isn’t bad… I mean there are actual professional actors in this film. It’s not completely a film with just gravure idols and B actors. The best way I can describe this film is that it’s a lot like the Troma Entertainment movies like the “Toxic Avenger” series, but Japanese. So if you enjoy those movies, you’ll enjoy this film.

With everything I’ve said so far, this should be obvious but this film is definitely not for children.

As I said, I do enjoy dark comedies so I could enjoy some of the humor of this film. The whole movie is ridiculous, and it’s meant to be… so I can appreciate that. I mean… the vice principal is a mad scientist dressed up in full Kabuki makeup. Someone has to appreciate that.

I know I didn’t have very nice things to say about this film, but seriously this movie is for a very select audience, just like the Troma pictures are. Going back to my statement earlier about this film, I personally think it had just too much blood, gore and offensive material and well… not much of anything else. For what the movie is, I think it’s an alright movie. I know there will be people who enjoy this movie a lot more than I did. Just be warned of what you’re about to watch. If you like Troma pictures, or movies with tons of fake guts and blood as well as offensive humor, you’ll enjoy it. If you don’t enjoy any of that, you might want to let this one pass.

 

KimiKiss – pure rouge Collection 1 (A J!-Ent Anime DVD Review)

“A cute and funny love comedy. “KimiKiss – pure rouge Collection 1 will appeal to a variety of viewers.”

Image courtesy of © Enterbrain, J.C. STAFF, “KimiKiss” Committee. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: KimiKiss – pure rouge Collection 1

DURATION: 325 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: 16:9 WIDESCREEN, JAPANESE 2.0 STEREO

COMPANY: Sentai Filmworks

RATED: TV 14

Release Date: October 5th, 2010

Original Work by Enterbrain

Directed by Kenichi Kasai

Music by Hikaru Nanase, Masaru Yokoyama, Noriyuki Iwadare

Art Direction by Shinichiro Kobayashi

Character Design by Kazunori Iwakura

Produced by J.C. STAFF, “KimiKiss” Committee.

Featuring the following voice talent:

Satoshi Hino as Kouichi Sanada

Takahiro Mizushima as Kazuki Aihara

Haruna Ikezawa as Mao Mizusawa

Rie Tanaka as Eriko Futami

Ami Koshimizu as Yuumi Hoshino

Ryou Hirohashi as Asuka Sakino

Takahiro Sakurai as Eiji Kai

Sakura Nogawa as Nana Aihara

Jun Fukuyama as Akira Hiiragi

Mamiko Noto as Mitsuki Sijyo

Kaori Mizuhashi as Narumi Satonaka

Mai Nakahara as Megumi Kuryu

Ayako Kawasumi as Tomoko Kawada

Kouichi always thought of Mao as his little sister, but when he wakes up from a dream and she walks into his house, he doesn’t even recognize her. It’s probably because after living in France for several years, Mao is definitely not anyone’s little sister anymore!

To further complicate things, Kouichi’s mom has invited Mao to stay at their house while she attends the same high school as Kouichi and their mutual friend Kazuki. But given that Kouichi’s been trying to build a relationship with Yuumi, the revelation that he’s now sharing accommodations with a non-related girl is definitely going to cause some emotional waves – or maybe a tsunami by the time Kazuki’s sister Nana, her best friend Narumi, and all the other kids at school get overly involved.

“KimiKiss – pure rouge Collection 1″ is based off the dating simulation game by the same name and this collection has the first 13 episodes of the series. The major difference between the anime and the game would be that a set male protagonist exists (in the game, there is a male protagonist but the player can change the name of the character to his own name and the game changes depending on the player’s actions).

The anime actually has two male protagonists: Kouichi Sanada and Kazuki Aihara (The default protagonist’s name in the game happens to be Kouichi Aihara). As to be expected from an anime based on a dating sim for guys, there are a lot of girls in the series… lots (6 girls actually… so 3 for each? I kid, I kid…) Mao Mizusawa is one of those girls, and a childhood friend of Kouichi and Kazuki who went away to Paris a couple of years ago and just came back to Japan to spend her last year in high school in Japan instead of Paris. So what will this year hold for Kouichi, Kazuki, and Mao’s love lives? Watch and find out.

“KimiKiss – pure rouge” focuses on the following main characters:

Kouichi Sanada – Kouichi is one of the two male protagonists in this series. He’s pretty much a normal high school student who grew up with Kazuki and Mao. Mao goes away to Paris two years ago and shows up at his house and at first he doesn’t recognize her, but as soon as he does, he finds out that she’s going to be living at his house and going to his school while her parents are still in Paris. He sort of dreams of becoming a novelist. He has feelings for a girl named Yuumi Hoshino but has trouble talking to her at first. With the help of Mao, he’s able to finally talk to her and starts building a relationship with her, but he may also have feelings for someone else…

Mao Mizusawa – Mao is somewhat the female protagonist of the series. She is a childhood friend of Kouichi and Kazuki and is a year older than the two. Two years ago, she moved away to Paris and just came back to Japan to complete her last year of high school there. She shows up at Kouichi’s house, but he doesn’t even recognize her at first and she randomly just barges in like it’s her house. He finally realizes who she is and she reveals that she is staying there while she finishes her last year of high school since her parents are still in Paris. Her first few days at school are a little rough considering she’s suffering from jet lag and forces Kouichi to stay up and play video games with her. She also meets a guy named Eiji Kai in her class who is first cold to her but soon those feelings change. However, there might be someone else she may have feelings for as well…

Kazuki Aihara – Kazuki is a friend of Kouichi and Mao and the older brother of Nana. He loves playing soccer and he is determined to find a girlfriend within the school year. By chance, he runs into Eriko Futami and he quickly develops some feelings for her… but he’s uncertain how she feels about him.

Akira Hiiragi – Akira is a friend of Kouichi and Kazuki and forces them to be in his movie research club in which they are the only three members… For some reason, he has data on all of the girls who go to their school…

Nana Aihara – Nana is the younger sister of Kazuki who starts to also go to their school this year. She loves her green frog accessory named Iwao that she keeps on her bag. Her best friend is Narumi, who she meets at school who also has an obssession with frogs.

Yuumi Hoshino – Yuumi is Kouichi and Kazuki’s classmate and is very quiet and very kind. She works in the school library. She has feelings towards Kouichi but she has trouble opening up to people, but soon it’s apparent that the feelings may be mutual between her and Kouichi.

Eriko Futami – Eriko is an extremely introverted girl who has an IQ of 190. She is rather cold to others and usually just loiters on the roof or the science lab. She performs an “experiment” with Kazuki when he stumbles into the lab one day and she kisses him, leaving him confused. She says the experiment failed, but she eventually opens up to others including Kazuki. There seems to be something wrong with her taste buds.

Asuka Sakino – Asuka is an energetic girl in the soccer club along with Kazuki. Over time, she begins having feelings for Kazuki.

Mitsuki Sijyo – Mitsuki is a very rich girl who plays piano and excels in various other skills. Her life may seem privileged to other people, but in reality it may not be as great as it seems…

Narumi Satonaka – Narumi is Nana’s classmate and they bond as soon as they meet because they both love frogs: she has a pink frog accessory named Julietta and apparently Julietta is Iwao’s girlfriend. She loves udon and is an expert in making it (She also carries Julietta around in a udon strainer).

Eiji Kai – Eiji Kai is Mao’s classmate and at first, he is quite and cold toward Mao. He plays the saxophone and at first he doesn’t want to get along with Mao but he gradually opens up to her…

Megumi Kuryu – Megumi is in the same class as Kouichi and Kazuki and the self-appointed prefect and member of the disciplinary group.

Tomoko Kawada – Tomoko is a teacher at their school and Mao’s homeroom teacher.

“KimiKiss – pure rouge Collection 1” features a total of 13 episodes on two DVDs. Here is a spoiler-less summary of each episode:

DISC 1:

• #1- meet again – Mao comes back from France and back into the lives of Kouichi and Kazuki.
• #2- cool beauty – Kazuki confronts Eriko about their kiss and what it meant.
• #3- book mark – The group goes to karaoke and Mao tries to bring Kouichi and Yuumi closer.
• #4- step in – Various relationships develop.
• #5- jump up – Eiji and Mao go on a date and Kazuki and Eriko continue their experiment.
• #6- each melancholy – The group holds a study session.

DISC 2:

• #7- dear actress – The group tries to find the main actress for the script Kouichi wrote.
• #8- close to you – Mao doesn’t know what to after her and Eiji’s last encounter.
• #9- water girls – The group attends the school’s swimming competition.
• #10- miss tone – Mao has a weird dream involving Kouichi and Eiji…
• #11- tear drops – The group goes to Mitsuki’s mansion to try to find shooting locations for their movie.
• #12- passing rain – Kouichi and Yuumi go on a date.
• #13- crossroad – Yuumi has a secret.

VIDEO & AUDIO

“KimiKiss – pure rouge Collection 1″ is presented in 16:9. The character designs are nice and I think that the art will appeal to various audiences. There aren’t any ridiculously big boobs or excessive fan service in this series. I did notice that all the backgrounds seemed to be drawn/painted in a rough sketch type design… but it doesn’t look cheap, it looks artistic.

They do also incorporate some CG in here and there. Like many other Sentai Filmworks releases, this series only has Japanese for the audio option, so for people looking for English dub, they will be disappointed. However, they got a great cast for this series including a lot of well known names including Rie Tanaka, Jun Fukuyama and Takahiro Sakurai. All of the voices fit the characters well and no one seemed out of place. The opening and ending themes are also cute and catchy.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The only special features available on the discs are Sentai Filmwork Trailers, Clean Opening and Ending Animations, and DVD Credits.

I have to admit that while I’m watching this series, I can’t help but feel that I’m watching a dating sim being played right in front of me (it is a dating sim, duh. I know.) KimiKiss is definitely a series for guys… but at the same time, it’s not… The series is indeed based off of a dating sim, but the story elements are something that would attract a female audience as well.

KimiKiss has a good mix of romance and comedy without being too over the top romantic and doesn’t have an excess amount of fan service. There is obviously some conflict, but it’s not as dramatic as many other shojo series. So… it’s pretty much a good mix.

I believe that it’s because of the comedy and no over-the-topness that makes this series accessible to a much bigger audience. The love expressed in this series so far is more pure than fan service. I know that there’s a bunch of girls in this series, but Mao is pretty much a protagonist as well so that also balances things out. Despite the huge amount of girls and the few guys in the series, it doesn’t have the usual harem anime aspects where everyone is after one person like in “Love Hina” and “Tenchi! Muyo”.

It’s slightly weird because it almost seems that with Kouichi, Kazuki, and Mao put together you have one full main character. Kouichi and Kazuki are indeed split from the original protagonist, but in the anime, Kouichi definitely doesn’t stand out too much, at least in the beginning. Mao is definitely a strong personality in the series and she is probably my favorite. She is straight forward, funny, and has many other

Romances in shojo mangas can get very malicious… this doesn’t really have that aspect which is appealing to me. Any conflict that seems to happen doesn’t happen because someone is trying to hurt someone else… it just happens out of circumstance. No craziness, which is nice.

Obviously, this is not an action series no matter how you look at it, so if that’s what you’re looking for, you’re not gonna get it. This series is slightly reminiscent to other harem type anime like “Love Hina”, “Tenchi! Muyo”, and “Ai Yori Aoshi” so fans of those series I think would enjoy this one as well. You won’t find much fan service though if that’s what you’re looking for. A series that I think is very similar to this one is a Shonen Jump series called “I”s” so for people who enjoyed that series, I think they’ll enjoy this too.

To sum up everything, this series is funny and cute. It’s based off a dating sim but the anime has a lot of aspects that would attract more girls than guys… but I think guys may enjoy it too considering there’s tons of cute girls in the series. Not to mention the demographic for this is supposed to be shonen/seinen…

If you’re looking for a funny and cute love comedy series, give “KimiKiss – pure rouge Collection 1″ a try. You won’t be disappointed.

 

Claymore 16 (A J!-Ent Manga Review)

”Claymore 16′ is the exciting continuation of “The Lamentation of the Earth” saga. This dark fantasy is full of action and wonderful characters. A Must Read for “Claymore” fans!”

© Claymore image courtesy of Norihiro Yagi, Shueisha Inc., VIZ Media

MANGA TITLE: Claymore 16

STORY AND ART BY: Norihiro Yagi

FIRST PUBLISHED IN JAPAN: By Shueisha on May 1, 2009 (ISBN 978-4-08-874668-5)

PUBLISHED IN USA BY: VIZ Media

RATED: T+ for OLDER TEEN

PAGES: 202 PAGES

In a world where monsters called Yoma prey on humans and live among them in disguise, humanity’s only hope is a new breed of warrior known as Claymores. Half human, half monster, these silver-eyed slayers possess supernatural strength but are condemned to fight their savage impulses-or lose their humanity completely.

After Miria’s incredible revelations about the origins of the Yoma, the seven warriors split up to settle their affairs and say their goodbyes in preparation for the final battle against the Organization. Helen and Deneve fall in with a spirited young warrior of the current generation and soon find themselves confronting the Organization’s latest, most terrible weapons.

Claymore is a manga that focuses on the Claymore Clare and her small band of Claymores who are now on their own after the Organization they worked for left them for dead. Claymores are warriors created by the Organization who are half human and half Yoma and are built so they can spot and fight Yomas that hide among the humans and plague the land.

In this particular volume, Clare and the other Claymores working with Miria split up and prepare for their final battle with the Organization. Helen and Deneve run into a rather powerful Claymore named Dietrich and run into the Awakened Being, Isley as well. As they are battling Isley, they run into the newest and most gruesome threat sent out by the Organization called Abyss Feeders. Abyss Feeders are creatures without a soul with just one motive: to devour Awakened Beings and kill anything else that may get in the way…

This particular volume concentrates on the following characters:

Clare: Clare is the main character of this story. She is one of the Claymores that was left for dead after the battle of the North along with a few others. She is on a mission to find Raki who was once her traveling partner that she was separated from 7 years ago. Currently, she is traveling with Cynthia and Yuma and they happen to run into Rubel.

Rubel: Rubel is a mysterious man in black that gave Clare her orders from the Organization when she was still in the Organization. He reappears in this volume and it is actually revealed that he is a spy working against the organization to take it down.

Helen: Helen is a rather hot-headed Claymore that usually leaps before looking. Her and Deneve are traveling together currently and just like Clare, she is one of the Claymores that was left for dead and is working with Miria.

Deneve: Deneve is a rather calm and serious Claymore that is currently traveling with Helen. She usually is the voice of reason of Helen… even though that might not always work either. Like the others, she is another Claymore that was left for dead and is now working with Miria. She has great regenerative abilities.

Dietrich: Dietrich is a current Generation Claymore that Helen and Deneve run into and help from an Awakened one. She is rather skilled and strong and is loyal to the Organization. However despite her loyalty, she is grateful towards Helen and Deneve for helping her and she assists them for a little while on their journey.

Cynthia: Cynthia is another Claymore working with Miria and is currently traveling with Clare.

Yuma: Yuma is another Claymore working with Miria and is currently traveling with Clare.

Isley: Isley is a very powerful Awakened Being that has decided to hide among the humans in the town that Helen and Deneve find, however he quickly reveals himself when the two warriors come before him. Their battle is quickly interrupted though by new weapons sent out by the Organization called Abyss Feeders…

Riful: Riful is another very powerful Awakened Being. She looks and acts like a child but is incredibly powerful. She lives in a castle with Dauf and are currently trying to awaken something that they found and she is trying to get the Claymore Renee to awaken it.

Dauf: Dauf is Riful’s lover and lives in the castle with her. He is definitely more brauns over brains and follows Riful blindly.

Renee: Renee is currently the #6 in this generation of Claymores and is currently captured by Riful and Dauf to try to awaken a certain being.

“Claymore 16″ features 6 chapters. Here is a spoiler-free breakdown of each chapter:

Scene 84: The Lamentation of the Earth, Part 2 – Clare is unexpectedly reunited with Rubel and Renee tries to figure out how to escape from Riful.

Scene 85: The Lamentation of the Earth, Part 3 – Helen and Deneve run into a Claymore named Dietrich.

Scene 86: The Lamentation of the Earth, Part 4 – Helen and Deneve run into Isley.

Scene 87: The Lamentation of the Earth, Part 5 – Helen and Deneve’s battle with Isley continues.

Scene 88: The Lamentation of the Earth, Part 6 – Helen and Deneve’s battle with Isley is interrupted by the Abyss Feeders.

Scene 89: The Lamentation of the Earth, Part 7 – The battle between Isley and the Abyss Feeders concludes…

“Claymore” is a wonderful fantasy action series full of great characters and an exciting story. If you’re looking for a beautiful dark fantasy, “Claymore” would be an excellent choice. This is definitely a series for older readers though, since there is quite a bit of violence and some nudity. There is also quite a bit of the creepiness factor, especially in this volume with the Abyss Feeders.

This series is full of strong female characters, considering Claymores are mostly female. I believe that factor will attract both male and female audiences. It was definitely an appealing factor for me because I always look for strong female characters. Clare is a great leading character: strong, loyal and despite being a Claymore, still exhibits quite a bit of human emotions. A relationship I enjoy quite a bit is the relationship between Helen and Deneve. They are polar opposites, however that’s also the reason why they compliment each other so much. Helen is quick-tempered and quick to act, mostly before thinking and Deneve is calm and serious, always thinking things through. There are a few strong male characters in the series though, like Isley and Dauf. Despite being the strong male character in the series, Isley’s fate is challenged in this particular volume.

Since this is volume 16, I don’t recommend just buying and reading this volume by itself. There are so many characters in “Claymore” and so much has happened by this volume that there is no point in just trying to read this volume. You will not understand anything that is going on. This particular volume concentrates a lot more on Helen, Deneve, and Dietrich rather than Clare, who only appears in the first chapter and a little bit in the second chapter of this volume.

As I mentioned, this series definitely has a creepiness factor. Between Riful and the Abyss Feeders in this volume, it’s quite intense. Riful looks like a harmless little girl but is rather deadly and has dark intentions… which all in itself is creepy. The being she’s trying to awaken is quite creepy too… I won’t say what it is because it’d be a spoiler. The Abyss Feeders are probably one of the creepiest things I’ve ever seen. They look like female zombie creatures that are barely dressed and have their eyes and mouths sewn shut. Of course, they are definitely supposed to be creepy. This volume is full of creepy, yes… but it doesn’t lack story or great characters.

At first, I wasn’t much of a fan of Norihiro Yagi’s art. I have had the first volume of “Claymore” for quite a while and didn’t really care too much for the art then. I thought that the villagers had awkward looking faces, and I thought that the Claymores were all too long in the bodies (I’m ridiculously picky on weird things in art). However, by this volume, his art has vastly improved (just like many other manga artists, their art improves a great deal over volumes). The art has definitely grown on me. The amount of details that he puts in the environment is beautiful. Not to mention the amount of detail he puts into the individual designs of the Awakened Beings is amazing. Also the individual faces of all the Claymores are beautiful and to be honest, it’s amazing that he’s able to individualize each of the Claymores and think up so many different hairstyles for each (since each Claymore has silver eyes and light blondish hair). As I mentioned, there is nudity in the series but I don’t think that it’s used crudely or unneeded for the most part. However, that may be a minor detractor for some people. Overall, I hope people can appreciate the beauty in his art.

When I first spotted “Claymore” in Japan, the first thing it reminded me of was “Berserk”, a manga series by Kentaro Miura. I thought the art styles were similar and both are dark fantasies. “Claymore” is definitely not as dark as “Berserk”, but I believe that audiences that enjoy “Berserk” may enjoy “Claymore” quite a bit too.

“Claymore” is definitely a must-read if you enjoy action series. This series, and particularly this volume is full of non-stop action. I think this series would have a huge male fan base, but I hope girls enjoy it too. There isn’t much romance in the series but as I mentioned earlier, there are so many powerful female characters that I hope would bring in a female audience as well. This volume of “Claymore” doesn’t disappoint whatsoever and I highly recommend this volume if you have already read the rest of the series. It will definitely make you eager to read the continuation. Wonderful work!

 

Black Lagoon 009 (A J!-Ent Manga Review)

“Black Lagoon is a high intensity, gritty action series full that’ll keep you reading nonstop. Chicks, guns, and most importantly… action! An awesome read!”

© Black Lagoon image courtesy of Rei Hiroe, Shogakukan Inc., VIZ Media

MANGA TITLE: BLACK LAGOON 009

STORY AND ART BY: Rei Hiroe

FIRST PUBLISHED IN JAPAN: By Shogakukan on October 19, 2009 (ISBN 978-4-09-157189-2)

PUBLISHED IN USA BY: VIZ Media

RATED: M for Mature (Parental Advisory – Explicit Content)

PAGES: 272 PAGES

Lock n’ load with the baddest group of mercenaries ever to hit the high seas of Southeast Asia! Aboard their World War II torpedo boat, the Black Lagoon, Dutch the Boss, Benny the Mechanic, Revy Two Hand, and Rock, the salaryman from Japan, deliver anything, anywhere. In the dangerous underworld of the Russian Mafia, Chinese triads, Colombian drug cartels, crazed assassins, and ruthless mercenaries, it’s hard to know who to trust. But if you’ve got a delivery to make, and you don’t mind a little property damage along the way, you can count on the crew of the Black Lagoon!

Roanapur explodes as Roberta’s vendetta against a top secret U.S. Special Forces team brings out the city’s heaviest hitters. Balalaika and the ex-Soviet military troops of Hotel Moscow face off with Major Caxton’s Grey Fox unit as it tries to fight its way out of Roanapur.

Meanwhile, Rock, Revy and Garcia Lovelace continue their pursuit of Roberta, hoping to catch up to her before the Killer Maid’s own demons run her down. But if they do find her, Roberta’s thirst for revenge may consume more than just those who wronged her…

“Black Lagoon 009″ puts you into the action as soon as you turn the first page. Black Lagoon is a high intensity, high energy, gritty action manga featuring a group of 4 mercenaries: Dutch the Boss, Benny the Mechanic, Revy Two Hand, and Rokurou “Rock” Okajima. They travel the waters of Southeast Asia in their World War II style torpedo boat named the Black Lagoon and make dangerous deliveries that most people wouldn’t even think about attempting. On their journeys, they face various syndicates of the Underworld including the Chinese triads, drug cartels, and numerous assassins. But if you need something dangerous delivered (weapons, top secret papers, people…), the crew of the Black Lagoon is who to call.

This particular volume is the continuation of the “El Baile de la Muerte” saga of the series. Rock, Garcia, Revy and her party are still after Roberta who has gone off the deep end. Meanwhile, Balalaika and her troops face off with Major Caxton and his unit while they’re trying to get out of the war zone and trying to get away from the crazed Roberta. Garcia wants to save Roberta from her insanity at any cost but finds himself with the people responsible for killing his father. Will he take the path of revenge and be the next to join in on the dance of death? Will Garcia be able to save Roberta in time before she completely loses herself and harms even more people? Find out in “Black Lagoon 009″.

This particular volume concentrates on the following characters:

Rokurou “Rock” Okajima: Rock is a former Japanese salaryman, whose real name is Rokurou Okajima. Abandoned by his company after the crew of the Black Lagoon abducted him, Rock later joined his captors. He is quite intelligent and usually handles the diplomacy, negotiations, interpretations, and account management for the crew in Black Lagoon. He is also quite lucky it seems as he has made it through various wraths and outbursts of many of the female characters.

Revy Two Hand: The Black Lagoon’s top gunslinger, nicknamed “Two Hand.” Her foul mouth and extremely short fuse usually get her in lots of trouble. Revy definitely acts before thinking, especially if she is mad(which is all of the time). She is a very skilled fighter and gunslinger with a very terrible temper. She doesn’t rely too much on emotions and doesn’t really care for morals. She will kill someone without really thinking about it twice.

Dutch the Boss: Dutch is the skipper of the Black Lagoon and leader of the crew. Dutch stays cool no matter how bad things get. His background includes military service, including a tour in Vietnam. However, in this volume we find out that his past may not be what it seems.

Benny the Mechanic: Benny is the man in charge of the high-tech electronics on board the Black Lagoon. Benny escaped from the U.S. and is on the run from both the FBI and the mafia.

Balalaika: Balalaika is the boss of the Thai branch of “Hotel Moscow”, a noted Russian criminal gang. Balalaika once was a captain in the Red Army of the Former Soviet Union.

Garcia: Gacia is the next family head of the Lovelace family, one of the 13 families of South America and he is the son of Diego Lovelace. Garcia was brought up in a rich family, however he is rather grounded and cares very much for those around him. He is very fond of Roberta and will do whatever it takes to get her back.

Roberta: Roberta is the Lovelace family maid. Ex-FARC terrorist and once feared as “The Bloodhound of Florencia.” Roberta is a very skilled killer while also being the Lovelace family maid. Due to the death of Diego Lovelace and losing everything, she went berserk and is now a creature that is solely out for revenge. She is skilled to begin with, but now that she is in this berserk crazed state, she is almost superhuman strong.

Fabiola: Fabiola is another Lovelace family maid. She is Roberta’s subordinate. Just like Roberta, Fabiola is a trained fighter as well and cares for Garcia quite a bit. She helps Garcia in trying to get Roberta back.

Shane Caxton: Shane Caxton is the leader of the U.S. Unconventional Warfare Special Forces Unit Grey Fox. He is the one responsible for Garcia’s father’s death… however he is someone that actually believes very much in doing good. He is conflicted at times with his job as a soldier.

“Black Lagoon 009″ features 12 chapters. Here is a spoiler-free breakdown of each chapter:

Chapter 65: El Baile de la Muerte – Pt. XXII: Revy and her party continue their chase of Roberta…

Chapter 66: El Baile de la Muerte – Pt. XXIII:Garcia wakes up realizing he’s in the hands of those who killed his father.

Chapter 67: El Baile de la Muerte – Pt. XXIV:Garcia tries to decide if he should take revenge or not when he’s suddenly reunited with Roberta.

Chapter 68: El Baile de la Muerte – Pt. XXV: Revy’s chase after Roberta is interrupted by the Americans and Russians.

Chapter 69: El Baile de la Muerte – Pt. XXVI: Caxton and his men are finally able to escape the war zone… and Roberta gets aide from a mysterious source.

Chapter 70: El Baile de la Muerte – Pt. XXVII: Shane and Ray revisit their past in Vietnam.

Chapter 71: El Baile de la Muerte – Pt. XXVIII: Garcia and Fabiola decide that they will save Roberta, no matter what it takes.

Chapter 72: El Baile de la Muerte – Pt. XXIX: Fabiola and Revy discuss their differences and the Americans come aboard the Black Lagoon.

Chapter 73: El Baile de la Muerte – Pt. XXX: Garcia sets up a plan to save Roberta with Caxton and his men.

Chapter 74: El Baile de la Muerte – Pt. XXXI: Caxton’s men head into the jungle to carry out their operation, however they are ambushed by Roberta.

Chapter 75: El Baile de la Muerte – Pt. XXXII: Roberta tracks down Caxton’s men in the jungle.

Chapter 76: El Baile de la Muerte – Pt. XXXIII: The final showdown with Roberta begins… will Garcia be able to save her?

Black Lagoon is an action packed intense series that provides endless action, violence and maids… with guns. Right off the bat, this series is definitely not for little kids. That is the first thing that comes to mind. There’s a lot of cursing and quite a bit of violence… that and in general, I don’t know how much little kids would enjoy this series. The subject matter is rather serious and dark (but there is still some humor in the series… just dark humor). I remember as a kid, I didn’t enjoy “Lupin the 3rd” (which isn’t that serious and was actually quite funny and now that I’m old enough to understand it, I love it.) because I didn’t really get what was going on. This is definitely a series that is aimed for an audience that is 17 and up. In a way, this series reminds me of a much more dark and violent “Cowboy Bebop”.

People who will probably not like this series: kids, people looking for romantic series, and people who don’t like violence or excessive cursing. I say all of this but I have quite a few positive things to say about this series so I’m getting the few negatives out of the way. On the other hand, this series will definitely appeal to a male audience. I mean… bad-ass chicks with guns and tons of action? I think we have a winner here. Not to mention… MAIDS with guns (as silly as this sounds, it seriously works out so that it’s not so ridiculous in the series). Yep. Guys are set. As for girls… I think they may like this series too, but probably only a select audience. I personally love it. I love series that have beautiful art, is full of action, and has powerful female characters. This series and especially this volume, is chalk full of them. Actually, the majority of the assassins in this series seem to be female.

The art in this manga is absolutely gorgeous. There are so many action scenes and Rei Hiroe draws them wonderfully. Some of the action scenes can get a little chaotic to the point that I don’t know what just happened, but it’s not so bad that it’s consistently distracting. The backgrounds are great and the character designs are awesome. There is a tiny bit of fan service, but nothing major. I believe that the character designs would appeal to both male and female audiences. I don’t think that the art is so stylized that it looks anything like a shojo manga, however the art isn’t careless either.

I emphasize that there’s a lot of action in this series and gun-wielding maids, but this series is not without a plot. One of the strongest points in this series I believe is some of the strong personalities of the characters. Despite her lack of emotions and morals, Revy is probably one of my favorite characters in the series. Also, the fact that Garcia, despite being a rather young boy was so determined to save Roberta no matter what the cost, was touching. Also, the evolution of Garcia’s feelings of hatred toward Caxton change into a rational feeling of not wanting to participate in the “Dance of Death” I thought was rather impressive.

Overall, I highly recommend this series to people who love action. Just be warned that the language is crude throughout and the subject matter may disturb some. Otherwise, it’s an amazing series!

 

Golgo 13: Collection 1 (A J!-Ent Anime DVD Review)

“Fans of the long running classic, “Golgo 13″ shouldn’t be disappointed by this new adaptation.”

Image courtesy of © Takao Saito, Saito Pro / GOLGO13 Syndicate, TV T. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: Golgo 13: Collection 1

DURATION: 325 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: 16:9 WIDESCREEN, ENGLISH & JAPANESE 2.0 STEREO

COMPANY: Sentai Filmworks

RATED: TV MA

Release Date: July 13th, 2010

Original Work by Takao Saito

Directed by Shunji Oga

Music by Seiji Suzuki

Art Direction by Toshiharu Mizutani

Character Designs by Kazuyoshi Takeuchi

Produced by Shunji Aoki/Saito Pro/GOLGO13 Syndicate, TV T.

Featuring the following voice talent:

Hiroshi Tachi/David Wald as Duke Togo/Golgo 13

Mitsuo Senda/Chris Ayres as Dave McCartney

His targets never see it coming and he’s never caught. If there is a witness to the kill, that poor SOB winds up dead too. People say he’s a ghost. A machine. A monster. He’s Golgo 13, the most feared assassin in the world, the professional’s professional, the killer of killers. And now he’s back with 13 targeted missions that will keep you glued to the screen (and away from the windows) Load up for high-powered, bullet-riddled action with Golgo 13!

“Golgo 13: Collection 1″ contains the first 13 episodes of the anime series, “Golgo 13″. It is one of the longest running mangas in Japan and is currently still going. The manga series started in January 1969 and is about a professional assassin named Golgo 13. He is a professional who gets his job done no matter what once he accepts it. He only has one facial expression… where he is frowning and looking quite serious. Also, it is better to never stand behind him, because he has the instinct to strike… or kill. The anime series was made in 2008, making it quite recent and despite the series running for such a long time, it is the first actual anime series. (There have been live action movies and some anime movies) I believe that fans of the series will find that is rather faithful to the original series and I believe that new viewers who like serious action series will enjoy this as well.

“Golgo 13 Collection 1″ focuses on the following main characters:

Golgo 13/Duke Togo – Duke Togo is the legendary Golgo 13. He is a professional assassin who will take down any target that he’s taken on until they are killed, no matter who it may be. He only has one facial expression: serious and frowning… it never breaks. He is a genius at what he does and pretty much never gets caught, despite how hard people may try. He is also quite popular with the ladies… however they are no more to him than a one night stand. Don’t ever stand behind him, because that may end your life.

Dave McCartney – Dave is the only other somewhat steady character in this series. He modifies Golgo 13′s sniper rifle and he’s pretty much the only one that he trusts afterward to make any other modifications whenever he needs them.

“Golgo 13: Collection 1” features a total of 13 episodes on two DVDs. Here is a spoiler-less summary of each episode:

DISC 1:

• Target.1- At Pin-Hole! – Golgo 13 is hired to take out a hijacker.
• Target.2- Room-No. 909 – The NYPD find a shell casing of one of Golgo 13′s bullets and link him to it, but will they be able to convict him of the hit?.
• Target.3- The Masterpiece Assault Rifle – Golgo 13 has a showdown with the Sabine Brothers in the desert.
• Target.4- Pretty Woman – A woman named Linda enlists Golgo 13 to take down the mafia boss she’s tied to.
• Target.5- The Superstars’ Joint Appearance – An old man hires Golgo 13 to take out his apprentice, before the assassin that his apprentice hired kills him.
• Target.6- An Offering to God – Golgo 13 assassinates someone linked to a political candidate in a large crowd… will he be able to escape?

DISC 2:

• Target.7- Sharpshoot on the G String – Golgo 13 is asked to take out a string on a violin of a famous Russian violinist to humiliate him.
• Target.8- Action in 4/24 – A mob boss goes to Golgo 13 to take out another mob boss.
• Target.9- Sleep Inside the Cage – Golgo 13 ends up in… jail?
• Target.10- The Targe Returned – Golgo 13 takes down a kingpin, but the hit isn’t what it seemed to be.
• Target.11- Dead Angle – A genius young sniper tries to take out Golgo 13.
• Target.12- Touchdown – Golgo 13 takes down a start football player, and a CSI unit tries to find the killer.
• Target.13- Cross Angle – A famous tabloid photographer tries to get a shot of the infamous Golgo 13.

VIDEO & AUDIO

“Golgo 13: Collection 1″ is presented in 16:9. The art looks great since it was made in 2008, however the art also has a very classic feel… because it is Golgo 13. Perhaps it’s because I’ve seen Golgo 13′s face since I can remember… but the other characters don’t look dated.

This is the first Sentai Filmworks release that I have seen with English dub along with the Japanese dub. As usual, there are only English subtitles available. The English dubbing is done fairly well with some familiar names like Chris Ayres… however I definitely prefer the original Japanese considering they didn’t get a voice actor to do Golgo 13, they got the actor, Hiroshi Tachi to do his voice along with a great supporting cast. Both vocal tracks are pretty well done though, so I don’t think fans of either will be disappointed.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The only special features available on the discs are Sentai Filmworks Trailers, Clean Opening and Ending Animations, and DVD Credits.

Before anything, I am going to emphasize that if you want to watch a series with at least some humor, this is not the series for you. This is a ridiculously serious, straight forward action series. So if you are looking for a humorous series, this isn’t for you. If you want to watch a series about a bad-ass assassin who gets his ish done… this is for you. Just like the series, there is pretty much no humor in Golgo 13′s face. His face is always serious and frowning… it does NOT change. Ever.

“Golgo 13″ is a classic series. There’s pretty much no one in Japan who doesn’t know about the series. Takao Saito is one of Japan’s most famous manga artists and this would be his biggest series. There have been other adaptations to this series such as live action films and anime films, but this is the first TV anime series. This collection included the first 13 episodes of 50 episodes.

I’d have to say that the target audience for this series is probably mostly going to be men. Women in this series are reduced to prostitutes, drug lord wives (who were former prostitutes), and other insignificant roles… who all have a fascination with Golgo 13 and want to sleep with him because of his irresistible charm… who could resist that face? (I could, but apparently you can’t if you’re a woman in this series). I must say he’s pretty much the man… I mean he’s a no nonsense bad-ass assassin who never fails and is a hit with the ladies…

Also, this is one of the only series I have ever seen that there pretty much is no other main character. Each episode is pretty much Golgo 13, the person who orders the hit, the hit, and some random thugs and prostitutes. The only character to make an appearance in more than one episode is the man who modifies Golgo 13′s gun. Everyone else pretty much either gets killed or doesn’t appear again anyways.

I’m someone who likes at least a little humor so this wasn’t exactly an ideal series for me… however the fact that Hiroshi Tachi played the voice of Golgo 13 was enough reason for me to watch (He’s famous enough to get his name in the opening animation, not just the ending). They probably couldn’t find a better match for Golgo 13 than him. He is a famous actor in Japan and usually plays the roles of bad-ass cops(such as from the “Abunai Deka” series). If anything, I did enjoy how much of a bad-ass Golgo 13 is but that might be it. This is the first Sentai Filmworks release that I’ve seen to have an actual English dub and not just English subtitles. As I mentioned earlier, both the Japanese and English dubs are pretty well done.

This is definitely not a series for children. It’s full of violence (mostly people being shot in the head…) and full of nudity and sexual situations (I’m not kidding, the women dig Golgo 13). That would be another reason I would think that this is definitely more intended for guys rather than girls… but of course I’m sure some girls will enjoy the series as well. This series really doesn’t have too much emotion… I mean Golgo 13 will pretty much kill whoever for the money. He doesn’t care that much about the money, he just is professional enough to get the job done no matter what it might be. He doesn’t really discriminate though (at least from what I’ve seen)… he’ll kill innocent people and he’ll kill mob bosses. I prefer series like “Hissatsu” where there’s at least some sort of conscience in killing an innocent or not… On the other hand, I think some people might find it refreshing in some way that Golgo 13 never lets any emotions get in the way of him doing his job (at least that you can see in this collection…)

In the end, I’m sure there are tons of viewers that are overjoyed that this classic has been made into an anime series finally. Those who are new to the series though, I would advise that you know a little about the series before diving into it. Overall though, a great action series.

 

THE BACKYARDIGANS: OPERATION ELEPHANT DROP (A J!-ENT DVD Review)

“THE BACKYARDIGANS: OPERATION ELEPHANT DROP” is a wonderful DVD of the popular children’s series. Children will enjoy the wonderful songs in each episode that they can sing and dance along to. Parents will appreciate the random facts their children will learn and both children and parents will love the adventures THE BACKYARDIGANS take in their backyard with the power of their imagination.”

Images courtesy of © 2010 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. NICKELODEON, NICK JR., NICK JR. THE BACKYARDIGANS and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. TM, ® & Copyright © 2010 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: THE BACKYARDIGANS: OPERATION ELEPHANT DROP

DURATION: 95 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: FULL SCREEN, DOLBY DIGITAL ENGLISH STEREO

COMPANY: Nickelodeon/Paramount

RATED: NOT RATED

Release Date: July 13, 2010

Featuring the following voice talent:

Jake Goldberg (speaking) & Sean Curley (singing) as Pablo

Chris Grant, Jr. (speaking) & Tyrell Jackson Williams/Dimani Roberts (singing) as Tyrone

LaShawn Tináh Jefferies (speaking) & Avion Baker (singing) as Uniqua

Gianna Bruzesse (speaking) & Gabriella Malek (singing) as Tasha

Jonah Bobo (speaking) & Nicholas Barasch (singing) as Austin

Catch the Backyardigans as you’ve never seen them before in “Operation Elephant Drop”! Join the adventure as Pablo, Tyrone and Tasha go on their very own secret operation to save the elephants.

“The Backyardigans” is about five friends who come together in their backyard to go on great adventures using their imagination. The show is full of songs and dances, so not only are children learning about various facts and values, they are learning various genres of music while watching a fun show. In this particular volume, they go on an adventure to India, ride on a magical skateboard, use a meteor smasher, and become super heroes.

“The Backyardigans” focuses on the following main characters:

Pablo – Pablo is a blue and yellow penguin who usually comes up with the interesting ideas for their adventures. He is very full of energy but at times that also leads to a panic attack where his friends have to calm him down. He is sort of the leader of the pack.

Tyrone – Tyrone is an orange moose and Pablo’s best friend, despite being almost exactly opposite in personality.

Uniqua – Uniqua is a pink character with polkadots… and the name of her species is in fact “Uniqua”. She has a strong personality but is kind. She’s also somewhat of a tomboy. Her and Austin get to play the villains in the episode “Elephant on the Run”.

Tasha – Tasha is a yellow hippopotamus. She is the girlier of the two girls, and the most serious out of the five, but she can be silly too.

Austin – Austin is a purple kangaroo and somewhat quiet and shy boy out of the bunch. He gets to play the villain alongside Uniqua in the episode “Elephant on the Run”.

Included on this DVD are:

• Elephant on the Run – Park Ranger Tasha has an important job for delivery agents Tyrone and Pablo — to get an endangered Indian elephant safely to the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary and to avoid the bad guys. This episode featured Alternative Rock music.
• The Magic Skateboard – Tyrone really wants to be a great skateboarder. He may not know all the tricks yet, but he’s going to compete in the Show-Off Showdown. Once he finds the magic skateboard, even his top competition takes notice. This episode featured Forro music.
• The Flipper! – Uniqua, Tasha and Pablo are the Meteor Watch Squad. But when meteor obsessed Pablo accidentally spills toxic space stuff all over himself, he becomes the super strong, super excitable Flipper! This episode featured Bo Diddley-Style Rock music.
• Super Team Awesome! – Tyrone is a tour guide for the world’s only lava geyser, Old Gushie. When a loose boulder in the cavern threatens to cause a geothermal disaster, Tyrone calls for help. Not one, but three superheroes come to save the day!. This episode featured American Country Rock music.

VIDEO & AUDIO

“The Backyardigans: Operation Elephant Drop” is presented in full screen and in Dolby Digital Stereo. The series is done in CG animation style, making it possible for the characters to explore beautiful environments while on their adventures. It’s fun to look at and the character designs are cute and unique. As for audio, the voice acting is well done and as I’ve mentioned, the songs in each episode are fun.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

There are no special features on this disc, however there are some previews for Nickelodeon shows.

“The Backyardigans” is a wonderful show that I believe both kids and parents can enjoy. The episodes on this particular DVD were filled with great adventures, cute songs, funny storylines, and interesting environments (ranging from India to Space). Each episode has a particular music genre set for that episode’s songs and dances. So children get to learn about important facts and values while having fun singing and dancing along to great songs. For example, the first episode on this disc featured songs all done in alternative rock style (kid friendly, of course. The songs were quite poppy with a slight rock edge).

The animation and character designs are very well done. The CG animation looks great. The characters are all very cute and colorful (which will definitely grab the kids’ attention), and the environments in each episode are detailed and colorful. Kids will find themselves being sucked into the world of the Backyardigans’ imagination. The songs are all fun and energetic and I think the kids would love to sing and dance along. I found that the story lines in each episode on this disc were funny and cute.

I believe that this show could pull in a broad audience. Of course, I wouldn’t expect too many teenagers to watch this, however I think that kids anywhere from the ages of 1 to 10 could enjoy this show for various reasons. The toddlers would probably like the cute and colorful characters, the mid range would probably enjoy the songs and dances, and the older kids would probably enjoy the stories (of course, kids can enjoy all of those things despite their age). I didn’t find this show too “kiddy” for the adults and found it entertaining to watch. This show is about imagination and how far it can take you. As a writer and artist, I believe that is very important for a child’s development.

As someone who loves various genres of music, I love that there are so many cute songs that they sing and dance to in each episode. I think that parents could enjoy watching this show with their children without being bored or even slightly annoyed. There is a lot of singing and dancing, but I didn’t think at all that the songs were too “I love you, you love me” or “This is the song that doesn’t end…”.(There’s nothing wrong with “Barney and Friends” or Lampchop, I happen to love Lampchop. However, there are moments where those songs get over sung by children and that will drive their parents mad. I didn’t find that in this show.) The songs were imaginative and fun and they aren’t the same in each episode so I think kids and parents will enjoy that.

I believe this would be a great addition to kids’ DVD collection, especially if they love going on great adventures using their imagination and enjoy singing and dancing. A wonderful show.

 

Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple Season 2 Part 2 (A J!-Ent Anime DVD Review)

“Kenichi Season 2 Part 2 is the exciting conclusion to a great action comedy series. A must-see!”

Image courtesy of © Syun Matsuena/FUNIMATION. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple Season 2 DVD Part 2

DURATION: 280 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: 16:9 WIDESCREEN, ENGLISH 5.1 DOLBY DIGITAL SURROUND SOUND, JAPANESE STEREO

COMPANY: FUNIMATION Entertainment

RATED: 13+

Release Date: May 25th, 2010

Original Comic Books Created by Syun Matsuena

Chief Direction by Hajime Kamegaki

Music by Joe Rinoie

Sound Director by Akiyoshi Tanaka

Art Direction by Nobuhito Sakamoto

Character Design by Masatomo Sudo/Junko Yamanaka

Produced by Susumu Matsuyama/Satoshi Kojima/Kenichi Project/TMS Entertianment, LTD.

 

Featuring the following voice talent:

Tomokazu Seki/ Josh Grelle as Kenichi Shirahama

Tomoko Kawakami/ Carrie Savage as Miu Fuurinji

Takumi Yamazaki/ Todd Haberkorn as Haruo Niijima

Tomoe Sakuragawa/ Cherami Leigh as Honoka Shirahama

Hiroshi Arikawa/ R. Bruce Elliott as Hayato Fuurinji

Unsho Ishizuka/ Christopher Sabat as Shio Sakaki

Hiroya Ishimaru/ Sonny Strait as Apachai Hopachai

Mamiko Noto/ Trina Nishimura as Shigure Kosaka

Issei Futamata/ Vic Mignogna as Kensei Ma

Jurota Kosugi/ Kent Williams as Akisame Koetsuji

Mika Kanai/ Kate Oxley as Renka Ma

Ken Narita/ Jerry Jewell as Odin

George Nakata/ Robert McCollum as Berserker

Atsuko Tanaka/ Stephanie Young as Freya

Keiji Fujiwara/ Travis Willingham as Loki

Mitsuaki Madono/ Chris Cason as Siegfried

Ryo Horikawa/Eric Vale as Hermit

Naomi Kusumi/ Bob Carter as Thor

Minami Takayama/ Colleen Clickenbeard as Valkyrie

Akio Ohtsuka/Jason Douglas as Ishinsai Ogata

Kenichi’s a lot tougher than he used to be – living in a dojo with six martial arts masters will do that to you. But thanks to his reputation as a skilled fighter, the guy’s got more problems than ever.

The goons in Ragnarok are gunning for him in a big way, especially the gang’s leaders: the Eight Fists, a dangerously unpredictable crew known to play dirty. Luckily, Kenichi’s got allies like Miu by his side. She’s as tough as she is hot, and even if he still hasn’t scored with the blonde brawler, her very presence makes Kenichi train harder to be the best.

Yeah, he’s come a long way – but Kenichi’s fight to be the mightiest disciple isn’t over yet.

“Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple Season 2 Part 2″ starts off as a direct continuation from Season 2 Part 1, and the first episode of this collection concludes what happened in episode 38. Kenichi is still working under the masters of the Ryozanpaku dojo to become the best fighter in the world. The story concentrates around Kenichi, who is training to become the best fighter in the world. This section of the series deals with Kenichi’s fight with the members of Ragnarok, concentrating on the battle against the last 3 Fists of Ragnarok. Kenichi’s grueling training from the Ryozanpaku masters continue while he attends high school with Miu, and in this collection of episodes, he has to train with the Elder of Ryozanpaku to become strong enough to defeat the strongest fighter of Ragnarok. Meanwhile, Niijima is still trying his best to recruit more members into the Shinpaku Federation so he can take over the world. Kenichi must face someone from his past and is put to the ultimate test in the exciting conclusion of “Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple”.

This particular volume, “Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple Season 2 DVD Part 2″ contains the last 12 episodes of the second season of “Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple”.

 

“Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple” focuses on the following main characters:

 

Kenichi Shirahama – Kenichi is the main character of the series and is a high school student that is training at the Ryozanpaku Dojo and learning multiple martial arts at once from the masters at the dojo. He is very loyal and very dedicated to his art and has a crush on Miu. Even though he seems to be a mediocre fighter to most at first, somehow he manages to defeat everyone in his path.

Miu Furinji – Miu is the very well endowed 16 year old that is the granddaughter of Hayato Furinji and the classmate of Kenichi. Despite her cute looks, she is rather shy… and also quite a skilled fighter.

Haruo Niijima – Niijima is the self-proclaimed leader of the Shinpaku Federation who has the appearance of an alien and acts like one as well. He and Kenichi call each other bad friends, but are somewhat friends nonetheless despite not wanting to admit it. Niijima dreams of taking over the world one day.

Honoka Shirahama – Honoka is Kenichi’s very energetic and hyper young sister. She is saved from thugs one day by Hermit and since then, she has a very strange but cute bond with him.

Hayato Fuurinji – Hayato is the grandfather of Miu and the undefeated elder of the Ryozanpaku Dojo. He is rather, tall, muscular, and loves lollipops. He is a giant and powerful.

Shio Sakaki – Sakaki is the karate master of the dojo. He is rather tall and rugged, has a scar on his face and is usually wearing a leather jacket.

Apachai Hopachai – Apachai is the master of Muay Thai of the dojo. He is very strong, but can be rather childish and says “apapapa” alot. He also likes the game, “osero”.

Shigure Kosaka – Shigure is the weapons master of the dojo. She is the only female master of the dojo and is rather quiet and has a pet mouse named Tochumaru.

Kensei Ma – Kensei is the Chinese Kenpo master of the dojo. He is rather short and balding and is usually seen holding a pervy book.

Akisame Koetsuji – Akisame is the Jujitsu master of the dojo. He is also the master of various other arts including calligraphy, go, painting, etc. He likes making inventions that serve a certain purpose… as well as training Kenichi at the same time.

Ragnarok

Odin – Odin is the strongest of the members of Ragnarok and seems to have some sort of connection with Kenichi’s past.

Berserker – Berserker is the second fist of Ragnarok who is rather quiet and usually seen chewing gum.
His name is rather self-explanatory.

Freya – Freya is the second fist of Ragnarok and is the leader of the Valkyries. She firmly believes that for women to win against men in fighting, they must use weapons.

Loki – Loki is the fourth fist of Ragnarok, and one of the main antagonists of this section of the series. Just like his namesake, he is somewhat of a trickster and doesn’t play very fair. In this part of the season, his true intentions come to light.

Siegfried – Siegfried is another member of Ragnarok who by rumor is immortal. He is obsessed with music and hopes to use his fighting experiences in making new symphonies. After being defeated by Kenichi, he joins the Shinpaku Federation.

Hermit/Natsu Tanimoto – Hermit was the sixth fist of Ragnarok and can probably be seen as Kenichi’s biggest rival. Despite being his rival and wanting nothing more than to defeat Kenichi, through the series it’s evident that he’s not that bad of a character. He is a very fair fighter and has a weird yet cute bond with Honoka, Kenichi’s younger sister. He also seems to be a bit bi-polar…

Thor – Thor is the sumo fighter and the seventh fist of Ragnarok. He is best friends with Siegfried.

Valkyrie/Kisara Nanjo – Valkyrie is the eighth fist of Ragnarok. She tries to act tough but seems to have a soft spot for cats. She leaves Ragnarok because she feels differently about the direction the group is headed.

Isshinsai Ogata – Ogata is the person who saves Kenichi in the wilderness when he gets lost… but he ends up being someone who we least suspect.

“Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple Season 2 Part 2” features a total of 12 episodes on two DVDs. Here is a spoiler-less summary of each episode:

DISC 1:

• EPISODE 39- Shigure’s Personal… Lesson! – Kenichi has to fight… girls.
• EPISODE 40- The Place the Promise was Made! Everything Started Here! – Kenichi recalls events that happened in the past that connect to what’s happening now..
• EPISODE 41- Terror of the Sphere of Control! A Dragon Descends! – Kenichi faces off with a childhood friend, Niijima tries to recruit Tanimoto in the Shinpaku Federation.
• EPISODE 42- Elder’s Super Express! Do-or-Die Secluded Tour in the Mountains! – Kenichi starts his training with the Elder, but it’s not the training he expected at all.
• EPISODE 43- Limiter! Invitation to the World of Bloodshed – Kenichi continues his training in the woods, where he encounters the possibility of changing his life forever.
• EPISODE 44- Collapse of the Shinpaku Federation! The Crazy Fist Stealthily Approaches! – Kenichi continues his training with the Elder, meanwhile Berserker and Freya draw closer to the Shinpaku Federation.

DISC 2:

• EPISODE 45- The Decisive Attack! Kisara Dances! – Kisara has her showdown with Freya.
• EPISODE 46- Farewell! A Determined Niijima joins the Fray! – Kenichi goes to find Niijima after recieving a concerning email. The Shinpaku Federation’s HQ is found out, and they are helped by unlikely allies.
• EPISODE 47- The Weakness of the Genius! Effort Surpasses Talent! – Kenichi finally arrives to help his friends. Hermit and Berserker fight.
• EPISODE 48- Showdown between the Leaders! The Man with the Legendary Spear! – Kenichi and Odin start their final showdown.
• EPISODE 49- The Mightiest Transformation! The Ryozanpaku Rhythm! – Kenichi and Odin’s battle continues.
• EPISODE 50- The Mightiest Disciple, Kenichi! – Kenichi and Odin’s battle comes to a close. Will Kenichi and his kindness win or will Odin and his power win?

VIDEO & AUDIO

“Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple” is presented in 16:9. As I mentioned in my review for the first half of season 2, the animation honestly isn’t the best that I’ve seen, especially considering the fact that this series came out in the last few years, but the characters and story make up for it. The production of the art itself isn’t bad… but it’s not a series that you’ll probably be watching for the amazing animation. The character designs for the female characters = fan service and more fan service. The boob sizes ranged from big to bigger, so I’m sure there are some fans that will definitely enjoy that. The music is average but in some parts of the series, there is 8-bit game type music which I personally like.

For audio, you have the option of either Japanese or English.

There are only English subtitles available.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The only special features available on the discs are textless songs and FUNIMATION trailers.

“Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple” is a great action series filled with great characters and comedy. This particular volume deals with the last 12 episodes of the anime series, and takes off right where Season 2 Part 1 left off. Just like the rest of the series, there’s plenty of action and great comedic moments throughout. This particular volume seems to be a bit more concentrated on action though than the last.

This series deals with themes such as what’s more important: power or kindness? Power or Love? Kenichi is a decent main character: he doesn’t really have too many annoying traits and his determination to learn about five different styles of martial arts at once is commendable. Each of his mentors have their own characteristics and are all fun to watch. In this collection, we get to see more training with the Elder vs. any other person of the dojo.

In Season 2 Part 1, Kenichi’s main rival was Hermit; in Season 2 Part 2, Kenichi’s main rival is Odin, who happens to be someone from his past. We didn’t get to see much of the top 3 of Ragnarok in the previous volume, but they get plenty of action in this volume. Kenichi continues his training and must get stronger to defeat Odin. The Shinpaku Federation has grown quite a bit since and everything in this volume leads to the final dramatic conclusion.

Just like the previous volumes of this series, there is a great cast of voice actors both Japanese and American. There are a lot of veteran seiyuu including Toshihiko Seki, Ryo Horikawa, Minami Takayama, Atsuko Tanaka, Ken Narita, Keiji Fujiwara, Jurota Kosugi, just to name a few. Overall the characters all seemed to have voices that fit their personalities and the English dub was well done as well. The English dub also featured the usual popular FUNIMATION cast including Vic Mignogna, Christopher Sabat, Travis Willingham, and Todd Haberkorn.

Like I previously stated, I think that the main audience that would appreciate this series is shonen manga fans, martial art fans, and comedy anime fans. I’m not sure how many girls will enjoy watching this considering the boob fan service… but despite it being there, it’s definitely not what the series is mainly about… but it does stick out.

Getting to this point in the series, I really don’t recommend watching this collection if you haven’t seen previous episodes. There are so many characters, story lines, and this is the final collection of episodes so there’s almost no point in watching just this one. Without prior knowledge of the series, you probably won’t know what’s going on and also it’s the end of the series so it’d be spoiling the rest of the series if you just see this one.

I definitely do recommend this series for those who enjoy entertaining characters, comedy, and a lot of fighting. Even though this concludes the anime series, for those who want more Kenichi, the manga series is still going on. For those who have watched the rest of the anime, be sure to check out the exciting conclusion of “Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple”!

 

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