SECTION23 FILMS ANNOUNCES MARCH SLATE

December 12, 2011 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment

GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES REMASTERED EDITION Available on March 6th

HOUSTON, December 13, 2011 – Home video distributor Section23 Films today announced its March slate of releases; including GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES. Now digitally remastered and restored, it is one of the rare films that truly deserves to be called a masterpiece. It will be released on DVD by Section23 client, Sentai Filmworks.

Product details follow, in order of release

Coming March 2012

Title:                 GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES REMASTERED EDITION
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time:         89 min.
Street Date:      3/6/2012
Format:             DVD
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $19.98

SYNOPSIS: As the Empire of the Sun crumbles upon itself and a rain of firebombs falls upon Japan, the final death march of a nation is echoed in millions of smaller tragedies. This is the story of Seita and his younger sister Setsuko, two children born at the wrong time, in the wrong place, and now cast adrift in a world that lacks not the care to shelter them, but simply the resources. Forced to fend for themselves in the aftermath of fires that swept entire cities from the face of the earth, their doomed struggle is both a tribute to the human spirit and the stuff of nightmares. Beautiful, yet at times brutal and horrifying. Based on the retellings of survivor Nosaka Akiyuki and directed by Iaso Takahata (co-founder, with Hayao Miyazaki, of Japan’s legendary Studio Ghibli,) GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES has been universally hailed as an artistic and emotional tour de force.

Title:                 KIMIKISS: PURE ROUGE COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time:         625 min.
Street Date:      3/6/2012
Format:             DVD
Language:         Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $69.98

SYNOPSIS: Kouichi always thought of Mao as his little sister, but when she returns after living in France for several years, she’s definitely not his little sister anymore! Which makes the fact that Koichi’s mom has invited Mao to stay at their house while she attends the same high school a path that will be fraught with peril. Especially since Kouichi’s been trying to build a relationship with Yuumi, and the revelation that the cute new house guest is a non-related girl may become a full blown disaster by the time his best friend Kazuki, her sister Nana, her best friend Narumi, Asuka, Eriko, Mitsuki, Megumi, Eiji and all the other kids at school get overly involved. Little girls grow up in the most unexpected ways as young love, teenage angst and a little higher education all collide in KIMIKISS PURE ROUGE – THE COMPLETE COLLECTION!

Title:                 MARDOCK SCRAMBLE DIRECTOR’S CUT
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time:         125 min.
Street Date:      3/13/2012
Format:             DVD
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $29.98

SYNOPSIS: To stop the unstoppable you need the irresistible. To kill the un-killable, you need someone for whom death no longer has a meaning. And to catch the perfect serial killer, you need the one person who knows his methods the best… his last victim. Murdered and now reborn, the female cyborg named Balot exists for only one reason-to track down the man who killed her and bring him to justice. But can even the ultimate hybrid between ghost and machine take down a monster who wipes his own memory? Or will a shadowy cabal of gruesome mutants who want her body parts for their own perverse purposes get to her first? This new, special edition director’s cut of MARDOCK SCRAMBLE deepens the mystery of this hit anime, providing even more insight into the dark psyche of the cyborg assassin and her dangerous assignment!

Title:                 MARDOCK SCRAMBLE DIRECTOR’S CUT BLU-RAY
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time:         125 min.
Street Date:      3/13/2012
Format:             BD
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $39.98

Title:                 EF ~ A TALE OF MELODIES COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time:         300 min.
Street Date:      3/20/2012
Format:             DVD
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $59.98

SYNOPSIS: Shuichi Kuze’s been spending time with Mizuki Hayama and as they’ve been getting to know each other, they’ve been growing closer. Sadly, Kuze discovers that he’s contracted a fatal illness and decides to break all romantic ties for the little time left to him. Before he can break things off, however, Mizuki tells him that she loves him. Will her declaration change Kuze’s mind? In another city, in the not so distant past, Yuu Himura meets a girl who seems to know him, but he doesn’t know her. Soon enough, however, he remembers Yuko Amamiya, a girl he met long ago, and begins to rediscover the depth of their feelings for each other. Will Yuko’s love reach across time to find her true love once and for all? Kuze and Mizuki, Yu and Yuko… Intertwining fate, tragic, bittersweet and beautiful – EF ~ A TALE OF MELODIES.

Title:                 EF ~ A TALE OF MELODIES COMPLETE COLLECTION BLU-RAY
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time:         300 min.
Street Date:      3/20/2012
Format:             BD
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $69.98

Title:                 DREAM EATER MERRY COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time:         325 min.
Street Date:      3/27/2012
Format:             DVD
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $59.98

SYNOPSIS: Sometimes daydreaming can get you into trouble, but what do you do when it’s OTHER people’s dreams that you have to watch out for? Yumeji Fujiwara’s has the unique ability to predict what kind of dreams other people will have. But lately, his own dreams have taken a bizarre turn in which he’s being pursued by armies of cats. Stranger yet, Yumeji learns that the leader of the dream cats needs his body to access the Real World. And finally, the strange becomes downright weird when a beautiful girl suddenly drops on top of him and announces that she’s a Dream Demon looking for a way back to the Dream World! The fabric that separates reality and fantasy is torn to shreds, and Yumeji has a lot of sleepless nights ahead of him as he has to deal with both the dream stalking and a dream walking in DREAM EATER MERRY!

Title:                 DREAM EATER MERRY COMPLETE COLLECTION BLU-RAY
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time:         325 min.
Street Date:      3/27/2012
Format:             BD
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $69.98

About Section23 Films:
Section23 Films provides home video marketing and distribution services for a variety of companies, including Sentai Filmworks, Switchblade Pictures, Maiden Japan and AEsir Holdings. With its special focus on genre entertainment, Section23 Films distributes some of the very best anime, martial arts, and horror titles on the market today.

Filed Under: Anime Related News

SECTION23 FILMS ANNOUNCES JANUARY SLATE

October 18, 2011 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment

HOUSTON, October 18, 2011 – Home video distributor Section23 Films today announced its January slate of releases; including THE WORLD GOD ONLY KNOWS, The devilishly fun anime will be released on both DVD & Blu-Ray by Section23 client, Sentai Filmworks.

Product details follow, in order of release

Coming January 2012

Title:                 AND YET THE TOWN MOVES COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time:         300 min.
Street Date:      1/3/2012
Format:             DVD
Language:         Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $49.98

SYNOPSIS: Hotori Arashiyama loves mysteries, but there’s one she just can’t solve: Why does the solution to one problem inevitably seem to lead to another? Like how when Hotori has to start working at the Seaside Maid Café after school to pay off a debt and her friend Toshiko fortunately knows exactly how a Maid Café should be run. Which is fortunate since Hotori has no clue. Except that, unfortunately, Toshiko has no interest in working at the café, UNTIL she discovers that Hotori’s childhood friend Hiroyuki is a regular. Which SEEMS fortunate. Except that Hotori doesn’t know that, while Toshiko likes Hiroyuki, Hiroyuki secretly likes Hotori, while Hotori secretly has a crush on… No, no more spoilers! But if that’s not enough drama, there’s work, angst with a certain math teacher, table tennis between her classmates, her younger brother versus the school’s bad girl… And yet, even though everything seems like it’s going to crash at any moment, somehow Hotori’s life keeps going hilariously forward in AND YET THE TOWN MOVES!

Title:                 AKIKAN! COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time:         350 min.
Street Date:      1/10/2012
Format:             DVD
Language:         Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $49.98

SYNOPSIS: Hobbies are often a great way of meeting new people, but how could Kakeru Diachi, who collects rare juice cans, have ever suspected that he’d meet a fascinating new girl when he attempted to DRINK her? Naming her Melon, because she’s got great melon… soda, Kakeru quickly learns that she’s an Akikan – a beautiful girl who’s also a special can created to fight other Akikans in a strange experiment to determine what kind of container is better: steel or aluminum! Will becoming involved in this ridiculously twisted research project gone amuck complicate Kakeru’s life incredibly? Of course it will, but because Melon’s steel body needs carbon dioxide to breathe, he’s now stuck with her since she’s too CO2 dependent! And when his wealthy, attractive, best childhood friend Najimi gets HER own aluminum Akikan, the trouble really begins! For once, it’s not what’s inside that counts as battling beverage containers run wild in AKIKAN – The Complete Series!

Title:                 PRINCESS RESURRECTION COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time:         650 min.
Street Date:      1/17/2012
Format:             DVD
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $69.98

SYNOPSIS: She’s a hot Goth vixen with a love-jones for swords, chainsaws and mace balls. And it’s a good thing she’s handy at using them all because every zombie, vampire, mummy and demon spawn is gunning for her. But weapons aren’t the only thing Princess Resurrection has going for her. She’s got a team of ass-kicking darksiders right beside her-a pint-sized android maid, a half-werewolf hottie, a sexy high school vampire, a wicked-cute little sister and a young boy she brought back from the dead. Fighting evil was never this sexy. Or this much fun! All new dub featuring the voices of Shelley Calene-Black and Blake Shepard!

Title:                 THE WORLD GOD ONLY KNOWS COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time:         300 min.
Street Date:      1/24/2012
Format:             DVD
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $59.98

SYNOPSIS: Keima is a dating sim champion. Cute girls are rendered powerless by his irresistible game playing techniques. Too bad things aren’t that way in the real world. That is, until his tempting game playing causes a real live-and very bubbly-cute-demon hunter named Elsie to materialize! Now Elsie wants Keima to help her free hot girls from sneaky demons who secretly possess them. Rack up the love points with the devilishly fun anime The World God Only Knows!

Title:                 THE WORLD GOD ONLY KNOWS COMPLETE COLLECTION BLU-RAY
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time:         300 min.
Street Date:      1/24/2012
Format:             BD
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $69.98

Title:                 EF ~ A TALE OF MEMORIES COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time:         300 min.
Street Date:      1/31/2012
Format:             DVD
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $59.98

SYNOPSIS: One Christmas Eve, Hiro Hirono helps Miyako, the victim of a purse snatching, and discovers that she goes to the same school he does. To the dismay of his childhood friend, Kei, Hiro starts hanging out with Miyako. But Kei is not about to let a new girl in Hiro’s life take him away from her, and sets out to prove that she’s the only one for him. When Renji Asou meets Chihiro Shindou at an abandoned train station, he doesn’t notice anything unusual at first. But he soon discovers that she suffers from a rare form of amnesia and can only remember things for thirteen hours. Chihiro dreams of writing a novel, but her amnesia has made it an impossible task.Now, however, Renji is determined to help her fulfill her dream. Emotionally charged, beautifully animated and now available for the first time with an all-star English cast. Don’t miss one of anime’s masterpieces: ef ~ A Tale of Memories!

Title:                 EF ~ A TALE OF MEMORIES COMPLETE COLLECTION BLU-RAY
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time:         300 min.
Street Date:      1/31/2012
Format:             BD
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:                $69.98

SYNOPSIS: One Christmas Eve, Hiro Hirono helps Miyako, the victim of a purse snatching, and discovers that she goes to the same school he does. To the dismay of his childhood friend, Kei, Hiro starts hanging out with Miyako. But Kei is not about to let a new girl in Hiro’s life take him away from her, and sets out to prove that she’s the only one for him. When Renji Asou meets Chihiro Shindou at an abandoned train station, he doesn’t notice anything unusual at first. But he soon discovers that she suffers from a rare form of amnesia and can only remember things for thirteen hours. Chihiro dreams of writing a novel, but her amnesia has made it an impossible task.Now, however, Renji is determined to help her fulfill her dream. Emotionally charged, beautifully animated and now available for the first time with an all-star English cast. Don’t miss one of anime’s masterpieces: ef ~ A Tale of Memories!

Filed Under: Anime Related News

Angel Beats! – Complete Collection (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

July 11, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

When you have Jun Maeda’s name tied to an anime series, you instantly know that you’re in for one hell of an emotional rollercoaster ride for an anime series! Filled with humor and action + episodes that may make you shed a tear or two, “Angel Beats!” is another wonderful anime series on Blu-ray that I definitely recommended!

TITLE: Angel Beats! Complete Series

DURATION: 13 Episodes + OVA (350 Minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, English and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0

COMPANY: Aniplex/Sentai Filmworks

RATED: TV 14V

Release Date: July 26, 2011

Originally created by Jun Maeda

Directed by Seiji Kishi

Series Composition/Script by Jun Maeda

Music by ANANT-GARDE EYES/June Maeda

Original Character Design by Na-Ga

Character Design by Katsuzo Hirata

Art Director – Kazuki Higashiji

Anime Production: P.A. Works/Aniplex

Featuring the following voice talent:

Harumi Sakurai/Brittney Karbowski as Yuri Nakamura

Hiroshi Kamiya/Blake Shepard as Yuzuru Otonashi

Kana Hanazawa/Angel as Tenshi/Kanade Tachibana

Chie Matsuura/Elizabeth Bunch as Hisako

Eiichirō Tokumoto/Rob Mungle as Matsushita

Emiri Katou as Shiori Sekine

Eri Kitamura/Hilary Haag as Yui

Fuko Saito/Melissa Davis as Shiina

Kana Asumi as Irie

Megumi Ogata/Greg Ayres as Ayato Naoi

Michael Rivas/Adam Van Wagoner as TK

Mitsuhiro Ichiki/Dylan Godwin as Takeyama

Miyuki Sawashiro/Luci Christian as Iwasawa

Ryohei Kimura/David Matranga as Hideki Hinata

Shun Takagi/Leraldo Anzaldua as Noda

Takahiro Mizushima/Kalob Martinez as Takamatsu

Yui Makino/Serena Varghese as Yusa

Yumiko Kobayashi/Corey Hartzong as Ōyama

Yuuki Masuda/Andrew Love as Fujimaki

It sucks being dead. It sucks even more to be trapped in a surreal afterlife where you’re caught between the living and the dead – where a mysterious, violent Angel is trying to pull you over to… somewhere. What do you do? Well, if you’re this group of rough-and-tumble teens, you grab every weapon you can get your hands on and give Heaven hell!

One day you woke up and found out that you are dead and in another world with others who have passed on.

But to survive each day, you have to fight an angel.

This is the concept of “Angel Beats!”, a 13-episode anime series (which aired in Japan from April-June 2010) created by Jun Maeda and character designer Na-Ga, both from the visual novel brand Key (known for “Kanon”, “Air” and “Clannad”).

Produced by P.A. Works and Aniplex, the series is directed by Seiji Kishi (“Tentai Senshi Sunred”, “My Bride is a Mermaid”, “Persona 4 the Animation”) and a screenplay by Jun Maeda.

Because of the popularity of previous Key-related anime series, “Angel Beats!” was a success in Japan via the weekly Blu-ray sales charts constantly making the top 3 in sales. The series was also seen as recommended work by the awards jury of the 14th Japan Media Arts Festival in 2010.

Also, to show how popular the series became, the opening and ending theme “My Soul, Your Beats!/Brave Song” debuted at No. 3 on Japan’s music charts “Oricon Weekly Singles” and also being awarded by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipping over 100,000 copies. The second single “Crow Song” by the band Girl Dead Monster’s (a band in the anime series) debuted in the top 10 of the singles charts, followed by another successful single titled “Thousand Enemies” and “Little Braver”.

“Angel Beats!” is an anime series about a young man named Yuzuru Otonashi. He has amnesia and has no memory of why he is caught up in the world of the dead. How did he die? And why is he being recruited by the Afterlife Battlefront (Shinda Sekai Sensen-SSS) to fight against the angel?

According to the battlefront leader Yuri Nakamura, every day they must fight against the Angel in order to survive. Of course, Otonashi can’t believe any of this and thinks that maybe its all a dream, so he goes to encounter Angel himself. He asks her if she is an Angel and she replies that she is not. He thinks its a joke that everyone is fighting her and that she would kill them and wants her to prove it, so she uses her knife and stabs him in the heart.

Otonashi wakes up in the school infirmary and instead of dying, he is alive? Thinking that it’s all a dream, he is shocked to find his shirt covered in blood and then to see other members of the Battlefront who confirm that he is not dreaming.

It appears that Otonashi is among the afterlife and the world is separated by those who have died (lived a bad life) and are now caught up in the world. The world which is pretty much a high school and a few locations. In this world, there are those who fight the angel known as the Battlefront, then there are the NPC’s which are like non-essential characters of a video game…just a character in the world that are programmed to act like normal high school students that are programmed to study and do school-based activities and then there is the angel, the person who makes sure those in the afterlife follow the rules of being students, going to school and not breaking any rules.

Otonashi tries to understand why the Battlefront is fighting the angel and with each member of the Battlefront, he gets to learn more about their lives and how many of them had bad lives in their reality but something led to their deaths and now not having lived a complete life.

In the afterlife, the world or purgatory that they live now, they can choose to live together and create their own destiny or be obliterated which means, satisfying their lives in purgatory and being reincarnated. But when they fight in the world and get murdered or hurt, they will return back to life in a short-time to continue living in that world.

But the more time Otonashi spends in the world, he starts to learn that maybe people satisfying their lives in this new world may not be a bad thing. But can he convince the members of the Battlefront?

Meanwhile, is Angel even a threat? Perhaps there is someone more sinister in the world that is pulling the strings of how things should be?

“Angel Beats!” features the following characters:

Yuzuru Otonashi – The main protagonist. Otonashi is the newest member of the world to join the Battlefront. He has no memories of his past but he is a kind-hearted person that starts to learn about everyone’s past life. What will happen when Yuzuru discovers his true past?
Yuri Nakamura - The leader of the Battlefront. She has made a vow to protect the human souls in the new world because in her real life, despite having a happy life with her family and three siblings, all came crashing, when burglars stormed her house and when they couldn’t find money, gave her 30-minutes to find the money or else all her young siblings would be executed. They were all murdered and for Yuri, she has kept this hatred towards God for letting the murders happen that she has been unable to pass on.
Angel – The student council president of the school in the afterlife and is seen as the antagonist. Very powerful and has developed quite a bit of weapons, her job is to stop any delinquency by the human souls. But is she a human soul or an evil person?
Hideki Hinata – Otonashi’s friend, who at first wonders if Hinata is gay. He is always at odds with Yui and in his past life, he lost an important baseball game when he dropped a catch.
Yui – A big fan of Girls Dead Monster. When lead vocalist Iwasawa moves on and disappears, she assumes the position of lead vocalist and rhythm guitar. Always in odds with Hinata. In Yui’s past life, she was handicap and unable to walk, so she tries to enjoy life in the new world.
Iwasawa – The lead vocalist of Girls Dead Monster. She and her bandmembers hold concerts in order to get the NPC’s away from harm when the Battlefront plan to attack Angel. In her previous life, she was a musician who was brought up in an abusive family. Her father and mother were constantly fighting and one day, when trying to breakup the fight, she was accidentally hit in the head which led to brain trauma.
Ayato Naoi – The vice-president of the student body who was assumed to take control of the school if anything happens to angel. Has a deep connection with Otonashi. In his past life, Ayato and his twin brother Hayato were sons of a famous potter. Hayato was the person who excelled and Ayato just had fun and never looked at by his father. But when Hayato died, he was forced to become Hayato and people were led to believe that Ayato died, so the family pottery legacy would continue. And no matter how hard Ayato worked, he never received praise. Ayato has the power of hypnotism.
Takamatsu – Wears glasses and looks very smart but he is actually an idiot. Likes to take off his shirt and show off his muscles.
Noda – Carries a Halberd and is also an idiot. Loves to fight and only listens to Yuri.
Shiina – A female ninja who rarely talks. She has a weakness for cute things.
Fujimaki – Another weapon carrying Battlefront member who can’t swim.
TK – Always dancing and saying something in English. Great with artillery.
Matsushita – The big man of the group. Loves to eat.
Oyama – A boy who helps the Battlefront.
Takeyama – The hacker who wants me people to call him by his username “Christ”, which no one cares to call him that.

VIDEO:

“Angel Beats!” is presented in 1080p High Definition and looks absolute vibrant and colorful on Blu-ray. Because you have Aniplex’s involvement with the anime production, one thing I have learned is that Aniplex loves to focus on the details of background art.

So, even though “Angel Beats!” takes place at a high school, one would think that the scenery would get boring but there is a good amount of focus on colors, lighting but also crowds. Also, a good number of characters are constantly on screen and for the most part, P.A. Works and Aniplex did a wonderful job!

I personally detected no problems, no banding, artifacting, anything negative. This is a clear-cut anime series in HD and looks great on Blu-ray!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Angel Beats!” is presented in English and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The audio is front-channel driven but if you have a receiver capable of having stereo on all channels, that may be to one’s preference. But for voice acting, both are well-done. I am biased towards the original Japanese language but I did manage to watch a few episodes in English and for the most part, the English dubbing was made to give things a bit more of a Western feel. In terms of sound effects, both had no major difference from each other in how they handled the action sequences but overall, a crystal clear 2.0 lossless soundtrack.

I also have to add that the music of “Angel Beats!” did very well in Japan and the music for this series is fantastic!

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Angel Beats! – Complete Collection” comes with the following special features:

DISC 2:

Clean Opening Songs
Clean Closing Songs
Trailers – Trailers for Sentai Filmworks

I made my decision earlier on that if there is an anime series created by those involved with the visual novel brand Key, I would be watching the anime series!

“Kanon”, “Air” and “Clannad” especially latter, are among my favorite anime series and also a series that are known to make you laugh, pull you in and then suddenly yank your heart out and stomp on it and literally make you cry. Jun Maeda knows how to capture people with a storyline and make you cry.

And at first, I couldn’t figure out how “Angel Beats!” would be like the other series, after all, it seemed more action-driven than previous series. But I’ve watched all three previous Key-related anime series to know that the writers always have something in store for the viewers at the end.

For the most part, “Angel Beats!” turned out to be a fun, hilarious and action-packed anime series. For a series that is only 13-episodes long, there is so many things that happened in the series, I was quite impressed of how much Maeda was able to include in the overall storyline. And while, you will find yourself laughing and really enjoying this action anime series, there are some storylines that relate to a human soul that really tug on your heart. Not necessarily yank it out and really make you go threw emotional withdrawal like “Clannad” but still, “Angel Beats!” may make viewers shed a tear or two.

I was a bit concerned that with 13-episodes, there were far too many characters but Maeda did a great job in focusing on a few people that one can get attached to via character development but also integrating the supporting characters well-enough to make viewers enjoy everyone in the Battlefront. The pacing was well-done and it helps to have really good animation and production. Character designer Katsuzo Hirata (“Ben-To”, “Hand Maid May”, “G-On Riders”) did a great job in capturing Na-Ga’s original character designs..

All 13-episodes of the TV series are included plus the OVA titled “Stairway to Heaven” which is more of a comedy-based OVA as Yuri comes up with “Operation High Tension” and everyone has to be wild for a week.

If there is one thing that I wish was included in the US release that is in the Japanese release is the inclusion of the “Another Epilogue” which was in the Japanese Blu-ray and DVD release.

Overall, “Angel Beats!” was another wonderful anime series from the folks of Key and another well-done anime series from P.A. Works and Aniplex. Cool characters, cool storyline, vibrant animation, awesome music and overall, a worthy addition to your anime on Blu-ray collection!

Definitely recommended!

Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

High School of the Dead: The Complete Series (a J!-ENT Anime DVD Review)

June 24, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

Exciting, violent, action-packed and extremely perverted! Everything that one would expect from a zombie anime series – violence, blood and a lot of fan service! “High School of the Dead” is extremely generous to the otaku who expect a high level of fan service that they were familiar with in the manga series. Well-endowed women who can kick ass and excessive panty shots but aside from all the wiggle and jiggle, there is actually a pretty cool zombie storyline and its a series worth recommending!

DVD TITLE: High School of the Dead: The Complete Series

DURATION: 12 Episodes (300 Minutes)

DVD INFORMATION: 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen, English 5.1, Japanese 2.0, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: Sentai Filmworks

RATED: TV MA VSD

Release Date: June 28, 2011

Originally Created by Daisuke Sato and Shoji Sato

Director: Tetsuro Araki

Series Composition by Yousuke Kuroda

Screenplay by Tatsuya Takahashi, Yousuke Kuroda

Music by Takafumi Wada

Character Design by Masayoshi Tanaka

Art Direction by Ayu Kawamoto

Anime Production: Madhouse Studios

Featuring the following voice talent:

Junichi Suwabe/Leraldo Anzaldua as Takashi Komuro

Marina Inoue/Jessica Boone as Rei Miyamoto

Ayana Taketatsu/Brittney Karbowski as Arisu Maresato

Eri Kitamura/Maggie Flecknoe as Saya Takagi

Hitomi Harada as Zeke

Junko Takeuchi as Rika Minami

Kishô Taniyama as Kōichi Shidō

Mamoru Miyano/David Matranga as Hisashi Igō

Miyuki Sawashiro/Taylor Hannah as Saeko Busujima

Nobuyuki Hiyama as Kōta Hirano

Yukari Fukui/Monica Rial as Shizuka Marikawa

It began without warning. It continues without mercy. Now a band of high schoolers join forces with guns, swords, baseball bats and anything else they can get their hands on to battle a bloodthirsty, flesh-hungry zombie apocalypse!

Exciting, violent, action-packed and extremely perverted! Everything that one would expect from a zombie anime series – violence, blood and a lot of fan service!

When it comes to zombie stories, since there have been so many, writers have to think outside the box and figure out how they can be different from other storylines, movies and series.

So, for their manga series titled “Gakuen Mokushiroku”, writer Daisuke Sato and Shoji Sato decided to focus on high school kids who are stuck in school during a zombie infestation and fight their way out the school and city in hopes they can find family, other survivors or shelter, but most of all… to live another day!

An ongoing manga series since 2006, the anime TV series adaptation began airing in 2010 and 12 episodes were created by anime studio Madhouse and were directed by Tetsuro Araki (“Galaxy Angel”, “Kurozuka”, “Death Note”) and written by Yousuke Kuroda (“Fire Emblem”, “Honey and Clover”, “Mobile Suit Gundam 00″).

And now the series which has achieved popularity outside of Japan will be released as a complete series by Sentai Filmworks and will be released on June 28, 2011 on Blu-ray and DVD.

The series begins with Takashi Komuro, a high school student who has always been in love with Rei Miyamoto, but because of his indecisiveness, she ended up dating his good friend Hisashi. And since then, he hasn’t been the same. He has become a poor student, skips class and is always wallowing in his sorrow.

One day as he was skipping class and watching what is taking place on school grounds, he noticed that the teachers are trying to stop someone from coming in. The thing (zombie) bites the teacher and when the other teachers go to check on him, the man ends up biting them and next thing you know, the zombie infestation, the pandemic has begun at Fujimi High School.

Worried about Rei, Takashi takes both her and Hisashi out of school and tells them what has happened.

Next thing you know, more and more people become zombies and Rei, Takashi and Hisashi try their best to escape and realize the only way one can defeat them is by destroying its head. But as the three try to fight their way out of a swarm of zombie students and teachers, Hisashi is bitten and begs for his friend to kill him before he turns into a zombie and Takashi does what his friend has asked.

Scared of what is happening, Rei tries to contact her father, a high level police officer to no success. In fact, by looking out on the horizon it looks as if the zombie pandemic has hit the entire city with fires and smoke all around.

Meanwhile, the smartest girl in school named Saya Takagi and an otaku named Kohta Hirano also try to escape and try to use their intelligence in defeating the zombies, meanwhile saving their busty school nurse Shizuka Marikawa Also, trying to survive is the president of the kendo club, Saeko Busujima and all together, these high school students work together in trying to eliminate any zombie that tries to get close to them, as they try to find ways of escaping the school and finding shelter or a way into the city to check on their families.

But with this pandemic, are their families even safe…or alive? As the zombie infestation continues to grow, these individuals know that the odds are against them but if they can work together, perhaps they can live another day.

The main characters of “High School of the Dead” are:

Takashi Komuro - A sophomore at Fujimi High School that has been in a funk since the girl of his dreams, Rei Miyamoto, who promised to marry him when they were younger, dates his best friend Hisashi. Since then, he has become a bad student who misses class. During the zombie pandemic, he notices that the girls in his group start to take an interest in him.
Rei Miyamoto – A student at Fujimi High School who graduated with Takashi. Because he is indecisive about his emotions, she feels that he hurt her and thus she went for his friend Hisashi. Her father is a police detective who was investigating a perverted teacher named Shido and because of that, Shido kept failing her (despite her being an excellent student), so she would have to repeat a grade. So, she has an extreme hatred towards Shido for hurting her and her father.
Saya Takagi – A daughter of a popular politician and an intelligent student who comes from a prestigious family. She also is stuck-up and opinionated. She also grew up with Takashi (who she seems to like) and watches over Alice.
Kohta Hirano – A sophomore otaku who loves guns and firearms. He was constantly bullied in high school, especially from the teacher Shido. He protects Saya and also has a crush on her and becomes an important member of the group because of his familiarity with firearms.
Saeko Busujima – A third year student at Fujimi High School and the president of the kendo club. She always carries her boken and is always calm. She also has a dark side to her story of why she always carries a boken and also finds herself taking an interest in Takashi.
Shizuka Marikawa – A 26-year-old nurse at Fujimi High School known for being extremely well-endowed. She is quite ditsy and close friends with Rika Minami, a sniper of Japan’s Special Assault Team. She is the driver of the group.
Alice Maresato – A 7-year-old who’s father was killed by zombies. Rescued by Takashi, she becomes a member of the group and tries to be cheerful when everyone is looking sad. She looks at each individual as a brother and sister and accompanies them with a small dog named Zeke (who has the ability to sense zombies).

VIDEO :

“High School of the Dead: The Complete Series” is presented in 16:9 anamorphical widescreen. The character design and background art are wonderful for this series. The action sequences are well-animated, colors are vibrant but its important to note that if you want the best version of this series, that is to definitely buy the Blu-ray version as the PQ will definitely be better than its DVD counterpart.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“High School of the Dead: The Complete Series” is presented in English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0. For a more immersive soundtrack, I opted to set my receiver for stereo on all channels. Overall, voice acting was well-done for this series. But this is probably one of the few instances where I enjoyed the English dub much more than the original Japanese track.

That is because, with zombie films, especially for an American perspective, you expect to hear a lot of profanity. And fortunately you get that with the English dub. It’s one thing to see anger and hearing characters drop the F-bomb when fighting zombies but even the interaction between the guys and the girls during the more perverted scenes, it works.

In one scene, you have Saeko Busujima who was splashed wet and her bra is showing through her white shirt. She pretends to be upset with Takashi and blames him for doing it on purpose to see her in that manner but of course, it was a joke and she replies with “just f**king with you!” Typical thing you would hear in the U.S. and there is a lot of that throughout the series. In the Japanese voice track, it’s a bit more PC and more lenient because it was a TV series.

So, in a zombie pandemic, you expect to hear frustration and profanity and the English adaptation is fantastic and this is coming from a reviewer who favors Japanese soundtracks all the time.

Subtitles for the series are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“High School of the Dead: The Complete Series” comes with the opening and all the ending themes featured in the series.

Here in the U.S., we go crazy over zombie films, video games and in Japan, it’s the same but one thing is very different, in Japan, with zombies, you must have fan service!

While in America, people go crazy about gore and the creepiness of zombies and many of us have spent many hours in our lives playing “Resident Evil”, “House of the Dead” and “Dead Rising” for the sheer ability to kick some zombie arse but in Japan, where a lot of these games came from, you need to have a balance of a hottie with a weapon and all-out action.

“High School of the Dead” is everything that anime fans expect from Japan, zombies galore, bloody violence, kick ass action and boobs that wiggle and jiggle and somehow defy gravity.

Before I watched my review copy of “High School of the Dead”, one of our staff writers asked me to check out the series on Hulu and he would tell me how awesome it was but it had a lot of fan service. In fact, too much fan service.

Can there be too much fan service? I guess that is all subjective to the viewer and whether or not they relish in the zombie action or they are getting turned on with every perverted scene.

In the first half of the series, it’s all about survival and everyone trying to escape the zombies and survive but by the second half of the series, I get a feeling the director and writer were more focused on trying to give otakus a collective hard-on.

For example, one scene has Takashi giving his high school nurse a ride in a motorcycle and she gets a bit turned on while grabbing on to him, you know where.

In one scene, the kickass kendo student Saeko Busujima goes into a brief moment of not knowing what to do when surrounded by zombies, so how can Takashi jog her memory and make her fight, by going behind her and squeezing her left boob as hard as he can and seeing if that will get her back into action.

In another scene, Takashi has ran out of bullets and with the zombies coming near him, what best than to grab Rei’s weapon (note: she has been knocked down and is on the ground) and knowing how massive the recoil of the weapon is, he sets the weapon right on Rei’s breasts and with each shot, we see how much her breasts shake and jiggle with the recoil. And we watch as the bullet goes slow motion right between Saeko’s thighs and another right between the flopping of her breasts.

You get the picture right? This is probably the most aggressive fan service anime TV series that I have seen. And no, this is not hentai, this was aired on Japanese TV. And its one of the few series where I’ve seen so much boob groping and squeezing that I was in awe.

So, there is quite a bit of nudity and violence and tons of fan service and as farfetched as I am making this anime series seem, its those elements that people come to expect on a zombie series coming from Japan.

The characters are exciting, you really get into each character’s nuances and abilities and for the most part, you want to see each and every student kick ass and survive the ordeal! After watching this series, it made me want to read the manga and if there was a video game based on this series, I would love to play it!

The character designs and overall look of the series is pretty awesome but I highly recommend people who are interested in picture quality and audio quality to go for the Blu-ray release. DVD is good but of course, if you want to watch this series in HD, buy it on Blu!

Also, I have to say that “High School of the Dead” is made even better through its English dub. While the Japanese soundtrack was good, the English dub track makes things real with profanity. If anything, the English screenplay fits the anime series much more and I enjoyed it! And this is coming from a guy who tends to favor the Japanese voice acting 99% of the time!

But alas, for now its a 12-episode anime series and one can hope that there are more because there is a pretty cool story underneath all the violence and fan service! If you want to see something even wilder ala live action, Section23 Films client Switchblade Pictures has similar themed live-action zombie films from Japan (not as exciting as “High School of the Dead”) such as “Attack Girls’ Swim Team Versus The Undead: Unrated Limited Edition“, “Zombie Self Defense Force” or “Zombie Hunter Rika” but of course, special effects are much cheesier but you do get the bloody violence, fan service and nudity.

So, for those who can’t get enough of zombie-related storylines and those who want a lot (and I mean A LOT) of fan service, “High School of the Dead: The Complete Series” is awesome and definitely recommended!

Filed Under: Anime on DVD

SECTION23 FILMS ANNOUNCES SEPTEMBER SLATE

June 22, 2011 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment

MARDOCK SCRAMBLE: THE FIRST COMPRESSION Available on September 27th.

HOUSTON, June 22, 2011 – Home video distributor Section23 Films today announced its September slate of releases; including the spectacular new trilogy, MARDOCK SCRAMBLE. The first movie will be released on DVD & Blu-Ray by Section23 client Sentai Filmworks.

Product details follow, in order of release

Coming September 2011

Title: TO LOVE RU COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 650 min.
Street Date: 9/6/2011
Format: DVD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $69.98

SYNOPSIS: They say that the bathroom is the most dangerous room in the house, but when a beautiful, naked alien princess teleports into Rito Yuki’s bathtub, it’s a definite case of rub-a-dub-DOOM! Having no idea that the planet Develuke even exists, Rito is completely unaware that touching a girl’s breasts there is how they propose marriage. Consequently, due to some slippery tile and some extra-prominent female appendages, Rito’s suddenly on his way to being a member of the royal family. Unfortunately, as hot as Lala is, this is one royal family no one wants to become a part of given that her father, King Develuke, bears a suspicious resemblance to the devil! And then there’s the little issue of the very nice human girl that Rito’s already interested in, who’s probably not going to be too understanding of his sudden involvement in intergalactic affairs. Will Rito become the next king of the galaxy? Will he learn the secret of the Big Bang? Find out in To Love Ru – The Complete Collection!

Title: MM! COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 300 min.
Street Date: 9/13/2011
Format: DVD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $49.98

SYNOPSIS: There are twisted tales and twisted tales, but few are as twisted as poor Sado’s, who’s just realized that he LIKES being made miserable. Of course, knowing that only makes him more miserable, which in turn… Well, you get the idea. Desperate to break the circle, Sado volunteers for a special club where he hopes he can work through his issues; only to discover that the other members have equally… complex… issues to deal with. For example, the hyper-aggressive club president Isurugi not only has a violent fear of cats, but also believes herself to be a god! Then there’s Yuno, who’s terrified of men; the Nurse, who forces other people to perform cosplay; and Hayama, Sado’s best friend and a compulsive cross-dresser, who’s also the girl that Sado is infatuated with. (We did say it was complex, remember?) If you think you’ve seen EVERYTHING that can happen in an anime, prepare to have your eyes opened to FULL anime size as you enter a whole new paradigm with MM! (It’s pronounced “Emu Emu!”) The Complete Collection!

Title: AMAGAMI SS COLLECTION 1
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 300 min.
Street Date: 9/20/2011
Format: DVD
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $49.98

SYNOPSIS: Alternate lifestyles are one thing when it comes to romance, but alternate universes? When his date stood him up on Christmas Eve two years ago, Junichi Tachibana felt a little piece inside him shrivel up and die. Now he distrusts the very idea of love, which is a shame because Karma is about to hit him back in a MAJOR way. You see, there are SEVERAL girls who would all make wonderful partners for Junichi if he would only open his eyes. Are you ready for half-dozen or more romances, all at the same time? Neither is Junichi, so through the miracle of animation, you’re about to see how each of those individual romances would have played out if someone had done just the right thing at the right time. Discover Fate and Destiny’s alternate plans as we learn what the stars COULD have in store in the first amazing half of AMAGAMI SS!

Title: LADY DEATH BLU-RAY EDITION
Published by: AEsir Holdings
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 80 min.
Street Date: 9/20/2011
Format: BD
Language: English
SRP: $29.98

SYNOPSIS: The Goth sensation from Chaos Comics helped launch a generation of ‘Boobs and Blades’ in comics, film, and pop art culminating in Lady Death: The Motion Picture. This feature-length animated film captures everything good, gory, and sexy about Hell’s hottest angel.

Title: MARDOCK SCRAMBLE: THE FIRST COMPRESSION
Published by: Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time: 60 min.
Street Date: 9/27/2011
Format: DVD
Language: English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP: $29.98

SYNOPSIS: To stop the unstoppable you need the irresistible. To kill the unkillable, you need someone for whom death no longer has a meaning. And to catch the perfect serial killer, you need the one person who knows his methods the best… his last victim! Murdered and reborn, no longer human, the female cyborg named Balot exists for only one reason – to track down the man who killed her and bring him to justice. But can even the ultimate hybrid between ghost and machine take down a monster who wipes his own memory… especially when HIS partner already has HER in his sights? The future will be painted blood red as vengeance hit the streets in MARDOCK SCRAMBLE!

About Section23 Films:

Section23 Films provides home video marketing and distribution services for a variety of companies, including Sentai Filmworks, Switchblade Pictures, Maiden Japan and AEsir Holdings. With its special focus on genre entertainment, Section23 Films distributes some of the very best anime, martial arts, and horror titles on the market today.

Filed Under: Anime Related News

Allison & Lillia: Generation 1 (a J!-ENT Anime DVD Review)

May 15, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

From the creator of “Kino’s Journey” comes a story about two generations in Keiichi Sigsawa’s “Allison & Lillia”. Enjoyable characters and intriguing adventures, this anime series is worth checking out!

TITLE: Allison & Lillia: Generation 1

ANIME SERIES BROADCAST: 2008

DURATION: Episodes 1-13 (325 Minutes)

DVD INFORMATION: 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen, Japanese 2.0, English Subtitles

COMPANY: Sentai Filmworks

RATED: TV 14V

Released on May 17, 2011

Originally Created by Keiichi Sigsawa

Directed by Masayoshi Nishida

Series Composition by Touko Machida

Music by Shusei Murai

Originally Character Designs by Kouhaku Kuroboshi

Character Design by Shinji Seya

Art Director: Masaki Saitou, Masato Shibata

Chief Animation Director: Masaki Saitou, Masato Shibata

Anime Production: Madhouse Studios

Featuring the following voice talent:

Hiroyuki Yoshino as Treize

Nana Mizuki as Allison Whittington/Lillia

Chiwa Saito as Merielle

Hideyuki Tanaka as Acacia/Fran Stork/Oscar Whittington

Houko Kuwashima as Allison Whittington (older)

Kouichi Yamadera as Carr Benedict

Mamiko Noto as Fiona/Francesca

On a world where the single massive continent has been literally cut in two by mountains and rivers since the dawn of time, the ongoing wars between those on the opposing sides have continued for so long that the memory of when they first started has long been forgotten. But now, as the war between the alliances of Roxche and Sou Beil extends the conflict into its 130th year, a chance encounter and a hastily staged rescue attempt launches fighter pilot Allison and marksman and bibliophile Will on an incredible journey – a journey that could possibly end the wars once and for all!

Author Keiichi Sigsawa is best known for his series “Kino’s Journey” but in 2008, Sigsawa began work on the light novel series “Allison” (2002), the sequel “Lillia and Treize” (2007) and “Meg and Seron” (2008).

In 2008, anime production courtesy of Madhouse Studios began in an anime adaptation of with the first half of the anime series being the adaptation of “Allison” and the second half featuring the adaptation of “Lillia and Treize”. The 26-episode anime series was broadcast on NHK and now receives its DVD release with “Allison & Lillia: Generation 1″ (the first 13 episodes) in the US courtesy of Sentai Filmworks.

The anime series is directed by Masayoshi Nishida (“Eyeshield 21″, “Benkai and Ushiwakamaru”, “Princess Knight”) and series composition by Touko Machida (“Tears to Tiara”, “Kore wa Zombie Desu ka?”, “Lucky Star”). Character designs are by Shinji Seya (“Dr. Pinoko no Mori no Boken”, “Astro Boy” and Aoi Blink”) and music by Shusei Murai (“Ultraviolet: Code 044″, “Soten Koro”, “Mai Mai Miracle”).

“Allison & Lillia” takes place during a time during temporary peace of warring countries that share the same continent but one is from the west and the east, each claiming that they were the first to occupy the continent.

The Roxcheanuk Confederation (Roxche) is responsible for the east and has 16 countries, while the west is occupied by the United Kingdom of Bezel Iltoa (Sou Beil) which has two kingdoms (Bezel and Iltoa) and have several countries in their region and both countries have been in war for the past 130 years. Both speak the same language but while both countries are currently in an armistice for ten years, people know that war can erupt anytime soon.

The story begins when pilot Allison Whittington of the Roxche Air Force visits her good friend Wil Schultz, an intelligent student of the prestigious Rowe Sneum Upper School. While the two were together, they meet a friend of Wil, an older man who tends to have a wild imagination but he tells them a story about treasure in the western region of Sou Beil which could end the conflict between both warring regions. At first the two think he’s just joking but they soon realize that he was a former soldier that was told to keep the treasure a secret.

Feeling that this could end the war, the three decide to find the treasure, especially since Allison can pilot an airplane and get to that area. But someone from the town hall has come and has taken the old man away and kidnapped him. Now Allison and Wil go to look for the old man.

And as they go to rescue him, both Allison and Wil become targets for execution and the man to lead the hunt after them is Lt. Carr Benedict, a pilot in the Soul Beil Air Force.

But in the end, Lt. Carr Benedict is made a hero when Allison and Wil do find the treasure, a mural which will end the war but let Lt. Benedict take the glory. This will begin the adventures of Allison, Wil and Carr as the three meet girl from a village who claims to be the Princess of the royal family of Ikstova, who was thought to be dead after the royal palace was burned down.

Fiona wants to attend a political speech but also to interrupt it and inform the people of Ikstova that the princess who was thought to be killed ten years ago has survived and that she has returned.

Will the three manage to help Fiona claim her place back in royalty? And what will happen Allison and Wil? And will the war between Sou Beil and Roxche actually end?

It’s important to note that the title “Allison & Lillia” is in reference to Allison and her daughter Lillia and the storyline is structured to showcase the generations of characters. Allison and Wil are the first generation, while their daughter Lillia becomes part of generation two and the focus of the second half of the storyline.

For this first half, we get to see Allison and Wil in different stages in their lives as they grow older also seeing the adventures that the two partake in together.

VIDEO:

“Allison & Lillia” is presented in Anamorphic Widescreen (16:9). While I do like the character designs and also the use of airplanes, it’s important to note that this series is focuses more on close-ups and mid-shots as a lot of the dialogue and action take place in the sky while they are riding on airplanes or down below on ground and what you see mostly are trees.

There are some scenes that do have wonderfully painted backgrounds such as when the storyline gets to the Fiona/Francesca storyline in Ikstova and also when you get to the third storyline that deals with the mysterious man in Allison and Wil’s life. But the series does tend to focus on close-ups but for the most part Madhouse Studios did a very good job on the series.

If anything, this is a series that relies on the storytelling of Keiichi Sigsawa and his focus on the characters.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Allison & Lillia: Generation 1″ is presented in Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo with English subtitles. The acting is well done and while the series is front channel driven, for those with a modern receiver can easily set their receiver to stereo on all channels for a more immersive soundscape. But overall, dialogue is clear and subtitles are yellow and easy to read.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Allison & Lillia: Generation 1″ comes with no special features.

In Japan, you occasionally run into stories on television ala drama such as as the popular “Kita no Kuni Kara” or “3-Nen B-Gumi Kinpachi Sensei” which focuses on various time periods of the life of characters and how the characters will have children and the series would then spin-off to focus on those children.

While we do see some of that on mecha anime series such “Macross”, there hasn’t been many anime TV series that takes the time to focus on generations of characters. For writer Keiichi Sigsawa, he did that with his light novel series “Allison & Lillia” and the purpose was to begin with the first generation to showcase Allison & Wil and then to have a transition episode which would carry on to the second half featuring their daughter, Lillia.

And like mother and father, Lillia will get herself in trouble as well. But along the way, we have to see through the adventures of these characters of what they do in life and how they gradually grow up and for some, their job is everything and for others, their family is more of the focus.

The first half of “Allison & Lillia”, the focus is more on the adventures of Allison & Wil but also their friend Carr Benedict and Fiona. And while the series does have its share of action, if anything, it’s the gradual growth of love that Allison has always felt for Wil, leaving the audience to wonder if Will can actually see that his good friend is in love with her? Will he acknowledge her or not?

While the series starts out discussing the war between those who occupy a continent and I was expecting a wartime story, it becomes less of that and more about the characters. Even the character designs and the animation tends to favor close-ups and mid-shots and not showcase so much background art, as most of the time, you will see a lot of clouds, blue skies and a lot of trees.

But “Allison & Lillia: Generation 1″ turned out to be an enjoyable anime series, especially when you get to the Fiona/Francesca storyline which was well-written, especially episode 13 when we see what happens between Allison and Wil (a very emotional episode), but you can’t help but feel that you are being setup for a more serious storyline for the second half of the anime series.

As for the DVD, the DVD doesn’t feature any special features at all, so it is a barebones DVD release but at the same time, you do get all 13 episodes in this first DVD volume. I would rather have more episodes on a release if that meant little to no special features but it would have been nice to have something included, even if it meant the Japanese promotional trailers or commercials.

Overall, “Allison & Lillia: Generation 1″ is an enjoyable series for those wanting something more story-driven and a series that is not too flashy when it comes to presentation. For those familiar with Keiichi Sigsawa’s work on “Kino’s Journey” will know that his work thus far is about the story, the adventures and the characters. So, people can expect something similar but this time focusing more on different generations of characters which will definitely interesting how this storyline plays out in the second volume.

Filed Under: Anime on DVD

SECTION23 FILMS ANNOUNCES AUGUST SLATE

May 10, 2011 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment

SAMURAI GIRLS COMPLETE COLLECTION Available on August 23rd.

HOUSTON, May 10, 2011 – Home video distributor Section23 Films today announced its August slate of releases; including the tantalizingly fun anime series, SAMURAI GIRLS. The complete collection will be released on DVD & Blu-Ray by Section23 client Sentai Filmworks.

Product details follow, in order of release

Coming August 2011

Title:                 MAID SAMA COLLECTION 2
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time:         325 min.
Street Date:      8/2/2011
Format:             DVD
Language:         Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:               $49.98

SYNOPSIS: If Misaki Ayuzawa didn’t already have enough problems being the first female student council president of the formerly all-male Seika High School AND carrying on a secret double life as a waitress at a local maid café by night, the fact that she may be starting to have feelings for Usui, the first boy to discover her dual life, has pushed her nerves to the breaking point. But fate certainly won’t leave it at that, and now she has to deal with a new guy who is not only extremely anti-girl, but a hypnotist as well! Toss in an organized crime cartel that wants to replace the maid café with a butler bistro, some very annoying new transfer students and the inevitable trip to the hot springs and EVERYONE is guaranteed to end up in hot water, one way or the other. It’s the climatic conclusion to Japan’s most twisted domestic servant saga ever: Maid Sama Collection 2!

Title:                 KOBATO COLLECTION 1
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time:         300 min.
Street Date:      8/9/2011
Format:             DVD
Language:         Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:               $49.98

SYNOPSIS: To ease all the pain and suffering in this world is no simple task, but young Kobato earnestly believes that she has the talent and ability to do just that! However, the half- human creature known as Ioryogi doubts whether the strange girl with the mysterious past is truly ready to receive the mystical flask Kobato needs to achieve her goal, a special bottle gifted with the ability to capture the pain and sorrow of a broken heart once it’s been healed! However, as there’s really only one way to find out if Kobato truly deserves the right to use the flask, Ioryogi decides to send Kobato on her first assignment! Will Kobato pass the test? From the magical pages of the original manga by famed creators CLAMP, the most heartwarming heroine ever is born in KOBATO – COLLECTION 1!

Title:                 NIGHT RAID 1931 COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time:         400 min.
Street Date:      8/16/2011
Format:             DVD
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:               $59.98

SYNOPSIS: The year is 1931. The City is Shanghai. Ten years before America will enter World War II; the hydra’s teeth planted by the first great global conflict are beginning to germinate, hatching into spiders weaving the complex web of plots and conspiracies destined to inevitably draw entire nations, against their will, to the brink of destruction once more. And caught in the heart of these webs, desperately seeking to separate lies from truth, is “Sakurai Kikan,” an ultra-secret intelligence agency staffed by extraordinarily talented individuals with abilities far beyond those of normal humans. Their duty: stop the darkest plots and eliminate the greatest threats. But in a city built on intrigue, can even a team of clairvoyants, telepaths and espers stand against the ultimate forces of destiny? As the Japanese Imperial Army rolls across China, documented facts and fantasy intermingle in the breathtaking exploration of alternative history that is NIGHT RAID 1931 – The Complete Collection!

Title:                 NIGHT RAID 1931 COMPLETE COLLECTION BLU-RAY EDITION
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time:         400 min.
Street Date:      8/16/2011
Format:             BD
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:               $69.98

Title:                 SAMURAI GIRLS COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time:         300 min.
Street Date:      8/23/2011
Format:             DVD
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:               $59.98

SYNOPSIS: Muneakiru Yagyu is a gifted student of the samurai way. But until he arrives at his dojo, he never knew how gifted he truly was. Because there, a beautiful girl, Jubei, falls-naked-from the sky and right into his arms. And when they kiss, he magically transforms her into a powerful master samurai. So, naturally, every beautiful girl at the dojo can’t wait to kiss him. And some, like the sexy Gisen, want to do even more. It’s a tale of power and lust, filled with beautiful, scantily clad swordfighters who will do anything to please their master and attain even greater power. Get your sword ready for Samurai Girls!

Title:                 SAMURAI GIRLS COMPLETE COLLECTION BLU-RAY EDITION
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time:         300 min.
Street Date:      8/23/2011
Format:             BD
Language:         English & Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:               $69.98

Title:                 NEO ANGELIQUE ABYSS COMPLETE COLLECTION
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Run Time:         650 min.
Street Date:      8/30/2011
Format:             DVD
Language:         Japanese with English Subtitles
SRP:               $59.98

SYNOPSIS: On A Planet Of Mystery, Her Fate Was Written In The Stars. Once, Arcadia was a beautiful world. Now it is a land under siege, and against the horrifying creatures known as Thanatos, there is only one known defense: Purifiers, rare humans gifted with the ability to exterminate the life draining monsters. But Purifiers are few and the Thanatos are multiplying, so when the mysterious Nyx discovers 16 year old Angelique, he becomes doubly committed to recruiting her for the team of Purifiers he is organizing. For not only is Angelique a Purifier, she is the first female Purifier in recorded history; moreover, there is an ancient prophecy Nyx is aware of: one of a woman with special powers, the “Queen’s Egg,” whose future will be inextricably tied to the fate of Arcadia! Science fiction, fantasy and romance intertwine in an epic story of fate and destiny: NEO ANGELIQUE ABYSS – Complete Collection!

About Section23 Films

Filed Under: Anime Related News

Needless: Collection 2 (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray review)

May 6, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

“Needless: Collection 2″ (The final twelve episodes) continues the action, fan-service and perversion of the series that fans enjoyed from the first half. Much more deeper, much more action, “Needless: Collection 2″ reveals how the Adam’s came to be, what happened to Cruz’ sister and the fate of Blade and the team. Recommended!

TITLE: Needless: Collection 2

DURATION: Episodes 13-24 (300 Minutes)

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition 16×9 HD Native, Dolby TrueHD English 2.0 and Dolby TrueHD Japanese 2.0, Subtitles: English

RATED: TV 14 VLD

COMPANY: Showgate/Sentai Filmworks

RELEASE DATE: April 12, 2011

Originally Created by Kami Imai

Directed by Masayuki Sakoi

Series Composition by Satoru Nishizono

Screenplay by Satoru Nishizono and Yuki Enatsu

Music by Masaaki Iizuka, Tatsuya Katou

Character Design by Hiromi Kato

Art Director: Yuka Okamoto

Chief Animation Director: Kazuo Watanabe, Yoshio Kosakai

Anime Production: Madhouse Studios

Featuring the voices of:

Aya Endo/Luci Christian as Cruz Schild

Eri Kitamura/Brittney Karbowski as Eve Neuschwanstein

Takehito Koyasu/Andrew Love as Adam Blade

Asami Imai/Elizabeth Bunch as Solva

Emiri Katou/Serena Gonzalez as Disc

Hiroki Touchi/David Matranga as Adam Arclight

Kaori Fukuhara/Maggie Flecknoe as Seto

Kenji Utsumi/David Wald as Gido

Kentarou Itou/Rob Mungle as Momiji Teruyama

Kishô Taniyama/Leraldo Anzaldua as Saten

Mariya Ise/Carli Mosier as Aruka Schild

Megumi Toyoguchi/Taylor Hannah as Riru Rōkakuji

Minori Chihara/Raven Hand as Kuchinashi

Saori Goto/Jessica Boone as Setsuna

Yui Makino/Hilary Haag as Mio

Adam Arklight and his band of super-hotties are ready to take over the world, but not if the macho, mutant hero Blade has anything to say about it. Still, it’s tough when your opponents are ridiculously cute girls in really sexy school uniforms. But with this much at stake maybe even Blade can keep his mind on the job and his eyes on the prize. (Yeah, right.)

In 2004, the manga series “Needless” was published for the first time on Shueisha’s Seinen magazine “Ultra Jump”. Created by Kami Imai (also creator of “Katatsumuri-chan” and “Shirasunamura”), a total of eleven volumes have been published. By 2009, “Needless” would receive its 24-episode TV anime adaptation courtesy of Madhouse.

The anime series would be directed by Masayuki Sakoi (“Kamen no Maid Guy”, “Spice and Wolf”, “Princess Resurrection”), series composition by Satoru Nishizono (“Duel Masters”, “Mazinkaiser”, “Naruto”, “Sgt. Frog”), character designs by Hiromi Kato (“6 Angels”, “CLAMP in Wonderland 2″, “Bush Baby”) and art background by Yuka Okamoto (“Kamen no Maid Guy”, “Princess Resurrection”, “Trigun”, “Ichigo 100%”).

And now the series has been released in America courtesy of Sentai Filmworks on Blu-ray and DVD. Collection 1 feature the first 12 episodes, was released in Feb. 2011, Collection 2 features second half of 12-episodes on 2 Blu-ray discs.

“Needless” Back-Story

“Needless” takes place sometime in the 21st century when World War III has taken place all over the world and a power bomb was detonated. Half a century later, the highly contaminated crater where the bomb was detonated became a black hole in Japan, known as “The Black Spot”.

Suddenly people from that black spot began to appear. They were treated as undesirable from people of other cities because among those undesirables were people who were able to wield superhuman powers. The ability to control these powers, fragments and these people with special abilities became known as “Needless”.

The series begins with Cruz Schild, a young boy running away with his sister Aruka. Both have are wanted by the Simeon and are being hunted down by a Testament. Aruka was able to save Cruz from danger but Cruz believes that his sister died in battle.

When Cruz was about to be hunted down, he is quickly rescued by the mysterious Adam Blade and Eve Neuschwanstein. When it is explained that he is the last surviving person of the rebellion, Adam takes him in with their group (as a gopher). But when word gets out to the Simeon that Adam Blade has rescued Cruz, other powerful Needless are anxious to take on Adam Blade and his group and kill them.

Leading the group of Simeon is Adam Arclight, a spitting image of Adam Blade who is a clone that was rejected and was supposed to be destroyed. Because of that, he harbors a hatred towards Adam Blade (for being the successful clone) and hatred towards the scientists who created him. Now he has created an empire in the Black Spot, having his Four Strongest of Simeon and other Needless scouring the land for other Needless. His goal is to obtain Blade’s body because his own body is unstable from absorbing the powers of captured Needless, making him absolutely powerful.

“Needless: Collection 1″ features Adam Blade’s group taking on various Needless who are on the Simeon side including the Simeon Girl Force but while traveling, the group recruit other Needless who are willing to join Adam Blade’s side and take on Adam Arclight and the Simeon Needless.

“Needless: Collection 2″ kicks off where the last episode ended with the Simeon Girl Force nearly slaughtering everyone in Adam Blade’s team thanks to a Simeon controlled Eve. As everyone thought they were able to save Eve from mind control, it was all a ruse and with Eve’s doppelganger technique, she was able to nearly impale everyone.

Meanwhile, Cruz learns the truth of what happened to his older sister, Aruka Schild and we learn more about the past of Adam Blade, Adam Arclight, Eve and Saten.

This all leads to a final, long-awaited battle between Blade vs. Arclight.

“Needless” features the following characters:

THE MISFITS (BLADE FACTION)

Adam Balde- A destroyer priest who lives in the church in sector. He sports a metal collar with the character “079.AB” on his neck. Adam has superhuman strength and endurance, a skeletal structure with a special metal known as “Orichalum” and a quick healing factor. He also has the ability to learn an enemies ability and is a bit perverted.
Eve Neuschwanstein – Blade’s partner who is bad at names and is an excellent fighter. She has the power to create a “doppelganger” and shapeshift into whatever she wants. Her power can last long when she drinks an energy drink known as “Super Gel Dero Doro” because it carries 5000 kilocalories. For some reason, the enemy is wanting to capture her.
Cruz Schild - A young boy who escaped with his sister Aruka. While Cruz was rescued by Adam, his sister Aruka is thought to be killed. Cruz accompanies Adam and Eve in a gopher type of capacity. Very smart for his age.
Dr. Gido - An elderly scientist who has helped Adam and Eve.
Disk – A cyborg from Iron Mountain who has the appearance of a girl but she is actually 100 years old. She has the power to scan enemies and learn their power and also measurements.
Momiji Teruyama - A flame Needless who wants to fight Blade to avenge his fallen comrades. But when he mistakes Adam Blade for Adam Arclight, due to the damage he created during their fight and unable to pay for it, he is forced to join Adam’s group.

SIMEON UPPER MANAGEMENT (ARCLIGHT FACTION)

The main antagonists of the series.

Adam Arclight – Identical in appearance to Adam Blade, Arclight is the clone of The Second. He also wears a metal collar which features the engraving “078.AA”. Because his right eye and heart rejected the cloned cells of The Second, he is deemed as a failure clone and was supposed to be destroyed. Instead, he made himself powerful and now hunts down Adam Blade and the other members of the resistance. (note: I have seen spelling of the last name as “Arclight” and “Arklight”)
Riru Roukakuji – A well-endowed woman who is one of the four strongest of the Simeon and is Adam Arclight’s right hand person. She leads the Simeon Girl Force.
Mio – One of the members of The Simeon Girl Force. She looks very young and helpless but in fact, her fragment power is enormous strength. She is often called “Stripes” by Blade because she wears striped underwear.
Setsuna – One of the members of The Simeon Girl Force. Her fragment power is speed and is the leader of the group.
Kuchinashi – One of the members of The Simeon Girl Force. Her fragment power is fragrance and is able to control a person’s brain and body functions when they inhale the fragrance she emits. She is unable to speak and writes down what she wants to say.
Saten – One of Arklight’s four strong Simeon and his right hand man. He seems to have his own agenda and may have feelings for Eve.
Riru Roukakuji – One of the four strong Simeon and the leader of the Simeon Girl Force. Known for her power “Psychokinesis” and also being well-endowed. She is deeply in love with Adam Arclilght.

VIDEO:

“Needless: Collection 1″ is presented in 1080p High Definition. Madhouse did a very good job with the animation for this film. The character design for the series varies from sexy to action-packed craziness! For a TV series, the character designs have a good amount of shading, the color palette is vibrant and the artistic backgrounds of a post-apocalyptic Earth was well-done! Even when you see vehicles or buildings, they are painted quite well, the backgrounds for not just the characters but vehicles and other objects are well-shaded. And every character was drawn with emotion and detail as well.

I actually did a test to compare the Blu-ray and DVD version of “Needless” and the Blu-ray is so colorful and vibrant, I was quite impressed. The DVD version actually had compression and I was pleased that none of that showed up during my viewing of the Blu-ray. I did not see any distortions, artifacting, haloing, edge enhancement during my viewing of “Needless: Collection 1″. Overall, solid PQ for this anime series!

AUDIO:

“Needless: Collection 2″ is presented in English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Both lossless soundtracks were very good. Would have loved for it to be a 5.1 or higher soundtrack but if you have a receiver, you can easily make all channels to stereo for a more immersive soundscape. I watched the series both in English and Japanese and I felt that both were well-done.

The primary difference is that I sense a bit of “valley girl” in the English dub for some of the Simeon female warriors but for the most part, I think those who prefer to watch in Japan or English will feel the acting was well-done for both and actually for this series, I enjoyed the English dub over the Japanese vocal track.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Needless: Collection 2″ comes with the following special features:

The Secret of Saint Lilly Academy – Featuring the following final six fan service driven short episodes as Cruz continues to live in an all female dorm room, disguised as a female student.
Needless Information – Information on certain words used throughout the series.
Production Sketches – Featuring production sketches playing along with along with the opening theme music.
Textless Opening and Closing Songs – The textless opening and ending theme songs.
Trailers – Sentai Filmworks trailers.

When I reviewed “Needless: Collection 1″, I talked about how this fan-service anime series took me by surprise because aside from the fun and risque situations that the characters find themselves in, by episode 10-12, things became more dire, more bloody, violent and a little dark.

Here we are with “Needless: Collection 2″ continuing the storyline of what happened to Adam Blade’s team after a mind-controlled Eve who is with the Simeon Girl Force, has literally impaled many members of the team. And because of this, I felt the anime series really was a shocker.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on the viewer), not many people stay dead in the series. There are many who die, are brought back to life and in the second half, it seems to repeat itself quite a bit that I was a wee bit disappointed because I found myself asking… “Does anyone ever stay dead in ‘Needless’?”.

Aside from the dying and resurrections, a positive of the second half of the series is we get to learn more about what really happened at the resistance with Cruz and Aruka. And what really happened to Aruka. We are also taken to the distant past to learn about how both Adam’s and Eve and a few others were developed and how Dr. Seto played a part in the development of Blade, Arklight and Eve.

And there are other twist and turns along the way which leads to the final battle against Adam Arklight.

As for the Blu-ray release, the fact that this release does have special features, especially the perverted “The Secret of Saint Lilly Academy Shorts” was rather amusing. You also get production sketches and the usual textless opening and ending theme.

The second half still continues to showcase plenty of panty shots, so those who love anime series with plenty of fan service will no doubt enjoy “Needless”. I will say that the first half was a little more risque compared to the second half of the series.

While I did enjoy the whole entire series, and while the first half of the series was very exciting, the second half was still a very entertaining second half with a lot of action (yes, more action than the first). If there were two things that irked me a bit though with the second half is that no one really stayed dead. I would have felt the series would have true impact if characters stayed dead and not being constantly revived. The other is how the series ended. While, the series does give closure to how things end, I wished a little more time was given to how the series would close out. I felt that too much was crammed in for the final minutes of the series.

But I can understand why the female characters were constantly revived as these characters, with their scantily-clad outfits, I wouldn’t be surprised if the “Needless” figures are quite popular in Japan and that many otaku have become fixated on a certain character. The finale still provides closure, I just wanted a bit more storyline. But I can easily say that these two collections of “Needless” were exciting, fun and I found myself watching episode after episode because they were enjoyable and addicting.

If you are looking for an anime series that is action-driven but also has its share of comedy, perversion and fan-service, look no further, “Needless: Collection 1 and 2″ on Blu-ray is for you!

Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

Needless: Collection 1 (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray review)

April 28, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

“Needless: Collection 1″ is an anime series that features action-packed battles, cool characters, violence, perversion, comedy, drama, fan-service…you name it! There are so many things happening in this anime series but in a good way! The anime series is colorful and vibrant on Blu-ray and the voice acting is well-done on both lossless soundtracks. If you are looking for an action-packed anime series with a lot of fan service, definitely give “Needless” a try!

TITLE: Needless: Collection 1

DURATION: Episodes 1-12 (300 Minutes)

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition 16×9 HD Native, Dolby TrueHD English 2.0 and Dolby TrueHD Japanese 2.0, Subtitles: English

RATED: TV 14 VLD

COMPANY: Showgate/Sentai Filmworks

RELEASE DATE: February 15, 2011

Originally Created by Kami Imai

Directed by Masayuki Sakoi

Series Composition by Satoru Nishizono

Screenplay by Satoru Nishizono and Yuki Enatsu

Music by Masaaki Iizuka, Tatsuya Katou

Character Design by Hiromi Kato

Art Director: Yuka Okamoto

Chief Animation Director: Kazuo Watanabe, Yoshio Kosakai

Anime Production: Madhouse Studios

Featuring the voices of:

Aya Endo/Luci Christian as Cruz Schild

Eri Kitamura/Brittney Karbowski as Eve Neuschwanstein

Takehito Koyasu/Andrew Love as Adam Blade

Asami Imai/Elizabeth Bunch as Solva

Emiri Katou/Serena Gonzalez as Disc

Hiroki Touchi/David Matranga as Adam Arclight

Kaori Fukuhara/Maggie Flecknoe as Seto

Kenji Utsumi/David Wald as Gido

Kentarou Itou/Rob Mungle as Momiji Teruyama

Kishô Taniyama/Leraldo Anzaldua as Saten

Mariya Ise/Carli Mosier as Aruka Schild

Megumi Toyoguchi/Taylor Hannah as Riru Rōkakuji

Minori Chihara/Raven Hand as Kuchinashi

Saori Goto/Jessica Boone as Setsuna

Yui Makino/Hilary Haag as Mio

They’re called Needless – mutants who wield amazing powers such as super speed, the ability to change form, and some, like Blade, the power to “learn” other opponent’s powers. It’s Blade’s greatest ability, but is it powerful enough to overcome his weakness for cute young girls in revealing little skirts?

And now the series has been released in America courtesy of Sentai Filmworks on Blu-ray and DVD. Collection 1 features the first 12-episodes on 2 Blu-ray discs.

“Needless” features the following characters:

THE MISFITS (BLADE FACTION)

Adam Balde- A destroyer priest who lives in the church in sector. He sports a metal collar with the character “079.AB” on his neck. Adam has superhuman strength and endurance, a skeletal structure with a special metal known as “Orichalum” and a quick healing factor. He also has the ability to learn an enemies ability and is a bit perverted.
Eve Neuschwanstein – Blade’s partner who is bad at names and is an excellent fighter. She has the power to create a “doppelganger” and shapeshift into whatever she wants. Her power can last long when she drinks an energy drink known as “Super Gel Dero Doro” because it carries 5000 kilocalories. For some reason, the enemy is wanting to capture her.
Cruz Schild - A young boy who escaped with his sister Aruka. While Cruz was rescued by Adam, his sister Aruka is thought to be killed. Cruz accompanies Adam and Eve in a gopher type of capacity. Very smart for his age.
Gido - An elderly scientist who helps Adam and Eve.
Disk – A cyborg from Iron Mountain who has the appearance of a girl but she is actually 100 years old. She has the power to scan enemies and learn their power and also measurements.
Momiji Teruyama - A flame Needless who wants to fight Blade to avenge his fallen comrades. But when he mistakes Adam Blade for Adam Arclight, due to the damage he created during their fight and unable to pay for it, he is forced to join Adam’s group.

SIMEON UPPER MANAGEMENT (ARCLIGHT FACTION)

The main antagonists of the series.

Adam Arclight – Identical in appearance to Adam Blade, Arclight is the clone of The Second. He also wears a metal collar which features the engraving “078.AA”. Because his right eye and heart rejected the cloned cells of The Second, he is deemed as a failure clone and was supposed to be destroyed. Instead, he made himself powerful and now hunts down Adam Blade and the other members of the resistance. (note: I have seen spelling of the last name as “Arclight” and “Arklight”)
Riru Roukakuji – A well-endowed woman who is one of the four strongest of the Simeon and is Adam Arclight’s right hand person. She leads the Simeon Girl Force.
Mio – One of the members of The Simeon Girl Force. She looks very young and helpless but in fact, her fragment power is enormous strength.
Setsuna – One of the members of The Simeon Girl Force. Her fragment power is speed and is the leader of the group.
Kuchinashi – One of the members of The Simeon Girl Force. Her fragment power is fragrance and is able to control a person’s brain and body functions when they inhale the fragrance she emits. She is unable to speak and writes down what she wants to say.

VIDEO:

AUDIO:

“Needless: Collection 1″ is presented in English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Both lossless soundtracks were very good. Would have loved for it to be a 5.1 or higher soundtrack but if you have a receiver, you can easily make all channels to stereo for a more immersive soundscape. I watched the series both in English and Japanese and I felt that both were well-done. The primary difference is that I sense a bit of “valley girl” in the English dub for some of the Simeon female warriors but for the most part, I think those who prefer to watch in Japan or English will feel the acting was well-done for both.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Needless: Collection 1″ comes with the following special features:

The Secret of Saint Lilly Academy – Featuring the following six fan service driven short episodes: Infiltration (2:19) – Why is Cruz Schild dressed like a female student?; Short Shorts (2:19) – Cruz must continue to pretend as a girl while wearing bloomers; The Nurse’s Office (2:19) – Why is Kuchinashi laying naked next to Cruz (who is still disguised as a girl)?; Strip Rock-Paper-Scissors (2:19) – Cruz still in disguise, must take part in a strip rock-paper-scissors game; Swimsuit (2:19) – It’s a hot summer and the girls want to go swimming but how will Cruz maintain his disguise?; Calvary Battle in the Water (2:19) – A disguised Cruz takes part in a swimming battle at Saint Lilly Academy of who has the rights to the pool.
Needless Information – Information on certain words used throughout the series.
Character Sketches – (3:02) Featuring character design sketches playing along with along with the opening theme music.
Textless Opening and Closing Songs – The textless opening and ending theme songs.
Trailers – Sentai Filmworks trailers.

What a surprise “Needless” turned out to be!

Action-packed battles, cool characters, violence, perversion, comedy, drama, fan-service…you name it! There are so many things happening in this anime series but in a good way!

Before I watched this anime series, I was looking at the cover artwork and at first, I felt this was going to be a softcore anime series. Tons of panty shots, ripped clothing and the usual banality of titillating otaku action-anime series with female characters who battle. In fact, I was expecting something along the lines of “Ikkitousen” but with killer weapons.

In fact, I was told that the manga series was different from the anime series in the fact that you do get more fan service in the anime and a few storyline changes but for the most part, the anime series was much more perverted versus its manga counterpart.

For the most part, you do get a lot of shredded clothing, near nudity, fan service. And while the series does start out to be a more comedy/action-based anime series which tries to incorporate as many hilarious and perverted scenes as possible, the storyline starts to switch gears once you get to the 10th episode. No more half-assed battles between Blade’s group and the Simeon Girl Force, things get serious to the point where characters are getting killed, impaled, you start to see more blood, needless to say, I was pretty shocked of how the storyline switched its tempo from lighthearted comedy to more dire circumstances and leaving the viewer wanting more.

Fortunately, “Needless: Collection 2″ is available now on Blu-ray and DVD, so no need to wait!

As for the Blu-ray release, the fact that this release does have special features, especially the perverted “The Secret of Saint Lilly Academy Shorts” was rather amusing. You also get sketches and the usual textless opening and ending theme.

But overall, “Needless: Collection 1″ turned out to be one exciting series! Yeah, it does have its share of perversion but there is a lot of action and the characters are quite fun to watch! Especially to see the battle between both groups. In some way, it did remind me a little of the CLAMP “X” anime film in terms of two groups battling it out and how things got dire quickly. But of course the primary difference is that the film version of “X” never focused on perversion or comedy, “Needless” incorporates a a good amount of situations that keep the viewer interested.

If you are looking for an anime series that is action-driven but also has its share of comedy, perversion and fan-service, look no further, “Needless: Collection 1″ on Blu-ray is for you!

Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

Sentai Filmworks Announces License of Night Raid 1931

April 24, 2011 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment

HOUSTON, April 23, 2011—Sentai Filmworks announces its acquisition of the spectacular anime series Night Raid 1931. Directed by Jun Matsumoto (Persona – Trinity Scroll) with script supervision by Shinsuke Onishi (The Third, Shin Getter Robo,) the 17 episode series was produced by A-1 Pictures and Aniplex and features character designs by acclaimed manga master Akimine Kamijyo (Samurai Deeper Kyo.) Sentai’s forthcoming release will include episodes 0-13, PLUS two unaired episodes as well as a special bonus recap episode.

Synopsis: The year is 1931. The City is Shanghai. Ten years before America will enter World War II, the hydra’s teeth planted by the first great global conflict are beginning to germinate, hatching into spiders weaving the complex web of plots and conspiracies destined to inevitably draw entire nations, against their will, to the brink of destruction once more. And caught in the heart of these webs, desperately seeking to separate lies from truth, is “Sakurai Kikan,” an ultra-secret intelligence agency staffed by extraordinarily talented individuals with abilities far beyond those of normal humans. Their duty: stop the darkest plots and eliminate the greatest threats. But in a city built on intrigue, can even a team of clairvoyants, telepaths and espers stand against the ultimate forces of destiny? As the Japanese Imperial Army rolls across China, documented facts and fantasy intermingle in the breathtaking exploration of alternative history that is NIGHT RAID 1931!

Look for Night Raid 1931 on DVD & Blu-Ray at your favorite retailer this August!

About Sentai Filmworks:
Sentai Filmworks is one of the fastest-growing anime companies in North America, including hit series like Highschool of the Dead, Guin Saga, Needless, Canaan and Angel Beats. Sentai Filmworks programs can be found on home video distributed by Ingram Entertainment, Baker & Taylor, Section23Films, The Right Stuf and other good and fine distributors. Digital product offerings may be found at iTunes, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, Zune Marketplace, Anime Network, Playstation Network and YouTube.

Filed Under: Anime Related News