An Early Look at the Live Action Blood: The Last Vampire

– The film is directed by Chris Nahon who also directed Empire of the Wolves, and Kiss of the Dragon. It stars Gianna in the title role of Saya, whom you might remember from the korean movie My Sassy Girl who actually does a really good Saya. I think they made a conscious choice not to sexualize Saya or make her cute because she is dressed as a Japanese school girl and it think it pays off, because it makes that fact that she does the things she does a bit more believable.

What do you think?

So buckle up, dearest readers, as we delve into the lace trimmed and flower filled world of Maria Watches Over Us.

Plot Summary

At the Lillian Girls’ Academy, the student’s practice a form of mentorship known as the sœur (better known as sister for those of us who do not speak French) system. A second or third year student will take a freshman under her wing by bestowing her rosary upon the underclassmen. In the case of Yumi Fukuzawa, a series of coincidences leads her to become the petite sœur (little sister) of the imposing and popular Sachiko Ogasawara.

Through this new found relationship, the clumsy Yumi is thrown into the world of the Yamayuri Council, the aristocratic student government that presides over Lillian.

(L to R) Yumi, Sachiko

Review

After watching the first disc of Maria, the series wasn’t doing too well with me. The characters seemed vapid, the writing was coarse and stilted, and there was a lack of depth with the characters around Yumi. There were plenty of facts about the characters (“She doesn’t trust men!” or “She is very insecure about herself.”) with very little motivation of explanation as to why the characters had these traits.

But, being the brave little toaster that I am, I forged ahead in the series and my dislike of Maria began to erode. While the characters are not instantly likable as they are in other character driven dramas (Fruits Basket, I am looking at you!), I grew to adore them over time. The plot took a shift away from Yumi being the center of everything to her being an unbiased observer in a world that is familiar yet strikingly alien.

By the last four episodes of the series, I was really involved with the characters and the trials they face. Having never been a teenage girl in a strict (some might say smothering) environment, I had real problems finding any reason to care about their problems at first.

One of the girls doesn’t want to be in a play because she has to dance with a boy? Boo-freakin’-hoo. Get over yourself, lady!

But, as the character became more fleshed out, I found myself caring about such insignificant quandaries because the character that I felt attachment to cared about it. That, my friends, is capable storytelling.

Character Development

In a character drama, the entire piece lives and dies by how much the viewer attaches to the character. Pity, love, even hate: any emotion felt strongly to a fictional being means success on the part of the creator. Perhaps the reason I was slow to like the characters at first was there were just too many of them. In the first episode alone I was introduced to about eight young women who all had the same traits on the surface.

Once each character has their time in the spotlight, it is hard not identify and sympathize with them.My absolute favorite (and I’ll be vague here as to avoid spoilers), consists of two sisters (sœurs, not familial) that have to starkly contrasted personalities. One is very ill, and ends up breaking off her sisterhood with her sœur in an attempt to spur a strengthening of character in her (no longer) sister. The arc plays out over a few episodes and is wildly entertaining and heartwarming to say the least.

Character Design

The artwork put into the characters is proficient, but not completely remarkable. At times I was very impressed with the detail and expressions that the characters were conveying, but oftentimes I felt like I was looking at the same girl with interchangeable hair. I did like how prim and proper Sachiko’s design was as opposed to the clumsy and silly expressions of Yumi.

Animation

There was nothing in the animation that drove me to notice how good it was, but each episode seemed to contain a moment or movement that was awkward enough to break immersion with me. Still, it’s passable enough to not be a detracting quality.

Music

Two words: boiler plate. Music in Maria is completely average in every sense of the word. The orchestral opening and closing themes fit the feel of the show, but it seems to saturate the more tense and dramatic moments of the series. Remember all of you anime music directors: less is more sometimes.

Voice Acting

No English dubs here! Not because they are bad, they simply do not exist. High marks all around, especially for Megumi Toyoguchi in her portrayal of Sei Sato. This actress runs the gamut of emotions, sometimes within the same episode, and lends power to the drama surrounding her character. Bravo. Bravo indeed.

Production

All of the elements detailed above come together wonderfully in the second and third acts of the series to deliver compelling characters and entertaining drama. The best part of the DVD release is the inclusion of an omake bonus, Don’t Tell Mother Maria. These silly little additions are the most entertaining bonuses I have seen in a while. It’s nice to see a production poke a little fun at itself. Honestly, the art style could have been used for the entire series, and I would not have cared one bit.

From the bonus omake.

Conclusion

Slow to start, but strong to finish; Maria Watches Over Us is a series with heart. What the show lacks in glitz and polish, it makes up for in drama and characters. If you’re looking for comedy or heaping amounts of plot devices, look elsewhere. But if it is character studies you seek, sit right down and enjoy your stay at Lillian.

Rating

Maria Watches Over Us gets 3.5 outta 5 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher: RightStuf!
• Retail Price: $49.99
• Number of discs: 3
• Episodes: 13
• Run Time: 325 minutes
• Rating: 13+
• Language: Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled

Shigurui: Death Frenzy DVD Set

Mad House has created seminal animation when it comes to Ninja (and Catgirls…), so I was more than a little excited to see the renowned studio’s take on Samurai. Believe me when I say, it does not disappoint.

Plot Summary

The story of Shigurui: Death Frenzy starts in media res at a tournament in Sunpu Castle. Fujiki, a one armed swordsman is about to throw down against Irako, a blind swordsman. As the crowd looks on, the story dissolves into a series long flashback that explains how these two men came to that point in time.

Starting as the disciples of a legendary fighter, the two warriors fight for the right to be named successor; a right that nets them the Sensei’s daughter and the knowledge of his most lethal technique. Over the years, they cause injury to each other, but never stop fighting to achieve their goals.

Review

To say that Shigurui exceeded my expectations is an understatement. There were very few elements that I was not blown away by. Especially engrossing was the progression of the story. Instead of starting at the beginning of the timeline, it starts at the end.

The viewer knows right away who gets the girl and what becomes of the two fighters. Then, as the flashbacks begin, there’s a sense of expectation, and it makes the payoff all the more awesome. Take for example the blind fighter, Irako. It is clear from the first ten minutes of the series that he’ll be blinded at some point. Knowing that Irako will lose his sight, while piecing together the events leading up to it, works well for the anime. One would think that knowing the end before the beginning would be a drag, but experience Shigurui and you’ll understand.

Fujiki and Irako get ready to cut pieces off each other.

Aside from the structure, the series has excellent pacing. Much like the old Kurosawa films that discussed much of the same subject matter, Shigurui unravels slowly at first.

This gives the viewer time to really dig in and understand the era and story. Whenever a major plot shift is incoming, you can feel the pace pick up into a canter, and then a full on gallop into calamitous events. These impact every action from then on. Afterward, as before, the plot slows down to let you fully digest what’s transpired.

Shigurui is unflinching when it comes to adult subject matter. The violence is as brutal as I’ve ever seen. Bones are broken, appendages are severed, and a copious amount of blood is spilled. Shigurui also examines sexuality and infidelity without eroticism or idealization. Everything in this series is raw and unfiltered.

One of the few moments without blood and dismemberment.

I have very few gripes with Shigurui. However, one such complaint is the use of CG elements that really detract from the exceptional animation. I wish studios would stop using CG as a go-to for complex images (such as intestines flopping around).

Another complaint was the series’ bizarre ending, which left me wondering if there was another episode on a different disc. I checked the packaging and this is indeed all she wrote. I don’t mind not having everything spelled out for me in grand detail, but the anime seems to just put down the anchor and stop before it reaches the shore, so to speak.

Character Development

I’m a stickler for motivation. If it makes no sense for a character todo something, then it should not appear in the script. The creators of Shigurui obviously understand motivation, and are experts at giving their characters depth.

Gennosuke Fujiki is the strong and silent warrior. Before Irako shows up, he is considered to be first in line to succeed Iwamoto, the sensei of the Kogan style.

The other side of the coin is Seigen Irako. A rake and a user, Irako is out to do whatever it takes to become renowned and surpass his humble beginnings.

Neither character ends up as he began. It’s refreshing how the story and the harsh environment around them morph their personalities into something new and foreign. The tragedy of Irako and Fujiki’s brutal lives shape them, not the other way around.

Character Design

Swordplay can be brutal.

The characters in Shigurui are designed with amazing detail. Deformities, clothing, innards: nothing is spared intricate detail.

Even throwaway walk-on characters are given unique flaws and interesting artwork. The effect used whenever two fighters are about to clash works especially well. The series uses an x-ray effect to show the bones and sinew on a character as they strain under the weight of complex combat techniques.

Animation

Aside from the aforementioned CG elements, the animation in Shigurui is superb. The crimson blood being thrown around on screen accents a cold, muted color palette. Oddly enough, the detail and execution of the artwork and animation only makes the violence that much harder to watch. The beauty of the brush increases the hideousness of the sword. Mad House has always been in the upper echelon of animation. Shigurui is no exception.

Music

Shigurui understands when to crank up the music and when to let silence accentuate the tense feelings in the room. When the music is on, it is perfectly set to the action. Lutes, taiko drums, and even a didgeridoo: the soundtrack has it all. The opening theme is an assault of drums and symbols, while the ending theme is a reflective accent to the carnage preceding it. Both were made by Kiyoshi Yoshida and are sure to be appreciated by fans of traditional Japanese music.

Voice Acting

Voice work for Fujiki and Irako are very good in the English version, but the women in the dub just aren’t as fitting as their Japanese counterparts. My main gripe is with Laura Bailey, the actress behind Mei. She’s not a bad voice actor at all, but whenever her voice came from Mei’s mouth, it was enough to break immersion.

The subtitles make it easier to figure out the dates being used in the flashbacks. The English version just says the era and the year, while the subtitles in the Japanese version throw in a numerical year in parenthesis. That gives it a small advantage over the dubbed version.

Conclusion

Shigurui is a must see for fans of samurai epics or adult oriented animation. Despite the dead stop ending and CG misuse, I consider is to be a spiritual successor to Ninja Scroll. It cuts out the mysticism, but Shigurui delivers a dark and foreboding world that you would never want to visit. Rent it or buy it; it doesn’t matter how you see this series, just see it!

Rating

Shigurui: Death Frenzy, gets 4.5 outta 5 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher: Funimation
• Release Date: March 31, 2009
• Retail Price: $59.98
• Number of discs: 2
  
• Run Time: 300 minutes
• Rating: TV-MA
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: Animated, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Don’t worry; Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple, Season One, Part One isn’t that deep of a tale (so far).

Kenichi The Mightiest Disciple

Plot Summary

Kenichi Shirahama is a complete wimp. His classmates call him “weak knees” for good reason. He’s a coward who tends to over think situations and is incredibly high strung. The only person in his life that remotely resembles a friend is the self-serving lowlife Haruo Niijima.

Kenichi’s fortunes change drastically when he meets the oddball Miu Furinji. She helps Kenichi avoid hospitalization in an upcoming fight by introducing him to the Ryozanpaku Dojo.

As Kenichi’s skill improves, word gets out, and the local thugs come out in force to test their skills against “weak knees”. The rumors (mostly started by Niijima), earn Kenichi the ire of a local gang known as Ragnarok.

Some fights Kenichi wins and some fights he loses. Through it all, he tries to overcome his cowardice and learn that, win or lose, showing up is all that matters.

Review

Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple works as an anime comedy, but falters at anything beyond the superficial. A coming of age story is supposed to be character driven, but the main characters just aren’t interesting or deep enough to handle that responsibility. And the plot is standard fare: Hero is beaten by villain. Hero trains harder. Hero beats villain. New villain emerges! By the end of disc two, it was obvious how repetitive the show had become.

Some of the fights are interesting, and feel like going through a basic course on martial arts. The names of techniques and lessons on how to use them are on display in force, and thankfully there are not many instances of a character shouting out the name of a technique while he performs it. Unfortunately, the battles aren’t very imaginative or varied enough to maintain entertainment value. There is rarely a sense of, “Oh, here comes the fight!” Besides, when you know that no matter how brutal a beat down might be, Kenichi’ll be up and running by the end of the episode, it is hard to care about his well being.

Motivation is another soft point for the series. I can understand having one fight based on the need to beat up somebody because they’re good fighter, but that seems to be the only motivation. Every challenge that faces poor Kenichi feels like a precursor to a greater obstacle, because in all likelihood, it is. Even if he is able to knock out the bully who has been pestering him for three episodes, there’s another threat waiting in the wings to trounce him just for winning. If only Kenichi would learn to throw a fight and break the cycle, he could live in peace!

There are times when Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple dons its business socks and tries to be serious. Too bad this ain’t Fruits Basket. The seriousness has a very fake feeling about it and leads to some unintentionally funny moments. For example, Kenichi is concerned about learning moves that could be used to kill other human beings. Not only is this an odd sentiment for a guy who has been beating the crap out of people for a few weeks, but it leads Hayato (Miu’s grandfather and head of Ryozanpaku) to inform Kenichi that techniques don’t kill people; people kill people. Deep, right?

Character Development

While Kenichi’s status in high school is (regrettably) relatable, the character’s constant whining is obnoxious. There’s complaining and self doubt in every area of his training and social life. Even when Kenichi decides to stop the crying, face his fears, and be brave, the growth is undone by the next episode where he is sure to start complaining again.

Perhaps it would be easier to forgive this flaw if Kenichi was more fleshed out as a character. For a loser with no friends, why does he join the karate club to protect the ones he loves? He mentions in one episode that his dream in life is to become a writer and win the Pulitzer. I don’t buy such ambitious dreams because never is he seen writing or doing anything associated with it at any time in the first two discs of the series. He fights, reads, and gardens; that is it. Even secondary characters are more fleshed out than Kenichi. One of the gang members, a boxer by the name of Takeda, has more depth extracted in one episode than Kenichi does from the first part of the first season.

Strengthening that argument is Miu. Physically, she is an akiba’s dream. She’s tall, thin, blonde, and her breasts are as big as her head. Even from first glance, it is obvious that Miu is little more than cheesecake. Sure, she can fight and mop up whole squadrons of goons without breaking a sweat, but it feels disingenuous to create a strong female that is also flighty, submissive, and top heavy. Oddly enough, I found myself rooting for one of the executive officers of Ragnarok just because she is strong without smuggling soccer balls under her blouse.

As far as characters go, it is the secondary characters that make Kenichi entertaining. Takeda, the boxer, is an empathetic fighter with a jaded opinion about friendship. Kenichi’s father breaks the stereotype of the overbearing parent by being the emotional wreck of the family. The best laugh I got from the show is the relationship that man has with his rifle, lovingly named Sebastian. Above all, the most entertaining character is the Muay Thai master, Apachai. With his physique and back story, Apachai should be hard as nails. Instead, he has a childlike spirit and can erase the tension at any moment with nonsensical gibberish that is absolutely endearing.

Animation

TMS Entertainment did a forgettable job as far as the animation goes, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Yes, it’s not mind blowing, but you won’t be remembering it for being laughably bad, either. Some of the character movements are awkward earlier on, but that gets ironed out as the series progresses.

Music

The sound of silence isn’t used much in this anime. Music is almost always permeating the background, and it doesn’t evolve beyond what a Casio keyboard can provide. There are some moments of sweeping orchestral pieces that feel odd and out of place. However, the opening and closing tracks are pleasant. There probably wont be many people adding them to their iPods, but they set a nice mood and that is commendable.

Voice Acting

Apachai and Kenichi’s father are acted superbly by the American cast. The rest will have you switching over to the Japanese audio track with the quickness.

Conclusion

Kenichi is a comedy that lacks brains and hearts. The premise is entertaining, and could have probably worked if the main characters were remotely likeable and the story didn’t rehash the same situation a dozen times.

I can tell that the creators had lofty aspirations with this one; a comedic coming of age tale that walks a line between the silly and serious aspects of martial arts. Too bad the whole affair winds up being a forgettable series you’ll move on from without much thought.

Fortunately, the members of Ryozanpaku are interesting enough to warrant a rental.

Rating

Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple gets 1.5 outta 5 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher:Funimation
• Release Date: March 10, 2009
• Retail Price: $49.98
• Number of discs: 2
  
• Run Time: 312 minutes
• Rating: TV-PG
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled

In picking up School Rumble, Second Semester, I expected to enjoy further laughs and mayhem with a romantic twist, just like I did in Season One. I also expected some answers to the copious amount of questions piled on in Season One.

School Rumble, Season One is all about hopeless teen drama, puppy love and crushed expectations. It’s funny throughout most of the series, and downright dramatic the rest. The first season is authentic and sweet. In short, School Rumble, Season One is a great romantic comedy with heart. School Rumble, Season Two, is, not so much….

School Rumble

Plot Summary

It’s the same ol’ teen drama for Class 2C as they kick off their sophomore year: Tenma is still clueless, and in love with the enigmatic and odd Karasuma. Harima still can’t confess his true feelings for Tenma, and Eri has some unresolved issues for how she feels about Harima.

But Harima has become a rising star in the world of manga, and with his increase in stardom comes an increase in confidence. Will his new found self-esteem help him profess his love to Tenma?

Review

School Rumble, Second Semester was plain bad. It was a serving of more of the same from Season One, but without the zest and freshness. The gags were old, the lines were tired and the characters were stale. I’ve found fresher things at the day old Hostess store.

The writers must have been giddy from their successful run with School Rumble, Season One, and hammered out a formula for what they thought brought in the ha ha’s. Why don’t we say that H (Harima) times (T) Tenma plus F (filler) equals cha ching! So (H)(T) +F =$$$. And thus fans are rewarded with a seemingly endless loop of garbage and the studio raked in cash with minimal effort. The only problem is this formula= Hard Fail. Infinity.

Filler episodes and scenes abounded and actual plot was gunned down so that romantic anarchy could rule.  I knew when the first episode made me shudder a bit in my critical thinking lobe that trouble wasn’t far behind. My instsincts seldom let me down. Two full episodes were dedicated to a cop-out  story arc, and a lame one at that. This series has more dream scenes and dodgy explanations than are allotted for a romantic comedy. It was cute at first, but like a child who doesn’t know that adorable little version of “I’m a Teacup” is getting on Auntie Rae’s nerves, so was School Rumble unaware its gags were frustratingly tired.

I would say there were three episodes worth of progressive plot. But it was a downer since it made less sense than the wacky limit the anime set for itself. It was uninspired and ubiquitously bad. The characters I grew to empathize with were stunted in their growth, though some development managed to to squeak by.

Character Development

Further decent character development was absent, a night-and-day departure for the series.  Tenma stayed stupid, Eri stayed rich but Harima had a change in his confidence level. Poor guy can’t catch break, though that’s partially his own fault. I would have ditched chasing after Tenma eons ago. The girl is a waste of air time and ink. Harima has his hang-ups and Tenma is one of them. Guy needs to go to rehab for hopeless infatuations with loser women. Harima was the only saving grace of the anime, but a tiny one.

Character Design

Blah, what can I say about things that don’t change? Nothing visually departed from the first season, but why should it really.

I’m lumping in Animation, Music and Voice Acting  with my critique of character designs. There’s something to be said about consistency, so no points are taken off for the average-ness of the rest of the series’ features.

Conclusion

School Rumble, Second semester went nowhere. I might have well just watched Season One and called it a day. I didn’t though, and flushed nine hours of my time down the kamode. It’s a shame that this series took a nose dive in its quality of storytelling.

School Rumble Season One was good.  There was no reason for Two to have been so different from the first, none. The ending of Second semester was the real kick in the teeth, though. It sucked harder than all the shifty, cop-out scenes combined, and that’s saying a LOT.

School Rumble has a third season coming up. I really don’t want to take another bullet for School Rumble fans since I’m still digging shrapnel out my funny bone from Second Semester.  If you’re a fan of Season One,  I recommend  you avoid Season Two if you can, you’ll only be let down, and who needs that?

Rating

School Rumble, Second Semester gets 2.5 outta 5 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher: Funimation
• Release Date: October 14, 2008 (Part One) and December 16, 2008 (Part Two)
• Retail Price: $59.98
• Number of discs: 2
• Episodes: 1-13 (Part One) and 14-26 (Part Two)
• Run Time: 305 minutes
• Rating: TV-MA
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled,

Read my review of Ouran High School Host Club, Part One!

The fiesty twins, Kaoru and Hikaru, try to steal away the heart of Tamki’s “baby”, the cute and out of place Haruhi, in the second half of Ouran High School Host Club!

Plot Summary

Haruhi can’t catch a break from the duties and attentions of the Host Club. The twins continually vie for her attention, much to the chagrin of the club’s “king”, Tamaki, and said clueless leader won’t let Haruhi out of his sight. She’s also become a popular Host that the Club’s unsuspecting female guests can’t get enough of.

But Haruhi senses something amiss when the beautiful facade of the fantasy world the Club has built begins to crumble. Will the King set aside his crown and let his kingdom fall, or will he hold fast and continue to dote on his eager guests?

Review

Ouran High School Host Club has my vote as the best anime comedy I’ve viewed to date. The laughs were smart and timed with exquisite precision. Freshness and originality abounded, and the pacing was perfect.

The anime didn’t rely on overdone gags and lowbrow humor. It didn’t ride a schtick into the ground or use the same line over, and over and over.  Ouran’s a series which really understood its genre (romantic comedy) and audience (shoujo lovers), and knew to take the high road in making a romantic comedy. Its take on harem anime and shoujo romance was a polite parody/ homage to a played out genre, not a mean-spirited roast.

Ouran’s main characters were in on the parody, and the self-awareness of the anime enabled it to poke fun, not only at shoujo stereotypes, but at itself. Ouran doesn’t take itself seriously at all in the first half of the anime, and only slightly towards the end of the second. The one-liners throughout the series are absolutely quotable, and the characters delivering them are complex enough to relate to, but ridiculous enough to laugh with and at.

I mean, a good-hearted, abundantly handsome but slightly moronic, self-styled, reverse harem king who sees an accidental-cross dressing, poor scholarship student as his little baby? How can that not be funny? It might not have worked if it were too saccharine, serious or overdone, but it was brilliant in the Ouran High anime.

Character Development

In Part Two of Ouran High, the characters we’ve been laughing at for thirteen episodes are given their unique personalities, the true ones which differ greatly from their Host Club faces. The cast was more developed and human in the second half of the series- they became interesting as well as funny.

Tamaki’s past is revealed, and while it could have come across as pitiful, it added strength to his personality instead of weakening it. He was still clueless, and an idiot, but he had a wealth of heart and good intentions.

The twins got the flashback treatment as well, and their motives for their twisted games are based in their childhood. I really liked the twins. They’re evil and duplicitous, but in a good, funny way. They’re bad, but not evil. Their quasi-twincest, which is all in the name of pleasing the fangirls, is refreshingly ironic.

Haruhi stays pretty much the same through the second half. She’s a real trooper in dealing with the host club, and is one of only two grounding personalities in the group, the first being the money-minded Kyoya.

Kyoya and Honey have some background work done too, but the stoic Mori gets a minor glossing over.

The flashbacks and character development aren’t obtrusive, nor do they get in the way of the comedy. But they do add something which makes this anime more than a run-of-the-mill shoujo comedy.

Ouran has a memorable supporting cast to match the lead cast. The best of the secondary characters is the enigmatic president of the Black Magic Club, Nekozawa. Nekozawa, with his evil hand puppet, Beelzenef, stood out as the oddest character at Ouran, though Renge, the obsessive otaku fangirl deluxe, was in close second. Although the secondary cast wasn’t given the development the Host Club was, they gave a lot to the series.

Character Design

In keeping with the comedy of “romantic comedy”, the anime used its visuals to exaggerate points (super details for when the boys are being sparkling hosts), to emphasize emotions (giant sweat drops for stress, teary waterfalls for sadness) or to drive home its shoujo inspiration (flower petals in the air when romance is in the offing).  It was pure anime.

The clothing was also atypical anime- school uniforms were standard suits for guys and dresses for girls, but the girls’ dresses were something out of a Victorian romance rather than the usual sailor suits. Outside of school, the main characters have different clothing for every appearance.  It’s a plus when the studio tries to make the characters feel real by giving them an actual wardrobe.

Animation

The animation for Ouran was as strong as the series. It had detailed shots in the right places without skimping on the quality elsewhere. Shots when the boys are at their bishi-tastic are gorgeously detailed. Every twinkle and dimple can be seen. Action shots are high quality as well.

The backdrops were given a lot of attention, the music room of the Host Club being a good example, with its abundance of detailing and color work. Bones animated Ouran High School Host Club. They did as good a job showing the story as the anime did of telling it.

Music

After listening to the opening and ending themes (Sakura Kiss, by Chieco Kawabe and Shissou, by LAST ALLIANCE) for twenty six episodes, the songs have begun to grow on me- slightly. They were both fantastic fits for the subject matter, both being sugary and pop rockish, but as stand alone songs, they were too “young”.

The opening theme is the more tween of the two, but it’ll get stuck in your head, like a wet lollipop to a cashmere sweater.

It was interesting that the songs were in both English and Japanese. The Japanese tracks weren’t as cloyingly teen as the English were, probably because “kiss kiss, fall in love” sounds better in Japanese than in English.

Voice Acting

While there is the option of switching to the Japanese voice cast, don’t. Just, don’t. The English voice cast outstrips the Japanese and is waaaay funnier. Humor is not a universal language, and some things just don’t translate well. Some of the translations in the Japanese/ subtitle option fall flat, while in the English they’re worded in language that flows easily and is more topical:

English:

Hikaru: Why was your cell phone…

Kaoru: …turned off?

Haruhi: I just don’t think about it really.

Tamaki: Did you say you have a cell phone?

Hikaru: We convinced her she should borrow one of ours so we can keep in touch.
Kaoru: It’s a part of a special “Friends and Family” plan.
Hikaru: Yeah, we’re in each other’s “Top Five”.

Tamaki: “Top Five”! “Friends and family”? But wait, I’m you’re daddy and buddy…so I’m part of the plan too, right?

VERSUS

Japanese:

Hikaru: You turned your cell phone off didn’t you?
Kaoru: You can’t do that!

Haruhi: But it’s such a pain!

Tamaki: Cell? You’ve got a cell did you say?

Hikaru: Yeah, but I should say it’s one that we’ve lent to Haruhi.
Kaoru: By the way, it’s one only for friends. Sir, you’re our “sempai” and all.

Tamaki: “Friends!?” That must be nice, huh? Then, I’m also in the “friends” category which includes daddies.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The English vocal work wasn’t just worded better, it was delivered better as well.

Greg Ayres really did a great job of  voicing Kaoru. He always sells his characters’ mischievous personalities, and he gave an extra note of diabolic boyishness to the twins.

Tamaki’s breathy bishi and clueless king personas were nailed by Vic Mignogna. Tamaki and Kaoru were my favorite characters and their voice work partly influenced my opinion.

Conclusion

Ouran High School Host Club is an almost too-good-to-be-true anime. It has great story, fantastic laughs, stellar characters, strong development, great animation, fast pacing and a top-notch ending. Unlike most things in life that fall under the “too good to be true” category, this series really is that good and it really is true. Go on, watch Ouran High- get spoiled!

Rating

Ouran High School Host Club, Part Two gets 5 outta 5 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher:Funimation
• Release Date: January 6, 2009
• Retail Price: $59.98
• Number of discs:2
• Episodes:14-26
• Run Time: 300 minutes
• Rating: TV 14
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled

Ghost Hunt, Part Two has Mai dreaming of death and has the rest of the ghost hunters scrambling to solve some grisly cases.

Plot Summary

Naru takes on another school related case, but this haunting is more sinister than the previous one, especially since people are being psychically hurt as well as mentally traumatized.

The next unresolved haunting the crew takes on is by far the most gruesome and shocking the group has ever experienced. Danger lurks in every shadow, and doors that seem to lead to nowhere, in fact lead to grisly death.

And Naru takes on a case with its roots in the bitter past and an ancient feud. His abilities are put to the test and his pride may get the better of him if he doesn’t fall prey to the hauntings first.

Review

Part Two of Ghost Hunt steps up the squeamish and scream factors with an abundance of blood and violence. The cases are more mature and has content which is on par with certain slash flicks, except Ghost Hunt has actual story and plot (gasp!)

This latter half of the series progresses much like the first, with fast pacing and non-stop action. Cases in the anime are original and suspenseful. Not much whimsy is floating around in this part of the series, and an air of dread hangs over the episodes. The supernatural drama is intense!

The ghost hunters are challenged by powerful adversaries and come together in a way which made me believe these folks were for real (as real as can be expected in a supernatural thriller).

The best aspects in Ghost Hunt are the story and the pacing. Thankfully, no filler is added in this series- it’s all concentrated story, dilute in brain as necessary. It was a relief not to plod through random episodes, or worse, clip episodes, that went nowhere and gobbled up time. Zero filler means brisk pacing and no downtime, and the pacing is stellar in this anime, along with the story.

The series has all the elements of good horror: it has moments in which hands are groped for a feeling of safety and eyes are squeezed shut until creepy moments pass. It’s a combination platter of Tales From the Crypt with a bit of X-Files on the side and a sprinkling of shoujo, except without cheesey, bring-down plot lines and disappointingly bad dialog.

Ghost Hunt is unlike much of its genre. Horror flicks and series, especially 80’s horror ( who remembers Troma?) are notorious for crap dialog and gratuitous pouring-on-of-blood and skimpy plot. But the biggest crime the horror genre perpetrates is the abysmal lack of decent characters. In most movies, audiences cheer the bad guy since the villains are the only ones with a back story and any sympathetic connection.

Character Development

Ghost Hunt has both interesting apparitions and sympathetic protagonists.
Naru is a great character who has ridiculously high amounts of self-confidence and preening egotism, coupled with a generous spirit and compassionate nature. He’s a complex lead who resists categorizing.

Mai is also another character who doesn’t quite fit any one stereotype. She’s strong without being tomboyish, and feminine without being weak or moe. She’s not at all annoying, and is also a storytelling device for learning more about the series’ supernatural groundwork.

The other characters were mostly superficial, but with enough development to either like or dislike them. John, the Australian priest, is the least interesting character and is bland addition to a spicy cast. As a Catholic priest he’s portrayed in a most bizarre way…just watch it and see for yourself. I wonder if John’s character is an example of how the Japanese view Catholicism?

Character Design

Most of the characters have the stamp of generic anime in their features. The innocent or young ones have large, doe eyes and tiny mouths and the more mature, devious or cynical characters have eyes which are better proportioned. The designs for characters are standard for their types according to the unwritten style book of anime. Although the character designs are pretty blah and a tad typical, they were still apt for the realistic approach the writers took for the story

The studio followed the writers’ lead, and crafted the rest of the story’s world with a more natural feel. The only exception would be the ghouls, but even they aren’t so over the top that they shock viewers with originality. No, I liked how the designs didn’t detract from the story, but blended with it. They weren’t a crutch for the story, but more of an reinforcement of the direction of the series.

Animation

J.C. Staff animated the anime and did an average to okay job on Part Two, which seemed not as good as Part One. There were some scenes which were out of focus or the perspective was off or the quality was grainy. And detail shots were few and far between, just as in Part One.

Music

I have to say I really liked the music for Ghost Hunt, especially the opening and ending themes. The opening theme was reminiscent of Danny Elfman’s work on the sci-fi action movie, Men In Black. He also did the opening theme from Tales From the Crypt. And the ending theme had a relaxed, almost lulling effect.

Voice Acting

The Japanese voice cast is better than the English. It’s worth switching over to Japanese just to avoid hearing John Brown’s weak Aussie accent

Conclusion

As good as Ghost Hunt is, the ending leaves too much up in the air. It just ends, as if somebody pulled the plug, and beeeeeeeep, it flat-lines, end of. The series has so much left to explain and flesh out, especially with relationships and motives, that the ending is a real downer.

The anime is based on the ongoing manga series of the same name, which leaves room for speculation that there may be a second season. The box set, however, doesn’t give any indication if the studio had a second season in mind when they initially released it. But the Amazon listing does. A sign that the studio now has plans for Season Two?

Yet, even though the ending is meh, the series is still a fantastic anime which has decent scares, a bit of drama and a hint of romance, and has them all without being lame. It’s worth watching for the unique experience of viewing a series which juggles so much and doesn’t drop the ball. Just make sure you don’t watch it alone!

Rating

Ghost Hunt, Part Two gets 4 outta 5 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher:Funimation
• Release Date: November 18, 2008
• Retail Price: $49.98
• Number of discs:2
• Episodes:12
• Run Time: 276 minutes
• Rating: TV-14
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled

.

Afro Samurai: Resurrection Review

Plot Summary

Years after Afro Samurai avenged his father, the deadly warrior has laid down his sword and tries to live a life of peace. But one cannot don the Number One headband and have a tranquil ever after.

Those who have lost loved ones under Afro’s skilled blade have come back to exact payment for the pain he’s inflicted, and the price is too high for the silent samurai to meekly pay. Once again Afro must sharpen his sword and slice his way back to the top. This time, it isn’t revenge- it’s personal.

Review

Afro Samurai: Resurrection is a rare gem in media- it’s a sequel which isn’t just as good as its predecessor, it’s actually better.

Afro Samurai Seeks Revenge...Again

The movie is more of an adventure than the slice and dice gore fest of the series. Afro is back with his side kick Ninja Ninja to put the hurt on some vengeful ghosts made in Afro’s bloody wake. It’s a solid telling of tables turned and whirlwinds reaped. In its ninety minutes, Resurrection takes us back to the motley world of hip hop and history, rap and rice paddies. Afro comes face to face with those who felt the bitter bite of Afro’s vengeance, and payback’s a bitch.

Resurrection is beyond entertaining, it’s entrancing. The fights, imagery, story and dialog make this sequel hard to look away from. It pulls viewers in from the first scene and is relentless with the way it shoves its gorgeous animation down their throats. Anime fans will get a much needed breather from the usual anime fare, and non-fans will get an introduction the anime world in a way that won’t scare them off.

Character Development

It’s obvious viewers who watched the Afro Samurai series will know the characters better than those who watch Resurrection cold. However, there is enough development for newcomers to piece together Afro’s past history with the antagonists. It’s not much, but it’ll clue viewers in why Afro is who he is and does what he does.

Afro this time around has a new purpose, and it colors his actions and perspective. This time around, he’s more thoughtful and precise. He’s still a bastard, but he’s a bastard who has some reserve and cognizance of who he’s affecting. It doesn’t hold him back much, but it deepens his character considerably.

Ninja Ninja, the voice of self-preservation, is louder now than in the series. He still has all the best lines, and he still adds lightness to the violence and sexuality of Resurrection, but he urges caution even more.

Ninja Ninja Gives Unwated Advice to Afro Samurai

Some of Ninja Ninja’s choice lines, voiced by the bad ass motherf*#er himself, Samuel Jackson:

• “This is the best?! Maybe you aughta kill this motherf*#er too, for ly’n!!”
• “I mean, he cool and all, but he ain’t yo’ pal. Just dead this fool!”
• “Aw, shit, this guy’s slick! I’m impressed. He just might kill yo’ ass.”

Character Design

Designs are once again top-notch and totally over the top. The meshing of hip hop culture and traditional Japanese culture creates an unique one all its own. If I were asked to describe the movie’s designs in one word, I’d have to invent one first: Cyber-feudal. The merging of advanced technology with traditional Japanese styles for Resurrection makes steampunk look tired. Nothing like it exists in the anime world, which makes this hybrid a refreshing stand alone.

The character designs are overly emphasized and sometimes exaggerated, but mostly different from what one would expect from the medium. The women are ridiculously endowed and scantily clad, not new in anime, but nary a bishonen can be found, nor cutesey giant eyes nor tiny mouths.

Resurrection is a blend of the best of comic and anime standards. The seasoned anime eye won’t glaze over from repetitious character designs, and newbies to the anime world won’t be bored by typical American animation. Resurrection has visual offerings for everyone.

The Evil (?) Soi

Color plays a big part in Resurrection’s designs, the colors being intense and muted simultaneously. They play off each other, creating tension in the appropriate moments. Some parts of Afro Samurai are black and white with a monochromatic overlay of a saturated color. The effect is cinematic and dramatic. It’s an intense device which works well to create mood.

The background shots must be mentioned as well. Details and colors make them more than just set pieces and more a part of the plot.

Animation

There aren’t enough words in the English language to describe how implicitly awesome the animation is. Gonzo, the studio involved, gets a pass on some of the craptacular animation its done in the past few years for the breathtaking work its done on Resurrection. The skillful set lighting, shading and perspective in the animation gives the movie the chops to flirt with the moniker, “Work of Art”.

Speaking of art, the final fight scene is artistic and minimal, and a good call on the writers’ part. The rest of the fights wow with their originality and intensity. Afro has a more refined approach to his fighting style this time, but the fights are still a lot of sloppy fun to watch.

The animation itself is devoid of hinky motions, shortcut movements and other substandard marks of poor animation. It’ll spoil anime fans.

Afro Smoking with Ninja Ninja talking again

Music

RZA returns to set the mood to the Afro sequel with his throbbing beats and swanky seventies era vibe. The music flows from danceable hip hop to funky rock to soulful R&B in the space of minutes. It’s the perfect eclectic accompaniment to this jaw-dropping, eclectic movie.

Voice Acting

Samuel Jackson reprises his roll as Ninja Ninja and Afro Samurai, and Lucy Lui makes an appearance as the voluptuous Sio. They do a good job, and are very convincing in their roles. The rest of the cast is surprisingly good as well, which is hard to find among anime English vocal casts.

Production

The movie comes as a 2-disc special edition director’s cut and has a DVD full of extras along with a liner notes booklet. All of which fit handily in a slim, attractive box.

Conclusion

Afro Samurai: Resurrection, is a fantastic movie and an unbelievable sequel. I enjoyed this movie immensely and would recommend it to any fan of kick ass flicks and cultural romps. This co-production is a fine example of America and Japan working together to make an anime that bridges the gap between our pop cultures.

Rating

Afro Samurai: Resurrection gets 5 outta 5 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher: Funimation
• Release Date: February 3, 2009
• Retail Price: $34.98
• Number of discs: 2
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Rating:TV MA
• Language: English
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC

Photo Copyright © The Anime Blog

Plot Summary

Haruhi Fujioka has had a rough life, but things get better for the first year student when Haruhi earns a scholarship to the exclusive and wealthy Ouran High. Sadly, Haruhi’s good fortune quickly goes bad when the honor student accidentally breaks an eight million yen vase belonging to the school’s host club.

In order to pay the club back, Haruhi must entertain ladies along side the handsome hosts. However, when Haruhi is called upon for a special task, the club members discover that their handsome young gentleman is actually a pretty young gentlewoman. The hosts are now smitten with their new recruit, and maybe even a bit jealous of her talent with the club’s guests.

Haruhi has entered a strange new world, one where her “common” blood and exceptional looks will get her both pampered and panted over. Will she be swept off her feet or keep them firmly planted on the ground?

Review

Haruhi

To any and all who love a good parody, or even just comedy, this anime is a must watch. Ouran High is an enormous parody of all things shojo and bishi, and the characters are in on the joke. They make references to episodes within the anime, comment on situations for the benefit of the audience and even refer to themselves as stereotypes. The club is a “reverse harem” where dwell such shojo mainstays as the “Stoic“,”Boy Lolita” and the ever popular, “Twincest“, to name a few.

The characters even explain fangirls’ fascination for the shojo favorites. Hikaru Hitachiin and Kaoru Hitachiin, the twins who represent the twincest, explain to a bewildered Haruhi why they’re among the most requested hosts- “It’s taboo.”

The Twins

But what makes the show more than a parody and like a friendly jab at the genre, is the hosts all fake their stereotypes to get more girls to request them. The twins aren’t into each other anymore than the “Boy Lolita”, Mitsukuni Haninozuka, aka, Honey, is a witless moe wonder. Each and every one of them play the part, and even practice optimizing their stereotype’s personality traits. To top it off, the host members are woefully ignorant of the lower class, or as they call such people, “commoners”.

Poor Haruhi is surrounded by boys who are so rich they could buy and sell her and her father a million times over, and yet are so dim-witted, the club president calls himself “Daddy” and the vice-president “Mommy”.

Character Development

For such a hilarious, fast-paced comedy, there’s a generous amount of character development. The development is so skillfully done, it doesn’t even seem like development- the feeling is that of getting to know a friend instead of watching a fictitious character. As outrageous as the cast is, they all have a depth which is surprising and relate-able. There’s a connection with them that hooks you in and involves you on different levels. But the laughs still reign supreme, even as the characters true personalities unfold.

Haruhi is a grounded character and acts as the straight man for many of the anime’s jokes. She doesn’t see the appeal of the host club, but she’s learning why other girls do. Viewers are seeing the anime from her perspective, and the audience learns a thing or two along with Haruhi. We’re watching through her eyes and listening to her commentary on the absurdity of the situation. The anime wouldn’t be nearly as funny without Haruhi to bring the series into focus and to highlight why shojo and its fans are sometimes seen in a less than flattering light.

The other characters are likable, but the best by far are the “Prince“, Tamaki Suou, and the two mischievous twins. The three go round and round, competing for the attention of Haruhi, going to ridiculous lengths to be near her. But the twins take the cake with their faux homo-incestuous tendencies. Anything for a buck and a sigh from a lovely lady.

Character Design

Nekozawa

Characters are absolute bishi, and drawn with lithesome limbs, sparkling eyes and pouty lips. All which disappear in a blink when some absurdity or another pops up. The bishi-ness flees then, to be replaced by over-exaggerated expressions and face vaults.

The backdrops for Ouran High were designed to give the impression of wealth- massive, ludicrous wealth. The room in which the host club holds its meetings glitters with crystal chandeliers and is aglow in pink. Ouran High itself is more like a palace than an place of learning.

In deference to its shojo leanings, the anime has roses and sparkles galore liberally placed throughout. The shojo symbolism is usually set in contrast to what’s actually taking place, which is part of the visual humor of Ouran High.

Animation

Animation, done by Bones, is fantastic. The bountiful details and smooth animation are a great compliment for this terrific anime. There are many detailed background shots, which really bring the scenery to life. The Host Club room and the cherry blossom scenes are especially appealing.

Music

If there is one (or two) negative comments to make about Ouran, it would be on the OP and the ED, both of which are popsy numbers which can be heard in either Japanese or English, depending on your audio choice. Both sound like they should be blaring out of some tween’s boom box and both are overly saccharine.

The first song, Sakura Kiss, by Chieco Kawabe, sounds way better in Japanese than English. In English the song drips so much sugar, it makes me cringe.

And the ED, Shissou, performed by LAST ALLIANCE, is not only more palatable in Japanese, it’s sung in tune. The English version is shaky at best, and off-key at worst.

Voice Acting

The English voice cast is the way to go with this anime- it’s flawless. The comedy translates much, much better in the English audio than its subtitles. “Flat-chested” makes more of an an impact than “lack of any bust”.

Grey Ayres does an impeccable job as the submissive twin brother, Kaoru Hitachiin. The man does mischievous well, and no character is more so in this series. All the English voice cast sound good, and there’s no need to hit the Japanese audio to avoid annoying characters’ whining vocals.

Production

It’s nice that Funimation is releasing some anime series in two parts instead of single volumes, since it saves on money and cuts down a bit on the irritating waiting period between releases. This release is the first thirteen episodes of Ouran High Host Club, and comes in a two-disc set inside a sleeve. The sleeve’s the size of a normal DVD cover, so it also saves space on the ol’ DVD shelf.

Conclusion

Ouran High Host Clubanime is pure gold. It’s a gut-busting good time and an especially fine laugh for anyone indoctrinated in anime/ manga culture, especially shojo. It’s amazing that the hilarity is absolutely consistent throughout, resulting in almost non-stop laughs.

If you need to escape from the seriousness of the dismal everyday, let the Ouran Host Club cater to your funny bone- they aim to please and hit the mark every time.

Rating

Ouran High Host Club, Part One gets 5 outta 5 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher:Funimation
• Release Date: October 28, 2008
• Retail Price:$59.98
• Number of discs: 2
• Episodes:1-13
• Run Time: 300 minutes
• Rating: TV-PG
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Plot Summary

The world has been changed. In 1899, magic was brought into existence using science. Since sorcery and science now co-exist in the world, anything is possible. But such rampant and easily accessible power comes with a dark side- anyone too careless in wielding this arcane sorcery runs the risk of turning into a bloodthirsty demon. These transformed individuals require a special brand of exterminator- Tactical Sorcerists.

Strait Jacket Cover Artwork

Sorcerists, also called Strait Jackets, use magical armor, Molds, to combat demons. They too run the risk of going demonic, higher than any other magical profession, but they choose to serve and protect. When a terrorist cell threatens the city with a surge of demonic outbreaks, the Sorcery Management Bureau calls in all available sorcerists, including the unlicensed sorcerist, Leiot Steinberg, to quell the infestation.

Leiot has a shrouded, troubled background, however, and is considered a bane to his profession. Now, the rogue sorcerist’s past has come back to haunt him as he tries to redeem himself. Will his past stand in the way of his duty, or will it swallow him and the city he protects?

Review

Strait Jacket is an anime with a rare commodity- a unique idea. Magic in anime is common, but magic coupled with modern science, and believably so, is something more rare. The difficulty in making an anime which centers around sorcery, is making it believable to audiences. Strait Jacket addresses this issue immediately by treating magic as energy.

Strait Jacket Mecha Action

As with any new energy source, man finds uses for it in medicine, technology and inevitably, war. Strait Jacket uses magic just like electricity or nuclear technology, with mixed results and a higher price. No worries about pollution or depleting the source. Don’t sweat environmental impact or species extinction. No carbon footprint here, just the downside of having users morph into murderous, unstoppable monsters.

The anime sells the idea people are fine with this trade, and makes the world of the anime believable in doing so. It’s not hokey, but scary.

In creating a world where audiences are convinced of its authenticity, the anime can tell its story without an overabundance of dragging explanations. The story itself is good, not terrific or profound, but entertaining. The angle is inventive, so the story can be forgiven for not being as such. Pacing and action take the place of drawn out revelations, although there are at least two scenes, most which involve an annoying female character, which grind the anime to a dead halt. The anime tried, just a little, to stick a message into the OVA, but thankfully, it didn’t take.

Character Development

Demon!

Leiot’s character is recognizable as the troubled hero who’s perpetually misunderstood, but he’s not too terribly well defined. However, I like the way no apologies or excuses are gives for his lack of depth. Strait Jacket is an action anime, not a moral fable, it’s a one hundred percent demon-butt kicking gore fest with fancy equipment and and good animation.

The anime was too short to cram anything resembling development into the mix. If the studio did try it, it would have failed. Instead they stuck with the action and made a fun anime. Perhaps a longer series would be a better place to explore the characters.

Character Design

Glasses!

Strait Jacket has great character designs. The demons are the best, however. They’re all frightening and gruesome, all mockeries of the former individual. The demons designs’ take the story to another level.

Magic use is defined by glowing circles inscribed with runes, and the Molds use power pellets in the shape of the Tree of Life. Some authenticity in the designs add a nice touch, and little details here and there are recognizable from different sects.

Technology in the anime is a cross between early industrial and steampunk. It’s slightly confusing,but still unique.

Animation

The animation for the OVA is rich with details and smoothly done. Feel, the animation studio, picked a color palette filled with vibrant hues to define the world of Strait Jacket. Details abound, from tiny glints of light bouncing off metal to glowing circles of magery and runes. The anime was truly well animated.

Music

Much can’t be said about the music except that it suited the anime. It was orchestral with a Celtic feel in the intro. Throughout, it built suspense, accompanied tense moments and was soft in lighter scenes.

Voice Acting

The voice acting was good. Either the Japanese or the English would be good choices for viewing the OVA.

Production

The packaging for Strait Jacket is attractive, with a hologram and embossed sleeve. Minus two points for no liner notes to flesh out the series better.

Conclusion

Strait Jacket tried in places to be something it wasn’t, but thankfully it never reached the depths it aimed for. Instead, it achieved in becoming a savvy, novel anime filled with action and unique ideas. The world of the anime alone is worth the price of admission, but audiences will be treated to far more than picturesque scenery.

Rating

Strait Jacket gets 4 outta 5 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher:Manga Entertainment
• Release Date: October 7, 2008
• Retail Price: $19.99
• Run Time: 76 minutes
• Rating: Not Rated
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Anamorphic Widescreen