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

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,

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

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Plot Summary

In the world of the future exists the Wired, a virtual place where anything imaginable goes. Many people choose to live their lives in the Wired instead of reality. But the Wired has come under attack by an unknown assailant which absorbs data and kills everyone who comes in contact with it.

Baldr Force EXE

Steppen Wolf, a group of amateur hackers, has made it their calling to hack into the Wired and uncover data from encrypted sources. When a hack goes lethally wrong, one of the hackers, Tohru, is scouted by the elite protection force FLAK to help them uncover the mystery of the Wired killings. Now Tohru must discover the root of the problem, which is connected to him in ways he could never imagine.

Review

This OVA is average. The ideas are average, the animation is average, the whole shebang- average. I’ve never played the PC game, nor have I ever heard of it before watching the series, so maybe the game itself is above average.

The series seems more geared towards fans of the game than to anyone else. The concept is overworked and reminiscent of a hundred other anime. Ideas are crammed into the series which might have been good if they were fleshed out more, but they weren’t. They were just average and very blah.

Baldr Force EXE

Character Development

There is no character development. There are no characters to relate to except to say, “I’ve seen this somewhere before and it was done better.” Watching the OVA, I felt nothing towards any of the characters, simply apathy. I was merely watching the anime, I wasn’t engaged or involved. I was slightly annoyed at times, but even that measurable emotion faded back into, meh.

Character Design

Character designs are also at an average level. Nothing stands out as memorable or dreadful. The world in Baldr Force is a semi-bleak mechanical one, but it isn’t unique. Even the simulacrum used in the Wired look absolutely recycled as do the uniforms for FLAK.

Animation

The animation wasn’t average, it was bad. Lines are mismatched, motions don’t glide smoothly, the actual drawings themselves are not so good and are hazy. Some of the CG is decent, but it’s overruled in quality by the poor animation. It was a chore to sit through the anime due to the uneven nature and sub par quality of the animation.

Music

Baldr Force EXE

The OP, Face of Fact, by KOTOKO is a charming, catchy electronic number, but the animation for the opening is head-scratching. Why are there nude women crawling out of suits when there’s no such thing in the anime? In fact, why is there more nudity in the OP than in the entire series?

undelete was the ED by Mami Kawada, is slightly charming. The animation for the ending is actually better than the entire series. I’d have rather watched the ending ten times than the series in its entirety.

Voice Acting

Amazingly, the English voice cast isn’t all that bad and neither is the Japanese. Neither one is better than the other, however. It’s the one above average bright spot in the OVA.

Conclusion

Baldr Force EXE was slightly entertaining, but only because it’s so reminiscent of so many other better anime. As an anime, the concept is too familiar and poorly done. The OVA is almost instantly forgettable. For fans of the game, however, this OVA may be perfect.

Rating

Baldr Force EXE gets 2 outta 5 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher: Funimation
• Release Date:May 20, 2008
• Retail Price: $29.98
• Number of discs:1
• Episodes: 1-4
• Run Time: 120 minutes
• Rating: TV-MA
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Pretty boys and scary girl get mixed up in spooky romantic hilarity in Volumes Two and Three of The Wallflower!

plot summary

The pretty bishonen are still scared (kawai! kawai!) of the dark and tangled mess which is Sunako, but they’ve gotten used to her weird, disturbing ways- mostly. They’re even starting to like her! Well, at least they like her sublime Japanese-style cooking.

All four beautiful boys have given up on ever turning Sunako into a lady, even if that means they have to pay full rent to Sunako’s Aunt. Sunako in turn dislikes ever being with the four if she can help it. More often than naught, however, she’s accompanying the lovely lads on their misadventures. But even though Sunako can’t bear to be around the Creatures of Light, as she calls them, she still has room in her cobweb-covered heart to help them out when they need a hand. And Sunako with her strange and almost brutal manner of “solving” issues, manages to make things easier and brighter, despite her storm-clouded demeanor.

review

This series is such a laugh. The way it pokes fun at the shojo genre, and the idea of bishis in general, is hilarious. It’s even funnier because the characters are in on the joke: (cherry blossoms gently drift down and the clip-clop of geta can be heard) Yuki comments, “What’s with this very Japanesey atmosphere?” (Takenaga makes an entrance amid the flowers).

Even someone who has no idea what bishonen and shojo are and sat down and watched this show, they’d still get the laughs. Handsome men (no matter the archetype) with awkward issues are funny, if done right, and Wallflower is done right.

Character Development

The delicate stereotypes of beautiful young men are shattered as we discover in these two volumes the secrets these four bishis hide behind their lovely faces. Takenaga is inept when it comes to women, Ranmaru is a pervy ladies man who always looks out for himself and Kyouhei is a borderline delinquent who dislikes dating. And poor Yuki, well, he just looks like a girl and that’s trouble enough in the world of anime.

Sunako is “hopeless” when it comes to ever being a lady, but you gotta give her credit for being herself, despite how other people judge her. The boys seem to be warming up to Sunako, so why should she change?

Conclusion

The Wallflower is an accidental romantic comedy in that the romance may or may not be what it seems. There’s more to this series than a run-down goth gal trying to become a refined lady, and more to the bishis than just a pretty face. Who’s to judge when the heart sees one thing and the eyes see something else? For me, I see these two volumes of Wallflower as a really good time, despite the series looking like a page torn from a shojo manga.

Rating

Volumes Two and Three of The Wallflower get 5 outta 5 Hammies!

Retail Info, Volume Two

• Publisher: ADV
• Release Date:February 26, 2008
• Retail Price: $29.98
• Number of discs:1
• Episodes:6-9
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Rating: TV-14 D
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Retail Info, Volume Three

• Publisher: ADV
• Release Date:May 27, 2008
• Retail Price: $29.98
• Number of discs:1
• Episodes:10-13
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Rating: TV-14 D
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

But for manga which really get my attention, I put aside my fear of winding up in an endless loop of rereading. One of those series which not only caught my attention but tamed and domesticated it, is the ever popular Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. One volume was all it took to lure me into reading all twelve volumes as quickly as time and money would allow. And then rereading it. Again. And again.

Plot Summary

Boredom can be deadly, at least that’s how it turns out when a shinigami (death god) decides he needs a little excitement in his life. The shinigami in question, Ryuk, casually drops his death note into the human world, with instructions on its use scrawled in English on the inside cover:

* The human whose name is written in this note shall die.

* This note will not take effect unless the writer has the subject’s face in their mind when writing his/her name. Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected.

* If the cause of death is written within 40 seconds of writing the subject’s name, it will happen.

* If the cause of death is not specified, the subject will simply die of a heart attack.

* After writing the cause of death, the details of the death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

The human who picks up Ryuk’s death note, Light Yagami, also happens to be bored. Light, a gifted student, sees the death note as his opportunity to change the world and make it a better place – and to rule it.

But just as Light is hitting his stride in reshaping the world by offing thousands of criminals, his efforts are confounded by the mysterious world renown detective, L.

L, who always solves his case, has taken on the challenge of uncovering the identity of the quasi-benevolent murder dubbed Kira (Killer) by the public. As the two go head to head, a dangerous game unfolds in which one misstep is a sentence of death.

Who will win this cat and mouse, or more appropriately, shinigami and human, game?

Review

The series is a fantastic essay on the meaning of good and evil, right and wrong, and how might may, or may not, make right. It’s scary too. Scary that a teen could do such things, scary that some people actually agree with his methods.

Death Note is one of the most compelling and riveting reads to ever hit manga. The convoluted reasonings, suspenseful moments, and heart pounding action provide enough mental exertion to wear a person out after just two volumes. And yet, the manga is so incredibly hard to put down, it’s easy to dive back into the series after the mind has taken a short breather.

Each chapter compels the reader to to uncover the answers to questions that snowball throughout the manga – Who was that guy? Will Light get caught this time? Has L finally got his man? What’s she got to do with anything? Are you serious?! Really?!! When and how will Light, if ever, get his comeuppance?!!!

The charm and allure of the series is the way it draws a person in – Death Note is a black hole which sucks the reader into its universe and keeps them there. The characters are what drives this phenomena. They’re so interesting and so well developed, people can’t help but feel something towards or with them. It’s impossible to be a bystander in this series. Readers almost immediately “choose sides”: L or Light. For a manga to elicit such definite reactions is nothing short of amazing, and that, in part, can account for its incredible, demographic-spanning popularity.

Character Development

Death Note has fantastic character development, enough so you cheer or boo the characters. Light is portrayed as a smart, handsome, hard-working and honest teen who wants to better the world. The flipside to that are his egomaniacal posturing and highly questionable methods.

L comes across as a brilliant, frumpy, asocial genius who takes on tough, unsolvable cases. His personality is unpredictable and almost undecipherable, and it’s difficult to decide if what he says and does is natural or all part of his master plan. He’s adept at playing on people’s desires and emotions to get what he wants to solve a case, which in its way, is also highly questionable.

L and Light really aren’t so different underneath their veneers, but they’re more like mirror images then exact copies. While their intelligence, true personalties and goals (world peace and justice) are almost a match, it’s hard to imagine two people who are further apart in terms of good and evil. They seem to define the other, and give Death Note that “can’t put it down” appeal.

Character Design

Character designs and style for the series are a good mix of realism and traditional manga. Some scenes have a touch of over-exaggeration, but most are done in an unique style.

The world of Death Note reflects that style and mostly takes place in Japan, with a foray into the world of the Reapers thrown in. The shinigami are the most interesting looking characters in the series, albeit the most undeveloped and boring.

Everyone else that’s a major character is in league with the Beautiful People. Even the bleary-eyed and ruffled L manages to look good in this series. The bad guys and the good guys alike, who share the spotlight, are attractively inked for the reader’s viewing pleasure.

Art

Lines are crisp and details aplenty, making the art on par with the story. The shading is also a win in that it isn’t over done, but is placed effectively to impart the feel of inner darkness and evil thoughts.

Takeshi Obata, the artist responsible for the incredible style of Death Note, did a sublime job conveying all the twisted emotions running through the manga. Light is significantly creepy in his expressions, even though he’s drawn well enough to make fans swoon.

Panel layout is also a plus as the full pages are used only for impact in a dramatic scene. Layout is a language, just like the art, and the usage in Death Note needed no translation.

Amazingly, Obata kept the art strong throughout all twelve volumes of the manga. Some scenes in some chapters may have been a little below the quality line, but overall the art stayed as robust as the story.

Production

The paper quality for the manga is better than most series, and is offset by beautiful covers.

Conclusion

Death Note is a series so good, so dramatic and so fun, it’s the one series I recommend to people who don’t read manga. They too can’t resist reading as Light tries in his crazy, yet well-inked, way to “make the world a better place”. However, I advise all who consider reading Death Note to buy as many volumes at once as possible and to take time off to read them all. Trust me, you won’t want to come up for air.

Rating

Death Note, Full Series gets 5 outta 5 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher:Viz
• Release Date:October 10, 2005 to July 3, 2007
• Retail Price:$7.99
• Episodes: 1-5
• Language: English

Pervy hijinks prevail in Volumes Three and Four of the hilarious, and oh so wrong, Ninja Nonsense!

plot summary

The nonsense is nonstop as the ninja go through the seasons of fall and winter. Kaede returns to school, and normalcy, but frequently stops by to visit Shinobu at the ninja headquarters. Just as frequently, Shinobu and Onsokumaru make surprise visits to Kaede, and not always welcome ones at that.

Onsokumaru continues in his quest to catch the girls without their clothing, and just as continually, he fails. But half the fun is in the trying, so you can’t call him a quitter!

As winter turns to spring, Kaede discovers the secret about Shinobu Onsokumaru alluded to a while back. Will Kaede and Shinobu still stay friends?

review

These two volumes were the best out of the entire four volume series. There was more pervy goodness, more absolute insanity, more “Oh my dear god, did he just do that?!” moments and more side splitting hilarity.

Anime stereotypes, overplayed scenes and fetishes are all deliciously mocked in each episode. Even the ever present (in adult anime) tentacle theme was given a good poke, along with the fanboys who adore it. Not even Christmas was left out of the mix, and included culture references such as the Christmas cake and the Japanese idea of the “true” meaning of Christmas- romance!

Even though the series is rife with obscure cultural references, anime fans will still be able to understand the stereotypes and storytelling enough to be able to roll on the floor laughing. Dirty, unethical men doing random pervy things translates into any language and culture.

The randomness is what makes Ninja Nonsense such a hit. Nothing makes much sense beyond each episode, but the series stays committed to its absurdity and the laughs keep coming.

Character Design

The style for Ninja Nonsense also helped the humor. It’s hard not to laugh at cute, adorable girls being imagined doing lewd acts. The very incongruity is amusing. Character designs are very stereotypical in anime- big eyes, big boobs, scanty outfits- but anything else wouldn’t have worked as well; especially since all these things were lovingly made fun of.

Animation

Animation for Ninja Nonsense was consistent throughout the series and stayed strong.

Voice Acting

Both the English and Japanese voice casts are good. The English voice cast is fantastic however, and really shines. Watching the last two volumes with the dub was a treat. I now wish I had it on the entire time instead of the subtitles, that’s how good the acting was.

Volumes Three and Four Conclusion

These two volumes are terrific, and wrap up the series perfectly. It’s hard to imagine a satisfactory ending to such a random series, but Ninja Nonsense delivered the final laughs in style.

Volumes Rating

Ninja Nonsense, Volumes Three and Four gets 5 outta 5 Hammies!

Series Conclusion

Ninja Nonsense is a hilarious series with a pervy bend. Although boob jokes abound, it’s humor which older folk can appreciate- if they don’t mind fiendishly funny low-brow humor. This anime is not suitable for most audiences, but it’s a guilty, dirty, dirty pleasure for those it is.

Series Rating

Ninja Nonsense, Complete Series gets 4.5 outta 5 Hammies!

Volumes Three Retail Info

• Publisher: Right Stuf!
• Release DateOctober 31, 2006
• Retail Price: $29.99
• Number of discs:1
• Episodes:7-9
• Run Time:80 minutes
• Rating: TV-MA
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Volumes Four Retail Info

• Publisher: Right Stuf!
• Release Date:November 28, 2006
• Retail Price: $29.99
• Number of discs:1
• Episodes:10-12
• Run Time:80 minutes
• Rating: TV-MA
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Yuko has big plans in store for Watanuki in Volume Two of xxxHolic!

plot summary

Watanuki has fallen into cooking, cleaning and exorcising spirits for Yuko as if he’s done so his whole life. He doesn’t seem to mind the hours upon hours of culinary drudgery for a demanding mistress, but when it comes to the more supernatural aspects of his indentured servitude, Watanuki is less than enthusiastic.

Which is why Watanuki’s quasi-nemesis cum friend, Domeki, accompanies him occasionally on his tasks. Other times, it’s Yuko or Mokona who takes Watanuki in hand for his esoteric errands.

Each time Yuko gets the reluctant boy involved in a supernatural quagmire, she makes sure he learns something from the experience. Just what kind of plans does Yuko have for Watanuki?

review

While one of the episodes, “Indulgence” didn’t make much sense, the rest of the volume carried its weight and entertained. Not all the cases Yuko involves herself in pertain to people with bad habits or addictions. She sometimes lends a helping hand to beings from other realms, namely the Spiritual. But she always manages to drag Watanuki into the supernatural equation, whether he wants to or not.

With all the frequent binge eating Yuko does, Watanuki is usually cooking up a storm of traditional Japanese food. The culinary references in the series are a real bonus for someone into the native cuisine. Keep your eyes and ears peered for a taste of Japan hidden in the series!

Even though the nature of the series is that of solving case after case, the series so far doesn’t seem repetitive. Each episode builds slightly on the last to further the story, and the characters are also built upon as well.

Character Development

Watanuki is being shown to be a truly compassionate person, so although he may not like a situation, he still does what it takes to resolve it. He even stomachs having his “rival”, the stolid Domeki, around.

Yuko is still a mystery, but it seems she has something up her stylish sleeve when it comes to Watanuki’s supernatural education.

Character Design

It’s amazing that in every single episode, Yuko has on at least one different outfit. As odd as it seems, the fact that the studio took the time to draw and animate a new set of duds for every episode is impressive. Little details like this in the character designs really adds a dimension to the visuals. It’s a newness which is appealing.

Animation

The animation is still not up to par. Shots and scenes are frequently hazy or out of focus, two things which I don’t think are intended. It’s unfortunate, especially since the series deserves something better from the studio.

Conclusion

Volume Two of xxxHolic is a decent volume with good balance of visuals and story. However, it could have been much better with cleaner animation and more solid pacing.

Rating

xxxHolic, Volume Two gets 3 outta 5 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher: Funimation
• Release Date:May 6, 2008
• Retail Price: $29.98
• Number of discs:1
• Episodes:5-8
• Run Time:100 minutes
• Rating: TV-PG
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

The vampire brothers, Jiro and Kotaro, will finally learn their fate in the Special Zone in the last installment of Black Blood Brothers!

plot summary

After coming face to face with one of Cassa’s “brothers”, Jiro loses all control and is unable to defeat his young enemy. Afterwards, Jiro decides to leave the Special Zone with Kotaro, only to find his little brother missing.

In a panic, Jiro single-mindedly searches for his sibling, only to discover more threats lurking in the shadows. Cassa and her band of brothers have come to the Special Zone to wreck havoc among its vampire population and to resurrect an evil from the past. Kotaro and his brother are caught up in the mayhem against their will but pledge their strength to the uniting forces of the vampire houses. Can Jiro master his blind hatred towards Cassa in order to save his bloodline and the Special Zone?

review

This series was far, far too short. While other anime suffer from being overly long and drawn out, despite their lack of plot or interest, Black Blood Brothers suffers from just the opposite.

This anime is an engaging and action packed story filled with twists, unexpected moments and unique characters. For whatever reason, a large amount of information has been severely condensed and crammed into just twelve episodes.

At the beginning of the series, the pacing was perfect. There weren’t any fluff moments or unnecessary scenes, and the story never deviated from its course. But at the end, the pacing became too fast, and the info which was easy to swallow before, started to become too much at once. In episode eleven for example, there was far too much to absorb in just twenty minutes. This series deserved twenty six episodes, or at least thirteen, and could have filled each one with enough story, history and background to satisfy all the nagging questions left at the end and yet still be entertaining.

Character Development

There was a lot of good development in the final installment of the series and many questions were answered, though not in as much detail as they could have been. Some questions actually gave rise to further questions and left a feeling of “Is this all there is?” And some answers felt too pat, too convenient, especially when it came to Kotaro. There was a moment I was taken aback in an explanation of his heritage, not because it was surprising, but because it was too easy an answer. It would have been good if more in depth story was given for Jiro, Cassa and Alice’s history. That was one aspect of the series which was given a cursory pass and taken for granted.

Animation

The animation for the series stayed strong throughout all twelve episodes and had good consistency. Style-wise, it was a bit on the generic side, yet it had a shonen feel which made it better than run-of- the-mill.

Volume Conclusion

Volume Three had a lot to deliver as the last installment of a short but very involved series. It did deliver, but felt incomplete on some levels. On other levels, there was an open-ended finality which left room for interpretation; not necessarily a bad thing, but not always a good thing either. Very open in other words, in a series which worked well in the time alloted.

Series Conclusion

It’s a pity Black Blood Brothers was unable to be produced as thirteen episodes, let alone twenty six. This is an anime which would have done very well as a complete, one season twenty six episode series. Yet, it still had enough panache to pull off an interesting, exciting story in only twelve episodes, something other series can’t even do with a full season. The story was a unique take on a fascinating subject, vampires, and handled the subject matter with class. The only complaint I have for Black Blood Brothers is its abbreviated length and the lingering feeling that much more could have been done with this anime.

Volume Rating

Black Blood Brothers, Volume Three gets 3.5 outta 5 Hammies!

Series Rating

Black Blood Brothers, Complete Series gets 4 outta 5 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher: Funimation
• Release Date: May 6, 2008
• Retail Price: $29.98
• Number of discs:1
• Episodes: 9-12
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Rating: TV-MA
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

The main reason I enjoyed Shuffle! Volume One was due to the comedy. If you like harem anime, there’s a good chance you’ll like Shuffle!

I was a bit hesitant during the first volume – mainly because I wasn’t familiar with the series at first. Thankfully, the comedy kicked in pretty quickly. Don’t let the episode titles fool you – this show doesn’t take itself seriously, which is a good thing. Shuffle! Volume One contains the following episodes:

• Episode One: The Man Who Could Become a God or a Demon!
• Episode Two: I Wanted to See You!
• Episode Three: Do You Remember?
• Episode Four: Egg Omelet of Happiness!

Characters

Although Rin is the center of the story, it’s Sia (girl god) and Nerine (girl demon) who steal the show. Both girls are quite different from each other and try to win Rin’s heart in various ways. The main cast of characters include:

• Rin – Rin is the main ‘mortal guy’ in Shuffle who is up against the affection of 3 girls.
• Kaede – Kaede is main ‘mortal girl’ in Shuffle! Her and Rin are close friends, and she has a very strong desire to please him.
• Nerine – Nerine’s father is the King of Devils, so she’s a demon princess. Her goal in life: To marry Rin!
• Maou, King of Devils – Maou is Nerine’s father, who really, really wants Rin to marry his daughter.
• Primula – little girl demon
• Sia – Sia’s father is the King of Gods, so she’s a god princess…or…um…god-daughter? Her goal in life: To marry Rin!
• Shin-Ou, King of Gods – Shin-Ou is Sia’s father, who really, really wants Rin to marry his daughter too.

You’d think that all of the competition for Rin that the moé factor would be off the chart. Fortunately, it’s pretty much limited to Primula, who is the youngest character. Both Sia and Nerine get show their true powers from time to time, which is pretty cool. But overall, I’d say Maou and Shin-Ou (the fathers) steal the show. They’re truly committed to making their daughters happy, lol!

Production

The first thing I noticed about the visual style/production of Shuffle! was the attention to detail. There’s an abundance of subtle effects like blushing, eye and hair highlights and lots of shadow details on the characters. I also enjoyed the use of bright, saturated colors in the backgrounds. I was truly surprised by the quality of animation, since it’s essential a harem comedy.

Shuffle was directed by Naoto Hosoda, who has worked in almost all of the areas of anime production on shows like Bamboo Blade (as character designer), Jin-Roh (as an animator) and a variety of other shows and movies. I think that diversity has given him the ability to balance such a diverse cast of characters in the story.

Conclusion

Overall, I enjoyed Shuffle! Harem comedies aren’t my favorite genre of anime, but the show has a pretty silly sense of humor. For those of you who already are fans of the genre, you’ll be pleased. For any of the ‘newbies’ out there – I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Check it out!

Series Rating

Shuffle! Volume One gets 3 outta 4 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher: Funimation
• Release Date:February 26, 2008
• Retail Price: $29.98
• Number of discs:1
• Episodes:1-4
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Rating: TV-MA
• Language: English, Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled