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Naruto DVD Box Set 9
This isn't Naruto at its best—that would be the conclusion of the Chunin exams—but that doesn't mean there isn't a good time to be had. Believe it.

My-Otome DVDs 6-7
If you judge an anime's merits on rewatchability then these final six episodes should score pretty high. Plenty of satisfying fun, several strong individual scenes, a great musical score, and a worthy ending more than outweigh flaws elsewhere.

Nightmare Inspector GN 2-3
Sinister shopkeepers hawking supernatural goods and/or services have become a popular staple of manga. Shin Mashiba's Yumekui Kenbun: Nightmare Investigator continues this venerable tradition of the paranormal, and for a debut manga series, it is pretty darn good.

Aquarion DVD Set 2
Despite remarkable efforts in sounds and visuals, the second half of the series only partly overcomes the flaws of the first half. It has its moments and does offer legitimate entertainment value but is ultimately forgettable.

MPD-Psycho GN 5
After an incredibly strong—if controversial—start, Eiji Otsuka's tense plotting of MPD-Psycho had been slowing down to a episodic series of serial killers who always seem to get offed themselves after their creative killing sprees. Fortunately for readers who have been fast growing impatient with this superficial spectacle of grotesquery, volume five throws out a bit of intriguing new plot on which to ruminate.

Naruto Movie 2 DVD
You likely won't remember much of it, but it is a pleasant enough way to spend an hour or two.

Kanon DVDs 4-5
Three more girls get featured as the series nears its end. While not brilliant, the episodes in this span provide solid, pleasant entertainment occasionally punctuated by touchingly emotional moments.

Air Gear GN 8
The fanservice flies thick and fast in this one, but otherwise, it's typical fighting-action fodder, and that seems to be making the series worse.

Slam Dunk GN 1
Slam Dunk just wants to have fun. And it does—in spades.

Kamisama Kazoku GN 1
... a romantic comedy where the main gimmick involves a caricatured interpretation of the traditional monotheistic God-with-a-capital-G. While it gets a lot of the little things right, it remains to be seen whether this story can rise above the genre's standards.

Excel Saga DVD 4