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When They Cry DVD 6
More murderous psychosis is in order as the first season's final story arc delves into the foundations of the series' basic premises. While it does resolve some plot elements, the ending gives more the impression of a subtotal than a final bill.

Otomen GN 1
As long as you take it for the puffery that it is, do not tire easily of its gimmicky raison d'entre, and are not offended by the implication that the perfect woman can only be a man, Otomen is a fun manga series.

Claymore DVD 3
Though this volume begins to weave more typically shonen-styled elements into the plot, Claymore's ruthlessness lingers, and with it a brutal edge that keeps it perched firmly atop of the action anime heap.

Rozen Maiden Träumend DVD 3
As far as unsatisfying endings go, Rozen Maiden Träumend ranks somewhere on a level with the Major League Baseball All-Star Game that ended in a tie.

Dragon Ball Z Movies 7 & 9 DVD
Those who already enjoy DBZ will enjoy these films, and those who don't, won't. Whether they will fork over for a re-issue of DBZ ephemera is another matter altogether.

Death Note DVDs 7 + 8
Although this run of episodes, which involves some key transitions, initially marks a step out of the Dark Age into which the series had fallen, the reprieve proves only brief. These volumes may have some strong content, but on the whole they stray far from the series at its best.

Yatterman (live action movie)
If Miike was out to recreate the parental discomfort of the TV series... well, mission accomplished. It's just too bad he also recreated the aspects that make cartoons like this Kryptonite to anybody who's gone through puberty.

Slam Dunk GN 2
In the age of Kobe, Lebron, and Boston's three-headed monster, can a relic straight from the Jordan era still succeed? As this volume shows, fascinating characters and high-flying action are timeless qualities.

Castle of Dreams GN
Any manga-ka can set out to create a deeply emotional story, but it takes a talent like Tsuda's to make the reader feel it.

Kiba DVD Collection 1
Instead of a rollercoaster of tried-and-true thrills, Kiba is a warehouse full of rollercoaster parts—plenty of potential fun, but without the investment of energy to make it work.

Rayearth VHS 1-2