Francis C. COLE

Tokyo Anime Fair 2009 Blowout
Curious about what went down at this year's Tokyo International Anime Fair? We've got all the info, all the video, a ton of pictures and of course: our impressions of Tokyo and TAF. 2009-03-21

RIGHT TURN ONLY!! - 30 Seconds to Pluto
So basically, Mao-chan is better than Peace Maker Kurogane. Also, Pluto is still awesome! More details inside. 2009-03-31

Shelf Life - Aria Speedwagon
Blood and guts make up the bulk of this week's spotlighted release. Lots and lots of guts. Just spilling out.
- Aria s.1
- DBZ: Broly triple feature
- Shigurui: Death Frenzy
- Wallflower pt.2
2009-03-30

Astro Toy with Rob Bricken: Banpresto Thousand Sunny
Luffy and crew's new pirate ship, in pint-size form. 2009-03-29

The Gallery in Japan - Haru Comic City 14
The Gallery crosses the Pacific to explore the inner workings of a Japanese dōjinshi convention! An in depth look at the fans, the comics, and running jokes about pants. 2009-03-28

Princess Resurrection Sub.DVD
This series about a chainsaw-wielding princess of monsters who turns an 8th grade boy into a half-immortal servant may not be a particularly good series, but it is a fun one. In this case, that's (just) enough.

Berserk GN 26
When you're busy having your mind blown by intense fantasy artwork and massive displays of power, do story flaws really matter all that much?

Twelve Kingdoms Novel 3
The king and kirin of En get the feature treatment in this original source story for the anime's final story arc. Though it takes a markedly different approach than either of the previous two novels, it still delivers an exceptionally well-written tale that will not disappoint fans of the franchise.

Maria Watches Over Us Season 3 Sub.DVD
In some ways it's an extended coda to the first two seasons, a beautifully animated reward for weathering their emotional peaks and troughs. All rewards should be so rewarding.

Claymore GN 14
Galatea reappears, old supporting characters return, and a new Awakened Being arrives, but the too-short core story struggles in the near-total absence of its original main heroines. Included are two notable backstory chapters.

Free Collars Kingdom GN 1-3
Free Collars Kingdom is, in short, a beautifully drawn manga series with a story that flunks miserably…and if the story flunks, the series as a whole might as well flunk too.

Darker Than Black DVD 2
Aside from proving that the series can entertain when it loosens up, this is basically more of what volume one offered: science-fiction intrigue with some surprisingly bloody action and a bit of a mean streak.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion DVD Part 3
Shiny, sloppy and hugely entertaining, these final eight episodes prove exactly why Code Geass is the phenomenon that it is.

Blue Dragon Dub.DVD 3
Shu has his showdown with General Logi in what is definitely the series' best volume to date. Adults will still want to give the series wide berth, however.

Love Quest GN
This one is a serious stinker, and the only quest involved in Love Quest is the quest you will angrily embark upon after reading it, in pursuit of better BL.

Welcome to the NHK DVD 1
Although it offers some laughs, this examination of the seedier side of fandom and its commonly-associated social disorders works far better as a light drama piece or sociological study.