Manga Nihon Mukashi Banashi (TV '76)

The Gallery - Peter Chan
We welcome concept artist Peter Chan this week for a discussion of digital and traditional media, cultural influences in art, and painting with saké. You heard me, saké. 2009-08-22

ANNCast - Sheh's All That
In the grim future of anime, there may be only subs! Superstar veteran voice actress Stephanie Sheh gives us the lowdown on the anime dub slowdown. Plus: Sword of the Stranger and creatively bankrupt anime. You can't lose! 2009-08-21

Interview: Riichiro Inagaki & Yusuke Murata, Creators of Eyeshield 21
A group chat with the folks who created Eyeshield 21, Riichiro Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. 2009-08-20

Anime News Nina! - 2009-08-19
You wanted more Kuu-tan, so you get more Kuu-tan. 2009-08-19

The X Button - New Day Rising
This week brings a new Persona 3 port, a new PlayStation 3 model, the chance for some new BlazBlue characters, and a disturbing new round of imports. Then Todd goes on and on about anime-based games he wants to see. 2009-08-19

"New People" Grand Opening in SF
Join us for an inside look at Viz Media's new center devoted to Japanese pop culture, New People. Includes coverage of the opening ceremony, a floor by floor tour, scary looking teddy bears, sparkling paint, and more! 2009-08-18

Madlax DVD Complete Collection
It's an excruciatingly slow narrative striptease; a long and leisurely mystery in which nebulous conspiracies, paranormal bonds and ancient, evil tongues coalesce into something ambitious, messy and absorbingly atmospheric.

Skip Beat! GN 17
Although this is the weakest volume to be published so far, Skip Beat! remains one of the best contemporary shoujo manga series—hands down—that Viz Media is currently releasing in English. It is simply not to be missed…especially if you have a weakness for showbiz stories spiced up with a heroine's epic quest for vengeance.

Gantz GN 4-5
Gore and violence rule the day, Kei gets his heroic moment, and the big-breasted hot girl still appears once per chapter even though she accomplishes absolutely nothing.

xxxHolic DVD Box Set (Hyb) DVD
There may be moments of genuine supernatural wonder in this show, but they're too often drowned out by moments of genuine mediocrity.

Jyu-Oh-Sei GN 1-3
Jyu-Oh-Sei, now fully available in well-adapted (if questionably edited) English, is one of the best manga series to see publication this year. The story, developed over the course of a decade from start to finish, is an operatic example of social science fiction, set in a far future where humanity has taken to the stars and colonized other solar systems.

Ōoku: The Inner Chamber GN 1
This mixture of period drama and alternate universe science fiction is easily the single most highly anticipated new series of 2009, at least among the Western fujoshi contingent, and Viz does it justice. But this isn't just for the fangirls.

Daphne in the Brilliant Blue DVD Collection 1
For all its posturing as a gun-toting flesh-fest, Daphne is more interested in lighthearted fun than sex or violence. Which is to say that it's pretty good at the former, and miserable at the latter two.

Romeo x Juliet DVD: Juliet Collection
This version of the classic tale of love and woe may not end with quite the intensity of woe that the original does, but the love is certainly evident and the tragedy still present. It tells a rousing and heartfelt story, backed by an exceptional musical score, which may play better as a stand-alone effort.

Baccano! DVD 4
The closure it brings to the stories of the Flying Pussyfoot passengers makes this volume a must for their fans. And the clever, action-packed insanity of it all makes the whole shebang a must for any fan, period.

Sand Chronicles GN 6
Were you just to ruffle through the pages of a random volume, you would think that this is just another stereotyped schooldays shoujo manga romance. You would not suspect, from the typical, airy shoujo artwork, that the treatment of such themes as out-of-wedlock pregnancy and parental suicide would be placed center stage.

Star Ocean EX DVD 3
This adaptation of the hit video game still lacks any semblance of originality, but there's some light comedy that brightens up an otherwise dull series. If there's nothing else to watch, go ahead and put it on anyway.