Tae URAKABE

Shelf Life - Re-release-a-palooza
So many re-releases, so little time.
- Grave of the Fireflies
- The Wallflower boxset
- UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie: OVA Collection
- xxxHolic boxset
2009-09-07

Astro Toy with Rob Bricken - Keroro Mecha Renewal Version
Rob finally finds peace and happiness with a Sgt. Frog mecha. 2009-09-06

The Gallery - The Art of Self Publishing
In this special edition of The Gallery, we take a look at two self published artbooks and learn about the drama, work, and heart that drives artists to try publishing their own work. 2009-09-05

The Great Canadian Evangelion Ticket Give-Away
We're giving away a few a lot a boatload of tickets to Evangelion 1.0 2009-09-05

Hey, Answerman! - Z Edition
Brian soldiers onward despite the kerfluffle over ADV, and answers your questions about Western animation (again), anime and manga sales, and perversion! All while watching Dragonball Evolution! No joke. 2009-09-04

Rosario + Vampire GN 8
It takes a certain talent to achieve mediocrity in the genres of school comedy, suspense, and action all in the space of one manga volume.

Gestalt GN 1
Only the most devoted of Yun Kouga fans. The rest of the manga reading world is safe sticking with the likes of Loveless and Earthian and leaving Gestalt to its remote little island.

Boys Over Flowers GN 36
Eleven years and thirty-six volumes...for this?! The disappointment is almost inconceivable in its scale. It's awfully hard not to feel cheated as Boys Over Flowers limps dejectedly to an anti-climatic finish line.

Azumanga Daioh The Complete DVD Collection
A must buy for anyone who has not yet had the pleasure of watching Azumanga Daioh in its entirety. Oh, and be sure to pay close attention—it might be on the exam!

Bleach Season 3 Uncut Box Set
This boxed set, which constitutes the second half of the original Soul Society arc, brings the series to its first major plot climax. Along the way it showcases (for better or worse) all of the characteristic traits of long-running shonen action series and how the franchise puts its own twist on them to make this series so immensely popular.

Genshiken 2 DVD 1
This isn't just a comedy or a slice-of-life drama; it's an indispensible snapshot of the otaku zeitgeist.

Sakura Wars Complete Collection
Spiritually powerful young maidens pilot mecha to defend the imperial capital in a steampunk version of 1920s Japan in this TV series based on a popular video game line. This economical rerelease gives newer fans a chance to experience one of the most popular series of the early 2000s.

Ristorante Paradiso Episodes 1-11 Streaming
“Love comes in all shapes and sizes,” opines Nicoletta late in this attractively modest but affective anime series about the staff of a restaurant in Rome based upon a standalone manga volume of the same name by Natsume Ono. This straightforward sentence is the true theme and raison d'entre of Ristorante Paradiso.

Gundam 00 DVD Season 1 Part 1
A worthwhile watch for anyone who doesn't mind their entertainment with more brain than heart.

St. Dragon Girl GN 2-4
St. Dragon Tail might actually have been improved if it were doing something blatantly and ridiculously “wrong”…'cause as banal shoujo puffery, it just isn't doing much of anything right. Don't give it a second thought.

The Yagyu Ninja Scrolls GN 1-2
Grounded in actual history and styled similar to Basilisk and Ninja Scroll, these first two volumes have no actual ninja in them. That doesn't prevent them from offering a solid and well-crafted, if pedestrian, excursion back to the bloody days of early 17th century Japan.