Manfred LICHTENFELD

The Click - May 10th - 16th
Brian's dreams of turning an inner-city urban dance center into a coffee shop for stuffy yuppies are crushed by the pluck and spunk of an assorted gang of lovable misfits and their sassy new dance moves, so he writes The Click this week instead. 2008-05-10

Hey, Answerman!
This week on Hey, Answerman: Why Case Closed was a ratings turkey, The Worst Dub Ever, Japanese versions of American franchises and a cat sleeping next to a rabbit. Also: your long-winded answers to last week's long-winded Hey, Answerfans! 2008-05-09

Kujibiki Unbalance DVD 1
Colorful, hyperactive and intentionally crammed with abrasive clichés; more a comprehensive crash-course in otaku tastes than a narrative. Also contains a single, invaluable episode of the brilliant slice-of-otaku-life comedy Genshiken.

Simoun Sub.DVD 3
Despite only two episodes with true action, so much goes on that the content never gets dull. The romantic twists and turns, character development, and intriguing revelations all assure that viewers will want to keep coming back.

Speed Racer
Punishingly self-obsessed pop art at 200 miles per hour.

Flag DVD 3
This isn't the climax, but as Flag draws its two story-lines ever closer together and sets into motion the machinations of the series' truly frightening cult, it's here that anticipation for that climax reaches its giddy peak.

Mushi-Shi DVD 6
Four final stand-alone tales of Ginko's encounters with mushi unfold as the series comes to an end. Overall, these episodes are just more of the same, and in the case of this series that is a Good Thing.

Psycho Busters GN 2
Psycho Busters is never going to be considered a masterpiece ... But it's still kind of fun watching these kids blast their powers at each other until someone wins.

Gundam SEED Destiny: Final Plus DVD
If you're biting nails to the quick waiting for a sequel to Destiny, this OAV isn't it; this isn't a proper sequel, but a reworking of an already existing climax. However, it does provide a sense of closure that the original ending lacked.

Haruka Sub.DVD 1
This mishmash of elements borrowed from other fantasy and period pieces certainly looks pretty, but its merits are otherwise not enough to recommend it if reverse harem series are not normally your thing.

Hotel Africa GN 1
A unique work that successfully blends short story, memoir and personal drama ... the writing and characters are so well-developed that it reads more like an illustrated version of a modern literary novel.

Monkey High GN 1
This being a shojo romance, the heroine is surely going to be won over by the tall, lanky prince of the school, right? Not this time. The short, goofy monkey boy charms the girl instead, giving this otherwise-conventional title enough separation to distinguish itself in a crowded field.

Aquarian Age: The Movie
Though this movie shares the same name as the Aquarian Age TV series, it has nothing to do with the series beyond using the same organizations and being based on the same Japanese CCG. A flashy and good-looking, albeit shallow, action piece which only works moderately well as a stand-alone story.