Akihito TOKUNAGA

RIGHT TURN ONLY!! - The Despair of the Letter Bees
RTO is in despair again! That's because Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei is reviewed this week, along with Tegami Bachi, Ikigami, and the shoujo-est version of X-Men EVER. 2009-09-01

Shelf Life - Bubble Teatrino
Taking orphans off the streets and putting guns in their hands. That's the way to go.
- Darker Than Black DVD 5
- Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino complete
- Sorcerous Stabber Orphen complete
- When They Cry complete
2009-08-31

The Gallery - Emily Warren
Shōjo fan and Marvel Comics colorist Emily Warren stops in to talk about working in American comics while keeping an anime-influenced style. Plus: the first BL art ever featured in the column! 2009-08-29

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.

Yokai Doctor GN 2
Some of the stories achieve enough depth to break the mold (or at least, make the best use of the mold), but otherwise, this volume of Yokai Doctor fails to reach its potential.

Hayate the Combat Butler Sub.DVD Part 1
If you're hunting the market for a low-investment comedy that keeps the chuckles coming and never overreaches itself, then Hayate is your man; particularly if your anime trivia is up to snuff.

Moribito DVD 4
Though the story drags a bit through this run of three filler episodes, the series still looks great, offers another amazing action scene, and does its job well in world-building and character development departments. That should be enough to sustain fans until the meat of the main story returns.

Black Lagoon GN 7
Bigger isn't always better, and setting up a massive, all-encompassing storyline sometimes has a way of backfiring on itself.

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.

Ghost Slayers Ayashi GN 1
... as thrilling and visceral as any historical saga where the heroes don't use the power of kanji to defeat the bad guys.