Akira (manga artist)

Buried Treasure - Twilight of the Dark Master
A stylish, goth tale of a demonslayer that looks so good you won't care that it barely makes sense. 2008-03-13

Anime News Nina! - 2008-03-12
Nina finally reveals where she came from. Paola slightly misinterprets it. 2008-03-12

Interview With The Fansubber
We sat down with "Tofusensei," a man with a decade of continuing experience in the fansub world, to talk to us about the nature of the fansub community and what's happening in both the fansub scene and the industry right now. 2008-03-11

Shelf Life - Blood Bath
Monsters, spirits, and high-jumping. What more could you ask for?
- Blood+ Box 1
- Death Note v.2
- Mushi-shi v.6
- Suzuka v.6
2008-03-10

Glass Fleet DVD 3-4
When volume four draws to a close, you may find yourself counting days until the release of volume five instead of sheep, and that's definitely a welcome change after the snoozarific episodes preceding these.

Welcome to the NHK DVD 3
May have its stylistic shortcomings, but unusual characters, a focus on life on fringes of Japanese society, and enough sentimentality to belie its often cruel plotting sweep such misgivings quickly beneath the carpet.

My-Otome DVD 4
These four episodes may not have as much action as earlier ones, but more than make up for it with their wealth of plot and character developments. Artistic flaws persist, but it is still the best volume yet in a steadily improving series.

Love Attack GN 1
Highly appealing characters, straight-to-the-point artwork, and perfectly timed comedy situations—what more could you ask?

Dark Wars: The Tale of Meiji Dracula
Count Dracula journeys to Meiji-era Japan on a curious mission in this new vampire tale from the creator of Vampire Hunter D. Though it hardly represents stellar writing, it may hold interest as a supernatural period piece.

Tsubasa, RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE GN 16
When it comes to clarity and making sense, this volume is kind of a mess, but what a dramatic and beautiful mess it is.

School Rumble DVD 4
Laughs of every stripe still abound as the series turns its hand to slightly more serious material. Any missteps it makes along the way are easily forgiven blemishes in a comedy that, while silly, is neither stupid nor shallow.

Ramen Fighter Miki Sub.DVD 3
For those afraid that the series will effectively remove the "fun" from "dumb fun" by trying to wring pathos from its paper-thin premise, it will be a relief to know that this volume is brimming with enough lowbrow fun to make a Stooge smile.

Hell Girl GN 1
Where the animated version was a spooky, if repetitive, trip into hearts of darkness, compressed timeframes and a remarkably inappropriate artistic approach transform this paper version into a toothless mess.

Be With You GN
Released concurrently with its paperback novel version, this manga adaptation tells a heartfelt love story shaped by mystery and wonder, albeit one dependent on a questionable gimmick and mediocre artistry.

Gungrave DVD 2
The sketchy origins of Brandon Heat and Harry MacDowel evolve into fully detailed accounts of their rise to power. A commonly told story, perhaps, but it's one that looks and sounds terrific in this particular guise.