The X Button - Fight Test New warriors headline Super Street Fighter IV and BlazBlue: Continuum Shift, new Final Fantasy XIII characters emerge, new games court Japan's lonesome geeks, and a boy hugs a blob. All in this week's X Button! 2009-09-30
Pluto GN 5 Once again, Pluto continues to impress with its multi-layered plot and suspenseful pacing, even though the key villain still refuses to show himself fully. 2009-09-30
Tokyo Game Show 2009 We brave the crowds at Makuhari Messe to give you a look inside this year's Tokyo Game Show. We bring you to the figures, games, and madness that made the show, and our reporter offers his two cents on some forthcoming titles from the show. 2009-09-29
RIGHT TURN ONLY!! - Detroit Metal Alchemist Who would win in a fight, Ed from Fullmetal Alchemist or Negi from Negima!? Either way, Krauser from Detroit Metal City probably wants in on the action! Watch them battle for manga dominance in this week's column! 2009-09-29
Pluto GN 5 Once again, Pluto continues to impress with its multi-layered plot and suspenseful pacing, even though the key villain still refuses to show himself fully.
Shugo Chara! GN 7 Shugo Chara! works on different levels, and for those who can enjoy both the kiddie side and the edgy grown-up side, that just makes it twice the fun.
Daphne in the Brilliant Blue DVD Collection 2 Nearly smothered under outlandishly risqué costuming and retread story ideas is some surprisingly entertaining content which mixes humor with a semblance of true sentiment and actual plot. Although still far from great, the series is definitely better in its second half than it looked like at first.
Eureka Seven - good night, sleep tight, young lovers - The basic concepts of the Eureka 7 TV series get a radical reinterpretation in a self-contained, highly accessible movie version full of bold actions and bolder emotions. Despite a darker edge, it still delivers spectacular action sequences and a convincing central couple.
Darkside Blues DVD Ah, Darkside Blues…that 80 minute refugee from the good old days of violent, post-apocalyptic late twentieth century anime that make absolutely no sense because they are actually bolt-on bonuses to otherwise more comprehensible manga series.
Big Windup! Part 2 DVD The problems with this second half are not enough to derail the show, but the experience is way less satisfying than it should be. Such is the power of its characters that I still can't help but love the whole package.
.hack//G.U. Trilogy Sub.DVD A big sloppy mess with some snazzy imagery, a few cutting shards of romance, and some excellent acting by a top-flight cast.
Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo GN 3 The manga version puts the focus back on the most interesting character: the Count himself. As a result, the plot reaches full steam in a very powerful way—but sadly gets derailed in the later chapters.
Cencoroll It's a film that defies any and all expectations of both medium and genre, that makes us marvel and has really little time to do much else.
Romeo x Juliet: Romeo Collection Shakespeare's classic tragedy about teenage love and woe comes to anime in a stylish fantasy reinterpretation by Gonzo. The dynamics may be a bit different, but an effective blend of action and drama forms a backdrop for this beautiful exploration of the pain and joy of fresh young love.