Sander DE HEER

Now Streaming: Gankutsuou - The Count of Monte Cristo 1-4 (d)
If you've been putting off seeing this stunning tale of revenge, now's your chance to check it out. And the best part is, watching it in a web browser means you probably won't get motion sickness! [discuss] 2009-09-18

Hey, Answerman!
This week on Hey, Answerman! Brian casually thrusts himself into the heated debate over manga versus anime, delicately walks the fine line of taste in discussing yaoi relationships, and then has Justin Sevakis delve a little bit into the murky waters of US anime companies battling their Japanese overlords. Plus! Hey, Answerfans! Oy! 2009-09-18

ANNCast - My Neighbor Tatara
New York Anime Festival's head honcho and resident otaku Peter Tatara stops by for a chat about the convention, the impending invasion of AKB48, and the resulting cleanup situation. Plus: protips for dealing with industry types and Justin's inherent weirdness. 2009-09-18

Buried Treasure - Alien Nine
Alien Nine works both as shocking amusement and as art. It's merciless in its treatment of its characters, and though it's not substantially more horrifying than other anime, something about it cuts deeper. 2009-09-17

Burst Angel Blu-Ray Give-Away
Win one of five copies of Burt Angel The Complete Series on Blu-Ray. Includes 24 TV episodes and the OVA! 2009-09-16

The X Button - Ageless Beauty
Todd reviews the gorgeous Muramasa: The Demon Blade this week! Plus more Tatsunoko vs. Capcom characters, a new Tokimeki Memorial, Square Enix's Nier, and a torrid affair between Gundam and Puyo Puyo. 2009-09-16

RIGHT TURN ONLY!! - Bleach Holic
Can't stop reading 20th Century Boys? No? Good, because RTO!! can't stop reviewing it either! Also this week: Bleach, Maria Holic, and an Import of the Month with lots of blood. Tasty! 2009-09-15

Kannagi Fan-Art Contest
Win the entire Kannagi DVD series, and other special gifts. Artist winners and randomly drawn winners. 2009-09-09

Tsubasa, RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE GN 22
It's a beauty to look at, but a pain to follow. But we continue following anyway, because the path of destiny still holds many more surprises.

Destiny of the Shrine Maiden Complete Collection
A love triangle forms between two reincarnated priestesses and a boy who represents part of their nihilistic foe in a series laden with fan service and mecha action but ultimately more focused on the development of the central characters' obsessive love. Not great, but not as trashy as it initially appears to be, either.

Hunter x Hunter DVD Set 3
Despite its new-found fondness for super-powered shonen tropes, it's as thoroughly enjoyable and mature as ever, though with the unmistakable scent of a series waiting for better things to come.

Where Has Love Gone? GN
It is never, ever a good sign when the mangaka herself admits that she “kinda failed at this series.” How do you dispute her own good judgment?

Natsu no Arashi! Episodes 1-13 Streaming
Natsu no Arashi!'s heady mix of silliness, sexiness, nostalgia, romance, melodrama, and the utterly surreal is sure to sweep viewers up and away like a fast moving summer storm.

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.

Mars Daybreak DVD 1
Mars Daybreak shows promise as a light-hearted, enthusiastic action series, and certainly has some good concepts to work with, but not until the later stages of this volume does the series find its way. Though it has, so far, wasted its great potential, it may be headed in the right direction.