Rin: ~Daughters of Mnemosyne~ DVD If you're looking for fun, weird, entertaining sleaze without a hint of irony or cutesiness, this is it. Just keep the volume down so your neighbors can't hear all the moaning and stabbing. 2010-01-20
The X Button - Fly With the High This week: the manic-depressive wonder of The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces, plus Mega Man 10's bosses, Shadow of Destiny's second chance, a surprise release of Deathsmiles, and, of all things, an Ushio and Tora game. 2010-01-20
RIGHT TURN ONLY!! - Royal Rainbow Between a Four-Eyed Prince, the King of RPGs, and Maid Sama!, RTO!! is looking rather regal this week. Who will rule in this batch of reviews? 2010-01-19
Shelf Life - The Ru-ins Erin explains the finer points of slapstick comedy, like naked girls sitting on dolphins.
- El Cazador de la Bruja pt 2
- Saki ep. 1-4, 25
- To Love Ru collection 1
Rin: ~Daughters of Mnemosyne~ DVD If you're looking for fun, weird, entertaining sleaze without a hint of irony or cutesiness, this is it. Just keep the volume down so your neighbors can't hear all the moaning and stabbing.
Spice and Wolf vol. 1 (novel) A lonely wolf goddess who no longer feels needed or respected hooks up with, and travels with, a peddler in this source material for the first story arc of the anime version. While it will provide only a little more insight for fans of the TV series, it is well-written and well-produced.
Dogs: Bullets & Carnage GN 2 When the whole point of the series is about people trying to kill each other in the most stylish way possible, having an actual story is a nice little bonus.
El Cazador de la Bruja DVD Part 2 A little more serious and a little more continuous, a smidge more satisfying and an equal smidge less fun, it remains a good time for less demanding fans.
Nabari no Ou DVD There is a great story hiding here. Still, what plays out is far less than what Nabari had started with. It just isn't fulfilling on any level save for Miharu and Yoite's relationship. This was once the series' greatest point of intrigue, but at the cost of every other plot development, it's hard to make us care about it anymore.
Witchblade Takeru GN Collection The only unique trait of this short series, it seems, is its basis on an American comic franchise—as opposed to other Japanese manga where the authors have to come up with their uninspired dreck all by themselves.
Monkey High! GN 8 It really should have ended something like four volumes ago, but even so Monkey High! remains an enjoyable entry in its chosen genre. A flawed and fun little conclusion to a flawed and fun little series.
Tokyo Majin DVD Tokyo Majin does not know how to tell a comprehensible story. What it thankfully does know how to do is put on a wild, bloody show. Emotionally, the series hits some very effective highs, but it's necessary to keep your brain switched off to get any enjoyment out of the overall result.
To Love Ru DVD part 1 Yeah, this series about a girl-shy young man getting unintentionally betrothed to a sexy alien princess is unabashedly trashy, but it does exactly what it intends to do: deliver a lot of fan service and a good number of effective laughs. That makes any arguments about how lowbrow or retread it is largely irrelevant.
Rental Magica Sub.DVD Collection 1 The anime equivalent of the kid in school who tries so hard to be like everyone else that he becomes invisible.
Hajime no Ippo DVD Fun characters and quirky humor aside, a boxing show lives or dies by its fights. Fighting Spirit's are simultaneously educational, utterly absorbing, unbearably tense, and soaringly cool. Eat that Rocky.