Get your ownFree Home PageBelow lies the reviews of just about nearly EVERY anime I've ever seen. If you need the low down on a certain anime, you just may find it here!
***** - Akira Size **** - GREAT!!! *** - It's Okay. ** - Well... They Tried. * - OY!!! SM - About As BAD As Sailor Moon! -SM - WORSE Then Sailor Moon!!! (If such a thing is possible)
Adieu Galaxy Express 999
Guest Reviewer: Eddy "Maverick" Freyre
Feature Film
Plot:
A mysterious summons by Maetel sends Tetsuro back onboard the GE 999. This time he must discover what is the unseen force leading the Machine Empire. Maetel knows but she's not telling. In fact she wants to get Tetsuro as far away from the forefront as possible. Why? What dark secrets are hidden on the Empire's new throneworld? What is the secret of the Ghost Train? And most important, what does Faust the Black Knight have to do with Tetsuro's past? Before he can discover these answers, Tetsuro will have to go through much pain, and he'll have to lose a few friends.
Review:
This is one of those rare times a sequel is on par with the original. Once again Leiji Matsumoto brings us a masterpiece with superb storytelling, excellent animation, and plenty of surprises. As with the first film, there are guest appearances by Harlock and Emeraldas, and again they're are done intelligently and in a way that enhances the plot. If you liked the first GE999 movie, you should definetly check this one out.
Things To Watch Out For:
Violence, partial nudity.
Rating: *****
AD Police
Type: OAV
Plot:
A force of well armed and trained cops battle out of control droids and cyborgs called Boomers.
Review:
Note: Due to the fact that my local Blockbuster only has Volumes 1 & 2 of AD Police, I'm afraid this review may not be entirely accurate due to my only being able to see 2 out of the 3 volumes.
AD Police is an okay OAV overall. The animation is very good, the Japanese voice cast is excellent and the American voice cast is decent enough. The only problem I have with AD Police is that the bad guy is always a female Boomer who tries to solve some weird personal and sometimes "woman" problem by going on a murder spree rather than seeing a psychiatrist. It's also somewhat soap-operish. However, File 2 makes some very compelling statements about humanity. In anycase, it's a decent rental.
Things To Watch Out For:
Language, bloody violence, and nudity.
Rating: ***
Akira
Type: Feature Film
Plot:
Akira is about many things. Evolution, Man's place in the Universe, Pollitics,... But this being the one of the (If not THE) greatest animes ever created, that's for Anime Buffs to debate. The immediate plot is about the Government of Japan
experimenting with psychic and mental abilities. In the end, they created something so far advanced from humanity that it destroyed the city and touched off a third World War. Fast forward to 2021. Neo-Tokyo now stands high above the ashes of the old
Tokyo. But it has become a "rotting metropolis". Within it, the experiment continues as scientists try to figure out the mystery of Akira. But at the same time, Rebels are making havoc for the Government. The Rebels know what the experiments might
result in and are trying to stop them. Meanwhile the Government itself has its own problems. And into this large mess, a group of bikers led by Kaneda become involved when one of their own, Tetsuo, comes in contact with one of the test subjects and
begins changing into an all powerful being. But if THAT wan't enough, Kaneda gets involved in order to secure a date with a Rebel named Kay. In the end, everything comes crashing together into one incredible mess of scenes.
Review:
This sucker is GOOD!!! This is one of those very rare movies where you ACTUALLY have to strain your brain in order to understand it. If anything, this is a movie that you will not get on the first try. You must see Akira several times before you'll be able
to grasp everything.
Things To Watch Out For:
Very bloody, brief nudity, language.
Rating: *****
Angel Cop
Guest Reviewer: Eddy "Maverick" Freyre
Type: OAV
Plot:
Near the end of the 20th century, Japan has become a major economic power. So much so that if Japan's economy were to collapse, the world would suffer. To protect themselves, Japan creates the Special Security Forces, a group of cops with broad power given to them to stop any and all acts of terrorism. The SSF gets called in to stop the communist group, the Red May. As the SSF combats the Red May, a new member named Angel joins. Angel is vicous and takes no prisoners. Soon Angel and the rest of the SSF discover that the Red May is a small part of a larger conspiracy to bring Japan to its knees. To make matters worse, a clandestine group of espers led the insane Lucifier are killing all in their way, even members of the SSF. Their only hope lies in a scientist who is making breakthroughs in the field of cybernetics and has turned one of the SSF into a powerful cyborg. But even with this power at their disposal the SSF may need to make the ultimate sacrafice in order to save the day.
Review:
This series is one the best OAVs I've seen so far. It has something for almost everyone: action, drama, suspense, telekinetics using their mind to throw chunks of highway at people, kickbutt weapons, but also plenty of blood, violence and nudity. It's in the blood and nudity where there is a probelm. There are scenes of blood in every chapter. Those that don't die a horrible, bloody, messy death get at least one of their bodyparts broken and/or mutilated. The nudity is unnecessary and is almost always as a result of the character's clothes getting blown to pieces in battle. Other than that, the animation is excellant, and so is the plot. It is a crying shame that the summer blockbusters released here in the U.S. don't have this good combination of wonderful plot AND fast paced action.
Things To Watch Out For:
Lots of blood, lots of nudity, lots of bad language, lots of people finding out why it's not a good idea to anger a person with massive psychic power.
Rating: ****
Appleseed
Type: Feature Film
Plot:
In the aftermath of World War 3, the city of Olympus was built as the ultimate model for a utopian society. However, the city isn't all it's cracked up to be. When the basic human need to fight for survival is threatened, terrorists strike back against
the city. Enter Dunan Nut and Buliarous Hehatonecles, a couple of cops who must defend the city from the terrorist A.J. Sebastian and his plan to take out the city's central computer, Gaia and steal the city's new Multi-pede Tank.
Review:
Appleseed is another well told dystopian tale from Masamune Shirow. Like the Ghost in the Shell manga, Appleseed is hard action interwoven with an intriguing plot and occasional comedy breaks. Overall, it's a very good anime and I recommend it.
Things To Watch Out For:
Blood and Language.
Rating: ****
Area 88
Type: OAV
Plot:
Based on the manga by Kaoru Shintani, follows the adventures of tragic hero, Shin Kazama. Duped into joining the Mercenary Airforce of the fictional Middle Eastern country of Asran, Shin must earn 1.5 million dollars, serve out his three years, or desert, in order to return to the waiting arms of his beloved Ryoko. However, working against him, Kanzaki, tries to claim both Yamato Airlines and Ryoko for himself, while continually dashing Ryoko's attempts to find Shin. However, things aren't all bad for Shin. On the battlefield, Mick, Greg, Bucksy, Jess, McCoy, Rocky and some nameless others, keep Shin only moderately depressed with their antics and friendship. Although a few buy it before the end.
Review:
Something of a tragedy, Area 88, is a pretty good OAV! While the main plot is somewhat depressing, the supporting cast can be warm and easy to get used to. The aerial battles and animation is impressive and it uses real world planes (NO fancy transforming mecha here!), like Shin's Crusader and Mick's Tomcat, so fans of fighter planes will find this anime interesting. Also, a MUST for anyone who's ever played U.N. Squadron, either in the arcades or on Super Nintendo, and wants to see the story behind the game. All in all, it's a very good anime and I highly recommend it! If it wasn't for lack of information (i.e., can't find one issue of the manga), I'd give this wonderful series a section!
Things To Watch Out For:
Blood, Language, and Nudity.
Rating: ****
Battle Angel
Type: OAV
Plot:
Based on the manga, Gunnm (Battle Angel Alita in the U.S.), by Yukito Kishiro, follows Gally's journey of self-discovery. It starts with Cyber-Doctor, Ido finding a wrecked cyborg which is still alive. He gets her functional again but she can't remember her past. So, Ido, rebuilds her and names her Gally. Eventually, she finds out about Ido's other job as a Hunter-Warrior, a bounty hunter for The Factory. After saving Ido from some bad guys and feeling the thrill of combat, she decides to become a Hunter-Warrior too. After which she falls in love with a boy named Yugo who's possessed with the obsession of reaching the cloud city of Zalem. Stealing spines for the black market, Yugo will do almost anything to reach Zalem. But when he gets caught and bounty is put on his head, Gally must make a choice. Fight for the man she loves or turn him in? To make matters worse, the not-so-nice, Dr. Charin will do anything to kill Gally and take away Ido's adoptive little girl.
Review:
A strange mix between Dystopian Cyber-Punk Sci-Fi and a tender and tragic love story, Battle Angel is a masterful encapsulization of the manga's first two volumes. Its animation is more than a match for Macross Plus and the voice actors are effective, although Amanda Winn has a habit of occasionall pushing the cuteness button on Gally's voice a little TOO hard. But all in all, it's a wonderful OAV with action sequences that'll have your adrenaline pumping and a story that'll tug at your heart strings. I definately recommend THIS one!
Things To Watch Out For:
Language, blood, and nudity.
Rating: ****
Battle Arena Toshinden
Type: OAV
Plot:
Lady Uranus and her orginization work to develop cyborg warriors and decide to use the Toshin Tournament alumni as test subjects for their proto-types.
Review:
One word: BLEH! The story isn't terribly intruiging, the character designs are lousy (I know Ellis is suppose to be young, but COME ON!!) and mishapen, the artwork isn't terribly good, and the acting is sub par! The only bright spot in here is that Lisa Ortiz of Slayers gets to voice Ellis, but that's it. All in all, you'd be better off just playing the game a few more times.
Things To Watch Out For:
Language, nudity, and some blood.
Rating: **
Big Wars
Guest Reviewer: Eddy "Maverick" Freyre
Type: OAV
Plot:
A race known as the "Gods" has claimed they have a divine right to stop mankind from expanding into the stars. The colony of Mars has become a sand filled battleground with humanity on the losing end. Their only hope lies in the super-battleship the Aoba, commanded by Captain Akuh. The captain has to not only fight the aliens on the sea of sand, but also in the battlefield of the mind as his girlfriend starts to succumb to the "Gods" subversion. Now Capt. Akuh must try to stop the "Gods" ultimate weapon, an unbeatable supercarrier. What he doesn't know is that before she fell, his girlfriend left him an important clue. Can he discover it in time?!?
Review:
This is an AWESOME film and a must-see for those who like patriotic war films. To me its interesting to see how the good guys know exactaly why they fight and how sure they are in their beliefs. Another fine point is the animation, which is breathtaking in the way it depics the naval battles against the "gods". It kinda reminds of footage of old W.W.2 sea battles. Where this movie goes wrong unfortunately is in two places. The first is the fact that its open ending. There are several plotlines left hanging. I hope someone makes a sequel to answer these questions. The second bad mark comes from the rampant sex and nudity. For some reason, the makers decided to make nymphomania a sign of the "gods" influence. This means plenty of nude shots and sex scenes which take up TOO MUCH TIME. Except for these two things things, this OAV does no wrong. I highly recommend it.
Things To Watch Out For:
Nudity, Blood, Sexual Sitiuations
Rating: ***1/2
Black Magic M-66
Type: OAV
Plot:
When two M-66 Assasin Droids go on the loose after a transport crash, the Army must mobilize in order to stop them before they kill their test target, Ferris, who is the grand daughter of the scientist that invented them. But when freelance journalist, Sybil, gets news of their secret operations, she'll penetrate the heart of the danger zone in order to get the hot scoop. However, when Sybil learns of the danger to Ferris, she'll do everything in her power to save her.
Review:
Yet another classic from master storyteller, Masamune Shirow! This particular work is kind of like Ghost in the Shell in that it's an action thriller with several comedic moments in the usual Shirow style. But unlike, Ghost in the Shell, Black Magic doesn't have a real point to it. It's just a fun thriller along the lines of The Terminator. I recommend this one for a nice weekend rental!
Things To Watch Out For:
Blood, Language, and Partial Nudity.
Rating: ****
Demon City Shinjuku
Type: Feature Film
Plot:
When the President of the Federation is injured by a demon attack, Kyoya must charge into the wasteland that was once the Shinjuku District of Tokyo to hunt down the villenous Rebi Ra.
Review:
It's not a must see, but it's a decent enough movie with okay animation. Although, the dubbing is questionable in some places. I mean, a Japanese waitress with a South-Western accent?! Yeah, right!
Things To Watch Out For:
I wouldn't know, I've only seen the TV Version.
Rating: ***
Devil Hunter Yohko
Type: OAV
Plot:
The story revolves around a high school girl named Yohko Mano who leads a normal life with nothing spectacular other than her mother trying to get her to lose her virginity. Unbeknownest to her, demons who wish to revive their Dark Queen plan to strip Yohko of her virginity BEFORE she comes a Devil Hunter so that she cannot become one. Fortunately, Granny Mano, a Devil Hunter herself, protects her at every turn till Yohko is ready to become a Devil Hunter herself.
Review:
An okay anime with pretty standard animation. Funny at times, it makes a good time killer. One thing to point out though... Yohko, seems kinda like your standard super hero high school girl except for one little thing... SHE CAN FIGHT!!! Unlike a certain group of sailor suited girls that shall remain nameless... Yohko, rarely uses magic attacks and most often strikes with her Soul Sword, a weapon FAR more fierce then a mere tiara or wand. As far as the fighting goes, Yohko's up to the task, though she CAN get cut up sometimes. Anyway, I recommend this one for a nice time killer.
Things To Watch Out For:
Lots of nudity and blood.
Rating: ***
Devil Hunter Yohko 2 & 3
Type: OAV
Plot:
Yohko's mom and grandma have left little Yohko at home to fend for herself for a while, Chi has become Yohko's "Manager" and insists on putting up posters advertising her Devil Hunting services, and some little girl named Azusa who is related to a friend of Yohko's grandmother has come to join her as a Devil Hunter. Can life get any better for Yohko...? Of course not. When a company tears down a sacred forest in order to build something, the spirits take their vegence out on the helpless construction workers. And it's up to Yohko and Azusa to stop them. And if THAT'S not enough, in the second episode, Yohko is sucked into a strange dream world where she must free trapped royalty while Chi and Azusa try to figure out some way to bring Yohko home.
Review:
More comedy and hacking and slashing, Yohko 2 & 3 is just as amusing as the 1st only without the sexual overtones. And surprise, surprise, the annoying little kid can actually FIGHT too!
Things To Watch Out For:
Little nudity and some blood.
Rating: ***
Devilman
Type: OAV
Plot:
When demons threaten to the World, Akira Fudo and this friend Ryo try to fight back the evil forces by having Akira posses a demon's soul thus turning him into the super hero, Devilman! Now Devilman must fight not only to save the World but to save himself from demons who wish to pay him back for taking their comrade.
Review:
Devilman is a decent enough horror anime. Though terribly bloody, the basic plot does keep you guessing. All in all, it's a good rental for Halloween but it's not for the faint of heart.
Things To Watch Out For:
Blood, gore, language, and nudity.
Rating: ***
Dirty Pair Flash
Type: OAV
Plot:
After many years of nothing except for Dark Horse's In-House manga, Kei and Yuri are back! Except in this (alternate universe?) story they're both 17 and just beginning their careers at the WWWA. In fact, in the first episode, they even meet up with a kitten version of their semi-intelligent pet, Mougi. As for the story itself, a corporation called GCN is working with a crime syndicate to make a grab at controlling something called Siren (which probably explains the mermaid in the Opening). And as GCN takes steps to bring its plans to fruition, Kei and Yuri stumble upon their plot as they usually do and now must get to the bottom of things and save the Universe as always.
Review:
Once more the Kei and Yuri deliever yet another hilarious masterpiece of unintentional mass destruction and mayhem! Plus, being a lot younger and less bright, the amount of destruction they cause is a lot more than in previous adventures. Also, the animation is pretty good and I love the new character designs. In fact, I like them a whole lot more than the old ones. As per voice acting, the best performances come out of Sue Ulu (Yuri) and Tristan MacAvery (Waldess) put in the most notable performances while everyone else ranged from mediocore to barely okay. Then there's the hip talking Main Computer which I'm not EVEN going to get into (mainly cause it involves many expletives)... All in all, I recommend this!
Things To Watch Out For:
Quasi-nudity (The DP tradition of teasing the viewer with almost nude shots lives on).
Rating: ****
Dominion Tank Police
Type: OAV
Plot:
DTP, is the first chapter of Masamune Shirow's epic black comedy, Dominion. In the year 2010, the crime rate in New Port City has risen to the degree where the police must patrol the street with tanks. And within this crime ridden and bacteria
infested world, officer Leona Ozaki and the rest of the Tank Police, must fight both the criminal mastermind, Buaku AND the Red Commandos Mercenary Unit, for the control of vital information linked to a secret Government Project called Greenpeace.
The results of this fight could save or destroy humanity as we know it!
Review:
DTP, is hilarious! From its non-stop avalanche of one-liners to its compelling storyline, it is just plain GOOD!!! Although, I think it could've been done without the "Ulitmate Deterant" gag, which makes for several ackward moments. Besides, it's not
exactly a scene you'd like to show to your friends... Unless your a dirty minded girl... Which most of us aren't. But aside from that scene, it's a good OAV.
Things To Watch Out For:
Brief nudity, partial nudity, quasi-nudity, language, and inflatable... We'll... Let's just say they aren't your usual party balloons...
Rating: ****
Dragon Ball
Type: Television Series
Plot:
A boy named Goku sets off to seek the Dragon Balls with his friends.
Review:
This is an OK series. The toilet humor can sometimes be annoying but if you look past that, it makes a nice time killer. Also, if you're a fan of the game Chrono Trigger, it's fun to watch the show JUST to see where many of the characters and objects in
the game got their start artistically. Ever notice how Bulma wears Marle's outfit during the later half of the show's first season?
Things To Watch Out For:
Partial nudity and censored but obvious full frontal nudity (mostly Goku's; BLEH!)
Rating: ***
Dragon Ball Z
Type: Television Series
Plot:
Goku's true origins are revealed when members of his alien race, the Saeins (Sorry, I don't know the exact spelling), pop up on Earth with orders to terminate the planet's current inhabidents. Goku and his friends must train to not only become strong enough
to fight the aliens, but to also find the Dragon Balls that will may just save humanity from the alien warriors.
Review:
This series is a LOT better than the first one. There isn't as much toilet humor and it's a lot more interesting! While I'm not a fan of Dragon Ball, I MUST recommend this show for a nice thirty minutes of television.
Things To Watch Out For:
Edited for American Television.
Rating: ****
Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest
Guest Reviewer: Eddy "Maverick" Freyre
Type: Feature Film
Plot:
The evil Prof. Koachim frees his master Dr. Wheelo (pronounced willow). The two return to plotting world domination, but first Dr. Wheelo needs a new body. He decides to take the body of the strongest man in the world i.e. Goku. Koachim kidnaps Roshi and Bulma and brainwashes Piccolo. The two also have a trio of biotechnic androids at their service. Goku needs help and it arrives in the form of Gohan and Krillin. Can the trio stop Wheelo and Koachim and free their friends?
Review:
Once again comes a DBZ movie that gives us a one shot story. Once again great action sequences but also many scenes of talk talk talk. How many times must we hear the hero and villan comment on every move the other does???
Things To Watch Out For:
Intense fighting sequences.
Rating: ****
Dragon Ball Z: Tree of Might
Guest Reviewer: Eddy "Maverick" Freyre
Type: Feature Film
Plot:
The evil Sayien Turles comes to Earth to plant seeds to grow the Tree of Might. Once grown the tree will bear fruit that once consumed will transform the person into a god. Goku gathers his friends together to destroy the tree and stop Turles, but the Sayien has a band of powerful space pirates on his side. To make matters worse, Turles kidnaps Gohan and forces him to transform into a monster. As the tree grows the world begins to dry up. Can Goku save the day even against odds so hopeless that even King Kai says the planet is doomed??!!
Review:
This film is great for DBZ fans who want see their favorite characters in a stand alone story. It's also good for those who have never seen the show and want to know what the fuss is about. The only downside is shots of male characters nude and the fact that some scenes are way too talky. This is a problem that effects the TV series as well. Hopefully future offerings will have more action.
Things To Watch Out For:
Male nudity, intense fighting sequences.
Rating: ****
Dragon Half
Type: OAV
Plot:
A half human/half dragon girl named Mink, tries to meet her idol, Dragon
Slayer/Rock Star, Dick Saucer. However, the King of the Realm wants to have her taken out. His underling, Rosario and mercinary warrior, Damaramu are sent out with hair brain schemes to knock off Mink. And to make matters worse, the King even hires Saucer to hunt down Mink. But Mink's too blinded by love to see that he wants her head on a stick and not her. Even the King's daughter, Princess Vina gets into the act! And Mink's less then helpful but well meaning friends aren't helping the situation.
What WILL Mink do?
Review:
Dragon Half is a very funny comedy. With an avalanche of sight gags and
one liners, this one is recommended for a truly side splitting experience.
Things To Watch Out For:
Slight language, brief nudity, partial nudity, and some blood.
Rating: ****
Eagle Riders
Type: Television Series
Plot:
Five young super heroes fight against alien invaders.
Review:
Once more, Gatchamen gets butchered. This time it's Saban holding the meat cleaver. I'm not going to say much more except that this poor anime has been badly dubbed. And the cheap CG effects don't help any. My verdict: Enough treading over this show
people! Someone PLEASE dub it correctly! That way we can judge the series on its actual merits rather than a sloppily rewritten and edited translation. After being slaughtered three times, this series deserves to be dubbed correctly.
Things To Watch Out For:
Edited for American Television.
Rating: *
Fatal Fury - The Motion Picture
Guest Reviewer: Eddy "Maverick" Freyre
Type: Feature Film
Plot:
Laocorn Gaudeamus is seeking the pieces to the Armor of Mars in order to gain ultimate power. Fearing for her life and for his sanity, Laocorn's twin sister Sulia seeks fighter Terry "Hungry Wolf" Bogard. Terry's brother Andy, Andy's girlfriend Mai, and best friend Joe Higashi, tag along. However they soon find themselves outmatched by Laocorn's trio of fighters. Time is running out and Laocorn is close to success. Can Terry stop him from completing the armor and releasing the forces within?? In a word, NO.
Review:
Look at a copy of Street Fighter 2: the Animated Movie. Now look at Fatal Fury. Now say "right way, wrong way". Fatal Fury is a hackneed piece of dog poopoo. It has every used up plotline in the book and then some. Plus Mai rips off Chun-Li's shower scene but doesn't repeat its beauty. That and we don't need a scene with the cast in speedoes and string bikinis. Avoid this like the Ebola virus.
Things To Watch Out For:
Violent battles, gore, language, nudity.
Rating: * (And I'm being generous)
Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals
Guest Reviewer: Nadia
Type: OAV
Plot:
200 years after Batz and his comrades defeated Exodes, the four Crystals are once again being threatened by evil forces. A group of aliens are after the Crystals in order to destroy Planet R, and have already claimed three of the Crystals. But the descendant of Batz, Linaly, along with her impetuous friend Prettz, is on her way to protect the Wind Crystal, and retrieve the other three. But the road to the Wind Palace is a treacherous one, and the road beyond that is filled with even more danger as our heroes join with several others in order to complete their quest.
Review:
This OAV was supervised and worked on by several Squaresoft favorites, such as Nobuo Uematsu, so it's no wonder that the story is filled with typical Square magic. The animation is good, and thankfully, Linaly's summoned chocobo looked very kawaii in the second volume. The characters are, of course, well-written and humorous, as is the storyline. It's too bad, though, that the story didn't take place during the FFV game. I only had one real problem with this OAV: Various characters from the Final Fantasy V game had their names changed from what the players of the game know them as, but they are still recognizable. Some of the FFV music was used in the OAV, such as "Go Go, Boco!", the chocobo theme. It was also nice to see a photograph of the FFV heroes, and we tried to see if we could figure out who was who. Overall, a good follow-up of the Final Fantasy we never got to play...
Things To Watch Out For:
Mild violence, frequent shots of Linaly's glowing butt...
Rating: ***1/2
Galaxy Express 999
Guest Reviewer: Eddy "Maverick" Freyre
Type: Feature Film
Plot:
In the future, a young boy named Tetsuro seeks vengence on the robotic Count Mecha for killing his mother. To accomplish this he agrees to accompany a mysterious and beautiful woman named Maetel on board the great Galaxy Express 999. As they ride the train through the stars, they meet great heroes like Capt. Harlock and Emeraldas, and mysterious beings like the woman Shadow. In the end, Tetsuro learns some of the stars cold lessons, especially where Maetel is concerned.
Review:
This movie is a classic of anime. The storyline is great and the animation is breathtaking. The cameos by Harlock and Emeraldas are done with taste and in a way that fits with the story. The image that will always stick out in my mind is the Galaxy Express leaving Earth's atmosphere just as the sun is peeking out from behind the wonderful world. Leiji Matsumoto has made a classic that will last as long as the stars.
Things To Watch Out For:
Violence, bad language, partial nudity.
Rating: *****
Galaxy Express 999: Eternal Fantasy
Type: Feature Film
Plot:
One year after Tetsuro and Maetel's last adventure, the Earth has been quietly taken over by a new dictator and is once again in a bad state. Tetsuro is locked up and mysterious girl who meant something to him is killed and frozen in ice. Before he knows it, he's arrested and sentenced to execution when 999 barrels in and saves the day. From then on, Tetsuro has a new journey to undertake. His destination this time is a place called Eternal and his foe might, The Ruler of Darkness (can you say, Odin?). Can Tetsuro and his friends survive the beginning of their latest adventure with the Metanoids and Hellmazaria targetting them? Whatever the answers are, this movie is only the beginning of a larger adventure. One that may unite the heroes of the Leijiverse and see the downfall of Odin, the Metanoids, and the mysterious Dark Queen. And also, the journey that may solve many of the mysterious surrounding Maetel and her past. Due note however, that this movie is only 55 minutes long and goes up through
Bright Ring Firefly and slightly beyond.
Review:
There are many words that I could use to describe this mini-movie, but I need only one: WOW! The animation in this is not only stunning but the way the story is compacted gives the viewer an uneasy edge, as if you've read the manga, you know what's going to happen, but the events in the movie unfold differently enough to keep you guessing, but not so different that it's totally unlike the manga. Scenes like Tetsuro's rescue, Maetel's song over Pluto, the fire fight between the Arcadia and Hellmazaria's ship, Tetsuro's final duel with Hellmazaria herself, and the various scenes of 999 taking off, and especially descending at Technologia at the end are astounding. Strangely enough, the character designs in this movie still VERY close to the manga's unlike previous films. Especially where Tetsuro is concerned. And as you might expect, there are a couple of discrepencies between the manga and the movie like say the Queen Emeraldas popping up at the end when it should be missing and the Yamato showing up
Technologia when it should only be able to appear around Heavy Melder, but despite this, we also get several clarifications as to certain plot points. For example, we find that the Metanoids play a large role in the goings on of the Universe these days (Odin's doing, no doubt), finding out that the Bolkanzander in charge of the Earth is actually the Third and probably STILL Odin's lap dog, and lastly Hellmazaria being responsible for destroying both the Earth AND Bright Ring Firefly. With all this, this movie is truly incredible. Also, strangely enough, the CG 999 used in some shots actually looks BETTER then the crappy CG Queen Emeraldas used in the Queen Emeraldas OAV though, the CG graphics kinda fall flat during Bright Ring Firefly's explosion sequence. But other then that, this movie wonderful and I highly recommend it. However, as of yet, no company has picked it up for release here in the States, so you'll have to make do with fansubs, but trust me... It's worth it!
Things To Watch Out For:
Some blood, Quasi-Nudity.
Rating: *****
G-Force
Type: Television Series
Plot:
Five young super heroes fight against alien invaders.
Review:
Once again, Hanna-Barbara has made another crappy show. This time, they've done it to Gatchamen, in a terrible translation. The resultant show is badly written and scored. I guess we can only hope that Hanna-Barbara payed attention to the writers of its only three good series (Pirates of Dark Water, SWAT Kats, and the New Adventures of Johny Quest) before they try their hand at translating any more anime. Besides that, there's nothing more that can be said about this lousy show. I just hope that the
pure Gatchamen is better then the translated slop we Americans have been fed thrice!
Things To Watch Out For:
Edited for American Television.
Rating: *
G.I. Joe the Movie
Guest Reviewer: Eddy "Maverick" Freyre
Type: TV Movie
Plot:
Serpentor and Cobra are hired by an ancient evil force called Cobra-La. The strange leader Globulus is the one who had Cobra Commander create Cobra in the first place in order to drive mankind into exitinction. Now after several failures, Cobra Commander is to be punished while Globulus embarks on a quest to transform mankind into beasts. To do this he tells Serpentor to steal the Broadcast Energy Transmitter from the Joes. From the start the Joes are backed against the wall as they try to defend themselves against this bizzare new foe. To try to combat this threat they get six new recruits. But one of them is a goldbrick named Lt. Falcon. Falcon gets into a fight with Duke and ends up deserting his post causing disaster. Duke reveals a deep secert in order to save Falcon. Now Falcon must train under Sergeant Slaughter and prove he has what it takes to be a Joe. Meanwhile Cobra is slowly getting the upperhand as Joes are captured and injured. Can the Joes save the day? And at what price can
victory be achieved?
Review:
This movie is the last of the really good G.I. Joe cartoons. Every time I see this movie I am saddened by the fact that every cartoon after was done by a different company using less than spectaculer animation, bad plot, and different actors. The animation in the movie is excellent. The guest actors do a wonderful job. The best actor award goes to the late Burgess Meredith who does a great job with Golobulus. Also the movie is filled with great comedic moments including two rookies going through an impossible obstactle course and beating it. I found this movie by chance at a Best Buy. I recommend that if the same happy occurence happens to you that you buy this film. The entire G.I. Joe franhise will always stand out as a great cartoon. Hopefully some t.v. network will show the reruns.
Things To Watch Out For:
One scene where a Joe is gravely wounded (Sorry, I won't tell you who.)
Rating: ****
Ghost in the Shell
Type: Feature Film
Plot:
In a futuristic world where cyborg bodies are common and the best hackers can reprogram a person's soul, Section 9 Agent, Motoko Kusanagi, must track down the most lethal hacker on Earth... The Puppet Master! But in her hunt, she'll be pulled into a complex world
of politics and power plays that will lead her into the unknown!
Review:
This is a very good, intelligent, and fast paced adventure. This a very deep movie, like Akira. However, the matter is a little easier to grasp here then in Akira because it deals with a subject that has been done many times in popular science fiction.
I won't say what that is, 'cause I don't want to spoil it for those who've never seen this moive, but you won't need to watch it three times in a row to understand it. But that doesn't lessen the impact of this masterpiece of animation and computer
graphics. However, after finally reading the Manga from which the film is hewn, I find that as powerful as the movie is, it just ISN'T the manga. The manga version is serious but not as DEAD serious as the movie. In the manga, there are many points of
levity aimed at lighting a reader's mood after several pages of political plots and bloody action. I also find that the movie version of Motoko is alot colder then the manga Motoko. Of course, her coldness is used in the movie to make a point, but you
just can't look at the movie Motoko the same way after you've seen her manga incarnation get plastered in a bar after causing a superior to punch himself in the face with a mind link. Besides, they left out the Fuchikomas which like Artoo and Threepio, were
not just useful tools, but were the inspiration for lots of comedic moments within the manga. But overall, manga not withstanding, GitS, is a wonderfully unique piece of animation that goes right up there with Akira.
Things To Watch Out For:
Very bloody, nudity, language.
Rating: *****
Gun Smith Cats
Guest Reviewer: Eddy "Maverick" Freyre
Type: OAV
Plot:
Rally Vincent and "Miny" May Hopkins are two bounty hunters who get caught in a scheme to control all the gunruning in Chicago. Before the adventure is over, they run into dozens of evil thugs and even a russian assasain. Fortunately Rally has her Shelby GT 500. The bad guys don't stand a chance.
Review:
This is an awesome film that brings to mind movies like "48 HOURS" and "BEVERLY HILLS COPS" with just a hint of "BLUES BROTHERS" (The orginal movie with John Belushi, not the crappy dog poop of a sequel.) the only complaint is the habit the animators have of showing the leads in their underwear. That and ATF agent Bill Collins is the most annoying person since the current cast of "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE" (Where is the orginal cast when we need them.)
Things To Watch Out For:
language, alot of guns firing and making holes in people, many scenes of Rally and May in their undies, agent Bill Collins, the traps May has set up the basement.
Rating: *** 1/2
Macross
Type: Feature Film
Plot:
Zentraedi and Meltraendi forces battle over the supposed "Proto-Culture" that is aboard the starship Macross.
Review:
What do you get when you take every episode of Macross and condense it down to two hours? You get Macross: Do You Remember Love?, also known as Macross '84. Now, what do you get when you dub Macross: DYRL with cockny British actors? You get this movie... While the movie itself and the animation is great, unless you LIKE bad British actors, you'll probably be hitting yourself on the head with a frying pan halfway through the movie... It's not that I have anything against the British, it's just that the actors in this movie are so lousy! With the exception of Claudia, Misa, and Minmei, everyone in this movie SUCKS!!! Maybe I'm too critical because I'm just too used to the Robotech cast, but I'm sure they could have found BETTER actors than this lot! Although, it WOULD be nice if they redubbed this with the Robotech cast instead. But anyway... I digress... If you thought listening to a Roy Fokker who sounds like he came from the wrong side of Big Ben is bad enough, wait till you get a load of theZe
ntraedi! They sound like rejects from a B-Movie! ALL OF THEM!!! From the standard generic trooper to Dolza... They all just suck so bad... However, the Meltraendi sound pretty good. But still... And Gloval? Where is the fun Russian accent? Anyway... The movie, of course, is supposed to condense the plot of the series and it does but not without some major rewrites. It starts off with the Macross just getting to Saturn. From there, Minmei is already a star but hasn't yet met Hikaru until he saves her from some Zentraedi mecha, though in the process, he manages to get both him and her trapped in some abadoned section of the ship (sound familiar?). There, they spend 2 days as opposed to 2 weeks. Also, instead of Hikaru, Max, Misa, and Ben (sorry, Macross Purists, but I don't know his Japanese name) getting caught by the Zentraedi, it's Hikaru, Misa, Minmei, Kyle, and Roy. Next, the Zentraedi and Meltraendi AREN'T working together like in the series. Instead, they are at each others throats.
And it's during a Meltraendi attack that Hikaru, Misa, and Roy manage to get away. But Roy gets killed during the escape (it had to happen sometime, right?). Meanwhile, other plot points are barely touched on. For example, Misa's memories of Karl Riber get a total onscreen time of, oh, 30 seconds. Max and Myria's romance is only hinted at. And out of the three Zentraedi spies, I think only Konda got a line. Not to mention, other characters like Khyron and Dr. Lang were TOTALLY cut from the movie! But the most shocking rewrite is... Minmei ISN'T an annoying spoiled brat!!! At least not till the very end when she refuses to sing the Proto-Culture Song because Hikaru just left her for Misa. Not to mention Misa translated the song lyrics, which doesn't help the situation any... But in the end, Breetai turns his fleet against Dolza and with the help of the Meltraendi and Minmei's singing, blow away Dolza's Base and save the day. Also, some cosmetic changes have been made to the characters and mecha.No
w, Misa no longer has those curls in her hair, Kim (Sorry, don't know her Japanese name either) has dark red hair, the Daedalus and the Promethues have been replaced with Armor Cruisers, the bow of the Macross is much narrower than before, the Armors are now part of the Macross Cannons, and the Zentraedi are very biological now. All in all, it's a great movie, but it depends on which version you see. If you can stand the actors, then by all means pick up this movie. If you can't, get the fansub. Oh, and one last thing, Minmei fans better have the song lyrics with them, 'cause Minmei's songs AREN'T subtitled.
Things To Watch Out For:
Lots of blood, gory deaths, and nudity.
Rating: (Movie) ****; (Dub) **
Macross Plus
Type: OAV
Plot:
Rival pilots, Isamu Dyson and Guld Bowman fight over their old friend Myung Lone, while also battling for their respective companies for a Military contract for the YF-19 and YF-21 Valkeries. Meanwhile, the Virtuoid Idle, Sharon Apple gains sentience and
madness. Obsessed with Isamu, Sharon begins doing dangerous things. All of this brings Isamu, Myung, and Guld together in one big explosion of emotions.
Review:
This is an AWESOME OAV!!! The plot is nice and thick and will have you guessing till the end! The animation is almost as good if not totally on par with Akira and Ghost in the Shell. The computer graphic effects add immensely to the experience and the
music is good enough to have you running to the stores for the CDs (Yes, first two CDs are available domestically)! The voice actors also do their parts well. All in all, this one is MUST SEE ANIME!!!
Things To Watch Out For:
Language and blood.
Rating: ****
Macross Plus - The Movie
Type: OAV
Plot:
Rival pilots, Isamu Dyson and Guld Bowman fight over their old friend Myung Lone, while also battling for their respective companies for a Military contract for the YF-19 and YF-21 Valkeries. Meanwhile, the Virtuoid Idle, Sharon Apple gains sentience and
madness. Obsessed with Isamu, Sharon begins doing dangerous things. All of this brings Isamu, Myung, and Guld together in one big explosion of emotions.
Review:
The movie is an interesting re-release of the OAV, however, despite all the new scenes, a lot of good and memorable scenes which you almost expect get cut out and the order of events gets shuffled around so you're never quite sure what will happen next. Also, the movie features a brand new Sharon Apple song. And the new scenes go into far more detail of certain events including Isamu's first flight aboard the YF-19, Guld's death, and what Isamu saw while under Sharon's control. The only bad points of the movie are the cut out scenes and some of the voice cast. Quite frankly, I would've appreciated a dubbed version. Subbing not only detracts attention from the animation but characters like Isamu, Yang, and Lucy sounded goofy and not very well played. Their American counter-parts did a much better job it's a shame to not hear them in the movie version. All in all, its a good movie, but I recommend you get the full OAV as well. Without it, your Macross Plus experience will be most incomplete.
Things To Watch Out For:
Language, blood, graphic death, and nudity.
Rating: ****
Macross 2
Guest Reviewer: Eddy "Maverick" Freyre
Type: OAV
Plot:
Eighty years after Macross: Do You Remember Love?, Earth is menaced by a new threat. Using brainwashed Zentraedi, the blood thristy Marduk attack Earth and destroy the Minmei defense net using women called emulators to sing their song of doom designed to
drive the Zentradi warriors into a bloodthristy frenzy. The UN Spacy is up against the wall, however they don't want the people of Earth to know that, so they censor all battle footage, A reporter named Hibiki Kanzaki discovers UN Spacy's plot and undergoes a
crusade to tell his viewers the whole truth, no matter how ugly. Along the way he "captures" an emulator named Ishtar. He shows Ishtar the wonders of Earth, including the monument that was once the incredible starship Macross. Ishtar is convinced that Earth and the Macross is the key to saving her people from their warlike ways, which are spirred on by their evil nameless emperor. As the Earth struggles to survive under the relentless assault of the Marduk, Hibiki has to fight a personal battle on two
fronts: he has to fight the UN Spacy's attempts to silence him and he has to fight Marduk forces led by Master Felth, who is determined to recover Ishtar. Even with the help of ace pilot Sylve Gina, Kanzaki may not be able to save the Earth being added to
the list of planets destroyed by the Marduk.
Review:
This movie is AWESOME!!! The animation is excellent and the plot kicks serious butt. The only fault lies in the fact that it is over two and a half hours long and it starts to lag in the middle, so you begin to lose interest, however it picks up steam again and doesn't stop. There's even a surpise at the end concuring how the Macross saves the day. The final word of praise is the music is excellent and Ishtar has a beautiful voice and knows how to use it. Are you out there listening, Minmei??
Things To Watch Out For:
Language, a couple of nasty deaths, violence that usually occurs when aircraft do battle, Ishtar in her emulator outfit ( YOWZA!!!!), and finally the Minmei defense (Who was the dork who thought of that STUPID idea.)
Rating: ****
Mobile Battleship/Martian Successor Nadesico
Type: TV Series
Plot:
In the year 2195, Earth's fleet is attacked by a mysterious object from Jupiter that turns out to be a mobile stargate that opens up to let an extremely large fleet of seemingly invulnerable alien ships upon our forces. Within a year, Mars and the Moon became the aliens' and Earth's fleet had their backs to the wall. Enter Nergal Heavy Industries. With their new privately owned battleship, the Nadesico and its mecha called Aestivalis, they hold the key to Earth's survival.
Review:
While the setup sounds like this show is a series sci-fi mecha show, in actuallity, it is not. It's a parody of mecha shows. And a pretty funny one too! From well meaning though emptiheaded Yurika to the shortlived though intensly funny mecha fan, Yamada, this show is hilarious! Though besides being good for a few laughs, the show also fills the current void in anime of the old starship type sci-fi series. You know... Like Star Trek? The type of show about a ship and her crew? This show definately fills that void. In anycase, it's a laugh riot and a good mecha show too! ADV has bought it for state-side release so go get it when it comes out!
Things To Watch Out For:
Blood.
Rating: ****
Mobile Fighter G Gundam
Type: TV Series
Plot:
Follows the adventures of Domon Kassu, Neo Japan's fighter in the Gundam Fight Tournament. The Tournament being meant to circumvent wars among the colonies by sending Gundam fighters representing each country to fight each other on Earth. The winner's country then gets control of EVERYTHING for a period of four years.
Review:
While the show takes itself seriously, it's Sailor Moonish fighting style (a small scuffle followed by the hero ending it all with his trademark super attack), partially existent plot, make the show so ridiculus, it's not bad-bad, it's funny-bad! You'll find yourself laughing at stuff like Rei's "Magical Make Up Deflector Shield" and, of course, Domon's trademark attack, The Shinning Figure. Also, the opening and closing themes aren't terribly remarkable (Unlike the 08th MS Team's music which I just can't stop listening to) and the closing credits just seems a bit cheap. All in all, I don't exactly recommend this unless you're renting from someplace that rents fansubbed or just plain Japanese Language anime for a good laugh but as a serious series, I can't recommend it.
Things To Watch Out For:
Blood.
Rating: **
Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team
Type: OAV
Plot:
Centers around the antics of the 08th MS Team.
Review:
It's tough to review this seeing as I only have ONE volume. Also Animerica gave this one a bad review which is also to be considered; however, they compared this to earlier Gundams in order to find its flaws. I, however, have never seen Gundam before so this is my very first taste of the infamous mecha franchise. And you now what...? I LOVED IT!!! I loved the opening, I loved the episode, and I loved the funny closing credits! So, I have no choice but to endorse THIS OAV!
Things To Watch Out For:
Nudity.
Rating: ****
My Youth In Arcadia
Guest Reviewer: Eddy "Maverick" Freyre
Type: Feature Film
Plot:
(Note: This movie is based in the Old Leijiverse Chronology of the 70s and 80s and does not latch into the new Harlock Saga Chronology.) Prepare yourself for the origin of Space Pirate Harlock. See how he must surrender his ship to the enemy which has conquered Earth. See how he meets Tochiro. See how he gets his trademark eyepatch, Cosmo Dragoon, and pirate flag. See him sacrafice much of his old life in order to gain a new one in Sea of Stars. It's the beginning of the saga of the greatest pirate in space.
Review:
This is the third Matsumoto movie I've seen and the third time I've been impressed with his genius. The movie is really really awesome. Even though this was made in the early eighties the animation is breathtaking. The best sequence is a space battle between Harlock and the enemy leader which brings to mind battles of the 18th century, complete with broadsides blazing. The best part of this movie is the characterizations. Everybody even the bad guys, have shades of gray. In fact the best example of which is the dialouge between Harlock and his foe in the aforementioned space battle. For me this video was hard to find, but I'm glad I was able to get it. This should go right next to Akira, Ghost in the Shell, and the G.E 999 movies as a classic.
Things To Watch Out For:
Violence, Blood, Something of Emeraldas' we never thought we'd see, and a scene with a child dying.
Rating: *****
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Type: TV Series
Plot:
The year is 2015 and the Earth is under attack by a mysterious alien race claiming to be Angels (or are they real Angels?). As a last hope, the UN Agency, NERV, must mobilize to stop the invasion before it's too late.
Review:
This is an amazing series! The animation and voice work is superb, the action sequences are awesome, and the story is just like an episode of the X-Files in that it raises more questions then it answers. Essentially, this is a great series although religious fanatics might not like the idea of the Evas pounding down Angels.
Things To Watch Out For:
Blood and partial nudity.
Rating: ****
New Dominion Tank Police
Type: OAV
Plot:
Masamune Shirow's squad of Tank Cops returns in an all new OAV! This time around, Leona and the Tank Police find themselves battling the Dainippon Giken Research Corporation. The company wants to off the Mayor because her anti-weapons bill will force
them out of business. So it's a race to save the Mayor and the city of New Port!
Review:
This OAV is alot better then the original. While its plot line doesn't have the meaningful ideas that the original carried with the entire Greenpeace deal, it's still incredibly entertaining, about two acts longer, and has better animation. I DEFINATELY
recommend this one.
Things to Watch Out For:
Language. The boxs read "Brief Nudity", but that's a type-o. There is NO nudity in NDTP.
Rating: ****
Ninja Scroll
Type: Feature Film
Plot:
When the Shogun of the Dark tries to ship gold from a secret mine in a plan to topple the current Japanese Government, Government Spy Duckwan forcibly recruits a vagabond ex-ninja named Jubei to help him fight the Shogun's forces.
Review:
This is a pretty good anime! It's animation is on par with Macross Plus and has an intriguing story that grabs you! This one is highly recommended!
Things To Watch Out For:
Very bloody, very gory, and nudity.
Rating: ****
Pokemon
Type: TV Series
Plot:
At the age of 10, young Ash Ketchum is now old enough to substitute normal schooling with the learning journey of a Pokemon Trainer. His goal, to find, catch, and train as many Pokemon as he can. Pokemon, incidentally, are the little creatures that make up the bulk of Ash's world's animal kingdom. Through his journey, hopefully, he'll grow up a little faster. However, in his way are the stupid though occasionally dangerous Team Rocket. Under the control of the villanous Geovanni, they want Ash's Pikachu and will stop at nothing to get it. Fortunately for Ash, he's not alone. Experienced trainers, Brock and Misty join his quest giving him some guidance. But can Ash fight his way to the Pokemon League and become champion? Well, we'll have to watch and see, won't we?
Review:
There have been quite a deal of anime translations of popular games in recent years but out of all of them, Pokemon is one of the very few that not only makes translated well to television but also remains so close to the source material that you'd think you were actually playing the game. Also, due to the fact that the show was dubbed and translated while under the close eye of Nintendo, the translation has gotten incredibly well. Also, references to Japanese culture and basic Japanese gags were translated in a way that we could not only relate to it but also find it funny. All in all, the show may have been intended for kids, but as an anime itself, it's worth getting up at 7:00 in the morning just to watch it. Of course, it's best to watch while playing Pokemon because the show is so much like the game. Plus it's just plain funny and intelligent at the same time. However... Be forwarned. There are some episodes that pull at the heart strings big time. Especially, if you've been watching the
show for a long time. You might even find yourself crying over some of the things that happen. Though, it's a great show and I recommend it!
Things To Watch Out For:
Extreme dip in ratings for Network Morning shows that air at the same time (first anime to make such a significant showing in the ratings game).
Rating: ****
Queen Emeraldas
Type: OAV
Plot:
Hiroshi Umino, a young boy without a home, sets off on a quest to the old mining world of Daibaran in hopes of emulating the now legendary Tochiro by building his own ship. On his quest though, he runs afoul of the Alfures Army and requires timely saving by Emeraldas. Soon enough, Emeraldas becomes the Army's target and Hiroshi and his new found friends soon see themselves in plenty of danger.
Review:
What can I say? This OAV is wonderful! Not only do we get to see the Queen Emeraldas in battle, we get so see just how powerful she really is! The animation is also really good too! The only thing that bogs it down is the cheesy looking CG Emeraldas. Now, what I don't understand is that they seem to have 2 different CG models. One of them is really great looking and detailed and looks like it came right off of FF7. The other one which is used in the opening and a few other times is plain and flat. Also... The OAV claims that there are 5 Cosmo Dragoons. This is kinda odd because there are supposed to be 4 Cosmo Dragoons. But anyways... It's really good and I recommend picking it up when ADV puts it out this Summer.
Things To Watch Out For:
Language, Blood.
Rating: *****
Riding Bean
Guest Reviewer: Eddy "Maverick" Freyre
Type: OAV
Plot:
Bean Bandit will take any job for the right price. Unforunately, his latest job has the requirement that he has to take the blame for a kiddnapping. What's worse is that he's being pursued by Percy, a manical cop who is obesssed with catching Bean even it means wrecking every car in the Chicago P.D. to do it. With Rally Vincent at his side, Bean must return the girl, rescue her father, and make Percy look like an idoit.
Review:
Like "GUNSMITH CATS" this movie is a hilarous road trip through Chicago, complete with mound after mound of wrecked cars. Unlike "GS", "RIDING BEAN" has alot more scenes of violence. The movie would be more enjoyable if there was'nt has much blood and guts. Plus, Percy is more annoying than Agt. Collins from "GS". Why? Because he screams all his lines. The man is Bobcat Goldthwait on steroids. I feel sorry for his partner.
Things To Watch Out For:
plenty of violence, one shot of nudity, one close-up of Rally's butt, Bean's temper when you say bad stuff about his car.
Rating: ***
Robot Carnival
Type: Feature Film
Plot:
Robot Carnival is an anthology of short anime films that are robot related.
Review:
It's not very good. Only a couple of the films were interesting and entertaining. I'll give this movie credit for its artwork, but nothing more. They could've done better.
Things To Watch Out For:
The version I've seen was edited for T.V., so if there's anything to watch for, I don't know about it.
Rating: **
Robotech
Type: Television Series
Plot:
In the year 1999, a large alien starship crashed on Macross Island in the South Pacific. The ship was rebuilt and its technology was researched in order to bring about a new technology called Robotech. Unfortunately, the aliens to whom the ship belonged
to, their masters, and their masters' enemies would all follow the ship's trail to Earth. This incites three wars fought by three generations of humans all fighting for Earth's survival.
Review:
Robotech and its "creator" Carl Macek have often been critized by Anime Purists for not being 100% true to its component animes. So Hikaru is now named Rick and Macross is just a city... GET OVER IT!!! Robotech, is a very well done translation of Super Dimensional Fortress Macross, Super Dimensional Army of the South Cross, and Genesis Climber Mospeada. The show is very entertaining and enthralling. It may not be completely Japanese anymore, but it's still a good series! I definately recommend this
show.
Things To Watch Out For:
It's been edited for American Television. So there's not much to watch for.
Rating: *****
Ronin Warriors
Type: Television Series
Plot:
Five guys must use their ancient and powerful armors to defeat the evil Tulpa and his minions.
Review:
This show wasn't exactly rivating, but it has its moments and makes for an nice time killer when nothing else is on T.V. While the show's occasionally sappy storyline and the annoying little kid (Don't ALL animes have one?) can get on your nerves, it's not really that bad a show. Plus the animation is very good and the voice actors did what they could.
Things To Watch Out For:
Partial nudity.
Rating: **
Sailor Moon
Assistant Reviewer: Eddy "Maverick" Freyre
Type: Television Series
Plot:
Five teenage girls fight to protect the Earth from interdimensional aliens.
Review:
Note: This was reviewed by two people because there's no way anyone could review something this bad alone and come back in one piece. How's it possible to have someone this stupid be a super hero? Sailor Moon is one of the worst excuses for anime I've
ever had the misfortune of being made to watch. This show is terribly written and gets old REAL fast! Serena can't hold a candle to any other anime heroinnes mainly because she's so idiotic! She can barely save herself from the bad guys much less the
rest of the planet! At least the other scouts put up a better fight. But even still, they can't win a battle without help from Tuxedo Mask. Half way through the first episode, you'll start cheering on the bad guys even though they are almost as pathetic and always lose miserably. I can't tell you how much I cheered when I found out that Sailor Moon gets killed at the end of the series. I hope we never see another series as bad as this again!
Things To Watch Out For:
Mainly the poor excuse for a plot and Serena's constant stupidity. Besides that, this has been edited for American Television.
Rating: SM (You don't expect us to give it an Akira-Size rating, do you? IN YOUR DREAMS!!!)
Samurai Pizza Cats
Guest Reviewer: Eddy "Maverick" Freyre
Type: Television Series
Plot:
The city of Little Tokyo is besieged by ninja crows and giant robots under the control of the evil Big Cheese. The city's only hope lies with the pizza delievering superhero group, the Samurai Pizza Cats. Aided by the perky Francine, who's duties include firing the Pizza Cats out of a cannon, and the Rescue Squad, the Pizza Cats always triumph over the neferious schemes of the cross-dressing (I am not kidding!!) Big Cheese and his cohorts, the appropriately named, Jerry Attrick and the also apporiately named, Bad Bird. Mind you, its easy to be triumphant when the Big Cheese's plans always involve sending a giant robot to terrorize the city (That is so Voltron!!). The point is that good is always winning and the bad guys are always ending up crying all the way home to mommy. Nuff said.
Review:
This show is the funniest thing since John Belushi's Samurai sketches on SNL. The show makes fun of everything from Charleton Heston's The Ten Commandments to the Ninja Turtles. Adding to the already hilarious show is the Laugh-Inesque Narrator who comments on almost everything that happens on the show. He even interacts with the characters on the show although most times they don't want to talk to him. The only bad thing I have to say is the only channel I knew to be carrying the show canned it after one season. This is further proof that TV execs in the US are morons, but then again these are the same people who brought us the shows on UPN. (Star Trek:Voyager the exception of course.)
Things To Watch Out For:
Big Cheese's cross dressing, His temper (Explosive), Polly Esther's temper, Guido's womanizing (can you say, "Never even getting to First Base?"), Lucille's missles, and laughing so hard you have to go to the bathroom.
Rating: **** (Richly deserves it)
The Slayers
Type: Television Series
Plot:
Sorceress Lina Inverse, beats up a gang of bandits and takes their treasure. Containted within the treasure she "liberated", is a statue of great value that winds up sucking poor Lina into a VERY large dispute between good and evil.
Review:
This is an interesting comedy with some nice sarcastic lines that you'll find yourself repeating over and over again. It's a generally good anime and sort of reminds me of Dragon Warrior from long ago... The animation is on par with New Dominion Tank Police and Orguss 2. If you want a good chuckle and have nothing beter to do, it might something to pick up.
Things To Watch Out For:
Male partial nudity and some adult themes. Special Warning: For some odd reason, this particular anime has been found to create obsession within young girls. Be careful with it!
Rating: ****
Speed Racer
Type: Television Series
Plot:
Speed travels the world racing his car the Mach 5 in many different racing events.
Review:
There's nothing really to say here. Bad writers, bad music, bad actors, bad animation. Oh yeah, this is a translation of Mach Go Go.
Things To Watch Out For:
Nothing.
Rating: *
Star Blazers
Guest Reviewer: Eddy "Maverick" Freyre
Type: Television Series
Plot:
The Earth is at war with the deadly race known as the Gamillions. The Gamillions have used powerful meteors to bombard Earth making the surface unliveable. The people of Earth have retreated underground, but the bombings continue and soon the planet will
be completely unhabitiable. As despair, death, and darkness loom ever closer, hope appears in the form of a message from the queen of the distant planet Iscandar. Iscandar has a way to restore Earth to her former glory. Earth moblizes its last starship,
the rebuilt and reconfigured WW 2 Japanese battleship, Yamato. Unfortunately the Yamato has only a year to go to Iscandar and come back. Now the clock is ticking, time is not on the Yamato's side, and to make matters worse, the Gamallions are giving chase.
Review:
This is the one review that brings tears of sadness to me. The plot is better than okay. Unfortunately all the other elements are poor and look like they were made on a budget of $10. The only thing the animation surpasses is Speed Racer. Alot of the blame
falls on the donkey's butt team of Amereican transalators. The theme song is ANNOYING and OUT OF PLACE with the show. Whoever did the dubbing should be beaten all over his sorry body. The ship's name was changed from Yamato to Argo in what sounds like a case of "We beat you up in WW 2 so we're going rename your battleship" hubris than anything else. The worst sin by far is how the editors removed several key plot points and replaced them with more "kiddy friendly" elements. If anyone out there who reads this review has any expertise in making Japanese cartoons PLEASE, I BEG YOU!! NO, I IMPLORE YOU to please remake this series with better animation and DON'T let some stupid American editor and his Puritian overlord kill it with bad dubbing, bad music,
and pair of scissors. After I'm finished with this review, I'm going into a room and with no one around cry myself into a stupor.
Things To Watch Out For:
The bad animation, the bad dubbing, the bad music, OH GOD, THIS IS TORTURE!!!! SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, KILL ME NOW AND END MY SUFFERING!!! ONLY A SAILOR MOON CHANNEL IS WORSE THAN THIS!!!
Rating: *
Street Fighter 2 - The Animated Movie
Type: Feature Film
Plot:
Based on the video game that defined the the Street Fighting Genre, SF2 follows Ken and Ryu as they do battle with the crime syndicate, Shadowlaw. Bison, the head of Shadowlaw, is brain washing or just plain hiring street fighters to pull off Shadowlaw's
crimes. Ryu and Ken stumble into their plot while at the same time, Guile and Chun Li are actively searching out Shadowlaw in order to bring Bison to justice. It all culminates on a mountain top in a fight between several good guys and bad guys from the
game.
Review:
This is a good anime. It's animation is very well done and is right up there with Akira and Ghost in the Shell. The plot moves a bit slow at first, but soon picks up, and DOESN'T let go till the final fight. Besides, I think the face that Chun Li makes
of annoyance when Guile wants to go hunt Bison himself is PRECIOUS! "Hey, Brush Head! This is NOT a request!"
Things To Watch Out For:
Lots of blood, nudity (Subbed) or partial nudity (Dubbed), language.
Rating: ****
Street Fighter 2 V
Type: Television Series
Plot:
Taking place years before the movie, SF2V is the Japanese TV Series that chronicles the adventures of Ken, Ryu, Chun-Li and the rest of the SF2 Cast. The premise is that Ken and Ryu realize that while they're good at fighting professionally, their skills
can't hold a candle to the Street Fighters of the World. So they set out on a quest to learn how to fight better and to become stronger. Along the way, however, the bungle into the way of the Ashura Crime Syndicate and its owner organization, Shadowlaw.
Review:
This is everything the crappy USA Network cartoon SHOULD have been! Besides lots of fighting, the show has an interesting plot that unfolds episode by episode. Fans of the Street Fighting Genre will love this show. A must for SF2 fans!
Things To Watch Out For:
Language, blood, male partial nudity (BLEH!).
Rating: ****
Super Dimension Century Orguss
Type: Television Series
Plot:
In the year 2062, the Earth's two Super Powers fought over control of the Space Elevator. An architectural marvel that could affect the World's Economy greatly. One side, built a weapon called the Space-Time Oscillation Bomb. However, the bomb was not
yet complete. When it began to malfunction, Kei, a fighter pilot assigned to the bomb, tried to disarm it. Unfortunately, it went off making a large mess of our once stable Space-Time Continuum. Now Kei finds himself on an alternate Earth where he comes under the care of a band of travelling Emaan Gypsies. However, a war like people known as the Chirum are convinced that Kei being an alien form an alternate Earth, may hold great power. Now, the Emaan's airship the Glomar and its crew, must scramble home with Kei in tow before the Chirum get him.
Review:
Orguss is a decent enough anime. At times the dubbed actor's performances can be irritating, but most of them do an OK job. But besides occasional problems with bad voice actors and the sometimes Soap-Operish plots, it CAN be interesting if seen in conjunction with its OAV, Orguss 2. It also takes awhile to get used to Jabby's voice. But if you watch it long enough, you'll figure out what he's saying. Also, the animation is very good. Especially in scenes like the one where Mome is crying out for Kei just as the Dimensional Shift occurs in "Vanishing Point". All in all, it's not a MUST-SEE, but if you've seen Orguss 2 and want to know more about the OAV's roots or are just bored, I recommend it as both a good time killer and as a learning experience for Orguss 2 fans.
Things To Watch Out For:
Language, partial nudity.
Rating: ***
Super Dimension Century Orguss 2
Type: OAV
Plot:
200 years after the Series Finale of the original Orguss, in yet ANOTHER parallel Earth, two large World Powers vow for dominence. Caught in the middle is a boy named Lean who joins Ravilia's Military in order to earn extra money to give to his dead
boss' family who needs it. Unfortunately, on his first mission he ends up trapped behind enemy lines with a mysterious girl named Nataruma whose powers are to be used by the Zafrin Military as a secret weapon. The two must find their way back to
Rivilia. But they soon find that they are not safe even THERE! Towards the end, the only member of the original Orguss cast, The Colonel, who's still around, intervines to save them AND their World.
Review:
This is a very good OAV. Its complex plot of political power plays, war, and tie-in into the original series, make this a MUST have! Also, the story does not focus on the original series till the end and then, it's at a minimum. So you don't have to be
familiar with Orguss in order to enjoy it. Another nice touch is that in the Dubbed Version, the same voice actor who did the voice of the Colonel in the Dubbed Videos of the original Orguss, reprises his role in the OAV. However, for some odd reason,
all Rivilian Decimators look like the Orguss except they can't transform. The Zafrin Decimators, on the hand, slightly remind me of the Chirum Ishkicks from the original, but only in their look. Chirum and Zafrin Decimators are of different designs.
Things To Watch Out For:
Lotsa blood, charred bodies, brief nudity, and partial nudity.
Rating: ****
Tekkaman Blade 2
Guest Reviewer: Eddy "Maverick" Freyre
Type: OAV
Plot:
The evil Radon have returned to destroy the Earth. Coming to stop them is the legendary hero Tekkaman Blade, and this time he has friends. One of them is a novice named Yumi Francois. She is blessed accidentally with the powerful weapon called the Reactor Voltekker. Plus she has a crush on D-Boy. As she fights the Radom, she also must come to grips with the violence she must take part in. Not to mention she wants to battle her commanding officer, Aki, for D-Boy's affections. Meanwhile David, another tekkaman, has feelings that he must deal with as well. And waiting in the wings is the evil tekkaman, Death.
Review:
Don't you hate when a sequel is not quite up to par to the original? This is the case with Tekkaman Blade 2. The first problem is not the OAV's fault. The names in the OAV are in the original japanese so those that have only seen the original as Teknoman on UPN will be left to wonder who's who, especially since the animation is different. The different animation is definately something that I blame on the creators. Another thing I blame the creators for is Yumi Francois. Her character is WAY too ditzy for such a serious storyline. Another thing I hate is the rampant nudity. The transformations are all nude and the worst part is that all the females get nice upclose shots of their naughty parts wile the guys are given careful edits to avoid showing anything risque. So much for equality of the sexes. I really hope the next Tekkaman Blade project is better done. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to the bathroom to vomit.
Things To Watch Out For:
Violence, Nudity.
Rating: ** (Unfortunately)
Tekkaman The Space Knight
Type: Television Series
Plot:
A pilot uses an advanced armor called Tekka Armor to fight aliens.
Review:
If it wasn't for the fact that this show spawned Tekkaman Blade (Teknoman), I would have wished it was never made! It's a horribly cheesy show with terrible animation that rates somewhere between Speed Racer and G-Force! The only good thing about this series is that you get to see the roots of many of Teknoman's things. For example, the Blue Earth, Pegas, and the Tekno Lance all have their roots in this show. But unless you are a hardcore Teknoman Fan, I suggest you avoid it at all costs!
Things To Watch Out For:
Nothing.
Rating: *
Teknoman
Type: Television Series
Plot:
In the late 21 Century, Earth has come under attack by an alien race called the Venomoids. They seek to assimilate the Earth into their Empire, but what they weren't counting on was for one of their own warriors, Slade, to turn against them and fight for
the Earth. But Slade can't do it alone. He's helped by a private organization called the Space Knights who are intent on not letting the Earth be conquerred. However, as if fighting the Venomoids wasn't bad enough, Earth's Military Leader, General Galt, wants Slade to be the Army's weapon. Thus, part of the show's storyline deals with trouble made by Galt in his efforts to harness Slade's powers for his own selfish reasons. This show is a translation of the Japanese series, Tekkaman Blade.
Review:
WHAT THE #$@* WAS UPN THINKING WHEN THEY CANCELLED THIS SHOW?!!! Teknoman was the ONLY show on their entire line up (With the exception of DS9 and Voyager) worth someting! Teknoman was a very good series and it did NOT deserve cancellation! The idiot Execs who signed the cancellation order should be hunted down and SHOT for their stupidity! The show was well written, animated, and the voice cast did its job well.
Things To Watch Out For:
Edited for American Television.
Rating: ****
Tenchi the Movie: Tenchi Muyo in Love
Type: Feature Film
Plot:
When a dangerous criminal named Kain breaks out of the Galaxy Police Headquarters, destroying it, Tenchi begins to mysteriously start to disappear. Fortunately, Washu knows that the heart of the problem is temporal disruption of sorts. So she sends him and his multiple girl friends into the past to find that problem. All that they know is that SOMETHING will happen to Tenchi's mother.
Review:
I don't know quite what to say about this one except that it's very good both in the animation and acting department. While the plot is slightly Shojo, the characters are likable and there's even a little mecha thrown in for kicks. Mihoshi's antics are also good for laugh. All in all, it's nice anime and a good rental.
Things To Watch Out For:
Some blood and partial nudity.
Rating: ***
Transformers the Movie
Type: Feature Film
Plot:
Several years after the original TV series the battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons still rages. Spike however has grown up and even has a son, Daniel (though for some strange reason, Carly doesn't show up at all or is even mentioned). During this future, just as the Autobots and Decepticons fight a great battle in Autobot City which causes the death of Optimus and leaves both many Autobots and Decepticons either slain or critically injured, a new danger emerges. The planet eating Unicron threatens Cybertron wants to not only eat Cybertron but to also destroy the Autobot Matrix of Leadership which threatens his very existance.
Review:
Wow. That's all I can say about this movie. The animation was incredible and plot and characters really highlight what Transformers is really all about. I loved it from start to finish. This movie isn't JUST recommended, I believe it should be required watching for the new generation of otaku.
Things To Watch Out For:
Death. Lotsa death. And language in the uncut version.
Rating: ****
Vampire Hunter D
Type: Feature Film
Plot:
In a distant and dark future, Count Magnus Lee is troubling the people. When a girl named Doris Lang is singled out by the Count as his next bride, she hires D. Now D must fight the Count and his underlings before it's too late for Doris.
Review:
This is a nice movie to watch late at night. The animation is decent enough and it won't bore you. I recommend it for the nights when nothing else is on TV and you want something interesting to watch.
Things To Watch Out For:
Lots of blood, lots of gore, and nudity.
Rating: ***
Voltron (Lion)
Type: Television Series
Plot:
When planet Arus comes under attack the forces of King Zarkon, Galaxy
Garrison, sends five officers to scout ahead. Unfortunately, the five
end being captured by Zarkon and end up trapped on Arus. Meanwhile,
Zarkon's forces have the Allience Star Fleet spread so thinly, that the
five MUST fend for themselves. But when they discover the Castle of
Lions and the five Voltron Lions, they must become the Voltron Force and
protect Arus and anybody else who needs to be protected from Zarkon.
Review:
This is an excellent anime series! However, it is regretable that its
translators did a somewhat sloppy job. A lot of the bloody violence has
been cut. Zarkon's troops are called robots even though they aren't just
so the kiddies won't see death. Also, when of the worst things that was
done to this show are the voices given to one time female characters.
They sound HORRIBLE!!! The dialouge can also be cheesy sometimes. However,
through all its
faults, Voltron comes through with a good plot, likable characters, and
great animation! If you didn't grow up with Voltron, like I did, be sure
to catch it on TV! It's a great series!
Things To Watch Out For:
Edited for American Television.
Rating: ****
Wicked City
Type: Feature Film
Plot:
As a Peace Treaty between Earth and another dimension called the Black World is about to be signed, two secret agents known as Black Guards must protect a chief delegate from interdimensional terrorists.
Review:
I'll give it points for good animation, but the rest of this sex driven action thriller is flat. This movie was obviously made for those who love gratuitous violence, nudity, and sex because that's all that's in this.
Things To Watch Out For:
Blood, nudity, language, and sex.
Rating: **
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