price：$3.99
Funimation Prod
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Welcome to the Mahora Girls Academy!) 『It is easy to call "Negima!" the anime equivalent of Harry Potter, but it just isn't so. You have two young boys who can do magic, and there the similarities end. Harry Potter was never chased around romantically by thirty-one junior high school girls each trying to steal a kiss. With Love Hina creator Ken Akamatsu at the helm you know you are in for a good time.
You have to accept this basic premise of "Negima!" before you can enjoy the series. Negi Springfield is a ten-year-old wizard-in-training from Wales, with dreams of becoming the Magister Magi (Master Mage). In the meantime, he has been hired as an English teacher for the Mahora Girls Academy in Japan, as well as being the homeroom teacher for class 2-A. The Mahora Girls Academy is not all it seems at first, as its students include vampires, ghosts and robots, although all the normal students never seem to notice this. Of course, all the girls develop crushes on the cute 10-year old, and hijinks ensue.
The "Negima!" animated series follows the first volumes of the comic for the most part, and then suddenly veers away. The reason for this is that the anime eventually out-paced the comic, and so a new storyline was invented. This storyline, showing up around episode 19 or so, is quite different from the comic and might come as a shock to some. However, it is very well-handled, and I appreciate having two versions of the story.
This "Negima!: The Complete Series Box Set (Viridian Collection)" is the third 26-episode complete boxset release from Funimation. The set was previously released as Negima! Box Set and as Negima!: Complete Collection (Viridian Collection). This third boxset is essentially a re-release of the original "Viridian Collection," and is a stripped down and less expensive version of the series, presented in slim cases and without extra features. I personally really appreciate the thin cases, as it takes up less space in my ever-increasing DVD collection. The only real difference between this Viridian release and the previous one is the cover art, and an additional five minutes of running time, 630 minutes instead of 625 minutes. And it is cheaper!
All three box sets have revised and re-drawn animation, as the animation from the original TV release in Japan was notoriously terrible. The animated series is also much more "family-friendly" than the comic. Most of the fan-service is implied rather than directly shown, so if you only read "Negima!" for the panties you might be a little disappointed. The English-language script takes the "family friendly" approach even further, and is slightly different from the Japanese. Many of the "double entendres" and sexual humor has been removed.
And while I am not usually a fan of dubbing, a special shout out needs to be done here for Funimation's English-language cast. They have done a great job, even going so far as to give Negi a Welsh accent. This is one case where they might be better than the Japanese original cast. Listening to the "Native Speaking" Negi doing English dictation during his English classes is pretty funny.』
(It's only magic!) 『Negi Springfield is often touted as Japan's answer to Harry Potter, although in personality he's a bit more like Hermione.
And while the wizard prodigy isn't quite shown to his full potential in the anime adaptation "Negima," where stretches of fluffy harem comedy are speckled with serious magic and action. While it starts slowly and relies too heavily on semi-nudity and slapsticky antics, the more wizardly adventures end up keeping it worth watching.
Middle-school student Asuna is desperately hoping that her crush, Professor Takahata, will be teaching homeroom at Mahora Academy this year... and her mood is further soured by a preteen boy who tells her, "Not everyone can be lucky in love."
Turns out the boy, a Welsh prodigy named Negi Springfield, IS the new teacher. Most of the girls immediately love him, but Asuna is enraged by Negi's "weirdness" -- when she glimpses him magically saving a student, his secret comes out: Negi is a wizard, and if Asuna reveals his secret he'll be turned into an ermine. Fortunately, Asuna agrees to keep his secret... if he makes a love potion for her, with predictably chaotic results.
And soon Negi is faced by a creature from his family past -- a vampiric student who is determined to drain his blood. And he has to deal with myriad other troubles -- web idols, vicious volleyball teams, kiss contests, spying cheerleaders, a timid ghost, and a scheming ermine. And when Negi's job hangs on his class's bottom-of-the-barrel test scores, Asuna organizes a trip to the mysterious Library Island to get a magical book that can make even the Dummy Force smart!
But things take a dark turn near the end of the series -- a trip to Kyoto goes awry when Konoka is threatened, and the mysterious sword-wielding Setsuna reveals her true identity. And upon returning, Asuna becomes increasingly ill -- leading Negi to discover a horrifying secret in her past, which links the doomed girl to his vanished father.
Ken Akamatsu's original manga is pretty much balanced out -- part of it is slam-bang magic'n'action, while the other part is kooky romantic comedy and crazy slapstick. And for the anime, "Negima" serves up an incredibly heavy dose of the kooky comedy/crazy slapstick, with an emphasis on busts, robots, superpowered kicks, ninjas and the occasional skyscraper-sized demon.
In fact many episodes are nothing but poor Negi getting swamped by his high-spirited students and the devious ermine Chamo's manipulations (which involve awkward kissing). Lots of skimpy clothes, confessions of love, bear panties and kooky dialogue ("Side effects may include dry mouth, nausea and loss of about a million brain cells..."). It's like an amped-up romantic sitcom with some magical trappings.
While the comedic stories are fun in a disposable way, what makes the series truly watchable is the magic-oriented episodes -- aerial battles with tiny blonde vampires and playing chase with a giant stone golem amongst them. The end of the series is when the magical adventures really take front-and-center: though the whole trip to Kyoto rushes by way too fast, the final bittersweet arc is nothing short of brilliant.
It's icky to see teenage girls pursuing a ten-year-old, but Negi is a likable little hero -- he's earnest, unselfish, and completely devoted to his students even if they're insane. Asuna is his opposite -- brash, temperamental, unexpectedly warmhearted -- and serves as a mildly violent big-sister type, although their roles unexpectedly switch near the finale.
Surprisingly the rest of the cast plenty of fleshing-out as well -- sweet Konoka, mysterious Setsuna, the antisocial web idol Chisame ("This is CHIU's world and all you bimbos are mere tenants!"), serene ninja Kaede, and the loopy princess Ayaka (who has a surprisingly tragic past). Most memorable is the prepubescent vampire-mage Evangeline ("It's enough to make ANYONE CRAZY!"), and her cat-loving robot Chachamaru.
The complete "Negima" season is a bit too heavy on the fluffy comedy, and too light on the magical adventures. But it's still worth watching for those who need a bit more Magorum magic.』 『Vampires, robots, sorcery… And that’s all before Gym Class! Welcome to Mahora Academy, an all-girls school where the impossible and the enchanting are a part of the curriculum. It’s the start of the new school year and emotions run rampant as the girls of Class 2-A meet the newest staff addition – Negi Springfield.A ten-year-old Welsh born prodigy, Negi has more problems than he has students. As a wizard-in-training, this academic appointment is the final requirement in his quest to become a Magister Magorum. But if he messes things up and the girls find out, existence as an exotic ermine will be his fate!
It’s mishaps and mayhem even without the magic, but the undaunted Negi won’t give up. Between his quiet determination and compassionate nature, and the talents, quirks and abilities of each of the girls, Class 2-A finds their way into and out of every predicament, redefining school spirit along the way. Friendship, adventure and life lessons are all on the agenda, and the students have just as much to teach their young professor as they have to learn.
When you’re the only boy in an all girl’s school, magic’s the easy part!』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Pokemon Advanced Box Set Vol 2) 『Pokemon Advanced Box Set Vol 2
I bought this as a gift for my son who is still a huge Pokemon fan. He loves it and watches the DVDs by himself or with his friends. My review is simply based on my son's joy, so for the Pokemon fans out there . . . a great buy!』
(Pokemon Anime Buyers Guide) 『If you want to collect some or all of the pokemon anime episodes on dvd, then here is a comprehensive guide that will help explain the progression of the pokemon series and the current availability in box set form.
Season 1: Indigo League (available in 3 dvd box sets, 79 episodes)
Season 2: Adventures in the Orange Islands (1 dvd box set, 35 episodes)
Season 3: The Johto Journeys (*no box set available, 41 episodes)
Season 4: Johto League Champions (*no box set available, 52 episodes)
Season 5: Master Quests (2 dvd box sets, 64 episodes)
Season 6: Advanced (2 dvd box sets, 40 episodes)
Season 7: Advanced Challenge (*no box set available, 52 episodes)
Season 8: Advanced Battle (*no box set available, 54 episodes)
Season 9: Battle Frontier (2 dvd box sets, 47 episodes)
Season 10: Diamond and Pearl (2 dvd box sets, 51 episodes)
Season 11: D/P Battle Dimension (tba)
Season 12 D/P Platinum (tba)
* = can be found on vhs and single disc dvd containing 3-6 episodes ea.』
(Corphish, Mudkip,&Drew make their debut! "Remarkable," again! :)) 『To pick up where Volume One of "Pokemon Advanced" left off, Pokemon fans are once again treated to another fantastic collection of episodes for this second Volume of "Pokemon Advanced!" More great fun, adventure, and humor. :)
Here are some of my favorite moments from each episode:
"Which Wurmple's Which?:" Jessie's remark, as she argues with May over their Wurmples, is a scream: "My Wurmple's attending night school to get its Phd!" :) The visual of Team Rocket's boss sewing a button on his pajamas is far fetched! The fishing scene is amusing with interesting Pokemon cameos.
"A Hole Lotta Trouble:" Love the visual gag of each of the characters' faces tumbling down the different tunnels! The scene featuring Meowth's "Way too long" story was one of my favorites in the episode! I get a kick out of when he asks out loud, "Who's Steven?" :)
"Gone Corphishin':" Some mighty "Tug-of-War" scenes, here! Team Rocket's seaweed disguises are hilarious! Ash's reaction is great: "The Twerps?" :) Impressive battle near the end of the episode. Treecko is in top form!
"A Corphish Out of Water:" Love the special effects during the Team Rocket motto! Jessie's remark on the tape recorder is a riot: "Oh, quit sniveling!" Hilarious shot of Brock holding hands with Nurse Joy at the end of the episode! :)
"A Mudkip Mission:" Silly dialog among Team Rocket as they discover the fence: "What's it doing here?" Funny shot of Jessie's ear growing as she listens to "Swampy's" info! Even funnier is the fact that "Old Man Swamp" inadvertently gives Team Rocket advice about breaking the dam!
"Turning Over A Nuzleaf!:" The "Loudred" scenes were hilarious! A shame that subtitles weren't featured during the Pokemon-only scenes, since the "Island of the Giant Pokémon" episode, from Season One, featured them ... That way, viewers could understand what the Pokemon were saying. Great Pokemon teamwork, though. :)
"A Three Team Scheme:" Teams Aqua and Magma appear to be the most dangerous villains in the Pokemon series, compared to Team Rocket! Real serious talk between the two teams! "Power they seek?!" :) The more we get to know Commander Isabel/Shelly, she makes Jessie look nice!
"Seeing is Believing:" Hilarious remarks from Team Rocket referring to Professor Birch's bonding with the Pokemon as "some sort of new dance!" James and Meowth's efforts to tell Jessie the truth about her Pokemon are classic! :)
"Ready, Willing and Sableye:" When Max mentions Team Rocket to Sableye, you have to wonder if and how Sableye actually knows who the villains are! Sableye looks like he got a bad headache after listening to the advice of May and Max!
"A Meditite Fight:" The "field of holes" scheme and the ever-changing attitude of Team Rocket in the cave scenes were amusing! Shauna getting drenched by the wave in the beginning was pretty funny too! An awkward intro for her!
"Just One of The Geysers:" Love the Team Rocket Motto, including "The Four Food Groups!" Amusing how Team Rocket has a dream of raiding the refrigerator, then after the villains wake up, they find that the dream came true! Awesome rematch for Ash with Geysers included!
"Abandon Ship!:" Awesome to see all three stages of Mudkip in a single episode! Jessie's reaction, before she is captured, is hilarious! Also funny to see the prisoners colliding into one another whilst dangling from the webs. :)
"Now That's Flower Power:" Drew is like the next Gary Oak! Nice of him to pitch in while the heroes take on Team Rocket. :) Check out the scene where Team Rocket does their impression of Wobbuffet! Awesome display of fireworks! :)
"Having A Wailord Of A Time:" Check out Brock's flashback ... Great bit of history! That's one tough Torchic! Ash's excuse towards the little girl, in regard to Torchic, is hysterical: "They smell like something you left in the fridge too long!" :)
"Win, Lose or Drew!:" Hilarious scenes featuring the old man telling Team Rocket about Pokéblock! Amusing scene showing a nervous May backstage before the contest! Nice scenes with Ash, Brock, and Max showing May tons of support. :)
"The Spheal of Approval:" Humorous "slapstick" scene with Marius and Spheal attempting to battle Ash and Pikachu. Team Rocket's comments are classic ... James: "We'll surely be rolling in green stuff!" Meowth: "And we'd make lots of money too!" Ash and friends look like Wobbuffet when they get "brain freeze!" :)
"Jump for Joy!:" More hilarious dialogue from Team Rocket ... James: "Next thing you know they'll be copying our uniforms!" Meowth: "They won't copy mine!" The scene featuring Brock traveling with Shiftree was a scream ... Literally! Also, check out the hilarious visual gag showing Brock with heart-shaped eyes and mouth when he exclaims, "Nurse Joy! Then that means ... I'm actually here in Nurse Joy's room!" :)
"A Different Kind of Misty:" The title of this episode is misleading, because I was hoping the episode would feature the return of Misty! Fortunately, she makes a return for a couple of episodes, a little into the next Season. :) "Helping Hand" really gets the job done! May and Max's reaction to being labeled as "followers" is classic!
"A Poké-BLOCK Party:" The heroes got rusty when it came to avoiding Jigglypuff's song, this time around! Team Rocket's "double-disguises" are amusing! I busted out laughing when The Trick Master both fell off the log and hit the wall! :)
"Watt's With Wattson?:" Wattson seemed like a villain at first, because of his crazy laugh! His assistant, Watt, has a voice similar to Meowth! Amazing that the heroes survived the "ride" into the gym, considering it had no seat-belts! What a way to welcome challengers to Wattson's gym!
*Before I close, I wanted to add that I never tire of listening to Meowth's hilarious "made up" scenarios about Giovanni rewarding Team Rocket for bringing him different kinds of Pokemon! I get a kick out of the predicaments Meowth imagines "The Boss" to be in, relying on a certain Pokemon to provide a solution for him! :)
Fantastic job to everyone who contributed in making the Pokemon episodes and the DVD sets! :) Thanks for reading! God Bless...
~KevyGuy :) * * * * * * *』
(Good Product) 『This Pokémon DVD box set contains 20 episodes of the "Pokémon Advanced" season (season 6) - half of the season's episodes. For the price this DVD is good value, although there are no significant extras or features to speak of. However, for those who are fans of the series, this product is probably a must, and enables them to obtain half of a season very easily (especially in comparison to the first season and the "Johto Journeys" season, where each DVD had only three episodes, making it very difficult to collect a complete season). This style follows on from the "Master Quest" season, but has yet to be repeated for the "Advanced Challenge" or "Advanced Battle" seasons.
Overall, a good value purchase, even more so for fans of the franchise.』
(Pokemon Volume Set 2) 『My son is a big Pokemon fan. It is economical and convenient to have so many Pokemon episodes in one set. I will buy other sets as they become available because my son enjoys them so much.』 『Ash, Brock and Pikachu, along with the sibling team of May and Max, continue their journey through the Hoenn Region, dropping into the Johto League Silver Conference, while winning many other battles along the way!』
price：$3.99
Funimation/Geneon Entertainment
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Love&Realism) 『Realism, drama and romance. Those are some of the qualities normally required for me to respect and give a story a high rating. Paradise Kiss has a mix of all three.
In a nutshell, Paradise Kiss is a story of growth. Over the course of 12 episodes, a high school girl, Yukari, transforms from a normal girl feeling pressured into studying only to impress her parent; transforming into an independent woman who follows her own heart. An encounter with George, an overconfident and handsome fashion designer and head of a small group called Paradise Kiss from a fashion design school, leads her down the path of modeling and love.
I expected fashion to be the main focus of the series after reading a description of the story, but the fashion stuff barely featured outside of costume changes and a few key plot points. It was always in the background, never being more important than the characters. So, if you are worried, fear not: characterization was clearly the priority of the author, and I am glad that was the case since fashion and me do not go together so well. Nearly all of the story focused on the love/hate relationship of George and Yukari.
Throughout the story, George is blunt to the point of being insulting, and he has no problem telling Yukari things such as how he hates women who blame others for their problems (after she blamed her parent for pushing her), or informing her that she was an idiot for putting sleeping with him above her dream. While he was usually right and said what he did out of caring for her, his needlessly confrontational attitude made him a hard guy to understand at times.
Despite my problems with George's 'bad boy' personality, I do think their relationship, including how the two end up, was handled in a very realistic and mature manner. Never did I feel I was looking in on the actions of fake individuals; I could imagine the same events playing out in real life. Their relationship came across so realistically that watching them made me a little watery eyed a few times. After watching numerous anime stories involving plain, generic leads getting it on with soulless female characters, watching Paradise Kiss was a breath of fresh air.
It was also nice seeing an anime relationship not require the male to chase after the female. It was far more equal in Paradise Kiss, with Yukari doing most of the chasing because of George's attitude. She even had to basically beg him to sleep with her after he picked up on her obvious hints but failed to take the easy openings she gave him, instead opting to make her do the work. I give major plus points for the story very rarely coming across as fake.
I only have a few negative comments about the story/characters. The first is that the relationship of George and Yukari seemed to move too fast at first, with George getting jealous after seeing Yukari out with another man, going on to ignore her... even though he had only known her for a few days. The other negative point is that the supporting cast did not get enough time. For example, I wanted to see more than Arashi and Miwako (members of Paradise Kiss) fight and have sex every now and then. Neither of the problems were severe enough to ruin the series for me, and I doubt most others would be troubled by what bugged me.
In terms of the video and audio aspects, the series is very impressive. The art looks wonderful, it being both realistic and stylish, the eyes in particular looking lovely, and the animation is up to the usual Madhouse standard. The soundtrack is a solid one, too, including an excellent opening and a few memorable pieces. As for the voice acting, the English dub is excellent, with all of the cast sounding natural.
All in all, Paradise Kiss is something either gender can enjoy. Going into it, I was a little concerned, worrying that I would not be able to get a lot of enjoyment out of it because of my gender, but I was able to get into it right from the get-go. If you are tired of all the silly, over the top anime in existence, I suggest you give this a try. If in doubt, do not avoid one the best anime out there just because you are not female.
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Cute,funny and addictive!) 『Mild enough for most children and deep enough to ensnare adults, it may be called a puff anime but don't let that fool you. Although the series was never finished (seriously who cut this?) it's still amazing and has earned a spot on my coveted keeper shelf.』
(Has its flaws, but is so sweet and innocent that you probably won't mind...) 『This anime is certainly not without its flaws... 1) Tohru Honda is not very well developed and can even get on my nerves for being so happy and optimistic all the time... 2) Sometimes, the episodes come off as cheesy... 3) It is an angsty series... 4) It can be hard to understand why the Sohmas do not just leave their dysfunctional family... 5) The middle episodes are formulaic/boring... 6) The ending is not really an ending...
These are counterbalanced by... 1) ...but most, if not all, of the other characters are well-developed - they have decent back-stories that we gradually learn and they gradually change. 2) ...but the general messages about fear, acceptance, love, etc are relevant and meaningful. 3) ...but the angst is generally an understandable reaction to the circumstances. Also, this series is about mainly about teenagers, perhaps the most angsty section of the population. 4) ...but in the real world, it is hard for the abused to leave their abuser. This is intensified by the fact that the family is "cursed." 5) ...but there is a large cast of dysfunctional family members. Heck, we don't even meet all the Zodiac members (b/c of 6)...but given the story told, everyone would be disappointed if we didn't meet some of the zodiac members. 6) ...but this is because season 1 was written alongside the manga and stopped partway through the manga. Perhaps there will be a season 2, but if not, the manga is now fully finished (in Japan and the USA) and you can always pick it up to find out the "real" ending.
Overall, this is a very sweet anime and well worth your time.』
(Anime) 『I loved this series. The characters are great, the story line is interesting and the art is great too.』
(Best over-all anime with The Twelve Kingdoms running a close 2nd) 『This is my favorite anime of all time with "The Twelve Kingdoms" running a close second. If I were going to choose one word to describe it, I would use "CHARMING."
My only complaint about this series is that, like "The Twelve Kingdoms," it was never completed.
I hope one day they will be able to do the rest of the series.』
(Great for the whole family) 『I was first introduced to this by a roommate in college. I was still not sure at the time if I liked anime. I fell in love with this almost immediately! I now have bought this on here. It has almost everything for everyone. It has action, fighting, karate, comedy, drama, curses, not too cheery, and much more. I've watched it a million times now, and still love it and can watch it even more without getting tired of it. I also now own the manga, and it's just as good. I think people who don't know much about anime should also watch. It's kind of eye- opening for people who think anime is just kiddy stuff. Everyone should watch it at least once.』 『Fruits Basket(the name refers to a children's game similar to "The Farmer in the Dell") has all the elements of a classicshojo(girl's) series: a sweetly domestic heroine, unconventional living arrangements, and two romantic candidates--one exquisitely gentle, the other hiding a heart of gold beneath a thorny exterior. Sixteen-year-old orphan Tohru Honda has been living in a tent when she meets the Sohma family. Handsome, intelligent Yuki is the most popular boy in school; his older cousin Shigura is a pulp novelist; Kiyo, another cousin, is a hot-tempered, red-haired martial artist. Members of the Sohma family labor under a curse: when embraced by a member of the opposite sex, they turn into animals from the Chinese zodiac: Yuki becomes a rat; Shigure, a dog; Kiyo, a cat. (According to legend, the cat failed to attend the feast held by Buddha at which the animals of the zodiac were chosen, but Tohru adores cats.) After short time, they return to human form--naked. The set-up owes a lot toRanma 1/2, butFruits Basketis a schmaltzy romantic comedy, not a martial-arts farce.
Tohru moves into this weird household and wins everyone's heart by cooking, cleaning, and keeping their secret. She also functions as an in-house Dear Abby, helping all the Sohmas with their emotional problems, which grow increasingly sentimental as the series progresses. Adolescent girls are clearly the target audience forFruits Basket. (Unrated, suitable for age 13 and older, violence, mild profanity, minor risqué humor, tobacco use)--Charles Solomon』
price：$49.99
Adv Films
Usually ships in 7 to 12 days Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Highly enjoyable series) 『Let me start by saying I haven't read the Manga so this review is based only on the video.
I purchased this anime because of the lack of selection on the shelves in the stores. I had expected the series to be a fighting series like Voltron where there really is no story.
Delightfully, this is not the case. Yes, the series is about fighting more and more difficult opponents (notice that I didn't use the word enemies). What it stresses, but kinda of preachy, is having fun and doing your best. It is not abouting trashing your Pvp opponent but to use the battleground as another form of playing.
It is highly enjoyable and entertaining. What pushes it to 5 stars instead of 4 is that it nicely wraps up a story about a girl finally reuniting with her mother and how Angelic Layer evolved to became to be the centerpiece of this meeting.』
(angelic layer) 『I believe that once in awhile you find a series whither TV or anime that stays with you. Angelic layer is a heart warming look into the dreams and emotions of a 12 yr old girl who truly misses her mom. You will laugh with masaki you will cry with masaki and you will be there right along with her every step of the way.』
(Cute, fun anime - plenty of action!) 『This is a really funny anime series about a girl who has not seen her mother since Kindergarten and has moved to Tokyo to live with her aunt. She sees a White Angel fighting a battle on a big screen at the train station and a stranger in a white lab coat encourages her to get involved in Angelic Layer, a game where robotic dolls fight each other in battle. She takes his advice, with funny, romantic and mysterious results. This is a very entertaining series, particularly if you like comic anime. If you're new to anime, it's a light hearted introduction, and if you've watched a lot, it's a refreshing break from some of the more serious anime out there. I will watch this one again, so definitely worth the money.』
(Angelic Layer - Spreading the frosting a little too thin) 『The Angelic Layer anime is based on a very short manga series by Clamp. The story centers on the adventures of Misaki-chan, a tiny school girl, who learns to play a game called Angelic Layer, where contestants fight using mind control helmets to make their "angels" - little robotic dolls, move inside a special arena. The manga series is one of Clamp's better offerings, this anime series is not. My first complaint is that the animation is only second rate, reminding me of anime like Robotech, rather than more modern anime like "Kamichu" or "Lucky Star". The character models only faintly resemble their manga characters. The animators cannot decide how big or small to make Misaki-chan, in some stories she is the same size as her classmates, while in others she is only slightly smaller, not a good foot or so shorter like in the manga. Because of this, all her angst over being "tiny" - her driving force for excelling at Angelic Layer - is lost. Because the manga was so short, the producers of the anime had to spread the story out to make 26 episodes. Characters and angel fights not in the manga are introduced, and, like in a Dragonball Z story, a battle that only took minutes in the manga is often spread across two or three episodes. My biggest complaint is that in adding so much stuff, they changed essential parts of the original story. Instead of being painfully shy, Misaki-chan's mother is disabled and ashamed to meet her daughter because of her disability. The boy-girl relationships end up different than in the manga, too, for no apparent reason that I can see other than it appears that the producers and writers painted themselves into a corner with some of the filler stories. This is not a bad anime, it is just not great, and if you haven't read the manga, you will probably like the anime just fine. It is one of Clamps most "G" rated offerings, without the strange "boy meets robot sexuality" of Chobits and without all the same sex pairings as in Card Captor Sakura.』
(A Pretty Good Anime For Everyone And Also A Good Storyline As Well) 『I usually don't buy these kind of anime since I feel there more for the younger kids than anything else so for whatever reason I did end up getting this one and am very surprised at how good this series really was. The main story follows on small mechanized toy fighting robots called angels that people can use in tournaments called Angelic Layer the robots fight one another in these tournaments and the winner advances to the next round the prize is to be the Angelic Layer champion of certain cities. Enter Misaki Suzuhara(Voiced By Atsuko Enomoto/Jessica Boone) who arrives in Tokyo to live with her aunt and study at a bigger and better school discovers the sport of Angelic Layer and after getting some basic advice and equipment know how from a crafty and weird scientist by the nameof Ichiro "Icchan" Mihara(Voiced By Masaya ONOSAKA/Andy McAvin) begins playing in the angelic layer tournaments. Misaki's other wish for coming to Tokyo is to try and find her missing mother and as you watch the series you will both find out who her mother is and why she felt she had to leave her daughter at the time. The series is for the most part light-hearted with a touch of romance both for the adults and the kids in the anime. The series will of course remind you a little of Pokeman or Card Captors but it's still a very entertaining,cute,and heart-warming series that should not be pushed aside by the more dramatic mecha anime show fans these fans might just be surprised just as I was. Like a lot of the complete box sets the extras aren't much just some trailers and text-less intro/ending songs the video is standard format with 5.1 English audio or 2.0 Japanese audio and both Japanese and English voice actors did a terrific job with this show. I say get this while you can because I'm not sure if anyone else knows but sadly ADV films has lost a lot of contract titles that they had in their production to Funimation so hopefully ADV films can make a comeback from this if not a lot of these sets might be harder to find...』 『From Shojo manga superstars Clamp comes an anime classic. 12 year old Misaki builds her own Angel, a robot competitor for the hit arcade game Angelic Layer. She soon begins winning battles where will and determination count far more than size and strenth. It's a heartwarming story with a message-and a great low price collection!』
『The Galaxy Federation Police (GFP) desperately wants to cover-up its personnel shortage with new mechanized power-suits. Suzuo, 19-years old, desperately needs a job. Tampopo needs an earthling to fit the prototype of her company? suit and declares Suzuo the perfect candidate! Strong competitors and the wacky A-class criminals fight against our hero in diapers, but they must not recognize each other out of costume or the test results will be a failure- but its OK if they all live in the same apartment building to save money, right?』
price：$31.99
Adv Films
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Maybe it's just me) 『I'm gonna have to give this the lowest rating. Maybe because I read Gantz comicbook first, maybe because it stretched what's worth 2 comicbooks into a 6-DVD series.
Excuse my English, I'll try to do my best. Story line is 99% same as the book. nothing new or indepth story line. Some of the still shots are exactly the same as the manga. But it contains so much empty stares and still moments (reminds me of Dragon Ball series) it is really annoying. Even the characters movement sometimes is unrealistically slow (ie, standing up from a chair or reaching for something) When it "finally" gets to action sequences, movements gets little better, but not much. And again, empty stares while groaning and yelling, (charaters just stands there and groans and makes mean faces when they should move on to the next sequence) It really cuts the flow of the movie and makes me yell "What the fvck are they doing!!!!!" Like I said before, 2 books worth of storyline stretched into freaking SIX DVDs..
Next complaint is the Illustration Quality. It just SUCKS. Not much effort went into the drawing of this animation. Characters sometimes appear cross-eyed and out of proportion. Their shapes constantly change. Eventhough some CG's were used for background, they aren't that good. This animation reminds me of poorly funded TV anime series from 90's.
Oh, by the way, Comicbook Season 1 (which is known as Phase 1) does not correspond with Animation Season 1. Animation Season 1 and 2 contains about 2/3 of the Phase 1 storyline. Again, not much effot went into this anime. or the producer decided not to spent much effort on this project. I guess they figured that the name "Gantz" was enough to return the revenue.
For such an amazingly original manga, this anime was a huge disapointment. If Evangelion scored 8/10 in my book, Gantz would score 3/10.
』
(Waste Of Time) 『This is the first time I have ever written a review about an anime. That is because I've never hated an anime as much as this one. This was the biggest waste of time ever, and this is coming from a 19 year old who has enjoyed almost every anime. I have seen almost all animes including unheard of ones, like Generator Gawl and 3x3 Eyes, to more popular ones like Bleach or Naruto.
This pretty much sums it up The Bad: 1. takes a whole episode (literally) to decide whether to shoot an alien who is killing everyone by tearing them limb to limb 2. the only reason the main character does anything is because he just wants to do this other girl 3. the storyline details are never revealed (you are trying to figure out what the whole point of the whole story is from beginning to end) Whatever details you do get are from people trying to figure it out, but they never actually tell you what is going on. 4. (Spoiler) Everyone who goes into the room dies. 5. absolutely no point of the story since it's not even people who go there when they die, they are just copies (WTF right?) 6. Same story repeats throughout the series: 1) people die, 2) they get transported to the room, 3) they are confused, 4) they get told what is going on by the other people who have been there before and don't believe them, 5) almost all of them get killed
The Good: 1. decent animation 2. if you like to see boobs I guess? lots of hentai 3. if you like wasting money』
(please dont waste your time!) 『These anime series is a waste of time and energy. Truthfully, the first two episodes was intriguing. But then it look as if the writers lost the plot and it was just a load of nonsense, in which there was no answer in the end. I am so suprise that some "reviewers" gave it 5 stars. Are you kidding me or what? Trust me it is the worst anime I have ever seen in my life, I thought NOIR was rubbish, but it made NOIR look like the best anime I have ever seen TRUST ME DO NOT WATCH GANTZ YOU WILL REGRET IT
SCORE -100/100』
(Glad I gave it a chance...) 『Ever since I first heard about Ganz, I was intrigued by the concept--the survival/contest/violence elements made me wonder if it was anything like one of my all-time favorite mangas, Battle Royale. I watched the first episode on youtube and was so appalled by one particular scene that I decided not to watch the series at that time.
This paragraph contains spoilers for the first episode. The scene that horrified me was the attempted rape of the main female character. Now let me just say that I watch a lot of horror and exploitation film and I have a pretty strong stomach. I actually love rape/revenge films like "I Spit on Your Grave" and "Ms. 45." It's the *revenge* I love! Anyway, the Yakuza thug trying to rape this girl isn't what bothered me. The fact that no one tried to help her isn't what bothered me (well, it bothers me, but I actually thought it was fascinatingly realistic). What bothered me is that 1) she didn't fight back at all (nor does she ever fight back when an annoying dog tries to lick her naked crotch) and 2) when the "moralistic" character *finally* screws his balls on and saves her, he tosses her his jacket and says "put this on so *I* don't rape you." For some reason this just pissed me off to no end, and I decided not to watch the show.
...But something about it stuck with me. I really found myself wondering what happened. The premise of the show is just so good... and I was actually interested in how utterly despicable all the characters seemed. To make a long story short (I know, too late), when I saw seasons 1 and 2 packaged together at Best Buy for a mere $30, I caved and bought it.
I am so glad I did. Although I'm still really bothered by that episode 1 rape scene, this is one of the most compelling animes I've ever seen. The reason it's so good is, perversely, the same reason why I was so bothered by it in the first place: it's a disturbing show. It's one of the most cynical and pessimistic views of humanity I've encountered outside of a Bret Easton Ellis novel. But it constantly made me think and kept me on the edge of my couch (I literally kept jumping so high that my cat would fall off my lap).
Two suggestions if you're thinking about watching this 1) don't judge the series by the first episode (especially if you're a female viewer like me), and 2) watch it in Japanese. I switched to English in episode 4 just to see how the voice acting was, and Kei's (the main male character) voice was so awful and I switched back immediately. There is no way I could have gotten through the series with that voice!
More good things: The opening song is really great. There are some seriously scary moments, especially in the last two episodes (of season 1, all I've watched so far) and some outstanding gore! The characters kept me guessing--I don't want to give away any major plot points, but I was really surprised by some of the developments. It's great to see a show where there are no heroes and no villains. There are only people who are utter and total cowards, who are just trying to get by, get laid, and live one more day. The utterly bizarre alien/machine Gantz they're up against is an apt symbolic representation of the utterly inexplicable, chaotic, and probably malevolent forces that rule our lives; in this regard, it was, like the manga of Junji Ito, very similar to the universe described by H.P. Lovecraft. This does remind me of Battle Royale in its violent and clever "reality show" premise. However, it lacks the "moral center" provided by Shuya and Noriko in BR--and, for me, that was actually what made this such a fascinating show.
A couple of bad things: Closing credits music sucks (and doesn't fit the tone of the show). The ultra-weak, giant-breasted female lead was pretty annoying. But--and again I'm talking mostly to fellow female otaku--just stick with it. Stuff happens at the end that makes it worth the wait!
I can't wait to see what season 2 has in store... and then I'll no doubt move on to the manga.』
(GANTZ SEASON 1 AND 2) 『THIS WAS AN SATISFACTORY AND VERY THRILLING MOVIE. I DIDN'T EXPECT MANY THINGS TO HAPPEN. IT HAD ME OFF THE EDGE OF MY SEAT EVERY SINGLE MOMENT. MUSIC AND ART WERE REALLY GOOD. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOX SET TO ANYONE WHO LOVES THRILLING ANIME'S WITH VIOLENCE AND GORE. FIGHTING AND THE STORYLINE WERE OUTSTANDING. THE ONLY FAULT WAS THE RUN TIME. IT SEEMED A LITTLE SHORT TO BE A SERIES. BUT OVERALL IT WAS GREAT.』 『Originally released once-a-month ove the course of 2005, the first season of GANTZ caused a sensation. Now ADV has collected all six DVDs into a single thin-pack collection that's beautiful and easy to merchandise.』
price：$4.99
Bandai Entertainment
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Anime Legends,Vol.2) 『It's a must have for all Gundam Fans! Amazon.com Safely Pacaged,So I Had Nothing To Worry About.』
(Tons of positives, a few negatives, but when it all boils down...) 『...this is without a doubt the best Gundam series I've ever seen. So far it's the only one I've actually liked enough to BUY the whole thing. Some problems do weigh this show down a little bit, but with the legion of positives, it almost doesn't matter.
POSITIVES: + Characters are full of personality; good characters aren't all justice, all the time; evil characters are not MWAHAHAHAHA TAKE OVER TEH WORLD evil and each has their own unique characteristics. + Rather than have a share of iffy episodes thrown in with some magnificent ones, the show never strays from telling a full-on story. + Tons of plot-twists; not a boring and predictable storyline. + Music is relatively simple in composition, but adds depth and gives a retro feel. + Characters from the original Gundam make more than just cameo appearances; several such as Amuro, Hayato, Katz, Char, and Bright play significant roles in the story, while Kai, Mirai, and Fraw play good brief supporting roles. The only one to make merely a cameo appearance and not even say anything is Sayla. + While not continuing right where the first Gundam series left off, the connections to the original are very well planned.
NEGATIVES (Because nothing's really perfect) - Sometimes when a character doesn't show up for a while, you think "Where did he/she go?" and when they return again you think "How did he/she get here of all places?" - This is 1985, so the art and animation are a little dated. - The dub is pretty bad. - Kamille, while not boring, is sometimes a very annoying, Luke Skywalker-level whiny lead character.
The thing is, not only are there more good things than bad, the good things would outweigh the bad if there were the same number of each. This show simply cannot be missed. BUT! At the same time, it is better you see some fair portion of the first Gundam series, either in the 43 television episodes or the three compilation movies. That way, you will have a significantly better understanding of some of the names and terminology used in this show. 5 stars all the way!』 『In Zeta Gundam, the sequel to the original Mobile Suit Gundam series, the Universal Century world is locked into an escalating conflict. While the AEUG resistance group strives to convince the world of the justice of its cause, the brutal Titans continue to suppress dissent through violence and fear. Now the struggle enters a new phase as a powerful third force enters the battlefield, and the AEUG and Titans race to enlist the support of the mysterious Axis renegades. Confronted with his past, Char Aznable at last decides to embrace his role as leader of the AEUG. But his choice may have come too late, for the Titans have completed their most terrible and devastating weapon.』 『Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam(1985) gets increasingly complicated, as Amuro Ray and Char Azanable from the firstGundamseries appear. The confrontation between the rebel forces of the A.E.U.G. (Anti-Earth Union Group) and the power-hungry paramilitary Titans becomes a triangle of competing powers when a relict Zeon force arrives on the scene, led by Haman Karn, who is determined to restore the Zabi family to power. The storyline gets even more tangled as Kamille Bidan uses his Newtype powers to establish psychic bonds not only with his girlfriend Fa Yuiry, but with Sarah, Four, Reccoa, Emma, and Rosammy. These links feel repetitious, as do the metal-hand-to-metal-hand duels between Kamille's Zeta Gundam and the enemy Mobile Suits that occur in every episode. There's little sense of a broad story arc, and at this early phase of anime, the filmmakers were still learning how to write credible female characters. Fa comes across as a twit along the lines of Minmei inRobotech, and she's saddled with two thoroughly obnoxious orphans.Zeta Gundamlacks the depth of characterization that made08 MS Teammemorable and the CG-assisted space battles inGundam Seedand other recent installments. But for viewers interested in following the development of the popular and long-runningGundamfranchise, it's must viewing. (Rated 13 and older: violence, violence against women, nudity, alcohol use)--Charles Solomon』
price：$5.00
Bayview Entertainment/Widowmaker
Not yet released 『About Rental Magica: Part 1 - Destroying supernatural monsters...dispelling dark magic...it s all in a day s work for the mages of Astral! However, after the mysterious disappearance of the company president, they re left in a lurch. His son, Itsuki Iba, begrudgingly fills in, but Itsuki s unfamiliarity with magic could spell bad news for Astral especially with their rival Goetia vying for the very same contracts. As the jobs grow ever more dangerous, they soon find that staying in business is the least of their worries. Contains episodes 1-12 in both broadcast and chronological order. DVD Features: Scene access, Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo audio for Japanese dialogue, English subtitles and English on-screen translations. PLUS: character bios; special promo 1; commercial spot 1; clean opening 1; clean closing 1; Rental Magica Part 2 trailer; and Nozomi trailers. AND: a book with more than 100 pages of background information about the series and its mythology.』
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