price：$4.99
ADV Films
Usually ships in 2 to 3 days Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Worst I've Seen, and I've Seen Plenty of Anime) 『***(Review applies only to disc 1 of this series)***
This is the worst anime I have seen since I became an anime fan over 10 years ago. Fans of FLCL will notice how similar the two shows are. However, I liked FLCL infinitely more than this even though I don't consider myself as much of a fan (of FLCL) as most. I actually never made it through the first disc of MSAA. It's not funny, it's not cute, the animation starts out fine, but goes south FAST. The dub is just dreadful, and I am normally a fan of dubs, especially ones from ADV. On top of all that there seems to be no real plot. I've stopped watching maybe 2 anime at some point in a series because of sheer boredom, but never because of being completely irritated and disgusted.
If you're a serious anime fan don't let the cute girls on the dvd cover fool you into thinking this is worth your time! And seriously, if you're REALLY curious though just rent it, don't buy.』
(No matter how much geek knowledge you possess!) 『If I had to describe "Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi," it would be simple: "Fooly Cooly" as written by Lewis Carroll.
That's only a glimpse of the explosive weirdness and insanely cracked-out madness that fills every episode of this wacky anime series. And while "Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi: Volumes 1-3" starts off a bit slowly, this brilliant series soon blossom into an acid-tripping flower filled with constant spoofs, genre cliches, and lots of fanservicey breasts.
Sasshi is unhappy -- the Abenobashi Shopping Arcade is being bought out for demolition, and his friend Arumi is going to be moving away. Fortunately they are distracted from their impending separation by a series of mysterious animal statues all throughout the Arcade.
But when Arumi's grandfather is badly injured and the bird statue is smashed, Arumi and Sasshi find themselves sucked into a freaky D&D-video-game-esque fantasy land, where they are called upon to defeat the stereotypically Evil Lord. Unfortunately, Arumi spends all their money on a mysterious charm by a blue-haired sorcerer, and Sasshi keeps getting killed by the insane, scantily-clad Mune Mune.
Each attempt to get back home sends Sasshi and Arumi to another cracked-out variant of Abenobashi -- a mecha space station with a hulking mecha, a Chinese martial-arts competition, a Flintstonesy dinosaur age, a noir gangster story, a dating sim, the ultimate girl fantasy land (or so Sasshi thinks!), a deranged warzone, and a frenetic mishmash of every movie Sasshi has ever seen.
But where did all these crazy worlds come from? Who are Mune Mune and the grumpy sorcerer Eutus, and what is their connection to Sasshi? The secrets of the shopping arcade are revealed even as Sasshi comes face-to-face with a tragedy that keeps him from letting Arumi go home...
"Neon Genesis Evangelion," martial-arts, "Dragonball Z," medieval S&S fantasy, hard-boiled noir, "Monty Python" ("My old wound from the WAR!"), war movies, "Indiana Jones," and even "2001: A Space Odyssey." All of these get spoofed and/or lovingly homaged -- not to mention minor tropes such as shouting anime attack names, or the little details ("But it's standard BGM").
The first half or so of the series is pretty much a steady stream of wacky spoof mayhem, peppered with endless fanservice (Mune Mune's mostly-nude getups), repeated deaths ("I saw the beginnin' and the end of the UNIVERSE!"), and plots full of random and inexplicable twists ("I don't understand! Why am I a dumpling?" Sasshi moans after getting encased in a dumpling and sent off the top of a skyscraper).
But about halfway through, the insanity is threaded with an elaborate and rather sad subplot, involving the death of a much-loved family member, a legendary Omnyoji, and a centuries-old love triangle.
Sasshi makes a good hero for this series -- he's a die-hard geek who enjoys all the weirdness (including repeated deaths) and acquires some world-changing new powers. But the core of his personality turns out to be his desire to save Arumi from heartbreak. Arumi herself is a good counterpoint -- down to earth, steady, and a bit crazy by the end ("Let Sasshi know the torments of HEEEEEEEEELLLLLLL...").
And it has a pretty fun supporting cast, with the same family members playing out different roles in every world. The only exceptions are Mune-Mune (a loopy half-naked redhead whose true identity is a shock) and Eutus (a sorcerer having a midlife crisis).
"Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi" is a wild, tripped-out ride that mingles a fantastical coming-of-age story with chaotic spoofery. Delightful all the way through... but definitely not for kids.』 『Studio: Adv Films Release Date: 01/20/2009 Run time: 325 minutes』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (After the World Ends, It Lingers) 『It seems odd to love a story that spirals relentlessly toward its grim conclusion. It's no spoiler to reveal things don't exactly end happily ever after; the subtitle is perfectly accurate. Saikano is not rosy, escapist, shoujo (or even shounen) fare. It packs an emotional punch.
The setting is a small, seaside town in rural Hokkaido (that big northern island in the Japan Archipelago). Chise and Shuji are classmates. Neither is particularly remarkable. Both are awkward and shy. Chise is small, slow, clumsy, not terribly bright and apologises for everything. She has tended to be sickly and has a hard time making it up Hell Hill to school each day. But she's cute. And genuine. Shuji used to be on the track team. He's quiet, uncertain of himself, a little bristly, sort of cool, sort of directionless and disaffected. Chise worked up the courage to ask Shuji to be her boyfriend. He agreed. Thus they begin.
Shuji narrates their story, and the primary device is an exchange diary Chise asks him to write with her. She is a more conscientious contributor than he, and through her words, reveals things she cannot bring herself to say face to face.
"Normal" does not last long for this improbable pair. For reasons we never learn, Chise is chosen to become the ultimate weapon in a global-scale war. Only Shuji knows who and what Chise has become, and it is her dichotomous existence that shapes and clarifies his love for her - Shuji ultimately proves himself deeply compassionate in the face of this insanity. Chise's abilities evolve, the two fumble in their attempts to articulate their love, they grapple with their human flaws, and as the war inexorably progresses, their world crumbles around them. When it seems they are lost to each other as so much flotsam and jetsam amid forces of epic proportion, they find the strength of their love.
Other characters revolve around this pair in ways that are sad, urgent or affirming. These relationships, all tragedy-prone, provide the framework upon which the story develops its themes. Saikano is not particularly interested in the whys and hows of war and weaponry, it is interested in what happens to individuals who live with the experience of war.
Saikano is based on the manga series by Takahashi Shin. The character design in the animation is sensitive to Takahashi-san's line art; the plotting is largely consonant (yes, even in the manga everyone is perpetually blushing, and Chise is a waterworks). The artistry of Saikano's character development is such that I found myself caring as much for the supporting cast as I did for the leads. The anime generally tames the didactic tone that occasionally made the manga feel message-heavy.
Mecha otaku beware. Despite her experience with the mecha genre, director Kase Mitsuko (Mobile Suit Gundam) clearly made the choice to remain faithful to the human focus of Takahashi-san's story rather than flesh out the technology. Where others have minded this, I am grateful.
Look elsewhere if: you require a conventional happy ending; you need the machinations of your geopolitical conflicts fully outlined; you need your science fiction carefully and credibly explained; you crave long, action-packed battle scenes; you find the willing suspension of disbelief problematic. A mass of hardware, sometimes insect-like, sometimes angel-like, sometimes tank-like, sometimes octopus-like, is contained in Chise's small body. Every now and again she inexplicably expels chunks of it. Just suspend judgment and go with the flow. It really doesn't matter to the story that's being told what the weapon is or how it works or even why Chise was the chosen one; it just matters that a small, inconsequential girl who had rather conventional aspirations and was in love for the first time became a weapon capable of eradicating humanity.
The story suggests numerous questions: what does it mean to love? what does it mean to live? what are we meant to do? what are the repercussions of our destructive nature, and might destruction encompass a measure of compassion? who is to blame? what does it mean to be human? what is happiness? what are our sins? what evidence do we leave of our passing through? what matters? We're not talking Philosophy 401, but neither are we talking your typical light-weight cartoon pablum. Saikano has the grace to leave many of these questions open to your own interpretations.
In the final scenes of the manga (it's expressed differently in the anime; the question pertains to both), Shuji asks Chise, "Do you think we were good lovers in the end?" How do we measure the goodness of love? If we look at Shuji's relationship with Fuyumi or the manner in which he eases Akemi's death by affirming her beauty or Chise's relationship with Tetsu and see only evidence of cheating, we will measure love's goodness shallowly. In Saikano's world, love is not a casual, superficial construct; it is a path, often confused, often morally ambiguous, toward redemption. Love, in its many permutations, matters.
After the world ended, Saikano still lingers in my mind in the same way Kino's Journey and Mushi-shi do (though these are hardly similar stories!). It touched me as deeply as did Grave of the Fireflies. Works like these constitute Anime for the Thinking Person, and I cherish artistic creations with the power to leave me feeling moved, thoughtful and enlarged.
Kino's Journey - The Complete Collection Mushi-shi: The Complete Series Grave of the Fireflies
[Note: There is tastefully executed nudity and sex. There is blood. There is killing (this is about war). Characters you come to care for die. Chise, who is supposed to be a petite and very cute high school senior, looks underage, which raises the spectre of paedophilia for some. If you are inclined to be bothered by any of these things, it's best to avoid this anime.]』
(SAIKANO) 『This is the only show I've been able to watch all in one sitting. The English dub work is wonderfully bad, with a charm I just couldn't help but like. About a fifth of the scenes will feature someone crying, someone dying, or someone crying over someone dying. I laughed, cried, cheered, bawwwwed, raged, and I enjoyed every minute of it.』
(She: The Ultimate Cry-Baby) 『This series ended up being very disappointing. Echoing the thoughts of others who have the same views about Saikano, it tried hard to be a tragic romance story and turned out to be more boring than depressing - it didn't make me watery eyed. There are series that depress viewers without making it obvious the plan is to pull on the viewers heart strings and there are series that make it so obvious that you expect people to die just to get a reaction, and Saikano is the latter.
Before watching I thought it was going to turn out to be a winner in my eyes - Great looking box/DVD art, a depressing sounding story, short length and only a£10 fee required to own the series. I couldn't see how, for such a small amount of money, a fairly highly rated show could fail to meet my expectations. But, sadly for me, Saikano got all the basics wrong.
It's a shame because the story had a lot of potential: In the Saikano world Japan is losing a war against a nameless country. The Japanese government decide to make an ultimate weapon to change their fortunes, and they pick Chise, a 17 year old girl with poor grades and physical abilities, to be that weapon. She has to deal with the fact her body has become a weapon of mass destruction and, at the same time, come to terms with being in love for the first time.
The first problem the series has is terrible pacing. The first half of the series left me feeling like nothing had happened; like events simply kept repeating themselves in slightly different ways each episode. Chise cried, she had a talk with Shuji (her boyfriend), Chise cried some more, Chise then went off to fight (without the fighting getting shown since that would require money) and the episode ended. The script for each of the early episodes had very little variation, and the characters started saying fake sounding rubbish (such as talking about kids and marriage after being together for 1 week...), which made the show a difficult one to stick with.
Even though the relationship between the main two failed miserably for the most part, the series still could've saved itself if the sci-fi elements had been explained in convincing fashion. However, almost as you'd expect after seeing how badly the pacing and love side was handled, the sci-fi parts of the story weren't explained at all. Chise, seemingly not caring a great deal, reveals to Shuji that she, a useless girl who can't get anything right, was turned into some kind of humanoid weapon that can grow rockets out of her back...and that she forgot to ask any important details after having her body irreversibly transformed. From start to finish, that's all you learn about why a pathetic school girl was turned into a living weapon. And, worst of all, it's never even revealed who Japan is supposed to be involved in a war with, as if such a minor detail doesn't matter.
If a story is going to work it needs to be explained. Simply expecting viewers to believe that an annoying high school girl (who happens to look eight) would be forcefully turned into a weapon instead of a consenting adult is stupidity of the highest order. How was I supposed to care about the events that occurred if the story seemed far too daft to take seriously?
I suppose the damage the snail pacing, fake/generic dialogue and completely unbelievable story did could've been lessened if the characters made me care about them. After all, the key to making a viewer feel something when characters die is to build up their attachment beforehand. But Saikano failed to make me care enough about any of the cast to make me feel anything. Chise acted pathetically, crying at every available opportunity and being a doormat for Shuji whenever possible. Shuji was a plain guy with glasses who managed to get three of the opposite gender, including an older woman, after him...and he played around. Akemi, who was probably the best of a bad bunch, was only there to support Chise and be another female who longed for the glasses wearing male lead. None of them did anything for me; I was almost willing the main two to be killed at times!
Aside from the pacing, story and characters (not much really!), the other thing that bugged me about Saikano was the art. For reasons known only to more intelligent people than myself, the characters have a blushing effect going on 24/7 in Saikano...well, either that or Earthlings in the Saikano world have red lines on their faces by default. And the face weirdness didn't stop there; the faces all look silly from the sides due to the way the noses are drawn so small. If you mix those two issues with a lack of animation then you have a problem, and Saikano shouldn't have had problems (at least not with the animation) visually when it's only 13 episodes long. The only plus on the looks side was the excellent use of eye-catching colours.
As for the music, the less said the better. The only theme that has managed to stick in my memory is the guitar theme that plays on the DVD menus. I don't even remember the opening and ending themes. The soundtrack failed to draw any emotion out of me, which is quite a serious flaw for an anime that wants to play with my feelings.
Overall, Saikano disappointed more than it pleased. I almost dropped it after the first 6 episodes, only ending up continuing to see if the end made up for the first half. Although there was a considerable amount of improvement once the same episode stopped seeming to keep repeating itself and the plot actually started to give me the feeling it was going somewhere, the content wasn't good enough to save what had been an awful series up until that point. And the series wasn't even able to end in style, with the ending being rushed (the world was ending all of a sudden, for no reason) and the conclusion to the events making little to no sense.
6.5/10』
(Tragedy) 『A beautiful, but painful show to watch. You know the ending by the title itself "Last love song on the planet," so don't expect deux ex machina to save the day or anything chippper or cheerful to happen at the end. It's a tragedy. It's a story of a boy who tries his best to love his girlfriend, but like any young couple, suffers the angst and temptations of reality, mixed with scifi, as he discovers his girlfriend was injected with weapon genes that are maturing in her body, making her more and more into a weapon and less of a human.』
(A sad and beautiful anime.) 『As with some of the other reviewers, I would like to start with that if you're looking for a mecha anime, Saikano probably isn't for you. The mecha aspects nearly made me stop the series around the second or third episode (as I'm not a fan of the genre) but I'm very glad I finished it (I think I watched the rest non-stop).
Visually, Saikano is a mixed bag. Colors are bright and mood inducing, but character design is a bit lackluster (although they couldn't have made Chise anymore cute). The music was good, the Japanese voice acting decent.
What really made me like Saikano was the love story. I'm a sucker for romance, and this one made me tear up several times, especially when Akemi... well, you'll see. This single scene is probably one of the saddest I've ever seen in an anime.
I could have done without some of the science-fiction elements, but by the end I realized that the whole series rides on the unusual circumstances places upon the heroin. I also thought the series brought up a lot of interesting ideas concerning ethics in war (something that we all should be aware of with current world events).
In the end, I really enjoyed Saikano. Sure, it has it's cons, but what anime doesn't?
I want to lastly mention that I do not own the DVD set (yet), so I cannot comment on the DVD packaging, extras, or subs.』 『Shuji and Chise are high school seniors in a small town who have just started dating when Shuji discovers that Chise has been engineered by the SDF so that she can transform herself into a powerful weapon. While Shuji and Chise keep trying to nurture their relationship, Chise continues to grow even more powerful as the Ultimate Weapon, and becomes increasingly torn between being a destructive fighting force and remaining an ordinary teenager. What do you do when the girl you love becomes a weapon of mass destruction?
Bilingual Japanese&English, with optional English subtitle,scene access menu, line-art gallery, Interviews with the creator, director, voice actors, Making of featurette, Special Footage, Production art and more!』
price：$6.99
ANIMEIGO
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Boomer Baby) 『Bubblegum Crisis: 7 out of 10: Hot chicks, giant robots, and evil corporations fill every frame of Bubblegum Crisis as does some surprisingly catchy Eighties tunes.
Bubblegum Crisis, like Akira or Macross, is one of those Anime that separate the thirty something Anime fan from this year's crop of snot nosed punk kids. When you think Japanese cartoons, do you think Pokémon or shower scenes. Do you think irritating children or kick ass adults. Do your favorite plots involve the little kids defeating the big evil corporation or adults facing economic hardship and self-sacrifice. Bubblegum crisis is an Anime for the thirty something.
As I settle into my damn kids today voice and distaste for every exaggerated, rapid cut seizure inducing, saccharine piece of crap that passes for entertainment these days. (I am looking your way Cartoon Network). I can sit back and watch full-grown woman destroy some boomers (as well as half of Tokyo) and reminisce about my childhood when cartoon characters swore and a gratuitous nude scene followed every battle.
Is Bubblegum Crisis as good as I remember it? No. The episodes do not flow into each other well and vary in quality. Some of the dubbing is dubious and the live action music videos contained in the extras are simply painful (In a OMG what cheese kind of way).
Bubblegum Crisis allows me to both relieve my childhood and look down upon kids today. What more could I ask for my entertainment dollar.
』
(Hop Scotch) 『This series of 6 episodes has an ongoing battle/theme, but each episode was done by a different producer. The series leaves many un-answered questions, even at the end. But if you enjoy collecting classics get it!』
(Classic anime!) 『The Bubblegum Crisis anime is a classic OVA series and needs to be a part of any fan of either cyberpunk or Japanese animation. Despite the animation for the first three episodes dating from the late 1980s the storylines remain interesting and eminently watchable. A great anime series for your friends to watch if they are over 16 and have never watched anime before or think it is just what is found on Cartoon Network.』
(Good stuff) 『In a "Blade Runner" like future, four vigilante women - the Knight Sabers - assist the AD Police in fighting boomers, living machines not unlike the Replicants from "Blade Runner". The Knight Saber ring leader is Sylia Stingray, a rich, mysterious brunette who is the daughter of the man who created the boomers and whom might actually be a boomer herself. The others include rebellious biker girl Priss Asagiri, aerobics instructor Linna Yamazki and ADP computer hacker Nene. Other characters include ADP man Leon McNichol, a Brad Pitt like pretty boy with high ideals and a jerky attitude as well as a thing for Priss and with Leon is his hilarious partner Daley Wong. Oh and Sylia has a pervert whiz kid for a brother by name of Mackey. The villains include Quincy, chairman of GENOM, the company that produces the boomers, his right hand man Brian J. Mason (killed off too soon) and an obnoxious boomer man named Largo.
A good series overall, but being dated is the least of its problems. Originally slated for 13 episodes, it was cut short at episode 8, leaving many series plot threads unresolved. A sequel series, Bubblegum Crash, was concocted to solve this problem but it didn't help. Also the characters are never as well developed as you would like them to be. The most interesting character, the Knight Saber ringleader Sylia, is never completely explored. Linna had potential, but her subplot involving a friend who was apart of a mafia family was never resolved and most of the time Linna was just ignored. Nene was cute and funny but only had one episode to call her own, the last one. Sadly, most of the series attention was centered on Priss, who somehow became the most popular character of the series, so much in fact that although she was originally suppose to die, a fan backlash saved her; I think this was due partly to the fact that she was voiced by a then popular Japanese singer. But Priss herself was not that interesting of a character: all her episodes basically revolve around her seeking revenge for a minor character friend that we the audience sometimes didn't even get to know in depth. Priss became repetitive and dull after a certain point. I could never quite figure out what Leon saw in her.
But the series itself is not inherently bad. Animation is still pretty good in most of the eps (excluding the first one, which is a bit herky jerky, and the last one, in which the characters are drawn much too thinly), was generally good natured, good humored, and it had an interesting theme on humanity VS technology.
Remade for TV as "Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040" in 1999. Hate to say it, but 2040 was superior in many ways, though not completely perfect in and of itself.』
(Bubblegum Crisis, an Original Classic) 『The Bubblegum Crisis franchise in one of the strongest anime franchises out, with numerous spin-offs and a release of a new Bubblegum Crisis series, and there's no wondering why in my book. The characters, for there time, were original, the story was well-done and plotted excellently, the world in which the series was based was thoroughly thought out, and the music, though dated, works well with the anime.
In 2032-33, we get to meet the original four girls: Sylvia, Lena, Nene, and the ever popular Priss, as they battle Genom made Boomers from episode to episode in order to protect MegaTokyo. The first three episodes deals with the Knight Sabers battle with Brian Mason, the evil leader of Genom bent on destroying these four girls at all costs. The next episode gets away from the Genom story as the girls must fight a car infected with the Boomer virus, which is determined to destroy the Outriders, a biker gang. When Priss becomes a target, the Knight Sabers are forced to act. The fifth and six episodes gets back to the battle with Genom, and the Knight Sabers find themselves fighting some powerful new enemies: themselves, and the mysterious Largo. This is essentially the end of the series, yet two more movies follow that are almost entirely unrelated to the first six. In Double Vision, they must figure out a series of terrorist attacks against Boomer engineers. These attacks somehow involve Vision, an American singer. In Scoop Chase (my personal favorite) we follow Nene in her job as an AD Police officer while she watches over Lisa, a young girl who seems to idolize the Knight Sabers. That's when a new group of Boomers attack the AD Police headquarters and the Knight Sabers must act in order to save allies and friends from the ongoing Boomer threat.
What's great about this series is that it's actually a huge collection of short films. None of these episodes are less than a half-hour, and some are near to an hour or more. It makes it much more watchable, in the end, since there is never a "to be continued." You see one conflict resolve itself before moving onto the next, without ever truly escaping the core storyline.
This is a classic anime series that should be picked up by any person who truly wants to call themselves a hardcore fan. This is one of the founders of the cyberpunk genre and without this series, great anime like Akira may have never been. I recommend this to everyone.』 『Set in a world rife with pollution, poverty, and gigantic global corporations, BUBBLEGUM CRISIS offers an Animé vision of the future that draws on the traditions of cyberpunk. Set in 2033, the action takes places in MegaTokyo, where robots known as Boomers have replaced human beings in the workplace. Japan has the strongest economy on the planet, and is home to Genom, the largest corporation in the world.Overcrowding and unemployment leads to immense dissatisfaction for the denizens of this future world, so it takes a strong and innovative military presence to keep the population under control. Fortunately the Knight Sabers are at hand to battle against the evil overlords who preside over Genom. Comprised of four women, the Knight Sabers are the only hope the human race has of salvation from a future society which is perilously close to being overrun by big businesses. This collection includes the complete OVA series for a total of 8 episodes.』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (My son is a Dragon Ball Gt Fan, He loves it!) 『My son (10yrs old) wanted this for Christmas. We bought this just before Christmas yet it got here in time to be under the tree for him. He loves it! We bought it used, perfect condition, plays well. He has the whole series now. 1 to 15, thanks.』
(Pretty awesome!) 『Alot of people don't like the gt series i think its actually good just because akira toriyama didn't work on this one its still his work!!』
(Goku rocks!) 『This is one of the best animes that I have ever seen. If you really like anime then you should really check this series out along with the Dragonball Z series. There's tons of action and great storylines in this. Although Dragonball GT didn't quite hold the epic value that the Dragonball Z series had, it's still a really great series. Dragonball GT is the culmination of the entire Dragonball saga.』
(GT is good) 『The shadow dragons have been born 17 episodes 5 discs the complete shadow dragon saga』
(A good ending to a great series) 『This is easily the best saga in the Dragonball GT series. It had more action than any of the other sagas. This dvd set has 17 episodes which includes the whole shadow dragon saga. It had a lot action and it all wrapped up into a ending that was that great and unexpected. This dvd set has everything a Dragonball fan could want. It has great moments such as Vegeta finally becoming a super saiyan 4 and has the strongest villan ever in the Dragonball series. I recommend this set first before you get anything else. The other three sagas are good but not as good as this one.』 『The third GT installment unloads an arsenal of action with Evolution, Revolutin, Realization, Conversion and Generations. Every bone-crushing moment is uncut and unleashed for collectors to feel the experience like never before! Over 300 minutes of non-stop action!』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (GREAT) 『I had already bought this set for my husband, but we are going to keep it and give it next year for our grandson. They got into Dragonball because of the Granddad Mike. Thanks』
(Too Much of a Power house) 『Dragonball got good at the end of the series. Dragonball Z was fairly good overall. Dragonball GT had it's moments. The only thing I didn't like about this series is that they go too far with the power levels. In fact, in one of these episodes, in one of these volumes of this particular boxed set, Goku was fighting an enemy named Rildo and said something to the lines of, "He's even more powerful than Majin Buu." Considering Goku didn't seem to be trying in the fights, that was a lie.』
(Dragonball GT) 『This was a really great anime series. I liked the theme music even though it took me a while to get used to it. The storylines are great. Like it's predecessor Dragonball Z, the stories can sometimes be a bit drug out. But like Dragonball Z the series certainly does make up for it with a lot of action and suspense. This series also ends on a high note with Goku seeming more like a Japanese version of Superman. Hey, like Superman they even made a statue of Goku to show how extraordinary of a character he is.』
(Bring back the Z Writers!) 『Dragon Ball Z Owning the Anime Sales Charts Dragon Ball Z Season One the number one anime seller year-to-date
According to analysis of Nielsen Video Scan sales data the company?s Dragon Ball Z Season One release is the best-selling anime video release to date in 2007.
In February, we released Dragon Ball Z Season One, a digitally remastered and restored collection of the first 39 episodes known as the Vegeta Saga. The season set, priced at $49.98, has taken the anime sales charts by storm. Nielsen Video Scan data shows that the Dragon Ball Z Season One sales is the top of the anime sales charts, despite only three months of sales. Dragon Ball Z season set sales have also helped FUNimation increase the company's position as the market share leader in the U.S. anime industry.
The next set, Dragon Ball Z Season Two, will release next Tuesday, May 22, and includes the entire Namek and Ginyu sagas (35 episodes). The Dragon Ball Z Season Two set will also have the $49.98 price tag and it will be the first time the Namek saga has been released on DVD.
source: dragonballz.com
IF Z is selling this great in 2007, why not pick up the series again! Cmon original writers, you can FIX what GT botched up! we neeeed yoooou!!! Anime needs you! 』
(Save your money) 『I'm a hardcore DBZ fan, but watching the first episodes of GT was utterly disappointing. Seriously.. just avoid this series.』 『Long ago, a race known as the Tuffles were invaded and destroyed by a conquering Saiyan army. The Tuffles were thought to be extinct, but before their annihilation, they found a way to preserve a single soul. That soul has now become a power-hungry mutant named Baby. With the ability to possess and control other bodies, Baby has a sinister plan of using his powers to achieve world domination. It will be up to Goku, Pan and Trunks to stop him before he possesses the mighty Vegeta and destroys the planet! Contains 5 volumes in a cool art box!』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (funny and all round good fun) 『Gakuen Alice (or as it's known by its english title 'Alice Academy') is a funny show about a a young girl named Mikan Sakura who willingly leaves behind her normal life in Kyoto to be with her best friend (Hotaru Imai) at a school for k-college students that have amazing inborn 'talents' known as Alices. Unbeknownst to the idiot Mikan she too has an Alice and is accepted into the academy where she has already made an enemy (Natsume Hyuga) even before her application process has been completed. It's zany, wacky, and loveable if only somewhat unremarkable. That being said Gakuen Alice is highly entertaining and watching it reminds me of elementary school all over again... the good, the bad, the ugly, and the weird. I love the story line and the art is passable and cute. Five stars for high energy level and being all round good fun!!! Family friendly, however there is mild language and its also full of childish immaturity (panty stealing, etc.) but it's still worthy of several asian emoticons that will soon be on your face as soon as you start watching: ^___^ >.< >o>.> o__O? o.o』 『"Shojo-riffic!"
Mikan and Hotaru are best friends! (Well, according to Mikan, anyway, Hotaru doesn't seem to care.) Then one day, Hotaru is escorted away in a fancy black car, apparently scouted by a school in Tokyo called "Alice Academy." Crushed at the loss of her favorite pal, Mikan scurries after her, determined to enroll, too!But Alice Academy is a mysterious place. Can Mikan tough it out in a school where explosions, superpowers, giant baby chicks and axe wielding teddy bears are the norm? Though it's not as if she has a choice, because once students enter Alice Academy, there is no escape!
Contains the complete 26 episode TV Series!』
price：$3.00
ANIME WORKS
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Loved It) 『Okay I gotta be honest I'm a sucker for cute girls, and yuri appeals to me greatly. and no I am not some sick minded teenage boy. The overall anime is very good it pulls at your heart strings like every good anime should. It was highly worth my time :3』
(Regardless If It Has Girls In Love With Girls The Series Is Worth A Look) 『AS some reviewers have said the series is a nice romantic and for the most part light-hearted show about three young people with feelings of love for between them and while the three people in the anime are female there isn't anything r-rated really for anyone to worry about except at times some frontal nudity which isn't to much to complain about. The series has one young man Hazumu who has feelings fro a young girl by the name of Yasuna who he admits his feelings to, but sadly she doesn't reciprocate them and he runs away heartbroken, but after walking in the woods he unexpectedly is struck by a spaceship and since the aliens wish to revive Hazumu reconstruct his body but make a mistake in gender and he now is a she. After this unusual accident and gender change Hazumu's best friend and tomboy Tomari helps her now female friend adjust to life as a girl but along the way begins to feel the same feelings of love she had for him as a boy, and she now has an unexpected rival as Yasuna also has feelings of affection for our now gender changed Hazumu. If you've seen the series Strawberry Panic or Simoun than this series is another good pick as while there is some drama in the series on who Hazumu will end up with it's not to dramatic like the previous two series as mentioned before and don;t worry about any hentai scenes as this keeps the series pretty light for anything to hardcore. The series like reviewers have said does only come in Japanese subbed with subtitles but it wont detract the enjoyment of the series for watchers, the one thing that bugs me is that some reviewers have bad-mouthed the show because it doesn't carry any sex scenes which is pretty lame if you want to watch stuff like that just get an adult movie or anime because of an anime series is truly enjoyable it doesn't need that kind of crap in it to be entertaining. The set has the series plus the OVA to finally show us who Hazumu ends up with Yasuna or Tomari, so if you like light-hearted romantic anime series with a touch of comedy and nonsense with a nice cute ending for all here's one set worth a try...』
(surprisingly funny) 『Regarding the drawing it's quite nice to see. As for the story, it first looked quite surprising to me, but it turned out to be very funny! I particularly enjoyed ep.2, seeing this ex-boy trying to adapt to his (her) new condition, or rather his family and friends trying to adapt to him/her! At the beginning he kept acting like a boy, leading to some funny situations as you can expect ^^. But, with the help of his "girlfriends", he/she learns quickly how to behave properly (indeed he/she was rather effeminate before and this new situation doesn't seem to bother him/her that much). And this leads to the second comical aspect, where he/she behaves like a girl even more than his/her friends themselves (to their despair! looks like they have a new serious competitor! ^^). So this gender UFO ends up causing some trouble to both side, and I had lots of fun seeing them entangled in awkward situations. But then the end of the series is a little repetitive and kitsch. Still, I had a good time, I recommend it !』
(A yuri anime with no real lesbians!?) 『Note: There are some (mostly minor) spoilers included. Just a warning in case you plan on watching the series without knowing anything.
Kashimashi: 6.5/10
In the end, I got pretty much what I expected - a silly, simplistic series, complete with lesbians in school girl uniforms. It didn't amaze me, yet I didn't hate it.
Kashimashi is about a boy, Hazumu, who gets transformed into a girl in a very realistic manner. Once he's a girl(!?), he/she/it finds himself in a yuri love triangle with his tomboy childhood friend, Tomari, and the pretty girl, Yasuna, he was chasing after back when he only had two sexual openings (excluding his ears and nose, of course).
It could've been better if the reasoning behind certain aspects of the plot weren't quite so retarded. For example:
#1: Instead of having a spaceship crash into a boy and change his gender...somehow, why not throw in some extra originality and have him fall into some gender changing water? It still would've been daft but nowhere near as 'out there' as having a spaceship crash into a random person and remove his penis...somehow. It seemed to have been done just so some weird alien girl could exist and add "-puu" to the end of every sentence. Don't you just hate those characters whose only quirk is to add a meaningless suffix to the end of everything? It almost makes me believe it was a desperate attempt by the creator of the story to be original; creating a never used before suffix.
#2: Instead of avoiding doing something as terrible as adding depth by making Yasuna's fear of males realistic and giving her a sexual abuse back-story, why did they give her a stupid eye problem where she simply couldn't see males? 'Just go to bloody Specsavers!' came to the front of my mind. They even made the cure for her problem love - like waking sleeping beauty from her sleep with a kiss, which hasn't been repeated many times in various forms. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
There were a lot of things like the above that could've been changed for the better. Whoever came up with/copied the gender swapping story got a lot of the simple things wrong in what was an overly simple story. I should be asked to proof read all manga/anime stories in order to avoid blatant stupidity...
In terms of the love triangle, my biggest issue lies with which way Hazumu went when he decided which girl he wanted. Why, oh why, did he pick a plain pretty girl type instead of his childhood 'prince'? It made no sense whatsoever. *name removed* had always been there for him, where as *named removed 2* had turned Hazumu down before. Now, if I was picking my other half and they both looked hot, I'd go with the one who'd never betray me - that's just logical. But, of course, Hazumu thought differently. The only upside to Hazumu's 'final' choice was that the girl he turned down and himself spent most of the last episode hanging out, saying goodbye to each other in their own way.
Sadly, the love triangle mess only worsened after the finale of the TV series. In the OVA, the girl Hazumu picked decided she'd had enough of him/her after four months of him helping her, informing him she could stand on her own two feet and wanted to be alone. Basically, she made the entire TV series and Hazumu trying to pick between the two pointless - great stuff. The OVA ended with Hazumu going back to the girl he turned down since his first option was no longer available. It was awful and needless.
Like I said at the start, I did get some level of enjoyment out of it. It looked nice, it wasn't overly perverse - not including an 'Oh, I have an extra hole now! I'd best put three fingers in!!!' scene you'd (or, at least, I expected!) expect to see in a gender swapping story - and there were a few decent episodes. But it's far from a classic, and I advise only those with an interest in A) lesbians and/or B) school girls (all straight males, in short) to watch it. Anyone not interest in one of those two would probably hate Kashimashi.』
(A good story, but...) 『I originally read all the manga volumes of Kashimashi first and enjoyed it very much. When I saw the complete DVD collection I decided to buy it. As I expected, the general plot was the same as the maga, but the story line of the anime was just as great. That is until the last episode. The ending in the manga was very dramatic yet heart warming. The anime ending was rather hackneyed and disappointing. If your interested in this title, I recommend the manga more than this anime.』 『On a warm, cloudy afternoon, Tomari bursts in on two girls from her class, Hazumu and Yasuna, sharing a tender first kiss. Her heart breaks... from jealousy. Hazumu was born a boy, but he certainly doesn't act it. He's sensitive, delicate, and loves gardening. Lucky for him, he grew up with the tomboy Tomari, who is always there to protect him. Despite her own feelings, she pushes Hazumu to confess his love to the elegant Yasuna. After Yasuna rejects him, he retreats into the mountains in despair. This begins the strange series of events that changes him into a her, and earns her the love of both Yasuna and Tomari.』
price：$5.00
RIGHT STUF
Usually ships in 24 hours 『Akari, Aika and Alice continue to strive toward their goal of becoming Neo-Venezia s top gondoliers. But as their skills improve, they find themselves faced with new challenges. On their journey to become Primas, the three girls will have to paint a palina, serve as hostesses at the Festa del Redentore, and even learn how to be brave in the face of a dangerous passenger! Contains episodes 14-26 of the second ARIA television season. Based on Kozue Amano s best-selling ARIA manga, the ARIA anime consists of three television seasons ARIA The ANIMATION, ARIA The NATURAL and ARIA The ORIGINATION plus an OVA (original video animation). The entire anime adaptation features direction by Junichi Sato (Princess Tutu, Sgt. Frog, Sailor Moon/ Sailor Moon R) and animation by Hal Film Maker (Boys Be..., Pretear, Slayers Premium, Sketchbook). The ARIA The ANIMATION DVD Collection containing the franchise s complete 13-episode first season is currently available from Right Stuf and Nozomi Entertainment and was voted a Pick of the Week by the readers of AnimeOnDVD at Mania.com. Amano s 12-volume ARIA manga and its two-volume prequel, AQUA, are both published in North America by TOKYOPOP. In Japan, the ARIA manga was originally serialized in MAG Garden s Comic Blade magazine.』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Fate Night Box Set) 『I can't really write a review for this item, only because I got it as a christmas gift for my brother. But I will comment on the fact that the box set arrived in a timely manner and was in great shape! Thanks will definitely do business with you again!』
(Great Anime, well worth the watch!) 『I'm not sure what the 2-star review person is going on about. I'm a 20 year old female and I think this show rocks. XD This is the very first anime I ever watched, and it had me hooked from the very beginning. Which, given my short attention span, says something in and of itself. :P If any of the information in this review is off, I apologize, it's been about 2 years since I last saw it, hence the reason for me buying it again lol.
Pros: Great artwork, epic fight scenes, both Japanese and English actors did a fantastic job. Each character has their own individual storyline, and their own issues. It's one of those shows where you can actually feel sorry for the bad guys. AMAZING soundtrack, Kenji Kawai is a freaking genius. To be perfectly honest, if I don't like the opening theme for an anime, it usually means I won't like the anime itself. I'm not sure why. But I loved the opening theme for Fate/Stay Night, and loved the rest of it as well.
Cons: I thought there were too few episodes, so the end of the show seemed a little rushed and packed into a too tiny time frame. The relationship between Saber and Shirou was one of my favorite parts, and there was not enough effort put into that. Also the ending is slightly abrupt, and leaves you wanting more, which sucks because there is no more, unless Fate/Hollow Ataraxia is released in the US. (Hint hint! XD)
That's about all I can think of lol, I haven't seen this in about 2 years so I don't remember too terribly much. I'm really super excited to receive it in the mail and watch it again! Anyhow, great show, maybe not the BEST, but certainly worth watching. :)』
(Hopefully Blu-ray set will be released in U.S. also) 『The Japanese blu-ray of this collection has only been out for about 3 months. Unfortunately while it is region free the cost of importing the blu-ray is just around $320 (not including shipping), compared to the current (on sale) price of $38.49 for the domestic DVD collection. Also, there are /no/ English subtitles option with the Japanese blu-ray release. So for now it is still easily recommended to purchase this DVD collection. But for those who want to see this series in 720p resolution and English dub or sub it will require more patience as it may still be a much longer wait for Funimation to release the domestic blu-ray set. Hopefully it will be released at a much lower price than the current cost of importing.
Additionally note that this reviewed item is the 2009 re-priced version of the DVD collection. I am not sure if there are any major differences within the extras or content compared with the earlier DVD collection.』
(A Must-See Anime!) 『Forget that review with a 2-star. This anime is a great example of how anime should be done! It details the story of a teenager named Shiro who is involved in the Holy Grail War, with his partner (called Servants) named Saber. They must go about and defeat the other Servants and Masters in order to win the Holy Grail, which gives it's possessor one wish that it may have granted. PROS - Great artwork, and great animation. You can tell that it has great production values. - Great storyline! It's a bit difficult to follow at times, but if you are attentive, you will understand and enjoy this story. - Awesome characters! Each character is in this War for their own reasons, and each character has his or her own personality; no "vanilla" characters here! The main character Shiro does seem a bit bland compared to the rest, but that doesn't mean he's a paperweight! The relationship between him and Saber is what's most significant in this anime! CONS - It seemed a bit rushed in the last episode, and some aspects weren't fully explained (such as the connection between Archer and Shiro, and about the last Holy Grail War). Overall, this is a must-see anime! You will NOT regret it!』
(Nothing special about this series) 『I purchased this product based on the reviews seen here. All I can say, they are probably created by preteen boys. At their age, I can't fault them for it because I liked Voltron at that age too.
The series consist of mostly fighting. As such the enemies become more difficulty as the series progresses. So, it's episodes can be similar to that of Angelic Layer without the fun, enjoyment, and an actual storyline.
There is some romance. It can be as stale and lacking as is in Green Green or DearS.
For a similar fast pace action and better series look toward Angelic Layer. For romance, choose Chobits. If you want gut breaking heartbreak then Elfen Lied would be a good choice. Warning, Elfen Lied is not a kid friendly anime.
』 『Never Before released in complete boxset form!
Ten years ago master mages fought a secret war to control the Holy Grail and the result was devastating to everyone. Today, the Holy Grail War begins anew waged by a new generation of masters. One unlikely master, Shirou, must come to grips with the reality of this secret battle when he unknowing summons his own servant, Saber; the one said to be the most powerful servant of them all. Perhaps, Shirou will be the one to prevent the destruction that ended the first war.』
price：$2.99
Adv Films
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Good, frugal set.) 『Funimation seems to be getting into the habit of releasing older series in a newer format. For the lower price, you won't get any box art, and all 25 episodes will be packed into 4 Dual Layer discs with 6-8 episodes each. The big deal I have with this set, though, is that those 4 discs are stacked and don't allow for easy access of a single one if you're the type of person who wants to keep them all in numerical order. The rest of the packaging is fine (although it could use a booklet or two).
As for the series itself, I'm watching it in preparation for the new Sakura Taisen game coming out for the PS2, only to realize that it's only set in the same universe and are stand-alone. The series itself rates as an average in my book, which actually means it's good/decent, because I've been desensitized from all of the outstanding ones.』 『Studio: Adv Films Release Date: 08/04/2009 Run time: 625 minutes』
The scallop of large satisfactory ! northern countries and - [ of how much ] botan shrimp are ! tightly.
getting to know the technique of motorbike expensive sale -- Ta -- if -- -
>,Artist Not Provided
