Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka!

Type: Anime
Status: Complete (12 episodes)

Premise: After being brutally murdered by a serial killer Ayumu Aikawa is resurrected as a zombie by a girl he had only recently met; she never speaks or shows emotion only communicating through a notebook that she keeps with her. Eucliwood Hellscythe is the source of all magic in this world; an immortal being that holds almost unlimited power, she must maintain strict control over her emotions for fear of losing control and never speaks because her words manifest physically weather she wishes it or not, she is alone and all around her will wither and die given time. Ayumu now indebted to this girl for saving his life promises to stay with her, loneliness needs company after all.

Thoughts: This is not quite as I described it actually, everything I said was true but the tone of this anime is actually rather light and fun (I kind of wish it took this darker root though). I actually rather enjoy this anime for its humor and some truly interesting characters.

Prose: Well animated, great sense of humor and a solid concept makes for an enjoyable viewing experience.

Cons: Beware the frilly pink dress! God I hate that thing! Wouldn't have minded a little darker atmosphere to this anime personally, bring out some more development of characters over the humor and I think we would have had a great concept going (personal views, not to be viewed as actual criticism to the anime!).

-Notes: Subbed only. The ending is a little abrupt and I personally thought that it could have done with a few more episodes.

8/10          (The protagonist of this anime is a zombie, do not try this at home!)

Dragon Crisis!

Type: Anime
Status: Complete (12 episodes)

Premise:  Lost preciouses are ancient magic devices that have a variety of abilities, but the strongest among them are those that are related to dragons. Ryuji is a kid who who is average in almost every way, except his is among the top 7 users of lost precious in the world. When his cousin Eriko comes back into town after a long time and asks him to help steal a lost precious from a group of thieves he is startled to find that this lost precious is actually a young girl, even more shocked after she blows the thieves up and burns the building to the ground.
Boy meets girl. Girl likes boy. Girl blows up mobsters chasing boy. Boy figures out girl is a dragon..... GIRL LIKES BOY.

Thoughts: This is a cute little anime that follow the romance of two little kids in love. Nothing really happens throughout the entire series but it was mildly entertaining.

Prose: Well animated and a decent enough idea behind the story. Nothing sensational, but appropriate for a 12 episode anime.

Cons: Rather forgettable, the plot is stereotypical and uninteresting. Nothing really original here but again its only 12 episodes.

-Notes: Subbed only.

6.5/10          (Oh the little mutant babies....)

Freezing

Type: Anime & Manga
Status: Anime - Ongoing     Manga - Ongoing

Premise: Humanity is under attack from beings from a parallel dimension, once every 8 or so years a giant creature appears at random and destroys all in it path; code-name Nova. After successfully destroying a rampaging Nova scientists managed to create a weapon to fight against these beings, by implanting the tissues of the dead creature into the backs of children they were able to create soldiers with abilities similar to that of the enemy; boys manifested the ability to "freeze" areas effectively upping the local gravity, while women became stronger and faster, these women are now being trained as the last line of defense; they have been named Pandora.

Thoughts: WOW......... uhhhhh, yah. This anime is rather........ explicit, its rated 18+ and you can rely see why within the first couple of minutes. They are unafraid to show excessive blood and gore, gratuitous nudity and mature themes (in the same episodes I might add); they even went as far as showing people being dismembered an those "classic" shower scenes except without the strategically placed steam. GRATUITOUS, that about spells it out, but thats not always bad....

Prose: Action, boobs, dynamic plot, diverse characters, more boobs...... whats not to like?

Cons: I hated it for all the reasons mentioned above.....

-Notes: Subbed only at this point, and might be one to leave for a while so as to let it have a few more episodes come out.

8/10          (Pandora ability: Regenerate damaged clothing.....)

Infinite Stratos

Type: Anime & Manga
Status: Anime - Complete (12 episodes)     Manga - Ongoing

Premise: The IS exoskeleton is a piece of technology only usable by women. Developed by Japaneese scientist, due to its immense destructive power a treaty is signed to never use them in war. In this new era of peace insured by the theory of MAD (Mutuality Assured Destruction) it is now possible to train in the use of IS's for sports and other such activities; the academy is an institute located in Japan that accepts equal numbers of applicants from all around the world in order to insure balance. Now we follow Ichika Orimura, the first boy ever to display the ability to control an IS and what happens when a boy tries to attend an all girls school.

Thoughts: This anime is rather entertaining for the shear fact that its fun to watch Ichika scwerm. Imagine if you will a guy being chased by hoards of women all of whom have access to military hardware and are being trained to fight with it. A guilt pleasure,but a pleasure all the same.

Prose: Funny, with some action thrown in for good measure.

Cons: Not serious in the slightest, so don't watch it for the plot.

-Notes: Subbed only with a manga that is lagging behind the anime. Might be a good idea to let this one percolate for a while so as to build up a few more episodes before getting into it.

8/10          (Ahhhhh young love)

Last Exile

Type: Anime
Status: Complete (26 episodes)

Premise: Prester's two rival nations are at war with one another. Separated by a vortex of unstable weather they are forced to engage in battle using the code of chivalric combat, which is being forced upon them by a superior 3rd party known as the guild for their own amusement. The guild supplies technology to both sides of the conflict in order to maintain control of these games. The story revolves around a brother and sister who work as couriers in they vanship (a flying machine that resembles an old fashioned luxury car) but get caught up in dangerous affairs after accepting to transport a mysterious young girl from a dying pilot.

Thoughts: Heavily influenced by WW1 fighter pilots this is a wonderful setting rich in detail and well thought out from beginning to end. There is a real gritty aspect to it as well as these machines break down and we see the inner workings and how they supposedly work.

Pose: Visually stunning, well dubbed, good story, and a unique world makes for a great change of pace.

Cons: There are several "Why the hell did they do that?" done for story related reasons, but they are few and far between.

-Notes: This anime was intended to show that modern CGI can be integrated into classical anime animation and they did a wonderful job, the first episode was approximately 75% CG compared to standard practice which is around 15%. It creates a vary fluid feel to the story, not so many talking heads. SPIN OFF ALERT! Last Exile: Ginyoku no Fam is a spin off bringing back a couple of character and the setting but depicting a different struggle for humanity. It is rather good and enthusiasts of the setting will like the continuation of the story but we have lost most of the cast (most not all, a few have come back).

7.5/10          (Screw aerodynamics!)

Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen

Type: Anime
Status: Complete (4 episodes)

Premise: This is the story of a samurai assassin who while fighting to overthrow a corrupt regime finds something worth fighting for.

Thoughts: This anime is one of the best samurai titles I have seen blending bloody action with deep character development without becoming gratuitous. It is also one of the most fluid fighting animations I have witnessed in that it does not resort to freeze frame to give a sense of speed nor does it play up the fighting, it is quick and brutal but never over the top.

Prose: Action, character, plot, animation it has it all and is a true gem.

Cons: The dubbing lacks a certain amount of accuracy, which kind of threw me off at first. It may actually be better to watch it in the subbed format, it gives it a certain feel....

-Notes: THERE IS A DUB, it took me 2 episodes to find it but there is one. This is actually the OVA to the series of Rurouni Kenshin which is a long running series in its own right, the thing is that I HATED the other series. Between the 2 series they change art styles and it becomes a happy go lucky party with friends type anime that completely threw me at first, I never finished it. Rely you should watch the full anime first and then re-visit this one as a kind of "how he became this way" prequel, but to be completely honest this OVA is by far the best part of the series and can be viewed on its own and still be extremely enjoyable.

8/10          (Let the blood rain fall)

Blood+

Type: Anime & Manga
Status: Anime - Complete (50 episodes)     Manga - Complete

Premise: This is the story of Saya, a girl like any other girl if you were to ask her except that she is unable to remember anything about herself beyond the last 2 years. Her happy life is shattered after being attacked by a creature known as a Chiropteran and she is plunged into the war she has forgotten that has plagued her life for the last 200 years.

Thoughts: This title is rather interesting in that it takes a new twist on a clasic vampire storyline, blurring it to an extent to be almost unrecognizable. To be hones not a gem but worth a look into it for an interesting storyline and well implemented animation and dubbing.

Prose: Well dubbed and animated, main adversary is scarily twisted and interesting storyline that intertwines real life events with a dark twist.

Cons: Sometimes tends to drag on with the "poor me" storyline, but rely it was required in the end.

-Notes: Fully dubbed! I would suggest reading the manga only after completing the television series, they tend to be side stories that require a certain familiarity to understand. Also I hear there is a full length animated movie for this (unconfirmed) as well as a live action (I hate when they do that), will look into it and report back.

7.5/10          (By the end of this the family tree will make you want to cry)