News

Hey, Answerman!
This time on Hey, Answerman! Macross Frontier, manga volume release schedules, and what *does* it mean, exactly, when you say something has "bad animation"? Flake of the Week and Hey, Answerfans return as well! Boy howdy! 2009-12-04

ANNCast - The Life and Kime of Geneon, USA
A decade-long veteran at Geneon USA, Chad Kime, joins us to talk serious shop about what really went down at Geneon during its final days, plus some surprising numbers. Also: Everyone Loves Baccano! and some DVD stats. Super fun! 2009-12-03

Buried Treasure - Call Me Tonight
A perverted, though not pornographic, dark satire of 80s tentacle porn, Call Me Tonight has a lot to say, and is pretty funny at the same time. 2009-12-03

The X Button - Do the Mario
This week, New Super Mario Bros. Wii makes Todd giggle with childlike joy and then write about Shiren the Wanderer, Zelda: Spirit Tracks, and the vast history of Falcom. 2009-12-02

Anime News Nina! - 2009-12-02
A trip back to the 80s does not end well. 2009-12-02

Ikigami GN 3
"What would you do if you had 24 hours left to live?" One of the answers ends up being the series' most emotionally challenging story yet, a showdown between two flawed personalities that can only end in tragedy.

Blood+ Part 2 DVD
More than anything else, Blood+ is a reminder of the simple pleasures afforded by a well-written, well-executed mainstream anime.

Tatakau Shisho Episodes 1-6 Streaming
There's a certain majesty to the speed and thoroughness with which Tatakau Shisho self-destructs.

Nabari no Ou DVD
The added element of Miharu's apathy to all the flashy ninja theatrics makes the show uniquely engaging…unless you came looking for a traditional high-energy action show. In that case, you'll be disappointed.

Blassreiter DVD part 1
CG animation highlights this story of a special task force who must deal with corpses turned into rampaging monsters in this recent effort from Gonzo. Though flawed, particularly grim, and certainly not innovative, it does deliver a fair amount of entertainment value and some occasionally very solid storytelling.

Dragon Ball Z - Dragon Box 01
If you have the spare time and the desire to see folks getting slammed into rocky pillars, strap on your nostalgia goggles, switch off your brain, and your wish will be granted.

Summer Wars
Decades from now, Summer Wars will be seen as the official arrival of Mamoru Hosoda. It's a near-perfect blend of social satire and science fiction, at once timely and timeless, sardonic and optimistic. It is a triumph.

Sasameki Koto Episodes 1-6 Streaming
There's plenty to enjoy here: likeable characters, laugh-aloud jokes, and over it all a faint pall of heartbreak to temper its rampant lightheartedness.

Sugar: A Little Snow Fairy DVD 1
... what it does have is a quality that seems to have gone missing from the industry as of late. It's honest. One of the last few honest anime shows.

Evangelion: 2.0 You Can [Not] Advance
Evangelion 2.0 feels as though the project has been put on mood stabilizers: it's not any happier, but it's more stable and certainly more focused. And in the end, it's a vast improvement. It hurts so good.

Kashimashi GN 3
Just when the story looks like it will progress down a well-traveled path, it takes a couple of unexpected turns. More a pure romance with comedy thrown in than a true romantic comedy.