B Gata H Kei: Yamada’s First Time (anime review)
Saturday, February 11th, 2012
Title: B Gata H Kei: Yamada’s First Time
Original Story: Yoko Sanri (Shueisha)
Director: Yusuke Yamamoto (Hal Film Maker)
American Publisher: Funimation
American Release Date: Jan. 31st, 2012
Format and Length: Blu-ray and DVD/ Complete Series
Genres: Action, Comedy, Romance, Seinen
Age Rating: TV MA
Overall Personal Rating: B
Many titles come out for males with male protagonists and vice versa for females. This makes sense, since people tend to prefer to read about subjects they are comfortable with and those usually include subjects they know about, ie their own gender. However, occasionally there is the kind of title that can cross the genre boundary and bring topics that aren’t usually discussed. Yamada’s First Time comes close to that kind of story.
The Story of Saiunkoku – Volume 6
Friday, January 27th, 2012
Author: Sai Yukino (Kadokawa Shoten)
Illustrator: Kairi Yura
American Publisher: Viz Media
American Release Date: February 7, 2012
Age Rating: T
Format and length: Manga, 4 chapters
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Shojo
Overall Personal Rating: B
Titles in the Radius: Cross Game, Honey & Clover, kimi ni todoke: From Me to You and Ouran Highschool Host Club
Ai Ore! – Volume 4
Monday, January 23rd, 2012Ai Ore! volume 4
Author: Mayu Shuijo (Shogakukan)
American Publisher: Viz Media
American Release Date: 2-7-12
Age Rating: T+
Format and length: Manga, 6 chapters
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Shojo
Overall Personal Rating:
Titles in the Radius: Ottomen and Ouran Highschool Host Club
Dirty Pair OVA
Friday, January 6th, 2012Title: Dirty Pair
Directors: Norio Kashima & Toshifumi Takizawa (Sunrise)
Original Story: Haruka Takachiho
American Publisher: Nozomi
American Release Date: January 3, 2012
Format and Length: DVD, 7 episodes
Genres: Action, Comedy, Girls with guns, Science Fiction
Age Rating: 13+
Overall Personal Rating: B+
Titles in the radius: Dominion Tank Police, Gunsmith Cats and Slayers
Rosario + Vampire: Season II – Volume 7
Wednesday, January 4th, 2012Title: Rosario + Vampire: Season II
Manga Author: Akihisa Ikeda (Shueisha)
American Publisher: VIZ Media
American Release Date: January 3, 2012
Age Rating: T+
Format and length: Manga, 4 chapters
Genres: Action, Comedy, Romance, Shonen, Supernatural
Overall Personal Rating: A
Titles in the Radius: The Familiar of Zero, Ikkitousen, Magical Teacher Negima! and Mao Chan
Synopsis:
Naruto – Volume 54
Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012Title: Naruto
Manga Author: Masashi Kishimoto (Shueisha)
American Distributor: Viz Media
American Release date: January 3, 2012
Format: Manga, 10 chapters
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Shonen
Age Ratting: T
Overall personal rating: C+
Similar Series: Bleach, Dragon Ball, Full Metal Alchemist, Hunter x Hunter, Kekkaishi and One Piece
Series with a large cast of characters sometime go and prune a lot of characters at a certain point. Sometimes these characters just fade away, sometimes they move away and often in action series where the creator isn’t afraid to pull punches like Naruto and kill characters, they die. Of course, sometimes, like Naruto, the creator also allows characters to be revived.
Heaven’s Lost Property – Season 1
Thursday, December 29th, 2011Title: Heaven’s Lost Property – season 1
Original Story: Suu Minazuki (Kadokawa Shoten)
Director: Hisashi Sato (AIC)
American Publisher: Funimation
American Release Date: December 20, 2011
Format and length: DVD, 14 episodes
Genres: Action, Comedy, Mythic, Romance, Sci-Fi
Overall Personal Rating: B+
Similar Titles: Chaos; Head, Girls Bravo!, Inukami! and Steins;Gate
Revolutionary Girl: Utena, The Apocalypse Saga
Friday, December 23rd, 2011Title: Revolutionary Girl: Utena, The Apocalypse Saga
Original Story: Chiho Saito (Shogakukan)
Director: Kunihiko Ikuhara (J.C.Staff)
American Publisher: Nozomi Entertainment
American Release Date: December 6, 2011
Format and length: DVD, 14 episodes + movie
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Magical Girl, Romance
Overall Personal Rating: A
Similar Titles: Magic Knight Rayearth, My HiME, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Sailor Moon
Deconstructionism in anime and manga has become an increasingly popular theme in these mediums as they attempt to challenge the notions that have defined the major genres for ages. Revolutionary Girl Utena is one of those and are willing to challenge even themselves.
Rosario + Vampire – Season One and Two
Monday, December 19th, 2011Title: Rosario + Vampire Season 1 & 2
Original Story: Akihisa Ikeda (Shueisha)
Director: Takayuki Inagaki (Gonzo)
American Publisher: Funimation
American Release Date: December 20, 2011
Format and Length: DVD, 2 seasons
Genres: Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Shonen
Age Rating: TV MA
Overall Personal Rating: B+
Similar Titles: FLCL, The Familiar of Zero, Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu, Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple and Magical Shopping Arcade Abemoboshi
Shuffle! – S.A.V.E. Edition
Sunday, December 4th, 2011Title: Shuffle!
Original Story: Navel
Director: Naoto Hosoda (Asread)
American Publisher: Funimation
American Release Date: November 15, 2011
Format and length: DVD, 24 episodes
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-fi, Seinen
Age Rating: MA (Mature Audience)
Overall Personal Rating: B-
Titles in the Radius: Air, Clannad and Kanan
What would the world be like if humans co-existed with mythical beings such as gods and demons? Could all live peacefully? Would humanity be envious of the powers of these mystical beings? Would those beings be afraid of our technological destructive capabilities? Could we coexist without prejudice? Shuffe! tries to depict a world where all three live together in a Utopian environment, at least insofar as inter-species relationships go.
Chaos;Head
Tuesday, November 29th, 2011“The Radius”
Title: Chaos;Head
Original Story: 5pb and Nitro+
Director: Ishiyama Takaaki (Madhouse)
American Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment
American Release Date: November 29, 2011
Format and length: DVD, 12 episodes
Genres: Action, Comedy, Romance, Sci-fi
Overall Personal Rating: B
Titles in the Radius: Steins;Gate, The World God Only Knows and >Welcome to the NHK
What is reality? Is it is what we perceive or is it something else? If everyone believes something, does that make the item real? Chaos;Head explores this concept, but with added level of augmented reality (virtual reality that interacts with the real world).
Tenjo Tenge!: Full Contact Edition – Volume 4
Monday, November 28th, 2011
Author: Oh! great (Shueisha)
American Publisher: Viz Media
American Release Date: December 20, 2011
Age Rating: M
Format and length: Manga, 2 volumes
Genres: Fantasy, Martial Arts, Romance, Seinen
Overall Personal Rating: A-
In the Radius: Ikki Tousen and Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple
Bleach: Fear for Fight – Volume 37
Saturday, November 26th, 2011
Author: Tite Kubo (Shueisha)
American Distributor: Viz Media
American Release Date: December 6, 2011
Format: Manga, 10 chapters
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Shonen, Supernatural
Publisher Age Rating: T
Personal Review Rating: C-
Similar Series: Dragon Ball, Full Metal Alchemist, Hunter x Hunter, Kekkaishi, Naruto and One Piece
Authors like to pair up their protagonists with specific antagonists in order to help develop their characters. Sometimes these antagonists have similar, but opposing goals. Often in shonen action series there are plenty of antagonists designed for unlocking or honing skills, and sometimes, like this volume of Bleach, the antagonists are designed to be opposing personalities of some type.
Naruto – Volume 53
Sunday, November 20th, 2011
Manga Author: Masashi Kishimoto (Shueisha)
American Distributor: Viz Media
American Release date: December 6, 2011
Format: Manga, 10 chapters
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Shonen
Age Rating: T
Overall personal ratting: B-
Similar Series: Bleach, Dragon Ball, Full Metal Alchemist, Hunter x Hunter, Kekkaishi and One Piece
The biological parent-child bond – that somehow even if a child never knew there parents they could recognize them immediately or with just slightest clue – continues to be one of the most powerful cultural ideas. Naruto, of course, is no exception.
Arata: The Legend – Volume 8
Friday, November 4th, 2011Title: Arata: The Legend
Manga Author: Yuu Watase (Shogakukan)
American Publisher: Viz Media
American Release Date: Dec. 13th, 2011
Age Rating: T
Format and length: Manga, 5 chapters
Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Shonen
Overall Personal Rating: B-
Titles in the Radius: El Hazard, Escaflowne, MÄR and Tsubasa Resevoir Chronicle
Summary:
Arata’s adventures continue as his journey to save Princess Kikuri’s life bring the group to the lands ruled by Kugura, the Shinsho of Wind. However entering his castle won’t be easy as they group doesn’t know where it is and is surrounded by a tornado that’ll slice anyone who dares enter. That is unless you are a cute girl…
The Story of Saiunkoku – Volume 5
Friday, October 21st, 2011The Story of Saiunkoku
Author: Sai Yukino (Kadokawa Shoten)
Illustrator: Kairi Yura
American Publisher: Viz Media
American Release Date: November 1, 2011
Age Rating: T
Format and length: Manga, 4 chapters
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Shojo
Overall Personal Rating: B+
Titles in the Radius: Cross Game, Honey & Clover, kimi ni todoke: From Me to You and Ouran Highschool Host Club
Kekkaishi – Set Two
Friday, October 21st, 2011 Kekkaishi
set 2
Original Story: Yellow Tanabe (Shogakukan)
Director: Kodama Kenji (Sunrise)
American Publisher: Viz Media
American Release Date: September 13, 2011
Format and length: DVD, 13 episodes
Genres: Action, Comedy, Romance, Shonen, Supernatural
Overall Personal Rating: B
Titles in the Radius: Naruto, One Piece and Ranma ½
Childhood friends who grow up to fall in love is a classic romantic plot line, anime and manga use this convention a lot, probably a bit too much. In most of these, a love triangle usually comes about to make things more interesting. Kekkaishi is not much different except that the love triangle is all in Yoshimori’s head, making for some interesting comedic moments.
Ai Ore! – Volume 3
Wednesday, October 19th, 2011Ai Ore!
volume 3
Author: Mayu Shuijo (Shogakukan)
American Publisher: Viz Media
American Release Date: Nov. 1st, 2011
Age Rating: T+
Format and length: Manga, 6 chapters
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Shojo
Overall Personal Rating: C
Titles in the Radius: Ottomen and Ouran Highschool Host Club
Three words, “I love you,” have been the center points of any number of romance stories. Ususually its the girl trying to get the guy to say it. However, Ai Ore! takes a twist on it with the guy wanting the girl to admit it.
Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland
Sunday, October 16th, 2011Title: Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland
Platform: Playstation 3
Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
Publisher: NIS America
Release date: September 30, 2011
Genre(s): Adventure, Fantasy
Format: Turn-based RPG
Age Rating: Teen
Replay Rating: A
Overall Personal Rating: B+
Similar games: Grandia, Harvest Moon (series), Persona 3 and 4 and Rune Factory (series)
Rosario + Vampire: Season II – Volume 6
Tuesday, October 4th, 2011Title: Rosario + Vampire
Manga Author: Akihisa Ikeda (Shueisha)
American Publisher: VIZ Media
American Release Date: October 4, 2011
Age Rating: T+
Format and length: Manga, 4 chapters
Genres: Action, Comedy, Romance, Shonen, Supernatural
Overall Personal Rating: A
Titles in the Radius: The Familiar of Zero, Ikkitousen, Magical Teacher Negima! and Mao Chan
Sports festivals are a great time for competitive fun entertainment. Most high-school anime and manga have at least one of these and Rosario + Vampire is no exception. Of course things are a bit different in the supernatural world.
