Kimi ni Todoke: From Me To You, Volume 6 – Manga Review December 29, 2010
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Review by: Brenda Gregson
Publisher: VIZ Media
Author: Karuho Shiina
Genre: Graphic Novel (Shojo Beat Manga)
MSRP: $9.99 US
Rating: T (Teen)
Release Date: Available Now
The heartbreaking story of a tomboy in love.
Don’t you love it when a manga-ka loves their characters enough that they dedicate more than enough time on fleshing them out to the point that they stop being merely bit players and become a big part of the main characters’ lives? Karuho Shiina has certainly made it clear that her characters, even the ones that normally end up being part of the background in other manga, should take the spotlight and one of them does in Volume 6 of Kimi ni Todoke.
Here is the case in point: Chizu, the rough tomboyish girl who favors jeans and a sporty jersey than a sexy skirt or cute dress. She’s been the-girl-next-door to Ryo since childhood and sees the tall guy as her brother but it’s a different story when it comes to Ryo’s older brother, Toru, who – at the end of Volume 5 – shows up late at night. Oh yeah, it starts off as a happy reunion but then the handsome Toru drops a bomb in the opening chapter of Volume 6.
You see, the older young man brings with him a charming and attractive young girl who he introduces to Ryo’s friends that include Sawako, Yano and Kazehaya. Toru then cheerfully tells them the other bit of news regarding said charming and attractive young girl that stuns Chizu and – hilariously – makes Yano and Sawako terribly uncomfortable.
In fact, the aftermath of this evening becomes one long and very uncomfortable turn of events that make both Sawako and Yano uncertain as to how to handle the situation. For starters, they know their friend is in pain despite the fact that she’s still acting like her old self. Yano isn’t the most comforting person and that’s because she isn’t use to situations like this. Meanwhile, Sawako has been socially awkward since grade school that she doesn’t even know where to begin in providing comfort to a friend who so badly needs it. It’s no wonder Sawako gets teary-eyed whenever she even thinks about Chizu.
In the meantime, Ryo approaches the situation another way. As we found out in the last volume, Ryo is in love with Chizu and he has even revealed his feelings for her to Sawako but those feelings – it seems – don’t mean much when the other person is oblivious of the fact. He awkwardly tells Chizu that he’s glad his brother came and dropped that bit of news on them for hopes that Chizu would forget about Toru once and for all. She responds by slamming into him and ignoring the big guy while totally missing Ryo’s reasons for having said that to her.
As it turns out, Sawako – in her own comical way – gets Chizu to finally let it all out. This helps the girl out but it’s clear that it will take a lot more than that to make her forget Toru. Her early memories are that of Toru who has always seen her as a cute little sister and always had time to comfort her or offer a warm smile. He was always dating but his girlfriends never lasted very long and Chizu saw this as a sign that he was destined for her.
In a tender moment, Toru takes Chizu out for a walk as the older boy reminisces of the moments he played big brother and, in a strange way, that walks turns out to be the closure she really needed. As for Ryo, Toru tells him something he always wanted to hear from him since Ryo is the one who is really in love with Chizu. Ryo also goes out to find Chizu as they finally have a peaceful conversation.
In the final half of the volume, it’s Christmas time and Kazehaya has a good idea to hold a Christmas party for all the singles out there who don’t have a date. He invites Sawako, which the girl reacts as if she were getting an invitation to meet the President. She’s excited, confused and amazed as she starts making her own presents for each of her friends. She even knit’s a warm cap for Kazehaya, although she is conflicted about actually giving him a gift.
Unfortunately, she finds out that her father is excited about spending Christmas with her and it makes it difficult for Sawako to ask permission to go to the party. She mentions not going in class and it seems to make Kazehaya rather disappointed by her decision. However, when the night arrives, a phone call to her house changes things in a wonderfully surprising way.
Volume 6 of Kimi ni Todoke is charming, funny and even slightly heartbreaking volume in this series that has remained a fun read since the first volume. It’s taken a small dramatic step but it never loses the comical edge that makes us love the characters. If Shiina-Sensei can keep this up, we will be Kimi ni Todoke fans to the very end.
MANGA REVIEW BREAKDOWN
STORY: B+
The arrival of Ryo’s older brother, Toru, turns from a happy event to an emotional rollercoaster for Chizu who has had a monster crush on him since her early childhood memories of him. Sadly, Toru did not come back home alone and this fact devastates the girl. Meanwhile, Christmas is here and Sawako gets a very surprising invitation from Kazehaya.
ART: B+
And here I thought one of the many funniest sights in this manga was Sawako’s hilarious confused expression, here she goes making me laugh by trying hard not to cry.
OVERALL: B+
As one of Sawako’s friends gets the spotlight, Volume 6 of Kimi ni Todoke manages to remain refreshingly funny but also surprisingly emotional as we learn a lot more about Chizu. It’s clear that Shiina-Sensei has much love for her secondary characters as well as our main protagonist and this definitely shows in this still very delightful shoujo series.
Review copy provided by VIZ Media
The Third: The Girl With The Blue Eye, Complete Collection – DVD Review December 24, 2010
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Review by: Clive Owen
Publisher: RightStuf!/Nozomi Entertainment
MSRP: $79.99 US
Running Time: 600 minutes
Genre: Sci-Fi/Action
Rating: 15+
Release Date: Available Now
I spy with my third eye something that begins with awesome.
At first glance, The Third: The Girl with the Blue Eye looks like every other series about a desert wasteland planet where the most unlikely person becomes the hero that saves said planet. Yet sometimes appearances can be very delightfully deceiving and this is the case of this series as it brings us something worth watching and enjoying. It’s great to see The Third: The Girl with the Blue Eye get the Complete Collection treatment as we meet a girl a most unusual eye.
Like I said, the series takes place in a desert wasteland where giant desert creatures roam at night and the Third, a highly evolved race of humanoid beings with a red eye on their forehead control everything. In the middle of all of this is a young girl named Honoka, a jack-of-all-trades with a talent for using her sword and thus earning her the nickname, “Sword Dancer.” Honoka is not alone in her travels, though, because she has Bogie – a tank with a talking AI system installed.
During one of her routine missions that involve clearing out pesky Sand Spiders, Honoka encounters a young blonde-haired man who isn’t even a bit worried about his safety. He is Iks, mysterious and – to Honoka – downright handsome to the point that she often stares at him. Her infatuation with the young man leads her to accept his offer of accompanying her on her various assignments. While Honoka doesn’t learn a whole lot about Iks during their travels, Iks learns much about this tomboyish girl including the fact that she happens to possess a blue eye on her forehead called an Astral Eye.
Unfortunately, nothing is ever peaceful in this desert world and even more so since the Council of the Third enforces strict laws involving technology. Honoka constantly finds herself combating the Third’s robotic enforcers who are sent to deal with anyone breaking a Technos Taboo law and she often finds herself confronting a member of the Council named Joganki who has an interest in Honoka and not because of her Astral Eye.
Her distaste for the Third becomes amplified when she loses her close friend/mechanic (who helped modify an armored suit for her called the PSP) to a mechanical killing machine known as Blue Breaker. The death of her friend leaves her to take care of his daughter, a cute little girl named Millie who adores Honoka. Often returning to a city called Emporium Town, Honoka and the others meet a gorgeous teacher named Paife who turns out to be something of a hired gun as well who happens to take a fancy to Honoka. There’s an interesting rivalry between Paife and Iks because of Paife’s attraction to Honoka.
We follow Honoka and her friends on a number of missions but the ones that do stand out are the ones connected to the Third. At one point, they encounter an out-of-control weapon known as Gravestone that has an artificial-intelligence and shows them a glimpse of the past. It also battles each member of the group as Honoka discovers Gravestone’s secret.
Later in the series, Honoka runs into a hunter named Leon who is searching for the mythical Desert Fairy and ends up clashing with Honoka and nearly killing her. You see, Leon has a special ability to turn into liquid metal and this makes him a formidable opponent. Interestingly enough, Honoka finds herself being aided by the actual Desert Fairy and a wolf named Kamui. In another major story arc, the Third hires Honoka to find and rescue Joganki from somebody in his past that has control over the Third’s powerful satellite weapon called Wormhole Driver. In an interesting twist, Honoka finds herself teaming up with the most unlikely ally … Blue Breaker.
The series has plenty of action-packed moments and the action sequences look actually good with CG effects that don’t look out of place. Aside from that, the series also has a good sense of humor and characters that you will actually care about because they’re personalities shine through perfectly. It’s fun to see Honoka get annoyed by Bogie’s overprotective nature or Honoka getting girly whenever Iks is near her. The finale is even surprisingly good.
The Complete Collection of The Third: The Girl with the Blue Eye is a fantastic series that hits all the right notes all the way through to the final episode. Smartly written and wonderfully animated, the series pushes the action, humor and good characters into a deeply enjoyable 24 episodes. We definitely recommend this series.
DVD REVIEW BREAKDOWN
MOVIE/EPISODES: A-
In a desert wasteland, a feisty girl named Honoka and her tank take on all kinds of jobs that require her brilliant sword fighting skills when she encounters a mysterious young man by the name of Iks walking the desert alone. Joining her, Iks comes to understand this rough girl as well as discover her secret as she goes up against a race of evolved beings known as the Third.
VIDEO QUALITY: B+
The animation isn’t completely original in any way but there are some amazing CG effects throughout and visually-striking fight scenes as well. Despite its bleak and sandy setting, the backgrounds look really good so you’ll be glad the series looks wonderfully colorful and crisp on DVD.
AUDIO QUALITY: A
The original Japanese voice acting is superb with Megumi Toyoguchi as Honoka standing out, then again, the English dub voices are equally good. The original score is also wonderfully cinematic and the opening tune, “Sajou no Yume” is cool. Still, it doesn’t beat the two closing songs, especially “Late Show” by Super Flying Boy.
EXTRAS: A
Each disc comes with extras that includes clean opening and closing theme songs, two karaoke songs to sing your heart out (and they’re really awesome songs) and the U.S. trailer for the series as well as some Nozomi trailers as well. The best extras come in the form of a Voice Actor Interview feature with two interviews (one with Megumi Toyoguichi and the other with the Japanese voice actor for Iks, Daisuke Namikawa). Then there’s the Character Bios, a few that actually contains audio commentary.
OVERALL: A-
A thoroughly enjoyable anime series with a lot to offer, The Third: The Girl with the Blue Eye is likeable enough that you will gladly watch it through to the end with a smile on your face. The reason for this that the episodes and characters won’t fail to make you like them and, on top of that, the action is fun and the main theme deep enough to make this series a real gem worth buying.
Review copy provided by RightStuf!/Nozomi Entertainment
Dragon Ball Z Kai, Part Three – Blu-ray Review December 20, 2010
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Review by: Faith McAdams
Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment
MSRP: Blu-ray: $59.98 US; DVD: $49.98 US
Running Time: 325 minutes
Genre: Action
Rating: TV PG
Release Date: Available Now
Now this is the stuff that Dragon Ball Z dreams are made out of, Saiyan fans!
Like the rest of my fellow reviewers in this office, I am really enjoying the Dragon Ball Z Kai releases. It’s not that the original was flawed in any way that made fans of the manga disappointed and it’s not that the filler made for a bad viewing experience but Kai cuts straight to the story and the action in a way that makes this a more exhilarating thrill ride for Dragon Ball Z fans new and those returning for more.
In Part Two, a voyage to Planet Namek by way of Piccolo’s spacecraft had Bulma, Gohan and Krillin set to find the seven Dragon Balls in hopes of resurrecting their deceased friends. Of course, that was easier said than done since not only is the Saiyan named Vegeta on the planet but so is the evil Frieza and his minions that have been wiping out the Namekian people. In the meantime, Goku is late to the party but is spending his time in space training.
Now, time is running out as Frieza is losing his henchmen by the hands of a powerful Vegeta who has managed to collect nearly all the Dragon Balls to summon Shenron to make him an immortal. Obtaining another Dragon Ball from Krillin – who has no choice but to hand it over – little does Vegeta know that Gohan discovered the location of the Dragon Ball Vegeta hid underwater. With that, Gohan and Krillin head to the Grand Elder who gives Gohan quite a power boost to help him in his inevitable confrontation with Vegeta.
As Vegeta finds the Gran Elder’s tower, however, the Saiyan senses an immense power heading their way. In fact, there are more than one and it becomes clear to Vegeta that Frieza has called in the Ginyo Force – a squad composed of dangerous enhanced foes. In a comical twist, the Ginyo Force does arrive on the planet … complete with their own theme song, teammate introductions and cool pose at the end. How is it that Vegeta is afraid of them?
As it turns out, however, he does have a reason to fear them because all five members of the Ginyu force have their own abilities that make them formidable opponents. Vegeta, sensing he has no shot of taking them on by himself, decides to join forces with Gohan and Krillin. Seeing as these Dragon Balls grant three wishes, Gohan and Krillin agree to give Vegeta his one wish of immortality. So begins an exciting battle with the most unusual sight of seeing Vegeta fighting alongside Gohan and Krillin.
The battles against the Ginyu Force is one of many highlights in Part Three especially since the special abilities of each Ginyu Force member sets them apart such as Ghurd who has the ability to manipulate time to his advantage. Meanwhile Vegeta battles the one called ReaCoom who is a vicious opponent that makes short work out of all three. Luckily for them, Goku finally arrives with all the abilities of a Super Saiyan and goes up against Ginyu himself only to fall victim to Ginyu’s special ability … that of switching bodies with whomever his blast hits.
Meanwhile, Frieza makes his move and collects all the seven Dragon Balls that are currently being guarded by nobody and realizes that he just can’t make a wish. A special phrases needs to be spoken and Frieza thinks that one called the Great Elder might help him only to find himself fighting the Elder’s last remaining warrior. Not far from them, Goku finds a way to get his body back and uses it to defeat Ginyu while Gohan, Krillin and Gohan manage to steal the Dragon Balls Frieza left behind to find the phrase that will summon the great Shenron.
It is Gohan and Krillin, along with the aid of the young Nemekian named Dende that uses the power of the Dragon Balls to summon a creature that is connected to Shenron. It tells them that they can’t bring back all their fallen friends but one of the dead has a brilliant idea that will not only help them in their upcoming battle against Frieza but also find a way to bring back the rest from the dead. Before they could make their final wish, something very unexpected occurs that royally pisses Vegeta off.
Finally, there’s Frieza who confronts all of them in a major battle where Frieza shows off his true power and his transformations that make him an even more dangerous opponent. With Goku recovering in a healing chamber, it is up to Vegeta and the others to fight Frieza and they learn quickly that Frieza isn’t in their league. Help arrives in the form of the one Gohan and Krillin brought back and things get really interesting from here.
Without a doubt, Part Three of Dragon Ball Z Kai is nothing short of brilliantly spectacular. If you thought the first two parts were explosive then what we have here is an H-bomb wrapped in dynamite. It’s a nail-biter, to say the least, but also a 13-episode set that is action anime at its finest so do not miss this part and even more so on Blu-ray.
BLU-RAY REVIEW BREAKDOWN
MOVIE/EPISODES: A
Vegeta manages to defeat Frieza’s henchmen and continues on his quest to collect all seven Dragon Balls when Frieza calls up the deadly (and hysterically funny) Ginyu Force that arrives on Planet Namek. In a strange twist, Vegeta ends up joining Gohan and Krillin to fight them and secure the Dragon Balls. Goku finally arrives as well but Frieza finally shows up as Gohan and Krillin make a surprising decision.
VIDEO QUALITY: A+
I can’t begin to explain how good anime looks on Blu-ray but then again one look at this series on this format says it all. It is also available on DVD but I very highly recommend going for the Blu-ray version.
AUDIO QUALITY: A
The voice acting on both sides is spectacular with strong performances on both sides. Personally speaking, it doesn’t get any better than hearing Monica Rial as Bulma and Colleen Clinkenbeard as Gohan. The music remains as lively as ever as well.
EXTRAS: C+
The best new feature comes in the form of a U.S. Cast Interview feature that features a short interview with most of the cast that includes Sean Schemmel, Christopher R. Sabat and Sonny Strait just to name a few. Plus, there are trailers and the clean opening and closing theme songs.
OVERALL: A
Jumping straight to the story and avoiding all the filler, Dragon Ball Z Kai paints an even faster-paced story that is even more epic than the original and the original was amazing. Part Three of this series is nothing short of breathtaking and if the first two sets didn’t grab you then this one will do the trick nicely. This is what Dragon Ball Z fans have been waiting for and you will not be disappointed.
Review copy provided by FUNimation Entertainment
Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee, Volume 3 – Manga Review December 18, 2010
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Review by: Ai Kano
Publisher: VIZ Media
Author: Hiroyuki Asada
Genre: Graphic Novel (Shonen Jump Manga)
MSRP: $9.99 US
Rating: T (Teen)
Release Date: Now Available
The ballad of the determined crybaby.
Tegami Bachi is one of those series that grabbed my attention from the very start and the reason is quite simply that it’s a manga series that is beautifully written and has a lot of heart. It’s a touching, funny and intriguing story and, in Volume 3 of Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee, it will make you feel that the human spirit is strong in those who believe that the heart is an organ capable of turning a young crybaby into a brave soul.
Having passed the Letter Bee exam with flying colors and nearly in record time, Lag Seeing finds himself a newly appointed Letter Bee in Yuusari. However, he is still very determined to find Gauche Suede, the Letter Bee that inspired him a few years. It is a fellow Letter Bee, however, that tells him a troubling bit of news. It seems that Gauche not only turned his back on the Bees but has also disappeared after having secured a good place for him and his handicapped sister to live in a good part of the city.
Of course, Lag doesn’t believe the boy and, weeping, he tells him fellow Bee to take back that lie but – as it turns out – this news might actually be true. The only way to truly find out is to go to Akatsuki and talk to Gauche’s little sister, Sylvette. He sets out with the other Bee as well as his Dingo, Niche, to the lovely little part of the city where a beautiful young girl in a wheelchair is trying hard to make ends meet to keep the place. She also happens to be carrying Gauche’s Shindanjuu (the Letter Bee weapon of choice that shoots part of the user’s heart).
Lag and Niche find Sylvette in a rather annoyed state and she isn’t a lot of help but she does make it clear that she hasn’t seen Gauche and she also happens to possess a letter of dismissal with Gauche’s name on it. What exactly did Gauche do that caused the Head Bee to dismiss him from the roster permanently? Why did Gauche, a man who was determined to become Head Bee, give up his heart?
Back on the carriage, Lag just doesn’t accept Sylvette’s attitude or lack of a real explanation so – despite the fact that she told him that she didn’t want to see him again – Lag takes off by himself and goes back to Sylvette’s home. It is them and there that the to youngsters cry and take comfort in each another. She tells him that her brother had wanted her to give Lag his Shindanjuu. With the weapon, Lag is able to see into Guache’s heart and he sees everything leading up to his disappearance. He swears he will find Guache and bring him back home.
Taking in this new information plus a Shindanjuu and Sylvette’s respect, Lag Seeing shows up to the final Letter Bee interview and tells him his real dream. He speech impresses even Aria, the Assistant Director of the Bees and Guache’s close friend. She shows up at Sylvette’s home where Lag, Niche and Steak now live, and takes Lag to a beautiful spot that Aria tells him was Gauche’s favorite place. It is there that she reveals an interesting event that somehow played a part in Gauche forget about his mother altogether. This event, called the “Day of the Flicker,” is also connected to Lag as well. It’s painfully clear to Lag that Aria told him all this out of her feelings for Gauche. There’s more to their relationship than being just childhood friends.
We also get to experience Lag’s first day as a Letter Bee that includes helping out a fellow Bee who is being attacked by a Gaichuu as he makes use of the Shindanjuu. Then, Lag and Niche receive their first assignment that will have them journeying near Lag’s hometown. The package, it seems, is an old dog-like animal named Darwin who just happened to have been the Dingo of a Letter Bee that disappeared.
The journey, as he is told, is certainly a dangerous one but with Darwin as their guide it becomes somewhat easier. I say somewhat because Darwin is not as young as he once was and they make a stop where they meet a man who tells them a most startling and unfortunate bit of news that makes this part of the story very touching indeed. It certainly brought a tear to my eye.
Volume 3 of Tegami Bachi is strangely beautiful and emotional to the point that you can’t help but recognize the greatness of the story and Hiroyuki Asada’s writing. It’s manga like this that makes me glad I love manga in the first place and is proof that manga can make you think, feel and – yes – cry. This one is quickly becoming one of my personal favorite Shonen Jump titles and with good reason.
MANGA REVIEW BREAKDOWN
STORY: A+
Having officially become a Letter Bee, Lag Seeing and his Dingo, Niche, find themselves a part of the roster. Lag also finally gets to meet Gauche’s young sister, Sylvette, who tells him a bit of troubling news that makes him make a vow to the girl. Meanwhile, Aria fills him in on an event that might be related to Gauche’s disappearance and Lag and Niche take on their first real assignment that is connected with a Letter Bee that disappeared.
ART: B+
Asada-Sensei’s art isn’t exactly beautiful but it is original and looks beautiful at various points in the volume. The visual effects are also startlingly lovely.
OVERALL: A+
A beautifully told and moving chapter in this lovely story, Volume 3 of Tegami Bachi is the volume that will make you realize how special this manga series really is and a charming one at that as well. As Lag finds himself a member of the Letter Bees, he will continue to seek the truth behind the man who inspired him.
Review copy provided by VIZ Media
Naruto Shippuden, Season One: Box Set 4 – DVD Review December 17, 2010
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Review by: Brenda Gregson
Publisher: VIZ Media
MSRP: $49.95 US
Running Time: 350 minutes
Genre: Action
Rating: T+ (Older Teen)
Release Date: Available Now
Is the bond of hatred stronger than the bond of friendship?
The Naruto Shippuden series certainly has taken a more serious and dramatic turn that goes well beyond what we have seen from the first half of the series and this is still just Season One. A lot has happened to Naruto and all the characters around him but there are just some things that don’t change and that is Naruto’s determination to save a teammate who turned to the dark side. In Season One: Box Set 4, Naruto displays the power locked within him and he and Sakura finally come face-to-face with the one they lost.
Captain Yamato’s plan to disguise himself as one of the fallen Akatsuki to meet up with the mysterious informer was a sound plan and it was working up until said informer turned out to see through the disguise and reveal himself to be none other than Kabuto … Orochimaru’s right hand man. In the first episode of the set, we find that Orochimaru is on the other side of the bridge as well.
Oh yeah, you read it right. Orochimaru, the treacherous snake who attacked the Hidden Leaf Village, killed the Third Hokage and managed to convince Sasuke Uchiha to join him. Seeing Orochimaru, the man who knows the location of Sasuke, Naruto’s anger pushes his Jinchuriki power of the Nine-Tailed Fox. As it did with the Pervy Sage during Naruto’s training, Naruto begins to sprout tails … four of them to be exact. Unfortunately, in this state, Naruto is out of control.
Locking horns with Orochimaru on a whole new level, Sakura, Sai and Yamato watch in horror as Naruto’s appearance in this state becomes frightening. Interestingly enough, even Orochimaru can’t help but think that the Jinchuriki power is more than enough to give him a real physical workout to the point that he does manage to push Orochimaru to his very limits. At one point, Naruto even smashes a massive crater that tears up the forest. Try as she might, Sakura rushes to help Naruto only to be injured by Naruto in the process.
Sensing that he’ll get killed by Naruto if he continues to battle him, Orochimaru retreats only to find himself confronting Sai. However, Sai isn’t there to battle Orochimaru but rather presents him with a scroll from Danzo instead. To Yamato’s surprise, it appears as though Sai has not only betrayed Team Kakashi but also the Leaf Village. Lady Tsunade was right all along when she told him to keep an eye on Sai so Yamato sends a clone to follow the young man when he goes off with Orochimaru and Kabuto.
Meanwhile, Yamato manages to calm Naruto’s Jinchuriki form down. He makes it clear that he was put on the team for this very reason seeing as he was the subject of a very interesting experiment. In fact, it is Orochimaru who recognizes something about Yamato as well as what he is capable of doing. Interestingly enough, Naruto doesn’t remember anything … until Yamato tells him everything.
As far as the situation with Sai is concerned, the rest of Team Kakashi try to piece together clues as to why Sai had betrayed them. Sakura finds Sai’s sketchbook and its contents are somewhat disturbing and leads them to believe that the young man’s childhood consisted of doing dirty work for Lord Danzo. It isn’t until Yamato’s clone takes them to Orochimaru that they come to realize the shocking truth about Sai and his real mission.
You see, within Orochimaru’s lair is none other than Sasuke Uchiha who we haven’t seen since he cut ties with the Leaf Village and his friends. What Sai finds is a more arrogant, angrier and deadly young man who immediately takes a disliking to Sai. He doesn’t quite understand why Naruto and Sakura are trying hard to save a person who doesn’t want to be saved.
Infiltrating Orochimaru’s lair, the rest of Team Kakashi discover Sai’s true intentions and they’re a taken aback by the possibility that the Hidden Leaf Village may be in danger. Then the moment Naruto fans have been waiting for occurs in one unforgettable scene that makes Box Set 4 a Must Have alone. It is here that Sasuke shows us exactly how powerful he has become over the years. Let’s just say that he’s in a whole other league. Which answers the question: Is the bond of hatred stronger than the bond of friendship?
Box Set 4 of Naruto Shippuden takes us through episodes that are slightly more darker as this series is really becoming far more interesting than when it first started. On top of that, there are memorable moments that will – no doubt – be one of many moments we can continue to look forward to in future installments. Naruto fans, this is the box set you must own.
DVD REVIEW BREAKDOWN
MOVIE/EPISODES: A-
The Akatsuki informer’s identity is finally revealed as Captain Yamato and the rest of Team Kakashi face him but when Orochimaru shows his face it is Naruto who unleashes great power to beat him. Unfortunately, this power gets really out of control. Meanwhile, a betrayal among their ranks reveals a threat to the Hidden Leaf Village. More importantly, Naruto and Sakura are finally reunited with Sasuke Uchiha.
VIDEO QUALITY: A
The episodes look sharp and crisp on DVD and that’s a very good thing seeing as there are plenty of jaw-dropping battles here and, of course, an unforgettable scene that’s better on a bigger screen.
AUDIO QUALITY: A+
Once again, the Japanese voices and the English dub voice actors make for a great experience equally on both sides. For my money, however, Maile Flanagan is the voice I hear when I see images of Naruto. The score continues to work for this series and the new closing theme song is a new favorite.
EXTRAS: B+
The “Who’s Playing Who?” interactive voice actor game is actually very fun and a really entertaining addition we hope to see more of in future box set releases. There’s Production Art stills as well and the Interactive Character Relations Chart of Sound Village characters is worth a look as well. Of course, there are also trailers as well.
OVERALL: A-
As the Naruto Shippuden series starts going down a darker path, it’s also becomes a lot more exhilarating as well as we can see from Season One’s fourth Box Set. Old villains are back and the reunion we’ve been waiting for since the first part of the series makes this a box set no Naruto fan shouldn’t be without. Interesting plot developments are certainly in the works and we will definitely be there.
Review copy provided by VIZ Media
Trigun, The Complete Series – DVD Review December 13, 2010
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Review by: Sophie Stevens
Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment
MSRP: $49.98 US
Running Time: 650 minutes
Genre: Action
Rating: TV 14
Release Date: Available Now
Meet Vash the Stampede … a human trouble magnet.
Sit a spell and allow me to spin a yarn about a gunslinger so dangerous that whenever he got into a fight he’d leave a town in rubble and the town folk running for the hills. It’s no wonder they call him Vash the Stampede, or more affectionately, the Humanoid Typhoon. His adventures are also pretty darn entertaining and, at times, deep enough to make you ponder how good anime can get when everything comes together well. The Complete Series of Trigun is a four-DVD set you will certainly come to appreciate even if you missed out on the manga.
Based on Yasuhiro Nightow’s manga series, Trigun tells the tale of Vash the Stampede who has become famous for leaving a trail of destruction wherever he goes. This is why the Bernardelli Insurance Society has sent two agents, Meryl Stryfe and her bubbly partner, Milly Thompson, to shadow Vash and keep him from causing destruction. The problem is that Meryl and Milly don’t know what Vash really looks like so they ask around and think Vash is a Mohawk-wearing bandit.
As fate would have it, the real Vash runs into this bandit and his men and he reveals that he is something of a bumbling coward who believes in love and peace. He’s hardly the homicidal maniac that the rumors made him out to be and – despite the fact that he matches the real description of him – both Meryl and Milly don’t believe this weird guy in red is the same man that everyone calls the Humanoid Typhoon who has a bounty of 60 billion double-dollars on his head. It isn’t until other gunmen identify Vash that the girls believe the rumors.
Traveling with the man, though, both girls come to find out that there’s more to Vash than meets the eye. He’s the type of man who lends a hand to a person in trouble and never mind the rumors of him leaving a trail of corpses where he goes because the man is actually a true pacifist who will stubbornly not take a life no matter what because of a promise he made somebody near and dear to him.
Along the way they encounter a slick “priest” named Nicholas D. Wolfwood who carries a giant cross with him. Early on in the series, Wolfwood reveals that he’s also a gunslinger but – like Vash – there’s more to him than just being a broke ladies’ man. Unlike Vash, however, Wolfwood isn’t afraid to take a life and it isn’t until later that Vash’s peace-loving ways begin to affect him.
For the most part, the series finds Vash, Meryl, Milly and occasionally Wolfwood traveling to different towns and cities in this westernized desert wasteland. Of course, it’s Vash’s reputation and the price on his head that gets them all in trouble. In one episode, Vash tries to escape an entire town filled with people trying to collect on the reward for Vash in order to use the money to repair their power plant. On top of that he has to deal with professional bounty hunters as well as barbaric gunslingers looking to collect as well.
When not getting into trouble, though, Vash is helping people. In one episode he helps a town drunk find meaning in life once again and in yet another he rescues a female gambler who is taken hostage by a group of bandits. In another situation, he helps a child stowaway get his father’s desert steam ship from a group of terrorists. Vash often finds himself becoming a bodyguard for extra cash but, more importantly, leads his employer down the right path.
While often cowardly or acting like a total goof, it becomes clear to Meryl and Milly that Vash has a good heart and the two women become close to him to the point that they follow him out of friendship and, in Meryl’s case, something else. It isn’t until later in the series that we discover the truth about Vash, particularly where he really comes from and who exactly is the woman who has influenced his peaceful attitude. The series also gets a lot more darker and interesting as an assassin group called the Gung-Ho Guns is introduced and leads Vash down a very violent path.
Trigun is still refreshingly exciting and still just as entertaining as it was back when it was first seen and that is mainly do to the stories that are written well and filled with characters that actually have personalities that set them apart. Sure the animation isn’t as fresh as it once was but that won’t stop you from enjoying all the great visual effects.
That said, Trigun has classic written all over it and with good reason … it’s an amazing anime series that has everything you can ask for in an action series. It’s also wonderfully deep at times, genuinely funny in others and just exciting enough that you won’t help watching it from start to finish. Even if you’ve seen it before, you should definitely own this collection.
DVD REVIEW BREAKDOWN
MOVIE/EPISODES: A+
Hot on the trail of the mysterious destructive force that is Vash the Stampede in a desert wasteland planet, Meryl and Milly from the Bernardelli Insurance Society find that the young spiky-haired blonde gunslinger in red is not what he seems despite the rumors and the three are joined by a roguish priest-gunslinger on their journey to discover the truth about Vash as well as who is targeting him.
VIDEO QUALITY: B-
Trigun looks surprisingly good despite its age and it looks as close to Nightow’s manga series … which is a really good thing, indeed. Some of the action sequences really do look great as well.
AUDIO QUALITY: A
The original Japanese voice cast is where it’s at when viewing this series but that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy the English dub thanks to the talents of Johnny Yong Bosch (Vash), Dorothy Melendez (Meryl) and Jeff Nimoy (Wolfwood). The score is decent yet dated and the closing theme song is so much better than the rocking opening theme.
EXTRAS: D
The entire series collection can be found on four discs but as far as extras are concerned you won’t find much except for some trailers as well as the clean opening and closing animations.
OVERALL: A+
The Complete Series collection of Trigun deserves to be among your collection if you’re an anime fan or someone who appreciates animation with a lot of heart. It’s a classic in its own way with stellar writing that makes the episodes not just good entertainment but deep enough to make you care about the characters. Consider this a real Must Have for sure.
Review copy provided by FUNimation Entertainment
Birdy The Mighty: Decode, Part Two – DVD Review December 11, 2010
Posted by psfrontline in Anime Reviews.add a comment
Review by: Eduardo Zacarias
Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment
MSRP: $59.98 US
Running Time: 300 minutes
Genre: Action
Rating: TV 14
Release Date: Available Now
A sexy alien superstar finds love but will it mean the end of her as well?
Having liked the original series a long while back, it was good to see Birdy again and she’s looking a lot better in this new series as we saw in Part One of Birdy the Mighty: Decode. It’s also a lot more entertaining as this sexy intergalactic crime-fighter takes on even bigger threats while taking her time to model for the fan boys in Akihabara. Part Two brings us more of the same but that’s not a bad thing at all considering there’s a lot to like in this second half of the series.
It has been one month since the Ryunka was awakened by the greedy media mogul named Shyamalan and Federation investigator Birdy Cephon Altera – along with her human partner Tsutomu Senkawa saved the day before the Ryunka could level all of the city. Instead, of destroying all of Tokyo, entire blocks have been reduced to rubble and hundreds died as a result.
In Part Two, a group of alien terrorists responsible for having stolen the Ryunka that caused the destruction on Earth break out of custody and decide to hide out on our planet. Obtaining an alien device by an elderly alien called Mister Dusk, the small band is now disguised as humans but word soon gets out by the Federation that they might be hiding somewhere in Japan. This means Birdy and Senkawa (who is back in Birdy’s body again) must find and arrest them.
A lot has happened in the month after the even for Birdy’s alter ego, Shion Arita, who has now become even more popular thanks to a music CD she just put out. Aside from juggling her career and Federation job, she also allows time for Senkawa to live his life … although he spends his time disappointing classmates and depressed that his romance with Nagasugi is forgotten by the girl that loved him.
peaking of romance, Birdy runs into a childhood friend of hers named Nataru who has been living as a human for a few years now as a physical therapist in a hospital. It’s clear to Senkawa that Nataru sees Birdy in a more romantic light while Birdy still sees him as a friend. Nataru comes off as a good-natured young man who even has a young female admirer in a patient that was the little sister of his best friend that died during the Ryunka‘s path of destruction. He also happens to be the son of the mysterious Mister Dusk.
Meanwhile, the convicts start dying in violent ways by a mysterious young assassin with white hair who seems to see their murder as punishment for having killed so many people during the Ryunka’s awakening. Fearing for their lives, the prison escapees get try to stick together but one-by-one they’re being hunted and massacred. Birdy arrives late to the scene of the crime with the killer gone as if he vanished into thin air.
When not trying to track down the convicts, Birdy finds herself meeting up with Nataru often including on accident when Senkawa and his friends decide to visit the refugee camp for those who lost their homes and loved ones to the Ryunka. Senkawa learns, through Birdy’s stories, that she met Nataru when they were kids. However, after her battle with the convicts’ leader named Valic, Senkawa finds himself fused mentally to Birdy’s body so he goes deep into her memories to get her back. Her memories not only cover Birdy’s relationship with Nataru but also his robotic caretaker named Violin.
Through Birdy’s memories Senkawa also sees what really happened during a known terrorist attack on a huge tower as well as the memory of the fate that befalls Violin. More importantly, though, Senkawa is a witness to Birdy’s upbringing that is hardly what you might call a childhood.
Part Two gets even more interesting when the identity of the mystery man that is murdering the convicts as the rest of the prison escapees find out his identity as well and strikes back. As the killer reveals his true power, it is Birdy who fights to put an end to the killer’s mission before it destroys him. It’s quite a dramatic turn of events. Still, this half of the series isn’t too serious with one of the highlights being Senkawa – when his mind fused with Birdy’s body – spends his time trying to carry out Shion’s modeling gigs. It’s also good to see Capella (the girl that partnered with Shyamalan) again and this time as a personal assistant to Birdy.
On another note, nothing is really revealed in the Gomez front and even less regarding Cristella Revi who was introduced to us in the final episodes of Part One. Here’s hoping we do get to find out more about these people in another season if this series continues.
Part Two of Birdy the Mighty: Decode doesn’t push the envelope either but when it comes to being a real blast it doesn’t get any better than Birdy. Still charming and filled with action, this second part shows us more of Birdy’s past and what makes her tick but also that she has a much bigger heart that makes her a unique kind of superhero. You really do have to check this series out.
DVD REVIEW BREAKDOWN
MOVIE/EPISODES: B+
One month has passed since Birdy and Senkawa saved Tokyo from the awakened Ryunka but the group responsible for stealing it has escaped to planet Earth so it is up to Birdy to find and apprehend them. Unfortunately, this isn’t going to be an easy task since there is a mysterious figure who is killing them one-by-one. Meanwhile, Birdy encounters a childhood friend living on Earth.
VIDEO QUALITY: A
The series looks amazing compared to the old series, of course, and watching Birdy in action is a visual treat. This really is quite a good-looking anime series.
AUDIO QUALITY: A
Once again, the English dub voice acting is top-notch and the original Japanese voices are good as well but makes for a very different dialogue experience. The score is wonderful and so is the closing theme song but it’s the new opening theme, “Kiseki” by NIRGILIS that is already a song that is well loved by everyone in this office. We really do play it often.
EXTRAS: D
The lack of features or extras besides a few trailers is disappointing. We could have at least loved the cleaning opening and closing animation.
OVERALL: B+
Birdy the Mighty: Decode is one of those anime series that isn’t afraid to have some fun despite the fact that it doesn’t really push anything particularly new or anything we haven’t seen before in this genre. Still, there’s no denying that Birdy is too enjoyable to ignore, as we can see from Part Two, and one we hope will continue.
Review copy provided by FUNimation Entertainment
Strawberry 100%, Volume 14 – Manga Review December 9, 2010
Posted by psfrontline in Manga Reviews.2 comments
Review by: Ai Kano
Publisher: VIZ Media
Author: Mizuki Kawashita
Genre: Graphic Novel (Shonen Jump Advanced)
MSRP: $9.99 US
Rating: T+ (Older Teen)
Release Date: Available Now
The most unexpected confession of love will complicate things further for Junpei or will it?
If it feels like Junpei Manaka’s complex life is heading for more changes you aren’t imagining things because Strawberry 100% is finally showing signs of coming to some kind of conclusion. Although the manga series ended at Volume 19 in Japan, it seems that Volume 14 of Strawberry 100% might be where this story ends for us but here’s hoping that that isn’t the case because this volume proves that Strawberry 100% still has a lot to offer.
In the last volume, we witnessed as the bubbly and very bouncy Satsuki dropped out of the running to win Junpei’s heart after realizing that the young man just doesn’t have eyes for her in the way that she does for him. Sure, Satsuki is drop dead sexy but the girls that occupy his mind the most is Aya and Tsukasa. However, even that is starting to look like a lost cause … or does it?
Volume 14 begins with Junpei running to the aid of Tsukasa who has become the target of smitten male fans who seen Tsukasa in an article that mentions she’s engaged to her employer’s handsome and talented pastry chef grandson. However, when he gets there he finds that said grandson, Higure, is the one that took care of the jerks. Junpei can’t help but think that Tsukasa and Higure look good together and they do share the same passion for baking. Even Yui can see it even though Tsukasa makes it clear that Higure’s grandmother was the one who made that statement in the article.
Meanwhile, Aya does the most unexpected thing and that is set Junpei up on a date with the incredibly-shy-yet-somehow-boy-crazy Kozue. It’s not Aya’s idea, of course, but rather their cram school classmate, Mai, who wants to see the two together. So the pair go on a movie date as Mai and Aya secretly follows them and it looks like the two are having a great time … to Aya’s obvious disappointment. It’s become apparent that Aya sees Junpei’s growing relationship with Kozue as a sign that she is losing him even if Junpei is just hanging out with her in an innocent sort of way.
However, this changes when, during the date, Junpei takes Kozue to his school in order to show her the last movie they filmed. Touched by the movie to the point of being moved to tears, Kozue takes an interest in filmmaking. The most interesting part, though, comes from a phone call she makes Aya after the date and afterwards when they all meet at their usual hangout it is Kozue herself that shouts out a confession that surprises everyone.
As for Junpei, though, his response to Kozue’s awkward confession is that she might be the perfect lead for their next and final film project for the Film Club. After having read Aya’s latest script and was touched by the fact that she wants him to be the first to read all her scripts, Junpei is determined to bring her vision to life again on film. Before he came to the conclusion that Kozue might be perfect for the lead, his two friends play a trick on Aya, Satsuki, Chinami and even Misuzu try to compete for the lead role.
While Kozue does want to help with the filming it is Tsukasa that will have to accepting the leading role. Aya was another perfect choice be she doesn’t want it so Junpei goes to the bakery to try to convince her. Yet with an upcoming trip to France to study baking with the best, it seems impossible. Then Junpei gets a call in the middle of the night from Tsukasa who asks that he join her on a little trip for a few days.
The pair end up taking a train someplace far but Junpei can see that something is troubling Tsukasa but she won’t say until she hints that she doesn’t want to talk about work or her upcoming trip to France. Instead, she would rather spend her time with him and they end up going to Tsukasa’s hometown where they spend a pleasant evening in a festival. When asked to make a wish, Junpei does and it’s an innocent one but it is Tsukasa’s secret wish that opens up an interesting possibility.
Two very interesting turn of events makes Volume 14 of Strawberry 100% yet another intriguing volume for this series as the story begins to shift gears just a little. Never losing its charming storytelling style or fan service, the series is still loads of fun to read and we hope it continues to the very end. I really can’t stop recommending this manga series enough and if you pick up a volume you’ll definitely see why.
MANGA REVIEW BREAKDOWN
STORY: A
Junpei and Kozue go on a movie date that was planned by their cram school classmate but as the two grow closer it is Aya who doesn’t look too comfortable with the idea of the two of them dating. Kozue comes to realize something and makes an unexpected (if not comical) confession in front of her classmates. Meanwhile, talk of doing one last film project for school has Junpei spending time with Tsukasa.
ART: A+
The girls of Strawberry 100% have always been cute and even more so in this volume and Kawashita-Sensei seems to be going for a new panty shot record with this volume.
OVERALL: A
Like it did in the last volume of the series, Volume 14 of Strawberry 100% is finally shaking things up in a way that spells changes for this series. While it’s good to see all the elements that made us love the series still intact, change is a good thing in a series that has continuously brought us a sweet and charming story about a boy and a collection of girls.
Review copy provided by VIZ Media
Birdy The Mighty: Decode, Part One – DVD Review December 7, 2010
Posted by psfrontline in Anime Reviews.add a comment
Review by: Eduardo Zacarias
Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment
MSRP: $59.98 US
Running Time: 300 minutes
Genre: Action
Rating: TV 14
Release Date: Available Now
Meet the hottest crime-fighting alien pinup model ever.
You just have to love a girl whose tomboyish nature doesn’t subtract from her sexy charm and even more so when this popular-model-by-day-crime-fighter-by-night hero isn’t even human. Part One of Birdy The Mighty: Decode introduces us to Birdy as she takes on a dangerous mission with a new partner that just so happens to be sharing her body. Oh yeah, it’s a different kind of action anime series with a different kind of hero.
Birdy Cephon Altera might by an alien but her race is similar to that of a human and, on top of that, she’s an investigator for an intergalactic law enforcement organization called the Federation. It is her job to put away criminals no matter what race or planet they come from in order to secure peace in the galaxy. In fact, when we first see her – dressed in her skimpy outfit – she makes a bust in her usual shoot-first-forget-the-questions method that earned her the nickname “Berserker Killer” Birdy.
While Birdy certainly has been around the galaxy, a dangerous assignment places her on planet Earth where she decides to operate undercover. Since the prime suspect – an alien in disguise – is posing a producer in the entertainment business, Birdy assumes the secret identity of Shion Arita, a sexy new model who is making quite a splash in Akihabara as their new idol. While working as a model, Birdy spends her nights tracking all suspects involves with a deadly artifact known as the Ryunka. With the help of her partner, Tuto, they begin their
Enter Tsutomu Senkawa, a High school student who is the unwilling member of a school club dedicated to exploring abandoned buildings. One night, he enters an abandoned building with his childhood friend, Hayamiya, when they are caught in the middle of a battle between Birdy and her alien suspect. Said suspect grabs Senkawa and throws him at Birdy who instinctively punches and thus ending the life of Senkawa. Oh, but the young man doesn’t die … he wakes up in Birdy’s body.
As it turns out, he is sharing Birdy’s body who has the ability to switch between a copy of his body and Birdy’s feminine frame. That way Senkawa can return to his daily routine in a body that looks like his while hearing Birdy’s voice. However, when Birdy wishes it she can return to her body. The good news is that alien technology has the ability to repair Senkawa’s broken body and could return it to him but he must cooperate with Birdy’s mission while juggling his daily school life in the process.
Still, when a lead takes them into a dangerous battle that results in the loss of Tuto, it is Senkawa who fills in as her new partner. During the course of their investigation, a girl from class named Nakasugi gets into a car accident and is saved by a mysterious girl named Capella who uses the poor girl’s body. Now the Ryunka is missing and the girl everyone thought was going to die awakens as if nothing happened to her.
Aliens are not the only ones looking for the Ryunka either as we meet a wealthy media mogul named Satyajit Shyamalan is also looking for it with the aid of Capella and a mystery man. Hot on the trail is a journalist named Muroto who is convinced that Shion Arita is some kind of superhero or maybe an alien. Even Senkawa’s friends begin to notice something different about both Senkawa (who they think is going crazy because he seems to be talking to himself) and Nakasugi (who is now more outgoing than usual).
We even get to visit Birdy’s home planet where we meet her commanding officer – who happens to be a cricket-like alien – as well as Birdy’s father-figure (who looks like a half-man-half-dinosaur). The two even get involved in a case involving a terrorist threat while on the planet and then gets called in to a hearing that introduces us to a beautiful woman named Nechla who is an acting Pontiff (a position higher than Birdy).
While the series gives us plenty of action thanks to Birdy, the rest of the series is composed of Senkawa trying to go on with his life while helping Birdy accomplish her mission. The series’ best moments come with Birdy/Senkawa joining classmates and Nakasugi’s growing attraction to Senkawa. As the mystery of Shyamalan unravels, the interesting part comes in the discovery of what is inside Nakasugi.
Things get dramatic as Birdy discovers the location of the Ryunka and finds herself going against Senkawa who is determined to pull the Ryunka out of the person he came to love with it resulting in tragedy. Meanwhile, Shyamalan makes his move that ends with him committing a murder just in order to use the Ryunka that will threaten Tokyo. As buildings crumble and people start dying, Birdy faces off against an awakened Ryunka as Senkawa makes a shocking decision.
While it doesn’t show us anything we haven’t seen before, Part One of Birdy The Mighty: Decode is still a real blast to watch. You won’t be able to help liking Birdy or Senkawa as they juggle the mission and high school life but, more importantly, you’ll love how fun the episodes are up until the very end. This series is definitely off to a good start so Part Two is definitely one to watch as well.
DVD REVIEW BREAKDOWN
MOVIE/EPISODES: B+
Birdy is a law-enforcing investigator for the allied alien organization called the Federation who comes to Earth as an undercover agent by night and a hot pinup model by day. During a fight with an alien, however, she changes the life of a human boy named Tsutomu Senkawa who becomes a part of Birdy’s mission to destroy a danger alien artifact capable of wiping out humanity.
VIDEO QUALITY: A
As far as the animation is concerned, this series looks really good with some spectacular visual effects that make the action look simply amazing and wonderfully flashy. The fan service never goes too far than Birdy’s skimpy outfit.
AUDIO QUALITY: A
The original Japanese voices do an excellent job but the dialogue is more snappy for the English dub and you can never go wrong with Luci Christian, Cherami Leigh’s over-the-top performance and Micah Solusod’s talents that make Senkawa even more likable.
EXTRAS: D
Sadly, there are no audio commentary tracks or other extras but there are some trailers at least.
OVERALL: B+
Part One of Birdy The Might: Decode is a reassured good time for those looking for an anime series that knows how to handle action, comedy and sexiness all in one fun package. Sure, it might not push action anime to new heights but Birdy is one girl who definitely knows how to show you a good time. This is definitely a series you should certainly check out.
Review copy provided by FUNimation Entertainment
Rental Magica, Part Two – DVD Review December 4, 2010
Posted by psfrontline in Anime Reviews.add a comment
Review by: Brenda Gregson
Publisher: RightStuf!/Nozomi Entertainment
MSRP: $49.99 US
Running Time: 400 minutes
Genre: Supernatural
Rating: 13+
Release Date: Available Now
Now this is the type of magic show we love.
Rental Magica is one of those shows that feels very much like a good magical-themed anime series you seen before and actually liked a lot thanks to its wonderful cast of characters and the ability to tell an interesting story with the right dash of drama, comedy and action to make it fun to watch. I actually wouldn’t have minded it at all if this series had more than two seasons. However, all good things must come to an end eventually and Part Two of Rental Magica is truly fitting end to this fun anime.
Whether you watched the series in its chronological order or the original broadcast order, Part Two eventually leads up to the final showdown with Judaix Tholoide whose personal grievance with Itsuki Iba, president of Astral. Along with his homunculus named Lapis – who captured Honami – Judaix fights Itsuki who not only uses his Glam Eye but reveals that he has the Eye of Horus. The final confrontation, surprisingly enough, doesn’t end grimly for either party but Itsuki makes it clear that he’s definitely up to the challenges he must face as boss.
Meanwhile, the series shifts its attention to the other employees of Astral as well as dive deeper into the Honami and Adelicia relationship with a flashback episode about how they met in a Hogwarts-like magic school. We also get an episode with Nekoyashiki as he accepts a job from a man who knows him and wants to hire him for a sacred Star Festival. In another episode we find ourselves meeting Mikan’s family when she is called away back home only to have her friends go back to fetch her when the pint-sized magic user becomes the subject of a ritual sacrifice.
Interestingly enough, Part Two introduces us to new characters such as Mikan’s older sister, Kaori, he lends a hand in helping Itsuki and his friends rescue Mikan. We also meet a monk named Sekiren who saves Itsuki from a larva spirit creature and later stays on to train Itsuki in combat so the boy could at least defend himself in battle. More interesting is Adelicia’s beautiful employee, Daphne, who has a very surprising reason for wanting to protect Adelicia.
While these characters drop in from time to time throughout Part Two, they’re not just one-dimensional characters that don’t really add much to the series but rather fleshed out characters that are just as intriguing as the main cast of characters.
The series also finds Itsuki really push himself into being a reliable boss but also one who won’t be a burden on his friends. It is Sekiren who tests the young man and tells him to not be afraid of his Glam Eye but to work with it. In a Christmas episode, Itsuki tries to solve a case on his own despite the fact that Adelicia and Honami think he might be out their buying one of them a present.
Oh, there’s also a wedding between Adelicia and an employee of Astral and it’s not who you might think. Not to spoil anything, though, the wedding is more a magical agreement than a regular one but it makes for a fascinating and funny one thanks to Itsuki’s reaction to the wedding.
In the final chapter, though, Itsuki meets a young man named Fin Cruda who was Honami’s upperclassman mentor. Friendly, at first, Fin convinces Honami that he can cure Itsuki of his Glam Eye … something that has been torturing Honami since she and Itsuki were kids. Instead, Fin’s methods of “helping” Itsuki may have something to do with a dormant dragon that is a part of the city and Itsuki. It leads to a confrontation that has Adelicia and the rest of Astral fighting to save Itsuki from Fin and Honami.
Overall, Part Two certainly continues to be dramatic, action-packed and funny at all the right moments. On top of that, the episodes are actually well-written and fun to watch despite the fact that – surprising wedding episode aside – it doesn’t really try anything all too different.
Then again, Rental Magica is a guaranteed good time and as we can see from Part Two it will certainly make a fan out of you to the point that you won’t mind wanting too see the characters again. It’s that good of a series and this is a perfect collection and the best way to watch this series so you can definitely consider this one a Must Buy.
DVD REVIEW BREAKDOWN
MOVIE/EPISODES: A-
The Judaix Tholoide affair comes to a close as Itsuki and his friends lock horns with him in a final showdown. Going back to business as usual for Astral, we meet Mikan’s older sister, a monk who begins Itsuki’s combat training and even witness as magically-themed wedding. Later, meets a young mage connected to Honami who sets in motion a plan that will either cure Itsuki or kill him.
VIDEO QUALITY: A
You have to love RightStuf!/Nozomi for bringing us crisp and clean episodes that look really good on DVD and even more so when it concerns a series with gorgeous visual effects.
AUDIO QUALITY: B+
The voice acting in the series is effective and, at times, really convincing. The music is also handled beautifully with the closing theme song, “Aruiteiko” performed by Jungo Yoshida, being an office favorite because it’s downright beautiful.
EXTRAS: A+
Once again, the discs are packed with various extras that include promotional videos, trailers for the series plus trailers for various RightStuf/Nozomi series. Even better, you get the options to watch the series in its broadcast or chronological order. Then there’s the soft cover book jam packed with cast interviews, episode breakdown plus interesting facts about the supernatural elements seen in the show is a great read.
OVERALL: A-
Part Two of Rental Magica is an even more entertaining second half of a fun anime series worth watching. While the story is still something we’ve seen before in other series like it, you can’t help but like the well-rounded characters enough to find yourself really enjoying this series. Give Rental Magica a try, you will definitely not regret it.
Review copy provided by RightStuf!/Nozomi Entertainment
