Animanga Nation

Review by: Clive Owen

Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment
MSRP: $59.98 US
Running Time: 288 minutes
Genre: Action
Rating: TV 14
Release Date: Available Now

The Stigma of the Wind is blowing in a better direction.

I really wanted to like the first volume of Kaze no Stigma but there were a lot of things that simply didn’t work to set this series apart from other shows similar to this. That said, there were things about the series I did like including many of the battles and Ayano Kannagi who managed to outshine the supposedly cool male Contractor named Kazuma Yagami. Kaze no Stigma, Volume 2, is a slightly better volume that is actually quite entertaining despite the fact that this series doesn’t do anything new.

After coming to terms with his anger towards the Kannagi clan, Kazuma finds himself working under the payroll of the Kannagi. Yes, he still hates his own father with a passion that is felt in this volume as well but he has come to actually enjoy playfully annoying his (distant?) cousin, Ayano. In the opening episode of Volume 2, it even becomes clear that Ayano’s own father is interesting in seeing his own daughter and Kazuma hooking up. He even sends them on an “assignment” to the amusement park in search of Youma only for the assignment to turn out to be something of a date.

Ayano actually does have a major crush on Kazuma but never really reveals her feeling to him. In fact, she even denies it to all her friends despite the fact that it is so obvious. Still, while the Ayano/Kazuma romance was slightly annoying in Volume 1 it’s actually a lot more bearable thanks to a new rival that is introduced when Ayano and Kazuma go on an unofficial date in an expensive restaurant. The rival, an American girl named Catherine McDonald, is attractive and – surprise – busty. She also happens to be a fire magic user with the power to summon a spirit beast she called Metatron.

Catherine’s arrival is not coincidental. She has come to prove that the McDonald clan is better than the Kannagi clan and the only way she can prove it is by defeating Ayano in battle. They fight it out in the restaurant but when they withdraw, Catherine is trained in combat by Kazuma himself … to Ayano’s surprise. Meanwhile, Catherine becomes smitten by Kazuma and thus creating a fun rivalry between the two girls for Kazuma’s affections.

Also unlike the first volume we learn more about Kazuma so he’s not as one-dimensional as the first 12 episodes of the series. Here, he does let his guard down a little and relishes in pissing off Ayano every chance he gets. Unfortunately, he doesn’t evolve enough to set him apart from other characters like him and his fight with his father has become something of a joke. In a hot springs episode (cliché number 10 for this series), Kazuma discovers his father is also at the hot springs and the two end up brawling like kids.

The series even adds fan service to the series as if the producers thought that the first part of the series lacked something to keep the boys from tuning out. From the very first episode in Volume 2 to battles where Ayano’s cute outfit or dress is torn the tatters, the fan service feels tacked on rather than add any real sexiness to it. It doesn’t get too outrageous, mind you, but the panty flashes start becoming less appealing and more unintentionally comical .

Volume 2 really takes off somewhere around Episode 17 as a perverted student in Ayano’s school is humiliated and turns to a website that offers powers to anyone who wants it. Before they know it, people with special abilities begin to pop up all over the city starting battles in hopes of “leveling up” as if all of this was some kind of role-playing game. Ayano and Kazuma look into the matter and really begin to worry when Ayano’s friend, Nanase, is targeted by the perverted geek who now how special powers.

With Detective Tachibana leading the investigation, she asks Kazuma, Ayano and even Catherine to help her crack the case. Instead, what they find is a sick game being played a mysterious figure with an assistant named Lapis who reminds Kazuma of somebody special that he lost named Tsui Ling. Can this girl really be the girl he lost before he became a Contractor? The answer transforms the cool and collected Kazuma into a madman who is willing to threaten his own little brother to get to the man behind this threat and the place called Pandemonium where all the super powered players are looking to go for more power.

There’s a final battle but it is hardly a massive one with a disappointing outcome. What does work, is Ayano’s confrontation with an out of control Kazuma. The two fought before but this time around Ayano and Kazuma are serious as fire and wind collide. This is definitely one of the better moments of this series and it definitely will make you like Ayano even more considering the fact that she entered the fight without having come up with a plan … a fact that frightens Ren, Kazuma’s little brother.

While still something of an average anime series that shows us nothing new, Volume 2 of Kaze no Stigma is a tad more exciting and certainly a little more appealing than the first volume. With the exception of Ayano, many of the characters that seemed so stale are getting more interesting but with a story that just doesn’t try to be different this one still has a long way to go.

DVD REVIEW BREAKDOWN

MOVIE/EPISODES: C+
Feeling more comfortable working for the Kannagi clan, Kazuma finds himself working side-by-side with Ayano stopping Youma until they come across an American girl looking to settle which clan is better. Later, a dangerous game is played that threatens those closest to Ayano and turns Kazuma into a dark force that will stop at nothing to get revenge.

VIDEO QUALITY: B-
The animation, much like the episodes, are the seen-that-before-hundreds-of-times kind but it does the job nicely enough. There’s a large dose of fan service in this Volume but it feels out of place.

AUDIO QUALITY: A
Unlike the first volume, the dialogue in these twelve episodes are a tad better and the English dub makes it work better than the original Japanese voice work. The score is excellent and you just have to love Saori Kiuji opening theme song.

EXTRAS: C
Part 4 through 6 of Ayano’s House Call: All-You-Can-Eat Cakes is back with Ayumi, Shizuka and Yuka in Osaka but this time they spend the promotional special sitting at a table eating cake and talking about their voice acting experiences. There’s the inclusion of trailers and the clean opening and closing songs and nothing else.

OVERALL: C+
Volume 2 of Kaze no Stigma shows us just how average this series is but this one is a slight improvement over the first volume. The characters feel a tad more fleshed out this time around and the dialogue is better but the story still feels like we’ve seen this kind of anime one too many times. Still, there are some fun moments in this series if you give it a chance.

Review by: Clive Owen

Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment
MSRP: $59.98 US
Running Time: 315 minutes
Genre: Sports
Rating: TV 14
Release Date: Available Now

There’s no crying in baseball.

As a sports fan and devoted baseball enthusiast, Big Windup! joins the ranks of some of my favorite sports anime series whether its basketball or football. The first part of the series introduces us to the freshman baseball team and a most unusual yet talented young pitcher who brings hope to the nine players that find themselves out of spring training and in the tournament that might just make legends out of them. Big Windup!, Part 2 is here and the tournament has finally begun but be prepared for one of the most slow paced game of baseball we’ve seen yet.

It might have been fate or the luck of the draw that the Nishiura Nine find themselves starting off the Summer National School Baseball Tournament by going up against the defending champions of last year’s tournament … Tosei High. In the opening episode of Part 2, Episode 14, the game begins and Nishiura immediately becomes intimidated by Tosei’s lineup that includes a good pitcher and a captain with a good head on his shoulders.

Tosei’s pitcher manages to impress the delightfully spineless Mihashi as he watches the young seasoned pitcher strike out Tajima. Oh, but Nishiura is in no way backing out of this game and even more so that in the stands the male cheering squad has brought as many Nishiura High students they can find to cheer their team on with much enthusiasm. Many of the players mothers are also cheering their sons on as a group and Mihashi’s attractive cousin is there to root for him.

As I mentioned above, the second half of the series moves at a very slow pace and this is mostly because the series spends the eleven out of thirteen episodes getting into the mindset of each player as well as going through every little detail about a play. For the casual ball fan, the excessive attention to every detail might be exhausting but those who know that game well will find the details to be quite interesting. Very few shows about baseball lets you know what a catcher is thinking when he sizes up a batter or how said batter is trying to determine what type of pitch will be thrown.

Thankfully, the episodes zero in on Mihashi who is slowly developing confidence in the catcher, his teammates and himself. Of course, there are various moments that shatter that confidence and turns him into quivering coward and the thought of letting down his teammates has him almost feverish to the point that Abe, the catcher, keeps checking on him. Meanwhile, the other players are stunned when Mihashi comes up at bat and manages to hit a grounder. Also, thanks to his awkward fumbling ways, Mihashi manages to help a teammate get to home base and thus earn the first score of the game.

In the fourth inning, Nishiura just isn’t able to get their best hitters to make a dent in Tosei’s defense and it isn’t until Mihashi performs another miracle when he’s up at bat that his teammates finds themselves playing in the same level as the more experienced opposing team. The other team suddenly sees players like Tajima, Abe and Hanai as major threats. Many of them can’t even make heads or tails of Mihashi’s pitching style.

While the majority of the episodes get into the cerebral aspects of the game, there are many exciting moments in the game between Nishiura and Tosei. When Tosei wins the lead in one of the innings, Nishiura really hustles to keep up until the final moments when our team manages to tie and then jump ahead thanks to Mihashi’s pitching. The final moments of the game are most definitely the more exciting and the better part of this second part of the series.

With the outcome of the game surprising just about everyone, the final two episodes finds the Nishiura Nine gets some rest and allowing their star pitcher to recover from the game. While Abe still picks on the poor guy, he certainly proved a lot during the game. In the final episode, we find Haruna – who was Abe’s Junior High pitcher – trying to talk a teammate out of quitting the team and baseball. He even talked Abe out of not giving up on the game.

In the end, Part 2 of Big Windup! seems to move at a glacial pace that might not sit well with fans of the first part but when it comes down to it this is still one of the most entertaining sports anime series to come along. The characters are so well developed that we gladly follow the Nishiura Nine as they begin to show signs of promise. I still can’t recommend this one enough to sports fans and anime lovers alike.

DVD REVIEW BREAKDOWN

MOVIE/EPISODES: B
It’s the first game in the tournament and Nishiura High is up against returning champions, Tosei High who has an impressive starting lineup. Yes, the bulk of the 13 episodes are dedicated to a single game but there are exciting moments scattered throughout and we get a deeper view into the characters strengths and weaknesses.

VIDEO QUALITY: A
The animation is some of the best and the action flows perfectly so the baseball action looks good in motion. I still get a kick out of Mihashi’s frightened bird-like expressions.

AUDIO QUALITY: A
The voice work is still top notch although there are noticeable inconsistencies in the pronunciations of names and Japanese words for the amazing English dub cast. I definitely enjoyed the original Japanese voices a little better in this series and the music is still sweeping and wonderfully cinematic.

EXTRAS: D
Short on extras, the only thing you’ll find in the second disc are the textless opening and closing songs and a number of trailers. We definitely would have loved an audio commentary track for one or two of the episodes.

OVERALL: B
Things slow down considerably in Part 2 of Big Windup! and with most of the episodes in this set dedicated to one game there is still much to like about this second part. Sure, it becomes frustrating when a series dissects just about every detail of a sport but Big Windup! keeps sports and anime fans cheering either way.

Review by: Edward Zacharias

Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment
MSRP: $69.98 US
Running Time: 650 minutes
Genre: Action
Rating: 16 Up
Release Date: Available Now

The art of the ultra cool samurai.

A young, clumsy and cute tea house waitress has always felt that her life was missing something but dared not chase that something down on her own until the fateful day she met two very talented swordsmen who start their relationship with her by trying to kill each another. Samurai Champloo isn’t your average Edo period samurai action anime and that’s what thousands of anime fans love about a series that is wildly entertaining and way too cool.

The Complete Collection features all 26 episodes of the series in seven DVDs and if you missed the series individually and waited for a complete set like this then you will not be disappointed. Among the exciting hip-hop fused sword battles and bloody violence, there’s a sincerely poignant tale of friendship and honor that makes the trio so much damn fun to watch from start to finish. You see, as much as we love the action, it is the characters that light up the screen.

The story introduces us to the two talented swordsmen I mentioned earlier about to get executed by a local magistrate the two had angered in the wake of their destructive battle that lead to said magistrate’s son getting killed in a tea house blaze. One a rude, crude and dangerous vagabond swordsman named Mugen who would kill for a few coins or even something as simple as dumplings. The other is a quiet, polite and neatly dressed Ronin named Jin who follows the path of the samurai. To the young tea house waitress named Fuu – who manages to escape the fire – these two are the perfect candidates to help her look for a samurai who “smells of sunflowers.” That is, of course, if Jin and Mugen don’t kill each another in the process.

With that one and simply vague description, the three set on a length journey to find this samurai for reasons Fuu doesn’t go into until the very end. With no money in their pockets, the three take on odd assignments when offered such as the time Mugen works for the Yakuza for a few extra coins or when Fuu decides to pose for an artist who one day inspires Vincent Van Gogh’s sunflower paintings. They even participate in an eating contest where they meet a very unusual man who hires them on as their guide.

With each stop, Fuu learns that the man she was looking for has passed through at some point. She’s about the only one who seems concentrated on the task at hand seeing as her two swordsmen keep getting into trouble that requires them to kill a number of men. It’s downright hilarious watching Fuu try to either fix their mistakes or try to get them out of a jam. In one episode, Mugen and Jin are conned by a beautiful woman and – in another episode – Mugen convinces Jin to pawn his eye glasses with the promise he’s get them back by winning at gambling.

The trio also end up giving a helping hand in stopping crooks and, at one point, draws out a killer who slays swordsmen. Jin even helps a woman who is sold into a brothel to work out a debt owed to the brothel owners by the woman’s husband. We also get to learn more about the two men she keeps as company. In one episode, we learn a secret about Jin and why samurai who know him want to see Jin dead for a crime he may or may have not committed. In another episode, we find out a lot about Mugen’s past from those criminal scum that knows him best.

While never really trying to accurate capture the era realistically, we do learn many little interesting lessons in Japanese history such as how homosexuality is viewed or the fact that graffiti actually originated in the Edo period. There’s even the first real look at baseball in Japan. What the series does best is push the violence in a stylized way that it is never gross or gruesome. It also handles the humor perfectly throughout the series.

I won’t go into how their journey ends or whether or not Jin and Mugen finally decide to fight each another at journey’s end. What I will say is that by the final episode you really don’t want this series to end. We wish we could continue to follow them but all good things come to an end and the series ends on a good note. The brilliantly directed series and amazing animation play a big part in the storytelling seeing as it – like its characters – have their own unique style. I mean, even the music isn’t your typical soundtrack.

Samurai Champloo, The Complete Collection, is exactly what you deserve if you consider yourself an anime fan with an eye towards ultra cool action. It’s a slick, stylish and satisfyingly amazing series that should be on the very top of anyone’s Must Own list. Very few anime series makes samurais seem so amazingly cool and fun to watch like the ones in this series and trust me when I say that you will have a blast watching this series.

DVD REVIEW BREAKDOWN

MOVIE/EPISODES: A+
Inspired by the sight of two very skilled swordsmen, a young girl named Fuu asks the cool and collected Jin and the crude yet talented Mugen to help her find a samurai who “smells of sunflowers.” On their journey together, the trio gets into a number of adventures and facing the demons of their past.

VIDEO QUALITY: A
The animation is simple fluid and gorgeous enough that you can see what Quentin Tarantino saw in it when he used Kazuto Nakazawa for Kill Bill, Vol. 1. The transitions between scenes are handled uniquely and the action sequences are stellar.

AUDIO QUALITY: A
The English dub is wonderfully effective and somehow makes more sense but you’ll find that the original Japanese voice work is just as good. The soundtrack is one of the real highlights of the series with remarkable music and great closing tracks such as the Minmi closing songs.

EXTRAS: C-
The collection could have offered more extras but there’s conceptual art and a Bumper Gallery feature. The opening promo video of “battlecry” is simply awesome.

OVERALL: A+
A hip-hop-infused samurai action series that is straight up cool in just about every way, The Complete Collection of Samurai Champloo should be on any anime fan’s wish list. With a strong cast of characters and plenty of blood splattering swordplay, this stylishly unique series has enough amazing episodes to keep action junkies satisfied.

Review by: Brenda Gregson

Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment
MSRP: $69.98 US
Running Time: 610 minutes
Genre: Romance/Comedy
Rating: TV MA
Release Date: Available Now

It’s all about Love, manga, curry and really crazy school days.

If you’re been waiting for the second semester of School Rumble to be released in a complete set then you are certainly in luck because FUNimation has given the series The Complete Collection treatment it gave the first season of the show in one set with four discs. If anything, School Rumble: 2nd Semester, The Complete Collection is the way to go if you’re a School Rumble fan.

Taking place after the first season’s hilarious madcap events that finds bad boy Kenji Harima still very much in love with the cute and air headed Tenma as well as still pursuing a career writing and drawing manga. Meanwhile, Tenma’s younger sister Yakumo hasn’t told Tenma that she’s been helping Harima with his comic and her big sister believe the two are secretly dating. Once again, misunderstandings put Harima back into square one with Tenma who is still crazy about the weird boy in class, Karasuma. Once again, it is this rather interesting little love triangle that is the best thing about School Rumble apart from its outrageous humor and crazy vignettes about the other many characters in the series.

With the Culture Festival coming up, rumors of Harima dating Yakumo doesn’t sit well with rich girl Eri Sawachika (who actually has a crush on Harima) or Haruki Hanai (who is so madly in love with Yakumo). Before the festival, though, Class 2-D once again challenges Class 2-C but this time even Class 2-C is divided by whether to put on a play or a maid café for the festival. The only way to see which options is picked is by holding a Battle Royale-like BB gun survival game. The battle is fierce as friend turns on friend and even a girlfriend turns on her boyfriend. Even the band, which includes, Karasuma, joins in the fight. This is truly one of the biggest highlights of the first half of this second season.

Once again, the fun elements of the series takes center stage as we get small stories that flesh out the rest of the cast of the series in the most hilarious manner possible. For example, we get more background about Eri’s butler and maid and the ideas for the play they decided to put on for the festival are hilarious. We get to see the other characters during their part-time job (Lara, for example, works at a local burger joint with her rival, Karen). The series even pokes fun at anime production when Harima gets a job as a production assistant. One of the most memorable moments occurs when Harima accidentally becomes part of the Sleeping Beauty play production during the festival … playing the role of Sleeping Beauty.

We also stray from the Harima-Tenma-Karasuma love triangle for a few episodes about a first-year student who begins the school’s first all-girls basketball team. The girl, Satsuki, gets a number of girls to join the team and even Tenma catches basketball fever … although she is rejected right off the bat. There’s also a romantic twist to this storyline that surprisingly works well and it’s fun to see Harima and Tenma team up as they join a basketball team composed mainly of rejects.

As Harima becomes accepted as a mangaka, he finds himself working closer with Yakumo who is starting to like Harima. There was even a confrontation between her and Eri during the school play and now the relationship between the bad boy and the quiet girl is becoming more evident. Still, Harima – despite his reputation as a brawler – is a sensitive and kind soul who, during Tenma’s birthday, offers up his own present and tells Tenma it came from Karasuma. He’s the type of guy who would much rather see the girl he loves happy than to admit that the gift came from him. This is but one of the many reasons we love Harima so much and root for him to get the girl.

As it was in the first season, though, more misunderstandings have the poor guy suffering. At one point, he even comes to stay under the same roof as Tenma and Yakumo when a failed attempt to admit his love to her places him out on the street. When he is taken in by Mikoto, Harima finds out that Eri is staying under the same roof as him in an attempt to escape an arranged marriage meet-and-greet. The two actually become a bit closer because of this as Harima helps Eri try to get out of the meeting.

The second season is also the most craziest with odd vignettes/fantasies such Tenma joining a Ghost in the Shell-like cyber organization or Mai becoming a Magical Girl fighting an masked wrestler version of Harima. There’s even a short about a crazy basketball team. These are fun but don’t really add to the main story, unlike the strange stories that are credible (Imadori humiliating Lara and then has a play date with Karen’s little brother) to weird (Hanai meeting a Mayan version of his classmates and the boys and girls of Class 2-C getting lost at sea).

Within the layers of madcap humor and odd occurrences is the heart of a good romantic comedy with a slightly dramatic soul. Sure, these parts aren’t played up as well as the first season but it makes for a good central theme that becomes more interesting when Yakamo and Eri become part of the love triangle. The hilarious moments are genuinely funny and hardly ever forced, although sometimes you will find yourself scratching your head at the insanity. Still, anime and manga fans will love the little nods to other series and the fact that secondary characters do get their moment to shine in the complete season set. I mean, we never knew Togo was this funny until we really got to know him in this season.

The Complete Collection of School Rumble’s 2nd Semester is just jam-packed with a lot of what we loved about the first season while going totally insane in the second half of this season’s set. I would like to say that this is the perfect season but it isn’t but that doesn’t mean you won’t have loads of fun watching each and every episode. In fact, I still recommend this series to my friends and anyone who is interested in a romance-comedy that is flat-out crazy in the best way possible.

DVD REVIEW BREAKDOWN

MOVIE/EPISODES: B+
In the second semester of their school year, the students of Class 2-C get into romantic triangles and try to survive everything from a Culture Festival to a cruise ship disaster. More importantly, Harima is still chasing after Tenma and Tenma is still chasing after Karasuma. This time around, though Harima has two girls interested in him and students that were merely a supporting cast gets fleshed out a bit more. Plus, a number of crazy things happen … again.

VIDEO QUALITY: A+
Kiki Van De Kamp was right when she said this series looked great on DVD and yes it is always a treat to watch Harima react to all the misunderstandings. This series is ripe with hilarious sight gags and more so in the second half of this season.

AUDIO QUALITY: A
There is definitely a lot to love about the English dub that does a great job of adding its own style and making the characters all the more likeable. Yes, the original Japanese voice actors are fantastic and I love Ami Koshimizu but Luci Christian’s voice is what I hear when I imagine Tenma. The two closing theme songs are favorites around this office.

EXTRAS: B+
Aside from the usual collection of trailers and clean opening and closing tunes, the Complete Collection includes an interview with Ami Koshimizu in the second disc and a great interview with School Rumble creator Jin Kobayashi on the fourth disc.

OVERALL: B+
While not as deliciously brilliant as the first season, the complete second season of School Rumble won’t fail to make you laugh, make you root for its characters’ romantic life and scratch your head wondering what a funky basketball bunch has to do with the love triangles. Yes, School Rumble is the kind of show that is unapologetically outrageous but that’s what we love about it and The Complete Collection of this second season is just what we have been hoping for since the first release of this season.

Review by: Faith McAdams

Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment
MSRP: $59.98 US
Running Time: 300 minutes
Genre: Supernatural/Action
Rating: TV 14
Release Date: Available Now

The power of Innocence compels you!

It’s not easy being an Exorcist and even more so when you’re the youngest member of the Black Order that has spent the majority of your childhood learning the arts from a General that is a tough mentor and a man that’s not quite playing with a full deck of cards. Allen Walker has had a shaky beginning but in Part Two of Season One of D. Gray-Man his career as an Exorcist is just starting to kick into overdrive.

Beginning with Episode 14, Allen Walker is recovering nicely from his injuries that he received during his last assignment with fellow Exorcist Lenalee. As a result, Allen gets another mission to uncover the mystery behind the strange weather patterns that has been affecting a small village. It would be snowing at one moment then winding in another and then sunny within seconds. The cause, according to Chief Komui might be that Innocence is near while many of the locals believe it has something to do with the fabled Leaf of Revival that is so powerful it can bring the dead back to life.

A man and his daughter believe the rumors that the Leaf of Revival is nearby that they brave the horrible snow storm and are almost killed if it wasn’t for Allen, Kanda and Lavi (who, along with Bookman, decided to tag along). It becomes clear to Allen that the father-daughter team might get themselves killed so attempts to find the Innocence before they do but what he wasn’t counting on was the father following close behind them and a group of Akuma that happens to be looking for the Innocence as well. There’s a clash between the group that makes this a tough assignment for the Exorcists.

In another mission, Kanda has gone missing after having accepted an assignment in Rome. Allen and a still-ticked-off Lenalee is sent to look into the matter only to find out that Kanda’s disappearance might have something to do with an old legend of a beautiful Princess and a swordsman. When the pair get to Rome they find out the daughter of a very affluent man has been kidnapped and has offered a reward to a massive group of bounty hunters that have come to the city.

The truth behind the kidnapping is definitely not what it seems as Allen and Lenalee find Kanda recovering from his battle with what he claims to be the swordsman of the old legend. What they find instead is a deeply poignant love story that makes the two-episode story arc one of the best the series has produced. It’s also one of the more well-written episodes with a surprising twist in the end.

The series even adds another wacky episode involving Chief Komui who is outraged over the idea that his beautiful young sister, Lenalee, is dating an older and very married man working for the Black Order‘s Science Division. His suspicions become confirmed when he follows the two out in town and little does he know that an Akuma is also after his sister.

In another lengthy story arc that takes up six episodes, Allen, Tavi and Bookman find themselves heading out into a village where a Count is said to feed off villagers. They all call the man a vampire and while the young Exorcists do not believe in vampires they witness Count Arystar Krory draining a villager of his blood right before their eyes. The two frightened Exorcists proceed with caution only to find the castle contains man-eating plants, a mysterious and beautiful woman and the rumor that Allen’s mentor passed into town to meet the vampire. The Exorcists find themselves in a battle as they uncover the secret behind Krory and the woman named Eliade.

In the final episode of the vampire story arc, Allen and Tavi walk out with a new member and it comes in the form of the vampire himself. Krory has been trained in the arts to the point that he qualifies to become an Exorcist, a fact that the man comes to terms with in the aftermath of the battle. While we got to see a scary side to Krory, his more natural state is a lot more kooky and hilarious. The guy is a cry baby who, because he has been living in the castle, is easily conned by the people he meets. He gets a welcome much like Allen does when they show up in the Black Order headquarters but finds himself glad he chose to join them in the end.

In the final episodes, Allen meets another General who kindly offers the boy good advice and offers perspective on the reason why Allen Walker became an Exorcist. Both men have demons they are trying to overcome but when the Millennium Earl sends out his Clan of Noah followers to attack the General while he sends a message to all Exorcists that the end is coming soon for them.

This second half of Season One of D. Gray-Man does a slight step ahead of the first half of this season and is even more exhilarating as well. As Allen Walker’s becomes more comfortable as an Exorcist and his past begins to flesh him out to become a good lead character, the series becomes even more fun to watch. With the Millennium Earl ready to unleash his plan, things can only get interesting with Season Two.

DVD REVIEW BREAKDOWN

MOVIE/EPISODES: B+
Allen Walker finds himself taking on more responsibilities and missions in this second half of the first season whether he’s helping a father and daughter searching for a legend, looking into a castle said to be the home of a vampire or rid the city of Rome of a ghost swordsman. The Millennium Earl and his followers also makes their move against the Exorcists.

VIDEO QUALITY: B+
The animation is outstanding and is somewhat true to the manga and that’s a very good thing. I still love how all the Akuma looks in this series and on DVD it looks gorgeous enough.

AUDIO QUALITY: B
Like Clive said, the English dub voices aren’t bad but they fall out of synch with the setting so the Japanese voices is the way to go. This show certainly has some great opening and closing songs. “Pride of Tomorrow” by JUNE is still one of my favorite closing theme songs and the new opening theme, “Brightdown” sung by Nami Tamaki is absolutely fabulous.

EXTRAS: C
There’s an audio commentary track for Episode 18 and its worth a listen to seeing as it points out the special guest voice of Michael Sinterklass (who does the voice of Dean Venture in The Venture Brothers). Then there are the clean opening and closing themes and a few trailers to look forward to in the second disc.

OVERALL: B+
Season One Part Two of D. Gray-Man is a slightly more exciting and compelling half of the season that makes this one just as fun as the manga itself. There’s a deeper look into Allen Walker as his character is fleshed out and there’s more than enough action and hilarity to make this first season well worth the price of admission.

Review by: Clive Owen

Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment
MSRP: $49.98 US
Running Time: 325 minutes
Genre: Action
Rating: TV MA
Release Date: Available Now

Who knew that school girl outfits could explode like that?

Before we could even get to know the main protagonist of this story or what her personality is really like we see her pick a fight with some mean boys but also lost most of her school outfit that left very little to the imagination to begin with but is now in tatters. She still manages to whip her opponents but aside from looking good in her bra and panties there is very little else meaningful or interesting about Hakufu Sonsaku in The Complete Series of Ikki Tousen.

Interestingly enough, Ikki Tousen is a unique twist on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms story with many of the familiar characters from the story transformed into sexy and bosomy young High school girls. Ikki Tousen actually recreates key moments from that story with High school students standing in as the reincarnated characters that are fated to meet in battle. Instead of different providences at war, the story is set up as seven schools that are at odds with each another and the battles mere fistfights that determine what school dominates the other.

We meet Koukin Shuyu from Nanyo Academy who is awaiting the arrival of his very attractive cousin Hakufu Sonsaku to the school. In Hakufu’s first day, she gets into a fight with a few tough boys only to trun her school uniform into tatters. She’s not a smart girl and often jumps into problems even when Koukin tells her to be careful. Hakufu would have been really annoying if she wasn’t a sexy girl who doesn’t even flinch when an opponent tears her clothes away or if she lands in a very provocative pose … mainly all of which involves panty flashing.

As word of her fighting prowess spreads throughout the school, Hakufu is challenged by fighters that are ranked as members of the Big Four. Meanwhile, Koukin comes to realize that his attractive cousin is being targeted and he gets cryptic messages from his fellow classmate, Genpou Saji, who seems shifty and is not a good person seeing as he practically feels up every girl he encounters. Hakufu even meets Ryomou, a deadly fighter who sports an eye patch and favors wrestling-styled moves. When Ryomou is asked to take down Hakufu, the girl awakens a “dragon” within Hakufu that makes the dumb girl lose control of herself and thus gives Ryomou quite a thrashing.

Not sure of what to make of her uncontrollable rage or what it means, Hakufu rushes out into the street only to meet two other fighters that include a slacker named Kakoton and a girl in a very revealing school girl outfit named Kanu Uncho. Normally, this is the point where a character would go on a little soul searching journey but Hakufu is too dumb for something like that and ends up treating the upcoming Big Fighter’s Tournament like a fun event. She doesn’t even train like Koukin does yet somehow she becomes to main target of a hidden foe named Totaku.

The best fights come when the tournament finally arrives and pits Nanyo Academy against the six other schools. The once foe Ryomou joins Hakufu and Koukin in the fights as well as the once big bully Gakushu. In the middle of the tournament, we dive into the drama created by Totaku who playfully tortures his allies such as the beautiful Hosen. Their plan is to unleash the dragon within the clueless Hakufu until Koukin, Ryomou and Gakushu uncover the real mastermind behind the plot.

While the battles are street brawls, they try to fall into the historic battles that were fought in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms … particularly the ones that have key players going up against each another. There are also deaths in this anime and the blood certainly flies during the more brutal fights that have characters coughing up blood or – at one point – getting their heads bashed in like a ripe watermelon.

Violence aside, there’s also the heavy fan service I mentioned that would have made this anime a guilty pleasure had the panty flashes and torn clothes been amusing. Instead, it’s overused and stops being sexy very quickly to the point that it becomes comical for all the wrong reasons. Gee, I never thought I would say that about a show with cute, bouncy girls. There’s also nudity and sex, which certainly makes this a series that earns its TV MA rating.

In the end, though, it is the story that is handled poorly to the point that the ending will make you shake your head wondering what was the point of fighting. Ikki Tousen, The Complete Series, is simply an unsatisfying series that could have been great had the story and characters been the driving force being the series rather than the mindless fan service that stops being fun to watch. If this series sound interesting, I recommend renting this one first.

DVD REVIEW BREAKDOWN

MOVIE/EPISODES: D
An intriguing take on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms story, we follow Hakufu Sonsaku, a bubbly and bouncy young High school girl who will fulfill the prophecy laid before her as a fighter for Nanyo Academy. She goes up against some skilled fighters along the way only to find herself in the middle of a fighter’s tournament and a plot to overthrow the leader of the school. Plus, there’s loads of fan service that goes from plentiful to excessive.

VIDEO QUALITY: C+
I would like to say that the animation is Ikki Tousen’s best feature but it’s just plain generic in that seen-this-all-before kind of way. At least the girls are cute in this series and if you like to see them rip each another’s school girl outfits then you are definitely in luck.

AUDIO QUALITY: C-
With the exception of Carrie Savage, the rest of the English dub cast does a somewhat decent job but I would go with the original Japanese voice for this series. The music isn’t amazing but at least it does a good job of making the action scenes feel more dramatic.

EXTRAS: D
There’s only the trailers to be found in the second disc and nothing else. Unfortunately, the DVD easter eggs from the individual DVDs are not included.

OVERALL: D
How can a series with cute girls and loads of fan service be so devoid of anything that would have made this an appealing action series? Ikki Tousen is an interesting concept but with characters that are quite bland and a story that fails to keep the momentum to make the fight scenes good enough to enjoy. What we have here is an anime series with a lot of flash but no substance.

Review by: Edward Zacharias

Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment
MSRP: $49.98 US
Running Time: 320 minutes
Genre: Action
Rating: TV 14
Release Date: Available Now

Welcome to the Grand Line … the strangest place in the world.

In the first season of One Piece, Monkey D. Luffy has swore to become the greatest pirate and in order to do that he decided to follow in the footsteps of the best and head to the Grand Line in search of the “One Piece.” The journey has been a long one and Luffy recruits new crewmates willing to help him achieve his goal as they get even closer to the Grand Line. Now, in the First Voyage of Season Two, the series places the Going Merry and its determined crew on a course beyond the Grand Line itself.

First Voyage of Season Two covers episodes 54-66 as a little girl named Apis makes a daring escape from the clutches of the Marines who have taken her from her island village. You see, Apis is the one clue to finding the elixir of immortality or, as it’s really called, Dragonite. So you can imagine how badly the fleet’s Commodore wants her back so badly. Yet, having escaped on a dinghy only to be found by the Straw Hats.

While, at first, Apis is afraid of the pirates she comes to realize that these guys aren’t so bad. They even promise to take her back home to her home village on Battleship Island . Meanwhile, the Marines go after them only to lose them in the Calm Belt … a spot in the sea where nothing moves and the sea life is dangerous. Thankfully, Apis’ quick thinking gets them out of it and on to her island where we discover the little girl’s secret. You see, Apis has been hiding and feeding an elderly dragon she calls Grandpa Ryo. The dragon, as Apis’ grandfather mentions, belongs to the Lost Island where a dragon’s nest will heal the senile dragon.

While Sanji and Zolo don’t agree on doing another free job, Luffy drags them along taking the dragon to his home island. Unfortunately, the Marines are still after them and the Commodore sends a mercenary who calls himself Eric the Whirlwind. As Eric tracks them down, the Straw Hats find an isolated island that is hidden by an invisible barrier only to discover the real location of the Lost Island was a lot closer than they thought. Battles are fought between the Marine fleets and the Going Merry but the real fight comes when Zolo takes on Eric who reveals he has Devil Fruit abilities.

The Dragon’s Nest story arc goes on a bit too long but at least it has a very satisfying conclusion and one that leads to an action-packed finale and tragedy. Having made a new friend in Apis and her fellow island inhabitants, it is off to the Grand Line again. Seeing as Battleship Island wasn’t far from where they meant to travel in the first place, they discover that the entrance to the Grand Line is actually a surreal water staircase that will lead them up a channel and down another. When they do break through they find a giant black whale waiting at the bottom that swallows the ship.

Ok, so this isn’t the best welcome to the Grand Line but as Luffy attempts to save his friends from the inside of the scarred whale (that has doors and corridors) he realizes that there are two very unfriendly people inside as well. It is here that we meet Mister Nine and the lovely Miss Wednesday who are trying to kill the whale to feed their village. Their unusual names mean something to Zolo, he points it out to his friends but it isn’t until the ship escapes the whale’s belly and heads out to the port village of Whiskey Peak that Zolo actually confronts them.

The people in Whiskey Peak, while offering a warm welcome, reveal themselves to be something else entirely as Zolo faces off against them. He calls them Baroque Works, a group of mercenaries-for-hire that tried to hire him but when two new members of Baroque Works shows up to confront the leader about a royal from the kingdom of Alabasta hiding within the ranks of Baroque Works. It’ll come as a big surprise who this royal is and, in the end, Nami is the one who accepts the job of taking said royal back to Alabasta. Those who know the manga knows the Alabasta story arc is one of the more exciting ones in the series and is what will make us look forward to the Second Voyage.

Season Two’s First Voyage of One Piece is an adventure that’s off to a good start but while the first few episodes seem to drag a story arc a bit too long you will love the rest of the episodes that set up what will be a memorable, action-packed season. The Grand Line certainly is an unusual place and, thusly, makes for interesting story lines that will have you enjoying the later episodes and have you waiting for the next few episodes with much anticipation.

DVD REVIEW BREAKDOWN

MOVIE/EPISODES: A-
Luffy and his Straw Hat crew come even closer to the Grand Line when a detour takes them to an island where a little girl protects a secret that could lead to an elixir of immortality. As they battle to protect the secret, they make new enemies within the Marines. Then, at the Grand Line itself, the Straw Hats accept a new assignment that will lead them down a dangerous path.

VIDEO QUALITY: A
The animation is still very true to Eiichiro Oda’s art and you just have to love the interesting scenery that the Grand Line has to offer.

AUDIO QUALITY: A
The voice acting for the English dub is still one of my favorite ways of watching this show, although the original Japanese voices really come off brilliantly in this first half of the season. Once again, the music is amazing on this show and you have to love the theme songs.

EXTRAS: C+
Once again the season box set comes with the Marathon Play feature, a few trailers and the clean opening and closing theme songs. Thankfully, they also includes a commentary track for Episode 60 with ADR Director Jason Grundy and voice actors Brittany Karbowski (Apis) and Sonny Strait (Usopp).

OVERALL: A-
The First Voyage of Season Two of One Piece brings the Straw Hat pirates to a new territory that opens up even more interesting story arcs that continues to make this such a fun series. While a tad on the lengthy side, the first story arc does have plenty of exciting moments but it’s the later episodes that will have you glad you’re a One Piece fan.

Review by: Brenda Gregson

Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment
MSRP: $19.98 US
Running Time: 90 minutes
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: TV PG
Release Date: Available Now

Welcome to a prison where dreams hold the answer to a real truth.

Rare is the anime that will have you loving its unusual nature and offbeat visual and storytelling style to the point that you will be scratching your head one minute and then singing its praises the next. Jing King of Bandits: Seventh Heaven fits this description with The Complete OVA collection. While it only spans three episodes, the anime still manages to be refreshingly unique and lots of fun to watch if you like an offbeat story.

The DVD covers all three episodes of the OVA as a young boy named Jing who the media has labeled the Bandit Boy Wonder or the King of Bandits who has made quite a reputation for himself. Somehow, together with his talking bird (who also happens to have a thing for the ladies) named Kir, has been captured and is now on his way to service his sentence in one of the most unusual maximum security prisons … Asylum #7 or also known as the Seventh Heaven since the prison guards dress like angels complete with fake wings.

Filled with unusual creatures and other assortment of freaks, Jing finds life in this prison is brutal with inmates threatening to break him in half or steal his food. Yet a part of Jing is calm and collected as he reveals that there is something in prison that makes it worth wearing the awful striped inmate uniform and putting up with dangerous inmates. You see, Jing has heard a rumor that stored somewhere deep within the prison itself. He is searching for a treasure known as Dream Orbs. That’s right; Jing plans to steal orbs containing people’s dreams.

As they explore the interior of the prison, they find an inmate who suddenly reveals that he’s a magician with a trick up his sleeve that slips Jing and Kir into a living dream. Suddenly, they find a girl named Benedictine who helps them attempt to escape the prison grounds only to find out that the exterior of the prison is surrounded by a bizarre landscape of mazes. It becomes clear to Jing and his love-sick bird companion that it is becoming hard to make a distinction between reality and dream.

In the meantime, the trio makes it out of prison where they reach a small city’s train station. The train seems to be running late but when it arrives Jing and the others realize that the train is being pulled by a Dodo Bird … a giant Dodo Bird. Unfortunately, some mechanical dummies are chasing after them so they have no choice but to hop on the train and force the conductor to make the train move. The dummies manage to hop on to the train so Jing and his two companions manage to jump on the Dodo and make it fly.

Oddly enough, the events never happened and Jing wakes up realizing that he and Kir had destroyed a statue of the prison’s warden. As punishment, they are sent to solitary confinement where they are chained up and held in the darkness only to find the magician, Compari, inside as well. He tells a tale that’s quite familiar to Jing. It’s the story of his past when he was a child thief living with his brother and his best friends. When his only female friend is kidnapped, Jing (along with an egg that eventually hatches to reveal Kir) comes to her rescue while fighting off a marshal sent to arrest him for theft.

What’s the point of the story? Well, Compari seems to think that he has Jing beaten because he was able to pull a memory and make it come to life like a movie reel. Still, Jing has his own trick of his own and it manages to stun Compari as Jing reveals the truth about the magician. It’s one of the best scenes in the OVA, if you ask me. While there are only three OVA episodes, the series manages to be offbeat yet endearing. The strange scenes and animation might not be everyone’s cup of tea either but if it is you will not be disappointed by the strangeness.

Jing King of Bandits: Seventh Heaven, The Complete OVA, is a short, strange trip that will leave you wondering what’s going on but you will love every second of it at the same time. Sure, the oddball twists and turns might not be everyone’s favorite but if you give it a chance the story will grab you in the end and make you glad you stuck around.

DVD REVIEW BREAKDOWN

MOVIE/EPISODES: B
A young boy who is known throughout the strange world as the Bandit King is finally placed behind bars in the oddest maximum security prison called Asylum #7. It is here that Jing and his talking bird, Kir, look for a hidden treasure as they go up against a powerful magician.

VIDEO QUALITY: A
You just have to love a series where a train is being pulled by a Dodo bird trying hard not to get its tail feathers being bitten off by a pack of dogs. The visual scenery and character design is unique and that’s a very good thing.

AUDIO QUALITY: A-
The score by Eiji Yoshizawa is just as wonderfully strange as the animation itself and, at the same time, is delightfully cinematic. The voice acting for both the Japanese and English dub work wonderfully, although Kir’s voice in English sounds a bit too annoying for my taste.

EXTRAS: C-
The single disc comes with a production art gallery that’s a nice touch and a few trailers with not much else. We would have really loved interviews with the cast and the director.

OVERALL: B
A most unusual yet entertaining anime, Jing King of Bandits: Seventh Heaven is what anime would have been like if David Lynch or Terry Gilliam ever decided to create anime themselves. With bizarre scenes and intriguing animation, it’s hard not to like a three-episode OVA that’s straight-up-mind-blowing and exceptionally fun to watch.

Review by: Edward Zacharias

Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment
MSRP: $19.98 US
Running Time: 90 minutes
Genre: Action/Fantasy
Rating: TV MA
Release Date: Available Now

Sometimes it takes a few dozen bullets to bring about peace and justice.

In an interesting collaboration between Korean and Japanese animators and storytellers, the manga-manhwa Shin Angyo Onshi has been released as a full-length animated feature film in theaters and – thanks to the folks at FUNimation – is re-released on DVD. I have to admit that I liked the manga but really loved the movie more so seeing it again made me glad that this new release will give anime fans that never heard of the series a chance to enjoy this action-packed animated film.

Inspired by Korean folklore, Blade of the Phantom Master tells the story of a land that has become overrun by tyrants and dictators soon after the fall of the Jushin Empire. Long gone are also the protectors of justice and the innocent that were once called the Amen Osa or, as they were also called, the Phantom Masters. Oh, but walking the desert with his guns resting in their holsters is a man named Munsu who collapses from the heat. When he wakes up, he finds out that a young man by the name of Monlyon has given him water and saved his life.

Unfortunately, they are attacked by savage creatures known as Desert Devils that kill the kind young man whose one wish was to one day be an Amen Osa to free his people from a tyrant as well as save the young girl he loves but was taken in as the dictator’s bride. Munsu, who is clearly not your typical hero seeing as he uses the corpse of the young man that saved his life as a shield, escapes the Desert Devils and the desert only to find himself in the country Monlyon wanted to free.

The corrupt lord is a cruel man who has not only taken the throne by force but has citizens of his kingdom fighting against his armed guards for his amusement. As Monlyon had mentioned, the girl he loves – Chun Hyang – has attempted to kill herself but the Lord has a plan to transform this delicate and sweet girl into something else entirely. As a ceremony is being performed on the girl, Munsu enters town disguised as Monlyon only to reveal his true identity to the tyrant as well as another juicy bit … he’s also an Amen Osa!

As Munsu battles the forces of the evil Lord with his twin pistols but he has the power to summon the dead warriors of Jushin called the Phantom Soldiers. Just as Munsu finishes off the Lord’s guards and inspires the people to overthrow the evil dictator by force, a young girl jumps into the fray wearing very little but unleashing attacks that makes the skilled Amen Osa recoil. His attacker is none other than Chun Hyang, transformed into a swift, power and vicious fighter. With the man who had stole her away from the young man that loved now dead, Chun feels the vacant feeling that warriors without a master or any direction feel.

Having sensed that Munsu means to fight for good and seeing that the young man she loves is dead, Chun is reborn as Sando and asks to be Munsu’s bodyguard on his travels. At first, Munsu doesn’t warm up to the idea of having a girl follow him around and then there are times that he hoped that she would give up the idea of being his bodyguard/servant but the two travel together like they do in the early days seen in the manga. They even put an end to an arms dealer’s business in the name of justice.

Still, when a young man who escaped from his island home washes up on shore and begs Munsu for help, the Amen Osa is reluctant to help out until Sando give him a puppy dog look that has Munsu accepting to help. What they find is an ideal-looking island that seems at peace thanks to a seemingly kind physician who helped save the island. What exactly happened and why they consider the young man – named Jyon – a sick young man in need of needle to fix his ailment is a mystery that Munsu can’t help but want to look into on his own.

As Munsu digs deep into the history of the island, he is attacked by a female assassin that would have killed him if it wasn’t for Sando. It’s evident that somebody wants him to stop snooping and as he discovers what is going on he attempts to get Jyon to accept that the physician is no saint. The island’s dark secret will not fail to shock as the Amen Osa and Sando fight to reveal the truth about what the physician did to keep the island inhabitable. Trust me when I say that you won’t see the plot twist until it jumps out at you in the end.

On top of the great story, interesting plot twist and visceral fight scenes, the animation is some of the best and even the CG effects works well within the beautifully rendered animation. The characters are also interesting and you won’t be able to help but wish that this were an anime series instead. We really would have liked to have seen more of Munsu and Sando to the point that 90 minutes just isn’t enough. That’s high praise, indeed, and Blade of the Phantom Master certainly deserves it.

In the end, Blade of the Phantom Master is a fast-paced and bloody good action anime film that deserves to be among your growing anime collection. Sure, it’s on the short side but by the end, you’ll already have warmed up to the characters that you will enjoy every second of this action-packed series. If a good violent anime film is what you’re looking for then look no further because this one has it all.

DVD REVIEW BREAKDOWN

MOVIE/EPISODES: B+
After the fall of one of the greatest empires, the Amen Osa have long since been destroyed along with it … until a lone gunman comes along to bring justice and peace to the land once more. Of course, he must go through an evil tyrant and then a physician who might not be the savior everyone makes him out to be in an island that holds a terrible secret.

VIDEO QUALITY: A
The animation is actually quite gorgeous and the CG effects work well within the movie to make up some of the cooler visual moments like when the Phantom Army is summoned.

AUDIO QUALITY: A
The English dub cast is good enough to give the original Japanese voices a run for their money and I loved the Japanese voice cast that includes Romi Park. The score by Kow Otani is traditional, beautiful and haunting.

EXTRAS: B-
On top of the Production Sketches, clean opening and closing animation and the few trailers on the disc, the best extras come in the form of interviews with the Japanese cast (Keiji Fujiwara, Sanae Kobayashi and Romi Park). Then there’s the Making of Video of the CG effects and the storyboard-to-screen translation that will surely please future animators. The disc even includes the original film trailers and television ads.

OVERALL: B+
With more than enough edge-of-your seat action scenes and a story with plenty of twists and turns, Blade of the Phantom Master is a Must See if you love a good anime flick with plenty of blood, bullets and great characters. I, for one, think it’s too short but that makes this a short thrill ride worth savoring.

Review by: Faith McAdams

Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment
MSRP: $19.98 US
Running Time: 85 minutes
Genre: Romance/Fantasy
Rating: TV 14
Release Date: Available Now

Love is in the air.

I have to admit that I never seen the television series of Air until our own Brenda Gregson showed me the Complete Series set. It’s an emotional rollercoaster of a series that – to me – lacked the right touch of romance that was implied throughout the twelve or so episodes. Fortunately, Air The Motion Picture not only manages to recap the events from the series but it also adds two tales of an endearing love story that actually makes this slightly better than the series.

I should note that Air The Motion Picture does make a few changes to the story as well as adds more to the story that the series itself missed out. The story finds a young, delicate yet beautiful young girl named Misuzu Kamio who has missed out on school for reasons the movie slowly reveals. While it wasn’t her fault, Misuzu wants to take on a school project over the summer break in order to make up the time she lost. Her teacher does allow it and comes up with a project that normally should have been suited to more than one student. Her assignment is to write about the history of their small seaside town complete with pictures and folkloric legends.

As she goes about her assignment, a handsome young drifter named Yukito Kunisaki comes into town for the upcoming festival to display his puppetry skills in order to make some extra money. Yukito is on a journey, you see, to track down a legend his mother had always talked about when he was little. His mother had told him of a young “girl in the sky” who was meant for him and because of this Yukito is the only one who has the power to save the girl.

Misuzu and Yukito do meet as the young girl discovers a book about a local legend involving a “winged” girl and a palace guard named Ryuya who falls in love with this girl. Meanwhile, Misuzu takes a liking to Yukito and even invites him to stay at her house … something her mother enthusiastically accepts (unlike in the television series). The two spend the days exploring the town as Misuzu continues revealing bits and pieces about the love story between Ryuya and the “winged person” the palace calls Princess Kanna.

You see, the Princess was not allowed to leave the palace and her only real joy was getting to know Ryuya better. The two develop strong feelings for each another and their romance blossomed to the point that Princess Kanna utters the words that doom her. She tells Ryuya that she loves him and with that a curse kicks in that is slowly killing Princess Kanna. Since he loves her deeply, Ryuya does the unthinkable … he takes the girl and breaks free from the palace as soldiers chase after them.

In the present, however, something is clearly wrong with Misuzu and Yukito can see that it isn’t an easily treatable disorder. He presses Misuzu’s mother for more information but the likeable tough woman that she isn’t doesn’t even want to admit that something is wrong with Misuzu. What does become clear is that the girl has fallen in love with him and Yukito – for reasons of his own – pushes the girl away. When she tries to kiss him, he shies away.

A part of Yukito believes that his presence is causing Misuzu more damage than good and when he decides to leave, he comes to an unexpected realization. Just like Ryuya, who makes the ultimate sacrifice that ends the fable of Princess Kanna in a heartbreaking way, Yukito believes Misuzu is the girl he meant to save and runs back to town in time for another drama to unfold.

The story certainly plays up the drama but there are some lighthearted moments that might not be as plentiful as the series but it keeps things from being too serious. The romantic moments work beautifully in the movie, which makes me wonder why it was left out of the series. It’s also good to see the amazing animation from the series with its cute characters, spectacular backgrounds and arty visual effects.

Air The Motion Picture is a moving and gorgeous animated film that is a step above the series. Yes, there are times that the drama will weigh you down but in the end, the fact that it will make you feel the emotional depth of the tragic moments only means that Air succeeds in telling its story the right way. If you missed the series, do yourself a favor and don’t make the same mistake with the movie.

DVD REVIEW BREAKDOWN

MOVIE/EPISODES: B+
The story follows a beautiful young girl named Misuzu Kamio who takes up a summer project for school only to meet a homeless traveling performer named Yukito Kunisaki who is in search of a legendary “girl in the sky“ that he must save. Together the young couple discover the secrets of the town, a folkloric legend and love.

VIDEO QUALITY: A
Like the series, the movie has some truly gorgeous and delightfully colorful animation. Unlike the series, though, there are some artistic transitions and CG effects.

AUDIO QUALITY: B
The original Japanese voices are wonderful but the English dub soars thanks to excellent performances by Vic Mignogna and Monica Rial. The music comes straight out of the series as does the opening theme and that’s not a bad thing at all.

EXTRAS: D
With very little in terms of extras here, all we can find are trailers in this movie set. We would have really loved some production art and even a audio commentary track.

OVERALL: B+
While not as tragic and overly dramatic as the series itself, Air The Motion Picture leans more on the romantic side to give this story an almost traditional and epic feel. It tells two stories of love that connect with each another in a way that will not only break your heart but also make you glad that anime like this has the power to make you feel.