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Speed Racer
Punishingly self-obsessed pop art at 200 miles per hour.

Flag DVD 3
This isn't the climax, but as Flag draws its two story-lines ever closer together and sets into motion the machinations of the series' truly frightening cult, it's here that anticipation for that climax reaches its giddy peak.

Mushi-Shi DVD 6
Four final stand-alone tales of Ginko's encounters with mushi unfold as the series comes to an end. Overall, these episodes are just more of the same, and in the case of this series that is a Good Thing.

Psycho Busters GN 2
Psycho Busters is never going to be considered a masterpiece ... But it's still kind of fun watching these kids blast their powers at each other until someone wins.

Gundam SEED Destiny: Final Plus DVD
If you're biting nails to the quick waiting for a sequel to Destiny, this OAV isn't it; this isn't a proper sequel, but a reworking of an already existing climax. However, it does provide a sense of closure that the original ending lacked.

Haruka Sub.DVD 1
This mishmash of elements borrowed from other fantasy and period pieces certainly looks pretty, but its merits are otherwise not enough to recommend it if reverse harem series are not normally your thing.

Hotel Africa GN 1
A unique work that successfully blends short story, memoir and personal drama ... the writing and characters are so well-developed that it reads more like an illustrated version of a modern literary novel.

Monkey High GN 1
This being a shojo romance, the heroine is surely going to be won over by the tall, lanky prince of the school, right? Not this time. The short, goofy monkey boy charms the girl instead, giving this otherwise-conventional title enough separation to distinguish itself in a crowded field.

The Third: The Girl with the Blue Eye DVD 5
An old enemy accompanies Honoka on a mission to rescue one of The Third as the final plot arc begins. Although these episodes do most things well, they fail to generate much of a sense of urgency about the series' impending end.

Red Garden DVD 3
List the qualifications the series had to pass to improve on its rocky opening—lose the embarrassing theatrics, focus on the mysteries, beef up the characterization—and you'll find that this volume does them all.

My-Otome DVD 2
If anime shows were sodas, then My-Otome would be My-Hime Lite. Stands, on its own merits, as slight, fun entertainment, on which level it generally works well.