Encyclopedia

Anime

From Impressionism to Anime
To an anime fan, not much of what she finds is going to be particularly novel, although it may certainly be interesting to realize that just as you the fan wonder about the reasons fandom exists as it does, scholars at universities around the U.S. are asking the same exact question.

The Flat Earth/Exchange GN 1-2
Raise your hand if you miss the Japanese manga of the last quarter of the 20th century—those bleak, post-apocalyptic tales of convoluted geopolitics and suggestive male bonding that made the careers of the likes of Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira), CLAMP (X)…and, in her own more modest fashion, The Flat Earth/Exchange creator Toshimi Nigoshi.

Ghost Slayers Ayashi GN 1
... as thrilling and visceral as any historical saga where the heroes don't use the power of kanji to defeat the bad guys.

Inu Yasha Season 6 DVD Box Set
For a series that has blundered through 120 some odd episodes of repetitive shard hunting and demon slaying, Inuyasha is still a surprisingly pleasant way to pass the time.

Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-Chan DVD 1
An angel travels back in time to kill a man who makes an immortality formula with a disagreeable side effect, but falls in love with him instead, in this ridiculously silly, ridiculously bloody, and generally fun little series. Some of its jokes wear thin after a while, but it can be riotously funny.

Hayate x Blade GN 1
What does Hayate X Blade want to be? A sword-swinging action series, a bouncy all-girl comedy, a yuri-flavored schoolyard romp, or what?

My Otome Zwei DVD
Most of the Otome are back for a new round of fun and thrills in this follow-up to the popular TV series. It may not be great anime, but anyone entertained by the TV series will almost certainly be entertained by these OVA episodes, too.

Di Gi Charat Nyo! DVD 9
Dejiko may be the star, but this volume is owned by Piyoko.

Emma Season 2 Sub.DVD
True to its name, the second season is a simple Victorian romance, but it's a simple romance that, for all of its white-bread conventionality, is possessed of a gentle, slow-moving power.

Gurren Lagann Sub.DVD 3
Old friends return and unexpected new allies arise as Simon leads humanity into the climatic battles against the Anti-Spiral forces. For all its recycled plot elements and utterly preposterous nature, Gainax's paean to boisterous, macho mecha action delivers in triumphant fashion.

Castle of Cagliostro DVD