House of Five Leaves (TV)

Astro Toy - Revoltech Blade Liger
More Revoltechs! This time from the immensely popular but still obscure in the States series, Zoids. 2010-09-05

Now Streaming: Nanaka 6/17 1-13 sub/dub
One day teenaged Nanaka falls down stairs, gets a brain injury, and occasionally starts turning into a mental six year old. That does tend to break the ice a bit with her childhood friend Renji. (sub / dub)
Also new today:
Akitaroh Daichi's Grrl Power sub / dub
[discuss] 2010-09-03

Now Streaming: Mezzo DSA 1-13 dub/sub
Do you like spunky hot girls with guns shooting things? 'Kay, how 'bout intricately animated ridiculous action scenes? And you haven't seen the full TV version of Yasuomi Umetsu's girls-with-guns show? For shame. (sub here / dub there) [discuss] 2010-09-03

ANNCast - Now Macias, Now You Don't
Editor-in-chief of Otaku USA Patrick Macias joins us for a superfun chat about a whole bunch of stuff, including an update on how his magazine is doing, awesome old anime and more! Plus: listener emails and Project A-Ko! Fun times!! 2010-09-03

Hey, Answerman! - Portmanteau-Related Tomfooligans
This time on Hey, Answerman! Brian tries to break down the smoldering ashes of the "piracy debate" into a nice little list form, because everyone loves that; he talks about Shinichiro Watanabe's "troubles" finding work; and what's with all the damn on-screen notes in Kekkaishi? Plus the readers weigh in on their favorite Satoshi Kon films in a very special Hey, Answerfans! 2010-09-03

Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga - Demon City Hunter
A bloody, brutal demon slayin' manga from the guy behind Demon City Shinjuku slithers out of Jason's vault! 2010-09-02

One Piece DVD Season 3 Part 2
This is one of those stretches of episodes that is best appreciated not for what it is, but for what it is setting up.

One Piece Season 3 Part 1 DVD
This can't be filler…what the Jolly Roger IS it? This weird relationship between the pointless and provocative keeps the fans watching while being more than kind to newbies as well, but needless to say: this is not the best One Piece has to offer.

Occult Academy Episodes 1-7 Streaming
Like the curriculum at its titular academy, which embraces every contradictory whackjob idea in the world, Occult Academy is a mess. It's also a lot of fun. Go figure.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Blu-ray Part 2 BLURAY
With this set of episodes Brotherhood forges ahead down a completely different track from the first series. New characters, redefinitions of old characters, and spectacular action sequences are all highlights in material which goes to greater extremes of silliness and graphic content.

My Bride Is a Mermaid: Season 1 DVD Part 2
Part II does drop the ball on occasion, but it makes up for its lapses with an onslaught of parodies and sight gags that reaches heights not dreamt of in Part I.

Seiho Boys' High School GN 1
While the initial BL-vibes are only just that, there're only so many blushing peer-invested boys you can ignore in an all boys' dormitory before your minds start thinking something's up. Then again what's a little arousing shampoo sniff between guy friends? It's all about the women here anyway.

Shigofumi - Letters from the Departed DVD
Supernatural mail carriers deliver messages to the living from beyond the grave, with widely mixed results, in this 2008 offering from J.C. Staff. Despite some moe trappings, the surprisingly involved storytelling offers biting social commentary as it explores some very dark territory.

Drunken Dream and Other Stories GN
A Drunken Dream may not float everyone's boat, a substance over style menagerie of ideas and life, but those who take the time to explore it should not be disappointed by the experience.

House of Five Leaves Episodes 1-12 Streaming
Deliberately unconventional and even alienating at times, Five Leaves doesn't forget that it must also entertain. It just does so without pandering or compromising.

Vampire Knight DVD 1
Perverse, overwrought, and executed to near perfection, this adaptation of Matsuri Hino's vampire melodrama qualifies as one of anime's great guilty pleasures. Both in guilt, and pleasure.

Brigadoon - Marin and Meran DVD 3
Understandably, the original intention was to produce a unique series that was able to combine the dramatic throes of a sci-fi series with the hyper hijinks of Marin & Friends, but it comes off as simply unrealistic. Just be prepared to have your emotions jerked around on a chain.