Ping Pong Club (TV)

Hey, Answerman!
THIS TIME: Why don't anime openings have sound effects? Where's the cultural uproar about teenage anime fans that are into yaoi and hentai? And what's up with the otaku "stigma"? And a new Hey, Answerfans too! WHOOSH! 2010-02-05

Sands of Destruction DVD Complete Series
For clean, disposable and weirdly socially conscious RPG fun, you could do far worse.

Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic
Anyone with a taste for gruesome hellish fun who is willing to check their more sophisticated sensibilities at the door will probably have a good time with this.

Hanamaru Kindergarten Episodes 1-4 streaming
Hanamaru Kindergarten returns to the essence of slice-of-life humor, places it in an adorable classroom environment, and proves to the world that Cute Is Not Dead.

Gundam UC Volume 01
This first episode really feels like a short but impressive feature film, complete with a big budget and a movie-sized plot. A beautiful entry into the Gundam franchise thus far and a promising start for Universal Century fans.

Blade of the Immortal DVD 3
Less a self-contained series than a mega-sized version of one of those one-off OAVs from the 80s and 90s that were made as primers for their infinitely more comprehensive print versions.

The Skull Man DVD
A newspaper reporter and his young photographer sidekick investigate reports of a mysterious masked killer in this 2007 mystery/horror tale from Bones. Its surprising complexity, numerous plot twists, and sometimes brutal violence can certainly keep a viewer involved.

Honey and Clover DVD Box Set 2
Flows, with all the eddies, detours and tributaries of life, straight to an offbeat but hugely satisfying conclusion. Bring on season two.

Fullmetal Alchemist GN 22
The endgame is in full swing, and the final goal is in clear sight, but how our heroes are going to get there ... is anyone's guess.

So-Ra-No-Wo-To episodes 1-4
An all-female military platoon plays music to the sky in a fortress at the edge of a war-ravaged civilization in this very different moe title. Despite some generic elements, its premise, setting, and tone distinguish it from other titles of its ilk and get it off to a good start.

Death Note Relight DVD 2
There is merit to this release in its greater wealth of new footage and improvements on Mello and Near's overwrought episodes. Still, it's only "better" for the fans, and the uninitiated should always just turn to the original series.

Galaxy Angel II GN 3
Unless you're a fan of the franchise and simply must know why Nano-Nano has a tail and Kahlua a split personality, or you're a sucker for any kind of harem romance, this manga is unlikely to captivate.