Tomoko NISHIMURA

Now Streaming: Devil May Cry 1-2 dub, 1-12 sub
This series is bloody. If you got the first disc with the game and was curious to see where it went, here's your chance. Eps 1-2 dubbed, and the whole thing subbed. We have a ton more streaming shows coming later, and don't forget about Zeta Gundam. [discuss] 2010-02-09

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

Soul Eater Part 1
This title's use of classic formula has a delicious sharp edge on it that slices in and hooks deep from the start. You can hardly do better than Soul Eater.

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.

The Third: The Girl With the Blue Eye DVD 1
In some aspects this story of a girl and her intelligent tank in a post-apocalyptic world just retreads a well-traveled path as it gathers in elements from various sources, but in others – especially its poetic moments – it at least tries to establish its own identity.