Jessica SMOLINS

ANNCast - Debinitely, Maybe
We chat manga and the weird gulf between anime critics and manga critics with super expert Deb Aoki. Plus Justin joins us from Singapore, and Anime3000's Bradley Meek saw some stuff and then talks about it. Plus: Macross 7! 2009-11-26

RIGHT TURN ONLY!! - Tales of Petri Culture
Guess who's totally excited about the Kitchen Princess novel?!! Oh, okay, you can also read normal stuff like Moyasimon: Tales of Agriculture and Slam Dunk. Check out how they fared in this week's reviews! 2009-11-25

The X Button - Unfathomable Horrors
Todd looks up Sakura Wars, Hexyz Force, Calling, an RPG maker, a complete overhaul of Lufia 2, and the Love Plus news he never wanted to hear. 2009-11-25

Anime Festival Asia 2009
Justin's blog of the Singapore anime scene comes to a close with a look at AFA itself, the big consumer show boastin 45,000 attendees. Updated 11/23 2009-11-23

Shelf Life - The Sweet Life
Erin has her cake and eats it too when she reviews two sugary shows, and one about dead people.
- Ghost Hound collection 1
- Sugar: A Little Snow Fairy collection 1
- Yumeiro Pâtissière ep. 1-8
2009-11-23

Sasameki Koto Episodes 1-6 Streaming
There's plenty to enjoy here: likeable characters, laugh-aloud jokes, and over it all a faint pall of heartbreak to temper its rampant lightheartedness.

Sugar: A Little Snow Fairy DVD 1
... what it does have is a quality that seems to have gone missing from the industry as of late. It's honest. One of the last few honest anime shows.

Evangelion: 2.0 You Can [Not] Advance
Evangelion 2.0 feels as though the project has been put on mood stabilizers: it's not any happier, but it's more stable and certainly more focused. And in the end, it's a vast improvement. It hurts so good.

S.A Sub.DVD
Despite a flimsy premise and lackluster male lead, this story about a girl doomed to perpetually finish second to a chief rival who has secretly fallen in love with her (mostly) succeeds for two simple reasons: it is often quite funny and occasionally endearingly sweet.

Claymore GN 15
The Whole Truth comes out, but other parts are actually more interesting, as Norihiro Yagi answers many long-standing questions and orients the series for its next climactic run. Although certain parts may be a letdown, there is still a lot to like.

Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee Episodes 1-6 streaming
This is an anime for those of us whose inner child does not dream of conquering the world, but simply making it a better place ... one delivery at a time.

Comic Party: Revolution DVD
Another in the growing field of otaku-life comedies. Although perhaps comedy is the wrong word. Aren't comedies supposed to be funny?

Tower of Druaga: the Aegis of Uruk DVD
Forget that it was based on a game only two generations removed from Pong; this is unexpectedly involving popcorn fare with a wickedly circular sense of humor. Good stuff all around.

Blue Drop Sub.DVD Complete Collection
An amnesiac girl enrolls in an all-girl boarding school where she meets and forms a tumultuous relationship with a secretly alien beauty in this sci fi-themed yuri series. Despite its gimmicky foundation, this nearly-overlooked gem is elegant in execution as it focuses more on developing its characters and relationships.

Fullmetal Alchemist: The Movie Blu-ray
Fullmetal Alchemist is a series for the ages, and even if this part of it doesn't quite live up to its earlier incarnation, it's well worth watching and definitely worth owning. Fans will deeply appreciate this better-looking re-release.

Ergo Proxy DVD 2
The focus splits between Re-l and Vincent as the plotlines set up in the first few episodes gradually thicken, continuing a dark, brooding, and good-looking sci-fi series which won't suit everyone's tastes but is nonetheless a solid production.