Boogiepop in Protoculture Addicts

The Fall 2008 Anime Preview Guide
The fall anime season has begun, and Anime News Network's famous 24-7 preview guide returns! Check back daily over the next two weeks for our critics' takes on the latest shows from Japan!

Reviews Available Now:
Chaos;HEAd
Nodame Cantabile Paris Chapter
Clannad ~After Story Episode 2
Toradora! Episode 2
Vampire Knight Guilty
Kemeko DX
Bihada Ichizoku
Yozakura Quartet
Shikabane-hime: Aka
Ga-Rei Zero
ef - A Tale of Melodies
Tales of the Abyss episode 2
Kuroshitsuji
Macademi Wasshoi
To Aru Matjutsu no Index
Kyo no Go no Ni
Tales of the Abyss
Gundam 00 Season 2
Kannagi
Rosario + Vampire Capu2
Linebarrels of Iron
Casshern Sins
Hyakko!
Akane-iro ni Somaru Saka!
Clannad ~After Story
Toradora!
2008-10-04

The Click - October 11th - 17th
The Click shows up once again in its own sort of cool, laconic way, tossing aside the premiere of the second Naruto movie with a kind of devil-may-care attitude and detached air of understanding. Or maybe there are some lame jokes as usual. Who knows?!? I guess you'll have to read it. 2008-10-11

Hey, Answerman!
Answerman returns even though he's way too busy for this stuff! This week: "Sudden Girlfriend" anime, why some anime are more popular than others, repeat-visit anime series and your answers to the last Hey, Answerfans question! 2008-10-10

The Otaku's Guide to Building a HTPC
Home Theater PCs seem like the ideal way to watch all different kinds of media on your shiny new HDTV. Unfortunately, they're also the most frustrating thing you'll ever use. 2008-10-09

Anime News Nina! - 10-08-08
Nina's questions about action anime are finally answered. 2008-10-08

The X Button - Complete Control
This week finds Todd examining a Claymore DS game, Nintendo's dominating 2009 lineup, and an obscure RPG linked to an even more obscure anime series. 2008-10-08

Strawberry Marshmallow GN 5
If the moe phenomenon is so maligned, it's probably because there are very few titles that get it right. Strawberry Marshmallow is one that does.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya GN 1
But if the anime adaptation of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is crack, then, alas, the manga adaptation is like the mother of all hangovers—sans the high.

Strawberry Panic Sub.DVD 4
It casts no new light on, nor redeems, the uneven, often impressively idiotic content preceding it, however at times during this volume, Strawberry Panic is damned near a good series. Amazing.

Don't Blame Me GN 1-2
Even though it is one of her earliest, Don't Blame Me, nearly ten years later, continues to be one of Yugi Yamada's best. Highly recommended to anyone who likes slice-of-life manga…particularly to those who do not normally read BL. Yamada stretches the genre to its limits, and the results are simply not to be missed.

Short-Tempered Melancholic GN
An unflinching dose of cute, designed to awaken the heart-fluttering schoolkid in all of us ... just don't expect too much.

Galaxy Angel AA DVD 1-4
The Angel Brigade is back for another round of 27 half-episode stories. Despite the occasional serious episode, it generally remains a delightfully and consistently funny piece of fluff which requires no long-term commitment or prior familiarity.

Bleach DVD 12
This volume can only be described as down-time, but it's pretty good down-time for all that. Just beware the extended flashback at the end.

Astro Boy 1&2 GN
Read Astro Boy for fun or for history—not for philosophical enlightenment packaged as classic manga.

Laya, the Witch of Red Pooh GN 1-2
The two-volume Korean manhwa series Laya, the Witch of Red Pooh is one of the most appealing titles you will ever have the privilege to flip casually through…and one of the most appalling titles you will ever have the misfortune to actually read.

Gundam SEED Destiny TV Movie II
The central movie of the Gundam SEED Destiny TV series compilation project may actually improve upon its source material because its editing actually limits or eliminates some of the series' key weakness. Not good, but not bad, either.

Starship Operators DVD 2
The real heart of Starship Operators is in how it gets to the action, telling gritty stories of brainwork, determination, and pure guts.