Paprika, Mushishi Compete in Venice

Buried Treasure - Orguss 02
It's pretty rare that a sequel manages to outshine the original, but Orguss 02 does so in spades. It's one of the most accessible giant robot shows... I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. 2008-08-28

The X Button - Finite Discoveries
Gathering provisions and disposable crew members, Todd makes daring explorations of the latest Suikoden game, the recently added Tatsunoko vs. Capcom characters, the new Square Enix RPG, and Gainax's treatment of Alisia Dragoon. 2008-08-27

Anime News Nina! - 08-26-08
Nina encounters a potent "what if?" scenario. 2008-08-26

Chicks on Anime
A new roundtable discussion about anime for women, by women. This week's topic, women in the industry! 2008-08-26

Hai Fidelity - Anime Toonz, volume IV
Rachael digs deep into the latest volume of Anime Toonz, featuring singer Yukari Fukui, from Fuego Recordings. 2008-08-26

Shelf Life - Everybody's Watching
The resurrection of a few older series, and the release of a newer one. All that... and more.
- Black Lagoon v.1, 2, 3
- Maria Watches Over Us s.1
- Rumbling Hearts boxset
- Weird old thinpaks 2008-08-25

Death Note DVD 6
This quartet of episodes is substantially better than the four that preceded them, and it's nice to finally have the forgettable Yotsuba Group conspirators out of the way. Since the DVD ends on a convenient cliffhanger that will, arguably, culminate in one of the most shocking plot twists of the series thus far, faithful viewers will certainly not want to stop here.

Simoun Sub.DVD 5
Exceptional writing and music highlight the beautiful, elegant, and sometimes sad, yet also very involving, way in which the series concludes. This may have started out as a yuri sci fi title, but by the end its yuri component no longer registers; it is simply wonderful sci fi entertainment.

Muhyo & Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation GN 6
Muhyo and Roji has, for at least one more volume, dodged the bullet of being deemed "too mediocre to bother with." This installment manages to keep one's interest with a sudden turn of events halfway through.

Hayate the Combat Butler GN 8
Volume 8 of Hayate the Combat Butler continues the series' grand tradition of rapid-fire, off-the-wall comedy... but as is so often the case with this brand of humor, it can be a real hit-or-miss process.

Maria Watches Over Us Season 1 DVD
An influential shoujo-ai drama with entertainment chops and an emotional punch that belie its mannered tone and oft shameless over-dramatization.

Toto GN 1
Don't read Toto to be surprised, or even impressed, read Toto to be entertained. A fine example of what can be achieved by a polished presentation of standard genre fare.

School Rumble-Extra Class DVD
This collection of supplemental bits scattered across the length and breadth of the series is meant primarily for devoted fans of the TV series or manga. They do at least occasionally generate laughs but do not offer as much fan service as advertised.

Soul Rescue GN 1
2 souls saved, 1 soul lost to damnation, 9998 souls left to rescue. Few are likely to find these stats especially promising, and those rolling their eyes and groaning inwardly probably have the right idea.

Bleach DVD Box Set 2
Nestled in between two of the series' obligatory training sequences, this twenty-one-episode box set is an unsullied slice of Bleach at its skull-cracking, sword-fightin', shounen-action-cool best.

Bride of the Water God GN 1-2
Rightfully acclaimed in its home country of Korea, Bride of the Water God was 2006's top-selling sunjeong manhwa. Alas, the series is unlikely to repeat that success in the United States, if only because it will get lost in a flood of competing manga. But that does not, emphatically, make it any less of a must-see, and discriminating readers with a taste for fantasy-laced, shoujo romance will not be disappointed.

Super Robot Wars OG Divine Wars Sub.DVD 3
Sure the series is a pastiche, but it's a pastiche that hits on everything that can make mecha series big, brainless fun. Thoroughly preposterous, terribly juvenile, and undeniably cool.