Tekken: Blood Vengeance [Movie]

Action, Martial Arts, 0 comments

Preview: I have fond memories from way back in the heyday of the original Playstation. I remember popping the black-bottomed discs into Sony's little grey box and waiting for the fun to start. The CG pre-rendered sequences that introduced games such as Tekken and Resident Evil were...

Score: 7 out of 10

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[Reviewed: Sun, 5 Feb 2012]

Welcome to the N.H.K. - complete series [TV Series]

Comedy, Crazy, Drama, Geek, 1 comments

Preview: In reality, NHK is Japan's equivalent of the BBC: their national licence-fee funded broadcaster. Much like our very own Beeb, they run several TV and radio stations - including the international NHK World which can be picked up here by those of you with satellite. Welcome to...

Score: 7 out of 10

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[Reviewed: Mon, 16 Jan 2012]

Whisper of the Heart - Blu-Ray edition [Movie]

Drama, Romance, 0 comments

Preview: I think every anime fan goes through a ‘Studio Ghibli’ phase at least once. After the major success of Spirited Away across the globe, the studio and its co-founder Hayao Miyazaki were officially put on the radar of Western movie lovers. Not long after, the...

Score: 7 out of 10

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[Reviewed: Sun, 15 Jan 2012]

Cutie Honey [TV Series]

Action, Adventure, Magical Girl, 0 comments

Preview: Cutie Honey stars, well, Cutie Honey who lives a double life as an office worker and the super heroine with extraordinary powers given to her by her father one year ago after a car accident. When her uncle is kidnapped by the infamous Panther Claw group, Cutie Honey steps...

Score: 6 out of 10

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[Reviewed: Wed, 11 Jan 2012]

Samurai Girls - Complete Collection [TV Series]

Action, Comedy, Historical, Romance, 1 comments

Preview: I know it’s too early to call it, but I’m willing to bank money and say that hands down Samurai Girls wins the best animated visuals for a UK anime release of 2012. From start till end you’re treated to gorgeous artistry and brilliantly fluid...

Score: 5 out of 10

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[Reviewed: Mon, 9 Jan 2012]

Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi - Episodes 1 to 12 Streaming (0) | Read | 4 out of 10

To have your series entitled ‘World’s Greatest First Love’ it’d either have to be tongue-in-cheek, or you have to be extremely confident that your content will live up to that name.   I hope that the series name was for the former because it certainly is not living...

Code Geass #1 (0) | Read | 8 out of 10

If the Code Geass fan base was a house party, I would be the one stumbling into the living room at the early hours of the morning, just as the crowd are taking their leave, mumbling something about having a good time before the host gives me a dirty look for being so late. I’ve had the...

K-On! #3 (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

Starting from where we left off, Azusa - a first year student - wants to join the Light Music Club after watching their performance in front of the new pupils. As a guitarist herself, she feels that the club would offer more experience rather than the Jazz Club. However Azusa soon realizes...

Eden of the East Movie 2: Paradise Lost (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

“If someone suddenly handed you ten billion yen and said, ‘Improve this country’ what would you do?” It’s time for answers – and as Akira Takizawa (Ryohei Kimura/Jason Liebrecht) and Saki (Sakiko Tamagawa/Leah Clark) fly back to Tokyo from the US, it looks...

The Melancholy of Haruhi-chan Suzumiya & Nyoron! Churuya-san Collection #2 (1) | Read | 5 out of 10

Presumably, Kyoto Animation had some spare change gathering fluff in their back pockets. It is the only possible explanation for this aimless bundle of whimsy. Only extremely dedicated fans of the Haruhi franchise will be attracted to The Melancholy of Haruhi-chan Suzumiya 's and Nyoron!...

Bleach #15 (0) | Read | 5 out of 10

Episodes 142-151 Captain Yamamoto forbids the Soul Reapers to go to the rescue of Orihime Inoue for in his view, she must have gone to Aizen’s side of her own free will, making her - ergo - a traitor. Does that deter Ichigo? With help from Kisuke Urahara, he sets off for Hueco Mundo...

House of Five Leaves (0) | Read | 9 out of 10

Some of you may already know that I love the works of mangaka Natsume Ono, especially her “ not simple ” manga which I reviewed earlier this year, so when Beez Entertainment announced that they would be releasing the anime adaptation of her House Of Five Leaves series,...

K-On! #2 (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

My impressions of the first volume of K-ON! were positive in regard to its approach to providing an entertaining and light-hearted Slice-Of-Life show, yet I felt it had some flaws in the music department and English dub – and while this volume makes some improvements to...

The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (0) | Read | 8 out of 10

When The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya begins on the 16th of December, it appears to be just another episode:  Kyon bemoans Haruhi’s now-permanent intrusion into his life, Haruhi voraciously feeds her Id, and the rest of the SOS Brigade try to keep up or risk annihilation of...

Redline (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

Through happy coincidence, I ended up watching Redline the same week as I did Disney's The Princess and the Frog . Both are adamantly hand-drawn throwbacks defying the computer-oriented trends in animation today. And considering my childhood was as much about hand-drawn Disney as it was...

Bleach #14 (0) | Read | 5 out of 10

Episodes 132-141 Captain Hitsugaya is mistaken for a kid by Ichigo’s little sister (more shortie jibes here than in Fullmetal Alchemist) when she’s looking for someone to help her and her friends beat some bullies in a soccer game. Ikkaku is persuaded by Mizuho, Keigo’s...

Naruto: Shippuuden #7 (0) | Read | 9 out of 10

The continuing fight between Asuma and the Akatsuki member Hidan looked to have been concluded after a well-placed fire jutsu was successfully landed on the antagonist. However, something is amiss. It has certainly left a scar on Hidan but he doesn't show any pain from his injury;on the other...

Corpse Princess #2 (0) | Read | 6 out of 10

Six months have passed since Kaze’s death and the new dim outlook on life for both Makine and Ouri doesn’t seem to have faded over time. Ouri, now training to be Makina’s new contracted monk, takes his duties seriously but others feel he’ll fail to keep up with...

Ikki Tousen: Dragon Destiny (0) | Read | 6 out of 10

The Ikki Tousen series (also known as Battle Vixens) has always been infamous for its large amount of over-the-top fights and female clothes being ripped apart. It's been a while since the first season was released way back in 2005, but now the sequel has hit our shores in the form of Ikki...

Freedom (0) | Read | 8 out of 10

So, here’s your dilemma: The successful food company you work for has just celebrated a milestone in its already lengthy tenure as the nation’s premiere supplier of boil-in-the-box noodle snacks. You sell an ENORMOUS number of units of noodles every day, and it may just be time...

Dance In The Vampire Bund (2) | Read | 8 out of 10

I can’t imagine it must have been easy for Funimation or Manga to market this series to the masses. Let’s first take away all the visual aids and just look purely at the concept and synopsis; Princess Mina Tepeş (descendant of Vlad the Impaler) has come forward and...

Bleach #13 (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

Bleach Series 6 Part 2  Episodes 121-131 “This winter we shall fight!” Yamamoto, Captain General of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. The new story arc is well underway at the start of this box-set, with Grimmjow taunting Ichigo who is still crushed by self-doubt and guilt....

Black Butler #2 (0) | Read | 9 out of 10

No sooner than Ciel can sit down for tea and scones, another string of murders have occurred on the streets of London and this time it’s an Indian that’s suspected of the crimes, just as the Curry Festival is about to commence. In tow, an Indian prince by the name of Soma and his...

Gantz (Live-Action) (0) | Read | 6 out of 10

So far Hollywood's attempts to turn anime and manga into major live action movies have either resulted in commercial and critical flops (Speed Racer, Dragonball) or have languished in development hell (Akira, Cowboy Bebop). In their native country however, manga and anime have been adapted into...

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (0) | Read | 9 out of 10

In 2307 AD, the governments of Earth have conquered their need for fossil fuels. Drawing power instead from a huge solar power array suspended high above the planet, each of the world’s main superpowers controls one of the immense space elevators that services the system. Effectively,...

Strike Witches - The Complete Collection (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

“For good or for ill, air mastery is today the supreme expression of military power and fleets and armies, however vital and important, must accept a subordinate rank.” - Winston Churchill The year is 1939. A mysterious ship suddenly appears out of a strange purple cloud in...

Birdy: The Mighty - Decode #2 (0) | Read | 9 out of 10

The first season of Birdy the Mighty Decode was a wonderful surprise; a reboot of a largely forgotten original that actually worked. It arrived without much fanfare or hype, yet it turned out to be one of the best anime series to be released in the UK this year. Hot on the heels of that release...

TO: 2001 Nights OVA (0) | Read | 6 out of 10

Space has become the new battlefield for old wars. This disappointing fact of the future underscores the two distinct episodes of TO: 2001 Nights . They posit that despite advancing technologically and travelling thousands of light-years, humans will only end up repeating the mistakes of Earth....

Sacred Blacksmith - Complete Series (0) | Read | 6 out of 10

After the passing of her father, Cecily Cambell becomes a fully-fledged knight. Her first battle protecting the people of her home village however does not go so well, as the family sword is destroyed and she nearly loses her life. Luckily for her, Luke Ainsworth, the legendary...

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood #5 (0) | Read | 10 out of 10

Throughout my reviews, Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood has proved a roller-coaster experience that I'm certainly glad to  have been a part of  - and now we come to the final part of this engaging story that has been told so well. After saving Mrs Bradley from the military...

Nabari No Ou #2 (0) | Read | 6 out of 10

The first half of Nabari no Ou presented a visually appealing series with a slightly off-kilter approach to the execution of a shonen ninja story that focused more on scheming exposition rather than all-out action. While this provided a solid base of character and plot development,...

Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance - Evangelion 2.22: You Can (Not) Advance (0) | Read | 10 out of 10

In June I had the opportunity to watch and review the first of four new movies that re-imagine the Neon Genesis Evangelion series. The reworking of this classic came with the promise of not only updated visuals, but new story elements and characters, as well as a real conclusion to the story...

Romeo X Juliet #4 (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

In the final act of the original Shakespeare play, a great misunderstanding and the rival families failing to make amends lead to the death of the star-crossed lovers: one taking a vial of poison on mistaking his lover for dead, the other a dagger to the heart upon discovering her true...

K-On! #1 (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

"I laugh at your conversational skills, or lack of" Idlewild - When I Argue I See Shapes As a person who has constantly listened to new music for eleven years and considers BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad one of his favourite anime series to ever come out of Japan, I thought that...

Xam'd: Lost Memories #2 (0) | Read | 8 out of 10

The first part of Xam'd had some great animation but was plagued by the focus on an unlikeable postal crew that made me less interested to find out about what was actually going on in this war-torn world. So, does the second half manage to be more interesting or are we in for more boring...

Black Butler #1 (0) | Read | 9 out of 10

To the commoners of Great Britain, Ciel looks like a normal noble boy with a smart looking butler by his side. To those in the know, however, not only is Ciel known as the Queen's 'hound dog' for dealing with supernatural occurrences in England but he's also seen his fair share of torment. Ciel...

Highschool of the Dead (1) | Read | 8 out of 10

Supernatural creations are everywhere in anime and manga. Ghosts often feature, demons are dime a dozen. There are more vampires then you shake a particularly pointy stick at. Zombies, on the other hand, are conspicuous by their absence. Japanese creators have given the world some excellent...

Golgo 13: Queen Bee (0) | Read | 4 out of 10

Appearing in Japan in Shogakukan's Big Comic since 1969, it's fair to say that Golgo 13 is something of a big deal over there. Being one of the prime candidates for the title of 'longest running manga ever', it may come as something of a surprise to learn that the feature discussed here is only...

Romeo X Juliet #3 (0) | Read | 8 out of 10

The honeymoon is over. The secret is out. Juliet’s identity has been revealed and is now held captive in Montague’s prison, sentenced to death in two days' time. Luckily she’s not held for long as her friends plan her escape; however, Romeo’s part in her getaway does not...

Bamboo Blade #2 (1) | Read | 8 out of 10

With his job on the line, Toraji sets out to get his team ready for the Preliminary Tournament, and with the new addition of Azuma to make a full Kendo team, the dream seems to be slowly becoming a reality. However there are a few hurdles for the girls to conquer beforehand: Kirino’s...

Zone Of The Enders: Idolo (0) | Read | 8 out of 10

Anime fans of a certain age may well remember the initial release of Sony’s Playstation 2 games console. I recall it vividly, particularly for the initially sparse roster of releases available for eager gamers to snap up. One of those early releases was Konami’s Zone Of The Enders -...

Sekirei - The Complete Collection (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

Sekirei is an action, romantic comedy which was produced by Seven Arcs studios and the anime places a huge emphasis on fanservice - much like Ikkitousen (Battle Vixens) and the recent release Master Of Martial Hearts - something so mindless it might put viewers off. But when I started...

Guyver: The Bioboosted Armour (0) | Read | 8 out of 10

Anime fans who witnessed the early-to-mid 1990s UK anime boom will need no introduction to ‘The Guyver.’ Released on VHS way back in the day by Manga Entertainment, the original OVA series cemented itself as a fan favourite, and even led to sufficient interest for a couple of...

Vampire Knight Guilty #4 (2) | Read | 6 out of 10

As we draw the last few drops of blood from Vampire Knight Guilty, we start with episode 11 that wraps up several minor plot points and prepares the audience for the final battle. This includes Kaien fending off the Vampire Hunters from the Academy, but its main focus is concluding Zero and...

Xam'd: Lost Memories #1 (0) | Read | 6 out of 10

Bones have offered us some great series, with ambitious projects such as Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Darker Than Black. Next up to come to our shores is a series that made its début on the Playstation Network: Xam'd: Lost Memories. Is this the start of another great title...

Yu-Gi-Oh! 3D: Bonds Beyond Time (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

Crossover; it's a word that gets any fan, regardless of franchise, excited. But such a word is best used on special occasions and what better occasion could it be used, but for Yu-Gi-Oh's 10 th Anniversary. Yes, it's been over 10 years since the anime based upon the world's most popular...

Casshern Sins #2 (0) | Read | 8 out of 10

The first half of Casshern Sins introduced us to a world filled with death and despair, where society has collapsed, humanity is now endangered, and once-immortal robots who ruled the world are now rapidly dying to a plague known as 'The Ruin'. The Ruin is said to be caused by the assassination...

Casshern Sins #1 (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

Tatsunoko Production, or Tatsunoko for short, is one of the most celebrated and most respected animation studios of Japan. Creators of many of the early Japanese superheroes, they have inspired many if not all of the Japanese animators we know and love. Though Otomo's Akira is often cited as the...

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2nd Season) - Including The Melancholy of Haruhi-chan Suzumiya & Nyoron! Churuya-san (2) | Read | 7 out of 10

Unless you're a newcomer to anime, you probably know the name Haruhi Suzumiya. The first series was widely recognized and soon became a cult classic in both eastern and western fandom. Even back in 2006, when YouTube began to rise in popularity, you could see the famous dance video all...

Naruto: Shippuuden #6 (0) | Read | 7 out of 10

Continuing from where we last left off, we find out that the Grave Robbers are known as Furido's 4-Man Team and are currently on a mission to destroy the Hidden Leaf Village to rebuild the Land of Fire to its former glory. It doesn't look too good for our heroes; the whole village...