Burn Up Review

Merry Christmahannakwanzaa! With all of the holiday happenings going on in my family, I almost forgot to do a second review. Luckily, there was a lull in the festivities, and I managed to watch my copy of Burn Up, another one of those sleeper hits most anime fans may not know about. So, here for you is my review of Burn Up.

Directed by Yasunori Ide way back in 1991, it was dubbed and released in the U.S. in 2005 by ADV Films (R.I.P.) then re-released in 2009 by Sentai Filmworks, Burn Up tells the tale of Team Warrior, a high-end SWAT team within the Japanese police. Lead by the blonde and buxom Maki, Team Warrior takes the assignments that the regular police can't do. With the rise of young women being kidnapped and sold into sexual slavery, Team Warrior is alerted to these crimes by the kidnapping of one of their own. After strapping up, they come to the rescue, and look good while doing the rescuing.

There are some strong positives in Burn Up, and the first is that it's very easy to find. Although I got my copy from a two-for-one deal (see my Plastic Little review), new & used copies of the dvd are rather plentiful. Used copies of the 2005 version are relatively common, while the 2009 version is especially common. The DvD's are also cheap, as used copies of the 2005 version start at $3.07, while the 2009 version cost $8.26. The newer version is a little more expensive, but it isn't that extreme, so you're getting a good product either way.

Burn Up's second positive is the sheer cheesiness of it all. Trust me, if you haven't watched this show, you won't understand. Since this was done in 91, there's still a little bit of a 80s vibe to everything. There's a club in the middle of the show, complete with flashing lights and people dressed up in clothes that looked like they were ripped from a rainbow on acid. Not only that, but Burn Up also manages to take a stab or two at popular culture, with a Rambo poster in an alleyway, and a game called Quest Dragon (a spoof on Dragon Quest) being advertised at the halfway point in the show. Burn Up even feels like one of those buddy cop shows that were popular in the 80s, but with three main characters instead of two.

The length of Burn Up is the 3rd positive. Just like Plastic Little, this show is 50 minutes long, and can pretty much be watched in one sitting. Also like Plastic Little, the story fits within the allotted time, despite some of it's problems.

Burn Up's 4th positive are the main characters. As I typed earlier, Maki is the leader of Team Warrior. She blonde, stacked, and beats the crap out of guys who hit on her (then complains why guys won't get near her), yet she suffers few of the stereotypical traits associated with blonde characters, and is actually quite smart. However, to be the leader of a team you have to have partners, and that's where Yuka and Reimi come in. Yuka is Team Warrior's computer expert, and happens to be as cute as a button, and has a attitude to match. Reimi is the gadget master of the team, and she always has some kind of gizmo with her at all times. Towards the end of the show, one of her devices breaks, and she goes apeshit in what is perhaps one of the funniest moments in Burn Up.

The 5th & final positive of Burn Up is it's melding of action, comedy, and science fiction. The comedy portion of the show is pretty much between Maki, Yuka, and Reimi. It seems like they've known each other for a long time, and because of this they often seems to know what the other is going to do, resulting in some of the funniest scenes in anime. The action's pretty awesome as well, consisting of some gun battles and high-speed chases. At times the comedy and action mix, such as moment when Reimi's gadget breaks. That leads to the science fiction parts of the show. The Sci Fi in Burn Up is composed of Team Warrior's equipment, and just the general vibe of the show. The Science Fiction isn't as prevalent as one might think, but it's definitely in there, and in the right places as well.

The positives were all well and good, but now it's time to look at the negatives. Luckily, there's only two bad things about the show. The first is the voice acting, and here's where it gets strange.

Usually, I praise a show's dubbing, but I have a hard time doing so in this instance. Some of the voice acting is actually really good, especially when it comes to the main characters. As for the other characters, that all depends. Some of then do a fair job, while others don't seem to give it their all, and at least one or two characters sound boring.

Secondly, the story is predictable. It's not quite as predictable as Plastic Little, but it's close. It's a real shame, cause there is a surprise or two in Burn Up that you won't see coming. I swear that Burn Up must be a story that Satoshi Urushihara worked on, but didn't want to animate, so he sent it to someone else to do.

Burn Up gets a 8.5 out of 10. It's plentiful and cheap, the cheese factor is high, the length of the show is easy to take & digest, the main characters are sexy & smart, and the mix of genres is well done, but the voice acting can flop at times, and it has a predictable story.

See you all next year. Until then, stay Otaku!

Plastic Little: The Adventures of Captain Tita Review

Happy early December! It's pretty cold where I am. A few trees were down along the roads, and there's a good chunk of snow on the ground. However, I got a review that'll warm up just the right type of person. So, without further delays, here's a review for Plastic Little: The Adventures of Captain Tita.

Originally created by Satoshi Urushihara back in March of 1994, and released on DVD by ADV Films (R.I.P.) back on February 5, 2002, Plastic Little: The Adventures of Captain Tita tells the story of Captain Tita Mu Koshigaya. She and her crew make their living aboard the Cha-Cha Maru as pet shop hunters (people who go out, find animal and whatnot, and sell them) in the cloud sea on the planet Letta. Tita does some shopping for her crew in the streets, when a blonde girl by the name of Elysse Aldo Mordish runs into her. Elysse is on the run from the military, and to tell you more would ruin the story. Suffice it to say, running into Elysse triggers a whole chain of events that draw Tita and her crew into perhaps the greatest adventure of their lives.

As usual, I'm gonna list all the positives & negative, but I have a different kind of positive that, to my knowledge, haven't done yet. What new kind of positive, do you ask? Well, just take a look below and see.

Plastic Little's first positive is Satoshi Urushihara. Satoshi is a very legendary artist and illustrator in Japan, having worked of famous titles like Legend of Lemnear, Another Lady Innocent (a very well-done hentai title), and many others. Mr. Urushihara has a very distinct animation style that is easily recognizable (more on that in a little bit), and is known for his use of fan service (Yuri is common among some of the things he's worked on) when it's needed. In short, Satoshi Urushihara is a saint among anime directors.

Another positive of Plastic Little is it's visuals. About the only thing I can say is that this show is f@#$ing gorgeous! The environments look awesome, the animation looks awesome, and the characters look awesome! In particular, the girls (at least the main character girls) look especially awesome. Mr. Urushihara takes careful steps to make his girls look absolutely lovely. When you see one of his female characters naked, you'll never forget the image of their bodies. Trust me when I say that you'll jump at the screen when uncovered breasts appears. Even the eyes are captivating, as their particular shape & size seem to captivate somehow.

Plastic Little's 3rd positive is the voice acting. The english dub is very good, with staple voice actors such as Amanda Winn-Lee, Marcy Rae, and Tiffany Grant breathing life into the characters. It should be noted that most of Tita's crew speak with a Russian accent, despite their Japanese names. Even the one black character has a Russian accent, and I swear to the anime lords above that he's voiced by the guy that did Keitaro Oe in Goldenboy. The only characters (among the good guys) that don't have a Russian accent is Tita, and Elysse, even though she has a British accent.

The 4th positive of Plastic Little is how long it is. At 50 minutes, it's makes for a great viewing with friends one afternoon. Though normally I tend to criticize shorter shows, for some reason this show's length seems to suit it. It even manages to fit the story (more on that later) into it's entire viewing time without leaving many plotholes. I've watched this in one sitting, and I'm sure that most of you will too.

The final positive of Plastic Little is the price. Despite it's availability (more on that in a bit), you don't necessarily have to pay a pretty penny to enjoy this show. New copies range from a little over 6 dollars, and extend into the 20 dollar range. Used copies are much cheaper, as they usually cost from 2 dollars to 5 dollars. Either way, you're making a good purchase, especially if you buy your copy used.

Now that the positive are out of the way, it's time to see what keeps Plastic Little from rising up to become a full-blown anime legend. There are some pretty significant weights on this show, and the first is the story.
Despite this show being a edge-of-your-seat thrill ride that's enhanced with humor & fan service, the story is rather standard. A lot of what will happen can be easily predicted by observant viewers, and the ending is pretty standard as well. Not to disappoint you, but if you were expecting this one thing to happen, you may cry.

Secondly & final, Plastic Little can be kinda hard to find, and this is one of those rare circumstances that may cause you to look somewhere else besides Amazon. That's where I got my copy, so I'll stick with it.

Anyway, I got my copy in a two-for-one package (the other title was Burn Up, which I'll review soon), but individual copies are a little difficult to find. There's 6 new copies of the 2002 version, and only 2 copies of the 2004 remastered edition. Luckily, there are plenty used copies of the 2002 version, and a handful of the 2004 version. Like I said above, the used copies cost anywhere from 2 dollars to 5 dollars, and a purchase won't punch your wallet in the private area.

Plastic Little: The Adventure of Captain Tita gets a 8 out of 10. Satoshi Urushihara wrote & directed this, it looks absolutely stunning, the voice acting is top notch, the length of time makes for a great way to kill a afternoon, and the cost isn't a burden, but the story is rather weak, and finding a copy can be trouble.


I'll see you later this month, when I'll put up a review for Burn Up. Until then, stay Otaku!

Burn Up W Review

Hi everyone. Well, it's time for part 3 of my ADV Films (R.I.P.) Essential Anime Collection. I'm gonna be a bit quick with this review, considering that most of you (including myself) are getting ready for Thanksgiving. Here, for your reading pleasure, is the review for the sleeper hit Burn Up W. I'm sorry if this isn't up to my usual standards.

Directed & released in 1996 by Hiroshi Negishi, and dubbed in 2001 & 2004 (the 04 was a remastered re-release) by ADV Films (R.I.P.), Burn Up W tells the story of Team Warrior, Neo-Tokyo's elite police force. The girls composed of the team represent are the toughest that the police have. At the beginning of the first episode, a group of terrorists take over a hotel where a group of key political figures in the Japanese government are meeting. At first, the regular police are trying to get in, but are held at bay by the terrorist's threats.

Meanwhile, Rio, who first appeared in the original Burn Up, is stuck at the station doing boring paper work. After waiting to do...something, she is finally called upon to perform her duties as the top member of Team Warrior. There is more to the terrorist attack at the hotel than meets the eyes, but revealing it here would ruin it for you. Suffice it to say, the twist at the beginning of the show carries itself to the end, and it'll leave you on the edge of your seat the entire time.

A note before the positive and the negatives. Burn Up W has a few faint connections to the original Burn Up. The original show isn't required to watch before Burn Up W, save for understanding how the two shows are connected. If fact, you could even ignore Burn Up if you wanted, but that imply that you're a masochist. That last comment doesn't work, does it?

To start things off, Burn Up W's first big positive is the rush of adrenaline & themes you get in each episode. All of them are loaded with guns, explosions, some robots, comedy (especially related to the fan service), and lots of female sex appeal and fan service. You even get to see some blood as the girls get in up close with the bad guys as the pummel the snot out of them. This show is not for kids, nor for the faint of hearted.

Burn Up W's second biggest positive are the girls that compose Team Warrior and their characters. Rio is the pointman of the team, and the one that gets a chunk of the screen time. Rio's also a blonde, hot and gifted in all the right places, and can't really hold onto money that shows up in her hands. Because of her money troubles, she's constantly looking for a wealthy guy to get hitched to and get out of her police job.

The other girls got a bit of screen time as well. Maya is a lot like Rio. She's got funky colored hair (green, to be more specific), and she hot. Maya is the sniper and gun nut of the team, and is a bit of a wacko. She joined the team because she wanted to shoot as often as she could, and if she doesn't get to fire off a gun, she feels something that must be similar to being sexual frustrated. In fact, the bigger the gun, the more she likes it. Lilica is the short, pink-haired cutie of the team. She's the master of computers, and can hack into just about anything. Nanvel rounds out Team Warrior as the tanned tech girl. She and Maya both have the hots for their respective areas, as Nanvel has a thing for mechanical stuff and robots. It's kinda hilarious, actually.

Burn Up W's 3rd positive is it's time length. At 4 episodes, it's a quick show that you can watch in one sitting. Some people might not like a short show, but if you want a quick anime fix, then 4 episodes isn't so bad. Surprisingly, the story fits into the length of time, and covers just about everything that's shown. What little is left over is saved for the sequel, but that for another review.

The 4rth and final plus to Burn Up W is it's story. The first episode sets up the events yet to come, the second episode continues things along while at the same time providing a bit of humor and slapstick, and the third & fourth episodes conclude it all, and provide a good twist at the end. Like I said during the show's time length, things somehow fit into 4 episodes, while leaving a little left over to go into Burn Up Excess.


It's sad to say that despite what Burn Up W has going for it, it has a bit going against it. Firstly, the show can be a bit difficult to find. As usual, I always get my DvDs from Amazon, and they usually have a good selection, whether it's used or new. In this case, my copy was used. New copies, at least as far as the remastered versions are concerned, are a bit expensive. They start at 30 dollars, which really isn't too bad, and end up at a whopping 90 dollars. God only knows why some of the copies are 90 dollars. Used DvDs far much better. Despite not finding many copies, used copies of the remastered edition start at 5 dollars, and used copies of the original 2001 release start at close to 2 dollars. It's rather strange, actually.

Secondly, Burn Up W isn't as good looking as many 90s animes tend to be. Truthfully, saying that the show isn't good looking is a little hurtful. The show itself seems to look a little rough around the edges, despite being remastered. What makes it more strange is that things far away in a scene seem more clear, while things up close (especially characters) look particularly jagged.

Burn Up W gets a 6.5 out of 10. It successfully mixes together a bunch of themes, the girls are fun to watch and fun to look at, the show doesn't drag on and on, and it has a good story, but copies are damaging to one's wallet, and it doesn't look as good as a lot of other 90s anime.

I'd like to make a quick apology. This review, compared to the others I've done so far, is a bit on the low quality scale. At a later time, I'd do a better one. Until then, stay Otaku.

New Cutey Honey Review

Hello there! I've my second Essential Anime Collection anime from ADV Films (R.I.P.) ready to go. Just like the last one, this show is a classic. Below is the review for New Cutey Honey, a series that practically has it all. BTW...Thanksgiving is only 12 days away "cue fatguy squee"!

Edited & released back in 1994 by the twisted mind of Go Nagai (who, in my opinion, should be nominated for sainthood) and released in the U.S. back in 2004, New Cutey Honey takes place 100 years after the original show. A lot has happened since the original show, and the only character to have survived is Danbei Hayami. He's now 150 years old, outfitted with various cybernetic implants, and a bit more pervy. As far as the city itself, things have become a bit darker, forcing some of it's citizens to associate with the darkness (as one character puts it).

Perhaps the three biggest influences on the city's criminal element are Dolmeck, Black Maiden, and Peeping Spider. These individuals control most of the crime and other vile elements within the city, but despite that control, there are a few things standing in the way, namely Mayor Light (the leader of the city), Chokkei Hayami (Danbei's grandson), Chokkei's parents (reformed criminals), and Honey. Together, they fight back against Dolmeck and his minions, but release another evil in the process (more on that later).

For such an old show, New Cutey Honey really does have a lot going for it. For starters is Honey herself. She mixes two things that you don't always find in anime girls: brains & sexiness. She outwits every opponent that she comes across, and looks good (hot or sexy would be better terms to use, but good works) doing it at the same time. Honey is also one of the biggest hopes that she has to offer, as she is constantly hopeful about the future, and has a heart that shines more brightly than the sun.

The rest of the cast have equally interesting personalities. Danbei still acts a lot like his old self from the original show: perverted, loud mouthed, yet oddly caring. Chokkei is a lot like Honey: hopeful, kind, and brave. Chokkei's parents are the dirtiest (especially the father) & twisted tag-team to have graced the world of anime. At times they still embrace their criminals elements, but when it comes to their son, they put crime aside just for him.

As for the villains, they are all evil. Dolmeck practically runs all of the dark elements in the city, and has a sinister vibe about him. Black Maiden is equally sinister, and hides a old secret (more on that later). Peeping Spider is the only member of this trio that can sorta be liked. He's not quite as sinister as Dolmeck, and has an element of perviness to him (if he wasn't so evil, he and Danbei would be friends).

An interesting plus for New Cutey Honey is it's length. The show runs at 8 episodes, which fits right in the medium range of show lengths. It's actually works out well, as just about anyone can watch the full show in one or two sittings. Despite the turn in story and loss of a 9th episode (more on that later), 8 episodes of a sexy girl fighting evil and outsmarting them at the same time, is quite okay.

Another positive aspect of New Cutey Honey is it's animation. Despite being a early 90s show, everything is actually quite fluid. Considering that a good portion of the show is fast paced, the quality of the animation really stands out. The characters (whether major or minor) look really good, and that especially applies to the girls. The environment definitely invokes feelings of despair and darkness, despite looking a tiny bit goofy.

Voice Acting is also a plus for this show. Jessica Calvello, the voice of Honey, was personally handpicked by Go Nagai to voice her. If you're recommended by a legendary anime editor to voice an equally legendary character, chance are you really impressed the guy. The other voice actors do an equally impressive job, with David Nance giving a young, hopeful tone to Chokkei, and Tristan MacAvery provided a pervy yet wise voice to Danbei.


Yet, for all of it's positives, New Cutey Honey has some pretty big negatives. For starters, New Cutey Honey is actually pretty hard to find. With ADV Films (R.I.P.) out of the picture, no new copies have been released. If you're looking to find a new copy, then you're pretty much out of luck. The best bet for you is to head over to Amazon, a pick up a used copy. As I'm typing this, there are currently only 10 used copies on Amazon. Prices of these copies range from a little over 15 dollars, to about 33 dollars. The link below provides the complete list of used copies.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B003ZKC2JY/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&qid=1321132942&sr=1-6&condition=used

In case you were wondering how much my used copy cost, I can tell you that while I got it as a Christmas gift back in 2009, it was still in the 15 dollar range.

A second negative of New Cutey Honey is the 2nd half of the story. If you haven't watched the show, you may want to look away if you don't want to spoil the show for yourself At the very end of the first half after Dolmeck is defeated, it's discovered that Black Maiden is Honey's ancient foe Panther Zora (the main villain from the first Cutey Honey show). From there, things kinda take a nose dive as far as the story is concerned. Instead of having a single solid story, the second half of the show takes on a monster-a-day theme. What makes all of that interesting is that despite Panther Zora coming into being once again, she actually takes a back seat to what's going on, despite (sorry for using the word again) clearly having some kind of influence as to what's going on.


New Cutey Honey's 3rd negative aspect is the missing 9th episode. From what I've been able to uncover during my research, there was supposed to be a 9th, Christmas themed episode. Whether it concluded the show or not, I'm not sure. However, this 9th episode was never made. Instead, the episode was converted into a drama CD that, to the best of my searchings, can't be found anymore. Ironically, the script for the 9th episode can be seen on the DvD.


This final negative aspect of New Cutey Honey is perhaps the one thing that impacts it the most. New Cutey Honey is the only anime of that specific story that has ever been picked up by a U.S. company. You can't find any other cartoon in the Cutey Honey universe for sale, at least as far as a U.S. release is concerned. Your only choice if you want to watch the older & newer shows is to go on website like youtube or veoh and look it up, and that's if you want to do it legally. 


New Cutey Honey gets a 7 out of 10. The characters have eye-catching personalities, a nice medium length, an equally nice animation quality, and good voice acting, but it's difficult to find, the 2nd half of the story is weak, the 9th episode is missing, and no other Cutey Honey series has been acquired by a U.S. company.

Okay everyone, stay tuned until my final review from the ADV Films (R.I.P) Essential Anime Collection. Until then, stay Otaku!

Ruin Explorers Review

Happy November! With Thanksgiving in just 19 days, I figured I'd treat you to a feast of reviews this month. Since just about everyone who reads my reviews know my love for ADV Films (R.I.P.), I figured I review some shows from the Essential Anime Collection that they released last decade. I've got 3 shows from that collection, and all of them are big hits, especially in old school anime fan's opinion. So, for you, here's the review for Ruin Explorers!

Directed by Takeshi Mori back in 1995, released by ADV Films (R.I.P.) in the late 90s on tape, and re-released in 2004 on DvD, Ruin Explorers tells the tale of Fam and Ihrie, two adventures out on a quest for the Ultimate Power. The Ultimate Power is a fantastic magical energy said to grant the wish of anybody who finds it. Ihrie desires it because of a curse placed on her by her former master (more on that later), and Fam desires it so she can create a place where she & her spirit friends can live in peace. At an inn one day, a greedy merchant by the name of Galuff tells them a tale about a possible location for the Ultimate Power, and happily gives them a map to it's location...for a fee, of course.

Fam and Ihrie set out to the location where the Ultimate Power is supposedly located. While they wander around, they run into numerous traps, including a pair of armored golems. They finally come across what they believe is the Ultimate Power, but before they can obtain it, another pair of explorers comes in, along with Galuff, who was using them this entire time. This group of explorers is composed of the sorceress Rasha, a rather arrogant yet beautiful woman, and Miguel, a swordsman who's not incredibly smart, but incredibly strong. After a quick battle, Fam & Ihrie are temporarily defeated, and the other explorers take what everyone thinks is the Ultimate Power.

Rasha, Miguel, and Galuff travel to the ceremony room, and attempt to summon the Ultimate Power. While they successfully managed the summoning, they don't quite get what they expected. Instead, they called up the queen of the castle they're in, and she tells them that the object they used is part of a 3 piece set that calls up the Ultimate Power. After this, Fam & Ihrie corner them once again, and successfully take back the item. Since they heard the whole thing, they set out on a journey that is much bigger than themselves or anybody (well, just about anybody) else they meet.

As usually, there's a whole list of positive things about the show that I'm obviously going to put down. This time, however, things are going to be put in a different order. Hopefully it won't trip you up too much.

First positive thing about Ruin Explorers is it's characters. Fam & Ihrie are the first two that we meet, and right off the bat, you know exactly what kind of people they are. Ihrie is a no-nonsense tomboy, who'd rather rush into battle than plan things out. Despite her gruff exterior, she's a kind soul that would always do the right thing, and is loyal to anyone who gains her trust. To balance out her rougher side, whenever she casts a spell, she turns into a grey-haired mouse with blue eyes and a squeaky voice. Fam is just about the sweetest, perkiest girl you can come across. She'd rather play with the spirits and enjoy a peaceful life that be violent, but can be persuaded to join in on a fight if need be.

The other main characters are just as interesting. Galuff is exactly what you'd expect from a medieval fantasy merchant: greedy, cowardly (for the most part), would do anything to make a quick buck, and always on the lookout for someone new to sucker. His character is augmented by his dog, Gil. The two are never far apart, and they always seem to feed off of each other. Rasha is the haughty character in the show. She's pretty, powerful, and arrogant. About the only person that can stand her for any length of time is Miguel, who seems to have qualities of Rasha & Ihrie combined, minus a few brain cells.

There are two other characters in Ruin Explorers, but I can't get into them. Revealing too much about would ruin your experience when watching the show. Suffice it to say, they are crucial to the story. Even the story I can't really get into, cause I might ruin certain story pieces for you.

Secondly positive aspect of the show is the music & voice acting. An entire orchestra composed the music for Ruin Explorers, and it is some of the most impressive sounding stuff you'll ever here. There nice melodic pieces for the more tender moments, loud pieces for the show's numerous action sequences, and happy music for the happy scenes. It all feels very fluid, and is help a lot by the voice acting. Despite being dubbed in the late 90s, it transitioned well into last decade and the beginning of this decade. Each of the characters has a voice that is distinctly perfect for them, with Fam's voice in particular being especially charming.

The third and final positive aspect of Ruin Explorers is the setting. A fantasy fan in general is gonna like it, but if you're a DnD fan, you'll really like it. It has just about everything that's in Dungeons & Dragons: high action, intrigue, magic, swordsmanship, old ruins, some highs seas sailing, and one of the most infamous villains you'll ever encounter. All of it works well together, and it'll have you want to see more of Fam & Ihrie's world. It's tragic that all of this is stuffed into 4 episodes, but more on that in a little bit.

Now that the positives are out of the way, it time to take a look at the negatives of Ruin Explorers. We got 3 things on our plate and their not particularly appetizing.

First off is the show's length. Like is just said above, there are only 4 episodes, making this a show that you can watch in about a single sitting. It's not that the story is bad, cause it's actually a good one. It's just that you can tell and feel that the show could have been longer. Everything goes by fairly quickly, and you can see that certain things were left out. If the show was made into a 12 or 13 episode series, then certain aspects would be a bit more clear for viewers.

Secondly, Ruin Explorers isn't necessarily a widely available show. Given the fact that it was released in 2004 by ADV Films (R.I.P.), a new or used copy can be somewhat hard to come by. Your best bet is to go to Amazon (the best place to find old & new anime, in my opinion), and that's where things may get tricky. I got my unused copy back at the start of this year (I think it was the 3rd week of January, to be more specific), for a measly 10 cents. Now, although I didn't notice back then, but there must have been a surplus supply for it to be that cheap. As of right now, a unused copy of Ruin Explorers will set you back just $5.05, which isn't too bad if you ask me. Used copies are 3 cents cheaper, but with the price being that little apart, it really doesn't matter whether you buy a used or unused DvD. If you're an old schooler and want to go for the tapes (1 episode across 4 tapes), then you're in for an even harder time. The complete show isn't up for sale, and the tapes that do exist are only for the first 2 episodes. You are better off buying a used tape: it might be a bit more fragile than a fresh tape, but you are saving some impressive amount of cash in the meantime. How much saved money, you ask? Well, let's just say that you're saving a good chunk of change.

Ruin Explorers gets a 8.5 out of 10. It has a strong story & cast, a good music score & dubbing, and the setting is very fantasy, but the show's length can be off putting, and finding a copy can be a bit of a hassle.

See you next week when I review another Essential Anime Classic. Until then, stay otaku!

Comic Party Revolution Review

Hi guys! I hope you liked the Comic Party review I posted up Tuesday, because now It's time for part 2 of my Comic Party reviews. Here for you is the review of Comic Party Revolution and all it wackiness!

First appearing on the scenes on December 22, 2003, and getting dubbed in 2006 by ADV Films (R.I.P.), Comic Party Revolution has a bit of a interesting history to it. The show was originally released on two separate DvDs as OVAs. They were later edited and extended to form the first four episodes of the show. From there, the show expanded once again into the standard 13 episodes, and was aired from April 4, 2005 to June 27, 2005. As for the story, some time has passed since the events of Comic Party. Kazuki, Mizuki, and many of the characters from the previous show, are now in college. Kazuki is now a much more confident comic writer, and while Mizuki still had some aversion to otaku and their hobbies, she's taken up the hobby of cosplay. In doing so, she's become friends with Reiko, the cosplay fan from Comic Party. In addition to the cast from Comic Party, 3 new characters show up to add to the fun: Suburu Mikage, a shrine maiden with a sense of justice, but has poor drawing skills and isn't always bright, Asahi Sakurai, the lovely & talented voice actress and idol, and Yuuzo Tachikawa, the big, strong, and mostly silent brother to Ikumi Tachikawa from Comic Party. With these 3 new characters, more laughs and hijinks are sure to follow.

This review is going to be a bit different than my Comic Party review I did earlier this week. Most of what I covered in the Comic Party can be applied here, but there are a few things that Comic Party Revolution differs from it's older sibling.

For starters, and on a more positive note, are the 3 new characters. Suburu, who was in the Comic Party game but not the anime, is a bubbly, cheerful girl. She's very kind and caring, and has a strong sense of what's right and wrong, but often gets ahead of herself, and often blunders things up, but in a hilarious way that still manages to have things out. Asahi, who was in the Comic Party game but briefly mentioned in the anime, is shy around strangers & psycho fans (of which there are many), but around friends, she's more relaxed and calm. As for Ikumi's brother Yuuzo, the only thing I can say about him is that he's a lot like Mori from Ouran High School Host Club: large, built like a tank, mostly silent, and a little slow when it comes to thinking. These three characters add a bit more spice to the already established flavor that the original cast provided, and are sure to get reactions out of people.

On a second positive note, the story structure of Comic Party Revolution is very different than it's predecessor. Instead of one main story concentrating on Kazuki, the show is made into a bunch of little stories, focusing on all of the characters. This allows a viewer to essentially pick up the show at just about any point, with perhaps the exception of the last two episodes at the very end. However, this lack of story structure can also bite the viewer back, but more on that in a little bit.

Third, there isn't a single amount of Americanization. If you don't understand what I'm talking about, then take a quick look back at the Comic Party review I did. Suffice it to say, the core & spirit of the show have stayed the same.

Fourth, just like Comic Party, Comic Party Revolution is also readily available. On Amazon, you can find the Funimation re-released complete series for just $17.50. Oddly enough, the complete series was released a year earlier, and it was a bit cheaper. $12.44, to be exact. Regardless of the version, used copies go a bit cheaper, with the 2009 version going for as little as $9.95, and the 2010 edition going for $12.47. If you decide for some reason to go for the individual ADV Films (R.I.P.) DvDs of Comic Party Revolution, then you're going to have moderate success. New editions range anywhere from $2.24 to $13.19, and used copies go from $1.13 to $8.98. Despite it availability, it also isn't readily available, but more on that in a little bit.

Now, onto the negative points, and this is where Comic Party Revolution differs a little from it predecessor.

For starters, the story's structure. While I did say that it's lack of story structure is a blessing, it also means that it can make things confusing for the viewer. With things presented in a haphazard manner, it can getting a little tough figuring out where certain things are. On top of that, if you haven't watched Comic Party, then you may be lost on a few things, possibly confusing yourself a little more.

Secondly, there are a lack of minisodes in Comic Party Revolution. If you read my Comic Party review, you may recall the 4 minisodes I talked about, each of which shows a nice sidestory. However, I'm giving the original animators the benefit of the doubt, considering that the show was worked on by 2 studios, not one.

Third and final, is the availability. Despite me saying that the complete collection released under Funimation is readily available, if you're looking for the original ADV Films (R.I.P.) releases, then you may run into a bit of trouble. As I'm putting this down, there are only 2 original ADV Films (R.I.P.) collections of the show on Amazon. One goes for $44.95, and the other is just a single cent higher. Luckily, there are 8 used copies of the collection, with the first going for $12.93, and the last one going for a whopping $75 (God only knows why).

Comic Party Revolution gets a 7 out of 10. It has all the pluses of Comic Party, plus it has 3 new characters, it's looser story structure is easier to watch, it wasn't Americanized, and the Funimation editions and some of the ADV Films (R.I.P.) editions are readily available. However, it's lack of a stable story structure, lack of minisodes, and lack of availability for certain copies weighs the show down a little bit more than Comic Party.

Before I sign off for the night, there's one little observation I'd like to make, and you may know what I'm talking about. If you watched Comic Party, and then watched Comic Party Revolution, you may have noticed that the voice actors for each show, despite sounding similar, are actually different. This is because ADV Films (R.I.P.) used their own voices actors, and not the voice actors from The Right Stuf International. It was because of this change of voice actors that there wasn't anything changed in the dub.

Until next time, stay Otaku!

Comic Party Review

Hi guys. This week, I'm bringing to you not one, but two anime-related reviews! So, here for you, is the review of the highly popular Comic Party.

Originally a dating game released in 1999 by the game studio Leaf, it was adapted into an anime in 2001 by OLM Inc., and dubbed in 2002 by The Right Stuf International. Comic Party tells the tale of Kazuki Sendo, a high school student on his way out into the real world. One day, his friend Taishi convinces (more like drags) him to come to the Toyko Big Sight for a comic book convention. Along with them is Kazuki's childhood friend Mizuki Takase, who is repulsed by the sight of so many nerds & otaku. After getting inside, Kazuki gets separated from the others, and eventually starts wandering around the convention, unaware of just about everything around him. Eventually, he stops right in front of a table run by Yu Inagawa, a highly popular comic author. There's a big commotion going on, and eventually tries to convince the crowd that Kazuki is a highly trained bodyguard that will beat up everybody if they don't disperse. The group disperses, and Yu takes Kazuki for a bit of fresh air. After a small tiff, she hands Kazuki a comic that she made. When he's done reading it, he feels different somehow, and from that point on decides to become a comic book author.

It's a wild (and slightly dramatic) ride, as he comes across a host of other characters that help (or hinder) his progress. There's Eimi Obha, a highly prideful comic author, Aya Hasebe, a timid & shy author, Minami Makimura, the head staffer of the convention, Chisa Tsukamoto, the young daughter of a local printing shop, Reiko Haga and her friends Miho, Mayu, and Yuka, girls that are obsessed with cosplay, and Ikumi Tachikawa, a young sickly girl that is Kazuki's first fan. These characters, along with Mizuki and Taishi, form the cast that carries this crazy story from start to finish.

The first thing that this show has going for it is it's story. Comic Party shows the life of a comic author in Japan pretty realistically. Kazuki quickly learns the tricks of the trade, like what pencils & paper to use, the best way to balance time between school and comic drawing, where to find a good printing shop, and other things that ensure the success of a good comic author. Besides that aspect of the story, Comic Party is also good about showing the relationship between friends who have something in common. When Kazuki meets up with the other girls, he becomes friends with them (even with Eimi to an extent). Since he doesn't know much about the comic world, he has to rely on the strength of his friends to carry him to greatness until he can carry the weight himself. It's pretty cool, in my opinion, especially since I have a lot in common with some of the cast.

Next is the length of the show. Comic Party is made up of 13 main episodes, along with 1 mini episode per DvD. The main episodes are about 22 to 24 minutes long, while the minisodes are a respectable 10 minutes. Couple them together, and you have a show that will last you at least a couple days. Pretty good, if you ask me. You can find the show on either 4 separate DvDs, or in one single collection, but more on that in a little bit.

Another positive aspect of Comic Party is the dub. The voices that each of the characters have is spot on for their characters: Aya is quiet yet gentle, Yu is very loud, but can be comforting and kind, Taishi is also loud, and can also be very sly & tricky. Despite being only composed of a small group of characters, it would actually take up a lot more space than needed to describe their voices. Suffice it to say, you won't be disappointed with how they sound, and will definitely agree (or mostly agree) with the voices chosen.

The visuals of the show are also a good point. Being an anime made back in 2001, it was drawn by hand, and processed with computers, giving the show a smooth look. The look of Tokyo is pretty nice, with all of the skyscrapes, shops, and other locations. Perhaps the most detailed of all the building of the show is the Tokyo Big Sight itself. On the outside, it looks just like the real thing. While on the inside, you aren't really shown everywhere, but what little is shown gives the viewer a tantalizing taste that may have them wanting for more.

The final positive aspect of Comic Party is how available it is. I originally bought the entire collection on Amazon at the beginning of the year for almost 25 dollars, which is a pretty good deal. Used copies of the collection are a bit more cheaper, with a couple starting at $9.99, an even greater deal if you ask me. If for some reason you don't want to buy the whole thing, and go for the individual DvD, then you may run into a bit of trouble. Your best bet will be (with the exception of the first DvD, which costs a paltry 96 cents. No joke!) to buy used copies. Used copies on Amazon are a bargain, ranging from 98 cents to $2.70. In either case, the used copies are much less strenuous on your budget, but the normal copies aren't too terrible when it comes to pricing.

Now onto the negatives. Luckily, there's only two things. Bad news is that their kinda big things.

First negative of Comic Party is the Americanization. If anyone you watched Pokemon back in the day, and I'm sure you have, then you'll no doubt come across certain things that seem a bit odd. In fact, a section of the Wikipedia article on Comic Party describes it perfectly:

"A number of re-writes and cultural changes was made to the English dub as it was Americanized. Some examples include converting the Japanese yen to dollars (although the coins of the value is clearly seen), kimono to Versace summer dress, and replacing the "Panda Onseniko" or "Hot Springs Panda" that Eimi calls Yu with "Stupid Panda""

That section of the article goes a little further, saying that "The changes were not made to the subtitles as they are correct translations of the original Japanese script".

Comic Party's second negative is in the character Mizuki. Despite being Kazuki's childhood friend, she's very negative about his new hobby. In one of the earlier episodes, she even says that "I hate the drawings you do now!" It's something like that that may make most viewers of the show hate Mizuki. A few of Kazuki's friends occasionally step in to try and tell her that comic authors, and otaku in general, are as normal as the rest of society, but nothing phases her. It isn't until the last episode (SPOILER ALERT!!) when she finally understands the whole situation, and goes to help Kazuki out. To me, this is a little too convenient, but perhaps I'm being a little harsh.

Comic Party gets a 7.5 out of 10. It offers some insight into the world of Japanese comic authors and shows some great friendships, the show's length ensures that the viewer may need a couple days to watch, the dubbing matches the personalities of the characters, the visuals are detailed and smooth, and the pricing and availability are fairly accessible, but the Americanization and Mizuki's attitude may be a bit too much for some.

I'll be here a little later this week, when I post up the review for Comic Party Revolution, Comic Party's sequel. Until then, stay Otaku!

Love Hina Review

Hi everybody, I'm back. I've got another classic anime lined up for review, and it's one that's pretty famous (or infamous, depending on who's looking at it). Here's the review for the hit show Love Hina!

Release back in April of 2000 by Ken Akamatsu, and dubbed & released in 2009 by Funimation, Love Hina tells the story of Keitaro Urashima. For a while, Keitaro has been trying to get into Tokyo U with no success (he's failed twice at the start of the show). The reason he's been trying to get in is because of a promise he made to a little girl in his past. The promise was that he and this girl would get into the school, and fall madly in love with each other. Needless to say, his journey to get into Tokyo U leads him to the Hinata Apartments, where he is told by his Aunt Haruka (she prefers that he calls her Haruka) that he is now the new manager. Problem is, this is a girl's apartment complex, and right away he gets into trouble.

After getting into the apartment complex's hot springs when no one's looking, one of the resident, Naru, steps in for a quick bath. After seeing him, she shrieks and screams in usual anime fashion, Keitaro runs through the complex trying to get away. However, things don't quite work out for him, as he also runs into Su (the nerd), and Mitsune (the sexy character of the show who's getting drunk on a regular basis). After a few attempts at communicating, there is a relative peace, and Keitaro goes on to live at the apartments, all the while managing the place, and studying to get into Tokyo U. Later on, the young & shy Shinobu, the beautiful & mature Motoko, the tough and even more spastic Sarah McDougal, and the ditzy Mutsumi round out the other girls. Each of them all have a thing for Keitaro, ranging from an innocent desire to be close to him, to an all out need to get into his pants. With Naru, things are a little more different. At the start of the show, she absolutely detests him. However, as the two work together and open up to each other a little more, things start to change, and eventually, the two start expressing feelings for one another.

The first thing that Love Hina has going for it are the characters. Each one of them has a distinct personality that separates them from the others: Su is a wiz at technology and is a total spaz, Sarah is just as spastic as Su his (some would say she more spastic) and had a habit for trouble, Shinobu is very shy but is sweet and good with household chores, Motoko is very stern & serious, Mitsune is sly & sexy, but also as a soft side to her, Mutsumi is just ditzy & loveable, Haruka seems serious, but has a loving side to her. The characters that seem to have the biggest personalities are Keitaro and Naru. The two are like fire and ice: Naru is serious, determined, emotional & emotionless at the same time, and takes no fools. Keitaro is also serious and determined, but he frequently lets his feelings get to him (sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a bad way.), and gives the people around him numerous chances. It's a mix that keeps the show going at it's own unique pace.

The second thing Love Hina has going for it is it's mix of genres. It's primarily a shonen comedy (both complex & slapstic), but it also contains drama, romance (especially between Keitaro and Naru), and even a little action. When I first heard of this show years ago, I thought it was just a simple love comedy, but after watching the whole season, I've realized that Love Hina has a lot more in it that what's on the surface.

The third thing that brings positivity to Love Hina is it's visuals and sounds. The town that the Hinata Apartments has a very rustic feel to it, and it's partially populated by old people dressed in hot springs clothes (further adding humor to the show). As for the apartments themselves, they inside a large, sprawling complex that looks just like a castle out of medieval Japan. In later episodes, Su & Sarah discover numerous tunnels and crawlspaces underneath and inside the apartments, leading to some definitely wacky moments. In regards to the sounds of the show, the music and the dub stand out from everything else. Every character in the show, whether major or minor, has a voice that is perfectly suited to them. The music is also good, with notes, feeling, and instrumentation that is perfect for every situation.

The last positive thing about Love Hina is it's availability to the public. Given that the show was released (at least in this country) since 2009, it is still a relatively fresh show. You can go onto Amazon right now and find the full box sex for close to 25 dollars. Used copies aren't that much cheaper, so it really doesn't matter whether you buy a new or used edition. The subsequent Spring, Christmas, and OVA specials (more commonly called Love Hina Again), however, are a bit more expensive since they were released a while ago (2002 to 2003), so buy used copies whenever you can.

Now, down to what blemishes an otherwise perfect show. The one thing that weighs down the magic of Love Hina is...Keitaro & Naru's love for one another.

I know what I just said is blasphemy to just about every fan of the show, but hear me out. When the two first meet each other, there really isn't anything there. However, by the time it gets about a quarter of the way to halfway through the show, there are honest, genuine feeling transmitted between them. The problem is, while Keitaro admits to these feelings constantly, Naru seems to hide then. It gets really confusing towards the end of the show, where the feelings are even stronger, and Naru tries harder to hide them. As one person quoted in a review of the OVA: "She's bull-headed around 80% of the time and at certain points I had the irresistible urge to slap her repeatedly till she came to her senses. She continuously mistreats Keitaro and yet she can't stand it when other girls make their advances." I feel pretty much the same way, minus the slapping part.

Love Hina gets a 9 out of 10. The characters have distinct personalities, the show is a impressive mix of show styles, the voice acting, music, and visuals all look & sound great, and it's readily available, but the love triangle between Keitaro & Naru will get confusing (and irritating).

Until next time, stay Otaku!

Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie Review

Hi guys. Sorry about the delay. I've been busy helping out a friend, and I've had an interesting bit of news come my way. More on that after a bit, because It's now time for a review of one of the most classic anime movies of all time. Here now is the review for Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie.

Released back in 1994 as a adaptation of the Street Fighter II games by Gisaburo Sugii, and dubbed just a year later, Street Fighter II's story almost plays out like a Street Fighter game would. M-Bison, leader of the Shadowlaw crime organization, is capturing and observing fighters for all over the world in order to create the perfect warrior. Already, he has the powerful fighters Vega, Sagat, and Balrog under his control, as well as the sexy Cammy. When Sagat has been bested in a fight against Ryu, Bison becomes obsessed with capturing him, and goes as far as to capture his friend Ken and temporarily convert him into one of his goons.

At the same time, Interpol has been tracking Shadowlaw's movements and activities. Chun-Li, one of Interpol's greatest and sexiest of agents, comes into contact with U.S. Army colonel Guile in hopes of a joint operation. It doesn't work well at first, since Guile himself has been hunting down Bison out of revenge. After getting wooped in a fight with Chun-Li, he reluctantly agrees to the partnership.

In the midst of all this criminal activity is Ryu himself. He on a journey, looking for the best fighters he can find, and challenging them to a match. He eventually gets caught up in what's going on when he shows up in America, and joins up with Chun-Li & Guile. Throughout the entire time, action stands around every corner.

As for the show's animation, I can say that it's pretty impressive. I've been a big fan of 90s anime the past couple years, and that makes me a little bias, but this movie really does look splendid. All the guys (well, most of them) are built like tanks, and could crush just about anything their hands touch. Although there are only 2 girls in the movie (Cammy & Chun-Li), they are lithe, sexy, and could kill you with just a blink of their eyes. The landscapes are impressive. Capcom easily captured the opulence of America, the majesty of Thailand's mountains, the despair of India's slums, and the royalty of England's state buildings.

One interesting note about the fight scenes is that they were choreographed! It doesn't look like it, but it was. K-1 founder Kazuyoshi Ishii and the late Andy Hug performed a couple of fights, which were later put into the film. In this day and age, it's easy to do for an animated film, but for the early 90s, it was hard as hell.

The sound effects, especially during the fight scenes, are also well done. When you hear a punch or a kick, you can almost feel it yourself. The soundtrack is also good, with western bands like Korn and Alice in Chains being used along side the original Japanese Soundtrack. Although some dubbing during the 90s wasn't the best (I'm looking at you Sailor Moon!), that's not the case for this movie. In fact, for any Vic Mignogna fans out there, this was his very first voice acting role. As Vega no less! In regards to the rest of the characters, they all sound pretty good as well.

On a final positive point, Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie happens to still be fairly available, despite it's age. The 1997 film still has copies out there. I got my 1997 version for free at a cosplay picnic swap meet, but you can find used copies on Amazon for as little as $1.11. There is also a much newer edition of the film that got released back in 2006, with new copies costing as much as $9.68 and uses copies going for $4.92. In either case, it isn't expensive to buy, and is worth the purchase.

Now, onto the bad things about the movie. Fortunately, there are only 2 things wrong. The first is the characters. Pretty much every character from the first games are there: Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, etc, etc. However, some characters have much more screen time. Cammy, for example, appears only in the beginning of the film, and a little bit in the middle. In fact, a few of the popular characters, like Blanka, Zangief, and even Deejay are only given moments of screen time. Although to be fair, Blanka & Zangief does have a minute or so on screen during their fight. I'm willing to forgive the animators for this, since I'm not a massive fan for the series in general, and that it may have been impossible to give everybody a chunk of time given the 96 minutes that this movie lasts, but hardcore Street Fighter fans may be disappointed by the amount of time their favorite character may be on screen.

Next is the censorship, and this is where things get a bit interesting. When Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie was dubbed, it was released on VHS and Laserdisc simultaneously. Regardless of what it was released on, there was a tame PG-13 version, and a uncensored version that had Chun-Li's complete shower scene, and even this was still censored from the Japanese edition. When the 2006 edition was released, it was a dual-sided DVD, with the Japanese edition on one side, and the English dub on the other. The US & UK dubs are still slightly censored, with the word "Fuck" (sorry if I offended anybody with that word) cut out of two scenes in the US version. Strangely enough, the only edition of the movie to not be uncensored at all was the Australian edition, and I haven't found a copy of that yet.

Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie gets a 8 out of 10. The animation looks great, the sound effects were awesome, and the availability (as well as it's pricing) is decent, but the length of time for some characters, as well as the censorship, may drive some fans crazy.

Before I sign out, I wanted to tell you the interesting news that came my way. A couple weeks ago, my mom found me a part-time job. This job involves helping out an older woman with her gardening before the winter comes in, which isn't all that different with what I do now. I might not get much money from it, but at least it will help me out for a month or two.

Until next time, stay Otaku!

Duke Nukem Forever Review

Hey guys. I'm terribly sorry to say this, but it looks like I won't be able to get an interview from Jon St. John. However, do not despair! I have something that might just be as good, and I hope you like it. Now, presenting for your viewing pleasure, a review of Duke Nukem Forever.

Having been in development for over 12 years, it was picked up by Gearbox Software in 2009 after the whole 3d Realms/Take Two legal battle, and finally released on June 14, 2011, Duke Nukem Forever tells the story of good old Duke kicking back in Las Vegas after kicking alien asses back in Duke Nukem 3d. Since that time, he's acquired fame, fortune, and women (not necessarily in that order), and notoriety as a man's man. The aliens finally show up in Sin City, and at first, they seem to be non-hostile. After a call from the president of the United States, telling Duke not to get involved since he's in a peace treaty with the Cycloid Emperor (yeah, that guy), said alien forces begin attack Las Vegas. Since Duke won't allow aliens to destroy on of his favorite cities, and his women getting taken away, he cracks his knuckles and starts on his journey to kick ass and chew bubblegum, and he's all out of bubblegum.

Now, before I go on with the rest of the review, I do have a few words. I'm going to be as neutral as possible when I'm writing. There's some very strong opinions about this game, with people saying it's amazing, and people saying it's the worst pile of garbage that has been released in recent months. As for me, I have both positive and negative things to say about Duke Nukem Forever, and I hope that I don't appear to be favoring either side.

First thing to talk about are the graphics. Duke Nukem Forever uses the latest the Unreal graphics engine, and for the most part, looks very good. Gamers really haven't seen enough of Las Vegas, or a interpretation of it at the very least. Duke's Hotel & Casino, the Ladykiller, looks like something you'd find in Sin City, complete with interactive slot machines and other gambling devices. As you fight the aliens, the building becomes damaged with all kinds of collapses and fires, creating a battlezone inside a otherwise happy environment.

Once Dukes exits the hotel, he sees a city in ruins. The Earth Defense Force has been doing the best it can to fight back, but they're getting whooped a new one until Duke arrives. Despite the destruction, Las Vegas still looks good. You can see skyscrapers in flames, and alien ships flying overhead. After a big romp through Sin City, Duke takes a trip to the Hoover Dam, where the aliens are siphoning energy to fuel a giant portal to their dimension. As he travels across the interstate and deserts of Nevada, Duke travels on the roads of the interstate, as well as going through abandoned mines, plains of sand, and even a old western town to get fuel for his monster truck.

Duke eventually arrives at the Dam, and it's a mess. The EDF have been fighting on without him, and are getting severely creamed. After a mini-boss on the top of the dam, Duke repels down to hook up with his commanding officer. The Dam has seen better days, as they are ruins all over the place. At this point, it's apparent that the aliens didn't show up for peace, as certain parts of the dam have become infested by the alien goop, as well as tentacles (not those kind, you perverts). After going through a bunch of levels (some of which are underwater. More on that later), Duke acquires explosive to take out the entire dam. After killing a underwater boss, Duke heads back topside, and has to escape before the whole damn collapses. He makes it out, but with no weapons. Luckily, the Cycloid Emperor arrives, as well as his gun-toting minions. From there...well, you can guess what happens.

As the player travels through Duke Nukem Forever, he or she also comes across some of the most disgusting aliens ever created. The pig cops also make a comeback, only this time, they got a bit more firepower than they used to, and some of them area bit taller than they used to be. The old grunts come back, complete with teleporters and jetpacks. Just about every alien that you can think of that was in Duke Nukem 3d is in this game, complete with new looks while somehow managing to feel old school.

Now onto the sound effects, and this is where I may get a little one-sided. I can't stress enough how badass Jon St. John still sounds. Duke's voices hasn't tarnished a bit in the years since Duke Nukem 3d, as he still has a sack of quips, insults, and pop-culture comments that he can use at a moment's notice. In addition to his voice, the other denizens of Duke's world sound pretty good themselves, as they got their own personalities and quirks to add to the game. Even the aliens have their own audio qualities, despite the fact that you can't understand anything they're saying. As for the weapons, rays make pings and pows, rockets and pipebombs have a satisfying blam behind them, while the old shotgun still has that thunderous roar we're all familiar with.

The length of Duke Nukem Forever is also a plus. If you've never been through it before, it will take a player 10 to 12 hours, which is pretty good. Gamers who've been through it before with probably take 8 to 10 hours, which still isn't that bad. On top of the length, there are numerous objects Duke can interact with. Many of these object can boost Duke's Ego, like weights and game machines, while other objecst are there just for shits and giggles. I'll leave that last comment to your imagination.

One more thing before I get onto the bad stuff, and that is the guns. In addition to the classic weapons from Duke Nukem 3d, DNF includes some newer firearms to put to good use. Below is everything that there is to use on the alien scumbags.

AT Laser
AT Captain Laser
Devastator
Enforcer Gun
Freeze Ray
Laser Tripmine
Colt M1911
Pipe Bomb
RPG
Railgun
Ripper
Shotgun
Shrink Ray

Compared to Duke Nukem 3d, this is a much bigger, and more colorful, amount of firepower.

Now, having gotten the good things out of the way, it's time to get into what mars this otherwise decent game. For starters, Duke Nukem Forever suffers from a bit of console-itis. Instead of save points, you now have checkpoints, which are spread out enough so that if you're playing on a moderate difficulty, it isn't a complete pain. There is also no more health, just a bar that regenerates ala Halo. Perhaps the biggest console influence is the amount of weapons you can carry. Despite the armory that exists in the world, you can only have two weapons on you at all times, in addition to the pipebombs, trip mines, beer, steroids, and holoduke in your inventory. As of a month and a half ago, there was a patch released, allowing you to carry 4 weapons instead of 2, which made things a lot easier in terms of carrying variety. Including all of these is an exclusive problem to the consoles. Loading on the PC isn't a big hassle, but console sometimes have to wait a bit before a level loads up.

Secondly, the development for this game is ridiculous. I know it's been beaten to death, but it deserves to be mentioned. I understand that games sometimes take a while to make. With all the work that gets put into a game during it's development, a delay can occur. However, constantly switching one engine for another simply to stay ahead of the crowd can damage your career. On top of that, fans of said game could become turned off of it, and no longer enjoy it. 12 to 14 years is a long time to wait for a game, and I was certain that I would never live to see it. When I finally got the chance to sit down and play Duke Nukem Forever, I was definitely disappointed by it's faults, but overall, I had a fun time.

Duke Nukem Forever gets a 7 out of 10. It's fun to see the King once again, graphics & sounds are up there in terms of quality, and the weapon rock, but the console-itis, along with the time it took to develop this game, will turn off most PC users. 

Rescue Me: Mave-Chan Review

Hi everybody! I'm sorry about not posting anything in a while. I've been waiting for a message from Jon St. John, which I comment on at the end, and I haven't gotten a comment back yet from him. Until then, here's a quick review of the delightful Rescue Me: Mave-Chan.

Published by Takeshi Mori in 2005, and dubbed by Bandai Entertainment in 2007, Rescue Me: Mave-Chan is the story of Rei Sugiyama. Rei is kind of a wuss, and he doesn't have a lot of self confidence. Whenever he felt weak or depressed, he always retreated to his room to watch anime (like many of us do). One day, he manages to win a ticket to a convention in the city, and decides to go. Problem is, he's never been to the city by himself before.

Rei eventually sets out for the convention. When he arrives, the place is abuzz with activity. He does a few things, all the while getting overwhelmed by everything that's happening, so he makes his way to the men's bathroom. Instead of stalls, he finds a vast desert, and the door behind him disappears. Soon after, Rei's attacked by a girl that's flying in the air. After a fixed miscommunication, and the arrival of a few more girls, Rei discovers that he's in a dimension that is only accessible when anime fans congregate at conventions, and share their passion with each other (don't think dirty thoughts now, you perverts!). The girls in this dimension fight the JAM (typical enemy name) and the Demon of Oblivion, who comes when an anime's time is up. The whole premise sounds ridiculous, but if you watch it, you will understand it all.

Visually, Rescue Me: Mave-Chan looks very good. Rei looks exactly as a nervous geek should: short hair, glasses, short height, and a slightly squeaky voice. The girls all look very nice, with different bodies from one another, and different personalities to match. The surroundings, whether in the real world or the anime dimension as I call it, look very standard, yet there isn't a sign of rushed work.

The audio work isn't bad either. For some (probably stupid) reason, it's hard for me to put it into words, but everything sounds good. In regards to the dubbing, it's quite good, and that's all I got to say.

This time around, I'm going to put down the negatives first, and there's a few. For starters, there's only one episode on the DvD. That's right, just one! It's not even an episode (in my opinion at least), it's more like a short movie. How short, you ask? Try 21 minutes!

Second, there isn't much for extras. All that's available is a textless opening, a very brief advertisement for the show, 3 trailers for some other shows (one was for Ghost in the Shell), and a clean (don't ask) closing.

Third, you can tell, or at the very least, feel that Rescue Me: Mave-Chan could have gone on a lot longer. The one episode that is on the DvD feels very rushed in regards to it's story, and if you haven't watched the two shows the story references, then you'll be more confused than you already are.

Despite all the negatives that Rescue Me: Mave-Chan has, there's definitely a silver lining or two. First off, being a relatively unknown title, it quite plentiful. On Amazon, a copy will set you back a mere $2.29. The few used copies that they do have are even cheaper, starting at $1.49 and going up to $3.17, which isn't that bad. Secondly, despite how confusing the story may get to some people, it's very light-hearted and humorous. The girls start up some interesting banter between one another, and in the end, Rei finally un-wusses himself in a sterotypical anime fashion.

Rescue Me: Mave-Chan gets a 6 out of 10. It's plentiful and cheap, and the story and characters are easily likeable, but there's only one episode (that's 21 minutes long), the extras are sparse, and the story of the episode seemes rushed in some way.

Oh, one more thing. About a day or two ago, I sent another e-mail to Jon St. John about an interview. I haven't gotten a response yet, but I feel strangely positive about it. Hopefully, I'll be able to post up the interview soon.

Until next time, stay Otaku!

Kekko Kamen Review

There comes a time in an Otaku's life, when they come across a show, and simply go "What the Hell!!??" Whether it's the content, story, or something else, Kekko Kamen is definitely one of those shows.

Released way back in 1992 by Go Nagai, and dubbed in 2005 by ADV Films (Rest in peace), Kekko Kamen tells it's story among it's 4-episode length of the innocent Mayumi Takahashi. At the Spartan Institute of Higher Education, the Great Toenail of Satan (Yes, that's his name) and his assistant Teacher Ben prey upon the innocent schoolgirls of the facility, and dear Mayumi is a frequent target. After a torture session run by Miss Gestapoko (Don't ask. You'll just have to watch the first episode to find.) goes wrong, the Great Toenail & Teacher Ben plot to find out the intruder that ruined their fun time. The entire student body is gathered into the auditorium, and Gestapoko's minions grab Mayumi from the crowd, and strap her onto a giant swastika (Like I said, watch the first episode, and you'll understand). From there you can imagine what might happen, when all of a sudden, Kekko Kamen appears!

Now, before I go on, let me describe how Kekko Kamen looks. She's wearing nothing...wait, that's not exactly true. She's wearing red boots, red gloves, a red mask with long bunny ears and a small white scarf, and holds a pair of nunchucks. Other than that, she is wearing not an ounce of clothing, but I digress.

Kekko Kamen jumps down from the rafters, and states that she bears her body for "Love and Justice!" She sizes down the Great Toenail of Satan, and then performs a flying crotch tackle, causing Toenail to suffocate and fall unconscious. Teacher Ben, in a moment of pervertness, asks for what happened to his boss to happen to him (yes, he's that desperate). All he gets is a hit to the head, and he falls to the ground. After they were taken out of the picture, Kekko Kamen turns her attention to Miss Gestapoko. They have a small debate about their actions, and proceed to beat the snot out of each other. I can't describe the fight, as it would ruin the magic. As I've already said, watch episode 1, and all will be revealed.

Many of you are already thinking, this show might not be worth. For some of you (I'll explain this later) are right. However, if any of you are still reading, then thanks.

Despite being an Anime from 92, Kekko Kamen looks good. There is a lot of attention payed to the girls of the show, as each of them look completely different from one another. Mayumi is perhaps the most detailed of the girls in the show, besides her friend Yuka Chigusa. The guys in the show, while given some detail, aren't as good looking, given the point of the show. The Great Toenail looks sinister and comical, despite his creepy jester getup. Doctor Ben looks just like a normal doctor should, complete with a surgical mask that hides the lower half of his face, hiding his intentions. In regards to Kekko Kamen herself...(nearly) naked women always look good to me. As for the look of the school and the surrounding area, they look nice.

The sounds aren't that bad either. The punches, kicks, and the various other physical noises sound old-school, yet they don't sound broken or fixed. Voice acting can go either way in this show. The men (excluding the main villains) don't talk at all. The only girls that are given any significant voices are Mayumi, Yuka, and Kekko Kamen. As far as they sound, it's quite reasonable.

Now I'm onto the part I've been waiting for: the characters! For an old series, the characters are quite memorable. Mayumi is kind, sweet, and just a little naive. Yuka is strong, collected, yet still has a lot of looks to her. Kekko Kamen is very much like Yuka, only less clothed, and can get embarrassed somewhat easily. Both The Great Toenail of Satan and Doctor Ben are horrible, despicable people who somehow manage to become likable in a sense. As for the punishment counselors on each episode...watch them. They each have their own character and personality, and describing each of them would take up more space than needed. Suffice it to say, they're evil, yet enjoyable to watch (especially episode 3).

To sum up the positives of Kekko Kamen: It's dirty to the 10th degree (maybe beyond that for some people), it's early 90s feel may create a sense of nostalgia in older anime fans, the humor in it will make you laugh no matter what, and Kekko Kamen's lack of clothing will stick in your head for all time, even when you go to the grave.

Despite it's positives, Kekko Kamen does have a few blemishes that keep it from being a 10 out of 10. There are only a few scraps for extra features. There's the standard DvD previews, and a few early drawings, but that it. For the more politically correct Anime fan, there is too much fan service and other (possibly) offensive things that will more than likely turn you off to this show.

Also, there are only 4 episodes on the DvD. Like Gunsmith Cats, there were supposed to be more, but due to a lack of support and sales, Go Nagai only did the 4. On top of that, the DvD can be somewhat difficult to locate. Although it's only 6 years old in this country, with ADV Films (rest in peace) out of business, no new copies have been made. Only places like Amazon, Ebay, and perhaps some Anime websites will have copies. I bought my at a convention, where I think it was about 20 dollars. Amazon has a few new & used copies with reasonable prices, so it isn't expensive to buy one.

Kekko Kamen gets a 8 out of 10. It's dirty, funny, nostalgic, and the main heroine is easily memorable, but it's lack of special features, politically incorrect content, 4 episodes, and semi-difficulty in finding a copy will push some people away.

Until next time, stay Otaku!

Update: I haven't gotten a response back from Jon St. John about an interview. I'll send him another message, but I have a nasty suspicion that he won't respond back. If that is the case, expect to see a review of Duke Nukem Forever sometime.

Negima Spring & Summer Specials Review

There are certain animes out there that simply bring a smile to your face, and Negima is one such series. The Spring & Summer specials in particular, can induce laughter and tears.

Published back in 2006 by the famous anime editor Ken Akamatsu, and released in 2008 by Funimation, these two specials are based off of the second release of Negima, so you may be confused by a character or two. Both of these specials have their own separate, yet equally entertaining stories.

In the Spring special, Negi is sitting at his desk late in the night studying magic as usual. Asuna comes along, and promptly takes the book he was studying. After saying something hurtful and sneezing (which immediately shredded Asuna's sleeping clothes...and undergarments), Asuna keeps her distance from Negi. 3 days later, Negi is on an airplane owned by his classmate Ayaka. Seeing that he was upset by something, she decided to take him on a trip to a private island to try and make him feel better. If wasn't for Kazumi (an ace school reporter) snooping in, then Ayaka trips would have just been with herself and Negi. Instead, all 31 of Negi's students are onboard with them, causing a partial ruckus, and ruining Ayaka's plans. Needless to say, much in the way of fanservice, silliness, and seriousness ensues, with the obvious end result of Negi & Asuna getting over their problem.

The Summer special focuses on another of Negi's relationship with one of his students, but is no less dirty, silly, or serious than the Spring special. Two of Negi's students, Yue and Nodoka, are practicing magic in a small courtyard. After showing Yue a spellbook detailing a ritual about the Red Thread of Fate (in Japanese mythology, the Red Thread of Fate is tied to your pinkie, and the other end is tied to someone that is fated to be with you), Nodoka convinces her friend to perform the ritual. After performing it, a red thread appears on her pinkie, and shortly thereafter, Negi & Asuna coming flying through the window, and they are just as shocked as Yue & Nodoka are. With some explaining, Negi says that the red thread that appeared is nothing more than a simple party trick, which will disappear in a matter of hours. During this time, the entire class is invited to a bath and spa built by Ayaka, who wanted Negi to enjoy what the place had to offer. Just like the Spring special, doses of silliness, fan-service, and seriousness are used to play everything out, and in the end, the red thread spell dissipates.

The animation of the Spring and Summer specials is based off of the second showing of Negima. Everything with each special looks very stylized, clean, and stunning in some sort of fashion. This next bit may sound creepy, but each of the girls look gorgeous. Given the use of boob-related fan-service, none of the girls have any overly large breasts, although some of them are a little...gifted. Each of them has a face that is easily recognizable, and a physical quirk that cannot be forgotten. As for Negi, he looks like a 10-year old kid should: short, somewhat scrawny, and a little unremarkable.

The dubbing of the Spring & Summer Specials is top notch. There is not a moment when I heard a sound screw-up. Each of the girls, and Negi, sound exactly like I would think they would be if they came from this country. The music in the specials is also well done, with a variety of silly, tender, and dramatic pieces with the rights scenes to move the story along.

Perhaps one of the biggest strengths of the Spring & Summer Specials, and to the normal show, is the characters. Negi behaves much like a kid, yet he has moments where he acts like adult. He is also very kind, helpful, and a little bashful when the girls are a little more exposed than normal. Nodoka is very shy, but when her friend Yue pushes her in the right direction, can be very strong. As for Yue, she is a very smart person, but is very lazy when it comes to studying, and sound plain when she talks. All together , the girls, and Negi, are very likeable, and memorable.

One final point is availability. Since the Spring & Summer Specials were released back in 2008, it is still easily found online or in a store. I had bought my copy at Best Buy, where I believe it was 15 or 16 dollars, excluding tax. As to online sources, prices will vary, regardless of whether it was used or new.

If there are any low points, it is this one thing. Compared to the first showing, the Spring & Summer Specials (as well as the second showing) have a small number of editorial changes. Asuna, for example, has two eyes that are the same color, while in the original has two different colored eyes. These changes aren't truly terrible, but for those who like originality, this may be something that might not click with you.

Negima Spring & Summer Specials get a 9 out of 10. It's charming, funny, full of unforgettable characters, and is readily available, but the few minor editorial changes may confuse you.

Hope you enjoyed the review. Be on the look out for a major announcement by the end of this month. Until then, Stay Otaku!

Moldiver Review

Alrighty then, it now time for my second review, and this one's a classic. It's now time to dive right into a review of Moldiver, which is a show that nobody should miss.

Directed by in 1993 by Hirohide Fujiwara, and released back in 2000 by Pioneer's American branch, Moldiver tells that story of Hiroshi Ozora, a scientifically brilliant young man who dwells in his laboratory/room at his house, perfecting all sorts of mathematical & science related equations. He gets the idea to create a superpowered suit, one in which to clean up the streets of Tokyo, and to become a celebrity for the Japanese people. However, when his sister Mirai stumbles across the suit, she uses it for purposes that are less than noble, like flying around the city shopping for clothes. After messing with the programming, she  imparts more girlish patterns into the suit's memory, causing her brother to transform into a female superhero when he uses the suit. Due to the circumstances, Hiroshi gets his reluctant sister to become the hero he was supposed be. After a while, Mirai actually gets used to it all, and starts to enjoy it after a couple transformations. She need to enjoy it, as the forces of Dr. Machinegal try as hard as they can to take technological artifacts from ages past for himself, and over the course of 6 episodes no less!

As it is typical of a early 90s anime, Moldiver's looks are two fold. On the one hand, the attention to detail is definitely there. On the other hand, some things don't quite always look as good as they should. Having said that, Moldiver actually looks well done. Futuristic Tokyo has never looked better, with towers that break the sky, floating cars, and other sterotypical trappings of a city in the future. On occasion, the animation gets into the cute zone, but only when Mirai or any of the other female characters of the show appear. The sounds of Moldiver are equally interesting, as the beeps, boops, and other electronic noises fit into their respective spots perfectly. The explosions themselves are always a hit for any pyromaniac out there.

The English dub, however, is a bit on the fence. The primary characters sound as they should. The men sound strong and intelligent (with occasional moments of stupidity), while the girls sound feminine, petite (for some), and emotional (especially for Mirai. Machinegal's androids...not so much). Secondary characters seems to take a backseat in terms of both story and voice acting. They don't quite seem to sound as good as the main characters, but that's probably just me. Over and all, the quality of the English dub is well suited to this show.

Mirai and her brothers are definitely the keys to the show, along with Mirai's love interest who shows up a little bit later into the show. Hiroshi's (and occasionally his little brother) scientific know how, mixes with Mirai's girlish nature and impulses. Her grasp of the suit's capabilities is pathetic at first, but she eventually gets the hang of it (this is one of the biggest sources of humor within the show). Dr. Machinegal is a (physically small) raving lunatic, claiming that the world's oldest technologies are only fit for men like him, who understands their history and capabilities. His androids are the more interesting characters of Moldiver. Each of them bear a passing physical resemblance to popular actresses of the early 90s, such as Elizabeth Taylor, Vivien Leigh, and Brooke Shields. They all also bear the first part of these actresses names as well, and seen to act a little bit like them as well.

Perhaps what makes Moldiver an anime that shouldn't be missed is two fold. First off, the show somehow manages to mix action, sci-fi, comedy, magical girl, and drama into a single whole that for some reason, makes sense. There's even a little bit of bloodshed to spice things up in the end! Secondly, because of this strange mix, it is an easily addicting show to watch. From the first few minutes, you want to know how all of it ends, and how everybody has changed by the time the show is up.

If there is anything wrong with Moldiver, it has nothing to do with the (possible) sub par voice acting of the secondary characters. Moldiver's only flaw is it's availability. Giving the fact that this show is now 11 years old (in this country at least), finding a DvD (which contains all 6 episodes) copy of the show is difficult. While tapes of Moldiver are still in the market, both new and old. Unfortunately, there is only a single episode on each tape, and buying all of them (at least as far a new tapes are concerned) can possible be expensive for an Otaku with a budget. In my opinion, stay away from a used tape, as the quality of the footage will have surely worn out over the years of use. DvDs (both new and old), are almost always in good shape. On average, a new copy of Moldiver off of Amazon will be about close to 30 dollars, excluding tax & shipping. Your best bet is to go with a used copy, which is what I did. Used prices range from 7 dollars, all the way to a whopping 60 bucks. Yikes!

Moldiver gets a 9 out of 10. It mixes a variety of genres into a entertaining experience, and it is easily enjoyable, but finding a copy, whether's it's new or used, can be difficult.

Stay tuned for my next review later this month. Until then, stay Otaku!

Gunsmith Cats: Bulletproof Review

Well ladies & gentlemen, as I promised in my first post, is my very first review, and it's a classic. So, sit tight, fasten your seatbelts, and get ready for a review of Gunsmith Cats: Bulletproof.

Originally released in Japan back in the mid 90's by Kenichi Sonada, and released at the beginning of last decade (2001, to be exact) by the now defunct ADV Films, Gunsmith Cats is the story of two professional bounty hunters living in Mid 90's Chicago, Rally Vincent, and May "Minnie" Hopkins. Rally is a fan of firearms, and has an impressive collection. May, meanwhile, likes anything that goes boom (overkill is not a word in her vocabulary. Just watch episode 1, and you'll see what I mean). As they're working in their gun shop one day, an agent from the ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms) Bureau walks into their store, and asks them to help out in a sting operation he has going on. At first the girls refuse, but after their house gets shot up, they reluctantly agree. Without revealing anything, their job becomes a fight for their lives. Add a few interesting twists and surprises, and you have a very action-packed show with a bit of humor to lighten things up when necessary.

For an anime from the Mid 90's, the animation holds up surprisingly well. The creator of Gunsmith Cats wanted the audience of Japan to have a "American" experience when watching, without the major stereotypes that many of Japan believe about Americans. The city of Chicago has never looked any better in an animated show. You can make out a variety of landmarks in just the first few minutes of the first episode, and many others in the following episodes. The sound in Gunsmith Cats has also held up well over the years. The sound of subway tracks rattling, steam rising from grates in the road, and the sound of the numerous firearms going off sounds natural, and not artificial by any means. The music that plays in each episodes suits the show as a whole, with streaks of Jazz & Light Rock being the most common themes heard. As for the dubbing, some of the voices sound really good, while a couple of the other voices don't seem to fit the characters for some reason. If you are a stickler for dubs, then I suggest you stick with the Japanese audio & English subtitles. Otherwise, the dubbing isn't that bad.

Rally & May are definitely the focus of Gunsmith Cats. Although there are a bunch of other characters, many of them interacting with the main characters, it's the team of Rally & May that will get you to like the show. Their partnership feels very authentic, as if they were a real-life team working together. They argue, cry, feel fear, and laugh just like you or I would. When you see either of they take out a bad guy, you want to cheer them on, and when they get hurt, you feel concern for them as well. It's not often that animated characters can do that to people, and that's why Gunsmith Cats is a classic show that no one should miss.

One last positive thing about Gunsmith Cats. Like any anime DvD, Gunsmith Cats has it's standard amount of extras. It's got previews for other shows, original trailers, as well as a credit free version of the introduction. These are all well and good, but the most interesting of the extras is the Making of Gunsmith Cats special. The specials shows you the creator of the show drawing scene of the show, as well as a interview with the creator. It's not often that you find something like this on a DvD, new or otherwise.

Despite the good things about this show, it does have a couple problems. First off, this show is old. As I stated earlier, Gunsmith Cats was released in 2001. Going to the ADV website is pointless, as the company has been out of business since 2009. You're only bet is to go to a sight like Amazon or Ebay. I got my copy used off of Amazon for about 35 something dollars. Used DvDs are slightly more common that unopened copies, but not by much.

Secondly, there are only 3 episodes of Gunsmith Cats. There were going to be more, but due to a demand for cops shows with more fantastic elements (Cowboy Bebop, for example), Kenichi Sonada decided to only do the three episodes that are on the DvD.

Finally, there are certain elements within the Gunsmith Cats manga that aren't in the show. The yuri undertones, for example, are all but gone in the show. Not only that, but there are only a handful of characters from the manga that show up, while the rest never make a appearance. This doesn't ruin the experience for new fans such as myself, but for those who are obsessed with authenticity, you might not enjoy the show.

Gunsmith Cats gets a 8 out of 10. It has a lot going for it, but the availability, length, and deviations may turn you off of the show.

See you next month for a couple more reviews. Until then, stay Otaku!