This one is an older anime which I viewed over 10 years ago. Back when I watched it anime was a rather new thing for me as I was just getting into it.So naturally when I saw this I thought it was awesome, but after going back and watching it again a few years after that I realized maybe I was abit too hyped up on anime back then and was blinded by the truth, which is that this anime movie simply wasn't quite as good as I had thought it was when I watched it when I was younger.Now that I look back, this anime is pretty decent enough but is not that great of a movie.The anime would be best described as a sci-fi pyschological drama/thriller, and does a good job creating a suspenseful mystery and story at first and has a pretty original and interesting concept, however as the film goes on, the plot drags on abit too much focusing on more of the drama than the sci-fi, action, or thriller aspects and becomes a little boring and cheesy after a while. Then as the bizarre happenings and twists arrive towards the climax as everything comes together some pretty big plot holes start to pop up as well. Still, the characters were pretty interesting and the mysteries kept me glued to my seat waiting and guessing, so it wasn't too bad, as long as you don't think about the plot too much or don't take it too seriously you won't care too much or notice the various plot holes. Watching it the second time around its not quite as interesting so you'll likely enjoy it much more the first time around as it becomes much less interesting once you know the twists and mysteries (perhaps this is why I enjoyed it less the second time around compared to the first). The animation is pretty dated and uses an older animation look and style but it doesn't look too bad, I watched it on a subtitled VHS both times back then, so obviously it would probably look abit better on the dvd. Overall, it's not a bad anime, if you can get past some of the plot holes and cheesiness. There's not much action, so although the story is interesting at first and might keep you watching and guessing it can get abit boring and drawn out, to be honest its more of a psychological drama until the sci-fi stuff kicks in towards the end.I would say those who haven't watched it might find some enjoyment out of it the first time around, however its definitely not a movie you could watch again as it loses alot of the effect and suspense once you know everything.

Saw this one a few years ago and thought it was pretty good.There is alot of nice action and some cool gritty violence that I really enjoyed. The story is somewhat weak and abit cliche, it's basically about the main characters trying to find out more about a mysterious organization and trying to defeat them,but it was still a decent enough story that got things going and introduced you to the characters. The characters are don't get too developed but they're alright and easy to root for. The animation was slightly above average, nothing too stunning or top notch, but good enough. I watched the engish dub and though it was a decent enough dub, I got a kick out of it with all the swearing. Be warned if you don't like excessive swearing you may want to stick with the original Japanese voices as the english dub has a ton of swearing which I guess is to be expected with the kinda gritty violence and events going on in the anime.I personally didn't have a problem with the swearing and found it actually made it a little more enjoyable and realistic somehow. The villain was pretty good and very evil. I was actually very surprised at just how hardcore evil this vile woman was, and I enjoyed that she wasn't a normal easy-to-beat villain, but that she was really tough for our heroes to beat as they really struggled against her. Made it abit more realistic for me. Overall, I thought this anime was pretty good, the story wasn't anything to write home about, and rather generic and the characters were a little flat but it was decent enough for this kinda anime, since this anime was focused more on the violence and action than anything else and it succeeds in that. There was a nice amount of action and violence, and the villain was pretty cool, and tough, so while it wasn't anything really great, it was a pretty good anime and a decent way to kill a few hours.

Rented this about 11 years ago at my local Blockbuster, and thought it was pretty good even if the animation is a little dated.

The animation in this is simply breath-taking, and just visually amazing with the use of CG and cell shaded characters. Definitely much better than the original. Has a much better and more intriguing plot, alot more nice character development this time, and lots of cool action. Couldn't ask for more. Even bought the dvd from Blockbuster when I rented it.

Once again,I rented this at Blockbuster about 12 years ago shortly after it was released,and just loved it.Among some of the very first anime movies I ever watched.Really great movie, just as good as Ghost In The Shell.Highly recommended to fans of GITS.Interestingly enough, this Japanese anime movie was filmed with all english voices, and was subtitled for Japanese viewings, which is how the Japanese creators wanted it. So there is no original Japanese language version of this movie. It's all in english. The film also features the voices of two great actors Elizabeth Berkley, and Kiefer Sutherland.

Got this with the other bunch of animes I bought a while ago. I absolutely love this show!! Finished watching this a few months ago and have rewatched it twice thus far. Its the funniest thing I think I've ever seen in my life (that goes for anime and movies,even Jim Carrey movies that I've laughed through like Liar Liar aren't nearly as hilarious as this show), and the dub is excellent too. The thinpak dvd set I bought is absolutely fabulous, very nicely done with some cool extras.

Like most people I grew up with Sailor Moon from the english dub that used to air on tv when I was younger.Back then I used to love the dubbed version,but a few years ago after hearing all about what was cut and changed in the dubbed version I decided to track down and get the dvds with the original Japanese Sailor Moon,and was blown away by how much better and more mature it was compared to the rather kiddie dub version.Though I'm still fond of the english voice cast and some of the catchy english songs,the Japanese version is vastly superior to the cut down english dub.There was whole episodes missing,characters changed from male to female,characters disappearing and just getting injured rather than dying,and the lesbian relationship between two girls (in season three) changed into that of two loving cousins (ew, can we can say incest anyone?!).For anyone who thinks Sailor Moon is just a kiddie anime based on the dub,will definitely change their minds once they see the Japanese original.But enough about that.This series rocks!Though I also greatly enjoyed the rest of the seasons, I have to say the first season will always stick with me as being my favorite because it introduces the story and world of Sailor Moon and its colorful cast of characters,and Queen Beryl will always remain one of the best and classic Sailor Moon villains ever.The story is simply amazing,it starts out pretty simple,introduces the characters and is fun enough but then it gets deeper with various subplots and twists,covers a lot of issues,and keeps things moving constantly.Unlike some other animes, this show really takes the time to introduce the characters,their personalities and build up their relationships between each other throughout each episode,and deals with a variety of everyday issues and problems.Though there usually is the monster of the day/week type formula to most episodes,the story keeps on going,the characters get more interesting and more mature,and the subvillains (the group of villains working under the main season-long evil villain) change every ten or so episodes leading to a satisfying and action packed climax that leads into the next subvillain.And when that happens the villains objectives change and things become even more dangerous for the main characters.So the story,villains, characters,and monsters never bore you at all and the story just gets more exciting and keeps you glued to the screen waiting to see what comes next.The characters have to be the best part of the show,they are just so lovable and funny, very easy to relate to,and you can't help but love and feel for these characters as you watch and see them go through their troubles and triumphs, see their relationships explored,and really just see them become closer,work through their problems and go from unsure carefree teens to more mature and responsible young adults.Even the villains are unique,most are very well developed with alot of backstory and sympathetic that you can't help but feel for them,and others are just so delightfully twisted that you just can't help but love to hate them.Those worried about action can rest with ease, the Japanese version has lots of action, and violence,probably alot more violent than the dub,as several characters,even main ones,die throughout the whole series,some very violently especially as the season nears and comes to the end.Its not really gory or anything, I mean it's not a horror anime afterall,but there's enough action and violence to please most people.All in all,this show remains one of my top favorite anime series of all time.This show really has it all, lots of gut-busting hilarious humor,an excellent and always fascinating story that is touching,positive and unique.It has some of the best developed, well rounded and most likable characters that I've seen in an anime focusing on a lot of different issues and themes.Has lots of action, and violence,and is just an all around amazing and highly addictive series,especially season one,which will remain my favorite as it introduced me to this crazy and fun filled world.

The second season of Sailor Moon.This season is just as good as the first season,probably even more so in some aspects,and even though the first season introduced me into Sailor Moon, this season reaffirmed my love and addiction to this show,and proved that Sailor Moon could go above and beyond the first season and be just as good as the first.Several things are even more improved from the first season,especially the story.While the first season built and established the Sailor Moon universe,main characters and backstory,the second season explores what awaits us all...the future.What is destined to happen to the world,to Sailor Moon and her comrades and just where the new mysterious character of ChibiUsa fits in to it all...This is what the majority of the second season is about,and its just chalk full of surprises and twists.The season is really divided into two sections, the first part of season two is smaller than the second and focuses on two aliens and their attempts at taking the energy from the people and planet of Earth for their source of power.Even though this part of the season is considered to be mediocre by some because its an entirely new story not familiar to manga fans, I still found these episodes pretty darn good and enjoyable with a fairly decent amount of story action,that does a good job of bringing the main characters together again and the two aliens were oftentimes pretty fun to watch interact with the main girls especially watching the jealousy of their silly crushes for Sailor Moon and Mamoru.The real meat of the season and my favorite part, is the second half of the season where we get come to the main story with a whole new group of villains and baddies that come from the future in their quest to destroy the past so they can change and rule the future.In this season we are introduced to ChibiUsa,a mysterious girl who comes from the future and looks almost similar to Usagi.ChibiUsa may not be the most well liked character in the SM universe, but I found her to be really entertaining, I thought she mixed well with the other characters and found her interesting.She can be a little bratty at times, but thats part of her charm for me,that and the fact that I always get a kick out of her hilarious fights and competitions with Usagi.The story in this part of the second season is complex, intricate and just deeply engrossing and very well written.It takes the mythology surrounding Sailor Moon and fleshes it deeper to create an even bigger tale,one that details the future world and life of Usagi,the love between her and Mamoru,and the relationship between them and ChibiUsa, as well as what the future has in store for them all.It also brings about the first glimpse into the reveal that there may be more Sailor Soldiers out there,with the introduction of Sailor Pluto.The characters and villains in this season,especially that of the second part get more developed than the first season.Where the first season focused more on the relationships between the main heroines,this time the villains are abit more sympathetic and fleshed out.This time they are more realistic as they each have their own views,feelings and problems,dealing with everything from obsession, betrayal, acceptance, self-esteem, love, heartbreak, and jealousy.It really shows that not all villains are evil and can become good if they are willing to overcome their issues.Still,as sympathetic as these villains are,its because of this they are even more dangerous than before,especially that of the main baddie,who is alot more cunning and twisted than even Queen Beryl and will use his powerful persuasions to turn even the most innocent to his side.The characters and story of this season are just brilliant and even more complicated and exciting than last season and some of the main reasons why this season is one of the best,maybe even topping the first season for me.In spite of having all this story it still managese to fit time in to focus more on Mamoru and Usagi and their relationship,which gets abit more complicated and heartbreaking as Mamoru breaks things off with Usagi for various reasons.As for the action and violence, there's still lots of action and violence to go around, and in some ways the action gets abit more intense than last season now that the villains have their personal feelings involved.Overall I loved this season, in some ways possibly even more than season one.The story is much more complex with more twists and surprises, characters and villains are more dangerous and fleshed out than before,and the action seems more intense.That said the show is just as touching, deep, quirky, fun, hilarious (especially the interaction between Usagi and ChibiUsa) and even more exciting and engrossing than the first season.An excellent second season of Sailor Moon.

My absolute favorite SM movie of the three. A superb anime film that I love to bits. This film has everything, and is very entertaining whether your a SM fan or not.Promise of The Rose is awesome! Even better than the other SM movies. The animation in this film is even better than the tv series, and imo, is the nicest looking of the three movies. There is alot more action here than in the other films, and the story is really well done and very emotional. The film brings in a very interesting alien villain who looks similar to Ail from the second SM season, but he's alot more powerful and compelling as a villain more than Ail or Anne ever were. Despite being a 60 min film the movie does an excellent job fleshing out the villain this time, this easily makes him the best, and most interesting villain out of the three SM movies. The story is excellent, and gives us abit more insight into Mamoru's past, and his life when he was a child. The action is even more fast paced and aggressive, and is just excellent in this movie. The climax in particular is very exciting and very emotional, and is very satisfying. One of my friends who had previously thought SM was just a girl's show got into the SM series by seeing this movie. He realized just how deep and powerful this show really is. Just proves that this movie is for anybody whether you like SM or not and whether your male or female. The music is also great especially the song at the very end, I personally like both songs from both the sub and dub and think they both fit great. Amazing anime movie that has it all!

Another excellent season of Sailor Moon, this season is one of the best seasons of Sailor Moon and introduces the Outer Senshi: Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune and Sailor Saturn (Sailor Pluto was introduced in the previous season but also makes a few appearences and has a larger role in this one).Like Sailor Stars, this season is darker and more mature than the previous seasons, and although the first part of this season is great, I couldn't help but like second part of the season the best because this is where we are introduced to Hotaru and Mistress 9 and is when the show takes abit more of a darker turn. The relationship between Haruka (Uranus) and Michiru (Neptune) is very sweet and both characters are probably the most complex and intriguing of the show, they also add alot of depth to the plot and themes of the show as they believe in sacrificing others and themselves for the greater good, something Sailor Moon herself tries her hardest to avoid. I must admit that while I like Michiru and Haruka, I couldn't help but hate their attitude sometimes, and kept finding myself going back and forth from loving to hating them. But thats part of the beauty of their characters, they're not just black and white. There is really no Moon Princess stuff in this arc like the last two, which was a little disappointing but it doesn't matter because this season is darker and instead wisely focuses on the relationship between Haruka and Michiru, and the strong friendship between ChibiUsa and Hotaru. Like the previous seasons the filler episodes work to advance the characterizations and story so they are not useless. Animation-wise there is also an improvement in the animation this time which helps making the season more mature and serious. The story while not quite as complex or deep as the second season with all the future stuff, it's still has a very good storyline that progresses nicely building to an excellent climax. Overall, this season is excellent, with new Senshi's, a darker and more serious tone and plot and improved animation with lots of action, season three is another must-see in the adventures of the Sailor Senshi.

Watched this a few years back, and I simply loved it! An excellent movie both for new and old SM fans.Both this and the SM:R movie are my favorites out of the three SM anime films, though truth be told I think I like the SMR movie abit more than this one. This film is still awesome though, this time Luna finally gets her time in the spotlight with her own story involving her falling in love with a human, which was so good to see especially arounds the end. Luna's story is very touching and tragic and was very nicely played out. Probably the most touching and tragic movie out of the three even if there isn't as much action as the other two. The Outer Senshi (minus Saturn) make abit of an appearence too which was great and I loved seeing them together working as a team again for the final battle. As with the rest of the Sailor Moon anime, the visuals and animation are just as good as the tv series. For a 60 min. film it does an excellent job of giving us abit of action, a really wondering and powerful story, and the pacing is great. Just excellent.

I'm a huge Sailor Moon fan, I admit that, but not every season of Sailor Moon was spectacular. The one season I'm talking about here in particular is the fourth season SuperS, which was alright but is considered by many to be their least favorite season, and I'd have to agree on that. But having said that, its certainly not as bad as some fans make it out to be. Alot of fans don't like Chibi-Usa all that much, and having SuperS center primarily on her is what put most fans off. However, while I'm not a huge fan of ChibiUsa I do like her character abit, as she brings abit more humor and light-heartedness to the show that helps keeps things fun and lively. But having said that, even I realize that too much can be a bad thing and that there has to be a limit in order to focus on the other characters (especially when you have an anime that has a big cast such as this), and season four simply focused on ChibiUsa way too much, even for my liking. Its alright having her become the main target of the bad guys, even if it is a little reminisent of season two, but adding in an annoying love interest, and tacking on an uninteresting love story, is what kinda killed it for me. I guess you could say it wasn't ChibiUsa who ruined it for me, it was mostly her annoying love interest, Pegasus that mostly ruined it. Not only was the character dull and uninteresting, the whole relationship felt flat and forced, not to mention having a relationship with a thousand year old horse, which would be a little hard for anyone to believe. The love story started out sweet and hopeful at first but just quickly went downhill. It felt as if they just tacked it on to give ChibiUsa more story and more focus once again, and this just made it worst because it focused on her abit too much instead of giving a chance for the other characters to get an equal amount of time like the previous seasons nicely managed to do. It wasn't just Pegasus, or the love story that caused the season to be less enjoyable for me, it was the lack of creativity and effort put into this season which was clear with all the filler episodes we had during the course of this season, compared with that of the previous seasons. One thing Sailor Moon always did right was manage to create filler episodes here and there that didn't feel like filler episodes (or you could say weren't even really filler episodes at all) because they helped develop the relationships, story and characters further and still drove the plot forward with various events changing, moving the plot forward gradually,and building and leading up to an epic climactic episode. While we still get some of that here, most fillers in this season are just that, filler episodes that do nothing to help or advance the characters or main plot at all. Its as if these fillers are just there because they were running out of ideas and knew they had to draw out the season in order to meet the number of episodes they had planned for the season. Granted some episodes may be comical and fun to watch but alot of other filler episodes are not all that interesting and have very little to do with helping the main plot. This is also combined with the rehashed plot that seemed to be another take or rip off of the heart crystal plot of the third season (only instead of heart crystals they're dream mirrors), which was also disappointing. Thats not the only thing that was a let down for me, the Outer Sailor Soliders are completely missing throughout the entire season and most of the villains, especially that of the Amazon Trio, and Zirconia were just plain annoying and too ridiculous to ever be taken seriously as a real threat unlike Neherenia who was a very cool and dangerous villain. Luckily the Amazon Quartet was much better and more tolerable than the Trio. As much as I whine about the bad aspects of SuperS there was some good things that I enjoyed during the season, especially Neherenia, who was a very powerful and threatening villain as the season progressed. She was very interesting and made the season much more tolerable for me, and had some really kickass and powerful scenes to show off just how evil she was like when she kidnaps ChibiUsa and the events leading up to the final confrontation. Unfortunetly it's this final climatic confrontation between her and Sailor Moon that is abit of a let down and leaves something to be desired. But fortunetly the next season takes care of this entirely as it brings Neherenia back and more twisted and evil than before, with a proper and extremely satisfying climax and conclusion to her story. When all is said and done though, while SuperS has many bad points that I disliked, the season is still worth a watch because it still has some great episodes amoung the fillers, and can still be pretty enjoyable and amusing at times for Sailor Moon fans, especially when the Amazon Quartet come in, those episodes along with the final few episodes that are definitely worth watching.

Finally got to see the third and final Sailor Moon anime movie from blockbuster about two or three years ago.I very much enjoyed this one, but even a Sailor Moon fan like me will admit that it isn't quite as good as the other two Sailor Moon movies.That being said it does have a lot more action in it compared to the previous two which is great, but the villains and story aren't as good.This time the story is pretty straight forward as the Sailor Soldiers have to investigate a recent string of child kidnappings and then when Chibi-Usa gets captured, have to go after the head villainess to get her back.Thats pretty much the whole plot, though there is a touching love story thrown in as Chibi-Usa falls for one of the villain's henchman, which I liked and thought was a nice touch. Even though the story is pretty straightforward this time it still manages to work with the events going on so you still want to see what happens next.I liked that there was a little more action this time around even if it came at the expense of the story,I loved most of the fast paced action scenes and enjoyed the hell out of the final battle probably more so than the rather disappointing final battle with the Ice Queen in the second movie.Chibi-Usa was at the center of the movie but she was pretty good, and not that annoying.I liked the comical scenes between her with Usagi and the rest of the gang, which brought back some fond and fun memories of the second season for me.This movie takes place in the fourth SuperS season but luckily it was better then the entire lacking fourth season and made up for it.Overall, the story might not have been as interesting or as deep as the previous SM movies, and the villains not as sympathetic or as developed,but I thought it was still pretty engaging especially ChibiUsa's little love story in there (much more believable than the Pegases one in the fourth season which felt forced to me). I liked that there was a little more action this time, and the final battle was awesome and kicked ass.I'd still highly recommend Sailor Moon fans to check it out, however, if your a newbie you would probably be better off watching the other two movies prior to this one and then watching this one, afterall its the way the movies were released and meant to be viewed, so why not...

One of my favorite seasons of Sailor Moon. Being the final season, this series goes out with a bang!I've always been a huge Sailor Moon fan, ever since I was around 12 years old and watched the dub on tv. Was never able to track down a decent subbed dvd of Stars so I never got around to watching the final season until about a year or so ago when I was able to buy a dvd set. Wow, this season is awesome! They finally give us a real climax and conclusion to the Nehelenia storyline from the previous SuperS season, and then introduce us to an even better storyline with the Sailor Starlights, and Sailor Galaxia. This season is alot more mature, and less feminine and alot darker than the other seasons, and is filled with alot more action and suspence. The story is also better and well rounded with alot more emotion and depth. The last few episodes are really powerful and heartbreaking and the final battle is something to be remembered. It definitely goes out with a bang and has a great ending for all SM fans. Amazing!

Watched this movie online when it first came out in Japan in 2001,and I really liked it but felt it could of been longer and felt the story could of been better.The animation is excellent and the CG is stunning especially for a film made about 5 years ago.I really loved the action and pace,the gore, and thought the voice acting was great.I liked the story,but thought they could of expanded on abit more of the story,and the background of the characters,especially Saya and her past.I was really disappointed that it was only a 45 min. film,I felt it was abit too short,and I thought it would of been even better if they had of turned it into a 90min full length film.It's still a very good anime though,the vampires are cool and gruesome,the action is great and fast paced,and there's a little blood and gore,but sadly it is too short and the story could of been a little better.Great news though, there is a brand new Blood: The Last Vampire anime series that's been airing in Japan since Oct.2005. It's called Blood+ and is supposed to be a 50-56 episode tv series continuing Saya's adventures after the end of the movie. The series has been licensed for a North American release in 2006 by Sony, and the english voices will feature voice actress Kari Wahlgren as Saya. Haven't seen it yet myself, but I've heard it's supposed to be awesome!

Rented this at Blockbuster about 2 or 3 years ago and thought it was very good! I know that alot of people don't like this compared to the tv series version, but having not yet seen the tv series I probably enjoyed it alot more than most. In fact, I didn't even know about it being a tv series until just recently. Blue Gender The Warrior is only 95 minutes and compared to the 24-26 episode tv series its quite short, but very good. At first I was a little iffy on getting it because the dvd cover looked weak, but the story piqued my interest and I decided to check it out. Luckily I wasn't disappointed. I thought it might be another cliched sci-fi save the world type anime but it's actually much deeper and darker than that and is very compelling. I really enjoyed the story personally and kept me on my toes with the events happening and people getting killed that I seriously thought wouldn't, because of this the movie has quite a few twists and surprises along the way. The only downside is that is felt a little rushed at times, which is to be expected as it is literally a tv series crammed into a 90-95 min. movie, but it didn't bug me or hinder my viewing at all. The characters were all intriguing to me, and I thought the dub was surprisingly good as well (it also featured Laura Bailey who I fondly remember as the voice of BloodRayne in the videogame series). Laura's character Marlene starts out quite stubborn, very cold and angry but grows and becomes a stronger and interesting character as does the male protagonist who becomes more mature and can handle his own towards the end, a far cry from the rather timid, depressed and confused man he was at the beginning. At the heart of the characters is also the relationship that gradually develops between the two, it's a very believable and touching relationship that plays out and never feels cliche or boring, but actually helps the show. Besides the great story and strong characterizations, the film was full of intense action and battles as the characters have to fight some pretty nasty looking insect-like creatures that are determined to destroy anyone and everything in their path (I can definitely see how Starship Troopers was an inspiration for this anime and thats a good thing). Since this is a newer anime, (released 200-2002) the quality is really good and looks great, from the background to both the characters and creatures who all look varied and detailed. Overall, I'd have to say Blue Gender The Warrior was a very enjoyable experience for me, and I'm looking forward to watching the complete series sometime when I get the chance to order it.

Watched this when it premiered on the Action Channel a few years back, and really enjoyed it. Has a very well written, original, and deep sci-fi plot that keeps viewers really fascinated with whats going on. Though there are some filler episodes here and there, they are still always entertaining, and helps deepen the relationship between the heroine and her protector/love interest. Like any good show, it also takes the time to develop the characters and their personalities. One of my favorite sci-fi anime series, has lots of action, excitement, romance, is sometimes hilarious, and has it's fair share of surprises thrown in to keep you on your toes and a very satisfying conclusion. The english dub that I watched was very good as well, though it was a few years back and I was younger when I watched it, I couldn't help but grow fond of the english voices and thought they worked well for most of the main characters. If you like a good sci-fi anime series, and don't mind that it's a few years old, this anime is sure to keep you fully entertained.

Review coming soon...

I used to watch Cardcaptors on TheWb, Teletoon and YTV when it used to air a few years ago. Because I watched the dub version I'm sure I probably missed some scenes or other stuff that was cut out of the dub, but as it stands I really loved the show and thought the english voices were great, though not having seen the Japanese version I have nothing else to compare the english voices to.The show has everything and ranks up there alongside Sailor Moon as being one of the best magical girl/fantasy animes out there.The animation has always looked great to me, no real flaws or problems that I could notice, and the story was unique and always captivating and entertaining even the filler episodes (though it didn't have many of these as most episodes still helped move the story forward).The action was always fun to watch, not too violent but at the same time, not too kiddish, and was pretty fast paced and exciting to watch.Characters were all excellent, likable and fun to root for and watch, even the bad guys, who are not really bad at all but have to test Sakura and see if she's ready for this new power. Overall, if you enjoy highly entertaining fantasy anime, and magical girl shows such as Sailor Moon, you will more than likely love Cardcaptors as well.I normally like alot of the more mature and darker anime but like Sailor Moon this anime was really good and mature in it's own way as well. I hope to watch the Japanese original one day to see if there was anything I missed in the dub.

Saw this years ago on tv and thought it was pretty good. Might be abit strange and complicated at times but still a good watch (and hey I like strange and complicated). Is a very atmospheric, and artsy, nicely animated gothic anime that takes the time to develop it's characters, but might be abit confusing for some people especially towards the end when a major revelation or two get revealed of which I found to be abit disappointing. As for the end itself, it was a little bit of a letdown but wasn't too bad. It's not one of the best animes I've seen but its enjoyable enough.

Review coming soon...

Caught this on tv a few years ago and thought it was pretty interesting.From what I can remember of it,it was a pretty good.The story was good and kept me entertained for the most part, though the ending was abit of a let down and the character and plot could have been developed a little more. Its more of a sci-fi space drama/adventure (or as its officially known, "Space Opera") but is good for what it is.Its an older anime and the animation style is quite different from most animes I've seen (similar to the animation style of Harlock, and Interstella, which is also done by the same director) but it looks decent enough and works well. Its not the best sci-fi anime I've seen but its a cool little sci-fi adventure that is worth taking a look at.

Watched this one years ago on tv.Actually I'm not quite sure if it was this one I watched or the sequel New Dominion Tank Police, since it's been awhile,but I think it's the first one.I don't remember much of it, but I did think it was pretty good.The animation was pretty dated(it was made in 1988), but it was alright and didn't look terrible or anything.The story was fairly simple at first but still very good especially towards the end where things got abit more interesting.It kept moving at a pretty good pace and had a few good laughs and a nice amount of cool action.I believe I watched the dub of it back then,but it was pretty good especially for an english dub back then.It'd be interesting to watch it again if I could find it.Still, it was a pretty good anime.The only downside is that its abit short and they do kinda leave the story hanging.I suppose the sequel probably expanded on it a little, which I haven't seen yet.In conclusion though its a really good little anime that should be checked out by other anime fans.

Review coming soon...

Watched this about two/three years ago and fell in love with the series.I really loved all the characters, especially Alucard, my favorite. Integra is my second favorite with Seras coming in third. Integra is really cool I just felt she was a little too cold and strict sometimes though she loosened up as the show went along. Seras is a pretty good character, I liked how realistic it was with her coming to grips with her newfound abilities and cravings, however I did find her to be abit too emotionally and mentally weak and didn't like the fact that she whined alot and was constantly fighting her urges and cravings too much. Its one thing to try to hold onto your humanity and not lose yourself to your new vampiric side, but letting yourself become too weak and frail instead of drinking blood, and then whining about it rather than accepting it can be going abit too far and eventually gets annoying at times. Animation is very good with Gonzo behind it. The color palette looks abit bright and colorful for a horror series but the animation still looks great and blends together well to give a more surreal gothic look and feel to the show.The story is excellent even if it doesn't really follow the manga all that well (from what I've been told anyway, never read the original manga myself). Personally I loved the story and found it very intriguing. It was different and unique to most other vampire animes I've seen. Even though the story doesn't really start expanding and really getting into gear until the second disc, the pacing of the story was very good and I really enjoyed the plot twists and turns, several of which I didn't expect and was caught off guard by. I even enjoyed the random vampire attacks at the beginning and end of almost every episode. The action is also very good and exciting, though I will admit there could have been a little more action thrown in here and there I was more than satisfied by what I received. Overall I really enjoyed this unique and exciting vampire series. I had heard about Hellsing for years until I was finally able to rent it myself at Blockbuster a year or two ago and finally got caught up in the Hellsing phenomenon myself. To this day I'm still extremely fond of the tv series even now. Yes, the new Hellsing Ultimate vastly improves over alot of aspects of this original tv series (such as better animation, more violence, action and blood) and is better, but even so the tv series still ranks right up there alongside it as one of my favorite animes of all time. I was comtemplating giving this a nine instead of a ten, since Hellsing Ultimate is better, but Hellsing Ultimate only just started and hasn't completely finished yet. Not only that, but truthfully, I just couldn't bring myself to do this because in my mind they are both each masterpieces in their own ways and I honestly can't bear to choose one and rank it higher than the over.

Came across this awesome series last year when it aired in Japan, and just fell in love with it!!This show has to be one of the best animes I've seen yet, and ranks up there as being one of my absolute favorite animes of all time. I've seen my share of dark and disturbing animes over the years such as Laughing Target, Mermaid Forest, and Perfect Blue, and although I thought those animes were fantastic and very disturbing, they just can't compare to Higurashi, which has to be the most disturbing anime I've ever seen!The show is just so twisted, I just can't help but love it. At the heart of the show is the colorful cast of very intriguing characters, characters you just can't help but love as they seem like normal and fun characters, however they can also end up being very complex, and frightening as everyone appears to be hiding something and everything may not be as simple as you first thought.First of all, the story in this show is very involving and complex and refreshing in it's execution as the show is broken into several question and answer arcs, two of the latter which are not present in this first season but will be further explored and shown in the upcoming second season. In each arc (which generally lasts 4-6 episodes long) the events reset, and events turn out differently than before, with each one shifting focus to a different character in order to give the viewers a deeper understanding of the mysterious events taking place and the history and lives of the main characters in the show.Its a very unique and creative way of storytelling and works perfectly, breathing life into what would otherwise be a normal 13-26 episode horror anime. Speaking of story, besides all the crazy and disturbing events taking place, the story is perhaps the best part as it is one of the most interesting and in-depth I've come across, each episode raises various questions, give some hints and clues, and will leave you guessing and on the edge of your seat, as you ponder just what is going on, what is making these characters act like this, is it all in their heads, is there something rational behind all this or is it something sinister and supernatural, who is behind the murders, etc. Very intricately woven and engrossing suspense story that is very deep and though some questions are answered by the end of the series, the more important questions are still left to be answered more thoroughly in the upcoming second season so don't expect to get all the answers by watching just these 26 episodes. It's actually better this way because then you don't have the story being too rushed and it expands the story into the second season to keep things going instead of introducing a new story and new characters or villains like so many other anime series do for their second seasons. As I mentioned above, the characters are at the heart of the story and as such are the most intriguing, as they are seriously some of the most twisted, complicated and deep characters I've seen, as they go from being lovable carefree and fun teens enjoying after their normal school activities and festivals, to psychotic and seriously disturbed individuals who may not even be aware of what they are doing. By focusing on a different character during each arc/chapter we get to spend alot of time with them, getting to know them, finding out their thoughts and exploring their relationships and the reasons behind some of their crazy actions and behavior. This all helps bring some very deep and mature characterizations to the show and makes you understand and really feel for the characters and the events taking place because you actually feel more connected to them, even when they may be going psychotic or murdering somebody, you can't help but still like and understand them, and ultimately feel that deep down underneath, they are still the same fun lovable characters you see during their school activities who seem to be driven this way by the events going on around them as things like distrust, envy, jealousy and hate can quickly turn people, even close friends, against each other.I just couldn't help but grow extremely fond of these characters throughout the series. Moving on though, as I said above, this show is just plain twisted and disturbing, there's quite abit of blood and many gruesome scenes that are as exciting and cool to see as they are disturbing and cringe worthy, and horror fans such as myself will definitely find the show more than satisfying in the horror and suspense department. But having said that, it's not all horror as there is some humourous comedy and drama thrown in to help balance everything out. Overall, I can't help but love this series to death, and am still just as obsessed with it as I was when I started watching it over a year ago. It's amazing, addictive, complex, deep, and very disturbing, and most of all I just can't wait to buy it on dvd and for season two to start!

Review coming soon...

I caught this film on dvd last year and absolutely loved it. This was my first Miyazaki film and really introduced me to his other works because I was so amazed with this brilliant and beautiful movie.The animation in this film is gorgeous and rich, even sometimes combining CG for the moving castle itself, creating some fresh and fantastic imagery. The characters and animation are so detailed you just can't help but fall into this enchanting fantasy world.The story is pretty simple, but it works well to craft a wonderful fantasy adventure with themes of war, power, love, loneliness, kindness, friendship and greed all woven together with action, humor, and adventure to engage you and captivate your heart.The english dub is one of the rare cases of an anime english language track that is even better than the original Japanese language version. With such high caliber actors such as actor Christian Bale as Howl, actress Emily Mortimer as Sophie, and veteran actors like Billy Crystal, Lauren Bacall, Jean Simmons and Blythe Danner how could it not be this good?!Each actor does a tremendous job bringing these characters to life and infusing these unique characters with their delightful and charming personalities.With a European setting, it only makes sense for the characters to speak english and luckily the english voices couldn't be more perfect.Though I would have liked to seen more of Howl's past and find out more of what happend with his heart, it didn't bother me too much, and I thought the characters were still very well developed and believable, especially that of Sophie who I really felt for and related in some ways to. Overall, this is a really great and highly entertaining anime movie, it's exciting, heart-warming, funny, touching, and just an amazing adventure with a unique and engaging story, interesting and quirky characters, and beautiful animation. Fans of anime or even just fans of entertaining fantasy adventures should be very pleased with this flick and should definitely check it out.

The inevitable sequel. Every popular movie,anime, etc, gets them, but few ever really live up to or beat that of the original, and unfortunetly such is the case with GITS:Innocence. Maybe it's because I was so hyped and looking forward to this anime movie that it really disappointed me compared to that of the first one when I saw it a year or two ago on dvd. That's not to say that Innocence is terrible or anything because it's not, for one starts out excellent with a great opening, it clearly beats the original in outstanding and fantastically stunning imagery that this time combines CG to create some breathtaking visuals, and after all the confusing philosophical dialogue and endless investigating it actually pays off with an exciting and very satisfying climax and finale. But for 3rd quarters of the film (mostly after the beginning up until towards the climax), it can be dreadfully dull with way too much philosophical talk that was hard to take in and understand, not to mention read as the dvd doesn't include an english dub which was pretty disappointing and shocking since there was a dub for the original. Now before people start coming down on me, I like anime that makes you think, and thats deep and complex and I have no problem watching subs and still watch subs if the english dub is horrible, and just can't stand english dubs in live action Asian movies. However, this film is almost entirely different compared to the original, yes the story is still very strong, and engaging, and is probably deeper than the first one, but the constant philosophical lectures,debates, and the biblical literature quoting wasjust waaayyy too much. Not only did it make my head spin (and this coming from someone who loved the story and the rich and smart dialogue, and mythology of the first one) but it bogged the film down and ended up ruining alot of the film for me. As for the subtitles, because of all the dialogue and philosophical talk, I constantly had to read and read fast because of all the dialogue and speed of the subtitles, that I barely had time to think about it and sometimes watch the screen at the same time (and I usually don't have this problem because I'm a fast reader). Perhaps my experience would have been a little better if they had an english dub track on the dvd, but even so there is no denying that there was alot of philosophical dialogue that was hard to understand at times. Despite this though, the story still held my attention and was very good, but I still couldn't help but feel that abit of the spirit of the original was gone. Another disappointment, albeit a minor one, was the absense of Major Kusanagi, the main female character of the first film. I knew before going into the film by the plot description that she had gone missing, but although her presence is felt in the film I had hoped she would at least make a few more appearences instead of just at the end. My last complaint is that while the first film had a nice combination of story, character interaction, suspense and action, the action takes a definite backseat compared to the original which makes the middle of this film drag on and seem boring at times. This time there is very few action sequences, which did make the film drag on a little and seem very different from the original. Now you may be wondering why I'm giving this a 7 out of 10 after mentioning all my dislikes, but I do have some good things to point out that I enjoyed. Despite the decrease in action, what action we do get is more faster paced than the original and alot more violent and brutal, which is a definite plus, and I absolutely loved the beginning, the action packed climax with the reappearence of Major Kusanagi, and the ending, those definitely helped in my enjoyment and rating of the film. The other huge plus was the characters once again, and the just plain incredible jawdropping visuals which makes the first film look pale in comparison. Overall, besides all the hard to understand philosophical and biblical dialogue, the absurb absense of an english dub, the disappointing amount of Kusanagi screentime, and the middle that drags on too long with little to no action, this film isn't all that bad and is actually pretty good.The beginning, climax and ending are all great and very satisfying, the story is very interesting and engaging (from what I understood through all the philosophical and biblical talk that almost drove me nuts) and the visuals are spectacular. In the end it was quite disappointing to me after looking forward to it but not half bad once you get past some of the head spinning dialogue, however it still just can't compare to that of the original.Maybe I'll end up watching it again sometime because it has been a year or two since I saw it, and perhaps my opinion will be more positive after I do.

I saw this only a few months ago when it premiered on the IFC here in Canada and thought it was very good.I had heard about this anime for awhile,since it's quite well known and popular among anime fans.While its not quite as good as some people make it out to be it is still really good and left me satisfied for the most part.The anime was released in 1993 in Japan but the animation is very pleasing even now years later.The story is very good, a very mature and tragic tale that unfolds before your eyes and takes you along with it.I did feel it dragged a little here and there and was a little cliche with the usual baddie who sends out his gang of villains after the main hero and heroine,but it was interesting enough.Part of the reason the story may not have seemed as original or as engrossing as others might have thought is probably due to the fact that this anime is very similar to another anime I watched a few years ago and was impressed by called Blood Reign Curse of The Youma, which I must admit I like a little more than this one, but thats besides the point.I guess for me I had seen it done before with Blood Reign and wasn't nearly as impressed as others.Moving on...the characters were pretty good, and most of the main ones got developed as the film went on, especially Kagero who was probably the most well developed and tragic characters of the anime.I really felt for her but at the same time I couldn't help but wish she wasn't as helpless and wanted her to be a little more badass and fight back more and use her deadly poison abilities in battle.The action scenes were great and the villains had some cool powers though a few were a little reminisent of Blood Reign.Still, as cool as some of the fights were they didn't wow me,and I couldn't help but wish there was a little more action at times, but maybe this is because I kept hearing how much action this anime had and expected a little more.Still, the action is very good and will definitely satisfy for most as there is quite a few action scenes and they are quite violent with some nice blood and gore thrown in.All in all, I was a little disappointed in some aspects since I saw Blood Reign first and liked that one abit more than this, but Ninja Scroll is still a very well done and fine ninja adventure with a tragic story, some interesting characters, and a good amount of violence and blood.I'll have to check out what the newer Ninja Scroll tv series is like, I'm curious to see how that one is...

Another anime I saw on tv a few years ago, but this one was actually really good. I had heard of this series before but because it seemed to be a mecha anime I didn't bother with it too much. Luckily I was able to catch it on tv and give it a chance. My first impressions were wrong thankfully, because although there are some mecha robots in the movie, it turned out to be more of a political mystery thriller than anything and works really well. The story becomes pretty enthralling and sucks you in with it's political intrigue and complex intricate mysteries and the plotlines bring up some very interesting questions and thought provoking themes. The characters are interesting enough and get abit of development, however there are a few scenes where the talking and dialogue can go abit over board, mentioning events that happend rather than showing you, which would have been nice to see instead of just hearing about it, and all the dialogue can sometimes become abit too overwhelming and a little confusing at times with all the political talk especially since I haven't seen the previous movie. But its nothing too bad or anything and certainly didn't hurt my enjoyment too much especially since I watched the english dub which was actually pretty good (I would recommend viewing the dub due to the amount of high and in depth dialogue). The animation is really good for a 1993 anime movie, and has some beautiful and impressive shots that makes the film all the more pleasing to look at while at the same time creates some symbolic and creative visuals. The one thing that most stood out for me was the atmosphere and the music as they are both very well done. The music is powerful at times and really helps to create a haunting and mysterious atmosphere that is captivating. The only downfall of the film is that there isn't that much action, and though I didn't mind this too much, I could've used just a little bit more action here and there to spice things up abit because some scenes got abit too drawn out sometimes. But I understand this is an atmospheric political thriller and not a cyberpunk action flick ala GITS. Overall, despite not having much action, Patlabor 2 is a very interesting and great political thriller that has some impressive visuals, a beautiful sountrack that creates a haunting atmosphere and will suck you in. There could have been a little more action in a few scenes and there was some problems with the amount of intense and complex dialogue that was a little confusing sometimes especially for someone like me who hasn't seen the previous movie, but it wasn't too much of a problem in the end. If your looking for a cyberpunk sci-fi flick with lots of mecha action, prepare to be disappointed. However, if you can appreciate a deep and hypnotic mysterious political thriller that rivals that of Tom Clancy than look no further than this anime.

Ah, the classic GITS. Most anime fans have watched this one by now and I'm no exception. I watched this a long time ago when I first started watching anime and it remains one of my personal favorites. It is a classic, plain and simple.Just a beautiful visually stunning, intelligent and complex futuristic sci-fi anime for people who like their anime deep, rich, challenging and overall thought-provoking. The story in this anime is one of the best, starts out seemingly simple, but then grips the viewers with an engrossing, smart and intricate storyline that really makes you think. It's certainly a big story with alot of mythology and meaning behind it, which may confuse or put off some people looking for all action and a simple story, but I'm sure the majority will find it as strong, curious, and intriguing as I did. The anime may be a few years old but it still looks amazing, and has it's own unique visual imagery and style. As for the characters, they're very refreshing, like the story they are all deep and very realistic. I especially enjoyed and connected with the main heroine, the Major, and felt she was a realistic and strong woman with alot of depth to her, the kind of heroine people can feel for and admire, definitely not the typical cliche hot ass kicking heroine with a big chest and ditzy personality you see in so many other animes out there. There is also quite abit of action in the movie as well, but it's never over the top, it's more realistic and exciting with lots of gunfire, martial arts, and car chases. The soundtrack was also equally very impressive and the english dub was excellent, probably one of the best out there. Overall, this is one of the best animes out there and will always remain a classic. It came out in 1995, but for it's time it was very innovative and refreshing sci-fi anime, that probably helped redefine the anime genre, and inspired alot of other animes, but most importantly this anime probably made alot of people take anime alot more seriously, and helped introduce alot more people into anime because of it's wide-release and success.

This anime was among some of the very first animes I watched alongside Laughing Target, and Mermaid Forest. Watched it about 10-12 years ago and remains one of my favorite animes and still is an exquisitely enchanting and finely crafted gothic horror masterpiece that is both thrilling and beautiful as it is dark, and eerie. It is simply the best and probably one of the earliest vampire anime movies out there (it was made in 1988) and is a true testament that not everything in horror has to be graphic, and have lots of blood in order to be good. It doesn't have tons of blood, disturbingly gruesome imagery, and isn't scary, but it is still very dark, twisted, and has a very rich and spooky atmosphere combined with some dark themes and issues that makes the viewer think instead of being grossed out. It's a brilliant and subtle gothic horror that manages to be captivating, beautiful and chilling all at the same time. The story is refreshing and smart, and moving, it starts out mysterious, and becomes a more deeply involving, hauntingly sad and emotionally tragic tale with some interesting surprises. The characters are also very deep and well developed, as they are self-conflicted and struggle to deal with different issues as many questions are raised and various themes are presented. The most interesting and complex character of the show as to be Miyu herself as she is quite an enigmatic and mysterious character with alot of depth and history to her who constantly makes the viewer question if she is really good or just as evil as the Shinma she hunts down. Although she hunts down the evil Shinma creatures, and saves people, she is also a vampire and has no problem preying on people who are weak and emotionally distraught in order to suck their blood. However, on the other hand she doesn't kill them but instead grants them immortality and happiness by putting them in an eternal dream state where they can live out their greatest wishes in a dream world. So is she really all that evil? To her she's not and is only doing it to survive and help others but Himiko is certain she is which brings about many conflicting thoughts and opinions to the viewer. Also, perhaps most important of all is Miyu's charming childlike and playful personality that also adds a hint of evil to her so your never really sure, and thats part of the fun of it. Personally I rather enjoyed her complex and dark nature, she is both a very fascinating and tragic character and you feel sorry for her once you realize what she's been through but at the same time she's also a delightfully twisted, dark and charming character and you just can't help but like her. Most importantly I think her personality really makes the viewer think and take a step back and look at things a different way, and realize that not everyone has to be either good nor evil. As for the animation, this was made in 1988 but it still looks excellent, I love the look of the characters in this anime, they look alot more mature and detailed, and just look more elegant and delicately drawn compared to most recent anime, and the colors blend in better with a more subtle and realistic look to them instead of the more vibrant and colorful look of the anime today.I thought the animation and look of the anime was excellent and really helped make it look more distinquished gothic horror show and fit the atmosphere and nature of the show just perfect. The Japanese voices also matched their characters perfectly, I've also watched the english dub on the newer dvd (I had previously watched it on a subbed VHS from Blockbuster but bought it once it came out on dvd a few years ago), and although the dub was decent enough, I still think the original Japanese cast is the best and I prefer listening to it that way. All in all, this is a very special gothic horror masterpiece that still remains a horror classic even after all these years. Even the newer Vampire Princess Miyu tv series can't quite match the spirit and timeless quality of the original. If your looking for lots of disturbing imagery, tons of blood and fast paced action, then this probably won't be your kind of anime, but if you like horror that is smart, atmospheric, tragic and deeply involving then this is the anime for you even if it may be slightly dated.

The Vampire Princess Miyu OAV was by all accounts a masterpiece when I watched it more than 10 years ago and still is, so when I found out about a tv series a few years ago I was estatic and had to get my greedy little paws on it.However,after watching it I was a little disappointed with it compared to the brilliant OAV series. Now thats not to say that the tv series isn't good because its great in its own way, but it just doesn't live up to that of the original and I was also disappointed with a few aspects of it.For a start I was abit disappointed with how Miyu was in this series,she was quite different and lost alot of her twisted, charming and childish personality and that mysterious "good or evil" quality to her that was present in the OAV. Though she is much wiser and more mature in this series, she is also a little more reserved and quiet this time which was disappointing to me.Thats not to say though that she wasn't as deep or as interesting of a character because on the positive side she does get alot more character development and we see more of her private life through her eyes this time instead of Himeko's in the OAV but as a result of this we end up losing a little of that mysterious quality of is she good or is she evil that Himiko constantly struggled with understanding. I still like Miyu and find her very much intriguing and loved the character development she got in this tv series but I very much prefer her more confident, cocky, and the twisted child-like personality from the OAV over how she is in this one, though I will admit she still had some moments where her OAV personality shined through. Of interesting notice, I did find the Japanese voice actor much better at keeping at least a little bit of her evil childish nature from the OAV, while the english voice actor for Miyu from the first few episodes fit Miyu perfectly and seemed to really get into the role and match that of her Japanese voice, when she was replaced after the first 6 or 7 episode the english voice actress that replaced her did a much more wooden and stale job compared to the Japanese voice. Because of this strange english voice actor switch I'd highly recommend watching with the original Japanese voices as the characters especially Miyu sound much better. The rest of the series were also hit and miss compared to the OAV, even though I still enjoyed this series too. On the positive side I was very impressed with the story which seemed to a little darker than the OAV (even though the OAV was very dark in itself), and the various characters that we were introduced to especially that of Chisato and her friends that Miyu ends up growing closer to as well as Reiha. Although the monster of the week format got abit repetitive after awhile, I was never bored and thought each episodic story was unique and very intriguing in their own ways. I enjoyed the fact that each episode had a very mature,tragic and dark story, focusing on the victims, exploring their troubles and issues as a Shinma begins influencing them until Miyu arrives. All of these stories were very personal, disturbing, and atmospheric as the characters in each episode get more fleshed out and explored before the end of the episode. I also liked how each episodic story got resolved in surprising and very twisted ways while the over-arching storyline remained mysterious until the last few episodes where everything came together and got revealed. Speaking of the over-arching storyline with Chisato, I greatly enjoyed how that played out and was pleasantly surprised by what was revealed and how things got resolved. I think this is one aspect that greatly outdoes the OAV, the story in this one seems to be alot deeper,darker, and more tragic than the OAV, but with 26 episodes compared to only 4 of the OAV it is only natural that the story is longer and more in depth here as the writers had more time to develop things. Still, if you like disturbing and mature horror stories and don't mind the monster-of-the-week routine, every episode brings something new to the table and further explores not just the character of Miyu and her comrades, but also explores the weakness and strengths of humans and Shinma as well, and the tragic that is inflicted upon both Shinma and human. As for the animation, the quality was good, it was weird seeing Miyu look a little older and different from how she looked in the older OAV (and I would have prefered the previous look) but she still looked good and the animation was crisp and clear.The Shinma themselves are all different, and are very cool looking and grotesque as you would expect but sadly they don't have the same eerie or creepy look and feel to them from the OAV. As cool and powerful as some of them were, I still preferred the more twisted and creepy Shinma creatures from the OAV, sure they might not have been as disgusting to look at but they looked more subtle and unique, and as a result were abit more creepier and threatening than the ones in the tv series. However, thats not to say the new Shinma looked bad or anything because they look great and very detailed, and monstrous. One very important improvement on the Shinma that I enjoyed more than the OAV was how each one was how they prey on their victims and most importantly their personalities. The best thing about the Shinma in this series that they had time to explore a little more here compared to the OAV is the Shinma and their personalities. Some Shinma are not even all that bad, or evil and have deeper personalities this time (which was also hinted to in the second OAV with the doll) and are even tragic and sometimes sympathetic which lets us feel a little for them when Miyu has to send them away and makes the show a little more tragic and mature.As far as characters are concerned, I was very pleased that Larva was given the opportunity to speak and take off his mask this time as opposed to being silent in the OAV, I think this really helped develop his character abit more, and made him a much more interesting character even if this means taking away some of his more mysterious and enigmatic features. Shiina on the other hand was cute but was not needed and started getting a little annoying after awhile. The best addition to the cast by far is Chisato and Reiha, who both bring something new and fresh to the show. In the long run both Chisato and Reiha end up being fascinating and complex characters with complicated pasts and deep personalities who both share a troubled relationship with Miyu, and each help to deepen and strengthen Miyu's character throughout the series. So they were both intriguing characters and were a welcome addition to the cast.While the OAV had some action, it mostly focused on the atmosphere, story and characters, rather then throwing in too much action. The tv series changes this and brings in alot more action, as every episode usually ends with a Shinma battle in some way or another. However, while it's good to see a little more ass kicking action, it ended up being both a good thing and a bad thing. Although the battle scenes were much more faster paced, were more violent with abit of blood and a little more exciting to watch, sometimes these scenes got abit too repetitive and felt a little out of place during the context of some of the events happening, in a few episodes I sometimes thought the final battle was tacked on for the sake of it and in some cases felt it would have been a little more powerful without it during certain dramatic scenes and episodes. The OAV had a great dark, and eerie atmosphere that was haunting and suspenseful and really sucked you into the events and story, but with all the violence and action in the tv series it took away abit of the atmosphere and suspense that had you on the edge of your seat in the OAV, and I must admit I missed that abit. I mean I still enjoyed alot of the new action scenes and the increase in violence and gore but felt some of that feel and creepy atmosphere wasn't as strong.Overall, I really enjoyed this series.It wasn't quite as good as the OAV and I would definitely recommend watching the OAV first, but it was an excellent show that deserves to be watched as it greatly expands on the story and characters of the OAV, and has a deeper and darker story that was just as mysterious, susprising and satisfying (for the most part) as it was mature, complex, disturbing and tragic just like the OAV.

I watched this one a long time agao on tv, and I barely remember it since it was kinda forgettable in many ways.The storyline was interesting at first and the singing was alright but after awhile it got pretty boring and dull. The love story was about the only thing that kept me watching because the mecha action was disappointing and I'm not really that fond of mecha animes to begin with so thats probably why I didn't enjoy it too much. Overall a mediocre anime that has some interesting bits here and there but is mostly pretty forgettable and disappointing, as it gets pretty dull and boring quickly. Oh and the english dub wasn't that good either.

This was a very enjoyable series I had the pleasure of watching a few years ago. It's not a deep or complex anime, its more akin to the likes of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, but the plot is still pretty engaging and entertaining. There is alot of nudity which I'll admit could have been toned down abit but I didn't mind too much (mostly because I'm used to seeing nudity in all the horror movies I usually watch). The animation is quite dated (it is from 1991 I believe) but it still looks pretty good especially the character designs. I watched it on VHS back then, so I'm sure the new dvd collection probably looks clearer and better. The characters and action are the highlights of the show, the characters are fun, and humourous to watch and there's lots of action to satisfy most people and keep everyone entertained. It may not be anything really special or deep, and doesn't have much substance when you really look past the action, eyecandy and humor. But if you don't mind that and just want a quirky and fun action packed show with enough comedy, plot, and action similar to Buffy then you'll probably enjoy it as much as I did. Overall I thought it was a highly entertaining and fun anime and I'm glad I took the time to watch it.

Review coming soon...

This followed Laughing Target and was technically the second anime movie I watched back when I was 13.Right after my successful encounter with watching Laughing Target,I grew obsessed with horror anime and went back to Blockbuster to see what else they had.Luckily I came across this one and really liked it as well.First of all the concept of this OAV is one of the most creative premises I've come across,I mean eating mermaid flesh to become immortal is something that I had personally never heard of before watching this and have never really heard of anymore since watching it (and that says something since I've been watching horror movies since I was 12 and have seen hundreds of them,but not one ever came out with a story similar to this anime).The story is very unique and is very well done,it's extremely fascinating with some good and twisted surprises and keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next.You become wrapped up as you follow Yuta and Mana,and see the events unfolding around them.I found the story very good,and pretty compelling and unique since I had never heard of it.I also have to mention that I liked that it had a sense of morality behind the story,its a tragic tale of immortality and the reality of the horrors it may bring,and details that such as obsession, greed, love, with the underlying theme of trying to change one's own fate and the danger it brings.The characters are all very good and sympathetic,even the villains as they have quite abit of background and story to them that are shown in flashbacks and are quite nicely fleshed out.The only character that I was disappointed on was Mana,who was never given any real character background or development.She was an interesting character and as such I wanted to find out more about her but was left disappointed that she didn't have any flashbacks or back story.Maybe this is because I've never seen the sequel Mermaid's Scar,which is supposed to continue the story,and they possibly explore more of her story in that one.Still,its abit of a let down that we don't find out how she became entangled with the mermaids and became immortal,how her and Yuta met and the reason behind some of her personality,even though we are shown some nice flashbacks to Yuta's past.When it comes down to it though,the relationship between Yuta and Mana is still strong and very believable so it didn't hurt the anime that much.The OAV features a good amount of blood and gore,and I was really pleased with that,in fact some scenes are pretty gruesome and detailed which was surprising when I watched it back when I was younger.The animation is a little old,as it came out in the early 90's but the animation and visuals still remain strong,look good and are well suited with a dark and intense tone and look.Overall I loved this anime back when I watched it ages ago,and still find it very enjoyable even now.It still manages to be one of the more creative animes I've seen,and does a great job telling a very enthralling and unique horror tale that touches upon alot of different human aspects and has some strong underlying themes behind it.The blood and gore is good, and there is never a dull moment.The characters are all solid and have some really good depth to them,all except Mana really.The pace is great,its gripping and keeps you wanting to know what is going to happen next and the animation is still good for its age.This is a must see for any fan who likes a more mature and unique horror tale.I've heard there's another,more recent remake of this in a form of a new 13 episode tv anime series that came out two or three years ago,it'll be interersting to see how it compares to this one.I'll definitely have to check that one and see how it is sometime soon...

Review coming soon...

Rented this one at Blockbuster when it came out, and was amazed. This brilliant and powerful psychological thriller is one of the best animes I've had the pleasure of watching. This film combines the mindbending goodness of David Lynch into a powerful and disturbing psychological anime thriller reminisent of Hitchcock. A very intense movie that focuses on the shattering reality of an idol turned actress as she struggles to try to forget her former pop idol life and image, and gets caught up in the paranoia, fear and delusions of her new life, as she eventually must try to separate reality from twisted illusions while dealing with her inner demons and a few psychos out to punish her and ruin her new career. Satoshi Kon really is the Japanese version of Lynch and/or Hitchcock, he has really managed to create a deeply psychological and haunting anime thriller thats atmospheric, graphically and mentally disturbing, violent, and really makes you think. The whole film immediatly grips you, locking you in it's intense hold until the credits roll. It also has it's fair share of twists and surprises, especially that of the main stalker/killer who will leave you guessing throughout the film. Though it can be a little confusing sometimes, that's pretty much the point, to really make you think as you become engulfed in Mima's world and mind. But not to worry, it does all come together in the end and makes sense. Being the intense and disturbing film that it is, it does have some nudity and graphic violence that means a mature adult audience is best recommended as this is definitely not a kids anime. Overall, a superb and very suspenseful psychological anime thriller in the tradition of Hitchcock and Lynch, that has a very involving and interesting plot with a few great twists, intriguing and disturbing characters, and keeps you enthralled and guessing until the credits, one of the best animes you could find.

RG Veda is an anime I watched a really long time ago on a free vcd/cd-rom that was packaged in with an old computer game I bought back when I had my old Windows 95 computer. But nonetheless, it was a very good anime back then. From what I remember of it the animation was pretty dated but it still looked pretty good and the characters were very nicely drawn and looked very detailed. The story was simple at first but there is more to it than you think, and its really engaging and interesting, never dull or boring. There was also plenty of action to go around that kept me pretty satisfied and entertained, and at the time I thought the characters were pretty cool. Overall, it may have been awhile since I watched it, but it definitely left an impression on me back then. I honestly don't know if I'd feel the same if I watched it now years later, but it was enjoyable enough for me back then and I'd like to think I'd still enjoy it even now.

Loved this show!!Great story,has a nice balance of comedy, while still maintaining a serious story with some dark drama. The characters are fun, each has their own unique personality and issues to deal with, and really grow up and mature in their own way throughout the season.Watched the Geneon/Funimation dvds and really enjoyed the english dub, and absolutely adore Shinku, Suigintou, and Suiseiseki.

Excellent second season! Abit darker, more serious, and mysterious than season one, with brand new villains with their own motives. Though I must say Barasuishou is a little disappointing personality wise (she doesn't have much of a personality to be honest), and not as fun of a villain as Suigintou is, but thats alright.I would of preferred seeing Kirakishou as the villain this time especially after all I've heard about her from the manga, but we do get a glimpse of her at the end which sets the stage for a third season.As for the story, this time the Alice game really takes center stage, and tensions between the dolls run high. New doll Kanaria is a welcome and fun new addition to the cast, and Suigintou gets abit more character development this season.This time the story has even more surprises and some heartbreakingly emotional plot twists, that I was shocked to see happen.In fact one episode actually got me crying with how emotional it was, which is a testament to how likeable the characters are and how much they grow on you over the course of both seasons. The only thing I didn't like was that Jun didn't have much of a role in the story this time, nor did he help Shinku much with his powers like last season. That was abit disappointing, especially after seeing how much he helped Shinku fight Suigintou last season, this time he was kinda useless.Other than that though, I really enjoyed the second season, and thought the english voice actors continued to do an excellent job bringing more depth to their characters.I really hope Geneon/Funimation licenses the OAV, and ofcourse I'm just dying now for a third season like everyone else I'm sure.

Caught this on the IFC about a year ago and due to the popularity of it, I had to watch it. To say I greatly enjoyed this would be an understatement because I was simply blown away by it and loved every minute of it! Now I know what all the fuss was about and why it won 4 awards. Satoshi Kon, the creator of Perfect Blue, does it again, this time crafting a brilliant fantasy drama that is both spellbinding, captivating and heart-warming. A true masterpiece that should be seen by anime and non-anime fans alike! The story is simply amazing, in true Satoshi Kon style we are taken on a fantastical journey through the life of a famous actress as we experience a magical blend of reality and illusion as she recounts her eventful past and we become immersed into her life as the lines between her real memories and the stories of her films merge and become blurred. Her touching life story explores alot of themes and is both heart-warming, tragic and sad, but inspiring with the amount of emotional depth and development that is put into the film and flows seamlessly together as we are left with our own thoughts and interpretations of what is real, and what is not in this surreal but realistic tale of movies, memories, and the cold hard reality of the truth. All this along with a good amount of charming plot twists, make it all the more interesting, complex and unique. The characters are original, simply delightful and enchanting, and have quite abit of development and depth, and even have some surprising connections to the main actress in ways that you wouldn't expect, creating some rather imaginative and interesting plot twists throughout the film. Even though this is a fantasy drama you can be sure that there is still a great deal of action that is satisfying but never overwhelming or distracting. Unlike other animes, the action here is pleasant, emotional, and meaningful and helps transport us back in time to the various distinct eras of Japan's vast and rich history as the main actress takes on the various roles of ninja, geisha, astronaut, princess, etc, in her quest to reunite with her long lost love. The animation in this film is excellent, the characters are all very detailed and so full of life, and the backgrounds are nicely rich, textured and crisp and really bring these vast amount of locations to life. Likewise the music is wonderful and extremely well done and only adds to the film. The score itself brings out a variety of feelings as you are taken along this journey. I also really loved the ending and thought it was an appropiate and satisfying ending that made the film even deeper and more thought-provoking. It made me both sad and happy at the same time. Overall, this anime is a brilliant masterpiece and greatly impressed me on a variety of levels. A powerful, tragic and heartbreaking yet uplifting film about the strength and journey of love, the neverending hope within us all, the nature of the human soul, and the struggle to accept ones own destiny. Its an imaginative, original, emotional film with captivating characters and action, charming and interesting plot twists with beautiful animation that will capture your heart and leave you breathless and wanting more. An absolute must-see anime that clearly proves anime is not just for kids.

Watched this anime movie three or four years ago and as someone who isn't familiar with the PC game at all (I'm more of a console gamer), I thought this anime wasn't all that bad and was actually pretty good. I think fans of the game have given it mostly a bad reputation because it diverted abit from the game story, but I honestly don't think it deserves most of the bad ratings it's received, unlike that of Lady Death, which was a bad anime period no matter who watched it. Yeah, Sin wasn't quite as good as I expected, and is definitely nothing special thats for sure but for new viewers like me who haven't played the game, it's a pretty fun and entertaining watch. Despite having a rather typical cliche storyline, the story still manages to be fresh and interesting enough with it's plot twists to keep you watching until the end. The only real downside to the story and characters that end up hurting the film is that the story should have been fleshed out abit more and the characters definitely needed abit more development, because as intriguing as some of them were they didn't have much personality or background. The story was pretty good and I really liked some of these characters but would've liked to have found out more of some of the important characters and their past, and would have loved if they were fleshed out but instead we just get only a little bit and the personalities become more one-dimensional and cliched which bugged me abit because they could have been so much more interesting. I think the anime would have greatly benefit from having at least about 20-30 minutes added on to expland on the plot and characters abit more, then it would have been abit better.The animation itself looks pretty solid in this, the 3D animation could have been a little better but other than that it looked very good for a low budget American made anime.Perhaps the most pleasing aspect of the film was that it was never dull and had alot of cool action, accompanied by lots of blood and gore so it definitely didn't disappoint on that, and kept things interesting.Since this was an American made anime the original voices were in english and I had no complaints as the english voices were all acceptable and seemed to fit the roles very well.Overall, if your looking for an anime with alot of action, some blood and gore and a pretty good but simple story, and don't expect anything too thought provoking or deep,then Sin will probably entertain you. The story and characters could have been deeper and the film could have used an extra 20-30 minutes to expand on some things but as it is it's just a pretty decent and entertaining action packed sci-fi anime.

I watched this anime movie last year and I thought it was pretty good and fairly entertaining. It definitely wasn't anything special though but it was a pretty decent sci-fi action anime movie that was fun to watch. The story was weak and could have used a little work though.Its pretty simple and straightforward, and much like a typical Hollywood sci-fi/action movie there isn't too much of a plot, its just about a stereotypical badguy trying to get his hands on a powerful weapon that can help him destroy the world and the main hero has to stop him, while discovering the truth about his past and connection to the badguys, of which were kinda predictable. The last half hour takes a dramatic step with the story, trying to bring us some spiritual and meaningful story themes and elements into the film, but by then it's too little too late and just kind of pops out of nowhere feeling abit out of place.It would have been nice to have this stuff develop throughout the movie to help advance the plot and character development and make everything more interesting but when you have nothing but mostly action for the first 40-50 minutes and then bring this stuff in during the last 20 minutes it feels out of place and makes everything else feel disjointed and muddled as if your watching another movie.The characters in this one started out interesting, and promising, the very few flashbacks with the main character were a nice touch, and helped, but it would have worked better if we saw abit more, and got abit more character development. I wasn't too impressed with the bad guy either, he had no past or character development at all, and just seemed to be bad for the sake of being the predictable all powerful baddie with psychic powers out to destroy the world.His character was powerful for a badguy but he felt boring and flat, and it would have been alot better if they actually took the time to develop him. Even though the plot and characters are rather weak, the plot was still alright and nothing horrible or anything, and the movie still managed to be fairly interesting, and kept things going at a good pace, especially with all the cool action going on. The movie's strong point is probably the action and was what kept me interesting in it. The movie has some really cool action scenes that I really enjoyed. We get lots of solid, fast paced and violent action to go around. Its nothing too graphic or gory but it does have it's share of blood and violence with some cool fights and death scenes.While the other villains were your average superpowered freaks, they really made the fights very interesting and were cool and fun to watch. I was left very satisfied with most of the action and I'm sure others will be too. The audio was very good, and the english dub was also enjoyable enough for me, especially the voice of Yuu, the main hero, and the voice for the main evil genuis boy, who both stood out for me as they both did a great job. The animation team even took the time to re-animate the lip movements to match some of the words for the english dub, which I thought was a great touch. You don't normally see alot of animes do that, but this one did, and that was nice to see.The movie is from 1998 but the animation looks excellent and could even be mistaken for a newer anime.They also did a good job of combining the normal anime with some nice CG thrown in amoung the beautiful backgrounds. The CG worked and in the end I was pretty happy with the look of the anime. Overall I thought this anime movie was pretty decent and entertaining for what it was. It's basically a popcorn action anime flick, with alot of cool action. Though the story is alright, and is interesting, but there really isn't much to it at all and ends up being rather weak and predictable. Likewise the characters are rather dull and could have been fleshed out alot more. It's a decent enough watch with some enjoyable action and a good way to kill two hours but nothing more.

Saw this series last year and really liked it! I must admit, I've never really seen a Shoujo-Ai anime (well other horror animes I've watched had a suggestive scene or two in it, or lesbian characters like Sailor Moon, but the lesbian relationships were never the main focus before) so this would be my first official one but it was a really good show.Despite being straight, I had no problem with the relationships and thought the relationships that developed were believable, captivating, and sweet. The story is simple, but good. It had lots of drama, angst, and some comedy and that all held my interest. In fact, because of the drama and relationship troubles going on, I sometimes found myself anticipating the next episode and seeing where things would go next if someone would end up with someone else, or what would happen, this is why when I started watching the series, I watched the first 13 episodes in a row (I was late in watching it) and used to view screens of the next episode after the episode aired in Japan.My favorite character has to be Shizuma,who was a mysterious and fascinating character who had alot of growth. Aside from Shizuma, the other characters were also good and intriguing but I was more captivated by Nagisa and Shizuma's relationship, though the drama with Hikaru and the two evil girls were also interesting. The animation was very good in this series, nothing much else to say, it looked just as good as most other new animes and I was happy with it and thought all the characters looked detailed and well animated. Overall, I'd say this was a very good anime, it's a Shoujo-Ai anime and is more of a romantic drama (similar to a soap opera) which is not normally my thing, but I really liked it, and was enthralled with the characters, as well as all the drama and relationships that went on, and thought it was a sweet and touching show. It's not deep, or complex, but it all manages to work and turned out to be a really good watch. After seeing this I may end up giving Kannazuki No Miko a try as well...

I rented this movie at Blockbuster when it first came out a few years ago, and loved it. This introduced me to the world of Tenchi Muyo and I'm ever grateful for that. Apparently this movie is set sometime after the Tenchi tv series, and as such I was a little confused at first on all the characters and story, but quickly got into it and didn't mind too much afterward and just went with it. It explains abit of the history Tenchi's family and has quite a few twists and turns that keep the plot exciting. The plot itself sucks you in and is a touching, and funny adventure with some very nice action, especially the exciting climax. The animation and art work is very good and still remains top notch after all these years. Even if your a newcomer, like I was, the story and characters just draw you in so much that you don't care too much on the details of how these group of characters came together, the film never gets you lost or confused, but actually gets you really fascinated with these characters, their relationships and the events taking place. Speaking of the characters, they really are the highlight of the movie for me, they are witty, fun, very likable and each has their own distinctive personality that makes each one so enjoyable to watch on screen, whether it's the dimwitted airhead Mihoshi, the ever witty super genius Washuu, or the hot-tempered but lovable space pirate Ryoko. Surprisingly enough the english dub is excellent, I honestly can't imagine any other voices for these roles as the english cast fits perfect and the actors bring alot of personality to their roles. Not only does the film have it's share of suspense, and action, it is genuinely funny and oftentimes hilarious. I got a kick out of Ayeka and Ryoko's hilarious bickering fights and pranks, Kiyone and the troubles with Mihoshi's very ditzy attitude and antics. Some scenes were just too priceless and had me rolling with laughter. I just had a great time with every minute of it. A heartwarming, sci-fi adventure filled with lots of great suspense and action, and some nice twists. Definitely a fun and touching film for all anime fans, whether you've seen the series or not.

Caught Birdy The Mighty on tv quite a few years back. And I'm sure glad I did, because I loved it!The show is an excellent mix of sci-fi, humor, drama, action, and remains one of my all time favorite animes. The animation is solid and still looks great and has some nice visuals. It may be a few years old but it still looks crisp and colorful, then again this is done by Mad House, so naturally the animation is excellent and still holds up. The story starts out simple, but it grips you from the get-go and quickly takes off when we find out more about the villains and Birdy. Personally, I also found the story to be rather unique, and very creative, afterall it's not everyday you see any anime where a girl and guy share the same body. The action is top notch, and we get lots of it, with several very cool and superb fight scenes. The characters, especially Birdy herself is easily one of my favorite anime characters, she's quirky, witty, fun, smart, and everything you could want for a terrific heroine, even her english voice actor did a pretty good job (a pity the same can't be said for some of the other english dub actors like the guy who voices Tsutomu). The other characters are pretty interesting as well, besides Birdy my other favorite character was the delightfully charming and intriguing villainess Revi and would have liked to see more of her. I also enjoyed the fact that besides the action and sci-fi drama the show had a good dose of comedy mixed in as well, it had some genuinely funny scenes that had me laughing out loud. This show really does have it all and I'd wholeheartedly highly recommend this OAV to any anime fans or even newbies looking for a good sci-fi action/adventure. The only reason why I didn't give it a full ten score was because as awesome as it is, the series was way too short, and was left dangling with no real conclusion to the story. It was based off only an unfinished one volume manga at the time so thats probably why, but I was left wanting more, and a little disappointed at waiting to see the real conclusion to the story. Luckily the manga series was revived in 2003 with a 15 volume manga and now with the newly announced Birdy tv anime series coming out I may finally get to see the story completed the way it should have been.

Review coming soon.Basic summary-Started out as a good anime but got completely ruined by the shittiest ending in anime history.

Saw this anime on tv about ten years ago. Its an older anime so the animation is abit dated and it definitely doesn't look as good as the sequel Bloodlust, and its not as crisp or stylish but its not bad to look at or anything. The story is pretty good, though I didn't find it as interesting as Bloodlust. In this story there was a few cliche and boring moments that bring it down a little but other than that the story is very good and enjoyable and most of the characters are developed and very believable. I also really enjoyed the setting and atmosphere of the anime. D himself is very cool and different, and I thought the talking hand was a unique and creative touch.The villain though was abit boring (probably because of his boredom I ended up bored a little as well) for me, he was strong and is definitely not your typical all powerful baddie, but I didn't find him very interesting until towards the end.On the plus side though, once the anime gets going there's some nice action, and lots of blood to go around. The english dub I watched was all right for an anime of it's time, though no one really stood out in any of their performances. Overall I really liked this anime but it's not quite as good as Bloodlust which I enjoyed more so than this one. It's not the best anime I've seen and it's sequel Bloodlust is superior but it's one of the better 80's animes I've seen and its still a very enjoyable and solid anime that should be seen and enjoyed by most anime fans.

Being a fan of the first VHD, I rented this one at Blockbuster shortly after it came out. If ever there was an anime to prove that sequels can be better than the original, it's this one. Bloodlust improves on the original Vampire Hunter D in every way.First of all the animation is simply stunning and beautifully detailed. Everything looks darker, crisper, and the backgrounds are visual striking, and vastly help bring the settings and richly animated characters to life. D looks badder and stronger, and more like a vampire this time around, and the other characters look more defined, both elegent, beautiful and threatening at the same time, this is particulary true for the Countess herself, who is the primary villain of the film this time and is a much better villain than the Count in the original.The story and characters are much more compelling and intriuing this time as the intricately twisted plot weaves these characters together to tell a tragic and touching story where nothing is what it seems. The story has some surprising twists thrown in and is much deeper with it's various complex themes and its heart-warming yet tragic and dark love story, than the plot of the original. The characters are great and interesting, they are deep, original, sympathetic and much expanded upon this time and its these lively and unique characters that greatly help this touching, and haunting tale come to life.The action has also much improved upon and is better than before. Even though there is a little less action compared to the first one, somehow the action in this one is alot cooler, as its much more intense and faster paced this time and there is a great deal more blood too especially with the blood Countess as the main villain. Luckily the english dub is also better, the voices fit the characters very well, and stands out among being one of the better dubs. Overall I think this anime far outdoes that of the original, and is a classic must see anime.If you have to choose between this and the original I'd highly recommend going with this one as its alot better. A dark, and haunting, yet humourous, touching, and serious action packed tale that is simply captivating and mesmerizing.

Saw this one a few years ago and thought it was decent at best. The animation is alright but abit dull compared to better animes from the 90's. The story is intriguing but a little cliche, though its still interesting even if it does get abit disjointed towards the end. Still, the story and action/violence are about the only decent aspects of this anime. The action is fairly good and is fast paced, and there's some nice blood and gore to boot. As for the characters, they are pretty much either very boring or unlikable. I didn't like the main character that much, to be honest he really annoyed me more than anything. The girl was okay, but boring. She was the stereotypical needy damsel in distress and was dull. All, in all, the plot and action was the only real thing that kept me watching. The story may be alright and the action may be fast paced and violent, but that doesn't stop it from being a mediocre and entirely forgettable anime movie.

Laughing Target has the honor of being the first anime movie I ever watched.I watched it when I was about 13 and it was a big surprise for me to see a cartoon that was a very intense and creepy horror movie.Back then the only anime I had watched was Sailor Moon on tv,which back then I didn't even know was anime.This movie was really my first introduction into a whole new world of anime, and let me know just how mature it could be,and how different it was from the normal Saturday morning cartoons.I guess this is why Laughing Target will remain as one of my absolute favorite animes (perhaps even my top favorite) and why it made such a strong and lasting impression on me. This movie is very intense and suspenseful and just plain creepy and disturbing at times.The story is simple at first,girl becomes obsessed with a boy,but soon it becomes more than that,and gets a little more disturbing and much more intriguing.The characters are interesting enough and are typical,everyday normal characters that you like and feel for. However,the star of the anime is Asuka who is definitely not normal and is very unique. This girl is one of the most terrifying anime villains I've seen,and her powers can be downright disturbing at times.You don't really find out just what exactly these slugs and powers are, or where they really come from,but you do get some great backstory on Asuka's past that both raises and answers some questions.Perhaps its because her terrifying powers are so mysterious that it makes her even more interesting, and even more creepy and terrifying.Afterall, the less you know about your favorite psycho killer, the scarier and more menacing they are and thats true.All in all though,I'd say Asuka is one of my favorite villains,not to mention one of the most disturbing and creepiest,but is also one of the more intriguing.As for the rest of the OAV,the animation is slightly dated since it came out in 1989, especially on that of a VHS but it still manages to look pretty good despite its age and the subtitles are still really good and clear.I really hope it gets released on dvd one day,it could really benefit from it and would look even better if it was.Overall this was my first real horror anime and I still love it to pieces!It's intense,very suspenseful,there is never a dull moment and can be very disturbing and very creepy.Even though it seems to be a supernatural take on Fatal Attraction it still has a very interesting story that becomes abit more complex and twisted as it goes along.The main hero and heroine are more cliche and typical,but are still very likable, however the character of Asuka really steals the show and is a very psychotic and disturbing individual that is complex but mysterious, and she can be downright terrifying at times with all those slugs and her uncontrollable abilities.I definitely wouldn't want to meet her in a dark alley, or get on her bad side.If you love watching dark and twisted horror animes then I would highly recommend this movie.

Watched this two or three years ago, and it's an excellent anime.The story takes awhile to get going, and is a little repetitive at first with the group hunting down a new villain each episode, but thats only until around episode 10, when things really pick up, and thats when everything becomes much more interesting and involving. Personally speaking though I didn't mind the reptitive nature of the first ten episodes and was still able to enjoy each of them because I felt each episode brought more depth to each character and helped developed not just them but the relationships between each member of the team and Robin as Robin settles into this whole new group. It really takes the time to develop the friendships between Robin and the group as she struggles and learns how to fit in,control her powers and make friends with these virtual strangers.I think by doing this it made the characters much more realistic instead of her just fitting in and becoming friends with everyone right away, and it helps make their relationships more believable by having her gradually earn their trust and friendship and making some mistakes along the way. In the end having the first ten episodes be a little repetitive with a new villain, actually helped the series and characters before we got into the more serious parts of the story. And besides, I thought these episodes were still very fun and I rather enjoyed seeing some of the various unique powers and different witches that the team would track down and have to capture during the course of these episodes. Some people might be put off by the first ten episodes being kinda repetitious but for me I thought it was still very enjoyable, helped the character developments, and was a nice way to break the story up by having it by focus on various villains for the first ten episodes or so, and then getting into the more complex plot about them investigating the behind the scenes involvement of the mysterious and corrupt Organization they're working for.It kinda gave you a look at how their life is like working for this Organization hunting down witches, and then kinda turns it upside down by having them be the hunted and going after the Organization and finding out the secrets behind it. As for the animation, I thought the animation was unique and stunning. The way the characters were drawn were a little different from the typical anime character, but they looked very detailed, and somehow more realistic than other anime characters, which I really liked.I also thought the backgrounds and details were solid and rich, they had a nice mysterious and dangerous gothic feel to them that gave off a nice dark atmosphere which always keeps you wondering what is lurking around the corner. The fight scenes and action are plentiful, dramatic, and suspenseful, they're not over the top or as extreme as other animes but they are very well done, tense and great fun to watch, and I think will please most people watching.There is abit of violence, but it's nothing too graphic or extreme, they don't focus on blood or gore or show much of it, but I honestly thought this way a good thing. For me, it didn't need any blood or extreme violence and was perfect the way it was because it's a more mature anime series that focuses on the dark atmosphere and suspense as well as the characters and storytelling, rather than all out blood and guts. It's more akin to The X-Files with it's feel and approach, and I thought it was a welcome relief from the more graphic and gorey animes out there that I've enjoyed.Overall, I really enjoyed this series, I got into it so much I think I watched the whole 26 episodes over the course of two or three days because I liked it and was left hanging on the edge of my seat all the time waiting to find out what would happen next. Though the first ten episodes may be a little repetitive with the witch of the week/episode formula, they are still very enjoyable episodes that are rich in both subplots and character development as it takes the time to build the characters and relationships between them which makes you care for them even more and gets you involved in feeling for them and the events that happen.After these ten episodes the story really takes off, gripping you with the suspense and will leave you wanting to find out more until the very end.When the story does get going it becomes deeper and has some surprising twists and is very satisfying and well done. All in all, I thought it was an excellent series with great well developed characters, a fascinating and deep story, rich and stylish animation, and a good amount of action with a nice dark atmosphere and haunting gothic feel. Probably one of my favorites, and I'd highly recommend it.

Review coming soon...

Having seen this years before I watched Ninja Scroll, I have to say this one made a much better impression on me. I may be one of the only few, but I don't care, I really enjoyed this one and can't help but like it better than Ninja Scroll. I think its an underrated gem and definitely deserves alot more recognition because it's an excellent anime. Its a very dark and eerie action packed horror anime that is depressing and has a nice mysterious atmosphere. The story is very good and pretty intriguing. It was made before Ninja Scroll and is similar in some ways but is much more original with the story and execution, and just sucks you in more. The characters are great, they get abit of development here and there, and the villains are alot more creative and more menacing and dangerous. In my opinion, both the story and characters are more mature and more interesting and deeper than Ninja Scroll. Ninja Scroll was pretty good, but it was a senseless movie in some ways and I felt Blood Reign had more depth and imagination to it and wasn't as senseless as Ninja Scroll sometimes was. Moving on, the action is gritty, dark, violent, and the confrontations with the various yoma are much more satisfying and more drawn out and intense. There is more action and violence here imo, than Ninja Scroll, and its very cool. As you would expect from a ninja horror anime there is alot of blood and gore flying around. The anime was made in 1989 but the animation and artwork is still beautiful to look at and I like the designs of the Yoma much more than the ones in Ninja Scroll, these ones seemed abit more interesting, grotesque and creative. The music is also very haunting and atmospheric and creates a very suspenseful, dark and depressing but very creepy mood. Overall, I really enjoyed this anime, I saw this before Ninja Scroll and naturally just couldn't help make some comparisons, but I honestly just enjoyed this one alot more in many ways and think its one of the better animes to come out from the 80's and is a rare gem that is greatly unappreciated. With a well crafted, more mature and though-provoking story, intriguing characters and unique villains, along with the very dark and haunting atmospheric imagery with tons of cool intense action, and great animation, I would highly recommend this anime especially to those that liked Ninja Scroll as this is another horror ninja anime classic.

Review coming soon...