Rurouni Kenshin review
Matt SchleyJust how much can a film hope to accomplish in two hours? Some hone in like a laser on one thing, seeking to make us laugh or cry, to make a point or defend a point of view, to create an atmosphere, or to thrill …Read more »
Anime
The Vault of Error – Char’s Counterattack
Paul Thomas ChapmanOne does not care to acknowledge the mistakes of one’s youth. I admit it. I cosplayed once, back in the days when all you needed to pretend to be your favorite anime character was some felt and a little fabric glue and more enthusiasm than …Read more »
Tokusatsu – Special Effects Exhibition
For the last ten years, Studio Ghibli (who really need no introduction, but just in case: Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro ) have been holding exhibitions at Tokyo’s Museum of Contemporary Art. This year, the studio invited famed anime director Hideaki Anno ( …Read more »
The Wolf Children Ame and Yuki
A young college student falls for a quiet, mysterious boy in class. They spend time together, growing closer, until one day he reveals his secret: he’s half-wolf, able to transform at will. Instead of being afraid, the girl, Hana, embraces his difference, and soon they …Read more »
Third Berserk Film to Open in January
The third and final film in the new Berserk trilogy, Descent , is set to open in January 2013, according to the film’s official website. The trilogy, animated by Studio 4°C, adapts the “Golden Age” arc of the popular fantasy manga. Studio 4°C’s Berserk triptych …Read more »
The Vault of Error – Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
Many years ago, when I was a lowly assistant-manager-in-training at Video USA Store #16 in Tarpon Springs, Florida, my supervisor, Stacy, once told me something profound. As we discussed film as an art form, Stacy looked me square in the eye and said, “Paul, sometimes …Read more »
Set a Date with Natsuyuki Rendezvous
Joseph LusterIt's a bit strange to say considering the varied style of shows on Fuji TV's late-night noitaminA anime block, but the second I saw images and trailers for Natsuyuki Rendezvous , I knew where and when it would be airing. Thankfully, the subject matter also …Read more »
Toonami’s Return: A Gateway Reopens
Adult Swim's Toonami block is one of those things that doesn't seem as old as it really is, so I initially found all the nostalgic pining for it sort of puzzling. This new wave of nostalgia hit its peak when Cartoon Network pulled a calculated …Read more »
Ranma ½: Big Trouble in Nekonron, China
Ranma ½ used to mean something. It was a cornerstone of my early anime fandom, a show that hearkened back to an age long before high-speed Internet and digital distribution, before even the rise and decline of the DVD. It was an example of what …Read more »
Walking the Kimagure Orange Road
Erin FinneganA little over a decade ago, everyone was trading fansubs of Kimagure Orange Road . In 2002, I borrowed a milk crate of VHS tapes from a friend and watched my way through the 1987-1988 TV series, followed by Kimagure Orange Road: The Movie . …Read more »
The Vault of Error: Appleseed
In the near future, there is only war. Well, war and a metropolis run by beautiful, emotionally-supressed human clones known as Bioroids. This isn't Warhammer 40K we're talking about here. It's Appleseed , the big budget (by Japanese standards) CG-animated film from 2004 with more …Read more »
The Vault of Error: Wasted XIII
The near future: A cargo plane crashes in Tokyo Bay, scattering debris as it plummets from the sky. Among the wreckage is a ruptured container belonging to a biological research firm—a container that seems to have been torn open from the inside out. Some time …Read more »
Opening Up Gainax’s Medaka Box
Medaka Box follows the misadventures of the Hakoniwa Academy Student Council, ruled with a power-loaded fist by first-year student and fresh elect Medaka Kurokami. The premise is pretty straightforward: folks pop problems in the suggestion box, and Medaka and her council work to resolve the …Read more »
Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine
Daryl SuratFour years ago, back in 2008, first-time anime series director Sayo Yamamoto debuted with Michiko and Hatchin , a phenomenal television show with solid characterization and a distinct visual and aural style that in my mind seemed like a no-brainer for US release. I was …Read more »
First Look at Kids on the Slope
The year is 1966, and Kaoru Nishimi's move from Yokosuka to Kyushu is a bit of a culture shock. Suddenly this honor roll student is inserted into a world that he hardly understands. Seriously, that Kyushu dialect is tricky. It's clear from frame one that …Read more »