Ocean Waves ( Umi ga Kikoeru , aka I Can Hear the Ocean ) is a made-for-TV animated movie from Studio Ghibli that was first shown on TV in Japan on May 5, 1993. It’s long been considered the “lost” Studio Ghibli film because it …Read more »
When I started reading Dragon Girl , I thought it would be a girl-power story about a high school girl joining a cheering squad that up till then only allowed boys. That didn’t end up being the case. In the first volume , Rinna starts …Read more »
In some ways, Ai Ore! is difficult to pin down and I had mixed reactions to it. It’s a relationship story, and the main boy in it (Akira) looks like a girl and the main girl in it (Mizuki) looks like a boy. It’s a …Read more »
Shuichi is a young singer/songwriter in want of a muse to assist the launch of his professional career. Yuki is a brooding novelist who needs someone to help him overcome his troubled past. Their prayers are answered when they find each other, even though their …Read more »
Ah, Macross . One of the great titans of Japanese animated science fiction, this space opera about jet planes that fly in outer space, transform into robots, and fire swarms of missiles amidst a backdrop of interspecies warfare and love triangles involving pop music idol …Read more »
Fans of Wataru Yoshizumi's romantic-comedy shojo manga Ultra Maniac will be pleased to find the anime adaptation officially streaming and available for download starting today. Viz Media, who also publishes the manga, has kicked things off with the first of 13 season one part one …Read more »
Del Rey really likes Natsumi Ando this month. They’re releasing two new series from her on the same day: first the mystery Arisa and then the romantic comedy Wild @ Heart . Though both series are from the same creator and have similar art, their …Read more »
Ever since Spirited Away took the Oscar in 2000 for Best Animated Picture, Studio Ghibli seemed to have hit a creative doldrums. Howl’s Moving Castle was pleasantly forgettable, Tales from Earthsea was execrable; and Ponyo was overall delightful but disappointing for those expecting something meatier. …Read more »
“A hapless, average guy finds himself surrounded by beautiful women, all of whom love him inexplicably for simply existing and have one or two defining personality traits. The guy lacks the backbone to pick just one girl, so he’s content to keep things as they …Read more »
For anyone that wasn't already "in the know," Matsuri Hino's Vampire Knight manga is pretty darn popular around these parts. I don't mean specifically here , but in the US in general. With that in mind, it's reasonable to assume the anime will enjoy similar …Read more »
Dedication, loyalty, and an unstoppable will to serve. It could be a fanatical religion, a really serious waitressing gig, or an incredibly unhealthy crush. In the case of Shattered Angels, it's almost a combination of all three as Kuu Shiratori and company learn their fate. …Read more »
I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing on a Friday night than checking out a new movie from Katsuhito Ishii (one of my favorite directors -- Japanese or otherwise), so it was pretty sweet that NEW PEOPLE in San Francisco offered anyone who …Read more »
"Wait," you say, "is this a shojo review from the guy that's normally waxing poetic over dudes beating each other up and other such manly manga madness?" Yes, it is; everyone needs a change of pace from time to time, okay? Now that the ever-so-suspect …Read more »
Viz Media is preparing for their simultaneous debut of the new manga by Rumiko Takahashi ( Ranma 1/2 , Inuyasha ), which will be posted to a new site the publisher just launched on the same day the chapter is published in Japan. Viz's updates …Read more »
If anything has significant meaning in Japanese culture it is bound to be immortalized in a manga. Trains have been a part of the Japanese comics scene since its beginning. You can see them play a pivotal role in Tatsumi's gekiga classic the Pushman . …Read more »
Brian Camp
Danica Davidson
Daryl Surat
Joseph Luster
Fernando Ramos
Emily Balistrieri
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