Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Rental Magica...

I picked up Rental Magica recently. I've heard good things about the series and as it happens, it also bears some similarity to another series that I enjoyed -- Phanton Quest Corp. (You-Gen-Kai-Sya).
Destroying supernatural monsters... Dispelling dark magic... It's all in a day's work for the mages of Astral! However, after the mysterious disappearance of the company president, they're left in a lurch. His son, Itsuki Iba, begrudgingly fills in, but Itsuki's unfamiliarity with magic could spell bad news for Astral - especially with their rival Goetia vying for the very same contracts. As the jobs grow ever more dangerous, they soon find that staying in business is the least of their worries.
I would like this series to succeed, but, the distributor -- the Right Stuf -- has not had a very good track record with its releases in the past. Some releases, like Irresponsible Captain Tylor, I really, really enjoyed, while others, like Ai City, Godmars and Towards the Terra left me feeling a bit less than impressed.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Revisiting Roujin Z...

Years ago, I used to have the dubbed VHS version of Roujin Z and it was not half bad. But, recently, well after the apparent demise of Central Park Media (the U.S. distributor), I happened to come across the DVD, so, I decided to bring it home with me.
Roujin ZWritten and designed by Katsuhiro Otomo - the director of the ground breaking film Akira - and featuring the top names in Japanese animation industry - Director Kirohuki Kitakubo (Patlabor - The Movie, Black Magic M66), and Animation Director Fumio Lida (Wings of Honneamise)!

An elderly invalid, Takazawa, is volunteered for a bizarre experiment that may revolutionize care for the elderly - despite the protests of his young nurse, Haruko. The Z-001 is supposed to be the ultimate surrogate nurse - it can monitor, bathe, feed, exercise, and provide entertainment by linking with the patient's brainwaves.

However, the capabilities of the mechanical caregiver grow beyond the designer's original plans when it attempts to satisfy Takazawa's every need. Responding to his whim, the Z-001 transforms into a bizarre, unstoppable robot - which smashes out of the hospital and battles its way through police barricades en route to the beach! However, one of the designers has a hidden agenda and unveils a secret military prototype of the Z-001 - Codenamed: Alpha. The only person who can rescue Takazawa from the over-protective grip of the Z-001, and Alpha, is the person who knows him best - Haruko.
Last night, rather than watch the President's State of the Union address, I decided to revisit Roujin Z. The animation quality appears somewhat dated, but, overall the title still manages to hold its own. Of course, Roujin Z is a bit silly near the end, but, still very enjoyable.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Princess Resurrection...

Recently, I picked up Princess Resurrection...
Hiro Hiyorimi is an orphan who goes to live with his sister Sawawa, the caretaker of a creepy old mansion. He ends up saving the life of the mansion's resident, who turns out to be a princess of the monster kingdom - and his new master.
I've seen the first few episodes and, so far, it seems very interesting. I'm not sure yet, if I need to have two volumes of the series, but, so far, it's not bad.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Spice and Wolf...

I picked up the Season 1 set of Spice and Wolf last week...
Lawrence, a traveling merchant searching for profit, finds a naked girl with the ears and tail of a wolf asleep in his cart. Her name is Holo - a harvest goddess with an untamed beast lurking inside who longs to return to her beloved northern home. Armed with his street smarts and her animal instincts, a simple peddler and a forgotten deity begin a journey through the wild countryside. Along their path, the riches of happiness shall be reaped, even as the bankruptcy which dwells in the human heart is exposed.
I've always had a soft spot for cat girls. It remains to be seen if that soft spot extends to wolf girls. I've seen a few episodes and so far, it seems fairly intriguing.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Evangelion 1.01: You Are (Not) Alone...

I've just seen the relaunch effort of Evangelion...
Tokyo-3 still stands after most of civilization was decimated in the Second Impact. Now the city endures the ceaseless onslaught of the deadly Angels, bizarre creatures bent on eradicating the human race. To combat this strange and ruthless enemy, the government agency NERV constructs a fleet of towering humanoid machines - the Evas - and Shinji Ikari is called into action, reluctantly taking his place at the controls of Eva Unit 01.

Living a life of loneliness and questioning his existence, Shinji struggles to accept responsibility for mankind's battle for survival. Shinji will fight the Angels alongside the only person who might understand his plight - Rei Ayanami, the elusive and frail pilot of Eva Unit 00.

 

Original RamielNew Ramiel
Based on the 1995 anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, Evangelion 1.01: You Are (Not) Alone features a similar and somewhat condensed storyline of the first three volumes of the original with updated sound and images. My favorite angel is still Ramiel, who gets a serious upgrade in the relaunch. Even though, the story is essentially the same as the original, I'm still very pleased with the relaunch.