Angel's Anime Rating Guide

I finally got to see The Man Who Came To Dinner in its entirety... A legendary Broadway tour de force comes to the screen with Monty Woolley's central performance in The Man Who Came to Dinner. And it's a turn well worth immortalizing. All goatish beard, snapping teeth, and plummy-voiced put-downs, Woolley fully inhabits the role of Sheridan Whiteside, a celebrated author and radio celebrity who gets waylaid by a cracked hip during a visit to small-town Ohio. Bossing the helpless homeowners and bewildered staff from his wheelchair, he quickly fills his hosts' house with his projects (including four penguins) and famous visitors (Ann Sheridan as a self-centered diva, Jimmy Durante as a comedian based on Harpo Marx).

Yesterday, I spent some time watching Ruin Explorers ... Get ready for the hottest fantasy adventure of the year and you won't need any magic cards or dungeon dice! The RUIN EXPLORERS are here and they're willing to do just about anything to make a buck! Move over Merlin! Back off Bilbo! When lovely young adventurers Fam and Ihrie take on a dangerous assignment to recover a fabled weapon of unbelievable power, an entire civilization is about to turn over on its foundations! If Fam can just stay focused for more than three seconds and if Ihrie can only get rid of that annoying curse, they might live long enough to squander the fabulous wealth they've been promised! It's a sizzling tale of cryptic conundrums, buried treasure, gorgeous girls in varying states of distress and undress, great prophecies and even bigger profit margins! Make plenty of room on your shelves for RUIN EXPLORERS, or be prepared to become just another relic of the past!

After reading a report on the Anime News Network about a contest to show off our otaku pride, I realized that my comfy little corner of the universe needed a bit of attention... I've got about 1,700 VHS tapes stacked on shelves that go floor to ceiling on three and a half walls. I've got about 1,600 DVDs that share shelf space with the VHS tapes. I've also got another 300-400 VHS tapes in storage boxes. As if that weren't enough, I have another 1,000 DVDs in another room. The numbers are approximate. I stopped counting in 2002 at about 2000 VHS tapes and 200 DVDs.

Well, I read in the trade papers that Geneon US has decided to cease operations as of September 28, 2007. What does this mean for me? I just developed an interest in Black Lagoon and it looks like any releases beyond this coming Friday (the 28th) are in doubt. The trade papers suggest that there might still be new titles forthcoming into November, but, I have my doubts. I've looked up Geneon's releases (past and upcoming) and found a handful of entries that I might look into before they disappear into the void. Among the soon to be departed: Haibane Renmei , Ergo Proxy , Chobits ...

I picked up the Freedom DVD hoping that it might play on my DVD player, but, sadly, my player doesn't recognize the disc. So, this particular title will have to sit on the bottom of the pile of unwatched anime. The plain white packaging isn't really any good and at 25 minutes and $40, Freedom is very short and very over-priced, but, the story seemed worth a shot. What a waste... Volume 1 In the 23rd century, mankind has fled earth and emigrated to the moon. The last outpost of civilization is the Lunar Republic of Eden, where the omnipresent Citizens Administration Council grants residents everything they need - except their freedom.

I picked up the Blackstar box set today. When his space shuttle is pulled through a black hole, astronaut John Blackstar finds himself crash-landing on the distant planet Sagar. There, he is rescued by the gentle Trobbits, a race small in stature but big in courage. Sagar's inhabitants are threatened by the brutal tyranny of the Overlord, a dark magician who possesses the Powersword, one half of the powerful Powerstar. Blackstar soon gains the other half of the weapon, the Starsword, and allies himself with others - the shape-shifter Klone, the sorceress, Mara, and a dragon named Warlock - to bring freedom and peace to Sagar.

Continuing my trip down memory lane, I've picked up The Secrets of Isis series box set. Oh Mighty Isis! She was Saturday morning's first live-action super-heroine, saving lives and stopping crime in a mini-skirt and go-go boots on The Secrets of Isis! When science teacher Andrea Thomas unearthed a lost treasure on an archaeological dig, she found that the mystical amulet endowed her with the powers given to the ancient Egyptian Queen, Isis! Now granted the powers of animals and the elements, Isis soars as the falcon soared, runs with the speed of gazelles, and commands the elements of the sky and the earth.

This past weekend I went to see The Bourne Ultimatum ... All he wanted was to disappear. Instead, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is now hunted by the people who made him what he is. Having lost his memory and the one person he loved, he is undeterred by the barrage of bullets and a new generation of highly-trained killers. Bourne has only one objective: to go back to the beginning and find out who he was. He must travel from Moscow, Paris, Madrid and London to Tangier and New York City as he continues his quest to find the real Jason Bourne—all the while trying to outmaneuver the scores of cops, federal officers and Interpol agents with him in their crosshairs.

I was out and about looking for new and wonderful anime and guess what came home with me instead... Working from within a secretive section of Space Academy, a daring soldier of fortune named Jason joins with his friends to combat the sinister forces that conspire to dominate the stars. Jason is aided on his missions by Commanders Carnavin and Stone, computer expert Nicole, strong alien Samantha, eccentric scientist Dr. E.J. Parsafoot, and two robots, Peepo and the portable W1K1. Together they face the evil machinations of Dragos - the self-proclaimed "Master of the Cosmos" - and his alien minions aboard the Dragonship.

I've been an anime fan for many years. But, before I was an anime fan, I was a comic book fan. I started out with DC, but, as I got older my tastes in comic books changed and I moved on to Marvel. Eventually, my tastes in comic books would change again and I moved on to independent releases.

I've just picked up Babylon 5: The Lost Tales ... Times change. Dangers remain. 10 years after he became President of the Interstellar Alliance, Sheridan prepares for a fateful Babylon 5 reunion that could prevent Earth's impending doom...if he will also compromise his core principles. Meanwhile, commander Lochley confronts an unexpected interloper on the way station - a being whose presence makes the B5 freeport the crossroads between heaven and hell. In Voices in the Dark, Series creator J. Michael Straczynski reunites with stars Bruce Boxleitner and Tracy Scoggins in two richly imagined stories set after the events of the original series. Richly imagined, too, is Straczynski's vision of the 23rd century (including a dazzling New York City) - a vision made more spectacular via filmmaking technology unavailable during the original series.

I've always had a soft spot for vampires. Today, I stopped by one of my favorite haunts and picked up the first four installments of the ten-part Hellsing Ultimate OVA series and the four volumes of the Hellsing TV series... Hellsing (TV) Volume 1 A secret war is brewing in the night - a war in which humanity is only a pawn. The mysterious Hellsing Organization deploys within the shadows to protect ordinary mortals from the undead legions that would prey upon us. Now, as the ghouls and vampires increase in number, they threaten the human police forces forcing the deployment of the Hellsing Organization's ultimate weapon - the rogue vampire, Alucard!

Recently, I picked up  Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya ... I thought that when I entered high school, my days of believing in aliens, time travelers and ESPers were over. That was, until she introduced herself. Claiming to be interested in only aliens, time travelers, and ESPers, Haruhi Suzumiya was the strangest girl I'd met in a long time... Before I knew what was going on, I'd been dragged into her weird club, and it looks like I'm not the only one who has been drafted into this 'SOS Brigade' of hers, because there are three other students here who don't seem to be so ordinary themselves. Either way, we've all found ourselves caught up in Haruhi's quest to search for all things extraordinary.

Recently, I took the opportunity to watch  Master of Mosquiton ... Life in the 1920's was a great adventure. And for Mosquiton, so was death. Once a terrifying vampire, Mosquiton ends up blood-bound to a seventeen-year-old treasure hunter, Inaho, who's obsessed with the secret of immortality. Inaho decides to drag Mosquiton around the world on a quest for the O-Parts, magic artifacts that can grant immortal life without the unpleasant side effects of vampirism. However, an army of ancient monsters stands in their way, along with Mosquiton's perpetually naked ex-wife of 300 years!

I picked up  Parasite Dolls ... In a world where perfect androids called Boomers have infiltrated every aspect of society, it's the job of Branch to maintain peace between the people and the plastic. Unfortunately, not all boomers are created perfect, and when boomers go bad, people die... The thin blue line that separates man from machine is about to meet its most horrifying test in Parasite Dolls.

I took the opportunity to watch Paniponi Dash ... Volume 1 Lethal Lesson The good news? She's an MIT grad. The bad news? She's an 11-year-old MIT grad. So while Becky Miyamoto may be intellectually able, this MIT prodigy is painfully ill-equipped to deal with a group of temperamental teens - especially THIS group. There's the bitchy heather, the spazz, the angry nerd, the identical twins, the invisible girl, the freaky class president, the drama geek, the Nancy Drew, the gamer, the princess... Whew! Add to that her pathetically abused stuffed bunny buddy and idiotic aliens watching her every move and it's no wonder that Becky's prone to crying fits, tirades, and flipping the class the bird.

Recently, I took the opportunity to watch  Gantz ... Volume 1 Game of Death The last thing Kei remembers is the train running over his body, crushing him. Now he finds himself in a room filled with strangers, all recently deceased, all resurrected by the strange black sphere known only as Gantz. Their reprieve from death may only be temporary, however. Unless they complete the brutal missions that Gantz assigns, none of them will live long enough to leave the room. Is this strange "afterlife" real, or just a dream? All Kei and the others know is that if they fail the mission, they will all die again.

I picked up Blame on DVD... 3,000 years have passed since the future was buried. Countless armies of machines are all that remain of human civilization. Without orders, they rebuild and build, swallowing up the Earth, Moon, and the entire solar system within the intricate steel and concrete levels of the Megastructure. Within the environment the silicon creatures have come to exist. All that has been known about them until now is their goal: Invade the Netsphere; eradicate all organics! Our only weapon is a salvaged data disc from the engineer Cibo containing information that might allow humans to restore order to the world.

I took the opportunity to watch  Riding Bean ... Got a problem? Call in the professional: Bean Bandit. For a price, he'll risk life and limb to deliver the goods. Seems such a pity that his latest charge isn't quite what it appears to be! In Chicago, ace courier Bean Bandit rules the road, and operates on both sides of the Law. "When it absolutely, positively, has to be there NOW," Bean Bandit is your man -- if you can afford his rates.

I took the opportunity to watch Steel Angel Kurumi ... Series One Volume 1 Angel on My Shoulder Steel Angel Kurumi was the most powerful creation ever invented. Designed by a brilliant mind, using otherworldly technology, bred for military use, the Steel Angel's intent was as revolutionary as it was mysterious. But when a young boy accidentally awakens the Steel Angel Kurumi, he becomes her Master and science and strategy are thrown a curve. Now this multi-million dollar soldier is taking orders from a boy - and other forces are not happy about it. So Kurumi and her young master must seek out a secret lab and discover dangerous answers. Namely, why was Kurumi created in the first place? What is her true purpose? And why is a mysterious organization activating other beautiful, seductive, and powerful Steel Angels to destroy her? Steel Angel Kurumi features breathtaking animation from acclaimed studio O.L.M.

I watched  Sin Sorority ... A plucky coed dreams of new friends and college glory days. Her dream becomes a raunchy reality when she's inducted into an erotic sorority. To become a member, she performs outrageous acts of debauchery as her sexy sisters instruct her in the arts of lust!

Recently, I picked up  Black Lagoon ... Series One Volume 1 Rokuro Okajima is a meek, mundane and metropolitan man on a business trip to South East Asia. But things quickly go from pleasure cruise to festival of pain when modern day pirates board the ship and take him hostage! Revy, Dutch and Benny are merciless, maniacal and mean and together, they make up the crew of the Black Lagoon. A mercenary group has hired them to steal a data disc Rokuro was carrying and with it, classified information that threatens the peace and security of the entire world!

I picked up UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie ... Season One Volume 1 Bedlam, Bathhouse and Beyond Despite his parents' protests, Kazuto Tokino has taken it upon himself to run his late grandfather's bathhouse. But with no previous management experience, Kazuto must rely on his sunny disposition to keep his new business afloat. And when the alien Princess Valkyrie destroys the bathhouse, mortally wounding Kazuto in the process, dark clouds seem poised to rain on his parade of optimism.

I have a custom designed search engine on my site. It was built using a lot of JavaScript and an offline database powered by some custom designed data management software. Lately, I've come to the realization that the overhead required for this undertaking is a bit more than I can manage. In trying to find an alternative to my own search engine, I've been looking into the feasibility of third-party site search services. By the way, the image for this post is the  Internet Explorer  mascot,  Inori Aizawa .

I took a break from anime and stuff and I went to see 300 over the weekend. The epic graphic novel by Frank Miller (Sin City) assaults the screen with the blood thunder and awe of its ferocious visual style faithfully recreated in an intense blend of live-action and CGI animation. Retelling the ancient Battle of Thermopylae it depicts the titanic clash in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his massive Persian army. Experience history at swordpoint.

Recently, I took the opportunity to revisit Rock and Rule ... In this acclaimed, animated rock and roll feature, Angel, a member of a punk rock band in the post-apocalyptic future, is kidnapped by Mok, a legendary superocker. Obsessed with a dark experiment, Mok plans to use Angel's voice to summon a demon from another dimension. The rest of the band follows Mok to Nuke York in an attempt to rescue her and then the ultimate battle of good versus evil begins.

Recently, I picked up Night Shift Nurses ... If you're feeling down, the night shift nurses will perk you up! A new doctor is coming to train these novices to really open up to their patients. Training is intense, but the nurses will do their duty to get to the bottom of any ailment, and rectify the situation with tender loving care. Patients are hard to please, but in the end the lovely staff will rise to the occasion. You'll shake, sweat, and suffer from a racing heart for the hottest hospital helpers you've ever seen!

Yesterday, I was poking around one of my usual haunts and discovered that after several months of inactivity, the site had been updated. There was a new flash animation available for viewing and I thought that it was good enough to be added to my personal animation collection. Sometimes, saving a flash animation can be as simple as using the File > Save functionality in the browser. But, in this case that didn't work. I recovered a flash animation file, but, it was unusually small. After investigating the source code for the page I began to suspect that the flash file I had recovered was some sort of animation loader and not the actual animation file.