Angel's Anime Rating Guide

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 ... The Haibane, who look like angels with halos and small wings, share a walled town with humans. Both groups are forbidden to leave. Rakka awakens from a portentious dream when she emerges from a huge cocoon as Haibane. She was apparently human once, but can only remember fragments of that existence. She quickly settles into Old Home, a former dormitory where the Haibane live when they're not

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. His mandatory education complete, 15-year-old Takeru is in a six-month period of freedom while the Council determines his social status. Uneasy about the future, Takeru and friends decide to race their customized Lunar Terrain Vehicle in the ultimate tube race! Volume 2 During routine maintenance on the lunar surface, Takeru finds a stran

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. I was about 12 years old when Blackstar aired. Blackstar was an influential 1981 cartoon that was Filmation's answer to Thundarr the Barbarian and is considered to be the direct predecessor to He-Man. It imbued sword and sorcery fantasy with science-fiction and it lasted a mere 13 episodes but it's format became the nucleus of the successful Maste

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. Although her secret identity is unknown to even her closest friends, fellow teacher Rick Mason, or students Cindy Lee and Renee Carrol, Andrea uses her powers as Isis to stop criminals, save lives, right wrongs, and teach valuable lessons... sometimes with the aid of fellow hero Captain Marvel (Shazam!). Now available on DVD for the first time, the entire two seasons of

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 had seen the first two installments and I was sure that the third installment was going to be just as good as the first two. In this installment, Jason comes home to the U.S. and matches wits with agents bent on his capture and destruction. Like the earlier incarnations, this installment features exotic locations, fantastic figh