Angel's Anime Rating Guide

Riding high on the success of Tenchi Muyo , Pioneer, released the VHS version of Hakkenden ... The Hakkenden: The Legend of The Dog Warriors - A towering tale from the final years of Japan's last shogunate... a Japan untouched by the West and the Industrial Revolution... a time and a land in which supernatural forces still held sway over fierce samurai warriors battling to protect their clans. Adapted from the epic novel series of the Tokugawa period, this is the story of eight warriors... outcasts... raised in solitary childhoods, but curiously bound by the mystic beads they possess, each inscribed with a separate aspect of the Bushido, the Japanese character of perfection and unity. Alone, they are unbalanced and incomplete. Coming together one by one the warriors reach a state of harmony that allows them to fight and reclaim what is rightfully theirs. Now at last, these mysterious warriors are brought to vivid life through classic animation as could only be done by Pioneer

A long time ago, when VCRs still stalked the Earth, I picked up the VHS version of Hanappe Bazooka ... Hanappe isn't your average Japanese high school student. He doesn't study very hard; and when he's not fantasizing about girls, he spends most of his time hiding from the street gang whose favorite hobby is beating him up. All this changes one night when a pair of pan-dimensional beings step through his television set and proceed to turn Hanappe's life upside-down! The "demons" turn his house into a cross dimensional meeting ground and give Hanappe a very strange power... now his index finger is the most powerful digit on the planet, the Hanappe Bazooka!! Unfortunately, Hanappe's not very good at controlling it! Can two pseudo-demons in a flying saucer save him? The fate of the Earth may depend upon it in Go Nagai's wildest adventure yet! According to the Anime Review ... When it comes right down to it, Hanappe Bazooka is pretty irredeemable. It

A while back, I picked up the VHS version of Harmagedon ... From the depths of darkest space, two objects approach the planet Earth. The first, a mysterious asteroid, collides with the airplane of Princess Luna, who has been touched by an ominous premonition. In a flash, Luna is hurled into a pure psychic plane where she learns the truth behind her visions. The second approaching object is GENMA, an eternal, malevolent being who has already destroyed half the universe--- and Earth is now in his path! Her full mental abilities now awakened, Luna must form a defense against this irresistible force... a task billions have tried and failed to accomplish before her. One by one, Luna finds her champions across the glove. First, however, they must come to grips with their new abilities. Like Luna, the fledgling Earth warriors develop deadly psychic powers... and some are more capable of dealing with them than others. There to focus them all is VEGA, most powerful cyborg defender of a worl

In the not so early days on the U.S. anime industry, Software Sculptors released the VHS version of Here Is Greenwood ... Volume 1 Thou Shalt Love Thy Daily Life Meet Kazuya Hasukawa - he's just a regular teenager who wants to live a normal, peaceful life. But when his first love marries his older brother and moves into their house, Kazuya decides that he has to move out to preserve his sanity! Nagisa Hyper-Rhapsody Things go from bad to worse when he discovers he's been assigned to the strangest dorm on campus -- an asylum called "Greenwood" -- where all the weirdos, outcasts, and lunatics at the prestigious Ryokuto Academy reside. Experience life at Greenwood, where nothing is ever as it seems, especially the people. Can Kazuya and his classmates survive the insanity? Be sure not to miss any of the bizarre, but heart-warming episodes of Here is Greenwood. Volume 2 The Making of Here is Devilwood As Ryokuto Academy prepares for its annual school festival,

The Star Anime Enterprises release of  Homeroom Affairs  is among the most obscure and rarest of all official American anime releases... Part 1 I'll teach you a lesson you'll never forget Just try and stop this irrepressible 18-year-old! Tokiro Ehara has just landed a teaching job at an elite all-girl high school in Tokyo, and he's about to discover just how advanced his pretty pupils are - especially Miyako, an 18 year old coed with a mind all her own! Miyako's father asks Tokiro to watch over his daughter, but Tokiro soon begins to wonder, who's teaching whom? Inspired by the characters created by Ichiro Arima for the popular "Young Animal Magazine" comic strip "Tamin no Kankei", Homeroom Affairs, Part 1 is a learning experience in sexy Japanese-style comedy and romance! Part 2 I was born reckless Miyako's still hot for Teacher, but, hur ex-boyfriend wants to teach them both a lesson. Miyako and her teacher, Tokiro, have been living

More than ten years ago, I picked up Howl's Moving Castle ... In Hayao Miyazaki's latest animated masterpiece, journey beyond imagination and enter a "breathtaking fantasy world" (Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times) filled with adventure, humor and heart. Sophie, a quiet girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. The vain and vengeful Witch of the Waste, jealous of their friendship, puts a spell on Sophie. In a life-changing adventure, Sophie climbs aboard Howl's magnificent flying castle and enters a magical world on a quest to break the spell. I'm a fan of Hayao Miyazaki's work, but, not everything he produces is as entertaining as I might like. I have some vague recollections of Howl's Moving Castle . The animation is certainly top-notch and beautiful to look at, but, the story left me a bit bored. Ultimately, I gave  Howl's Moving Castl

Years ago, I picked up the VHS version of Humanoid ... Dr. Watson is a scientific genius who lives on one of Earth's distant outposts. The doctor's crowning achievement is Antoinette, a chrome-bodied android, whose altruistic programming seems to give her a heart of flesh. She commands a strikingly beautiful form and vast knowledge. Yet, she is as a child confronted by a world which seems to elude her intuitive grasp. The planetary governor Proud is not at all taken by Antoinette's charm. His only interest lies in the remains of an ancient high-tech society which could yield him the ultimate weapon! And when Proud discovers who possesses the final piece to unleashing this great power, Antoinette, Dr. Watson and his visiting transport crew find themselves fighting for their lives. Can the meager resources fielded by Dr. Watson and his friends thwart the megalomaniacal governor's pursuit of power, or will they instead be his first victims? And what of Antoinette and

Still riding high on the success of Tenchi Muyo , Pioneer released the VHS version of Hyper Doll ... Act 1 The Earth is, The Earth is in a Big Bind! When they were pursuing the mobile life forms, Doll Mica and Doll Mew landed on Earth. First, it seemed like a breeze to conquer their enemy. Now, however, because of their inexperienced strategy, their enemy has eluded them, they have destroyed properties and on top of that, they have encountered a new enemy called CHAOS and wound up stuck on Earth!! Now disguised as high school girls who call themselves Mew Fumizuki and Mica Minazuki, Mew and Mica are actually enjoying their new life on Earth. They often make fun of their buddy Akai, who is the only one who knows who Mew and Mica are. And they tease Shoko, who wants to know the secret of the Hyper Dolls. One day, when the dolls were lounging by the pool, they encountered "Kurage-man" (a jellyfish-like creature)! Akai managed to get rid of Kurage-man, but now a new enemy

I've had a soft spot for cat girls ever since I saw Nuku Nuku, so, naturally, when  Hyper Police  called out to me and said "buy me", I bought the first couple of volumes... Skilled and deadly bounty hunter Natsuhime Sasawara, a cunning blend of human and futuristic demon cat, protects the laws of humans and monsters. After a tragic accident, Natsuhime is teamed up by the Police Company with Sakura, a Nine-Tail Fox striving to achieve new magical powers. Blast into the future with this fast paced combination of science fiction, cop thriller, monster mayhem, and comical fantasy, now available for the first time in the U.S.! Volume 1 Bounty Hunter Natsuki Sasahara, a bounty hunter, is half human and half Nekomata (cat monster). In order to protect the laws and order of human beings and monsters, she fights against evil criminals as an employee of Police Company. Nine-Tail Fox? Sakura Appears Sakura is a Nine-Tail Fox who hasn't earned nine tails yet. She must g

I picked up the live-action movie, Ichi: The Killer and the corresponding anime, Ichi: Episode Zero ... Movie - Live Action Welcome to a world where violence is virtue and depravity a way of life. It is the underside of Shinjuku, and the home of Kakihara, a sadistic yakuza killer. The mastermind Jijii is an ex-cop bent on turning the gangsters of Japan against each other. His trump card is a physically powerful lunatic always on the verge of snapping. This madman is Ichi the Killer, and between him and Kakihara, the streets will bleed. Episode Zero - Anime The mind-shattering prequel to the hit cult thriller, Ichi the Killer! A masochistic mobster meets his match in the dark streets of Tokyo. His nemesis, Ichi, is a psychopathic killer with an unrelenting thirst for bloodshed. A horrifying secret burns in his mind, and his hands deal death without mercy. At last, the shrouds of mystery are parted to reveal the origin of the monster. The city will know its greatest fear at th

Long ago, when video tapes still stalked the Earth, I encountered part of the Iczer franchise when I picked up the VHS version of Iczelion ... Iczer Iczer One Part 1 The fate of Earth lies in the hands of an immensely powerful construct called Iczer 1. With the help of a seemingly normal Earth girl and the brute strength of Iczer Robo, she battles the evil forces of Big Gold! Part 2 In the concluding chapter of the Iczer 1 story-line, Nagisa is captured by the forces of evil in the guise of Iczer Two. Can Iczer One defeat the likes of Reddas and Blueba without her partner. The Complete This is the Iczer 1 "Movie" that was prepared by the Japanese some time back. It links the various parts of the Iczer 1 story together (in a slightly different order), and adds a few minutes of new footage to patch the entire thing together. It has nothing to do with Iczer 3 or Iczelion. Iczer 3 Act 1 When Iczer 1 defeated Big Gold, she thought the universe was at last safe.

I like strong female characters, so naturally,  Ikki Tousen  attracted my attention... Volume 1 Legendary Fighter Once again blood flows in the streets of Kanto. The eternal fate that has been handed down for over 1800 years is now being fought by ancient warriors who have been reincarnated into the students of the seven top schools. One such student, Hakufu Sonsaku, arrives on the scene and is rumored to be the legendary Shou-Haou (The one who is said to be the one to defeat many in battle). But can this blonde air-head with the overly-endowed assets actually be the legendary Shou-Haou? Volume 2 Historic Battles After her defeat by the honorable Taishigi, Hakufu takes it upon herself to fight even harder to reach the top. Even as the tournament's battles rage on, the head of each school plots to defeat the others by manipulating their pawns into battling each other. Will Hakufu become an unwitting tool, or will she be able to control the warrior spirit growing inside her

Just because Go Nagai's name was on the box, I picked up the VHS version of Iron Virgin Jun ... Family values like you've never seen them before! In the Asuka Family, nothing is more important then family tradition, but for their lovely young daughter Jun, it means she must get married on her 18th birthday! Now although poor little virgin Jun is not above kickin' some butt, she just can't stand the thought of marrying someone she just doesn't love. What's a girl to do? Unfortunately for her mother, who has gone through all sorts of machinations to auction Jun off to the highest bidder, she runs away with Kurate, a trusted servant. Convinced that Jun's aversion to marriage comes from her lack of familiarity with sex, Mrs. Asuka hires a gang to hunt down Jun and the missing servant. Their orders are to catch her and bring her back home, after having a little fun of their own with her to show her that sex isn't all that bad. Little do they know what a tou

Sometime ago, I picked up the VHS version of Irresponsible Captain Tylor ... TV Series Fans of well written and executed comedy-drama will love this series for its characters. Mecha fans will revel in the outstanding starship battles. Discover for yourself why this greatly under-appreciated show is a cult favorite! Justy Ueki Tylor is an unlikely candidate for commander of a space cruiser, no matter what kind of shape it's in. When confronted with a crisis which will certainly mean the death of everyone around him, you'll have a hard time just keeping him awake. And, in the future, crises abound! The entire United Planets Space Force is at war with the Raalgon Empire, and both sides are going to throw their entire resources behind the conflict! His immediate superiors hate him, and gave him this command with the idea that the crew (who have a reputation for going through captains) would rid them of this pest. His crew hates him as well, and many plan to dispose of him as

Join three cute girls as they fight monsters in order to get their hands on the Item ... "Behold the floating fortress of the Mighty Q'Thulu risen again from its slumber beneath the waves. Yeah... Let's kick some non-euclidean butt."... From the studios of White Radish comes a night in the life of three cute girls from all walks of life. As they face the forces of an unspeakable horror... Join Mecha, Jinx, and Bunni as they fight the unholy monstrosities in the twisted castle of the long-dead thing from ancient stars in order to get their hands on the Item... What is the Item? That's a surprise. With music by Vanilla Almond Creme. The Item centers on three girls, Mecha, Jinx and Bunni, as they fight monsters in an effort to reach the Item . What is the Item ? Take a peek and find out. The  Item  was made by animation studio, White Radish , using classic themes found in traditional anime. I was very impressed by the animators' effort. At approximately six m

I couldn't resit picking up the VHS version of Super Deformed Double Feature ... Parody is beloved the world over, but the Japanese take it a step further. Rather than wait for others to parody them, the creators of some of Japan's finest Anime go right ahead and do it themselves, using an exaggerated, "Super Deformed" style. Prepare yourself for an assault on your funny bone as Artmic, the creators of Bubblegum Crisis, Gall Force, and Genesis Survivor Gaiarth heap up a double-dose of dementia. In 1O Little Gall Force, they take you onto the set of the Gall Force movie, as the animated characters flub their lines, the special effects guys screw up, and the director pops blood vessels. Then in Scramble Wars, characters from all the famous Artmic series join together for a twisted takeoff of the Whacky Races. Also includes live-action interviews with the creators and voice actors, as well as special "making of the songs" segments. WARNING: Contains ridicu

A while back, I picked up Jewel BEM Hunter Lime ... The Magic Spheres are incredibly dangerous and powerful magical artifacts, capable of absorbing negative emotions and transforming everyday objects into monstrous BEMs (bug eyed monsters). So when a demon manages to scatter six of them through the gate between the World of Magic and Earth, someone's got to get them back. Unfortunately, that job falls to master of disguise (and fan-servicey costumes) Lime, the sometimes monstrous and generally lecherous monster hunter Bass, and their ooey-gooey shape-shifting slime companion Poogie, none of whom are probably the best choices for a task of such monumental importance and urgency. On the other hand, the whole situation is sort of their fault to begin with, and while their decision to infiltrate a Japanese high school may seem a bit oddly timed, at least it gets them a new friend in the form of cute but clueless schoolgirl Miyuki! Will this motley band of would be BEM hunters be

Years ago, I picked up the VHS version of Judge ... What comes around goes around... even from beyond the grave. Most criminals are only concerned with earthly justice - the laws of man. All too often, the guilty go free, their deeds unpunished. But there is another law. Deep within the spirit world, the wrongful dead seek retribution for the crimes against them by the living. These restless spirits have their own code of justice, and they've chosen the Judge of Darkness and his Demons of Hell to enforce them. An appeal for justice leads to an investigation of a successful, high-ranking corporate executive. Who would believe he'd be involved with embezzlement and murder? But the Judge of Darkness soon discovers that the roots of corruption run deep as he slowly works his way up the corporate pyramid. Yet, even the damned have rights as Judge and Defense struggle over a single soul before the mighty Ten Kings of Hell! Whomever wins, you can be dead certain that justice wil