Angel's Anime Rating Guide

Sometime ago, I picked up the VHS version of Burn Up ... Maki, Reimi, Yuka. To the unsuspecting eye they may not look like an ace crime fighting team, which might explain why these lovely young ladies have been assigned to the traffic squad instead of something more "exciting". Of course, the fact that they're NOT an ace crime fighting team might have something to do with it as well. That doesn't mean they don't have the ambition, however, so when Maki's boyfriend Kenji and his partner Banba get the assignment of proving that influential businessman Samuel McCoy is actually the head of a white slavery ring, our three heroines decide to launch a private investigation, using their own luscious bodies as bait while they troll for clues among the city's sinister labyrinth of discotheques. Unfortunately, the plan backfires and poor Yuka ends up on the "Market" herself! With the rest of the police department paralyzed by conflicting orders from "

When VCRs still stalked the Earth, I picked up the VHS version of Burn Up W ... File 1 Skin Dive High-tech crime is running rampant in Tokyo but a special S.W.A.T unit "Warrior" is ready to hit the streets. In File 1: Skin Dive, a group of terrorists take over a luxury hotel and it's up to Special Weapons And Tactics Team Warrior to get the hostages out alive. Of course, the first step in handling terrorists is to lull them into believing that they're the ones in control of the situation, and if that means granting a FEW unreasonable demands, well that's a small price to pay, right? At least that's what Warrior Team member Rio keeps telling herself as she prepares to make the world's highest nude bungee jump. You won't believe the lengths to which the forces of justice will go in Burn Up W! - File 1: Skin Dive! The battle for the streets of Tokyo is about to begin! File 2 Search for the Virtual Idol Rio and the rest of the Warrior team are back

A while ago, I picked up Burst Angel aka Bakuretsu Tenshi ... Volume 1 Death's Angel A new law's been passed in Tokyo. Ordinary folks are now allowed to freely carry firearms; shoot, they're even legally allowed to use'em. You might think that crime would increase, and you'd be right. But the arrest rate's gone down. After all, the only prison a dead man needs is a hole in the ground. All thanks to RAPT. The Recent Armed Police of Tokyo is stealing away jurisdiction from the local authorities quicker than a bullet leaves a barrel. What that means is that folks are getting desperate. And desperate people with itchy fingers mean more bodies in the streets. Now, I'm not sure if she came from up above or somewhere way down below, but an angel's just come to Earth. She's an enigma, but with her partners Sei, Amy, and Meg, she's the best chance this town's got. Her name's Jo. And there's a new sheriff in town. Volume 2 A New Tokyo

When VCRs still stalked the Earth, I picked up the VHS version of Buttobi CPU aka I Dream of Mimi ... Akira's a normal guy ... well, normal if you ignore the fact he sometimes forgets there's a world outside of cyberspace and doesn't always notice that boys and girls really are different. His life takes a rather dramatic turn one day however when he ventures out into the sun to buy his own computer, and winds up with something a bit more than he bargained for. Her name is Pixie. To say that Akira isn't terribly experienced when it comes to females is an understatement, but it's a safe bet that most would be in the same position as far as this girl is concerned. Pixie's one in a million ... but not the only one like her. The only thing for sure is that Akira's life just got a lot more complicated, and while Pixie's really trying to help she isn't always able to. The world's a pretty big place, as Akira is about to discover ... and not all of

Years ago, I picked up the VHS version of Capricorn ... In the blink of an eye, high school student Taku Shimamura finds himself transported to the bizarre world of Slaffleaze, where intelligent creatures govern and the ruling class, led by the villainous Zolba, is plotting the invasion of the world they know as Capricorn... the Earth! Joining together with the oppressed Slaffleaze peasants, Taku must find a way to stop Zolba's dark forces before the way to the unsuspecting Earth is opened. In order to do so, he must first gain the love and trust of the last of the Yappie, the ancestral guardians of Slaffeaze. This is a task that will take more than a little courage and daring, for the last Yappie is not just a cute young female, she's also a dragon! Oh my goodness... cute critters are threatening the Earth. A boy (well... not really) and his half-dragon sweetheart are all that stand between the Earth and certain doom. It's another (even more bizarre) romantic comedy/adv

Way back when video rental stores were all the rage, I came across a handful of English dubbed episodes of  Captain Future ... It has long been believed that our solar system was made up of the sun and ten planets. Instead of the nine you see in the heavens. Astronomers have speculated that the asteroid belt of rocks and debris that circles the sun in orbit near Mars is the remains of an ancient tenth planet. Legend says this world was part of our own solar system and was a neighboring planet to Mars and the Earth. The planet was called Prometheus- named for the Greek god who stole fire from King Zeus and gave it to mankind. It is said that a great civilization once flourished on Prometheus. As Captain Future and his crew were coming to the conclusion of a routine training mission, they would not have thought that fate was to lead them to learn the truth of the tenth planet -- Prometheus. Over twenty years ago, I came across a handful of English dubbed episodes of the ZIV Internati

I'm NOT a  Captain Harlock  fan, but, in all fairness, I did have to try out a few TV episodes just to make sure... Volume 1 Above the Lake Visiting his best friend's daughter, Mayu, on her birthday, the Space Pirate Captain Harlock falls into the clutches of his arch enemy Commander Kirita. Meanwhile, who is ravaging the Earth from space and what is that dark sphere on a collision course with Earth ? Flying from the Unknown As Captain Harlock battles against the alien Space Pirates who are destroying Earth's food supply, he and Dr. Daiu uncover the secret of the alien sphere. But, will Earth's government believe Captain Harlock and listen to his warning? According to The Complete Anime Guide by Trish Ledoux and Doug Ranney (page 87). ISBN# 0-9649542-5-7: Select episodes from the 42-episode Space Pirate Captain Harlock TV series... The four episodes on tape were dubbed by ZIV International in the early '80s as promotional samples for marketing the seri

Sometime ago, Cat Soup was released with a  Liquid Art Pack ... When little kitten Nyaako's soul is stolen by Death, she and her brother Nyatta embark on a bizarre journey to get it back. In the surreal dreamscape of the Other Side, they encounter many fantastic characters and remarkable, often disturbing adventures. Rich with psychotic imagery, this anime is unlike anything you've ever seen before. "It's Hello Kitty on acid!" Won double prizes in the 6th Fantasia Film Festival: "Best Short Film" and "Film Critic's Association Prize". Also, winner of the 2001 Agency for Cultural Affairs' "Excellence Prize" at Japan's Media Arts Festival. A Limited Edition version was released with a special Liquid Art Pack , and was limited to 10,000 copies in existence! The pack is filled with oil, a red substance... and two Cat Soup kitties floating around in it.  Cat Soup is basically an art film along the lines of Allegro Non

Way back when VCRs still stalked the Earth, I picked up the VHS version of Chimera: Angel of Death ... A turn of the century tale of evil and beauty! Her name is Rei. Her code name: Chimera. The dark wasteland of the underworld is her home. People call her many things, but she is always known as an angel of death. Where Rei treads, she leaves nothing but death and grief. An expert marksman, a silent assassin, and more woman then meets the eye, but her dark secret will soon be exposed. Is this her fate for all eternity? Trapped in her own private hell of death and destruction. Where did she come from? How much longer can she continue to kill, searching for the key that will free her from her mysterious past, and her unknown future. With stunning animation and plot twists that will keep your head turning, Chimera is certain to be an instant hit!  Chimera revolves around a hit-woman with a difference. This is one of KITTY's few good releases. There's more than a little skin, a

A while back, I picked up Chobits ... Volume 1 Persocom A Boy's first computer. A country boy from Hokkaido, Hideki arrives in the big city (Tokyo) to go to college. Instantly, he is shocked and amazed by the variety and prevalence of Persocoms: personal computers designed to look and act like animals or even people! Too poor to afford one of his own, Hideki is overjoyed to discover a discarded Persocom in a trash heap. However, this gift of fate turns into a mystery as his Persocom, Chi, appears to be able to operate without her OS. How real is real? Volume 2 The Empty City While Hideki studies for cram school he also learns many things about Chi. Some books have a strange effect on her, she requires charging, and keeping a chobit unit can be expensive! Chi decides to get a job to help out with the bills, but when her "good job" turns out to be in a peepshow, the shocking outcome will be more than anyone can handle! How will Chi's dark side affect their fut

Years ago, I picked up Chrono (Chrno) Crusade ... Volume 1 A Plague Of Demons The year is 1928. Jazz is hot, bootleg liquor is king and the idle rich of a nation have discovered a horrifying new past time: summoning demons! To combat this growing threat, a new order of Holy Warriors has arisen. This is the story of Sister Rosette, an elite Exorcist in the Order of Magdalene, whose soul has been bound by alchemy to that of the devil Chrono. Armed with Sacred ammo, Rosette and Chrono form an unstoppable team, ready to wage war at a moments notice... because when the gates of hell are opened, someone has to put the devils back! Volume 2 Holy War Chrono and Rosette are back, and there's a whole new legion of the damned out to get them! But this time they've got a little help in giving the devils hell, as Azmaria and a new demon hunter join the fight. Unfortunately, there are bigger, badder demons yet to come, and when the devil who kidnapped Rosette's brother resurf

Sometime ago, I picked up the subtitled VHS version of City Hunter ... Movies The Motion Picture A mysterious soldier known only as Professor plots his revenge on the government that betrayed him and Tokyo is brought to its knees! Unless the government pays Professor an impossible ransom, downtown Tokyo will be completely destroyed, and the Professor's beautiful sister will be the first to go! Only City Hunter, expert detective and shameless ladies' man, can keep Tokyo from being blown sky high! The bullets fly furiously, and the women have never been more tempting as City Hunter takes it to the edge in this action-packed animated feature. Explosive action will rock your senses as you witness City Hunter's greatest challenge ever! .357 Magnum A beautiful pianist comes to Tokyo for a charity concert, and City Hunter is there. But music isn't his forte. He wants lessons in the language of love. Desperation becomes the word of the day as the bodies start

A while ago, I picked up the VHS version of Clamp School Detectives ... Clamp Institute, where the best and brightest go to learn. Can Nokoru, Takamura, Rei, and their CLAMP Detective Group lend a helping hand to those in distress? Volume 1 Not even the bright and talented minds of CLAMP School can keep the campus free of crimes and mysteries. Or can they? Join Nokoru, Suoh, and Akira, our case-cracking kid detectives, as they save the day and even the odd damsel in distress! In this installment, the gumshoe trio face an evil realtor, a locked room thief, a hidden treasure, and... APPLE PIE!? Volume 2 Akira hears that Suoh used to avoid Nokoru three summers ago. What happened back then to melt the ice between them? And what cases will the CLAMP School Detectives' next two maidens in distress bring? The clues for episodes 5-8 are Casablanca, ninja, ghosts, and the fairy of the lakeside! Volume 3 Will Suoh be able to save Nagisa, the victor of his heart, from disaster? Can

Way back in the misty dawn of time, I picked up the VHS version of Cool Devices . According to the box that Cool Devices came in... Before mentioning anything here, a word of warning: This is a REALLY nasty title... This series is quite possibly the most adult thing yet animated! All of these contain graphic sexual content, and should never be viewed by anyone not of age. Period. Each tape gets worse as you watch the series! With episodes from Mon Mon, the artist that brought you the Mon Mon Candy Illustrations artbook. Cool Devices is an anthology of tales the likes of which you have never seen before! Strong stories, highly charged with erotic content, are all presented uncensored. Every possible sexual taste is catered to, and some you wouldn't even believe physically possible. Enter a world of forbidden pleasure tightly bound together inside eleven erotic tales of lust and desire where the darkest yearnings and deepest hatreds intertwine to create the most exquisite ecst

Years ago, I picked up the VHS version of Cosplay Encyclopedia ... Find out everything that you've always wanted to know about costume play! Akemi Matsuzawa, former anchorwoman of the popular nightly television program Tonight II, presents the ultimate video guide to costume play. Lavishly dressed players gather one after another to let you in on their costume design secrets! STOP! 'What the heck is CosPlay?' you might be thinking. Take a crowded convention center; fill it with raving fans; dress those fans in the elaborate costumes of their favorite anime characters; and... BAM! You've got yourself CosPlay. This encyclopedia gives Western anime fans a detailed view of the Japanese CosPlay phenomenon. Featuring characters from some of today's most popular anime series such as Magic Knight Rayearth, Sailor Moon, Sorcerer Hunters and Evangelion... and characters from video game favorites like Soul Blade, Battle Arena Toshinden and Fighting Vipers. In Cosplay En

A while back, I picked up the VHS version of Countdown ... Countdown Erotic shorts from the adult manga by Hiroyuki-Utatane are brought to life in these sizzling anthologies. Alimony Hunter Countdown brings animated life to two of the series' most popular episodes: in "Alimony Hunter" an encounter on the subway leads to an extremely unusual three-for-all in which not everybody turns out to be what they appear, and in which all concerned get what's coming to them in the end! Seek In "Seek", a heroic machino-adventurer of the chain-mail wearing persuasion learns the joys of being on the receiving end of another kind of chain when he rescues a lovely young lady with a knack for subduing knavish knights! Who says being tied up is such a bad thing? Countdown Continued If you thought the first Countdown was wild, you won't believe what goes on in Countdown Continued, another great pair of twisted tales based upon the hit graphic series from Hi

Sometime ago, when VCRs still stalked the Earth, I picked up the VHS version of Crying Freeman ... Yo Hinomura has been brainwashed by the Chinese Mafia. His body has been turned into a brutal super-assassin, but his mind is left free to cry for his victims. After the sultry Emu Hino sees him kill a Yakuza boss, Yo is ordered to kill her as well. But victim and assassin are taken by an irresistible attraction for each other and form a passionate bond. Together they vow to face whatever fate has in store for them. But with both the police and the Mafia out to destroy them, that's not going to be easy. Part 1 Portrait of a Killer Yo Hinomura is very close to that often mentioned perfect assassin. He is a veritable killing machine, but, his conscious mind has not been changed the way the rest of his body has been: he hates what he has become! Part 2 Shades of Death Part 1 Crying Freeman rises to the head of a powerful crime syndicate, but, is now forced to defend his positio

Long ago, I picked up the VHS version of Crystal Triangle ... Koichiro Kamishiro is on a rather esoteric mission: he seeks the Message of God. The interesting thing is, he's awfully close to finding it. While this philanthropic archaeologist has only the most noble designs on putting the Message to use, the myriad message-seeking maniacs on his trail aren't quite so benign. They will stop at nothing to acquire the Crystal Triangle he has discovered, which seems to be the crucial instrument in making the long-elusive Message at last available. After all whoever possesses the Message of God, it is said, holds in his hands the fate of the world. Follow Koichiro through the depths of his bizarre and bewildering adventure, which unexpectedly draws together everything from the Ten Commandments to the Nemesis re-creation theory, and everyone from Tibetan monks, to American CIA agents. With its mind-racing plot lines, intriguing characters, and downright awesome action, Crystal

Way back in the misty dawn of time, I picked up the VHS version of Curse of the Undead Yoma ... To avenge the woman and friends he loved, one lone warrior must seek out and slay his former comrade... but how do you kill someone who's already dead? A solitary Ninja must find the answer to that very question, and the ancient secrets of the world's oldest clan of professional assassins are pitted against the forces of evil in "Curse Of The Undead Yoma!" From nightmarish battle sequences in which blood-soaked clay literally becomes the feeding ground for the dark creatures that lay in wait beneath the surface of the earth, to flesh-eating stallions and shape-changing spiders, the action is intense and not for the squeamish in the high action sword and sorcery thriller of the year! Zombie ninjas - a nice concept, but, not as well executed as I would like. It's a bit slow (I fell asleep on it twice), but, at least there's plenty of blood and gore. I gave Curse of

Years ago, I picked up the VHS version of Cutey Honey ... Some women would kill for a perfect body. Honey has a dozen of them and everyone's trying to kill her! She's Cutey Honey; a one-woman S.W.A.T. team whose android chassis is capable of changing at will into a dazzling array of hard-hitting hard bodies, each with its own unique set of skills, weapons and other impressive physical attributes. Anime Volume 1 Rampant action, gobs of gratuitous nudity and ridiculously graphic violence (not to mention cybernetic senior citizens, marauding mutant motorcyclists, crazed female killers of every possible shape and size, and an innocent young male sidekick) are just the beginning! Fans of fantastic femmes will have a field day watching the luscious Honey-chan, whose incredibly classy chassis is capable of changing into a stunning array of equally heavenly bodies, each delectable design exhibiting its own unique set of skills, weapons and other impressive physical attributes. How

Sometime ago, I picked up the VHS version of Cyber City Oedo 808 ... Data 1 Virtual Death Three paroled criminals must break into the most secure building in the city, rescue 50,000 hostages trapped inside, and eliminate the terrorists - all within 24 hours or their booby-trapped collars will explode! Data 2 Psychic Trooper A member of the Cyber Police has turned traitor and sold confidential data to a mysterious and dangerous customer. The trail leads Goggles and his ex-partner to MOLCOS - the military's ultimate killing machine! Data 3 Bloodlust Genetic researchers are turning up dead - all with mysterious wounds on their necks. Could the murderer be a... vampire? If so, what is the connection to a cryogenic suspension facility and a mysterious retro-virus? Criminals sentenced to multiple life terms are given the opportunity to redeem themselves by catching other criminals. For each criminal they catch, a number of years are removed from their sentences. Of course, thei