Angel's Anime Rating Guide

Way back in the misty dawn of time, I picked up the VHS version of Planet Busters ... On a forgotten planet, a boy, a girl, two bounty hunters and an army of death-dealing robots come together for one of the wildest animated feature films of all time. The planet Aqualoid was once home to a prosperous and advanced race, but an invading army of mechanical monsters, the Inorganics, has reduced it to a wasteland. In the dry, desert plains of this ruined world, Nam and his shapely friend Rasa can barely scrounge a living in between the occasional attack by Inorganic death squads. However, when Nam finds the SHADE, a sacred sword of great power, a difficult situation becomes impossible. Determined to destroy the SHADE, every Inorganic on the planet starts pursuing the two friends. Searching for a weapon strong enough to defeat their enemy, our heroes investigate the ruins of an underground city. What they find is a Doomsday Device that can destroy Aqualoid with a single blast. A

At first glance,  Freezing , seemed a lot like so many other schoolyard battleground themed anime series... Season 1 Eager to follow in the footsteps of his fallen sister, Kazuya enrolls at West Genetics Academy, a training facility for buxom heroes known as Pandoras. These courageous schoolgirls are genetically enhanced with enough sex appeal to cripple a man - and the superhuman strength to slaughter aliens by the dozen. Kazuya's role is that of Limiter, a Pandora's battle partner, and he quickly sets his sights on the most feared beauty in school, Satellizer el Brigette. This full-figured annihilator of aliens is as desirable as she is deadly, but rubbing her the wrong way could lead to gross bodily harm. Can Kazuya forge a bond with his new partner and rise to the top of the ranks at West Genetics? Or will he fall victim to the mysterious bloodlust lurking within Satellizer? Season 2 Satellizer el Bridget and some of the most powerful – and desirable – Pandoras in t

Years ago, when DVDs were still new to the world, I picked up Black Heaven ... Volume 1 Rock Bottom Hard Rock Saves Space!! Life can crush your dreams. Oji is a middle-management drone whose only grip on sanity in the drudgery of his corporate lifestyle, are the few shreds of hope surrounding his past life as the amazing guitarist of Black Heaven, a heavy metal band that almost made it. In his bleakest moment, the magic of performing is restored to him when a beautiful mysterious woman informs him that only his special sound can save the universe from an evil alien invasion. Volume 2 Space Truckin' Six-string affair! Oji's love for his music has been rekindled by his frequent sessions used to activate the ultimate weapon against the invading aliens. Unfortunately, his late nights and frequent absences worry his boss and infuriate his wife who is convinced Oji is having an affair! Oji is too distracted by his music to perceive the tension, but it can only ge

Sometime ago, I saw Aeon Flux on MTVs Liquid TV programming block... Aeon Flux , created by Peter Chung, originally aired on MTV as part of their Liquid TV segment. Aeon Flux's oil-slick animation, angular heroic characters, and twisted plot threads woven around wonderfully original design concepts make it one of the most brilliant shows [formerly] on TV, live action or animated. Its dramatic direction and ironic use of irony slap the audience out of their preconceptions and make them watch and think. The tales of this beautiful secret agent/assassin only grow more curious and puzzling with each installment. Season 1 Consisted of a twelve minute story, which aired in six continuing installments. Episode One As we fade-in, Aeon Flux is surrounded by an army of leather-clad, masked soldiers known as Breens, who unleash a hail of bullets down upon her. Hardly breaking a sweat, the female agent notches an impressive body count by gunning down one victim after the other. Du

Way back in the misty dawn of time, I picked up the VHS version of Angel Of Darkness ... Angel of Darkness I They thought they were going to a good school, then their schedule was rearranged by a guidance counselor from Hell! When an instructor at an elite women's academy digs up an ancient artifact that demands to be fed a steady supply of nubile young women to slake its unnatural appetites, Atsuko and Sayaka find themselves abruptly thrust into the middle of an epic clash between the forces of evil and the ancient spirits of the earth! The question is not who will win, but where any of the Academy's unsuspecting student bodies will be left alive by the time the battles over! The lessons are deadly and the final examination truly final as our heroines take the fat of humanity into their own hands in a non-stop orgy of sex, violence and destruction! In ultra-graphic animation, Atsuko and Suyaka must use their own bodes to trap and defeat an entity older then mankind itself.

All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl: Nuku Nuku  was certainly a big part of why I've developed a special spot in my heart for cat girls... Volume 1 When inventor Kyusaku Natsume transfers the brain of his son Ryunosuke's cat into a top secret android body, the family doesn't lose a pet... they gain a daughter! While she may look like a typical teenage girl to the rest of the world, Nuku Nuku's feminine exterior hides the superhuman strength and abilities of the NK-1124 android chassis, making her the most potent fighting force ever unleashed upon an unsuspecting Japan... and the ideal bodyguard for Ryunosuke! But can even Nuku Nuku keep her young charge out of the insidious clutches of the ruthless Akiko Mishima, president of Mishima Heavy Industries, financier of the NK-1124 project, Kyusaku's ex-wife and Ryunosuke's mother? The greatest custody battle of all time erupts in a conflagration across Japan as Akiko unleashes the full force of M.H.I.'s military pro

The odd nature of Alien Nine is what initially demanded my interest in the series... From the creators of Cowboy Bebop and Excel Saga, the screenwriter of Millennium Actress, and the producer of Tenchi Muyo! Based on the manga created by Hitoshi Tomizawa, this exceptional OVA series features an intriguing story and a striking style where the cute and grotesque collide! Yuri is totally bummed. She just started 6th grade and has been elected to capture and eliminate the aliens that are constantly invading the school... Gross! Yuri may be scared of her new position, but she isn't alone. To help her is the energetic Kasumi and the serious Kumi who both volunteered for their positions in this strange alien party. But why would the school send 6th graders to fight the alien menace? And will their borgs be enough to help them win?! Alien Nine is a strange concept and fairly entertaining. There is some alien gore (no human gore), no naughty bits, and more than a little whi

Way back in the misty dawn of time, I picked up the VHS version of Akira ... Tokyo, as we know it, was destroyed by a kind of a new super-bomb of unknown origin. Nine hours after, World War III broke out and most of the major cities in the world were completely destroyed. Thirty-one years after, Neo-Tokyo now stands, were the old Tokyo had been. One night, Kaneda and his motorcycle gang have an accident with a little boy with a wrinkled face, as one of an old man. Tetsuo, one of the gang's members crashes into the boy, who mysteriously remains unhurt and then simply vanishes from sight. Tetsuo is brought to Hospital, and everything seems to have returned to normal. But that is not at all the case... The strange boy from the last night was a part of a secret military project dealing with supernatural powers. The project is lead by the "Colonel", who wants to develop human weapons with aid of these powers. On his trail are Ryu and Kei (not Kay), members of a semi-ter

Sometime ago, I picked up the VHS version of Advancer Tina ... It is the year 3113. Thirty centuries have passed since the Earth was consumed by toxic pollutants, forcing mankind to flee into the galaxy in search of life-sustaining habitats. Enter Advancers - brave explorers who risk their life exploring new uncharted worlds for humans to live on. To unite these new worlds, a new interplanetary government was formed, with all new planets and space colonies falling under it's jurisdiction: The Allied Earth Government, the Domestic Union of Arms (DUA). When the DUA sends out Advancers to explore a mysterious planet called Omega 13, one by one, Advancers pay the price with their lives; never to return from their mission. Mugal, a top DUA officer proposes the job to an unlikely candidate: Tina Owens, a renegade Advancer serving a 2,000 year sentence for blowing up an entire planet. The mission is simple: locate habitable land on Omega 13, If Tina doesn't accept the job

Ambassador Magma saw a very early US release on VHS... Ambassador Magma is a golden human rocket created to defend the planet Earth. Goa, an old foe that Magma had defeated, has awakened from dormancy and attempts to capture the planet Earth again. To keep Earth safe from the hands of Goa, Magma has been reawakened to watch over the planet. Volume 1 My Name is Goa Fumiaki Asuka and his daughter Miki are keepers of Goa and Ambassador Magma's spirits. After Fumiaki is captured by aliens and releases Goa's spirit, Miki is pursued and finds protection in Atsushi Murakami's house. She discovers the true purpose of her life and must decide what to do. The Gold Giant Goa's attempt to capture Miki fails and Ambassador Magma returns to Earth. However, this does not stop Goa's plan for conquest and he sends humanoid creatures to quietly begin his plan. Mamoru meets with the protector of the Earth and gains insight into Goa and Magma. Silent Invasion As Atsushi a

Angel Cop  was one of Manga's first efforts to compete with Streamline in the ultra-cheap anime segment way back when VCRs still stalked the Earth... The Special Security Force was formed at the end of the 20th Century to protect Japan's economic security from the deadly threat of international terrorism. This elite ten-man team, with special authorization to prevent terrorist activities and ensure public safety, has been granted a license to kill. Their newest member, the cold, beautiful and deadly Angel, has to face the greatest threat they've ever known. When terrorists, ruthless psychics and the special police squad go to war in downtown Tokyo, the body count starts rising, and Angel finds herself embroiled in a violent, hard-boiled conspiracy that no one might survive. Volume 1 Special Security Force The Red May, possibly the most dangerous terrorist organization in the world, have targeted Japan as a wave of bombings and murders sweep through the streets of To

Way back in the misty dawn of time, I picked up the VHS version of Ai City ... The future doesn't look much different from the present. That's just it: it doesn't look much different. Except for the gleaming Fraud Tower, New York City seems identical to today. There are still life and death struggles played out on the streets. The difference is that the battle this time is between Kai, a failed Psionic experiment, and one considerably more successful. The battle is over an enigmatic little girl alleged to have the power to destroy the world as they know it. The question is: who is working to save the planet, and who is trying to bring about Armageddon and why. Can Kei figure out the truth before its too late? Epitomizing all the traditional anime characteristics, this thrill-ride movie includes psychics, apocalyptic action, giant robots, car chases and even a bunny girl. According to the  Anime Movie Guide by Helen McCarthy (page 41). ISBN# 0-87951-781-6: The "

Sometime ago, I picked up the VHS version of The Abashiri Family ... They're creepy and they're kooky, but they're not THAT family. They're even weirder! They're the Abashiri family, kingpins of disorganized crime and the most dysfunctional family of criminals to ever perpetrate anti-social behavior on a global scale! So, just how bad are they? Let's just say that seasoned hit-men lose control of their bladders at the very mention of the name and that Mob Warfare has nothing on an Abashiri family quarrel! The most shocking thing, however, is not the Abashiris' nearly superhuman capabilities, nor their reputation for wanton, senseless violence, but the fact that they've built such international notoriety with a gang of only five members! Of course, as Papa Abashiri would say, "Five may not be many, but it takes only five fingers to form a fist, a powerful force that can crush all opposition! Of course," Papa also admits "Some fingers ar

Way back in the misty dawn of time, I picked up the VHS version of Appleseed ... OVA After the devastation of World War III, the scattered governments of the world construct the perfect city administered by perfect Biodroids - artificially created half-human half-robots. Life in Olympus is carefully controlled and monitored - and some of its human population have had enough. A dedicated band of terrorists plot to destroy Gaia, the central computer, and restore freedom to mankind. After a daring raid of a high security facility, they have the weapons and information they need to complete their mission - including the key to the end of Gaia. Will they be stopped before they ruin the dream of paradise? Appleseed takes us into the explosive world of the Extra Special Weapons and Tactics Squad of the Olympus Police Force, as they battle against those who would destroy their utopia. Join two of the finest (and most reckless) officers on the force in this high-tech animated thriller. Bas

This Apprentice is NOT the reality TV show with THAT guy, but, an animated short of the same name made by animation studio, White Radish ... From days of long ago... Galen of Uxbridge, a young sorcerer in training comes to the door of Zima, a cunning sorceress eager for power, who's hell-bent on offering sacrifices to the Demon Bonglin. He's eager to learn, but when "Blinkie" the goat just won't do anymore, she offers HIM as a sacrifice. But, he won't go down without a fight. Features an original score by Vanilla Almond Creme. The Apprentice revolves around Galen, a sorcerer, and Zima, a sorceress and Zima's quest for power at any cost. The animated short was reasonably entertaining, but, felt a little rushed near the end. While this wasn't White Radish 's best work, in my humble opinion, it was a good effort. I gave the Apprentice a 3 out of 5. According to Anime News Network ... The Apprentice is circa 1998... "...[it's] cell a

I picked up Oblivion Island yesterday and watched it as soon as I got home... 16-year-old Haruka is on a mission to find her mirror - a precious childhood gift from her mother that mysteriously disappeared. While following a strange fox-like creature in the woods, she tumbles into a mystical world where once-cherished toys and treasures go when their owners neglect them. Join Haruka and her new friend Teo on a roller coaster ride of adventure as they contend with the island's greedy ruler, who wants the mirror for his own evil plan! I saw previews for Oblivion Island a while ago and was looking forward to its US release. Oblivion Island is a mix of CG animation and traditionally painted backgrounds. The movie, at least early on, bears some passing resemblance to Alice in Wonderland , but, with a distinctly Japanese twist. I was quite impressed with the story and the animation.  Oblivion Island even managed to tug at my heart strings. The story revolves around Haruka, an av

Years ago, I picked up the VHS version of Ariel ... Ariel Visual To save the Earth from alien invaders and their giant monsters, Dr. Kishida does what any other red-blooded mad scientist would do: he builds a giant robot - ARIEL - the ultimate feminine fighting robot! Unfortunately, his granddaughters refuse to pilot it! Apparently, they've got more important things to do than becoming teenage super-heros. Besides, how are you supposed to study for your college entrance exams while getting beaten-up in battle? The fate of the world rests upon two people: Aya Kishida, one of the doctor's granddaughters, who may have to give up prep school to pilot the mighty (and lovely) ARIEL; and a mysterious alien named Saber Starblast, who may have the power to defeat the invaders once and for all... Ariel Deluxe 1 Those incompetent aliens are still plotting to conquer the Earth! The only thing standing in their path - ARIEL! But, the young pilots have lives of their own... When Kazu