Angel's Anime Rating Guide

Years ago, I saw a movie about aliens dressed in shiny outfits performing experiments on humans in what appeared to be a cheap motel. After poking around in the depths of the internet for a while, I came up with: Laboratory ... From Robert Emenegger (The Killings at Outpost Zeta), comes a tale of alien abduction. Six strangers from all walks of life are abducted from their homes by aliens and brought to a mysterious LABORATORY to be the subjects of gruesome alien experiments. Circa 1980, Laboratory , not to be confused with the Bollywood title of the same name from 2010, was part of a series of space-themed movies from the early '80s including The Killings at Outpost Zeta and Captive that had rather frequent rotation in the Philadelphia area back in the days when local stations ran all sorts of obscure movies instead of infomercials. Laboratory was as bargain basement, as low-budget films come, but, what stood out -- even today -- was the design choice to dress the aliens in...

Years ago, I happened to see a movie about rocks that killed people attempting to settle on an alien world, but, I couldn't remember the title. After a thorough search of the web, I came across an article describing exactly what I was looking for: The Killings At Outpost Zeta ... Outpost Zeta is a barren planet on the edge of the Milky Way, but it has strategic importance to the military establishment on Earth. Earth Base has sent several space ships to Zeta, but none have returned. So a top-flight team of six earth soldiers and scientists is dispatched to investigate the fate of the earlier expeditions. What they find are the corpses of the earlier crews, corpses with their insides sucked out. The killers reveal themselves as volcanic-rock monsters who exhale oxygen, and the Earthlings discover that a whiff of fresh air can mean sudden and horrible death. Will the Earth soldiers outwit the space monsters and survive? Slowly the action builds to a pulse-racing climax which will...

Zillion  arrived at a time when anime was still fairly new to the U.S. and distributors were experimenting with lower priced anime releases... Volume 1 In the 24th Century, mankind has entered a new phase of its ongoing development by establishing numerous colonies throughout the galaxy. When one of those colonial outposts, the planet Maris, faces annihilation at the hand of a ruthless alien race known as the Noza, the human colonists' only hope for survival rests in a mysterious alien weapon system known as the Zillion Gun. With enough of these energy-beam weapons, the Marisians could fend off the invading Noza troops. The problem is that only three Zillion Guns are known to exist, and the alien technology to manufacture more weapons seems unattainable. Thus an elite fighting trio, known as The White Knights is formed to wage a life and death battle for their homeworld's survival. Outnumbered and isolated, things certainly couldn't get much worse. Volume 2 More great...

Way back in the misty dawn of time, when VCRs still stalked the Earth, I picked up the VHS version of Yotoden ... Movie Wrath of the Ninja The year is 1580, and the unholy armies of Lord Nobunaga Oda steadily spread across Japan. Narrowly escaping the slaughter of her clan, a young ninja steals into the shadows. She is Ayame, the last of the Kasumi Clan, and the dagger she wields is one of three, mystical blades. She is joined by Sakon and Ryoma -- renegade ninja and the possessors of the sacred sword and spear. Now, these shadow warriors must unite their weapons and skills to fulfill The Prophesy of the Enchanted Swords -- or die trying... Contains never-before-seen footage! Chronicle of the Ninja Volume 1 The year a comet races across the sky, splitting the heavens, from the depths of the Earth the dark god shall arise once again... The year is 1580. An ominous comet dominates the heavens. Below, the battlefields are awash with blood as the unholy armies of Lord Nobunaga O...

Years ago, when anime of any sort was scarce, I picked up the VHS version of Windaria ... Once upon a time... An epic fantasy set in a world destined to be destroyed by love and greed! The events which took place in Windaria could have happened anywhere... A simple. peaceful world plunged into a senseless war aggravated by greed and betrayal. Two rival kingdoms vie for fresh water and in the process end up destroying their entire society. As seen through the eyes of an innocent go-between, this tragic story details the depths to which loyalty and everlasting love must be tested, in a futile attempt to save a world from total destruction. Spectacular animation filled with powerful images and dramatic storylines, place WINDARIA in a class all by itself. An exciting, bittersweet love story which takes place amid the backdrop of brutal, violent, arcane warfare. The Chronicles of WINDARIA present one of the most fully realized fantasy worlds ever created. The film remains a classic exampl...

Sometime ago, I picked up the VHS version of  Wind Named Amnesia ... No one could have prepared for it; it came silently, sweeping across the earth. And everyone it touched forgot... everything. Who they were, how to speak, how to use all the implements of modern civilization. The amnesia wind swept away all of mankind's knowledge and thousands of years of human civilization vanished in an instant. Now, two years later, a young man wanders the landscape of an America reduced to barbarism. Miraculously re-educated after the disaster, he searches for the true heart of mankind... and for those responsible for stealing its memories. Accompanied by a mysterious woman who was somehow spared the wind's damage, he embarks on a coast-to-coast journey of danger and discovery pursued by a relentless killing machine. Featuring the collaborative efforts of Kazuo Yamazaki (Urusei Yatsura 4 - Lum the Forever), Hicleyuki Kikuchi (Demon City Shinjuku), Taro Rin (Harmagedon), and Yoshiak...

Demons run amok in Tokyo in  Tokyo Revelation ... A satanic program is activated aboard a crowded commercial flight headed for Tokyo. It releases a swarm of invisible demons that send the aircraft plunging to a fiery doom. Everyone aboard is killed instantly - except Akita Kobayashi - owner of the devilish program and sworn ally of hell itself! Kojiro Soma, an old elementary school friend of Akito's, is surprised to see him enroll back in school. Kojiro notices how this once lonely boy, has grown into a suave and arrogant teenager. Later, when his classmates are attacked and legendary demons return to stalk the streets of Tokyo, Kojiro begins to truly understand what his old friend has become. Akita has plans for the human race. The plans revolve around magnetite, the mysterious element that forms the living essence of every human soul. Combined with his demonic software, a strong enough source of magnetite would release a plague of devils upon the earth. That source exists...

Sometime ago, when anime was available on your choice of VHS tape or Laser Disc, I picked up the VHS version of the Toward the Terra movie (circa 1980) released by Right Stuf ... On this world light-years from Earth, if you are Psychic you are also dead. The MU (as these unfortunates are called) are hunted tirelessly by the great computers that control every facet of life. The MU are evil, the people are told, creatures who could destroy everything that their civilization is based on. For centuries, the Mu have been content to exist in an underground society, helping smuggle other MU out from under the Government's watchful eyes. From the MU perspective, there had been no thought of an act of open rebellion. That is, until now. The prophesies now revealed show that there will be a profound change in the MU society, that one will lead them to a new life. This new existence will be free from oppression... and if that means they must leave their own planet to find it, so be it. Per...

Twin Dolls bears some similarity to  La Blue Girl , in that they are both examples of the demons-run-amok genre of adult-oriented anime... Volume 1 They may look like a typical pair of young ladies, but sisters Mai and Ai are anything but normal... extraordinarily beautiful, masters of a dozen martial arts and trained since infancy to become professional demon hunters, they are the Twin Dolls! Being warriors for the force of good, however, can get you into more trouble than being bad, and when a jealous classmate makes an oath to beat the Twin Dolls, she is literally possessed by a green-eyed monster! A ten foot tall green demon that is, one with an unhealthy interest in human females! Aided by a horde of scuttling sub-demons, the horned demon quickly builds a harem of Mai and Ai's unsuspecting classmates; his goal: to destroy the Twin Dolls before they can stop his plans of world conquest! Armed with lance, bow and a pair of magic pussy-willows, Mai, Ai and their allies ...

I've always had a fascination with vampires, so, of course, Vampire Princess Miyu  had to come home with me... Volume 1 Vampire Princess Miyu. Is she friend, or fiend? As the demonic forces of the Shinma strive to obtain a foothold upon the mortal plane, Spiritualist Himiko seeks the truth. Join us now for two elegantly chilling journeys into the occult - Japanese style! Unearthly Kyoto Himiko travels to the ancient capital of Japan to exorcise a slumbering child, only to be confronted with a wave of vampire attacks. Here she meets the mysterious, childlike Miyu and her silent, enigmatic companion. Is Miyu behind the attacks? or does she, too, seek the real culprit? And if so, why? A Banquet of Marionettes Himiko is hired to investigate several mysterious disappearances at aschool. At the site of each, a strange doll has been found. Here she again meets Miyu, now apparently a student. Miyu has designs on the body, and perhaps the soul, of the school hero, Kei. But so, it s...

I picked up the VHS version of  Venus Wars ... In the 21st century, mankind lives on two planets - Earth and the now terraformed Venus. People from Earth have colonized the formerly hostile world and have thrived for four generations. But along with those humans came their failings and the dark sides. Now Venus is about to become hostile again. Hiro Seno, a popular hotshot motorcycle racer, caught up in a war he would rather avoid, witnesses the first strike on his country Aphrodia from the malevolent nation of Ishtar. Before his very eyes, he sees the Ishtarian war machines lay waste to his city, and despite his opposition to war, Hiro soon finds himself fighting for his life on the front lines! Meanwhile, Susan Somers, a spunky journalist from Earth, gets caught up in the whirlwind of Venutian political intrigue and espionage that brings her face to face with the deadly leader of the Ishtar himself. In  Venus Wars , follow the exploits of a group of Venutian bikers as the...

Sometime ago, I picked up the VHS version of  Shinesman ... The Special Duty Combat Unit Shinesman. Hiroya Matsumoto, hoping to become a great employee like his late father, has just been hired at Right Corporation, a top trading company. Little does he know that he's been recruited for a very mysterious department within the company - the Special Duty Combat Unit: SHINESMAN... which must face a terrible alien menace unbeknownst to Earth. Like most corporate employees, Hiroya still has meetings to attend and deadlines to meet, but when the SHINESMAN team wage war against the alien race from the Planet Voice, Hiroya and his co-workers don their office-colored combat unit suits: sepia, gray, moss green red and salmon pink. Shinesman is basically an animated version of Power Rangers with a bunch of characters that look like Clark Kent . It's supposed to be a comedy. There are a few good moments, but, the action scenes are little more than still shots and there aren'...

A while ago, AnimEigo released Baoh ... A secret organization called "Doress" has funded the development of a genetically engineered parasite code-named "Baoh". Organisms infected by Baoh become living survival machines, virtually indestructible, able to mutate their body structure to meet any threat. Properly controlled, the Baoh parasite could allow Doress to control the World. Unfortunately, their first human guinea pig, a young man named Hashizawa Ikuroo, has managed to escape, along with a young girl, Sumire, who has a strange precognitive gift. Unless Doress operatives can find and destroy Ikuroo before the Baoh parasite fully manifests, their evil dream will come to naught. But Baoh, comfortably hiding in Ikuroo's brain, won't make it easy. According to Wikipedia ... Baoh is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. The OVA was licensed for an English DVD release by AnimEigo in 2000, it was delayed, finally being re...

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. ...

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...

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...