Blog Archives

Jyu Oh Sei (2006)

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Posted on March 26, 2011 by Deni

Jyu Oh Sei, based on a three book manga by Natsumi Itsuki, is possibly one of the more underrated anime you could do yourself a favour and watch. Think Asmiov crossed with Golding – a kind of Lord of the Flies in space, where man is reduced to the most basic needs of survival, where the alien plant life is both beautiful and deadly, and where the rules are completely made to be broken.

Thor and Rai are twins … (read more)

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Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings (2009)

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Posted on January 23, 2011 by Deni

For anyone who’s played even five minutes of the long-running Koei title Dynasty Warriors, the concepts driving the Capcom franchise Sengoku Basara won’t be all that alien. Basically, they’re what’s quaintly titled a ‘crowd fighting game’. If body count stats are your thing, if you like watching that ticker go up too fast to count, it’s the game for you. Games of this kind I’ve found involve a lot of dramatic posturing, a lot of powering up, and more … (read more)

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Noein – To Your Other Self (2005)

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Posted on March 2, 2009 by Deni

The first thing you’ll notice about Noein is that it’s beautiful; not in a conventional way though. It stretches and bends the normal sense of the physical that most anime adheres to. Sometimes it’s only slight – the sketchy, jerky way the characters are rendered and move; and sometimes it’s more extreme, like the stunning opening action sequence in the first episode, for example. Perspective is a malleable thing, which is a little ironic considering the story involves multiple universes … (read more)

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xxxHolic – A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2005)

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Posted on August 10, 2008 by Deni

xxxHolic is Clamp’s other anniversary series. Created side by side with Tsubasa Chronicles and intersecting frequently, xxxHolic is a little more frivolous, more fun, like afternoon matinees with a supernatural twist. In it, Watanuki Kimihiro is a more-than-average high-school student working for a mysterious woman Yuuko. Yuuko as she appears in the premiere episode of Tsubasa is known as a dimensional witch, however her day job consists of fulfilling the wishes of others.

This isn’t a euphemism, despite the way … (read more)

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One Piece the Movie: Adventures in Alabasta (2007)

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Posted on July 27, 2008 by Samson

As most of you would know, One Piece is a very popular manga and anime series. The main character is Monkey D. Luffy, the leader of a group of pirates known as the Straw Hats. Luffy’s dream is to find One Piece, the world’s greatest treasure, and become a pirate king. There have been a number of movies based on the manga/anime, Adventures in Alabasta being one of them. As the title suggests, it tells the story of the Straw … (read more)

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Samurai Champloo (2004)

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Posted on January 25, 2006 by Deni

I have a feeling this review is going to be about a hundred words long.

Why? Well, come on, be honest. Is there any point in me going into any great length on it? I mean, the minute I answer The Question you’ll be off, either straight to the store to buy a copy, or to your room to lock yourself in and watch reruns of Sailor Moon until you can get over the disappointment (or cultivate enough denial).

It’s … (read more)

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Samurai Gun (2004)

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Posted on January 22, 2006 by Andy

Released in 2004, Samurai Gun is an oddity. It eschews the current trend in samurai anime of the historically accurate period detail. Samurai Gun thumbs its nose at its housemates: Peacemaker, Otogi Zoshi and Rurouni Kenshin, preferring to wallow in anachronism. Using the industrial revolution as a jumping off point, Samurai Gun grants itself a lot of latitude with its use technology. Guns aren’t limited to revolvers, there are automatics, the bad guys, the Shogun’s minions use rocket … (read more)

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