 |
 |
 |
 Castle
Cagliostro (DVD)
Steven Spielberg considers this to be one of his favorite films.
So do we. This may be one of the greatest action-adventure comedy-romances
ever made, animated or otherwise. Directed by Hayao
Miyazaki (Laputa,
Totoro, Mononoke)
it's guaranteed to please everyone who watches it. That action starts
five seconds into the film and never lets go, culminating in a fantastic
battle that Disney shamelessly
ripped off in "The Great Mouse Detective".
 Considering
the film is over 20 years old, the animation is still
amazing even by today's standards – consider the
scenes where Lupin drives his Fiat 500 straight up a
wall (in the best car chase we've ever seen), or later,
where he's scaling the roof of the castle and everything
is moving in the frame perfectly – it is just to
die for. All this topped with Yuji
Ono's inspired soundtrack make this one of the most
perfectly crafted and executed films of all time. Absolutely
not to be missed.
 Ranma
1/2 Digital Dojo - The Complete First Season Boxed Set
(DVD)
Rumiko
Takahashi's most popular series since Urusei Yatsura
is about a martial arts maven who has a slight problem
-- which he'd prefer to remain a secret – that whenever
he gets cold water on him, he turns into a girl! (The
unfortunate result of a training accident.) And, if that
weren't enough of a problem for the average High School
boy, uh... girl, errr, boy, his
father is a Panda, his nemesis at school is in love
with his female form (not realizing that they are both
the same person), he's been forced into a mismatched
engagement to a hot-tempered girl, (Akane) and they immediately
have a mutual hatred of each other (and every other male
now wants to kill him), and there are long-standing rivals
trying to take him down for other reasons. Now, if you
think this is already too zany, this is only the first
episode – it actually gets more wacky by episode
three or four...
 Beware,
many episodes to Ranma 1/2 are known to cause fits of
hysteria. This boxed set contains the entire first season
(18 episodes) of what may be the first ever "gender-bender" comedy.
The series manages to poke fun at male/female stereotypes, martial
arts, romance, sex, marriage, love/hate relationships,
and just about everything you can think of (and some
things you'd never think of) – while at the same
time it is pulling you into the story and characters.
Ranma 1/2 has become one of the most popular anime series
on both sides of the globe, with hundreds of episodes
produced, OVAs, movies and
plenty of other paraphenalia.
 Cardcaptor
Sakura Volume 1 (DVD)
This review could be but a single word – UNCUT. Wow, if you
thought the series was cool when you were catching it on WB, you
ain't seen nothing yet. One of the most popular "shoujo" series
ever (up there with Sailormoon), Sakura boasts an impressive, high-budget
look, tons of fashion, great
music and lots of love. And don't be fooled into thinking you've
seen it already – the uncut series is very different from what
was broadcast, so much so that you may think you're watching a whole
new series, one that is suddenly now deep and understated.
 Created
by a cadre of female artists and writers who go by the
name CLAMP, the show (and manga
of the same name) strikes right to the heart of every
little girl with an understanding that can only come
from having lived through it. They know exactly what
you're going through and that comes out in every episode.
It's not just about capturing the Clow
Cards. Anyone who may have watched the Americanized
version of the series and felt a little bit cheated,
please do yourself a favor and try this DVD out. It will
open up a whole new world for you.
 Blood
- The Last Vampire (DVD)
This film is more of a preview of the future of anime. This is the
way all anime will start to look, as computer
animation and cel
animation begin to blend more and more until you can't be sure
which is which. Certainly one of the most impressive films we've
ever seen, the look of the film is nothing short of astounding – you'll
actually be asking "how'd they do that?" as you look at
each shot. The attention to detail is amazing, even the US Army Jeeps
have the correct grilles for the year this film takes place in, and
the opening sequences will leave you gasping, while the final battle
with the boss Vampire will leave you on the edge of your seat.
 Our
only complaint is that it's too short! It would be great
if they continue this story and make it a series, but
the only problem with that would be the horrible expense
of continually producing animation with this kind of
quality. Nevertheless, as an experiment as to the future
of anime, this DVD is most definitely worth having. You
will want to watch it again and again, and study it in
great detail. It is easily the best looking film since Ghost
in the Shell.
 The
Incredible Adventures of Wallace and Gromit (DVD)
Nick Parks is simply incredible. He took the dying artform of "claymation" and
added real film technique as well as amusing stories and characters.
If you've never seen the Wallace and Gromit films, you're in for
a real treat – these are Academy Award Winning animated shorts,
and we must agree with the Academy, because you'll have to search
far and wide to find anything better than this.
 You
may have also seen his work in various Chevron TV commercials
and the feature film "Chicken
Run". Everywhere, his touch is evident, although
dozens of people labored over hot lights for long hours
to make these animated shorts as spectacular as they
are.
This DVD contains "A Grand Day Out", which is the first
of the Wallace and Gromit adventures, and the crudest-looking, but
certainly entertaining. What follows is "The Wrong Trousers",
which won a 1993 Academy Award, and is quite possibly one of the
best animated shorts (30 minutes) ever made. Finally is "A Close
Shave" (which won the 1995 Oscar) which takes the artform to
a whole new level of zany action.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
 |
 |
|
 Hello
Kitty, Hello Everything: 25 Years of Fun
It's hard to be a fan of anime and not have a soft spot for
Hello Kitty! Author Marie Moss (who served as fashion director
for Seventeen magazine) has given a voice to the popular cat
icon who has no mouth. Ever since she first appeared in 1974,
Hello Kitty has stolen the hearts of children, teens, and adults.
This lavishly illustrated volume explores the world of Hello
Kitty through the years, including her
family, friends, and interests, her birthplace, sign, and
favorite color.
 Hello
Kitty started as a greeting card character
but then extended into children's
merchandising and fashion.
The Kitty logo now appears on a wide range
of licensed
products. This charming Hello Kitty biography
is complemented by color photos of all manner
of Hello Kitty collectibles - dolls, toys,
pens, jewelry, clothing, comics, backpacks,
purses, even refrigerators and toasters,
making this book purrrrfect for anime fans.
 Nausicaa
of the Valley of Wind, Perfect Collection,
Box Set
Today Hayao Miyazaki is probably best known for his films Princess
Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's
Delivery Service which feature lavish animation and a sophisticated
treatment of their young heroes. However back in 1982 Miyazaki
found himself with few film prospects, so he agreed to begin
work on a manga to be serialized in the popular animation magazine
Animage. This series has been collected into four paperback
volumes, which in 1,060 magical pages presents a fantastic
epic that will have you hooked. The story reminds one of the
charm of the Wizard of Oz with the futuristic ecological themes
of Dune.
 Set
in a future where the world has been poisoned
by industrial waste and other ecological
horrors, the story is about a young girl
in the wilderness fighting giant insects
and clashing tribes. Nausicaa is a unusual
hero as she is a pacifist who not only rejects
violence, but she has a calming effect on
both the creatures and people she encounters.
Yet she is also an accomplished fighter,
which is evident on the rare occasions when
her rage overpowers her compassion.
When her beloved Valley faces invasion Nausicaa embarks on
a journey to save not only her people, but also the world.
The adventures that follow form a tale of honor, compassion,
the folly of tampering with nature, and the power of love and
friendship. This is a masterpiece of comic art and literature.
 The
Encyclopedia of Japanese Pop Culture
When most of us think about Japanese pop culture images of
the Power Rangers, Godzilla
movies, and Sanrio
products come to mind, however the indigenous pop culture
is much richer. Instead of focusing on what the rest of the
world has already encountered, Schilling provides an encyclopedic
compendium of books, movies, music, comedians, and cultural
scandals that have had the greatest impact in Japan. The book
provides real depth and analysis in his articles, opening up
Japan's rich pop heritage to the world. The book does more
than list movements: it provides historical references and
connections essential to understanding how these interests
developed.
While the book doesn't cover everything, it acts more as an
introduction to the subject matter. The book explores important
cultural icons, from Misora
Hibari and Sazae-san, through Pink
Lady and Doraemon, ending with SMAP and Sailor
Moon. If you're looking for a primer on Japanese pop culture
over the last 50 years, this is the book.
|
|
|
 Cowboy
Bebop V.1 [IMPORT] [SOUNDTRACK]
This
CD is worth having for Yoko Kanno's extended
version of 'Tank" alone. For one thing,
the mix is much richer, being produced for
a real stereo, and not mixed down for the
usually lousy speakers built into TV sets.
As a result, there's an entire percussion
progression we've never heard while watching
the opening to Bebop – even on a good
set. It brings the entire range of music
more to life than you would have heard on
the show itself.
The CD carries a nice balance of jazzy action tracks as well
as a good selection of more "bluesy", more mellow
material. Kanno's impressive range of musical style and the
way she captures different emotions and settings is evident
in each track. You can almost smell the leather and feel the
spirit of the American Old West in "Spokey Dokey".
As you listen, you'll discover that half the reason that Cowboy
Bebop is as good as it is – is because the music is just
so perfect.
|
|
|
|
|
|
