Oh
My Goddess! Volume 1
Keiichi tries to order take-out but dials the wrong number and ends up with a
goddess instead! Belldandy will grant him a wish.... he wishes for a girlfriend
like her - so she takes up the role! Belldandy's sisters soon join the fun, bringing
more trouble for poor Keiichi.
With 3 heavenly girls that bear amazing powers living with him, Keiichi is in
for a big adventure. Based on the outstanding
manga by Kousuke Fujishima, the series is simply a delight. A sweet, charming
romantic comedy done in stunning
animation. If you liked Tenchi
Muyo, you'll love Oh My Goddess!
Anime
Test Drive 12-Pack Brick (DVD)
Want to introduce yourself (or someone else) to the wonders of anime? Welcome
to the anime test drive, a way to sample a couple of episodes of a popular series
cheaply. Each test
drive may be purchased individually,
or just splurge and buy
this 12-pack brick of CPM's most popular titles.
The 12-pack includes Patlabor, Maze, Now
and Then Here and There, Record
of Lodoss War, Legend
of Himiko and more! If a particular series catches your fancy, the test drive
has a $10 mail-in rebate coupon to help you start your addiction. Makes a great
gift!
Wrath
of the Ninja: The Yotoden Movie
There is actually a great historical storyline interwoven within all its action
and suspense. Ayame, holder of the dagger, 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.
A refreshing change is that the heroine does not have
the "blond hair, blue eyes" look that is typical of other anime. She
and the other female characters actually look like real women and not some artist's
fantasy, this makes the movie so much more realistic and easy to watch.
Aura
Battler Dunbine - Tales of Byston Well (Vol. 1) - with Series Box
If you
thought that Escaflowne was
original in it's combination of giant robots and medieval settings, see the series
that Escaflowne blatantly ripped off -- the original, and still the best, Aura
Battler Dunbine! Show Zama is transported to the alternate world of Byston Well
to become an "Aura Battler," the pilot of a mecha powered by spiritual
energy.
The series features some of the most unusual and original mecha designs ever
seen in anime, the design is both functional and yet, somehow graceful. With
characters that are everything from standard anime to red-headed tinkerbell,
the series is a potpourri of ideas that spawned a thousand
other animes. The animation is a little dated looking, and suffers from a
TV budget, but it's a classic that old-school fans have loved for decades, finally
available on
DVD here in the US.
Complete
Superman Cartoons: Diamond Anniversary Edition (1941)
The greatest "anime" cartoons ever made in American were the role model
for everything anime that came after.
Produced by Max
and Dave Fleischer in the 30's and 40's, these Superman cartoons represent
the pinnacle of the golden age of animation and look like nothing else, even
after all these years. The attention to detail is astounding. All seventeen animation
masterpieces are included on
this single DVD in the best possible quality.
While a few of these occasionally turn up on TV, they were faded scratchy prints.
These are fully restored (as much as possible given the age). The DVD includes
a bonus Fleischer short, "Play Safe," plus information about the restoration
process, three choices of sound, complete history, synopsis, and credits. Pay
particular attention to "Mechanical Monsters", which inspired the flying
robots in Laputa.
At a mere ten bucks, this disc is a steal
at any price!
Gundam
Level 8 Metallic Model Kit
The Metallic color makes it stick out, and the parts are very durable. They don't
come apart like cheap plastic kits. The real metal parts give the model some
weight to it when its done being built which allows it to sit on the shelf or
desk
with some style, as you won't be concerned about it being knocked over easily.
This is a complex, highly detailed model of the Gundam GP02-A, recommended for
those with the skill and patience to assemble it (skill level: 8). In addition
to the level of detail, what sets this model apart is the materials, which are
mostly metal, not plastic. There are decals for most areas of the model, but
it may also require painting If you don't want it to rust! The figure includes
weapons, a thoroughly complete cockpit you can look inside, and booster rockets
on the back and legs.
Anime
Explosion! The What? Why? & Wow! of Japanese
Animation
The author
starts off with the history of anime and manga then
explains how folktales and Japanese culture influence
anime storylines, getting into such things as
the Way of the Warrior and the Way of the Teenage Girl, Japanese mothers, Christianity,
Shinto, Idols, nature, war and anti-war themes, "birth, death and rebirth",
giant robots, Sailor
Moon, Pokemon and
so much more.
An excellent introduction to the social and cultural themes within anime, it's
written for fans, culture watchers, and perplexed outsiders, this engaging tour
of the anime megaverse covers older arts and manga traditions to the works of
modern directors like Miyazaki and Otomo.
Hello
Kitty : The Remarkable Story of Sanrio and the Billion Dollar Feline Phenomenon I
have
no mouth and I must scream! Some adore her. Others cough up fur balls over
her overwrought cuteness. She's studied by marketing pros, cultural anthropologists
and those who are just plain fascinated by Japanese cute
culture and the weird fads that drive commercial civilization.
This book tells the fascinating inside story of how Sanrio parlayed a cartoon
kitty into a ferocious multibillion dollar global enterprise. Readers learn how
and why the Hello Kitty brand clicked with children and adults, across cultures,
and how it continues to successfully compete, internationally, with Disney and Warner
Brothers. This book is packed with valuable lessons about the awesome power
of branding, marketing, and licensing to capture the hearts and minds of consumers.
Kitty is one powerful cat.
Manga
Mania Villains: How to Draw the Dastardly Characters of Japanese Style
Comics
Author/Artist Christopher Hart presents the subject matter in a great level of
detail, discussing various "bad guy" types and characteristics that
make a villain, villainous - all in a humorous style that is a joy to read. The
techniques he teaches are easy to understand and very clever, allowing you to
interpret the temperament of the evildoer and spirit of the scene, making for
a great "storyboard" effect.
If
you can't even draw a circle yet, you should first look at one of Hart's other
books, Kids
Draw Anime, which starts off much simpler with basic techniques. If you're
more advanced, check out Hart's Human
Anatomy Made Amazingly Easy for tips on making your characters all the more
realistic.
Nice
-- Puffy AmiYumi
This album is simply awesome/excellent, and not just because we've decided that
the Teen
Titans theme is the hottest song on Cartoon
Network(and yes, it's on
this album!).
Puffy
AmiYumi are nothing short of a phenomenon in their native
Japan. Two
beautiful Japanese women who were thrown together after being discovered
in a talent search. Their voices are so similar it sounds like they're double
tracking the vocals, but it's just them singing in unison.
The songs and performances are first rate, and the girls have never sounded better.
Every song here is a first-rate gem. Calling the album Nice is an understatement
-- they should have called it "Superb".
Nausicaa.net *The* Miyazaki
fan site. With Nausicaa the next possible release in
the US, this
site is going to be hot with activity.
PuffyAmiYumi.com
The official website of the band which features everything from a band bio to
a blog!
