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Macross Set 1 (Vols 1-3)
It's a good bet you know what Robotech is. We're sure you've seen or heard of Macross Plus. Here's your chance to experience Macross, the original series, *before* it was chopped up to become Robotech. Not to disparage the Americanized show, but you really NEED to see what you've been missing. Macross, with the original plot, the original music and the original voices! Yes, this is subtitled, and the subtitles are good, the transfer is extra crisp and vibrant, and it is oh, so much better that it may produce fits of euphoria.
Minmei's songs are much better in Japanese, and the violence a bit more extreme, as well as the story being more mature and adult-oriented. If this gets you excited (and you'd have to be dead not to get excited over this), Volume 2 and Volume 3 finish up the series, in all it's original, uncut glory. Yes!
Memories (1995)
Created by the world's leading anime talent: Koji Morimoto, Tensai Okamuro, Katsuhiro Otomo and Satoshi Kon. This anthology DVD harkens back to the days to Manie Manie and the famed (but out of print) Robot Carnival. What it lacks in cohesive storyline it more than makes up for in terms of opulent, lavish production value. Considering the film is from 95/96, it still looks astounding and completely state-of-the-art.
Of course, our fave of the three stories is Otomo's "Cannon Fodder", which fuses some unusual cinematic shots (that are exceptionally difficult to do in animation) with a futuristic-retro militarized-industrial look that is both familiar and otherworldly. Memories is an Otomo fan's dream come true, as here you get to see what the masters of anime create when they don't need to tie things to a toy line or try and sell something.
Mazinkaiser - Turbo Smashing Sensation!
If you liked Getter Robo: Armageddon (reviewed here earlier), then you'll be bonkers for this overly kinetic, rock'em-sock'em, robot smashing, thunderous epic! It is basically a slick looking version of Go Nagai's original Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger -- and as fans of the old skool, we are eatin' this stuff up with broad grins
If you're not looking for a terribly deep storyline but want gobs of entertainment, this is the DVD to get. The animation is fantastic and the action is astounding. There ain't nothin' better than some popcorn, soda and a dvd of giant robots smashing up the countryside and each other. And of course, this being Go Nagai, you can expect some off-beat humor, really wacky monsters and tons of butt-kicking excitement! It's great to see these classics get a modern day facelift with excessively over-produced graphics.
Ninja Scroll TV Series
This is the one and true series based on the groundbreaking movie of the same name (same creators, same animation studio). Avoid the imitators and stick with this! Features a traditional Japanese opening theme (no bouncy j-pop idol singers here) and the character of Jubei is every bit as cool as he was in the Ninja Scroll film. The art style is identical to the movie and while the lower budget means that the animation quality is not as slick as the film, overall animation quality is just below Cowboy Bebop, but above Hellsing & Berserk
This series is missing the over-the-top sexuality and gore from the movie, but does contain scenes of extreme violence and brutality. It is definitely not for kids! Bottom line, if you like Ninja Scroll, like anime and enjoy watching swordplay, this series can't be beat!
Totally Spies
Totally Spies is a fresh, funny, girls-action-adventure-comedy featuring three Beverly Hills girlfriends 'with attitude' who have to cope with the pressures of high school but they are often whisked off to become WOOHP agents defending the world from wacky (and unfashionable) villains who all seem to have some wacky revenge plot. In an off-the-wall combination of Charlie's Angels and James Bond, it has a quirky and unique take on the old secret agent genre that makes for a delightfully entertaining anime-style show.
What makes it uber-cool are the sharply defined characters of Sam, Alex and Clover, as well as Jerry, their mentor, who seems to be Batman's Alfred in a worse suit. Lots of wonderful details add to the flavor of the series, certain funny gadgets make return appearances, and the plots are often so bizarre, even the characters themselves comment on how nothing makes sense. Each of the two DVDs available contain one-half of a two-parter episode that was never aired on Cartoon Network. We're *totally* addicted.
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Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space (for PS2)
Most of the Gundam-based videogames have been pretty darn good, but this game is simply killer! The number of types of mobile suits and the open-ended space-based gameplay make this one of the best Gundam games ever, and maybe one of the best overall games of all time. Short of any Star Wars game, space battle has never been this much fun.
You can fly pretty much anywhere you like, although "moonwalking" is out. However, you can land on carriers and make use of them. Space is all one giant open level, and although you'd think there would be a lot of room in space, it gets crowded quickly when fleets show up to try and kick your butt! Good luck staying alive in this one! The game also features anime scenes from Gundam, reanimated to look slicker than the original 1979 TV series.
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Easy Origami
For those of us that can barely make a paper airplane, this is the place to start learning the unique craft of Japanese paper folding. Armed with some colorful origami paper (you'll need lots to practice with), you can create a crane, a frog, a sailboat and more! Although this is a children's book, it's a great value for adults as well, as I'm sure very few of us can perform the intricate folds required to make some of these shapes.
At this price (4 bucks!), you should order multiples for everyone in your family and turn it into a bonding activity with the kids! The book covers 32 different folding projects and then when you think you've got it down, try more advanced projects in other origami books. Hey, if you can fold a cocktail napkin into something beautiful, maybe you can use it to pick up chicks at the bar!
Breaking into Japanese Literature
Even those who have mastered reading and writing Japanese find the challenge of reading traditional literature to be a daunting task. This book features seven graded stories covering a variety of genres with the original Japanese story in large print, an easy-to-follow English translation and a custom dictionary -- created for maximum clarity and ease of use.
 For Kurosawa fans, this book has the original stories that inspired Rashomon and Dreams. It also has some unique extra features: mini-biographies to tell you about the authors' lives and works, individual story prefaces to alert you to related works of literature or film, and original illustrations to fire your imagination. Furthermore, MP3 sound files of all the stories are available via the web.
Animation on DVD:
The Ultimate Guide
What's really, really cool about this book is that it just doesn't cover anime (although anime is a dominant portion of the book), but also covers kiddie cartoons, adult cartoons, *very* adult cartoons, and even stuff that appeals to both the young and old. The only problem with the book is that it's already outdated, literally hundreds of titles have come to market since it's publication.
Regardless, it's a fantastically deep and encyclopedic look at what's available and whether or not it's worth your time to watch it. The best part of each entry is reading what hidden surprises are often included on the DVD that the average person won't find (known as Easter Eggs). If you are looking to build your DVD collection, this book will tell you what's worth having.
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Fruits Basket:
Memory of You
This is the background music (soundtrack) for the TV series and this release is essentially the exact same disc as released in Japan but with slightly different packaging. It does not feature the English versions of the songs, but does include the Japanese opening and closing songs. So, if you're a Fruits Basket "purist", go for it, this is definitely for you. If you don't care either way, this music is still great and will get you humming along if you are a fan of the series.
So stick this in your boombox if you happen to be living in a tent which gets destroyed by a landslide and then you're stuck working in a house where people transform into animals. Yes, you'll appreciate this excellent music to a truly wonderful, wacky, twisted series.
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