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Human Crossing - The 25th Hour (Vol. 1)
Often when we say "adult anime", people think Hentai or anime with graphic violence. That doesn't have to be the case however, as shown through this dramatic anthology series called Human Crossing. It's simply realistic portrayals about ordinary people trying to get through life with at least a little bit of their dignity intact.
There's more to anime than just giant robots, buxom schoolgirls and wavy-haired psyonics. Much like the incredible works of Satoshi Kon, Human Crossing allows us to experience contemporary society with its pitfalls and opportunities, the beauty of life and the hope for the future. It's a subtle, serious and mature series that doesn't rely on explosions to get across its message. We want more anime like this!
Girls Bravo (Vol. 1)
You get one guess as to what this series is about... If you guessed fan-service and lots of gratuitous nudity, you're right! Girls Bravo is essentially Tenchi Muyo taken to a ridiculous extreme, but, it's a lot of fun, cute, and mostly harmless.
High-School student Yukinari, who has been bullied by girls his whole life (particularly by his neighbor), is allergic to them -- so imagine what happens when he is magically transported to another world where males only consist of 10% of the population. He gets back to Earth, but, he opens the door for members of the opposite sex to come visiting Earth -- with hilarious results. If you like the DVD, the manga is also available from Tokyopop.
Burst Angel
The high-action, not-that-much-plot Burst Angel recalls the halcyon days of Bubblegum Crisis, except that animation studio Gonzo ups the anime action ante -- there's very little time to worry about the characters with all those explosions!
As a Girls-With-Guns series, it's over the top, both in terms of the action and the fan-service, and overall as an anime, it does not disappoint -- and cowardly Kyohei is clearly the star as comic relief. The DVD is loaded with extras as well, so grab this delicious series and have a blast!
Kakurenbo: Hide & Seek
This awesome-looking anime follows a group of eight masked teens as they engage in a deadly game of Hide and Seek with a group of bloodthirsty demons under the streets of Tokyo. The fast paced story follows Hikora and Yaimao, who've joined the sinister game in order to find their sister who disappeared during a previous game.
Packing a tremendous visual punch unlike anything you've seen before, Kakuenbo is completely 3-D animated, except that it doesn't look it -- instead, the 3D is used to deliver what looks like extremely high-quality cel-animation. The lighting effects alone are worth the price. This dark, sinister film is the very first production effort from Yamatoworks, and we hope to see more from this exciting and imaginative studio.
The DVD is loaded with over 50 minutes of exciting extras, including: Making of Kakurenbo with Commentary, Interviews with Creators Morita and Sajiki, Character Gallery, Backgrounds Gallery, and Kakurenbo: Hide & Seek Trailers.
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Anime Junkie T-Shirt
Here's something we're proud to wear. This black tee-shirt emblazoned with the phrase "Anime Junkie" in red and white, with a red Japanese Kanji character below that, which loosely translates as "junkie".
On the back is the exact same thing, except smaller, and closer to the neckline. Fashionable for every situation. Wear it at your favorite anime-con and gain instant notoriety!
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Kamichama Karin
P.S.: Karin's cat is dead. And this occurred hot on the heels of her parents' demise. No wonder her grades at school are suffering. No wonder she finds herself railing at God. All that changed when she learned that she was a god herself. It's that ring she's wearing. Her mother gave it to her. Somehow, she can use it to channel powers and abilities Sailor Moon only wished she had. Brother and sister team Kazune and Himeka Kujyou are the only ones who can help her with her cosmic make-over.
 Kamichama Karin is the first Shoujo (Girl's) manga by Koge-Donbo (whose previous work includes PITA-TEN and DI-GI CHARAT). It's a wild take on what happens when a schoolgirl goes goddess. Let's get deified!
Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves: The Samurai Film Handbook
The Samurai movie is as endemic to Japanese culture as the Western is to American culture. Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves is a fun read, written by a fan of Samurai movies *to* the fans of Samurai movies. Each review of the film picks are top notch, full-fledged gush-a-thons that really get you juiced up about seeing the film and enjoying it as much as the author.
 Including such masterworks as the Oscar-winning Gate of Hell, Yojimbo (remade five times, including A Fistful of Dollars), the influential Lady Snowblood, and newly released hits like Takeshi Kitano's Zatoichi, this book is packed with information as well as author opinions. Especially appreciated is lots of info on the Japanese film industry, names such as Kurosawa, Mifune, Nakadai, as well as on Japan's feudal era in general, where the Samurai's explosive history gave rise to a staple of Japanese film and TV drama.
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Batman Beyond Soundtrack
Say what you will about the series (we loved it), but there's no denying that the music is an earth-shattering techno tour-de-force of staggering proportions. Nothing this "goth" has ever gotten on TV before or after, or carried with it the emotional impact as the music from this series has.
 Rife with jarring and discordant notes, lots of crunchy guitars, keyboard blasts and driving percussion, this CD is about the only cartoon soundtrack you can really head-bang to. It would not sound out of place at any NYC dance club. This must be played... LOUDLY.
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