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Barefoot Gen
Anime DVD Review by Brian Cirulnick
 Ending on a more hopeful note than the spectacularly depressing Grave of the Fireflies, Barefoot Gen is still a gruesome, horrifyingly realistic look at the bombing of Hiroshima as seen through the eyes of a young boy. Although originally produced in 1983, and looking crude and cartoonish by today's standards, the film is still a powerful statement against war, and an incredible tale about the effect of the atomic bomb on a boy's life and the lives of the Japanese people.
Gen Nakaoka is on his way to school when the bomb detonates. He makes his way back to his home through hellish scenes of ruined buildings, corpses, and hideously mutilated survivors.
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Gun Sword
Anime DVD Review by Brian Cirulnick
 What happens when you mix Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Outlaw Star, and have the first episode rip off the plot of the Road Warrior (but with Giant Robots) and the overall story arc resembles the film Kill Bill? Well, you get Gun Sword, of course! The wild frontier just got a whole lot wilder!
Combining a space western theme with frenetic, hyperstylish action and wanton destruction fed by a thirst for vengeance, our hero Van (shouldn't that be Vaughn?) is on the trail of the man with a claw for a hand (who killed his bride), and our hero has a shape-shifting sword and a Giant Robot that comes down to him from orbit when he needs it (sorta' Big-O style, but in reverse). But heck, this guys kicks serious ass with just his feet.
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Law of Ueki
Anime DVD Review by Lawrence Sufrin
 Ai Mori (Kinokumi Junior High School Year 1, Class C, Seat No. 31) shouldn't have gotten involved. She's not part of the tournament in any way, shape or form. It's just that she was convinced that this poor schlep of a junior high student (Kosuke Ueki: Hinokuni Junior High School Year 1, Class C, Seat No. 2) was a space alien. If only it were that simple.
Ueki was slapped with a magic power by his teacher, Mr. Kobayasshi. He must now battle others with such gifts. It's all part of the tournament. If his champion wins, Mr. Kobayashi becomes the next Celestial King. The champion himself will be awarded with "The Talent of Blank", giving him any talent he or she desires.
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Ghost Talker's Daydream
Anime DVD Review by Lawrence Sufrin
 Masaki Saiki sees dead people all the time, and it's really pissing her off. Bad enough she has a day job as a dominatrix for an Exclusive Club. She also has to take work for a secret government agency that investigates paranormal phenomena. With all of this going on, she's not getting a good night's sleep. She can't even take a decent vacation without getting knee-deep in a mystery involving a busload of dead children.
Masaki's problems are personal, professional, and cosmetic. (The later we can't really discuss here.) The whole thing is making her a bitch to get along with. Her chassis might be gorgeous, but her skin is very thin. She's a nervous wreck.
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S.P.A.N.C. —
Space Pirate Amazon Ninja Catgirls
Game Review by Brian Cirulnick
 Space Pirate Amazon Ninja Catgirls is a fast-paced card game from the infamous world of Steve Jackson Games (perhaps now best known for their part in an FBI "blunder" raid that labeled their GURPS CyberPunk game "a computer crime manual") that combines elements of anime, geekdom, furry-crossover -and- manages to parody just about everything holy in sci-fi fandom all at once.
Illustrated by Phil Foglio (Of Girl Genius fame, and if you can remember way back, Dragon Magazine) the cards themselves are suggestive, "top-heavy", PG-13 rated, sexy catgirls doing... uh, stuff... with a great sense of humor and a visually appealing style. Information on the cards isn't cluttered, and yet there's a lot to them which aids considerably while playing
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Star Wars:
A New Hope Manga
Manga Review by Brian Cirulnick
 Hey! What is Star Wars doing in the middle of an Anime website? Well dear reader, this is Star Wars as rendered by Hisao Tamaki in a "manga" style - making it what Star Wars would look like if it were populated by anime characters. As the Star Wars universe is essentially a comic-book done as live-action, the series lends itself surprisingly well to a manga adaptation.
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Drawing Crime Noir:
For Comics And Graphic Novels
How To Draw Manga/Comics
Book Review by Brian Cirulnick
 Navigate the mean streets of the tough city, filled with gunmen in the shadows, while sultry vixens look on from the darkness of the alleys. This awesome book from Christopher Hart and Watson Guptill Publishers shows how to take advantage of cutting-edge imagery of the "noir" comics scene - to make crime pay.
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Anime Karaoke Collection
Anime Soundtrack Review by Brian Cirulnick
 We know quite a few people who turn into different characters the moment you hand them a microphone. Turn on the spotlight, crank the amp, and a rock-star wanna-be is born. If you know that special someone who craves an audience to hear their singing, or you ARE that special someone who wants to belt out your favorite anime tune while in the shower; this is the album for you.
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