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Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt
Anime Review by Karen Gellender
 One cannot recommend Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt without noting that it definitely stretches the limits of good taste; in fact, if the limits of "good taste" are something you tend to spend any time at all dwelling on, it's quite possible this show is not for you. This zany show, focusing on two selfish fallen angels who fight ghosts in order to earn enough money to return to heaven, packs enough cursing, crudeness and potty humor into 13 episodes for a show five times its length. Read More...
One Piece
Anime Review by Linda Yau
 Since the series began over ten years ago One Piece has become a behemoth that has not waned in popularity just yet. A memorable series is epic and pretty darn long. In 2010 in Japan, the manga series had toppled Harry Potter in terms of book sales. It is currently the highest selling manga in Japan's manga history. There are over 60+ volumes out now that is still ongoing. The anime series has broken over 500 episodes, and with over ten movies, it has made the mangaka Eiichiro Oda, a highly successful and well known creator. Read More...
Chu-Bra!!
Anime Review by Karen Gellender
 Chu-Bra!! is about an unusual topic for anime; the bodily changes that girls go through during puberty and how difficult it can be to adjust to them, as well as others' reactions to them. However, despite being of obvious interest to female viewers, it's also a show about showing young girls in their underwear frequently, and this poses something of a problem.
It's almost as though the show was written by two committees: one that wanted to explore female body image issues of teen girls in a realistic way, and one that just wanted to cash in on the current trend in anime of cute girls doing cute things, with plenty of fanservice for hardcore anime fans. Read More...
Adieu Galaxy Express 999
Anime Review by Brian Cirulnick
 Just a few months back I introduced the readership to Galaxy Express 999, as it's available on Crunchyroll, and may have been previously unknown to American anime fen - only us old-school fanboys remember it. Now I'm going to introduce you to the pinnacle of the series, a movie so big and bold, so lavishly overdone, that it succeeds on a level the TV series just never had the energy (and budget) to explore.
Adieu Galaxy Express 999 is probably one of the best-designed anime movies *ever*. Chock-full of Matsumoto-esque imagery it's also full of Star Wars inspired pieces, gorgeous artwork, and dystopian gloom. It's also backed up by one of the finest soundtracks you can imagine. Read More...
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High School Briefcase Bookbag
If you're looking for something stylish to set you apart from your cohorts at school, what could be better than this? Look and feel the role of a Japanese student or your favorite high-school attending anime character with this schoolbag made from genuine fake leather.
This is not an imitation, it is not a knockoff of any sort, it is exactly the same type of bag you can get in Japan, featuring: a metal lock with key to keep everything safely inside, two front buckle straps, to secure it down during transport, a large accordion open-pocket used for carrying books, a second medium-sized open-pocket with two velcro straps for securing items into it, a third zippered pocket for smaller items, and a "hidden" fourth zippered pocket for those "secret" items. The handle is made of a sturdy cushioned plastic, and the lid/cover to the whole case snaps open to stay up to allow access or hangs freely. It is made of high grade Japanese Clarino synthetic leather.
Watashi wa Nippon no gakuseidesu!
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Soul Eater
Manga Review
by Linda Yau
 Reading volume one is a gateway for manga readers to get into a series, that otherwise has a 51 episode anime. Meeting Maka, Black Star and Death the Kid should bring familiarity for those who have seen the anime from Funimation. The parent company of Soul Eater in Japan is Square Enix, and if you know them for their video games, then it should be no surprise that they also have a publishing department of Gangan Comics which produced other titles that have found success in anime adaptations, with the most notable being Full Metal Alchemist. Read More...
Beach Official Character Book: SOULs
Anime Book Review
by Linda Yau
 Cliff Notes is a literary guide that is generally useful for students or readers studying nuances of a particular title or series, so reading through cliff notes explains everything about a particular title. If readers don't fear massive spoilers, then it is useful. For a reader of Bleach's Official Character Book, the assumption is they are fans for this series, and want to be reminded more of why they became fans of the series in the first place. Read More...
Basic Anatomy for the Manga Artist
How To Draw Manga Book Review by Brian Cirulnick
 For those who love drawing, manga, or just want to become familiar with the process of creating manga art, this is an essential book for perfecting their craft.
For anyone who wants to learn how to draw manga characters, understanding manga anatomy is a must. Manga bodies are different from other comics bodies in a variety of ways, and anyone who wants to perfect their manga art needs a working knowledge of manga anatomy. Read More...
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