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Shugo Chara!
しゅごキャラ!
Anime Review by Karen Gellender
 From genre staples like Sailor Moon and Card Captor Sakura to newer hits like Puella Magi Madoka Magica, the magical girl genre runs on the idea of using magic as a metaphor for growing up. This is equally true in Shugo Chara!, one of the most popular magical girl anime of recent years, but there's a difference: rather than hinting at the fact that all of these flashy special attacks and powers are symbols for attaining maturity, Shugo Chara! makes it blatantly obvious. Heroine Amu Hinamori uses the potential power of the person she'll grow into to combat evil, and she fights to protect the sanctity of children's dreams for the future. It's a little more complicated than that in practice, but let's just say the series doesn't exactly trade in subtlety. Read More...
Kimi ni Todoke
君に届け
Anime Review by Karen Gellender
 It's hard to approach this sensitive romantic comedy with anything approaching critical rigor, because it's just so classy, so effortlessly charming, that any attempt to nitpick just seems like missing the point by a mile. Any weakness in the writing that we could possibly expose means nothing in the face of the sheer beauty of the first opening, or one of shy Sawako's rare smiles. However, it would probably be irresponsible to just point in the general direction of Production I.G. and say "Go forth and watch Kimi ni Todoke!" so we will make some attempt to explain why it's so good. Keep in mind, though, that this is somewhat like trying to explain why chocolate is delicious. Read More...
Yamada's First Time (B-Gata H-Kei)
B型H系
Anime Review by Brian Cirulnick
 If there's one fact that all guys can agree on, it's that pretty girls are CRAZY. Like, totally insane. We cannot figure them out at all. And we wonder why that is -- well, an anime comes around that many finally explain it. It's not that they are crazy... well, yes they are crazy, but now we know what it is that makes them act crazy.
In Yamada's First Time, our heroine has vowed to have sex with one hundred guys during her time in High School. Now, she's a real cutie, so you'd think the goal of becoming a slut would be easy, I mean, all she'd have to do is ask. However, this poor girl is riddled with "issues". She knows she's hot (annoyingly so), but definitely has some body issues concerning "down there", and she second guesses herself due to insecurity, and she's not very experienced with boys. Not only is she still a virgin, but (gasp!) she's never even had her first kiss or gone on a date. Read More...
Dance in the Vampire Bund
ダンス イン ザ ヴァンパイアバンド
Anime Review by Lawrence Sufrin
 Twilight, move over and make way for a *real* vampire story. Nozomu Tamaki's Dance in the Vampire Bund is one of the best examples of vampire manga and now it's a sassy, kick-ass anime series produced by Clamp studios, and distributed in the USA by Funimation.
Akira Kaburgi might look like a normal, teenage schoolboy, but so did Edward Cullen, and you know how that turned out. Akira isn't a vampire though, he only works for vampires; however, he himself is a werewolf. His full name is Akira Kaburgi Regendorf. He's a member of the Earthclan, and they protect the ruler of all vampires. Read More...
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Anime Pulse for Android
This app for your android device (phone or tablet) allows you to access current and past podcasts of Anime Pulse!
Anime Pulse is the award-winning anime podcast and the place for Anime and Japan related news and reviews. They've got their fingers on the pulse of anime and manga with reviews, rants, stories, and news straight from Japan. With hosts in both the US and Japan, they provide perspective from both sides of the Pacific. Episodes often come with a digital "extra" such as a wallpaper. Episodes can be downloaded for playback where-ever, and the app will connect you to the creators of Anime Pulse so you can send in your feedback. Place a star on your favorite episodes to add them to an easy-access Favorites list.
Available from the Amazon Droid Marketplace for only 2 bucks! BTW: Amazon's Droid Apps can be "test driven" right from your PC so you get the feel of the app before you decide to purchase.
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Yotsuba&!
よつばと!
Manga Review
by Karen Gellender
 Whenever a creator tries to make something heart warming, there's always a danger of over-reaching and ending up with something trite and sappy and instead. Sometimes striking the perfect balance seems nigh-impossible, but among other things, Kiyohiko Azuma's popular Yotsuba&! manga proves that it can be done.
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Dominion
ドミニオン
Manga Review
by Brian Cirulnick
 First a little background on the author and artist: Masamune Shirow is a genius. He has so thoroughly created a realistic universe of cyberpunk, his are the manga and films that everyone uses as reference when trying to make stuff like "The Matrix". You've probably heard of his more well-known works such as Appleseed and Ghost in the Shell. Read More...
Manga Moods
マンガの雰囲気
Manga Guide Review
by Michael Pinto
 Shy? Nervous? Lovestruck? These are only three of the forty moods that are wonderfully illustrated in Manga Moods by author and artist Saori Takarai. This very kawaii sized mini-book would make an ideal gift for any fellow otaku; although if you're an aspiring manga artist it's actually a very nice pocket reference book.
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