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Humanity Has Declined
Anime Review by Karen Gellender
 When we try to describe the feel of Humanity Has Declined, all we can come up with are a bunch of oxymorons, with "cheerfully depressing" topping the list. The series concerns a post-apocalyptic world where the last dregs of humanity are eking out a modest existence, making no apparent effort to rebuild human culture or even keep the species from completely dying out. And yet, as dismal as that sounds, the beautiful pastel art, fairytale conceits and often hysterical humor make it a fun, almost relentlessly pleasant show to watch. It's just too cute, pretty and enjoyable to ever be that much of a downer while you're actually watching it, but it gets disturbing the more you sit back and think about it. Read More...
Oblivion Island:
Haruka and the Magic Mirror
Anime Review by Brian Cirulnick
 Have you ever lost something, and you turn the whole house upside down trying to find it, and yet, it still doesn't turn up and you're endlessly frustrated, shaking your fist in he air?
Well, maybe the fox took it, while chanting "you neglect, we collect."
Oblivion Island clearly looks like a first attempt by Production IG to produce a "Pixar-like" children's film that can be enjoyed by children, parents, and teenagers equally. It's an unusual combination of 3D animation, hand-drawn backgrounds, animatic techniques, and "Wizard of Oz" magic, but in a uniquely Japanese way, it ends up looking a little Miyazaki-ish, but not enough that Studio Ghibli has to worry. But to be fair, it doesn't feel 3D-ish either, and this may be due to the wonderful backgrounds, which have a real oil-painting beauty to them. Read More...
KashiMashi: Girl Meets Girl
Anime Review by Karen Gellender
 The title KashiMashi: Girl Meets Girl is accurate in the literal sense, but misleading in another. The "girl meets girl" subhead may make you think of a steamy, possibly exploitative expose of female/female relationships- kind of like an animated Girls Gone Wild, or something of that ilk. However, the actual content of KashiMashi really couldn't be much further from that tawdry realm. In fact, the series' limited nudity is about as inoffensive as possible.
Instead, the series deals with the perennially interesting question of where friendship ends and love begins, using fantastical sci-fi concepts as tools to set the scene. Hazumu, a quiet boy who heads to the woods for solace after being rejected by his crush, has the poor luck to be hit by a falling spaceship, killing him instantly. Don't worry; he gets better. Except the aliens aren't that knowledgeable about humanity, and accidentally swap Hazumu's gender in the process of restoring him to life and full health. Read More...
Avatar: Legend of Korra
Anime Review by Brian Cirulnick
 When I finally sat down to watch and review "Avatar The Last Airbender" some time back, I was not just blown away, I was blown on the floor, through the door and out onto the street -- Avatar was the most epic, Epic series I'd ever seen, a true credit to the scriptwriters and storyboard artists who made it happen on this side of the ocean. It was simply the strongest non-anime anime series ever created. I figured it would not be easy to top. Read More...
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Toradora
Manga Review
by Linda Yau
 Tigers and dragons are considered in the Chinese zodiac as fierce strong creatures. They are also a play on the names of Ryuji Takasu and Taiga Aisaka, the main leads in Toradora. For every school romance series out there, Toradora fits the fan service variety. This appeal to viewers who want to see recognizable characteristic presented in a different manner. Toradora has its origins from ten volumes of light novels, and three spinoffs novels. Read More...
Yumi
Japanese Crafts Book Review by Linda Yau
 Yumi is another of Annelore Parot's delightful and cute Koekeshi books that makes for an awesome gift for a young girl who would learn things. Join Yumi who is a kokeshi character bringing the reader along on her normal day as she explores the Tokyo with her friends. Read More...
Practical Origami:
Folding Your Way to Everyday Accessories
Origami How To Book Review by Linda Yau
 Upon going to a supermarket, as a consumer you would often have the option of choosing paper or plastic as a container for your groceries. Choosing the more environmentally friendly option of paper, have you stopped to consider that the paper bag is a folded piece of paper? Now isn't that practical? Would you like to make it? If you answer yes to the previous questions, then Vertical's translation of Practical Origami: Folding Your Way to Everyday Accessories might be your answer. Read More...
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