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Game Review Video : Shank

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Review Pod
In its violent digital soul, Shank is the progeny of Metal Slug and countless coin-op brawlers. Find out if that's good or bad in the official GameTrailers review pod of Shank.

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Game Review Video : Call of Duty : Black Ops

Video Games | Call of Duty: Black Ops | GC 10: Victor Charlie Interview

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GC 10: Victor Charlie Interview
he demo levels are detailed and explained in this interview with Community Manager Josh Olin from GamesCom 2010!

Game Review Video : Bulletstorm

Game Review Video : Bulletstorm

Video Games | Bulletstorm | GC 10: Presentation Walkthrough

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GC 10: Presentation Walkthrough
Epic Games Producer Tanya Jessen guides us through Bulletstorm's gamescom 2010 presentation in this walkthrough.

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Game Review Video : Diablo III

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GC 10: Artisan Interview
Get the scoop on the Artisans and how they help you throughout the campaign of Diablo III with Game Director Jay Wilson of Blizzard!

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Game Review Video : Mafia II HD

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Review
Does Mafia II have the chops to put the hit on the competition?

Game Review Video : The Secret World

Game Review Video : The Secret World HD

Video Games | The Secret World | First 30 Minutes Featurette

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First 30 Minutes Featurette
Explore the experience of choosing your faction in this developer featurette highlighting the first 30 minutes of gameplay from FunCom's Secret World!

Game Review Video : Dead Rising 2 HD

Game Review Video : Dead Rising 2 HD

Video Games | Dead Rising 2 | Exclusive Tales of Terror Developer Diary

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Exclusive Tales of Terror Developer Diary

See how the events of Dead Rising lead to Chuck's predicament in the sequel!

Watch Online Anime : High School of The Death Episode 9 ENG SUB

Watch Online Anime : High School of The Death Episode 9 ENG SUB



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The Anime Review : Monster DVD - Box Set 1

Synopsis:
Brilliant neurosurgeon Kenzo Tenma defies the political flunkies in charge of his hospital when he insists on operating in order of arrival, saving the life of a gunshot boy while a late-arriving local politician dies. Though he loses his position and his fiancée as a result, the decision awakens him to the true purpose of his profession. Newly devoted to serving the ill and saving lives, he wears himself to a nub. When the same flunkies remove him as the boy's attending physician, all three are poisoned and die. The boy and his shell-shocked sister disappear that night and a bewildered Tenma is promoted to Head of Surgery, subsequently earning the suspicion of a very scary inspector. Nine years later Tenma is still working as Head of Surgery, his devotion to healing earning the love and respect of staff and patients alike. When he saves the life of a petty burglar suspected of killing a series of childless middle-aged couples, he befriends the man, urging him to confess what he knows. But when he does he destroys Tenma's life once again. Because he killed those couples at another's behest. At the behest of the child Tenma once saved.

Review:
It's hard to describe Monster. Part evil fairy tale, part spy thriller, part moral study, and all dark resonance, it's something akin to a myth: an Odyssey for the bleak, byzantine years directly after fall of the Soviet Union. It's frightening, addictive, and amongst anime series, pretty much without precedent.

But before all of that, Monster is a thriller. And a good one. Set in Germany in the '80s and '90s, it takes the uncertain times surrounding the fall of the Berlin Wall and paints upon them a tale of hidden evil, justice miscarried, and murder most foul. The series owes an obvious debt to Hitchcock (a debt it itself acknowledges by borrowing a pivotal scene from The 39 Steps), and it learned well at the Master's knee. The man himself couldn't put the screws to his audience better than Monster does during Tenma's descent from respected surgeon to serial murder suspect. It's an unbearably tense series, mounting terror cycling with cathartic release, each turn of which—the poisoning at the hospital, the confession of the burglar, the rescue of Johan's sister—leaves the series in a very different, and usually more frightening place. Even the series' side-stories—in which it catches up with secondary characters like the fiancée and the inspector—are tiny little marvels of small-scale cinematic sadism.

To this stew of wrong-man thrills and twisty chills the series adds a strong flavor of moral discourse. Tenma's journey doesn't just force the poor man into a series of escalating confrontations with the evil he inadvertently unleashed, but also asks some difficult questions of us. Is all life created equal? Is murder ever justified? Is saving a life ever wrong? How is evil created, and to what lengths are we justified in the pursuit of its destruction? Timely and knotty, Monster's moral paradoxes have no easy answers, and it offers none. Which is as it should be. And yet, through all of the human experimentation, greedy carnage, and righteous homicidal urges, the series somehow keeps its moral compass oriented due north. It never loses sight of the humanity of its characters, or of the human realities that underlie even the most heinous crimes.

With one exception: Johan. Johan's motivations aren't comprehensible by any human standard. That isn't a criticism; because Johan isn't human. Johan is a monster. As intelligent as the rest of the series is, it is in Johan that it crosses the line from smart to brilliant. He is a creation of such genius that he almost lies outside of the boundaries of the story, a bogeyman who could conceivably be called upon to scare bad children straight. It is he who pushes the series beyond mere thrillerhood into the realm of dark mythology. He's an abomination risen from the ashes of the Cold War to cast a bone-chilling shadow over Monster's world, a presence of such cold, omnipotent evil that he is more analogous to the dark gods of ancient tales than to any person. It is in his presence—or more accurately, in his black shadow—that the series hits its chilling heights, that it achieves a primeval resonance, like a nightmare recounted in moonless dark.

If the series has a weakness, it's in its unhealthy fidelity to Naoki Urasawa's original manga. Director Masayuki Kojima made faithfulness his watchword in adapting Monster, and faithful he is. In fact, calling him faithful is an awful understatement; kind of like calling those widows who used to bury themselves in their husband's graves faithful. Like clockwork each episode covers exactly two chapters of the manga: there isn't a scene left out, only a handful added in, and as far as I can tell not a line of dialogue changed or omitted. Kojima obsessively recreates Urasawa's visuals, from his realistic, idiosyncratic designs, to his carefully-crafted compositions and fondness for expressive angles. There's nothing overtly wrong with that—in fact, given the quality of the manga, it's hard to imagine doing it any other way. Nevertheless, particularly for those already familiar with the comic, watching what is essentially a careful reproduction of the original can seem a waste. At least at first.

It doesn't take long, however, for the series to cast the same spell as its literary precursor. Madhouse's dark, supple animation is more than up to the job of capturing, and even improving on, the cinematic quality of Urasawa's art. Kojima's decision to use actors with experience in live-action dubbing gives the dialogue veracity, and Kuniaki Haishima's dissonant score adds immeasurably to the series' hair-raising atmosphere. One look at the dead eyes of a pair of suspiciously helpful cops, a single earful of Inspector Lunge's richly intoned suspicions, and you'll forget all about comparing print with celluloid.

Viz goes for a similar level of anal fidelity. Their English adaptation is one of their most carefully cast and deliberately accurate in recent memory. Only a bare minimum of alterations are made to the dialogue; enough to stave off unnaturally cumbersome phrasing, but not enough to piss off even the most sensitive viewer. The performances range from good (any number of creaky old ladies; Tenma; most of the secondary cast) to superb (Doug Erholtz's slippery Otto Heckel; Keith Silverstein's grotesquely warm Johan). It's easier to pick holes in than the Japanese, but not appreciably so.

For extras goodness, look no further than disc three, which includes an extensive portfolio of background information and interviews that is most helpful in making sense of the German setting

Given its faithfulness, fans of the manga will know that the series won't get any better than this. That knowledge is as close as this set gets to a fault. Well, that and the licensing problems that presumably prevented Viz from using David Sylvian's creepy original closing. Very few series can knot the gut the way Monster can, and fewer still while simultaneously knotting your brain and breaking your heart. If that doesn't sound like your definition of a good time, look elsewhere. To everyone else: welcome to Tenma and Johan's world. Don't expect to be released anytime soon.

Grade:
Overall (dub) : A-
Overall (sub) : A-
Story : A
Animation : A-
Art : A
Music : A- 

+ A superlative thriller with undertones of moral debate and a dark power that goes far beyond its skill with suspense; Johan.
− Obsessively faithful to its source material; this is as good as the series gets.

The Anime Review : Monkey High! 8

Synopsis:
Haruna and her monkey-boy beau Macharu have overcome heaps of obstacles, not the least of which are their own incompatible personalities, growing closer with each hurdle and more in love with each hardship. They've faced disapproving parents, interfering friends, and their disparate ambitions and have emerged an inseparable romantic unit—albeit an idiotic one, as their friends are fond of pointing out. So where to go from here? Well, sex is a good start, quickly followed by moving in together and getting engaged. While still in high school. There are, of course, extenuating circumstances. There always are where Haruna and Macharu are concerned. Arranged marriages and school festivals all factor in, as do icy fathers and run-of-the-mill teen insecurities. Barriers all, but also goads. And nothing that a little monkey love can't whip.

Review:
Can a mild twist on a conventional teen romance carry a series all the way through eight volumes to its conclusion? The short answer: Yes. Barely. The long answer? Read on.

Some series were obviously never intended to live as long as they did. They were meant to die modest, dignified deaths early in their runs, but somehow ended up croaking of old age while still hooked up to a blinking bank of narrative life-support machines. Monkey High!Shouko Akira, who comments frequently on her astonishment at its longevity. And there is no denying that the freshness of those first few volumes, when the idea of the aloof gorgeous girl falling for the goofy little guy with the bright outlook was still reinvigorating, has worn off. So too has the breezy humor and effervescent lightness of those early volumes steadily given way to a darker, more angsty and entirely more conventional tone as, of necessity, romantic complications and their attendant drama slowly supplant the series' once refreshingly uncomplicated romantic comedy.

But, while definitely overextended, Monkey High! isn't quite wasting away on life support. It can thank Haruna and Macharu for that. For an ice queen and a pet monkey, the two share some astonishing chemistry. They are an eminently cheerable couple, and when dealing with hoary rom-com standbys like severe father-figures and arranged marriages, the desire to see their weirdly uplifting bond persevere keeps the heart engaged even when the brain isn't. This final installation may not deliver the good-times goods, but in terms of heartening developments for its huggable central duo, it's a regular feast. Their relationship charges ahead at warp factor nine, bulldozing all manner of obstacles with their trademark one-two punch of frosty bluntness (Haruna) and warm optimism (Macharu), all while serving up enough gloriously unrepentant romantic mush to keep your inner teen girl fed for weeks.

As concentrated as the series' charm is in the hands of its characters, it won't unsaddle anyone to learn that Akira's art is heavily focused on her characters. Haruna is convincingly beautiful, Macharu's monkey-like touches are adorable, and the cast overall is attractive and distinctive (particularly around the eyes and lips) enough to elevate the series' artistry a notch or two above the norm. There's nothing particularly revolutionary or even unusual about the layouts, backgrounds (which, as per shojo tradition, are nearly nonexistent) or anything else Akira draws, but it gets the job done and without appearing shabby in the process. Akira's heart is clearly more in her comic compositions than her emotionally-charged ones, but without a visible enough disparity to have a noticeable effect.

Viz's presentation is similarly workmanlike. The book is standard Shojo Beat: unprepossessing cover, standardized spine, decent heft and print quality, and basically zilch for extras (a one-page collection of translation notes and an amusing postscript notwithstanding). Sound effects are all replaced with appropriate English translations, with an effort made to replicate their role in the artwork—an approach that will irk some more than others, but is unlikely to cause any uproars either way.

It really should have ended something like four volumes ago, but even so Monkey High! remains an enjoyable entry in its chosen genre, and certainly features one of the genre's more loveable couples. Contrived, overly dramatic, and sporting a sex scene that'll make some fans squirm, it's a flawed little conclusion to a flawed little series—but no less enjoyable for it.
Grade:
Overall : B-
Story : B-
Art : B- 

+ Loads of Haruna and Macharu goodness as the series draws to a highly romantic conclusion.
− Overextended and comedy-deficient.

The Anime Review : Kaze no Stigma DVD - Season 1 Part 2

Synopsis:
Ayano Kannagi has consistently (and unconvincingly) denied that she has any attraction towards the maddening wind magic-user Kazuma, but such a denial is hard to maintain when her friends, father, and younger cousin Ren are actively collaborating to give the two ample opportunities to become a couple. Kazuma's feud with his father Genma resurges when the two accidentally cross paths at a spa, and Ayano gets her own rival in Catherine McDonald, a fire magic-user from the United States who initially just wants Ayano's flame sword Enraiha but later also sets her sights on Kazuma. Ren has his own problems as his friends continue to squabble over him. Things get decidedly more complicated when teenagers start gaining powers from a mystical Web site, though, and the powers behind it strike uncomfortably close to home for Kazuma. For everyone's sake, Kazuma must be convinced to live in the present rather than dwell on the past, and Ayano, to her dismay, may be the only person capable of doing that.

Review:
Beyond the early episode where Kazuma confronted his father, the first half of Kaze no Stigma was a diligent exercise in rigorous mediocrity. Its second half, somewhat surprisingly, actually steps up its game a notch, as it does not lack for entertainment value and its serious and comedic parts are a little more effective. If your interest in the series was left on life support after the first half, this half might revive it.

Compared to the first half, these later episodes do a better job of not taking themselves too seriously in lighter moments, as they show in the first four episodes of this set. The elder Kannagi's elaborate efforts to hook his daughter up with Kazuma – which also give the series a convenient excuse for including obligatory hot springs and amusement park episodes – becomes a running joke only slightly undermined by his ulterior motive for doing so. (This plays even funnier in the subtitled version, as unfortunately the dub script washes out more blatant references to Ayano and Kazuma having an “accident” together.) Ayano's friends Nanase and Yukari continue to provide valuable comedic support with their involvement in said efforts and continuing observations about the state of affairs between Kazuma and Ayano. The comedic highlight, though, is arguably Genma's return to action in the spa episode and his ongoing battles with Kazuma through that episode, which take on a decidedly lighter tone than their original early conflicts. Less welcome is the entrance of Catherine McDonald, the obligatory haughty rival for Ayano, who, thankfully, is forced by injuries to fade into the background for the last few episodes.

Ayano also comes off better in this volume. Being so outclassed by Kazuma mostly relegated her to secondary combat status in the first half, but her expanding proficiency with her powers makes her less needful of being bailed out by Kazuma; in fact, she stands up impressively well in one crucial scene where she has to fight Kazuma and is clearly shown overcoming her need to rely on him for help. Her blustery attitude somehow seems less irritating here, which makes her a more likable character in the end.

The most crucial improvement, though, is finally making Kazuma seem at least a bit vulnerable. In the first half of the series he was too untouchable, but around the end of episode 17 the first cracks show through as the series finally starts bringing up elements directly connected to his years away from Japan, including half an episode of flashback content involving his time with Tsui-Ling. How Kazuma's history with Tsui-Ling ended would rattle anyone (though how he and Tsui-Ling ended up in that situation is insufficiently explained), and having it thrown back in his face like it is here would force almost anyone to require help from another to regain equilibrium. The series does such a respectable job of handling this during the major finishing plot arc that the series is at its best during those scenes.

The Pandemonium arc, which covers episodes 17-24 and essentially involves teenagers acting out a battle-focused RPG in real life as part of a schemer's evil plot, starts well and plays fairly well during most of its run but ultimately ends up being a bit unsatisfying. It does raise some interesting (if not entirely novel) notions, but the hard-core info-dumping it engages in early in the final episode disrupts the dramatic and action flow the story arc had until that point. While the immediate problems raised by the Pandemonium arc are resolved at the end, the bigger picture involving the key antagonists is not. Sadly, there will almost certainly be no follow-up, as Takihiro Yamato, the author of the novel and short stories on which the series is based, passed away this past July. At least Kazuma and Ayano's relationship gets some degree of appreciable resolution.

Unlike many Gonzo productions, the artistry in this one never takes a nose dive, but neither does it raise its game like the writing does. In fact, one of the few artistic highlights is seeing Ayano in a flattering formal evening gown for her dinner date in episode 14. Newcomer Catherine McDonald also gets a sharp outfit and flattering look, while new villain Lapis has a more generic design and the masked mastermind Bernhardt even moreso. In general, character design and rendering is the series' strongest artistic aspect except for the blocky, textureless cut to the hair of Ayano and her father. CG effects, present mostly in flame depictions and Catherine's virtual characters, mesh in acceptably well, but the background art, while normally good, suffers from inconsistencies; in the scene in the rooftop restaurant in episode 14, for instance, the size, spacing, and number of chairs at tables varies from shot to shot, as well as seemingly having characters sitting on air at one point. (See this comparison shot.) The “base colors” coloring theme also persists, including figuring prominently in the climactic scene. The animation, as before, continues to emphasize action scenes at the expense of non-action content.

The first half of the series rarely took advantage of the fan service opportunities it had, but the same is definitely not true in the second half. Ayano gets a revealing early shower scene, Tsui-Ling shows a lot of skin in some of Kazuma's flashbacks, and three other female characters who typically dressed sensibly in the first half have periods in the second half where they dress in much sexier fashion. The oft-oddly-timed and inconsistently-used panty flashes are also back, with Ayano even walking around in one scene with her clothing torn enough to clearly show her panties and seeming not to care – which seems out of character for her.

The typically tepid nature of the synthesizer-intensive music remains an inconsistent asset, although it does try to mix things up a little bit by using some more rock-flavored themes. The original opener continues throughout and the closer used for episodes 1-11 continues here through episode 23. The final episode's closer uses the same basic visual theme but is brighter and cheerier in both look and musical selection.

Funimation 's English dub, which was hardly a liability in the first half, becomes a strength through the second half. Daisuke Ono's original rendition of Kazuma sounds like just a typical leading man, but Robert McCollum infuses him with all of the attitude and smarminess that Kazuma should have, making him sound very distinct from most other anime characters; it is one of 2009's better male English dub performances. Cherami Leigh's performance as Ayano here contrasts radically with her much more subdued effort as Tamaki in Bamboo Blade but is just as good, hitting the right notes on Ayano's fiery and emotional sides. Other performances are also solid. The English script takes quite a few liberties in addition to what was mentioned earlier, including eliminating a series of jokes about Catherine's imperfect command of Japanese, but it flows smoothly enough with the animation that a viewer who watches this dubbed-only is unlikely to notice any discrepancies or miss anything important..

As with the first half, Funimation packages this second half in a regular-sized case with the overlapping-disks-on-one-side format, an irritating arrangement which is increasingly common for them. (They could learn something from Sentai Filmworks on better ways to pack two disks in a normal-size case.) As with part one, this set has bonus interior artwork and the second three installments of the 8-10 minute “Ayano's House Call All-You-Can-Eat Cake Buffet” videos featuring the seiyuu for Ayano, Nanase, and Yukari, which are mostly worth watching if you're into watching cute young Japanese women eating.

Kaze no Stigma should never be mistaken for a quality series, but it at least does okay in its second half. Its writing does improve overall, contributing better comedic and serious moments, with more fan service is an added bonus.

Grade:
Overall (dub) : B-
Overall (sub) : B-
Story : B-
Animation : B
Art : B
Music : B- 

+ Improved writing, fan service, character rendering.
− Inconsistencies in background art and musical score effectiveness, annoying new character.

The Anime Review : Ikki Tousen Dragon Destiny DVD 1

Synopsis:
Three schools and their reincarnated warriors remain in the struggle to control Kanto: Kyoshou, led by Sousou Moutoku; Seito, led by Gentoku Ruubi; and, of course, Nanyou, led by Hakufu Sonsaku. Convinced that Moutoku's "dragon" needs to be awake in order to ensure their victory, Kyoushou strategists Kaku Bunwa and Houkou Kakuka take time between bouts of gratuitous sex to instigate an attack by a rival school that leaves Moutoku's lieutenant Genjou Kakouton with one eye and Moutoku possessed by the demons of his previous life. In the meantime, taciturn badass Unchou Kan'u worries that her leader, the gentle Ryuubi, isn't ready for the violence ahead. While trying to coax some martial prowess from her, Seito is attacked, first by Kyoushou nasties and then by Shimei Ryomou, Hakufu's lieutenant, recently back from China with an artifact rumored to have the power to suppress the dragons that sleep within reincarnated warriors like Ryuubi and Hakufu. And then the rumble is on.

Review:
If none of that made any sense—and really, there's no reason it should—don't worry, in Ikki Tousen plot is most definitely of secondary importance. The series' purpose isn't to tell a story. It's to show overripe high-school girls going at each other like kung-fu Playboy bunnies, preferably with the felicitous side-effect of stripping each other naked.

Based on The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, an account of a particularly chaotic time in Chinese history, Dragon Destiny is, well, chaotic. The series is plotted to within an inch of its life, crammed with double-crosses, triple crosses, and other forms of devious skullduggery and political maneuvering. Its dialogue is a labyrinthine mess of references to events, people and places that would probably be familiar had one read The Three Kingdoms (or at least watched John Woo's Red Cliff) but that are gibberish to the uninitiated. Keeping the schools, their students, and their various allegiances straight is a chore only made more laborious by the barely-explained historical context and everyone's habit of stabbing one another in the back based on it. Stir in the nonsense about inner dragons and the baubles that can suppress them and you have a plot that is constantly on the ragged edge of incomprehensibility.

But really, why worry about niceties like who is who and why they do what they do when you can instead watch overdeveloped teenage girls beat each other until their breasts explode through their shirts, their panties separate from their rears, and their bladders give out and drench them in urine. Fun! As grotesque as the exercise sounds, the series is so ridiculously overpopulated with crotch-cams, copulation and sexed-up violence that it's more funny than shocking or even offensive. And unlike too many of its brethren, its Onan-friendly fan-service has a certain genuine artistic appeal. Vivid colors and compositions add visual punch to the panty-shredding fights, even as their slick presentation (a few artless digital pans and clunky explosions aside) and heartless, head-crushing violence add visceral impact. Eventually the constant battles achieve a sort of vulgar beauty, and even a (low) level of emotional engagement.

As you'd expect from a series obsessed with breasts, panties and everything else hormonal, Dragon Destiny is a highly visual series. Its gal warriors are drawn boldly and with an earthy sexuality that befits their violent natures and its attention to color and detail are clearly out of proportion with its quality. And even when its imagery isn't impressive, its energy is. The flip side to that is that it pays no attention to sound. After all, if it can't affect the groin, why waste effort on it? The usually reliable Yasuharu Takanashi's score is uncharacteristically bland, and Koichi Ohata's deployment of it is no more inspired. In a church? Use church music! In a fight? Use rock music! In the midst of sneaking? Use sneaky music!

The cast likewise sleepwalks through their roles, though given their spectacular shallowness that isn't unexpected, or even necessarily a criticism. That's particularly true of the Japanese cast, which sleepwalks most professionally. It's less true of Media-Blasters' English actors, who sometimes sleepwalk professionally and sometimes simply sleepwalk, stumbling over clumsy bundles of Three Kingdoms terminology and falling flat on their faces. Some of the performances are also pitched wrong, particularly when the series mocks itself (lightly, which it often does), and a couple of them are flatter than Kansas cornfields. Others, however, are quite good—especially Angora Deb as bimbo-from-hell Hakufu. Acting aside, the English version is very faithful, rarely deviating more than absolutely necessary (a few amusing ad-libs aside).

Aside from a promo video and your usual clean opening (an energetic action montage) and ending (a slow, nipple-tastic tour of the main cast), this volume also includes two OAVomake: short, sleazy tales of breast-comparison and lesbian harassment that indicate that, even as extreme as it was, the television broadcast still left its animators feeling terribly constrained.

Dragon Destiny may be trash, but it isn't garbage. At least, not quite. For all their insensibility, the endless scheming and whipsawing allegiances keep the series loping between exploding shirtfronts; both Hakufu and Kan'u are more sympathetic (and dare I say, more interesting) than agents of excessive nudity need be; and the inherent humor of the show's overblown fan-service takes the edge off of its potentially sick-making sadism. It won't leave anyone feeling particularly clean, but it's surprisingly fun for a reeking slice of sex 'n violence exploitation.

Grade:
Overall (dub) : C+
Overall (sub) : B
Story : D+
Animation : B-
Art : B+
Music : C 

+ Fast-moving, trashy and completely shameless; heaven for fans of unrepentant exploitation.
− Hell for just about anyone else; overwrought, deliberately offensive, and often incomprehensible.

The Anime Review : Drunken Dream and Other Stories

Synopsis:
A ten story collection of short stories, A Drunken Dream and Other Stories is an anthology from one of shoujo and manga's most influential creators. Spanning Moto Haigo's work from as early as the 1970s to present day, A Drunken Dream takes on a variety of subjects both social and psychological in this first of Fantagraphics manga releases.

Review:
It's hard not to get swept away your first time reading this book through. The gentle tug of the stories' allure that keeps you reading is hard to ignore so it's recommended you give in. Read it all the way through at your own pace. Once you're done, wait a few days or a couple

Take for example one of the books longest stories – Iguana Girl. The story opens with an iguana wishing to be human and spend her life with a human she fell in love with. The iguana-now-woman is given only one warning – if her husband or anyone else learns she is an iguana, she will change back. Subsequently who the story follows isn't the iguana however, it's her daughter. Born a human to everyone else, Rika appears to herself and her Mother as a giant iguana. Because of this the Mother feels immediate fear and disgust towards her as an outer-representation of what she herself really is. What begins there is a life of neglect and emotional battery, especially after the birth of her entirely-human little sister whom her Mother constantly dotes on. It's certainly odd in itself reading a story where the lead character looks like a giant iguana walking about, but it works this to its advantage wonderfully, weaving a story about Rika's relationship with her Mother, the way she grows up because of it and her struggle to find a love that befits her.

There's so much about this story that can resonate with readers, from Rika's self-doubt despite how others see her (which often results in some amusing confusion for those who can't understand why she thinks she's hideous) to her longing to be loved and appreciated by her Mother only to be heartbreakingly rejected at every turn. This isn't to say the majority of readers will necessarily relate because their Mothers cast them off, but the overlying themes of growing up, having a sibling, seeking love, and seeing things differently as one matures are universal.

Another story tackles the sibling side of things from a different angle. ‘Hanshin Half-God’ is about two girls born attached at the hip – Yudy is intelligent but mal-nurtured and unsightly in comparison to her sister, Yucy, a sweet but mentally stunted young girl with the face of an angel. Much like in Iguana Girl, there's a repeating element of bias for one sister over the other, yet in contrast, despite how unfairly Yudy is seemingly treated, there still remains love for both from the parents. When the opportunity to be separated appears before her, Yudy and her parents must make the decision and see through the life that follows. Like many other stories in the book, the ending proves both a happily-ever-after and a tragedy.

Moto Haigo is often cited as one of the pioneers of boys' love and her tragic romantic tale of two reincarnated lovers here in A Drunken Dream is a notable glimpse at her early work from which it stemmed. One can only hope North American readers have the opportunity to read some of her complete boys' love series for an elegant look at the niche's earliest days. This particular story is printed in colour, a washed out water-colour pallet – and set predominantly in a futuristic colony, feeling very reminiscent of other shoujo-esque sci-fis of that era such as Keiko Takemiya's To Terra

Moto Haigo's artwork is lovely, evident of its age by style-alone, to little fault in terms of effective storytelling, and is quaintly tailored to tell the stories she's written. The line work is delicate and, though easily shoujo by recognition, utilizes a number of varied character designs for its depictions. Characters will look extra pretty if the story calls for it but males and females alike are generally rendered in a way that's appealing but also believably typical.

Probably the best example of the artistic realism is the story titled ‘Angel Mimic’ – another of the book's lengthier pieces. It follows a relationship, not inherently romantic at first, between a college-aged woman trying to commit suicide and the man who near-literally stumbles upon her while walking his dog. When he ends up being a new teacher at her school, she finally begins to find joy in life again by having someone to spend time with and their relationship subsequently, and naturally, evolves from there. The emotions and convincingly benign nature of the events is interesting on its own, especially after the sad reveal at the end, but the artwork really brings it home with characters that look and act their age. Their outfits and hair are notably dated but it sort of adds their charm, if not a tad distracting sometimes.

Other stories in the book include a young boy seeking out a cherished writer, a man who laments on friendships' past, and a family coming to accept the loss of their youngest in an accident years before. The book opens with a woman sharing her experience with a young girl from her childhood that sets an airy, emotional tone for the stories to come while the chapter immediately following tosses on a dash of shock factor as it explores the concept of social conformity with unnerving success. The collection is book-ended by an appropriately chosen story of love and farewell.

A Drunken Dream isn't the first time Moto Hagio's work has translated into English. The anthology's translator Matt Thorn has also worked on several of her books in the early days of Viz Media and brings his knowledge and insight on her career, and others of similar history making up a group known as The Year 24 Group, in the extras at the end. One of said extra includes an interview with Moto Hagio.

The physical presentation of the book itself is immediately indicative that this release is tailored towards a different audience than your mainstream manga reader. While maintaining its original left-to-right orientation, the book comes with a large trim size and thick hard cover. The whole thing is wrapped in a subtle sunshine yellow colour and the lettering accented with glossy foil. All interior pages are printed on bright, thick paper. One could argue it's a bit overdone – does the book benefit from this extra glitz? Will it catch the eye of a new prospective target audience? Could it be too hard to notice as manga by existing fans of the medium when sitting on bookstore shelves? All that in consideration, start reading this book and you'll find the feel of the hardcover and the gentle crack of the gloss-covered spine simply proves to be the icing on the proverbial cake all the same. This is a great looking book that compliments its contents.

Inside and out, Moto Hagio's A Drunken Dream and Other Stories is a mature collection of stories that aims to provoke thought and feeling and succeeds endearingly at just that. A piece of manga history that only becomes more engaging with each subsequent read, A Drunken Dream presents a great opportunity to experience the charms, both subtle and poignant, of Moto Hagio's craft. It may not float everyone's boat, a substance over style menagerie of ideas and life, but those who take the time to explore it should not be disappointed by the experience.

Grade:
Overall : A-
Story : A
Art : B+ 

+ Beautiful stories of a variety of different subjects, a lush era-classic shoujo art style by one of the genre's more influential creators and top-notch production values
− Some may find the content a bit dated and the target audience seems a bit unclear; price point is high for casual consumers

Watch Online Anime : Death Note Episode 4 ENG SUB

Watch Online Anime : Death Note Episode 4 ENG SUB


Death Note Ep 4 English

Completely Incomplete | MySpace Video

>> First Page

Watch Online Anime : Death Note Episode 1 ENG SUB

Watch Online Anime : Death Note Episode 1 ENG SUB


Death Note Ep 1 English

Completely Incomplete | MySpace Video

>> First Page

Watch Online Anime : Death Note ENG SUB

Summary : During just another normal day, Yagami Light stumbles upon a black notebook known as the Death Note. This notebook belongs to a shinigami, Ryuk, having the ability to kill anyone who has their name written in it. As the new owner of the Death Note, Light's true desires surface, yearning to cleanse the world of evil by murdering a large number of criminals. When the world begins to notice the existence of this unknown killer, legendary detective L is brought onto the case; starting a war between "Kira" and L. Whoever is able to find out the others identity first will be the one to survive. Based on the manga by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.

Watch Online Anime : Death Note ENG SUB

- Death Note Episode 1
- Death Note Episode 2
- Death Note Episode 3 
- Death Note Episode 4
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- Death Note Episode 6
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- Death Note Episode 10 
- Death Note Episode 11
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- Death Note Episode 17
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- Death Note Episode 37 END

Game Review Video : Postal III

Game Review Video : Postal III

Video Games | Postal III | GC 10: Porn Shop Walkthrough

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

GC 10: Porn Shop Walkthrough
A special guest appears as the Porn Shop Owner in this walkthrough of the most unsavory jobs ever in this walkthrough from GamesCom 2010 in Germany.

Game Review Video : Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood HD

Game Review Video : Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood HD

Video Games | Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood | GC 10: Demo

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GC 10: Demo
Get a closer look at some of the new gameplay features in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood in this GamesCom 2010 demo.

Game Review Video : Castlevania: Lords of Shadow HD

Game Review Video : Castlevania: Lords of Shadow HD [PlayStation 3, Xbox 360]

Video Games | Castlevania: Lords of Shadow | Preview Walkthrough

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Get a guided tour through the sanctuary entrance!

Game Review Video : ScrewAttack

Game Review Video : ScrewAttack Top 10 Lame Mortal Kombat Fatalities

Video Games | ScrewAttack | Top 10 Lame Mortal Kombat Fatalities

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forget the amazing ones--what were the top ten worst fatalities?

Watch Online Anime : Kaichou wa Maid-sama ENG SUB EP 22

Watch Online Anime : Kaichou wa Maid-sama ENG SUB EP 22



>> First Page

Game Review Video : Medal of Honor PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Game Review Video : Medal of Honor PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Video Games | Medal of Honor | Fallen Angel Multiplayer Gameplay Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Preview the multiplayer gameplay experience with The MoH Experience: Part One: Fallen Angel: Multiplayer.

Game Review Video : Metroid: Other M!

Game Review Video : Metroid: Other M!

Video Games | Metroid: Other M | Review

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Can the minds behind Ninja Gaiden deliver a great Metroid game? Find out in the official GameTrailers review of Metroid: Other M!

Game Review Video : Exclusive Debut Teaser

Game Review Video : Exclusive Debut Teaser

Video Games | Untitled Telltale Game | Exclusive Debut Teaser

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

What on Earth could these characters possibly be doing in the same place? Telltale's next game brings them all together!

The Anime Review : Hikaru no Go 18

Synopsis:
Diverging away from the main storyline, this volume focuses on six side stories about six of the main characters: Akira Toya, Tetsuo Kaga, Asumi Nase, Yuki Mitani, Atsushi Kurata and Fujiwara-no-Sai. Akira and Mitani's stories center on what they're doing right before they meet Hikaru; Kaga and Asumi's stories expand upon what they're currently up to; Kurata's story pays a visit to the Go player before he first starts playing the game; and Sai's story follows him and a younger Hikaru on a little misadventure in an arts and pottery shop.

Review:
It's not uncommon for series, especially longer ones, to take a bit of a break from the main storyline to delve into chapters about other popular characters in order to flesh them out, tell a story that the mangaka or writer really wanted to tell but couldn't because it didn't fit anywhere else, or take a break from a story that may be getting too stressful or intense. Considering a major part of the main storyline was just wrapped up at the end of volume 17, this volume is the perfect time to sing these untold tales, especially since several are about characters who haven't appeared in the manga recently.

Unfortunately, what could have been six unique glimpses into these characters' lives instead ends up being a collection of mostly uninteresting stories that will leave even die-hard fans of the characters disappointed.

Akira Toya's story travels back in time to just before he meets his soon-to-be rival and shows him playing two minor characters, but aside from a sweet little moment between Akira and his father, the entire chapter lacks any real meaning and doesn't develop Akira beyond what we've already known about him since the beginning of the series. The most notable thing about this chapter is the art. Fans of little Akira will have plenty of cute and serious faces to gush over, but more importantly, comparing Akira at the beginning of the series to his youthful return really emphasizes how Takeshi Obata's lines and details have improved over the course of the series.

Tetsuo Kaga's story steps back into the present as he returns to Haze Middle School to play some Shogi, but instead finds himself detoured to help the one remaining student in the Go club: Hitoshi Koike. Even though this story is supposed to be about Kaga, more time is spent focusing on Koike, whose easily excitable but wholly uninteresting personality makes it hard for the reader to root for this underdog.

After two dull chapters, it's surprising to discover that Asumi Nase's story is actually interesting. Hikaru no Go has never hidden the fact that women aren't a big part of the Go world, but it's never touched upon the way those who don't play Go view female professional players. In this chapter, we actually get to see a unique side of Asumi, who is more comfortable around shady adults than she is a boy of her own age. The irony is that the adults are impressed with her skill and actually want to spend more time with her, yet her date, the only one her own age, is the one most intimidated by her. In the end, she realizes it's easier to struggle forward in the Go world as a professional female player than it is to be a “normal” 16-year-old girl.

The next chapter on Yuki Mitani suffers from the same weakness as Akira's story does – namely, the flashback doesn't reveal anything we didn't already know about the character – and flounders even more when it wastes entire pages on Mr. Shu and Mr. Dake planning to teach Mitani a lesson.

Interestingly enough, it's Atsushi Kurata's tale that stands out the most. Focusing on the relationship between a young Kurata and an English teacher-in-training, the chapter explores Kurata's knack for studying information about horse racers and then using these facts to guess the winner of a race. However, no amount of information can predict the unexpected, and that's where Kurata's intuition comes into play. At the end, a correlation is drawn between racing horses and playing Go: that is, no matter how much information or strategy you have, it's intuition that makes the difference between a good player and a great one.

The volume tries to wrap up on a high note with the return of Sai, everyone's favorite curious and energetic ball of ethereal fluff, but trips over its own feet as it devolves into a chaotic mess in a pottery shop with yet another crooked seller trying to pawn fake merchandise off as the real deal to unsuspecting customers. The “trick” to Keicho's vase is a unique twist that includes some of the most beautiful drawings in the entire volume, but it's still not enough to save Sai's story from crumbling into a boring pile of rubble.

Volume 18, even for its few shining moments, just doesn't bring much to the table. Very little Go is played, even less is accomplished in the way of character development, and unless you're the type who's determined to read everything related to Hikaru no Go, your collection will not suffer if you decide to leave this one out.

Grade:
Overall : C-
Story : D
Art : B+ + Skillful artwork shows how the artist has grown, and Asumi and Kurata's stories are somewhat interesting.
− Almost zero character development and annoying side characters drag the entire volume down.

The Anime Review : Hanasakeru Seishonen Episodes 1-6 Streaming

Synopsis:
After being raised on a remote island by order of her eccentric father, 14-year old Kajika Burnsworth is finally being called back home. She has trouble adjusting to the outside world and relies on her childhood friend-turned-bodyguard Lee-Leng to support her on the trip to meet her father, who promises to reveal his plans for her destiny on one condition. She must play a "marriage game" wherein he has selected three men of high standing he will accept as future husbands for her. She must guess who these suitors are and then make her marriage selection, with Lee-Leng as her escort, if she wants to accept the blessing of her father and begin her life as a young woman among the elite.

Review:
There's no disguising the odor: Hanasakeru Seishōnen (Flowering Youth) smells a lot like chauvinism. A naïve young girl must find a rich, older man to marry in order to discover her life's meaning…as dictated by her father? More than being just a faux pas, it's an extremely insulting idea. Well, it is in theory. In practice, the “tender flower” Kajika seems to be the only one in control, and that's what makes it work. Her tenacity and spunk attracts and heals others and makes her the center of the reverse harem at hand.

Kajika was raised by an old Creole priestess in the Caribbean with only a large white leopard (must be imported?) and her stoic bodyguard for companionship. As such, she's developed some odd ideas about life and social norms and doesn't hesitate to confront brutish men regardless of their size or power or throw herself into uncomfortable situations to make a new friend. If it weren't for the aforementioned stoic bodyguard, Kajika would not fare well in the big city, but her joie de vivre is hopelessly contagious even under the shield of her imperious escort, Lee-leng. The balance between their personalities and dependence on each other makes the show work, and most times, they're the only people in the world who understand one another. At the same time, they argue frequently, as Lee-leng is overly protective and Kajika overly impetuous. Really, reverse harem aside, this bodyguard appears to be the prime love interest for Kajika…except that Lee-leng can never be one of the three choices. It's something that pains him to acknowledge, but he keeps his feelings to himself.

On that note, the series is pleasantly unusual in its presentation of the suitors. Rather than throwing the sparkling idols right in our faces in the first episode, the series spends a solid three episodes on the first of these, Eugene, and has only begun to introduce the second, Rumaty, by the sixth episode. Like Lee-leng, Eugene is far from being the perfect man, having driven several previous girlfriends to suicide without remorse. Kajika is instantly drawn to him, however, because of his uncanny resemblance to her deceased leopard friend Mustafa, who she is sure has reincarnated to dwell inside Eugene. Rather than leading to an angst-filled romance, this leads to more dangerous conflicts as Eugene has his own dark plans to see to and doesn't mind playing up the ruse that he could be “Mustafa” to humor a rich young beauty. Needless to say, Lee-leng will do anything to tear her away from this disturbed suitor and within two episodes, the story has taken a darker and tenser turn than some shojo reach in their final arcs.

Foreign prince Rumaty is still fairly mysterious, but clearly a wild child quite different from Eugene, and equally disdained by Lee-leng and adored by Kajika. With such a well-balanced cast of characters and a remarkably steady tone that never lances into super-deformed mania or strained melodrama, there's a lot of potential for a great romance here.

Tragically, all that potential could be boiled down nicely on paper, but drifts by devoid of enthusiasm onscreen. From its passable character models to its tired, plinking music, the series does not seek to impress on any aesthetic level. Good direction could have compensated for the production setbacks, but this too is uninspired, as nearly every shot is composed of talking heads backed by unimpressive seiyuu performances. It's hard to even comment on the animation because unless we're talking mouth flaps, it's barely present until a mild action scene in episode 6. Despite visiting at least four famous cities over the course of six episodes, there's never an attempt to drink in any atmosphere. Despite possessing unique, complex characters, every scene of the series is taken up with them explaining their every thought aloud rather than letting the audience discover the characters through their actions. Hanasakeru Seishōnen might as well have been a radio drama for the complete lack of attention paid to its visuals, and this is especially shocking in light of the fact that director Chiaki Kon's previous works, the Higurashi franchise, thrived on snappy editing and disconcerting camera angles. As previously mentioned, it does not help that the dialogue is dreadfully rife with exposition and blunt internal monologues fill the spaces when no one is speaking aloud.

The heart of the anime is strong and full of promise, particularly for shojo, a genre always gasping for good material in a dearth of saccharine and immature garbage. There is an engaging story with great characters hiding here, so it's unfortunate that the flower the creators have planted has no fragrance or panache whatsoever despite these good elements. The theme songs are the lone exception to this, with passionate Kelly Clarkson-style guitar ballads that support the series well, but they aren't enough to make anyone stick around for the blah-fest to follow. One can only hope it hasn't fully bloomed yet, but if the production quality and writing of the series remain as constant as its tone, there's no sense in holding your breath waiting. Good ideas are a dime a dozen, and Hanasakeru's various novelties are so far left floundering in a sea of horribly bland presentation.

Grade:
Overall (sub) : C
Story : B-
Animation : C
Art : C+
Music : C+ 

+ Fertile premise, diverse and complementary love interests
− Expositional monologuing, bland and tepid throughout

The Anime Review : Gunslinger Girl OVA DVD

Synopsis:
After the bridge bombing fiasco has settled, it's business as usual for the Social Welfare Agency, and the Rico-Jean fratello are off to Venice to take down a Mafioso and clean out a den of terrorists. After the dust settles, Guise arranges for a vacation to his family's old sea cottage, inviting Henrietta, Jean, and Rico to come along. The girls find respite in the exquisite grandeur of Sicily, but Jean only finds himself haunted by visions of the past. Meanwhile, Triela stays at the dorms and reminisces with Claes about what they've all gone through.

Review:
It's been stated many times that Gunslinger Girl's second season, Il Teatrino, is a disappointing step backwards from where the series had started in artistry and storytelling. However, if there was one thing Il Teatrino possessed that its predecessor did not, it was an engaging plot, full of political intrigue, moral ambiguity, and poignant climaxes to character arcs that had been left hanging from the first season. The conclusion to Il Teatrino was satisfying enough that an OVA doesn't seem terribly necessary, so what do these final two episodes offer?

Sadly, not much of anything. The first episode, The Light of Venice, the Darkness of the Heart, is a complete throwaway as Jean and Rico track down more terrorists hiding out in Italy's famous tourist city where gondolas abound. The terrorist threat itself is not very well explained and rapidly disposed of, and while Rico is given room to expose her inner anxieties, it's nothing we haven't seen before in better episodes of the series. The second episode, Fantasma, appears to be just as trivial but takes an interesting turn halfway through. Throughout two seasons of Gunslinger Girl, only one lead character has never been sufficiently explored: Jean. His bitter mistreatment of Rico has never been explained to even the slightest degree, but when faced with a ghostly figure he's been trying to forget, it all becomes clear. The events that made Guise and Jean react so very differently to their fratello are left largely vague, but their emotional response to the past tragedy is communicated very well in this one key scene. Despite being entrenched in unimpressive filler, Jean's revelation of character after being such a cold fish for 26 episodes is quite rewarding.

Rewarding though it may be, it only opens the door for the series to be continued rather than tying up the second season, which was already succinctly tied up and simply gets revisited during Triela's short scenes in the OVA. This DVD is largely forgettable, for completionists only, but will certainly satisfy fans who wanted to see more of Guise and Jean's souls laid bare…along with their chests in the beach scenes. At the very least, it's a harmless excursion for the story.

The art and animation are congruous with all of Il Teatrino, which is to say it doesn't look very good. The animation, handled by Artland in place of MADHOUSE who produced the first season, is at least acceptable for an action series. Still, it's loaded with speed lines and jerky transitions, while the conversation-heavy scenes are merely boring and minimalistic, so it doesn't do the series any favors either. Either way, there isn't much action in this OVA to pick on. The real detriment to the series' visuals is the revised art style of Il Teatrino, a creation entirely different from the first season of Gunslinger Girl. (There's also a new voice cast if you're watching in Japanese.)

At best, the new character designs are boring. The handlers' angular faces and smaller eyes make them look more like Ken dolls than conflicted adult characters. At worst, the new designs are garish and unattractive as most of the damage is done to the gunslinging girls. The generic moe-fied faces take all the subtlety out of the girls' expressions, and make the series' focus on them as victimized little girls a moot point now that they look more like plastic figurines. Visually, the series seems burdened with a malaise of flatness. The characters, the backgrounds, and the lighting are bland and lacking in any dimension or expressiveness.

The music is reminiscent of Kou Ohtani's score for Il Teatrino but sounds far less refined. Most of the selections are forgettable, and many overused synthesizer pieces are grating rather than charming. Even Claes' theme, an echoey rendition of Scarborough Fair, returns in a simpler incarnation that lacks the beauty of the original. Performances in either language are solid, but due to a lack of good material to run with in the OVA, there isn't much to comment on beyond that. The series' second season voice cast returns in the OVA, while the English version retains its cast from the first season onward with the exception of Hilshire, who is played by J. Michael Tatum replacing Dameon Clarke.

Extras include the clean closers for both episodes (the opening song is not used in the OVA, sadly,) and a myriad of trailers. Also included is a conversation-style interview between the seiyuu for Triela and Hilshire wherein they discuss their experiences working on the show and compete to see who can draw a better picture of Pinocchio. Of course, no one informed Masaya Matsukaze which “Pinocchio” to draw. It's probably more enjoyable than the OVA itself, which possesses none of the beauty and subtlety of the original series, but also lacks the intrigue and excellent writing of Il Teatrino. As such, it doesn't really have anywhere to go.

Grade:
Overall (dub) : C
Overall (sub) : C
Story : C-
Animation : C+
Art : C
Music : C+ 

+ Satisfying character development for Guise and especially Jean
− Otherwise pointless, for completionists only

The Anime Review : El Cazador de la Bruja DVD - Season 1 Part 2

Synopsis:
A little wiser, a little more wary, but no less determined to make their way to Wiñay Marka, Nadie and Ellis continue south. As their chance partnership slowly deepens into something richer and more important than either would readily admit, neither is aware that even that factors into the nefarious scheme brewing inside government scientist Douglas Rosenberg's rotten skull. Unfortunately for him, other kinds of rot—namely his rotten dealings with rotten politicians—end up derailing his scheme when his corrupt political support, as corrupt political support is wont to do, gets caught in a corruption sweep. Which changes Nadie and Ellis's situation irrevocably. With no one to protect Ellis from, Blue-eyes calls in Nadie, intending to take her off Ellis's case and Ellis into custody. Nadie, of course, refuses. Prompting Blue-eyes' handlers to come down on the pair hard. And if that—and a journey to an unknown destination—weren't enough, they haven't yet heard the last of Rosenberg...or his creepy sidekick L.A.

Review:
All directors have their little quirks and obsessions. Alfred Hitchcock had his icy blondes, John Woo has his doves, and Koichi Mashimo, apparently, has his masked perverts and their evil rituals involving underage girls. Guess who ends this series bedecked in a glorified poncho and faux-Aztec headdress/helmet? No prizes for guessing Rosenberg.

Though calling what is essentially a po-faced sight gag an obsession is a stretch. It's more a reflection of the series' wry self-awareness than a directorial trademark. The lackadaisical good humor of Bruja's two leads, it seems, is quite infectious. Like Nadie and Ellis the series approaches every development with a secret smile and imperturbable calm. So good-natured is it that even its most elaborate cliché-dumps (and they get very elaborate) can be greeted with a chuckle rather than a grimace. Even in its final leg the series remains light and unhurried, an antidote, really, for the overwrought operatism of things like Madlax.

Of course, this being the end of the series, not all is wisecracking femmes and self-effacing parody. There are far more little threads of continuity running through the second half's standalone tales than ever there were in the first. There are Rosenberg's schemes and L.A.'s quest to free himself from them, the conspiracy of witches and Blue-eyes' ambitions, and, most importantly, Ellis's slow humanization. It's nice to see the secondary characters—Ricardo and especially Blue-eyes, but even L.A—finally stop floating through the series and start exerting an influence, but the real treat, growth-wise, is definitely Ellis. She's always been great, unflappable fun, but her illogical calm only becomes a full-fledged personality trait here as she accumulates emotions and relationships. There's a warmth to the little jokes about her personality that can only be described as satisfaction, perhaps even pride, at her maturation. Nadie on the other hand—aside from her deepening feelings for Ellis—doesn't change. But that's all right. She doesn't need to.

Of course, this also being El Cazador de la Bruja, such developments naturally happen in the most stubbornly episodic fashion possible. Continuous and even serious those plot threads may be, but they are firmly embedded within one-off stories about part-time taco-slinging and live vulture hunting. Even Ellis's emotional growth is episodic, happening as it does in short stories that may as well have titles like "Ellis Gets Mad," "Ellis Gets Jealous," or "Ellis and Nadie Have a Fight." Which is actually a lot more enjoyable than it sounds. The episodic structure works in the series' favor, keeping Bee Train's tendencies towards draggy drear firmly in check by containing the action to a single episode and focusing often on the silly or frivolous in Nadie and Ellis's journey. Add in a whiff of direction thanks to those trailing plot threads, and you have a firm good time.

Technically speaking the series remains rock-steady. Not rock-steady as in good, but rock-steady as in consistent. All of the series'—and indeed the studio's—trademarks make their way unblemished into the second half: the indulgent desert vistas are positively gorgeous, the action is sparing but expertly and fluidly staged, the pans over eyes and skewed, static compositions are long and slow, and the characters look better than perhaps any in the Bee Train oeuvre. The girls are the obvious draw, and wiry, athletic Nadie is an undeniable treat (those are some seriously cool boots), but the series' sexiest character may well be Ricardo with his granite good looks, flinty Eastwood stare, and Charles Bronson 'stache. Or maybe that's just me.

Yuki Kajiura 's score is big, pretty and curiously good-humored. Keep an ear out for Ennio Morricone pastiches and a musical wink to Lowell Lo's iconic score for The Killer.

Funimation 's dub displays flawless judgment. That is inarguable. But there's a slight limpness to it that hints that, while ADR director Christopher Bevin's brain is in it, his heart is not. That limpness was a little worm of worry throughout the first set, easily banished by the hammy villains that the dub graciously offered up as distraction. But as the major secondary characters take over, the worm grows into a rather conspicuous snake. Not that any are objectively poor—merely...off, as if in its determination to respect the original, the dub missed the joke: that the original doesn't respect itself. And with the joke goes much of the original's color.

Another episode-long commentary—with Bevins again, along with Ian Sinclair (Rosenberg) and Clarine Harp (Blue-eyes)—is the set's big extra. As per usual, as fun and dirt-filled as you could want (random fact: apparently Dragon Ball is really hard on actors).

Heading into its second half Bruja delves far more deeply into the explicitly supernatural and flirts copiously with shojo-ai. It's also a smidge less fun and a good deal more satisfying than previously. Nevertheless, the deciding factor in whether you will or will not enjoy Bruja's second half will very simply be whether you enjoyed its first. After all, its main draws—sly wit, great chemistry, and siesta-time pacing—remain absolutely unchanged. As do its deterrents (hello plot lines from ye 'ol slag heap o' pseudoscientific anime nonsense). Unhook that brain and enjoy the ride.

Grade:
Overall (dub) : C+
Overall (sub) : B-
Story : C+
Animation : B-
Art : B
Music : B 

+ Great leads, high fun factor, and a real conclusion, complete with episode-long coda; more cohesive than the first half.
− Also a little less fun and a bit darker; ultimately disposable.