Shiki Part 1
Released By: Manga Entertainment

Rating: R - 17+

Running Time: 300 Mins

Audio: English and Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1

Release Date: Out Now

Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

When an investigative team comes to find out the cause of death to three people in a peaceful rural village, they put the deaths down to natural causes, wild dogs roaming the area, but Toshio Ozaki, director of the local clinic doesn't think so. Megumi is a high school girl who isn't so happy at living in the village. To her every day looks the same, she hates the wildlife, the people there, even her friends, all except a young man - she is in love with him., but he doesn't even notice her. When several people start to die nearby, the sense of peace and tranquility is disturbed enough to make people afraid so they think all sorts of nasty things. And while everyone else is thinking of whether the dead were murdered or not, Megumi is too busy daydreaming about the young man in the castle.

Once the deaths start to mount up, people in the village think about the huge castle on the hill above them, and who they really are, as they are the most recent residents, and suspicion mounts that they could be far from human, but is it the suspicions of an ignorant public, or is there some truth to the rumors  When Megumi takes a walk into the mountains to visit the mansion and the man of her dreams, her parents worry about her when she doesn't return. Her disappearance sparks a search party, which leads them to her, laid out in the forest -they think she's dead at first, but when she wakes up, she isn't herself.

Several characters form the key to this anime; one is Natsuno, his best friend, Tohru, Toshio Ozaki, and his monk friend, Seishin Muroi. Natsuno, known by others affectionately as Yuuki is suspicious of everyone and everything, and this is what makes him one of the first to notice that something is wrong in the village, and the deaths all lead to one family – the ones who live on the hill, but don’t interact with anyone. No one really knows who they are, and most close their eyes to what they are. Natsuno doesn't however, and his thoughts that the deaths are not a part of an epidemic, but are part of a shiki invasion make him a target for death – this much he knows as when his friends an neighbors around him are all dying, he can’t believe it when he starts seeing them, even after he has been present at their funerals. Tohru, his best friend dies, and he is one of the only ones in the village he bonded with – in his mind the rest of them could go to hell.

He takes it as personal when Tohru dies as he has an idea he has been cruelly murdered by the shiki, and all their symptoms seem to be anemia  fatigue, refusal to eat or drink and he notices bite marks on their skin, usually the throat. He has nothing but memories now of being his friend, and when he rises from the grave to visit him, he can’t understand why, but he is even more angered when he is still his normal self even though he is now a shiki. Tohru is the most endearing character in the entire anime, you get to feel emotionally about him which can make you close to tears, as he isn't the ravenous vampire he might look – he actually cries when he sees him, and even more so when he tells Natsuno he has been sent to kill him by Tatsumi, a werewolf type called a Jinrou. Natsuno still loves him as a friend, and even offers to help him, but he can’t accept him as he is, even if he wants to. They are two different people and, as he finds out, they can’t coexist.

Natsuno and Seishi are torn between the reality of death, and the strangeness that the undead could be living near them and taking over their village with the intention of making it a vampire village. While Natsuno is visited by his newly made vampire friend, Seishi is visited by a young girl, Sunako Kirishiki who is captivated by his stories and essays on the shiki. Seishi is an unusual character who lives with a permanent cloud over him, from trying to kill himself while in his college years with Natsuno. He always looks like he is hiding something from the villagers, and seems to be full of guilt about what is happening around him.

Unlike other vampire based anime series where the characters would group together to take out the vampires, the villagers for the most part don’t want to believe that there is anything bad happening to the people and so they let the shiki carry on killing.

They do know that the killing is going on, but they are too afraid to stand up for themselves. Natsuno on the other hand is determined to find out exactly what these shiki are, and will even go so far as to kidnap one and experiment on them. There is a dual effect in this series that will have you questioning your sense of morality, as the shiki kill for food, while Natsuno wants to intentionally harm the shiki out of hate – even his friend, Seishi tells him he will lose his humanity if he does this. Shiki Part 1 is haunting, emotional and unlike a lot of anime that have been seen before. In Shiki, unlike in most vampire movies, the ones who have been turned retain their memories of who they were, and have emotions, feelings and thoughts just as when they were human - the only difference is that they are eternally drawn to a thirst for human blood. Even Tohru tells his best friend Natsuno that he can't help his lust for blood, yet he doesn't want to make him a vampire as he still has human feelings for him, and wants him to live - Tohru didn't have a choice in the matter when he was turned, but Natsuno does.


Bonus Material: Bonus features are Commentary on Episode 1 with Mike McFarland (ADR Director), Jerry Jewell (Natsuno) and John Burgmeier (Seishin) and on episode 12 with Mike McFarland joined by Chris Burnett (Toru), Tia Ballard (Megumi) and Alexis Tipton (Kaori),  Original Japanese Preview Featurettes, Trailers of other anime titles, and Clean Opening and Closing Animation.

Verdict: Well-written, scary, and atmospheric - also heartwarming - you get to feel for the characters, even the shiki ones.

Gravitation Vol: 2 
Released By: MVM

Rating: 12

Running Time: 100 Mins

Audio: English and Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0

Release Date: Out Now

Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

Annoyed he cannot find inspiration with his singing, Shuichi Shindou takes a break, but when the big boss comes in to tell him he has managed to book Bad Luck for a solo concert, Shuichi cannot control himself – the bad thing is it is in two days at Ruido where Nittle Grasper had their debut. Seeing it as fate, he agrees on behalf of the band but still has those feelings of inadequacy creeping into his mind. That stint on Quiz and Pop had a lot to do with it, and feeling rushed the rest of the band get on with it, it is only Shuichi's friend who really understands his ambitions enough to be able to take it easy and not worry like the others.

Shuichi later gets the shock of his life when he calls on Yuki and his brother Tatsua answers it, letting him in and telling him he is a fan of Nittle Grasper. Everything is going well until he sees Yuki and introduces a woman to him who Tatsua has been tracking down – Yuki's fiancée pre arranged by his family.
Whatever will Shuichi do now?

In this second volume, Shuichi realises he does not really know his true love, not when he has such a strange past and people who are a part of it he does not even know.Yuki is a person who does not easily take others into his confidence, so he will often leave Shuichi guessing as to his inner motives throughout their relationship.

Yuki's past is also one of interest to Shuichi, and his family's constant interference annoys him to the point of depression. It seems only Shuichi will be able to truly find out what happened early in his life.
The story is wonderful, the role of dependant lover Shuichi and independent cold guy Yuki is fun to watch, as is the sight of fans mobbing Shuichi in the train station.

Bonus Material: Art Gallery, Clean Opening and Closing titles and Trailers for other anime titles.

Verdict: Gravitation has got the coolest characters, and superb animation. The overall feel is one of unforgettable proportions. This is an anime I could watch again and again without tiring of it.
This is about two people in love with lots of complications!

Shigure Death Frenzy Complete Series

Released By: Manga Entertainment

Rating: 18

Running Time: 320 mins

Audio: English and Japanese 5.1

Release Date: Out Now

Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

As a Shogun who has committed many cruel deeds during his life as lord of the land in feudal Japan, Tadanaga Tokugawa was given orders to commit seppuku as punishment and also as being the youngest brother of the Shogun himself. There are tales of his misdeeds yet most of them are unconfirmed. Before a sword match is to be held at Sunpu Castle, a lord Torii pleads with the lord in the hope that he not force the competition to use real swords, hoping instead that he allow them to use wooden bokken as to kill such fine warriors as these in a mere game of chance would be a great waste of talent and expertise. Everyone who is about to compete in the match have looks of horror on their faces as they know their lord is using them in order to amuse himself and has little or no concern for their lives. Once the match begins the two fighters enter the scene, Fujiki Gennosuke and Irako Seigen, a man with one arm and a man who is blind and infirm. Both are bitter rivals, yet the most excellent fighters, yet both have been offered a chance at winning the hand of their masters daughter and a chance at happiness, yet both have a very dark and troubled past. They are an odd combination indeed, but who will be the victor?

Based on the intriguing original story by Takayuki Yamaguchi, it is based on the novel ‘Surugajyou Gozenjial’ which was written by Norio Nanjoj serially in the “Champion Red” by Akita Publishing and viewers will feel privileged to see this series more fleshed out in a full action anime. Directed by Hiroshi Hamasaki who brought fans the gritty and gory Texhnolyze and scripted by Seishi Minakami who brought us Paprika and the subversive Paranoia Agent takes it one step further in the nail bitingly bloody stakes by sending the viewer back several years to the beginning of the Edo Era of Japan where dangerously minded warlords played games with their warriors just to amuse themselves and pass the time. Of course there would be love involved as well as desire, but at the heart of this story is the power of the warriors who are being used by these warlords, and the fierceness of their moves when they fight. Also their past will be discovered at a time where love was just a brief interference in war. The story is both emotive and structured in a way as the viewer can understand the characters in this most extreme of anime series. At the beginning of the story of the sword match at Sunpu Castle it is mentioned in the narrative that only six survived from being twenty-two men competing in eleven matches who used real swords instead of bokken and of the six remaining men two were seriously injured. This is what makes it so cruel a match that a warlord would make his best men die in these trivial circumstances.

Bonus Material: Bonus Material comes as Episode 4 & 10 Commentary, Character Biographies, Settings Gallery, Text-less Opening and Closing Animations and Audio options.

Verdict: Shigure is gruesome, bloody and extremely gory. It takes anime to a new and exciting level – atmospheric and emotive, this captures the cruel and bloodthirsty era of old Japan perfectly.

Gravitation Vol: 1 Fateful First Encounter
Released By: MVM

Rating: 12

Running Time: 75 Mins

Audio: English and Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0

Release Date: Out Now

Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

Shuichi Shindou has had problems with his song writing, and Hiro tells him he must have an interest outside his band Bad Luck, as he sees he is getting stressed-out more and more lately, even going so far as to suggest he get a girlfriend to take his mind off things for a while. Shuichi, though wants Bad Luck to be one of the biggest bands in the music business, but he cannot do it on talent alone. Taking his lyrics out with him on the street one night strolling through the park thinking aloud, when his lyric sheet is taken by the wind. Running after it, he sees a blond haired older man in the distance who picks it up and starts reading it. After a few minutes he asks him if he has written it and if it is he has zero talent.

His ego deflated from this cruel act of critique, Shuichi is supposed to see the Director to see if his group can get signed up, but his lyrics have to be completed first, but he cannot get what the man in the park said to him that night out of his mind, and one day when he sees a guy in a car, he nearly gets himself run over, and he knows it is the man from the park who takes him back to his plush apartment, to let him get a shower and clean himself up while still giving him an unasked for dose of criticism again. They discuss what he said about his lyrics and he finds more out about the man, but not his name.

Finally finishing the lyrics and saving the band's skin in the nick of time, Shuichi waits with Hiro to start the meeting when he sees the man on TV, discovering he is called EiriYuki and is a successful romance novelist who is a huge name in Japan.

While Shuichi and the others are rehearsing ready for the big night where they are the support act for Ash, the main act who arrogantly want to rehearse without Bad Luck being there. Negotiations are being broken by the arrival of Mako, a mysterious woman who drags Shuichi into her car, and back to Yuki's flat. Shuichi at this point thinks she is Yuki's girlfriend, but when he finds out otherwise, he is shocked and angry at Yuki's deception.

Based on the extremely successful Yaoi manga created for a purely female audience and created by Maki Murakami, author of Gamerz Heaven, and directed by Bob Shirohata of Diamond Daydream and Let's Dance With Papa.

This series concentrates on lead singer and lyricist Shuichi Shindou who wants his band Bad Luck to do really well, but as usual other aspects of his life affect his decisions. Shuichi has an idol, singer Ryuichi who was with the band Nittle Grasper, one of his favorites, and has just managed to get signed by a record label. While one part of him wants to see his band get to the top in the music industry, the other part of him cannot help but get Yuki to come to terms with how good a musician he is and that his lyrics do not suck as much as Yuki thinks they do.

But in the meantime they both do a lot more than talking after Yuki kisses him in the elevator and notes that Shuichi wants more. A credit to the original manga, the anime version does a great job of making the story believable as much as the characters have been well drawn and exceptionally animated. The whole anime is lavish and topped with a great, rocking soundtrack viewers will enjoy. The episode titles, listed as tracks have been kept faithful to the manga, Shuichi has been made to look more feminine than in the manga and the viewers will see the difference and appreciate it looks better. Eiri Yuki has been left as he originally looked in the manga which is good, and there is an all round bunch of great secondary characters who make the anime the fun watch it is - Hiroshi Nakano, Sahano their Producer who is always stressed-out and suicidal, and representer of their band Tohma Seguchi. With Eiri and Shuichi it is a case of love at first sight.


Bonus Material: Art Gallery, Original Gravitation Trailer and Trailers for other anime titles.

Verdict: This is one sure fire hit. Gravitation rocks big style!

Black Cat Box Set

Released By: Manga Entertainment

Rating:15

Running Time: 600 mins

Audio: English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0

Release Date: Out Now

Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

Two people who should never have met - ever! get a chance to do just that when they are both on the same mission to take out the new Governor Liv Tyrant, a former gangster, dealer and no good trash. Sven Volified sees Liv shot using his special 'vision eye,' a five minute episode where he can see into the future and the man he sees do the deed is Train Heartnet. Horrified that he couldn't prevent him being killed, he has to move on and find another target after getting warned off by Train  outside the mansion before.

Sven is a 'sweeper' who collects his bounty and brings him back alive for cash, not that it's that much while Train Heartnet is an 'eraser'  and member of the Chronos Organization named Kuri Neko or Black Cat whose number is Thirteen and is tattooed on him and etched into his gun. He is sent out on a mission to track and erase his targets for food as he has been trained, his fast reaction, timing, and speed is amazing and some would say inhuman, but he is feared by everyone who hears his name mentioned.

Sven's next target is a young woman who wants him to get a girl who just happens to be her sister, the bio weapon Eve a dangerous and destructive menace who looks in reality like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. The only problem is Eve is also Train's next target for erasing. When Train sees her he spares her life but no one knows why. Sven plans to see Eve again and he knows Train will be there too, but will he carry out his plan to actually kill her?

It is an interesting anime to watch as two characters who shouldn't be together end up friends after the first few episodes when Train starts to question his moral standing in Chronos and goes his own way in life. Train's seriousness and Sven's comedy and laid-back manner make for the perfect double-act all the way through. It has action, romance, fun and serious parts that make the viewer think about the next episode in the series more than they would normally.


Bonus Material: Text less Opening and Closing animations make this a great box set for everyone who likes action in their anime.

Verdict: Two mercenaries, a girl and not enough time on their hands - this anime is a recipe for disaster but in the greatest possible way! It's a five-star ticket to mayhem and brilliant doesn't even cut it.

Paranoia Agent Complete Box Series Box Set

Released By: Manga Entertainment

Rating:18

Running Time:325 mins

Audio: English and Japanese 2.0

Release Date: Out Now

Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

Tsukiko Sagi, a Character Designer leaves work one night and instead of getting the bus or train decides to walk. This is a bad move for her as she runs into a mysterious stranger who lashes out at her with a baseball bat.

In Hospital two police officers come to Tsukiko, creator of Muromi, her latest plushie creation, and when they ask her questions about the incident, she can only remember certain things and that he was a sixth-grade kid who wielded a golden baseball bat he clubbed her with that night.

One of them believes there was a similar case before to the one which happened recently, and the rumour running around the city is the story of a kid called Lil' slugger who travels the streets on inline skates with a baseball cap and crooked bat, but the cops just thought it was originally just a rumour and nothing more until now as Tsukiko was so vague in her answers.

When a second assault takes place, and it ends up being a guy trying to help the police, they know they have a serial attacker on their hands.

Paranoia Agent is an eerie and terrifying anime series that depicts society as it is in modern day Japan. It tells of the pressures of the young who grapple with the tradition in a modern society of change and new technology. But there is also the pressure of young people to conform in society, work extremely hard even before and after school and the stress it eventually causes.

This anime enlightens the viewer to several points of interest about Japan's less nice side. The depression through stress, mental illness which is not talked about in polite circles, suicide and paranoia in the everyday world which disturbingly causes a type of antisocial behaviour in people. Usually the young who commit violent acts to others, often without a reason. These types are known in Japan as Hikikomori who stay in their rooms and normally have no casual friends and spend their time on computers harbouring grudges against people secretly.

The character in this anime, Lil' Slugger, is shown only in silhouette at the beginning, and for good reason. He is seen wielding his crooked baseball bat at young Tsukiko Sagi, and it affects her life in this dark take far removed from the usual anime fare of school children and humorous fun prevalent in the genre. It is haunting in many places, as the characters in this are suffering in their own way as life is so fast paced, and having to understand what is going on in a strange and varied country as theirs.
The darkness of this series will make the viewer more eager to watch the whole thing through.

Bonus Material: Episode 1 storyboard (multi angle), Satoshi Kon Interview, Creditless Opening and Closing Japanese animations, Art Gallery, Audio Commentary by Satoshi Kon, Seishi Minakami and Satoki Toyoda (on all three episodes) create a superb viewing experience.

Verdict: A disturbing, noir piece. Thrilling in every way.

Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne Part 1

Released By: Manga Entertainment

Rating: 15

Running Time: 100 mins

Audio: English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0

Release Date: Out Now

Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

In Shinjuku 1990 a woman is chased from an apartment block only to be killed by one bullet from a gun held by a lone woman.

Rin, a girl who can definately look after herself meets a young man who is about to be taken away by thugs and brings him back to her apartment office; her assistant Mimi is hoping she'd actually bring back the cat she mentioned before. The young man tells them he is Maeno Kouki, and has details from  his life, but they don't feel genuine to him. He actually thinks he is someone else. Rin and Mimi try to find out more of who he is, but either way he keeps getting thugs in his way who want to beat him up for some reason and Rin wonders what kind of possible connection he has to them, believing them to be some kind of Yakuza organized crime syndicate.

Rin has troubles of her own though, while on an assignment to get information for one of her current clients, she is attacked by someone claiming to be working for Apos.

Rin, it turns out is a jack of all trades, and one who gets into plenty of mischief. Her relationship with Mimi is, it seems not entirely platonic and her leanings do come in handy later on when she gets captured by enemies once she finds the organization she discovered earlier. The basic storyline is the organization's surgeons are into taking away individuals off the street and using them as part of their strange experiments, yet they don't always go as planned. Even from the opening credits it is obvious that this anime is aimed at older teens to view, as well as those who will see a resemblance to X The Series and Saiyuki Reload, it features unusual people and that is pretty much what a lot of Otaku are into right now. The series is graphically sound, and its animation quality is on par with Ghost in the Shell. It has the feel of Darker Than Black and Speed Grapher and it has mild fantasy violence and sexual situations as well as a torture sequence, but that in itself is not as graphic as it could have been. And with Aoyama Pharmaceuticals Yamanobe Sayara missing, Rin and her team of investigators are sure to get into more trouble soon.

Bonus Material: Episode Commentary for Episode 02 Angels Don't Cry.

Verdict: As far as fantasy thrillers go, this is by far one of the best around - Rin has enough hard edge to keep the viewers watching.

Naruto Hokage Uchiha Itachi Pre-Painted Resin Figure


He isn't the best fan favorite  but this is a rather good model of him, and the bonus is he is pre-painted. The one thing I like about this model is its general look, the sight of Itachi manipulating his crows, and the swish of his Akatsuki outfit makes the overall model look amazing.

No one can say he doesn't look similar to his brother, Sasuke as the face is the one thing that can make or break a model. Whoever made this model and painted it got his likeness just right, down to the shinobi headband  eyes and eyebrows.

Itachi's eyes are at his mangekyo sharingan stage and look well drawn. His outfit is shiny and the clouds are set of by the deep red and white of the detailing which sets it all off as one very striking Itachi Uchiha model. I like the image of the crows, one actually seems to be smiling (the one at the bottom) and the crows are strewn around the entire model making it animated, as if he is flying rather than stationary.

Verdict: This is one that would take pride of place in anyone's room.

Speed Grapher Vol: 1

Released By: Tokyopop

Author/Art: Tomozo/Yusuke Kozaki/Gonzo

Format: Japanese/BW

Pages: 111

Rating: 18

Release Date: Out Now

Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

"How could he awaken as a euphoric? A natural carrier shouldn't exist. Could he have been there at the battlefield?"

Former war photographer Tatsumi Saiga thinks he has settled for a much easier life after being injured in the Middle-East becomes an opportunist photographer, a papparazzi hated by all who are in business who want to keep their secrets out of the papers. Unsuspecting Saiga though is about to find his easy life turned upside down when he chases his new target for the photo opportunity of the moment to a prominent man's address, finding the guy dead, but nothing looks normal, certainly not when the one who has killed him is still in the building  A man clothed in black rubber and wearing a mask to hide his identity and on the surface he seems like any felon until strange things start to happen earning him the name 'plastic man.'
When Saiga finds out about the famed and notoriously peculiar Roppongi Club, infiltrating its walls, he discovers Kagura, a girl who is set to be head of the Tennozu empire where he meets her and is given the gift of a strange power, the power to kill using his camera. Rescuing  her from the club seems like a piece of cake but until he is faced with the chairman of the club, Choji Suitengu, one of the richest men in the area who has his hands in all kinds of unsavoury dealings. After this chance encounter, Saiga's life just gets more dangerous along the way.

Originally a hit anime series staring Choji Suitengu as the main antagonist who appears to want to use Kagura to entertain the millionaire guests at the club who are reported to pay very highly to become members in order to indulge in their wildest sexual and depraved fantasies. The manga based on the story by Gonzo and illustrated by Tomozu and Yusuke Kozake reads like an adult rated kink romp through a photographer's life  interrupted by a girl he just cannot let go of and a case that eats at his very soul to solve it. This is lavishly illustrated in the mainly shonen style with the absence of cuteness unless the reader does not count the rather dashingly shonen-ai looking Choji who can cause more trouble in the manga than anyone thinks.
Readers will like the detailed artwork, action scenarios, sharp dialogue and gripping story. For those who have watched the anime series they will find the manga the perfect compliment to the series. Bonus material includes an Afterword telling how the story came about plus a mention of the three main characters and what the manga-ka thought of drawing them.


Verdict: A real shonen treat for fans of action, drama and nail-biting suspense.

Kiddy Grade Collection

Released By: MVM

Rating: 15

Running Time: 600 mins

Audio: English and Japanese 5.1

Release Date: Out Now

Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

The original story for this title was written by gimik of GONZO and directed by Keiji Gotoh , and serialized in Monthly Shonen Ace and Monthly Dragon Jr. and published as a Kadokawa Sneaker paperback. FUNimation took up the license and distribution for the anime, putting it on air in 2007. The series itself was re-released as three different movies 80-90 minutes in length to a rapt audience, called Ignition, Maelstrom and Truth Dawn. Later due to great interest in the series, there was news of a sequel known as Kiddy Grade 2. A DVD preview was put out for all to see and later it was announced that there would be a new series called Kiddy Girl-and plus another anime called Kiddy Girl and Pure.

There has been many manga series made out of this concept, Kiddy Grade Reverse, Kiddy Grade Versus, with Light Novel Kiddy Grade EX Partner by Fumihiko Shimo, and Kiddy Grade Secret Affair.

It is set in Star Century Zero-One-Sixty-Five, which is 162 years ago when a Global Union was set up. The Galactic Organization of Trade and Tariffs known as GOTT when it was inaugurated. Once it was on Earth, and its role was to promote the settlement of agreements and contracts between the governments. The premise of this story sounds very serious, but that isn't what the anime is actually like. There are a few bursts of fan-service for the guys, and some rather handsome bishonen men to balance it all out.  At GOTT everyone has a right to be protected by the team there, they are the ES Force that has only twelve physically fit and well young people who also happen to have extraordinary powers. It is their job to have their mettle put to the test with organized drills where their team can stop any threat to their safety and the peoples as easily and quickly as possible. It does cause trouble though. As the girls go about their mission they soon find out that the organization they so know and love are not as nice as they thought. GOTT contains many secrets, and they have to uncover them as well as do their job - for Lumiere and Eclair this is a dangerous time.

Kiddy Grade Collection is a slick and well animated show where it shows a team of young girls employed by GOTT can kick ass just as good as the men who work there. Behind the scenes of their perfect planet, Lumiere and Eclair have to mediate in order to prevent a possible devastating war. All they have to do is deliver a man to Medeia, a distant planet and to their Prime Minister there. Traveling in their S-2 Cruiser La Mine they are in one scrape after another as far as their missions are concerned with the possibility of danger and even death. The girls wander around in unusual and comical outfits but know how to fight when the time comes. Science fiction seems to be a staple of Japanese anime and manga, and there are plenty more series where this one came from that are of that genre, including Ghost in the Shell.


Bonus Material: Image Gallery, Character Profiles, Promo Video, Original Commercials, Text less Song, Trailers and DVD credits.

Verdict: Bouncy, fast, energetic and laugh out loud!