Fairy Tail Series 1
Released By: Manga Entertainment

Rating: 12

Running Time: 300 Mins

Audio: English and Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0

Release Date: 05/03/2012

Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

Fione is a kingdom in a far away land where its people live a peaceful existence. It is also a place of great magic and magic can be traded like goods in the market place. For the residents of Fione magic is a part of everyday life, but for some, say wizards, it is more special than that, there are the wizards who are part of various guilds where they have honed their skills for the better. One guild in particular though is the best of them all, and which some of the most intriguing tales are still told today.

Lucy has the desire to become a true mage, but it will be a struggle for that to happen. While in Harujion she comes across a young man called Natsu who is a member of Fairy Tale; it is considered by many to be one of the best mage guilds around. Natsu gets into town but doesn't have much luck when it comes to travelling as he's sick all the time, yet he needs to find his way to Fairy Tail as soon as he can. Lucy wants to buy something from the local magic shop but can't use her feminine wiles on the shopkeeper. Instead, she has to settle for something else, and that is when she sees a handsome man called Salamander who tries to get her to go with him to his castle - she also meets Natsu and other girls can't help but get into the famous mage. Her meeting Natsu could lead to a wonderful friendship providing she takes notice of what he says.

Like Hei from Darker Than Black, Natsu has one hell of an appetite when it comes to food, yet that can be put down to the journey he's just come back from. He knows Lucy wants to be a part of the guild, but can Salamander offer her more than him?. Salamander is the wizard in town and Lucy thinks he is as impressive as he looks, but on a second look notices he wears a charm spell ring that can get other girls to fall in love with him - after that she thinks he is a low life - but you can't blame him for trying even if he is an impostor. With the promise of getting her into Fairy Tail, she goes along with his wish to go with him to the party, but what will happen once she gets there?

Ritsu is an adventurous type who tries as hard as he can to get what he wants, and he doesn't like it when impostors make out they are the real deal. Lucy is kind, yet easily distracted by handsome men who make promises they can't keep, but luckily for her, there is someone who can get her into Fairy Tail. The first episode establishes the characters; while the next one lets Lucy gets to meet the others at the guild. Fairy Tail Part 1 is a funny, feel good anime and viewers will realize just how many characters are in it that can provide them with an excellent time. Grey Fullbuster a talented man yet he has to rip off his clothes and wander around half-naked when he fights; Karia barely wears any clothes, and is the heaviest drinker of all the guild put together, while Elfman Strauss thinks all you need to get on at the guild are a good pair of strong fists; Loke is the ladies man of the guild, and the girls just keep on coming; Mirajane is the beauty who ends up in bikini swimsuit photos in Sorcerer Weekly magazine.

These aren't all the characters, these are what I consider to be the best of the bunch - and there are many more. it is a perfect anime for those who like watching magic and wizard anime series like Naruto, Negima and Bleach.

Bonus Material: Episode 1 Commentary, Text less Opening Song: "Snow Fairy," "So.W. Sense of Wonder," Text less Closing Song: "Kan Peki Gu-none," and "Tsuioku no Merry-go-round."

Verdict: Enter the world of Fairy Tail where it’s fun, enchanting and bursting with colorful characters you won’t want to miss.

Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society OVA
Released By: Manga Entertainment UK
Rating: 15
Running Time: 105 Mins
Audio: English & Japanese DD 2.0
Release Date: Out Now!
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

In the futuristic world of Japan, the year is 2034 and flights in and out of Japan are put on a holding pattern as the suspicion of terrorist activity sharpens the senses of Section 9, the elite counter terrorist and crime Police unit who are looking for suspects and their officers are scouring the area. As the Police gather in the airport terminal they are assured the suspect they had been following has willingly submitted to be questioned. Section 9 uncover a kidnap plot by one Colonel Ka - Gael who has taken a hostage to negotiate himself out of the country. As they try to corner him, he screams that the Puppeteer is coming to get him, and as they come forward to capture him, he shoots himself in the head. Operatives swearing allegiance to General Ka - Rum have begun committing suicide one after the other in Japan and with the deaths of Ka - Gael there is a rumor of a link between them.

At a blood-spattered crime scene Section 9 officers discover the body of the 13th tattooed male with the "true believer" glyph in the palm of his hand. Thinking that he is the next suicide.The Police decide to go to the hidden location to find out what they can about the suicides to get more clues.

Major Motoko Kusanagi has been away from Section 9 for two years since she left the service. The personnel have got 20 individuals along with Togusa who is their leader and they have been getting on with things in her absence.

Motoko though has recently been seen around listening in on conversations Section 9 have been recieving, and turning up in places where other Section 9 officers have been investigating. Is she ready to come back, or is she working undercover. No one really knows, but she is around at certain moments during the movie.
The officers come across another dead body who was recieving treatment of an illness and was hooked up to a machine keeping him alive. He looked to have pulled out the cables tot  he machine, killing himself in the process. They also find he had been using a computer trying to get through a backdoor in the system. Ka - Rum was communicating with his people through the Comm Log. They believe he was planning a terrorist strike using a micromachine virus.

Motoko spends time listening in to conversations and finding clues as to the events.
Section 9 think there is another rumour circulating that someone is going around assasinating the people who are members of the society as they did not want anyone else to know Ka - Rum was dead. Then something mysterious happens. Underneath the body on the floor are the characters for "puppeteer" written in blood.
They remember Ka - Gael spoke of a puppeteer before his death and think it is the codename for one of his men.

Batou watches Major Motoko and she tells him that they are on the same case about the tattooed suicides, giving him a polite warning not to go near the Solid State or he would end up killing himself just like the others did. Ma - Shaba is dead too which rules him out as being the puppeteer as they once thought. Batou wants to know who the puppeteer is supposed to be when one of the points out it is a rebel's codename, he is the one who hacks other folk's cyberbrains forcing them to commit suicide, believing him to be the Wizard - Class hacker.

The plot thickens later when they uncover a secret place where children have been kept against their will and are implanted with micromachines in order that Ka - Rum could spread his virus. A Raj Puhto who has not entered the country is also under suspicion of being the puppeteer.

The animation is in perfect balance with the richness of colour that address the eyes of the viewer, as the layout and composition of the buildings and robots is one to be enamoured by. There is an air of surreality as this is usual with the Ghost in the Shell series phenomena and it keeps the tension as it builds up throughout the movie.

This has solid plot, exciting characters and a story that can be interepreted in many ways as the murders have many suspects. Who is the very elusive puppeteer? Will be the question on the lips of those who watch this, and they will be fulfilled with the outcome.

Bonus Material: This two disc set has its own separate disk full of extras, such as: Work World File, Making of Tachikoma Report, Anime and Car Design, English Production Interview, Mitsuhisa Ishikawa Interview, Uchicomatic Days, English Trailer, Japanese Trailer, Trailers, and English End Feature Credits.

Verdict: Brilliant action and thrilling suspense all rolled into one gripping movie!

Mahoromatic - Something More Beautiful Vol 1
Released By: Manga Entertainment
Rating: 15
Running Time: 600 Mins
Audio: English & Japanese DD 2.0
Release Date: Out Now!
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

There is a huge difference between aliens and humans and for Mr Ryuka, a Saint combat android it is an eternal struggle for him to understand them - there's a catch though, he has those in the human world who want him dead including a robotic cat, Slash who can't believe he's so interested in the humans.

Mr Ryuka is investigating Mahoro and her home, school as he had originally failed to kill her in a war he waged on her in the past. As failure is not an option for him, he decides to wait a while until he gets a chance to kill her once and for all. His attempts have proved useless as he becomes more interested in her than he considered and she thinks nothing of him posing on earth as a sexy school teacher.

Slash, Mahoro's faithful feline friend isn't all he seems either as he has a deep seated hatred of Ryuka, yet what he doesn't know at first is he has a genuine interest in humans even to the point of admiring them and wanting more than anything to lead a decent life pretending to be a human in order to shed his past as an android assassin.

This is a comedy with plenty of  laughs and some scenes that aren't really meant for children to watch as they are steamy, or is that known as fan service? When Seguru is caught with the signed Miho Asaoka Photo Collection  "Beautiful Doll" Ryuka acts as teacher confiscating it, then decides to read it himself at the same time discovering human emotions and desires.

It might start out as a science fiction story, but halfway through the first episode viewers will find it is more than just that, it is a meaningful comedy that will be enjoyable for older teens and adults alike. Mahoro and Seguru have a decent relationship most of the time, yet his interest in girls tend to annoy her enough to scald him for it.

Bonus Material: Trailers for anime releases from MVM.

Verdict: This is a fun drama, action-packed sci-fi with rip roaring comedy that will never go out of fashion - oh, did I say fan service?

Solty Rei Vol: 1 
Released By: MVM
Rating: PG
Running Time: 150 Mins
Audio: English & Japanese DD 2.0
Release Date: Out Now!
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

In a run down city a dark night is the setting for a mercenary chasing his mark. Elsewhere a girl  poises atop a high building looking over the city seeing all its wonders and its darker side, but even she is on the run from those who have spotted her breaking and entering a top security area, and the same people want to take her alive, however she does not want to go with them. Instead, she fights with all her might which turns out to be more than the organisation can cope with.

The mercenary finds his target was one of the survivors of the blast fall many years ago and has a rebuilt arm using cyborg implants – he makes his way in the world as a small time thief, but he wonders what has gone wrong with the new world.

Roy the mercenary brings his target back to Maverick Hunters Agency as usual for the cash, but he is not ready for his next target and what happens to him to change his life forever.

What seems like an ordinary anime on first looking turns out to be a mixture of sci-fi and fantasy with Solty Rei a Resemble, or cyborg girl who survived the blast fall, an unusual event that occurred where the broken bodies of thousands of humans were re made with cyborg parts, the most up-to-date ones continued their lives exceptionally well considering the devastation they had.

Solty Rei, produced by Gonzo and directed by Yoshimasa Hirake who did Keleido Star and Excel Saga – this combines action and drama in a future just being rebuilt again after tragedy.

If viewers liked Ergo Proxy and Ghost in the Shell then this will be the one for them.


Bonus Material: Character Cast Auditions, Text-less Opening and Closing Animation and Trailers for other anime titles.

Verdict: Deep and meaningful – Solty Rei is both moving drama and seething action.

Gantz
Released By: Manga Entertainment
Rating: 12
Running Time: 180 Mins
Audio: English & Japanese DD 2.0
Release Date: Out Now!
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

Like many manga and anime before it, Deathnote, Dragonball Z, Guyver, City Hunter and Street Fighter have been made into live action movies, and although they have originally been made for the Japanese market, they have become of great interest to us in the West.

Gantz is an unusual story - two men save a drunken man who has fallen off a train platform, but get run over for their efforts. Expecting never to wake up, the men open their eyes and find themselves around other men in a white room, a large, black sphere in the center.

After a short while, a woman starts to materialize before their eyes, and falls onto the floor - she is the same as they are, dazed and confused, but naked and vulnerable, especially with one man in the room who is less than decent around her. When they think things can't get any worse, the Gantz sphere tells them they are to forget about their old lives and be happy they have new ones, then tells them of a man they must kill - but for very different reasons. One man starts to remember what happened to him before he ended up in the room, he was drugged and in a hospital where they treated him.

When they least expect it, they are transported with their guns to a location outside and told by another man that they are in a virtual reality TV game for Yale University in the US. If they decide to participate, they can win $ 100,000 in cash, which works out at 10 million Yen.

There are plenty of strange goings on, the contestants chasing after a child who looks unusual, yet you can't tell if it's prosthetics he has on, or he looks like that for real. Even the contestants think they are in a virtual reality setting and what they are doing isn't real at all. The only two people not to react to any of the lures are Kato and Kurono.

There are the moral implications of the movie to consider as well, and that is anyone might be persuaded to hunt a defenseless child and kill them, or anyone else for that matter if money is offered. They are put into a situation where they have to act quick, and they find they can't, some get killed, while Kato and Kurono are still alive. When the Gantz sphere sends them back into the real world, he has the remaining contestants feeling out of place as they did not do their jobs. Gantz also makes them believe that it might have all been a dream. Kurono remembers how things were when he knew Kato, but now they are apart he wonders what will happen to them later.

Gantz has been described as being similar to Elfen Lied, but not so violent, and very much like Requiem For the Darkness. It is pretty violent but there is plenty of teen angst in it too.

Bonus Material: The Making of Gantz, Interviews, Teasers and Trailers, TV Spots and Close.

Verdict: Gantz could be the best movie interpretation of manga yet - horror, sci-fi and an eerie setting, it's a tense, psychodrama with well-rendered special effects.

FLCL Collection Box Set
Released By: MVM
Rating: 12
Running Time: 180 Mins
Audio: English & Japanese DD 2.0
Release Date: Out Now!
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

Life is anything but interesting for twelve-year-old Naota as his existence concerns him being at home and at school - nothing ever happens that makes his life any better than it has for the past few years he has spent with friends or his father and grandfather. Since his older brother left to play professional baseball in the US it h as become even less fun for him as a kid struggling in a post apocalyptic neighborhood where no hope is to be found for anyone it seems - until a strange girl, Haruhara Haruko comes into Naota's life, kicking him around mercilessly after running into him with her scooter and beating him with her favorite guitar - from this beating a horn protrudes outside his forehead where strange robots come through at times when he least expects them to, and to make matters more humorous, but not for Naota, his father then takes Haruko in to do the housework, adding insult to injury he discovers she is an alien being from outer space and uses one of her robots to help her with the work she has to do!

Kazuya Tsurumaki created and directed this masterpiece of animation and slapstick humor  He also did Rebuild of Evangelion which was also written by Yoji Enokido who wrote for Neon Genesis Evangelion. Co-produced by Gainax and Production I.G. who produced such fantastic works as Ghost in the Shell, Kill Bill and Dead Leaves.

This is the kind of anime that could easily get underestimated or overlooked as it is humor all the way, and the kind of humor some fans of anime may not take to so easily. FLCL is going to reach a cult status though as it has so much humor crammed into it, these episodes are bound to be a hit with many fans of this kind of comedy.

Bonus Material: Directors Commentary with accompanying subtitle track, Outtakes, Art Gallery, Fully Reversible Cover, and thick insert cover.

Verdict: A pop culture anime, impossible to miss and ideal for fans of comedy and madcap humour! Five stars and money well spent!

Figuarts Zero Aizen Sousuke Hogyokou Fusion Version PVC Figure (try saying that after a few beers).

We have all seen the character grow in the series, but when it comes to the action figures based on the characters, the makers don't always get it right. Maybe they don't watch the anime, maybe they do.

This new figure has the look of what the character is wearing, but when you consider the hair, since when did Aizen go blonde? Was I seriously missing something while I watched the series? Did he go out and get a makeover one episode or what. To be honest, he looks like he's going to do a triple salco on ice.

Usually collectors of such things would proudly display their figures on their stands for all to see - hoping that friends would mention how good they look, but in this one's case having this figure would be nothing more than a guilty pleasure, one you would keep in its box under lock and key like the Orochimaru one where they displayed him complete with his long tongue.



Verdict: If you're into yaoi, it's a guilty pleasure for sure.