Top Anime DVD Release
Bleach DVD #6 [ VIZ Media ] - Ichigo and his friends have just made it to Soul Society in their attempt to rescue Rukia; but it’s not going to be easy! Check out this DVD and the rest of the fast-paced and mind blowing Soul Society arc.
Top Manga Release
Tekkon Kinkreet Black & White [ VIZ Media ] - It’s rather rare to see such an offshot manga released domestically, the best way to keep them coming is to support the manga companies by purchasing releases just like this!
Air DVD #2 [ ADV Films ]
September 25, 2007 | $29.98 | 100 min.
The search for the winged girl behind the sky continues. As Yukito’s relationship with Misuzu grows, new complications surface. Whereas Misuzu yearns for a companion closer than ever before, Yukito is forced to choose between what the heart wants and what the heart needs.
Meanwhile, the strain on Minagi’s life at home is bought to light. She lives with her mother, yet remains alone. Only great loss may bring the two of them together. Also, a glimpse of the past answers the queries of the present - but with it, new questions arise; deeper, darker and more dangerous.
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Bleach DVD #6 [ VIZ Media ]
September 25, 2007 | $24.98 | 100 min.
Guided by the mysterious talking cat Yoruichi, Ichigo and school friends Orihime, Chad and Uryu make the dangerous crossing over to the Soul Society. They land on the outskirts of the Seireitei, the place where the Soul Reapers live. To succeed in their mission to save Rukia from execution, they must defeat the giant gatekeeper and find some way into the walled city. But it’s not going to be easy!
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Ergo Proxy DVD #6 [ Geneon ]
September 25, 2007 | $29.98 | 100 min.
Re-l, Vincent and Pino are back on Romdo to face off against the machinations set in motion by the Creator! Vincent must come to grips with who he is and what he wants to become while Re-l faces the ugly truth behind her own existence. Can these two travelers finish their journey of discovery and enlightenment or will they succumb to the malice implanted by the Creator?
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Top Anime DVD This Week
Dragonball Z Season 3 DVD Box Set
Whatever problems you may or may not have with this widescreen format, these Dragonball Z “season” box sets are extremely affordable. Own this great series on what will most likely be the last Dragonball DVD release (but get those checkbooks ready for those Blu-Ray releases down the road!)
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Top Manga This Week
Phoenix Volume 11
The great Osamu Tezuka considered this manga his “life’s work” and you should too! Don’t miss this enlightening series, now available from Viz Media.
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Black Lagoon DVD #3 [ Geneon ]
September 18, 2007 | $29.98 | 100 min.
Dirty jobs are a part of life for the Black Lagoon, but things seem to be getting worse by the minute. Their latest problem is a maid from Columbia. She’s a killing machine out to rescue Garcia from the clutches of the Black Lagoon and will kill anyone who gets in her way. As if that wasn’t enough, international terrorists make their move and set the scene for a showdown with the Hong Kong Triad, the C.I.A. and the Black Lagoon smack dab in the middle! Can Rock count on his new family to pull him out of a pinch or will he be left to rot?
Dragon Ball Z Season 3 Uncut DVD Box Set [ FUNimation ]
September 18, 2007 | $49.98 | 830 min.
The battle to decide the fate of the universe begins! On the distant Planet Namek, the seven magic Dragon Balls have been brought together and the dragon Porunga summoned. Now, Goku and the Z-fighters are all that stand between the evil Frieza and his wish for immortality!
Having survived their encounters with Frieza’s dreaded minions, Goku and his friends are now left to contend with the ruthless tyrant himself. Despite their recent victories, however, the Z-fighters are ill prepared to face the terrifying reality of Frieza’s power. To defeat this seemingly invincible foe and restore peace to the universe, there is but one hope - a Super Saiyan must emerge!
Fullmetal Alchemist DVD Box Set 1 [ FUNimation ]
September 18, 2007 | $49.98 | 400 min.
As children, brothers Edward and Alphonse used the clandestine science of Alchemy to try the unthinkable: resurrect their dead mother. They failed, unleashing an alchemic reaction that ripped their bodies apart.
Four years later, Ed and Al are combing the country for a rumored stone that could amplify their alchemy and bring their bodies back to normal. And it appears they may have found it - in a strangely prosperous desert village.
Top Anime Release
Hare+Guu DVD Box Set [ AN Entertainment ] - What’s better than witty little unrealistic children frolicing through life? An entire box set of it of course!
Top Manga Release
Welcome to the N.H.K. Volume #4 [ Tokyopop ] - A great dark and twisting series. I recommend any manga fan check this out.
Ah! My Goddess Season 2 DVD #3 [ ADV Films ]
September 11, 2007 | $29.98 | 100 min.
Ever since Peorth came to live with Keiichi, he’s wished she would return to heaven. The only way to get Peorth to leave is for Keiichi to let her grant him a real wish, but what could a guy who already lives with three goddesses possibly need?! Then, someone arrives at the auto club who strikes fear into the hearts of the senior members! The stranger challenges Keiichi to a race, but what’s really at stake?
When Urd’s long-lost love returns, he’s determined to win Urd back, but he’s convinced Keiichi presents a threat. Unfortunately, he’s the jealous type, and poor Keiichi may get caught in the middle of this supernatural sweetheart’s spat!
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Burst Angel DVD #4 [ FUNimation ]
September 11, 2007 | $19.98 | 100 min.
The city of Osaka is under siege! Takane finds herself against a wall unable to protect the lives she’s sworn to protect. With Meg serving as bait, Sei finds herself on a short leash dealing with the newest gun in town.
Meanwhile, Meg and Jo are sent to stop a cold-blooded killer, but something unexpected occurs. Jo begins to suffer mind-breaking visions. Suddenly routine exercise with Leo and Jango becomes fight for survival as a violent attack leads Jo face to face with a ghostly warrior staring her down for the duel of a lifetime.
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Hare+Guu DVD Box Set [ AN Entertainment ]
September 11, 2007 | $99.98 | 650 min.
Ten year old Hare enjoys a peaceful life of school, video games, and households chores until his mother adopts an orphan girl named Guu, a girl who’s not exactly what she seems. The insidious Guu turns poor Hare’s life inside out when she reveals that she’s actually a pan-dimensional, mind-reading, magic-using monster with a sarcastic wit, an unlimited appetite, and a taste for driving Hare insane!
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Top DVD Release
Naruto The Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow DVD [ VIZ Media ] - Visually stunning and action packed.
Top Manga Release
Hunter X Hunter Volume #16 [ VIZ Media ] - This was a really tough decision with three of my favorite series being released this week, but Hunter X Hunter gains my top manga pick for this week with its incredibly unique storyline in such a cliche genre.
Inu Yasha Season 4 DVD Box Set [ VIZ Media ]
September 4, 2007 | $99.98 | 700 min.
Modern-day schoolgirl Kagome and half-demon Inuyasha and friends continue their quest through feudal-era Japan to find and vanquish the evil demon Naraku and gather all the shards of the Shikon Jewel. Along the way, they are befriended and bedeviled by an array of characters: Koga of the wolf-demon tribe, mischievous magic-wielding monkey sprites, and an old-lady exorcist of questionable abilities.
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Naruto The Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow DVD [ VIZ Media ]
September 4, 2007 | $24.98
Naruto and his team are sent on a mission to guard Yukie Fujikaze, a popular actress starring in the hit movie “The Adventures of Princess Gale.” The crew is heading toward the Land of Snow, a land forever covered in snow, to shoot the final scenes of the film. When Yukie refuses to go and escapes from the set, she is brought back by force by Naruto and his teammates. But little do they know there are three rogue Snow Ninja lying in wait with a sinister purpose that forces Yukie to make a crucial decision and face her hidden past.
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My-Otome DVD #2 [ Bandai ]
September 4, 2007 | $24.98 | 100 min.
It’s Arika’s first day of class and she’s determined to start off on the right foot. However, other people within the school have different plans for her… as one of her uniforms ends up for sale in an Otome idol shop. And if Arika and the rest of her friends don’t solve the mystery behind her disappearing uniform, she may be forced to leave the school before she learns anything!
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Top DVD Release
School Rumble DVD #1 (also w/artbox) [ FUNimation ] - Another fun high school anime!
Top Manga Release
Negima! Magister Negi Magi Volume #15 [ Del Rey ] - You can say whatever you want, I know you love these harem/moe series.
School Rumble DVD #1 (also w/artbox) [ FUNimation ]
August 28, 2007 | $29.98 | 125 min.
High school can be hard enough with just academics alone, but when love enters into the picture, it can unravel into a comedy of errors. Tenma has fallen for her oblivious classmate but hasn’t worked up the courage to express her feelings to him. She continually tries unorthodox ploys to confess with a frustrating lack of success.
Meanwhile, the class delinquent has fallen for Tenma and is making similar attempts. While this unlikely trio winds their way through the pitfalls of love and high school life, their friends and classmates become caught up in the chaos.
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Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE DVD #3 [ FUNimation ]
August 28, 2007 | $29.98 | 100 min.
After planting the seed of revolution among an oppressed populace, the heroes travel to a new world - a snow-covered realm, at once both haunting and haunted. A crumbling castle lurks on the village edge, from which the townsfolk suspect a royal specter emerges to roam the streets at night, stealing children. When Sakura disappears into nocturnal silence, the truth proves even more chilling than the legend… Nothing is as it seems as a tale that has spanned the centuries seeks its end.
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Utawarerumono DVD #5 [ ADV ]
August 28, 2007 | $29.98 | 100 min.
In a warring land, blood runs deep and trust wears thin. Just when Hakuoro thinks he has gained a trustworthy ally, he finds that he must defend his people against a power-hungry onslaught from an invincible mechanized force, the likes of which have never been seen in this primitive world. When Hakuoro is backed into a corner, his inner beast is unleashed - and pieces of the mystery begin to unfold. Is he a bloodthirsty killer, or a mystical protector of life?
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Best DVD Release
Innocent Venus DVD #1 [ ADV Films ] - I overlooked this anime when it debuted in Japan, but with relatively uninteresting releases this week, I’ll give it a try.
Best Manga Release
Monster Volume #10 [ VIZ Media ] - What do you expect? Every volume of this masterpiece will reach the top of my weekly suggestions. If you have not read or watched this series, what the hell is wrong with you?
Best New Series
Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Volume #4 [ Dark Horse ] - Not particularly a “new” series, but this manga is unique for stateside audiences and will hopefully gain the attention of older comic fans.
Fate/Stay Night DVD #5 [ GENEON ]
August 21, 2007 | $29.98 | 100 min.
In the aftermath of the last battle, only four Servants remain. Two of them inhabit Ryudou Shrine, making the next fight a dangerous one, as Shirou will have to face Assassin and Caster within their domain. Unfortunately, Shirou doesn’t have time to strategize when one of his closest friends is taken there to be a sacrifice. Even with Saber and Rin by his side, Shirou rushes into battle at a great disadvantage while another Servant from Saber’s past emerges onto the scene…
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Innocent Venus DVD #1 [ ADV Films ]
August 21, 2007 | $29.98 | 100 min.
A mass of violent storms ravages the planet, and over 60 percent of the world’s population is wiped out in an instant. What remains of life on Earth is a broken and barren existence - but in Japan, there is an exception. Here, the wealthy rule. They own the war machines, they suppress the masses, and they have a very dark secret. Caught in the middle of this conspiracy is an innocent child, a girl, codenamed Venus. The military has her in their crosshairs, but the rebels are determined to protect her. What is her purpose? What are her powers? Can she offer new hope for a world so drastically changed?
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Solty Rei DVD #6 [ FUNimation ]
August 21, 2007 | $29.98 | 100 min.
Roy Revant is living the hard life of a bounty hunter in a broken city, a city where thousands have died in a mysterious event called the Blast Fall. Such lessons learned in the void left behind weigh heavy on the battered souls that have fought for humanity’s survival. Yet a devastating new threat has arisen, for even in the face of victory mankind’s final destruction looms just beneath the stars.
Now Solty must save them all. Daughter, sister, machine… Humanity’s only hope. As she rises to confront the menace, armed with an appreciation for life, death, love and compassion, an entire population watches the sky, united by trembling hope. A time for the greatest of sacrifices has arrived.
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Despite a low amount of releases this week, there were so many I enjoy, making it a bit difficult to choose my top suggestions for this week.
Top DVD Release
Kurau Phantom Memory DVD #3 [ ADV ] - This series is one of my all time favorites; it’s often overlooked, so I have “pimp” it as much as possible!
Top Manga Release
O-Parts Hunter Volume #5 [ VIZ ] - Despite all its fluff, O-Parts Hunter (666 Satan) is a fun read.
Top New Series
Air DVD #1 [ ADV ] - Despite another late release and dubious marketing, this series is one to check out; you’ll either love it or hate it!
Air DVD #1 [ ADV ]
August 14, 2007 | $29.98 | 100 min.
Yukito is a traveling performer; a wanderer. He survives with only the clothes on his back, a puppet, and a story from his mother: the story of “The Girl in the Sky.” He doesn’t know who or where she is; only that he must find her. On the verge of starvation, he is befriended by a young misfit named Misuzu, whose eccentricities serve to hide a troubled home life. Misuzu offers Yukito a place to stay, and in return he listens to her dreams - dreams in which she lives in the sky.
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Kurau Phantom Memory DVD #3 [ ADV ]
August 14, 2007 | $29.98 | 100 min.
Arriving in California, Kurau and Christmas seem to have briefly escaped the GPO, but the discovery of a facility designed to extract Rynax power quickly reveals the global scale of the conspiracy set against them. Before they can take further action, Ayaka’s task force closes in once again and a series of pitched battles follow, leaving Christmas captured and Kurau with her powers severely impaired.
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Pani Poni Dash! DVD #5 [ ADV ]
August 14, 2007 | $29.98 | 100 min.
What’s worse than having a sick teacher? Having your sick teacher be a really cranky 11-year old, that’s what. When the sick bug quarantines the whole school, both temperatures and tempers are rising to dangerously hilarious health levels. Things get even weirder when Ichijo electrocutes Himeko, turning her into a world-conquering maniac, while the Drama Club and the Film Club finally come to blows in their longstanding war against each other.
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Once again Viz dominated this week’s manga releases, while DVD box sets and shounen series took over the dvd releases.
Top DVD Release
Naruto Uncut DVD Box Set #4 [ Viz Media ] - The chuunin exams are coming to a climax in what I personally see as the last decent story arc of the series.
Top Manga Release
D.Gray-man Volume #6 [ Viz Media ] - With Bleach and Fruits Basket staring me in the face, I just had to look elsewhere! D.Gray-man really deserves more attention, so help it out!
Top New Series
Pretty Face Volume #1 [ Viz Media ] - Default win, no reason not to check it out though.
.hack//Roots DVD #3 [ Bandai Entertainment ]
August 7, 2007 | $24.98 | 100 min.
TaN has been forced to disband, the leaders of the guild prohibited from accessing the game. However, the mysterious disappearance of Ovan has left little time for the Twilight Brigade to rejoice. And as rumor concerning his possible location and motives spread dissent through the ranks, the Brigade finds itself facing its final days together. Meanwhile, the bizarre appearance of the player Tri-Edge will shatter the lives of Haseo and everyone else in The World.
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Kannazuki no Miko DVD Box Set [ Geneon ]
August 7, 2007 | $59.98 | 300 min.
Shy, timid Himeko happily attends school with both the popular and beautiful Chikane and her childhood friend, Souma, blissfully unaware of what’s in store for her. However, the destiny of these three changes on Himeko’s 16th birthday when the mark of the sun appears on her chest. What does this solar mark represent? At the same time, why has a black aura of agony burst forth from Souma? Who is the enemy? The legend of the eight-headed beast returns to Japan!
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Naruto Uncut DVD Box Set #4 [ Viz Media ]
August 7, 2007 | $49.98 | 325 min.
After barely making it out of the Forest of Death, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura proceed to the next stage of the Chunin Exam: a one-on-one sudden death elimination battle! Pitted against each other in individual combat, an assortment of young, bright-eyed ninja reveal their true colors and brandish their hidden powers! Can Naruto beat the odds and prove to his fellow shinobi that he’s good enough to be a chunin?
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Rumbling Hearts DVD Box Set [ FUNimation ]
August 7, 2007 | $49.98 | 325 min.
Meet four high school friends: Haruka, Takayuki, Mitsuki, and Shinji. Life’s promise shines brightly on them until an accident leaves Haruka in a coma. Her boyfriend, Takayuki, can’t forgive himself, and seems determined to follow Haruka into a comatose state. Mitsuki dedicates her life to taking care of the tragic young man, and the pair fall into a relationship floundering in guilt.
When Haruka awakens after three years, everyone must pretend no time has passed. Torn between his unhappy real-life relationship with Mitsuki and the daydream high school romance with Haruka, Takayuki feels the tiny silver lining left in his life being mercilessly and methodically stripped away.
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With all the new manga releases this week, I had plenty to choose from. The DVD releases are nothing to snuff at either, with a few large heavy-hitters.
Top DVD Release
Ranma 1/2 Season 2 [ Viz Media ] - This thinpack compilation gains my top DVD pick this week not because I like the series, but rather for the value and ability to bring old fans and new together.
Top Manga Release
Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny Volume #4 [ Del Rey ] - This overrated, then underrated series slowly approaches conclusion, will it be peace or destruction?
Top New Series
Gon Volume #1 [ CMX ] - Not quite a “new series,” but this simple manga deserves more than it has received. With a little patience, this wordless adventure provides a unique view on life and nature.
Bleach DVD #5 [ Viz Media ]
July 31, 2007 | $24.98 | 100 min.
Rukia the Soul Reaper knows she is on borrowed time, staying in the world of the living longer than allowed. Having transferred her powers to Ichigo, she is in big trouble when two enforcers from the Soul Society come after her. Now Ichigo will have to master his sword and learn to control his spiritual energy if he is to save her from execution!
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Hikaru no Go DVD #9 [ Viz Media ]
July 31, 2007 | $24.98 | 100 min.
Hikaru, Waya and Isumi visit some Go salons to test themselves against a variety of opponents, but the competitive passions they stir up may be more than they can handle. At a local festival, Akira faces his own challenge in the form of a cranky city councilman, who he must let win! But Akira’s not ready to “lose” so easily…
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Naruto DVD #14 [ Viz Media ]
July 31, 2007 | $19.98 | 100 min.
Sakura and Ino go to pay Sasuke a visit in the hospital, only to find he’s disappeared! And in the shadows a sinister plan is hatching that could affect the entire Hidden Leaf Village forever…
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Ranma 1/2 Season 2 : Anything Goes Martial Arts Thinpak Collection [ Viz Media ]
July 31, 2007 | $49.98 | 450 min.
Get to know the infamous Golden Pair of the high school combat figure skating world; Mikado “Emperor” Sanzenin; Azusa Shiratori, the girl who gives anything “cute” a bad name (before taking it home); Sasuke, loyal ninja manservant to high school swordsman Tatewaki “Blue Thunder” Kuno; Cologne, the hundreds-of-years-old-leader of the same Chinese Amazon tribe that introduced the sassy Shampoo; Mousse, the nearsighted master of hidden weapons and all things avian; Happosai, lecherous master of both Ranma and Akane’s fathers; plus a host of others!
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