silver Berserker
14-12-2003, 08:34 PM
Cowboy Bebop
Year: 1998 Episodes: 26 Studio: Sunrise
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Bobby (http://bobby.b3.nu/) Rating: 6.5/10
Cowboy bebop is what you’d call an amalgamation between a sci-fi and comical anime. It’s set in futuristic settings with time warps and all, but it also has a sense of stylishness. Most of which is emanating from the main character – Spike.
The plot wasn’t as good as it could’ve been. The first 23 episodes felt more like individual compilations and only when you get to the last 3 episodes, it finally glues together. It would’ve been much better if the villain appeared much earlier. All in all, the series is based on a team of misfit bounty hunters. In the first 23 episodes it is just hunting different bounties and occasionally picking up a few team members along the way. The real plot is revealed towards the end of the series where Spike is forced to confront his nemesis, Vicious (As if that
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éX-Driver
Year: 2000 Episodes: 6 Studio: Bandai Visual
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Tang Rating: 7/10
In the near future cars are driven by AI programs to increase safety and reduce traffic congestion. Sometimes however an AI program goes berserk leaving the car to go on a wild rampage through the streets leaving it's passenger trapped inside. This is where the éX-Drivers come in, still driving their gasoline powered vehicles, their task to stop these out of control vehicles. Lorna is a kind, gentle, and rational éx-Driver, while her partner Lisa is more rebellious, stubborn and irresponsible. They soon get a third companion, young driving prodigy Souichi, and right at the start the sparks fly between Souichi and Lisa.
Although only 6 episodes in length, in my opinion éx-Driver outdoes other series of the same genre such as Initial D in most categories, animation, music, character design and the physics of the cars themselves. Though if you prefer sometime which is more relationship based with characters development, Initial D with it's long running 55+ episodes and 2 feature length movies is probably more your dish.http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/exdriver_01.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/exdriver_02.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/exdriver_03.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/exdriver_04.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/exdriver_05.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/exdriver_06.jpgFull Metal Panic
Year: 2001 Episodes: 13 Studio: Gonzo
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Tang Rating: 9.5/10 Full Metal Panic! is one of the better animes that has come to TV. Sousuke is a young, somewhat dull military agent. He receives orders from his commander to watch over a mysterious girl named, Chidori. Chidori is one of the most popular and beautiful girls in her high school and Sousuke must go to her high school so he can look after her. After a few days Chidori realizes that Sousuke is following her and gets really pissed at him. Even though he is a professional in military tactics he still isn't too keen on girls. You usually see Sousuke getting beat up by Chidori and after meeting her he realizes that there is a lot more to her than she lets on. She is somewhat selfish, vain and a liar at times. After Sousuke settles down in his current high school they are taken on a class trip that is suddenly hi-jacked by a mysterious organization.
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/FMP_1.JPGhttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/FMP_2.JPGhttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/FMP_3.JPGhttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/FMP_4.JPGhttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/FMP_5.JPGhttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/FMP_6.JPGAnimation quality, music, both character & AS (armored slave) design are all top notch, which is why I am giving this series my big thumbs up and a score of 9.5! The other 0.5 is because I wish there would be more than 26 episodes. Fortunately season 2 is due for release sometime mid 2003.
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Wira Rating: 9.6/10
This is probably my second favourite anime after Rurouni Kenshin. Really nice drawings, good character development, nice mood transitions, killer soundtracks, and 'light' storyline. It's light enough to allow me to stop watching to get some sleep and get on with my daily chores, yet captivating enough for me to continue watching this anime. It's just right. It is also one of the very few animes with no crappy ending. Actually it made me feel as if it's not an ending. Did I mention this anime has killer soundtracks? A must-watch for sure.
Galaxy Angel - Season 1
Year: 2001 Episodes: 26 Studio: Broccoli
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Tang Rating: 7/10 The theme itself isn't exactly the most original concept I've seen, which revolves around group of 'professionals' hired by the military to recover something called 'Lost Technology'. However, the series' strong points lies in the cast's conflicting personalities. There's Forte, trigger happy commando type with a phobia of rodents. Milfeulle a dim witted new recruit but with an unnaturally good fortune. Vanilla, the quiet, eccentric genius. Her character kind of reminds me of Ruri Hoshino from Nadesico. Then there's Mint, who looks and sounds EXACTLY like Rena from Star Ocean EX. I'm not too sure on the legality of this since Galaxy Angels was produced by Broccoli Studios and Star Ocean EX by Studio Deen.
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/galaxy_angel_s1_01.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/galaxy_angel_s1_02.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/galaxy_angel_s1_03.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/galaxy_angel_s1_04.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/galaxy_angel_s1_05.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/galaxy_angel_s1_06.jpgHumor is also a large factor in the series' popularity, with one of my favorite scenes being when Vanilla dismantles the computer AI from an intelligent nuclear warhead and transfers it into a stuffed animal doll, which is now subjected to beatings by the other members.
Gunparade March
Year: 2003 Episodes: 12 Studio: J.C. Staff
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Tang Rating: 9/10 'The year 1945. The worst livings form in history visited the world. Mankind formed a united front to counter the visitors. The ultimate weapon of destruction had no effect on the visitors. It merely contaminated the land with ash and fog. The visitors soon came to be known as Phantom Beasts. And mankind began a long war of attrition. Half a century later... 1999.' Those comments were the prologue to the beginning to episode 1 of Gunparade March, a 12 episode series based on the popular Playstation game released back in 1999. For those who haven't yet played the original game, the story is about aliens invading earth 50 or so years ago, it is now 1999 and most of the world's nations lies in ruins. Mankind has developed a humanoid armored assault unit called the HTW equipped with an arsenal capable of inflicting damage on the so called Phantom Beasts. The HWTs are piloted by students in their teens, though the reason for this hasn't exactly been made clear yet. Anyway, these HWTs form a tactical unit which are air-dropped into Phantom Beasts territory to eliminate the Brain, which controls all other Phantom Beasts.
What makes Gunparade March stand out from other mecha anime series is the animation quality which is probably almost as good as that of Full Metal Panic, if not better. All character movements, especially the HWTs are fluid with no still-screen scenes as seen with older series. My only complaint about Gunparade March though is the relatively short running time, and at only 12 episodes it doesn't leave that much room for character development or side plots. Though putting that aside, I'd easily give this series a 9/10 rating.
Visit the official site at: http://www.kuroitsuki.com/gpm/gpm.html (http://www.kuroitsuki.com/gpm/gpm.html) .
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Year: 2003 Episodes: 4 Studio: Wonderf Arm
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Tang Rating: 6.5/10 Hand Maid Mai is one of those shows that is so cute I couldn't help but love it. Yeah, it pushed the limits of the amount of fan service I can take, but overall it was a fun show.
This new 4 episode OVA series is based on the same world as the original Hand Maid May, though there doesn't seem to be a connection in story line, Mai though is supposed to a a second generation model based on May. I didn't hate it. But I think it lost a lot of the magic that the original series had. The main character, Ozu Hideo, is working as an video editor for an video (referred to in the episodes as AV) company. He comes home drunk one night to find three cyber doll maids named Ai, Mai, Mei who all look like his girlfriend at different stages of her life. The first episode was lots of setup and a little bit of plot involving the maids helping him finish up making a picture. In terms of storyline I felt that this OVA tends to stick to the main plot, mainly due to the fact that storyline is limited to 4 episodes.
Overall though, I'd recommend this OVA for anyone who has seen the original Hand Maid May first just to better understand the background info, E.g. "What are Cyber dolls?", "Client from the future?", "Why does she pull cables out from her.. ummm.".
Oh, there are also two cameos. At one point you see a certain girl leaning out her window on a ladder stretched between two buildings. And it appears that Sara is making some level of appearance (but I'm not sure just how much of one yet).
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Year: 2001 Episodes: 13 Studio: Gonzo
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Tang Rating: 9/10 "In the name of God, impure souls of the living dead shall be banished into eternal damnation, Amen!" The name Hellsing has popped up in various movies e.g.' Bram Stokers: Dracula, which touched lightly on the Hellsing family legacy. This latest series from GONZO revolves around a master vampire Arucard, subordinate to the Hellsing family. The Hellsing of the modern era has become more of a para-military group given special sanctions by the Queen, employing ex-military personnel to form an elite fighting force against the undead, with Arucard being their ultimate trump-card. Although Hellsing primary goal is to 'protect England from the undead horde' it does have human enemies such as the Vatican Church which sees Hellsing as an organization which has vampire members among it's ranks, thus should be eliminated.
Fights scenes are exactly what you'd expect from a series based on Vampires, with special attention paid to the animation of how blood flows and splatters. Storyline wise is somewhat lacking, with many questions still left unanswered at the end of episode 13. Hopefully these will be explained in the 2nd series due for release sometime in 2003.
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/hellsing_01.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/hellsing_02.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/hellsing_03.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/hellsing_04.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/hellsing_05.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/hellsing_06.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/hellsing_07.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/hellsing_08.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/hellsing_09.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/hellsing_10.jpg http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Wira Rating: 7/10
Hellsing, a cool anime with mediocre story progression. It could've been a great anime. In term of cool factor, I would rate it 9/10 (despite Alucard's stupid costume). However, this coolness isn't backed up with much. The end of this series is quite disappointing, mainly because it's so rushed that there are so many unanswered questions left behind. A more in-depth character development for Victoria wouldn't hurt either. The animation is somewhat interesting. I would describe it as "abstract caricature", with elongated arms along with other disproportions to emphasize certain aspects in the series (this actually gives really cool effects throughout the series). I'm eagerly awaiting for the 2nd series, hopefully it will deliver the quality previously expected.
I My Me! Strawberry Eggs
Year: 2001 Episodes: 13 Studio: TNK
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Tang Rating: 6/10 I My Me! Strawberry Eggs has probably the most irrelevant title to a series I've ever encountered, however despite that, it does have a fairly heart warming story plot about a male cross dressing P.E Teacher and a clumsy naive underage girl. Don't worry it isn't as dirty as you might think it is. Apart from a couple of shots in the first episode which was most likely put there to get the more average viewer interested, and an episode concerned and things of that nature, it is generally a romance story and a feel good story of overcoming little things and becoming a wiser more accepting and trusting person. Despite a compelling storyline I was quite disappointed at the ending which left too many questions unanswered, it almost felt as if the producers are leaving room open for a second series. *fingers crossed*
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Iketeru Futari
Year: 1999 Episodes: 16 Studio: Pioneer
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Tang Rating: 7.5/10 It's basically about the main character Keisuke, an over hyperactive middle high school student perusing his love interest with Koizumi, your typical well mannered, great looks, sincere personality, perused by just about every guy type. However around Keisuke, she's the complete opposite, and enjoys kicking Keisuke around (). Her most commonly used phrase with him being "Go ahead, die".
The series itself isn't very long with each episode being only 6 minutes in length, and 16 episodes in total.
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However, it does have a storyline which is far more in depth than most 24 episode, 30 minutes each series. I should also point out that the series is so many fan service and
i didnt see this anime
partial nudity scenes that after the 16th episode, .
Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto (Someday's Dreamer)
Year: 2003 Episodes: 12 Studio: J.C. Staff
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Tang Rating: 8/10 This series is definitely a rare find as most magic based series out there tend to be of the action genre. Someday's Dreamers though is entirely (if not mostly) based on character development and drama.
Basic story plot revolves around one summer in the life of Yume Kikuchi, who has come to Tokyo to study to become a mage She is assigned as Oyamada's trainee, who seems to have known Yume's mother in the past. The story branch's off with each episode focusing on each of the supporting characters and their past. Though what really got me hooked on this series is the intro song which perfectly sets the mood for the series.
Anyways, for more info, visit the officials site at: http://www.yume-mahou.com/ (http://www.yume-mahou.com/) .
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Naruto
Year: 2002 Episodes: ??? Studio: Pierrot
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Tang Rating: 8/10 Storyline is centered around a group of kids working their way through the ninja academy, with the aim to eventually become fully fledged ninjas. I'm sure we've all seen other series with this type of storyline before but what makes Naruto so addictive is the versatility of it's characters. There's Naruto (main character) who since birth have had an immensely powerful evil spirit seal within his body. Uchiwa Sasuke, processing a skill which allows him to predict the movement of his opponents and copy their jutsu (ninja techniques). He is also Naruto's team-mate, and rival. Each combat scene is accompanied by some very nice heavy metal guitar work. My only complaint about the series is that battle scenes tends to get dragged on for too long.
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/naruto_01.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/naruto_02.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/naruto_03.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/naruto_04.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/naruto_05.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/naruto_06.jpgNoir
Year: 2001 Episodes: 26 Studio: Victor Entertainment
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Tang Rating: 8.5/10
Noir first aired on Japanese TV early 2001, which also picked up the best anime award for that year, is finally making it's debut here in Australia. Noir is about a high school student named Kirika born and raised to become an assassin in search of her true identity. Kirika is helped by Mireille, an elegant and beautiful woman to help recover Kirika's past. Along the way, however, more and more unusual events occur leading the two women deeper into their true destinies. The originality of the series comes from the fact that it's one of the very few series out there which isn't set in Japan, but rather around Europe, and a couple of episodes in Singapore. Animation is fairly decent and easily compares to more recent 2003 series.
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Psychic Academy
Year: 2002 Episodes: 24 Studio: ???
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Tang Rating: 5.5/10 The series was never shown on TV, but instead was broadcasted live over the internet. Though this is a novel idea, the fact that the episodes were being distributed over the internet meant several . Running time seems to have suffered the most with each episode being only 10 minutes in length, minus the OP and ED and you're left with only 6 - 7 minutes of viewing time.
Story revolves around Ai Shiomi who is kind , but with aura powers beyond that of anyone else in the Academy. And the Psychic Academy is a school for aura users just like himself. In the first episode he meets a rabbit named Boo who apparently is some sort of Aura master. Boo have thus far accepted Ai as his only student. Ai's life at the academy is accompanied around 2 supporting characters, his childhood friend Orina, and mysterious girl Myuu, who happens to have a 100% aura compatibility with him. Amidst the repetitive battle scenes a love triangle forms between the trio with Ai knowing that his love interest lies with Orina, but at the same time he seems to feel more confident with Myuu due to their 'aura compatibility'. I should also mention that this show features plenty of fan-service with most female characters being at least a D-cup. But hey! That ain't such a bad thing is it? :)
Apart from the short length of the series, story line is also a major let down which basically consists of battle scenes with one opponent after another, with a few fan service scenes thrown in to keep the viewer interested. This is one of those shows which doesn't really have a beginning or ending, which feels like you're watching the mid section of a much longer series.
My only compliment about Psychic Academy are it's intro song and design of the 2 main female characters, Orina and Myuu.
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Year: 2001 Episodes: 64 Studio: Nippon Animation
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpgReviewer: Tang Rating: 7.5/10
Shaman King is about a boy with a shaman power, Yoh Asakura, who wanted to become a king of shaman.
Yoh Asakura might look like a layback Junior High School kid. However, he is a shaman with a special ability to communicate with all the souls and spirits and possess them into his body! Yoh came to Funbari, Tokyo to make friends with all of the powerful ghosts and to become the best Shaman ever.
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/shaman_king_1.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/shaman_king_2.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/shaman_king_3.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/shaman_king_4.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/shaman_king_5.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/shaman_king_6.jpgVampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
Year: 2001 Episodes: Movie Studio: ???
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpgReviewer: Tang Rating: 9/10 Though released back in early 2001, this is one of my favorite movies of all time. Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is a sequel to the original Vampire Hunter D movie released a couple of years earlier, and though the original was marked for it's poor animation qualities and character design, this sequel does the complete opposite and sets a benchmark in quality which is hard to match even with more recent 2003 releases.
Storyline revolves around the Dunpeal, a half human, half vampire hired by the son of a rich family to rescue his sister back from a vampire. Though the main plot does sound a bit cliché, it's the various sub-plots throughout the movie which earn this movie it's 9/10 rating. Similarly the characters are unique and has a nice combination between melee and projectile weapons, along with the best vampire powers I've seen in any animated movie. Battle scenes are also well choreographed, and playing them in slow motions will reveal how much detail is put into even the simplest the movements. What really stands out though is the plot and storyline. One cannot help but feel compassion for the two male vampires in the movie, a different approach taken from the horror movies today where vampires are type cast as monsters and the walking undead. The ending music sung by Do As Infinity, couldn't suit the atmosphere better.
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Year: 1998 Episodes: 26 Studio: Sunrise
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Bobby (http://bobby.b3.nu/) Rating: 6.5/10
Cowboy bebop is what you’d call an amalgamation between a sci-fi and comical anime. It’s set in futuristic settings with time warps and all, but it also has a sense of stylishness. Most of which is emanating from the main character – Spike.
The plot wasn’t as good as it could’ve been. The first 23 episodes felt more like individual compilations and only when you get to the last 3 episodes, it finally glues together. It would’ve been much better if the villain appeared much earlier. All in all, the series is based on a team of misfit bounty hunters. In the first 23 episodes it is just hunting different bounties and occasionally picking up a few team members along the way. The real plot is revealed towards the end of the series where Spike is forced to confront his nemesis, Vicious (As if that
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éX-Driver
Year: 2000 Episodes: 6 Studio: Bandai Visual
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Tang Rating: 7/10
In the near future cars are driven by AI programs to increase safety and reduce traffic congestion. Sometimes however an AI program goes berserk leaving the car to go on a wild rampage through the streets leaving it's passenger trapped inside. This is where the éX-Drivers come in, still driving their gasoline powered vehicles, their task to stop these out of control vehicles. Lorna is a kind, gentle, and rational éx-Driver, while her partner Lisa is more rebellious, stubborn and irresponsible. They soon get a third companion, young driving prodigy Souichi, and right at the start the sparks fly between Souichi and Lisa.
Although only 6 episodes in length, in my opinion éx-Driver outdoes other series of the same genre such as Initial D in most categories, animation, music, character design and the physics of the cars themselves. Though if you prefer sometime which is more relationship based with characters development, Initial D with it's long running 55+ episodes and 2 feature length movies is probably more your dish.http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/exdriver_01.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/exdriver_02.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/exdriver_03.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/exdriver_04.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/exdriver_05.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/exdriver_06.jpgFull Metal Panic
Year: 2001 Episodes: 13 Studio: Gonzo
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Tang Rating: 9.5/10 Full Metal Panic! is one of the better animes that has come to TV. Sousuke is a young, somewhat dull military agent. He receives orders from his commander to watch over a mysterious girl named, Chidori. Chidori is one of the most popular and beautiful girls in her high school and Sousuke must go to her high school so he can look after her. After a few days Chidori realizes that Sousuke is following her and gets really pissed at him. Even though he is a professional in military tactics he still isn't too keen on girls. You usually see Sousuke getting beat up by Chidori and after meeting her he realizes that there is a lot more to her than she lets on. She is somewhat selfish, vain and a liar at times. After Sousuke settles down in his current high school they are taken on a class trip that is suddenly hi-jacked by a mysterious organization.
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http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Wira Rating: 9.6/10
This is probably my second favourite anime after Rurouni Kenshin. Really nice drawings, good character development, nice mood transitions, killer soundtracks, and 'light' storyline. It's light enough to allow me to stop watching to get some sleep and get on with my daily chores, yet captivating enough for me to continue watching this anime. It's just right. It is also one of the very few animes with no crappy ending. Actually it made me feel as if it's not an ending. Did I mention this anime has killer soundtracks? A must-watch for sure.
Galaxy Angel - Season 1
Year: 2001 Episodes: 26 Studio: Broccoli
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Tang Rating: 7/10 The theme itself isn't exactly the most original concept I've seen, which revolves around group of 'professionals' hired by the military to recover something called 'Lost Technology'. However, the series' strong points lies in the cast's conflicting personalities. There's Forte, trigger happy commando type with a phobia of rodents. Milfeulle a dim witted new recruit but with an unnaturally good fortune. Vanilla, the quiet, eccentric genius. Her character kind of reminds me of Ruri Hoshino from Nadesico. Then there's Mint, who looks and sounds EXACTLY like Rena from Star Ocean EX. I'm not too sure on the legality of this since Galaxy Angels was produced by Broccoli Studios and Star Ocean EX by Studio Deen.
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/galaxy_angel_s1_01.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/galaxy_angel_s1_02.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/galaxy_angel_s1_03.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/galaxy_angel_s1_04.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/galaxy_angel_s1_05.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/galaxy_angel_s1_06.jpgHumor is also a large factor in the series' popularity, with one of my favorite scenes being when Vanilla dismantles the computer AI from an intelligent nuclear warhead and transfers it into a stuffed animal doll, which is now subjected to beatings by the other members.
Gunparade March
Year: 2003 Episodes: 12 Studio: J.C. Staff
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Tang Rating: 9/10 'The year 1945. The worst livings form in history visited the world. Mankind formed a united front to counter the visitors. The ultimate weapon of destruction had no effect on the visitors. It merely contaminated the land with ash and fog. The visitors soon came to be known as Phantom Beasts. And mankind began a long war of attrition. Half a century later... 1999.' Those comments were the prologue to the beginning to episode 1 of Gunparade March, a 12 episode series based on the popular Playstation game released back in 1999. For those who haven't yet played the original game, the story is about aliens invading earth 50 or so years ago, it is now 1999 and most of the world's nations lies in ruins. Mankind has developed a humanoid armored assault unit called the HTW equipped with an arsenal capable of inflicting damage on the so called Phantom Beasts. The HWTs are piloted by students in their teens, though the reason for this hasn't exactly been made clear yet. Anyway, these HWTs form a tactical unit which are air-dropped into Phantom Beasts territory to eliminate the Brain, which controls all other Phantom Beasts.
What makes Gunparade March stand out from other mecha anime series is the animation quality which is probably almost as good as that of Full Metal Panic, if not better. All character movements, especially the HWTs are fluid with no still-screen scenes as seen with older series. My only complaint about Gunparade March though is the relatively short running time, and at only 12 episodes it doesn't leave that much room for character development or side plots. Though putting that aside, I'd easily give this series a 9/10 rating.
Visit the official site at: http://www.kuroitsuki.com/gpm/gpm.html (http://www.kuroitsuki.com/gpm/gpm.html) .
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Year: 2003 Episodes: 4 Studio: Wonderf Arm
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Tang Rating: 6.5/10 Hand Maid Mai is one of those shows that is so cute I couldn't help but love it. Yeah, it pushed the limits of the amount of fan service I can take, but overall it was a fun show.
This new 4 episode OVA series is based on the same world as the original Hand Maid May, though there doesn't seem to be a connection in story line, Mai though is supposed to a a second generation model based on May. I didn't hate it. But I think it lost a lot of the magic that the original series had. The main character, Ozu Hideo, is working as an video editor for an video (referred to in the episodes as AV) company. He comes home drunk one night to find three cyber doll maids named Ai, Mai, Mei who all look like his girlfriend at different stages of her life. The first episode was lots of setup and a little bit of plot involving the maids helping him finish up making a picture. In terms of storyline I felt that this OVA tends to stick to the main plot, mainly due to the fact that storyline is limited to 4 episodes.
Overall though, I'd recommend this OVA for anyone who has seen the original Hand Maid May first just to better understand the background info, E.g. "What are Cyber dolls?", "Client from the future?", "Why does she pull cables out from her.. ummm.".
Oh, there are also two cameos. At one point you see a certain girl leaning out her window on a ladder stretched between two buildings. And it appears that Sara is making some level of appearance (but I'm not sure just how much of one yet).
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Year: 2001 Episodes: 13 Studio: Gonzo
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Tang Rating: 9/10 "In the name of God, impure souls of the living dead shall be banished into eternal damnation, Amen!" The name Hellsing has popped up in various movies e.g.' Bram Stokers: Dracula, which touched lightly on the Hellsing family legacy. This latest series from GONZO revolves around a master vampire Arucard, subordinate to the Hellsing family. The Hellsing of the modern era has become more of a para-military group given special sanctions by the Queen, employing ex-military personnel to form an elite fighting force against the undead, with Arucard being their ultimate trump-card. Although Hellsing primary goal is to 'protect England from the undead horde' it does have human enemies such as the Vatican Church which sees Hellsing as an organization which has vampire members among it's ranks, thus should be eliminated.
Fights scenes are exactly what you'd expect from a series based on Vampires, with special attention paid to the animation of how blood flows and splatters. Storyline wise is somewhat lacking, with many questions still left unanswered at the end of episode 13. Hopefully these will be explained in the 2nd series due for release sometime in 2003.
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/hellsing_01.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/hellsing_02.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/hellsing_03.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/hellsing_04.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/hellsing_05.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/hellsing_06.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/hellsing_07.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/hellsing_08.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/hellsing_09.jpghttp://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/hellsing_10.jpg http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Wira Rating: 7/10
Hellsing, a cool anime with mediocre story progression. It could've been a great anime. In term of cool factor, I would rate it 9/10 (despite Alucard's stupid costume). However, this coolness isn't backed up with much. The end of this series is quite disappointing, mainly because it's so rushed that there are so many unanswered questions left behind. A more in-depth character development for Victoria wouldn't hurt either. The animation is somewhat interesting. I would describe it as "abstract caricature", with elongated arms along with other disproportions to emphasize certain aspects in the series (this actually gives really cool effects throughout the series). I'm eagerly awaiting for the 2nd series, hopefully it will deliver the quality previously expected.
I My Me! Strawberry Eggs
Year: 2001 Episodes: 13 Studio: TNK
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Tang Rating: 6/10 I My Me! Strawberry Eggs has probably the most irrelevant title to a series I've ever encountered, however despite that, it does have a fairly heart warming story plot about a male cross dressing P.E Teacher and a clumsy naive underage girl. Don't worry it isn't as dirty as you might think it is. Apart from a couple of shots in the first episode which was most likely put there to get the more average viewer interested, and an episode concerned and things of that nature, it is generally a romance story and a feel good story of overcoming little things and becoming a wiser more accepting and trusting person. Despite a compelling storyline I was quite disappointed at the ending which left too many questions unanswered, it almost felt as if the producers are leaving room open for a second series. *fingers crossed*
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Iketeru Futari
Year: 1999 Episodes: 16 Studio: Pioneer
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Tang Rating: 7.5/10 It's basically about the main character Keisuke, an over hyperactive middle high school student perusing his love interest with Koizumi, your typical well mannered, great looks, sincere personality, perused by just about every guy type. However around Keisuke, she's the complete opposite, and enjoys kicking Keisuke around (). Her most commonly used phrase with him being "Go ahead, die".
The series itself isn't very long with each episode being only 6 minutes in length, and 16 episodes in total.
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However, it does have a storyline which is far more in depth than most 24 episode, 30 minutes each series. I should also point out that the series is so many fan service and
i didnt see this anime
partial nudity scenes that after the 16th episode, .
Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto (Someday's Dreamer)
Year: 2003 Episodes: 12 Studio: J.C. Staff
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Tang Rating: 8/10 This series is definitely a rare find as most magic based series out there tend to be of the action genre. Someday's Dreamers though is entirely (if not mostly) based on character development and drama.
Basic story plot revolves around one summer in the life of Yume Kikuchi, who has come to Tokyo to study to become a mage She is assigned as Oyamada's trainee, who seems to have known Yume's mother in the past. The story branch's off with each episode focusing on each of the supporting characters and their past. Though what really got me hooked on this series is the intro song which perfectly sets the mood for the series.
Anyways, for more info, visit the officials site at: http://www.yume-mahou.com/ (http://www.yume-mahou.com/) .
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Naruto
Year: 2002 Episodes: ??? Studio: Pierrot
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Tang Rating: 8/10 Storyline is centered around a group of kids working their way through the ninja academy, with the aim to eventually become fully fledged ninjas. I'm sure we've all seen other series with this type of storyline before but what makes Naruto so addictive is the versatility of it's characters. There's Naruto (main character) who since birth have had an immensely powerful evil spirit seal within his body. Uchiwa Sasuke, processing a skill which allows him to predict the movement of his opponents and copy their jutsu (ninja techniques). He is also Naruto's team-mate, and rival. Each combat scene is accompanied by some very nice heavy metal guitar work. My only complaint about the series is that battle scenes tends to get dragged on for too long.
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Year: 2001 Episodes: 26 Studio: Victor Entertainment
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Tang Rating: 8.5/10
Noir first aired on Japanese TV early 2001, which also picked up the best anime award for that year, is finally making it's debut here in Australia. Noir is about a high school student named Kirika born and raised to become an assassin in search of her true identity. Kirika is helped by Mireille, an elegant and beautiful woman to help recover Kirika's past. Along the way, however, more and more unusual events occur leading the two women deeper into their true destinies. The originality of the series comes from the fact that it's one of the very few series out there which isn't set in Japan, but rather around Europe, and a couple of episodes in Singapore. Animation is fairly decent and easily compares to more recent 2003 series.
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Psychic Academy
Year: 2002 Episodes: 24 Studio: ???
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpg Reviewer: Tang Rating: 5.5/10 The series was never shown on TV, but instead was broadcasted live over the internet. Though this is a novel idea, the fact that the episodes were being distributed over the internet meant several . Running time seems to have suffered the most with each episode being only 10 minutes in length, minus the OP and ED and you're left with only 6 - 7 minutes of viewing time.
Story revolves around Ai Shiomi who is kind , but with aura powers beyond that of anyone else in the Academy. And the Psychic Academy is a school for aura users just like himself. In the first episode he meets a rabbit named Boo who apparently is some sort of Aura master. Boo have thus far accepted Ai as his only student. Ai's life at the academy is accompanied around 2 supporting characters, his childhood friend Orina, and mysterious girl Myuu, who happens to have a 100% aura compatibility with him. Amidst the repetitive battle scenes a love triangle forms between the trio with Ai knowing that his love interest lies with Orina, but at the same time he seems to feel more confident with Myuu due to their 'aura compatibility'. I should also mention that this show features plenty of fan-service with most female characters being at least a D-cup. But hey! That ain't such a bad thing is it? :)
Apart from the short length of the series, story line is also a major let down which basically consists of battle scenes with one opponent after another, with a few fan service scenes thrown in to keep the viewer interested. This is one of those shows which doesn't really have a beginning or ending, which feels like you're watching the mid section of a much longer series.
My only compliment about Psychic Academy are it's intro song and design of the 2 main female characters, Orina and Myuu.
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Year: 2001 Episodes: 64 Studio: Nippon Animation
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpgReviewer: Tang Rating: 7.5/10
Shaman King is about a boy with a shaman power, Yoh Asakura, who wanted to become a king of shaman.
Yoh Asakura might look like a layback Junior High School kid. However, he is a shaman with a special ability to communicate with all the souls and spirits and possess them into his body! Yoh came to Funbari, Tokyo to make friends with all of the powerful ghosts and to become the best Shaman ever.
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Year: 2001 Episodes: Movie Studio: ???
http://home.iprimus.com.au/tangnet/grey_ball.jpgReviewer: Tang Rating: 9/10 Though released back in early 2001, this is one of my favorite movies of all time. Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is a sequel to the original Vampire Hunter D movie released a couple of years earlier, and though the original was marked for it's poor animation qualities and character design, this sequel does the complete opposite and sets a benchmark in quality which is hard to match even with more recent 2003 releases.
Storyline revolves around the Dunpeal, a half human, half vampire hired by the son of a rich family to rescue his sister back from a vampire. Though the main plot does sound a bit cliché, it's the various sub-plots throughout the movie which earn this movie it's 9/10 rating. Similarly the characters are unique and has a nice combination between melee and projectile weapons, along with the best vampire powers I've seen in any animated movie. Battle scenes are also well choreographed, and playing them in slow motions will reveal how much detail is put into even the simplest the movements. What really stands out though is the plot and storyline. One cannot help but feel compassion for the two male vampires in the movie, a different approach taken from the horror movies today where vampires are type cast as monsters and the walking undead. The ending music sung by Do As Infinity, couldn't suit the atmosphere better.
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