Here a info from the newsgroup rec.arts.anime.misc thanks for reading, arigato
Stéphane Dumas ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rob Kelk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Newsgroups: rec.arts.anime.fandom,rec.arts.anime.misc Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2006 6:54 PM Subject: [INFO] The Anime Primer, or "What Anime Should I Watch Now?" (1/6) > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 > > Archive-name: <http://robkelk.ottawa-anime.org/primer/> > Posting-frequency: monthly, on the 1st > Last-modified: Mon 23 Oct 2006 > > > The Anime Primer > or > WHAT ANIME SHOULD I WATCH NOW? > > Usenet edition > Edited by Rob Kelk > Based on the work of Bruce Carlson & Steve Pearl > > 23 October 2006 > > **************************************************************** > This document is always undergoing revision. > New entries are needed and should be sent to Rob Kelk. > **************************************************************** > > This is intended for English-speaking fans who are new to anime, and > looking for some suggestions of what to watch next. While this list > concentrates on North American releases of anime, there is some > information about the availability of translated anime in other parts > of the world mentioned as well. > > Additions and corrections to this information are welcome; please post > them in reply to this posting. > > This Primer is also available on the World-Wide Web. The primary site > is <http://robkelk.ottawa-anime.org/primer/>; there is also a mirror at > <http://anime-faqs.org/anime/primer/index.html>. > > New Contributor This Month: > Justin Palmer > > New or Heavily Revised Writeups This Month: > YUKIKAZE [Justin Palmer] > > > - ------------------------------ > > Subject: 1. Table of Contents > > 1. Table of Contents > 2. Important Note to Parents > 3. Credits and Legal Notes > 4. How to Find Anime > 5. Why would an anime not be on this list? > 6. Other Recommendations > 7. The List Maintainer's Current Favourites > 8. Capsule Descriptions of Anime > > - ------------------------------ > > Subject: 2. Important Note to Parents > > While some of the entries in the Primer have Parental Advisory notes, > it is not safe to assume that the shows described without advisories > are safe for young children. These movies and television shows are > made in Japan, to that country's standards of what is and is not > suitable as children's entertainment. Those standards might not match > your home's standards. > > Also, many of these shows were not intended to be children's > entertainment at all. (For example, CHOBITS was intended for a > college-aged audience.) > > If you intend to let your children watch any of the shows reviewed in > the Anime Primer, please view them yourself beforehand. > > - ------------------------------ > > Subject: 3. Credits and Legal Notes > > This is a monthly posting intended for those who are new to anime, and > looking for some suggestions of what to watch next. This article can > be freely distributed for non-commercial use, as long as all credits > and notices remain intact. If this is used in any publication, > including APAs & CD-ROM Collections, copies must be sent to: > Steve Pearl > PO Box 11044 > New Brunswick, NJ 08906-1044 > USA > and > Rob Kelk > (contact FAQ maintainer for address) > > Please send all additions/corrections/comments to Rob Kelk. > > Contributors to this FAQ: > Past Maintainers: > Bruce Carlson Steve Pearl > Current Maintainer: > Rob Kelk <robkelk -atsign- gmail -period- com> > Writers: > C Andersen Chris "Blade" McNeil > Dave Baranyi Dave Menard > Jack Bohn Karl Merris > Gerardo Campos Hanno Mueller > Ben Cantrick Travers Naran > Robin Casady Mark L. Neidengard > Anand Chelian Justin Palmer > Bobby Clark Kyle Thomas Pope > laurie cubbison bobbie sellers > David Damerell David Simmons > Scott Delahunt Charlie Smith > Abraham Evangelista Robert Sneddon > Scott Fujimoto Andrew V. Tupkalo > Shawn Granger Terrence Walker > Bruce Grubb Austin Watkins > Arthur Hansen David Watson > Jeanne Hedge D.Eric Wilson > Andrew Hollingbury Phil Yff > Matt "Kosher Pickle" Huber "Akodo Bob" > Brad Jackson "Antaeus Feldspar" > Derek Janssen "Captain Nerd" > Chris "Chika" Johnson "Dot Warner" > Rob Kelk "Hana no Kaitou" > Andrew Kieswetter "HiEv" > Cathy Krusberg "IwillneverbeaJedi" > Paul Lepant "KireiSarah" > Ray Li "MimiE" > Michael Lo "Royal Orange" > D B Malmquist "Shez" > Bill Martin "Slithy Tove" > Rob Maxwell "Sultan Of Swing" > Chris Meadows > Nicholas A. "QuestionMark" Jalowick > Catherine "Fish Eye no Miko" Johnson > > If there is no credit given for an entry, then it was inherited from > the original "Anime Primer" maintained by Bruce Carlson & Steve Pearl. > (Currently, only five entries do not have attributions: LEGEND OF > GALACTIC HEROES, LOCKE THE SUPERMAN, TIME STRANGER, VOTOMS, and > WINDARIA.) > > Most (if not all) of the company names mentioned in this document are > trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective companies. No > challenge to their trademark status is intended by their mention in > this document. > > All reviews in the Anime Primer are copyright their respective > authors, and are used with permission. The compilation copyright for > the Anime Primer is held by Rob Kelk. > > - ------------------------------ > > Subject: 4. How to Find Anime > > Anime programs come in three flavors: TV shows, Movies, and Original > Animation Video (OAV or OVA - what North American studios call "direct > to video"). In general, movies have the best animation quality, while > TV shows use less motion, and OAVs vary widely between those. Also, > newer shows tend to have better animation than older shows do, since > the state of the art has advanced. But animation quality is rarely an > indicator of how good an anime is. > > The vast majority of Japanese animation is only available in Japanese, > of course. Sturgeon's Law ("90% of *everything* is crap") also > applies to anime, so the professionals and fans translating anime into > English tend to work with the 10% that isn't. > > Professionally-translated anime can often be found at large video > stores and comic book shops (brick-and-mortar or online). Sometimes, > they are also available for individual purchase directly from the > translation company. Secondhand copies of anime can also be found for > sale on the <news:rec.arts.anime.marketplace> newsgroup. > > Fan-subtitled items were historically available as tape-to-tape copies > from clubs (see below), individuals, and other volunteer distributors. > Nowadays they are usually found online via the various file-sharing > peer-to-peer systems in formats designed either for viewing directly > on computer screens or for transfer to DVD for playing in DVD players. > Since fansubs are "derivative works", they are technically illegal in > most countries (so don't get fansubs if you don't want to break the > law), but this is largely ignored by the copyright holders as long as > nobody makes a profit and anime that have been professionally > translated aren't also fan-subtitled. It is beyond the scope of this > document to describe how to obtain fansubs - please ask on the > <news:rec.arts.anime.fandom> newsgroup for assistance. > > (There are still some fansub distributors who advertise tapes or VCDs > on the World-Wide Web. Be warned, though, that many of these people > are taking advantage of other fans' goodwill by selling tapes or CDs > at a profit. Worse yet, there are now many people who are selling > fansubs for a profit on eBay and other online auction services. You > shouldn't pay more for a fansub than you would pay for the blank tape > or blank CD, plus postage. Also, some less-scrupulous fansub > distributors sell fan-subtitled copies of anime that have also been > translated professionally. The best defence against being caught by > one of these distributors is to know what shows have been > professionally translated. Read the Grand High License List at > <http://www.animeondvd.com/licenselist/>, then ask on > <news:rec.arts.anime.misc> if you still aren't sure.) > > Most cities of even moderate size have an anime club somewhere. They > probably meet periodically and view the latest stuff, and many have a > decent video library. A good way to find your local club is to ask at > the local stores that sell anime, or to post a question in the > rec.arts.anime.fandom newsgroup if your town doesn't have an anime > store. > > Many science fiction conventions have an anime program in a room > someplace these days. An anime convention is probably the best way to > sample *large* amounts of anime at once (if you can tear yourself > away from the Guests, panels, and other activities to actually watch > the stuff). > > - ------------------------------ > > Subject: 5. Why would an anime not be on this list? > > You may have seen an anime that you liked, but isn't on this list. > That doesn't mean your taste in anime is bad! > > First, this is not a comprehensive list of anime titles (for that, see > the Anime News Network encyclopedia of anime, found at > <http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php>), or even a > list of all good anime. It it simply a list of shows that people on > the anime newsgroups like enough to review and recommend to others. > Please keep in mind that tastes vary, and not everyone will think that > every anime on this list is good. (You could ask twenty different > anime fans what the best anime are, and you'll get twenty different > replies.) But we hope that this list will help you find something > *you* think is good. > > Also, if the anime you saw and liked has erotic or pornographic > content, it shouldn't be listed here. Listings for this type of anime > can be found in "The Anime Hentai Primer", a companion to this > posting. The list maintainer chose to split the list so that this > list could be given to people who should not, or do not wish to, watch > erotic or pornographic animation. > > If the anime you saw and liked isn't included in either Primer, it's > quite possible that we simply haven't seen it yet. If you think we > should add a capsule description of a title not on this list, please > write the description and post it as a reply to this posting, or > e-mail it to Rob Kelk at <robkelk -atsign- gmail -period- com>. > > Should you decide to write a capsule description of a good anime > title, please also mention who translated the anime. This is > especially important when the show is only available fansubbed! > (Commercially-translated anime can be purchased in specialty shops, > but fansubs are only available from people within the anime fan > community. Knowing who translated a show often helps other anime fans > find the translations.) > > The list maintainer makes a habit of acknowledging all Primer entries > received, either through e-mail or by posting to the newsgroup > <news:rec.arts.anime.fandom>. If you do not receive a reply to your > submission after a week, then it probably was not received and you > should re-submit your entry. > > - ------------------------------ > > Subject: 6. Other Recommendations > > Most of these descriptions are sparse, but we can't really offer more > in Usenet posts! However, there are places on the World-Wide Web that > offer more in-depth reviews, including reviews of shows that aren't as > good as these are. > > Gilles Poitras, author of "The Anime Companion" and "Anime > Essentials", has a page of recommendations on his website. He also > has pages of recommendations for manga and books about anime. > <http://www.koyagi.com/recommended.html> > > Andrew Shelton is building the "Anime Meta-Review" site, which lists > roughly three times as many titles as this FAQ does. He also reviews > shows that he *doesn't* recommend, which may be of interest to some > people. > <http://amr.nextstudio.net/> > > The Anime News Network maintains an online encyclopedia listing almost > every anime title in existance, with user-submitted ratings of most of > the shows. > <http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php> > > - ------------------------------ > > Subject: 7. The List Maintainer's Current Favourites > > It's come to my attention that the Anime Primer, while useful, is > simply too large to act as an introduction to all anime available now. > Also, there are some people on <news:rec.arts.anime.misc> who have > expressed an interest in knowing what other fans are watching. > > This is a list of my top twenty favourite anime titles as of the last > time I updated this list. (That would be 8 September 2006.) The list > is subject to change on my whim - it's a list of my favourites, after > all, not a list of what's acknowledged as "good". The North American > translation companies that have released these shows are listed so > that you can more easily find the anime. > > Taking a riff from David Letterman ... From the home office in > Ottawa, here's Rob Kelk's Top Twenty Favourite Anime: > > 20: SABER MARIONETTE J / SMJ AGAIN (Bandai) > 19: MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO (ADV) > 18: RUIN EXPLORERS (ADV) > 17: YOU'RE UNDER ARREST! (AnimEigo, ADV) > 16: OUTLAW STAR (Bandai) > 15: REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA (CPM) > 14: PORCO ROSSO (Disney) > 13: EARTH DEFENSE FAMILY (Geneon) > 12: NADIA (ADV) > 11: MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (Disney) > 10: READ OR DIE / R.O.D THE TV (Manga, Geneon) > 9: AH! MY GODDESS (movie) (Geneon) > 8: TSUKIKAGE RAN (Bandai) > 7: ANGELIC LAYER (ADV) > 6: CARD CAPTOR SAKURA (Geneon) > 5: RISKY SAFETY (AN Entertainment) > 4: FIGURE 17 (Anime Works) > 3: KAMICHU! (Anime Works) > 2: CHOBITS (Geneon) > 1: PRINCESS TUTU (ADV) > > - ------------------------------ > > Subject: 8. Capsule Descriptions of Anime > > And now, the reviews: > > .hack//SIGN: "The World" is an online multiplayer RPG taking the > world by storm. One player, a Wavemaster (magician) named Tsukasa, > gets stuck in The World, unable to quit back to the real world - and > all the while players are falling into mysterious comas. There is > obviously something rotten in The World, but it will take a whole team > of players to sort it out, and the problems may reach deeper than they > think. > Released as part of Bandai's massive .hack multimedia campaign, > .hack//SIGN comes from Bee Train, the studio behind NOIR, and features > many of the same hallmarks with blaring (although excellent) Yuki > Kajiura music drowning out fairly cryptic dialogue. If this is to your > taste, there's a lot to like about .hack//SIGN, with an intriguing > cast of characters and some particularly good background artwork, but > be prepared for a lot of talking. > Released by Bandai in Region 1 and UK Region 2, and by Madman in > Region 4. The original Region 1 release came in several special > editions including soundtrack CDs, which are unfortunately not > available separately, and the last disc's special edition came with an > extra bonus episode - I believe this is available in the recently > released .hack//SIGN Collection. > [Entry by Andrew Hollingbury] > > 3X3 EYES (a.k.a. SAZAN EYES): Pai, the last of a race of three-eye > immortals known as Sanjiyan Unkara, desires to become human. She has > been sent to Yakumo by his late father to obtain an artifact called > the Ningun No Zou or Statue of Humanity which is needed to accomplish > this. Unfortunately, one of her demon friends is let loose and Yakumo > is mortally wounded in the resulting chaos. To save Yakumo she pulls > his soul into her, turning him into a Wu (an undead-like immortal). > To become human again, Yakumo must help Pai become human. > Unfortunately there are others who want the Ningun No Zou, the > immortality of being Wu, or Pai herself. Complicating matters is that > Pai has a totally different personality when her third eye manifests. > The North American DVD release by Geneon combines the two OVAs > "Immortal" and "Legend of the Divine Demon". 3X3 EYES is available in > Australia from Madman. > PARENTAL ADVISORY: The "Immortal" OVA has several violent gorish > scenes - Yakumo gets badly beaten several times and his hand is > chopped off. His girlfriend is used as a hostage during which she is > painfully attacked from the inside by a demon. "Legend of the Divine > Demon" is far less gory, though there is the death of Yakumo's mentor, > a blind Tibetan priest. > Detailed web page: <http://www.sazan.net/digest/> > [Entry by Bruce Grubb] > > 801 T.T.S. AIRBATS (a.k.a. AOZORA SHOUJOTAI): A series based > around a female aerobatic team within the Japanese Air Self Defense > Force, made up of misfits including a gambling addict, an airhead, a > pilot with a major chip stuck on her shoulder and another that is > always at war with her. Oh yes, and one rookie airplane and mecha nut > with whom both of the latter two pilots are besotted with. Available > from ADV Films in North America and Madman in Australia. > [Entry by Chika] > > A > > ABENOBASHI MAHOU SHOUTENGAI (a.k.a. MAGICAL SHOPPING ARCADE > ABENOBASHI): 11-year-old friends Satoshi "Sasshi" Imamiya and Ayumi > Asahina are bemoaning the fact that their Osaka neighbourhood is now > decaying, and wondering about the animal statues on top of some of the > shops. When Arumi's grandfather accidentally knocks down the pelican > statue on top of his restaurant, things get trippy for the two kids, > and they end up in various re-settings of their neighbourhood, based > on a different theme in each show (i.e. sword and sorcery, China, > outer space), where parodies of examples of the genres follow, > frequently at blur speed. Add dashes of juvenile humour here and > there (including a young woman appropriately named Mune-Mune, who > supplies the fan service), plus the odd touching moment, blend, and > serve. A collaboration between Gainax and scriptwriter Akahori Satoru > (SABER MARIONETTE J, SORCEROR HUNTERS and MON COLLE KNIGHTS, among > many others). > Available from ADV. > R1 official website: <http://www.abenobashidvd.com/> > [Entry by David Watson] > > AD POLICE FILES: This series chronicles the (mis-)adventures of AD > Police rookie Leon and his colleagues as they defend the near-future > cyberpunk city of MegaTokyo (and sometimes themselves) from boomers - > humanish androids. There are three episodes, each with a different > plot line, but each asking the same question - what happens when the > line between man and machine blurs? Forewarned, this series is > extremely dark, violent, gory and sexual. Therefore I do not > recommend it for anyone under 17 years old unless they are very > mature. Well drawn and animated, and certainly engaging to watch. If > you liked "Bladerunner", you might like this series. Three episodes. > Subbed. From AnimEigo in North America and Madman in Australia. > [Entry by Ben Cantrick] > [NOTE: There is a recent remake titled AD POLICE, that has been > released by ADV Films in North America. The FAQ maintainer has not > yet seen the remake, and nobody else has yet written a capsule > description of the show. - Rob Kelk] > > ADVENTURES OF THE MINI-GODDESSES: Loosely based on a series of > four-panel comic strips that themselves were loosely based on Kosuke > Fujishima's AH MEGAMISAMA story, this is a series of short (five- to > seven-minute) episodes featuring cute versions of Urd and Skuld as > they have adventures with Gan-chan, a rat that lives in the temple. > Belldandy sometimes gets in on the fun, too (although not as often, > because her original seiyuu was unavailable when the earliest episodes > were made). While some of the episodes have educational content, most > are simply excuses to tell silly stories from the four-panel comic > strip (such as the "Let's Make a Band" storyline), or parodying > popular Japanese culture (such as the "Gan-chan becomes Godzilla" > stories). > There's little if any serious meaning to this series, but it's > ideal for the times when you're too tired or rushed to watch something > that takes itself too seriously. > Geneon has released this series on DVD in North America. > See also OH MY GODDESS!, AH! MY GODDESS (MOVIE), and AH! MY GODDESS > (TV). > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > AH! MY GODDESS (MOVIE): Set later in the AH MEGAMISAMA storyline > than the OH MY GODDESS! OAV series, this movie tells the story of > Belldandy's mentor Celestin and his attempt to go against the will of > Kami-sama for the sake of love. One of the side-effects of Celestin's > actions causes Belldandy to lose her memory, so the goddesses and > Keiichi have two problems to solve at the same time. > This is quite possibly the best animated AH MEGAMI-SAMA story yet. > All of the characters are shown as they are in Kosuke Fujishima's > manga, as opposed to the caricatures of Belldandy and Keiichi in the > OAV series, and the plotline is reminiscent of Fujishima's best work. > (The only real problem some people have with the movie is that Mara > once again doesn't make an appearance, but, given the subject matter, > there's really no logical way for her to have been in the story.) > This movie is available in North America on DVD from Geneon, and in > Australia from Madman. > See also AH! MY GODDESS (TV), OH MY GODDESS!, and ADVENTURES OF THE > MINI-GODDESSES. > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > AH! MY GODDESS (TV): Meet Keiichi Morisato, nice guy, human > doormat, and unluckiest guy you'll ever meet. One night, after a > strange call, and a girl popping out of a mirror, his life changes > forever. The girl, Belldandy, turns out to be a First Class Goddess, > and explains that he's been given a wish, any wish. He could have > money, power, whatever his heart desires. After talking with her, he > says the first thing that pops into his mind, that he wished he had a > girl like Belldandy to stay by his side forever ... and that's when > life stopped being ordinary for Keiichi. He gets kicked out of the > male-only dorm, and must find a place to stay, get a job, and try to > teach Belldandy how to act normally while still going to college. > Note: No previous knowledge of the OAVs, movie, or manga required to > enjoy ... > Released by Anime Works in North America. > See also OH MY GODDESS!, AH! MY GODDESS (MOVIE), and ADVENTURES OF > THE MINI-GODDESSES. > [Entry by Bill Martin] > > AH MEGAMISAMA: see OH MY GODDESS!, AH! MY GODDESS (MOVIE), AH! MY > GODDESS (TV), and ADVENTURES OF THE MINI-GODDESSES > > AI YORI AOSHI: A young college student sees a beautiful Japanese > girl dressed in a kimono and sandals lost in a train station. From > this unlikely coincidence, childhood sweethearts Kaoru and Aoi are > re-united. > Kaoru was the heir of the Hanabishi family. Aoi is heiress to the > Sakuraba family. Kaoru ran away from the Hanabishis and Aoi was > simply told "the engagement is off". Aoi would not accept that her > her first true love would end like this, so she rushed off to Tokyo to > find him. The story gets more complicated when Aoi's mother sets them > up in an old house to hide their romance. Miyabi, Aoi's guardian, > hides their secret by running the house as a boarding house, > accidentally attracting a harem of young girls all vying for Kaoru's > attention. > This anime has two stories going on: a classic Japanese romance > from the age of the samurai and a LOVE HINA'esque harem story. But at > its heart, AI YORI AOSHI is a very strong character anime; all the > characters are interesting with depth. Tina Foster, an American who > grew up in Japan, acts the extrovert to hide her loneliness of feeling > like a stranger in both cultures. Mayu is rich and intelligent, but > her parents treat her more as a prized piece of furniture than their > child; the only love in her life came from an act of kindness by > Kaoru. These complex stories enmesh and develop over time. The > characters are explored even further in the second series, AI YORI > AOSHI - ENISHI. > It's a really good series for those who like romantic stories with > a strong ensemble cast. > Age: 14+ Warnings: Frequent fan service, suggested nudity and > mature situations. Available in North America from Geneon. > [Entry by Travers Naran] > > AIM FOR THE TOP!: see GUNBUSTER > > AISHITERUZE BEIBE (a.k.a. LOVE YOU BABY): Kippei is a > lackadaisical high-schooler, popular with the girls but not ready for > commitment. One day he arrives home to find his young cousin, five- > year-old Yuzuyu-chan there. Her mother has abandoned her and the > family decide Kippei should be the one to look after her. Thus begins > a story of responsibility and maturity on Kippei's part and a chance > for stability and happiness for Yuzuyu-chan. > Like fungus, this anime grows on you. Yuzuyu behaves like a real > five-year-old, scared by her mother's disappearance, comforted by > Kippei-onii-chan, making friends at the kindergarten. There is a > little drama; Kippei becomes the focus of a stalker and Yuzuyu gets > caught up in the action, but mostly this is Kippei learning that > actions have consequences and Yuzuyu learning that she is still loved > and her mother's disappearance was not her fault. > Tsuzurahara Miyu, Yuzuyu's seiyuu, makes her sound like a real > five-year-old. The animation quality is not very high but carries the > story adequately. The OP and ED songs are catchy and addictive, > matching the upbeat mood of the series. > This series is still unlicensed. The manga is being translated by > Viz. > [Entry by Robert Sneddon] > > AKIRA: An adaptation of a longer manga work, the story (as far as > the anime is concerned) surrounds a gang, in particular the leader, > Kaneda, and his friend, Tetsuo, and a secret government/military > project to tap the psychic abilities of children. Tetsuo encounters a > "child" from these experiments and soon after starts to exhibit some > abilities of his own following his abduction by the military. Kaneda > is caught up in the events that follow as first he tries to find his > friend and find out what has happened to him, then has to battle with > Tetsuo as his new found powers start to run out of control. Who is > Akira? A question that runs through the whole convoluted plot but, to > find out, Tetsuo risks himself, his friends and the whole city. > The production was masterminded by Katsuhiro Otomo, and has been > touted as one of the best productions of its type, having won awards > around the world. However people that are fans of the manga series > should be aware of the compacted nature of the production. There is > also one attempted rape scene. > Originally released in the US by Streamline Pictures, later > licenced to Geneon (aka Pioneer). In Australia this is available from > Madman, in the UK it is available from Manga Video. > [Entry by Chika] > > ALL PURPOSE CULTURAL CAT-GIRL NUKU-NUKU: The Mishima Heavy > Industries corporation wants its prototype android back, to use as a > war machine. Lady Akiko, head of Mishima, wants to take her son > Ryuunosuke from her ex-husband - preferably by force. Ryuunosuke, on > the run with his brilliant and eccentric father, just wants the > friendly kitten he finds on Christmas Eve. When it all comes > together, the result is "Nuku Nuku" Natsume - the brain of a cat, the > appearance of a lovely schoolgirl, and the raw power of a war machine, > living with Ryuunosuke and 'Papa-san' as Ryuunosuke's sister and the > family's protector. > The original six OAV series is nicely animated, delightful > action-comedy. The TV series that followed kept most of the same > characters but changed the situations heavily, and is reported to have > suffered from a Monster-of-the-Week plot. The later OAV series, NUKU > NUKU DASH, not only changed the situations but changed Nuku Nuku's > character design and her personality from bubbly and upbeat to teary, > and is generally considered disappointing by fans. > Available from ADV. > [Entry by Antaeus Feldspar] > > ANGEL LINKS: The second show in Sunrise's "Toward Stars" universe, > but nowhere near as wide in scope as its sister series OUTLAW STAR, > ANGEL LINKS tells the story of Li Meifon, a teenager who is named heir > to a large interplanetary corporation on the condition that she > operate a pirate-hunting service for free. This seems simple enough > on the surface, but why does Meifon already have a grave marker? > This is science-fantasy space opera, but not quite in the same vein > as its sister show - the scope is much smaller than what's shown in > OUTLAW STAR. It's also half the length of the previous series, mainly > because the writers didn't have to explain everything to the audience. > ANGEL LINKS is available as a four-DVD box set from Bandai in North > America. > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > ANGELIC LAYER: Mizaki Suzuhara is moving to Tokyo. Upon arriving > at the train station, she gets lost (it's her first time in Tokyo) and > wanders outside, where she witnesses a battle that wows her on a > gigantic screen. It turns out that the battle was part of Angelic > Layer, a game that's very popular. She gets drawn into the game and > goes on a wild adventure. This series has something for everyone, > from the comedic wiggly-squiggly Icchan, to more heart-felt moments, > and even intense battles. So go out now, and see the series that one > of the voice actresses calls "DRAGON BALL Z for Girls!" Available > from ADV films. > R1 official website: <http://www.angeliclayerdvd.com/main.php> > [Entry by Bill Martin] > > AOZORA SHOUJOTAI: see 801 T.T.S. AIRBATS > > ARIA: In Neo-Venezia, despite a backdrop of science fiction > technology, life has returned to simpler times. Akari Mizunashi has > lived on Neo-Venezia for half a year, employed as a 'Single' or > apprentice undine (gondolier). Together with her friends and fellow > trainees Aika and Alice, Akari spends her days training to become a > full-fleged undine, and experiencing the joys of life, love, and > friendship among the canals of Neo-Venezia. > ARIA is a laid-back, slice-of-life story that shows the "Magic of > everyday life" through Akari's eyes. Cooked from the same recipie as > YOKOHAMA KAIDASHI KIKOU, Aria's episodic pace and lovely background > music can best be described as relaxed. Warm and fuzzy feelings are > the order of the day for Aria. > ARIA spans two seasons of 13 episodes each (ARIA and ARIA THE > NATURAL), and is available fansubbed. > [Entry by Abraham Evangelista] > > ARJUNA: see EARTH GIRL ARJUNA > > ARMITAGE III: In the future, mankind has terraformed and settled > Mars. We've also developed a line of human-like androids with > designations of "first," "second" and "third". Ross Sylabus, a police > detective from Earth with an antipathy for androids, has transferred > to Mars. What he finds there is a political conspiracy that covers > two planets and involves his colleague, the child-like female > detective Armitage. Well drawn and animated, with moments of both > levity and action. Some violence. Four episodes, or one movie which > is the episodes edited together with some omissions. Subbed and > dubbed both available. From Geneon, and Madman in Australia. > [Entry by Ben Cantrick] > [There is also a sequel movie ARMITAGE III - DUAL-MATRIX, which > contains spoilers for the original ARMITAGE III story. - Rob Kelk] > > ARSLAN SENKI (a.k.a. THE HEROIC LEGEND OF ARSLAN): 5 part OAV > running approximately 4 hours total. Slow paced historical fiction. > The kingdom of Pars is overrun by a neighboring kingdom, with inside > help. The king is imprisoned and it's up to the young prince and his > loyal retainers to win the kingdom back. The story is more sword and > political intrigue than it is sword and sorcery, not much fighting, no > comedy, full of shoujo-esque character designs, and is unfinished, the > remainder of the story is available in novel or manga form. Original > novels by the same author as LEGEND OF GALACTIC HEROES. DVD box set > includes all OAVs. By U.S. Manga Corps. > [Entry by MimiE] > > ASH WINGS ALLIANCE: see HAIBANE RENMEI > > ASTRO BOY (originally TETSUWAN ATOMU/MIGHTY ATOM): The first real > Japanese anime TV series aired in 1963, ASTRO BOY was made by the > anime "God" Osamu Tezuka. It is a story of a little robot boy, who > ages and becomes mature through the series. It was the first anime > which featured familiar things such as continuous story and plot for > the entire series, character development, and so on. And remember, it > was the first TV anime series! > (This description refers to the original series, not the later > remake.) > Licenced by The Right Stuf International in North America, and by > Madman in Australia. > [Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo] > > AURA BATTLER DUNBINE: Motorcycle racer Show Zama is pulled into an > alternate world where he is drafted as an Aura Battler. An Aura > Battler is a person from Upper Earth (our world) that has the aura > power to control the insect-like mechs this world uses to fight its > wars. While the natives can also drive these things they cannot do so > with the proficiency of Upper Earthers. Show finds himself involved > in a war of conquest led by Drake Luft and soon decides he's on the > wrong side. It's quite an epic from the man who gave the world > GUNDAM. > Licenced by ADV Films. > [Entry by Kyle Thomas Pope] > > AZUMANGA DAIOH: Popular 26 episode comedy series which follows the > fortunes of seven girls, two teachers, and one dog through the three > years of senior high school. Much of the story centres on Chiyo-chan, > a ten year old genius who has been put in their class and whose > combination of cuteness and superior academic ability inspires > ambivalent feelings amongst her considerably older classmates. Each > character is sharply defined and a lot of the humour arises from our > anticipation of their inevitable behaviour, from the narcoleptic Osaka > who lives in a dream to the manic Tomo whose hijinks go a little too > far. The animation is minimal and at times repetitive, but the images > are beautifully drawn with a refreshing look and equally good > background music. > Available from ADV. > Note: the AZUMANGA DAIOH "Movie" (included on the sixth ADV DVD, > not included in the box set) is actually just a five minute widescreen > short which reworks a few scenes from the series. > R1 official website: <http://www25.advfilms.com/titles/azumanga/> > [Entry by Shez] > > B > > BAKUEN CAMPUS GUARDRESS (a.k.a. COMBUSTIBLE CAMPUS GUARDRESS or > CAMPUS GUARDRESS): Girl is sister to boy who is the reincarnation of > a man whom the girl's previous incarnation loved. He died last time > saving the world for evil monsters from another dimension who are bent > on world conquest. And now it's happening all over again. How will > the girl ever manage to save her brother and the world at the same > time, how will she deal with her incestful feelings for her brother, > and how can she deal with her mother making moves on her boy? > This is a bimodal show with characters and input from Hagiwara, the > author of BASTARD! DESTRUCTIVE GOD OF DARKNESS. As such, it is a > combination of the sublime and the profane in a very cute mix. The > attack names are a wonderful throwback to some of the spells in > BASTARD!, and have such names as "Thousand Slices of Radish Attack" or > "Puppy Dog Attack". > If you liked BASTARD!, you'll like this one. > [Entry by Anand Chelian] > > BASTARD!: It was an age of lawlessness > Of disorder and Chaos > Blood and steel, flesh and bone > An age of Magic > The four kingdoms are under siege from the evil dark armies of > Chaos. The only one who can save them is the evil wizard who nearly > conquered the world 15 years ago. > BASTARD!! > A tale of sorcery and combat, of scantily clad maidens and a more > scantily clad hero. High Shonen Fantasy at its most extreme. Enter > a world of action, excitement, danger, and ... laundry. > Available from Geneon in North America. > [Entry by "Akodo Bob"] > > BATTLE ANGEL (a.k.a. BATTLE ANGEL ALITA or GUNNM): The Scrapyard > is the name given to a large decaying city that exists due to the > garbage dumped from the floating city above it, named Zalem. Humans, > androids and cyborgs live in this dark and dirty place, all > intermingling. Living with each other, trading with each other, > sometime mugging each other. Ido, A brilliant cyber-doctor, discovers > the wreckage of an extraordinary cyborg in one of the city's junk > piles, and restores it to full health with his skills. She has no > memory of her past, so he names her Gally and raises her as his own > daughter. However, there is more to her than meets the eye ... Good > artwork and animation. From the much-acclaimed manga of the same name > by Yukito Kishiro. Contains violence, gore, nudity. > Was dubbed and subbed from ADV Films, but is no longer available in > North America (possibly due to an expired license). However, BATTLE > ANGEL ALITA is still listed in the Madman catalog, so Australians can > still obtain this anime. > [Entry by Ben Cantrick, edited by Rob Kelk] > > BATTLE ATHLETES VICTORY: Battle Athletes Victory chronicles the > trials of a 15 year old athlete, Akari Kanzaki. Akari's dream is to > become the Cosmo Beauty, the title given each year to the greatest > athlete in the Solar System. The title is fought for at the > University Satellite, a space station that orbits Earth. Akari lives > in the shadow of her mother, Tomoe Midoh, who was widely regarded as > the greatest Cosmo Beauty ever. Akari's journey begins at a training > school in Antarctica, but stretches past the University Satellite ... > Available from Geneon. > [Entry by Matt Huber] > > BATTLE FAIRY YUKIKAZE: see YUKIKAZE > > BATTLE SKIPPER: A new intake and the usual scrap for the best by > the school hobby clubs, but three young girls end up taking the fast > track into the secret world of one particular club, a cover for some > pretty heavyweight mecha in the usual clash of good bot meets bad > bot ... apparently the folk who did PLASTIC LITTLE had much to do with > this title. (CPM/USMC) > [Entry by Chika] > > BIG O: Roger Smith is a Negotiator, an agent for hire in the > amnesiac city of Paradigm, enclosed in giant glass domes. Alongside > his mysterious Megadeus (giant robot), the Big O, the deadpan android > R. Dorothy Wainwright and his ever reliable butler Norman, he polices > the city where the military police cannot. Yet Paradigm City holds > many secrets, "Memories" of what happened forty years ago before all > the residents of Paradigm lost them, and there are those who will stop > at nothing to gather them - and Roger's Memories may be some of the > most important of all. > Highly influenced by "Batman", this odd mecha series owes its > success partly to the US Cartoon Network, who funded the second > season. Written by the ever confusing Chiaki Konaka (LAIN), the > fairly superfluous (although very well animated) mecha fights take a > back seat to the utter madness of the plot, particularly in the > superior second season. High production values and interesting > characters - R. Dorothy is a particular fan favourite - contribute to > make an intriguing addition to the mecha genre. > Available from Bandai in Region 1 on seven DVDs, with two extremely > inexpensive collections available of both seasons. > [Entry by Andrew Hollingbury] > > BIGWARS: Man has colonised Mars and an alien race doesn't much > care for that. This is a tale of Man's struggle against the odds as > the alien, who styles itself as a kind of god, uses awesome weapons to > beat back the expansionist humans. It's now down to one last > chance ... > (CPM/USMC) > [Entry by Chika] > > BINZUME YOSEI: see BOTTLE FAIRIES > > BLACK HEAVEN: see LEGEND OF BLACK HEAVEN > > BLACK MAGIC M66: A side story to Masamune Shirow's manga BLACK > MAGIC, this movie tells the story of one of the first combat androids > ever built. Unfortunately, the military scientist who designed it > used his daughter as the test subject for the android to target. Even > more unfortunately, the android has escaped from the aircraft > transporting it from the test facility ... If you liked "The > Terminator", you'll probably like M66. The anime was previously > available from Manga Video (the licence has expired), and the > collected comic is available from Dark Horse. > [Entry by Rob Kelk] > > BLACKJACK: He's called Blackjack, and he is a practitioner of > "underground surgery". A Tezuka character of old, in this story he is > caught up in a mystery concerning the appearance of "Super Humans", > and the lethal secret behind it. BLACKJACK is based around a manga > where he is a character that appears, performs surgery that no > legitimate surgeon would consider, charges high fees for it then > vanishes. Released by Manga in North America, and Madman in > Australia. > [Entry by Chika] > > BLEACH: How far would you go for your friends? Would you even > challenge the Gates of Heaven? BLEACH is a Shonen Jump adventure > story with well-crafted characters more real than your average shonen > anime, great visuals and really interesting ideas. > Ichigo Kurosaki is a 15 year old high school student with a > penchant for trouble and protective of his little sisters. One night, > a ferocious demon called a Hollow appears, drawn to Ichigo's spirit > power. For reasons he does not understand, he can *see* the demon, > and more importantly, the Death God (shinigami), Ruchia, pursuing it. > In the fight for his life, Ichigo borrows Ruchia's power, becoming a > Death God himself, and defeats the Hollow. But this just begins a > sequence of events that leads him on a journey that will test his > spirit to the brink of death and beyond. > The series derives its strength from its well written characters. > You feel loyalty to Ichigo: a sarcastic delinquint who will literally > bleed for his friends. You care about Ruchia: the young Death God who > tries to be a serious professional, but is still an awkward teenage > girl. You want to protect Orihime who is delightfully ditzy, but not > as weak as she seems. Their adventures test them and help you bond > with them while leading up to their biggest challenge. A story more > epic than the initial episodes would lead you to believe. > Age: 12 and up (if they can handle horror movies, they'll be OK) > PARENTAL: Swordplay, violence and some coarse language. Scary > scenes for young children. > [Entry by Travers Naran] > > (continued in part 2) > > - -- > Rob Kelk <http://robkelk.ottawa-anime.org/> e-mail: s/deadspam/gmail/ > Any Usenet message claiming to be from me but posted from any server > other than individual.net is a forgery. Please filter out such > messages if you have the capability. > > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- > Version: PGP 7.0.4 > > iQA/AwUBRUkzCwKYYCCCxJ/PEQJqZwCg7CZ7Z5OfvFLgM8D4xmxDZfKwxMIAoPaZ > RUY+FUl8HLaaI0EYqC66/+aQ > =8K6f > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- > Group email addresses: Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] List owner: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Shortcut URL to Yahoo! Groups' SUML page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sailor_Uranus For further info, please visit the list's web site at http://haruka.nu/suml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sailor_Uranus/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sailor_Uranus/join (Yahoo! 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