Katsura HOSHINO

Interview: Hiro Mashima
We chat with the mangaka behind the long-running smash hit Fairy Tail; his thoughts on the anime, his success, his influences, and more! 2011-11-08

RIGHT TURN ONLY!! - Scrambled X
The end of the world comes to RTO!! with a review of CLAMP's X ... or for something a little less apocalyptic, how about Mardock Scramble and No Longer Human? 2011-11-08

Shelf Life - Ninja Nonsense
Erin enjoys the Victorian Era and covets some old-timey pillowcases before exploring teen angst.
- Emma complete
- Loveless
- Naruto Shippuden movie: Bonds
2011-11-07

The Mike Toole Show - War Stories
Mike straps in for a look at one of the very first manga ever published in the US, the fighter pilot drama Area 88. 2011-11-06

Gia's List: The 6 Most-Abused Anime Protagonists
Not all anime heroes fight their way out of trouble, but that doesn't mean they don't get pummeled. Here are the ones who get it the worst. 2011-11-05

Hey, Answerman! - Tooting One's Horn
This time on another thrilling Hey, Answerman! Brian replies to your queries about anime based on Western properties, the "doujin" market, working in animation, and what exactly is the name of the bunnygirl from Daicon III and IV? Tune in to find out! 2011-11-04

Skip Beat! GN 25
This latest volume of Skip Beat is just as compulsively readable as its predecessors, and it does provide a good boost to the romantic subplot. It's just too bad that that romance comes with a creepy factor attached.

Naruto Shippuden The Movie: Bonds DVD
Bringing in new directorial blood and heavier ties to the franchise's main body isn't going to help anything if your script is an assemblage of used parts.

Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura GN 4
Most of this volume's action is in the past, but the last chapter sets the characters up for a grand battle for the princess. It is easy to overlook the lack of forward movement in the plot, but it still may be more rewarding to read this and volume five together when it comes out.

Gate 7 GN 1
If you have never read a Clamp series before, you have more of a chance of enjoying this one. If you've been a reader of the group for a while, however, you may find yourself less thrilled, as Gate 7 really does nothing new.

Yu Yu Hakusho Blu-Ray Season 3
The Dark Tournament ends and the Chapter Black saga begins as the series enters perhaps its strongest run of material to date. Still too predictable to be great, but pretty good nonetheless.

Dragon Ball Z Kai Blu-Ray 6
Despite some annoyances and repetitiveness, this portion of the Android Saga, which overlaps into the beginning of the Cell Saga, still conducts an involving build-up towards upcoming epic battles.

Tenjo Tenge GN 3
It truly is the fighting that makes the series worth it—the crushing in-your-face blows, the crackling bursts of superhuman energy, the intense looks on the combatants' faces. But how much longer will readers be satisfied with that?

Himawari! Season 1 Sub.DVD
A girl struggles to become a proper ninja in this innocuous and surprisingly clean 2006 series. Its quirkiness is mildly entertaining, but it only occasionally goes far enough on dramatic or comedy fronts to achieve better than that.

Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection Blu-ray
A sad farewell to a long-running franchise, as well as a very final conclusion.

Hyde & Closer GN 5&6
The major problems here lie in volume six. Volume five is still a romp, albeit is bloody and sometimes scary one, and brings about climactic change in Shunpei's character. Volume six is potentially a game changer for our heroes, but it is so disjointed in execution that the plot suffers.

Witchblade: Takeru GN
Completists will definitely want to pick Witchblade: Takeru Manga up, irrespective of its many narrative flaws. Those unfamiliar with the franchise may do so as well without many comprehension difficulties, though why they would want to remains an open question.