Natsumi AIDA

The Fall 2011 Anime Preview Guide
The Fall 2011 Anime Preview Guide has begun! Check back daily for updates.
Previews Available Now: Majikoi - Oh! Samurai Girls! - Shakugan no Shana III (Final) - Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi II, Maken-Ki! - Boku ha Tomodachi wa Sukunai - Persona 4: the Animation - Mashiro-Iro Symphony - Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere - Chihayafuru - and more! 2011-10-01

List of 2011 Fall Season TV Anime in Japan
Our Spotlight shows are up, but there's much more anime coming out this season. Here's the big list, with the important points on each. 2011-09-21

ANNCast - Learning by Osmond-sis
UK news editor and author of Satoshi Kon: The Illusionist, Andrew Osmond, stops by the show to chat us up about his career, his writing and a whole load of other stuff! Plus: movie chat with Zac and Justin and the fall 2011 anime season! 2011-10-07

Hey, Answerman! - We Can't Have Nice Things
This week in Answerman, Brian tramples all over the lovely bramble bush that is your collected hopes and dreams as he explains the creativity stifling machine that is anime and manga production, the ubiquity of American pop-culture as it applies to the development of new titles, and why you'll never see Ninku on DVD in English aside from that weird little movie. Plus Answerfans! 2011-10-07

Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga - Azumanga Daioh
Jason revisits perhaps the most beloved cute-girls-doing-cute-things 4-koma of all time. 2011-10-06

The X Button - Sound Attack
This week: Tales of Xillia, the latest Legend of Heroes, and an Evangelion musical adventure! Plus Ace Combat, Dead Rising 2, and a cruel joke. 2011-10-05

Anime News Nina! - 2011-10-05
Kevin should've farmed more AP. 2011-10-05

Bleach GN 36
The break in continuity may be just what flagging readers need to regain interest in a series that drags at times, and the slight melancholy of the past may recharge waning emotions. Bleach is by no means perfect, but for the time being, it is still a series worth reading.

Ai Ore! GN 2
Although not as enjoyable as its predecessor because of an increased non-consensual factor, Ai Ore is still solid romance writing for romance fans. With the humor of Ran and Rui thrown in, plus some interesting tidbits about the recording of the drama CD this is still a good beach book.

Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura GN 3
While Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura is not Tanemura's finest work, it is still a welcome return to the classic magical girl story. The start has been a bit slow, but with the plot the author wanted rearing its head, it seems safe to say that the series will get better from here.

Katanagatari Sub.DVD/Blu-ray Box Set 2
The end of Katanagatari is good, but had it allowed us to get closer to its characters, it could have been great.

Vampire Knight GN 13
Although Vampire Knight volume 13 retains some of the problems of its predecessor, it has enough going on to make it a good read. It still doesn't live up to volumes ten and eleven in terms of excitement and plot, but it continues to guide us forward to the point where the series will reach that level again.

Codename: Sailor V GN 1
If nothing else, the release of this series is a landmark for many older fans who never dreamed they would get to read it. While it isn't as good as what comes after, it is still worth reading if only because you can.

Oreimo Complete Limited Edition DVD Box Sub.DVD
The concept of a seemingly perfect little sister having a secret passion for ero games may sound salacious, but the series delivers a surprisingly entertaining and satisfying exploration of both covert otakudom and sibling relationship dynamics without wallowing in clichés.

Ryo (supercell) feat. Hatsune Miku – Sekiranun Graffiti
While one CD single cannot hope to represent the breadth of the Vocaloid meta-genre these days, it shows the versatility of the virtual idol's voice with contrasting A- and B-sides.

Yu Yu Hakusho Blu-Ray Season 2 Box Set
A great dub saves this mostly mediocre set of tournament battling from being a complete waste, but only just.

Eden of the East: Paradise Lost Blu-Ray + DVD
Eden of the East: Paradise Lost brings the entire saga to a close in a flash of brilliance, with a few occasional flaws. If the execution is less than perfect, the ideas behind it are more than big enough to compensate.

Hayate the Combat Butler GN 1
Yes, it's as absurd as the title suggests, but that same absurdity is also responsible for it being terribly funny. It won't make you think much but will make you laugh a lot.