Kenta SHINOHARA

The Stream - Genesis Project
An all-new column dedicated to each season's simulcasts. See what shows you should be watching, and what shows Bamboo thinks you should be dropping. 2011-11-01

The X Button - Stratus Symbol
This week: imports abound with Terror of the Stratus, Macross Last Frontier, and a Final Fantasy both old and new. Plus Frontier Gate, Beyond the Labyrinth, and Time Gal. 2011-11-02

Interview: Junko Takeuchi
A chat with the voice behind anime's most popular loudmouthed ninja. 2011-11-01

Shelf Life - Sending out an SOS
Erin celebrates Halloween with some ghouls and pumpkins, disappearing persons, and plenty of fisticuffs.
- The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya
- Dragonball Z s6
- Soul Eater - Weapon Collection
2011-10-31

Astro Toy - SH Figuarts Wild Tiger
David checks out one of the hottest (and most difficult to actually find in a store) toys on the market, Bandai's SH Figuarts version of Wild Tiger. 2011-10-30

Tiger & Bunny: Build Your Own Hero Contest
ANN is giving away two signed copies of the Japanese Tiger & Bunny Limited Edition Volume 1 Blu-Ray (which has English subtitles and will play in US Blu-Ray players). You just need to design your own hero to win them. 2011-10-24

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.

xxxHOLIC GN 17
While this volume does contain a good helping of the cryptic mystic-babble that has consistently earned this series lower grades, the parallels with Tokyo Babylon give readers something to look for and also force us to question what the ultimate outcome will be.

Lovephobia GN 1
What keeps this volume from falling into the morass of creepy shoujo manga is that Kokoro Natsume does it well. It isn't high art, or even a real standout in the supernatural genre, but this story pulls you in and leaves you wanting the next installment. It's uncomfortable, disturbing, and sometimes leaves you wanting a very hot shower, but despite itself, Lovephobia sinks its fangs in and doesn't let go.

Ray Sub.DVD
Although this adult-oriented 2006 series initially looks like an occasionally goofy patient-of-the-week drama featuring a young, sexy surgeon with x-ray vision, it gradually morphs into a twisted, soap opera-like melodrama.

Butterflies, Flowers GN 8
Butterflies, Flowers has never been the perfect romance, but it has been consistently amusing. With a high humor count, some genuine emotional content, and a very happy ending, the series ends in a way that romance fans will enjoy.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood DVD Part 5
Epic grandeur, vast imagination, real human consequences, and closure all around—you could hardly ask for more from a concluding volume. Except maybe that the grandeur make more sense, but that's nitpicking.

Monster Hunter Orage GN 1
Don't be fooled by this book's T rating or Hiro Mashima's previous works. Despite the hack'n'slash premise and Mashima's busty art style, this is a series for the 8 to 10 crowd, and while older readers can enjoy it, it will find the warmest welcome within that younger demographic.

Air Gear GN 15-17 Omnibus
Air Gear is an exceedingly dumb series, but in small doses a fun one. Cram six hundred pages of it down just about anyone's gullet, though, and they'll likely notice the dumb more than the fun.