Tsukkomi

Hey, Answerman! - Struggling For Illegitimacy
Brian claws his way through server issues and comedy troupe-related insanity to bring you some answers to some questions he was sent! This week, people wanna know about ISPs and lawsuits, missing translations in English dubs, and somebody wants more damn Sgt. Frog. And we got your Answerfans results! The results are: inspiring. 2011-08-12

Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga - Old Boy
Jason wakes up and finds himself imprisoned by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi's famously captivating manga, Old Boy. 2011-08-11

The X Button - A Dance With Dogma
This week: a chat with Dragon's Dogma producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi! Plus Final Fantasy Type-0, Lollipop Chainsaw, and one huge anime RPG crossover. 2011-08-10

Itsuwaribito GN 3
Itsuwaribito still has a strong premise behind it, but this series has no overarching storyline to bring everything together into a cohesive whole. Every time it shows signs of potential greatness ... it turns out to be a lie.

Chobits DVD Complete Box Set [Classic]
One of the better reminders out there that a guy-centric romantic fantasy can be thoughtful, well-crafted, and even challenging.

Bokurano GN 4
Volume 4 continues like the rest of Bokurano, looking deep into the characters' personal issues ... It may not get one's heart pumping with excitement, but it does get to one's heart.

Yu Yu Hakusho Blu-ray Season 1 Box Set
A well-tuned action machine: honest, unpretentious, and stripped of all the convoluted political BS that clogs so many of its peers.

Skip Beat! GN 24
If you've been enjoying Skip Beat so far, you'll enjoy this volume. Nakamura's twisted tale of vengeance is still a funny, somewhat romantic romp that remains capable of making you laugh out loud. With quirky characters, nice visuals, and a plot that hasn't gotten stale yet, this entry into the series won't lose any fans.

Fullmetal Alchemist GN 25
As the series hustles along towards its end, it almost feels like it would be better to wait for Viz to put out volumes 26 and 27 before picking up this one. It hurries along at a rapid pace, but with so many plot threads to tie up, it might be more rewarding to just wait for the series to be over.

Cross Game GN 4
The series slides effortlessly between calm slices of life and fired-up baseball action ... everything about Cross Game proceeds in a smooth, flowing motion, and that's what keeps readers hooked.

Wandering Son GN 1
Wandering Son is a kind, gentle introduction to the story of two transgendered children beginning to understand themselves. Transgender is a subject that many people who are not members of the LBGTQ community struggle to comprehend, and Shimura uses a light touch to try and bring a greater understanding of it to her readers.

Spice & Wolf GN 4
Lawrence meets a pretty shepherdess and gets himself in a financial jam as this adaptation of the original novels continues. Though it has few major events, the ongoing byplay between the leads keeps the story entertaining.

TO Film: Elliptical Orbit & Symbiotic Planet DVD/Blu-Ray
Two all-CG tales of the spacefaring future are spun by the studio and director behind Vexille, with similar results: impressive visuals and animation saddled with cliché-ridden storytelling which mostly fails to impress.

Harlequin Violet: Response (manga)
If all the words were removed with an eraser, it would be a beautiful story. The characters are so romantic and wonderfully drawn that it's like being sucked into a beautiful margarine commercial, with hazy lens effects and hunky men.