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Astro Toy - Hatsune Miku Composite Ver. Ka VR-014/HD
David opens his big sack of toys for Christmas and pulls out a particularly strange Hatsune Miku. Season's Greetings! 2011-12-25

Black Jack GN 16
The usual praise that is showered upon Black Jack applies once again to Volume 16, but this time there's something even more special in store with the last hundred pages or so.

Twin Spica GN 8
We forgive Yaginuma's nostalgic self-indulgence because he does it so well, striking close to the heart with his gentle optimism.

K-ON! GNs 1-2
Readers simply curious about the K-ON phenomenon could be excused if their first reaction to seeing these graphic novels was “$11.99 for 114 pages?!” These are very slim books for the price tag, and if you aren't sold on the story, it may be worth reading them at a library before deciding to collect. But while it has its problems, K-ON is a fun little series and Yen Press has done a good job in bringing it to English-speaking readers.

Arata: The Legend GN 8
Arata: The Legend's eighth volume is a return to what consistently makes Yuu Watase's works so enjoyable. With pathos, humor, and ongoing character development and parallels, her foray into the world of shounen continues to be worth picking up.

Chaos;Head Blu-Ray + DVD Boxset
Despite some well-executed twists, and an intriguing concept grounded in neuroscience and philosophy, twelve episodes simply isn't enough to say what it wanted to say—and the animation staff didn't have the best tools with which to say it.

Yu Yu Hakusho Blu-Ray Season 4
Yu Yu Hakusho's upswing in quality continues through this, the last of the series' season boxes, hitting some hitches along the way but still finishing the series on a strong note.

Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth - The Animation
A Japanese girl moves to late 19th century Paris in this pure period piece from Satelight. Although it has little actual plot or major drama, it is a cute, relaxing, and occasionally very funny view.

Higurashi: When They Cry GN 16
The devil truly is in the details of this book.

Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva DVD
This prequel movie for the highly-popular Nintendo DS puzzle adventure game series offers everything you'd expect: puzzles, adventure, and mystery. It also delivers a solid story once beyond the pure puzzle aspect.

My Boyfriend is a Vampire GN 1-2
My Boyfriend is a Vampire's first volume is a compulsively readable book that is just perfect for the holiday craziness with its smooth translation, easy layout, and dashes of both humor and masculine beauty.

Air Gear GN 5
Not so much a turning point as it is a stepping stone in the series ... don't expect the greatest acrobatics this time around.