Arisa (GN 2)

Earthquake and Tsunami Special Coverage
The following articles are being updated regularly:
Anime/Manga/Game Event Cancellations
Industry "Alive and Well" Check-Ins
Places to Donate Relief Funds
For English coverage of the ongoing crisis, we recommend BBC World Service. 2011-03-12

Now Streaming: Our Home's Fox Deity 1-4 (free), 5-24 (premium) (s)
Because we could all really use something light and fun right now. [discuss] 2011-03-12

The Mike Toole Show - The Hard Cel
Mike dives in to the world of cel collecting, complete with a bonus 15-minute featurette! 2011-03-13

Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga - Dragon Ball
The granddaddy of all mega-successful shonen fightin' manga comes to Jason's house: it's Dragon Ball time! 2011-03-10

Chrome Shelled Regios DVD Parts 1 and 2
Mobile cities battle each other for resources, and bug-like creatures for survival, in this sci fi/fantasy action-adventure series. Although it has some interesting ideas and action, the series does an inadequate job of explaining itself and resolves little in the end.

Hayate the Combat Butler GN 17
Every hero has an origin story. Yes, even ones starring in joke-a-minute screwball comedies. The extended flashback that occupies two-thirds of this volume, and spills right over into the next one, is the series' most ambitious arc yet.

Level E Episodes 1-6 Streaming
Like its main character, a brilliant and completely self-involved alien prince, Level E is undeniably clever, even audacious. And like the prince, that doesn't necessarily mean it's fun.

RIN-NE GN 5
A resounding disappointment. This is exactly the definition of manga filler, where storylines that matter are pushed aside in favor of quick, easy romps that leave the protagonists unaffected.

Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Episodes 1-6 Streaming
A demented combination of magical girls, gory black humor, and sometimes disturbing horror, Zombie always seems on the verge of blowing apart under the pressure of its own insanity and yet never does.

Black Butler DVD Season 1 Part 2
Starts off weak, but concludes at the top of its game. If there was a show that was a sin unto itself, it'd be this one.

Dragon Ball Z Kai BLURAY 3
Events on Namek build towards the upcoming epic Frieza/Goku confrontation in a set of episodes which beautifully exploits Kai's format and looks as good as can reasonably be expected for such an old series. This is the version of these episodes to own.

Dragon Crisis! Episodes 1-7 Streaming
Empty as the calories in a Pop-Tart. Of course, sometimes a toasted slab of sugar is what you're looking for. At times like those, you could do worse than Dragon Crisis.

Needless DVD Collection 1
This goofy, over-the-top, post-apocalyptic action/comedy can be entertaining with its bombastic behaviors, super-powered action, and fan service, but it falls short of fully committing to parodying its genre and suffers for that. A lame central character doesn't help.

Battle Angel Alita: Last Order GN 14
While this volume may not show the franchise at its very best, it is an improvement over recent volumes and fulfills its purpose very well. The build-up to the climactic Z.O.T. finals shows that the franchise's storytelling well-being may yet endure.

Galaxy Angel II GN 1
More of the same from the massive multimedia franchise: cutesy comedy and light space adventure, with occasional stabs at depth and emotion that never get very far.