areaseven

Sorry, I still dig the old 'bad' dub... I was bummed the remaster didn't at least have it included for old times sake.

I guess the Australians are lucky, as the Madman DVD release includes both the Streamline and Pioneer dubs.

Might be too old for some people, but did anyone ever read Anime UK/FX? That was a great magazine.

Why did that magazine go out of print, especially with the popularity of anime booming in Europe?

ΠΛΑΝΗΤΕΣ ( プラネテス )

Sunrise/NHK/Bandai Visual, 2002-2003

Bandai Entertainment, 2005

Directed by Goro Taniguchi (s-CRY-ed, Infinite Ryvius).

Rated 13-Up for violence, mature situations and strong language.

A.D. 2075 - Seven years after a space flight accident, orbital debris collecting has been made mandatory to prevent further mishaps and to further advance space exploration development. Twenty-year-old Ai Tanabe joins Technora's Debris section and learns that it's not an easy job being an astronaut.

Story: C+

At first, I was fascinated by how cool the artwork looks. But within the first five minutes, I got confused and bored at the same time. A sci-fi title about garbage collectors in space is really hard to swallow. Not to mention that the first episode is filled with countless bickering between the main characters Tanabe and Hachimaki. Perhaps the next episode will improve the whole situation.

Animation: A+

For a minute, I thought this was a theatrical release. Planetess boasts some outstanding artwork and animation that looks high-budget. Character designs by Yuriko Senba (To Heart). Mechanical designs by Takeshi Takakura (Heat Guy J, Martian Successor Nadesico) and Koichi Nakatani.

Soundtrack: B

Kotaro Nakagawa's (s-CRY-ed, Geobreeders) BGM is okay, but hardly noticeable.

Cast

Planetess features Satsuki Yukino (Kaname in Full Metal Panic!, Nenene in R.O.D The TV) as Tanabe, Kazunari Tanaka (Kou in Soul Hunter) as Hachimaki, Ai Orikasa (Ryoko in Tenchi Muyo!, Ayame in Sakura Wars) as Fee, Maiko Ito (Mamoru in King of Braves GaoGaiGar) as Eldegard, Takehito Koyasu (Il Palazzo in Excel Saga, Gamlin in Macross 7) as Yuri, Kumiko Watanabe (Shippo in Inu-Yasha) as Claire, Masayo Kurata (Karinka in Steel Angel Kurumi, Shinobu in Love Hina) as Lucy, Nobuyuki Hiyama (Shiro in Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team, Guy in GaoGaiGar) as Chenshin, Ryo Kamon as Dorf, Aikou Ogata as Philip, and Tetsuo Goto as Arvind.

The Bottom Line

The first episode seems to be as cluttered as space debris, but I still have high hopes for this series.

Links

Planetes Web (Japanese)

Reference

Anime News Network

BTW, excellent review, drifand. If only I weren't so broke, I'd buy Autovajin and Side Basshar right now. Guess I'll just wait until Kamen Rider Delta and his wheels come out.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...9&category=1345

Is this the real thing?!?! or some crappy bootleg?

Wow, this is new. I never thought someone would make a bootleg of Kamen Rider Faiz and Autovajin so quickly.

I'll admit I liked the first episodes that were originally released, but the ones which came after were rather boring...

I thoroughly enjoyed ep. 5 (Airbats vs. the Thunderbirds) and ep. 6 (the whole ramen-eating contest). Episode 7, on the other hand, was a tad boring and the whole series shouldn't have ended that way.

WHat was the other Kamen rider bike that transformed into a bot called? I really dug that one but can't find it anywhere.

Autovajin. I believe HLJ still has it in stock.

Like everyone else, I just buy the magazines off the newsstands. Suncoast once offered me a one-year subscription for $91, which includes three extra issues, but I declined due to financial reasons.

I remember seeing Tekkaman Blade 10 years ago on a Chinese cable channel back in the Philippines. The animation is remarkable and the story is very interesting. One of the more tolerable Masami Obari titles (dunno if resident Obari hater DestroidsRage will agree with that, though).

As for a DVD release, only time will tell, as Haim Saban still owns the rights to the series. I still can't forgive him for butchering the series and putting it on TV as Teknoman.

I currently own an RX-78-2 Gundam (dog tag: Amuro Ray), an RX-78-3 Gundam G3 (dog tag: Dick Allen) and a Gouf Custom (dog tag: Norris Packard). My co-worker has an MS-06J Zaku II (dog tag: Kom) and an MS-6S Char's Zaku II (dog tag: Char Aznable).

Money. That's all I need.

Aozora Shojo-tai ( 青空少女隊 )

Studio Fantasia/Victor Entertainment, 1994-1996

ADV Films, 1996, 2002

Directed by Yuji Moriyama (Project A-Ko, Geobreeders), Shin Misawa, Junichi Sakata (DNA²) and Tohru Yoshida (Bastard!!, ZOE: Idolo).

Rated 15+ for some violence, nudity, suggestive sexual situations and strong language.

When aviation mechanic (and anime fanboy) Takuya Isurugi is transferred to the 801st Tactical Training Squadron, he gets more than he bargained for. Moderated by hard-headed veteran ace Mitsuru Konishi, the "Airbats" are an all-female aerial acrobatic team consisting of loose cannons Miyuki Haneda and Arisa Mitaka, karaoke freak and gambling genius Sakura Saginomiya, and junk food lover Yoko Shimorenjaku. Both Haneda and Mitaka do not get along with each other, and their rivalry worsens when they both fall for Isurugi. But with the entire JASDF having doubts about the team, the Airbats must work as a team or face total disbandment.

Story: B-

It's Top Gun meets Kimagure Orange Road (and I'm not talking about KOR's infamous "Tap Gun" episode), only more ecchi and a lot sillier in the last four episodes. The characters grow on you, even though the backgrounds of most of them aren't well-explained.

801 T.T.S. Airbats had the potential to be a full-fledged TV series. Unfortunately, after episode 7, the whole OAV just ended, leaving viewers feeling empty.

Animation: B+

It's nice to know that Studio Fantasia (Agent Aika, Najica Blitz Tactics) collaborated with the JASDF to give 801 T.T.S. Airbats the feel of an actual Japanese military base and a Kawasaki T-4 training plane. The animation quality is average on the first three episodes; just slightly below Area 88 in terms of quality. It gets better on the later episodes, especially when the Airbats encounter the world-famous Thunderbirds acrobatic squadron. Episode 7 is a mixed bag as the animation suddenly goes digital, which looks weird compared to the cel art of the earlier episodes.

Soundtrack: B+

Seikou Nagaoka (Tenchi Muyo!, Uchuu no Stellvia) and Norimasa Yamanaka (Appleseed, Weiß Kreuz) use a decent pop/rock score to set the mood of the series.

Sub vs. Dub

801 T.T.S. Airbats features Shinichiro Miki (Allen in Escaflowne, Takumi in Initial D) as Isurugi, Aya Hisakawa (Skuld in Ah! My Goddess, Yuki in Fruits Basket) as Haneda, Ai Orikasa (Ryoko in Tenchi Muyo!, Takeuchi in Blue Seed) as Mitaka, Kikuko Inoue (Belldandy in Ah! My Goddess, Mizuho in Please Teacher!/Onegai Twins) as Saginomiya, Yukana Nogami (Kotoko in Chobits, Teletha in Full Metal Panic!) as Shimorenjaku, Norio Wakamoto (Coach Ota in Gunbuster, Vicious in Cowboy Bebop) as Konishi, Hideyuki Umezu (Nubata in Outlaw Star, Yukinojyo in Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki) as Kengamine, Mahito Tsujimura (Foss in Berserk, Mitchum in Zone of the Enders) as Tsukamoto, Nobuaki Sekine as Yumioka, Toshihiko Seki (Legato in Trigun, Mousse in Ranma 1/2) as Hiyama, and Rei Sakuma (Kazumi in Gunbuster, Shampoo in Ranma 1/2) as Jeger.

As for ADV's dub, forget about it. It's not as funny as the Japanese dialogue.

DVD Extras: B

The DVD includes textless ending, character sketches and a live-action promo featuring the original Japanese voice talents. It's great to see what these seiyuu look like (Aya Hisakawa is kawaii), but then again, maybe not (Kikuko Inoue's got a great voice, but her teeth are nasty!).

Unfortunately, the extras feel empty. ADV should've included some background information on the JASDF and the Kawasaki T-4 training plane.

The Bottom Line

801 T.T.S. Airbats is definitely no Macross Plus or Area 88, but if you're into comedy and ecchi, pick it up at your local video store.

Reference

Anime News Network

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwWLOrMrJYc
AKIRA ( アキラ )
Toho Film/Bandai Visual, 1988
Pioneer/Geneon Entertainment, 2001-2002, 2004; Funimation, 2013
Directed by Katsuhiro Otomo (Memories, Steamboy).
Rated R for violence and gore, nudity, suggestive sexual situations, drug use, and profanity.

Cast (Japanese)

Mitsuo Iwata (Itsuki in Initial D, Hyosuke in Please Teacher!/Onegai Twins) as Shotaro Kaneda

Nozomu Sasaki (Yuusuke in Yu-Yu Hakusho, Enishi in Rurouni Kenshin) as Tetsuo Shima

Mami Koyama (Karen in Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team, Chiren in Battle Angel) as Kei

Taro Ishida (Duke Red in Metropolis) as the Colonel

Takeshi Kusao (The Guyver, Trunks in Dragon Ball Z) as Kai

Tessho Genda (Chief Dan Dastun in The Big-O, Sanders in Gundam 08th MS Team) as Ryu

Fukue Ito as Kiyoko (#25)

Tatsuhiko Nakamura as Takashi (#26)

Kazuhiko Kamifuji as Masaru (#27)

Mizuho Suzuki as Dr. Onishi

Cast (English)

Johnny Yong Bosch (Vash the Stampede in Trigun, Haruto in Witch Hunter Robin) as Shotaro Kaneda

Joshua Seth (Cyborg 009, Eiji in Rurouni Kenshin) as Tetsuo Shima

Wendee Lee (Faye in Cowboy Bebop, Angel in The Big O) as Kei

Synopsis
The year is 2019. Thirty-one years have passed since an experiment gone wrong triggered an explosion that destroyed Tokyo, Japan. This phenomenon was known by many as "Akira," named after the test subject of the experiment. Following this catastrophe and World War III, the city became Neo-Tokyo - a cesspool of gang violence, angry demonstrations and a corrupt government.

Shotaro Kaneda leads his motorcycle gang of juvenile delinquents against the Clowns for road supremacy. But things go awry when Kaneda's best friend Tetsuo Shima is involved in a deadly accident and taken into custody by the military. The accident unleashes physical and mental powers hidden inside Tetsuo, which he uses indiscriminately to wreak havoc all over the city. With the help of a political activist named Kei, Kaneda must stop Tetsuo before he releases the powers of Akira and destroys Neo-Tokyo.

Story: A
It's not easy adapting a manga into the big screen, but Otomo managed to keep the film as close to the original story as possible in a two-hour span. Many viewers may not understand the film at first, but they'll slowly realize its meaning.

Animation: A+
Akira became the benchmark in Japanese animation with its vibrant mix of 2D and 3D graphics. It's hard to believe that this movie is nearly two decades old, but is still technically superior to most anime titles released in the past five years.

Soundtrack: A+ (Available through AnimeTrax)
Akira is highly regarded as having one of the greatest soundtracks in film history. Composed by Shoji Yamashiro and performed by Geinoh Yamashiro-Gumi, the film score uses a perfect blend of Malay, Indonesian and Japanese instruments with synthesizers and powerful vocals.

Sub vs. Dub
When Streamline Pictures first released Akira, it was marred by horrible dubbing and a bad English script. Pioneer re-translated the script to make it closer to the original Japanese version. I'm glad to say that the new produced by ZRO Limit Productions/Animaze dub is very good.

DVD Extras: A+
If you bought the 2-disc version, you definitely got your money's worth. Disc 2 is loaded with the following features:

- AKIRA Production Report (The making of the movie).
- AKIRA Sound Clip (The original soundtrack production).
- Interview with Katsuhiro Otomo.
- Production Materials (Still images, unused storyboards & backgrounds, character design sketches, manga art, movie posters and promotional items).
- Original Japanese trailers and TV spots.
- Features behind the film restoration and English re-dub.
- Glossary.

The Bottom Line
AKIRA is one movie you must own in your film collection, whether you're into anime or not.

Reference
Anime News Network
The Internet Movie Database

Diana Rigg - Mrs. Emma Peel (The Avengers)

Jane Fonda - Barbarella

Lynda Carter - Wonder Woman

Atleast Sentinels was hand drawn by real artist! Screw CG!

Uhhh...I wouldn't associate the words "real artists" with Sentinels at all. That's just a complete oxymoron like "Robotech purist."

Tekken ( 鉄拳 )

NAMCO/Studio DEEN/Sony Music Entertainment, 1997

ADV Films, 1998

Directed by Kunihisa Sugishima (Yu-Gi-Oh!).

Rated 15+ for graphic violence, nudity and mature situations.

Based on the best-selling videogame by NAMCO (Soul Calibur I-II, Ridge Racer 1-5). After being thrown off a cliff as a child, Kazuya Mishima enters the King of Iron Fist Tournament to extract revenge from his father, multi-billionaire Heihachi Mishima. Meanwhile, WWWC operative Jun Kazama and Hong Kong detective Lei Wulong also enter the tournament to investigate on Heihachi's illegal activities involving cloning and genetic engineering. A handful of other skilled fighters are also in it merely to win the grand prize of $1 billion, not knowing of the fate that awaits them.

Story: D-

Yup...another videogame jumping into the anime bandwagon. Tekken is your typical cookie-cutter martial arts anime with hardly any plot and a lot of uninteresting characters. Even worse is that not only is it a ripoff of Enter the Dragon, it also bites on Jurassic Park. The fights are completely boring, lacking any of the moves used in the videogame. As a matter of fact, what's with Anna using a bazooka in her fights?

Animation: C

While it's better than Samurai Shodown and Art of Fighting, Tekken's animation suffers from being too digital. Many layers are flat, clashing with the detailed backgrounds. The character designs seem too generic and the fights are poorly-drawn.

Soundtrack: C

The music itself is generic and hardly ever noticeable in the anime. For the English version, ADV decided to plug in a song by The Offspring in the ending credits, which does not help much.

Sub vs. Dub

Tekken features Kazuhiro Yamaji (Darth Maul in Star Wars Episode I, Maximus in Gladiator) as Kazuya, Daisuke Gouri (Bass in Dead or Alive, Mr. Satan in Dragon Ball Z) as Heihachi, Yumi Touma (Najica Blitz Tactics, Urd in Ah! My Goddess) as Jun, Tomokazu Seki (Van in Escaflowne, Sagara in Full Metal Panic!) as Lei, Minami Takayama (Conan in Case Closed, Nabiki in Ranma 1/2) as Nina, Kaori Yamagata as Anna, Shinichiro Miki (Allen in Escaflowne, Kurz in Full Metal Panic!) as Lee, and Akio Ohtsuka (Gato in Mobile Suit Gundam 0083, Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid 1-2) as Jack-2.

Horrible English dub. The French dub on the DVD sounds much better.

DVD Extras: D+

Just a slideshow and character bios. Nothing else.

The Bottom Line

What a total waste. Go rent Street Fighter II or Virtua Fighter instead.

Reference

Anime News Network

Last night, I had the opportunity to go on the air with the staff of Inside Wrestling on the Cable Radio Network. I'm not following WWE as much as I used to, but I got the latest ramblings from my co-worker, who happens to be a member of IW:

- WWE is thinking of having the 2005 Royal Rumble in the Tokyo Dome. They're also thinking of signing K-1/Pride FC fighter Bob Sapp. In case you don't know him, download episode 6 of You're Under Arrest here.

- A few weeks ago in a WWE house show, Vinnie Mac ran in the middle of the Rhyno/Tajiri match and ordered everyone to stop because he thought the match was boring. Now Rhyno is in the doghouse because Vinnie Mac feels he's not giving 100% of his workrate. This is one of the reasons why I don't watch WWE on TV anymore.

- On SmackDown!, Ultimo Dragon made his WWE TV debut in a non-title match against Tajiri. Knowing these two, you'd be guaranteed a five-star match. Unfortunately, the match lasted only two minutes long with Dragon taking the job. Bad enough that a well-established wrestler has to job on his debut, but having to cut wrestling time for the McMahons to cut their promos is ridiculous.

- Current list of misused wrestlers:

Sean O'Haire

Tommy Dreamer

Chris Kanyon (he's not even on TV anymore)

Mark Jindrak

- Last month, Kane was the heel and Shane-O Mac was the face. Now it looks like the other way around.

- What is with this raw sewage angle on SmackDown! between Eddie Guerrero and the Big Show? This is no way to put Eddie over.

- And what's with Triple-H and his vignettes of placing a bounty on Goldberg's head. Get him out of TV already!

Reminds me that I need to get the timing finished on eps 17-18 this weekend. Finally getting translations again. We seem to have a hard time keeping translators for this project.

Wait a minute...there's more?

Oruchuban Ebichu ( おるちゅばんエビちゅ )

GAINAX/Group TAC/DirecTV Japan/Pioneer LDC, 1999

U.S. Distributor Pending.

Directed by Makoto Moriwaki (Hyper Doll).

Not Rated (Suggested 18-Up). Contains graphic violence, gratuitous nudity, sexual situations, and profanity.

Based on the manga by Risa Itou and part of the Anime Ai no Awa Awa Hour late-night lineup, Ebichu is the story of a Hamster named Ebichu, who lives in a seedy apartment with her master, a sex-crazed 25 year old woman who has a lazy, good-for-nothing boyfriend.

Story: B

Well, there is no real plot; you're just looking at the everyday life of a hamster as she's being mutilated on every episode while her master is busy with her boyfriend. On the other hand, you get to learn more Japanese words like "kuri" (chestnuts; but then again, you already learned that in FLCL), "risu" (squirrel) (Try saying, "chestnut and squirrel," in Japanese and you'll get the joke.), and "manko" (I forgot what that meant, hehe.). Leave it to Hideaki Anno (Gunbuster, Neon Genesis Evangelion) to violate every censorship law on TV with this series.

Animation: D+

The artwork and animation are pretty messy and abstract. At least it's got better artwork than Sexy Commando.

Soundtrack: B

While the BGM is so-so, you gotta love the opening theme by Kotono Mitsuishi.

Cast

Ebichu features Kotono Mitsuishi (Excel Saga, Misato in Neon Genesis Evangelion) as Ebichu, Michie Tomizawa (Sumire in Sakura Wars, Linna in Bubblegum Crisis) as Ebichu's master, Tomokazu Seki (Van in Escaflowne, Sosuke in Full Metal Panic!) as Ebichu's master's boyfriend, and Mitsuo Iwata (Kaneda in AKIRA, Itsuki in Initial D) as Maa-kun.

The Bottom Line

"Hamtaro on crack" is an understatement. With so many toilet jokes and sexual content, Ebichu makes Excel Saga look like Omishi Magical Theater Risky Safety.

Special props to JELEINEN and AnimeMPEG for making this review possible.

Links

GAINAX's Official Ebichu Homepage

Reference

Anime News Network

If you picked up the fansub of the Sailor Moon J-Drama, you'll see that the fansubbers also took the time to translate subliminal messages of the commercials...

I always knew Hello Kitty was evil, but damn!

Ronald McDonald shows his true colors.

Bishojo Senshi Sailor Moon ( 美少女戦士セーラームーン )
CBC/CAZBE/Dentsu/TBS/Toei Co. Ltd/Bandai Visual, 2003-2004
As if this will ever see a U.S. release...
Directed by Ryuta Tazaki (Kamen Rider 555)
Based on the bestselling manga by Naoko Takeuchi
Running Time: 25 minutes per episode
Not Rated (Suggested TV-PG). Contains some violence and mild language.

Cast
Miyuu Sawai as Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon/Princess Serenity
Rika Izumi (formerly Chisaki Hama) as Ami Mizuno/Sailor Mercury
Keiko Kitagawa as Rei Hino/Sailor Mars
Mew Azama as Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter
Ayaka Komatsu as Minako Aino/Sailor Venus/Sailor V
Jouji Shibue as Mamoru Chiba/Tuxedo Kamen/Prince Endymion
Keiko Han (Lalah in Mobile Suit Gundam) as Luna (reprising her original anime role)
Rina Koike as Sailor Luna
Kappei Yamaguchi (Ranma 1/2, Inu-Yasha) as Artemis
Aya Sugimoto as Queen Beryl
Hiroyuki Matsumoto as Nephrite
Jun Masuo as Jadeite
Yoshito Endou as Zoicite
Akira Kubodera as Kunzite
Chieko Kawabe as Naru Osaka
Masaya Kikawada as Motoki Furuhata
Kaori Moriwaka as Ikuko Tsukino
Naoki Takeshi as Shingo Tsukino
Moeco Matsushita as Hina Kusaka
Alisa Yuriko Durbrow as Mio Kuroki

"Moon Prism Power...Make-Up!"



Synopsis
Middle school student Usagi Tsukino is having her typical late run for school when a plush cat doll named Luna falls out of the sky and lands on her face. That night, she is revisited by Luna, who tells her that she is one of the Sailor Guardians. Using her special makeup, Usagi transforms herself into Sailor Moon, champion of love and justice. With the aid of her new friends Ami Mizuno (Sailor Mercury), Rei Hino (Sailor Mars) and Makoto Kino (Sailor Jupiter), along with idol singer/vigilante-at-night Minako Aino (Sailor Venus, a.k.a. Sailor V) and the mysterious masked man known as Tuxedo Kamen, Sailor Moon strives to find the Moon Princess and the Mystical Silver Crystal, and protect them from Queen Beryl and the Dark Kingdom.

Lowdown
In a time where anime fans fear the possibility of their favorite titles going live-action, this comes to a surprise. I expected this live-action adaptation of the popular Sailor Moon manga and anime series to bomb big-time, but I was wrong. Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon features some of the most kawaii actresses in Japanese TV today, and they do a very impressive job with their roles.

The special effects are mostly computer-generated. Since the production team opted to make Luna a plush doll instead of a real cat, it's a lot easier for the CG animators to render her. Sure, the movements may look a bit cheesy, but it's better than the stuffed animal pretending to be a real cat in Sabrina the Teen Witch. The senshi transformation sequences are pretty average - minimal camera work and a lot of CG effects.

Despite not having the official anthem "Moonlight Densetsu," the new series has an equally catchy theme in the form of "Kirari Sailor Dream," written by creator Naoko Takeuchi and performed by Sae. The BGM is standard J-Pop/orchestra that's equal to the anime's soundtrack.

Overall, I'm very impressed with the franchise's transition from manga to anime to live-action. I definitely will be following this series on a regular basis.

Rating: B+

Special thanks to #TV-Nihon for making this review possible.

Links
Toei's Official Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Homepage (Japanese)
CBC's Official Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Homepage (Japanese)

Reference
Anime News Network
Wikipedia

Ranma 1/2 Battle Renaissance ( ‚ç‚ñ‚Ü‚P^‚Q )

For the Sony PlayStation console

Rumic Soft, 1996

Not Available in the U.S.

Not Rated (Suggested T). Contains animated violence.

After three successful fighting games on the Super Famicom (with the second one seeing a domestic release as Ranma 1/2 Hard Battle), Rumic Soft ventured off to PlayStation territory with their first (and only) 3D game Ranma 1/2 Battle Renaissance. But how does it compare to its 16-bit counterparts?

Gameplay: F

Much like Dragon Ball Z, the Ranma 1/2 franchise attempted to capitalize on the PlayStation bandwagon in the mid-1990s, only to fail miserably in all aspects. Much like every other 3D fighting game, you can move and attack in different directions. The major twist of the game happens if you choose any of the cursed characters (namely Ranma, Genma, Shampoo, Ryoga and Mousse). During the match, the words "Geyser" or "Squall" will flash on the screen. Depending on which comes out, your character will change to his/her alter ego. While it's beneficial for characters who play Ranma (female version is more agile) or Genma (panda version is stronger), the other cursed characters are completely defenseless. (For those unfamiliar with the story, Ryoga turns into a black piglet, Shampoo turns into a pink cat, and Mousse turns into a duck.)

The game controls are probably the worst for any fighting game on the PS One. Response times between pressing the buttons and executing the moves are completely off sync, making special attacks almost impossible to execute. The only easy moves you can do with this game are ejecting the disc and throwing it in the garbage.

Graphics: D-

None of the characters were properly rendered in the game. As a result, they look nothing like Rumiko Takahashi's original art or Atsuko Nakajima's (You're Under Arrest, GetBackers) anime character designs. Character movement is completely pathetic, lacking any real body movement seen in better games like Tekken or Soul Edge.

Sound: D

While the show's voices reprise their roles for this game, Ranma 1/2 Battle Renaissance's soundtrack suffers from poor audio output and extremely tedious MIDI music.

The Bottom Line

Thank goodness this game never saw a domestic release. If I had this game right now, I'd send it to Noriko Takaya right now. Besides, he'd probably want some more stuff for target practice.

Nanaka Juu-Nanabun no Roku ( ななか６／１７ )

GENCO/J.C. Staff/TV Tokyo/King Records, 2003

ADV Films, 2005

Directed by Hiroaki Sakurai (Di Gi Charat)

Rated 13+ for some violence and mature situations.

Based on the manga by Ken Yagami (published in the U.S. by IC Entertainment). Seventeen-year-old Nanaka Kirisato is a high school student serious about her studies and goals in life. She frequently criticizes her best friend, Nenji Nagihara, for being a childish delinquent who spends his time fighting other boys. Then one day, after a heated argument with Nenji, she falls off a flight of stairs and suffers a brain injury, resulting in her mind reverting to that of a six-year-old. With this in mind, Nanaka's father and Nenji must keep her injury a secret as she struggles to live a normal life and grow up all over again.

"Hawawa!" - Nanaka

Story: B+

Nothing like a heart-warming tale of childhood life. Ever since I watched J.C. Staff's other anime titles (namely Azumanga Daioh and A Little Snow Fairy Sugar), I've been suffering from the "kawaii anime syndrome." So I just couldn't resist to check out Nanaka 6/17. The story is very light-hearted and six-year-old Nanaka's character develops very well throughout the series. It would be better if the story had more emphasis on the supporting cast, though. At least you get some kicks out of "Magical Domiko," an anime within the anime.

"Majikaru Domikaru!" - Magical Domiko

Animation: B+

After the 2002 runaway hit Azumanga Daioh, GENCO (Please Teacher!, Onegai Twins) and J.C. Staff team up once again for this anime project. While not as dynamic as Azumanga Daioh, Nanaka 6/17 still has some great artwork and decent animation. Nanaka is easily the most kawaii girl with glasses.

"Ayaya!" - Nanaka

Soundtrack: A

What's a kawaii anime without some kawaii music? Once you listen to the opening theme "Sunao na Mama" by Funta, try getting it out of your head. The ending theme "Taisetsu na Negai" by CooRie is also a great listen, along with the tranquil piano music being played in the BGM.

Sub vs. Dub

Nanaka 6/17 features Chiemi Chiba (Ojamajo Doremi, Hinako in Sister Princess) as Nanaka, Kenichi Suzumura (Shin in Macross Zero, Hajiki in Gad Guard) as Nenji, Yui Horie (Naru in Love Hina, Ayu in Ultra Maniac) as Yuriko, Sakura Nogawa (Kaorin in Azumanga Daioh, Tsubasa in Tenshi no Shippo) as Kuriko, Kaori Nazuka (Subaru in .hack//SIGN, Kisa in Fruits Basket) as Satsuki, Kazuyuki Shimura as Jinpachi, Takashi Matsuyama (Saizou in Samurai Deeper Kyo) as Taizou, Nobuyuki Hiyama (Shiro in Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team, Yushiro in Gasaraki) as Yoshida, Asami Sanada (Di Gi Charat, Chizuko in Mahoromatic) as Magical Domiko, and Mika Kanai (Vanilla H. in Galaxy Angel) as Pikotto.

English dub review coming soon.

DVD Extras

Under Construction.

The Bottom Line

Not as groundbreaking as their other works, but GENCO and J.C. Staff really did a good job adapting Nanaka 6/17 to the small screen. If you like kawaii anime, don't miss this.

Links

King Records' Official Nanaka 6/17 Homepage (Japanese)

TV Tokyo's Official Nanaka 6/17 Homepage (Japanese)

J.C. Staff's Official Nanaka 6/17 Homepage (Japanese)

Reference

Anime News Network

I've never actually sat down through a Final Fantasy game in my entire life. I tried to play VII, but the saved games from my bootleg were always corrupted. The only console RPGs I've ever finished were Parasite Eve and Xenogears.

Battle Royale ( バトル・ロワイアル )
Toei Co. Ltd., 2000
Anchor Bay Entertainment, 2012
Directed by the late Kinji Fukusaku
Based on the best-selling novel by Koushun Takami
Running Time: 122 minutes
Rated R for graphic violence and profanity.

Cast
Tatsuya Fujiwara as Shuya Nanahara.
Aki Maeda as Noriko Nakagawa.
Taro Yamamoto as Shogo Kawada.
"Beat" Takeshi Kitano (Zatoichi, Yamamoto in Brother) as Mr. Kitano.
Yuko Miyamura (Asuka in Neon Genesis Evangelion) as the Battle Royale training video girl.
Ai Maeda (Kino's Journey) as Shiori Kitano.

Synopsis
At the beginning of the 21st century, Japan suffered an economic and social turmoil. With the unemployment rate at 15% and the country's youth boycotting the educational system, the Japanese government passed a new law called the Millennium Educational Reform Act (a.k.a. "Battle Royale Act").

It's a field trip to hell as a class of 42 high school students are drugged and sent to a remote island, where their teacher, Mr. Kitano, prepares them for Battle Royale. In a span of three days, the students must kill each other until one is left standing. While the class is joined by two transfer students, two of their own are already killed for their defiance during the game introduction. When the game begins, all of the students must set aside their friendship, honor and love for each other aside in order to survive and go home.

Lowdown
Battle Royale sparked a lot of controversy with its ultra-violent content and depiction of a crumbling society. It borrows a lot of elements from Lord of the Flies, The Running Man and Deadlock (hence the explosive necklaces on the students) with a little bit of Survivor on the side.

The movie focuses mostly on Shuya - who lost his father through suicide due to unemployment, Noriko - who apparently has a crush on Shuya, and Kawada - a transfer student with an agenda on his own. Aside from that, you'll see a lot of character development between the three protagonists and every other student before their last dying breath. "Beat" Takeshi delivers an astounding performance as Mr. Kitano - the twisted teacher who finds amusement in seeing his students die one at a time.

The soundtrack, composed by Masamichi Amano (Giant Robo, Urotsukidoji) and performed by the Poland Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra (Ah! My Goddess: The Movie, Escaflowne: The Movie), sets the mood with original compositions and classical masterpieces by Verdi, Strauss, Schubert and Bach. It's kind of funny how Bach's "Air from Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major" is always associated with death.

In a nutshell, Battle Royale is the best mix of ultra-violence and a good story since The Silence of the Lambs. It's also up there with Kurosawa's films as one of the greatest achievements in Japanese film history.

Rating: A



References
Battleroyalfilm.net
Battle Royale Online
The Internet Movie Database