Hakugei � Legend of the Moby Dick

Hakugei � Legend of the Moby Dick: Ahab Awaits (Vol.1 Screener) :: ActiveAnime.com :: Where Anime News and Reviews Matters: "This science fiction adaptation of the classic work Moby Dick by Herman Melville takes the audience into the distant future where instead of hunting whales, Captain Ahab salvages giant abandoned spaceships that have been nicknamed �whales� for their hulking presence in the ocean of outer space. A fascinating rebirth, the same mysterious allure of sea adventures applies to those of space. The live fast, get rich, and die young attitude of the �whale hunters� is the dream of everyone to strike it big and live out the rest of their days in lazy splendor.

This volume introduces the universe of Moby Dick and sets up the story with just enough detail to let the audience know that there will be much unraveling of mysteries to follow in later episodes. Lucky Luck, the young narrator, wants to join Captain Ahab�s crew and become a glorious whale hunter himself. In his trials to be accepted he meets all of the eclectic crew members who make this tale worth telling. On the first hunt, they find a pod containing an android who serves to further complicate their lives with his unknown past. An interesting setting for this tale, there is much left to be discovered in this series.

The Legend of the Moby Dick is animated in the classic style of earlier shows, so don�t expect any innovations there. The main focus here is to futurize (as in surpassing modernize) the widely-known story. It�s fun to see a new mysterious interpretation which is the real draw of the show."

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Check Out Takeshi's Racer

Toon Zone - Your Source for Toon News!: "Anime studio Production I.G. has made an impressive name for itself. They launched a new era of animation technology in Japan with Ghost In The Shell, which not only managed to top the U.S. Billboard Video Sales charts, but also brought digital compositing and digital animation into play in Japan. They used their success not only to animate a legacy of fan-favorite anime titles ranging from the totalitarian dystopia Jin-Roh to the absolutely insane Dead Leaves, but also used it to spawn sub-studios such as Xebec and BeeTrain. They've even done work for US partners ranging from Cingular to Quentin Tarantino. They've shown they have serious skills, some good ideas and are willing to work with other people. So when Cartoon Network and Toonami announced they would produce an original anime series, no one was surprised that I.G. was the studio they chose."

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Elfen Lied Vol. #4

AnimeOnDVD.com >> Disc Reviews >> Elfen Lied Vol. #4: "The mysterious organization protecting humanity from the deadly power of the Diclonius is faced with the devil's bargain. Will they unleash #35, the deadliest mutant yet, to hunt Lucy down? Or will they risk letting the notorious killer slip through the cracks? Things have never been easy for the young misfits at the heart of this battle, but they've never had it harder than this.

As Kohta learns how Nyu's past is inextricably tied to his life's greatest tragedy, he may find that protecting her means destroying himself. Even those who have already lost pieces of themselves to this brutal fight have more to lose. As Nana goes from hunter to hunted, and Bandoh from lawman to outlaw, the shadow of death creeps closer. And what of the man who the diclonius call 'Papa'? How far will Kurama go?"

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Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence

Review: Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence: "Mamoru Oshii's Ghost In The Shell (1995), based very loosely on a manga of the same name by Shirow Masamune, was to become one of Japan's most successful feature anime exports of all time. Its blending of stylised fight sequences and humanist philosophy in a dystopian cyberpunk setting made it one of the most important influences on, amongst other things, the Wachowski Brothers' The Matrix (1999). Even today, Ghost In The Shell stands up to the competition - until, that is, it is set alongside its next generation sequel, Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence, which, though scrupulously backwards-compatible with the original, makes it, and everything else besides, seem entirely redundant."

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Blogcritics.org: Anime 101: Sub or Dub?

Blogcritics.org: Anime 101: Sub or Dub?: "Sub or Dub? This question often arises much debate among anime watchers. Most people have a preference, rather to watch the show with subtitles or watch it dubbed.
I usually watch the English dub first and then watch it subbed to catch some of the edited things and jokes. The dub has to be really bad for me though to watch it subbed right away.
I have never taken any Japanese classes; but after watching subtitles for while you can pick up on words and their meanings.
Here are some recognizable words (If anyone sees misspellings, please correct me!):
Nani - What?
Oswari - Sit! (when commanding a dog)
Chibi - Small, Runt
Ohio - Good Morning
Neko - Cat
Inu - Dog
Bento - Boxed Lunch
Senpai - senior (ex/1: just starting high school everyone is your senpai. ex/2: Starting a new job and someone is teaching you the ropes, he/she is your senpai. In other words, not only people older than you but people with more experience regardless of age.)
Kouhai - Opposite of senpai; junior
Feh - Hmph!
Hikari - Light
Matte - Wait
Hiaku - Hurry up"

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The Age of Aquarius?

Kyouta has a dream of making his band, T.L. Signal a big success. But strange events soon draw him in to a world he didn't even know exists � and a psychic battleground where he will be a key player! Originally adapted from a popular collectible trading card game, Aquarian Age features stunning animation from the renowned studio MADHOUSE (Chobits, X).

For centuries, five supernatural factions have waged war for supremacy over mankind, with legend prophesying that one day the Aquarian Age will begin, and only one group will reign supreme! Now Kyouta's dreams of becoming a pop idol must take a backseat to his destiny when he and his girlfriend Yoriko unwillingly become embroiled in the conflict, as both may hold the power to turn the tides of war in favor of whichever faction can control them! Can love conquer all? "

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Goddess Anyone?

Anime News Network - Review: "Kosuke Fujishima's much-beloved long-running manga about a decent young man who wishes for , and gets , a real goddess as a girlfriend sees its third anime incarnation in this new TV series. Long-time fans of Fujishima's work will love this series for how faithful it remains to the manga, while newcomers will find a light-hearted and enchanting take on anime romantic comedies. Those new enough to the hobby to be unfamiliar with Ah! My Goddess might not recognize it as such based solely on this volume, but this is one of the prototypical ,harem anime titles; its original OVA release back in 1993 probably deserves almost as much credit (or blame, depending on how you look at it) as Tenchi Muyo for getting that subgenre rolling. Unlike most recent harem series, though, AMG never descends into the crass exploitation which all too often mars the value of such series. This is as clean and gentle as anime romantic comedies come; those looking for fan service or racy humor are watching the wrong series."

Lupin the 3rd

WarCry� Network: "For the uninitiated, Lupin the 3rd is the world's greatest thief. He steals stuff, sometimes aided, sometimes hindered, by a rotating cast of characters. It's usually very funny, but the plot is incredibly good, and it's not afraid to mash things together, such as a serious scene followed by a goofy extended chase sequence. It's not a particularly tense show and there's never the question of whether Lupin will pull off whatever outrageous theft he's plotting. It's a question of how he'll do it. In Crisis in Tokyo, he's after some rare photographic plates. Insanely valuable, of course, but also of interest to just about everyone. The race is on!

Inspector Zenigata is after Lupin again, to the surprise of no one familiar with Lupin the 3rd. The inspector races onto a plane to chase the world's greatest thief, only to find himself victim of a staged crash and playful fireworks display put on so Lupin can taunt him. Well, he also wants to steal what Zenigata is carrying, but Lupin does take a real joy in tweaking Zenigata. The Lupin-in-his-underwear chase that follows will surely please Lupin's female admirers, and all this is before the opening title card even shows."

NTUSA October '05

Animation Insider - NTUSA October '05 "The most popular moving pictures magazine currently available, Newtype USA, is gearing up to deliver a huge cover story on what is perhaps one of the most highly anticipated domestic releases of the year. And while profiling a computer animated film such as Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, the magazine is still sure to cover just about every other key anime program and manga release for the fall season. The Newtype USA October issue is as jam packed with extra materials as it always is, with exclusive interviews, collectable inserts, and a free DVD featuring only the latest anime releases:
Out of the ruins of Midgar, the reluctant hero emerges once again. Cloud Strife, the beloved spiky-haired star of the hit PlayStation RPG Final Fantasy VII, has finally returned in a stunning new CG animated film, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. To celebrate, Newtype USA has a beautiful collectible cover along with an in-depth feature including an exclusive interview with the renowned director Tetsuya Nomura. This is a must-have issue for the millions of Final Fantasy fans, as well as anyone who needs to know more about this hot new movie. "