Dog and Scissors is a highly original and overall surreal anime series. Kazuhito Harumi is the main male protagonist, and was a book-loving third year middle school student until he got killed by a robber gunman while protecting a young woman at a cafe. As a dog, Kazuhito is bought by a sadistic scissor-wielding woman named Kirihime Natsuno who tells him that she has the ability to read his thoughts. Soon, Kazuhito discovers that his new owner, Kirihime, is in fact Shinobu Akiyama - his favorite best-selling author, as well as the woman he risked his life to protect at the cafe. Before turning into a dog, Kazuhito was polite and would get overly enthousiastic about books. Not being able to read a book after a week, Harumi is later adopted by a mysterious girl named Kirihime Natsuno, which Kazuhito later discovers as the costumer he protected during the robbery and the real name of Shinobu Akiyama. While under Kirihime's care, Kazuhito came to know of Kirihime's sadistic side and at the same time her positive traits, as well as being a martial artist. After contacting someone asking for Kazuhito's wallet and address, Kirihime, who along with Kazuhito heads to the latter's former apartment. A girl with long black hair who has a passion for writing and best known as Akiyama Shinobu, she first met Kazuhito before he died while he protected her from a robber. Kirihime Natsuno is the main female protagonist, a best-selling author under the pen-name Shinobu Akiyama , and the owner of Kazuhito Harumi after he was reborn as a dachshund dog. She first met him when they where sitting in a café. After being teased of wearing a pet collar and scaring and ignoring passersby respectively, Kirihime and Kazuhito arrive at the latter's former apartment. Kirihime deduced that the man who killed Kazuhito is currently hiding at the latter's own apartment. The latter is proven true and consequently Kirihime and Kazuhito give chase to Kazuhito's killer until they reach a skyway where the killer reveals to have read all of Kirihime's books which lead him to become its fanatic. After a farce, the killer was on the verge of falling to his death where Kirihime tells Kazuhito to exact his revenge to his killer. However, Kazuhito pulls the man down - saving him, stating that he won't kill him since he is also a book lover and if otherwise would result only to tarnishing Kazuhito's way of ever reading again. Kirihime however, is against this as she felt guilty for being the reason of Kazuhito's death. As Kazuhito consoles Kirihime by telling her that he is aware of Kirihime's true self after reading her books, Kirihime breaks into tears. Afterwards, Kirihime began to harbor feelings for Kazuhito. Waking up from a nightmare, Kazuhito meets Kirihime's masochistic editor, Suzuna Hiiragi, who tells Kirihime of a slasher currently on the loose. After tormenting Kazuhito for realizing him to be the reason for her writer's block, Kirihime learns more of the slasher incidents from Suzuna and decided to conduct an investigation regarding it, despite her sister's opposition. As Kirihime chases the pressumed slasher, Kazuhito gets caught in a trap. No extras on the disc, but the fact that Madman has introduced us to this quirky series is good enough. Overall:3.5/5
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Yō Satō finds himself beaten up on the supermarket floor, the last thing he remembers being going to get some half-priced bento. He goes again alongside another student, Hana Oshiroi, and finds himself beaten up again upon reaching for the half price bento. The next day, he decides to act more strategically and witnesses an all-out battle for the bento that gets marked half-price, which is dominated by the silver haired girl, Sen Yarizui. After the battle ends in total defeat for Yō, Sen tells him to come to the Half-Priced Food Lovers club room. Sen gets Yō and Hana to join the Half-Priced Food Lovers Club and starts training them in the ways of Bento Brawling. During one of the supermarket visits, they encounter a 'boar', a fat woman who raids all the half-priced bentos before a battle starts. The next day, Yō meets Yū 'Wizard' Kaneshiro, who encourages Yō to stand up to a boar so that the bento battle can properly take place. Yō comes to understand the pride of the 'wolves' and comes out with his first victory, obtaining a bento with an honor seal from the 'God of Discounts'. Yō then returns to the clubroom, where Sen congratulates him on his first victory and shows him a scrapbook showing the victories Yū managed to obtain. The characters in this series are quite hilarious; with our protagonist Yō Satō who is a high school freshman who finds himself dragged into the battle for half-priced bento. He can be clumsy at times, but while fighting for bento as a Wolf, he shows his strong side and can take on much stronger opponents. He has defeated Ayame several times, who is said to be one of the stronger wolves, and either took part in defeating other notable wolves or single handedly defeated them, showing his remarkable skill and how it has improved since his very first bento brawl. Upon his first bento brawl and second bento brawls, he could do nothing but fall before his enemies. Sen has a great love for half priced bentos. She believes that brawls without the intent of getting a bento is mere violence and one with violent thoughts can not win. She also has good manners, always having gratitude for the bento she earns and trying not to be rude. She is very intelligent and acts as a mentor for Yō Satō, teaching him new lessons not just about bento brawling, but also about life. She also deeply cares for his well being and often shares bento with him and Hana. She once stated to Yō that she hates boys who leave an injured or upset girl alone, and often wants him to do the right thing before he goes on to do other things. Other than bento brawling, she seems to enjoy reading magazines, as she has several of them in her room. She is exceptional at board games and wins several times in a row against Yō and Hana, although she is rather poor at video games, to the point where she gets angry enough at her losses to throw Yō's console out the window. However, she usually cheers up when Satō "shares" his own bento with her after a brawl. There have been instances where it is implied that her feelings towards Satō are stronger than expected; As Yō and Hana go to a supermarket, they meet a kendo club member named Yamahara, who invites them to join a group called the Hounds, who use teamwork to help members get half-priced bento. As Yō and Hana take a trial period with the group, Yō feels the bento he obtains this method don't taste as good as he thinks. Extras:
Madman thankfully give us some extras, these include 2 informative commentaries, a hilarious live action parody of the series and the usual textless titles. Overall 4/5Oh Boy, if you thought the first two volumes of Kill La Kill were wacky, you are in for a real treat. In Volume 3 we continue on where we left off and lets just say, it is getting more, wacky and insane as each episode passes. The Naturals Election finals continue, with Ryūko Matoi going up against Hōka Inumuta's Probe Regalia. Inumuta uses his uniform to analyze Ryūko's fighting abilities and anticipate her movements, but Ryūko counteracts this by pushing herself to her limits and attacking more quickly than Inumuta's sensors can react. Changing his strategy, Inumuta uses Optical Camouflage to make himself invisible, allowing him to assault Ryūko with unseeable strikes and force her to the very edge of the arena. However, Ryūko counters this tactic by expanding Senketsu's eye and attacking the entire battle arena at once, leaving Inumuta unable to evade. With the Elite Four member immobilized, Ryūko goes for the finishing blow, only for Inumuta to forfeit the match on his own. To Ryūko's bewilderment, Inumuta explains that his primary concern is collecting data, not winning; Nonon tips the odds even further in her favor by transforming her Symphony Regalia into a flying configuration - when Ryūko protests that the fighters are not supposed to leave the arena, Nonon explains that the rule applies only for falling out of the arena. One thing to note is that this is a far more bloodier season of Kill La Kill, with more gore. It is definitely maturing as a show as it progresses. Unable to get close to Nonon, Ryūko ties a thread to her Scissor Blade and uses it to "lasso" the Symphony Regalia. Bracing herself with Senketsu's skirt spikes, Ryūko begins tossing Nonon around, relying on Senketsu's Life Fiber-infused defenses to ward off Nonon's attacks. Meanwhile, Ryūko's persistence pushes Nonon's temper to its limit - declaring that the sky is her world, she resumes her attack. The First Naturals Election finals are heating up as Ryūko Matoi battles Nonon Jakuzure in the skies above Honnōji Academy. With Senketsu's new "Shippu" form giving her the power of flight, Ryūko is able to outmaneuver Nonon's Symphony Regalia Presto even as the enraged Elite Four member intensifies her assault, however, Ryūko still isn't able to penetrate the high-powered sonic defenses of the massive airship. Thinking of a new plan, Ryūko directs Senketsu to head straight for Satsuki Kiryūin, only for Nonon to fiercely intercept her and blast her back to the arena. Transforming her Symphony Regalia back to its Grave form, Nonon fires every weapon at her disposal, but Ryūko grabs one of the tank's missiles and throws it right back, blasting Nonon's vehicle into its component instruments. Sure enough, the crowd begins chanting "Encore!", prompting Nonon to reappear with her uniform's second form: Symphony Regalia Da Capo. Before Ryūko can react, Nonon releases a devastating blast of sonic energy to the tune of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, disrupting Ryūko's communication with Senketsu by tuning her waves to resonate with his Life Fibers. The two attacks clash for a while as Nonon ups the power of her beam, but Ryūko's attack eventually wins out, stunning the Elite Four member long enough for her to finish the job with her attack. Above the arena, Tsumugu Kinagase delivers a peculiar bullet to Aikurō Mikisugi, who is prepared to use it on Ryūko should the need arise. Satsuki agrees to this before sitting down and taking a cup of tea from Mitsuzō Soroi - grimly noting that Ragyo has decided to interfere in her affairs and that the situation has fallen into Ryūko's hands. As the horn for the match sounds, Ryūko asks Nui where her Goku Uniform is. Nui happily confirms that she was the one who killed Isshin Matoi, sending Ryūko into a rage. As Ryūko Matoi angrily goes into a furious attack, Nui Harime tells her how she killed Isshin Matoi with the Scissor Blades he himself created and stealing one of its blades, but not before having her left eye slashed in the process. The boiling blood of Ryūko's rage has an adverse effect on Senketsu, causing him to go berserk and consume her, resulting in a monstrous form. As Mako Mankanshoku and her family head towards the scene in order to save Ryūko from dying of blood loss, Tsumugu Kinagase tries to draw away Nui to give Aikurō Mikisugi the opportunity to use an adhesive bullet on Ryūko. Satsuki Kiryūin dons her Kamui in order to put a stop to Ryūko, but it is Mako who manages to literally slap Ryūko to her senses and bring her back to her normal self, saving her life. A few days later, as Ryūko is recovering from her battle, Satsuki reveals that she was the one who ordered Nui to steal the sword scissors from Isshin, before announcing that Ryūko's battles with the Elite Four have helped her perfect the Goku Uniforms so that they can take over every school that opposes them. Overall a strong volume, very highly entertaining, this show is getting progressively better and we really recommend it to any anime fans. SPECIAL FEATURES
We do get an assortment of trailers from he web as a nice extra included. Overall: 4/5 The anime has been licensed for a home video release in November 2014 by Sentai Filmworks in North America and thankfully Australia for us local Madman fans. The series begins with a scene where Shiroe, along with Naotsugu and Akatsuki, is fighting Brier Weasels at midnight. Due to this, Shiroe commanded them to fall back and tried to use the Nightmare Sphere skill but was grabbed ahold of by a Triffid. Shiroe opened his eyes and found himself surrounded with aged buildings that were overtaken by plant life. Shiroe seems to be shorter in real life as he tends to fall due to the unfamiliar height he is at now. Then, it is revealed that the person was Akatsuki, one of Shiroe's former party members. When Akatsuki started to talk, they realized she was a girl. Akatsuki asked Shiroe for an appearance changing potion as she remembered that Shiroe owned one. While she is using the potion, Naotsugu tried to take a peek at Akatsuki. Then, Shiroe assumed that Akatsuki changed her appearance to be closer to her real size, which was later proven to be true. Akatsuki then asked Shiroe how much she owed him. Naotsugu told Akatsuki something she can pay with a lewd suggestion but was interrupted before he could finish by her kneeing him the face. Then, Shiroe invited her to join his group which she agreed to and began to address Shiroe as her Lord. Next day, they walked around the NPC market before realizing that they were hungry. While eating, someone called Shiroe. Shiroe replied that each guild had its own hall which contained its own zone. Out of the blue, Maryelle greeted Shiroe with a flying hug. However, Maryelle quickly hugged Akatsuki too, thinking that Akatsuki was Shiroe's girlfriend. Then, Maryelle asked about Naotsugu and received a hug from Maryelle as well. Suddenly, a woman named Henrietta appeared, hoping that she could exchange information with Shiroe. Shiroe was informed that the cities beside Akiba - Shibuya, Minami, Susukino, and Nakasu - were in same shape. Naotsugu thought that it would be easy playing this game because they were familiar with it but Shiroe said that the new expansion might have added some new monsters, quests and items. Maryelle then invited Shiroe to join her guild but he declined. Then, Maryelle could only watch Shiroe move away from the guild building with Akatsuki and Naotsugu. Henrietta was then informed that Shiroe was their strategist. Shiroe and his friends were discussing about fate if they died in the game; After that, Shiroe decided to try the combat system. They began fighting in position fell back when Shiore commanded them to, Shiroe was then attacked by a Triffid before he could use Nightmare Sphere. Shiroe immediately came to a conclusion and ordered Naotsugu to use his body to feel the motion of the attack. He later is revealed as the first victim of death in Akihabara, and proved that revival was possible in this world. After the opening, Shiroe, Naotsugu, and Akatsuki were seen fighting monsters. As Naotsugu was attacked by a Triffid, Shiroe used Astral Bind to bind it, allowing Akatsuki to finish it off. Shiroe noted that their bodies seem know the basic combat movements, even without using a command. However, they only knew how to use it and have yet to master it, so they practiced by fighting the monsters. While walking in a forest, when Akatsuki called Shiroe "my lord", Shiroe told her to just call him "Shiroe", to which she responded that he should then just call her "Akatsuki". Shiroe told her to meet them at the South Gate, and he used Magic Light so Akatsuki could find them. Shiroe explained to the audience that players in Elder Tale can select one of twelve main Classes and then choose one among hundreds of Subclasses; Furthermore, the past few days had proven the rise of Player Killing due to the lack of permanent death in this world. Shiroe was staring at Maryelle and asked if anything wrong then suddenly she was acting weirdly and hugged Naotsugu. Then, Shiroe and Naotsugu met up with Akatsuki, who had already arrived at the gate. Out of the blue, Naotsugu was bound by a chain to his leg, but Shiroe quickly destroyed it. Shiroe commanded Naotsugu to use a straight line formation against these Player Killers. To determine their location, Shiroe used Mind Bolt, spying the members of Dread Pack. Shiroe quickly analyzed the situation; Shiroe asked Naotsugu for his opinion about what to do, with Naotsugu wanting to kill them and Shiroe agreeing. First, Shiroe had Naotsugu attracted their opponents' attention. As Naotsugu fought, Rikopin tried to attack Shiroe, but he tied her foot with Astral Bind. Because Naotsugu HP wouldn't last long, Shiroe attacked them with Electric Fuzz, although the attack was largely useless. Shiroe revealed that he had used Astral Hypnos on the Druid at the beginning of the battle, causing him to fall asleep. At this, Rikopin attempted to attack Shiroe, but because Anchor Howl's effect hadn't worn off yet, she was hit by a counterattack from Naotsugu; Shiroe revealed that he realized that Dread Pack must have had some members hiding because when Naotsugu was tied by a spell, no mages were present. Akatsuki then told Smash that Shiroe used Electric Fuzz to distract them from her presence. Suddenly, however, he grabbed his knife and tried to kill Shiroe, but was intercepted by Akatsuki and killed first, much to her disappointment in him. After having killed the PKers, Shiroe discussed the issue with his two friends. Suddenly, Shiroe got a call from Maryelle. When they arrived at the Crescent Moon Alliance's guild hall, she told Shiroe that she and a group of their strongest players would be going to Susukino to save Serara, one of their players that had been on a quest in Susukino and was trapped there after the Catastrophe. Maryelle begged Shiroe to take care of the rest of the Crescent Moon Alliance. However, Shiroe knew that it would take 21 days by foot to travel to Susukino, and most of the Crescent Moon Alliance's members, as high-level as they were, had little-to-no battling experience. Knowing this, Shiroe's group decided to travel to Susukino in their stead. The next day, they summoned horses to ride to Susukino. Shiroe used a map he made with his Scribe subclass to show the route they would take to the other city. As they took a break for lunch, Shiroe felt a little regret for agreeing to this trip. As Akatsuki was about to summon her horse, Shiroe told her to wait, and the two older players then summoned Griffins, much to her shock, as only those who completed the high-level Hades Breath raid on the Fields of Death were rewarded with this special mount. Shiroe told Akatsuki it was a long story, giving her his hand so she could hop on, which she does with a blush on her face. In the sky, Akatsuki was amazed by the view as they flew off towards Susukino. Overall this series is highly entertaining and has an extremely unique world filled with unusual characters and a real intense and cliff hanging continuation, we can't wait to see more from this series when Madman brings it soon. Overall: 4/5Jormungand is Set in 2012 It is not your average anime series, it takes you into a harsh reality. This is one of the few anime that manages to convey its message of anti war across to the audience. It is set at an offshore rig, Koko Hekmatyar, her squad, and Minami Amada watch a rocket launch as the words of Jörmungandr, the World Snake, are spoken. The scene flashes forward to the present in an unnamed Eastern European country, where Jonah is being led down a hotel corridor by Koko, and he thinks that he now travels with an arms dealer. Jonah meets Koko's squad. Koko tells Jonah that some of her goods are being held up and assigns him the job of helping recover them as a rite of passage and test of his skills. When they ask who Jonah is, Koko throws the door open, slamming it into Lehm, who is having a drink behind it. Koko then asks Tojo for an update and he confirms that their container is still being held up in port. Koko has Lehm and Valmet accompany her. On the way to the port the unnamed Vice Minister of Home Affairs tries to talk Koko out of trying to recover her goods as he wants to keep them out of the military's hands, but she refuses to cave in. Jonah responds that he hates talking, but Koko tell him that he will have to now that he is working under her. In the compact SUV behind, Lehm asks Valmet what she think of Jonah, but she tells him that they were just introduced, so she could not form an opinion of him. She does think he was very tense and begins to worry about Koko's safety, vowing that if something happens to her she will kill that person and then himself. Three cars suddenly come up from behind as Jonah asks Koko how she treats people who are tailing her. Koko reprimands him for opening fire without telling her first, but he tells her that those were just scouts. This is when we begin to get a good set up for characters and the development of them begins to unfold. In a control room, the Vice Minister is watching the action on a monitor while on the phone and tells his caller that Koko's container needs to be kept out of the air force's hands, as it contains upgrades for three fighter squadrons. Although a firefight has broken out, he says that he has dispatched a unit, but it will be over if Koko reaches the port. The unit patches of the soldiers inside and recognises her attackers as the Voskhod 6. The Voskhod 6 inside open the rear doors to fire at Lehm and force him back, allowing her to enter and take them out with her knife. The pursuit moves off the highway and things quiet down until Jonah notices one of the soldiers in the Humvee aiming at them with a FGM-148 Javelin while Koko notices that he called her by her first name. A stuffed toy dog files out of the destroyed car and lands on Jonah's head, causing him to laugh when he sees what it is, surprising Koko. When the Vice Minister sees what has happened, he orders the remaining Voskhod 6 and the port guards to pull back and concedes defeat. As they continue on to the port, Koko tells Jonah that if he were to kill her to get back at arms dealers he then have to deal with her bodyguards. When he asks why she sells weapons, Koko responds that she does so for world peace. A few nights later Jonah is keeping watch in Koko's room when R comes over to tell him that he is up next for guard duty with Lehm. Jonah asks Lehm why he follows Koko while she wakes up and begins to sleepwalk, falling onto Valmet, who is asleep on a couch. They then see Koko walk into the hallway and Lehm directs her to the bathroom. One thing to note is the animation style comes of strong, with the use of environments looking grim and gritty to suit the overall theme of the series. The next morning Koko briefs her team on an emergency, revealing that an arms convoy has entered the country possibly carrying 15 disassembled Hind-Ds and spares. Valmet becomes worried about Koko when she learns about Kloshkin's background, but Tojo tells her that she has five people supporting her and learns that she is not as worried about him as he can take care of himself. On the way to meet with Kloshkin, Koko gives Jonah a spare pistol just in case as Kloshkin may be troublesome. As they arrive, Koko tells Jonah to behave like her little brother and not to act until she gives the signal. At the meeting, Kloshkin has them sit with their backs to a window and gets down to business. Tojo offers to call Koko and she tells him to pull the AA card. Koko responds that she does not, as she sees the situation as being set up by her and now he is trying to take advantage of it, but it could cost him. Kloshkin suddenly smashes the coffee pot over Koko's head, causing Jonah to draw his pistol, but Koko orders him not to fire. Kloshkin takes the pistol and ejects all the bullets, musing that Koko is more screwed up than him by employing a child soldier. Koko then winks at Jonah. After a bit Kloshkin asks them if they want to leave and makes a call, but Koko interrupts and tells him that selling arms is like any other battle. He draws a walkie talkie to contact his sniper team and Koko suggests that he call them. Koko then tells Lehm to pull back while at the air base, the colonel cancels the purchase agreement, which Kloshkin hears about. Koko then signals and Jonah shoots Kloshkin in the head with his spare pistol. He then examines Koko's head wound, which is just a scratch but bleeding a lot. When Lehm asks how the mission went, he responds that he let Koko get hurt, but is told not to worry about it. With the rest of the team hungry and waiting, Koko tells him that he is now one of them and has symbolically hatched from his egg. However the eggs he made taste horrible to everyone but him, and he is the only one not incapacitated. While transporting some goods to a certain Eastern European country bordering Russia , Koko is unable to get any reception on her phone in order to meet up with Tojo and Valmet while being escorted by the local border guards. Koko impulsively exits her Volvo and runs to a nearby cliff, where she sees a distant city covered by smoke. When Koko looks through binoculars she sees that the local GSM infrastructure has been destroyed. When their commander describes Koko, he is ordered not to shoot as she is a buyer. The team is escorted to the town, where Koko meets Major Pollack, the local commander in charge of the area. They accept the SAMs that were being delivered, but Pollack has Koko take a seat when she asks him to sign the purchase contract. When Pollack starts to request additional equipment, they are suddenly interrupted by the arrival of Mildo and Lu, the bodyguards for Curry, the head of a small arms dealer named CCAT. The series pace never appears to slow down and at this stage we are drawn in further through its rapid speed. While the two arms dealers sit down with Pollack, Mildo sees Jonah and is amused when she realizes that he is a member of Koko’s Squad. Koko learns that Curry sold Pollack FIM-92 Stinger missiles and when she tries to leave as the order was fulfilled, Pollack stops her, asking for a new radar, as their radar tower was destroyed by bombing. Curry regretfully states that he does not have access to such equipment but suggests that Koko does because of her position as the daughter of a global shipping magnate and high ranking member of HCLI’s Europe/African Weapons Transport Division. When Koko starts to deny this, Pollack calls for his soldiers, prompting a standoff between them and Koko’s team. Koko tells Lutz to stand down and tells Pollack that she knows that his men are hunting down anyone who escaped into the mountains, questioning why he is trying so hard to hide the battle over the pipeline. He laughs this off and repeats his request for the radar, telling Koko not to worry about payment. Mildo bids Jonah goodbye while Curry observes to Koko that Pollack is difficult to deal with. As the team walks away, Koko signals to them that they will escape while pretending to accept the contract. Tojo tells Valmet that they could not have supported Koko due to the local situation and suggests that they return to the pass in the morning. The following morning, Koko prepares to leave. He also assigns two of his men to escort her and warns her not to flee while pretending to have accepted his offer. On the drive out, one of the soldiers riding with Koko reveals his contempt of arms dealers. When they pass the summit in a thick fog, the team stops and Koko tests her reception. When a Stinger fired at the Hinds misses, Koko notices a soldier under cover nearby. Koko advises him to have his men fall back and retreat because the Hinds are equipped with infrared cameras, making anyone on the ground easy to spot. When the Hinds fly away, the soldier notices that Koko was smiling the whole time during the attack and tells her to get lost. When they get back to the car, Jonah asks why she is not trying to sell them weapons. Koko tells him that her instincts tell her that this war will be over in two days and turn into a low intensity conflict with no clear winner. The series is action packed, intriguing and above the average anime series. With its use of character and anti war themes this is one to be seriously check out and considered. Extras;
Overall: 3.5/5Space Dandy reminded myself very much of old serials of sci fi from the 50's. Each week theres a cliffhanger and our narrator narrates the series. So what is Space Dandy? Well its created by the director of Cowboy Bebop (one of the greatest anime of all time) and is an adventure series. Dandy and QT are a pair of alien hunters, who make their living by finding rare alien species and having them registered. The two of them are joined by a "space cat" they dub Meow, who tells them he knows where to find a planet full of exotic species he doubts anyone has registered.Dandy, or Space Dandy, is the anti-hero protagonist of the series and has a matching personality to go along with his looks; Dandy is not above shoving menial tasks to QT like cooking and cleaning up his Aloha Oe and grumbling how useless Meow is, and often neglects their thoughts and opinions. He also comforts Ukeleleman as he is about to die, even though he was his enemy. While out searching the galaxies for rare alien species, Dandy and QT make a trip to BooBies, Dandy's favorite restaurant chain. After a hectic chase leaves the two unable to return to their ship, Dandy has QT activate a "secret weapon" that obliterates the entire planet and everything on it, including the crew. However, in the episode, "The War of the Undies and Vests, Baby," Meow implies that QT is considered male by saying "He ain't coming back" as QT begins flying the Aloha Oe away from an exploding planet. Dandy gets a tip from Meow about a so-called "Phantom Ramen" that is supposedly made by an undiscovered species of alien. Throughout the trip, Meow takes pictures of their travels and posts them online through his phone, inadvertently giving away their position to Dr. Gel, who sends his forces to capture Dandy. Dandy discovers that Meow was tweeting their every location and ejects his phone out of the Aloha Oe, leaving Dr. Gel and the Gogol Empire to go after it instead of them. The Adventures of Space Dandy and his misfit crew continues at the Alien Registration Center, where they strike out yet again *dressing up Meow as a ridiculous looking space creature* and find themselves rejected once again by Scarlet. according to Dandy, Meow sprinkles fish flakes on everything he eats.Apart from brushing his teeth, Meow is very unconcerned about hygiene. He enjoys spending time at BooBies (and was first found by Dandy taking pictures of the waitresses there), sleeps with a dakimakura, and is the only member of the Aloha Oe who looks at porn, since Dandy prefers the real thing and QT "doesn't even have those ports." Meow isn't particularly smart, a trait noted by QT. However, he may be a talented artist, given the rather competent drawing he did on the paper about his childhood dream of being a metalworker like his father. Low on food, cash and sick of eating that expired instant slop that QT stocked up on from lightyears into the future, Dandy reveals that he has a Boobies point card that guarantees the crew a free meal upon their next visit. With no options left * and against the advice of both QT and Meow *, Dandy mashes on the broken warp speed button, sending the Aloha Oe into an unstable warp and crash landing unto yet another barren planet. Their already battered ship is damaged on impact. While Dandy and Meow show off to get her attention, QT suggests that they use parts from her ship to repair Aloha Oe, which Mamitas agrees. Meanwhile at the Gogol Empire, Dr Gel locates Dandy and his crew and sets out to capture him but decides against it after his subordinate discovers that planet to be the habitat of one of the most deadliest aliens to ever exist. Dandy and QT board the mini cruiser on the Aloha Oe with every intention to leave Meow to his fate but decides to stay and fight when he remembers that Meow has the Boobies point card. Dandy takes advantage and feeds her the rest of the supply, shrinking her and capturing her. The animation style of the series is absolutely stunning, every creature is unique and as incentive as the next. It really does act as a throwback to anime of the 80's and early 90's with an extremely unique animation style. As the series progresses it begins to enter the more surreal, even integrating slight B Grade horror elements into it. Our heroes examine the Stiltonian alien they have captured, but are unsure if it is a new species because of it's slow movement and discolorization, in contrast to the alien handbook Dandy and crew are referring to. After QT concludes the species they have captured is not a Stiltonian, Dandy and crew head back to the bridge of the Aloha Oe, en route to the Alien Registration Center to register and cash in on their catch. Unbeknownst to Dandy, QT notices a change in Meow's overall well-being, deeply concerned about his lethargy, communication, and lack of response to any stimuli. Dandy is unconcerned, shaking it off as "just a bug," until QT convinces him to stop by at Galaxy Hospital to have Meow examined. After a brief evaluation by the doctor, Meow is revealed to be dead, as test results indicate he had no vital signs. Dandy proclaims he should he hospitalized because of the sexy hot nurses, but QT drags him out until the next day, proclaiming Dandy needs to be sick to be admitted. Pacing wise the series never slows down, and at this point is a continuing series of events that connect at a rapid pace. Meanwhile, somewhere in space, Dr. Gel is greeted by reckless mercenaries hired by Admiral Perry to assist the doctor in capturing Dandy in light of his ineptitude. While Dandy assumes the nurses wanted a foursome, QT intervenes in time to prevent Dandy from being bitten. Perry's lackeys are quickly ambushed and dispatched, and QT believes all the patients have become zombies after one walker shakes off a bullet barrage and subsequently zombifies its attacker. Overall Space Dandy is a shock surprise and possibly one of the best anime so far this year, it has great humour, setting, character development and style. Please pick this up, even if your not a fan of Anime this show certainly has something for everyone, even to please the most hardcore B grade horror or sci fi fans. Extras: Madman include a nice art book inside the blu-ray edition, not sure if this is limited but it certainly is a nice addition.
Overall 4.5/5High School Dxd is the new anime cult series that is taking the community by storm, it appears to be a sexy comedy from the outside; but under the surface it is actually a very deep piece of storytelling. Season 2 picks up immediately after season 1, I guess the main question is, should you have seen season 1. Well it helps, but the show is so accessible that within a few hours you'll get energised with the characters and environments. Season 2 begins when Issei wakes up on a certain morning and finds Rias sleeping naked beside him until Asia arrives to wake Issei up which ends up in a hectic morning for Issei after Rias deliberately provoked Asia. Later, while having his usual school days with his friends, Issei's Dragon arm awoke forcing Issei to meet Akeno to have the Dragon Power removed. After school, Rias and the others used Issei's house to have their usual club activity until Issei's mom interrupted and showed Issei's childhood photos. Later, while on the way home after Issei completed a contract with his new client, Issei and his friends receives an order to hunt down a Stray Devil at an abandoned factory. When questioned by Rias, Kiba gestures it off as nothing and leaves soon after, with Issei following in pursuit worried about him as Kiba reveals to Issei his purpose of living: to seek revenge against the Holy Sword Excalibur. Later at his house, Issei questions Rias about the Holy Sword and Kiba's past where he was part of a project called "The Holy Sword Project" where he was the only survivor of it. Meanwhile, two unknown individuals arrived in Issei's town. One thing you'll notice is that this season they appear to turn down the sex factor, instead rather focusing on character development. The horny lead feels more mature and progressive for the better. The story begins with Kiba fighting against Freed who is using one of the Excalibur fragments until Freed retreats from the fight. Later, at the Occult Research Clubroom, Issei notices that Kiba is missing and asks Rias about Kiba's past where she revealed that Kiba was previously part of "Project Holy Sword", where he was one of the failed products that escaped before he could be disposed of until Rias found him on the verge of death. The episode ends as the four begin their battle. Issei and Kiba begin their fight against Irina and Xenovia, both ultimately losing to the two exorcists who then leave the school area with Issei and Yuuto frustrated at their loss. After seeing Yuuto leave the clubroom with such frustration, Issei decides to help Kiba in his revenge against the Excalibur swords. Kiba then engages Freed in a one-on-one battle until Issei, Saji, and Koneko intervene, giving Kiba the advantage. Issei and Saji are then punished by their respective masters for taking action without permission. The fight scenes are quite spectacular and the animation really shines; overall as you can tell this is much darker season of DXD. Back at the Hyoudou Residence, Asia greets Rias and Issei in a naked apron as Rias decides to change into one as well. The series is still erotic, is it odd that these animated characters are turning me on in a bizarre way, the animators certainly know what they are doing. Rias is one of the hottest anime female figures in history, thank you creators, you have me attracted to a fake animated character. He then introduces his boss, Kokabiel, one of the leaders of the Fallen Angels, to Issei and his friends as Kokabiel reveals his true reason for stealing the Excaliburs: to start another Great War among the Three Factions. After the Fallen Angel leader uses a small attack as a diversion, Issei and the others head back to the school in preparation for their upcoming battle with Kokabiel. Meanwhile at Kuoh Academy, Valper and Freed are shown to be inside a magic circle undergoing an unknown ceremony, with Kiba and Xenovia overlooking the situation from afar. Sona and her team form a barrier surrounding Kuoh Academy, while Rias and her team prepare for their upcoming battle against Kokabiel, Freed, and Valper. Meanwhile, Kiba confronts Valper and learns the truth of the Holy Sword Project and with the help of his friends from both the past and present, Kiba successfully attains his Balance Breaker, Sword of Betrayer, and together with Xenovia who summoned her Durandal, manages to successfully destroy the Fused Excalibur. The episode ends with Kokabiel confidently telling the Occult Research Club that Issei can transfer his power to anyone as Issei prepares to transfer his powers to Rias. The supernatural elements are still there, while retaining the signature horror feeling overall to the series for older fans. Issei transfers his boosted powers to Rias who then proceeds to attack Kokabiel but to no avail. Angered by Kokabiel's insults, Issei decides to fight Kokabiel as Kiba, Xenovia and Koneko attacks Kokabiel to buy time for Issei to boost his powers. Despite so, Issei strongly states his dream of becoming a Harem King along with Rias' incentive, Issei manages to attack Kokabiel while reigniting his friends' fighting spirit. Before the fight can continue though, the barrier surrounding the school field was destroyed by a new figure appears in the fight. Xenovia then reveals that she has reincarnated into a Devil as Rias' Knight after learning God died and apologizes to Asia for her rude remarks to her in the past. Issei is later seen playing a video game with his client, who later reveals himself as Fallen Angel Leader Azazel, much to Issei's surprise. Overall High School DXD "new" is a darker, stronger and more mature series. It is highly enjoyable, easy to get into and addictive, we high recommend it for the casual or even hardcore anime fans. Overall 4/5
Siren Visual bring us a continuation of the cult anime series Chihayafuru. Some say it is a cult show that deserves more attention, and this i can see as being very much true. This series immediately pick up after series 1, where Umire follows Taichi to the karuta society, where she becomes curious as to why he enjoys karuta. During practise, Chihaya takes keen interest in Akihiro, who is experienced in Second Verse Karuta, whilst also noting how Sumire felt when obtaining her first card. When Chihaya asks Sumire to trim her nails, she ends up blurting about her crush on Taichi and runs off. Learning that karuta, much like love, is determined by its rules, Sumire decides to take karuta a bit more seriously. Chihaya returns and tries to create a new karuta club during her freshman year of a fairly prestigious Tokyo high school, Mizusawa High. She has few friends in high school, aside from those who knew her in middle school on the track team, and is desperately seeking the bonds from her childhood which were broken with time and distance. Taichi returns from his escalator school because he was sick of the hour and half long commute, and Chihaya finds out they go to the same school, she wants to persuade Taichi to join and help with her karuta club if she becomes a Class-A karuta player. They become an official club after they gather Yusei, but Taeko Miyauchi requests to change the club's president to anyone other than Chihaya, which everyone agrees to Taichi becoming the club's president, most likely due to Chihaya's often over-zealous passion for karuta that would likely drive off her team members if she was in charge, and so Chihaya becomes the "Captain" of the Karuta Club. Each member of the club has a certain element to bring to the team. She is able to teach Chihaya the true personality and "color" of each of the 100 cards, thus honing Chihaya's skills in Karuta further. Nishida is extremely talented as a Karuta player, having a true love for the game as Chihaya does. He is willing to sacrifice himself to be paired with a stronger opposing player, just to increase his team's chances of winning. Sumire follows Taichi to the karuta society, where she becomes curious as to why he enjoys karuta. During practise, Chihaya takes keen interest in Akihiro, who is experienced in Second Verse Karuta, whilst also noting how Sumire felt when obtaining her first card. Learning that karuta, much like love, is determined by its rules, Sumire decides to take karuta a bit more seriously. And this is the main plot of the series as the it begins to expand. The series is also very well dubbed, depending on which version you see; the English one is not at all distracting, in-fact it draws you in. Arata places second in a tournament, stating that is true goal is to face Chihaya in the high school championship. However, after everyone shows their support in providing him a towel, Taichi manages to make a comeback and win his match, helping Misuzawa reach the finals against Hokuo. Having scouted Hokuo during the semi-finals, Sumire reports that they plan to target Taichi, Tsutomu and Kana to secure three wins without much effort, which pushes them to become more serious about their match. The match soon approaches his climax with Chihaya, Taichi, Kana and Tsutomu all down to a luck-of-the-draw scenario, with Hokuo splitting the cards to their advantage, meaning Misuzawa will need to take cards from their opponent's side in order to win. Chihaya manages to encourage Taichi to try to aim for the opponent card, pushing his opponent to make an error and secure a win for Misuzawa and evening the scores. Meanwhile, Chihaya receives a text from Arata about what she thought of the finals, her reply being that it was both the most fun match she's had and the most frustrating loss. Overall at this point in the series that characters have been fully fleshed out and we genuinely care about Chihaya and her goals in the series. As Chihaya laments her loss in the regional finals, she allows the concert band to use the room above the karuta clubroom as storage. Noticing Chihaya's depression, her mother takes her to Kana's family shop to buy her her own hakama in order to encourage her to keep playing karuta. As Chihaya gets her motivation back, the concert band plays performs for the karuta club as thanks for letting them use the second floor. Overall another impressive season from this show, I really hope it continues to be produced as it is such an incredibly intriguing premise with a large amount of characters to become attracted to as it progresses. Unique art and style this is not one to be missed, pick it up now! Overall:
4/5 |
AuthorThe DSC team dig into Anime . Archives
September 2016
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