| Watching
Dragon, Growler's Hidden Anime! |
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See
what's cool in Anime (Japanese Animation)!
Rawle
Austin presents...
<Previous
Hidden Anime...
| Bleach
- Is your soul ready for Reaping...? |
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Spirits
in the sky...
Ichigo
Kurosaki.
A
15 year old high school student with the unusual ability to see
and talk with spirits of the recently dead.
He
was comfortable with this until the arrival of her.
Rukia
Kuchiki.
A
Soul Reaper and messenger from the Soul Society.
Soul
Reapers are usually invisble to humans.
Their
job is to lead normal spirits, Wholes, to peace and exorcise evil
spirits known as Hollows.
Hollows
feed on the souls of the living and the dead.
This
meeting with Rukia Kuchiki leads to Ichigo becoming a Soul Reaper.
His
life is changed forever! |
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Bleach
is a series that just gets better each time you watch it.
The
depth of characterisation and action show why it is one of the most popular
anime series out there.
I
give this 8 out of 10.
It's
released by Manga Entertainment.
| Black
Lagoon - Take a walk on the wild side...! |
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Journey
to the depths...
Black
Lagoon is adapted from a graphic novel by Rei Hiroe.
It
centres around a group of pirates/mercenaries who operate in the
South Seas.
The
story begins when office worker, Rokuro Okajima is on a mission
to carry a CD of business data to South East Asia by by boat.
Suddenly,
the vessel is attacked by pirates!
Dutch,
an ex-soldier and the captain of the Black Lagoon.
Benny,
the smart post graduate and tech expert.
Revy,
the rough weapons expert. Don't get in her way!
And
then the action gets mad!
This
series is a crazy rush of adrenaline and has hints of Frank Miller's
Sin City and a Quentin Tarantino movie.
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Cool
in places, shocking in others, this will leave you blown away and thoroughly
immersed in their world.
A
7 out of 10 for the effort and attention to detail clearly put into this
production.
Released
by MVM.
| Love
Hina Again - A different kind of romantic comedy... |
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Expect
the unexpected...!
I'm
not generally a fan of this type of genre but I was impressed by
this production.
Love
Hina Again is a sequel to Love Hina Spring Special where the characters
first meet.
I haven't seen that first outing and I'm glad to say it didn't affect
my enjoyment of this story.
Everything
and everyone is introduced nicely.
Keitaro
Urashima is the caretaker of the Hinata Apartments. He is madly
in love with his childhood sweetheart Naru.
Naru
has a fear of commitment but otherwise she feels the same way he
does.
The
action takes place at the Hinata Apartments when Keitaro takes a
leave of absence.
The
residents are a colourful bunch and much fun ensues.
However,
Keitaro's adopted sister, Kanako is less than keen on his brother's
girlfriend... |
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Love
Hina Again is an entertaining watch and will keep you surprised by its
ingenuity of character actions and dialogue.
This
is definitely a healthy 7 out of 10 for its execution.
It's
brought to you by MVM.
| Witchblade
- Through the ages a hero is born...! |
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It
could be you...?!
Witchblade
is adapted from the smash hit comic book concept from Top Cow Studios.
The
character was created by Marc Silvestri, Brian Haberlin, David Wohl
and Michael Turner.
The
original story was quality so I was looking forward to seeing this
anime version and was not disappointed.
Set
in a near future Tokyo an ancient, powerful and sentient weapon
has been sought by many individuals.
Eager
to control its immense power and use it for personal gain.
However,
this power can only be wielded by a woman and has been done so for
centuries before.
Masane
Amaha has been chosen.
But
she does not know it...
She's
on the run with her young daughter. |
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Suddenly,
the power strikes!
And
she will never be the same again.
The
Doji Group, waiting for an age for the mythical weapon to re-appear, now
begin to make their move.
Witchblade
is a suspenseful, action thriller with a hint of the supernatural.
I
give it 7 out of 10 for a great adaptation of the original concept.
It's
released by MVM.
| So,
what's so good about Anime anyway...? |
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Japanese
Anime is the cutting edge of sci-fi and fantasy storytelling.
Constantly
coming up with new concepts and ideas I'm just gob smacked by the steady
stream of quality that is produced and the depth of material and genres
that are covered.
New
titles are crafted regularly like clockwork and each of them are different
enough not to be a rehash or copy of previous work.
Watching
Anime is inspiring to the extent of encouraging your latent creativity
within and makes you sit up and take notice.
Full
of surprises and fresh ideas it's a great way to appreciate the best in
the business and makes you realise how far you have to go to raise your
game if you're a creator.
If
you just want to be entertained then watching Anime is a surefire way
of doing exactly that!
Check
out these opening and closing themes of two of my favourite anime series!
| Samurai
7 - Closing theme |
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Samurai
Champloo - Opening theme |
| Basilisk
- Where love and fierce combat will conquer all...! |
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A
very ninja romance...
This
story is adapted by the successful manga by Masaki Segewa.
Originally
told by the author Futaro Yamada in the novel The Kouga Ninja scrolls.
The
anime is produced by Studio Gonzo.
It
is Japan 1614AD.
Powerful
shogun Tokugawa Leyasu faces a dilemma.
Which
of his grandsons will succeed him?
To
find out he undoes the pact of peace between the rival Iga and Kouga
ninja clans.
Each
clan must represent one grandson.
Then
they must choose ten of their best fighters to fight to the death.
The
eventual winner will choose the next Shogun.
But
there is a complication... |
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In
the form of Gennosuke of the Kouga clan and Oboro from the Iga clan.
They
are in love.
This
ending of the truce threatens their very existence as they are destined
to meet on the battlefield.
Basilisk
is a gripping tale that left me breathless in the quality production.
An
absolute 8 out of 10 from me.
Released
by MVM.
| Trinity
Blood - A neo-Gothic sci-fi tale... |
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Who
will save us when vampires walk the earth?!!
Trinity
Blood is based on a series of popular novels written by the late
Sunao Yoshida.
These
were later translated into manga to widespread acclaim.
The
story is essentially a neo-Gothic sci-fi adventure.
Consider
this, bloodsucking vampires versus emissaries of the Church.
And
the prize?
Earth!
Vampires,
known as the Rosen Kreuz, stalk the earth.
The
Church have formed a crack team called the AX to combat this.
Commanded
by Lady Caterina Sforza, Duchess of Milano.
Not
all members of AX are human though... |
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Father
Abel Nightroad is a creature known as a Crusnik, a shapeshifter able to
feed on the blood of vampires.
Can
the AX save humanity and bring peace to the world?
Trinity
Blood is a 24 episode series with tons of action and dramatic thrills.
The
whole package of animation, score and characters makes me give it 8 out
of 10.
It's
released by MVM.
| Speed
Grapher - Born from a kiss!!! |
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Will
you just put that camera down...?
Speed
Grapher is brought to life by Gonzo Digimation.
The
story all began with burnt out ex-war photographer Saizo.
Now
reduced to selling his artistic soul as a trashy tabloid photojournalist.
Living
in a future version of Tokyo.
Accidently
stumbling onto the being known as the Goddess, in fact a young girl
named Kagura, his life changes forever.
A
life saving kiss from Kagura grants him fearsome supernatural powers.
Now
on the run with Kagura, Saiga has anew purpose in life.
Survival.
Unknown
to him, that life saving kiss sets off a chain of events. |
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Events
that could bring catastropy to Tokyo.
This
is a mature epic and very dramatic and has the unique twist that makes
Saiga's powers occur when he uses his camera.
A
very entertaining adventure that leads me to give it 7 out of 10.
It's
released by MVM.
| Berserk
- Sword and Sorcery Reborn!!! |
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A
dangerous journey into the medieval ...
Berserk
is a fantasy epic adapted from the manga by Kento Miura.
The
story follows a gifted swordsman in search of his destiny.
Guts.
The
lone warrior.
Known
to some as the Black Swordsman.
Caught
inbetween the warring factions of Midland and Chuder.
Joins
a fearsome band of mercenaries.
The
Band of the Hawk.
Mercenaries
who happen to to be led by Griffith.
The
only man who has humiliated him in a duel of combat.
The
stage is set... |
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Berserk
has a dark and grim medieval setting and an adult tone.
It
features dark demons and heroic chivalry of the like you've never witnessed.
It
has a certain depth of storytelling that I enjoyed and for that reason
I give it 8 out of 10.
The
whole story is told over 25 episodes.
It's
released by MVM.
| Ergo
Proxy - Gothic cyberpunk at its very best...! |
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...And
Proxy will set us free!!!
Ergo
Proxy is a stylish cyberpunk action thriller that will pull you
in fast and hard.
It's
directed by Shuko Murase and scripted by Dai Sato, both of whom
worked on previous anime classics including Samurai Champloo.
The
world has been ravaged by ecological disasters and nuclear warfare.
The
surviving humans have to co-exist with their android servants.
The
Auto-Reivs.
They
all reside in the massive domed city of Romdo.
Romdo
is a manufactured paradise where everything is regulated and controlled.
Feelings
and emotions are no longer necessary.
Suddenly,
a series of murders fling this idyllic paradise into turmoil. |
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The
suspects are androids that have been infected with the Cogito Virus.
This
virus has the unique ability to make the androids aware of their own existence.
The
investigators on the case are Inspector Re-I Mayer and her AutoReiv android
partner Iggy.
During
this case an altogether new sinister force makes an appearance in phantom
form.
The
"awakening" is about to begin!
Ergo
Proxy is released by MVM.
I
give it 7 out of 10 for the atmosphere created and it's emotional depth.
| Black
Cat - Straying off the beaten path... |
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Doing
it by the Chronos Numbers...!!
A
League of Assassins known as the Chronos Numbers.
One
amongst them has a change of heart and decides to leave.
His
name is Train.
Pursued
by his former employers and new group of foes join the chase.
The
Taoist Rebels.
Luck
is upon him in the form of two companions.
The
man named Sven.
And
Eve the young bio-weapon.
Train
is a stray cat looking for a new life.
Will
he find it?
I
love this series for it's innovative storytelling and originality. |
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7
out of 10 from me as it's paced well with plenty of action.
Released
by MVM.
Enjoy.
| Saiyuki
Reload - And then there were four...! |
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Ain't
no party like a Sanzo Party...!!
Saiyuki
Reload is adapted from an original story by Kazuya Minekura and
was printed in the Japanese magazine "Monthly Comic Zero-Sum".
The
story is loosely based on the world famous Chinese novel Journey
to the West which introduces the Monkey King.
Sanzo
Party is a mercenary foursome of adventurers led by the young
priest Geniyo Sanzo.
His
travelling companions are Cho Hakkai, Sha Gojyo and Son Goku.
Welcome
to the world of Shangri-la. Previously a world where men and demonic
creatures, surrounded by science and magic, once lived together
in peace.
This
peace is being shattered by attempts to resurrect the demon Lord
Gyumaoh.
This
creature was defeated ages ago but experiments are taking place
to revive him.
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These
experiments have brought a new darkness to the land and the resident demons
are going beserk.
The
four adventurers of the Sanzo Party are journeying to India in an attempt
to stop the return of the demon lord.
This
is a 25 episode story and is highly entertaining.
I
give it 7 out of 10 for it's great animation and flow of story.
It's
released by MVM.
| Elemental
Gelade - Sky Pirates on the horizon...! |
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There's
never an Edel Raid when you need one...
Adapted
from the manga series by Mayumi Azuma and directed by Shigeru Ueda,
Edel Raid is a sci-fi comedy adventure of the like you've never
seen before.
The
young apprentice space pirate Cou stumbles across and befriends
a strange young girl called Reverie "Ren" Metherlence.
Ren
just happens to be a mythical creature able to turn into a living
weapon of immense power.
She
belongs to a race of beings known as Edel Raids.
Ren's
powers attract unwanted attention and she becomes a target for people
who want to use the power for personal gain.
Cou
chooses to protect Ren and so an alliance is formed.
This
is a fun story that will keep you wanting more.
This
series has 26 episodes and is released by MVM.
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I
give it a 6 out of 10 as it's an interesting premise and competently executed.
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