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BLUE SEED: Momiji is a high-spirited 15-year-old girl who is the
current inheritor of the Kushinada bloodline, and has spent her life
being prepared for the possibility that she may have to be sacrificed
to protect Japan if the Aragami return to the world. The Aragami are
a kind of monster that is mutated by a "blue seed," called a mitama.
One day, Kusanagi, a strange young man who has many mitamas, appears,
tells her a sister she never knew she had is dead, threatens to kill
her, and then apparently protects her from some sort of dragon
creature. Two other people from the TAC (Terrestrial Administration
Center), the group that had raised her sister in preparation for the
return of the Aragami threat, appear and rescue her. Later, after
Momiji's school is attacked by an Aragami, Momiji joins the TAC for
protection and to help them fight for the survival of Japan, and
possibly the world.
Available in North America from ADV.
[Entry by "HiEv"]

BLUE SONNET: There have been many stories about making a humanoid
"ultimate weapon". This is one of those, in that Sonnet is a cyborg
that has awesome psychokinetic powers. However it is known to her
creator that somewhere out there is an even greater power lying
dormant. In fact the person in question becomes a classmate of
Sonnet's. While this girl discovers her hidden power, Sonnet
discovers her lost humanity in a background of corporate domination.
(USMC)
[Entry by Chika]

BLUE SUBMARINE #6: The world is at war with aliens. Most of the
world is covered in water. But not everything is as it seems. There
is a lot of action in this series and some interesting twists. It's a
combination of hand drawn and computer animation which in my opinion
worked nicely. The episodes are short and only one episode per DVD.
Still cheaper than the old way of buying a dub and a sub version of
the VHS, but in today's DVD age it seems a bit expensive. An single
disk is also available with the violence edited out. The dub is
alright but is better watched in original. Available from Bandai in
North America, and from Siren in Australia.
[Entry by Shawn Granger]

BOOGIE POP PHANTOM: This is a sci-fi horror story within a story
involving an urban legend of a cloaked murderer who's turned the city
into a killing field while the inhabitants begin expressing
frightening powers that are beyond their control. The episodes are
connected but in a very loose, convuluted chronology and the series is
done in washed-out, bleak tones so it's not for everyone. Still, what
the series sets out to do, it does extremely well. It disturbs by
presenting the helplessness of humans in the face of unnatural forces
and also in giving a despairing, microscopic view of the uglier side
of life and family.
Licenced by ADV in North America and the UK, and by Madman in
Australia.
[Entry by Michael Lo]

BOTTLE FAIRIES (a.k.a. BINZUME YOSEI): Based on Yuiko Tokumi's
"reader-participation manga" in Magi-Cu Premium magazine, this
thirteen episode TV series tells the month-by-month adventures of four
tiny naive fairy girls, Sarara, Kururu, Chiriri and Hororo who live in
glass jars on the desk of Sensei-san, a young college student. Each
show covers a month in Japanese life with the fairies learning about
what it is to be human, assisted by Loose Cannon Tama-chan, their
highly-opinionated six-year-old neighbour who is *never* wrong.
In the wrong hands this could have been saccharine beyond belief
but the scripts and storylines belie the basic idea and make each
episode delightful as the girls use their imagination to try and
figure out the world. The equally-delightful ending songs are sung by
the fairy seiyuus, with a different seiyuu and song for the three
shows in each "season".
Licenced by Geneon in North America.
Official manga website: <http://www5b.biglobe.ne.jp/~hakka-ya/>
Official anime website:
<http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/binzume/>
[Entry by Robert Sneddon]

BRIGADOON: Marin Asagi is an orphaned outcast living in a tenement
building in 60's Japan. Her life changes when a mysterious glowing
world appears in the sky and a giant machine called a Monomakia falls
from the sky attempting to kill her - she is only saved by a blue
android called Melan Blue that she discovers concealed in a shrine.
Together Marin and Melan need to fend off the continuing Monomakia
attacks - but why are they after Marin, and why has this strange
world - called Brigadoon - appeared?
Brigadoon's deceptively cutesy exterior hides an extremely dark
show - there seems to be no end to the amount of sorrow inflicted on
Marin over the course of the series. This, plus some slight
fanservice which may put off some due to the characters being only 13,
means Brigadoon has become something of a niche show - however, it has
a lot to recommend it, from its stirring Celtic-influenced score to
its excellent animation (the Monomakia fights are particularly well
done, and Marin isn't totally passive either, a refreshing change for
shows of this type) and likeable characters, although the somewhat
erratic switching from hyperactive comedy to dark drama mitigates this
somewhat.
Available in Region 1 from Tokyopop on 6 DVDs.
[Entry by Andrew Hollingbury]

BROTHER, DEAR BROTHER: see ONIISAMA E

BUBBLEGUM CRISIS: A classic cyberpunk tale of a corporation gone
rotten and a group of hi-tech vigilantes that seek to bring the worse
elements and deeds of that corporation under control.
Mega-Tokyo is a corporate town built on and around the ruins of
Tokyo which was mostly destroyed some years before the story opens by
an earthquake. The corporation that helped to rebuild the town is
Genom, a multi-national that, among other things, builds "Boomers".
These robotic creatures are used for both good and evil, and where the
latter is involved, the Knight Sabers will tackle them, especially as
their leader, Sylia, has a past connection with these creatures.
Often praised for its musical content and some of the designs, the
show is seen as styled after the US movie "Blade Runner", and
continues to have a following many years after the show was completed,
though it has produced spin off shows including AD POLICE, BUBBLEGUM
CRASH and BUBBLEGUM CRISIS TOKYO 2040.
Available in the US from AnimEigo, in Australia from Madman.
Originally available from Anime Projects in the UK, now licenced to
MVM.
[Entry by Chika]

BUBBLEGUM CRISIS TOKYO 2040: BGC2040 is a 26-episode TV series
that "borrows" certain elements from the original BUBBLEGUM CRISIS,
but changes them enough to make it an alternative retelling of the
original story. The basic concept is the same: Four women use powered
armor to fight a secret war against renegade androids (Boomers) and
the shady corporation who makes them (Genom). Some things (such as
Priss being a biker chick and singer of a rock band) remain the same
from the original series, but most other aspects are completely
different, ranging from the personalities of the characters to the
nature of the technology they use. As a result, the show has a
different feel than its predecessor - at times it feels more like
EVANGELION than "Blade Runner". Many (but not all) fans of the
original series dislike this show intensely. Much of the criticism
has to do with certain plot twists that strike some as implausible.
However, BGC2040 has its own fans as well. It's probably best to
judge the show on its own, rather than comparing it against its famous
predecessor. Available from ADV Films in North America, and Madman in
Australia.
[Entry by Scott Fujimoto]

BURN UP W: Surrounding a group of specially selected (female)
police who, when called into action, display special skills (and a lot
more in those inevitable skin tight costumes!) This series runs
through a number of side plots but is essentially concerned with an
underworld plot to control the minds of various powerful folk using an
addictive device. Available from ADV Films in North America, and
Madman in Australia.
[Entry by Chika]

C

CAMPUS GUARDRESS: see BAKUEN CAMPUS GUARDRESS

CARDCAPTOR SAKURA (a.k.a. CARDCAPTORS): A sweet and charming
'magical girl' show by the popular CLAMP team, built on the framework
of a collectable card game. 4th grader Kinomoto Sakura (renamed to
"Sakura Avalon" in the dub) accidentally releases a number of magical
cards from an ancient book. With the aid of the cards' guardian,
Keroberos, who appears as a winged toy bear, and her adoring
girlfriend Tomoyo (called "Madison" in the dub), Sakura must recapture
the cards and return them to their book, using the captured cards'
powers to help her. Complications ensue with the appearance of other
seekers of the cards. CARDCAPTOR SAKURA is as much about the joys,
vicissitudes and perplexities of growing up, of what friendship really
means, of how to be brave in the face of danger, as it is about its
frame story of the chase after magical cards. As with all CLAMP
shows, the character and costume designs are utterly charming, and as
with all CLAMP shows, there are hints of homoeroticism.
This show is commercially available in the US (from Geneon) in two
formats: CARDCAPTOR SAKURA has Japanese language and English
subtitles only, and has not been edited for content; CARDCAPTORS, with
an English dub only, is the version that was shown on American TV, and
is heavily edited. Only the latter is available in Australia (from
Madman).
[Entry by Slithy Tove]

CARRIED BY THE WIND: see TSUKIKAGE RAN

CASE CLOSED: see MEITANTEI CONAN

CASTLE IN THE SKY: see LAPUTA

CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO: see the entry for LUPIN III

CAT-GIRL NUKU-NUKU: see ALL PURPOSE CULTURAL CAT-GIRL NUKU-NUKU

CHAR'S COUNTERATTACK: see GUNDAM

CHARCOAL FEATHERS FEDERATION: see HAIBANE RENMEI

CHILD'S TOY: see KODOMO NO OMOCHA

A CHINESE GHOST STORY: A naive tax collector is surprised to find
that he was assigned to work in the land of ghosts and spirits. Too
late, he already fell in love with a beautiful ghost who wants to
harvest his soul for her mistress. He can resist her spell and wins
her love, but now the two lovers find themselves in the middle of a
battle between the three best ghostbusters of the land. Loosely based
on the same Chinese fairy tale as the popular live-action Hong Kong
movie of the same name. Beautiful character design and 2D animation,
badly mixed with ugly, overdone 3D computer graphics that brings down
the overall experience. Yet the great (very Chinese) humour and a
cute story save the film.
[Entry by Hanno Mueller]

CHOBITS: Can a machine be alive? Can it have a broken heart? How
does it change us to have our ideal partner, but with none of the
challenges that a real person brings? CHOBITS can be mistaken for a
shallow seinen (college student) story about a boy who finds a
beautiful "Persocom" girl robot, but this story came from the
all-female Osaka manga team Studio CLAMP, and nothing is ever what it
seems with them.
A country boy, Hideki Motosuwa, moves to the big city to get an
education and comes across Chi, a Persocom left in the garbage. In
this near future, Persocoms are walking personal assistants, PCs and
cellphones, made to look like beautiful humans, and of course people
begin to become obsessed with them. In finding out the history of
Chi, Hideki learns the secret history of Persocoms and that Chi may be
the legendary "chobits" model: a model that has true emotions. And
who is the mysterious author of those children's books that seem to be
talking about Chi and Hideki?
The story works on so many levels. There's the wonderful (and
ultimately platonic) love story of Hideki and Chi, but the series also
asks interesting questions, like "How do people change when we can
have a relationship with a robot?" and "What happens when we forget
about the humans we used to have relationships with?" From a silly
exploitation premise, CLAMP manages to create an intriguing
philosophical love story.
ADVISORY: Mature content and very suggestive scenes; 16 years and
up.
Licenced by Geneon in North America, and by Madman in Australia.
[Entry by Travers Naran]

CHRONICLE OF TWELVE COUNTRIES: see JUUNI KOKKI

CHRONICLES OF THE HEROIC KNIGHT: see RECORD OF LODOSS WAR

CHRONO CRUSADE (a.k.a. CHRNO CRUSADE): It is the late 1920s,
America is experiencing a boom economy, and the rich keep on getting
richer... and with all that money, they find they have time to pursue
other things, and number one on the list... Devil worship. That's not
jake, so Sister Rosette Christopher, her demon friend Chrono, and the
other members of the Holy Order of Mary of Magdelene must combat this
terrible new menace. Rosette has her own reasons for fighting the
demons, as she searches for her long lost brother, Joshua. This is
definitely not a kid's show, however, the Christmas episode is a heart-
warming one, definitely worth sharing. This series starts off
slightly dark, switches to comedy every now and then, but can and will
get very dark, very fast. So don't be a Mrs. Grundy, go out and watch
this show.
Note: Of all the anime I've seen, this is the one that uses
Christian symbols most closely to their true symbolism, and even
though it seems to be just a Nuns With Guns show, it's much deeper
than that.
Licenced by ADV in North America and the UK, and by Madman in
Australia.
R1 official website:
<http://www25.advfilms.com/titles/chronocrusade/>
[Entry by Bill Martin]

COMBUSTIBLE CAMPUS GUARDRESS: see BAKUEN CAMPUS GUARDRESS

COWBOY BEBOP: A jazzy group of bounty hunters meet up and travel
the galaxy. Lots of great individual episodes as well as a main
storyline running through them all. Sharp animation that shows how
well the hand drawn and computer mixed can look. Great music and even
the dub is actually pretty good. Instant classic which appeals to a
wide audience, otaku and non-otaku alike. Available from Bandai in
North America, or Madman in Australia.
[Entry by Shawn Granger]

CREST OF THE STARS: CotS (a.k.a. SeiMon from Seikai no Monshou) is
a hard sci-fi story set amidst an era of interplanetary empires and
galaxy-spanning war. Humanity has colonized the stars, and the
resulting new order has become one of vast, conflicting empires. The
male lead is the son of a free planet's president who "sold out" his
people to the ABH empire when they came to invade. Now nobility
himself and all but deprived of friends, family, and homeland, Jinto
must enter the ABH military in the hopes of eventually assuming his
rightful place in the nobility. His first contact with the
genetically enhanced ABH is Lafille, a *very* special young woman
whose identity and significance to the political fabric of the empire
becomes only gradually apparent.
The show hits all the bases: politics, deeply imagined culture and
futuristic technology, action both in person and between space
fleets ... and most importantly character development, as Jinto and
Lafille grow up as individuals while growing together as people. The
chemistry between them is the focal point of the animators for this
show, and they pull it off with style. Visuals aren't bad at all
either, as expected of Bandai's frontline animators at Sunrise.
If you want something fluffy, something with major fanservice,
something hyperkinetic, or can't take serious sci-fi, SeiMon is
probably not the anime for you. If the above description sounds
interesting, however, I recommend picking up the first volume and
seeing what you think.
Available from Bandai in North America, and Madman in Australia.
[Entry by Mark L. Neidengard]

CRIMSON PIG: see PORCO ROSSO

CROMARTIE HIGH: You know something strange is afoot when the
opening warning of an anime says "Kids, imitating this will get your
thrown in jail" instead of the usual "Step Away from the TV and turn
on the lights".
CROMARTIE HIGH chronicles the misadventures of a delinquent
high-school class whose misfit members more resemble traveling circuis
attractions than students. With a cast that includes a gorilla, a
singing robot, and a student with more than a passing resemblance to
Freddy Mercury, CROMARTIE HIGH is sure to entertain fans of wacky
low-brow comedy.
Available in R1 from ADV.
R1 official website: <http://www25.advfilms.com/titles/cromartie/>
[Entry by Abraham Evangelista]

CRUSHER JOE: Old-style comic-book action from the writers that
later went on to create DIRTY PAIR: Feature movie and two OAV
episodes available, from the TV series about team Crusher and their
leader Joe, four mercenaries (and one robot) who'll tackle any job in
the galaxy that needs doing, no matter how impossible ... *especially*
if impossible. Available from AnimEigo.
[Entry by Derek Janssen]

CYBER CITY OEDO 808: In a world dominated by the criminal element,
the forces of law and order turn to setting criminals up to work off
their penalties by becoming unwilling foot soldiers in the march
against crime. Three such criminals are followed in this series, each
with a mission to complete within a given period of time, otherwise a
device locked on their necks will make sure they do not get another
chance. With each successful mission, a portion of their sentences is
erased. (Manga)
[Entry by Chika]

D

THE DAICHIS: see EARTH DEFENSE FAMILY

DAMEKKO DOUBUTSU: Zen-Zen! Dame-Dame! Turning the roles of the
animal kingdom on thier heads, DAMEKKO DOUBUTSU tells the story of
Uruno the cowardly wolf, who moves into the forest of misfit animals.
Befriended by Usahara (a delinquent bunny who smokes), and Chiiko (a
clumsy and slow cheetah), Uruno fits in perfectly with his
not-quite-right neighbors.
Cute and funny, DAMEKKO DOBUTSU's five-minute episodes are perfect
for comedy fans trying to squeeze in a quick fix.
[Entry by Abraham Evangelista]

DEARS: A year ago, an alien spacecraft crashed just off the
Japanese coast. The (humanoid) survivors, calling themselves "DearS",
started to integrate themselves into human society. Now, xenophobic
high-school student Takeya discovers and takes pity on a nearly-naked
girl, and lets her follow him home before he discovers that she's a
DearS with no knowledge of Earth's customs who has decided to become
his property ...
Starting from a cliched and explotative premise, DEARS tells a
story of tolerance, understanding, and finally acceptance of other
people's feelings and lifestyles. The series does spend a lot of time
on the various possible relationships between men and women, and many
of the DearS are depicted as physically desirable, but these parts of
the story are a "bedroom farce" in the style of the old "Carry On"
movies rather than a sex romp. (However, since it *is* a bedroom
farce, you probably don't want to show the series to your pre-teen
children unless your family is very open about sex.)
DEARS is a 13-episode series, available in R1 from Geneon.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]

DETECTIVE CONAN: see MEITANTEI CONAN

DEVIL HUNTER YOHKO (a.k.a. MAMONO HUNTER YOHKO): Mano Yohko is
your average Japanese High-School girl. However, what she doesn't
know is that she's 108th in the line of Devil Hunters, women who must
battle supernatural demons to keep the world safe. Silly more than
scary, and not without the ecchi (sexual) overtones and occasional
violence, this is a fun but fluffy series. No grand concepts, just
silly, occasionally dramatic fun. However, the sex and violence
prevent it from being ideal for the kiddies. 5 episodes plus one tape
of music videos. Subbed. From ADV Films.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
[PARENTAL ADVISORY: The first OAV *almost* qualifies for inclusion
in the Anime Hentai Primer, because of one scene that is inappropriate
for younger viewers. - Rob Kelk]

DIGIMON: Seven children are suddenly ripped from summer camp to a
strange land which is in danger from the domination of an evil
creature. Coming to their aid are seven creatures that, upon suitable
stimulus, grow and change and gain all sorts of powers. These are the
Digimon (or Digital Monsters). The series is a little drawn as each
enemy defeated reveals another and, in the course of fighting one
particular enemy, an eighth member is added to the group. This series
was dubbed in a number of languages and is shown on TV in the US, UK
and mainland Europe.
[Entry by Chika]

DIRTY PAIR: Humanity has abandoned Earth and spread across the
galaxy, but that doesn't mean there aren't any problems any more. One
of the most successful troubleshooting teams is the "Lovely Angels",
two teenaged girls who have a near-perfect success record. However,
they also have a reputation of blowing up everything they touch (which
isn't fair - only about a third of their missions end with something
being destroyed, and it's never their fault), which has lead to their
unofficial and hated nickname of the "Dirty Pair". Two action series
(the original DIRTY PAIR and the remake DIRTY PAIR FLASH) and a North
American comic series exist, based on the novels by Takachiho Haruka.
More information about the Dirty Pair is available at the website
"Tea Time in Elenore City", <http://www.elenorecity.com/home.html>.
The North American rights to the OAVs, the movies, and FLASH are
now owned by ADV Films. The comics are available from Dark Horse.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]

DNA^2: Series based on Masakazu Katsura's manga of the same name.
Earth is overpopulated in the future, and that's all because of one
guy - the Mega-Playboy, who was irresistible to women, and was the
father of one hundred children, each of them also was a father/mother
of another hundred ... you get the picture. But Karin Aoi, a DNA
operator sent to the past to eliminate that threat, found that the
Mega-Playboy, usual Japanese high-school student Junta Momonari, isn't
a Mega-Playboy, moreover, he throws up every time when he see a women
in any state close to nakedness (bikinis and aerobic leotards
included), except for his childhood friend Ami Kurimoto. But Karin
discovers this *after* she shot Junta with DNA Control Medicine ...
the *wrong* one. So she turned Junta to Mega-Playboy with her own
hands and should convert him back ... but has fallen to his charm too.
Only Ami can resist that charm. Classical romantic comedy, which
Katsura is well known for. But I didn't recommend seeing the last
three eps. Because of low rating show was stopped and those three
episodes were released only on video to end the story and did it so
badly ...
Licenced by USMC in North America.
[Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo]

DOCTOR SLUMP AND ARALE-CHAN: 1981-86 and 1997-99 series by Toei.
It's all about a loony & pervy inventor named Senbe Norimaki and his
creation Arale; a robot girl who's powerful enough to put a crack in
the world and loves playing with turds. They live in the Penguin
Village, a truly bizarre place populated by anthropomorpic animals,
aliens, superheroes, and other odd characters. Arale gets into a lot
of misadventures with her friends Akane, Taro, Psuke, and Ga-chan (a
little angel that eats anything except rubber, and later duplicates
itself). Based on the manga by Akira Toriyama.
Arale, Senbe, and the rest of the Penguin Village appears in DRAGON
BALL during the Red Ribbon storyline. DR. SLUMP is highly
recommended.
[Entry by Andrew Kieswetter]

DOKOKADE NAKUSHITA AITSU NO AITSU: see DNA^2

DOMINION: Two OVA series (4-part DOMINION, available from US Manga
Corps, and 6-part NEW DOMINION, previously available from Manga Video)
tell us how hard the life of a SWAT team member in a big city in
near-future Japan could be ... especially if you're piloting huge
battle tanks on the narrow streets of Newport City. Based on Masamune
Shirow's manga of the same name, it is a lighthearted and sometimes
twisted police comedy which is definitely worth seeing, even if the
manga is mush better. Some people, however, says it's a bit too
violent (and it's true: in the first episode, tank cops torture a drug
dealer with hand grenades playing golf around him, and title of
Captain Brenten's favourite book is "How to Kill".)
Note: This may be set in the same city and the same time as
Shirow's GHOST IN THE SHELL manga - the Puma sisters, two cyborg-babe
villains in DOMINION, have a cameo appearance in GitS where they fight
with Motoko's fuchikoma.
[Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo]

DRAGON BALL: The first series concerning the adventures of Son
Goku, a strange child who, in his earliest days, possesses a tail.
When he runs into Bulma (or "Bloomers"), he gets involved in the
search for Dragon Balls, mystical stones that, when collected
together, can be used to call forth a magical dragon who can then
grant your hearts' desire. Heavily involved in martial arts, Goku's
main part in all this is to fight off a variety of monsters and other
opponents to gain these balls while learning his fighting skills.
This series was dubbed into a number of languages and has been shown
on TV in mainland Europe and the US.
Licenced in North America by FUNimation.
[Entry by Chika]

DRAGON BALL Z: Moving on from the original DRAGON BALL series,
this series opens when Goku's long lost brother, Raditz, shows up on
Earth during a reunion party and declares that he intends to destroy
the planet. The ensuing battle is the first of many that Goku and his
son Gohan have to deal with, including the discovery of Piccolo's home
planet and the destructive battles with Freeza there as well as the
intervention on Earth by future son Trunks, the android wars and so
forth. Far more violent than the original series, and the Freeza war
in particular is panned by some for being too long. Again, dubbed for
TV in Europe and the US as well as UK, where it started Toonami on
Cartoon Network there.
Licenced in North America by FUNimation.
[Entry by Chika]

DRAGON HALF: Absolutely whacked comedy playing off everything from
fairy tale world to "idol singers". Lots of visual gags, lots of
nuttiness, lots of fun. Note: this is a *very* disorienting title to
many viewers because the style of animation frequently shifts to
punctuate the gags; some people even find it difficult to connect the
character in one frame drawn in 'realistic' style to the same
character in the next frame, drawn in a deliberately crude, cartoony
style. If you want a hilarious hour of goofy humor, however, you
really should check this out. Note: Only two OAVs were ever produced
in Japan, and they are released domestically on a single tape or DVD.
Available from ADV Films.
[Entry by Antaeus Feldspar]

DUNBINE: see AURA BATTLER DUNBINE

E

EARLY REINS: If you love classic bullets-flying-everywhere Western
movies and good-looking anime girls, this one's for you. No steampunk
or any other modern trappings (unless you count one character's short
skirt, and even then, no panty shots). Very reverent (but not without
a sense of humour), very entertaining, very recommended. One OAV.
[Entry by David Watson]

EARTH DEFENSE FAMILY (a.k.a. THE DAICHIS): A very different take
on the classic "fighting team defending the Earth" theme as the
Daichis, a contemporary and very dysfunctional Japanese family, are
unexpectedly offered the opportunity to turn their lives around by
becoming a team of masked fighters who must defend the Earth against
an alien invasion. But nothing is what it seems - the agreement to
become the "Earth Defense Team" turns out to be a very Faustian
bargain, the family finds out that their own problems don't go away
just because they can beat some alien monsters, and in the end the
divisions within the Daichis threaten the Earth itself. EARTH DEFENSE
FAMILY is masterful and thoroughly entertaining mix of action, comedy
and social commentary.
Available in North America from Geneon.
[Entry by Dave Baranyi]

EARTH GIRL ARJUNA: Juna Ariyoshi is involved in a mysterious
motorbike accident with her boyfriend Tokio. She awakens to find
herself "dead", and privy to a horrifying vision of the destruction of
Earth's environment by man, and controlled by fearsome worm-like
creatures known as Rajah. She is given a second chance at life by
the apparition of Chris Horken, a crippled telepath, if she agrees to
become the Avatar of Time and protect Earth from the Rajah. But Juna
is not at ease with this role - although she utilises her power to
save Tokio, she is petrified of the monstrous Rajah, and has
difficulty reconciling her environmental awareness and protection with
her modern life - how would you feel if you heard the voices of all
the creatures killed to make your food each time you ate? An
extremely high budget shows through in the detailed character
animation and computer effects - although some rendering doesn't mesh
very well - and another high quality soundtrack from Yoko Kanno
present an extremely polished show. However, the environmental
message can become extremely heavy handed, which aggravates many
viewers - this thought-provoking "magical girl" show tends to polarise
viewers.
ARJUNA is available in North America from Bandai, and in Australia
from Madman.
[Entry by Andrew Hollingbury]

EL HAZARD: Makoto is your average high-school kid. A bit of a
nebbish, he likes Nanami and is constantly hounded by her big brother
Jinnai, though not about Nanami per se. Makoto and several of his
classmates get sucked through a portal to another world where he and
his friends each seem to manifest a superpower. There is a war going
on between the human people of the world and the insect-like Bugrom.
Makoto and his friends try to help the humans, aided by the three
priestesses of Muldoon, while Jinnai ends up on the wrong side,
helping the Bugrom. Hilarity, action and adventure ensue, including
the discovery of an ancient evil power, a woman named Ifurita who only
Makoto can defeat. Good art and animation. Silly and fun. This
summary applies only to the OVA version; there is also a TV series
with the same characters. Comedic violence only. Seven OVAs. From
Geneon.
[Entry by Ben Cantrick]
[PARENTAL ADVISORY: Some characters in this OAV series have what
has come to euphemistically be called "alternative lifestyles", and
not all of them are villains. If this bothers you or your children,
watch the TV series EL HAZARD: THE WANDERERS instead of the OAV
series. - Rob Kelk]

ELFEN LIED: The series begins with Lucy's escape from a maximum
security facility, a bloody, violent escape that begins a
heart-wrenching 13 episode series. After her escape, Lucy ends up on
a beach to be found naked and bleeding by Kouta and Yuka. However,
she no longer has Lucy's adult personality - it has been replaced by
Nyu, a naive child-like personality. Kouta and Yuka take Nyu in to
Kouta's home (an old Japanese inn), setting the stage for an unfolding
love story with unimaginable pain.
Lucy's escape brings a wide cast to the stage. One of the most
lovable is Nana. From the beginning, her arc is one of unimaginable
pain. She has spawned a following of web comics called "Nana's
Everyday Life" that are a must-see for fans of the anime. Nana
befriends a runaway, Mayu, who is also befriended by Kouta and Yuka,
bringing them all together under the same roof. The relationships
between Kouta, Yuka and Lucy are unraveled over the 13 episodes. At
times it is shocking and disturbing; the revelation of Mayu's past is
possibly the worst one to watch.
ADV has released a fine four-DVD set with a good English dub of the
series. They did, however, leave out an episode that was not shown on
Japanese TV, but included in the last Japanese DVD as an extra. That
episode is available as a fansub and worth watching when you complete
the series; it has a good bit of context for Lucy/Nyu. The DVD
edition has more gore than the TV version. When the anime ended the
series was still appearing in Young Animal; it finished its run in
December 2005 and is now available in 14 bound volumes in Japan.
[Entry by Bobby Clark]
PARENTAL ADVISORY: Definitely *NOT* for children. This series has
gruesome, bloody death scenes, violent dismemberments, and nudity in
non-consensual sexual settings.
R1 official website: <http://www25.advfilms.com/titles/elfenlied/>

EMMA: In Victorian England, a young nobleman, William Jones, pays
a visit to his old governess' house in central London, where he
becomes captivated by her maid, Emma, and vice versa. However,
William's family is pushing for him to marry a girl of his own
ranking, Eleanor Campbell, and William's friend (and Indian prince)
Hakim also takes an interest in Emma. Can any kind of relationship
flourish between William and Emma across such a cultural divide?
EMMA is a short yet sweet period romance, not exactly typical anime
material. Unfortunately, due to budget problems, it only lasts for 12
episodes, thus not finishing the manga storyline (the ending is a good
stopping point, however). That said, the short length of the series
means that it's extremely polished - the attention to period detail is
exquisite (there's no mangling of English whatsoever, which must be a
first for anime!), and animation and music are top notch. It is quite
slowly paced and entirely character and dialogue-focused, so not a
series for action junkies, but Emma is a very well
crafted romantic drama.
All 12 episodes are available fansubbed. EMMA is currently
unlicensed in Region 1 - the first 6 episodes are currently available
on DVD in Japan.
[Entry by Andrew Hollingbury]

ENDLESS WALTZ: see GUNDAM WING

ESCAFLOWNE: see VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE

EVANGELION: see NEON GENESIS EVANGELION

EXCEL SAGA: This anime is an example of insanity in motion. Each
episode is a parody of different styles of anime, and in the first
episode the heroine, Excel Excel dies several times, then goes off to
kill her manga artist (talk about breaking down the 'fourth wall').
In later episodes you meet others that get involved in the story, and
she's joined by Hyatt, a girl that dies about as much as possible, but
she keeps on getting back up. Not to mention the fact that she keeps
a stray dog named Menchi as an emergency food supply. Released by ADV
in North America.
[Entry by Bill Martin]
[PARENTAL ADVISORY: ADV Films quite properly rated this show at
"17+". Many episodes have a high violence quotient, some of the
language is inappropriate for minors, and the final episode should be
listed in the Anime Hentai Primer. Definitely NOT for children. - Rob
Kelk]

EYESHIELD 21: This is a traditional sports anime about a kid who
learns to believe in himself and become a winner, but at the same time
it is also a comedy with a bizarre twist - it's about a group of
misfit Japanese high school kids forming a team to play "American
Football" in their Japanese high school. So you not only have all of
the usual "Gambatte! Gambarimasu!" ("Do your best! I'll do my best!")
sort of stuff, but also an attempt to give a Japanese youth audience a
crash course in American-style football. The result is a
spectacularly funny comedy, both deliberately - due to the wacky cast
of misfits - and also unintentionally, because of the ongoing attempts
to explain the rules and concepts of American football during the
eyecatches and off-and-on during the story line.
First year high school student Sena has always relied upon his
older female friend Mamori to protect him. And when Mamori isn't
around, Sena has learned to run away from trouble because he is
smaller than most of the bullies that bother him. But now that Sena
is in high school he no longer wants to be "protected by a girl" and
allows himself to be talked into joining his high school's American
Football team, which has few players, never wins, and is almost
unknown in the high school. But Sena's "running away" has developed
him into a phenomenon - he can out-run most pursuers and can thread
his way through most obstacles, including football defensive teams.
Because of that, the fanatical and demonic captain of the high school
football team, Hiruma, decides to rebuild the team around Sena, with
Sena disguised as the mysterious running back "Eyeshield 21".
What results from this is a fast-paced, unpretentious story with
surprisingly adept character development and smart, consistent comedy.
Add to this reasonably good animation and a lively soundtrack and you
have a nice bit of old-fashioned fun done in a thoroughly up-to-date
manner. So forget about anything you ever knew about American High
School Football, sit back, grab a bottle of "sports water", and enjoy
the action.
Official Japanese website: <http://jump.shueisha.co.jp/eyeshield/>
[Entry by Dave Baranyi]

F

FAKE: A very gay detective story with young man and woman in care
of the officers in an alternate version of NYC.
The senior detective, who is in love with the younger who is
Japanese-American, sets up a vacation for both in England. He bribes
the young man to stay behind so that he and the object of his
affection can enjoy a truly romantic weekend.
Too bad the hotel they have chosen is the scene of a mystery which
has attracted the attention of a senior officer of the NY State
Police. A woman vanishes and then the kids show up to prevent
seduction.
Well the vacation is already spoiled when a flaming fellow officer
insists on following them to the site and they get a harsh suprise on
their return to the station house.
Very amusing!
One 60 minute OAV, from Anime Works
[Entry by bobbie sellers]
[PARENTAL ADVISORY: FAKE does touch on male/male romantic
relationships, but it's clean. There isn't even any nudity in it past
the occasional male chest. - David Watson]

FAM AND IHRIE: see RUIN EXPLORERS

FANCY LALA: FANCY LALA is the story of a girl and her magic
sketch book. I think that cleared all of the DBZ heads out. For the
rest of you, no, there are no magical princesses fighting evil by
moonlight, nor are there any convoluted love polygons. What we have
here is a simple show about how a young girl, Shinohara Miho (all
names in Japanese name order) obtains the power to grow just a bit
older from some 'funny dinosaurs' (Pigu and Mogu, her wise helpers ...
yea right, they spend more time arguing and eating all the food than
helping) and her not so meteoric rise to stardom. Her alter ego's
name is Lala, for short (Fancy Lala in full). She's got powers that
every little girl would want: growing older, drawing all the cool
clothes you could ever want with a magic pen (just say Dabu Dabu and
the clothes become real!) and meeting all your favorite stars (in
Miho's case it's the fabulous male idol, Aikawa Hiroya).
However, this show's best aspect is its unusual realness. Lala's
rise to stardom is no instant success. It's a lot of hard work full
of bright lights, pushy stars, and time spent away from friends. Her
time as Miho isn't all sugar sweetness wrapped in a candy cane either.
Miho's a rather real little girl, genki or not, and she gets
frustrated and tired. An interesting point is the depth of character
is actually accentuated by Miho having two forms. Seeing how
characters react to each form shows their characters in more detail
than otherwise would be possible. That's it, except for maybe that
mysterious guy ... (Fushigi-san, called 'Mystery Man' in the
commercial version). Maybe he has something to do with Miho's
spectacular transformation? This 26 episode series was on Japanese TV
in 1998, and now is released in the US by Bandai Entertainment. An
extra note: it's a homage to CREAMY MAMI, a 1983 magical girl show
along the same lines (both done by Studio Pierrot).
[Entry by Hana no Kaitou]

FIGURE 17: Some young anime girls get wands or pens that let them
transform into powerful fighters. Tsubasa got a twin sister.
This anime takes place in rural Hokkaido, a quiet place just right
for slow character development, quiet childhood life, and the
occasional fight against an alien menace that could destroy the
planet. And shy, out-of-her-element Tsubasa is caught in the middle
of it all when her father moves there and an alien spacecraft crashes.
After getting that "twin sister" (actually an alien AI), who names
herself Hikaru, Tsubasa spends most of her screen time learning how to
open up to her new classmates, and about close friendship. However,
there's still the alien menace to be dealt with, and it seems that
only Hikaru and Tsubasa, working together as "Figure 17", are up to
the challenge.
FIGURE 17 will seem familiar to old-school anime fans; the show was
originally presented as one 50-minute episode every month, so the
pacing is very much like the original OAV anime series of the 1980s.
(However, the anime was first released to cable television, not to
video.) The production values are state of the art for the turn of
the millennium, though. The show also doesn't pigeonhole into
convenient genres; it's roughly equally a "coming of age" story and an
"intense battle" story.
[PARENTAL ADVISORY: There is some violence, and people do die.
Please preview the show before letting pre-teens watch it.]
13 episodes, available in North America on six DVDs from Anime
Works.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]

FIRE TRIPPER: One of the more serious of the "Rumik World" stories
by Rumiko Takahashi. A young woman gets sent back in time to feudal
Japan, but how? And what happened to the young boy that was with her?
Was available from USMC.
[Entry by Rob Kelk]

FLCL: What makes a boy a man: older women, baseball and rock and
roll. FLCL is a hilarious, surreal comedy from GAINAX (NEON GENESIS
EVANGELION, KARE KANO).
Naota is a 12-year old boy in a boring town that has the steam-iron
shaped Medical Mechanica factory as its most distinguishing feature.
He lives in the shadow of his older brother, a local baseball star who
went to America, and his life is going nowhere. He spends most of his
time hanging around with his brother's ex-girlfriend, Mamimi, and
being manipulated by Ninamori, the class president.
Then *she* comes to town, Haruko Harurura. Riding an Italian Vespa
scooter and carrying a wicked electric guitar she starts like a
chainsaw, she enters Naota's life and turns it and the town upside
down. Just what is it she wants with Medical Machinica and why do
robots keep bursting from Naota's head!?
Visually, it is as if Chuck Jones decided to make anime. It's
wild, frenetic and full of hilarious sight gags, but it's also a
coming of age story. It will remind you of your awkward "tween" years
as you discovered the opposite sex, feeling cynical about adults and
the question, "Where do you want to go with your life?"
Available in North America from Synch-Point.
[Entry by Travers Naran]

FRUITS BASKET: This is a shoujo story about an orphaned girl who
is taken in by a wealthy clan that has been cursed to transform into
animals from the Chinese zodiac. While there are the usual tropes of
growing up in the face of loss and dealing with being an outsider,
FRUITS BASKET treats it with a wry sense of humour, an excellent cast
of characters and genuine warmth. But despite the overall cheeriness
of the series, there are darker undercurrents to the story and some
powerful moments when the characters utterly break down in the face of
something they can't deal with.
Licenced in North America by FUNimation.
[Entry by Michael Lo]

FULL METAL ALCHEMIST: In a world where Alchemy developed as a
science, Ed and Al Elric, sons of a powerful but shadowy and vanished
alchemist, set off on a quest to find the secret for creating the
Philosopher's Stone in order to attempt to right a terrible mistake
that they made. But this is a dangerous land in turmoil, with
rebellious factions, military government and mysterious puppet masters
all conspiring to unknown ends. FMA is a grand fantasy adventure-
drama of, on one hand hubris and Faustian bargains, and on the other
hand love and loyalty. Great characters, intricate and intelligent
plotting, humor interspersed with drama, a classic sound track and a
powerful conclusion make this one of my all time favourite anime.
Licenced in North America by FUNimation.
[Entry by Dave Baranyi]

FULL METAL PANIC: Popular high school girl Chidori Kaname,
unbeknownst to her, is one of a group of people called the Whispered.
The Whispered are people who have buried in their memories knowledge
of Black Technology, military technology so advanced and powerful that
the nations of the world will go to any extreme to get their hands on
it. To protect Kaname from falling into the wrong hands a covert
anti-terrorist organization called Mithril assigns a bodyguard to
watch over and protect Kaname without her knowledge. Unfortunately
the person they select for the job is Sagara Sousuke, a teenager who
has spent his entire life on battlefields and military camps.
Consequently he has no concept of how to cope with ordinary civilian
life. Needless to say Sousuke's reactions to even the merest
perception of a threat are extreme. As a result he proceeds to turn
Kaname's life completely upside down while defending her against some
of the nastiest terrorists ever to appear in anime. This has the
apparent effect of having Kaname start to fall in love with him.
Anyway Sousuke's military skills are unparalleled and he is expert in
this world's preferred combat mech, the Arm Slave.
Licenced by ADV Films; trailer available at ADV's Trailers page
(<http://www.advfilms.com/cool_stuff/trailers.asp>).
[Entry by Kyle Thomas Pope]
R1 official websites:
* First series: <http://www.full-metal-panic.com/>
* Sequel series: <http://www25.advfilms.com/titles/fumoffu/>

FUSHIGI NO UMI NO NADIA: see NADIA

FUSHIGI YUUGI (a.k.a. MYSTERIOUS PLAY): One of the most emotional
anime of all time, truly heartwrenching, though it does delve into sap
a little by the end. The anime focuses on a young girl, Miaka, who
gets pulled into an ancient Chinese text and becomes a part of the
story - a priestess, in fact, of one of the book world's four gods,
Suzaku. When she tries to get out, her best friend Yui is taken in
her place! Miaka goes back in after her, but things have happened
since Miaka returned to the real world ... With her guardians, the
Suzaku Shichiseishi, and her love Tamahome, Miaka must go through many
trials in order to regain both peace for her warring kingdom, and her
best friend as well. (Geneon)
[Entry by KireiSarah]

(continued in part 3)

- --
Rob Kelk <http://robkelk.ottawa-anime.org/> e-mail: s/deadspam/gmail/
"I'm *not* a kid! Nyyyeaaah!" - Skuld (in "Oh My Goddess!" OAV #3)
"When I became a man, I put away childish things, including the fear
of childishness and the desire to be very grown-up." - C.S. Lewis

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