The Wind Rises

It's Halloween here today but apart from having a ghoulish time of it tonight I have a new anime to watch.

A little different than most because it is very much about Jiro a Japanese aeronautical designer who worked for Mitshibushi who was inspired by the Italian Caproni who because he'd been nearsighted from a young age wasn't able to become a pilot joins the company in 1927.
He goes on to become one of the world's most innovative and accomplished airplane designers and in that respect this anime by Hayao Miyazaki is a tribute to him.
A seconary interest in this anime, unexpected and much appreciated by me watching it is the romance between Jiro and Nahoko who is ill with tuberculosis marrying her. Some of the scenes showing his love for her during periods where she was very ill are really moving.
The anime, chronicles much of his life time, the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, the Great Depression and the entrance of Japan into war in 1937.
The film also explores the growing friendship between him and his colleague Honja.
While some have criticized this anime for being ambivalent on what Jiro designed, warplanes that were a important part of Japan's war machinery, the overall message is one of how war only brings down countries and anti war opinions are voiced.
Overall I thought this was a really good anime, a fitting tribute not just to Jiro but also to the director.

Happy halloween folks!

Rabbit time.

Ha! Rabbit holes mean different things to different people I guess such as my part of Cheshire  has lots of them thanks to the Brine salt mining heritage that left us with that sinking feeling.
Alice this last week a friend of mine online had her Rabbit moment when a pet rabbit escaped so covered from head to toe in Alice attire, she goes to find it only to be seen by the mailman. He's not phazed by it!!!  I once had a pet rabbit with a long run too.
Alice has also been an inspiration for many a manga or anime too either as a whole theme or sole character.
I love this illustration a lot so while slowly recovering from a rotten illness I thought I'd share it with you while Beaconsfield fights it out  to mark (or not) the 75 years since Enid Blyton moved into that Buckinghamshire town.

Happy Halloween

Yes's it's that day in the year where the ghouls all come out and I stock up on candy to dole out.
Happy Halloween people!

Some of us can't get enough Fairy Tail!

The saving a dollar entry

Yes folks I'm not alone if your blogs are anything to go by that we like even need sometimes to save a bit of money to ensure we've enough to do the things we really enjoy what with increasing grocery and utility bills and what not.

I'll start of with something that has always troubled me in connection with computing and that is the high price of the manufacturers ink you buy for your printer with it being sometimes as dear as the price of newer discounted printer itself.
Faced with a bill in the region of £50 or more Pounds GBP to get it reloaded, I looked around and found I could get remanufactured ones much much cheaper and what's more they even had typical twice as much ink in them.
Jet Tec in England has a very good reputation for it's replacement cartridges  especially for the quality of the ink they use which is where replacement ink has been criticized before.
Jet Tec
I bought a black and colour set that came to about GBP 17.99 including shipping and they're great meaning I can get on using it for less than I paid last time fior the black cartridge alone with double the capacity for good measure so they'll last longer.
Cool, eh?

Cheap anime: Funimation in the States has a budget line called S.A.V.E for older titles so for thiosw whose dvd player will do Region 1 discs you can save a bit too while building a collection.
One I really liked  was this:
THE GALAXY RAILWAYS

 "The Galaxy railways" is an adventure series set in as the title suggest on the Galaxy Railways, linking all the galaxies together by railroad with a team of crack railway security people, the SDF, whose job it is to keep them safe for terrorists and the like.
Surprisingly this title has never been issued in the UK but can be bought from UK Amazon as well as Amazon.com

Suzuka

This anime is one I've just completed watching over the last few weeks having bought it a while back.
It's in Funimation's really cheap re-issue series called S.A.V.E and was not issued in it's entirety in the UK as ADV who had a license only issued the first three before hitting financial problems and dropped it.
The best way to describe this anime is really a slice of life school romantic comedy albeit one set around a track and field school club.
If you remember high school you just might recall relationship status and how to improve them figured a lot in your thoughts as well as peer popularity pressure. Our hero is Yamato who has moved to Tokyo to attend high school but is very clumsy with relationships, a bit immature and not to put too fine a point on it a slacker.
Yamato has just moved in with his Auntie at an all girl bath house and he has fallen head over heels in love with Suzaka, the school's number one athlete. One problem - she hardly realizes he exists. In an attempt to try and win over the girl, Yamato tries his hand at sports and finds that he has a hidden talent when it comes to sprinting. Not only this, but he soon becomes the object of love and admiration from TWO other girls at school , while Suzuka battles with her conflicting emotions over him.
It may hardly be groundbreaking but it has a good heart, is hugely enjoyable as RomComs go and shows it's never too late for the loser to be the first cross the finishing line.

Meet the gang!

Soul Eaters

Maka Alburn Meister from Soul Eaters.

Eventually I got around to finishing off the Soul Eater series.
A recent arrival here, I have just finished watching all 13 episodes on this two dvd anime set.
Produced by studio Bones who've given us Fullmetal Alchemist and Cowboy Be-Bop this is an innovative series that keeps you glued to the seat of your pants.
 Adapted from Atsushi Okubo's Soul Eater manga, the series is set in Death City where the Death Weapons Meisters Academy (DWMA) an institution where spiritually charged students change into weapons or have the ability to wield them.
The lessons are a bit unusual in that students have to hunt down Kishin (demons that consume the souls of innocent living in order to increase their own powers) however if a student wear to defeat 99 kishin and eat their souls AND then eat the soul of an evil Witch for their 100th meal, they evolve into a Death Scythe an extremely powerful form used by Lord Death himself.
The main characters Maka and Soul are an odd couple but they kind of get along which just as well for a Meister and her weapon!
I enjoyed watching the this part of the series as we were slowly introduced to all the characters and their personalities.
Manga issued it over here as a two dvd set in a single regular case which apart from taking up less space than stand alone discs is actually cheaper (Amazon, HMV and Play were doing it for 14.99 shipped) and should encourage folk to keep with properly licensed discs.
I'd give this set 8/10.

Background: Set in the Shinigami technical school for weapon meisters, the series revolves around 3 groups of each a weapon meister and a human weapon. Trying to make the latter a "Death Scythe" and thus fit for use by the Shinigami, they must collect the souls of 99 evil humans and 1 witch. Soul Eater is an anime that centres around meisters and their weapons and their mission to collect 99 evil souls and 1 witch soul. Upon doing that the meister's weapons will become a Deathscythe, which is the highest title for a weapon. Maka, Soul Eater, Black Star, Tsubaki, Death the Kid, and Patty and Liz Thompson are the characters Soul Eater revolves around. Besides taking the time to gather souls these students of Shibusen defend Death City from some of the most powerful of creatures while still attending school and trying to become stronger. 
*Originally written July 1st 2010
I bought volumes 2 and three upon day of issue.

 Volume four sees the DWMA forced into making a deal via Medusa offering Lord Death vital information about the Kishin in exchange for her safety. After she leaves, the increasingly crazed Stein wanders out after her with the manipulative witch Medusa (who is Crona's evil mother) for the location of the Kishin an Arachne's base of operations, Baba Yaga Castle. Meanwhile Doctor Stein loses himself to madness and Crona decides to take on some responsibility.

Soon everyone is preparing for their own missions: Black Star, Tsubaki, Soul Eater and Maka are going to join Death's armies, and attack Arachne and the Kishin; Death the Kid heads for a devastated city to retrieve the last magical item; and Crona and Marie set out to rescue Stein from Medusa. Both Kid and Maka are having doubts about whether they're doing the right thing, especially since Maka is worried about what will happen when Crona encounters his evil mother.

As we watch we see the main main characters maturing in their own ways. Maka and Death the Kid begin to doubt everything they've ever been taught, including their trust in Lord Death. Soul has to deal with his inner imp once and for all, and Crona desperately tries to atone for his sins against his friends as well as growing more confident in his body. Even Black Star is confronted by a rather sinister anecdote about his late father (who had a very similar personality), but refuses to give up.
It's been a inviting series that nevers lets up to the final end.

Rozen Maiden 1 & 2 with Traumend

There are two strings to this story: That of an exquisite doll that wants to meet her maker and that of a young boyand his exquisite doll as they strive toward helping each other.

Sakurada Jun is suffering from depression and is out of school. His life revolves around the internet an ordering stuff thast he returns just in time to avoid payments. Through this he meets Shinku a living doll of the Rozen Maiden series and becomes indebted to her. She was made by a mysterious but very talented doll maker.

I'm currently enjoying this part two of the first series of Rozen Maiden released this month in the UK.

This sees Jun repair the damaged Shinku, Suiseiseki and her twin sister Souseiseki as they deal with Souseiseki's Master plus the manipulative Suigintou.

In the final three episodes centre around Shinku and Suigintou's final confrontation.

This the region 1 US issue of the second series of Rozen Maiden on Geneon that arrived here recently.
If I'd of know the UK distributor, MVM were going to issue it soon which they are I'd of held off getting this import as the US edition uses three discs with four episodes per disc compared to 6 over here. If you enjoyed series one you'll need this.








*Updated May 16 2010 by Jo 

Kanon

This was a four disc region 1 dvd set I got for Christmas and have been watching recently.

The story is narrated through Yuichi who hasn't seen his cousin Nayuki in years. Upon his return seemingly all his knowledge of ever visiting has vanished. He senses something vaguely familiar around his surroundings trying his best to adjust but his memory gaps haunt him as time grows ever short.

He sees in time the pieces of this puzzle, the mysterious girl with the winged backpack, a sword wielding dragon slayer and an eerie silent beauty with blazing tresses but it's up to Yuichi to discover how all these pieces of the puzzle fit together.

Diamond Daydreams

Well this was a dvd that I always wanted to get but wasn't able until now as it not issued over here and the individual imported discs were quite expensive.Based on a story by Ohji Hiroi, this is a collection of tales about six woman in the Northern Japanese island of Hokkaido telling of their trials of love, loss and life.

Meet the women:
Atsuko.
A hard working, fun loving woman who tries not to let life get too complicated discovers an approaching arranged marriage to a self centred Hotelier. Another man mature and passionate becomes a part of her life too and she torn between them.She has to battle between wanting the comfort of firm stability and the pain of a wanting heart.
Karin.
She is very ill and her Physician doesn't seem to doing much for her either medically or emotionally being cocky and aloof to her needs.The only thing that keeps her going is her Blog on the Internet as only there does she find some warmth and sanity in her cold confined state.In time her blog develops a following that leads to her meeting a new friend that is kind and caring. She feels this is the one she's been longing for however when she mets him face to face things aren't what they seem.
Kyoko.
She's an aspiring young filmmaker to whom creating compelling stories and capturing them in an engaging way is her only goal in life.Passionate about this she will stop at nothing to make it happen, spending the college days obsessed with her craft and neglecting all else around her. As her unbridled passion for directing grows the rift between her, colleagues and friends widens. It seems by focusing on her craft she's lost the her touch with the intimacy of her world that a true master of the cinema needs to draw their inspiration.
Suomi.
You could say she was born to be on the ice commanding her skates to glide using her grace and strength with a delicate ease. In her childhood she with her friend Hanna often dreamed of winning skating tournaments and sharing medals when they grew up.This is well in past now and her star has faded as has her friendship with Hanna. Life indeed has moved on.
Suomi senses an opportunity to perform again but she is engulfed by a flood of memories taking her back to her humble beginnings, her once beautiful friend, Hanna and to a promise made long ago.
Shoko.
She's a radio presenter doing an agony aunt style show which is very successful, is held in high regard by her listeners and indeed you could say she really couldn't ask for a better job.
We learn that she is having an affair with a married man and this relationship already shaky grows further so, she's forced ask herself some very importantly and emotionally painful questions.
Akari.
Ever since the death of her mother she's lives alone with her father. She works during the day at the local confectionery and while not there does household chores and takes care of her father.
Her father is an unsuccessful gold digger,.
To make things worse he is a drunk, spending the majority of his time and Akari's money at the bar at the end of their street where every night he gets into fights after drinking a lot resulting in him being kicked out.
Faithfully Akari picks him up and takes him home putting him to bed.
You'd think it could not get any worse but when Akari find out about her fathers illness it does.

Presentation: This is on 3 dvd's in slimcases inside a slipcase so it takes up the same space as a regular dvd and is Region 1 (many players can be made all region).

What I like about this anime is it has a good storyline - it is pretty much the kind of story that in the printed form I love to read - but with the added value of the animation that helps to bring it to life.
Anime doesn't have to be all mecha, tournaments and ninjas, folks.

Soumi eats a cream bun. This anime was retitled Diamond Daydreams for the US.

Ponyo

Yes at last here is my post about this much anticipated Studio Ghilbi movie Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea.

Unfortunately for those of us living in the UK Optimum Asia the UK distributor, isn't showing the theatrical release until February 12 2010 so the DVD/Blue Ray won't be out before then at least.

Of course as we're in 2009 not 1989 this doesn't mean we can't get to see it as having been shown in the Spring in Japan followed by Summer for North America - with Disney 'English' dub - the DVD and Blue Rays are out in East Asia already.

From Hong Kong you can get the R3 DVD in NTSC and I got to see it.

Buying Asian means we lose the English dub but unless you've very young children it's really no loss and frankly I prefer to hear the original Japanese cast dialog with their intonations intact.

Pictured above is the two dvd edition issued June 7th 2010 in the UK which I own.

Let me start by saying it's very much a children's story with a good heart about acceptance of people for who and what they are are.

The animation is well up to Hayao Mayazaki's excellent standards being well drawn not being upon effects adding to the spoken narration.

I'd give this 9 out 10 as really enjoyed it.

Plot outline:

The plot centres on a fish-girl who lives in an aquarium in her father's underwater castle with numerous smaller sisters. When her father takes her and her siblings on an outing in his four-flippered submarine, she is driven by a desire to see even more of the world and swims away. She ends up stranded on the shore of a small fishing town, and is rescued by a boy named Sosuke. After taking a great liking to her, Sosuke names her Ponyo and promises to protect her forever.

Meanwhile, her father, Fujimoto, is looking for his daughter, upset that she ran away and believes the humans kidnapped her. He calls his wave spirits to return Ponyo to him. Sosuke is heartbroken by this, and goes home with his mother, Lisa (or "Risa" in some translations), who tries to cheer him up, but to no avail. Ponyo and her father have a confrontation, where Ponyo refuses to let her father call her "Brunhilda". She declares her name to be Ponyo, and voices her desire to become human because she has started to fall in love with Sosuke. Her father silences her with difficulty and goes to summon Ponyo's mother.

Meanwhile, Ponyo, with the help of her sisters, breaks away from her father, and uses his magic to make herself human. This causes an imbalance in the world, which in turn results in a huge storm. Riding on the waves of the storm, Ponyo goes back to visit Sosuke. Lisa, Sosuke, and Ponyo stay the night at Sosuke's house, hoping the storm will be over, whereupon Lisa leaves the house to check up on the residents of the nursing home where she works.

Granmamare, Ponyo's mother, arrives at Fujimoto's submarine. Fujimoto notices the moon has come out of its orbit and the satellites are falling like shooting stars. Granmamare declares that if Sosuke can pass a test, Ponyo can live as a human and the world order will be restored. If he fails, Ponyo will turn into sea foam.

Sosuke and Ponyo wake up to find that most of the land around where the house has been covered by the ocean.

Lisa has not retured home yet, so with the help of Ponyo's magic, they make Sosuke's toy boat life-size and set out to find Lisa. While travelling they see ancient extinct fish swimming, such as the Gogonasus and Licosus. After landing and finding Lisa's empty car, Ponyo and Sosuke go through a tunnel. There Ponyo loses her human form and resumes the form of a fish. Sosuke and Ponyo are taken by Fujimoto into the ocean and down to the protected nursing home where they're reunited with Lisa and meet Granmamare, both of whom had just had a long private conversation.

Granmamare asks Sosuke if he can love Ponyo even if she is a fish or human. Sosuke replies that he "loves all the Ponyos".

Granmamare then allows Ponyo to become human once Ponyo kisses Sosuke on the surface. The film ends with Ponyo jumping up and kissing Sosuke, turning while still in the air into a little girl.

Aww. That was cute!
The UK DVD comes out July 8th 2010 and I hope to get a copy.

Cardcaptor Sakura

I am currently enjoying this anime first show in a heavily westernized from as Cardcaptors on Children's ITV in 2002.

Sakura Kinomoto was an ordinary 4th grader until the day she opened a strange book and let dozens of powerful magic cards loose on the world. Keroberos, the Guardian of the Clow Cards, informs Sakura that it is now her responsibility to find and capture the freed cards. However, much to the reluctant Sakura's dismay, things aren't going to be easy for her; simply saying magic words and waving her wand around isn't good enough. Each card is a living, thinking, extremely powerful being. She'll have to learn to cope with her new responsibilities, as well as ordinary troubles like love, school, family, and friends. With the support of her friend Tomoyo and a young boy with powers of his own, she must learn how to use her newly awakened magical abilities to collect each card and prevent the disaster that will befall the world if she doesn't.

 

I was able to get this pack of two DVD's from Taiwan that has all 70 episodes on a total of 8 discs packaged in a fold out book manner with protective slip case. Although it has 8 or 9 episodes per disc the coding quality is actually very good - a par with many digital TV services - and has a excellent menu structure.

This is from the anime Cardcaptor Sakura a fantastic magical girl series from the early part of the this decade.

Clannad with Clamp Collective

The best way of describing this series is it's a semi-fantasy romantic comedy drama. It is lovely show and it'll make you cry like nobodies business.The story is about the attempt to revive the Drama Club at Tomoya and Nagisa's high school. The anime is based on the popular game visual novel.
The main female characters have their own arcs, Fuuko, Kotomi, Ryou/Kyou, Tomoyo and of course, Nagisa. Its a bitter sweet story in that since only one girl can get the guy, and they all (bar Fuuko) like Tomoya.
As the year goes by the two leading characters begin to realize that real life is more complex than any stage play as new friends and rivals make everything more complicated.A strange visitor with a unexpected message enters to change Kotomi's life forever.

The second half afterstory outlining the 20 years in the life of Nagisa and Tomoya after graduation is available on DVD.

Added 10/30/11

I bought Afterstory but discovered my edition wasn't properly licensed as well as squeezing 12 episodes onto a single layer dvd which resulted in poor picture quality. I have replaced both the Clannad Collection and the Clannad After story with the UK region 2 issues.

Clamp in Wonderland.

Various characters from the Clamp collectives manga and anime series gathered together

Shugo Chara!

Recently I was able to get the Malaysian DVD's of Shugo Chara! which has yet to be issued in the UK or US. The series centres around Amu Hinamori, a Elementary School pupil clash between her popular cool, spicy exterior loved by fellow students and her internal introverted personality. Amu's wish for a character re-birth as would be self leads to the discovery of three colourful eggs that hatch into her guardian characters, Ran, Miki, and Su.

 
The first discs (above) house all 51 episodes of series 1.
This story started off life as a manga following successful serialization in Japan and is currently being aired by TV Tokyo series one having aired from October 2007 and a second series Shugo Chara!! Doki— in October 2008.
The DVD of Series two Part one has the first 15 episodes from that series.

In essence the Guardian Characters aid Amu in discovering who she truly is and help fulfil Amu's dreams. Amu's life becomes much more complex as she struggles to deal with her "would-be" selves and the Seiyo Elementary's Guardians, who recruit Amu as the Joker to search for X Eggs and X Characters, which are the corrupted forms of peoples' dreams. Amu 'restores the eggs' to their original form neutralizing the harm the X Egg cause to all around them. Meanwhile, the Easter Company is extracting people's eggs in search of a special egg called the Embryo. The Embryo is believed to grant any wish to the one who possesses it. However, the process they use creates X Eggs and X Characters. What I like about the story is the way in which it shows how peoples self image can be effected by these 'bad' eggs that started off life as pure but have become corrupted in their pursuit of self interest harming others that get in their way. Equally the story shows how through positive encouragement people can change becoming more pure in thought - practically spiritual in a away, putting others well being first. The first image is that of the series 1 DVD, second the inner disc carrier with the picture at the footprint being that of Series 2 Part 1. 

Hold on to your hats and save those precious eggs from Easter but at last the last 26 episodes of Season two of this much loved anime has finally come out on DVD this week!

This is Amu as a 'Punk' from the Shugo Chara manga

Kiki's Delivery Service

At the instigation of a online friend from a forum I recently bought this title in the acclaimed Studio Ghibi collection.

Adapted by Hayao Miyazaki from the Japanese childrens book by Eiko Kadono, it is about Kiki - a thirteen-year-old witch, and daughter of a witch - who is eager to leave home and spend a year working away from home. Her only talent is flying on her broomstick, but she sets off with her black cat JiJi) and finds a big city by the sea that she decides to live in.

She makes a deal with the bread store owner to work for her board in store that soon transforms into a courier service delivering anything from pies to pets. In this activity she -a polite, cheerful if naive child - encounters the rudeness and spoilt behaviour of others especially of a girl of her own age.

She encounters a boy on a bicycle who becomes her friend but undergoes a crisis of confidence losing her ability to fly. Only by looking into herself can she regains her abilities saving the boy from a Zeppelin flight that goes disastrously wrong.

What I liked about was the attention to detail in the drawings coupled with the message of triumph over adversity it presents.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Well this was going to happen sooner but I got waylaid so here goes...

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

I wanted this so much when it came out around November time last year but if ya hadn't noticed there's a recession on and one consequence of this was threat Beez's UK distributor went into receivership but I managed to get this reissue.

The story revolves around Haruhi Suzumiya, a high school girl obsessed with finding all forms of the extraordinary and supernatural, and Kyon, a cynical classmate who proclaims his non-belief in such matters and narrates the series. After being displeased with the mundane happenings at school and the lack of interesting after-school clubs, she forms her own, the SOS Brigade, to investigate any mysterious happenings, with Kyon forcibly drafted as its second member.

She drafts in additional members into the SOS club and in time they are revealed to be the extraordinary characters she is seeking (Yuki, an artificial human created by the extraterrestrial Integrated Data Entity; Mikuru, Time Traveller; and Itsuki, esper), sent by their various organizations to observe Haruhi. All see Haruhi as possessing a superhuman control over the universe, capable even of recreating the entire universe in a state of dissatisfaction and attempt to prevent this by keeping her entertained, holding her powers in check, and maintaining the illusion of a normal life.

The series became an Internet phenomenon and in the absence had to make do with a subbed import with so-so quality but have now gotten the UK R2 Re-issue 4 dvd set

Moon Phase and Anime Round up

This anime about the relationship between Kouhei Morioka a freelace photgrapher and Hazuki, a teenager who descends from a royal vampire lineage.

We learn at the start of the story that Kouhei travels to a castle in Germany to take photographs of all sorted Paranormal phenomenon for his friend Hiromi, the editor of an occult magazine. At the castle, Kouhei meets Hazuki, who feeds on Kouhei's blood and claims him as her unwilling servant. She is a 14 years old vampire - selfish but adorable - who was separated from her mother and restrained in a castle in Germany.

Although this "blood pact" is supposed to bind Kouhei to Hazuki as her obedient slave, her act has no effect on Kouhei. Following an action packed sorcerers battle, in which Kouhei and his cousin manage to free Hazuki from her captivity in the dreary castle, Hazuki travels to Tokyo, and takes up residence with Kouhei in his grandfather's house in Japan. Hazuki reveals this is what her mother wanted her to do when she disappeared.

Hazuki claims that, because she fed on his blood, Kouhei is now her servant, but Kouhei continually refuses to obey her, especially when he thinks her requests are unreasonable. Despite their fighting, the relationship between the duo progresses over time - even in the face of repeated attacks by opposing vampires - until Kouhei becomes determined to protect Hazuki from the vampire servants of her family, who themselves are determined to retrieve her by whatever means necessary.We learn later on in the anime he possesses great spiritual powers which were sealed by his family in order to allow him to live a normal life, as they were too strong for him to control. In the anime, he once again seals away his Jyougan so that it doesn't affect his relationship with Hazuki.

Other characters include Ryuuhei is Kouhei's grandfather who took in Hazuki and is a powerful spiritualist and exorcist.

A word about Revelation's DVD packaging. It is beautiful with pop up disc holders and a set of guide notes to further explain things as well as points to look for in later viewings.

Below is a picture of it in exploded form:

Ouran High School Host Club

Recently following its arrival I've been watching Ouran High School Host Club which has proven very popular over here.

This part- Series 1 Part 1 (Episodes 1 through 13) - came out Late April in the UK with Part two  set to come out early June so I really must remember to pre-order!

It is set in the institution of the same, a place of extravagance and prestige where learning is secondary to luxury. Bookish Haruhi can't afford to slack, being on a scholarship and out of place among the moneyed.

The Host Club is open - a Japanese notion of a place where for a fee people of the opposite gender are entertained and this school has one!Each Host club's job consists of entertaining and accompanying the female guests, whether it be a tea party, a costume dress up or an afternoon tea

A group of handsome boys dedicated to selling their charms to their bored female classmates, Haruhi is suddenly in debt to the club after breaking an expensive vase in their lair.

Naturally Haruhi has to pay for this damage but how?

By become a Host!!!!

Now this would be fine but we'd be forgetting something important -Haruhi is a girl!!!!!!!!!!!!

Between the wildly inflated ego of the expert escorts and the potential calamities of constant cross dressing, Haruhi's freshman year sure looks like it will be one to remember.

This is witty shojuo anime at its funniest with constant near misses for Haruhi like the School Medical with the Special Boy area screened off, a attempt to have enrolled in an All Girls School so she can their club and bathing suit scenes.

The constant themes include as you'd expect in this type of anime friendship and romance although the more observant will notice the mild sexual references (it is rated 15).

The animation in Ouran is simply gorgeous with some nice delicate shoujo style artwork, coupled with lovely bright and vibrant colours, making Ouran a series you wont want to take your eyes off.

I'd strongly recommended it.

Fruits Basket

This four DVD set comprises of the first 8 volumes of the Fruits Basket manga in anime form and is packaged in a pop up style box containing the individual DVD's.

This is about the Sohma family who are cursed. However, this is not an ordinary family curse. When a member of the family is embraced by a person of the opposite gender, they transform into an animal of the Chinese Zodiac. The Sohmas' managed to keep the curse private for generations, but when a young girl stumbles upon their secret, life at the Sohma house changes forever. Conflict erupts as Zodiac rivals clash in the most unusual household. Young Tohru Honda must promise the secret will remain her own, or face the consequences!

Disc1: A great transformation? Episodes 1-6

Try imagining if you moved in with a new family and friends... and found out they turn into animals when you hug them.

The first three episodes of the Anime version are take up with the four main characters of the story and an explanation the nature of the Zodiac curse the family are under. The action as it slowly unfolds is genuinely charming - slapstick fighting, side splitting tongue in check dialogue ad romantic comedy.

As the story opens, Tohru Honda is living in the woods in a cheap tent, with only her late mother's photo for company. One day she wanders down to a large house nearby, and encounters the flirtatious Shigure Sohma, and his gorgeous cousin Yuki -- the school's mysterious "Prince." After Tohru becomes ill and her tent is destroyed, Yuki and Shigure take her into their home as their new housekeeper.

But Yuki and Shigure are keeping a secret from her. When martial-artist Kyo bursts in to fight Yuki, Tohru tries to stop him -- and the three men end up turning into a dog, a cat, and a rat. Their family is cursed with the thirteen spirits of the Chinese zodiac, and they turn into those animals whenever a member of the opposite sex hugs them.

Surprisingly, the mysterious family head Akito allows Tohru to stay with Yuki and Shigure, as long as the volatile Kyo also stays. And soon she starts encountering new problems -- the intermittently crazed Kagura (the boar) invades the house, Yuki and Kyo trash the house, and Tohru's pals Hana and Uo come for a sleepover. But when Tohru's grandfather calls her back to his house, will the Sohmas lose their new friend?

Tohru herself is the most lovable character of the bunch -- she has a lot of sorrow over her mother's death and the unkindness of some of her relatives, but she compensates with optimism and friendliness. And the Sohmas rule as far as quirkiness is concerned -- there's the shy, strong "Prince" Yuki, the volatile loner Kyo, and the charmingly kooky Shigure ("Sometimes it feels like the whole world is conspiring to destroy my house!").

This first volume may start a little slow however once the storyline gets underway the quirky sweet-natured comody of lovable characters is revealed in its glory.

Disc2: What Becomes of Snow? Episodes 7-12

Having introduced use the the four main characters the following episodes reveal a darker side mainly from Hatori's tragic past, and the revelation of just what a lonely, painful life many of the zodiac members lead. Even the younger ones like Haru aren't immune, since we see that he was often mocked for his animal's part in the old zodiac folktaleide .

"Fruits Basket, Volume 2: What Becomes of Snow?" introduces us to three new members of the Sohma family, as well as a look at how the mysterious Akito rules over them. But despite these darker moments, the series never strays too far from the warm-hearted comedy and appealing characters.

Our leads are all involved in the school's Cultural Festival, despite Yuki's distress at having to wear a dress. But then two new Sohmas show up: bubbly rabbit Momiji, and the chilly Hatori, who tells Tohru to meet him at the Sohma main house -- alone. Despite Tohru's nervousness, she obeys -- and finds out the painful facts about Hatori's past, and the isolation felt by cursed Sohmas.

When New Year's rolls around, Tohru and her friends help Kyo and Yuki clean the house, while Shigure torments his hysterical editor Mii. They're expected back at the main Sohma house, but the boys are reluctant to leave Tohru alone. And a school endurance run is interrupted by Haru Sohma, who is determined to fight Kyo -- but their battle is interrupted when Yuki collapses.

Then Valentine's Day comes around. Tohru has chocolate for everyone (literally), Yuki is stalked by his fangirls, and Kagura is busily trying to feed Kyo a chocolate heart the size of his head. And a month later, Momiji repays Tohru's favour by giving her an extravagant gift -- a trip to a hot spring.

We also get to see some different sides of Tohru and her friends -- for instance, it's revealed that despite her outward cheery demeanour, Tohru is at times very lonely for her mother. Yuki continues trying to come out of his shell, while Kyo gingerly tries to overcome his social awkwardness. The "plum on the back" scene ends up being adorable because of this.

We are introduced to meet some new Sohmas, particularly Haru and Hatori. Haru has a dual personality -- one placid and serene, one violent and lecherous -- and a tumultuous past with Yuki while Hatori comes across as the most tragic figure thus far, convinced that he is doomed to loneliness, and haunted by what happened when he dared to love someone.

Disc3: Puddles Of Memories Episodes 13-19

Following the ending of disc 2 with the revelation that Hatsuharu and Momiji would soon be attending high school with the others, it's not surprising that the high school hijinks ensue once these weird teenagers join the student body. And though there's plenty of goofiness from Yuki's fangirls and his long-estranged brother in "Fruits Basket Vol. 3 - Puddles of Memories," it has some very bittersweet themes in many of the episodes. For a series with such a sparkly happy heroine, it's remarkably dark.

The first day of school gets off to a rocky start, with Momiji dressing like a girl and Haru getting into a "black" bustup with the pompous class president. But then the news arrives that Akito is about to visit the school -- and Tohru bumps into the mysterious head of the Sohma family. Although he's pleasant and warm toward her, she catches a glimpse of the true, malevolent personality behind the mask.

If that wasn't enough more members of the zodiac pop out of the woodwork -- a snake slithers up Tohru's dress, and is revealed to be the flamboyant, eccentric Ayame Sohma, Yuki's estranged big brother, who is now trying to make amends for his past behaviour. And then Haru introduces Tohru to a very bitey little tiger cub, Kisa Sohma. Kisa has been ignored and tormented by her peers until she stopped talking, and now only Tohru's love and Yuki's understanding can draw her out of her shell.

Elsewhere we learn Tohru contracts the flu right before a big test, Shigure sweeps his friends off to a weekend at a lake house, the gang visits the grave of Tohru's mother, and Tohru learns of the cheerful Momiji's tragic past. Plus in one hilarious episode, Yuki's fangirls scheme to infiltrate Hanajima's house so they can take out the "witch" Tohru but not to worry Hana and her little brother have some surprises in store...

"Fruits Basket" has always been a series that is rather bright and sunny in its overall outlook, but the short-term stories always have some darker, sadder dimensions. In particular, the third volume delves into Yuki's past abuse at Akito's hands, a parent who abandoned their cursed child, and some closure to Hatori's story of his tragic lost love. And there are hints of a dark connection between Tohru's late mother and Kyo.

The writers successfully transport Natsuki Takaya's bittersweet scenes into anime, such as an adorable scene where Tohru hugs Momiji after he proclaims that he wants to believe that every memory is important, even the painful ones. Even Ayame -- crazy, flamboyant, and utterly self-absorbed -- gets a few poignant moments as he reflects on his own past selfishness.

These episodes also introduce us to the most priceless character in all of "Fruits Basket" -- Ayame the crazy, flamboyant, self-absorbed, lecherous, hyperdramatic seamster. Not only is it completely surreal whenever he's onscreen ("They may direct their desire towards ME!"), but he has his own brand of poignancy -- he tries so hard to connect with Yuki, but fails so hilariously. Kisa sure is a little sweetie, but she's understandably overshadowed by her older cousin.

Yuki and Kyo also experience some growth in personal character in these episodes.

For instance we see Yuki freezing when confronted by his former tormentor, and struggles just to be in the same room as his brother and yet we also see him trying to be stronger despite his flaws. Kyo's klutzy attempts to help Tohru - including making the hated leek soup - show his growing feelings. Also Momiji, a character even sunnier than Tohru, is revealed to have a past even more horrible than hers.

Disc4: The clearing Sky Episodes 20-26
At this the dead end of the anime series more zodiac members are introduced to Tohru and more madcap comedy ensues (courtesy of Ayame and the demented fanclub), but it reaches new heights in the final two episodes -- where Tohru's love and kindness are faced with new obstacles.

Yuki and Tohru make a weekend trip to Ayame's special clothing shop, and are promptly swept up into Hurricane Ayame, who is all too happy to regale Yuki with every detail of his oddball business. Can the brothers manage to bridge the gap that separates them -- and what exactly is "The Thing" that Ayame's girlfriend is dressing Tohru in?

Plus Tohru is confronted by a pair of new zodiac members. First she encounters Hiro, the antisocial "sheep" who resents her friendship with Kisa and then she meets the beautiful, hyperapologetic daughter of the hot spring lady, Ritsu... only to discover that Ritsu is actually a very effeminate young man, who suffers from self-esteem so low that it dips below Atlantis.

As Ritsu drives Kyo and Yuki crazy with his screaming apologies (and is teased constantly by Shigure), it's up to Tohru to help him regain some hope. Finally, the president of Yuki's fanclub is haunted by her impending graduation, only to find herself in conversation with the "prince" himself. Unfortunately, her jealousy wells up in front of him -- and she has to face the ugly truth about her own feelings.

It isn't long before the story takes a truly dark turn when Kyo's beloved master Kazuma arrives at Shigure's house, and reveals a horrifying facet of Kyo's curse -- a ghastly transformation that horrifies anyone who sees it. And as she struggles to help Kyo, Tohru begins to learn the reason for Akito's anger and hatred.

"Fruits Basket, Volume 4: The Clearing Sky" doesn't so much end the series as hit pause -- the curse remains unbroken and the love triangle is still unresolved. As a sort of series climax, the writers even scripted in a harrowing encounter between Tohru and Akito, which gives the series the vague feeling of having been finished.

Before that end, we get "Fruits Basket's" signature mingling of heartwarming comedy and bittersweet drama. There are plenty of roiling emotions -- jealousy, loneliness, self-loathing -- but with the realization that there's always a glimmer of hope. The wrenching emotions reach a climax in the final two episodes, when the reasons for Kyo's loneliness are revealed, as well as Kagura's mad crush on him. Horror, romance and drama just soak every scene but the humour remais as infectious as ever.

Tohru continues to be a shining beacon at the series' heart -- she's sweet, kind, accepting, and cannot help but try to be kind to anyone, even when Hiro steals her purse and insults her. On the flipside, Kyo's feelings of loneliness and misery are absolutely palpable near the end -- and considering what he turns into, it's not hard to see why.

Actually, all the characters we see are pretty lovable -- Yuki is quiet, cool and a lot tougher than he appears, while Ayame and his girlfriend are insane and quirky, Kisa and Ritsu are adorable, and Shigure is winningly sadistic. Even the deranged hot springs lady appears ("I'm SORRY! I'll do it again! I never should have put myself into the reel! What was I thinking?! I'm SORRY!" "I told him we shouldn't have asked her to come...").
It is in some respects unfortunate that the storyline was not completed in this beautiful, hilarious "Fruits Basket" anime series but that doesn't stop it from being a truly, wrenchingly beautiful end to an adorable series.

The fourth and final volume of the sadly wasn't able to finish the storyline -- but it's still a brilliant finale to a moving anime adaptation.

Kino's Journey

Kino's Journey ADV complete series

For centuries, those in search of self-discovery and knowledge of the world have hit the road in furtherance of those quests. Young Kino, along with her talking motorcycle Hermes, has the same goal -- to travel and observe and learn from different cultures. Staying exactly three days in each location, Kino and Hermes learn much about the world and themselves.In disc two Emerging Lanes, Kino discovers the joy inherent in a trip, without getting caught up in the destination. She realizes that the experience of the journey, and the diversions it brings, matters more than where she's going. As she chats with men working on railways, works hard, and encounters dramatic action in a Coliseum, Kino finds that what she learns along the way is the most important thing.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Recently I purchased this anime DVD issued over here by Manga and was really impressed with it not normally being taken to time travel stories as much as I enjoy sci-fi and anime.

The initial story goes back to the 1970's and has been tackled before but in the opinion of many never in quite the emotional depth of this adaptation and runs like this:

Makoto Konno, a high school girl in Tokyo's shitamachi, realizes she has the power to go back in time and re-do things (what is called a "time-leap") when she impossibly avoids a fatal accident at a train crossing one day.

Bewildered, she consults with her aunt throughout the film, who then implies that she is the protagonist from the original novel. At first, Makoto uses her power extravagantly to avoid being tardy and to get perfect grades on tests, and even relive a single karaoke session for about ten hours. It isn't long however that things begin to turn bad as she discovers how her actions can adversely affect others.

Makoto soon ends up using more of her leaps to recklessly prevent undesirable situations from happening, including an awkward confession of love from her best friend Chiaki Mamiya. Eventually she discovers a numbered tattoo on her arm that counts down with each leap. From this tattoo she realizes it indicates that she can only leap through time a limited number of times. With only a few time leaps left, she attempts to make things right for everyone, but impulsively she uses her final leap to prevent a phone call from Chiaki asking if she knows about time-leaping. As a result, she is unable to prevent her friend Kōsuke Tsuda and his girlfriend from being killed in the accident at the train crossing that Makoto was originally involved in. As Makoto watches the accident in horror, time suddenly stops.

Chiaki reveals that he is a traveller from the future and leapt through time in order to see a painting being restored by Makoto's aunt, as it has been destroyed in the future. While walking in the frozen city, Chiaki hints that his original era occurs after a world wide catastrophe decimates mankind. He then reveals that he has used his final leap to prevent Kōsuke's accident and has stopped time only to explain to Makoto what the consequences will be. Having revealed his origins and the source of the item that allowed Makoto to leap through time, and being unable to return to his time period, Chiaki must disappear. Makoto realizes too late that she loves him as well.

True to his words, Chiaki disappears when time begins again and Makoto is upset. As she tries to come to terms with losing him, she discovers that Chiaki's time-leap had inadvertently restored one time-leap to her: Chiaki had leapt back to before Makoto used her last leap. Makoto now leaps to the moment when she gained her powers, at which point Chiaki still has one remaining time-leap. She reveals everything that he told her in the future concerning his indentity, the ability to leap through time, and his reasons for extending his stay in her time frame. Shortly before returning to his time period, Chiaki says he will wait for her in the future and Makoto replies that she will run toward it.

What makes the film so enjoyable is the portrayal of each character having many layers which adds to the sense of being able to empathize with them throughout the story.

The story is very much bitter sweet because Makoto learns that this power has to be handled with responsibility- changing the past is not so straightforward - and that actions beget reactions as she uses it to make a new world for her friends

I found it very moving.