What can I say? Yu Yu Hakusho is classic anime. Like Naruto, teamwork, individual acts of heroism, and comic relief in the face of danger canvass each action packed frame. Better yet, this anime never loses sight of audience expectation. This is about no-holds- barred street brawling. And no matter how many breaks we get, or comic scenes of Yusuke's now boring high school life -- he is after all the unknown savior of the world -- we never have to wait too long for fist to cheek contact. Regardless of age, as the quality of this anime will show, Yu Yu Hakusho still delivers a TKO.

Capitalizing on Japanese myth and folklore within the genre of horror, Ghost Hunt is a paranormal adventure aimed at a young audience.

Ghost Hunt Vol. 2
2008 TV Series (episodes 14-25). Director: Akira Mano. 276 minutes. DVD, bilingual, $49.98. Distributor: Funimation.

Are you seeing ghosts? Does a murderous apparition haunt your house? If so, call in the Shibuya Psychic Research team. A cute little freshman named Mai Taniyama will solve all your problems. Supported by an international cast, and especially the enigmatic Naru, Mai's visions and innate link to the world beyond force spirits and their unresolved, former lives into the light. Unfortunately, wherever Mai goes, blood tends to follow.

Capitalizing on Japanese myth and folklore within the genre of horror, a concept made famous in the West by such films as The Ring and The Grudge, Ghost Hunt is a paranormal adventure aimed at a young audience. In this volume in particular, Mai's investigations bring her face to face with a former suicide and the victims of a psychopathic torturer. Its potential on the scary meter is thus rather high. But, in that regard, Ghost Hunt fails to deliver. It's just not that scary. Nevertheless, I can't slight it too much. For a young audience this may be a perfect balance of scary and fun. Like any close-knit organization, the Shibuya Psychic Research team is an unavoidable family prone to squabbles and comic pranks. There are as many laughs as there are screams in their adventures. And with the success of tongue-in-cheek shows like the CW's Supernatural, Ghost Hunt has a definite place in the world of television. At any rate -- and as enamored as I can often be with Jennifer Love-Hewitt -- it's still better than Ghost Whisperer.

Death Note is arguably the best anime to come out of Japan in a decade, and the Volume 1 box set is a must have for all fans.

Death Note Box Set 1
2008 TV Series (episodes 1-20). Director: Tetsuro Araki. 500 minutes. DVD, bilingual, $69.98. Distributor: Viz Media.

Okay, so I'm repeating myself. Who doesn't know Death Note? Arguably the best anime to come out of Japan in a decade, the story of Light Yagami, the bored teenage genius that stumbles upon the notebook of a Shinigami death god, has taken both Japan and the U.S. by storm: manga, anime, live-action movies, retail, etc. And this should be no surprise. Light's quest to ride the world of criminals produces a crime drama whose intricacy works like a David Mamet screenplay -- think Heist or The Spanish Prisoner. This seemingly noble gesture, after all, rapidly evolves into a tyrannical plot to create a new world order. The only one that can stop him is another genius: the eccentric detective called L. What follows is a nail-biting game of cat and mouse that keeps you on the edge of your seat. In fact, the resulting addiction nearly requires a warning label: Death Note always leaves you begging for more.

From first contact with the notebook to Light's initial arrest, the Volume 1 box set contains the first 20 episodes and is a must have for all fans. Although the series has progressed greatly, the fundamental strength of Death Note's story -- much like Bleach – is that there is certain sentimentality about going back to the beginning. It's fun to be reintroduced to Light's first experiments with the death note, the shinigami Ryuk, the mad genius L and the delectable Misa. Although the mystery and intrigue is anything but a surprise, you ironically watch as if it were your first time. Consequently, you only become more attached to this beloved anime.

With the Christmas shopping season already underway, this box set will undoubtedly be a cherished present to unwrap!

Raised on such iconic, westernized giants as G-Force, Voltron and Robotech, James Brusuelas is a literary scholar and freelance writer based out of Orange County in Southern California.