Bleach 29

Two thoughts emerged upon reading these volumes. First, as a part of the Arrancar story arc, their bindings are bursting at the seams with the epic, heroic combat that has made Bleach so famous. In their search for Orihime, Ichigo and friends have clandestinely entered Hueco Mundo . . . 

Kenichi

Now, tougher and more skilled, Kenichi's troubles aren’t over. The word is, he can fight. And the goons in Ragnarok can’t wait to get a piece of him. Whether it be kung fu, jiu-jitsu, or even muay thai, he’ll have to train even harder. And that’s not too difficult when you’re trying to impress a hottie that can kick your ass!

Evangelion 1.11

Eva fans, don’t get too excited. Well, not just yet anyway. In Evangelion 1.11, the Second Impact has already happened, and Tokyo-3, a last bastion of humanity, still stands on shaky ground. And yes, the fourth, fifth, and sixth angel are about to descend in yet another bid to destroy human civilization. So, Shinji Ikari is summoned to NERV, the secret organization charged with defeating these otherworldly creatures. As the “third child,” he must pilot the advanced bio-mecha unit Eva-01. The problem is, Shinji is reclusive, passive, and utterly despondent.

20th Century Boys

In 1969, under the secret embrace of wind-blown grass, Kenji and his friends compose the “The Book of Prophecy.” They foretell a future in which they combat a nefarious organization bent on world annihilation. Flash forward: 1997. The influence of a secret cult led by the “Friend” pervades Japan. Suddenly catastrophic events mirroring Kenji’s book occur, and the “Friend” is using a symbol that he created back in the summer of ’69. Worse still, if the book is indeed prophecy, it ends with a virus-spreading robot wreaking havoc on Tokyo! Only Kenji and his friends can unravel this mystery, and make sure the Earth sees the 21^st century.

Nana Box Set 2

Based on the widely popular shojo manga by Ai Yazawa, Nana spirals from the sudden relationship sparked between two young women on a Tokyo bound train. One is a J-punk rocker, whose torn jeans and short skirts are seductively edgy.  For her, the train is pulling into that glorified station of Tokyo’s music scene. The other is far more suburb; her well-ironed seams betray soccer mom dreams. For her, Tokyo is a seemingly perfect boyfriend and that eventual and all-important house. Despite their differences, both share the same name: Nana.

Death Note: R2

It’s no surprise that recent anime pop culture has been Death Note’s bitch. Dan Brown wishes he could write a detective yarn as intelligently intricate and pleasurably discombobulating. The story of the impromptu murderer Light Yagami, a.k.a Kira, his supporting Shinigami Ryuk, the Death Note empowering him to kill by simply writing a name, and his ultimate battle of wits with the genius detective L has consumed the world like Kate and Leo’s Titanic. And even if we didn’t have the edible Misa to accompany this ensemble, Light’s devotee and a Lolita that would have made Nabokov sweat, this story is rather perfect. Who doesn’t love the hunt for a killer, one teeming with anxiety and nearly insolvable riddles? 

Blassreiter

In a parallel Germany, a sanguine plague is rapidly transforming humans into Amalgams, deformed beings capable of melding with technology and exploiting it to civilization’s detriment. XAT, a special police unit piloting advanced mecha, is supposedly mankind’s only defense. But Joseph Jobson, an Amalgam himself, rises above his disease to prove that humanity is not yet lost. Only the secret of his blood can save the world. 

Linebarrels of Iron

Kouichi may aspire to heroic greatness, but the daily beating at the hands of local bullies predicts something else. Be that as it may, when Emi literally crashes into his life, he get’s his shot. This otherworldly female not only causes his death, but a symbiotic rebirth with a mecha called Linebarrel. Suddenly Kouichi is thrust into an interstellar conflict between humans and alien Machinas. Only his newfound power and control over Linebarrel can underwrite human security. But at what cost? His new power and ability to kick ass goes straight to his head. 

Shippuden Movie

A nefarious spirit, locked away long ago, is back. Its one goal: to enslave the world. But hey, this ain’t your world. This one belongs to Naruto! And he, Sakura, Lee and Neji are sent to protect Shion, the one priestess capable of stopping this menace. But there’s just one problem. Shion is somewhat of a prophet, and if Naruto keeps this assignment, his death has been foretold. In Achilles’ fashion, our heroic ninja won’t back down. But will he die???

Bamboo Blade 2

Toraji and his all girls Kendo team are back! And things are getting more serious, if not just plain worse. Toraji is still one step away from loosing his teaching gig. But now the Kendo team is facing a possible, unforeseen suspension, while Tamaki is about to learn the hardest lesson of all: defeat. She may be a flawless swordsman, but there is always more to learn. Victory and employment are within Toraji’s grasp. Can these girls pull it together? Can Tamaki ensure an easy tournament win? Will everyone get their happy ending?