El Cazador de la Bruja

Ellis is an amnesiac who exudes eccentricity. From her obsessive love of the “taco” song to her supernatural powers, this young girl is special. So special, in fact, that there is a bounty on her head, and no one knows why. To find the answer, Ellis must travel the dusty, Spanish roads south. With Nadie, the bounty that has supposedly caught her, these two girls will shoot their way to revelation! 

Gunslinger Girl OVA

Things haven’t changed much for the Social Welfare Agency. The Five Republics Faction and the Mafia still plague Italy’s peace and security. And amidst this lurking chaos, the cybernetic guns of innocent little girls are the gatekeepers of tranquility. 

Dragon Ball Box

Five years have past since Piccolo’s defeat at the Tenkaichi Budoukai tournament. Peace reigns. Even Son Goku has nestled into a quiet life with his new son Gohan. But for these fighters, peace can only last for so long! An alien race, the Saiyans, soon arrive. 

Ichi

Ichi is the latest reimagining of the familiar Zatoichi story. Yet, from one glimpse of the box art your assumptions will immediately stumble. The blind swordsman is now a beautiful young woman that trudges the countryside as a poor musician. On this path she searches for her place in the world and the blind sensei that long ago taught her swordplay. However, this journey is obstructed by a town bled by extortionists, their ominous leader, and a failing samurai in need of inspiration. With each step and accurate slash, Ichi will both find what she seeks and what she truly cannot see.

Bleach Season 4

After Ichigo’s epic battle with Byakuya and the release of Rukia, the substitute Soul Reaper and friends return to the world of the living to reclaim their normal lives. But when Orihime is abducted, followed by Chad, Ichigo, Renji, and the usual Soul Reaper suspects are ultimately drawn into conflict with the mysterious Bount.

Tekken 6 PSP

Okay, essentially you’re looking at a carbon copy, yet on a portable platform. So, what more can I say? It’s the same, entirely unlocked forty playable characters (some old, some new). You’ve got Arcade Battle, Story Battle, Ghost Battle, Challenge Battle, Network, and Practice. From the minute I picked up my PSP, intuition and training took over. Power kicks, combos, and special throws: every technique was effortlessly executed via the familiar layout of the portable console.  

Blood The Last Vampire

Having just watched the mediocre live-action adaptation, it was fortuitous that Manga Entertainment sent me the Blu-Ray release of the original anime film. Studio execs everywhere should sit down with both copies. It’s a good lesson in why standard Hollywood tactics are not necessarily the best means of translating anime to the silver screen.

Nabari Part 2

In part one we saw the friendship between Miharu and Yoite (his supposed enemy) form as they began to play out the secret of the Shinra Banshou. The two went “rogue” – in a very non Sarah Palin way – in order to reveal Mirahu’s destiny. Now, as more clans become submerged in this power struggle, the elder ninja Tojuro Hattori unleashes a plan to capture the Shinra Banshou and alter the world of Nabari and humans forever. And the more Yoite uses his kira technique to protect Miharu, the more it drains his life force. Everyone is being hurled to a climaxing, crisis point. 

Ghost in The Shell 2.0

Originally released in 1995, Mamoru Oshii’s startling – and growingly – accurate look at the future tracks a typical story in the life of Major Motoko Kunsanagi.  With a body more cybernetic than flesh, she hunts the streets of Hong Kong for the elusive Puppet Master. In this world, hacks are no longer limited to laptops and government mainframes but destabilize human brains and limbs themselves. Amid corporate and political intrigue, how do you hunt a criminal capable of manipulating machines and human bodies? When consciousness can exist and operate in cyberspace, a new and truly global stage in human existence emerges. 

Bamboo Blade

Toraji is a slightly dusty Kendo instructor in need of a tournament win. His part-time teaching gig barely satisfies his landlord, let alone his belly. Enter Tamaki. This pint-sized girl is an unwitting master of the bamboo sword. With her skill Toraji is guaranteed both instant success and a decent meal! But there’s just one problem. Tamaki would rather watch anime than join his all-girl squad. Can he convince her, and simultaneously redeem himself?