Just when Kate was getting comfortable in the thought of being dead, Herve tells them that they are fated to lose their memories. He said that as soon as the battle for the cursed books is finished, Kate and her friends need to face their fate. Kate decides to tell her friends about their impending destiny and the news struck Rose and Rachel. Meanwhile, Herve becomes impatient with the organization so he decides to kidnap Lise. This sets up a series of bloody events that alters the direction of the girls’ war.

Red Garden DVD 5 is a lot better than the previous episodes but it is still far from perfect. The volume has a fast-paced storyline but it crawls through familial drama and romantic scenes. It punctuates angst with some spells of bloodletting leaps. Life, identity, and other frightening aspects are shown in the first two episodes.

The series’ writers seem included to present melodrama time and again. Lula’s gnashing of teeth because of her brother’s death is quite memorable because of its dramatic projection of anguish. But one drawback in this series is that the characters seem forced to act contrary to their personalities. Instead of making Red Garden exciting though, it just made it confusing.

There are times when the manga’s most valuable point comes from its concept; this is probably the case with The Flat Earth/Exchange. This manga is about Kotaro Shiga who was put to “sleep”, he is to be awakened when the problem about low birth rates has been solved. However, when he wakes up around one hundred years later, he discovers that only a small number of humans are still alive and that the androids ruled the world.

As promising as this manga may seem, it fails to live up to its expectations. It has a badly-paced story that is confusing and disconcerting at the same time. It is a good thing that its layout is convenient to follow because almost everything else is in chaos. The drawings themselves look ok but it does not make up for the fact that this manga makes no sense to the reader.

So, should you purchase The Flat Earth/Exchange? Well, if you have nothing else to do, go for it. But you can definitely find a lot of better manga on the similar genre if you look hard enough.

The story of Mai, Yuichi, Shiori, and Kaori continues. Mai had a destructive battle against the demons that almost got her expelled from dancing school. Yuichi wants to help Mai in her fight regardless of whether she welcomes his help or not. Eventually though, Yuichi discovers that the story between Shiori and Mai and how the two met. Mundane memories make him realize that he does have past connections to Mai and this influences their current situation.

After the battle against the demons, Yuichi’s attention shifted more towards Kaori and Shiori; they are sisters even though Kaori don’t want to admit it. Shiori is sick and Yuichi wants to heal the relationship between these sisters. Ayu is almost forgotten as Yuichi deals with other girl’s problems but when he did notice her, their bond deepens. However, a mystery in their past can be devastating.

Perhaps the best thing about the Kanon series is how the characters can continue with their cutesy daily activities while deep emotions lurk in the background. Though Kanon is not without its flaws, it nevertheless was able to deliver a good series with great characters to match it. Kanin is definitely worth watching for if only to let you find out how the characters will eventually evolve.

Set in 19^th century London, the story of Emma tackles the story of a maid who becomes in love with the son of a bourgeois family. Though it appears like a romantic story at its surface, Emma is definitely more than that because issues of discrimination, social unrest, inequality, and the acceptable behaviors in society. Emma is the maid of Mrs. Stownar who is the former governess of William Jones. He was forced to come visit his former tutor and he immediately becomes smitten with Emma.

Emma becomes equally smitten and they have a quiet but blissful courtship. Inevitably, the issue of their social divide forces them to rethink their relationship. William’s father is determined to marry into nobility to get a better social leverage. Eleanor, a naïve noblewoman, falls in love with William. No one approves of William’s relationship with the “hired help” especially when she is compared with Eleanor.

When you mention the word, Victorian, the image that instantly comes to mind is the setting where Sherlock Holmes and Mary Shelley became known-for. But neither of the two settings is just right for this series because this romance surprisingly reveals a spark of conscience and a wide range of emotions that will take the reader into a ride they will long remember.

Flag is a seriously great drama that will squeeze the hearts of its viewers. Some may criticize Flag because of its lack of action especially for a war-centric anime series but when you look past that, you will discover that Flag offers a unique and insightful experience. It is well-worth your time since it offers a reprieve from the usual.

The last several episodes of Flag basically revolve around actually retrieving the flag but there are several other issues as well. These include the different events happening on the background as well as the UN’s real reasons. While the story in itself is already notable, it is just a background to what the series is all about.

The series is about human motivation. Soldiers are willing to sacrifice their lives based on what they believe is best for their world. The series is also about nomads who know about these conflicts but they still focus their lives on sheepherding. It is also about civilians caught in the middle of a war but try to make the best of their situation. Flag will definitely give you a lot of insights to the human psyche and how people are affected differently when they are faced with war and tragedy.

After several months of hype about how “big things are coming soon”, the Bandai Entertainment is finally taking action. A massive step in the anime world is to be expected with Masayuki Fujikawa’s statement “We plan to reduce the time-lag that exists between release in Japan and elsewhere.” The flagship brand HONNEAMISE will plan and execute the release of their Blu-ray titles simultaneously around the world so that the international audience can get them as quickly as possible.

For example, the anime Freedom, the Diebuster, and the Gunbuster can now be released worldwide. The said shows can be released in the HD format and it will have English, Japanese, and French dubbing with the choice of English or Fresh subtitles. This release will cater to a large number of anime fans who have the ability to use Blu-ray disc. Local distribution will be conducted with established companies including the Bandai Visual in Japan, the Beez Entertainment in France and UK, and the Bandai Entertainment in the US.

By the 24^th Century, the earth’s fossil fuel supply is completely depleted. This forced humans to seek alternative energy sources like solar energy. At this point, solar energy became the primary energy source and building huge energy system becomes necessary to provide the earth with power. The system orbits was eventually built but at a significant cost.

With the large expense involved, the world became consolidated into three major factions including the Human Reform League, the Union, and the AEU. Despite everyone’s dependency on a single energy supply, humanity still continues to build up armaments and fight. In line with this, the Celestial Being which is a parliamentary organization equipped with mobile suits was formed. They have the Gundams which is tasked to unite the world and eradicate conflicts.

The story of Mobile Suit Gundam 00 is the typical action flick you can expect from an anime of its class. At first the story is interesting and it is coupled with intense scenes to complement it. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes dry. Nevertheless, this story is filled with energy that will keep you at the edge of your seats until it is finished.

Michiko is the typical “tomboyish” character that loves motorcycles, hates girly stuff, and dislikes being tall. While delivering pizzas one day, she is mistaken as one of the runway models there and is suddenly tossed into the catwalk. The show designer says that she cannot hack it though so Michiko goes away in humiliation. But Michiko’s pride has been damaged and she wants to prove to Mihara, the designer, that she can make it as a glamorous runway model. She wants Mihara to acknowledge her but to do this; she must take the first steps. She will not only need to convince the modeling agency to take her in, she must also learn who she really is.

Review:

The Walkin’ Butterfly is painfully hilarious but honest series that will make any viewer appreciate it. Modeling becomes more of a tournament than a glamorous job and the protagonist is subjected to numerous trials that increase in difficulty each time. But overall, while Walkin’ Butterfly is a manga to watch out for, it suffers from a lot of stereotypical storyline such as sports (baseball, basketball), common narrative structure, and a relatively common plot line. The protagonist is quite likable with her sincere but high-tempered attitude that appears a little naïve.

Synopsis

Sumire Takahana is a normal high school student; that is, until she got a mysterious brooch one day and started to see soul-eating demons that is known as Virus. Sumire became under attack but she was saved by the original owner of the mysterious brooch, Lucia. Lucia had a vaccine-loaded gun; however, she accidently shot Sumire. This turned Sumire into a living and breathing antivirus. Together, they try to discover the secrets of the Virus before it devours all humans.

Review

The story of Venus versus Virus felt like the combination of “Constantine” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”. However, it seems like the Virus only attacks those who can see them unlike in the case of vampires in “Buffy”. In addition, there is a secret organization that fights off the Viruses and this is where the “Constantine” angle enters the picture.

The story focuses on two individuals, Lucia and Sumire. Lucia is a cold and calculating slayer while Sumire is the exact opposite. She is clumsy, naïve, and seemingly hesitant to get the role of the slayer. But together, they must use their individual skills in order to beat the Virus. Overall, the Venus versus Virus Volume 1 is a surprisingly entertaining and deep for an anime with this plot.

Synopsis

Kotaro and Jiro try to find a place to settle down within the Special Zone. However, they soon discover that there is a balance of power that exists among the vampire factions within the said zone. The presence of Silver Blade may also shake things up. As Jiro struggles to discover his place within the zone, Mimiko helps hum realize that he does not need to do everything by himself. Kotaro, meanwhile, struggles to have fun only to have trouble erupt. Another important development within the series is when Cassandra Jill Warlock is able to sneak into the Special Zone and the appearance of the Kowloon Children raises the prospect of disaster for everything.

Review

If you base your overall opinion of the Black Blood Brothers based on the first few episodes, then you are bound to be disappointed. This is because the first few episodes are boring, predicable, and have some defects in animation. However, try to give this series another chance and you will soon discover that the Black Blood Brothers is actually a great series with likable characters. You cannot help but care about the story with its touching scenes, actions, and interesting characters. In fact, even Cassandra has a deeper personality compared to evil masterminds in other series.

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