Howl's Moving Castle may deceive a lot of people at first and that's because of its relatively childish title. At first I thought, "so yeah, it's a castle that moves." But I was wrong, there's a lot more to it than I thought. First off is the plot. It's really difficult to review the plot without giving out any spoiler so I'll just say that the plot is not really conventional but it isn't complicated either. It's relatively easy to understand. What I like most about its plot is that there is no unnecessary event; everything is connected a...More

Takayanagi Mitsuomi, Natsume Maya, Natsume Shin, and Souichiro Nagi are key players to this series. Yet only a few know what really went on, leavening everyone else on the side line waiting for the next move. It's a love story gone really wrong with Natsume Shin. Shin was a dark person from the point he touched the ceremonial sword known as Reiki. Shin has been very isolated by poeple,Yet only one person has ever showed Shin kindness and that was his dear sister Maya. This caused Shin to keep Maya very close to him. Shin later creates a ...More

Set after the events of the Saber Marionette J series, Saber Marionette J to X does a good job of preserving the flow of events from the original series. The story starts a bit more slowly this time, focusing on the everyday events of Otaru and the girls, exposing some of the conflicts that have developed in their tightly-knit ?family?. In fact, most of this series deals with elements regarding relationships, emotional struggles, and self-discovery in some way or another. The new threat does not begin to emerge until the show is well under way....More

During the war 10 years ago, Kenshin Himura was known as Battousi the Manslayer, the most-feared swordsman of the revolution, personally responsible for taking countless lives as an assassin for the Emperor. After the Imperialists were defeated in the war against Tokugawa, Kenshin has been attempting to assimilate himself back into society. His enemies aren?t so willing to forget his violent deeds, however; and he is confronted at every turn by shadows from his past. The section of the show leading up to the confrontation with Shishio, known...More

As you might expect of a movie based on a video game, Toshinden's storyline is predictably weak and yet still manages to confuse the viewer. The story predominantly features Eiji, who is searching for his brother, but many other fighters are also shown, albeit briefly. Fanboys will enjoy seeing their favorite characters in action, but many don't really get an adequate showcase for their abilities. Their is some decent action to be seen at least, with some good old-fashioned anime flair. Powerful attacks that send shockwaves and debris hurt...More

Honestly, this series is one of the blandest representatives of anime I?ve ever encountered. The story mimics several more successful anime shows while still managing to be boring and hard to follow. Himiko is sent to the future by a mystical flame of light called the Bokka. Then she is summoned back years later to help save her country from the forces of evil. While this may sound exciting (especially if you?re a 12 year-old girl), Himiko never really does anything other than whine, moan, and occasionally lose consciousness. Kutani actuall...More

Birdy the Mighty comes in two volumes, Double Trouble and Final Force, containing two episodes each. This four-part series is expertly done on several levels, so it's surprising that it seems to be almost unheard-of. As one would expect, the story provides for some very sticky situations and it's humorous to watch both Birdy and Tsutomu attempt to carry on their lives as normally as possible, while avoiding embarrassing predicaments. Of course, determining who will have control of the body when is a major problem. Birdy's important role as a...More

The story of Moldiver is propelled by the evil Dr. Machinegal?s nefarious plans to steal various items of value using his robotic minions. However, this essentially serves as a platform for the hilarious antics of Mirai and company. Mirai is a novice superhero, and her learning process is both comical and destructive. Because of the tremendous power of the suit, trial and error might mean the destruction of a bridge or an entire building. Despite the amount of carnage Mirai might cause, she always looks pristine, an example of the lighthearted ...More