Reviews and Summaries V-X As stated, this is the section that contains the titles we have reviewed and or summarized starting with V all the way to X. (Amazing isn't it? Even I wonder at the genius of such a system!) Please note that all descriptions that are in yellow come from the box or other materials that come with the movie/OVA/series, green comes from me, and purple comes from Karmie-chan. V W X Vampire Hunter D In the year 12,000 AD, the Earth is plagued by vampires who rule over the pockets of civilization in a mockery of ancient feudal land barons. The strangle hold these arrogant immortals hold over their helpless victims is challenged by a mysterious vampire hunter known as only as “D”. A beautiful young villager, Doris, promises herself to this hunter in return for his eradication of the eradication of the local vampires headed by Count Magnus Lee. But before “D” can put his plans into action, Magnus Lee kidnaps Doris. It is now up to “D” to fight through a horde of demons and supernatural assassins to rescue this brave girl and put an end to the tyranny of Magnus Lee. (Action/Supernatural) The first time I saw this movie I was completely blown away - it's a vampire story unlike any other and the plot is solid AND good (and THAT, my friends, is a good combination). After seeing Bloodlust, I realized just how crappy the animation is compared to the crisp style of today's anime. It still holds a special place in my heart and is a bonifide classic that HAS to be in your anime collection if you want to be considered any kind of anime connoisseur. Even if you're not buying this, you MUST watch this movie before you see the second one. Provides lots of background information into who "D" is. Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust D has been hired to track down Meier Link, a notoriously powerful vampire who has abducted a human woman, Charlotte Elbourne. D’s orders are strict - find Charlotte, at any cost. For the first time, D faces serious competition. The Markus Brothers, a family of Vampire Hunters, were hired for the same bounty. D must intercept Meier and conquer hostile forces on all sides in a deadly race against time. Despised by Vampires for his profession and by humans for the blood in his veins, D relentlessly pursues his prey for a price. (Action/Supernatural) This movie is amazingly well done. Yes, go BUY it - NOW!!! It's that good and more! THIS is what I call a great anime! Watch it watch it watch it watch it! It's got everything! It's movies like this one that demonstrate just how superior anime is to american cartoons. Every character, including and especially the "bad" guys, has a history and a reason for doing what he/she does. There are no two-dimensional lame-a$$ dummies in this! Vampire Princess Miyu OVA As the demonic forces of the Shinma strive to obtain a foothold upon the mortal plane, spiritualist Himiko seeks the truth. (Drama/Horror) Unearthly Kyoto: Himiko travels to the ancient capital of Japan to exorcise a slumbering child, only to be confronted with a wave of vampire attacks. Here, she meets the mysterious childlike Miyu and her silent, enigmatic companion. Is Miyu behind the attacks? Or does she, too, seek the real culprit? And if so, why? A Banquet of Marionettes: Himiko is hired to investigate several mysterious disappearances at a school. At the site of each, a strange doll has been found. Here she again meets Miyu, now apparently a student. Miyu has designs on the body, and perhaps the soul, of the school hero, Kei. But so, it seems, does another.... Fragile: Himiko agrees to help Miyu defeat a ghastly armored monster. In return, Miyu tells the tale of how she met Larva, her silent companion. Later, Himiko learns of the tragic fate of a husband and a wife. Meanwhile, a beautiful young man with a ghastly laugh circles and waits. Who is he? What is the secret of the Armor? And what of the Shinma? Can Himiko put the pieces of the puzzle together in time? Frozen Time: Himiko travels to Kamakura, a childhood home. There, she dreams of herself as a child, running in terror from a mysterious mansion. Now the mansion has a new tenant: Miyu. Miyu at last tells all-of her discovery of her true nature after her first meeting with Larva, of the secret concealed by Miyu’s parents, and of the night that Darkness and Shinma gathered together. And, finally, Himiko realizes what it is that has bound her destiny together with Miyu’s…forever! Venus 5 (Action/Adventure/Hentai/Horror) The Inma Ball: From the darkness of the past, Necros and the Lords of her perverted Inma Empire has been reborn. She plans to revive the god Apollo from his ten thousand year slumber and receive his gift of infinite power-clearing the way for her conquest of Earth. But to awaken Apollo, she must find five extraordinary women. But the warriors she seeks aren’t about to help her. Together, these 19-year-old women are the super battle team Venus 5-the holy warriors of Venus and the servant of the goddess Aphrodite-and the only defense against Necros’ forces of evil. Unfortunately, nobody bothered telling these would-be heroines about this. Their liaison with Aphrodite is a lecherous cat who is more concerned with “earthly matters,” and their “patron” turns out to be an arrogant airhead who won’t be much help! Even though they lack a clear idea of who they’re fighting, the Venus 5 will do their best! Labyrinth of the Inma: After the defeat of Necros and her minions, the 19-year-old members of the Venus 5 team await the perverted Inma empress’ next move. Their questions are soon answered, however, when Necros reappears in a TV interview-as the curator of the exclusive Golden Star Art Galleries! It seems she and her four assistants have put together an extensive collection of Greek and Roman artifacts, including a giant, gold statue of Apollo! But what they find in the galleries is more than even the Venus 5 team is prepared to handle! The Inma seem to be on the verge of gaining the vast holdings of the Golden Star financial group to use in their bid for world conquest. And even worse, it looks like Necros is one step ahead of the Venus warriors at every turn. Soon, the Venus warriors are on the run from Necros and her oversexed minions. But even when things seem hopeless, they may yet find a few new allies to help them. But in return, it looks like Venus Pink and Venus Blue may be the only ones who can stop Necros from resurrecting Apollo and gaining his power! Violinist of Hamelin In a world where men and demons vie for power and domination, the key to absolute power lies in the artifact known as Pandora's Box. Here the fate of the entire world is tied to a young man named Hamelin and the two paths that his destiny could take. (Adventure/Drama/Fantasy) I just love Hamelin. It has an excellent story in my opinion and wonderful music (as they are all almost classical music from the masters). The only drawback is that it has such a low production value that most of the time, I can't really tell if it's an anime or a manga slide show with voice overs. I'm not kidding, it's that bad! Next to Sword and sorcery fantasy story, I love tragic stories and Violinist truly is a story about the tragedy of human fate. Again, production value will turn off a lot of people so I can only recomend this as a must see, not buy (as if it will ever get licensed here though). Requiem: In a small sleepy town where everyone knows each other, Hamelin awakes to find that he has grown a horn on his forehead. His contemplation as to why there is suddenly a horn on his forehead is interupted by Flute, his childhood friend and the village chief's granddaughter, who has come to pick him up to go to the annual village festival. On their way the discover a gravely injured swordsman and their lives are changed as a monster posseses the swordsman and in the process of fighting the monster off, Flute finds out that she is a princess and Hamelin has the ability to use magical music that can defeat demons. Destiny of the Nutcracker, Marionette Version: The shock of discovering their secret identities causes confusion in Flute and Hamelin's hearts as they try to come to terms with what they are as well as what everyone else in the village are. The village chief tells Flute that she must get herself to the Kingdom of Sforzend and asks Hamelin to protect her on her journey. Before Hamelin can decide what to do, an army of skeletal warriors attacks and overuns the town. With everyone dying, Hamelin once again uses his magical music causing everyone, including the most gravely wounded, to keep on fighting and destroy the demon skeletons and Hamelin and Flute begin their journey as the village they grew up in burns down. Swan Lake: Hamelin and Flute hitch a ride with a group of traveling performers to the next city. While they watch on as the performers do their act one by one, a group of rowdy customers starts causing a ruckus and just as Hamelin is about to step in, they are stopped by another magical music. When he confronts this magical musician, he discovers that it is Raiel, someone who used to live near him when he was younger before he came to Flute's village and before he had lost his memories. Elated at their reunion, Raiel decides to join Hamelin and Flute in their Journey towards Sforzend. Memories of Ansem: Hamelin, Flute and Raiel are now traveling towards Sforzend when they come across Prince Trombone from Dalsegno who is on a mission to deliver a message to the Queen of Sforzend. Prince Trombone recognizes Flute as the next queen of Sforzend and offers to give them a ride to Sforzend. Along the way, they pass through Ansem, a city that has been destroyed long ago. It is also the place that Raiel and Hamelin once lived in. The day that it was destroyed, the people of Ansem chased of a demon horde and just as they were returning, they found the city in ruins and a single demon with three majestic horns responsible for all the chaos and bloodletting. While they are in Ansem, the demons left in Ansem began to stir, but they are quickly desposed of when Hamelin and Raiel combined their magical music together. Dalsegno in Flames: Uh oh! Doesn't sound like good news for Prince Trombone. Poor guy. In the Name of the Five Braves: Have you noticed that we're a weeee bit backlogged on summaries? Hamelin the Successor: Looks like good things are in store for Hamelin....or ARE they? Pandora's Box: We all know what happens when Pandora's Box is opened: Baaaad things. Let's hope our hapless heroes remember that. The Outbreak of Sforzend War II: It's not easy trying to keep up with writing up the old anime AND the new anime constantly coming out! Between Men and Demons: ~in the works~ The Mirror of Truth: ~in the works~ At the end of the Journey: ~in the works~ Scars From Battles: ~in the works~ A New Journey: ~in the works~ The Town of Farewell, Senza: ~in the works~ Ruined Nation Slur: ~in the works~ As a Demon: ~in the works~ The Last Show: ~in the works~ Disordered Mind: ~in the works~ The Curtain is Raised for Revenge: ~in the works~ Zigeunerweisen: Sizer and Hamelin face of against one another and Raiel along with the performer troupe, is trying to lead Flute away from the danger. Upon hearing the melody that is being played during Sizer and Hamelin's battle, Flute has began to remember who she really is and recovers her memories of Hamelin. She runs away from Raiel to be with Hamelin once again. In the meantime, Hamelin has began playing the Zigernerwiesen, a powerful musical melody that causes illusions. upon seeing Flute, Hamelin's concentretion was broken and is impaled by Sizer's valkyries. Before anything else happens, Cornet and Trombone show up to reveal the truth to Hamelin- that he and Sizer truly are twins! At that same instance, Ocarina is piloting the Phoenix troop's Jig and in trying to save Sizer, has piloted it to crash on Slur's Floating fortress. The Last Emperor: While everyone was distracted by the events that are unfolding, Raiel began playing a magical peice that controls the dead and has captured Sizer with it. When Raiel warns Flute not to go to Hamelin because he is not human, she reveals that she doesn't care because Hamelin is Hamelin and that her memories have returned. Hamelin's memories have also returned and he tells everyone that he remebers destroying Ansem. The people of Ansem had tried to save themselves by betraying Pandora and selling her and Hamelin off to the demons, When Hamelin saw his mother being sealed away into the crystal, it triggered his transformation into his full demon form and he destroyed the city trying to find his mother. Upon hearing this, Raiel becomes infuriated and attempted to kill Hamelin by manipulating Flute to make the killing blow with his magical piece. After Trombone manages to stop Raiel, the King of Slur appears again and reveals to everyone what they have all been fighting for in Slur. Pandora's Box has once again appeared in the world of men and demons! Unbreakable Ties: ~yup, also in the works~ The Opened Box: Didn't I tell them not to open that box?! The Neverending Road: Pandora pleads with her daughter to open the box because more than anything else, she wishes to see Chestra one last time before she dies and before Sizer could do anything, Pandora's body began to disolve after being sealed away for so long. Sizer finally opens the box only to discover that Chestra has long been dead and only his petrified flesh remains within the box. His sprit though, can never be destroyed and would only move to the next most suitable host-Hamelin. As Hamelin transforms into the next Demon King, Flute manages to take back the Box along with the key while no one was paying attention and with an apology to Hamelin, closes the box once more, sealing Chestra's spirit along with Hamelin within the box. Forever keeping the box by her side as she reigns as Queen long thereafter, only the one who has stolen the Demon King's heart can seal him within the box and only she can set him free again and there lies the greatest hope of the demons. Flute, like Pandora, truly, deeply loves Hamelin, even after the passage of many years and will always be heavily tempted to open the box once more just so that she can be with Hamelin once more. Virgin Fleet Life isn't easy for the girls of the super secret Virgin Fleet. Schoolwork is rough and the competition's brutal. Luckily, cadets are trained in the use of "Virgin Energy," serious blasting power useful for pranks scuffling with the (ick) boys, and blowing away enemy war planes out of the sky! (Action) : : : Visions of Escaflowne, The (Also known as Escaflowne of the Skies or Tenko no Escaflowne) A world is dying...torn apart by a colossal war, the planet of Gaea is in turmoil. Civilizations have been wiped out, and many more are ready to fall. But a girl could change all that. An ordinary girl, Hitomi finds herself suddenly transported to the mysterious planet Gaea, where the Earth hangs in the night sky. A planet filled with magic, strange technology, and legendary armor. She doesn't know it yet, but her special abilities could be the key to saving an entire planet. (Action/Adventure/Drama/Fantasy) An awesome series and definitely ranks high up there as one of my favorites. It doesn't really have much in the way of magic, but there is enough action, character and plot development going on to fill you up. The background music are absolutely gorgeous (having been made by Yoko Kanno!) and fits perfectly with the scenes. My only gripe is that the dubbing quality is horrendous and that butchery (a crime against anime I tells ya) that Fox Kids did to it when they edited it heavily and turned it into pure action show of Van. But let us just forget that horrible nightmare and focus on the good stuff. Yes, you have to buy this series! Fateful Confession: Hitomi Kanzaki is just a normal high school girl who dreams of love. She loves playing with tarot cards, is on the track team, and has a crush on a senior named Amano who is also on the track team. When she learns that Amano is about to leave the country, she makes a confession to him and makes a bet that she can run faster than eleven seconds for her first kiss which Amano will provide. While running as fast as she can, a swordsman suddenly appears and so does a dragon. After the swordsman slays the dragon, Hitomi finds herself caught in the pillar of light that surrounds the mysterious swordsman and ends up in the world of Gaea, a world where the moon and the Earth hangs high in the sky. The Girl From the Mystic Moon: While on Gaia, Hitomi learns that Van Fanel, the mysterious swordsman, is actually a prince. She also begins to experience strange visions foretelling the destruction of Fanelia that she shrugs off until they start coming true. The Gallant Swordsman: As Fanelia is destroyed, Hitomi, Van, and the legendary armor Escaflowne is whisked away by the pillar of light once again and they find themselves in the neighboring country of Asturia. Hitomi meets a dashing swordsman named Alan who she believes to be the swordsman she sees in her visions. The Diabolical Adonis: Dilandau has arrived at Allen’s castle seeking supplies for his troops. He claims that they are on a training practice, but Hitomi and Van both knows that he is here looking for them and the Escaflowne. Hitomi warns Allen about Dilandau just in time to have them attack his castle and almost wipe out all of his troops. Seal of the Brothers: Van has been captured by the enemy. Hitomi tries and succeeds in locating him through dowsing. While being held captive, Van discovers something interesting. The Zaiback commander and chief stratego is a man named Folken, someone whom he once called elder brother and has vanished while taking the trials to prove his worth as next in line for the title of king of Fanelia. Capitol of Intrigue: They have finally reached the capital of Asturia. They can almost relax. As they disembark from their ship, Asturia’s princess arrives to great them. Here, Allen rushes off to report to the King about Zaiback’s treachery and the destruction of his outpost only to learn that the Strategos of Zaiback is already there talking to the King about the incident that he is about to report. Unexpected Partings: Escaflowne has been disguised as an Asturian Guymelef and has been hidden in the Asturian capital of Palas. Unfortunately, complications arise when Van had to rescue Hitomi and Escaflowne is revealed. Dilandau attacks and begins to destroy parts of the city in the process forcing them to flee from the safety of Palas and the hospitality of the Royal Family. The Day the Angel Flew: Hitomi, along with Van and Merle, decide to destroy a Zaiback energist manufacturing plant. During the struggle, Hitomi is captured and nearly falls to her death. During the fall, the angelic knight that often appears in her visions suddenly appears just in time to save her. Memories of Feather: Hitomi wakes up after nearly falling to her death and finds one of the feathers her angelic protector has shed. Upon touching it, she is suddenly immersed in many different visions. They range from the fateful night that Van’s mother and father met, to Van’s childhood, to the time when Folken vanished from his trials to be the next king of Fanelia. The Blue-Eyed Prince: Hitomi, Van, and Merle are ambushed by Dilandau and his dragon slayers. When all seemed lost, Allen suddenly appears to rescue them, but is mortally wounded in the process. Not knowing where to go, they decided to head to Freid. There they meet Prince Chid, Princess Millerna’s nephew. Prophecy of Death: Hitomi, Van, Merle, Princess Millerna, Allen and his crew are all held captive on the word of Plaktu the monk who can read people’s minds. Plaktu, however, is already dead and has been replaced with a doppelganger. Hitomi foretells of the doppelganger’s death during interrogations and strives to prevent that sad destiny from occurring. The Secret Door: The Duke of Freid, Prince Chid’s father, has returned. He has arrived just in time to defend his capital against the four armies of Zaiback. Princess Millerna discovers a secret that has been locked away. Upon opening it, will everything be destroyed by this terrible knowledge she now possesses? Red Destiny: The country of Freid has been destroyed by the four armies of Zaiback. Hitomi receives another disturbing vision. This time, she sees Duke Freid as he falls in the battlefield soaked in a rain of blood. Dangerous Wounds: Van Returns from the battlefield with seemingly supernatural wounds. The wounds refuses to close much less heal themselves. Hitomi realizes than Van is wounded at the same places where Escaflowne has been damage. To help Van, they must first repair Escaflowne, but where can they find the place to do such a huge repair job and do they really know how to fix the legendary Ispano Guymelef? Lost Paradise: Van fought Dilandau’s Dragon-slayers. He has killed them and is ready to exact revenge on Dilandau for all that he has done. At the final moment, the Dragon-slayers that he just killed came back to take Van with them towards the realm of the dead. Can even Hitomi’s abilities save Van from joining those who have already died? The Guided Ones: Hitomi and Van have narrowly escaped staying permanently in the realm of the dead. Van now doubts his sword. Whenever he picks up his sword, he sees the faces of the people he has killed. He must, however, quickly overcome his trials with or without Hitomi and Allen’s help because Folken has sent a pair of assassins on his trail. The Edge of the World: Dreiden’s airship has finally reached the gates of Atlantis. They are drawn inside the gate and once inside, Hitomi, Van and Allen vanish from the ship and reappear on different parts of Atlantis. Each of them faces a demon of their past and the thread that fate has woven around the three of them is finally revealed. The Gravity of Destiny: After barely escaping back into Gaia, Hitomi, Van, and Allen mysteriously vanish once again. This time they are taken to the very heart of the kingdom of Zaiback. There they are captured and meets Zaiback’s Emperor- a man Allen’s father once knew. Operation Golden Rule of Love: For the emperor of Zaiback, Hitomi’s closeness to Van is becoming more than just a nuisance. He wants them separated and Folken may just be able to make that happen. To separate them, Folken will use the Atlantis Machine to apply another gravity on to Hitomi’s heart and redirect her to another path. False Vows: Dreiden and Millerna are about to get married. Princess Millerna is unsure if marriage is the right choice for her. She asks Hitomi to read the cards and tell her if her marriage will be a good one. Hitomi foresees disaster, but substitutes it with divine good fortune. Unfortunately doing so has caused unforeseen consequences. Reaction of Fortune: Something goes wrong with the cat twins and things start turning bad for them. Their past is revealed and Hitomi finally learns why they would be willing to freely give a man such as Folken their love and their lives and if necessary, their deaths. The Black-Winged Angel: Folken finally realizes his folly. He decides to meet with his little brother to try and aid them in stopping Dornkirk, Zaiback’s emperor, from fulfilling his mad designs. They meet in the ruins of Fanelia and secrets long buried are revealed. Storm Premonition: Allen has proposed to Hitomi and Hitomi decides to give him the answer after he returns from the battlefields. While he is gone, she sorts out her feelings and tries to decide who she loves most-Van or Allen. Fateful Decision: Hitomi is back on Earth. She wakes up the day before she meets Van and travels to the world of Gaia. She learns some things that she never noticed before-things such as the fact that her best friend is even more deeply in love with Amano than she ever was or how she never said anything to her for the sake of their friendship. At the same time, Hitomi keeps receiving hints of Van. She now must decide whether to go back or turn her back on Van and Gaia and go on with her life as if she never met Van. Zone of Absolute Fortune: All the nations of Gaia has united under one flag and all of her forces stand ready to oppose Zaiback and her four armies. The battle to prevent the reactivation of the Atlantis Machine and the fearsome results of its activation has begun. It is literally the battle to secure the future of Gaia. Eternal Love: The Atlantis machine has finally been activated. Will it signify Gaia’s destruction or will they be spared the fate of Atlantis? The destiny of an entire world and countless lives rest upon Hitomi and Van’s love for each other. Voices of a Distant Star (Hoshi no Koe) Extremely sad and nostalgic for those oh-so-simple days. Hoshi no Koe is the story of two best friends who have been together since they were little. They are split apart when she decides to join the newly formed Space Force and train to go beyond the solar system in search of the aliens that have attacked humanity. They communicate with each other through e-mails that they send through their cell phones and as she gets farther and farther away from the earth, the e-mails takes longer and longer to reach the other. Each e-mail that she sends is filled with all of her emotions-from the anxiety of going into space and being far away from the world of her birth, to the loneliness she feels being so far away from him to the he that humanity can someday find a way to easily travel the stars in peace. As she reaches a distant planet that seems all too much like a paradise, she sends her final e-mail to him. This e-mail takes 8 years to reach him and it begins with a greeting to his 24-year-old self from her 16-year-old self. Only the first two lines came through and the rest are garbled, but that doesn't matter because he can already tell the emotions that she has placed into this final e-mail and the words are no longer needed. (Action/Drama/Sci-fi) Nostalgic and sad, it is filled with the hopes and dreams of the youth seeking out adventure and meaning in their lives while, at the same time, having a yearning for the days gone by. Only 22 minutes long and can be considered slow at times, it is still what I would consider a work of art. Yes, yes, I do so love it. It receives Bon's seal of approval. Well worth the purchase! Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer It is the dawn of the 21st century, and a series of devastating earthquakes have reduced half of Tokyo to a broken, twisted steel and shattered stone. Is the planet dying…or is mankind killing it? Professor Fudo believes these disaster are the work of one man: Shizuru Ozaki, the head of the Belnar Institute-an elite school specializing in the education and training of exceptional students. Unbeknownst to them, Ozaki aspires to something far greater than mere morality, and the obliteration of mankind is but a small price to pay. (Action) See Tekken 1: Athletic and popular, Isato Kaiza was an otherwise ordinary student. But nothing could’ve prepared him for the day he was given a Caizer Stone by fellow student Kash-alias Hellstinger. Armed with a mysterious crystal, Isato now possesses the power to transform into the armored hero: Gowcaizer! But now, Gowcaizer threatens Ozaki’s carefully laid plans, so the Asahina twins are dispatched to deliver an ultimatum to Gowcaizer: submit to the will of Ozaki…or die. Will Gowcaizer survive the first test of his newfound powers against an enemy with the combined strength of two super-beings? 2: The Earthquake, which destroyed most of Tokyo, was only the first sign of the Apocalypse. Deep within the inner sanctum of the Belnar Institute, a dark power is growing within Shizuru Ozaki. It has now become clear that Ozaki is no longer working alone…and is no longer completely human. To avert the rapidly approaching apocalypse, Gowcaizer and Hellstinger must join forces to battle Ozaki’s sinister creations. Armed with a magical sword and otherworldly powers, Kyosuke seeks to avenge the death of his sister at the hands of Ozaki. But unbeknownst to his allies, Kyosuke hides a terrible secret… To save the Earth, the heroes must unit against Omni Exist-the manifestation of all negative human desires, and the force of which has been manipulating Ozaki. As Kyosuke appeals to Ozaki’s remaining humanity, Gowcaizer and Hellstinger fight a desperate battle against the omnipotent entity. Their only hope-to prove humanity is essentially good before the entity cleanses the planet of human beings! Aided by the cute warrior-priestess Karin and the sexy, super-idol Shaia, Gowcaizer is the last hope for mankind! W Wish (Slice of Life) Each episode of W Wish is only 15 minutes long and feels more like a vignette instead of actual episodes with plot lines. In a way, they are more like Azumanga Daioh in which the story moves forward through a series of moments in the character's lives. In such a way, W Wish is a slice of life series featuring the lives of Juuna and Senna, twins who lost their parents at an early age. There is nothing special about the series. It is charming in some respects, but not the thing that really captures my attention. Junna and Senna: The end of term has come and the next big event for the school is the culture festival. as Senna is trying to convince her twin brother to go to the festival with her, they are summoned to the teacher's lounge. There, Juuna's teacher tries to convince them to stay in the dorm since both their parents died from the accident where only the two of them survived. She states that it might not be the school's business, but it might be trouble is the two of them continue to keep on living together. Junna adamantly refuses, stating that how dare she and the school try to pry into a private family affair which they have no right to and leaves with Senna. Help Club: As the club is deciding in what kind of haunted house they will have for the culture festival, a lowerclassman named Sana Fujie comes to Juuna's class for him. She takes him to the literature club's room andhe is surprised to find Tsubasa Outori, the princess of the campus, waiting for him. She wants him to join her "help club" for the literature club. Weak against cute girls, Juuna agrees to join the club. After a day of runing around for the help club, Senna rewards him that night by washing his back for him so that he can do as good a job the next day. Another Sister: Walking around the school for the help club, Juuna ends up in the club that Senna belongs to. There Tomo is wearing a dress which surprised Juuna. When he pushed him away, soy sauce got spilled all over the dress and Sana shows up to "help" them. she makes it worse by accidentally burning the dress while ironing it and trying to put it out, she pours oil on it instead of water. Trying to call the fire department (119), she accidentally calls the police department (110). When the cop shows up, it turned out to be someone that Juuna ans Senna knows and she is taking care of her cousin. A girl that they used to play with. When they meet, Juuna calls her by name which surprised Senna since Juuna doesn't remember anything from before the accident. Flooding Anxiety: Doing errands for the literature club, Juuna is accompanied by Haruhi who just recently transferred to the school and doesn't have anyone else to hang out with. At the same time, her arrival has Senna worried that her older brother will leave her behind. When Juuna's class runs out of props for their haunted mansions, they ask Senna if they could borrow some artifacts that their parents unearthed. When Senna finds out that Juuna will also probably stay the night to help finish the prop, she decides to go too. At the same time, Juuna and Haruhi discovers the classroom empty and are about to head home. The Night Before the Culture Festival: Haruhi seems to be causing more delays and problems than giving actual help to the class. When Senna gets mad, it gets cut short with, Yuuko, Haruhi's cousin arriving to pick her up since she never came home. Taking a break from the insanity, Juuna heads to the roofs and finds Tomo there gazing at the stars. Their conversation is cut short by Senna who has come looking for him again. On the way to the classroom, Senna voices her concern that he will leave her behind and Juuna reassures her that it will never happen. They then head back to the classroom and finishes things for the next day. A Memory Amidst the Shadows: The day of the culture festival has arrived and everyone is doing their best. Juuna and Seena decides to wander around and enjoy the festival. Yuuko and Haruhi arrives there as well. Haruhi decides to go off on her own to find Juuna and spend the day with him. Unfortunately for her, he always seems to be just out of reach and could never get to him in time before he wanders off again. As the day ends, Haruhi still haven't gotten with Juuna. Juuna and Senna are alone when he realized that he also promised to spen the day with Haruhi. Trying to remember something, distorted memories suddenly start flooding back to him and the strain causes him to pass out. Summer! Sea! Swimsuits!: Juuna and Senna are invited to Tsubasa's summer beach house for some fun in the sun along with almost everyone else it would seem. Of course, Senna would rather that it be just the two of them going to the beach instead of being part of a huge group. When they have a tournament with the prize of having a wish fulfilled no matter what, Senna and Haruhi wins it and Haruhi quickly makes her wish known. When their teacher refuses to allow it to be a kiss from Juuna, she settles for a date with him. Running through the beach, as Haruhi is trying to catch up to him, a memory of Haruhi trying to catch up to him while he looks on from a train emerges and Juuna passes out again. As night descends, they spend the rest of the day doing barbecue and playing with sparklers. An Album to be Remembered: When Sana comes over to deliver the photos taken during their trip to Tsubasa's beach house, Senna decides to go shopping with the two of them in tow for a new photo album when Juuna starts asking about any old photo albums that they have. On the way there, Sana parts with them at the park. In the store, they meet up with the class rep and as Senna is looking through the albums, Junna notices Tomo looking through the glass door and just leaves. Chasing after her, she just seems to vanish in a dead end alley. Back at their house, a former student of their dad is waiting for them to get some information about his last archeological dig in which the two of them were supposed to have been there for. At the mention of that specific dig, Senna just suddenly freaks out and locks herself away in her room. A Shrouded Past: Senna still hasn't stopped sulking in her room which left things for Juuna to take care of. He accidentally finds the dial that the student was looking for and with it, some old photo albums that Senna said she threw away. In it, he sees pictures of him as a child along with some of those with Haruhi. What he doesn't see there are pictures of Senna as a child and he is troubled by it. Wandering off on his own, he ends up in Haruhi's house just as she is about to go off to visit him. On a cafe, he finally asks her why is there no pictures of Senna as a child only those of him and her. At that moment, Tomo appears again and tells him, "So you've realized the truth now have you? Senna doesn;t have a past!" Haruhi confirming it, also tells him that Senna shouldn't even be around becuase she is his real younger sister. Distorted World: After learning parts of the truth, strange things begins to happen all over town. A thick fog has descended and people who wander in it can get lost, end up where they started, or somewhere they have never been in before. With Haruhi telling him that she isn't allowed to reveal anything more to him, Junna figures out that Tomo might hold the answers. Wandering through the mist, he manages to end up in the school rooftop where Tomo is waiting for him and reveals herself to be the guardian of time. She then tells him that he has to make a decision on what the future is supposed to be and takes him back in time to when he had lost his parents on the excavation of that dial he found earlier. Senna's Truth: Going back through time, Junna remembers what really is. On that excavation, he was with his younger sister who is not his twin - Haruhi. There, their parents found a powerful astifacts that can grant wishes and in Juuna's hands, he wished for Senna to come into existence. Unfortunately, there is a price, the worlds diverged, their parents lost their lives to make the wish come true and Haruhi, who is his younger sister, ceased to be that. In return, Senna, his younger twin sister came to be. She is someone who was with him in the womb - his younger twin, but was never born into the world. The world that they live in now, is not true reality as well. It is a world created by the dial and the power of their wish. Unfortunately, the two worlds are starting to intersect and crumble and Junna must choose - the real world with Haruhi as his sister or the one that he is on now with Senna as his younger twin sister. Inescapable Decision: Juuna reels from the burden of trying to decide which world will saved and making that choice before both worlds crumble. As he nervously try to make a choice, Senna just calmly goes on as if nothing is happening even though the mist that enshrouds the city is even thicker now and people are starting to vanish. Talking to Juuna, Senna tells him it's alright since she was never supposed to be born anyway. As Juuna remembers the dial and attempts to make a wish in which his mother and father as well Senna and Haruhi could exist together, Senna leaves the house. With Haruhi, the two of them walk into the mist hand in hand. Three Feelings: Realizing that one heart wishing on it isn't enough, Juuna searches for Senna to help him wish upon the dial. In the park, Senna and Haruhi are together wondering what will happen from then on. To Senna, it's for her world to vanish since she was never meant to be born anyway. To Haruhi, she'd rather that this world remain where she is just a childhood friend. That way, she can someday become his bride. When Juuna finds them, they all make a wish at the same time on the dial where everyone existed. The force of that wish dispersed the mist away and when everything clears, everything seems normal again. Haruhi is waiting for Juuna to wakeup. She is truly no the childhood friend. Their parents are miraculously back to life. Juuna is also about to become an older brother too. His parents, back home, are discusing a name for the unborn child and have decided upon the name Senna! Wet Summer Days (Hentai/Supernatural) 1: Shuiichi is an art student studying under Mr. Shirakawa, an artist famous for his death paintings. He is also dating Sayaka, Mr. Shirakawa's daughter. When another girl who likes confides in him, she tells him that there is a rumor going on that Mr. Shirakawa's death paintings are real and that he has been killing his models for his art. When he spoke to his professor, Sayaka shows up and the mood between Sayaka and her father is rather hostile. When Shuiichi asks why, she tells him that her mother died because of her father's disregard for her mother's health and more showing of concern for his art. The next day, Sayaka confronts her father and asks him to come with her to her mother's grave and visit her on that day, the aniversary of her death. Her father refuses to go and tells her that he has something to discuss with her-that he wants her to be his model. When Shuiichi finds out that professor Shirakawa had bought some poison the night before, he gets an ominous feeling and runs to the Shirakawa house. When he reached there, he sees blood on the floor and tries to find out where Sayaka is. He discovers sayaka just unconscious and the two of them discover Mr. Shirakawa dead along with his final painting of Sayaka. The letter near his corpse confesses that he was already dying and tells that of all of his paintings, only one of them did not come out of his immagination-that of his wife's death was the only real one. 2: Akira returns to his hometown to go to his grandmother and meets two girls. One of them a mysterious stranger and the other, a childhood friend form years gone by. The mysterious girl appears at the strangest time giving out cryptic words. Her name is Chinatsu which means "a thousand summers all in a row" and wishes to be remembered as such. Itsuko, the quieter of the twin girls that Akira had been friends with, keeps on asking him to do strange things with him that somehow recreates the moments that they and Sayako, the other twin shared in their childhood. In the end, Itsuko reveals to Akira that she has always loved him and in return, Akira accepts those feelings and, underneatht the moonlight, they make love in the temple where Itsuko is working as a miko. When they finish, Itsuko confesses to Akira. The reason that he can't find Sayako is that she is dead and she accidentally killed her when the two of them had an argment over him. Having fulfilled her wish to be loved and make love to Akira, she begins to vanish as her life is exchanged in order to bring her twin sister back to life. As Akira helplessly begs for her to come back, Chinatsu appears and laments on Itsuko's sad wish and elsewhere, Sayako awakens from her six year coma caused when she was pushed down a flight of stairs. 3: Hiroshi returns to Chitose, a sister that he hasn't seen in a long while after their father dies. he learns that she has decided to undergo surgery in hopes of helping her from being sickly all the time. He also meets this seemingly strange little girl named Ojou who has a taste for roasted corn. After Ojou helps him out with a stray dog, he decides to take her home and give her some raosted corn as a reward and has decided to help her look for the thing that she had lost. As time went on, they realize that they have an affinity for each other and Hiroshi cannot shake his uneasy feeling that he has met Ojou before. After finally making love, a dream of a memory returns to Hiroshi-of a time long ago when his mother died and he first met Ojou completely as she is now. After realizing who she is, Hiroshi wakes up to find her gone again and begins to look for her. He finds her dying in the shrine. Ojou was actually an angel of death who harvested Hiroshi's mother's soul years ago and when she confronts Hiroshi about this, Hiroshi was so mad that he had run away from her and got hit a by a car. In order to save him, Ojou gave Hiroshi half the life she has and now, she has begun to fade away. As she is fading away, Chinatsu shows up to explain some things to HIroshi. It turns out that Chinatsu is actually the heart that Ojou had lost long ago. Later on, we learn that Chitose's operation was a asuccess, just as Ojou had predicted it. Whispers of the Heart The story of two star crossed lovers exchanging love letters...without love letters, or the star-crossed part, or the lover part either. Actually, it’s more like two lovesick puppies exchanging library books, wait that didn’t sound right did it? Let me start all over again. Shizuku Tsukishima is a middle schooler preparing to go to high school. She is just your typical girl except for the fact the she loves books so much that she’s in the library almost everyday borrowing books. She begins to notice a single name though all the books that she borrows appearing over and over again...Seiji Amasawa. She begins to obsess over him and wondering what he is like all the while having a silent battle against a boy in her school who just can't seem to do anything but make her mad. Slowly, but surely, she soon realizes that it is not an irritation that makes her think off him all the time, but love when she realize who this boy really is. (Drama/Romance) A Studio Ghibli production that is just as good as the whole lot of them. Very sweet and charming in its own special way. It's a story of a first love and the dreams of two young lover and their uncertainty towards the future as they try to hold on to each other. Extremely well worth the memory space (if you could find it). Wild Cardz These cute, car-carrying crusaders are dealing a world of hurt to criminals who threaten the tranquility of the Card Kingdom. But these Crown Knights must get down and dirty when they run up against two war machines shaped like gigantic chess pieces! The deck is stacked against them - somehow they've got to checkmate these indestructible invaders before the Card Kingdom topples! But never fear; Lady Luck is on their side! (Action/Adventure ) : : Wings of Honneamise An epic tale of a civilization’s first faltering steps into space, set in an alien world that is strangely familiar to our own. When cadet Shiro Lhadatt signs up with the Royal Space Force, he encounters ridicule and apathy from the manipulative leaders and a cynical public. A chance encounter with a devout young woman spurs Shiro on towards his destiny-to become the first man in space. While military leaders conspire to use the space program to spark an all-out war, Shiro and a team of aging scientists race against time to complete the first launch. The countdown has begun in a spectacular feast for the senses. Breathtaking animation, sumptuous design and a great vision combine to ensure that Wings of Honneamise will become a classic in the anime hall of fame. (Adventure/Drama) Witch Hunter Robin (Drama/Supernatural) Replacement: Addicted to Power: An important businessman is accused of killing his business partner although jury cannot convict him since the method of the murder was through a curse. Nobody believes in the curse, but the media is all over the story, which makes the STNJ’s job a little bit more difficult since they have to operate in darkness. They manage to get readings from his fiancée and they decide to lay a trap on him in the chapel where his wedding is to be held. Before the trap could be sprung and the suspect apprehended, the detective who was working the case confronts the suspect with a video camera trying to get him to reveal his power. After he has revealed himself, the STNJ moves in on him and captures him. The final scene is of his fiancée having her last bit of drama just as she has always wanted when she agreed to marry him. Dancing in Darkness: A mummified corpse is discovered and the STNJ are called in to investigate. They soon discover that the murder victim is also a witch and the only clue that they got from the body was an insect. As they dig deeper into the case looking for similar murders, they find out that this kind of murder has happened before.Once 120 years ago, another 80 years ago and the last one 40 years ago. The last set of murders was never solved since the suspect was lost at sea and the body never recovered. They now suspect the perpetrator to be a relative of the last suspect and Robin, accompanied by Doujima, visit the last suspect’s wife. She informs them that Kurata, the suspect, will never grow old, that he remains perpetually young. The hint that they get turns out to be true as they catch up to him. It seems that Kurata, in order to maintain his youth, absorbs the life of other witches and the process turns the victim into a mummified corpse. Stubborn Aesthetics: In order to improve her aim, Amon gives Robin a pair of glasses to make sure that accidents like the last time don’t happen again. While wandering through the park on her daily walks, Robin notices a girl who is always there painting pictures. This is the same park that has been the scene of several unsolved murders where there are no links between the victims except their corpses are found in this park and that they all appear to have been killed using box cutters even though they didn’t seem to have put up any struggle. As Robin investigates the park for more clues, she befriends the painter she sees there all the time and asks her if there seems to be anything weird that she has ever noticed in the park before. There is something strange about the painter and it turns out that she is a witch and that she is the one who has been committing the murders. Smells Like The Wandering Spirit: The STNJ, in search of a missing person who is suspected of having the witch gene, comes across a mythical witch called Single Eyes who are only rumored to exist. They can cause madness on people and no one really knows when they are in the vicinity and are using their powers. The only evidence they leave behind is the unmistakable scent of olive. As Sakaki searches for more clues pertaining to the existence and whereabouts of the legendary Single eyes witch, more and more people seem to be getting afflicted with the madness. All of them seem to try to lead them away from a homeless quarter where there had their last encounter with the witch before it vanished without a single trace. Raindrops: Robin, on the way home, runs out of gas and is stuck in the highway until a woman offers her a ride. The following day, Robin reads in the news that the same woman who has given her a ride in the rain last night had been involved in an accident and is now dead. For some strange reason, it catches Robin’s attention and she decides to try to investigate the matter even further although everyone else tells her that it really is just an accident and that she should drop the matter. She gets a break when she visits the girl that the woman visited just before she died. Although she does appear normal (well as normal as one could get, especially with that particularly depressing aura she gives off), her cat scan reveals that she should have multiple personalities. The reason for her seeming normality is revealed- she has witch abilities even though she doesn’t know it and the other personalities have not taken up space in her mind, but in her dolls and all of them are highly protective of her to the point that they would kill anyone who they think tries to hurt her. Simple-minds: A murder victim is found and he seems to have something to do with a bank robbery. Faith: Doctor Kurosawa, a doctor who has witch abilities to transfer life force from one person to another has been killing gangsters by transferring their life force into dying children. He and his partner, Dr. Kirhara, have taken it upon themselves to save the innocent by sacrificing the worthless trash of society. Unfortunately for them, their activities have been detected by the STNJ when their latest victim turned out to be a witch and a secondary autopsy was done on the body. With a child's life on the line and the STNJ hot on their heels, the two desperate doctors try to escape only to face Sakaki and Robin. When Kirihara is injured, Kurosawa uses his own life to save him. Sign of the Craft: The STNJ comes up with a case where the murder victims have been set on fire. It seems that there is another out there with an ability similar to Robin’s own abilities. They have to find out the connection between the murder victims and through them, the witch responsible before another murder happens. As they delve deeper into the relationship between the murder victims, they find a dirty little secret that they have been trying to bury. It seems as if all of them were involved in running a black market of human organs. They had children, mostly orphans, sent overseas where they are supposed to get operations to help them get better, but in reality, they were actually sent there to be the donor and the men who ran the scheme get paid for the organs taken out of the children. Of the children, only one fits the description that they know of, someone named Aki who should already be dead. As it turns out, she has a twin sister who managed to survive and carries out her sister’s will in avenging her and trying to survive herself since she knows too much. Separate Lives: The Soul Cages: Precious Illusions: The Eyes of Truth: Loaded Guns: Time to Say Goodbye: Heal the Pain: Dilemma: In My Pocket: Missing: All I Really Ought to Know: No Way Out: Family Portrait: Sympathy For The Devil: Rent: Redemption Day: Time to Tell: Wrath of the Ninja: The Yotoden Movie the year is 1850, and the unholy armies of Lord Nobunaga Oda steadily spread across Japan. Narrowly escaping the slaughter of her clan, a young ninja steals into the shadows. She is Ayame, the last of the Kasumi Clan, and the dagger she wields is one of three, mystical blades. She is joined by Sakon and Ryoma-renegade ninja and the possessors of the sacred sword and spear. Now, these shadow warriors must unite their weapon and skills to fulfill the Prophecy of the Enchanted Swords-or die trying… (Action/Supernatural) X (Action/Adventure/Supernatural) Created by CLAMP about the end of the world. I liked it. The movie was a horrible piece of crap, but this is worth seeing. I almost missed out on this one because of the movie. A Pledge As Kamui is reliving his mother's death in his nightmares, Fuma and Sorata have taken care of his wounds. After waking up, Fuma leaves the two of them and Kamui throws Sorata out as he is try Civer Satsuki, one of the Dragons of the Underworld, is a girl who seems to have trouble relating to other people. Her best friends are computers which she seems to have a bond to. Having manifested her powers at an early age, she has been subjected to numerpous experiments with greedy, power hungry people trying to control her abilities for their own benefit. Save for the computers that is her only constant companion, she is all alone until Kanoe found her and invited her to join and meet the others that are like her. Wandering around in the net, she has discovered the existance of Nataku, the third Dragon of the Underworld. XXXHolic One fine summer day, a strange customer comes to Yuuko's store requesting to open the door to her house that refuses to let her in. Accepting her request, Yuuko comes over with Watanuki and Doumeki and enters the house which strangely enough, Yuuko has gotten an invitation for before the woman asked her request. Inside the house appears to be a labyrinth in chich the rooms seems to twist and where one can easily get lost. There, they find that other people are inside because they have received the same invitation as the one that Yuuko received. Each of them is a collector of rare things. Soon, they begin to disappear one by one and Watanuki and Doumeki are forced to solve the mystery of the mansion and the mysterious master who lives in the mansion. In order to solve the mystery of the mansion and leave its premises, they are forced to face the ultimate collector - a collector of collectors and one who wishes to add Yuuko to his collection. (Mystery/Supernatural) It's pretty good, to compare it to other well known films, I'd say that it is a cross between The Neverending Story and The Labyrinth. Yes, get it now. Back  Next  Reviews Page  Main