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March 2001 - May 2001 Angelic
Layer | Comic Party | Figure 17
| Gakuen Senki Muryou
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Alt. Title: Kidou Tenshi Angelic Layer, Battle Doll Angelic Layer Premiere Date: 1st April 2001 TV Station: TV Tokyo US Distribution rights: ADV Films
Review: Angelic Layer and X TV were the two CLAMP series aired in 2001, and while they are almost complete opposites in terms of atmosphere, they are both incredibly good. The premise of Angelic Layer is quite simple, and is aimed towards a younger audience. Misaki Suzuhara arrives in Tokyo to live with her Aunt Shouko and go to school there. However, no sooner had she stepped out of the airport that she was drawn into a tournament game known as "Angelic Layer". In this game, players (more commonly known as 'Deus') use their "Angels" (self-made dolls) to do battle inside a special arena which allow their Angels to somewhat come alive. These Angels are controlled by the sheer mind and will power of their Deuses. Misaki is immediately captivated by them, and a strange man in a lab coat called Icchan helps her get started by taking her to Piffle Princess, a store which sells Angelic Layer merchandise. (As CLAMP manga fans may know, Piffle Princess is the store that Hinata from Suki. Dakara Suki loves to shop at. ^^) From then on, he randomly pops up and supplies her with material and information to help her progress with the game.
What sets Angelic Layer apart from other anime in its genre is the fact that there is more to the show than just winning the battles and becoming the finest Deus in the country. As can be expected from CLAMP, the show is filled with briliiant characters (voiced by brilliant seiyuu!) and beautiful character interaction. Also, it is quite obvious that there is something deeper and more serious going on in the series, especially regarding Misaki's mother, whom she hasn't seen since kindergarten. On top of that Angelic Layer features the best music I have ever heard in a CLAMP series. The soundtrack is simply amazing, and the opening and ending themes reflect the series perfectly. To opening, 'Be My Only Angel', sung by Enomoto Atsuko (Misaki's seiyuu) captures the cute, fun part, while the two ending themes 'The Starry Sky' and 'Ameagari' capture the more serious parts of the series.
In summary, Angelic Layer is a great, fun series that brings a smile to my face everytime I watch it. It's also literally brimming with amazing seiyuu and filled with references to many of CLAMP's other works. The ADV dub is also very well done. I can't seem to find any flaws with this show, and it is suitable for all ages. Highly recommended.
Episode count: 26 Rating: 8 out of 10 Screenshots/Images:
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Alt. Title: None Premiere Date: 2nd April 2001 TV Station: US Distribution rights: The Right Stuf Int.
Review: Comic Party is an anime about the world of doujinshi (fan comics). It follows the main character Kazuki as he is coerced into drawing doujinshi by his somewhat insane friend Taishi. His childhood female friend, Mizuki, strongly opposes his new hobby as she had a bad experience the first time Taishi dragged her and Kazuki to a doujinshi convention. However, there is nothing she can do except watch her friend become more and more enchanted by the world of comics.
This show is nothing short of bishoujo girls and parodies quite a number of series, most of which I don't really have an interest in. There are also a lot of references and cameos from the series To Heart. The artwork is clean and standard for 2001, but nothing spectacular. I'm really quite tired of the whole 5-girls-for-one-guy scenario, especially since I find all the girls annoying. Some of the humour is funny, but most of them fall pretty flat unless you're a big fan of the series they're referencing. Comic Party isn't too bad, but because I don't have a big interest in doujinshi or To Heart, and it doesn't have a single one of my favorite seiyuu, it fails to really capture me.
Episode count: 12 + 4 specials Rating: 6.5 out of 10 Screenshots/Images:
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Alt. Title: Figure 17 - Tsubasa & Hikaru Premiere Date: 27th May 2001 TV Station: US Distribution rights: Media Blasters
Review:
Episode count: 13 (45 mins each, aired monthly) Rating: out of 10 Screenshots/Images:
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Alt. Title: Premiere Date: 8th May 2001 TV Station: US Distribution rights: The Right Stuf Int.
Review: Rating: out of 10 Screenshots/Images:
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Alt. Title: None Premiere Date: 8th April 2001 TV Station: TV Tokyo US Distribution rights: Bandai Ent.
Review: These type of series are not really my kind of thing, but Galaxy Angel is alright. It doesn't really have any redeeming qualities except for being very cute and almost hyperactive. In the episode I saw, the Angels had to find a lost cat. Trouble ensues when there are a lot of cats that look exactly the same as the one they are trying to find.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10 Screenshots/Images:
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Jungle wa Itsumo Hare Nochi Guu Alt. Title: The Jungle is always Hale Nochi Guu Premiere Date: 3rd April 2001 TV Station: US Distribution rights:
Review: This series is insane and really quite funny. It doesn't really have a solid plot but focuses around the trouble that Guu gets Hale and his villagers in when she comes to live with them. Hale is just a school boy and he lives with his mother who loves getting drunk and doesn't really act like a mother. When Guu arrives she stirs up a lot of trouble for him and has a strange habit of devouring anything she can. The way Guu patronizes and teases Hale is absolutely hilarious. The artwork is pretty simple and there's nothing great about the music (the opening theme is some insane jungle-bopping piece!) but the humour used can be brilliant. At times it seems a little forced but all in all, Guu's torture of Hale saves the show.
Episode count: 26 Rating: 7 out of 10 Screenshots/Images:
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Koutetsu Tenshi Kurumi 2/Encore Alt. Title: Steel Angel Kurumi 2/Encore Premiere Date: 7th April 2001 TV Station: US Distribution rights: ADV Films
Review: Rating: out of 10 Screenshots/Images:
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Alt. Title: Louie the Rune Soldier Premiere Date: 3rd April 2001 TV Station: US Distribution rights: ADV Films
Review:
Episode count: 24 Rating: out of 10 Screenshots/Images:
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Alt. Title: None Premiere Date: 6th April 2001 TV Station: TV Tokyo US Distribution rights: ADV Films
Review: See my tribute site for review, screenshots and more information!
Episode count: 26 Rating: 9.5 out of 10
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Alt. Title: Shin Shirayukihime Densetsu Pretear Premiere Date: 4th April 2001 TV Station: US Distribution rights: ADV Films
Review: Pretear is a warm anime which plays out like a modern retelling of Cinderella with a mahou shoujo theme. Actually, Himeno's situation is not that much like Cinderella's but the show itself does have a fairy-tale quality to it. Himeno Awayuki was just a normal high school girl until her father married the rich executive Natsue. From then on, all the buildings in this city were named after her family name, and Himeno found herself with two step-sisters. Natsue doesn't bully Himeno like Cinderella's stepmother did, but her two daughters Mayune and Mawata aren't too fond their new family. Mayune enjoys playing pranks on Himeno and is rather arrogant, while Mawata simply makes do with ignoring Himeno (Mawata seems to have a lot of personal issues herself). This makes Himeno feel pretty unneeded and insignificant, that is until she runs into the mysterious Hayate. She is then informed that she is "Pretear", the girl that the 7 Leafe Knights have been looking for. They need her help to stop the escaped Princess of Darkness and destroy all the demon larvae sucking the Leafe (life force) of plants and other natural things. In order to do this, Himeno must "pret" with one of the Leafe Knights and use their respective powers to destroy the core of the demon larvae. And so Himeno begins to train to become Pretear.
Pretear is a great series with bright animation and nice character designs. A few of the Leafe Knights are bishounens, while the others are cute little kids. Himeno develops feelings for Hayate, a brooding Leafe Knight whom at first she didn't get along with. The humour in this show is also very cute, especially with Himeno's facial expressions. Later on in the series there a some character twists that I never saw coming. I highly recommend this to fans of the mahou shoujo genre. You won't be disappointed.
Episode count: 13 Rating: 8 out of 10 Screenshots/Images:
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Alt. Title: None Premiere Date: 7th March 2001 TV Station: Released by Victor Entertainment US Distribution rights: ADV Films
Review: Seeing as I avoid hentai and highly ecchi series, this is probably one of the ecchi-est show I have ever seen. A spin-off from Excel Saga, this 2-part OVA focuses on the niece (Poemi) of Nabeshin who desires to be a seiyuu. Like Excel Saga, the humour is energetic and just down-right crazy. Because Excel Saga was broadcast on television, a lot of its rudeness was toned down, but Puni Puni Poemi goes all out, not showing one bit of restraint. It's difficult to outline a plot, because well, there really isn't one, but basically Poemi goes to live with the Aasu sisters after Nabeshin is supposedly murdered by a alien creature with a very disturbing tail. Poemi can transform into a superhero and she and the Aasu battle an alien invasion. The Aasu sisters are strange, strange women and one of them, Futaba, is a classmate of Poemi. Except she thinks of her as more than a friend, and has disturbing fantasies about her. Every element of this show is just insane and crosses all boundaries of ecchi.
Personally, I'm not really a fan of this kind of humour, it's far too rude and forced for my liking. The level of fanservice in this OVA is also beyond what I can tolerate, as there is no substantial story to offset it. However, this is how the Excel Saga universe operates, so I wasn't surprised at the lack of story. The seiyuu cast is brilliant, and is the best part of the show. There's even an in-joke about Mitsuishi Kotono which is the highlight of Puni Puni Poemi for me.
Episode Count: 2 Rating: 6 out of 10 Screenshots/Images:
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Alt. Title: None Premiere Date: 5th April 2001 TV Station: US Distribution rights: ADV Films
Review: Rating: out of 10 Screenshots/Images:
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Alt. Title: Tamashiigari Premiere Date: 4th April 2001 TV Station: WOWOW US Distribution rights: Pioneer USA
Review:
Episode count: 13 Rating: out of 10 Screenshots/Images:
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