One of the problems with these short-pull series is that they seldom get aired through the normal channels. You then have to hunt them down and that can sometimes be a workout. I can’t comments as to why they exist in the first place, as I don’t know the artistic reasons to bring forth a show that only has 10-minutes segments for its run of twelve episodes. I also don’t know why Adam Sandler is still making films, but there you go. In any case, “Kenka Bancho Otome: Girl Beats Boys” takes a seriously weird look at juvenile delinquents and cross-dressing.Continue reading

 

Another ‘new’ trend in animes: the outsider, coming to a school that is fitted with rigid regulations and equally rigid people to enforce things. Easily seen in the bizarre “Prison School”, our latest show under the microscope takes it to a different level. This is the world of “Armed Girl’s Machiavellism” (“Busōu Shōujo Makyaverizumu”), where power is knowledge.Continue reading

In a show like this, it is eventually going to be compared to “Monster Girls”, since you are dealing with similar creatures, but in a different manner, and it is those differences that make “Interviews with Monster Girls” (“Demi-chan wa Kataritai”, “Demi Wants to Talk”) potentially less effective than the former.Continue reading

I always have a problem with anime movies, in that I am aware of the merest tip of the iceberg that comes to a regular cinema on its own (although I am having troubles with “The Red Turtle” and that’s a Studio Ghibli offering). A tremendous amount of them just go drifting past, so it is a bit or a workout to be able to find them without having to go to some special showing in a theater no one can find at exorbitant costs to view it and you have but one weekend to grab any of the four total showings. And the next nearest theater for it is 600 miles away. That is why when I run into an anime movie, I grab it and take my chances.

Such is the case with “Kokoro ga Sakebitagatterunda” (“The Anthem of the Heart”, subtitled “Beautiful Word Beautiful World”). At its heart, it is a love story, but how we get there is a tad unusual.Continue reading

What would you give to be able to relive a crucial part of your life and correct mistakes that you had made at that time? Would this give you a better chance for the rest of your life? Are you up to the task? Can you keep a secret? Do you like having a minimum wage job and no girlfriend? Have you registered to vote?Continue reading