Anime Report: Appleseed: Ex Machina (2008)

J and I were lucky enough to see this on the big screen in San Francisco, which is really the way to go if you can.

If not, at least try to see it in Blu-Ray, because the visuals are nothing short of stunning. And unless you happen to be a big Appleseed fan, the visuals (and the participation of John Woo, who's influence is heavily felt in the action scenes) is really the reason you're watching.

The plot is more complex than the previous movies, and at the same time simpler. Deunan and Briareos are still partners, and still in love. But when Briareos is injured during a mission (a kick-ass action sequence set in an abandoned church) Deunan is assigned a new partner -- Tereus, a warrior bioroid who just happens to be a clone of Briareos.

Cue the drama. Briareos wonders if Deunan would prefer a flesh and blood lover, rather than someone who's mostly machine. Deunan wants her man back, and resents the presence of Tereus. And Tereus is conflicted about his feelings for Deunan -- are they real, or a result of the cloning?

In the middle of all this romance stuff is a plot about brainwashed cyborgs threatening planetary peace, a global monitoring system and a goo that takes over people's minds. But really, it's not terribly important -- it's just a reason to have all of the fights and things going boom.

And pigeons. John Woo was involved -- there must be pigeons. I lol'ed.

The CG animation is a work of art -- I'd love to see games that look this good, even though the animation had a very next-gen game feel to it.

There's everything from mid-air shootouts to sinuous silver tentacles. Even the settings are striking, with their Greco-futuristic marble, columns and sci-fi gadgets. And there's a breathtaking level of detail -- reflections, light, raindrops on Briareos' metal face and tiny facial changes. I so want my character in Champions Online to have Deunan's hair.

Worth checking out if you're an animation fan or have a new Blu-Ray player you want to put through its paces. Or if you're an Appleseed fan. But don't feel you have to have seen the previous movies -- just go with the flow, and you should be able to figure out what's going on, if you want to.

Anime Report: Silent Mobius 1

So anime fans -- you ever have that experience where you know *nothing* about a show, but you keep seeing it on the DVD racks and it looks kinda interesting? And one day it's on sale?

That is how I now own Silent Mobius.

And it's cool in a 1990s, Bubblegum Crisis, Sol Bianca kind of way. Basically you've got a group of female officers, all with troubled pasts that are good for extended flashback sequences, fighting a secret war against Threat to the Planet No. 67.

This time we're in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo, where giant magic monsters from another dimension like to pop out of shadows and eat people. Fighting these "Lucifer Hawks" are the Attack Mystification Police, lead by Katsumi Liqueur (nope, I'm not making that name up), a shy secretary turned ass-kicking mage. She's also the daughter of the mage who let all these nasty critters into Tokyo in the first place.

Good and gothic, with great environmental designs. The characters are appealing, but could be interchanged with characters from any number of animes from this era. Still, it seems like they're laying the groundwork for a decent story here.

Worth a watch, but I wouldn't pay full price.

Anime Report: Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society

Solid State Society picks up a couple of years after the events of the second series of the TV show.

Section Nine exists, but without the Major. Togusa is Aramaki's second now, but he's harder and harsher than he was before, and his relationship with his family is suffering. Batou is still missing the Major. And I'm not sure why the Tachikoma are back, but maybe Batou had them rebuilt so he would lose all his friends.

But fear not, because soon the Major reunites with her old friends as they track a murderous, "wizard-class" hacker known as the Puppeteer.

This all seems kinda familiar, but it's nice to see the band back together and the movie makes some interesting statements the effect of Japan's aging population on the culture.

So there's stellar animation, a wonderful music score, a nice engaging plot with corporate malfeasance and political double-dealing, all wrapped up in a nice "what if" ending.

If you're not already a fan of Ghost in the Shell you might not get it, but overall this is a solid continuation for one of my favorite series.

Anime Report: Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi: Destiny

The end of the Ai Yori Aoshi anime comes with all the intensity of floating down a lazy river. There's no tension, no drama -- just gentle resolutions to long-simmering questions, and a hint of what the future holds.

It's all feel-good love-love stuff, but it's almost an anticlimax -- Aoi and Kaoru are in love -- shouldn't they be happier about it?

Anime Report: Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi: Bond

More sweet and fluffy tales, most ripped from the pages of the manga.

Mayu's got a pretty new dress, and to celebrate, she coaxes Kaoru into taking her on her first date. The problem is, she doesn't know what to do on a date, and she's not very good at the things Kaoru wants to do.

Then Kaoru's got to get his schoolwork done or his summer will be ruined, but he keeps getting pulled away from his books to play with the girls. Aoi has to step in and firmly, but sweetly, lay the hammer down.

A swim team episode with Chika and her friends is a toss away, but Tina gets a nice speech about looking for her place when she doesn't seem to fit anywhere.

And when Tina suggests a vacation, everyone takes off for a spa -- unfortunately, Taeko's driving! But she says the people at the video arcade think she's a very good driver.

Charming and relaxing, but I prefer it when the focus stays on the Aoi-Kaoru-Tina triangle.

Anime Report: Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi 1: Fate

The second season of Ai Yori Aoshi dealt with the concept of "enishi." Aoi explains it to Chika as "Enishi means the bonds that tie people to one another. Everyone here is tied to one another by Enishi. That's why we all met, tied to each other by Enishi."

A little more spiritual, a little deeper, but mostly the fun and fan service viewers expect.

Enishi starts a year after the first season, but not much has changed. Chika's in high school now, which I guess was intended to make the repeated panty shots a little less creepy. It didn't work.

We also get the regrettable focus on Chika and her friends that clouded some of the volumes of the manga.

Five episodes:

Spring Blossoms -- Chika quizzes everyone in the house on whether they love Kaoru. Much stammering and scrambling ensue as the girls try to answer the question without revealing their crushes.

Friends -- Chika's friends find a picture of Kaoru in her wallet, and insist on coming home with her to meet her "boyfriend."

Tennis -- Everyone dons cute tennis outfits and hits the courts. This is Aoi's chance to shine -- and to wear a short skirt. Kaoru's eyes bug out of his head.

Phantom -- Must every anime have a ghost episode? Taeko takes the lead in banishing the mansion's "ghost." Wackiness and screaming result.

Christmas -- A bonus episode, this is a pure fantasy. Aoi is Santa -- the real Santa. Kaoru teaches her the Christmas spirit. Cotton-candy sweet and possibly the best episode of the entire series. Awwwwww.

Anime Report: Ai Yori Aoshi 5: With All My Heart

Last four episodes of the first season.

Aoi gets sick and everyone realizes how much she means to them. The gang all chips in to do the housework -- failing, of course -- and they understand how much she does for their ungrateful butts.

Sick as a dog, Aoi's still apologizing to Miyabi for not doing enough, and to Kaoru for not being a good enough fiancee. C'mon girl -- give yourself a break!

The last three episodes tell a continuous story, with Aoi being summoned home and ordered to marry a man her family has chosen.

Miyabi takes a much more active role here, bringing Kaoru to Aoi in secret and basically saying: "I'm going to be looking the other way for several hours. Elope already."

Aoi and Kaoru instead choose to go to Aoi's father and plead their case. This is intercut with scenes of the rest of the harem talking about how special Kaoru is.

Too bad he doesn't get to call character witnesses. But then again, having a bunch of hot chicks plead his case might not be the best move when dealing with Aoi's father.

More of the story is filled in with flashbacks -- Kaoru taking Aoi to his mother's grave; Kaoru and Aoi as children.

Ultimately, Aoi's father agrees to let them continue their relationship, everybody's happy, and we'll see you in the second season. Sweet as always.

Anime Report: Ai Yori Aoshi 4: Truly Yours

When you're down and blue, it's girly anime to the rescue!

I was in a mood only shojo could fix. So I OD'ed on fluff and fan service.

The fourth volume of Ai Yori Aoshi has a lot of the typical shojo tropes -- the beach episodes and the school festival. It also introduces Chika ... the less said about Chika, the better.

Five episodes:

Shores -- The whole gang, including the ferret, head to the beach. Mayu and Tina compete to find the perfect swimsuit to catch Kaoru's eye, leaving the more modest Aoi feeling left out and lonely. A sweet romantic ending balances all the fan service and screaming.

Waves -- Is Taeko falling for Kaoru too? Chika schemes to get them together, with the predictable disastrous results. A big chunk of this episode is set at an outdoor bath, it that tells you anything.

Bedsharing -- A key point in the manga, this cover's Tina and Kaoru's trip to the zoo and spending a night in a love hotel. The bit with Tina dressing up as a bride is handled gracefully, and I like Tina's description of why she likes animals so much. "Because animals can't talk, people have to understand how animals feel. Of course, people can talk, but they don't really say how they really feel all that much."

Lap Pillow -- Chika visits the mansion to complete her summer homework, wear a maid's outfit and generally annoy me. A heavy dose of Aoi sweetness in a monologue about how everyone has a place in their special family kept me from hitting the fast forward button.

Cure -- Tina's fondness for creepy crawlies ruins the photo club's cosplay cafe, but Aoi's fabulous green tea saves the day! Aoi-centric episodes are my favorites, so I really enjoyed seeing her get a chance to shine here. When she bursts out laughing at Kaoru's ridiculous costume, you can see how much she's changed from the shy, melancholy shadow she was in the first episodes. And this episode spent so much time talking about how wonderful tea was that I went and made myself a cup (a nice Japanese green) before I popped in the next DVD.

Anime Report: Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge, Discs 1 and 2

Another gray market download by Rosebride and DR, this is the story of four impossibly beautiful guys who live in an impossibly beautiful mansion -- when they're not being chased by crowds of screaming girls.

In an effort to cut the rent, they make a deal with their kooky landlady -- if they turn her niece into the epitome of a perfect lady, they live in the mansion for free. If they fail, she triples the rent.

The problem is, the niece, Sunako, is a hopeless, hideous horror-movie addict who wanders around in shapeless gray clothes and a tangled nightmare of black hair. And she's happy that way!

We're playing around with the idea of beauty here. Sunako is actually pretty normal -- she was told she was ugly by a boy she cared about, and has since shunned all forms of beauty. The guys? Being perfect isn't all it's cracked up to be, as their looks continually get them into fights and trouble. Sunako shrinks from the "beautiful creatures," as she calls them, fearing that she will melt away in their radiance.

I liked the comedy and the snappy action, and there's an obvious romance brewing between Sunako and tough guy Kyouhei -- even though they claim to hate one another, and have epic battles in everything from martial arts to ping-pong.

And Sunako's great -- she's strong, smart and opinionated, and when one of her friends is wronged she turns into an avenging ass-kicker. So what if she likes to cook because she likes to play with blood and pals around with a skeleton and an anatomical model? Let the girl enjoy her slasher flicks in peace.

So far I've seen the first ten episodes, and I've enjoyed them all. Too bad Adult Swim has a prejudice against anything resembling shojo that's not Inu-Yasha -- something like this could be a lot of fun.

Anime Report: Ai Yori Aoshi: Hugs and Kisses

Owie! Owie! Owie! This stupid English dub makes my ears bleed!

But other than that ... ;-)

The third disc of Ai Yori Aoshi adds another girl to Kaoru's harem -- spoiled heiress Mayu. But diverting from the manga, the anime goes into much more detail about Mayu's lonely and neglected childhood -- she was given everything she wanted except for her parents' love and attention. This makes her latching on to Kaoru much more plausible -- really, she's just a lonely child looking for someone who cares about her. She might have confused Kaoru's brotherly affections as romantic, but she's not the first or the last person to do something like that.

It also makes Mayu's grabbing onto to Kaoru much more dramatic -- she takes him home to her empty mansion, and insists he spend the night. They play cards and she falls asleep with a teddy bear, but this is a romantic comedy, and when Aoi hears that Kaoru's "spent the night" with another woman, she's understandably upset.

It gets worse when Mayu, after hearing Kaoru praise Aoi's domestic skills, insists on learning from Aoi. She calls Aoi "the caterer" and stomps on her feelings, but because Aoi has an almost superhuman ability to forgive, all is well in the end.

Tina, of course, hates Mayu on sight, and the feeling is mutual -- that means they'll end up best friends. (as readers of the manga, or this blog, already know)

Two more Aoi and Kaoru episodes are more fulfilling -- Aoi's birthday is on the Star Festival, when people make wishes for the coming year. A nice little "Gift of the Magi" tale -- Aoi wants Kaoru's attention, but he's spending all of his time working to raise the money to buy her a birthday gift, so he's never home.

And in "Feelings of the Heart," Aoi wears a brilliant pink kimono instead of her normal indigo on a date with Kaoru. The Kimono was her grandmother's, and "kimonos soak in all the feelings and emotions of their wearer. So to wear a kimono is to wear the feelings that the kimono felt." A sweet interlude away from the harem, Aoi and Kaoru end up in the apartment where the first spent time together, and Kaoru admits his true feelings.

So sweet it'll make your teeth ache, but I can't help liking it.

Anime Report: Gunsmith Cats

Ya'll remember my DVD player woes, right?

I bought a new one. One that's not a $25 piece of Wal-Mart crap. So I had to test it.

Unfortunately, my copy of Gunsmith Cats is probably the most scratched DVD I own. (It was an eBay buy.) Fortunately, my new player runs it without a hitch.

I love Gunsmith Cats. It's a babes and booms 1990s anime that makes no apologies for what it offers -- fast cars, big guns and fan service.

The premise? Pistol-packing Rally Vincent and her partner, grenade happy Minnie May Hopkins, infiltrate a gun running operation, burn up the highway in Rally's Shelby GT-500 and duel a psychopathic Russian assassin.

It's only three episodes, which is a little disappointing -- I would have loved to have seen more. But the attention to details like the gun and car designs is top-notch, the action is non-stop, and the jazzy, horn-filled theme sticks in my head for *days* after every viewing.

Old school, but well-worth a watch.

Anime Report: Robotech - New Generation

Watching "Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles" made me all sorts of nostalgic for the old shows. So I pulled out the third series, which had the original attack on Reflex Point.

This is probably my favorite series besides the Macross saga. A base on Mars has launched an invasion force to take back Earth. It ends in disaster -- the vast majority of the force is wiped out by the alien Invid. Scott Bernard, one of the only survivors, gathers a small band of freedom fighters and battles his way across the continent to Reflex Point, the Invid's main base. If it can be taken out, humans can reclaim their home.

There were things I loved about this show -- the mechas are some of the best of any in Robotech, Rook is hot and deadly, and Lancer (Yellow Dancer) is ten times cooler than Minmae ever *thought* of being. He's a better singer, too. And you've got to love how the spokes on his Cyclone turn into hand blasters.

There's a good ... desperate feel to their quest, too. They argue, they've got to scrounge for supplies and weapons, and they battle hostile humans as much as they do the Invid. The battles are small groups of mechs -- more personal than the major space battles that came before. And the story doesn't seem to have as much filler as the earlier series did.

OK, so Mint is fricking annoying, but she's not too much of a focus. I can handle that -- the rest of the story is classic.

Anime Report: Robotech - The Shadow Chronicles

Ahh, Robotech -- my old friend! Welcome back!

It's been more than 20 years since there was any new Robotech. I hope this feature movie is the start of much more to come. (This would be a *great* kickoff to a new TV series or series of movies.)

Picking up during the events of the end of the Invid invasion and the attack on Reflex Point, the movie follows the RDF's point of view. With a mix of old-school animation and modern computer graphics, "Shadow Chronicles" captures the nostalgia for the old, and the thrill of the new.

It's obvious this was made by fans of the series -- there are no plot holes, and no major retcons. And the vast majority of the original voice actors are back, with some new players like Mark Hamill and Chase Masterson. The music is beautiful, and very evocative of the series -- I hope Harmony Gold releases this soundtrack.

Now, I didn't get to see all the old friends I wanted to, and that disappointed me. (Where is the majority of the SDF-3 crew?? I miss you, Lisa!) But there was also *no* sign of Minmae or Mint, so I was happy about that.

I was lucky enough to see this on the big screen at Key Cinemas. I've already purchased the DVD.

Robotech is back now!

Anime Report: Sumomomo Momomo, Episodes 1-5

So Rosebride is obsessed with gray market anime -- she's been downloading it like crazy. This was one of the first ones she actually managed to burn to DVD, and we were watching it a few months after it first aired in Japan. Ahh, the power of the Internet.

Momoko Kuzuryuu is a martial-arts crazed, super-strong girl living in the mountains with her father, who is one of the best martial artists in the world. Dad tells her one day that since she's a girl, she'll never master the family's secret techniques, and it is her job to go to the city and bear a child by the strongest warrior in the world.

Oh yeah, she's like fourteen.

So off she goes, to bed the "strongest warrior," a kid by the name of Koushi Inuzuka. He's the son of Momoko's father's best friend. He's also a complete wimp who freezes in fear at any sign of violence and is constantly studying so he can be a laywer.

Despite Koushi's adamant refusal to marry her and his subsequent displays of cowardice, Momoko falls in love with him and swears to remain in his house and train with his father in order to become the strongest fiancee ever.

This is over-the-top slapstick in the Ranma theme. Big action, big stunts, and broadly-drawn characters. It is also pretty damn funny.

Momoko offers herself up at any opportunity, whipping out her heart-covered futon in the middle of the street and begging for a little action. She even serves herself -- naked, of course -- as the platter for a sushi dinner, all to no avail. The series even makes a comparison of Koushi and Momoko's relationship as a master and a faithful dog. Momoko's the dog.

There's wild assassination plots, a superhero in a costume that would make Kekko Kamen blush, rent struggles and runaway zoo animals. What else could you want?

Anime Report: Ai Yori Aoshi: My Dearest

Episodes 6-10. There is loads and loads of fan service.

These are the kinds of stories that are common to harem anime -- Taeko is hired to be the housekeeper, but she's a hopeless klutz. Aoi has to save the day.

There's a trip to a hot springs -- but Taeko can't find the inn, and then she has booked for the wrong year. Aoi has to save the day! (I sense a theme)

Tina is a boozing, boob-grabbing lush in this episode -- interesting how she's one of the main "love interests," but also one of the most annoying characters.

Then Tina buys an adorable fuzzy ferret, and it destroys the house. Miyabi has a meltdown. In the end, cuteness saves the day, and Miyabi and the ferret learn to love one another.

When Tina and Kaoru are left alone in the mansion, you start to see the first glimpses of Tina being more than an ugly American stereotype. You learn how and why she and Kaoru met, and how much she admires Aoi and Miyabi.

"The landlord and manager put your heart at ease. They don't look at me funny 'cause I'm American, and when I'm in trouble, they actually worry about me. It's just like a real family. Miss Landlady's really nice and can do any household chore. That's you'd call a traditional Japanese beauty. I wanted to be born Japanese just like Miss Landlady. If I had been..."

In the last episode, Aoi (Lady Owie -- stupid dubbing!) wants to learn more about Kaoru's life at college, so she pays him a surprise visit -- and finds out that in many ways, she doesn't fit in his world.

Sugar sweet, and worth a watch. But I've lost count of the number of people who've ended up sleeping in Kaoru's bed.

Anime Report: Ai Yori Aoshi: Faithfully Yours

It wasn't enough to make you read about the manga -- I bought the anime!

Bwaahahhahahahahahaha! My evil plan comes to fruition!

The first episodes of the anime focus almost entirely on Aoi and Kaoru, and is a sweet, romantic tale of two lonely people finding happiness and being willing to fight to keep it.

Kaoru is a lovable nerd, Aoi a sweet doormat who lives to serve her man. "When I think of him, I am truly grateful that I was born in this world," Aoi tells Kaoru before she realizes who he is. And he better be grateful -- she's the best thing that's ever happened to him.

If it's possible, Aoi is even cuter in the anime than she is in the manga -- she's drawn with such big eyes and perfect features she reminds me of a muppet. Miyabi and Taeko are cute, too.

I love the big fat cat who lurks around the mansion that Aoi talks to sometimes -- that's new. I don't love that Tina gets the biggest hick accent imaginable and there's *fiddle* music playing when she's introduced.

There's one *huge* problem with this anime, though, and it's in the English dub. They misprounce Aoi's name, making it sound like "Owie." As in, "I dropped a hammer on my foot, and how I have an owie." It grates on me every time her name is said -- if you're gonna keep the names, learn how to flipping pronounce them!

Anime Report: Outlaw Star (Collection 1)

A bouncy space adventure, "Outlaw Star" is often compared to the masterful "Cowboy Bebop." But while "Bebop" has a gritty, noir feel, "Outlaw Star" is more "Indiana Jones."

Gene Starwind (who has a tendency to answer anything he doesn't like with a heartfelt "BITE ME!") is a self-proclaimed outlaw on a backwater planet. He thinks he's a fighter and a ladies man, but really, he's kind of a schlub. The best thing he's got going for him is his caster gun -- an antique that mixes science and sorcery. Good luck finding more bullets. It's Gene's uptight kid partner, Jim Hawking, who keeps them fed and alive.

An encounter with a lovely space pirate gets them off the planet and in possession of Malfina, an android with a mysterious past. The pirate -- Hot Ice Hilda -- is looking for a special ship that is able to reach a treasure hidden in the Galactic Leyline.

One thing about Hilda, who I really like. In her first appearance, she's trying to act all sweet and innocent. We were watching the English dub, and the first thing I thought was "That's the voice of Kusanagi. (Ghost in the Shell) She's *got* to be up to no good." Funny how things like that will influence you.

The first two discs deal with finding the ship, which is christened the Outlaw Star. Malfina starts showing how special she is -- she bonds with the ship's fussy A.I. and is also the key which makes the ship operate. Gene befriends the mysterious assassin Suzuka, who is twice as cool as he is; and the arms dealer Fred Lee, who's a screaming stereotype, albeit a funny one.

They also pick up a bunch of enemies -- a clan of mysterious space pirates, a hyperactive killer catgirl and MacDougall, who I haven't figured out yet. Now they're all chasing the Outlaw Star as it heads in search of adventure, treasure and lots and lots of money to pay all their back debts.

Anime Report: Mobile Suit Gundam Wing - Operation One

Ah, giant robots. What would anime be without them?

Robotech defined the genre. But Gundam, which has more than 400 episodes over a whole bunch of shows, has picked up the ball.

Gundam Wing was a request by my sweetie, so I started picking up DVDs on eBay and half.com. It's an alternate universe Gundam -- 150-some years after Earth has conquered the outer space colonies, five teenage pilots are sent to Earth with kick-ass mobile suits (mechas). Their mission -- take down Oz, a military organization hiding within the Earth Alliance government.

Problem one -- None of the Gundam pilots knows the others at first. I predict this is going to be trouble later down the line.

Problem two -- Hotshot Heero not only loses his Gundam on the very first day, he gets seen by Relena, the pampered daughter of an Earth Alliance official. Relena ends up fascinated by Heero, even as he spends most of his time insulting her and generally being an ass.

Problem three -- Zechs Marquise, a top pilot and commander for Oz. Zechs spends part of his time being a super pimp (Noin so wants him), and the rest plotting eeeviiill.

Overall, the first episodes had a good mix of politics, mecha action and drama. Oz really doesn't have a lot that will stand up to the Gundams though, so I hope the fights aren't going to be completely one-sided.

And Relena is portrayed as too much of a perfect princess for my taste -- she better develop a personality besides stalking Heero, or she's gonna get annoying quick. And since the first major plot twist involves her past, I have a feeling she isn't going away anytime soon.

Anime Report: Howl's Moving Castle

I'm always amused by what Japanese animators think Victorian England looked like. It's like Jules Verne crossed with a fairy tale. And it's very, very clean.

Loosely based on a novel by Diana Wynne Jones, "Howl" is the story of Sophie, a shy girl in a Victorian-style world (it's not London, but somehow they all look alike). Sophie is resigned to a dreary life working in her family's hat shop, but two things happen: She has an encounter with a mysterious wizard and later is cursed by the dreaded Witch of the Wastes.

The curse transforms Sophie into a 90-year-old woman, and also forbids her to tell anyone what has happened. Seeking a way to restore her youth, Sophie sets off into the wilds, where she ends up in the chicken-legged castle (Baba Yaga reference, anyone?) of Howl, a spoiled but handsome wizard (and the same one who rescued her earlier).

Now Sophie has to break the curse, discover her own power, find true love, save her friends and stop a war, all while having assorted adventures along the way.

This is a fairy tale, and I like fairy tales. They make me happy. And there's a lot to like. The visuals are well done, and the English dubbing is fantastic -- Billy Crystal, Christian Bale, and they even got Lauren Bacall to be the Witch of the Wastes! There also are some very charming characters, including Calcifer, the fire demon bound to Howl's castle, the ever-helpful Turniphead and a funny little asthmatic dog.

Sophie, of course, is plucky, resourceful, hard-working and big-hearted -- she's a fairy tale heroine. What else could she be?

(Of course, I could get into a discussion of the butcher-job Victorians did on fairy tales in general, turning them from dark cautionary tales to pretty fluffy stories, but I'm not gonna. Catch me on a different day or read something along the lines of "From the Beast to the Blonde" or "Breaking the Magic Spell: Radical Theories of Folk and Fairy Tales" to learn more.)

The story is sweet, but has holes -- Oscar-winning director Hayao Miyazaki ("Spirited Away") assumes the viewer knows things that I didn't, like what the heck was up with Sophie's curse. It appears to fade away at times, then reassert itself. The relationships between some characters are sketchy -- it was never explained exactly what the history was between the king's sorceress and Howl.

Actually -- don't try to follow the story that closely. You'll just be frustrated. Enjoy the beautiful visuals and know all will turn out right in the end.

Anime Report: Samurai X: Reflection

The last of the Samurai X OAVs, "Reflection" brings the saga of master swordsman and assassin Kenshin Himura to its end. There is no peace for Kenshin. The world holds no place for him. Even though he is doomed to fail in his attempt to atone for the blood staining his soul, he can not stop trying.

"Reflection" takes place years after the "Rurouni Kenshin" TV series, and is utterly lacking in the humor the series was known for. But many of that series' characters show up in the OAV, and there are liberal flashbacks to tell what parts they have to play in Kenshin's story.

Kaoru, Kenshin's long-suffering wife, is waiting for the wandering samurai to return to her -- and wondering if she can ever hold a place in his heart like his first, doomed love, Tomoe. Will she live to see him again?

I've watched, and adored, the Samurai X OAVs. But I've only seen scattered episodes of Rurouni Kenshin. "Reflection" is beautiful and bittersweet, but I wonder if it would have affected me more deeply if I was familiar with the TV series. It makes me want to watch it -- good for my anime viewing, bad for my bank account (there are more than 20 DVDs)

We popped in the first disc of RK, afterwards -- the only one we own. We had to stop after watching two episodes, but it was striking to see Kaoru so young, funny and full of spirit. It will be an interesting ride.