Howl’s Moving Castle
Based on Diana Wynne Jones’ novel, Howl’s Moving Castle is the latest Hayao Miyazaki masterpiece to be released in the US.
Anime Reviews
Loveless
Based on the manga by Yun Kouga, which is still being released, Loveless follows Ritsuka Aoyagi, a sixth grade boy who feels lost and alone in the world.
Kiddy Grade
Set in the future where several galazy colonies exist, Kiddy Grade follows the inner workings of the Galactic Organization of Trade and Tariffs (GOTT).
DVD Reviews
Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok (Vol 1 of 7)
Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok is (very loosely) based on Norse mythology. Odin has become so irritated with trickster god, Loki, he’s banished him to Earth (Midgard).
My Beautiful Girl Mari
My Beautiful Girl Mari is a stunning animation from Korea that looks more like a Miyazaki film than Japanese anime or Disney animation.
Madlax (Vol 2 of 7)
In the second volume, Madlax and Margaret’s stories become intertwined through the mysterious picture book, which may be the key to Margaret’s forgotten past.
Manga Reviews
xxxHolic 5
With White Day come and gone, Yuko is obsessing over how Syaoran and friends haven’t yet sent her otherworldly goodies as payback. Watanuki has his own obligations to worry about – he has no idea how he’ll hunt down the Zashiki Warashi spirit.
xxxHolic 4
xxxHolic 4 provides a nice blend of character development on Watanuki’s part, some interesting customs surrounding Valentine’s Day and White Day, and a few spirits of Japanese mythology.
xxxHolic 3
Volume 3 provides greater insight into the supernatural elements of the xxxHolic universe with two paranormal tales.
Video Game Reviews
Naruto: Rise of a Ninja
Naruto: Rise of a Ninja by Ubisoft was released on October 30, 2007, and is part of the gigantic network of Naruto-related products.
Mass Effect
EA’s Mass Effect is an action role-playing game released in November 2007 and developed by Bioware, which also developed Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire.
Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Nintendo’s Zelda Phantom hourglass for the Nintendo DS is essentially the sequel to Zelda Wind Waker.
Conventions & Events
New York Anime Festival 2007 Report
Last weekend, I attended the first annual New York Anime Festival, held at the Javits Center in NYC.
ICv2 2007: Anime and Manga Aren’t Just for Geeky Boys
Since Sailor Moon demonstrated there was a market for stories about superhero girls, friendship and relationships, girls have been devouring manga in the US.
ICv2 2007: The Problem of Fansubs: How the Anime Industry is Adapting
The internet makes it easy for you to check up on what’s new in Japan, who’s following and reviewing which Japanese release and where you can download (or at least view) the content with English subtitles.
Anime News
Are Fansubs Hurting DVD Sales?
Recently, Active Anime interviewed GDH (Gonzo) International President, Arthur Smith, on anime piracy, which turned into a rant on why fansubs are hurting US anime dvd sales.
A Rant Against the Wall Street Journal’s Article on Anime and Manga
Anime and manga get coverage in an article called Manga Mania in the WSJ.
Can You Dance the Haruhi Dance?
With the convention season upon us, it seems like there are more and more people out there learning the Haruhi Dance during the closing song, Hare Hare Yukai
Other Recent Posts
Hotel Dusk: Room 215
Nintendo’s Hotel Dusk: Room 215 for the DS is a point-and-click mystery-novel style game that was released in the United States in January 2007.
Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 14
Picking up in the Country of Recort, a world in the style of Victorian England, Team Syaoran discuss the secret behind the Memory Book.
