When I look at Ninja Gaiden over the last few years, I can’t help but think about how the mighty have fallen. When Ninja Gaiden 3 was released at the end of last year, it met with rather scathing reviews, and for good reason. It was an atrocious game, especially considering the pedigree of the series. The controls were almost Resident Evil clunky, and the difficulty, which is what made Ninja Gaiden famous, was replaced by waves of easily reaped enemies, making combat more about button mashing instead of skill. Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor’s Edge is Team Ninja’s way of apology, which is a strange event, but a welcome one. Read the full story

It’s not everyday you find a show as interesting as FLCL. Spelled out it’s “Fooly Cooly”. The original anime series was directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki, and written by Yoji Enokido. It was produced by Hiroki Sato and Nishizawa Masatomo. It’s a very short anime with only 6 episodes lasting 23 minutes each.

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You may have heard about  the 24 hour anime channel “Neon Alley”, now available on gaming consoles. For those who have not, it is an app that you can download for the Xbox 360 and PS3. It is available at $6.99 a month, and for a limited time they are offering a one week free trial. On Neon Alley you get to watch anime any time of the day and its is in English Dub! On the 16th of April, Viz Media announced a new set of anime to premiere on Neon Alley. The list can be found below. Which of the anime are you looking forward to or would you like to see on Neon Alley? Read the full story

In the midst of Pixar and the pulling way from hand drawn animation here in the US, Anime holds a nostalgic place in my heart. Whenever a new Anime comes along with a story I’m really interested in I try to find time to watch it even with my busy schedule. Stories dealing with growing up are one of my favorites. Hanasaku Iroha~Blossoms for Tomorrow centers on a 16 year old girl, Ohana Matsumae, who works at a hot spring inn called Kissuiso.

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Years ago, manga artist/writer Rumiko Takahashi, creator of some of the most popular series on both sides of the Pacific (including the legendary Ranma 1/2), created her most ambitious work. It was the culmination of all her talents for comedy, romance, action and horror, a feudal fairy tale following the story of a girl thrown back in time, teaming with a half-demon boy on a journey to reassemble a magic jewel. That manga (and eventual anime TV series) was Inuyasha, and became possibly Takahashi’s greatest work. Due to catching up with the manga, the TV series had to end prematurely. Now, we finally get the conclusion in Inuyasha The Final Act. Is it worth it?

I feel the need to note that what I’m reviewing is the second DVD set, consisting of episodes 14 to 26 of this series. At this point in the series, the villainous Naraku has the nearly completed Shikon Jewel. Inuyasha, Kagome and their allies, the little fox demon Shippou, lecherous monk Miroku and experienced demon hunter Sango are racing against him, and others, to find the remaining shards. All the plot lines from the entire saga reach their conclusion point as the final conflict comes, and everyone will face their greatest challenge.

Which is all well and good, assuming that like me, you know who any of these people are, what the Shikon Jewel is, and what is actually going on already. Honestly, that’s probably the only major flaw in this series. If you’re not already a fan of Inuyasha, this is probably not the way to get into the franchise. Still, I have to stress that the quality of the series is really good. The animation is great, mixing both hand-drawn animation with computer animated effects, the music is great, and the voice work in both languages is really well done. And I have to add, the final episode may be one of my favorite final episodes in anime ever.

Features-wise, it’s rather slim pickings, with only an original Japanese trailer and cast credits in English.

Inuyasha the Final Act DVD set 2 doesn’t have much in extras, and is not for people new to the series. What it has going for it is a quality series, that has such a great conclusion, and a satisfying finish to a beloved series. It’s definitely one that fans shouldn’t miss.

Are you an avid Doctor Who Fan who has watched nearly every episode? Of course you have! Now if you haven’t there might be a huge problem with me since you haven’t been there since the Doctor first met Rose. Some of you might be asking why I haven’t started during the classics but I feel as if I enjoy the current generation more. I could let it slide by about some of you viewers not being caught up on the series but my advice is boot up Netflix and watch all the seasons so you’re caught up. Read the full story

One of the great classics of anime among western fans is the sci-fi comedy Tenchi Muyo. This is one of the first anime I ever really got into when I was an early teen. And after decades, the original OVA (Original Video Animation) series is being re-released on Blu-Ray. Does this classic hold up? Read the full story

They’ve probably been the biggest source of Batman’s newfound popularity with the non-geeky crowd, and there’s a lot going on those films. So in this final article of Batman Month, let’s talk about those themes, the ideas at work behind them, and the comics that inspired the stories. Keep in mind, this is not a review, and there will be spoilers everywhere. You are warned.

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People tend to forget the name. Often, it works to simply say he was just a random guy with a gun, looking to score some cash when he shot a young boy’s parents. It’s easy to associate him with the symbol of crime and how the only real deterrent against it is vigilance. But he had a name: Joe Chill. And he was the man who indirectly created Batman.

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Yup, it’s time again for another animation retrospective, and since it’s Batman Month, let’s do Batman’s modern animation history.

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