Been bored at work today so thought I'd do a quick round up of current Anime' we can get in Australia, these are all released by AV Channel under the Madman banner so not sure on availability over there...
New Series
-Last Exile(GONZO:Full Metal Panic, Hellsing):Retro Action/Adventure Fantasy set on a planet dominated by retro-futuristic airships. Follows the exploits of two young Van-ship(small airships) pilots who work for a delivery company and become entangled in a war between two countries. this series starts with a bang its almost action from the word go with the two main characters thrown into the war with in the first ten minutes. First disc spends its time introducing us to the world and tech through an outstanding intro battle, the main story involving a mysterious young girl and rebel Air-ship pilots(I'm guessing they're rebels at the moment)just starts to get going in episode 4 the last on the disc leaving you hanging for the next disc. This is simply the most spectacular anime' I've seen since Blood:the last Vampire with a state of the art blending of CGI an cell animation, it's up there with Disneys latest efforts, 7 discs due in the series aswell.
WXIII:Patlabor The Movie 3 is the latest from Production I.G studios(Blood:The Last Vampire, Kai-doh-maru), When several deadly Labor accidents suddenly strike Tokyo Bay, veteran police detectives, Kusumi and his young partner, Hata, take on the case. Each detective applies his own style of investigation, but neither is prepared for the international labyrinth of decite thats about to unfold, I paraphrased the description off the back of the cover as I'd have no idea how to summerise the plot without spoilers needless to say this is one nice movie, certainly not for the gore hound or action junky it moves at a slow pace playing out more like a Live action Thriller than an Sci-fi anime' anyone whos already seen the other two Patlabor movies will know what to expect.
More to come when I get around to it.....
CU Krestel
forgot to add fell free to add you're own reviews or comments to this thread, Anime' or Asian cinima.
CU Krestel
Krestel you can buy Ranma 1/2 in Australia. It`s brilliant, as I`ve often said here
Evangelion is fun but confusing
Floyd, have seen a couple of episodes of Ranma 1/2 years ago and it certainly made me laugh. Quite liked Evangelion(reading the Manga's at the moment)but it certainly decends into chaos at the end, hope I understand it better after finishing the Manga's. In terms of comedy series have you seen Excel Saga full on LOL stuff and very weird really takes the piss out of Anime'(in a good way)
Also enjoying Full Metal panic at the mo though we're only up to disc 3, good mix of comedy and stomping Mecha action...
CU Krestel
Oh yeah excel definatly takes the piss all right heh.
Cowboy bebop is a personal favourite of mine
I'm about 9 episodes into Noir at the moment. I'm really enjoying this series so far. Not too much on the humour front with this series tho. Sort of a anime Nikita. Planetes is okay (just seen the first 4 eps). That might be more to your taste if you like your anime to be a mix of sci-fi and humour.
Alan!
hey wrighty up to episode 20-23 on noir, definatly different to most anime I get, story kicks into overdrive about episode 14 its a pretty western story for an anime' and set in Europe for something dif. If you like your anime slow and thoughtful try Serial Experiment Lain still trying to wrap my head around that one(no big robots fountains of blood in sight) also from the same creators is Habaine Renmei which from what i can tell at the mo is about Angels who hatch from cocoons in this huge walled town with no memory of where they came from and no idea why they're here, very slow very thoughtful.
CU Krestel
Rahxephon Orchestration 5 : as the Mu's grip on Tokyo tightens, Ayato now finds himself pursued between two worlds, with close friends on both sides seeking to destroy him. Even after all he has experienced thus far the newest shocks he receives are the most terrifying of all. the secret power source of the Dolems is about to be unveiled, and that secret will haunt him to the grave. In order to live, he must be prepared to sacrafice anything....even the life of a friend.
This series just gets better with each disc, huge robots, big floaty aliens now a suprise twist in this disc that really changes how you veiw the series. Animation is still top(from Bones)with awsome mecha design, i particularly like the Mu Dolems(big huge floaty alien statues taht use sound waves as a weapon)they are very menesing and strangly familiar in design(look kind a like Olmec artifacts, easter island heads)for a reason.
The final episode on this disc 19th movement is truelly heart wrenching and really answers a lot of questions that have been building over the first 18 episodes. With two discs to go the series has just moved into overdrive and I can see it only getting better from here on in...
Recomended for those that enjoyed Neon Genesis, and IMHO it far surpasses that series in both story and animation.
CU Krestel
Warning : new ways for Gainax to suck money out of you, yet another re-cut of episodes 21-23 of Neon genesis. Known as Directors Cut:Resurrection heres hoping ut makes a bit more sense than Death/Rebirth and End of Evangelion, got new animation never seen outside of Japan and is supposedly Hideaki Anno's true vision of the series. Sceptical till I see it my self anyone out there seen it yet? hows it compare?. I'll probably buy it me self just for the interview with Richard Taylor head of effects at WETA workshop(responsible for all the effects in Lord of the Rings)telling us about the live action version of Evangelion currently in production, will include never befor seen production images from the new project.
S-CRY-ED comes out next month anyone seen this and know if its any good?
CU Krestel