FUNimation Entertainment will release the sci-fi comedy harem series “Cat Planet Cuties” and in anticipation of its release the publisher has given us the opportunity to check the series out a little early.

“Cat Planet Cuties” is based on the light novel series from Okina Kamino and Hoden Eizo and follows a young man named Kio Kakazu, whose life is changed forever when he meets a strange girl with cat ears named Eris during a family get together. Kio ends up taking Eris in and learns that the ears and tail are real and that she is actually an alien from the planet Catia and that she has come to Earth in the hopes of serving as the Catian ambassador and to learn as much about humans as she can.

A beautiful cat girl running around half naked through his house, which is now the Catian embassy, isn’t the only thing Kio has to deal with either as his childhood friend Manami, a CIA spook in training, and a shy movie loving friend named Aoi, who is actually an assassin with the ability to teleport items, also have feelings for Kio which leads to a clash of wills between the girls. As in most other harem anime series Kio is dense and has no idea about the feelings of each of the girls, except for Eris thanks to her going into “heat”. So he spends most of his time walking in on the girls at unexpected moments and getting pummeled for what he sees.

Allow me to start off with a euphemism. I am not exactly the biggest fan of the Japanese pop-idol group AKB48. This presents me with a problem. With 12 number-one singles since 2009, the popularity of AKB48 in Japanese culture is to the point where I can enter my local 7-11 and buy anything from “AKB48 the lunchbox” to “AKB48 the flamethrower.” Their popularity is so great that the question is no longer “Do you like AKB48?” but rather “Which AKB48 singer do you like?” To which I answer: “The one who dropped out to do porn.” (This is not exactly the most well-received response.)

With popularity like this, it was only a matter of time before they spread into other mediums of entertainment. (An AKB48 dating sim was released in 2010 on the PSP and an Idolm@ster clone is coming to the 3DS later this year.) Thus last week, the all-consuming mass that is AKB48 began its conquest of the world of anime with their new show AKB0048.

The plot of AKB0048 is rather straight forward. In the far future, humanity has spread across the stars; and to prevent any wars or other conflicts, many planets have banned all forms of entertainment that can “sway the human heart.” This includes music. Thus The AKB48 Anime is the Textbook Definition of “Pandering”AKB0048—spiritual successors to AKB48—invades these worlds to sing pop songs hundreds of years out of date to the music-starved masses.

The main characters are three 13-year-old girls who want to join AKB0048 because of an underground concert they snuck into as children. Luckily, AKB0048 just so happens to be holding open auditions for new teenage trial members—because, after all, you have to get them young before they learn words like “easily exploitable” and “15-year non-negotiable contract.”

The first episode of AKB0048 should be watched by all future generations to define the word pandering. Of course, what’s insane is not that it panders, but rather that it somehow panders to every possible type of AKB48 fan at the same time.

For fans of the music, practically the entire soundtrack is either vocal or orchestral remixes of AKB48′s most popular songs.

For the moé fanboys, we have character designs so cute that the light reflections in their eyes—as well as their hair—are heart-shaped! Every action the three main characters make is practically designed to evoke a forlorn “moé” from even the most hardened otaku. In fact, The AKB48 Anime is the Textbook Definition of “Pandering”AKB0048 is found written in the book of Revelation as the 5th sign of the Moepocalypse.

Little girls watching are given a show filled with things they think are cool (unicycles, cute outfits, and magical girl wand tasers) and a story about little girls (like them) who become musical superstars. One of the three mains states she wants to be an AKB0048 member because they’re just so cute and that she wants a ribbon in her hair just like them! (Yes, apparently in the world of AKB0048, wearing ribbons in your hair is illegal.) Of course, the girls in AKB0048 dress an awful lot like the actual singers in AKB48 so “cute” may not exactly be the best adjective to describe them. The greatest coup for men in Japan is that they have managed to convince Japanese women that “cute” and “sexy” are the same thing. Japan: where a miniskirt (read: belt) and tight blouse are considered “cute.”

But what’s most amazing is that AKB0048 even manages to pander to the old school anime fans. The writer and director for AKB0048 is none other than Shoji Kawamori, the creator of Macross, Escaflowne, Arjuna, and Aquarion. Seeing him attached to this project is shocking. It’s like if Lauren Faust, writer/animator of Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends and the Powerpuff Girls, suddenly made some totally cash-in project like, say, My Little Pony… wait a sec, bad example.

Sprinkled through the background are numerous references to past Kawamori anime but sadly, despite the writer’s pedigree, the first episode of AKB0048 was little more than a “Run-of-the-The AKB48 Anime is the Textbook Definition of “Pandering”mill Japanese Melodrama in SPAAAAAACE.” Every scene was cliché: a love confession, chasing after a train, the finger-tip-touch-almost-hand-grab, the over-strick dad (and mother secretly helping her daughter on the side), and oh so much over-emotional crying.

And as the credits roll on the first episode, we are treated to a voice over. Allow me to paraphrase. “I love my friends, I love my family, but most of all, I love AKB0048!” If nothing else good can be said for AKB0048, at least they’re 100% transparent—not even trying to hide what they want your priorities to be.

Everyone has a few items in his or her closet that are socially unacceptable to wear. These items sit there on the hangers, collecting dust and waiting for that day when someone finds an excuse to wear them.

GooGee Gasdiel has a million of them. Today she straps on a bikini she made out of beads. Then she pulls up a transparent, neon green netting skirt and ties on her neon green leg warmers.

She puts on an uncountable number of bead bracelets with cute words and phrases—“Are you mad, bro?” or “I’m a mongoose!”

The only difference is that today people aren’t going to give her weird looks for it. If anything, they might say, “Oh my God, that’s adorable,” or “Can I hug you?”

At Anime Central (ACen), one of the largest anime conventions in the Midwest, people are a bit different. They’re not like you think they are, either. “Anime kids” do not consist of of obnoxious girls who don’t brush their hair and run around screaming, “Kawaii desu desu kawaii desu” down the hallway.

They’re just a little more culturally diverse than the general population.

“I really love the people,” said Gasdiel. “I wish that ACen was year round. Everyone’s just super nice. I hate going home, because you go home and everyone’s a jerk again.”

At Anime Central, there are all types of people—whites, blacks, Asians, Hispanics, gays, straights, lesbians, bisexuals, transgenders, nerds, preps, Joe-shmoes—you name it. They are so culturally diverse that there are subcategories you’ve never even heard of.

Gasdiel likes to throw herself in the “kandi kid” category. It’s a popular fad inJapanthat consists of rave-goers who make their clothing/accessories entirely out of bright, plastic beads. They trade items made of beads, or “candy,” in exchange for kisses, handshakes, hugs, etc.

Gasdiel could also be called a “furry.” Furries are people who literally dress up like a cat. They wear furry cat ears, cat tails, and fuzzy arm and leg warmers. They’re certainly friendly.

Waiting outside in line for the Saturday night rave at ACen, called the Soap Bubble, Gasdiel talks to people she has never spoken to before as if they have known each other for years. And it’s completely normal.

The line folds back and forth through the building, out the doors, down the block, back again, and around the building. People have to entertain themselves some way or another while they wait, so some walk along the line and high-five everyone. Many people are ambitious enough to hug everyone so they don’t freeze their butts off in their minimal clothing. Nobody questions it.

Farther up the line, a group of people in their mid-20s sings Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” A man is holding a cardboard sign that says “You just lost the game.” A group of girls swings their hips back and forth and dance to “Caramelldansen.” The crowd roars every time the line moves a few feet.

Inside, Gasdiel dances about 20 feet away from the crowd. She’s in a circle with her friends Garett Babler and Ben Wolter, as well as some others who have tagged along. They take turns attempting to shuffle, laughing when they realize they can’t.

She takes it all in—the blaring lights, the bass drop, the furries dancing on the stage. There are four giant screens on each side that read, “Warning: Please do not do anything stupid.”

Looking around the room, a girl blows bubbles, glow sticks are being thrown, and a conga line snakes through the crowd. A man walks up to a young girl and says, “Do you want to see a light show?” His gloves have glowing fingertips, and he twists them around her in a way that leaves her terrified, but mesmerized at the intricate light patterns.

The Soap Bubble ends at about 5 a.m. Gasdiel takes the shuttle back to the Courtyard Marriott and makes it to bed about an hour later.

Sunday morning, there isn’t much left to do after they check out of the hotel, except walk through the main hall, which is called the Dealer’s Room.

Here, vendors have set up booths that sell manga books, professional art, rave gear, costumes, stuffed animals, t-shirts, video games, weapons, etc.

The Rosemont Convention Center also serves as a 840,000 square foot catwalk for ACen goers to show off their costumes, or “cosplays.”

“Some people go as transformers,” said Gasdiel. “They’re so realistic. I also really like the people who go in huge Sonic costumes and Pokemon.”

Gasdiel buys a tiger suit before it is time to leave.

“I just think [ACen] is a cultivation of nice people,” she said. “They don’t judge you on first appearance. You wear a tiger suit to Wal-mart, and people think you’re insane. At ACen, everyone else is dressed just as crazy, so they’re like, ‘Aw, that’s adorable.’”

It’s not just for people who stand out like Gasdiel does. It’s not just for “anime kids” and it’s not just for Narutards, four-eyed introverted girls, and middle aged men who are obsessed with hentai.

Seriously guys; you’re missing out on some hot babes here.

“ACen’s kind of for everybody,” said Gasdiel. “A lot of people think it’s only for hardcore anime lovers, but a lot of people go for the raves and find out it’s really cool. I’ve been going for five years and never really had a bad time.”

CALLING all Japanese pop culture lovers. The Anime Festival Asia Malaysia will be one of the most look-forward-to events of the year with an exciting line-up during the event to be held on June 9-10 at Putra Wold Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur.

Expecting a turnout of 40,000, Shawn Chin, festival director, Anime Festival Asia and executive director of Sozo, says fans in this region have grown to love and regard AFA as a premium anime and J-Pop content platform.

“We want to offer them the experience of top quality Japanese popular culture and we hope the event will become something Malaysians can be proud of,” he adds.

One of the highlights is the highly-anticipated I Love Anisong concerts, which will be held on the same grounds for two evenings.

For the six-hour concerts, expect performances by six Japanese Anisong acts like Kalafina, Kotoko, Maon Kurosaki and Flow.

Not only that but fans of Ghost In The Shell and the Sky Crawlers series will also get to meet their producer, the renowned animation producer Ishii Tomohiko, who will be sharing his latest releases for 2012. Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, the co-founder and president of Production I.G, a Japanese anime entrepreneur, is expected to join Tomohiko at the festival.

Visitors to AFA Malaysia will also get to dine in style with the iconic Moe Moe Kyun Maid Cafe and Atelier Royale Butler Cafe.
That’s not all. If you’re into cosplay, a special championship will also be held during the festival. The best cosplayer will represent the country to compete with the region’s best cosplayers like Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines at the Regional Cosplay Championship held in Singapore in November this year.

Read more: Treat for anime fans – Showbiz – New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/life-times/showbiz/treat-for-anime-fans-1.80434#ixzz1trCrstko

Man, I love the Japanese. Because when they do crazy, they do it on some kind of primal full-tilt bugfuck batshit level that we Americans can’t begin to conceive of. Want proof? Check out the trailer for the upcoming Japanese animated film ‘After School Midnighters’, a film about a human body model that dances, rides a motorcycle, dodges killer bunny rabbits, and protects his school from the forces of evil . More after the jump.

“He is a flame specimen!” “The golden duo is coming!” My God, how I wished I lived in Tokyo so I could see this thing this summer… Anyway, here’s the official synopsis for After School Midnighters, “An original computer-generated animation film by a young and spirited director with a skillful VFX/CGI crew who has a lot of experience in movies and TV commercials. The main character ‘Kynst Lijk’ is a human body model that stands in a science room of an elementary school. Kynst Lijk also reigns over the school after midnight. One day, when a naughty kindergarden trio accidentally meets him, his ordinary life changes. The scariest and craziest after midnight adventure begins…

Crunchyroll, Inc., the leading Anime streaming service, announces the launch of the Crunchyroll application on the Windows Phone Marketplace.

Starting today, Crunchyroll premium members throughout most of the world can stream the latest Anime titles on their mobile devices running Windows Phone 7.5 such as the HTC 7 series, the HTC Titan, the Nokia Lumia Series, and the Samsung Omnia W.

The application can be downloaded from the Windows Phone Marketplace worldwide except in China and the Middle East. Like on the site itself, Crunchyroll premium members will enjoy access to the latest Anime titles immediately following Japan TV broadcast, such as NARUTO SHIPPUDEN, Hunter X Hunter, KIDS ON THE SLOPE, MEDAKA BOX, SPACE BROTHERS, and over 30 simulcast titles with subtitles. Premium members can also enjoy their favorite catalog shows with no ads.

Episodes can also be accessed from Crunchyroll.com, the free iPad and iPhone application, the Android application, Google TV, Roku, Boxee, Vizio VIA, WD TV Live and additional set-top channels, and affiliate partners.

Crunchyroll premium members will have access to the largest anime selection, same-day access for simulcasted titles, no advertisements and can be viewed in 480p-to-1080p quality on selected titles.

Crunchyroll is a leading global video network and developer of social media applications for Japanese anime and Asian media. Through applications like Crunchyroll for iPhone, iPad, Android, TV set-top boxes, affiliate websites and its own streaming website, Crunchyroll delivers officially-licensed content from leading Asian media producers directly to consumers.

Crunchyroll has offices in San Francisco, Calif. and Tokyo, Japan, and is a member of the Association of Japanese Animations (AJA) and Licensing International Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA). Founded in 2006, Crunchyroll is funded by leading venture capital firm, Venrock, Japanese entertainment giant TV TOKYO, digital publishing leader Bitway and a group of angel investors representing some of the brightest and most successful entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley.

The statements made in this press release that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements.” These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. The Company cautions readers of this press release that a number of important factors could cause Crunchyroll.com’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, without limitation, product delays, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, vendors and third-party developers, international economic and political conditions. The Company may change its intention, belief or expectation, at any time and without notice, based upon any changes in such factors, in the Company’s assumptions or otherwise. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

This Tuesday, April 24th, will see the release of the second “Fullmetal Alchemist” film, “The Sacred Star of Milos” and in anticipation of that we got a chance to see the movie for review a little early thanks to FUNimation Entertainment.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with “Fullmetal Alchemist”; the series revolves around Edward and Alphonse Elric, two brothers that committed the ultimate taboo when their mother dies and they attempt to use alchemy to bring her back. This choice results in Edward losing his right arm and left leg while Alphonse loses his entire body; his soul is bound to a suit of armor by Ed just in time to save him. Ed eventually joins the Amestris military as a State Alchemist, with his brother in tow, in the hopes of tracking down a powerful gem, called the Philosopher’s Stone, believing that it is the best bet to restoring their bodies.

In “The Sacred Star of Milos” the brothers make their way to Table City, a land that was once known as the land of Milos and sits at the border between Amestris and Creta, after a prisoner escapes and all the clues lead to him heading there after a young girl. The young girl is named Julia Crichton, the younger sister of the escaped convict and also the daughter of two gifted alchemists that were murdered when she was young. As the boys make their way to the city they find themselves heading into the deep valley below where they learn that the citizens of Milos are attempting to take back Table City and to do that they require one of two powerful items, the Sanguine Star or the ability to command the magma that runs throughout the nearby mountain.
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The story was definitely an interesting one as the Milosians begin their war against both Creta and Amestris Ed and Al are forced to come face to face with the creation of a familiar stone while also battling it out with terrorist groups, chimera werewolves and even their own troops as they try to prevent Julia and her companions from taking things too far. “The Sacred Star of Milos” offers a fairly dark and violent story compared to that of either series, probably because it is all fit into a film as opposed to 50+ episodes so all the fight scenes are fairly close together. The amount of blood and death dealt throughout was actually a bit surprising but all together the film delivers a great experience for fans of “Fullmetal Alchemist”.

Visually the film is slightly improved from what the regular series looks like, but the top notch quality of Bones is always there, everything is detailed and the picture quality is clear. All of the characters have great designs, including the new cast which adds a masked Cretan officer and some dangerously violent looking werewolves.

It was once said to me by a friend that “Fullmetal Alchemist” has one of the best English voice-over casts in anime and I would have to agree. While the Japanese cast is great the English dub is just as good and makes for an excellent viewing choice. The subtitles have nice flow and remain on screen for a fair length of time.

The film comes with the standard on-discs features, TV spots as well as trailers for the feature and trailers for other FUNimation Entertainment titles. In addition anime fans can look forward to web promos, commentary from the U.S. voice cast and a “Making of Sacred Star of Milos” video. The extra features add a bit more insight into the film and are great viewing for fans of the series.

All-in-all “Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos” is a great addition to any “Fullmetal Alchemist” fan’s collection. Though the story is a bit rushed it is understandable due to it being a two hour long movie as opposed to a full length series or story arc. While the extra violence was a bit of a surprise, but it also adds to the overall experience as well as to the darker side of the film’s story.

If you’re a fan of the “Fullmetal Alchemist” series then you shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to see “The Sacred Star of Milos”. Admittedly the film isn’t quite as good as “Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood” it is a great side-story that gives fans more of that alchemy wielding action that fans clamor for.

Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos

Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment

Runtime: 110 minutes

Number of Discs: 2 DVD (1 Film + 1 extra features)

Languages: English, Japanese with English subtitles

Age Rating: TV14

Release Date: April 24th, 2012

Over a dozen years ago, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, was unleashed by a mysterious Masked Man. The Hidden Leaf Village was attacked by the Fox and was on the verge of complete devastation. There was only one way to save the village – to seal the Demon Fox. The 4th Hokage Minato Namikaze and his wife Kushina sealed the Fox into their new born son Naruto, sacrificing their own lives for the sake of the Village, entrusting its future to their son.

As time passed, members of the dangerous group known as Akatsuki – Pain, Konan, Itachi, Kisame, Sasori, Deidara, Hidan, Kakuzu – assault the Hidden Leaf Village! Naruto and his comrades succeeded in defeating them, but why are those Akatsuki members, supposedly all dead, here again now? The mystery remains, but all the shinobis are being praised to achieve a dangerous mission. In the meantime, Naruto, who doesn’t know his parents, can’t help it to feel very lonely. Just around that time, and all of a sudden, the Masked Man returns to the Hidden Leaf Village. The mysterious new eye technique of this man then strikes both Naruto and Sakura.

Now, his terrifying ambition is revealed! Is he targetting the Nine Tailed Fox? Traps and conspiracy to Naruto and Sakura, and to the other shinobi of the Leaf Village. The fierce fight is inevitable! The movie is at its climax!

Also known as Naruto Shippuden the Movie: Road to Ninja, Naruto Shippuden Movie 6, among others, Road to Ninja is the 9th movie overall in the Naruto series. It will debut in Japanese theaters July 28, 2012. Naruto’s creator, Masashi Kishimoto will be personally involved with the movie.
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Anime Boston was a lot of fun. I met more Shelf Life readers. I attended the formal ball, which was totally classy and awesome. I cosplayed as Sonoshee from Redline, but not one person recognized the costume (granted, I wore her dress and not her racing outfit).

Meanwhile, I watched some anime. Sometimes watching three anime series per week is like pulling the lever on a slot machine. Sometimes I get three cherries, and other weeks I lose. Maybe it was a mistake on my part to have any expectations at all for Sekirei: Pure Engagement.
What happened Sekirei?! I gave season one a Rental Shelf and a fairly positive review, which was a ringing endorsement on my part; I think Sekirei was the first “boob” show that I didn’t rank Perishable. I remember the animation being good, and the plot, although bizarre, was at least somewhat compelling.

The first four episodes of Pure Engagement look terrible. The animation quality has dropped precipitously. Granted, I didn’t watch season one on Blu-ray. BD is not kind to this show. You can really see the seams. The production quality finally crawls up out of the garbage around episode six or seven, and starts to get back into form. More so than other shows, the competent animators were clearly saved for the fight scenes, making for some extreme vacillations in quality. The final few episodes and important fights are so different that they look like they were done by famous guest animators. The OVA episode is particularly well animated, which makes me suspect that episodes 1-4 were given $20 each so the remaining $99,920 per episode (a wild estimate based on Justin Sevakis’s articles) could be used for the OVA.

The plot flops around like a fish on land for the first half of this set, dying and gasping for air. Eventually the game master forces some weird Battle Royale scenarios on the Sekirei fighting teams, but for the first five episodes he just kind of hangs out, on a clock tower, waiting for some more Sekirei to emerge. Or rather, I think that’s what was happening. I was so bored it was hard to tell.

As the characters yammer on and on about their Pokémon-like masters, you’ve got a lot of time to think about their breasts, because they are right there, taking up most of the frame. Eventually it occurred to me that Sekirei may actually use breast size as a shorthand to characterization. After a while, I got really preoccupied thinking about Matsu’s (the hacker) nipple shape design. Her areola is raised, so her nipples are like a two-stage rocket. There are bath scenes of course, but I’m talking about her nipple profile as seen through her clothes. (Believe it or not, there are bras in the Sekirei universe, but I think clothing physics are just totally different.) Sometimes Tsukiumi’s (the one who talks in presumably archaic Japanese; her best dub line in this set is “thy jig is up,”) and Kazehana’s (the drunk) nipples are also drawn like missiles sometimes, but other times they look more normal. I suspect the weird nipple shapes come straight from hentai doujinshi trends, but I’m not exactly an erotica expert.

The final arc for this set winds up in the same series of scenes that a lot of anime and Japanese media conclude with nowadays. Without spoiling it, (is it possible to spoil a cliché?) the hero and his/her friends go into enemy territory, and one by one friends stay behind to hold off the bad guys in a heroic sacrifice so the hero can keep going. Dear Japan, I’m getting tired of this ending.

Did you know the original manga was by the same artist as Sensitive Pornograph? That means Sekirei was penned by a lady who normally draws yaoi! Knowing the characters were designed by a lady added another weird level to my viewing experience.[TOP]

After that, I watched something much less extreme. Modern Magic Made Simple has much more realistically shaped nipples.
This show screams “based on a light novel!” It’s difficult to nail down an exact reason why that is, but if you were making a list of light-novel-like qualities, start looking for examples in this show (and then share your list with me).

Koyomi is a klutzy short girl who decides to attend a magic school to improve her life somehow. Her only magical ability so far is to summon wash basins, and/or turn other people’s spells into wash basins. She befriends Yumiko, a practitioner of traditional magic, and Misa, a practitioner of “modern” magic who uses computers to cast spells.

At the very least the original concept distinguishes Modern Magic from other otaku-centric series, I mean, at least it doesn’t take place around the Japanese school year. Unfortunately, I’m against the premise on two counts. First, I hate midichlorians. That is to say, I liked Star Wars better before Lucas made The Force based in “science;” generally, I guess you could say I’m against explaining magic systems with science, and this show makes magic less magical.

Second, I think this series glorifies programmers as wizards. A lot of the spells are just programs. Even in the show they’re called “scripts”. I’m not sure if how many Japanese anime otaku are programmers, but if it’s a significant number, this is truly “fan service” of the highest order. Imagine if this were a series aimed at a demographic of accountants; the girls would probably do magic using math.

The other type of fan service in the show, i.e., panty shots, are handled awkwardly. Yumiko goes commando for a few scenes and it’s neither funny nor sexy. A demonic rogue “daemon” (har har) steals someone’s panties in another scene that seems oddly out of place in this otherwise cutesy show.

The first plot arc spans six episodes and involves time travel. Jumping back and forth in time to the characters at different ages isn’t the best way to introduce them. I found the first plot very difficult to follow. Why not start with another other, simpler story from one of the other novels first?

Yumiko shows off a lot of cleavage in her default outfit as an adult, but thanks to the time travel she spends a lot of the first arc as a kid. I half-suspect the time travel was just an excuse for viewers to get the option of choosing which bra size they like Yumiko in best.

Modern Magic Made Simple also raises some serious questions about morality that it fails to address. In several scenes, spells are used as marketing tools to work consumers into a buying frenzy. It’s eerie to watch such invasive marketing tactics. Misa seems to operate by her own moral marketing code, but the show glosses over larger, worldwide implications of spell-marketing in order to cut to what you’ve all been waiting for: the pool episode! (I knew I wouldn’t have to wait long…)

And seriously, what’s going on with wash basin summoning witches? It’s incredibly weird that both Rosario X Vampire and this show have a cute witch who can only summon wash basins. Is Rosario parodying this show? Are wash basin witches some hot new trend?

Other than the awkward moments, Modern Magic is more bland than horrible. If the plot was a bit easier to follow and the fanservice was less clumsy, I’d give this Rental based on the somewhat unique concept.[TOP]

I was less bored watching Inu X Boku Secret Service than Modern Magic, but I was more angry.
I am shocked that this series ran in a shonen magazine, because the plot of Inu X Boku Secret Service is a total shojo manga cliché. Actually most of the plot is built on clichés, but that’s true of most anime…

Ririchiyo is a super-rich girl, sent to live in a special super-secure apartment complex for rich people while she attends high school. She’s never had any real friends, in part because her coping mechanism for stress is mouthing off and saying overly mean things to people. Then she writes long heartfelt apologies later. (Then she verbally denies she meant any of it.)

Turns out Ririchiyo isn’t just a rich girl, she’s also some kind of yokai descendent with some yokai powers, as are the other residents of the very special building. After Natsume’s Book of Friends, Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, A Letter to Momo, and Rosario X Vampire, frankly, I’m getting sick of yokai. I hope they go out of style again soon.

The “Inu” in the title is Soushi, a multi-fox-tailed-yokai guy who vows to be her security guard, even at the cost of his own life. For a moment, it seems like it’s going to be pleasantly Black Butler-like, but the plot doesn’t go in that direction. Instead it’s more like the Iggy Pop song “I Wanna Be Your Dog”.

The romantic tension between Ririchiyo and Soushi is both immediate and a little creepy. How old is he supposed to be? This show doesn’t hold back when it comes to sexuality. Ririchiyo’s school uniform isn’t just thigh highs with a generous zettai ryouiki (absolute zone), her garter belt straps are totally exposed.

Then there’s episode five. Ririchiyo’s so-called fiancé, Kagerou, shows up. The ever-masked figure goes around accusing everyone in the building of being either a sadist or a masochist. Eventually he also starts labeling inanimate objects “S” or “M”. It’s a pretty funny episode, and the end credits specify S or M for the entire staff. Unfortunately Kagerou does not appear again for several more episodes. (What age group was this manga aimed at, exactly?!)

Inu X Boku never seems to decide what kind of show it wants to be. Sometimes the yokai powers come up, sometimes they don’t. Sometimes the show is a romance about Ririchiyo and Soushi. Episode four seems to play up the friendships between the male characters, as if this was a show for fujoshi. The building’s other residents are all excessively “wacky” characters, (sort of like how everyone is extremely eccentric in Arakawa Under the Bridge) so sometimes the show is straight up comedy.

Eventually, the pig-headed Ririchiyo realizes that she’s probably in love with Soushi, but it takes her a few episodes. She has to go through the extremely cliché “Why is my heart beating so fast? Am I sick?” scene that we’ve all read before in shojo manga. If nothing else, Inu X Boku helped me identify and two new pet peeves; the former heart beating scene, and also the “I’ve never had any real friends” trope from the second paragraph.

This is the most frustrating type of show for me, because I like some of the characters and part of the premise, but most of the actual minutes felt like a waste. For example, I like the spaced-out always-hungry Karuta, but I hate the super-pervy Nobara. This show is already plenty perverted without Nobara pointing out all the fetish outfits and saying how fetishy they are.

Why did I keep watching this?! Was it because I liked the character designs? Was it because I thought it really was shojo?! Inu X Boku encapsulates that moment of regret when you reach for an Oreo only to realize the package is empty, and you’re about to be sick because oh my god, I just ate an entire box of Oreos.

I watched episode nine just to see Souji and Ririchiyo’s coffee date, and it never happened. It’s like the show fooled me just enough to get me to keep watching it. I regret giving this show extra minutes of my life. Even so, I was nearly compelled to finish it just for the sake of being completist. (Give me another Oreo.)[TOP]

That’s all for this week. It was basically the bottom of the box of review copies, but there’s a new box in the mail. Hopefully I’ll have better luck at the anime slot machine next week!

This week’s shelves are from Angie:

“Hello, I’m Angie and I wanted to show off my current anime collection for the readers of Shelf Life.

I’ve been collecting anime since about 2001, but I haven’t really been a serious collector until a few years ago when I started getting an income. My personal favorites in my collection are probably the official Sailor Moon sets and the new Utena boxsets. But I (usually) love older magical girl anime, so I try to get as much as I can for my collection. The pictures I included aside from my DVDs (which, I want to point out that I don’t normally have them stacked. They’re usually on another shelf, but I thought this would be easier for the photos), are my manga, anime figures, and the small amount of anime VHS that I haven’t replaced yet.

The PSP role-playing game Heroes Phantasia takes nine popular fantasy and sci-fi anime—Blood+, Read or Die, My-HiME, s-CRY-d, Darker Than Black, Slayers Revolution, Sorcerous Stabber Orphen, Rune Soldier Louie, and Sgt. Frog—and mixes them into one giant cross-over adventure. And while fans of these shows will no doubt be excited to play as their favorite characters, the question remains: is there a good game buried beneath the fan-service or is it all flash and no substance?

Good — The Characters You Love Are Back

This is far from the first time that Bandai Namco has created a massive anime crossover. The Super Robot Wars series alone is comprised of no less than 33 titles that have incorporated nearly every giant robot anime ever made at some point or another. So it’s safe to say that it is no stranger to the art of cross-over.

In Heroes Phantasia, every character has his or her own comments to make on the situations in the story as it progresses—to the point where five-minute talking scenes are not uncommon. They also make cross-series friendships which often alter how any given anime sub-plot wraps up. It is a fun twist for any who know and love the parent series.
Bad — Overall Story

Unfortunately, the over-arching original plot of the game seems little more than an
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afterthought. The barriers between the two worlds, one magical and one technological, are weakening. On one side, is a princess of good who is gathering the anime heroes; and on the other, an evil pair of men are helping out the villains. This plot is little more than a tool to justify all the characters meeting. To that purpose it succeeds, but it does almost nothing else.
Mixed — A Great Battle System Squandered

The battle system is clever, complex, and has a lot going for it as we’ve mentioned on Kotaku before. It not only allows a total of sixteen characters in battle at once but also makes each of your four squads useful in battle. Few characters are simply standing around. On the back end,
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you are able to redistribute each character’s experience points at any time—letting you adjust them to whichever role you need them in. As a battle system, it’s quite well designed.

However, the problem comes in regard to balance. Enemies do large amounts of damage so it’s important to make sure only the most durable characters take the enemies’ hits. However, when it comes time to heal these wounds, the healers are unable to keep up—they just can’t heal enough. And because healing uses the same action-points that attacking does, the strategy for every battle becomes the same: attack as big as you can, as often as you can—and whatever you do, don’t waste your time healing. Needless to say, this makes battles become boring rather quick.
Mixed — Looks Good, Sounds Bad

Heroes Phantasia really does a great job mixing the various anime’s styles into the same visual presentation. The choice to stick with 2D sprites instead of 3D polygons was a great choice as well. But the best looking parts of the game are the special attacks. Whether it’s Lina’s chanting of the “Dragon Slave” or Saya letting blood flow down her sword, these cut scenes recreate their
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respective anime perfectly and make it feel as though you’re about to do something devastating to your enemy.

The sound, however, doesn’t live up to the same standards. This is mainly because even though there are tons upon tons of talking, almost none of it is voiced. While understandable—A-grade voice actors aren’t cheap, you know—it is still a disappointment. Vocal clips are reused from the various anime whenever possible, but it nonetheless leaves you with a feeling of what could have been.
Bad — Westward, No!

Bandai Namco holds the rights to many of these anime through its subsidiary anime studio, Sunrise. It also has a good relationship with other anime studios in Japan which is what makes a game like this possible in the first place. Outside of Japan, however, it’s a mess. The rights to these series are owned by countless different distributors that vary country by country across the world. While it’s possible all these issues could be worked out, it is far beyond unlikely at this point.
Final Thoughts

Heroes Phantasia lives or dies based on how much you like the anime contained within. The meta-plot is generic at best and the gameplay, while complex and interesting at first glance, is plagued by balance issues. But if you’re just dying to see how all these different characters react to each other, the game does do an adequate job. For those who both love these anime and can read Japanese, this game may indeed prove worth your while. But for everyone else, it’s best to pass on it for now and dream of a magical world where it will be released outside of Japan.