Blu-ray Review: Battlestar Galactica: The Plan
The Cylons were created by Man.
They rebelled.
There are many copies.
And they have…A PLAN.
These words scrolled across our television screens throughout the run of the series Battlestar Galactica. Now, following the amazing ending of the series, the team behind the show has released a new Direct to DVD (and Blu-ray) movie entitled The Plan. This film, directed by series star Edward James Olmos, was intended to show the Cylon's point of view during the destruction of the colonies and provide new insight into the series. Unfortunately for us fans, The Plan feels more like a glorified clip show with very little revelation than the show that we have seen thrive and encapsulate our attention for years.
Anime Blu-ray Review: Afro Samurai
Afro Samurai: Season 1 Director's Cut is a traditional tale of a lone ronin wandering the countryside of a weird techno-feudal Japan, searching for the man who killed his father. Oh, and he's black.
Hip hop culture has long embraced the kung-fu and gangster genres for their violence and hypermasculinity (e.g. veneration of Scarface, the Wu Tang Clan), who have in turn incorporated African-American motifs into their work (The Matrix films, lamentable blackface music acts in Japan) for a perceived infusion of soul/cool.
Manga Review: Kurohime Vol.14
A beautiful, but deadly, Kurohime had been robbed of her powerful abilities as a witch-gunslinger (a term used to describe sorceresses who can summon powerful witch-beasts by firing bullets through witch-guns) and found a young man named Zero who is the only one able to break the curse put upon her by the Gods. Sadly, she must go back in time to save Zero from a horrible fate.
Highlights
Holy Musical Episode Batman!
This week on Batman: The Brave and the Bold: Batman must stop the nefarious foe known as the Music Meister from taking over Gotham City in "Mayhem of the Music Meister!".
This fully musical episode features the talents of Neil Patrick Harris (Dr. Horrible's Musical Sing Along Blog) as the Music Meister and Grey Delisle as Black Canary.
Anime Blu-ray Review: Vexille
In 2067 the lines between Robot and Android become blurred and the World turns against any Android technology. That is, everyone but Japan. Because Japan is run by a large Company named Daiwa, it decides to remove itself from the rest of the world and continue with the research. A visual and electronic barrier is raised and Japan becomes isolated from the rest of the world. 10 years have gone by, something bad is happening, and Japan is at the center of it. Now it is up to the American military group named SWORD to infiltrate and open a window to Japan.
Manga Review: Vampire Knight Vol. 8
Vampire Knight Volume 8
It's a new century, and the vampire race is starting to try to get along with the human race. A private boarding school, Cross Academy, is the middle ground for these two conflicting races. Yuki's memory has been locked deep within her mind, but it is constantly knocking. Yuki has been under the care of the headmaster of Cross Academy, so she knows the secret of the "Night Class". She has even fallen in love with the top of the Night Class students.
Highlights
Manga Review: Flame of Recca 33
The long-running shonen series Flame of Recca by manga-ka Nobuyuki Anzai focuses around sixteen-year-old Recca, who dreams of becoming a ninja. He vows to always protect Yanagi, his classmate and girlfriend who has the ability to heal any injury, with the powers he has inherited from the Hokage bloodline. Recca is able to use items called madogu, which allow him to manipulate the elements, especially the element of fire. With his friends — all weapon-wielding warriors like himself — Recca is out to stop the villian Mori from acquiring the madogu TendÅ Jigoku, which will grant him eternal life!
Highlights:
Manga Review: Phantom Dream volume 4
Phantom Dream is a fantasy shoujo series by Natsuki Takaya, manga-ka of popular series Fruits Basket. The protagonist, Tamaki, is a young man whose destiny is simple — protect the human race from a species of demons called the Jaki — but his life is far from it. His best friend, Eiji, has inherited the blood of King Hira and therefore makes him Tamaki's enemy. Then there is Tamaki's girlfriend, Asahi, who is the reincarnation of Suigekka, the woman whose death brought the end of a friendship, a friendship that has been reborn in Tamaki and Eiji, conflicts and all. When you aren't sure who your enemy is, and when your duties from eras past go against love itself, who can you trust and who can you protect?
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Manga Review: InuYasha – BIGVIZ Volume 1
InuYasha, the famous long-running shonen action/comedy/romance series by Rumiko Takahaski, is being reprinted in the the VIZBIG wide-ban format with the first three volumes in the original reading format (right-to-left).