Mayumi SHINTANI

The Gallery - Robin Ha
A world of colorful patterns and macabre story lines await as we profile the work of Robin Ha! 2008-11-22

Hey, Answerman!
Answerman tackles fanboys complaining about translation issues, running anime convention panels and offers up a new Hey, Answerfans question. 2008-11-21

Buried Treasure - Serial Experiments Lain
Lain was once the darling of the anime world, but it's all but forgotten today. Does it stand up to the test of time, now that most of us really do live in the wired? 2008-11-20

Anime News Nina! - 11-19-2008
Anime character design is a delicate and sincere art, full of nuance. 2008-11-19

The X Button - Only Shallow
It's all Toriyama all the time as Todd looks at the latest Dragon Ball game, Chrono Trigger's arrival on the DS, and, just to balance things out, a Berserk game full of despair and spraying blood. 2008-11-19

Vocaloid: Hatsune Miku 1/8 PVC Giveaway and Fan-art Contest
Win this really cute Figma 2008-11-15

Strait Jacket DVD
Unless you are a huge fan of the original Strait Jacket novels and must partake of every spin-off of the franchise, no matter how poorly produced, spare yourself the trouble and visit an insane asylum instead. You will have waaaay more fun with the straitjackets you find there than the ones you will find in this DVD.

Evyione: Ocean Fantasy GN 1
To those in the know, the name Young-Hee Kim has become synonymous with some of the most visually awe-inspiring—and distinctive—sunjeong manhwa (shoujo manga) in the business. Evyione: Ocean Fantasy is her latest work, and it is far and away Udon Entertainment's most exciting manhwa “get” post-ICE Kunion breakup.

From Impressionism to Anime
To an anime fan, not much of what she finds is going to be particularly novel, although it may certainly be interesting to realize that just as you the fan wonder about the reasons fandom exists as it does, scholars at universities around the U.S. are asking the same exact question.

The Flat Earth/Exchange GN 1-2
Raise your hand if you miss the Japanese manga of the last quarter of the 20th century—those bleak, post-apocalyptic tales of convoluted geopolitics and suggestive male bonding that made the careers of the likes of Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira), CLAMP (X)…and, in her own more modest fashion, The Flat Earth/Exchange creator Toshimi Nigoshi.

Ghost Slayers Ayashi GN 1
... as thrilling and visceral as any historical saga where the heroes don't use the power of kanji to defeat the bad guys.

Inu Yasha Season 6 DVD Box Set
For a series that has blundered through 120 some odd episodes of repetitive shard hunting and demon slaying, Inuyasha is still a surprisingly pleasant way to pass the time.

Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-Chan DVD 1
An angel travels back in time to kill a man who makes an immortality formula with a disagreeable side effect, but falls in love with him instead, in this ridiculously silly, ridiculously bloody, and generally fun little series. Some of its jokes wear thin after a while, but it can be riotously funny.

Hayate x Blade GN 1
What does Hayate X Blade want to be? A sword-swinging action series, a bouncy all-girl comedy, a yuri-flavored schoolyard romp, or what?

My Otome Zwei DVD
Most of the Otome are back for a new round of fun and thrills in this follow-up to the popular TV series. It may not be great anime, but anyone entertained by the TV series will almost certainly be entertained by these OVA episodes, too.

Di Gi Charat Nyo! DVD 9
Dejiko may be the star, but this volume is owned by Piyoko.

Haré+Guu DVD 7
Being the climactic volume and all, these three episodes are a little (emphasis on the "little") less hectic and little more sober than those that precede them, but no less funny. A fitting send-off for of one of last year's better comedies.