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Hamtaro
It is Japanese and involves Hamsters. This is really sweet, like diabetic sweet. It involves a whole bunch of Hamsters and their adventures. While I never watched this on DVD, but I have seen this on Cartoon Network in the morning before school. It is sweet but not as sweet as Card Captor Sakura. Card Captor Sakura is a 10 on the ultra sweetness scale, Hamtaro is a solid 8. If you are looking for easy, sappy, cute series watch Hamtaro. |
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Hellsing 01: Impure Souls
The Hellsing Organization for centuries has protected the world from vampires and the like. Their ultimate weapon is Alucard, a vampire who battles other vampires who break the rules. While investigating an attack on the English town of Cheddar, a police officer Victoria Seras gets trapped inbetween the town's vampire vicar and Alucard. Alucard asks a few questions of Victoria before shooting her through the lung to kill the vampire. Alucard turns Victoria into a vampire and makes her apart of Hellsing. I much perferred the conversation between the pair in the manga, Alucard simply asks if she is a virgin and when she says yes he shoots her. Victoria meets the leader of the Hellsign Organization, Integra Windgates Hellsing, who is a bit of a hardass but there is a very good reason why. She and Alucard have a very personal relationship, not in the sexual kind, I doubt Alucard would survive in bed with her. We also get a little intro of my favorite Hellsing Character Walter, Integra's butler. Victoria tries to adjust to the vampire life when a pair of joyriding Bonnie and Clyde vampires who are cutting a swath of murder through England. Then in the third episode we get to meet Anderson, a special agent from the Vatican's version of Hellsing, the Iscariot Agency. He has come to bring back the body of a Catholic Vampire, but the vampire escapes and this leads to a confrontation between Anderson, Alucard, and Victoria, so some degree seeing that she has a huge knife in her throat. The battle ends in a draw when Integra shows up and calls Anderson off. A great first disc with lots of gun play, vampires, and assorted ghouls, and everything gets blown apart. I like the manga a little more simply because the story is fleshed out a lot more. I also like how it isn't set in Japan, it could have been easily set in Japan but it was set in England. This is a great action series with a great horror twist and a must watch for fans of either genre. |
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Hellsing 02: Blood Brothers
Vampire snuff films and the internet. The opening episode of this disc does a great job of showing how the Hellsing Organization deals with hiding the existance of vampires. Kinda strange seeing that they travel around in big armoured cars and use heavy weapons to take out vampires. But the last two episodes are a wonderful two parter blow em up and they are the best episodes of the disc. We are introduced to the Valetine Brothers, a pair of vampires who are planning an attack against the very headquarters of the Hellsing Organization at the same time as all the heads of the various British military, intelligence, and police organizations are meeting with Integra. In this episode we are introduced to the best character in the series, Victoria's 30mm sniper rifle. Yes 30mm a small artillery piece which she weilds with almost no difficulty. Luckily she has it the moment the Valentine Brothers and their armed army of ghouls attacks. They quickly defeat the Hellsing soldiers leaving only Walter, Integra's bulter and my favorite animate character in the series, Victoria, and Alucard are the only ones to protect Integra and entire Round Table. Now you should feel sorry for the Valentine Brother and their army of ghouls. It is great to watch Walter using his wires to slash the ghouls to pieces and Victoria using her cannon to blow holes through the ghouls, then watching Alucard turn into his demon form was also great. Now the mystery thickens, who told the Valentine Brothers when to attack the Hellsing Organization, who did they train their ghouls to use weapons, and now the hell can the Hellsing Organization continue with five members, including Integra? We will have to find out in the next exciting disc of Hellsing. |
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Hellsing 03: Search and Destroy
The conspiracy of the Freak Chips deepends but first we need to have a huge battle between Alucard and Anderson as the Vatican tries to remove the rest of the Hellsing Organization that wasn't destroyed by the Valentine Brother's assault on their headquarters in the last disc. It is fun to watch Alucard fight a villain of compriable ability and then watch him remove their limbs one by one. Then we get Victoria and Harry Anders of MI-5 get to go visit a true vampire in search of the identity of the makers of the Freak Chips. The finaly episode vampires inflitrate the Hellsing Manor and one distracts Alucard while his partner slowly tortures Integra and infects her with vampric blood. To solve this problem Integra drives a large letter opener through her neck and collapses to the ground. The best episode of this disc by far is the first when we get to see Alucard and Anderson really face off and Alucard blows Anderson's arms off. But it is in this disc where the series and the manga part ways. By episode 8 the series goes down a completely different path which allows the series to end in five episodes. Doing this reduces the quality of the series because the real meat of Hellsings starts where episode seven ends. There are a couple of little oops in the disc, mainly because these episodes are taken straight from the manga. The biggest continunity oops involves mercenaries that are discussed in episode 7 but they're never introduced and they are really great characters called the Wild Geese. This is the last good disc in the series if you started Hellsing by reading the manga. Be prepared to scratch your head in the next disc because it is seen nowhere in the manga. |
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Hellsing 04: Eternal Damnation
What the hell happened? We spent the last three discs setting up this amazing unique story and then we close it off with this rather general action movie ending. Integra, after nearly being gutted by the vampire chick in the previous disc goes under the knife and we get to see how Integra became the woman she is. It isn't a pretty childhood, in fact it was probably very scarring. We also learn Integra's relationship with Alucard and how the pair first met. This disc does a good job of showing the softer side of the relationship between them, in previous discs the pair constantly try to dominate one another, their relationship always seemed on the edge of falling apart but in this disc we get a sense that Alucard and Inetegra share a deeper affection for each other. The last two episodes are a full blown battle royale, but it isn't between the makers of the Freak Chips or with Anderson, it is with a vampire they introduced in the last episode of the previous disc. Yes the battle is rather spectacular but ends and wraps up none of the plot lines. It basically screams out for a sequel which according to some sources Gonzo wants to do but the manga's creator Hirano Kouta was rather upset with the quality of the series and it probably won't happen although a music video with bits of material never seen in the series has continued to keep the speculation rife. The final episode leaves several questions dangling, I have found the answers to the big ones, firstly Integra is not the traitor in the Round Table Organization, she is being protected by the crown because the guy who made the Freak Chips is still gunning for her. There is no explanation for the weird cloth handcuffs but it is probably just in case she looses it. Two Walter survives, yes his helicopter explodes in episode 13 but he is seen smiling later. The makers of the Freak Chips are revealed in the manga, they are Nazis. The series did really well until this disc basically because it completely went a different direction from the manga and finished none of the plot lines. The manga is much better than explains much more. |
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Inu-Yasha 01: Down the Well
Kagome is your average student that happens to live in an ancient shrine, that just happens to have a well that is a portal to feudal Japan in it. So of course she falls down said well and ends of in fedual Japan with all these demons. Namely the half dog demon, Inu Yasha who is in search of Jewel of Four Souls. The Jewel is inside Kagome who is the reincarnation of the former guardian of the Jewel. Because the series has to run more than a couple of episodes Kagome accidently shatters the jewel into a whole bunch of little pieces scattering them to the four winds. Now Kagome and Inu Yasha have to enter into an alliance to retrieve the jewel shards. The first three episodes are funny, especially when Kagome puts a necklace on Inu Yasha and can control him by saying 'Sit Boy'. The relationship between the pair of them is very aserbic, and very funny. The end of disc one introduces Yura of the Hair one of the many demons who are viving for shards of the jewel. I really like this series, it isn't too heavy, or too light. Another strength is the excellent characters in the series, all of them are very distinct. If you want to get into anime, this is one the easiest and best ways of starting. If this series would have any faults it would be the fact that each disc only has three episodes per disc and the series has 167 episodes. Shards Retrieved in this Disc 1, actually -1 because Yura captures the first shard Kaogome has. |
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Inu Yasha 02: A Girl's Best Friend
Kagome and Inu Yasha continue their question for the Shikon Jewel Shards first by defeating Yura of the Hair, possibly one of the best looking demons ever, from the last disc and then we get to meet several new characters who will have a great deal to do with the story, first we meet Myoga, a wise flea, who warns Inu Yasha that his half brother, the full demon, Sesshomaru is hunting for his father's burial place. Inu Yasha and Sesshomaru clash over Inu Yasha's mother, who is in fact the All-Mother a demon born from the grief of all the mothers who lose children in war. Kagome saves Inu Yasha from his demon under the control of Jaken, Sesshomaru's little toad, well, toadie. But the All-Mother learns the secret location of Inu Yasha's father's burial ground, that was hidden inside of his right eye. Sesshomaru's opens the portal and Inu Yasha and Kagome follow. Apparently Inu Yasha's father was the size of an office building. Inside the huge skeleton lays Tetseiga, an extremely powerful weapon crafted from their father's fang. Inu Yasha and Sesshomaru again battle, this is a theme that seems to follow through the series, over possession of Tetseiga but neither can draw it out. Then Kagome, while doing her cheerleading best, accidentally pulls it out. Inu Yasha and Kagome are starting to grow together, mostly out of being forced together to survive these demons but there is respect of each other grows. The adventures move along at a good pace and the disc ends with another great cliffhanger ending. Shards Retrieved in this Disc 1, Grand Total Retrieved 1. |
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Inu Yasha 03: Fathers and Sons
Inu Yasha has a showdown with Sesshomaru and unleashes the power of Tetseiga upon his doggy demon brother. After returning to more real reality they start to travel to find more shards of the jewel. They meet a clutz of a samurai who is trying to rescue his love from a toad demon who has possessed the noble she is betrothed to. Our clutz samurai prevents Inu Yasha from killing the toad and Kagome forces the toad demon out of the noble so Inu Yasha can slice and dice. After that adventure they meet the 4th good character, Shippo, the half fox half human trickster who is trying to avenge the death of his father, a full fox demon at the hands of the Thunder Brothers, Hiten and Monten. Shippo wants Inu Yasha and Kagome's jewels so he can defeat the Thunder Brothers, but his trickery get Kagome captured by the Thunder Brothers so Inu Yasha has to face them down with seven jewel shards at stake. Grand Total Shards Retrieved 2. |
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Inu Yasha 04: The Thunder Brothers
The showdown with the Thunder Brother concludes with thrills and chills and 5 shards of the Shikon Jewel at stake. After defeating the Thunder Brothers, with a little help from Kagome and Shippo, Inu Yasha attempts to stop Kagome from returning to her own time by use of a large rock to block the Well of Souls. But Kagome gives him the Sit command about twelve times and returns. But the adventures with demons and danger follow Kagome into the modern world in the shape of a Noh Mask that was carved from a tree that contained a shard of the Shikon embedded in it. This is my favorite episode of the disc purely from the fact of how far that mask had gone, the jewel hits the tree in feudal Japan, then is carved into a cursed Noh mask and then is locked in the Shrine's storehouse only to break free and start possessing people and making them melt. After defeating the Noh mask Kagome and Sato, Kagome's little brother get to tangle with a ghost who doesn't have any jewel shards, she is just one really angry little ghost girl. This introduces another cool character, the Soul Piper who ferries children to heaven or hell. Kagome has to save the little ghost before she is sucked down to hell. Excellent disc and for the first time doesn't leave you on a cliff hanger episode. Total Jewel Shards Retrieved 8. |
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Inu Yasha 05: Secret of the New Moon
Inu Yasha, Kagome, and Shippo are traveling down stream on the hunt for jewel shards when the run into a girl being chased by creatures with the head of a spider and the body of a human. But Inu Yasha isn't interested in fighting, this is very unusual for him until we learn Inu Yasha's weakness. On the first night of the new moon Inu Yasha loses all his powers and for one night is mortal which is really bad because now they're trapped in a shrine full of the Spider Creatures. After escaping that trap they learn that someone has stolen Kikyo's Ashes with the desire to resurrect her to use her to destroy all who carry shards of the Shikon Jewel. Here we learn the tragic history between Inu Yasha and Kikyo. Kikyo attempts to steal Kagome's soul, her soul to kill Inu Yasha but Kagome manages to save her soul but Kikyo continues to live, driven on by her hate of Inu Yasha. This is a great disc, not as much action as in previous discs but you get to learn a great deal about Inu Yasha and it really makes his character grow, his love and betrayal of Kikyo, and why it sucks to be only a half demon, especially when trapped in a spider infested shrine. Total Jewel Shards Retrieved 8, none retrieved in his disc but they are formed together for easier transport after being removed from the chief spider demon in the shrine. |
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Inu Yasha 06: Deadly Liasons
Enter the amorous monk Miroku and the villain of all villains Naraku. Miroku is a monk who uses his robes and shiny staff to milk rich men of their fortunes and their cute daughters by seeing dark clouds hanging over them and offering to exorcise their homes. Miroku lays eyes on a bathing Kagome and of course immediately falls in love with her and then sees she has jewel shards, something he is after too. So he tries to kidnap Kagome but Inu Yasha stops him. It is then Miroku reveals his hand and a wind tunnel that comes from it. Inu Yasha, Shippo, and Kagome managed to defeat Miroku and they all sit down where Miroku explains why his hand is a mini tornado machine. His grandfather, also a leacherous monk, was cursed by Naraku, a shape shifting demon with the vortex in his hand which over time will slowly consume his entire body. Naraku also changed himself into Inu Yasha to attack Kikyo in the first attempt to steal the Shikon Jewel and it wasn't Inu Yasha who killed her. Gee could we make this guy any more evil, maybe they could also add he likes to jaywalk, rip the labels of matresses, and push old women on the street. Miroku decides to join the group so they can find more jewel shards and confront Maraku for his many sins. While traveling they encounter someone who can make drawings come to life with the help of a jewel shard. This is my favorite episode because I love the concept of the artist who is so desperate to become a great artist he is willing to do evil and in the end sacrifice his life for his art. I love who Inu Yasha and Miroku constantly try to one up each other while fighting the artist's demons. Then Sesshomaru returns, minus one arm which really pisses him off. Enter a man clad in a white baboon pelt who offers a human's arm that contains a jewel shard and a bee hive. The human's arm allows Sesshomaru to steal Tetseiga from Inu Yasha and the magical bee hive to counter Miroku's wind tunnel. Of course the man in the bear pelt is none other than Naraku making his first appearence as enigmatically as possible. Now Sesshomaru has Tetseiga but Kagome finally manages to hit something with her bow which steals the power from Tetseiga making the battle a little more even. Another great cliffhanger ending for a disc now we just need to introduce one more main character that is seen in the opening and we have all the principle heroes. Total Jewel Shards Retrieved 11. |
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Inu Yasha 07: Secrets of the Past
The second showdown with Sesshomaru concludes and Inu Yasha takes a savage beating trying to protect Kagome, Shippo, and a poisoned Miroku. After ripping off the human arm that Naraku gave him, Inu Yasha retrieves the Tetseiga and Sesshomaru decides to retreat. After the battle, a badly wounded Inu Yasha forcibly sends Kagome back to her own time out of fear that she will be killed by Naraku like Kikyo was. While he tries to recover they are confronted by one of the craziest villains yet. Royakan, the guardian of the forest who was corrupted by two jewel shards into a giant beast that pukes out armies of three eyed wolves. Yes he vomits dozens of nasty three eyes wolves, that is the craziest weapon any villain ever weilded. Kagome returns to the feudal era and with her return Inu Yasha gains the strength to defeat Royakan the Dog Puker. With her help Inu Yasha is able to corner Naraku. He was once the thief Onigumo once cared for Kikyo who allowed a host of demons to enter his body and he set Inu Yasha and Kikyo against each other to infuse the Shikon Jewel with hatred and malice to make it stronger. Naraku escapes Inu Yasha's wrath leaving a giant hole of destruction in his wake. This is a good disc that develops the relationship between Kagome and Inu Yasha, this is good because in Rumiko Takahashi's other series Ranma 1/2 Ranma and Akane never gets going, both Inu Yasha and Kagome love each other albeit they drive each other crazy. But this disc belongs to Royakan, he is the craziest monster I've ever seen. When I first saw him I was okay big monster, pretty standard, then he starts to spray dogs from his mouth now that is a villain. Total Jewel Shards Retrieved 13. |
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Inu Yasha 08: Kikyo's Wandering Soul
This disc finally introduces the last of the main characters seen in the opening, Sango the Demon Slayer albeit it takes 24 episodes to finally do it but we've introduced them all. But first the group stops off at a fine manor where trouble lies. The lord's daughter has died and now an evil spirit are after her soul. The group stand guard over the girl when the demons come to take the soul. They chase after it and find that the demons are controlled by Kikyo who must steal maiden souls in order to stay in the mortal realm while she tries to get her revenge on Inu Yasha. Kagome, Inu Yasha, and Kikyo encounter each other, and the love triangle becomes less a triangle more of a Y where Inu Yasha takes Kagome over Kikyo, who wants to drag him into hell, which might complicate the relationship a bit. Then in the last episode of the disc we are introduced to Sango and her village of demon slayers of which is the best and definitely the cutest with her two tailed kitty, who turns into a ten foot tall flying killing machine. Well she, her father, two other demon slayers and her little brother Kohaku travel to a lord's manor to fight a giant demon spider but the spider is a trap and everybody is killed by Kohaku, except for Sango who barely survives being stabbed by her brother and shot with a dozen arrows by the real demon spider. It is all a trap by Naraku, this guy has his fingers is all sorts of pies. He tells the young lord who is caring for the wounded Sango that her village was destroyed by the half demon Inu Yasha in the hopes she kills them for him. Sango sets off for vengence her people. I love Sango, she is probably my character in the show, mainly because she tots around the worlds largest boomarang. She is a combination of both Kagome and Inu Yasha, she is cute like Kagome but isn't totally helpless she kicks ass like Inu Yasha. I also love her kitty, at one moment it is cute and cuddly, the next moment it is eating demons. That is the kind of pet any self respecting demon slayer should have. No new jewel shards retrieved in this disc, Total Jewel Shards Retrieved 13. |
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Inu Yasha 09: Origin of the Sacred Jewel
Sango goes out to seek revenge against Inu Yasha who she has been decieved into believing destroyed her village. She travels with the lord's faithful servant Naraku who secretly puts a shard of the Shikon Jewel on her back allowing her to fight Inu Yasha even though she is still badly injured Kohaku. She runs into Inu Yasha and the others who are burying the dead of the Demon Slayer Village and Sango and Inu Yasha fight. It isn't until after the pair have fought hard that Naraku reveals himself and then steals Kagome's chunk of the Shikon Jewel. He then changse into a giant tree tenacle demon which Sango and Inu Yasha have to team up to defeat and get two jewel shard for their trouble. But they learn it isn't Naraku, it is just a puppet of his, the real Naraku is now in the body of the lord that sent Sango off to try and kill Inu Yasha. After defeating the Naraku Puppet Sango decides to join the group and takes them into the cave which the Shikon Jewel was born. The second episode of the disc gives you all the background on the jewel, it is the soul of a powerful warrior priestess who tore her soul (The Shikon Jewel) from her body to defeat a giant demon that had formed from several other demons, think of it like Devastator from Transformers. After they learn the history of the Shikon Jewel, Myoga the Flea takes the jewel to the priestess who is petrefied in the jaws of the demon she defeated and the spirit of the demon comes back to life, not exactly the best of ideas. But it allows Inu Yasha to kick some ass, which I am quiet sure is in his contract, he must kick some sort of ass, whether demon, human or other each episode. Now with Sango traveling with the pair they encountered a flooded village where the local water god is demanding child sacrifices. This is something I find very interesting in the series, how often children are put in danger or it is mention they are being killed. There is nothing like it from American Cartoons, they never even mention kids getting hurt let alone eaten by demons. The group is hired by the son of the local village chief. His best friend is being sacrificed instead of him and he wants them to help. Of course they help, Inu Yasha has to kick some ass remember. In this fight we get to see Sango and Inu Yasha team up to bring down the big snake demon and Miroku starts to hit on Sango like the leachorous monk that he is. Like I said in the previous review of the previous disc Sango is my favorite of the group and she is really cool in this episode but the star of this episode is really Kirara, who is just the cutest two tailed kitty you've ever seen and then it turns into a giant flying cat of death, now that is a practical pet, it is cute, eats burglars, and when not eating burglars it really is safe efficient shrinking down to a little kitty. Total Jewel Shards Retrieved 15. |
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Irresponsible Captain Tylor 01
What happens when the laziest man in the entire galaxy joins the military? He get command of his own ship filled with such a collection of lunatics that they can't fail. My favorite character has to be Lieutenant Yamamoto, you just feel sorry for this poor guy, also the Marine Jason, who wears a hockey mask and carries a massive chain saw (hmmmm). Tylor is the most lucky idiot in the galaxy, he always manages to win the day no matter how stacked the odds are against him. This is one of those truly funny series and worth every penny you pay for the four discs. |
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Irresponsible Captain Tylor 02
The dumb luck continues for Captain Tylor. This one has a couple of my favorite episodes; Life is Short, So Girls Should Kill, and The Day the Soyokaze Vanished. The First involves a contest on board the Soyokaze involving all the women on the ship to see who will be Miss Soyokaze, and the second is their Halloween Episode that gives a little back story about the Soyokaze. Plus the ship get demoted for managing to stay alive despite the best efforts of both sides (when your own people are trying to kill you, it is a rather bad sign). I also really like how Tylor knows Harumi is a Raalgon Spy but is really fine with it. You have to love the Marines, talk about a bunch of border line criminals, they love their fighting but don't get to do enough of it. |
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Irresponsible Captain Tylor 03
Killer Germs! Kidnapping of Tylor! A Suicide Mission to Rescue Him! SEX SEX SEX (or at least every woman on the ship trying to get Tylor in bed)! and A BETA PORNO!! It so far in the future, but yet they still have Beta Players, makes one wonder. But it is nice to see Lieutenant Yamamoto getting into the spirit of command Tylor Style. I would like to have the crew of the Soyokaze on my side, not only do they break out of quarantine, and hijack their own ship (is that possible?), and then go and attack a ship about 300 times their size and escape with Tylor and the Emperess with out so much as a scratch. Then the Doc, who has been drinking for twenty years (he being 28) manages to save Tylor's life. But the best episode is when Tylor is in his quarters trying to watch the Beta Porno that the Marines gave him, but every woman on the ship keeps appearing wanting to have sex with him, to make matters worse he is erasing the tape. |
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Irresponsible Captain Tylor 04
How would a series like this end? If you don't want to know then look away. With some emotion but mainly lots of wackiness, the rebirth of Tylor as an uber intelligence that consumes the world (oops wrong anime). |
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Jubei-Chan 01: A Legend Reborn
500 years ago Jubei Yagyu, the greatest swordsman to ever live, died while battling his arch enemy, but before he died he entrusted a powerful item to his retainer, Koinosuke. It takes 500 years for Koinosuke, he is apparently immortal as long as he stays moisturized, if not he turns into a withered mummy, he finds Jiyu Nanohana, a school girl who has just transfered to a rural high school from Tokyo, her nickname is Jubei too. She is Jubei Yagyu's reincarnation and his power is unlocked, through a heart shaped eye patch called 'The Lovely Eye Patch'. Now she has to run the gauntlet of foes, all from the rival sword fighting school which still managed to survive after being defeated. The only real problem, she wants nothing to do with any of it. The first disc has some very funny moments, I do like how our heroine Jiyu keeps losing or throwing the eye patch away much to Koinosuke's horror. I think my favorite character has to be Koinosuke because he can dry out and turn into the old grey mummy, Jubei-Chan looks cool but is a warrior of few words and those are a dime a dozen, 500 year old retainers who stay youthful by staying wet is something new. I also like how she has a throng on admirers, including Shiro, whose twin brother, evil twin mind you, is the leader of the rival sword fighting school. The first couple of episodes I was convinced he was the same person but had a split personality, but once he starts talking about his brother I realized it was good twin evil twin, I would have perferred split personality. A good goofy series about sword fighting and eye patches but no pirates. |
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Jubei-Chan 02: Basic Ninja Training
Jubei-Chan quickly became very one note to me, sometimes I am able to overlook this but I seem to have less patience for comedy series after watching 6 seasons of Ranma where one note seems to be the rule. The last two episode helped it a bit but it needs to do more in the next two discs for me to like the series. The first episode was standard Jubei-Chan somebody comes and tries to steal the Lovely Eye Patch, but Jubei defeats them. The next two are building up to a confrontation between Jubei and her love interest and Jubei learning how to defeat multiple ninjas with her eyes closed. But at the end the love interest accidentally cuts the eye patch off and Jubei falls into a catatonic state. The disc ends on this cliffhanger, the bad guys have the eye patch, although we have established that nobody else can wear the eye patch other than Jubei, and Jubei is a vegetable. I did like the whole urinal on the head gag they had for one episode, that really was out of left field but it was like much of the series, a one time joke. What they do in the next disc will determine whether or not I will like this series. |
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Jubei-Chan 03: Heart of Steel
The series actually comes to a rather resonable conclusion in this disc, only problem there is one disc left to go. Jubei survives the fever she has from losing the eye patch in a rather bizarre way, her fathers soaks himself in water and lays on her while naked. That is just strange but it loses most of its humor because it is inner cut with these deadly serious scenes about when Jubei lost her mother. I don't like when comedy series get really serious especially in the middle of a funny scene. Once she wakes up she has a showdown with Haijime and tells him the secret of the Lovely Eye Patch but after defeating him and his ninja army Shiro is possessed by his evil great-great-yah-yah-yah grandfather so we have a new plot line for the last three episodes. I like the romantic subplots with the supporting character, especially with Jubei's father and the busty ninja girl from the previous disc you know she is going to end up as Jubei's new mom, which would make a funny series, mother and daughter ninja team. I like this series but it is hobbled with a few pacing and themetic problems for me to really embrace this series. |
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Jubei-Chan 04: Final Showdown
Jubie has another showdown with about everybody and of course wins. I don't know why but this disc really left me flat. This disc seemed really tacted on, like they had written the entire story and realized it was only 10 episodes and needed three more episodes to fill the season out. I also didn't like the inner cutting of the serious scenes with bizarre comedy or the big final showdown with these deep emotional sequences. I kinda want to like this series but there were too many little things that just made me feel apathetic about most of this disc. |
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Last Exile 01: First Move
In a different time and place, Claus and Lavie are the crew of a Vanship, a small two person aircraft that looks like it was crafted out of corrugated aluminum. They belong to the Union, a group that delivers messages that have a star value attached to them. They are living in a turbulant time when the nations are at war, I am not going to try and spell the countries, they are rather tricky and of course completely different from those in the fan-subs so in order not to be confused I won't try. In any case Claus and Lavie's first assignment is to deliver a message to a noble woman whose husband is is leading his fleet in battle. Of course they have to deliver a message to him in the middle of a spectacular battle where they get their first glimpse of the mythical ship, the Sylvana a ship that kicks ass and takes names. They return but because they were so late they end up dead last in the big race. But this is Claus and Lavie, you think that starting dead last is going to affect them? Of course not they take the led only to run into a little snag, another Vanship crashes into them. This Vanship is carrying a Seven Star message and cargo, cargo named Al. She is a cute girl with doe eyes and a small vocabulary. Claus agrees to take her to the meeting place so she can be picked up by the Sylvana. Lavie has some serious reservations, the Sylvana has a lot of menacing stories around it, those who see the ship are never seen again. But before they can argue anymore a strange robotic ship attacks their home. They escape with their skins, and a stuffed goat that makes braying noises when tipped over which Al becomes very attached to. The goat is cute and adds a really great joke when they are fleeing the robotic ship. They managed to get to the meeting place and are saved from the robot ship by the captain of the Sylvana. This is a great series, it makes everything seem possible, the mechanics of the ships, their big steam engines, their gauges and dials all seem rather possible. I also love the huge airborne battleships slugging it out, it really looks cool. This is a great anime especially if you like things mechanical. |
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Last Exile 02: Positional Play
Claus and Lavie deliver Al safetly to Alex and the Silvana but their rather cold reception they get angers Claus who wants to go and rescue her. They arrive at the Silvana were they meet the mechanics. Now mechanics in real life are less than pleasant people to be around and they are about as pleasant in Last Exile giving Claus a pretty fair beating for it is stopped by Tatiana Wisla, the ace Vanship pilot on the Silvana. She tells him to go see the captain but he passes out before he can talk to him. Claus wakes up in a cabin about the ship where the first officer Sophia brings Alvis to them. Claus plans to run off with Alvis but at the same time the Guild and their starfish ships attack the Silvana. The crew tries to beat back the starfish ships and Claus too climbs into an attack Vanship to help out. Claus maybe a good pilot but he knows almost nothing about aerial combat. We also meet Lord Dio, the fairly afemminite leader of the Guild who takes an interest in Claus for reasons known only to him. With the help of Tatiana her bright red Vanship. After the Guild has been repulsed, or more like they ran out of power to keep up with the Silvana Claus and Lavie decide to join the crew. The Silvana goes to the floating Casino Royale for some repairs at the same time one of the big battleships from the first fight from the series, the Goliath. The crew is throwing their weight around and basically cheating in all the gambling which honks off the mechanics of the Silvana. Lavie meets up with one of the survivors from the first fight who leds the massive bar brawl which leads him to join the Silvana crew. Now all the characters are together so let the adventure begin. |
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Last Exile 03: Discovered Attack
Claus and Lavie participate in an eight-hour endurance vanship race, and are joined by Dio Eraclea who tries to befriend Claus. Tatiana also participates in the race, but she is actually on a secret mission under Alex Row's direction. In the meantime, Alex Row bids for the mysterious "Exile Door" at a black market auction, it quickly turns into an insane E-Bay bid to the heavens where money isn't an option but he is forced to withdraw from the bidding when a gun is put to the back of his head. The Exile Door ends up in the hands of Delphine, queen of the Guild. Claud and Lavie of course win the race and when they return to the Silvana they find they have guests, Dio and his little buddy. It becomes increasingly apparent that Alvis is the key to the Exile. When Dio whispers a piece of this mysterious poem to her, why are we letting him hang around? He is nothing but trouble. The last couple of episodes you get a lot of people, places and things thrown at you which lead to a big ship coming to retrieve Alvis for the Emperor, whoever he is. This leads to a great battle in the Dragon's Teeth. They always have battles in fierce sounding places, the Dragon's Teeth, the Canyon of No Return, Isle 9, why can't they have a battle at Bunny Meadow? Tatiana and Claus go off in Tatiana's big red Vanship to help guide the Silvana through the treacherous area. Who will survive? This is a good series, plenty of intrigue, action, and the occassional spurts of comedy, usually from Al and her goat that makes great noises at funny times. |
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Last Exile 04: Breakthrough
Claus and Tatiana are thrown together to fly a vanship to defend the Silvana from a massive attack orchestrated by Anatoray. They are shot down and forced to fix the seemingly ruined Vanship in order to survive, not be eaten by the giant chickens. Tatiana begins to confide in Claus as they repair the Vanship. Of course when they make it back Lavie takes the wrong way and becomes totally pissed with Claus who beause he is the main character and a male in an anime is totally clueless. Sophia, who is revealed to be of royal lineage, leaves the Silvana and inherits a leading role in the Anatoray army. Just in time for Dilith to attack the capital. She becomes Empress because everybody else dies in the attack but she manages to escape aboard the Urbanus. Claus discovers through an old photograph the secret relationship between his vanship, his and Lavie's deceased fathers, Captain Alex Row and the Grand Stream all of which lead us closer to the meaning of the Last Exile and more conflict between Claus and Lavie. The entire disc is a lot of stuff that really, really is important for later episodes but for now is easily overwhelming and confusing. I have watched this series three times now and every time I see something new. The only problem I have is the love triangle thing and Claus having absolutely no clue he is part of it. Why does every other anime have to have one? Is it required by law or what? |
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Last Exile 05: Grand Stream
Claus and Lavie's fathers died attempting to cross the Grand Stream to deliver a message from Anatoray to Disith. Empress Sophia obtains a copy of the original message and discovers it suggested the two empires join forces to defeat the Guild and obtain peace in the skies! However, to defeat the Guild, one must take possession of the Exile, so Empress Sophia plans to command the Silvana to cross the turbulent Grand Stream to locate the Exile. Can they accomplish this dangerous feat within the critical six days? Good disc that sets the last two discs up, everything is falling neatly into place and we are setting up some real great battle sequences. My only complaint is that Lavie really has become a minor character. She started off as the second lead for the first three discs of so but once they get settled on the Silvana she really falls deep into the background along with the other mechanics. I really liked their going into the Grand Stream and using the torepedoes to try and find the Exile. At times I didn't like the Guild because they were just too unbeatable, they always seem to do whatever they want and nobody except Alex and a few others ever seen able to do anything to stop them. Being too unbeatable makes it hard to believe they can be beaten in the climatic showdown. But these are minor quibbles this is an excellent series that really needs multiple viewings to understand everything that is going on and Emperess Sophia looks very nice in her dress you can't complain with that. |
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Last Exile 06: Queen Delphine
Claus and Dio return to the Silvana from their vanship expedition to search for the Exile, only to find that the Silvana has been hijacked by the Guild! Delphine takes Alvis, Claus and Alex Row hostage and transports them to the Guild ship where she attempts to lure Alex into revealing all the mysterions that will open the Exile gateway. This disc has a few minor problems, chief among them is the attacking of the Claudia Devices on the big ships. They never really explain what is going on until you actually see the soldiers attacking the cores and even then it took me a couple of viewings to totally understand what actually is happening. Then there is Queen Delphine, sometimes villains can become far too villainy to the point where you don't really believe they are possible. She is one of them, she is such a villain she goes before being believable, but then again this is Last Exile so you have to hang up more than a few beliefs to make the series work. This is a good setup up disc for the last three episodes for all the plotlines to converge and battle to be had. There is a lot of Lord Dio in this disc and while it is good it does become a little much after a point. Claus is strangely passive through most of it. Now I am going to explain the Exile because it is another of those things that really is only hinted at for most of the episodes. It is a giant essentially living ship that was brought here by the creatures that created this world, it is a massive colony ship that sails through the fiercious winds of the Grand Stream and it is that which everyone is fighting over. Big climatic battle to come where lives will be changed and lost, stay tuned. |
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Last Exile 07: Sealed Move
Last Exile comes to an end with a daring do or die fight between the allied forces led by Emperess Sophia and Maestro Delphine and the Guild. All secrets are revealed all though not clearly explained. This is one of those really great series that you must watch at least twice in order to understand everything that is going on, especially some of the episodes in the middle of the series that are totally baffling the first time you watch it. This is a great series with wonderful visuals but the story can be a little tough to follow at times, they really needed one extra episode that just sat down and explained everything to you, it could be nothing but Al and a blackboard for the entire episode where she explains everything that you see that they don't totally explain. But that is part of the joy of the series in a time where American audiences have to be spoon feed a plot in tiny and easy to ingest bites or they don't understand what is going on and then fall back on the old I don't get it therefore I hate it stance. Truly great series and worth the two required viewings. |
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Love Hina
Anime has more than a few stories like this, Guy surrounded by women can't get into college and can't get lucky with the ladies. Maison Ikkoku is by far the best story in this sub-genre. Love Hina is pretty respectable, especially for making the main chick look hot and busty. The Story is a little cut and dry with some crazy adventures worked in but not all in all too bad. What I like are the collection of lunatics that live in the Girl's Dorm/house/mineral springs/lunatic asylum. The samurai girl is probably the best because she is so dangerous I'd worry about going to sleep when she is in the same zip code. Not bad, but not great. |
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Lupin III First TV Series Import Box Set
The first Lupin TV series, refered to in Lupin circles as Green Jacket, or sometimes by me as Brain Cancer Lupin for the seriousness of some of the episodes. The first two episodes were done by one set of guys but the producers fired them and brought in Isao Takahata and Hayou Miyazaki. They slowly worked in more comical elements to the show that appear after the first couple of episodes. Most of the episodes come from the Monkey Punch manga series usually with a little tweaking to make them a little more in tune with the show, namely most include Fujiko in a more substantial role, and that is always a good thing. Some of my favorite Lupin episodes can be found in this first series, namely The Man They Call A Magician, that involves a man called Pikal who is a criminal magician that has his sights set on Fujiko and Lupin tries to protect her, Killer Sings the Blues, again Fujiko is in trouble and Lupin has to save her, and When The Seven Bridge Falls which is a very complicated and clever bank robbery scheme that Lupin is drawn into. All the characters are great in this series, Lupin is always Lupin, the same goes for Jigen and Fujiko. Goemon, who doesn't appear until the 5th episode is a little more enigmantic in this series but the most character development goes to Inspector Zenigata who through the course of the series slowly goes insane after failing to catch Lupin in every single encounter. This series is not out in this country so if want to see if you will probably have to 'import' a copy from overseas like I did, and it was worth every penny I spent on it. Hopefully the series will come out in this country and get the world class dub that I have come to expect from the Lupin series. One of my favorites and after watching it it will be yours too. |
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Lupin III TV 01: World's Most Wanted
The dashing, daring international thief Lupin returns for his second TV series. Of course all the great sidekicks have returned as well, Jigen, Goemon, and Fujiko, ahhhh Fujiko, with Inspector Zenigata hot on their heels. The series is very episodic, no villians ever return, every plot line is completely resolved by the end of the episode. But each episode is very well made with careful attention to detail, each international location actually feels like the actual country. This disc takes us to Argentina, Switzerland, France, Italy, Scotland, Israel, and Egypt. Another strength is how each episode is so well written. One episode involves the Loch Ness Monster, and they actually mention one of the most famous 'Nessie' Hunters, Timothy Dinsdale, another involves the Curse of King Tut and goes through the actual evidence for there being a curse. Aside from all the minor details of the series, it is just simple enjoyable fun. The major characters are fabulous, Lupin is such a skirt chaser, Jigen is Jigen, Goemon and his Ninja g-string, and of course Fujiko, nothing bad can be said against Fujiko, and of course Inspector Zenigata, always chasing Lupin and always getting so close but never being able to get his man. This series also, in my vaunted opinion, has the best dub of any anime series. Pioneer really put a lot of time and care into making his dub so amazing. When they are in Britian, the locals speak with actual British Accents, in Italy, they speak Italian, and so on and so forth. The only problem is that episode 3 is missing. Episode 3 had the unfortunate title, Hitler's Legacy, and the politically correct country that we live in, the word Hitler in anything trips the PC sensors and must be censored. I have seen the episode, it is totally harmless, there are no great pictures of the small moustached Bohemian Corperal, it is more about Lupin and company sneaking an old guy out of East Germany, but it is going to be on disc 6 that comes out in Januaryy of 2004. There are also a couple of tiny problems that some people might not understand, namely Zenigata's trouble with getting a flight from Tel Aviv to Cairo. When the series was originally made in the mid-70s Israel had just kicked the living shit out of all of its Arab neighbors and they were rather worried that if their jets landed in any of these countries they might not get them back so there were never any flights from Tel Aviv to Cairo. Other than a few picky little problems, this is a fabulous series. Buy these discs for Fujiko if for nothing else, ahhhhhhhh Fujiko. |
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Lupin III TV 2: Love Heist
Another great series of Lupin episodes, filled with crimes, cops, Fujiko, car chases, Fujiko, beautiful locals, Fujiko, and great jokes, plus one more thing I almost forgot Fujiko. In this disc takes place once again around the world, first to Venice where Lupin and company try to steal a huge amount of jewels from a Mafia Boss while he is traveling on the Venice Paris Express, then to New York to steal a Japanese painting (why not Japan?), then to Paris where in order to save Fuji-cakes Lupin must break into Scotland Yard, then to Monaco where Lupin is taking part in the Monoca Grand Prix, finally to southern France to steal the most valuable bottle of booze just in time for Christmas. By far my favorite episode of the entire disc is ZenigataCon, which was originally titled Steal File M-123 where Lupin and Fujiko go to a party hosted by a tall blonde guy with a voice hauntingly like Christopher Walken who takes Fujiko hostage and straps a bomb to Lupin in order to force him to steal File M-123 from Scotland Yard. So how does Lupin go about it? By getting Jigen and Geomon to dress up like Inspector Zenigata with him so they can play the old Who Is The Real Zenigata Shellgame. It is such a great scene to see all four Zenigata's arguing in the same room. Also I love this episode because Fujiko looks smashing in her evening gown. Once again the dub is above and beyond the normal dub, they actually have accents of foreigners. Also the locals are really individual, whether your speeding through Monaco, or flying over the French Countryside you don't think it is just another generic landscape, each has character and style. Another great Lupin Disc that just screams to be watched. |
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Lupin III TV 3: Family Jewels
This is my favorite volume of the five that I have watched up to this point. The best episode of this great disc takes us to Jamaica where Fujiko is going to marry this wacky multi-billionaire who offers her a ruby the size of a baseball as a wedding present. But before they can get hitched he is killed by a mysterious swarm of killer birds on the night of a full moon. Then Fujiko gets a hold of the ruby and on the very next full moon she is attacked by the same mysterious swarm of birds. Luckily Lupin, and Goemon are able to save her life. They learn the ruby was stolen from a mysterious drug using cult on Haiti. So the intrepid threesome go off to Haiti to save Fujiko's life and return the jewel. In the process they have to tango with a group of Voodoo Zombies. I love when people have to fight zombies, it is just so much fun. Now I have two comments about this episode, one while on their way to return the jewel to the idol they go down this long hallway inside a mountain where they are chased by a rolling boulder, Lupin almost falls into a pit of spikes where some unlucky treasure hunter had already fallen victim to, does this sound familiar to you? Well it should if you have seen Raiders of the Lost Ark remember Indy's little adventure to steal the gold idol in the beginning? There are an awful lot of pararells. Now some would say that Lupin just stole it from Raiders except for the fact that this particular episode was aired in 1978 and Raiders of the Lost Ark was made until 1981. Comment two, I am impressed I thought they would also hold this episode due to the fact that involves Haitians and Voodoo, with all the trouble they caused over Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for protraying Haitians as voodoo worshipping thugs. Oh well I guess Lupin doesn't give them the kind of press they wanted so they must have left it alone. The next episode takes us to the rolling streets of San Fransisco where thugs have inserted the plans to make perfect diamonds into the back tooth of Inspector Zenigata at the same time Zenigata is starting to go crazy seeing Lupin everywhere. So now the table are turned and Lupin is chasing Zenigata everywhere. The next episode takes us to the air where an Austrian Count has gathered the world's greatest detectives together to trap Lupin onboard his dirigible (big blimp). The next takes us to Paris where Lupin apparently has become a mass murderer, killing during this daring heists, or is he being setup by someone else? The final episode takes us to the middle east where an oil rich country is at the mercy of a madman that uses explosive pills inside people as explosives to destroy the country's oil fields. He demands a 100 million or the oil fields get fried. That kind of money Lupin just can't pass up. The last episode is great because Fujiko inflitrates the enemy camp as an exotic belly dancer, who can't love that? These are all really amazing episodes all of them are without flaw. |
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Lupin III TV 4: Thieves' Paradise
This disc has some great episodes continuing a strong showing of great discs. In the first one Lupin tries to steal the Black Panther Emerald from a Paris Museum. The emerald is guarded by an Inspector Closeau look alike who is bigger bumbler than Zenigata. Of course this being Lupin the chase ends up in a Nudist Colony. In the second Lupin goes up against the best safe maker in the world's son. Then we are whisked off eastern Europe somewhere where a little moustached man with a giant army and dreams of world conquest is pissed at Lupin for stealing his Toupee. Really we can have Hitler look alikes and that is fine but if we have an episode that makes a reference to Hitler is is forbidden? Really sometimes I am convinced that people are just stupid and dumb lucks carries them through life. The next is an all Geomon episode, lots of sword fighting but no Fujiko. The final is my favorite, Lupin goes to Paradise full of busty hot babes that have a deadly secret that Lupin wants to steal. It is always great to get Lupin surrounded by busty women, talk about a kid in a candy store. Plus the episode isn't all about Lupin, Jigen and Geomon really get to show how bad ass they are when the busty hot babes go postal and try to kill them. Another fantastic disc, furthering my undying love of the entire Lupin franchise. |
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Lupin III TV 5: Mission Irresistible
Beware this disc contains the most forbidden and evil episode of the any anime series ever, an episode so evil that is has been banned by the Space Pope. The Episode was called in Japan, land where this unholy creation was spawn from the Nuclear Fallout of Atomic Horror, Hitler No Isan, which translates to Hilter's Legacy. An episode so full of pro-Nazi propaganda that Pioneer refused to release it until it had complete their underhanded scheme to release this blatent Nazi propaganda on the flower of Pure American Youth by changing the name of their Anime distributor to Geneon. Of course this is pure and total bullshit but hey don't stop people and their dillusions. The episode involves Lupin and company trying to smuggle an aged Nazi across the Berlin Wall so they can get the location of Hitler's secret stash of Treasure he did as World War 2 came to a close. To do this, Lupin has to pretend to be Hilter to con the old man into giving up the secret location to the goods, which when they find it is so funny, this was the stash Hitler had to keep even after death. Why this wasn't released with the other is beyond me, but then again people are incredibly stupid and if it came out on the first disc people would probably have gone nuts and then no more Lupin would ever come out afterwards. The other episodes on the disc are also solid, Lupin meets Fujiko's crazy Aunt Bujiko, who wants him to find Rommel's Gold in the Egyptian Desert, it is a good episode because we get to see Fujiko in a skimpy nightie. Fujiko get captured in another episode and Lupin and company have to bust her out of the escape-proof prison, only problem is that the warden has these land sharks, metal killing machines that travel under the ground. It is another great episode because Fujiko is basically in a Chained Heat situation and the killer metal sharks are really funny. Another episode doesn't involve Fujiko at all, but it involves Goemon and his ancestors that pit him against Lupin and Jigen to steal the all time Thieves Prize from a Japanese Police Station that had pitted Geomon's ancestors and Arsene Lupin against one another years ago. And because we are into a theme of pitting friends against one another we get Lupin and Jigen on opposite sides of a beutiful woman and her treasure, with Lupin trying to steal it and Jigen trying to keep the beautiful woman safe. But my favorite episode is the Little Princess of Darkness, Lupin and company set out to steal a rare stamp that according to legend will make its owner a real princess, well Lupin steals it but there is a catch, an 11 year old catch. The entire episode this little girl tags along with Lupin and company as they try to escape the clutches the Zenigata who thinks Lupin and company have kidnapped the girl. The girl always seems one step ahead of the world's greatest theft, and the finally where Lupin and her go into the trippiest amusement park ever was quiet a laugh. Another great disc and another great dub, you must watch these episodes to help Geneon/Pioneer corrupt the flower of American Youth with it evil pro-Nazi Propaganda. |
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Lupin TV 06: Lupin the Target
This is the disc of the unusual team-up. First we have Revenge of La Nerd or Lady Detective Melon where Lupin goes up against a French Female Detective whose father was ruined by Lupin and she is hungry for revenge. The character's name is a rather big pun, excuse the pun, in Japanese her name is Onna Deka Melon, for Lady Detective Melon. But if you changed Deka, to Dekai and assume the male prespective of Melon, then you are left with Woman with Big Tits, just a little taste of the breast related humor of Monkey Punch. Next up we have the first weird team up of this disc, Zenigata teams up with some shady organized crimes figures who use Fujiko and her new boyfriend, X-19, to steal Lupin's secret of levitation. It is a good episodes and if you dig Fujiko in bondage there are some great scenes. Next up we have one of the best and most used team-ups in Morocco Horror Picture Show, where after watching Fujiko belly dance in Casablanca Lupin and Zenigata both get kidnapped by the Moroccan Version of Castro to serve in his people's army, after a failed escape attempt they are chained together at the neck and are forced to work together to stay alive. Next in Twins Pique we get killer Swedish Twins, now that is a combination if ever I saw them. Each of them has half a map to lost Viking Treasure tattoed on their back hence Twin's pique, Lupin sucks them both to get the location but because he used treachery he gets suckered by Fujiko, my dirty imagination painted numerous pictures of what Fujiko and those Swedish Twins were upto but then again I am one sick puppy. Finally we have the final bizarre team-up, Fujiko and Zenigata teaming up to save Lupin from the Puma, a deadly South American Hitman whose face has never been seen. Lupin ends up dead and with the best headstone ever, 'Here Lies Poor Lupin, He Died Fujiko-Less, But At Least When She Comes To Visit At Least He Can Look Up Her Skirt'. But of course Lupin isn't dead, nobody can kill Lupin, they've been trying for decades. My favorite episode I think has to be the last Lupin the Interred, partly because of the hilarious headstone, and partially because I like when Fujiko is concerned for Lupin instead of always trying to play him. I also like Puma, that guy is really a bad-ass he even kills his employers. It is a new season on Lupin and we get a funky disco-meets-James Bond opening with a new theme song and unlike Ranma they have a new comercial break as well but the same Fujiko Themed Ending. |
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Lupin TV 07: Royal Scramble
This disc is Lupin versus legends. First up we have Lupin, Jigen, Goemon, and Fujiko all working for different sides compeating over who can claim a legendary crown worth a fortune. While they are all working for differing parties they are all working together in a complex scheme that only Lupin could cook up. Next up is my favorite episode of the disc and also one of my favorite stories from the manga, Lupin goes to steal a solid gold Mother of Christ Statue from a flawless beauty who apparently has been perfectly preserved for two thousand years. Guess what she is, a vampire and she has Lupin in her sights. She takes a big bite out of Lupin and turns him into a vampire. Under her control he kidnaps Fujiko so she can serve as the yummy sacrifice for the other vampires who are resting in the bowels of her castle. But the other vampires know something is afoot when Lupin and Fujiko are the only ones to cast a shadow. Can Jigen and Goemon save them both before they become vampire snacks? This episode also features something else I really love about the show that is how Jigen and Goemon are really supertisious and won't follow Lupin when he's greed goes into the world of the supernatural. After surviving the havoc of vampires they travel to Africa where some giant apes are stealing a pile of jewelry. Fujiko is behind this heist, and the apes are guys in gorilla suits. They capture Fujiko but at the same time Zenigata surrounds the place. They escape but loose the jewels and Lupin gives a great romantic line. He said he would give up all the jewels for Fujiko. It is that sort of noble sentiment that really draws me to Lupin, I identify with his endless pining for Fujiko, she really is a wonderful example of a unicorn. You can spend all your life chasing it but never be able to get your hands completely around it but if someone asks them if it was worth it, you would say without a doubt yes. After that scrape Lupin and Jigen are hired by Goemon to help him find the search treasure of Tsukikage Castle. Only problem is the Fuma Ninja Clan is after the same treasure. The Fuma Ninjas are the archenemy of Goemon and his clan and unlike 99.90 percent of other Lupin Villains will actually make a return visit in the Fuma Conspiracy, an OVA Special from the late 80s. The other two villains that reappear are Scorpion, who appears in both first episodes of the 1st and 2nd Lupin TV Series, and Pycal who is from the 2nd Episode of the first series and an OVA in 2001. Lupin solves the riddle and saves the blinded Jigen's life. The final episode of this disc has Lupin and Jigen going to Mongolia to find the treasure of Genghis Khan and Fujiko goes in search of the treasure of a famous Japanese warlord that happens to be in the same location as Goemon's ancestors. We get to see Fujiko in a wet suit so we all get some treasure out of it. Lupin and Jigen find out the Khan and the Japanese guy are on in the same so they are all searching for the same treasure which a fat bullet headed buddist monk has made off with. In the end they find a tunnel that goes on and on until they come into a room full of gold bars. Everybody loads up and goes out through a door only to discover it was a bank. Great disc, I enjoyed all the episodes greatly. |
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Lupin TV 08: Sweet Betrayals
Has Fujiko finally betrayed Lupin for good? Zenigata was taken off Lupin's case by the chief of Interpol with Fujiko. In exchange for her capture of Lupin, her criminal record shall be expunged. Zenigata tags along not believing that Fujiko can capture Lupin. The chase begins as Lupin sails down the Seine in Paris. After a boat chase and a fiery crash Fujiko manages to capture Lupin. While being led to an escape proof prison deep underneath the earth, the Chief of Interpol betrays Fujiko and throws them both in prison. But that was precisely what they planned to happen all along. The previous guest was a amateur jewel thief who managed to steal a large jewel and was captured. There was only one place he could hide the jewel, down the hatch. He later deposited the jewel in the prison cell now that holds Lupin and Fujiko. They retrieve the jewel and easily escape humiliating the chief of Interpol and putting Zenigata back on the case. I love this episode it totally sets the audience up with the usual Fujiko betray Lupin setup and the first half of the episode plays out in the usual fashion but then they completely turn the tables on all of us which I enjoyed thoroughly. We next travel to Hong Kong where Lupin and Jigen are disguised as customs inspectors searching a ship for a cache of diamons being smuggled by Hong Kong's premerie smuggler Kou Chin Ko but only find chickens. Kou is hosting a large kung-fu tournament in Dragonbaum Garden, his private island that is surrounded by man eating crocodiles. Goemon enters the competition, and Fujiko is romancing the fat, egg loving Kou. While Goemon fights Lupin and Jigen learn the secret of how Kou smuggles his diamonds out of the country, in chicken eggs. Lupin steals the eggs while Jige and Goemon face off against Kou's fire breathing bodyguard. But Fujiko pulls the old switcharoo and she get the eggs and Lupin just gets egg on his face. The next adventure Lupin and company all have to work together to hijack a missile being launched from Puerto Rico and landing in Costa Rica. But in order to be able to hijack the missile they need to learn when the missile is going to be fired. So Lupin and Fujiko inflitrate the launch site, Lupin first disguising himself as the chief's pet tiger and then as the chief himself, who in the English Dub sounds a lot like SNL's version of Sean Connery. This is a great episode because after being caught Zenigata rips Fujiko's shirt off to look for any listening devices Lupin planted on her. We get a great momentary view of Fujiko's naked breasts which is always a good thing. Then Lupin, Jigen, and Goemon are all setup by an attractive woman who needs each of them to procure an rare item, Lupin has to get the tears of the Yeti, Jigen has to get the scale of a mermiad, and Goemon has to get the liver of a dragon. Fujiko feels left out and decides to spy on this mystery woman. The woman is making a potion which Fujiko is convinced is for eternal youth so after the boys steal the ingrediants, Fujiko steals the potion. Only after that does Lupin, Jigen, and Goemon learn it is to awaken her sleeping prince. Lupin managed to get the potion back but not before Fujiko drinks some. Think of it as mega jolt, it wakes the prince up but Fujiko is wired. The end of the episode is totally hilarious as Fujiko is playing rock, paper, scissors with Zenigata outside the hotel because she can't sleep. Then comes the weirdest of the episodes on this disc, in order to steal the huge collection of art from a shipping tycoon who was once a blood thirsty gangster. But after their first attempt fails due to the huge number of guards he has arrayed around his artwork Lupin goes to Plan-B, disguise himself as a woman, and then steal the artwork. Now Lupin is possibly the most unattractive woman I've ever seen, he looked like a Carol Burnett trying to play a man playing a woman. But because it is Lupin and he is the star of the show the old tycoon falls for her and pursues him with vigor so much it ends with Lupin getting married which really drives Fujiko crazy because she thinks he no longer loves her. That is sweet how Fujiko and Lupin really love each other although she constantly tries to steal from him. Another great disc, it has some really funny episodes, my favorite is wired Fujiko at the end of the 4th episode of the disc. I really liked how this disc had two Fujiko/Lupin episodes where the pair have feeling for each other. Lupin is fun, pure and simple. |
