Top Ten Anime and Manga DVD Center

EDITORS CHOICE - Howl's Moving Castle

- In Hayao Miyazaki's latest animated masterpiece, journey beyond imagination and enter a "breathtaking fantasy world" (Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times) filled with adventure, humor and heart. Sophie, a quiet girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. The vain and vengeful Witch of the Waste, jealous of their friendship, puts a spell on Sophie. In a life-changing adventure, Sophie climbs aboard Howl's magnificent flying castle and enters a magical world on a quest to break the spell. Featuring the voice talents of Jean Simmons, Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall, Blythe Danner, and Billy Crystal, Miyazaki's artistry comes to life on DVD with inventive characters, unique storytelling and richly detailed animation. (c) 2004 Nibariki • GNDDDTLike a dream, Howl's Moving Castle carries audiences to vistas beyond their imaginations where they experience excitement, adventure, terror, humor, and romance. With domestic box office receipts of over $210 million, Howl passed Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke to become the #3 film in Japanese history, behind his Spirited Away and James Cameron's Titanic. Based on a juvenile novel by Diana Wynne Jones, Howl's Moving Castle marks the first time Miyazaki has adapted another writer's work since Kiki's Delivery Service (1989). Sophie, a 19-year-old girl who believes she is plain, has resigned herself to a drab life in her family's hat shop--until the Witch of the Waste transforms her into a 90-year-old woman. In her aged guise, Sophie searches for a way to break the Witch's spell and finds unexpected adventures. Like Chihiro, the heroine of Spirited Away, Sophie discovers her hidden potential in a magical environment--the castle of the title. Using CG, Miyazaki creates a ramshackle structure that looks like it might disintegrate at any moment. Sophie's honesty and determination win her some valuable new friends: Markl, Howl's young apprentice; a jaunty scarecrow; Calcifer, a temperamental fire demon; and Heen, a hilarious, wheezing dog. She wins the heart of the dashing, irresponsible wizard Howl, and brings an end an unnecessary and destructive war. The film overflows with eclipsing visuals that range from frightening aerial battles to serene landscapes, and few recent features--animated or live action--offer as much magic as Howl's Moving Castle. --Charles Solomon

The Many Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki

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Top Ten Anime DVDs

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete [Blu-ray] - Continuing the storyline based on the hit Playstation® game Final Fantasy VII, two years have passed since the ruins of Midgar stand as a testament to the sacrifices made in order to bring peace. However, the world will soon face a new menace. A mysterious illness is spreading fast. Old enemies are astir. And Cloud, who walked away from the life of a hero to live in solitude, must step forward yet again . . .The question facing any viewer of the Japanese CG feature Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is: do you have to know the games on which it’s based in order to understand the film? And the answer is: it certainly helps. But even complete novices (i.e., most parents) in the Final Fantasy world will find some entertainment in its wealth of fantasy-based action, and the animation never fails to astonish. Picking up two years after an epic battle between the forces of good (represented by brooding soldier Cloud) and evil (Cloud’s former general, Sephiroth), FFVII opens in the devastated city of Midgard, whose youthful occupants suffer from a ghastly disease known as Geostigma. A trio of brothers arrives with what appears to be a cure for the plague, but their gesture conceals a more sinister purpose: to revive Sephiroth and bring about the end of the world. Cloud and his companions must once again rise to the occasion to stop the siblings and the revived Sephiroth from unleashing total destruction. Complex and self-referential to the point of occasional incomprehension, Final Fantasy VII will definitely be most appreciated by fans of the game series, but if others can look past the numbing dialogue and frenetic action (which is a bit too intense for very young children), the film offers a carefree and action-packed viewing experience. The two-disc set contains the original Japanese language version of the film as well as an English-dubbed edition (Rachel Leigh Cook and Christy Carlson Romano, among others, provide the vocal talent) and a version edited for the Venice Film Festival. A 30-minute featurette that recaps the Final Fantasy story up to VII, as well as a making-of documentary, deleted scenes, and promotions for future Final Fantasy VII games and products round out the extras. --Paul Gaita
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Bleach Uncut Box Set, Vol. 3: The Rescue - The day of Rukia's execution draws ever closer, and to save her, Ichigo and his loyal comrades must navigate the madness of a Soul Society on the brink of collapse. Ichigo and Renji face the most difficult training of their Soul Reaper careers as they struggle to achieve bankai, without which they have no hope against the most powerful captain of the Seireitei--Byakuya Kuchiki. While all the players converge at the site of Rukia's imminent execution, in the background, a group of Soul Reapers slowly uncover an unimaginable betrayal at the hands of one of their own--a betrayal that will shake the Soul Society to its very core.The third season of the hit fantasy-adventure Bleach marks the conclusion of the story arc that began in "The Substitute" two seasons earlier. Orange-haired, hot-tempered Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends--Chad, Orihime, Ishida, and Master Yoruichi, the talking cat--pass through the inter-dimensional portal linking Earth to the Seireitei, the stronghold of the Soul Society. Although they’ve come to rescue Rukia from execution, the arrival of the teenagers precipitates a deadly civil war within the Soul Society. Amid the growing chaos, Yoruichi reveals she was a princess in the Seireitei before she fled to Earth. When she realizes Ichigo isn't strong enough to survive the impending battles, Yoruichi spirits him away. He must be able to achieve Bankai, the ultimate power over his Zanpak-tô sword, which he learns by dueling with Zangetsu, the spirit of the sword. Despite exhaustion and the wounds he's received, Ichigo fights with grim determination. While Ichigo trains, some of the Soul Society's most formidable officers join the teenagers, including Toshiro, the child-prodigy captain, the fantastically tattooed Renji, and the spiky-haired Kenpachi. Ichigo arrives just in time to save Rukia. Drawing on the grueling training he's just completed, Ichigo fends off the clouds of murderous blades summoned by Rukia's haughty brother Byakuya. During the battle, Ichigo begins to grow a half-mask that resembles the monstrous Hollows. Horrified, he rips it away and renews his attack. But Ichigo has no time to celebrate his narrow victory: he, his friends, Rukia, and the Soul Society Captains have all been used as pawns by an unscrupulous villain. Director Noriyuke Abe once again shifts from dramatic derring-do to broad comedy as he sets the stage for the next story arc. Ichigo's time in the Seireitei made him stronger--but is he strong enough for the adventures that await him? (Rated "Teen," suitable for ages 13 and older: violence, grotesque imagery, alcohol use, risqué humor) --Charles Solomon
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Spirited Away - From one of the most celebrated filmmakers in the history of animated cinema comes the most acclaimed film of 2002. Hayao Miyazaki's latest triumph, filled with astonishing animation and epic adventure, is a dazzling masterpiece for the ages. It's a "wonderfully welcoming work of art that's as funny and entertaining as it is brilliant, beautiful, and deep" (Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal). SPIRITED AWAY is a wondrous fantasy about a young girl, Chihiro, trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free herself and return her family to the outside world. An unforgettable story brimming with creativity, SPIRITED AWAY will take you on a journey beyond your imagination. "To enter the world of Hayao Miyazaki is to experience a kind of lighthearted enchantment that is unique to the world of animation" (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times). It's a fantastic tale the whole family will want to experience over and over again.The highest grossing film in Japanese box-office history (more than $234 million), Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away (Sen To Chihiro Kamikakushi) is a dazzling film that reasserts the power of drawn animation to create fantasy worlds. Like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and Lewis Carroll's Alice, Chihiro (voice by Daveigh Chase--Lilo in Disney's Lilo & Stitch) plunges into an alternate reality. On the way to their new home, the petulant adolescent and her parents find what they think is a deserted amusement park. Her parents stuff themselves until they turn into pigs, and Chihiro discovers they're trapped in a resort for traditional Japanese gods and spirits. An oddly familiar boy named Haku (Jason Marsden) instructs Chihiro to request a job from Yubaba (Suzanne Pleshette), the greedy witch who rules the spa. As she works, Chihiro's untapped qualities keep her from being corrupted by the greed that pervades Yubaba's mini-empire. In a series of fantastic adventures, she purges a river god suffering from human pollution, rescues the mysterious No-Face, and befriends Yubaba's kindly twin, Zeniba (Pleshette again). The resolve, bravery, and love Chihiro discovers within herself enable her to aid Haku and save her parents. The result is a moving and magical journey, told with consummate skill by one of the masters of contemporary animation. MPAA Rated: PG ("Some scary moments") --Charles Solomon
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Dragonball: Evolution - BASED ON ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR JAPANESE MANGA SERIES OF ALL TIME, DRAGONBALL: EVOLUTION FOLLOWS A YOUNG WARRIOR ON AN EPIC ADVENTURE TO DISCOVER HIS DESTINY...AND SAVE THE WORLD FROM THE FORCES OF DARKNESS.Co-produced by Hong Kong legend Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle), Dragonball Evolution is an agreeable if low-wattage live action adaptation of the iconic manga and anime series Dragon Ball. Director James Wong fuses the series’ fantasy-based characters and devices with a somewhat lackluster storyline involving average teen Goku (Justin Chatwin), who breaks from his wholesale pining for classmate Chi-Chi (Jamie Chung) to that he’s at the center of an intergalactic search for the all-powerful Dragonballs by evil warlord Piccolo (Buffy’s James Marsters). With the help of master Roshi (Chow Yun-Fat, who backburners his stoic screen image in favor of some God of Gamblers/Once a Thief-level hamminess), Goku develops his fighting skills to take on Piccolo and save the Earth. The film’s abundance of martial arts should please younger and less discerning viewers, but its hackneyed dialogue and sluggish pace (especially in the fight scenes, which stutter where they should flow) may disappoint longtime fans of the book and television adaptations. The CGI effects, which labor mightily to reproduce the source material’s eye-popping look, also fall short, though the cast is game, especially Marsters and Chow. -- Paul Gaita
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My Neighbor Totoro - Critically acclaimed as one of the most delightful and charming family films ever, MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO is a stunning animated treat full of magical adventure from Hayao Miyazaki. Follow the adventures of Satsuki and her four-year-old sister Mei when they move into a new home in the countryside. To their delight, they discover that their new neighbor is a mysterious forest spirit called Totoro, who can be seen only through the eyes of a child. Totoro introduces them to extraordinary characters -- including a cat that doubles as a bus! -- and takes them on an incredible journey. Full of wonder and heart, this spectacular 2-disc set features the voice talents of Dakota Fanning and Elle Fanning. MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO is a magical experience for the whole family! © 1988 Nibariki • GMy Neighbor Totoro is that rare delight, a family film that appeals to children and adults alike. While their mother is in the hospital, 10-year-old Satsuki and 4-year-old Mei move into an old-fashioned house in the country with their professor father. At the foot of an enormous camphor tree, Mei discovers the nest of King Totoro, a giant forest spirit who resembles an enormous bunny rabbit. Mei and Satsuki learn that Totoro makes the trees grow, and when he flies over the countryside or roars in his thunderous voice, the winds blow. Totoro becomes the protector of the two sisters, watching over them when they wait for their father, and carrying them over the forests on an enchanted journey. When the children worry about their mother, Totoro sends them to visit her via a Catbus, a magical, multilegged creature with a grin the Cheshire Cat might envy.

Unlike many cartoon children, Satsuki and Mei are neither smart-alecky nor cloyingly saccharine. They are credible kids: bright, energetic, silly, helpful, and occasionally impatient. Filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki makes the viewer believe the two sisters love each other in a way no American feature has ever achieved. My Neighbor Totoro is enormously popular in Japan, and some of the character merchandise has begun to appear in America. The film has also inspired a Japanese environmental group to buy a Totoro Forest preserve in the Saitama Prefecture, where Miyazaki's film is set. --Charles Solomon
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Spectacular Spider-Man: Complete First Season - This adventure finds our hero tackling more Super Villains both old and new, including Chameleon, Venom and the Sinister Six: Electro, Doctor Octopus, Vulture, Sandman, Rhino and Shocker. While these criminals are almost more than Spidey can handle, his real struggle becomes an internal one. The stress is enough to drive a high school Super Hero over the edge, but making mistakes and learning lessons is all in a days work for the Spectacular Spider-Man!The exciting first season of Victor Cook and Greg (Gargoyles) Weisman’s stellar animated Spider-Man series is included, uncut, in this two-disc set. Spectacular, which follows both the high-energy adventures of the web-slinger and the social struggles of his alter ego, teenage Peter Parker, is perhaps the most satisfying television adaptation of the legendary Marvel Comics series to date; Weisman and his team remain equally faithful to the high-flying action and the personal dramas in Peter’s out-of-costume world. And with only a few changes (most notably to the character of Peter’s secret crush, Gwen Stacy, and the identity of the villainous Big Man), they’ve hewed very closely to the source material, right down to minor characters and second-string villains (the Enforcers, anyone)? All 13 episodes of the series are presented here in their original broadcast format (Sony originally intended to release the season in four-episode blocks on stand-alone single discs with new connecting footage, but that notion was abandoned after the release of Attack of the Lizard), and viewers can enjoy their favorite wall-crawler in battle with some of his most fearsome foes, including Electro, the Sandman, Venom, and, of course, the Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus (well voiced by Steven Blum and Peter MacNichol, respectively). Extras on the set are slight--"Spider-Man: Re-Animated" is a making-of featurette with interviews with cast and crew, while "Stylizing Spidey" is a brief look at the show’s depiction of the iconic characters-but that shouldn’t detract from Spider-fans’ enjoying of this terrific show. --Paul Gaita
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Princess Mononoke - Claire Danes (THE MOD SQUAD), Minnie Driver (GOOD WILL HUNTING), and Billy Bob Thornton (ARMAGEDDON, SLING BLADE) head a cast of hot Hollywood stars who lend their talents to this exquisitely animated, overwhelmingly acclaimed adventure epic! Inflicted with a deadly curse, a young warrior named Ashitaka (Billy Crudup -- WITHOUT LIMITS) sets out for the forests of the west in search of the cure that will save his life. Once there, he becomes inextricably entangled in a bitter battle that matches Lady Eboshi (Driver) and a proud clan of humans against the forest's animal gods, who are led by the brave Princess Mononoke (Danes), a young woman raised by wolves! Also starring Gillian Anderson (THE X-FILES) and Jada Pinkett Smith (SCREAM 2), this monumental struggle between man and nature will have you transfixed as stunning artistry blends with epic storytelling to create a uniquely entertaining motion picture!This epic, animated 1997 fantasy has already made history as the top-grossing domestic feature ever released in Japan, where its combination of mythic themes, mystical forces, and ravishing visuals tapped deeply into cultural identity and contemporary, ecological anxieties. For international animation and anime fans, Princess Mononoke represents an auspicious next step for its revered creator, Hayao Miyazaki (My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service), an acknowledged anime pioneer, whose painterly style, vivid character design, and stylized approach to storytelling take ambitious, evolutionary steps here.

Set in medieval Japan, Miyazaki's original story envisions a struggle between nature and man. The march of technology, embodied in the dark iron forges of the ambitious Tatara clan, threatens the natural forces explicit in the benevolent Great God of the Forest and the wide-eyed, spectral spirits he protects. When Ashitaka, a young warrior from a remote, and endangered, village clan, kills a ravenous, boar-like monster, he discovers the beast is in fact an infectious "demon god," transformed by human anger. Ashitaka's quest to solve the beast's fatal curse brings him into the midst of human political intrigues as well as the more crucial battle between man and nature.

Miyazaki's convoluted fable is clearly not the stuff of kiddie matinees, nor is the often graphic violence depicted during the battles that ensue. If some younger viewers (or less attentive older ones) will wish for a diagram to sort out the players, Miyazaki's atmospheric world and its lush visual design are reasons enough to watch. For the English-language version, Miramax assembled an impressive vocal cast including Gillian Anderson, Billy Crudup (as Ashitaka), Claire Danes (as San), Minnie Driver (as Lady Eboshi), Billy Bob Thornton, and Jada Pinkett Smith. They bring added nuance to a very different kind of magic kingdom. Recommended for ages 12 and older. --Sam Sutherland
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Waltz With Bashir - OVER 20 YEARS AGO, ARI SERVED IN THE CHAOTIC WAR IN LEBANON. NOW HE & HIS FELLOW ISRAELI VETERANS SUFFER FROM MISSING MEMORIES & STRANGE, SURREAL DREAMS. WHAT HIDDEN TRUTHS DO THEIR NIGHTMARES MASK? ARI'S QUEST LEADS TO HIS MOST TROUBLING SECRET, KEPT EVEN FROM HIMSELF.Waltz with Bashir presents an intriguing riddle: is a documentary still a documentary if it's animated? Taking over where fact-based animations like Waking Life and Chicago 10 left off, Israel’s Ari Folman tries to wrap his head around 1982's Lebanon War (the title refers to Lebanese leader Bashir Gemayel). Why do disturbing dreams plague his former army colleagues, while he remembers nothing? Folman meets with nine of them to find out. As they speak, animators recreate their experiences, but instead of rotoscoping or video-capture, Folman first shot his film on video and then assembled an animated version from the resulting storyboards. This graphic-novel approach suits their strange, surrealistic stories and parallels the work of Black Hole's Charles Burns, who tends to walk on the shadowy side (as opposed to Marjane Satrapi's more fanciful Persepolis). War may be hell, but moments of grace and beauty shine through, best exemplified by Roni Dayag’s recollection of a late-night swim away from the scene of a beachfront battle. Decades later, he still remembers the soothing peacefulness of the water. These reminiscences nudge Folman's repressed memories back to the surface, culminating in a horrific massacre to which he bore witness. Arguably, he didn't need to include actual footage of the deceased when stylized graphics get the point across fine. If Waltz with Bashir isn't a documentary in the conventional sense, it doesn't resemble most animated efforts either. What matters more is the harrowing narrative he constructs from out of the minds of these haunted men. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Stills from Waltz With Bashir (click for larger image)

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Howl's Moving Castle - In Hayao Miyazaki's latest animated masterpiece, journey beyond imagination and enter a "breathtaking fantasy world" (Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times) filled with adventure, humor and heart. Sophie, a quiet girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. The vain and vengeful Witch of the Waste, jealous of their friendship, puts a spell on Sophie. In a life-changing adventure, Sophie climbs aboard Howl's magnificent flying castle and enters a magical world on a quest to break the spell. Featuring the voice talents of Jean Simmons, Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall, Blythe Danner, and Billy Crystal, Miyazaki's artistry comes to life on DVD with inventive characters, unique storytelling and richly detailed animation. (c) 2004 Nibariki • GNDDDTLike a dream, Howl's Moving Castle carries audiences to vistas beyond their imaginations where they experience excitement, adventure, terror, humor, and romance. With domestic box office receipts of over $210 million, Howl passed Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke to become the #3 film in Japanese history, behind his Spirited Away and James Cameron's Titanic. Based on a juvenile novel by Diana Wynne Jones, Howl's Moving Castle marks the first time Miyazaki has adapted another writer's work since Kiki's Delivery Service (1989). Sophie, a 19-year-old girl who believes she is plain, has resigned herself to a drab life in her family's hat shop--until the Witch of the Waste transforms her into a 90-year-old woman. In her aged guise, Sophie searches for a way to break the Witch's spell and finds unexpected adventures. Like Chihiro, the heroine of Spirited Away, Sophie discovers her hidden potential in a magical environment--the castle of the title. Using CG, Miyazaki creates a ramshackle structure that looks like it might disintegrate at any moment. Sophie's honesty and determination win her some valuable new friends: Markl, Howl's young apprentice; a jaunty scarecrow; Calcifer, a temperamental fire demon; and Heen, a hilarious, wheezing dog. She wins the heart of the dashing, irresponsible wizard Howl, and brings an end an unnecessary and destructive war. The film overflows with eclipsing visuals that range from frightening aerial battles to serene landscapes, and few recent features--animated or live action--offer as much magic as Howl's Moving Castle. --Charles Solomon

The Many Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki

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Fullmetal Alchemist: Premium OVA Collection - Studio: Funimation Prod Inc Release Date: 08/04/2009 Run time: 30 minutes
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Anime Characters and Series

Fullmetal Alchemist: Premium OVA Collection - Studio: Funimation Prod Inc Release Date: 08/04/2009 Run time: 30 minutes
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Dragon Ball Z: Season Nine (Majin Buu Saga) - Majin Buu’s spree of terror continues, and his ruthlessness knows no bounds! In his quest to eliminate the remaining Z-Fighters, Buu has cut a path of destruction across the face of the Earth, leaving a trail of devastation so utterly complete that it may even be beyond the power of the Dragon Balls to repair...

With their efforts to stop Majin Buu quickly proving futile, the Z-Fighters have but one remaining hope against this seemingly invincible foe—the Fusion Technique! But for this desperate plan to succeed, Goku will have to join forces with his oldest rival, Vegeta! Can the combined efforts of these two mighty Saiyan warriors put a stop to Majin Buu once and for all? The final battle for the fate of the universe begins!

Stills from Dragon Ball Z: Season Nine (Click for larger image)

The final season of Dragon Ball Z picks up where season 8 left off, with Trunks, Gohan, Goten, Vegeta, and Goku fighting to save the universe from the monster Majin Buu. The protracted battle lasts 33 episodes (#254 to #286). Buu has the color and texture of bubble gum: The Saiyans punch him out, blast off limbs, and blow him into smithereens, only to see him return to his original form. Buu also mutates constantly. He fights himself--his "good" side vs. the purely evil one; he grows stronger when he absorbs Goten, Trunks, Gohan, and Piccolo, but somehow gets even stronger when he "de-absorbs" them. The resolution, involving the combined efforts of the Z-fighters, the Kais, and the Namekian Dragon Balls, leaves the filmmakers with nothing to fill the remaining episodes, so they jump the story ahead 10 years. Trunks and Goten are teenagers, Gohan and Videl have a daughter, Pan. Although he's a grandfather, Goku remains as irrepressible and irresponsible as ever. When Mr. Satan organizes another martial arts tournament, Goku enters to take on a mysterious young fighter, then cheerfully abandons his family to train the new champion. It's a weak ending for one of the most popular series in anime history. (Rated TV PG: suitable for ages 8 and older: violence, violence against women, tobacco and alcohol use, ethnic stereotypes, brief nudity) --Charles Solomon

(254. The Evil of Men, 255. Buu Against Buu, 256. Empty Planet, 257. Time Struggle, 258. Super Moves of Gotenks, 259. Trapped in Forever, 260. Feeding Frenzy, 261. Gotenks is Awesome! 262. Unlucky Break, 263. A Whole New Gohan, 264. Search For Survivors, 265. Majin Buu Transforms, 266. The Old Kai's Weapon, 267. Ready To Fuse? 268. Union Of Rivals, 269. Meet Vegito, 270. Rip In The Universe, 271. Vegito . . . Downsized, 272. The Incredible Fighting Candy, 273. The Innards of Buu, 274. Mind Trap, 275. Deadly Vision, 276. Evil Kid Buu! 277. End of Earth, 278. True Saiyans Fight Alone, 279. Battle For The Universe Begins, 280. Vegeta's Respect, 281. Minute of Desperation, 282. Old Buu Emerges, 283. Earth Reborn, 284. Call to Action, 285. People of Earth Unite, 286. Spirit Bomb Triumphant, 287. Celebrations With Majin Buu, 288. He's Always Late, 289. Granddaughter Pan, 290. Buu's Reincarnation, 291. Goku's Next Journey)
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Naruto Uncut Box Set, Vol. 15 - Ino faces an unusual exercise in royal etiquette when she is asked by an overweight princess to take her place and attend the first meeting with the young prince she adores. Then the Hidden Leaf Village comes under serious threat when important blueprints of the village are stolen! Naruto, Shikamaru and the others have their hands full finding and removing the massive numbers of paper bombs placed throughout the village. Can they save the Hidden Leaf Village from utter demolition?
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Cowboy Bebop Remix: Anime Legends - The crew of the Bebop is once again ready to take control of space, bringing bad guys to justice and trying to make some cash while doing it. Join the always cool Spike, investigative genius Jet, the fabulous Faye, the amazing (but weird) Ed and the super-smart Welsh Corgi named Ein as they try to make a buck in the year 2071. How do they do it? They re bounty hunters. But then again, you probably wouldn t be reading this if you didn t already know that...Now, for the first time in North America the entire Cowboy Bebop Remix series in one package!!!
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Dragon Ball Z - Season Five (Perfect and Imperfect Cell Sagas) - "Dragon Ball Z has been called the Greatest Action Cartoon of all Time, and it's True!" --- Anime Insider

Season Five contains the Perfect and Imperfect Cell sagas on 6 discs.

The Z-Fighters gather their forces in an effort to combat the Android menace that has been set loose upon the planet. But they are about to discover that the Androids are the least of their worries. An even greater threat has risen from the shadows—Dr. Gero’s most lethal creation—Cell!

Born from the genetic material of the greatest warriors ever to walk the Earth, Cell is Dr. Gero’s ultimate weapon, a perfect fighting machine capable of duplicating all of the Z-Fighters’ most powerful attacks. Now, after years of waiting, Cell has begun to unleash his terrifying powers, wiping out entire cities as he gathers the energy he needs to fulfill his creator’s grand design. Time is short! The Z-Fighters must find a way to stop this monstrous foe before he completes his quest to absorb the other Androids and achieves his invincible Perfect Form!

Stills from Dragon Ball Z: Season Five (Click for larger image)

The artificial humans 17 and 18 who terrorized Earth in Season #4 of Dragon Ball Z were only a preliminary threat: Dr. Gero's ultimate creation, Cell, strikes in Season #5. A bio-entity created from genetic material taken from Goku, Piccolo, Vegeta, and Frieza, Cell arrives via the time capsule Bulma built for Trunks. (There are now two of them, somehow.) Although he defeats the merged Piccolo and Kami, Cell remains imprisoned in his "imperfect form," a sort of larval stage. Until he absorbs androids 17 and 18, he can't attain his ultimate power. Vegeta and Trunks train in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber at Kami's palace, which enables them to undergo the equivalent of a year's heavy workouts at high gravity in one day. Transcending his powers as a Super Saiyan, Vegeta clobbers Cell. When Cell challenges Vegeta to fight his perfect form. Vegeta takes the bait and allows Cell to evolve. The perfect Cell proves so powerful, Trunks has to draw on untapped reserves of power to save Vegeta. Goku plays only a small role in Season #5: he spends the first episodes recovering from the heart virus, then waiting with Gohan for the Hyperbolic Chamber or training in it. One of best-loved stories in the Dragon Ball Z continuity the "Cell Saga" offers plenty of action, with characters punching each other through rock walls and destroying entire islands as they fight. But it ends on a weak note when, instead of killing Trunks, Cell challenges the Z Fighters to a martial arts tournament--the focus of Season #6. The paradoxes of the time travel story, including adult Trunks encountering himself as a baby, don't seem to bother the fans--or the writers. These 26 episodes could have easily fit on five discs or even four, and spreading them over six feels chintzy.(Rated TV PG. suitable for ages 8 and older: violence, tobacco use, ethnic stereotypes) --Charles Solomon
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Bleach Uncut Season 2 Box Set - Ichigo and his friends make the perilous journey to the Soul Society and are promptly set upon by the guardians of the spirit world. As they dodge one foe after another, they gradually draw nearer their goal: to rescue Rukia from the tower cell where she awaits her death sentence. But their presence threatens the very order of the Soul Society itself, and they must face the ultimate opponents--the captains of the guard squads whose Spiritual Pressure is unmatched, even by Ichigo himself!

Special Features Include:
* Bonus Materials: Behind the Scenes of BLEACH
* Bilingual (Japanese & English)
* Contains Episode 21-41 (Original and Uncut) In the second season of the popular fantasy-adventure Bleach, Ichigo,Chad, Ohime, Ishida, and Master Yoruichi the talking cat pass through the inter-dimensional portal linking Earth to the segregated world of the Soul Society. Lost souls are consigned to the run-down Rukon ("Drifting Spirit Town"), where Yoruichi obtains help from pyrotechnician Kukaku to get into the stronghold the Seireitei. Although the teen-agers have crossed space and time to rescue Rukia, no one knows where she's imprisoned--or where they are--in that city-sized compound. Ichigo and his new ally Ganju seize timid janitor Hanataro: He knows where Rukia is and secret ways to get there. Director Noriyuke Abe skillfully mixes overlapping movements, slow-motion, unusual camera angles, reverse colors, and black-and-white to heighten the drama of the sword fights between Ichigo's team and the bizarre-looking officers of the Soul Society. But the internal conflicts often prove more compelling than the external ones. Viewers learn why Chad never uses his awesome strength in his own interest; Ichigo discovers that he must use his sword as an ally, rather than as a tool. By submitting to Zangetsu, the spirit of the sword, he acquires greater power. But Bleach never stays too serious for too long: Ichigo and Ganju squabble, even in dire straights, and an overhead shot of Ichigo fleeing a squad of Soul Reapers looks like a table-top Pac-Man game.The satisfying balancee of comedy, adventure, and well-choreographed battles has made Bleach a smash hit in Japan and America. (Rated "Teen," suitable for ages 13 and older: violence, grotesque imagery, brief nudity, alcohol use.) --Charles Solomon
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Dragon Ball Z - Season Four (Garlic Jr., Trunks, and Android Sagas) - The Definitive Collection Continues!!

Season Four contains the complete Garlic Jr., Trunks and Android sagas on 6 discs.

Having returned victorious from their battle with Frieza, the Z-fighters can at last breathe a collective sigh of relief… But they won’t have long to rest. A new host of villains has appeared, ready to wreak havoc on the Earth—and Goku, the Z-Fighters’ greatest hero is still missing!

In the face of these new dangers, a mysterious youth with Super Saiyan powers has come bearing a bleak prediction for the future: in just three years’ time, an evil greater than any the Z-Fighters have ever faced will emerge to cast a shadow of destruction and despair over the Earth. And if the young Saiyan’s prediction is correct, the Z-Fighters will have to train like they have never trained before in order to have any hope against these seemingly unstoppable foes—the Androids!Goku is still missing in action after the destruction of the planet Namek, as the fourth season of Dragon Ball Z opens. With Goku unavailable, Gohan and the other Z-fighters must defeat Garlic Jr., who has reemerged from the Dead Zone with his accomplices, the Spice Boys. Gohan saves the Earth by ramping up his powers and destroying the planet Makyo, the source of Garlic's strength. Before the dust can settle a new menace arrives: A largely robotic version of Frieza and his more powerful father, King Cold. These villains are easily dispatched by a new Super Saiyan: Trunks, the illegitimate son of Vegeta and Bulma. Trunks has come from the future to save Goku from what would have been a fatal heart virus. Goku must live to prevent the Artificial Humans created by Dr. Gero from ravaging the Earth. (Gero was one of the leaders of the Red Ribbon Army, which Goku destroyed in Dragon Ball.) But Trunks' mission may have altered the future in ways he didn't intend: Instead of two Androids, there are three, all programmed to kill Goku. The season ends on a cliffhanger, with the fate of the Z-Fighters--and the Earth--hanging in the balance. Trunks' visit creates a number of paradoxes, including the problem of his existing as an adult and an infant in the same space-time. However, these questions are unlikely to trouble Dragon Ball fans, who will be too busy watching Vegeta training at 450 gravities, Gohan mastering his latent powers, Goku's new combat move, and any number of battles, not to mention the comic relief of Krillin's courtship of Maron and Master Roshi's continued lechery. Some of these epsiodes were recut into the feature The History of Trunks. (Rated TV PG. suitable for ages 8 and older: violence, alcohol and tobacco use, ethnic stereotypes) --Charles Solomon
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Boxed Sets

Fullmetal Alchemist: The Complete Second Season - When the Elric brothers recklessly attempted to raise their mother from the dead, the horrors they unleashed marked the beginning of a long journey into the darkest corners of the cruelty of mankind. Now, destinies are converging for those who remain to fight for the light of salvation.

The hunt for the truth behind truths is growing more desperate, and ruined Ishbal waits at the end of a road choked with wreckage both human and soulless. Amid rumors of new war and resurrected horrors of the past, hidden masters rush their pawns down this path of betrayal and doubt. As these seekers of the Philosopher’s Stone grasp for answers, the most sacred tenet of Alchemy is questioned – The Law of Equivalent Exchange. But the harshest judgment is reserved for the belief on which the Elrics have built their lives – the faith in an unbreakable bond between brothers. Weary and broken, Edward and Alphonse must face the ultimate sacrifice. Will it be enough to make them whole?

The Season 2 Box Set contains the Complete Second Season - Episodes 26-51.

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Dragon Ball Z - Season One (Vegeta Saga) - The Saiyans are coming! The last survivors of a cruel, warrior race, these ruthless villains have carved a path of destruction across the galaxy, and now they have set their sights on Earth. They will stop at nothing until they have the wish-granting powers of the seven magic Dragon Balls for their very own.

With the fate of his family, friends and the entire human race hanging in the balance, Goku, the Earth's greatest hero, must rise to meet the approaching threat. As he prepares for the fight of his life, Goku embarks on an epic journey that will take him to other worlds, pit him against new and old enemies alike, and force him to confront the dark secrets of his own past. At the end of his path, the most powerful opponent he has ever faced awaits - the evil Saiyan Prince Vegeta!

This Dragon Ball Season Set is the definitive collection!

Digitally re-mastered in High Definition

Transferred from the original Japanese film

The complete season one - contains 39 episodes on 5 discs

Over 900 minutes of action

Revised English dialogue and original Japanese music

Extra features include:

24-page booklet filled with episode summaries, character descriptions and a Dragon Ball Z timeline

Footage on the re-mastering

The ultimate Dragon Ball Z - Collect them all!One of the most popular franchises in anime history, Dragon Ball began in 1984 as a manga by Akira Toriyama in Shonen Jump. Dragon Ball Z (1989), the second TV adaptation, is the most beloved: it ran for 291 episodes--more than Dragon Ball (1986) and Dragon Ball GT (1996) combined. Over the years, the program has introduced countless boys to the world of Japanese animation. The first season re-introduces the main characters and sets up a new threat. Goku learns he's not an Earthling, but a Saiyan from the planet Vegeta. Only three other Saiyans survive, all of them extremely powerful and destructive. Goku destroys Raditz with the help of Piccolo, but dies in the process. He spends much of the season training in the Other World with King Kai. Piccolo takes over training Goku's son Gohan, anticipating he will have to face the remaining Saiyans, Nappa and Vegeta. These episodes set the pattern for the combination of martial arts training, fantasy-battles and slapstick comedy that make the series so popular. The storyline rambles, with lots of digressions, repeats, and false endings--none of which bother the fans. Although Dragon Ball Z has been released previously in the US, Funimation pulled out all the stops for this edition. The entire series has been remastered from the original prints, and the Japanese language track is included for the first time. (Goku and Krillin have higher-pitched, younger voices than they do in the American dub.) For Dragon Ball Z fans, this version clearly supercedes all previous ones. (Rated TV PG. suitable for ages 8 and older: violence; minor incidents of risqué and toilet humor, ethnic stereotyping and alcohol use) --Charles Solomon
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Dragon Ball Z: Season Eight (Babidi & Majin Buu Sagas) - The forces of good and evil have converged upon the planet Earth, and the fate of the universe hangs in the balance! The evil wizard Babidi has traveled across the galaxy on a quest for revenge, hoping to fulfill his father’s thwarted dreams of universal domination. Meanwhile, the Supreme Kai has come to enlist the aid of the Z-Fighters in an effort to prevent Babidi from completing his plans and awakening a monster of unimaginable terror—Majin Buu!

As Goku and the Z-Fighters descend into Babidi’s lair, they are confronted by an army of powerful minions, led by the Demon King Dabura himself! Can our heroes resist the wizard’s dark magic and battle their way through this host of villains before time runs out? With each passing second, more energy is gathered for the sleeping Majin Buu. And should this creature of pure evil be awakened, all life—everywhere—will be extinguished!

Season Eight contains the complete Babidi and Majin Buu sagas.

Stills from Dragon Ball Z: Season Eight (Click for larger image)

The eighth and penultimate season of Dragon Ball Z pits the Z Fighters, the Supreme Kai, and his attendant Kibito against the evil wizard Babidi, who hopes to release the monster Buu, which his father Bibidi created. (The names are apparently a back-handed salute to Walt Disney's Cinderella.) Goku, who's technically dead but still visting from the Other World, joins Vegeta and Gohan in the initial fights against Babidi's minions. As the battles escalate, Babidi use Vegeta's overweening pride to entrap the Saiyan Prince and turn him against his allies. It's all Goku can do to win Vegeta back, and the energy loosed in their stand-off enables Babidi to free Buu. Instead of one of the over-muscled behemoths the Z Fighters usually tackle, Buu is an obnoxious, infantile creature who looks like a sumo wrestler molded out of pink marshmallows. But he's incredibly powerful and resilient: even the Saiyans can't defeat him. Goku realizes only one warrior can destroy Buu: Goten and Trunks in their Super-Saiyan forms must fuse to form an über-hero. The boys initially balk, as the Dance of Fusion looks and feels silly. But Gohan and Picollo whip them into shape and the formidable Gotenks appears. Season 8 offers much more action and excitement than the World Tournament story that takes up most of Season 7. But unlike the earlier DBZ adventures, the Babidi & Majin Buu Sagas end on a cliffhanger, with the fate of the Earth and its inhabitants hanging in the balance. (Rated TV PG. suitable for ages 8 and older: violence, violence against women, tobacco and alcohol use, ethnic stereotypes) --Charles Solomon

(220. The Wizard's Curse, 221. King of the Demons, 222. Vegeta Attacks, 223. Next Up, Goku, 224. Battle Supreme, 225. Eighteen Unmasks, 226. Pay to Win, 227. Heart of a Villan, 228. The Dark Prince Returns, 229. Vegeta's Pride, 230. The Long Awaited Fight, 231. Magic Ball of Buu, 232. Buu is Hatched, 233. The Losses Begin, 234. The Terror of Mr. Buu, 235. Meal Time, 236. The Warrior's Decision, 237. Final Atonement, 238. Evil Lives On, 239. Find the Dragon Balls, 240. Revival, 241. Global Announcement, 242. Learn to Fuse, 243. The Z- Sword, 244. Race To Capsule Corp, 245. Super Saiyan 3?! 246. Buu's Mutiny, 247. The Fusion Dance, 248. Goku's Time is Up, 249. Return to Other World, 250. Out From the Broken Sword, 251. Gotenks is Born, 252. Unlikely Friendship, 253. I Kill No More)
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Bleach Uncut Season 1 Box Set (Standard Edition) - Episodes 1 - 20 now available in one box set!

For as long as he can remember, Ichigo Kurosaki has been able to see ghosts. But when he meets Rukia, a Soul Reaper who battles evil spirits known as Hollows, he finds his life is changed forever. Now, with a newfound wealth of spiritual energy, Ichigo discovers his true calling: to protect the living and the dead from evil. And when he vows to defend Rukia from the ruthless justice of the Soul Society, he and his friends must cross over and do battle in the spirit world...

Bilingual (Japanese & English) / English Subtitles
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Fullmetal Alchemist: Season One Box Set - See how it all began!

Innocence and flesh were sacrificed when two young brothers ignored the laws of Alchemy in an attempt to resurrect their mother. The horrors they recklessly unleashed that night marked the beginning of a journey that leads from darkness to light and back.

In an era of war and corruption, State Alchemist Edward Elric and his brother Alphonse desperately search for the Philosopher’s Stone. The legendary artifact is their last hope to restore what was lost – or it could be their undoing. The grisly truths found in the quest for the relic will test their souls in ways unimaginable. Murder stalks the brothers from the shadows and false prophets conspire to steal their faith. Morality is assaulted by military atrocities and scientific abominations. Amid the ashes of their childhood, Edward and Alphonse will discover the power to create is but a breath away from the power to destroy. The bond of brotherhood will be their greatest weapon in the fight for their lives.Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) remains one of the best and most popular anime series of recent years. Other shows have tried to copy its singular mixture of slapstick comedy, supernatural adventure and genuine warmth, but none has succeeded. Although they knew it was forbidden, young Alphonse and Edward Elric used alchemy to try to bring their mother back from the dead--and paid a dreadful price. Ed lost his left leg and sacrificed his right arm to preserve Al's disembodied soul in a suit of armor. Edward later received the "automail" prostheses that earned him the title of "Fullmetal Alchemist." As the youngest State Alchemist in history, Ed tries to research the Philosopher’s Stone, which he believes can restore their bodies. But State Alchemists work for the military, and Edward is sent on missions that bring him and Al into contact with new friends, new challenges, and new dangers. The brothers learn that terrible things have been done in the quest for the Philosopher's Stone, by the military and by the Homunculi, Lust, Gluttony, and Envy. These sinister figures believe Ed can succeed where they have failed, even if it means committing multiple murders. The Elric brothers' inner struggles eclipse the violent external battles: Al has begun to doubt that he ever existed in human form; Ed fears that Al hates him for delving into the forbidden knowledge that destroyed his body. But nothing can weaken the bond between the brothers that constitutes the emotional core of the series. Ed sometimes appears hot-tempered and cynical, but his bitter exterior conceals a kind heart; Al is gentler and more patient, but he suffers from the physical isolation his armor body imposes. Fullmetal Alchemist is, simply, a terrific series, and this set makes an excellent introduction for audiences who missed its initial release. (Rated TV PG: violence, grotesque imagery, alcohol and tobacco use) --Charles Solomon

(1. Those Who Challenge the Sun, 2. Body of the Sanctioned, 3. Mother, 4. A Forger's Love, 5. The Man With the Mechanical Arm, 6. The Alchemy Exam, 7. Night of the Chimera's Cry, 8. The Philosopher's Stone, 9. Be Thou for the People, 10. The Phantom Thief, 11. The Other Brothers Elric, Part 1, 12. The Other Brothers Elric, Part 2, 13. Fullmetal vs. Flame, 14. Destruction's Right Hand, 15. The Ishbal Massacre, 16. That Which Is Lost, 17. The House of the Waiting Family, 18. Marcoh's Notes, 19. The Truth Behind Truths, 20. Soul of the Guardian, 21. The Red Glow, 22. Created Human, 23. Fullmetal Heart, 24. Bonding Memories, 25. Words of Farewell)
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Death Note Box Set 2 - Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 04/14/2009 Run time: 400 minutes Rating: Nr
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Anime Films

The Many Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki

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Kiki's Delivery Service - Rarely does a film touch so many hearts or reach such artistic heights as the highly acclaimed KIKI'S DELIVERY SERIVCE, the magical adventure of an enterprising young girl who must follow tradition to become a full-fledged witch. Venturing out with only her chatty black cat Jiji, KiKi flies off for the adventure of a lifetime. Landing in a far-off city, she sets up a high-flying delivery service. Here begins a wonderful experience of independence and responsibility as she finds her place in the world. The breathtaking animation of the legendary Hayao Miyazaki and the star voice talents of Kirsten Dunst (KiKi), Phil Hartman (Jiji), Matthew Lawrence (Tombo), and more make KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE soar with an energy, excitement, and the kind of imagination that entertains again and again!In Hayao Miyazaki's magical Kiki's Delivery Service, a 13-year-old girl meets the world head on as she spends her first year soloing as an apprentice witch. Kiki (Kirsten Dunst) is still a little green and plenty headstrong, but also resourceful, imaginative, and determined. With her trusty wisp of a cat Jiji (a gently subdued Phil Hartman) by her side she's ready to take on the world, or at least the quaintly European seaside village she's chosen as her new home. Miyazaki's gentle rhythm and meandering narrative capture the easy pulse of real life (even if his subject is a girl flying high upon a broomstick) and charts the everyday struggles and growing pains of his plucky heroine with sensitivity and understanding. Beautifully detailed animation and the rich designs of the picture-postcard seaside town of red-tiled roofs and cobblestone streets only add to the sense of wonder. This charming animated fantasy is a wholesome, life-affirming picture that doesn't speak down to kids or up to adults. --Sean Axmaker
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Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind - Movie DVDHayao Miyazaki gained widespread attention in Japan for his complex ecological manga series, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1982), which he adapted for the screen two years later. One thousand years after a war devastated much of the Earth, humanity clings to existence at the fringes of a vast, polluted forest inhabited by monstrous insects. Only Nausicaä, the princess of the tiny realm of the Valley of the Wind, grasps the environmental significance of the forest. She sees beyond petty wars and national rivalries to the only viable future for the planet. In Nausicaä, Miyazaki began to explore elements he would develop more fully in his later films: daring, compassionate heroines; exciting flying sequences; colorful side characters; strong interpersonal relationships; and a call for an ecologically sustainable way of life. Nausicaä prefigures Sheeta in Castle in the Sky and Chihiro in Spirited Away, just as the rough and ready Asbel anticipates Pazu in Castle in the Sky and Ashitaka in Princess Mononoke. For years, Nausicaä was available in the United States only as the badly re-edited Warriors of the Wind. The new English dub from Disney presents the film in its entirety, with strong vocal performances by Uma Thurman, Patrick Stewart, Alison Lohman, and Edward James Olmos. (Rated PG: violence, frightening imagery) --Charles Solomon
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Castle in the Sky - Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 04/15/2003 Run time: 125 minutes Rating: NrInspired by "Gulliver's Travels," the fantasy-adventure Castle in the Sky (1986) was Hayao Miyazaki's third feature, and helped to establish his reputation as a visionary in both Japan and America. The orphan Sheeta inherited a mysterious crystal that links her to the legendary sky-kingdom of Laputa. With the help of resourceful Pazu and a rollicking band of sky pirates, she makes her way to the ruins of the once-great civilization. Sheeta and Pazu must outwit the evil Muska, who plans to use Laputa's science to make himself ruler of the world. Castle echoes elements in Myazaki's earlier Nausicaä, and anticipates imagery in his later films, from My Neighbor Totoro to Spirited Away. Disney's new English dub, which features Anna Paquin (Sheeta), James Van Der Beek (Pazu), and Cloris Leachman (pirate matriarch Dola), is lively and close in tone to the original Japanese, if a bit talkier. The exciting flying sequences, appealing characters, and fantastic vision of a steam-powered future Jules Verne might have imagined make Castle in the Sky a must-have for fans of Japanese and Western animation. (Unrated: suitable for ages 10 and older: violence) --Charles Solomon
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Cowboy Bebop - The Movie - Movie DVDAs the eagerly awaited Cowboy Bebop feature film reunites the original director, screenwriter, composer, and vocal cast, it's not surprising that the film plays like an expanded TV episode. What should be the routine capture of a two-bit hacker by Faye escalates into a deadly game of cat and mouse, as Spike and the gang struggle to prevent the evil Vincent Volaju from murdering every human on Mars. Director Shinichiro Watanabe handles the action sequences with his usual panache. Inside the sinister Cherious Medical research facility, Spike fights a beautiful agent, using a push broom in a series of maneuvers Jackie Chan might envy. The climactic duel between Spike and Vincent plays against innocent yet eerie images of a Halloween carnival, recalling the amusement park setting of episode 20, "Pierrot Le Fou." Knockin' on Heaven's Door will delight fans of the series and provide an excellent introduction for the uninitiated who want to know why Cowboy Bebop is so popular on both sides of the Pacific. (Rated R: violence, brief nudity, minor profanity, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon
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Fullmetal Alchemist The Movie - The Conqueror of Shamballa - The movie you've been waiting for is here! Taking place two years after the last episode, the Elric brothers must reunite to prevent ultimate catastrophe as the worlds of reality and alchemy collide.The movie you’ve been waiting for is here! Taking place two years after the last episode, DVD includes: • Reversible cover • Movie booklet • 40-minute documentary - "The Making of Fullmetal Alchemist – The Movie" Filmed on location in Tokyo with director Seiji Mizushima and staff.The Fullmetal Alchemist theatrical feature, The Conqueror of Shamballa, takes place two years after the last episode of the popular broadcast series. Edward Elric has been transported to Earth and is living in Weimar-era Munich with Alphonse Heiderich, a young engineer who reminds him of Al. This Alphonse is working for the Thule Society, a group of Aryan fanatics who hope to cross dimensions to the world they call Shambala and acquire weapons that will ensure a German victory in the next war. Back in the world where the broadcast series took place, a restored Alphonse Elric searches for a way to bring Ed back. A combination of science and alchemy finally reunites the brothers--with unexpected consequences. Although the film is an exciting adventure that includes many of the familiar characters, viewers who haven't watched the TV series may have trouble sorting out who's who and what's where. Sadly, The Conqueror of Shamballa marks the end of director Seiji Mizushima's and screenwriter Shou Aikawa's work with the Elric brothers: together, they preserved the essence of Hiromu Arakawa's winning characters while adapting them to a new medium. Arakawa is continuing the manga, so fans may one day see further animated adventures of Ed and Al.(Rated PG: violence, grotesque imagery, brief nudity, alcohol and tobacco use) --Charles Solomon
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Ghost in the Shell - Studio: Starz/sphe Release Date: 02/23/1999 Run time: 120 minutesThe skillful blending of drawn animation and computer-generated imagery excited anime fans when this science fiction mystery was released in 1995: many enthusiasts believe Ghost suggests what the future of anime will be, at least in the short term. The film is set in the not-too-distant future, when an unnamed government uses lifelike cyborgs or "enhanced" humans for undercover work. One of the key cyborgs is The Major, Motoko Kusanagi, who resembles a cross between The Terminator and a Playboy centerfold. She finds herself caught up in a tangled web of espionage and counterespionage as she searches for the mysterious superhacker known as "The Puppet Master."

Mamoru Oshii directs with a staccato rhythm, alternating sequences of rapid-fire action (car chases, gun battles, explosions) with static dialogue scenes that allow the characters to sort out the vaguely mystical and rather convoluted plot. Kusanagi's final quote from I Corinthians suggests that electronic evolution may compliment and eventually supplant organic evolution. The minor nudity, profanity, and considerable violence would earn Ghost in the Shell at least a PG rating. --Charles Solomon
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