KimiKiss Pure Rouge DVD Collection 1 and 2

Plot Synopsis (from Collection 1): “Kouichi always thought of Mao as his little sister, but when he wakes up from a dream and she walks into his house, he doesn’t even recognize her. It’s probably because after living in France for several years, Mao is definitely not anyone’s little sister anymore!

To further complicate things, Koichi’s mom has invited Mao to stay at their house while she attends the same high school as Kouichi and their mutual friend Kazuki. But given that Kouichi’s been trying to build a relationship with Yuumi, the revelation that he’s now sharing accommodations with a non-related girl is definitely going to cause some emotional waves – or maybe a tsunami by the time Kazuki’s sister Nana, her best friend Narumi, and all the other kids at school get overly involved.”

I have heard a few things about this series so after watching the first episode last month I decided to go ahead and grab the sets.  Right Stuf had them as a bundle so I was able to get both sets together for less than the MSRP of each set.

KimiKuss Pure Rouge Bundle is available from Right Stuf

Collection 1 and Collection 2 are also available from Right Stuf

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Noir Complete Series DVD

Plot Synopsis: “Mireille makes a living killing as an international assassin. Kirika is an amnesiac with uncanny speed and stealth. Under the codename Noir, these two young mistresses of semi-automatics and improvised weapons track and execute criminal syndicates across the globe as they hunt for clues to their connected pasts – but it is they who are actually being hunted.

Caught in the crosshairs of a centuries-old conspiracy, the deadly beauties of Noir aim to expose the secrets of the ancient society orchestrating their lives. Will Mireille and Kirika have a future after they learn the truth about their pasts?”

I watched the first episode of Noir back in October on the Funimation Channel that Comcast has.  Like the first episode enough that I decided I had to own this series.  As with KimiKiss Pure Rouge TRSI had the newest Funimation release of the series on sale.

Noir Complete Series is available from Right Stuf

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Trigun: Badlands Rumble BD

Plot Synopsis: “In town surrounded by quicksand, an outlaw from Vash the Stampede’s past has resurfaced after twenty years. His name is Gasback – and he’s looking to cause a little trouble. It seems Gasback has a serious beef with the town’s mayor, who’s paying dozens of bounty hunters to protect his turf.

One of those hired guns is a beautiful woman with a vendetta against Gasback. Will she get a shot at revenge? Maybe, if she can get through Gasback’s bodyguard, Wolfwood. And what’s Vash got to do with this mess? Nothing much – except for the fact that he personally set off the entire chain of events two decades ago!”

I am a fan of the Trigun series.  I have never watched the movie but I felt that I should see it.  As with the titles listed above TRSI has it on sale with the twelve days of Christmas sale.

Trigun: Badlands Rumble BD is available from TRSI

The DVD version is also available

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Revolutionary Girl Utena DVD Set 3: Apocalypse Saga Limited Edition

Plot Synopsis: “As the final duel rapidly approaches, the Student Council’s will to continue is beginning to waver. After all, End of the World’s identity and motives remain a mystery, and Utena, fueled by her desire to protect Anthy, continues to prevail over the feeble ambitions that drive the Student Council to fight.

The Council’s ambitions are reignited, however, when they hear a sound. At first, it’s faint, but soon it becomes clear: the promised revolution is within reach – and the duels must go on.

And what of Utena’s own ambition? To become a prince, the duels may be only one of the trials she has yet to face.”

I have only seen the first four episodes of Utena but I knew that I had to have the rest of the series in my collection.

Revolutionary Girl Utena DVD Set 3 is available from Right Stuf

Set 1 and Set 2 is also available from Right Stuf

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Sister Princess DVD Complete Collection

Plot Synopsis “Wataru Minakami was at the top of his class in middle school and had a pretty comfy life in Tokyo. When he unexpectedly fails his only high school entrance exam because of a computer glitch, his life is suddenly thrown into utter chaos! Jeeves, Wataru’s trusted butler, sends him off to attend school at Stargazer’s Hill in a mysterious place called Promised Island. Upon his arrival, Wataru encounters many friendly, cute girls. This isn’t a problem – until he finds out they are all his sisters!

For most kids, adjusting to life at a new school in a different town is tough enough. But for Wataru Minakami, high school will be the easy part! “

This is a complete blind buy for me.  Until I saw the DVD sets I had never heard of this series before.  Well DeepDiscount had an anime sale back on Black Friday and since this was series was going to for way cheap I decided to go ahead and purchase it.

Sister Princess DVD Complete Collection is available from Right Stuf

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Sailor Moon GN 2

Plot Synopsis: “Usagi Tsukino is a normal girl until she meets up with Luna, a talking cat, who tells her that she is Sailor Moon. As Sailor Moon, Usagi must fight evils and enforce justice, in the name of the Moon and the mysterious Moon Princess. She meets other girls destined to be Sailor Senshi (Sailor Scouts), and together, they fight the forces of evil!”

I just love Sailor Moon.  I remember watching the TV series back when it was on US TV in the mid 90’s.  I never did read the manga when Tokyopop released it so now that Kodansha Comics is releasing it having in my collection is important to me.

Sailor Moon GN 2 is available from Right Stuf

The other volumes of the manga are also available from Right Stuf

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Codename: Sailor V GN 2

Plot Synopsis: “Like Sailor Moon, Minako Aino is a normal 13-year-old schoolgirl until a fateful day when a white cat introduces himself to her and tells her she has the power to transform into the hero, Sailor V. Using a magic pen to transform, Sailor V fights the evil agents of the Dark Agency as she strives to protect the earth.”

Pretty much like Sailor Moon listed above the reason I purchase the last volume of this manga is that I am a fan of the franchise and wanted to see the last volume of this series.

Codename: Sailor V GN 2 is available from Right Stuf

The first volume is also available

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Bamboo Blade GN 11:

Plot Synopsis: “Up-and-coming TV personality Ryouko Toda is an ambitious young woman who’s willing to use any means necessary to claw her way to the top. For Ryouko, image is key, but it’s tough for this cutthroat celebrity to maintain her cool on-screen persona when she’s forced to appear alongside ditzy costar Erina Sawamiya on Burnish Academy, where silly, simple Erina manges to best Ryouko in every single sport! To defeat Erina in sports and in the ratings game, Ryouko must call upon her skills not as an actress, but as a master of the kendo ring!”

I enjoyed the TV series for Bamboo Blade.  I was a fan of the manga first then I watched the TV series.  I just have to keep my collection growing every week.

Bamboo Blade GN 11 is available from Right Stuf

The rest of the volumes are also available from Right Stuf

El Cazador de la Bruja

That said, El Cazador isn’t your typical girls-with-guns anime. The series focuses much on its characters, and there actually isn’t as much action in the show as one would come to expect. However, I’m totally okay with this because the show delivers well where it intends to.

Ellis is a mysterious girl who does not remember her past. For reasons unknown to her, there is a large bounty on her head, and naturally many people are after her. This attracts Nadie, the main heroine of the story. Rather than claim the bounty on Ellis, Nadie, for her own reasons, chooses to help her discover her past. The story focuses on their quest, the people they meet, and the troubles they run into along the way. The story is not all that deep, and because of this, there is plenty of filler. However, El Cazador makes up for this in its character design and presentation.

The two main characters, Ellis and Nadie, are quite enjoyable. Ellis is a quiet and often dense girl who is obviously very confused with what’s going on in her life. Nadie is the cheerful, supportive, but also tough girl who protects Ellis. Together, the two of them make for an interesting and often humorous duo. There are several moments in each episode that will have one laughing out loud. What improves the effectiveness of these humorous parts is the show’s excellent dub. I’m usually very picky with dubs, so it means a lot when I say that FUNimation did a great job here.

Another aspect about this show worth mentioning is its outstanding music. Composed by Yuki Kajiura of Tsubasa, .hack, and Noir fame, the music certainly gives the series a “mysterious fantasy” kind of feel. While this may seem unfitting for a show like El Cazador, it actually works quite well, and really enhances the presentation.

Overall, El Cazador is a fun watch, and despite its slow pacing, the dub, music, and character designs make it worth watching. Throughout all 26 episodes, there wasn’t a single point where I felt that I wasn’t enjoying the show. That’s an indication of a good anime.

El Cazador de la Bruja is licensed and distributed by FUNimation Entertainment. Part 1 and Part 2 are on sale now. Review copy provided by The Anime Almanac.

ENJOYMENT – Excellent cast of characters, music, and dub make it a very fun show

RECOMMENDATION VALUE – Definitely worth checking out

REWATCH VALUE – Worth a rewatch, even if just for the humor

Purchase El Cazador de la Bruja at RightStuf