Genres Movie Reviews

this one was pretty good, the first one 'my funny valentine' is ok. it tells a little about faye's past. it's an ok episode. the next one is 'black dog serenade'. this one is really good. It has some of jet's past explained too, and also about how he lost his arm. 'Mushroom samba' has got to be the funniest one yet when the bebop runs out of gas and ed and ein go off looking for food and end up bringing back some shrooms, and everyone eats them. 'speak like a child' reveals a lot more of faye. probably the best one on this disk.

This could very well be my absolute Favorite Bebop disk in the set. Why? Because of Black Dog Serenade. Not to say that the other episodes aren't fantastic . . . they are. Mushroom Samba in hysterical, and the two Faye episodes are incredible. My Funny Valentine was a real heart wrencher . . . however, I'm still partial to Black Dog. I think it's because SO much of this series is centered around the charismatic Spike, Jet sometimes gets overlooked. This episode really brings him to the forefront and exposes him for the deep character that he is . . . I can honestly say after watching this that I understood Jet a whole hell of a lot better than before. Even though there had been 3 disks full of him, Black Dog really helped me delve into the man who had been a wee bit overshadowed.

Bebop as a whole is phenomenal . . . I loved the characters, the music (which is some of my absolute FAVORITE music - go Space Lyon), and the visuals. I would recommend this to anybody - and that's saying something. Before Cowboy Bebop, I was not impressed with too much anime. My introduction to the genre had been a 3 hour marithon of Dominion Tank Police and I thought I would howl in agony. However, an anime' loving friend of mine introduced me to Escaflowne and Bebop - both of these series were done by the same people. Since then, I have gotten back into the genre a bit and have found some true gems.

Buy this disk . . . if you're doubting it, buy it and then contact me if you hate it and I'll buy your used disk from you. That's how sure I am that you will get into these 4 episodes.

"I close my eyes and I keep seeing things/Rainbow Waterfalls/Sunny Liquid Dreams/Confusion creeps inside me raining down/Gotta get to you/Won't you show me how . . . "

You have to respect a director Shinichiro Watanabe for refusing to turn out a vanilla 'rogues in space' series. A bit like Joss Whedon, he lulls the viewer into a comfort zone and then gives the rug a firm yank. Suddenly wide-eyed we are replaying the episode trying to see how it was done. Sometimes the stories are poignant, sometimes they are tough, and sometimes they are hysterically funny, but they are never dull and repetitious.

As you will see, all the characters have pasts that keep replaying. Both Faye and Jet get their opportunities on this DVD. Our lady of dubious ethics shares hers (her story, not her ethics) with Ein the data dog. Life, for Faye, is both longer, and shorter, than you might think. Then Jet finds himself back in the middle of a case he thought was closed. We discover that one reason he lost his arm is that he never lets go.

Then, leaving the starving Bebop to find food, Ed suddenly turns into a master bounty hunter in a quest for a lunch where one side unexpectedly makes you small. The last episode is the one that completely sideswipes the viewer. Bits of Faye's history keep showing up COD. When an old Beta video tape shows up Jet and Spike go on a snipe hunt that produces an instant replay. Am I being evasive? Yes. You will appreciate why.

There is simply nothing here to dislike. If the series never got any better it is already one of the best I have seen. Of course, I have a suspicion that Watanabe has a few more tricks up his sleeve before the series comes to an end.

First of all id like to say that after i saw all of Evangelion, including the two movies, I thought that i would never find another anime that gripped me like Eva did. I was wrong. Not only does Cowboy Bebop have great music and detailed and crisp animation, the story is simply amazing. This third volume contains, in my opinion, the best episodes yet: Jupiter Jazz. Cut into two parts, these episodes have everything that good anime should; action, comedy, drama, and the required air battle. Its the best anime out there, just take my advice and get it. Watch the series form the begining though or you may miss a few funny jokes in the later episodes as well as plot threads sewn in the beginning. GET IT NOW!

This session, besides having a 2-parter episode, is very cool. here's why

11: Toys in the Attic: Bebop's horror movie episode, so kewl because.. well, you'll just have to watch it. The especially funny part is where the monster onboard the Bebop came from.

12: Jupiter Jazz, Part 1: Spike-isode. This episode has little to do with any of the cast but Spike and Faye. Watch this episode if you want to see some serious ass-kicking, when someone tells Spike "You're Vicious".

13: Jupiter Jazz, Part 2: Spike-isode. Continuation of the last episode, picking up where it left off. The ending is a bit anticlimactic, but it has the only scroll-up-through-space credit sequence other than the last episode (no peeking as of now, watch the series in order).

14: Bohemian Rhapsody: Regular episode, almost stereotypical. This doesn't ruin it's power, just helps make the norm more easily felt out.

Oops, I apparently said the cast/crew interviews were in Session 2, and they're actually here in 3. I'll have to take a look and see what the hell is in Session 2. Anyway, the reviews make up for this session only having 4 episodes.

The other two being Sessions 2 and 6.

This disc contains "Toys In The Attic", the funniest episode in the series, The two-part "Jupiter Jazz", which was great but not as great as "The Real Folk Blues" and "Bohemian Rhapsody", possibly Ed's finest hour. :)

Perhaps not as enigmatic as the first five episodes of 'Bebop', but extremely engaging expositional storytelling bringing the viewer up to date with the world of 2071. 'Sympathy for the Devil' corners the space cowboys against an unnatural terror in the form of an immortal youth on a killing spree. The term 'cowboy' is sorely defined as Spike corrects nature's path in a display of individual justice against physical and moral perversion. 'Heavy Metal Queen' allows the viewer a glimpse into the sad reality of commercial bounty hunting and caricatures Woody Allen in an odd homage. 'Waltz for Venus' is a sweet and harsh portrayal of valour within the criminal world. 'Jamming with Edward' introduces the final member of the spaceship Bebop- the enigmatic, charismatic Edward Wong Haupeppelau Tvrusky 4th (a self styled pubesant hacker). This episode shows the sad fate of a shattered future Earth which caused the frontier migration of humanity into space. 'Ganymede Elegy' explains Jet Black's tragic past love life which led to his present course as a segregated freelance lawman.

Cowboy Bebop portrays a finely polished set of stories displaying some of the finest talent in anime as well as the most progressive film style to emerge in animation worldwide in the late twentieth century. It never degrades into tired old anime cliche which clears the stale air of rehashed plots, pretentious visual symbols and clunky mecha designs with a breath of visual fresh air via uniquely thoughtful, imaginitive effort. The dub is really good! Perhaps the one disappointment is Ed's english voice actress who just never accomplishes the range or espression of the original Japanese actress whose portrayal is extremely charming even without subtitles for explaination. One could viably argue the stories become slow at times, but one could also be labeled 'attentively deficit'. Bebop will always give the viewer a sizable bone wether it is a fantastic soundtrack, slick action sequences, buckets of blood, gun play, space ship battles, heartbreak, humor, silliness, intrigue, mecha, sex, style, or expressive poses which tell stronger stories then all words could muster. Beautiful, dangerous and challenging: Bebop is a must for any one with pulse and breath.

Perhaps not as enigmatic as the first five episodes of 'Bebop', but extremely engaging expositional storytelling bringing the viewer up to date with the world of 2071. 'Sympathy for the Devil' corners the space cowboys against an unnatural terror in the form of an immortal youth on a killing spree. The term 'cowboy' is sorely defined as Spike corrects nature's path in a display of individual justice against physical and moral perversion. 'Heavy Metal Queen' allows the viewer a glimpse into the sad reality of commercial bounty hunting and caricatures Woody Allen in an odd homage. 'Waltz for Venus' is a sweet and harsh portrayal of valour within the criminal world. 'Jamming with Edward' introduces the final member of the spaceship Bebop- the enigmatic, charismatic Edward Wong Haupeppelau Tvrusky 4th (a self styled pubesant hacker). This episode shows the sad fate of a shattered future Earth which caused the frontier migration of humanity into space. 'Ganymede Elegy' explains Jet Black's tragic past love life which led to his present course as a segregated freelance lawman.

Cowboy Bebop portrays a finely polished set of stories displaying some of the finest talent in anime as well as the most progressive film style to emerge in animation worldwide in the late twentieth century. It never degrades into tired old anime cliche which clears the stale air of rehashed plots, pretentious visual symbols and clunky mecha designs with a breath of visual fresh air via uniquely thoughtful, imaginitive effort. The dub is really good! Perhaps the one disappointment is Ed's english voice actress who just never accomplishes the range or expression of the original Japanese actress whose portrayal is extremely charming even without subtitles for explaination. One could viably argue the stories become slow at times, but one could also be labeled 'attentively deficit'. Bebop will always give the viewer a sizable bone wether it is a fantastic soundtrack, slick action sequences, buckets of blood, gun play, space ship battles, heartbreak, humor, silliness, intrigue, mecha, sex, style, or expressive poses which tell stronger stories then all words could muster. Beautiful, dangerous and challenging: Bebop is a must for any one with pulse and breath.

The second session of the CB series has many merits, and only one slight stinker of an episode. I'm fair and honest in my reviews, meaning that if something sucks, I'll say so (and have quite a few times).

6: Sympathy for the Devil: The best non-Spike oriented episode of Bebop, great plot and reflections of human nature.

7: Heavy Metal Queen: Yoko Kanno shows exactly how much talent she has with this episode, making a perfect parady of an 80's heavy metal tune (very cool). Otherwise, a normal (of course good) episode.

8: Waltz for Venus: I don't really know what to say about this episode. It's awesome, but I can't really say why. Take a look and you tell me.

9: Jamming with Edward: Ed-isode, where the little girl hacker is introed. Since I hate Ed (but realize that she's sometimes needed for comic relief), I'm not a real good judge of this episode.

10: Ganymede Elegy: Jet-isode, the first of few, where the crew goes to Ganymede to turn in a bounty, and Jet must deal with his past (has and interesting foreshadowing of when Spike must deal with his past, at the end of the series)

The extras on this DVD are good, because you get to see the creator's and Yoko Kanno's (songwriter/composer) interviews. It's a little wierd, though. In Japan, they like to have just the interviewee's face filling the entire screen (my friend and I were once making fun like one of said interviewees would get the up-the-nose cam).

With its great mix of humor, action, drama, sci-fi, and music, Cowboy Bebop is anime perfect for just kicking back at the end of the day like any good prime time TV show. Episodes are stand-alone (unlike a lot of anime which will have you hanging on for the next episode), but there's a back story brewing there...

Animation is pretty good (though there are more sophisticated anime out there in terms of the animation itself). Bebop successfully mixed 3D with traditional cell animation over lush backgrounds (I'm not that fond of 3D being mixed with cels, but this one's actually cool).

But I think the most major factor in this series is its music (by the legendary Yoko Kanno), which may well be among the best in the anime genre. Cool action scenes, comic street chases and mecha action, and just about every good part of the series is aided by music ranging from harmonica blues, slick jazz ("bebop" itself is a type of jazz), and even rock opera (one very good episode to watch out for is #5 -- "Ballad of Fallen Angels"). I bought the first background music CD and will undoubtedly buy the other discs.

Cowboy Bebop is what an television series should be, entertaining. The story is of two bounty hunters named Spike, a man running from his violent past, and Spike, a former cop whom lost his arm in an accident, whom travel the through the universe in a bid to capture wanted fugitives. The animation is absolutly dazzling, some of the best I have ever seen. The music, writen by Yoko Kanno is absolutly incredible especially "Ballad of the Fallen Angels". Cowboy Bebop ranges from comedy, to film noir like mystery, and finnaly to John Woo like action quality. This first volume in the six DVD series contains five episodes, buying this is actually cheaper then buying the episodes on DVD. The picture quality is good on DVD but what really takes the gold is the spectacular sound quality that this DVD offers. This series is recomended to viewers 13+. While most episodes contain only mild violence and language there are certain episodes such as episode five "Ballad of the Fallen Angels" which contains a violence level that is seen only in John Woo films. This is a series for anyone whom wants a return to a retro fashion story of mystery, revenge, betrayal, and good old fashioned jazz.

Cowboy Bebop..where to start? Do I start with the gripping action scenes? The melancholy love scenes/flashbacks? The varitey of music, from soft jazz tunes to fast-paced bluegrass? I could start and tell you that this is a beautiful anime. It is definatley a masterpiece in it's time, and should be considered more than just a "mainstream anime" such as Yugioh and Pokemon. Oh, much more my friend. This anime is beyond words. I can't even describe the wonderfulness we all know as Cowboy Bebop.
Here is a breif storyline.
Spike Spiegel was a member of a famous crime syndicate called the Red Dragon. Him and his friend, Vicious, were both in love with a woman named Julia. Spike decided to leave the syndicate, sick of the death and the life he led. He asked Julia to go with him, but she refused, because she cared for herself more than him. Vicious told her that if she left with Spike, he would kill her. So now, Vicious sends Julia on a mission to Kill Spike. This story only occurs in flashbacks, but is VERY importaint to the stoyline, for SPike has encounters with his past more than once, and almost dosent make it through these encounters.
Later on, Spike sees himself as "dead." Dead to the Syndicate, killed by the woman he loved.The year is 2075, three years after he left the syndicate. He joins up with Jet Black, a former cop with the ISSP. Later on comes the Gambling Femme Fatale, Faye Valentine who has lost her memory due to cyrogenic freezing after the hyperspace gate exploded, destroying much life on earth, and forcing people to colonize on planets and moons. Also, Ein the Data dog, and everyone's favorite, Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky the 4th(She named herself). Ed is the 13-year-old girl hacker genius who is off the wall, and completley strange! Everybody loves Ed!(if not they are completley annoyed by her.)This wacky,insane bounty hunting crew is to make history, a new genre in itself which shall be called : COWBOY BEBOP

Cowboy Bebop is without a doubt, the best piece of animation shown on tv! I love everything about it, from the opening credits, the layout, the music, the style of drawing, everything!

I will have to agree with everything previous reviewers have said about the last two episodes - The Real Folk Blues parts 1 & 2 are the best of the whole series. It took my breath away - especially part 2. And the ending...... Wow, I get shivers thinking about it!

I think part of what makes this one of the best series on tv is the fact that only 26 episodes were made. With it's short run it didn't have the chance to become stale.

I used to think the Macros saga was the best bit of animation I'd seen. But this tops it by far. In fact it tops most other shows (animation or not) on tv by far. It has everything a good story should have - characters you like and care about, gripping stories (not in all of them), good comedy moments, action, suspense, drama, a fantastic musical score - it will have you singing in Japanese at the end of each episode along with the credits!

I can't tell you enough how much I enjoyed this series.

It really is an outstanding piece of work in terms of art, storyline, character development, musical achievement etc. But don't take my word for it. See for yourself.

See you later Space Cowboy.....!

Wow. After I finished Trigun, I did not expect any other anime to meet its caliber. The story, the music, the characters; they all complemented each other perfectly.

I began to watch Cowboy Bebop after I began to save more money. I had heard much praise from many anime publications and otaku before and it was hard for me to believe the incredible hype. But that all changed when I put in the DVD and watched it. First Volume 1. Then 2. Then 3. Till I saw it all.

The story revolves around 4 (5 if you count Ein the Data Dog!) central characters. Jet Black, an ex member of the Inter Solar Systems Police with a cybernetic arm due to a shady event in his past. Faye Valentine, a sexy woman in incalculable debt and an unknown history. Ed, a 13 year-old super-hacker extraordinaire. Last but not least, Spike Spiegel, a laid-back twenty-something that has incredible flight skills and fighting talent with a tragic past.

Almost all the episodes are independent but a couple include bits and pieces of a character's past. These can range from being very comedic, cryptic, action-packed, or dramatic. The beauty of it all is how all the episodes seem to be unrelated yet are all strung together with an invisible thread, all building to the final climax(es if you refer to each character's resolve).

This 6th and final 'session' is probably my favorite. 'Brain Scratch,' the first episode on the disc, is alright but cannot compare to the emotional roller-coaster ahead. 'Hard-Luck Woman' deals with the discovery of Faye's past as well as Ed's. However, the real highlight of this DVD are episodes 25 and 26: "The Real Folk Blues Part 1 and 2." Spike, after years of searching, is finally reunited with his lost love Julia. But with Vicious, Spike's one-time friend, not far behind, will the couple enjoy a happy ending or will it all come to a bittersweet end?

With amazing character designs from Yoji Shinkawa (Metal Gear Solid 2) and a diverse and touching score by Yoko Kanno (Escaflowne), this is one anime you cannot miss.

From the shadowy start to the awe-inspiring conclusion, Cowboy Bebop has set a benchmark in anime for all those to come.

This DVD is awesome, because it finishes the series and really does save the best for last.

23: Brain Scratch: Funny episode about cult worship, the nature of mankind, the nature of God (very insightful), and the nature of death. Watch and be interested, but beware if you have some sort of faith (most animers don't have any issues here)

24: Hard Luck Woman: Ed/Faye-isode. Faye finally remembers her entire past (and the truth is much less exciting than she'd like it to be) and Ed leaves (YAY!), this is her last episode with the crew of the Bebop.

25: Real Folk Blues (part 1): Sets up the end of the series, introduces Julia as a real character (Spike's woman from his memories), but otherwise acts just like a regular episode. Good, but not great.

26: Real Folk Blues (part 2): Best episode in the series, and also the greatest 25 minutes in all of animated history. If you don't agree, you're a chode. I'm not going to ruin anything (I have a feeling someone else already has on this review board), so just watch it.

If you can only afford 2 DVDs in the series, wait until you can afford the full set. Don't buy "Perfect Sessions" or "Best Sessions" or whatnot, just get the full 6 DVD set. If you're splitting up your anime budget between CB and Trigun DVDs, just put all that cash to CB (if you want real convincing, read my other reviews).

Key: The Metal Idol is one of those series that, although maycatch your eye, there is nothing that tempts you to watch it. However,as I was wandering along my video store I realized I have watched nearly every anime besides this video. Therefore, I bought it, not expecting that much of a good series. Was I wrong!

Volume 1 contains three episodes that introduces the main character, Key, a robot made extremely like a human. Even her artifical flesh is just as soft as a humans. These episodes also introduce Sakura, one of her childhood friends. Although the plot is very vague, it begins to deliver itself later. Another strange character we find, is a man who photographs for women posing nude. He is very authoritarian and travels around with a big buff guy. Then there's the mysterious stone soldier and the man who controls him. The characters are really well done.

The music is okay, but is unfortunately in English and I would have rather watched the subtitled version. Surprisingly, the character voices were well done and did not have high-pitched annoying accents.

All in all, this is a series I am definitely going to buy more of, and to get the DVD (subbed/dubbed all the way). See it now!

Key The Metal Idol is perhaps, one of the greatest anime titles in history. The story is about Key, a robotic girl who isn't all she appears as she tries to find 30,000 friends so they can turn her into a human girl. Key is helped and hindered along the way by a variety of characters, all who have their own vested interest in Key's success or failure.

Key's plot twists and turns with almost every episode, until the final moments you are not quite sure where everything lies and it's story telling and script is extremely impressive.

Key's artwork is equally stunning, the character of Key herself is beautifully crafted, movement and expressions are drawn with a real charm.

The music to the series is also spellbinding from the Japanese Pop Music littered throughout to the enchanting and bizarre background music, Key doesn't disappoint on the audio level any less than it doesn't disappoint visually.

I can't say too much about the plot without ruining, just trust me and buy Key.

Key is a great anime with a great message.

Key is really more of a societal commentary than a classical anime. While many anime series have a story up front and then a deeper hidden meaning that, if you blink, you might miss. Key is very upfront, you can't miss the message, it smacks you in the face.

The anime itself is well done, but not the best I've seen. The characters are very appropriate and well done, the voice overs match the characters well.

This anime is definately well worth watching. I would put it right up there in the top 5 or so anime that I have seen so far. It is stand alone and would probably appeal to many people who generally don't watch, or don't like anime. However, it is slow at certain points and some parts are fractured and confusing, but it will all come together and make sense at the end.

In the early stages of the movie, the boy and his sister stay with relatives since their house has been destroyed in a bombing, relatives who obviously resent their presence.

However, despite the boy's refusal to work or do anything but play with his sister (this is the relative's only reason for resenting having to feed and house them) it's made to seem tragic when he decides to leave the house rather than help support himself.

Later in the movie, when his sister becomes sick from malnutrition - this is the supposed saddest part and turning point of the story - the effect is ruined by the fact that the boy could simply have apologized to his relatives, who may not have been happy to take him back, but certainly would have. A farmer even tells the boy this, yet he refuses to return. What follows is no one's fault but his own.

The only emotion this movie inspired in me was a growing frustration at the boy's inablilty to swallow his pride and save his sister's life. There's nothing tragic in a movie about a character who could save his life at any time, but refuses to do so.

What can I say? This is the *Braveheart*, the *Titanic*, the *Schindler's List* of anime - *Grave of the Fireflies* is a tear-jerker with three-hanky ending. You WILL cry. I promise. However, it's worth seeing. This masterpiece shows us that there is nothing noble or glorious about war. The "enemy" has a face. As Americans, we didn't have to watch our homes be destroyed by air raids; we didn't see our love ones charred to a crisp in fires started by fighter planes. With the exception of Pearl Harbor, the war was fought overseas and far away from our homes. *Everyone* is affected in a total war. This two children are orphaned and their struggle to survive is heart-wrenching. This isn't a war movie about soldiers like one would expect-- this is a war movie about what happens to ordinary people. I don't understand how anyone could want to fight a war after seeing *Grave of the Fireflies*. I think the director is showing us something about ourselves and our society. I've tried my best, but I can't describe this movie in words. You have to see to believe. Also, young children should not watch this movie- war and death are graphic. I've had the image of little Sasuko burying the fireflies in my head all day and the image of her mother being thrown into a mass grave (what Seta sees when he sees his sister burying the insects). Please, watch this movie. Watching Miyazaki's *My Neighbor Totoro* afterward with the kids is a great idea since it's a happy movie.

Any teacher searching for a way to expose their students to history, coming-of-age stories, Japanese culture, and/or the implications of war needs to view and show this film in his or her classroom. I discovered this anime while in college, and I could not do anything until I had researched it thoroughly. According to Ebert's review and other reviews published about the film, this story about two children trying to survive the American firebombings of Japan in the last days of World War II is based on a true story. Seita, a 14 year old boy, has to become both brother and parent to his little sister Setsuko when their mother is badly injured in the first bombing of the film. They spend the rest of the film searching for food and shelter. They learn what happens to a world in need, a world at war, and a world that can so easily swallow up little lives like their own. The animation incredible. Like many animes, the characters do not appear at first to be entirely lifelike; their eyes are too huge to be real, and many of the movements are overly exaggerated. However, the grace, the patience, the intense attention to details as small as the lice in Setsuko's hair make the characters all the more real. The scenary is also fantastic, and looks a lot like paintings by famous Japanese artists (see Hiroshige). For teachers of high school students, this film provides endless opportunities; kids become completely absorbed in the technical aspects of war (see Ebert's review), the loveable characters, and the injustices they see. In my own classroom, this film sparked heated debate and prompted my students to write professional-sounding reviews. Please see this film, and talk to your students about the two sides to every war, and the two sides to every story.

This is such a kawaii (cute) series by CLAMP! I have to tell you...I just fell in love with this series by seeing all the websites dedicated to Cardcaptor Sakura! There are so many!^-^ So, when my friend told me that you could buy anime series on DVD (like she did) I was so excited! So, with my birthday money, I decided to purchase the package Amazon offers of buying Cardcaptor Sakura vol. 1 and 2, and went for it. I will never regret it...it just has that happy feeling in it that makes it light and airy, not to mention funny! I hope you consider buying this DVD it is so worth the cost!^-^

Cardcaptor Sakura is a great show and manga. I own Mixx vol.1 of the manga and watch the dub on tv. The dub is very disappointing. There's all this episode skipping just so Li can be the main character. And in all the commercials his name is mentioned first. I will definitely be buying this movie(if my allowance can ever recover from my sister's present and pre-ordering Pokemon silver!). This story has a great plot and is fun for kids and teens alike. It is about a girl named Sakura who opens a book of magical cards with incredible powers(These are nothing like Tarot cards. This show is very kid friendly.)All the cards escape from the book, the Clow. A cute animal comes out of the cover. His name is Kero and he tells Sakura that she has to find the Clow Cards and save the world. So Sakura is appointed Cardcaptor and with Li, Meilin, and Madison(Tomoyo in the manga and Jap. version)to find the cards. I totally recommend this movie to any one who likes Magic Knight Rayearth and Sailor Moon.

I would like to mention first that what I am reviewing here is the original, uncut, Japanese version of CCS. I will not be reviewing anything else. Second of all, I would like to say that is probably one of my favorite anime, especially one of my favorite ClAMP anime. CCS is about an ordinary 10 yr old girl, named Sakura Kinomoto, who, after coming home from an ordinary day at school, finds a mysterious book in her father's basement. She opens the book, and inside she finds a stack of magical cards, called the Clow Cards. She pulls out the first card and reads it's name. Unforunately, it is the Windy card, and it causes a huge gust of wind to scatter the cards about, releasing them into their true forms as powerful monsters and magical spells. Kerberoes (or rather Kero-chan, for short), appears out of the book's cover and tells Sakura that she must've had some sort of magical power, if she was able to break the seal on the Book of Clow (the book the Clow cards were confined in). After explaining to Sakura about what the Clow Cards are, and who Clow Reed (the cards' creator) was, Kero-chan tells Sakura that she must become the Cardcaptor and re-capture the Clow cards before a casptrophe destroys the world. CCS is a very good introduction to CLAMP's anime, and it is defienetly one of my fav magical girl anime. All the character's are loveable, the animation is colorful, and the music is very fitting for this series. I highly recommend CCS to all anime fans. The main reason why I think Pioneer rated this series 13+ was because of the mature themes like homosexuality and incest (Tomoyo, a girl, is obessesed with Sakura, and two other characters, Syaoran and Meiling, are engaged even though they are cousins). Still, this series is alot safer than most other anime, and I think most kids can handle it. I highly recommend this series if you love magical girl anime. I give it a defiente 5 star rating.

This animated work is very good for whatever it's worth. It'll be nice for children to watch, but I thought it to be a bit boring. I didn't read any of the other reviews so...I didn't know what I was getting into. Oh, yeah...Kids who look like angels walk, talk, and have fun. It's kid stuff.

In the town of Glie, there's an abandoned dorm called Old Home where several creatures with grey wings and glowing halos live. They're neither human nor angel. No one knows how they came to be living there in the first place and no one seems to really care either. The story begins with the birth of a new haibane from a cocoon. She dreamed that she was falling so her name came to be Rakka (which means "fall"). This is the story of the haibane of Old Home and how the live and work in Glie.

This is one of the most awesome anime ever. It's not spectacularly amazing, but it feels that way. It more than makes up for ABe's lain, which is really pale in comparison to this. It is similar to ABe's works in that it features a young girl trying to find where she belongs in life. It's what NieA_7 would have been if it were serious and had a plot.

I would strongly reccomend this anime if you like dramatic anime or if you liked some of ABe's previous works. If you think ABe is just all about lain and you thought it wasn't good at all, give Haibane Renmei a try and you'll be glad you did.

Haibane Renmei is a rare treat - an anime that utterly eschews bright colors, violence, nudity, and giant robots, yet is utterly captivating. The pace is somewhat slow at first, but it serves to deepen the numinous mystery of the setting. The effect is one of deep unease. What is the nature and purpose of the Haibane? The answer seems destined to be unsettling.

We get to know all the major characters in the first disk, as well as the lay of the land - Old Home, the town, and the Wall. The latter will play an important role in the series to be sure, but in an unexpected way. The real meat of the story is the growth of Rakka's character and her relationships with the other Haibane. This is what makes Haibane Renmei a treasure.

The collector's box, pencil boards, and the Haibane Hakusho (info booklet) are all wonderful additions to this DVD. Extras on the DVD are pretty standard for an anime, and include previews for other series, some character sketches, and a few other things like that. The English dubs aren't exceptional, certainly inferior to the Japanese voice talent. Hopefully the other volumes will include a more interesting assortment of extras.

this move needs to be wacht more than once to git all the stuff thats going on but is well worth all the seans of lum flying around thow i think the aritst needs to spend more time on the guys in the move most of thim look very fake but the girls are grate. if you wont to talk with me about anime my neopets username is san2000221

After the fantastic Only You I expected the second Urusei Yatsura movie to be another laugh-a-second romp through outer space.

It isn't. What it is is a little odd actually. It's a story which focuses on the human cast of Urusei Yatsura, leaving the aliens (except Lum and Ten) out, apart from the odd namecheck and cameo in Ataru's dream sequence. Instead we're treated to a surreal, seemingly post-apocalyptic mystery world inhabited only by the core Urusei Yatsura characters.

And very strange it is too. I don't want to give anything away, although the title does that very well on its own, but this story is not what you expect at all. Which is a good thing in many ways. It's full of surprises and odd twists. But beneath it all, supporting it like a stone collossus (sorry, in joke) is the old Urusei Yatsura humour. Because the jokes, puns and slapstick are there, the rest of the film feels fun, not complex and heavy. And in the end you come out having been entertained, and perhaps a little disturbed. An utterly fantastic film.

Just make sure to watch in Japanese!

This is simply one of the best anime movies I have seen. It combines great characters with a great story that throws you off just as you think you have it figured out. Beautiful Dreamer is not only fun for veteren Urusei Yatsura fans, but is a fantastic way to introduce people to the series. Granted, very few (two, in fact) alien characters are used, but for this plot the others wouldn't really fit anyway. This movie focuses mainly on our earthbound heroes as they struggle to find out what the heck is going on with their world. Trust me. This one's lotsa fun, with just the right blend of mystery and comedy to make a winner.