Title: 5 Centimeters Per Second (Byousoku Go Senchimetoru)
Directed by: Makoto Shinkai (She and Her Cat, Voices of a Distant Star)
Total # eps: 3 short segments to a single movie (about and hour long all together)
Opening Theme: None
End Themes: “One more time, one more chance” – Masayoshi Yamazaki
Genre(s): Slice of life
The Story:
Tohno Takaki and Shinohara Akari are very close friends in elementary school, but one day Akari tells him she must move far from Tokyo with a tearful goodbye. They keep in touch through letters, and one day middle school age Tohno sets out to visit Akari at the crisp beginning of spring. Unfortunately, a steady snow begins to fall and all sorts of things get in the way. The trains are delayed, and Tohno begins to feel a heavy heart. Will Akari still be waiting for him at the station even though he is hours late?
The rest of the story shows Tohno and Akari as they grow up, and grow apart. It mostly revolves around Tohno’s interactions with others, and his view on the world around him. His heart always seems heavy, he’s always writing messages to someone, and he always seems to be looking out into space. Will he ever meet Akari again?

Did you know that cherry blossoms fall at five centimeters per second?

My Thoughts: Makoto Shinkai blew me away with this one. He didn’t need to prove that he’s an amazing storyteller or animator, but he did so just in case! There are such subtle details in the storytelling and the visuals, that it had me in a trance through the duration of the film. It was poignant and relatable. Though this particular work didn’t contain the usual fantasy aspect that Makoto Shinkai usually throws in, there was still something magical about it. Some parts felt so real that I actually shed some tears. We’re all like drifting cherry blossoms. We drift together, and we drift apart, we lose touch, and we stick together. How will things end up when we stop drifting is a mystery…

Story: 5
Visuals/Animation: 5 -
The details and colors were breathtaking. The backgrounds were spacious and looked almost real at times. The characters drawings were fun to watch, and their movement was fluid. Everything was so smooth. The visuals weren’t just eye candy, they were the whole candy store!
Entertainment Value: 4.5 -
The visuals hooked you, the story was fantastic, but it had it’s slow moments.
Characters: 5 -
They were realistic and likable.
Music: 5 -
Fitting and tremendously beautiful; especially the piano arrangements.
Overall: 4.9 -
Watch this. Even if you don’t like anime, watch it for it’s beautiful artwork and storytelling. It’s not what you would expect, and to deny yourself a Makoto Shinkai work would just be plain wrong!

P.S Thanks to DJ for his review format :]

Kiki’s Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便, Majo no Takkyūbin, translated “Witch’s Delivery Service”) is the fifth Studio Ghibli anime film, produced, written, and directed by Hayao Miyazaki in 1989. It was the fourth theatrically released film from the studio, and was also the second feature film that Miyazaki directed but did not originally write himself. The movie won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize in 1989. The movie is based on Eiko Kadono’s novel of the same name, which is the first in a series originally published by Fukuinkan Shoten in 1985. The film adaptation includes only some of the episodes in the book; it ends at the end of summer while the book covers an entire calendar year. The movie depicts the gulf that exists between independence and self-reliance in the hopes and spirit of ordinary Japanese teenage girls

Tracklist:
01 - On a Clear Day
02 - Off on a Journey
03 - A Town with an Ocean View
04 - Flying Delivery Service
05 - Helping the Baker
06 - Starting the Job
07 - Substitute Jiji
08 - Jeff
09 - Very Busy Kiki
10 - Late for the Party
11 - Osono’s Request
12 - Propeller Bicycle
13 - I Can’t Fly!
14 - Heartbroken Kiki
15 - To Ursula’s Cabin
16 - A Mysterious Painting
17 - The Adventure of Freedom, Out of Control
18 - The Old Man’s Deck Brush
19 - Rendezvous on the Deck Brush (BONUS TRACKS)
20 - Message of Rouge - Opening
21 - If I were Enveloped by Tenderness - Ending


You can download this IN HERE.
Thanks flaminfox for this addition! Be sure to drop by and thank him too!

Bleach the Movie: The DiamondDust Rebellion, Another Hyōrinmaru (劇場版BLEACH The DiamondDust Rebellion もう一つの氷輪丸, Gekijōban Burīchi Za Daiyamondo Dasuto Reberion Mō Hitotsu no Hyōrinmaru) is the second animated film adaptation of the anime and manga series Bleach. The film is directed by Noriyuki Abe and co-written by Michiko Yokote and Masahiro Ōkubo, and the theatrical release was on December 22, 2007. The theme music for the movie is “Rock of Light” (光のロック, Hikari no Rokku) by Sambomaster. The DVD of the movie was released on September 3, 2008.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleach:_The_DiamondDust_Rebellion

Bleach 2nd Movie is now out and subtitled in english by the cool guys of Dattebayo.
If you want to download the movie with subtitles go here —> www.dattebayo.com

Quick Stats

Title:  Soul Eater
Directed by: Takuya Igarashi (Ojamojo Doremi, Sailor Moon)
Total # eps:  51; 26 currently released
Opening Theme:  “Resonance” - TM Revolution
End Themes:  “I Wanna Be” – STANCE PUNKS; “Style” – Kana Nishiro
Genres:  action, adventure, comedy, supernatural, and a little ecchi for seasoning
Fansubbing:  Yuurisan, Rumbel-subs, Saizen (joint with Anime Empire); Tadashi

The Story
Story takes place at a Shinigami school where students learn to become “technicians” to protect humans from evil by using humans that can convert into a weapon.  Follow 3 technicians as they try to create a “Death Scythe” out of their weapon by collecting 99 evil souls and 1 witch soul.

What dj thinks:  Who knew that being a shinigami was so cool!  Now where’s my black cloak…..

This anime series is one of the newer ones out there and was based off of a manga series written by Atsushi Ohkubo, who worked on “Getbackers”.  So far, I’ve seen the first 11 eps, and I can tell you that this is a very promising series.

Storyline
The story if pretty simple so far: 3 Soul Technicians who are going to school to learn how to protect humans.  Sounds familiar, right?  Now I know that by now, all of you are thinking “Hey…this sounds kind of like Bleach!”, and you’re right…certain parts are very much like Bleach.  However, unlike Bleach, the overall feel of this anime is a little less intense due to its witty humor.  The show definitely got me laughing to the point where I almost forget that they are battling evil souls (the Shinigami Chop is the best).  I think a lot of the humor comes from the personalities of all the characters and how they interact with each other, especially when it comes to their weapons.

Ok, now the action scenes (because we all love watching some pwnage).  Soul Eater definitely has some great action, and I can see it getting even better later on.  The first 7 eps basically set the stage by introducing each character and their weapon.  From ep 7 to 11, the story starts go a little deeper as you can tell that the bigger picture of the plot is beginning to unravel.  Though there’s plenty of “funny-ha-ha”, the action and fight sequences were pretty exciting.  Again, there were some scenes that reminded me of Bleach (Soul Resonance for example), but I don’t think that it really made a difference to me.  The action was intense, well choreographed, and well…really fun to watch!

Characters/Animation & Design
The anime revolves around 3 characters and their “weapons”:

Maka – weapon: Soul
Black Star – weapon: Tsubaki
Death the Kid – weapon: The Thompson Sisters, Patty and Liz

Character personality.  That’s all I have to say.  The character personalities are what make this anime so good.  Maka (the protagonist) is level headed while Black Star is loud and cocky.  Soul is the “cool” guy, while Death the Kid is obsessive-compulsive.  Mix them all together and you get a really diverse mix of character.  For example, the self-absorbed Black Star (who in my opinion adds a lot to this anime) is paired with Tsubaki, who is very quiet and reserved.  It’s the unlikely combinations that made the characters even more fun to watch, and it makes you want to know if they can all work together.  Just as a side note, Yumiko Kobayashi (Azuma in Yakitate Japan) is the voice for Black Star.  Would you like some Japan #2 with your soul today?  XD

The animation and design of Soul Eater is very creative.  First of all, some of the backgrounds are a mixture of both CG and traditional animation, which give way to some nice 3D looking effects.  What I like most about Soul Eater is the design.  Everything from design of the school to the way the Grim Reaper is portrayed, this anime has some pretty slick style.  Even the sun and moon are given a weird and sometimes creepy design.

Closing Comments
I could go on forever, but this is getting pretty long.  If you’re looking for something new and fresh this season, definitely give Soul Eater a try.  It’s funny, witty, and has a lot of great moments in the current storyline.  The one thing that I will tell you is that there are 2 different aired versions of Soul Eater episodes, the “prime time” version and the “late night” late night version.  Supposedly, the late night version has more ecchi, but I didn’t notice that much of a difference.  Most fansubbers have been doing the late night version anyways (except Saizen…they do both in an MKV).  Also, the background songs in some of the fight sequences are pretty sweet.  It reminded me a lot of the music in the 1st Appleseed remake.  So in closing, here’s my rating for Soul Eater.

Story: 4.5
Visuals/Animation: 5
Entertainment Value: 5
Characters: 5
Music: 4.5
Overall: 4.8

Hey guys, it’s dj722.  Being that this is my first review, I thought that I’d introduce myself.  Like Akiko-chan, I’ll also be reviewing different kinds of anime.  I’ll also try to do some write-ups on specific episodes for the newer releases.  There’s a bunch out there, so if you there’s anything that you want us to cover or talk about, feel free to leave me or any of the other reviewers a message.  Let’s see, what else….. I have a lazy pug, a pretty sarcastic sense of humor, and have an addiction to working out at the gym….lol  Anyways, before I start to bore you, let’s get on with the show….

Title:  Vexille – 2077 Isolation of Japan
Directed by:  Fumihiko Sori (Appleseed Ex-Machina, Ping-Pong)
US Release Date:  2008; Funimation DVD

The Story
In an alternate 21st century, Japan advances in biotechnology and robotics; its benefits extending the lifespan of all humans. The United Nations deems the technology a dangerous threat, however, Japan refuses to abide by UN’s demands to halt research and cuts all communications with the outside world.  Ten years later, an American Special Forces unit by the name of SWORD is sent to uncover the current status of the isolated Japan.  Led by its female commander named Vexille they uncover shocking secrets about Japan and their technology.

What dj thinks:  Seriously, how many versions of Appleseed are they going to come out with?

I had some pretty high hopes with this movie when I saw the previews.  The film was written and directed by Fumihiko Sori, who was also involved with the production of “Appleseed Ex-Machina”.  First of all, if you’re into CG animation, Vexille definitely delivers some very impressive visuals.  Like Ex-Machina, a lot of attention was given to small little detail.  The textures, explosions, landscapes, etc were pretty sweet, and the action scenes were very smooth.  One of the most amazing scenes in the movie was during an encounter with these huge metallic worms.  The movement was incredibly intricate and fluid while the feeling of mass and weigh of the worms was portrayed well.  Kudos to the animators.

The storyline of the movie is pretty basic.  If you’re looking for a “thinking movie”, then this isn’t it.  Some of themes do touch upon humanity and morality, but this movie isn’t going to rack your brain like “Evangelion”.  However, although the theme was straightforward, the fact that the background story of the movie was a bit fragmented throughout the film hurt the development of some of the characters, and I would have liked to see a bit more of their past explained.

The action in Vexille were above average.  It wasn’t the “edge of your seat” intensity that was expecting, but it did keep me entertained.  However, I couldn’t help but feel that the movie was trying to be another Appleseed.  Seriously, all it needed was Briarios to come out with his massive sniper rifle and start blowing things away.  Even the battle suits had a familiar feel to it.  It just seemed to lack some originality to it.  Also, people have been saying that there worm scene was copied from the movie “Dune”.  Not a big deal to me, but the similarities are pretty uncanny if you’re a sci-fi nut.

All in all, it was an entertaining movie, but I wouldn’t rush out to buy the DVD right away.  It’s worth watching if you have time online or by DL it, and the visuals of the movie provide some nice things to look at.  So before I take off, here’s a little rating system that I’ll use in my reviews.  1 would be the lowest, 5 the highest.

Story: 3.5
Visuals/Animation: 4
Entertainment Value: 4
Characters: 3.5
Music: N/A
Overall: 3.8

Next up for review:  Soul Eater!

Hi everyone, I hope you’re all doing well! I just thought I’d introduce you to a really great anime series! This was my first attempt at a review, but it was deleted when Kuro switched host, so bear with me. I am reviewing the first and second seasons of School Rumble at the same time because the second season is just a continuation of the first and the two merge together perfectly. Here goes:

The average, but clueless Tsukamoto Tenma likes the stoic and peculiar Karasuma Oji, but she can’t seem to get her feelings across. The delinquent Harima Kenji is head over heels for Tsukamoto, but can’t get his feelings across mostly due to misunderstandings (and the fact that Tenma loves Karasuma). Such a dilemma! The story mostly revolves around Harima Kenji and the relationships he forms with Tsukamoto’s friends and younger sister later on. There are a few side stories for minor characters that are quite enjoyable. There aren’t any giant robots or any magical aspects outside of fantasies and Yakumo’s (Tenma’s younger sister) ability to read the feelings of others. This anime gets its action from over the top situations, pop culture references, and some really fun word play!

The anime - based on Jin Kobayashi’s still ongoing manga - starts out as a typical high school anime, but quickly turns into a roller coaster of humor and romance. Refreshingly, it is not overly dramatic or difficult to follow. Even if you began watching from say, episode 12, you could easily understand what’s going on and enjoy the story. Though I would highly recommend starting from the beginning since a few inside jokes develop and makes the series more enjoyable along the way. Though the plot seems pretty flat and basic, it actually provides some sentimental moments that anyone can relate to. It also follows the manga fairly accurately.

What really makes this anime is its characters. The characters may seem flat when you first meet them, but they each have their quirks that make them loveable and unique. For instance, Harima Kenji, the delinquent, loves to draw manga (which adds a lot to the plot later on).  Even if you want to you can’t hate any of the characters. If they are not making you roll on the floor in hysterics, they are relatable.

Superficially, the character designs are pretty typical, yet smooth. The animation isn’t anything special, but it works for this type of story. The voice acting is fitting and wonderful. As far as music goes, it fits right in. The opening and ending animations/music are a lot of fun to watch!

Episodes are, for the most part, wonderfully paced. However, some episodes can be overly silly and boring by not adding to the plot or character/love development. This is a very rare occurrence though. A part of the third OVA was released earlier in the summer. If you can’t wait for the final installment, the manga version can provide you with a little relief… but only a little. The manga completed it’s run at 383 chapters.

I would recommend this anime to anyone who loves a little romance and a lot of comedy. Personally, I am really glad that I gave it a chance after being told about it by our very own Sazabi here on the forums! Have some fun and watch School Rumble and embark on a new school year and have a good laugh! It’ll remind you that anime isn’t always about magic and epic death scenes.

I’d give it a 9/10

Soul Eater(ソウルイーター) is personally one of the best anime’s I’ve seen this year. You should too!
And the OP of this awesome series is none other but the T.M.Revolution!
Yes, coming back to its solo career!
Thanks to Sazboy for this and much more.


To download this click heeeeere.

AnimeOP

**~—> In other news, Our daily visits are dropping. Please tell your friends about nipponmedia.net
Lets mantain us as a good nice good rep web page over the net. Please visit us every time u got a chance ^^

This is the latest ending theme in the naruto shippuuden series.

Tracklist:
1. Sunao na Niji
2. Jounetsu My Soul
3. Juu
4. Sunao na Niji -TV Edit-
[ad#ad-1]
You can download this single IN HERE.

Please if you have some change to spare consider donating to the website!
It would help us a lot!
If you donate 5$USD or more you will recieve a nice button/pin by mail!
Next button package is leaving on tuesday! So if you want yours donate now so you dont have to wait till next time.
If you need to know more about donating and why CLICK HERE.

Also, please participate around, comment in here and in the forum.

Tell your friends.

Naruto: Shippūden the Movie (劇場版ＮＡＲＵＴＯ−ナルト− 疾風伝, Gekijōban Naruto Shippūden), is a 2007 film directed by Hajime Kamegaki and written by Junki Takegami. It is the fourth movie in the Naruto movie series.

The movie is out and subtitled by the cool people of dattebayo.

You can go ahead and download the movie with English Subtitles @ http://dattebayo.com

For the soundtrack and much more, visit our forums HERE.

Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha (ＤＡＲＫＥＲ　ＴＨＡＮ　ＢＬＡＣＫ－黒の契約者－, Dākā Zan Burakku -Kuro no Keiyakusha-, literally “Darker than Black -The Black Contractor-“) is an anime television series by Tensai Okamura and Bones. It premiered across Japan from April 5, 2007 on MBS, TBS, and its affiliated broadcast stations, with its satellite television premiere in Japan on Animax in May 2007. The music for the series is composed by Yoko Kanno. The series has also been adapted into a manga series, which is serialized in Monthly Asuka.

Story:
Ten years ago, an inscrutable and abnormal territory known as Hell’s Gate appeared in Tokyo and altered the sky and decimated the landscape. The heavenly bodies disappeared, replaced by false stars. At the same time, people who possess various special abilities emerged. Kept secret from the knowledge of the masses, these individuals, known as Contractors, are able to murder in cold blood. Various nations around the world use Contractors as spies and agents, often resulting in violent battles for information. Each fake star has a corresponding contractor, and they vibrate when their contractor’s power is being used. As such, contractors are usually identified by their star’s Messier catalogue number. However, their abilities are gained at the edge of their humanity. They lack human emotions, especially aversion to killing. Contractors usually work for one of various rival Syndicates as spies and assassins, although the ultimate purpose of the Syndicates is initially unknown.

Nipponmedia Review:
Darker Than Black was one of those anime’s that kept me entertained in every single episodes. Even though some of the episode were better than others. One thing is for sure, this anime got some “unique” story, or at least not as common. Another thing is that the anime pictures the wicked realistic side of humanity. Imagine something so horrible happened in your country, what do you think your country would do? Yes, they would cut them off, install big walls and simulate a “view” and make everyone believe everything is fine. That is somewhat idiotic, but very real none the less. This anime got lots of Detective like stuff, theres a lot of action, funny moments and marketing lol. Lots of pizza hut pictures around. Clearly is a campaign and marketing. Anyways I really like the “hero” of this anime. Hei got this really evil eyes, this evil tired eyes. He got an obscure evil past, but he doesn’t goes around lamenting it! I like that, because is not cliche. He’s also very honest, not deceiving person. Even if it means saying cruel things.

You got a bunch of cool secondary characters too! Each with their unique personalities and others their unique powers. The power guys are named Contractors, They gain a power, but in exchange they need to go through a mentally/physically exhausting activity after they use their powers. Which is kind of weird, but sometimes very funny in the animes. You’ll see lots of bizarre weird remunerations.

The anime per se, is obscure, violent, there are a lot of “cold” moments. There are many kinds of humor in this anime, some sarcasm, some plain nice humor. Also they arent afraid of killing some characters to make the story more realistic. Which is something I dislike from others anime, they just dont kill anyone. Even if is a war.

Anyways, Good anime, recommended. 25 episodes.
[ad#ad-1]
Click here to view the embedded video.