Anime Review Roundup

Bubblegum Crisis Live Action

I'm sure you're all riding the surf of success following the Dragonball Z movie, and are looking forward eagerly to the next live action anime adaptation to be announced. Well wait no more, as it turns out that the Cyberpunk classic that brought so many fans to anime will be given the live action makeover. Bubblegum Crisis is set for a 2012 release date. You can read more about it at ANN. In case you missed it, I had my news phaser set to sarcasm.

And that's all the news that's fit to post this week, as we take a collective breath before the MCM Expo this weekend, which will probably have me linking and snaffling news stories from other websites till the middle of next week.



My first review of the week was the Region 1 release of Suzuka: Volume 6. Rounding off the series, I got to find out who wound up with whom, and whether there was indeed a happy ending as the end credits rolled. It's one of those teen soap romances that have you rooting for the protagonists, and there's something refreshing about an anime without any robots, vampires or harems. It's sweet touching, teenage real life, but animated. And of course I can't tell you how it ends.

















Then it was the turn of Death Note: Volume 5. Death Note has been one of the pop culture anime phenomena of the last two years, and this conclusion has been hotly anticipated. It's a cerebral battle of wits with a supernatural tone, as would be God of the new world Light Yagami tries to reshape society with a pen that is truly mightier than the mightiest sword. Whenever he writes the name of someone that he believes deserves punishment in the Death Note, that person dies. Of course there are right thinking people who believe that no one man should have such power, and the battle of wits has raged over the last nine discs. And of course I can't tell you how it ends.
















Finally, David Beckett took a look at Black Blood Brothers: The Complete Collection. One of the things that have been most rewarding in recent months has been the shift from single volume releases to multi-volumes, half seasons, and complete boxsets. Black Blood Brothers conveniently collects a whole series on three discs available at a very reasonable price. If you like all things gothic and moody, you can't go far worse than vampires, although like all anime adaptations, this one does bring its own unique interpretation of the genre. See if David Beckett tells you how it ends by clicking on his review.

















Funimation released Suzuka's final volume in 2008 in the US, and the UK release couldn't come soon enough. Black Blood Brothers comes out today courtesy of Manga Entertainment, while Death Note: Volume 5 should have been released today, but has instead been delayed until the 1st of June. I could tell you why, but then I'd have to write your name down.