[continued from previous message]   
      
   Kippei-onii-chan, making friends at the kindergarten.  There is a little   
   drama; Kippei becomes the focus of a stalker and Yuzuyu gets caught up   
   in the action, but mostly this is Kippei learning that actions have   
   consequences and Yuzuyu learning that she is still loved and her   
   mother's disappearance was not her fault.   
      Kuzuhara Miyu, Yuzuyu's seiyuu, makes her sound like a real   
   five-year-old.  The animation quality is not very high but carries the   
   story adequately.  The OP and ED songs are catchy and addictive,   
   matching the upbeat mood of the series.   
      This series is still unlicensed and is being fansubbed by Lunar anime   
   and a.f.k.   
      [Entry by Robert "nojay" Sneddon]   
      
      AKIRA:  An adaptation of a longer manga work, the story (as far as   
   the anime is concerned) surrounds a gang, in particular the leader,   
   Kaneda, and his friend, Tetsuo, and a secret government/military project   
   to tap the psychic abilities of children.  Tetsuo encounters a "child"   
   from these experiments and soon after starts to exhibit some abilities   
   of his own following his abduction by the military.  Kaneda is caught up   
   in the events that follow as first he tries to find his friend and find   
   out what has happened to him, then has to battle with Tetsuo as his new   
   found powers start to run out of control.  Who is Akira?  A question   
   that runs through the whole convoluted plot but, to find out, Tetsuo   
   risks himself, his friends and the whole city.   
      The production was masterminded by Katsuhiro Otomo, and has been   
   touted as one of the best productions of its type, having won awards   
   around the world.  However people that are fans of the manga series   
   should be aware of the compacted nature of the production.  There is   
   also one attempted rape scene.   
      Originally released in the US by Streamline Pictures, later licenced   
   to Geneon (aka Pioneer).  In Australia this is available from Madman, in   
   the UK it is available from Manga Video.   
      [Entry by Chika]   
      
      ALL PURPOSE CULTURAL CAT-GIRL NUKU-NUKU:  The Mishima Heavy   
   Industries corporation wants its prototype android back, to use as a   
   war machine.  Lady Akiko, head of Mishima, wants to take her son   
   Ryuunosuke from her ex-husband - preferably by force.  Ryuunosuke, on   
   the run with his brilliant and eccentric father, just wants the   
   friendly kitten he finds on Christmas Eve.  When it all comes   
   together, the result is "Nuku Nuku" Natsume - the brain of a cat, the   
   appearance of a lovely schoolgirl, and the raw power of a war machine,   
   living with Ryuunosuke and 'Papa-san' as Ryuunosuke's sister and the   
   family's protector.   
      The original six OAV series is nicely animated, delightful   
   action-comedy.  The TV series that followed kept most of the same   
   characters but changed the situations heavily, and is reported to have   
   suffered from a Monster-of-the-Week plot.  The later OAV series, "Nuku   
   Nuku Dash," not only changed the situations but changed Nuku Nuku's   
   character design and her personality from bubbly and upbeat to teary,   
   and is generally considered disappointing by fans.   
      [Entry by Antaeus Feldspar]   
      [The first OAV series is available from ADV Films.   - Rob Kelk]   
      
      ANGEL LINKS:  The second show in Sunrise's "Toward Stars" universe,   
   but nowhere near as wide in scope as its sister series OUTLAW STAR,   
   ANGEL LINKS tells the story of Li Meifon, a teenager who is named heir   
   to a large interplanetary corporation on the condition that she operate   
   a pirate-hunting service for free.  This seems simple enough on the   
   surface, but why does Meifon already have a grave marker?   
      This is science-fantasy space opera, but not quite in the same vein   
   as its sister show - the scope is much smaller than what's shown in   
   OUTLAW STAR.  It's also half the length of the previous series, mainly   
   because the writers didn't have to explain everything to the audience.   
      ANGEL LINKS is available as a four-DVD box set from Bandai in North   
   America.   
      [Entry by Rob Kelk]   
      
      ANGELIC LAYER:  Mizaki Suzuhara is moving to Tokyo.  Upon arriving at   
   the train station, she gets lost (it's her first time in Tokyo) and   
   wanders outside, where she witnesses a battle that wows her on a   
   gigantic screen.  It turns out that the battle was part of Angelic   
   Layer, a game that's very popular.  She gets drawn into the game and   
   goes on a wild adventure.  This series has something for everyone, from   
   the comedic wiggly-squiggly Icchan, to more heart-felt moments, and even   
   intense battles.  So go out now, and see the series that one of the   
   voice actresses calls "DRAGON BALL Z for Girls!"  Available from ADV   
   films.   
      [Entry by Bill Martin]   
      
      AOZORA SHOUJOTAI:  see 801 T.T.S. AIRBATS   
      
      ARJUNA:  see EARTH GIRL ARJUNA   
      
      ARMITAGE III:  In the future, mankind has terraformed and settled   
   Mars.  We've also developed a line of human-like androids with   
   designations of "first," "second" and "third".  Ross Sylabus, a police   
   detective from Earth with an antipathy for androids, has transferred   
   to Mars.  What he finds there is a political conspiracy that covers   
   two planets and involves his colleague, the child-like female   
   detective Armitage.  Well drawn and animated, with moments of both   
   levity and action.  Some violence.  Four episodes, or one movie which   
   is the episodes edited together with some omissions.  Subbed and   
   dubbed both available.  From Geneon in North America, and Madman in   
   Australia.   
      [Entry by Ben Cantrick]   
      [There is also a sequel movie ARMITAGE III - DUAL-MATRIX, which   
   contains spoilers for the original ARMITAGE III story.  A review of   
   this movie is being written.  - Rob Kelk]   
      
      ARSLAN SENKI (a.k.a. THE HEROIC LEGEND OF ARSLAN):  5 part OAV   
   running approximately 4 hours total.  Slow paced historical fiction.   
   The kingdom of Pars is overrun by a neighboring kingdom, with inside   
   help.  The king is imprisoned and it's up to the young prince and his   
   loyal retainers to win the kingdom back.  The story is more sword and   
   political intrigue than it is sword and sorcery, not much fighting, no   
   comedy, full of shoujo-esque character designs, and is unfinished, the   
   remainder of the story is available in novel or manga form.  Original   
   novels by the same author as LEGEND OF GALACTIC HEROES. DVD box set   
   includes all OAVs.  By U.S. Manga Corps.   
      [Entry by MimiE]   
      
      ASH WINGS ALLIANCE:  see HAIBANE RENMEI   
      
      ASTRO BOY (originally TETSUWAN ATOMU / MIGHTY ATOM):  The first real   
   Japanese anime TV series aired in 1963, Astro Boy was made by the   
   anime "God" Osamu Tezuka.  It is a story of a little robot boy, who   
   ages and becomes mature through the series.  It was the first anime   
   which featured familiar things such as continuous story and plot for   
   the entire series, character development, and so on.  And remember, it   
   was the first TV anime series!   
      (This description refers to the original series, not the later   
   remake.)   
      [Entry by Andrew V. Tupkalo]   
      
      AURA BATTLER DUNBINE:  Motorcycle racer Show Zama is pulled into an   
   alternate world where he is drafted as an Aura Battler.  An Aura Battler   
   is a person from Upper Earth (our world) that has the aura power to   
   control the insect-like mechs this world uses to fight its wars.   While   
   the natives can also drive these things they cannot do so with the   
   proficiency of Upper Earthers.  Show finds himself involved in a war of   
   conquest led by Drake Luft and soon decides he's on the wrong side.   
   It's quite an epic from the man who gave the world GUNDAM.   
      Licenced by ADV Films.   
      
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   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)