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   cybernetic upgrades.  Based on the successful manga series, though the   
   manga is nowhere as dark as the film.  Some folk refer to this film as   
   "Frain's Folly" as it saw the end of Andy Frain at Manga Video after   
   poor sales in the UK.   
      [Entry by Chika]   
      
      GHOST IN THE SHELL: STAND-ALONE COMPLEX:  The latest animated version   
   of the story of GHOST IN THE SHELL, a series originally created by   
   Masamune Shirow, features all the characters that were made famous in   
   the original series and just about all the same mecha and premise of the   
   original.  This version, however, bears closer resemblance to the manga   
   original with all the humour still very much present from Batou's   
   flippancy to the adventures of the "Tachikomas", the robot tanks with   
   their own AI and a short series to boot at the end of each episode:   
   "Tachikomatic Days".  In this post-WWIII setting, most folk are at least   
   partially cybernetically enhanced, including the use of artificial   
   brains.  This leads to a number of possibilities for crime which section   
   9 must deal with.  The series is divided mostly into stand alone   
   episodes   
   and an ongoing story about a serial blackmailer known as the "Laughing   
   Man".  Available from Manga Video.   
      [Entry by Chika]   
      
      GOKUDOU-KUN:  Sword and Sorcery go "slumming" in this bawdy tour   
   across the myths and magical tales of dozens of countries.  Teenaged   
   thief, swordsman and sometime sorcerer Gokudou wants the simple things   
   in life:  unlimited wealth, beautiful women, and a chance to get away   
   from his old witch Mother (who happens to be a very good sorceress).  He   
   sets off on a series of adventures that take him to strange lands with   
   odd companions and the occasional body switch.  Comedy, adventure,   
   pretty girls and even musical reviews make "Gokudou-kun" a fast-pasted   
   and fun piece of "low fantasy".   
      [Entry by Dave Baranyi]   
      
      GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES:  A powerful and moving story about two   
   children orphaned when their village is fire-bombed in WWII.  This is   
   an excellent work by Studio Ghibli that should include the warning   
   "May cause severe sadness."  The art is fabulous and the story has a   
   strong emotional impact.   
      [Entry by Robin Casady]   
      
      GREAT TEACHER ONIZUKA:  see G.T.O.   
      
      G.T.O. (a.k.a. GREAT TEACHER ONIZUKA):  Even though the series starts   
   off with an shot up a schoolgirl's skirt, the series follows the   
   exploits of Ekichi Onizuka in his quest to be a great teacher and all   
   the troubles he encounters.  From the vice principal to the class that   
   hasn't keep a teacher all year in who knows how long, he's got his hands   
   full, then there's the fact that he's got the hots for a fellow teacher.   
   Released by TokyoPop in North America.   
      [Entry by Bill Martin]   
      
      GUNBUSTER (a.k.a GUNBUSTER, AIM FOR THE TOP!):  An affectionate   
   parody of mecha anime and a good story concerning the life and times of   
   Takaya Noriko, a schoolgirl whose father died in mysterious   
   circumstances during an ongoing war with a strange alien race.  Noriko   
   has to learn how to control her mecha, make friends, deal with a   
   traumatic love affair that ends badly, and try to prop up her mentor   
   who, while she starts out strong enough, she suffers later on.  All this   
   set against deteriorating friendships caused by the effects of time   
   dilation!  Available in the US from Manga Video (though it was   
   originally distributed by US Renditions).  Be aware that the UK version,   
   distributed by Kiseki Films, is edited.   
      [Entry by Chika]   
      
      GUNDAM (MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM, STARDUST MEMORIES, WAR IN THE POCKET, MS   
   TEAM 08, ZETA GUNDAM, ZZ GUNDAM, CHAR'S COUNTERATTACK, GUNDAM WING,   
   etc.):  One thing to keep in mind with GUNDAM is that there are two main   
   continuities.  One is known by the Universal Calendar and the other is   
   the After Colony calender.  The UC timeline is the original, while the   
   newer Gundam Wing universe uses the AC timeline.  Other than that they   
   have giant robots and semi-realistic near-future Earth space   
   civilizations at war, they don't interrelate much.   
      MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM was the first 'gritty' and 'realistic' giant robot   
   stories, paving the way for other series.  Before MS GUNDAM, most giant   
   robot stories were vehicles for selling toys in Japan.  GUNDAM   
   revolutionized the genre by putting a background and a more realistic   
   use of giant robots.  GUNDAM is war story, with extras.   
      Adding in ambiguous allies and enemies and an unusual manifest   
   destiny, it managed to tell a compelling story of a young man thrust   
   into the middle of an unwanted war.  He and the ship he ends up on   
   become the pivot on which their history is decided.  The UC timeline has   
   the colonies rebelling against a static Earth Federation.  One of the   
   more interesting points is that no one is really good or evil, per se.   
   Both have faults and heroes, both have their villains.  The Gundam units   
   are on Earth's side for the most part.   
      MS GUNDAM, STARDUST MEMORIES, WAR IN THE POCKET and MS TEAM 08 all   
   are based (loosely) in the UC timeline.  They all use or make mention of   
   the One Year War.   
      Many GUNDAM shows are available from Bandai in North America.   
      GUNDAM WING (and the finale, GUNDAM WING:  ENDLESS WALTZ) are based   
   in the newer AC (After Colony) timeline.  A repressive Earth government   
   is tyrannizing everyone, holding an iron grip over their colonies.  The   
   colonies finally rebel, using five Gundam mobile suits.  Piloted by   
   young freedom fighters, they are the colonies best hope to break the   
   iron grip of Earth.  Part soldiers and part terrorists, the young pilots   
   fight and interact with foes.  Still a war drama, GUNDAM WING puts an   
   effort into some social commentary on war and death.   
      GUNDAM WING has been televised in the U.S., and is available from   
   Bandai in North America and Madman in Australia.   
      [Entry by Arthur Hansen]   
      
      GUNDAM WING:  see GUNDAM   
      
      GUNDAM WING:  ENDLESS WALTZ:  see GUNDAM   
      
      GUNNM:  see BATTLE ANGEL   
      
      GUNSLINGER GIRL:  This is a thirteen-episode series set in modern-day   
   Italy, rife with political and police corruption, organised crime and   
   terrorism.  A shadowy government agency uses cyborged adolescent girls   
   as assassins, tied to their supervisors ("fratello", or siblings) by   
   brainwashing and mental conditioning for obedience and loyalty.  The   
   story is often bloody and violent but also includes scenes where the   
   girls interact with each other and their fratello in a remarkably   
   sympathetic manner.  Each of the girls featured has a distinct   
   personality, often mirroring their fratello for whom they feel   
   "affection" in differing ways.   
      In the wrong hands this series could have been superficial; Madhouse   
   are to be congratulated on avoiding the obvious pitfalls.  The character   
   animation is not the finest but the backgrounds are faithful to the   
   Italian cities the stories are set in.  The violence is realistically   
   displayed; blood and death are inextricably linked in this series.   
   Technically, the depiction of firearms is pretty well spot-on.  Each of   
   the girls has a signature weapon and uses it appropriately, a rarity in   
   anime.  American R1 licencing was announced by FUNimation in June 2004;   
   the R2 Japanese DVDs are already being released.   
      [Entry by Robert Sneddon]   
      
      GUNSMITH CATS:  Rally Vincent and May Hopkins are bounty-hunters in   
   Chicago.  Rally is a sharp-shooter with a passion for fast 70's sports   
   cars, and May likes explosives - lots of explosives.  A BATF agent   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)