Strawberry Panic Review (hot off the press)

 Hey guys! It's Liz here with a review on Strawberry Panic!  Strawberry Panic is a romantic/comedy shoujo-ai anime (one of the best anime out there, in my opinion).
  The story of the anime revolves around Nagisa (as seen in the image above) transferring to an all-girl Catholic school, called Astrea Academy.  On her first day there, she stunbles into a silver long-haired girl (little does she know that this woman is none other than the Etoile).  The Etoile is the most respected student of Astrea Hill Academy.  There are three schools on the campus throughout the strawberry dorms: Miator (the one that Nagisa is in), Lerim, and Spica.  Nagisa soon finds a hierarchy throughout the school, and, with her newfound feelings towards Shizuma, decides to face her past head on. Now, lemme introduce the characters :D
 This is Shizuma Hanazono, a bold, attractive woman with long silver hair.  She is none other than the Etoile of Astrea Academy.  She develops feelings for Nagisa instantly while overcoming the pain of loss of her first love, Kaori. (but I shall not spoil too much for ya)
 This is Tamao, my favorite Strawberry Panic character :D
She has a great personality- she is kind, loyal, honest, and is always there for Nagisa.  She has secret feelings for Nagisa and is going through the hard time of unrequited love :( 
Love triangle here we come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 This is Amane.  She is the "prince" of Spica girl's academy.  All of the girls simply adore her, and she is one of the most popular students at the academy. 
 This is Hikari- she falls head-over-heels for the "prince" of Spica, Amane.  She sings in the Saintly choir and is best friends with Yaya.
 This is Yaya.  She is best friends with Hikari, and also sings in the Saintly choir.  She has secret feelings for Hikari and is going through mixed emotions of unrequited love as well.  She always supports ikari no matter what, and is always faithfully by her side.
 The characters of this anime are simply wonderful, and it is very easy to relate to each individual character's problems if you've ever been in love.  This anime is about true love, being yourself, friendship, pain of loss, and unrequited love.  It is a beautiful series, I must say!  There are 26 episodes total, each about 21 minutes each.  I would give this anime an OVER 9000/10!!
and there you have it! oh yeah, and there's also a manga for strawberry panic as well! there are two volumes total and you can find it in your local bookstore/anime store.  The manga is great as well- a little different from the anime, but still good :D
this is Liz, over and out!

Samurai Champloo: Beatbox Samurai :D

  Hey guys!! It's Liz (crispy) here with a review on samurai champloo.  Samurai Champloo is personally my favorite samurai-based anime hands down!! It is a 26 episode animated series directed by the director of Cowboy Bebop: Shinchiro Watanabe!!! You can definitely see the awesome action style between both cowboy bebop and samurai champloo- it's easy to tell that the same director directed it :D

The plot revolves around this waitress named Fuu that is searching for a man- a samurai who smells of sunflowers.  In the beginning, her restaurant is harassed by a group of bad swordsmen- a guy in a red shirt with a sword (Mugen) comes into the restaurant and tells Fuu, the waitress, that he'll take care of those guys for her if she gives him 50 dumplings. XD
She agrees eventually, by offering 400 dumplings!! Then, Mugen kicks all their butts!  Then a samurai in a blue robe comes in (Jin) and Mugen assumes that he is a bad guy too, and fights him-
I won't spoil too much, so I'll cut to the chase- that's how they meet and they agree to help Fuu find the samurai who smells of sunflowers from a bet on a coin toss.  So, they set off on their jorney together- and this story proves that the journey is more important than the destination.
 This is Fuu, the former waitress.  She is an interesting character- a tough girl with a BIG appetite!!! Sometimes, she gains 1000 pounds!! (then burns it all off by the end of the episode)  She has a squirrel companion named Momo.
  This is Mugen, the brash samurai that acts before he thinks.  Always letting everyone know what he thinks, and he is a great character (my favorite of the series actually :D)  He fights in an unclean, sloppy, breakdancing style.  He is also known for being lecherous and womanizing. He goes by his own rules, following his own path, he doesn't go with the crowd.  He is carefree and reckless.
 This is Jin, the quiet man of few words.  He fights clean, is disciplined, serious, and hard working.  He is burdened for what he did in the past (won't spoil it for ya).  He too follows the path of the samurai-wandering the earth, until he meets Fuu and Mugen.
 I must say, the soundtrack is hip-hoppin awesome! With beatbox rap, and the opening by Nujabes, this is truly catchy and will make you wanna tap your feet!  I love the art style, and the characters really get close to you, they attach to you, and you always remember them for their originality and uniqueness.  Each individual episode has it's own unique adventure-  I love the titles for each episode, too!  I may even review certain episode in the future.  I would definitely give this anime an OVER 9000/10 !! One of my top ten anime, actually!!!
Oh yeah, I almost forgot, there is also a manga for Samurai Champloo! There are two volumes published total.  And it has a different story from the anime, but I would still recommend both the anime and manga to any samurai/action fan :D
This is is Liz, over and out!

Big O Review: IT'S SHOWTIME!!!

 Hey guys! It's Liz (crispy) here with a review on anime legend Big O.
Now here's the scoop: The people of Paradigm city have lost their memories due to a catastropphic event that occured 40 years ago.  Before the catastrophe, it seems that people have been making megaduses (giant robots with powers) and monsters of a sort.  As people both good and bad gradually recover their memories, new threats arise! 
 Roger Smith is the main character of this series.  He is a 'negotiator' that solves people's problems (think of it as kinda a jack of all trades).  He is rich, has a butler, and an android named Dorothy that he meets around the beginning of the series.  Roger has a giant robot named 'Big O', and uses that robot to help people and fights the bad guys.  Inside the Big O, you are judged by God if you are guilty or not guilty.  If you are guilty, the screen inside Big O will say, "Ye Guilty"; if you are not guilty however, it will say,"Cast in the name of God, ye not Guilty". (which I think is pretty cool, because Big O will only let you pilot it if you are a good guy. 
 Dorothy is a secondary character.  She is an android that fights by Roger's side.  And boy, does she kick butt! She has a flat affect, but somehow develops feelings for Roger. 
 This is Norman.  He is Roger's butler of the mansion, and has quite a few combat techniques himself!
 And this guy is one of the bad guys.  His name is Schartzwald.  He has a megaduse as well. 

I would have to say that this anime is a genuine classic!! One of my favorites I must say ^_^
I would give this show a 10/10 hands down.  The characters are great, the mecha is epic, and what more can I say? This is a great show!!
and there you have it :D

Bleach Review: Helping Lost Souls Find Peace!! :D

  Hey Guys!! It's Liz (crispy) here with another review up my sleeve!! ^ ^       Today I'm gonna review Bleach!                             
 
Bleach is about a fifteen year old boy named Ichigo Kurosaki (the guy in the image above), whom has the ability to see ghosts.  He's a typical tough guy with a tough looking face, but, despite that, he has a kind heart and is actually a great student.  He cares deeply for his friends, and one day, there is a monster attacking his town, Karakura, and he sees a girl in a black robe attack and slay the monster.
 That girl's name is Rukia, and she ends up in Ichigo's house later, because she senses spiritual pressure in his house.  Thinking that Rukia is a burgler, Ichigo kicks her in the butt and she explains what that monster was.  Apparently, the spiritual monster was a 'Hollow', and a lost soul that wanders the earth and fills its grief by feeding on humans.  Also, she didn't slay the monster- she cleansed it of its sin and most likely sent it to soul society if it was a good soul.  If it was a bad spirit, her sword (zanpakuto) sends it to hell, where it would belong.  Rukia explains that she is a Soul Reaper, sent from Soul Society.  Soul reapers help protect lost souls and help them find peace.  At this rate, Ichigo is confused, so Rukia shows him a pathetic drawing to explain it simpler!
 Ichigo then tells her that her drawings suck and she gives him a mushtache! XD

Next, Rukia senses spiritual pressure, and a hollow attacks Ichigo's family.  Rukia fights the hollow and is taken down. Injured and beat, Rukia asks Ichigo, "Do you want to save your family?" and Ichigo says, "Of course."  Rukia then offers Ichigo to give him her powers by striking her sword through his heart.  He agreees, and she strikes the sword through his heart! Awakened, Ichigo is now a Substitute Soul Reaper and devotes his powers to helping lost souls find peace!
 My favorite episode is episode 10, the BWAHAHAHA EPISODE!!!! but, I shall not spoil it for you :D

Over all, this is personally one of my favorite anime for the great action, fights scenes are EPIC, and the comedy is GREAT! It really delves deep into the characters past, and you can relate to them-the characters really grow on you.  I would recommend this to any action fan of anime. :D
-The manga is more fast paced, if you prefer the manga, but the anime is good too despite the fillers.  It just depends if you're a filler person or not-
I would give this show an OVER 9000/10!!!
 This is Liz over and out! BWAHAHAHAAHHAHA!!!

7 Billion Needles Manga Review: Scifi-Thriller

 Hey guys! It's Liz (crispy) here with a review on 7 Billion Needles :D

7 Billion Needles is about a girl named Hikaru Takabe.  She is not very social and is often misunderstood by her classmates.  Hikaru always wears her headphones to block out the world around her.  She isn't a part of the crowd, but one day, she is wandering on the beach during a school trip by herself, and a star crashes on her.  That 'star' was a celestial being that now lives off of her body, like a parasite, rather.  He, the celestial being, sends her messages through her headphones, as if she's hearing voices.  He tells her that there is another celestial being that crashed to earth that is evil, named Maelstrom.  So, Hikaru is dragged into an intergalactic battle of 'cat and mouse'. 
 7 billion needles is gathered into our volumes total.  This is personally one of the best sci-fi reads I have ever read, and I would recommend it to any scifi-horror fan!  This series was actually based off of the book, Needle, by Hal Clement.  I am currently going on volume 3, which is released on February 15, 2011.  I have read the first two volumes, and boy, are they awesome!! :D

Blood + Anime Review (hot off the press!)

Hey guys!! It's Liz here with yet another anime review :D
This time I am reviewing Blood +
 Blood + is my all time favorite horror anime/manga ever :D
The plot revolves around Saya, an amnesiac high schooler who can't remember anything past one year.  She was adopted by a man named George, whom also took in two other guys, a boy named Riku, and and a teenager named Kai.  One day, she leaves her track shoes at school, and heads back at night.  She sees a mysterious man with long dark hair and a dagger; she then calls for help.  The teacher who helped her was then dragged up a tree by a monster.  That monster was known as a chiropteran, and the dark haired man gave Saya some of his blood so that she could awaken.  The man gives her her sword and she kills the beast.  Saya's blood is the only blood that can kill chiropterans and she joins forces with an organization known as the red shield, to stop them.
Now I shall get into the characters! ^ ^
 Haji is the mysterious tall, dark figure.  He knows everything about Saya's past and is connected to her somehow.  He's also quite good at playing the cello, if I do say so myself!  His right hand is the hand of a chiropteran, I believe.
 Here's Kai, Saya's brother.  He is personally my favorite character of the series.  He introduces Saya to the phrase "Nankuru-nasa",which means "live for today and look forward to tomorrow".  Kai is the big brother figure and always supports Saya and his family.  He is a great character.
 Riku is Saya and Kai's younger brother.  He is gentle and kind.  He normally does the housework.

George is the man whom adopted Saya, Kai, and Riku.  He lost his wife and daughter in a terrible accident.  He is a great father, and is very supportive.

 To the left is David.  He is the guy in charge of Saya and is part of the Red Shield organization.  He is stern, and serious, and right to the point. 

 Diva is Saya's evil sister.  I don't wanna spoil too much so I won't get into it.  ^ ^'

Anyhow, the plot is great, the characters draw close to you, and the animation is awesome! What can I say? This is a GREAT ANIME! I give this anime an over 9000/10 hands down and I recommend this show to any action/horror fan

Beelzebub episode 5 Summary: OGA PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH!!!!!!!

  Hey guys!! It's Liz here with Beelzebub episode 5 :D
Well, as seen above, Oga STILL can't get rid of Baby Beel. *SPOILER ALERT* 
The episode begins when Baby Beel wakes up in the middle of the night and can't sleep, so, he electricutes Oga.  To help Baby Beel go back to sleep, he has Baby Beel listen to death metal through headphones XD
-and of course, being a demon baby and all, the death metal music is soothing to him and he falls asleep.
 Meanwhile, Oga finds a red marking on his hand, it appears to be a symbol to Baby Beel's connection to Oga.  The closer Oga gets to Baby Beel, the bigger the marking will get! In other words, the more Oga keeps beating up people, the bigger it will get-
So, Oga vows to never punch anyone again.  "It's a man's promise!" Oga says.  Soon after, Hilda and Furuichi are kidnapped by a delinquent guy named Himekawa.  That gets Oga mad enough to beat the 'cookie' outta 'em and he forgets about his 'no more violence' promise and beats all the guys up! "OGA PUNCH! PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and wins the fight and saves Hilda and Furuichi!
 Then the marking on Oga's hand spreads across his arm, as he is getting closer and closer to Baby Beel.  He doesn't even notice that the marking spread until the end of the episode!! XD
Stay tuned for the new episode next Saturday ^ ^
*in the next episode, Baby Beel, Oga, Hilda, and Furuichi play doctor!

OUTLAW STAR: ANIME REVIEW

  Hey guys! It's Liz here with a review on Outlaw Star!  Outlaw Star is what I call a classic anime! There are great characters, and I love the whole 'outer space' theme- I guarantee you will love the characters! My favorites are Gene and Melfina.  Gene is the main character of the show, and Melfina is the second main character.
 (Gene is the one with red hair, and Melfina is the one with black hair)
Here's the gist: Gene Starwind and his partner Jim Hawking run a small business on the backwater planet of Sentinel III. But all that changes the day that Hilda hires them for a bodyguard job. Now, thrust into a mystery they don't fully understand, they're on the run from the cops, the pirates, an angry alien, and a mysterious assassin. But they've got one thing going in their favor - they have the galaxy's most advanced ship, the Outlaw Star. And one day, Gene finds a woman named Melfina, whom is supposedly connected and linked to the Outlaw Star.  The plot is great, and the action scenes are awesome!!!! There is also plenty of comedy as well-
I would give this show a 10/10 ^ ^
-plus, the opening theme is REALLY catchy to boot! THE ENDING EPISODE IS REALLY EPIC!!!!!

COWBOY BEBOP THE MOVIE: KNOCKIN' ON HEAVEN's DOOR and EPISODE 17:MUSHROOM SAMBA REVIEW

  Hey guys! It's Liz here with 2 reviews up my sleeve (not lierally)-Cowboy Bebop: the Movie, and Cowboy episode 17: Mushroom Samba! First off, I'm gonna start with Cowboy Bebop the Movie: Knockin' on Heaven's Door.  This is personally one of the best movies I have ever seen! (coming from a Cowboy Bebop fan herself)  I feel that this movie is underappreciated and doesn't get enough credit-
 To the left is the bad guy of the movie, Vincent.  He lives in dreams and is searching for a way out of this world.  So, here's the question: ARE YOU LIVING IN THE REAL WORLD?
  There are a few new characters in this movie as well! ^ ^ -up above is Electra, and boy, does she kick butt!

The movie first starts off with Spike and the gang chasing bounty heads as usual, being low on money and eating nothin' but cup noodles.  Then, Big Shot Bounty Hunters comes on and reports a bounty with 3 million woolongs on the guys head (man, that will fill your wallet!).  Of course, Spike and the gang search for the guy.  Faye Valentine starts searching for the bounty head in her space cruiser and witnesses the scene of a truck explosion! As a result of the explosion, people within the area start hallucinating from the drug that was released in the explosion.  Spike and the gang go after Vincent to stop the virus that is spreading and ook for a cure.

This movie has AWESOME battle sequences and has a great plot and theme! The animation is awesome and is a must-see! The moive teaches a great lesson about reality. I give this moive an OVER 9000/10! :D
  Now, I shall review episode 17 of Cowboy Bebop: Mushroom Samba.  This episode is truly one of the funniest episodes ever!!! (one of my personal favorites)
Well, first off, the gang is starving because they are outta money and have barely any food. So, Ed and Ein search the area for food.
 While searching, Ed stumbles across a suitcase of mushrooms that a man left behind.  Curious, Ed feeds the mushroom to Ein, and Ein starts hopping up and down in an odd manner.
 Meanwhile, Ed heads back to the Bebop(the gang's ship) and leaves out a mushroom to see if the Spike, Jet, and Faye(the gang) will try the mushrooms.  Spike tries a mushroom and starts hallucinating that he is walking the 'stairway to heaven', Jet puts lipstick on, and Faye ends up wrapped up in toilet paper!! XD
THIS EPISODE IS HILARIOUS!!!!!! I recommend it to anyone, especially a Cowboy Bebop fan.
Well, you know what they say, EASY COME, EASY GO

Sasameki koto: Unrequited Love

 Hey guys! It's Liz reporting in, and today I'm gonna review Sasameki Koto :D
Sasameki Koto (AKA Whispered Words) is a story about friendship and unrequited love. 
The main character, Sumika (the one with the dark hair and glasses) is in love with her best friend, Kazama (the blondie).  Sumika has deep feelings of love for her best friend, but is afraid to tell her so.  Kazama is openly lesbian, and only likes 'cute girls', which is why Sumika is afraid that she won't be accepted by Kazama because she's afraid that she's not 'cute' enough.
 Sumika is my all time favorite character in Sasameki koto, and a very great character indeed.  I feel bad for her for keeping her feelings in though, 'cause I've been there, and I know what it feels like.  The best thing about this show is that you can relate to the whole 'unrequited love' thing.  The anime has 12 wonderful episodes, each about 24 minutes long. The manga is still ongoing, and if you like the anime, I recommend that you read the manga,Sasamekikoto, as well, cause things are really wrapping up!
   The comedy is great, and it really delves deep into the characters' thoughts and feelings.  Especially when Sumika tries to be 'cute' -I get a kick outta that! Especially when Sumika plans all of these fantasies about Kazama and how she says "My honey!!!!" LOLOLLOLOLOLOLOLOOL.   Alltogether, this is my favorite romantic comedy anime, and I recommend it to any comedy anime/manga fan :D

Tokyo Godfathers: Review in honor of Satoshi Kon

  Hey guys! It's Liz here on the scoop of the late Satoshi Kon's movie:Tokyo Godfathers- personally my ALL TIME FAVORITE Christmas Movie ever!!!!!!!!
Well, heres how the story goes: three homeless people- a drunkard (Gin), a former drag queen(Hana), and a high school runaway(Miyuki)- find a baby in a garbage dump on Christmas Eve.
  Hana (the former drag queen) believes that this baby is a gift from God, and that the baby will bless them, because he always wanted to be a "mother".  Gin does convince Hana though that it would be best to search for the baby's parents.  So, they follow their foot
steps back to where they found the baby and find a photo of a couple.  Believing that the couple is the baby's parents, the three homeless people search for the true parents with the photograph in hand.  Along the way, the three encounter unrelated events and poeple that force them to confront each of their own past as they learn to face the future together.  This is a life-changing story, with a great lesson, and is very touching.  This movie is what Christmas is REALLY about!!
  I would explain the plot even more, but I'm afraid that telling more would ruin the point of watching this wonderful movie. IT'S TOO GOOD FOR ME TO SPOIL THE LIFE-CHANGLING EVENTS!!!
I highly recommend it to any anime fan, hands down!! 10/10 :D
This is one of my favorite works of Satoshi Kon, along with his other works : Paranoia Agent, Paprika, Millenium Actress, and MANY MORE!!! This is one of the most underappreciated anime out there :(
I personally think it deserves MUCH MORE CREDIT because it's a MASTERPIECE. The characters are really something and the whole theme of the movie is great ^ ^
and, there you have it-