E to H

One day, strange ruins are found under Makoto's school, through which he, his megalomaniac rival and his rival's moneymaking sister Nanami are transported to the wondrous world of El Hazard. Due to a question of look-alikes, Makoto has to become a transvestite and impersonate a princess, while his rival Katsuhiko Jinnai plots with an evil queen.

Hmm... Much as I like El Hazard, it didn't live up to the hype. The premise is nothing new, and while the secondary characters are all very funny, Makoto himself is very bland for a hero.

Plot: 3 out of 5. Nothing exceptional here.

Animation: 4 out of 5, as should be expected from an OAV.

Music: 3 out of 5. Some nice pieces.

Cute factor: 2 out of 5, for the general atmosphere and the Bugroms *grin*.

Fun factor: 4 out of 5. Fun characters and bright, cheerful colors.

Cool factor: 2 out of 5. One point for Ifurita and another one for the evil queen!

Overall rating: 3 out of 5. Nice, but IMO doesn't live up to the hype.

Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture

The heroes of the videogame, Joe, Terry, Andy and Mai, embark on a deadly chase at the request of a charming girl to stop a madman from becoming a god.

Anime adapted from videogames are usually boring for those not into the kick and punch wham bam. Following the standard for the genre, Fatal Fury is merely an excuse to show flashy fights with light effects. The characters themselves are pretty shallow and cliché (have you remarked that I really like that word?), and a nostalgic Terry isn't much fun. Yet, I was pleasantly surprised by the character designs and the quality of the animation, and interested enough to sit through the whole of the movie. Therefore I can say that Fatal Fury is one of the better examples of its genre.

Plot: 2 out 5. Very cliché and unoriginal.

Animation: 4 out of 5. Surprisingly good.

Cute factor: 1 point, for Sulia. God knows why Terry would be attracted to her.

Fun factor: 3 out of 5. Some good fights, and I like Joe. Also Mai *bounce*!

Cool factor: 2 out of 5. The Bogart brothers are cool when Terry isn't being weepy, and there are some good martial arts moves.

Overall rating: 3 out of 5. Surprisingly good for a fight movie.

Ghost in the Shell

In the not-so-distant future, many humans have become cyborgs, and the only thing that remains of their humanity is their "ghost", their soul. Kusanagi, one such cyborg, is given the task of capturing the Puppet Master, a mysterious but expert hacker who is messing with people's ghosts. Yet, the Puppet Master is not what they thought he'd be...

An example of the ever popular cyberpunk genre, Ghost in the Shell presents philosophical issues about the nature of life, human beings and machines, and mixes this in with good chase sequences and superb computer effects. Visually, the movie is stunning. The ambiguous nature of the "villain" is also interesting, since by the end the viewer is presented with convincing arguments as to its rightfulness. The slow pace and the complex political situations might detract a few viewers, as can the somewhat muddled ending. But Ghost in the Shell is nevertheless a great anime.

Plot: 4 out of 5. Clever, with echoes of the Matrix. Would be 5 if the ending was more clear-cut. Gets an Ami for good plotting.

Animation: 5, possibly 6(!) out of 5. This is easily the best animated thing I've seen, and the computer effects are smashing.

Music: 3 out of 5. The music is very strange, and not many people will like it, but it does fit the film. It becomes repetitive after a while, though.

Fun factor: 0. This is very deep, and even the fight sequences are subject to the slow pace that is kept throughout the film.

Cool factor: 4 out of 5. One point goes to the computer effects, and another one to the depiction of the city, with its rainy, cloudy atmosphere. Kusanagi and her thermo-optical clothing get another two points.

Overall rating: 4 out of 5. I love Ghost in the Shell, but the ending really is an anti-climax.

Gunnm (Battle Angel Alita)

Dr. Ito is a cybertechnician who lives in Scrap Iron City, in the shadow of Zalem, a utopic town hanging in the sky (I wonder how they manage that?) One day, he finds the head of a beautiful female cyborg in the trash, whom he names Gally. Gally is amnesiac, but she is a great fighter, and apparently has human instincts as well, as she falls in love with a boy whose only dream is to live in Zalem.

The two OAVS that make up this series are adapted from the first two volumes of what is a nine volume manga. This accounts for the number of things left unexplained at the end of the video, such as Gally's fate, and who she really is. Those who have read the manga will be disappointed by this fact. This is only the beginning of Gally's misfortune, folks. Only the beginning.

Plot: Like I said, these OAVs should have been followed by a few more to expand the story. 2 out of 5.

Animation: 4 out of 5, with delicately beautiful character designs, especially in Gally's case.

Cute factor: 1 out of 5, for Gally, even though she turns out to be a violent bounty hunter...

Cool factor: 2 out of 5. One for the general look of the series, and one for the character of Chiren.

Overall rating: 3 out of 5. However you'll be in for a treat if you watch these first and then read the manga.

Hime-chan no Ribbon

Every human has a counterpart in the realm of magic, and tomboy Hime-chan gets a magical ribbon from hers which lets her change of appearence for one hour.

The first in the magical girls line-up! Hime-chan no Ribbon, while following the general concepts of the genre, has some differences that make it interesting. First, she is not from another world or time, like Sailor Moon or Momo. I find her to be a very likeable character, probably because she's really normal. Her powers do not make huge changes, but only small nudges in the good direction. Also, her love interest Daichi is aware of her secret, and can thus help her out of the messes she gets herself into. This series also focuses on their relationship more than is usual for such a show. All in all, Hime-chan is one of the best examples of the magical-girl genre, IMO.

Plot: 3 out of 5. While that might not look like much, most magical girl shows wouldn't get above 2.

Animation: 3 out of 5. Again, above standard.

Cute factor: The whole design, and the standard animal companion to boot. Hime-chan gets a Pikachu for cuteness, yet this isn't the sort of cuteness that makes you want to barf. (Chibi-Usa, *shudder*).

Fun factor: 3 out of 5. Hime-chan's capers are pretty funny.

Cool factor: 1 out of 5, for Daichi. The guy's so cool that he has a fanclub!

Overall rating: 4 out of 5. Nice, modest and just plain fun.