Sesho's Anime and Manga Reviews

Manga podcast review of Arisa volume 1 by Natsumi Ando. Translated and adapted by Andria Cheng. Originally published by Kodansha in Japan. Published in US by Del Rey, $10.99, rated T Ages 13+. From the back cover: "Tsubasa thinks that her pretty and popular twin sister, Arisa, has the perfect life. Everyone at school loves Arisa-- unlike the hot-tempered Tsubasa, whose nickname is the demon prince...

My thoughts on the death of Tokypop

Podcast review of Toriko Episode 1, now being simulcast on Thursdays at 10pm EST on www.beta.funimation.com and www.hulu.com .  Directed by Akifumi Zuko. Series composition by Isao Murayama. Gourmet Hunter Toriko searches the world for exotic flavors and ingredients for his ultimate full course meal. The problem is that those ingredients are giant monsters who want to make a meal of HIM! He is aid...

Podcast manga review of Lives Volume 1 by Masayuki Taguchi (Battle Royale) Translated by Monica Seya Chin. Adapted by Bryce P. Coleman. Originally published in Japan by Akita Publishing. Published in US by Tokyopop, $13.99, Rated Mature 18+. From the back cover: "A freak meteor shower devestates the Kanto region of Japan. Those caught in the blast find themselves mysteriously transported to a stra...

Podcast Episode 232: In this episode I comment on the price increases of Tokyopop and Yen Press and the apathy among the manga community about the price hikes. Among the topics covered: The schizophrenia of Yen Press prices, Tokyopop's rip-off $12.99 books, incest among publishers and bloggers, the lotus eaters of the Anime News Network forum, the current American way of charging more for less, th...

I've been neglecting my anime viewing for far too long so I just decided this weekend to start working through my backlog of dvds alphabetically. Sadly, I've had some of my dvds for YEARS and have never watched them. I know I'm probably not the only one guilty of this sin. And I really need to watch more online stuff as well. Well, anyway, this episode I'm going to be looking at Baccano!, an anime...

Podcast review of Ratman Volume 1 by Inui Sekihiko. Translated by Adrienne Beck. Adapted by Bryce P. Coleman. Originally published in Japan by Kadokawa Shoten. Published in US by Tokyopop, $10.99, Rated Older Teen 16+ . From the back cover: "Shuto Katsuragi is a superhero otaku. Only problem is, he's too short and always getting teased for his height...especially when he tries to emulate his favor...

Podcast manga reveiw of Omamori Himari Volume 1 by Milan Matra. Translated by Amy Forsyth. Originally published in Japan by Fujimishobo. Published in US by Yen Press, $10.99, Rated M for Mature. From the back cover: "Severely allergic to felines, Yuuto Amakawa spends his mornings nursing a drippy nose courtesy of his friend Rinko's cat. But on his sixteenth birthday, it's not just Rinko's pet that...

Podcast manga review of Andromeda Stories Volume 2 by Keiko Takemiya. Story by Ryu Mitsuse. Translated by Magnolia Steele. Published by Vertical, $11.95, Rated 13+. From the back cover: "The machine race known only as the "Enemy" has swiftly taken over the Cosmoralian Empire, but Queen Lilia and her son, Prince Jimsa, manage to flee. The only place to escape to, however, is the desert wasteland wh...

Podcast manga review of Andromeda Stories Volume 1 by Keiko Takemiya. Story by Ryu Mitsuse. Translated by Magnolia Steele. Published by Vertical, $11.95, Rated 13+. From the back cover: Cosmoralia's Prince Ithaca is about to wed Princess Lilia of Ayodoya and be crowned Astralta III. The apparently favorable celestial bearings mean he will be no mere monarch but holy king of a new "papacy". Alas, t...

Podcast manga review of One Piece Volume 3: Don't Get Fooled Again by Eiichiro Oda. Translated by Andy Nakatani. Adapted by Lance Caselman. Originally published in Japan by Shueisha. Published in US by Viz Shonen Jump, $7.95, Rated T for Teen. Show correction: I said "Jolly Roger" when I meant to say "Gold Roger". Please forgive me! From the back cover: "Sure, lots of people say they want to be th...

Podcast manga review of Afterschool Charisma Volume 1  by Kumiko Suekane. Translated by Camellia Nieh. Originally published in Japan by Shogakukan. Published in US by Viz SigIkki, $12.99, Rated T+ (Older Teen) for boobs. From the back cover: "St. Kleio Academy is a very exclusive school. To enroll, a student must be a clone of a famous historical figure. Wolfgang Mozart, Queen Elizabeth, Sigmund F...

Podcast manga review of One Piece Volume 2: Buggy the Clown by Eiichiro Oda. Translated by Andy Nakatani. Adapted by Lance Caselman. Originally published in Japan by Shueisha. Published in the US by Viz Shonen Jump, $7.95, Rated T for Teen. From the back cover: "As a kid, Monkey D. Luffy vowed to become King of the Pirates and find the legendary treasure called the "One Piece". The enchanted Gum-G...

Podcast manga review of Blade of the Immortal Volume 1: Blood of a Thousand by Hiroaki Samura. Translated by Dana Lewis and Toren Smith. Originally published in Japan by Kodansha. Published in US by Dark Horse, $14.95. From the back cover: "Manji, a ronin warrior of feudal Japan, has been cursed with immortality. To rid himself of this curse, regain his mortality, and end his life of misery, Manji...

Podcast  manga review of Polyphonica: Cardinal Crimson volume 1. Original story by Ichiro Sakaki and ocelot. Illustrated by Tomo Hirokawa. Translated and adapted by Sheldon Drzka. Originally published in Japan by Flex Comix. Published in US by CMX, $9.99, Rated Teen+. From the back cover: "There's a magical place known as Polyphonica, where humans and spirits live side by side. In face, spirits ar...

Podcast anime review of 11Eyes, Episodes 1-12. Directed by Masami Shimoda (Ai Yori Aoshi, Boys Be, Saber Marionette J). Series composition by Kenichi Kanemaki (Hell Girl, El Cazador de la Bruja, Negima). Animation by Dogakobo. Series currently streaming at: http://www.crunchyroll.com/11eyes Satsuki Kakeru and Minase Yuka have been best friends ever since they were in an orphanage together. They've...

Podcast manga review of I'll Give It My All...Tommorow volume 1 by Shunju Aono. Adapted by Akemi Wegmuller. Originally published by Shogakukan in Japan. Published in US by Viz Signature Ikki Comix, $12.99, Rated T+ for Older Teen. From the back cover: "Shizuo Oguro is living his dreams...sort of. A complete waste of a human life until now, 40-year-old Shizuo breaks free from the corporate rat race...

Podcast novel review of Usurper of the Sun by Housuke Nojiri. Translated by John Wunderley. Originally published in Japan by Hayakawa. Published in US by Viz Haikasoru, $15.99. From the back cover: "Aki Shiraishi is a high school student working in the astronomy club and one of the few witnesses to an amazing event-- someone is building a tower on the planet Mercury. Soon, the enigmatic Builders h...

Podcast anime blu-ray review of Afro Samurai Season 1 Director's Cut. Directed by Fuminori Kizaki. Written by Derek Draper and Chris Yoo. Published by Funimation, Rated Mature, 5 episodes, 125 minutes. From the back cover: "Afro Samurai (voiced by Academy Award nominated Samuel L. Jackson) is a epic tale of a black samurai's hunt for Justice (voiced by Ron Perlman: Hellboy) who murdered his father...

Podcast manga review of Blame! volume 1 by Tsutomu Nihei (Biomega). Translated by Stephen Paul. Adapted by Brandon Montclare. Originally published in Japan by Kodansha. Published in US by Tokyopop, $9.99, Rated OT 16+. From the back cover: "In a future world rife with decay and destruction, Killy is a man of few words who packs one very powerful gun. He wanders an endless labyrinth of cyberdungeon...

Podcast manga review of Fullmetal Alchemist volume 9 by Hiromu Arakawa. Translated by Akira Watanabe. Adapted by Jake Forbes. Originally published in Japan by Square Enix. Published in US by Viz, $9.99, Rated T for Teen. From the back cover: "Ed, Al and Winry return to Central Command, but only bad news greets the Fullmetal Alchemist and his friends. Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes has been murdere...

Podcast manga review of Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 8 by Hiromu Arakawa. Translated by Akira Watanabe. Adapted by Jake Forbes. Published by Viz, $9.99, Rated T for Teen. From the back cover: "The raid on the Devil's Nest becomes a slaughter, as government troops - led by the Fuhrer President himself, King Bradley - exterminate the half-human forces of the Homunculus Greed. But will Ed and Al surviv...

Podcast manga review of Biomega Volume 2 by Tsutomu Nihei. Translated by John Werry. Adapted by Stan! Originally published in Japan by Shueisha. Published in the US by Viz Signature, $12.99, Rated M for Mature. From the back cover: "In Tsutomu Nihei's nightmare vision of the future, the N5S virus has swept across the Earth, turning most of the population into zombie-like drones. Zoichi Kanoe, an a...

Podcast review of Zoo by Otsuichi. Translated by Otsuichi. Translated by Terry Gallagher. Originally published in Japan by Shueisha. Published in US by Viz Haikasoru, $13.99. From the back cover: "A man receives a photo of his girlfriend every day in the mail...so that he can keep track of her body's decomposition. A deathtrap that takes a week to kill its victims. Haunted parks and airplanes held...

About 3 years ago, I got a membership with Rentanime.com because my local anime/manga store, Anime Avalon, closed its doors. It's weird to think at that time there was hardly any anime online (ok, legal anime). If you were lucky, you might get to watch the first one or two episodes of a series. IF you were lucky. So I had no other way to watch anime besides buying or renting. I'm sure I wasted hun...