Tetsuko no Tabi
ased on a seinen manga by Kikuchi Naoe and Yokomi Hirohiko, serialised in IKKI. The "story" is that a manga artist is asked by her boss to accompany him and a travel-writer on various train trips around Japan and draw a manga about it. The kicker though, is that it's completely non-fiction —the creator really did go on all these trips, and the manga simply records what happened, with no embellishment. There's a little disclaimer at the front that says "This is non-fiction, so I apologize for the lack of drama," and indeed, it mostly is just about them riding trains from place to place, waiting on platforms, etc. The "travel writer" turns out to be a super train-otaku who has vast knowledge of the train network, but also micro-manages all their trips, planning every detail down to the second. He cares mostly about following the schedule and successfully achieving his planned goals (e.g. visiting all stations on a line in a completely bizarre order to accomodate infrequent trains). The mangaka doesn't really care about trains; she's cynical, sarcastic, and rather lazy (she mainly just looks forward to the next eki-ben); he's completely gung-ho as long as he's following the schedule, and the inevitable conflicts are pretty entertaining. Throughout, though, it feels real —if you've travelled by train in Japan it will all seem very familiar, not just the scenery, but also the atmosphere and feel— and the artist does a great job of pacing and applying little tweaks to keep it consistently entertaining. In an additional bit of recursiveness, some of the characters who show up in the manga (who of course are real people, who really did show up) do so because they (really) read previous episodes of the manga! In addition of course, you can learn about various out of the way and interesting Japanese train lines and stations; some of them really do look cool. There's always this vague sense of surreality about it however, the trips are all planned by the train-guy (goal: visit all 9,843 stations in Japan) who seems to consider everything as part of a checklist rather than an experience to be enjoyed. You learn a bit about train-otaku culture too; there's really only the one guy in the story, but train-otaku culture is a sort of constant peripheral presence.
Gegege no Kitarou (2007)
The classic tale of Gegege no Kitaro told yet again. The story is the usual in the Gegege no Kitaro series. Kitaro is a boy living in the Gegege Forest/Cemetery (lands where many Yokai roam) with his mostly dead father (who survives only in his eye), Sunakake Babaa, NekoMusume, and Konaki Jiji. One difference between this Kitaro and all of the others that came before him, is that this one has brown hair instead of the standard grayish silver.
Master of Epic: The Animation Age
Over millions of years, there have been many ages - war, gods, and future to name a few. Each of these was infinitely less exciting than the current Animation Age! In this RPG-esque existence, becoming stronger is paramount to one's survival and leveling up is a must. From pacifists to news casting, from fishing woes to love advice, there's nothing the Animation Age can't show or teach us about life in a game world! Armed with healing spells, changes of clothes and plenty of summoned familiars, the characters of Master of Epic will do what it takes to level up and live to fight another day!
Getsumen To Heiki Mina
An animated spin-off from the Densha Otoko (Trainman) TV drama. In the drama, actor Itoh Atsushi plays the otaku Yamada, whose main love in life is the Mina anime, a cutesy busty heroine with floppy rabbit ears and carrots sticking out her rear. Mina itself is a character homage which triggers back to the Daicon Animation done by GAINAX where a similar nameless bunny girl appeared. Densha Otoko futher featured an opening with scenes which were appearing back in the Daicon Animation.
Saishuu Shiken Kujira
Like snow falling in summer, like a cicada lamenting the coming of winter... In a town watched over by a whale in the sky... the extraordinary is made ordinary. Spectacles that could never be given form are instead given flesh and soul. And in their midst, the story of a miracle that comes to pass in this town of miracles incarnate... For Kuonji, this newly-discovered vision is a thing of wonder and fright – a sentiment not shared by his peers. Under its watchful gaze, Kuonji chats with and hangs out with his somewhat unusual friends. Whether it's with Nina and her striped panties, cat-loving Sacchan, the strange alien Allen or a variety of other busty, skimpily-dressed babes, Kuonji finds himself in the middle of ecchi situations galore! Welcome to the world of Final Examination Kujira.
Sketchbook: Full Color's
To Sora Kajiwara, the world is full of wonderful and adorable things she wants to draw—cats being a popular object of her affection. Even though there are some things that can't be captured with a pencil and paper, she still brings her sketchbook wherever she goes. Her love of drawing eventually leads her to join her school's art club, despite her shy and childish personality. Just like herself, all of Sora's fellow art club members have their own vivid imagination and personality to match. Through her interactions with the rest of the club, Sora begins to break out of her shell and see more of the world around her, taking every opportunity to sketch whatever is on her mind or in her heart.
Dennou Coil
In the near future, augmented reality has become a key part of daily life. A gentle middle school girl named Yuuko "Yasako" Okonogi and her family have just moved to Daikoku City despite rumors of people disappearing. There, her grandmother, nicknamed "Mega-baa," runs a shop called Megasia that specializes in illegal tools which interact with parts of the virtual world. Mega-baa also hosts an unofficial detective agency called "Coil," a group of children around Yasako's age who find and handle corruption of the virtual world. Yasako gets involved with the group when Fumie Hashimoto, a playful member of Coil, helps rescue her cyberdog Densuke after getting trapped in virtual space while chasing a mysterious virus. Also investigating these corruptions and viruses is an abrasive hacker named Yuuko Amasawa, who the others take to calling Isako. Can Coil discover the truths behind the mysterious viruses and corruption, and if they can, at what cost?
Sore Ike! Anpanman: Shabondama no Purun (Dub)
Anpanman's friends go see a bubble show performed by Shabondama-hime and her Shabondama Girls, who make exquisite bubbles by playing their flutes. One of the girls, Purun, can't make big bubbles no matter how much she rehearses. She feels inadequate as she goes to retrieve her lost flute, which Creampanda finds and goes to return. Meanwhile Baikinman takes over Shabondama-hime's castle and steals the flutes, using their power to create evil bubbles, and Purun must realize her own importance and save the day with Anpanman's help.
Ookiku Furikabutte (Dub)
Ren Mihashi was the ace of his middle school's baseball team, but due to his poor pitching, they could never win. Constant losses eventually lead to his teammates bullying him and reached the point where his teammates no longer tried to win, causing Mihashi to graduate with little self-esteem. As a result, Mihashi decides to go to a high school in a different prefecture where he has no intention of playing baseball. Unfortunately, upon his arrival at Nishiura High, he is dragged into joining their new team as the starting pitcher. Although unwilling at first, Mihashi realizes that this is a place where he will be accepted for who he is; with help from the catcher Takaya Abe, he starts to have more confidence in his own abilities. Abe, seeing the potential in Mihashi, makes it a goal to help him become a pitcher worthy of being called an ace.
Zero no Tsukaima: Futatsuki no Kishi
Meet Louise, a budding magician. The students at the Tristein Academy call her “Zero Louise”, due to her current record of zero successes with magic. In fact, her magic tends to go spectacularly wrong. Now, as an important test of her aptitude for magic, she must summon a familiar to be her servant. At this critical moment, she summons up all her magic and wishes for a familiar that is “devoted, beautiful and powerful”, and gets… Hiraga Saito, an ordinary Japanese boy. It’s difficult to say who is more surprised and dismayed, but the rules don’t allow for second attempts. Louise is stuck with her strange familiar, and he with her. Genres: adventure, comedy, magic, romance Themes: dragons, harem, Magical girl, school
You're Under Arrest: Full Throttle
Natsumi and Miyuki are policewomen at the Bokuto Police Station. This story recounts the exploits and adventures they have in dealing with the strange characters they are forced to deal with 'all in a day's work'.
Yawaraka Sangokushi Tsukisase!! Ryofuko-chan
Ryofu Housen (Lu Bu) is a powerful general from the Three Kingdoms; alongside Chinkyuu (Chen Gong), Ryofu suddenly finds himself falling to Earth, and landing... in the body of an elementary school student?! With their new lives as flat-chested, women-loving children, Ryofu and Chinkyuu follow their hunger and their desire to get back to their old lives somehow; but it will be difficult, given the variety of obstacles in their way including old enemies, epic monster battles and the most important thing of all, trying to get their hands on Eri-sensei's mammoth F-cup breasts!
Wellber no Monogatari: Sisters of Wellber
10 years since the great war, tensions were mounting within the country of Wellber, which was barely capable of keeping peace, as war could commence at any time with its neighboring country, Sangatras. In order to avoid warfare, the king of Wellber, Haidel planned on marrying off his daughter, Princess Rita, to Sangatras` Prince Guernia. However, Rita stabbed her groom to be and ran away. Infuriated, Sangatras` King Ranbahnhof threatens to wage war unless Rita is captured and publicly executed within 14 days. In order to avoid the worst case scenario, Rita decides to head for the neutral country of Greedom. Meanwhile, the woman thief Tina sneaks into Castle Wellber, seeking its treasures, when she happens to witness the stabbing of Guernia by Rita. Whether it be by coincidence or necessity, Tina receives information that the "Wasp Man" she was after is in Greedom, her sworn enemy who took the life of her parents. Tina agrees to become Rita`s bodyguard as they head out to Greedom. Shouldering their fate and destiny, the two meet, leave, and set out on their journey. What awaits them is war or peace, vengeance or death...
To Heart 2 adnext OVA
Adapted from a dating sim game of the same name. Hiroyuki Fujita and Akari Kamigishi are friends since childhood. With both of them are in the same class in high school, their love towards each other begin to accumulate, slowly but day by day. However there are many cute girls around….
Time Jam：Valerian and Laureline (Dub)
Based on a French comic book set in a somewhat utopian future where time travel is possible, the show follows two futuristic spatio-temporal French special agents who protect time ans space from time travel-related paradoxes.
Tetsuwan Birdy Decode (Dub)
Federation investigator Birdy chases the space criminal Geega through space to Earth, where he hides in the entertainment industry under a human disguise. Birdy goes undercover herself, posing as famous model “Arita Shion” that often uses a ‘space girl’ look. A male student, Senkawa, stumbles upon a fight between the two one night in an abandoned building only to be severed in half as he is used as a shield by Geega against Birdy. Birdy heals him from imminent death in some fashion- but Senkawas body, and life, are now changed and permanently linked to Birdy.
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
In their closed-off underground village, Kamina and Simon chafe at the limits imposed by the village elder. Yet all this will change, when Simon stumbles across a fantastic device – just as the village’s peace is broken by a violent intrusion.
Shuffle Memories
Plot Summary:When two doors are discovered in an ancient ruin, the gateways to shinkai, the realm of the shinzoku (Gods) and makai, the realm of the mazoku (Demons) are irreversably opened. The races of human, shinzoku, and mazoku come together in the mortal world and nothing will ever be the same. One day, two new families move next door to a boy who had previously been living a very peaceful life. In one house lived the family of the King of the Gods, and in the other lived the family of the King of the Demons. Both families had one daughter whose single wish to live next to the boy they had fallen in love with years ago has just been fulfilled. Also living with the boy is his childhood friend. With these three girls vying for his affections, the boy finds that his new life filled with despair, jealousy, and just a little hope is beginning
Shakugan No Shana Movie
Sakai Yuuji, a high school student who expected his normal life to last forever, is dead. When he was on his way home he witnessed a shocking view as the world suddenly froze: people were engulfed by blue flames and a monster resembling a large doll swallowed them. Just as the monster prepared to consume Yuuji, a sword-wielding girl in black attire with flaming red eyes and hair that burns like embers saved him from the monster. The girl called herself a “Flame Haze” who hunts the “Guze no Tomogara”, creatures from another world. As Yuuji noticed a blue flame in his chest, she called him a “Torch”, a temporary replacement, saying that the “real” Yuuji’s existence had already ended. Unfazed, Yuuji befriended the strange girl, named her “Shana”, and joined her fight against Tomogara and other Flame Hazes.
Seto no Hanayome (Dub)
Michishio Nagasumi's life couldn't be any more normal. In an odd twist of events, during his summer vacation he ends up almost drowning in the sea. Luckily, the cute mermaid Seto San appears to save him. However, San is from a yakuza mermaid family and according to their law, if a human is to catch sight of a mermaid, either he or the mermaid must die. The only other way is for Nagasumi to be taken in as a family member, marrying San. In attempts to save both of their lives, Nagasumi asks for San's hand in marriage. Nagasumi's summer vacation reaped more then what he would expect, as he must now protect San from others finding her secret out.
