Reviews (749)

Destined to be a classic.
My title may sound a tad cliche, but I believe it. The guys at Pixar understand the mind of children - because they still haven't grown up! That's why Monsters, Inc. is the perfect balance of children's entertainment and adult sophistication. I love it when a studio produces movies that kids love, but at the same time are able to add a level of maturity and sophistication that adults appreciate - without sexual innuendo or appealing to the lowest-common denominator. (i.e. several instances in the movie, Shrek)

The animation is simply incredible; the characters are compelling and hilarious; Boo is worth the price of TWO admissions; the plot and backstory are completely ingenious.

Buy this movie. Enjoy it. Enjoy Disc 2. (Tons of extras - including "Mike's New Car" and another Pixar short entitled "For the Birds" -- PLUS, clips from the Monsters, Inc. office musical production "Put that thing back where it came from or so help me..." !!) With the possible exception of Toy Story 2, one COULD argue that this is the (or at least ONE of the) greatest animated movies ever made.

Sorry if I'm gushing too much. I love this movie. My kids love this movie. It's just plain, good, old-fashinoned FUN.

"MONSTERS, INC." will scare up a treat for audiences
Delightful, uproarious, fun, hilarious, cute and cuddly, jovial... Just a few of the numerous "happy" adjectives you could pin on Pixar's latest pixilated masterpiece "Monsters, Inc." Pixar once again proves itself Disney's most valuable asset with their knack for original stories and often witty and clever humor.

John Goodman and Billy Crystal provide their trademark voices for Sully, the big blue furry monster, and Mike, the cycloptic short green monster as they scare up kids' screams which are converted to energy to power the televisions and alarm clocks of the monster metropolis. (Seems very allegorical of the California power outages this past summer, no?) Conflict brews when Randall, the gecko-like monster, gets greedy and wants to become the top "scarer" by exploiting the screams of the innocent human child, yet show-stealing cute, Boo. While kids might get lost in the action of the movie, the CGI effects and clever Laurel and Hardy-esque slapstick of Sully and Mike (or Lenny and George, which ever way you want to look at it) will have the kiddies captivated from beginning to end.

While Dreamwork's box office baby "Shrek" may have just as good edgy, clever humor and depth, Pixar is far from being out of the running. Keep in mind, Pixar is already a veteran with "Toy Story 1 & 2" (with a third on the way), and "A Bug's Life". There's no doubt in my mind that Pixar and Dreamwork's will be at the helm of the fully computer animated feature for years to come. May the best company win!

For the time being, strap yourself in for the first in some great holiday flicks coming to the silver screen near you! "Monsters, Inc." is already off and running to box office gold, and is a wholly satisfying and entertaining movie for kids, parents, and "Average Joe" movie critics alike.

A big Kid at Heart
I was in the library with my niece and she grabbed this DVD. How can you say no to someone with the most adorable eyes. So I checked out the DVD, we went home and had a wonderful, wonderful time. This is the kind of movie you can appreciate no matter how young or old you are. James P Sullivan (voiced by John Goodman), and Mike Wazowski (voiced by Billy Crystal) are monsters who work for Monsters Inc. Sulley is the best at getting his fair share of scares, but he has some competition in Randall who wants to be the top scare monster. The more screams collected, the more energy for Montropolis. The monsters are led to believe that if a child enters their "world" they will be contaminated and everything could be destroyed. The real fun part starts when this adorable human child named Marry (Boo buy Sulley) sneaks into Montropolis by accident. The kids are scared of the monsters, and the monsters are terrifiedof the kids. Sully and Mike try to get Boo back to her world, but she won't leave. Turns out Randall is her scary monster. Also turns out that Randal has a plan up his sleeve to extract screams that could put the other monsters out of work. It's up to Sully and Mike to save Montroplis and Monsters Inc. This is a fun, entertaining film that will leave with a happy, happy feeling when it's all over. Steve Bucemis I the voice for Randal Boggs, and other notable actors are James Coburn, and Jennifer Tilly (who has the perfect voice for animation, she should do more of it!!!) and Bonnie Hunt.

This is an adorable movie. One I will watch again, with or without my niece.

More Family Magic from Pixar! Great DVD Extras!
"Monster's, Inc." combines a fantastic cast, cutting edge imagination, and a tender storyline into a wonderful, delightful family film . . . it may even cure the nighttime frights of your wee ones!

Most of us were scared stiff at some point in our childhood by the spooky, imaginary "monsters in the closet," usually after we've read "Where the Wild Things Are" for the first time. "Monsters, Inc." plays on that near-universal fear by creating a rational explanation -- monsters live in a parallel universe, connected to ours by closet doors, and they power their land by the energy contained in human screams. Makes perfect sense!

Sulley (the hilarious John Goodman) is a celebrity in Monstropolis as the leading scare-getter for Monster's, Inc. Sulley is generally a lovable big blue yeti-bear-creature, but he can be quite terrifying. Blissfully unaware of the terror he unleashes, he enjoys his job. Basking in Sulley's reflected glory is his sidekick and assistant, Mike Waznowski (Billy Crystal, perfect as ever). Mike is a lime-green-yellow glob with one giant eye and an even larger mouth. He helps Sulley get the screams and stay one step ahead of the competition.

And the competition is fierce. The dragon-chameleon Boggs (Steve Buscemi, suitably creepy without being too scary for the kids) is right on Sulley's heels to be the scream champion, and he's willing to go to any lengths to beat his nemesis.

All is well in Monstropolis until Boo, a human child, accidentally finds her way through the closet and into Monstropolis. It seems that as scared as kids are of monsters, the monsters are equally scared of the kids -- their touch (allegedly) brings death and ruin. (This misunderstanding leads to great comic scenes as X-Files-type HAZMAT crews invade every time there's a kid sighting, usually to the woe of the monster who has seemingly been infected by the kid!)

Like all Pixar films, the glories are in the details. Check out the gentle satire of Hollywood celebrity culture, of mindless bureaucracy, and the perils of romance in the office. The animation is also wonderful -- Pixar continues to evolve with every picture. For example, Sulley's fuzzy hair is fully articulated as he zooms through various escapades.

The story is fast-paced, with enough jokes to keep the adults laughing . . . which is good, 'cause your kids will likely keep throwing this into the DVD player.

Speaking of the DVD -- there are lots of fun extras on this two-disc set. Personal favorites include the fake "outtakes," similar to those at the end of "A Bug's Life," a short film featuring Mike showing Sulley his new hi-tech car (with hilarious consequences), and an Oscar-winning short film, "For the Birds," which shows how funny animation can be, even in short doses. There are additional extras that will keep the kiddies occupied for hours.

All in all, a must for the family's DVD library.

100% Kid Friendly
There aren't many movies that can be seen over and over and over again and still be enjoyed so much. My little sister is addicted to Monsters, Inc. Instead of having to look under the bed to make sure there are no monsters there, she wishes and hopes that when the closet door is opened, Scully will be in there waiting to "scare" her. She was Boo for Halloween last year and requested a Little Mikey stuffed animal for her birthday. Basically, she can not get enough of anything to do with Monsters, Inc.

OK, I admit it. I'm hooked on Monsters, Inc. too. After seeing it thirty plus times with the little one, I still find myself actually watching it and laughing out loud. What a great movie with lovable characters.

Monsters, Inc. is a 100% kid friendly movie that adults will enjoy as well. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Just awful...
...awful in the bad sense of the word and not filled with awe, hence I only gave it 1 star. Where to begin...well it's a prequel for a start. That more often than not reeks of a "cash-in" on a successful franchise. That said, I did it give a chance (it is definitely not getting another!) Long story short, the animation is barely averge. Granted it's a long series and I'm sure it would be difficult to maintain a high standard across 30(?) episodes but it really didn't wow me. The adaptation of the story is plain stupid and lazy. Not only did I find it thoroughly uncompelling but it was tedious having to sit through the whole thing in the hope it would some how miraculously redeem itself. It just gets worse. Being a huge fan of the Street Fighter II games, anime in general and the animated movie in particular, this series held no appeal for me and I was fantastically disappointed from the first episode until the last one. This ladies and gentlemen is what's known as a "Turkey".

Avoid at all costs. Check out Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie instead. It is fantastic, especially for SF and anime fans.

Not quite there
I bought Street Fighter II Collection with the hopes of it being a great asset to my anime collection with brilliantly animated recreations of the fights we all have grown to know and love. However, I was partially dissappointed once having watched the entire series, as much of it is unnecessary and cheaply animated.

The plot itself is rather simple; Ryu gets invited to America by Ken. Their first night there they get into a bar brawl with Guile, who quickly and efficiently dispatches both fighters. They both decide they need to get stronger and set out into the world to find acccomplished and deadly martial artists, however this eventually leads to their entanglment in a drug syndicate crisis.

In theory this sounds like a great way to involve all of the characters from the series, however in execution it fails quite miserably. The animation would have to be my biggest gripe, as this is an action anime. First, many scenes are poorly done, with at least 2-3 minutes of still shots per episode, replays of previous episodes, and the dreaded repeated animations. Again and again we see the same moves and choreography for the fights between the characters so that you end up watching hoping to see something new rather than paying attention to the action. Much of the fights revolve around the characters talking instead of actually beating each other into pieces of blood meat, which is the reason we are watching this. Many of the characters fail to use their signature moves from the video games, and the ones that do, their animations are recycled so many times you are never amazed by it. However, this is not to say the entire anime is bad, as there are a series of episodes where Ken fights Vega that are quite well done.Yet the majority of the series is absolute trash.

The voice acting is nothing spectacular, nor is the music. The dvd itself has very few features, but thats forgiveable for the shear size of what you are receiving. I would say that when this anime does things right, you sit there with nostaligc memories of the coin crunching arcade game you loved, yet for the most part you sit there wishing it would get on to the next episode

Street Fighter II Collection of needless scenes
I loved the fact when Street Fighter II was finally animated. But when the V serious was release I never picked it up so I decides to get the 4 DVD collection set. And boy am I disappointed. I am a die hard street fighter fan and really feel let down.

The set tells the story of a young Ryu and Ken who sets out to travel the world to improve their skills and test "real" Street Fighters after getting crushed by Guile in a bar fight.
The set spans 28 episodes most of which in my opinion are not all that great and should have been cut, but that would then show that the really didn't put that much effort or thought in the serious and only leave a few minutes in each episode for enjoyment. I say it should have been cut because its is great dragged out in some parts with characters stopping and talking for 5-minutes in the middle of a fight or having 2-minute stare downs. Better yet wait until you get to the parts where they charge there moves for no less than 5 minutes like Dragon Ball Z or worse yet the M. Bison 3-minutes stretches or grinning and laughing sections at the end. All wasted animation and time that could have been used to tell more of the story or introduce other characters. The first Street Fighter which was movie and not a serious and was about 2hrs long but managed to tell a better story while at the same time showing more characters with better fights scenes than this 28 serious did.

The DVD it self does not contain a lot except for the 7 episodes per disk and previews of other anime movies which they call extras and the street fighter song remixed. WOW! The picture quality even though on DVD is not that much better than VHS and is very dark in some parts. The good is the that it does provide both the original and dubbed voices which are ok except for the stereotypical voices for the the black characters with added words "this how we do it where I from" which when you have the subtiles on doesn't say that at all.

Anyway unlike Street Fighter II the movie which I can watch over and over I doubt I will watch this again except for the Vega from spain episodes.

AN incredible Series
If a series can get me to watch all the epsiodes back to back than that definetly says something. Street Fighter II V has definetly done that.

The plot behind Street Fighter II V is that Ryu goes to America to visit Ken. While there they get into a fight with a group of Air Force troops. After Ryu and Ken victory they get...handed to them by Guile. They then travel the world to learn new martial arts techniques and later unlock the power of the Hado. Whie traveling they befriend Chun Li, Fei Long, Sagat, Dhalsim, and eventually Guile. However they face deadly opponents such as Vega, Bison, Cammy, Zangief, and more.

The story is surprisngly very good, and when an Anime series last up to 30 episodes that says something (considering most barley make it to 10). THe Animation is great, the story is great, and this is hands down the best video game to series (anime and Live) available. Also look for background cameos from Akuma, he appears frequently in the most unusual places.

Better Than The Movie But Not Without Flaws
This series is based on the hit video game. It's 29 episodes long and spans four DVDs. The first three DVDs contain seven episodes each, and the fourth DVD contains eight episodes. Unfortunately, the DVDs has few extras. There are some anime DVD previews, info on other titles, links to Internet sites, and a remix of the theme song. The fourth DVD has a trailer for "Street Fighter Alpha: The Movie", which is unrelated to the V ("Victory") series. Also, the DVDs (at least my copies, which I watch on my computer monitor) have an annoying flaw. Whenever the camera shot changes, the very top and very bottom of the screen has static or something. The DVDs are bilingual. The English dub is mostly accurate, but there are many differences in the dialogue. My advice is to watch it in Japanese with English subtitles first and then in English. Sometimes, I like to watch DVDs in English with English subtitles. It allows me to easily see the changes in dialogue. The "Street Fighter II V" DVDs don't give you that option, but I'm able to do it using the DVD Player program on my computer. One big problem that I have with the audio is that the theme song has been changed in the Japanese audio track as well. Never mess with the original audio track! As for the series itself, it's a lot better than the movie. There is room for a lot of characters. Blanka fans will be disappointed. He doesn't appear. The series takes some creative liberties, such as making Ken, Ryu, and Chun Li teenagers, but that's fine. The series is mostly about Ken and Ryu, but Chun Li is also developed nicely. Unfortunately, the final episode is mostly about Ken and Ryu's battle with Bison, leaving only a small amount of time for the ending. Several plots go unresolved. Spoilers Ahead. Does Chun Li's father survive, or does he die? This is an important part of the plot, and we'll never get an answer. We don't even see Fei Long tell Chun Li that her father is in the hospital. Does Cammy come to Chun Li and admit that she tried to murder her father? The series wastes a large amount of time with redundancies. Each episode begins with a recap of the previous episode. After that, the final scene of the previous episode is replayed and leads into the current episode. At the end of each episode, there's a preview of the next episode. On the fourth DVD, half of one of the episodes consists of a recap of previous episodes. What was the point? Also, there are lots of instances of panning camera shots of still or nearly-still pictures; Ken and Ryu charging up their special attacks; and characters running around, trying to get someplace. Near the end of the series, I was thinking "They could've shortened this" every minute or so. One episode could easily have been trimmed from this series without any loss in plot or characterization - perhaps more. I'm guessing that the production team was trying to make more money with less animation. If even five minutes had been cut from the final episode (which could have easily been done), then they could have added Fei Long arriving on the island and telling Chun Li about her father, Chun Li at the hospital, Cammy talking with Chun Li, simultaneous funerals for Guile's friend Nash and Chun Li's father Dorai, and Ken being reunited with his parents. Instead, the only thing that's resolved is the threat of Bison. You'd think that, with 29 episodes, they'd be able to finish what they started. Overall, this is an enjoyable series, but Chun Li (and perhaps Cammy) fans will be disappointed with the ending. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Raised in an Italian convent, 16-year-old Robin Sana returns to her native Japan to join the STNJ, a secret organization that captures, rather than kills, witches of both sexes. The typically mismatched crew includes hacker Michael Lee, rookie Haruto Sakaki, psychic Miho Karasuma, Yurika Dojima, the spoiled daughter of a prominent family, and icily aloof Amon, the de facto leader of the team. As a "craft user," Robin can conjure fire as a weapon, but has some trouble with her aim. Witch Hunter combines the subdued palette of Blood: The Last Vampire with the alienated tone of the Vampire Princess Miyu OVAs. The elegantly designed settings and skillful use of color are more interesting than the flat stories about pursuing the supernatural murderers. All six volumes and a pin collection are included in this set. (Rated 13 and older: violence, alcohol and tobacco use) --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (64)

The Icon of Heroic Anime
Any anime fan knows: There's a lot of cliches out there. But every once in a while, something comes along that does the "same old thing" with such amazing brilliance that it is fresh again, and you realize why you loved it so much the first time.

If you've seen a lot of anime, you won't see any new concepts in Outlaw Star - but you'll love watching it just the same. The action is incredible, the characters are rich and well-developed, and the plot is compelling and twisty. Sure, it's the got the archetypical "fly by the seat of his pants in a cool spaceship waving a magic gun" kind of hero (and he's even got red spiky hair,) an android who is desparate to find out her past, a child prodigy hacker, a samurai assassin, a spastic female were-tiger with revealing clothes, and of course the prudent AI ship's computer, (not to mention a varied cast of space pirates, law enforcement, bandits, outlaws, bounty-hunters, etc.), and they're in search of something with an extremely mysterious name ("galactic lay line?" Come on!) Sounds like the same old anime thing, right?

Think again. Even if you've seen a million animes that sound just like this, you've never seen it done so well as Outlaw Star. The coolness factor is through the roof. A perfect blend of spectacular fantasy and Heinlein-esque realism. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Why isn't this show more popular?
This series has a little of everything. Among the crew of the Outlaw Star are a handsome but occasionally dorky hero; his teenage-genius sidekick; a cute but painfully shy android girl; a tradition-loving female ronin; the ship's cantankerous computer, with the personality of a depressive who's resigned to his fate; and a predictably spazzy catgirl. This should give you some idea of how well it sticks to all the clichés of 90s-era sci-fi anime.

And yet it transcends those clichés at the same time. There are those who say this series does everything and does nothing very well, but personally I'm inclined to disagree. Maybe it doesn't go anywhere that other series haven't already been, but boy, does it have a damn good time getting there. It's wildly funny at times, more than worthy in the action department, and there are quite a few mysteries along the way that make the whole series worth watching.

The animation quality of the show is consistently high, but then again it seems the standards have increased in Japan. Much like the art of Trigun or Cowboy Bebop, the show's visual style is breathtaking and entertaining in its own way. The quality of the sound is also admirable; the DVDs have no noticeable glitches whatsoever, in sound OR video. And I haven't watched it with the dubbed dialogue much, but from what I've heard so far the dub's not as embarrassing as one might think.

This show doesn't necessarily cover any new ground, but damn it, you've got to give them credit for trying. All in all, a very entertaining series.

Great anime! Great characters!
Awesome anime! I loved watching it every single episode is worth watching, the characters are superb. There is no episode where i would go: nah enough is enough. NO CHANCE.

I'm 14, very big fan of anime. I've seen Cowboy Bebop-as it is often the nemisis of OS-and i can say it is good but it's not totally compelling, i would skip most of those episodes if i were to watch Cowboy Bebop. I would much sooner watch Outlaw Star. It's entire vision is creative, yet it's ending took me time to understand. Best way to describe the universe is completely unique, it brings a fresh finesse to the usual action anime. If you're an anime fan there's a 98% chance you'll love this show. Another Bebop comparison is the characters. While characters in Cowboy bebop are good they dont match the characters in Outlaw Star. The characters in this show were very interesting to me, they have a charm i just couldn't get from most other animes. I would say more depth but i don't want to include any spoilers to any who haven't seen OS.

I saw Outlaw star when it aired, it's so much better uncut. There's no other way to watch this show---watch it uncut, it's great.

Bottom line: Good characters, unique universe, creative and mystical story, dark but stylish animation. Geh, this is a great anime over all. I'll be re-watching this one for a loooongggg time. It really absorbed me into the universe.

The most underrated anime of all time.
Outlaw Star is an anime about a group of bounty hunters in space going to find a treasure called the Galatic Leyline. Now that sounds very cliche, but understand that Outlaw Star has some of the best character development ever. I not going to compare it to Cowboy Bebop, but it is equal to it. Gene is a young pilot out to make it big. Jim is his genuis hacker friend. Malpheena is a android girl looking for her true self. Aisha is a cat-girl working for the glory of her people, and Suzuka is a cold-blooded assassin. This is the crew of the Outlaw Star.

Story - Very few filler episodes, the first 8 episodes (out of 26) all tie in to the story well. The last 18 contain a few that veer off a bit, but they all add to the plot. The last 3 episodes are a must see for the action. The sci-fi atmosphere is great is very original despite what many people take it for.

Animation - Very good for a TV show released in 1998. The characters move fuildly and few frames are repeated.

Music - Its solid all aorund and doesn't seem out of place. The sound effects are awesome on DVD, and the English dub is equal if not better than the Japanese dub.

Action- Gunfights, swordfights, magic, grappler ships, bombings, killer robots, magic, duels, hand to hand combat, and the Kei Pirates, the coolest groups of villains ever. Enough Said.

Characters - You learn a lot about everyone, even the villains. Some of the minor ones such as Fred Luo are fall out your chair hilarious. Even the Outlaw Star's AI Gillian is pretty comedic. The crew is very funny when they interact. They act like real people and even complain about things like bills and money. Its not slapstick comedy its more of a dark comedy that even adults can appreciate.

Overall - If you are tired of DBZ and that ilk, or just want to watch something very entertaining, Outlaw Star is perfect.

Also- There is some swearing, but its not excessive, no f-bombs or god----. There is no graphic violence or sex, but the content is enough to make this for teens and adults.

Does it beat Cowboy Bebop?
Gene Starwind, (the main character) saw his father killed when he was a child by ruthless pirates named the Macduggal Brothers. Gene grew up and became a bounty hunter for hire. He aquires a unique spaceship called the, Outlaw Star, which has a navagation system provided by the android, Melfina. This ship is the only one able to find the coordinates to a great mystery known only as the Galactic Leyline. Gene Starwind is joined by an interesting crew; Jim is a computer hacker, Susuka is an assassin, Aiasha is a beast girl, Melfina is an android who has human feelings. They all embark togther on the quest to the Galactic Leyline. Gene also has a score to seatle with the Macduggal Brothers. I enjoyed watching Outlaw Star very much. The story flows well right from the beginning when each character is introduced. The characters themselves are fun to watch as they have their own charm and personalities. The group does a lot of traveling between cities and planets. They meet a host of characters both good and bad. Gene Starwind is adventurous, funny and deadly- he is a good example of the swashbucking hero. He also posses a gun called a, Caster. The interesting thing about the Caster gun is the it shoots shells which contain magic spells from- magna-. So this Quasi fantasy and science fiction element makes it more interesting. The ship itself is interesting as it contains an artificial intelligence on board and intereacts with the crew. The ship-to-ship combat lacked intensity found in other anime titles. A big part of that fault was the low framerate, low detail designs, and having the ships fight with grappler arms. So yes, it was strange to see ships holding hands and punching each other. The character design and animation were average, it just lacked the fluidity of high quality anime. The sound effects and music were also average. These are just minor complaints I have. I personally liked Cowboy Bebop much better, but Outlaw Star was a lot of fun to watch, the storyline and characters were good and this is the basic foundation of good anime. Good for teens and adults. Ends on Episode 26, but hints that the series might continue. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Based on the manga by Rumiko Takahashi, the creator of Ranma 1/2 and Urusei Yatsura, the Inu-Yasha TV series (2000) blends elements of Japanese folklore and familiar anime devices into a deftly imaginative blend of humor and adventure, an extremely entertaining series that never falls into cliché.Beginning the first season's 27 episodes, Kagome Higurashi, a normal 15-year-old girl, falls down a dry well--and finds herself in the feudal past, 50 years after her ancestress Kikyo imprisoned the half-human/half-demon Inu-Yasha. As the reincarnation of Kikyo, Kagome possesses a magic jewel that greatly increases the power of demons. Kagome fetters Inu-Yasha with the help of her priestess-ancestor Kaede, and when the jewel is shattered Kagome and Inu-Yasha must ally to recapture the fragments.

The series really begins to hit its stride when Kagome and Inu-Yasha, while bickering, nevertheless prove an effective team against the demons they encounter in the Warring States netherworld. Two new characters create complications. Shippo, an orphan fox spirit, meets Kagome and Inu-Yasha in the Warring States period. A more conventional but potentially more dangerous addition is Hojo, a handsome upper classman at Kagome's school, who's concerned about her recent absences. His understated good manners contrast sharply with the prickly Inu-Yasha--just as Kagome is beginning to recognize his good points.

In the multi-part adventure that begins with "Kikyo's Stolen Ashes," the filmmakers presenting conflicting versions of the relationship between Kikyo and Inu-Yasha, and the intriguing plot twists typify Takahashi's sophisticated story-telling. The tone darkens as the back story emerges: 50 years earlier, Kikyo tended Onigumo, a badly burned thief. As his desire for the Sacred Jewel--and Kikyo--grew, Onigumo summoned a horde of demons, whom he allowed to consume his flesh and soul. The evil creatures fused to form the terrible Naraku. Recognizing his feelings for Kagome, Inu-Yasha tries to protect her from Naraku by sending her back to her own time and blocking the passage between the ages. Inu-Yasha, Kagome, Shippo, and Miroku face a bizarre array of monsters and villains, including a forest demon who vomits hordes of monstrous, three-eyed wolves.

As the tapestry grows richer, Kagome and Myoga begin to explore the origins and nature of the Sacred Jewel that radiates power yet brings misfortune to everyone who approaches it. The source of the jewel turns out to be the demon-slayers' village. Inu-Yasha, Kagome, and their friends learn how the Jewel was created long ago in a battle between hordes of monstrous demons and Midoriko, the greatest priestess of the age. But the Jewel is also a miniature battleground between good and evil: a metaphor for the world--and for Inu-Yasha's heart, as he vacillates between selfishness and kindness. (Rated 13 and older: violence, grotesque imagery, brief nudity) --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Sailor Moon S Kicks S ;)
Season one blew me away....the uncut Japanese version made me respect the series far more than I did when it was shown by DIC. I found Season 3 through a company who sends directly from Malaysia before it was offered on Amazon, and the story line blew me away! It's a far cry from the Americanized version, definitely not a little kids show. The revelations throughout this season are astounding. This season is probably my favorite, along with Season 5, Sailor Stars. If you want the URL to order Sailor Stars, feel free to email me at kevinpeterstewart@hotmail.com. In short, Season 3 should NOT be missed and is definitely worth the cash. Ciao!

My favorite season so far!
Sailor Moon and the sailor soldiers may have ended the battle with Death Phantom. But now, they all must face a greater challenge: They're in 9th grade now, and have to study for the high school entrance exams! That, and face a mysterious, powerful new enemy that want to steal people's pure hearts. And they encounter two new mysterious soldiers, who apparantly don't want to be involved with Sailor Moon.

I first saw Sailor Moon S when it was aired on Cartoon Network, and I was really suprised with the improvements that they made with the dub. The original background music was used, and most of the new characters names had been retained. These were removed when Dic dubbed the first two seasons, but luckily, CWI took over to dub the third and fourth seasons.

Even though I'm mentioning the dub, I prefer the original Japanese soundtrack. And in this boxed set, the sound and video were clear. Those were the problems that I found most irritating in the previously released ADV boxed sets of the first and second seasons. My only critisizms on the boxed set itself is that it lacks the reversable covers that were in the original releases, and the cases are thin-packs. Other than those drawbacks, this is an excellent boxed set to an excellent season of Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon. And I suggest that if you're a fan of the dub and the original version, you should definetely get this.

Great Set!
This set is really great. I am so happy with the Japanese subtitled version.
I was all ways ticked off, that the American public had to change so much of Sailor Moon.
So I was glad to finally see the rightful version of Sailor Moon S.
I love Uranus and Neptune even more now, because I finally get to enjoy the characters.
As they were meant to be!

Box Set!
Wow, I bought all these dvds separate. Im sad. The box is so pretty too.

I give this 4 stars only because it wasnt my favorite season. The first two seasons and Sailor Stars (Which you can buy on ebay) were my favorites. mmmhm.

But if you are looking to own this season this is the way to buy it. Not separate.

Sailormoon at it's best!
I'm a huge Moony so I love all the seasons, but S is the best! Please, everyone, don't watch it in English! The changes they make are awful. Starting with the names: Serena, Lita, Darien, etc. But more importantly, Haruka and Michiru are Amara and Michelle, COUSINS. Anyone who knows the real Sailormoon knows that they are a lesbian couple, and that for some reason the American dubbers considered that inappropriate. (Bigots). Anyway, this season is the best because it has all my favorite Sailor Senshi in it (meaning not the Starlights or Chibi Chibi or the evil ones), and lots of plot twists and an interesting and touching end. After S, Stars is the best. ... Read more

Description

VERY LIMITED QUANTITIES!! - Featuring exclusive Zeta Gundam artwork by famed artist, Tsukasa Kotobuki (Saber Marionette J) - Limited Collector's DVD Art Box featuring 'Thinpak' packaging - Exclusive collection of Zeta Gundam collectable figures/pencil sharpeners - Exclusive Zeta Gundam Poster - 48 page Zeta Gundam 'encyclopedia' booklet

Universal Century 0087, Seven years have past since the defeat of the Zeon army during what has now become known as the 'One Year War'.An elite Federation military force known as the Titans are tasked with the prevention of further uprising by space colonies orbiting the Earth.Tragically, the destruction of an entire space colony at the hands of the facist-like Titans threaten to undermine peace between the Earth and those living in space. A civilian, two decorated war heroes, and a powerful new Gundam mobile suit - The world is once again on the brink of war and the future of humanity is at stake. ... Read more

Description

Collect all eight volumes of the Tenchi Universe TV series in a special boxed set.All DVDs are uncut and bilingual. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Cool series
INTRODUCTION:
Although the Tenchi Muyo anime series became a massive hit in its native Japan and other neighboring nations, it was never fortunate enough to gain that kind of success in the United States. That's a real shame, because this is one of the best anime series out there. It DID air briefly in America on the Cartoon Network, but it never really won the audiences over the way series like Pokemon and Dragon Ball Z did. But this series is every bit as good as the animes that DID achieve fame in America. Read on for my review of this set.

BASIC PLOT:
It's hard to describe this series because there are so many twists and turns in the plot, but I'll try my best. The story follows a young man named Tenchi Masaki, who has just returned to school from a long break. Soon enough, he meets up with a rather strange cast of characters, and discovers that he may be the last hope for saving the universe! To make things even more difficult for him, many of these strange characters he has met fall in love with him, and this creates some competition amongst them that results in some rather comical scenes.

SERIES OPINIONS:
Why is this series so underrated in America? This is one of the best animes out there. It combines the samurai-style action of Dragon Ball Z with the romance/slapstick humor stylings of Sailor Moon, and this creates a series that is universally appealing. And believe me, over time this series will grow on you.

THE DUB:
Surprisingly, the dub version of this series isn't that bad. A few scenes have been mistranslated or toned down for American audiences, but it's nothing major like with other animes. Here's a little tip, if you're curious about what has been changed - while you're watching the Japanese subtitled version of the DVD, hit the Audio button on your DVD remote and switch to the dub track. This way you can watch the English dub with the English subtitles for the Japanese version - there's no better way to see how different some of the translations are!

DVD:
Once again, DVDs featuring an uncut dub and an uncut sub have been released. This is great because you get both versions of the series. There are also some bonus features as well. There aren't a whole lot of bonuses, but at least there are some - a number of anime DVDs don't have any at all!

OVERALL:
Overall this is an excellent DVD set, and it's good to have all the episodes of this classic series on DVD at long last. Still, the DVDs could have been done a little better. If you're an anime fan, this is a strongly recommended release.

Hooray!
Easily the best of any of the Tenchi Series, Universe is a joy because they don't have twenty years to complete the series, nor the expectation of following a huge first hit. Every episode is a joy because they aren't in search of some cosmic plot. The characters develop without flooding the viewer with useless details about their past. And Ayeka and Ryoko actually cry over Tenchi. It's so sweet.
Episode 25 has to be one of the few perfect episodes in all of anime (like Pierrot LeFou in cowboy Bebop), because the characters all take their 15 minutes and leave. The whole of this series is presented in good taste, rich in drama, and quits while it's still ahead. A true staple of any collection. (We are also treated to a delicious satire of Sailor Moon. The writers are clever enough even to mock Jupiter's and Mercury's romantic relationship. Just one more reason to purchase this series.)

Volume 7 of the Tenchi Universe.
The first episode is a swimsuit episode, which is pretty normal for anime, so no surprises there. The plot is that, once again, the gang needs money. The ship needs some repair work done and the fastest way to make money, besides the jobs they've taken, is a swimsuit contest in which the winner gets one million Jurai dollars. Everybody decides to join. After all, with so many pretty women ONE of them has to win. Even Nagi joins the contest! The ending of this episode is no surprise, but it is kind of funny. I won't give it away.
The next episode is just as funny, even if it does bring us back on track to the main story arch. Tenchi and the gang need to get past the outer defenses of Jurai space. So they pretend to be a school group to get through the checkpoint, one of the many space stations that encircle that area of space. Tenchi even cross-dresses to be a girl! I don't want to give too much away, but the episode is not just funny, it shows us that not everybody is against our Heros.
The last episode is somewhat serious. While being chased they enter a sector of space that is forbidden, a sacred place to Jurai. The shock is that Katsuhito is the one that directed them to fly into it! He knew it was there and he has brought them to it for a reason. He has come to uncover two Knights of old, Knights who would awaken to help the Jurai Family in time of great need. So they land on a planet within the region to find the Knights. But things don't go as planned.

This last episode can be very confusing but it reveals alot about almost everybody! Who Katsuhito really is, how willing Sasami is to make friends, so on. This DVD is a must to understand and enjoy the last DVD in the series.

Good series
INTRODUCTION:
Although the Tenchi Muyo anime series became a massive hit in its native Japan and other neighboring nations, it was never fortunate enough to gain that kind of success in the United States. That's a real shame, because this is one of the best anime series out there. It DID air briefly in America on the Cartoon Network, but it never really won the audiences over the way series like Pokemon and Dragon Ball Z did. But this series is every bit as good as the animes that DID achieve fame in America. Read on for my review of this set.

BASIC PLOT:
It's hard to describe this series because there are so many twists and turns in the plot, but I'll try my best. The story follows a young man named Tenchi Masaki, who has just returned to school from a long break. Soon enough, he meets up with a rather strange cast of characters, and discovers that he may be the last hope for saving the universe! To make things even more difficult for him, many of these strange characters he has met fall in love with him, and this creates some competition amongst them that results in some rather comical scenes.

SERIES OPINIONS:
Why is this series so underrated in America? This is one of the best animes out there. It combines the samurai-style action of Dragon Ball Z with the romance/slapstick humor stylings of Sailor Moon, and this creates a series that is universally appealing. And believe me, over time this series will grow on you.

THE DUB:
Surprisingly, the dub version of this series isn't that bad. A few scenes have been mistranslated or toned down for American audiences, but it's nothing major like with other animes. Here's a little tip, if you're curious about what has been changed - while you're watching the Japanese subtitled version of the DVD, hit the Audio button on your DVD remote and switch to the dub track. This way you can watch the English dub with the English subtitles for the Japanese version - there's no better way to see how different some of the translations are!

DVD:
Once again, DVDs featuring an uncut dub and an uncut sub have been released. This is great because you get both versions of the series. There are also some bonus features as well. There aren't a whole lot of bonuses, but at least there are some - a number of anime DVDs don't have any at all!

OVERALL:
Overall this is an excellent DVD set, and it's good to have all the episodes of this classic series on DVD at long last. Still, the DVDs could have been done a little better. If you're an anime fan, this is a strongly recommended release.

What Can We Say, It's Tenchi!!!
Tenchi Muyo is one of the MOST popular series ever to be braught from Japan to America. (Pioneer dubbed and subbed it.) While I haven't been fortunate enought to see the OVA, I have seen all of these episodes, (and all of the movies and Tenchi in Tokyo), AND, as the BIGGEST anime fan EVER, must say that it is one of the best series ever created. The character design is brilliant, the animation techniques beautiful, and the storyline kicks serious blankety-blank. (Threw that in for all the Martian Successor Nadesico fans out there reading this! heh heh ;) ). Anyway, trust me on this one; Tenchi Muyo should not be missed. Ever. By anyone. If you are a true otaku, then you should seriously go for this one. Subbed or dubbed, whichever you happen to pick up, either will rock. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The first animated work from Leiji Matsumoto, who would create the popular Captain Harlock saga, Star Blazers (Uchu Senkan Yamato or Space Cruiser Yamato, 1974) was a landmark program in Japan and America. When it aired in syndication in the U.S. in 1979, the character names were anglicized (Susumu Kodai became Derek Wildstar; Admiral Okita, Captain Avatar, etc.), the violence and drinking were heavily censored, and the World War II connections of the Yamato were tactfully downplayed. The Quest for Iscandar comprises the first 26-episode continuity; two additional TV series and several features would follow.In the year 2199, the war with the planet Gamilon has turned the Earth's surface into a radioactive desert. The radiation will penetrate the bedrock protecting humanity's underground cities in another year, destroying all remaining life. A message arrives from Queen Starsha of the planet Iscandar, offering a way to eliminate the deadly radiation and providing plans for an engine that can power a ship across the 148,000 light-year gap. Scientists convert the ruined shell of the battleship Yamato into a starship in a desperate attempt to save the planet, and the perilous voyage begins. The animation and character designs look very dated, but Gen-Xers who grew up watching it remember Star Blazers vividly. The bonus materials include a virtual tour of the Argo, an interactive map of the journey to Iscandar, and some footage deleted from the American broadcast version. Unrated; suitable for ages 8 and up: Violence largely restricted to spaceship and robot attacks. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Make Mine Manga!
If you were being packed off to school on innumerable mornings in the late 70s/early 80s, chances are you woke up extra early some mornings to the rousing tones of the "Star Blazers" theme:

"We're off to outer space,
Leaving Mother Earth,
To save the human race
Our Star Blazers!"

The half-hour cartoons which ensued were nothing short of miraculous to kids weaned on Looney Tunes: furiously intense little snippets of a small band of heroes in a tricked-out World War Two battleship in a desperate struggle against evil aliens.

This was no "G.I. Joe," folks---the stakes were high, and people got hurt. The captain of the Argo spent much of the trip battling radiation poisoning, the heroes were invariably placed in precarious situations and occasionally were lost. While the Star Force won most of the battles, these victories were dearly bought; many episodes ended with the ship limping along leaving enormous smoke trails in its wake.

Now "Star Blazers" has finally arrived on DVD.

I started watching the first episode, and wound up sitting in front of the TV oblivious to everything around me until I watched all 6 DVDs (about 12 hrs in all). Despite a transfer showing no improvement over the muddy images which danced across my 13" color screen all those years ago, this series STILL has the power to hook the unwary.

In addition to the 26 first series episodes, the DVD edition also includes a ton of nifty special features providing a wealth of background information. My particular favorite is the interactive mission map detailing the Argo's entire journey to Iscandar and back with episode-specific summaries of key events.

I've seen a lot of Japanese manga since "Star Blazers" first bombarded my eyeballs, but slick production and hard-boiled storylines pale in comparison to the ominous warning at the end of each episode: "Hurry, Star Force! Earth has only 256 days left!"

Buy this set. Consider it Cosmo-DNA for the soul.

We're Off to Outer Space!
I was tempted to give this a five star review, but that was probably just nostalgia. I grew up watching Star Blazers. It was my first exposure to anime (not that I knew what anime was back then).
Watching it again for the first time in nearly twenty years, I found myself still enjoying the story. It's human drama and an epic war story that spans the stars.
So why not a higher rating. Simplicity. These days, I do know what anime is, and I've had opportunity to see the original Space Battleship Yamato that this was translated from.
The deleted scenes are restored as extras on the discs. But the original japanese dialogue is not, and in some places the translation was kiddie-fied to make it more saturday morning friendly here in the U.S.
Still a great series, and a must if you're a fan of Leiji Matsumoto's epic form of storytelling.

Great Anime - Super Storyline - Great Color !
.
This is it, people, the Starblazers Series One set. It's the "Quest for Iscandar" storyline and its just as fun to watch now as it was when you were a kid.

Starblazers was a very popular series when shown in the United States in the 1970's. It's very colorfully drawn and importantly, it has a good story to tell.

Basically, the story is this - Earth is attacked and only has one year until it will be destroyed unless the Star Force can fly to a distant planet (Iscandar) and retrieve the machine necessary to removing deadly radiation.

Its just the kind of stuff you want to worry about when you're a kid watching cartoons, right? That's the wonderful thing about anime. It doesn't write "down" to its audience. It's as much adult entertainment as it is for the kids.

And this is a special series, because it also has the coolest opening title song ever - its impossible to get out of your head - and I know you're looking for the lyrics so here you go - sing along with the DVDs.

We're off to outer space, we're leaving Mother Earth
To save the human race. Our Star Blazers.
Searching for a distant star, heading off to Iscandar
Leaving all we love behind, who knows what dangers we'll find?
We must be strong and brave, our home we've got to save.
If we don't, in just one year, Mother Earth will disappear
Fighting with the Gamalons, we won't stop until we've won
Then we'll return, and when we arrive
The Earth will survive with our Star Blazers.

I highly recommend this set. Its a must have for any Anime fan.

Regards,
turtlex

Finally a clear Yamato/Argo
10 years ago, I bought the VHS versions of StarBlazers and was very disappointed by the lousy quality of the picture and sound.
With the DVD version, you have a crystal sharp picture. The sound, well you can only do so much with the sound, but for a 70's Anime series it's not bad.
If you spent the afternoons when you were a kid cheering for Wildstar, Nova, Venture, and Captain Avatar, this is a MUST HAVE. If your kids have never seen this, it's high time they were introduced to some real adventure from the land of the rising sun.
The special extras are great. I especially suggest check out disc 2's original trailer and scenes that never showed on US tv.
While the price may seem a bit steep, you will NOT be upset with the product.
And to my old friend Kenny, who gave me a copy of Be Forever Yamato almost 20 years ago, thank you. It is now joined be this wonderful series.

"Searching for a distant star..."
Now, for the actual DVDs. Let's be honest, some of the dated animation is quite frankly, laughable by today's standards...and I love it! What sets this show apart from all the shows of my youth is the simple fact that it doesn't sound like a kid's show. There are phrases like "tachyon particles" and words like "antiquated" in a kid's show? Not likely. Also, what propells this show are the absolutely great ideas for any science-fiction adventure story. George Lucas even took ideas from this series and slightly changed them for the first "Star Wars Trilogy." I noticed just the other episode that the "Star Force" salute is identical to the "Thermian" salute used in the film "Galaxy Quest." Coincidence? There are also many goofy, yet charming phrases strewn throughout, like: "dynamic do-all" and the always intimidating "ultra-menace missle." Some of the characters are also comically evil, like Lord Desslok, who sounds more like a demented Roddy Mcdowall on laughing gas than the leader of the Gamilons. Again, I love it! Then there are always the gross miscalculations of the crewmembers: "We went thousands of light-years in less than a minute!" Of course, Venture was referring to the distance between the Earth's moon and Mars. Even as a child I knew better than that! Anyway, this is a priceless piece of nostalgia for me, and for anyone who grew up loving the this series as a child. They certainly don't make them like this anymore...and that's too bad. ... Read more

Reviews (453)

Toy Story 2 Is Better Then the Original!
I had expected a dull child's cartoon with a meaningless plot and dull characters...wow was I ever wrong! Toy Story 2 is funny, exciting, dramatic, and very entertaining! This time around, Woody is stolen by a greedy toy collector...why? Because it turns out that Woody is a valuable doll from the 1950's when he had his own popular TV show! As Buzz and the rest of the toys frantically try to find a way to rescue Woody, our cow-boy hero meets other toys just like him---Jesse the cow-girl, the Prospector, and Woody's hillarious horse. And all this time Woody starts to wonder if maybe he's found his rightful home...or has he? The animation is tops, the plot is engrossing, and the movie is excellent! If you think an animated feauture is just a bunch of interesting graphics then you're wrong! This is a heart-warming and wonderful family film.

Toys
Toy Story (1995, 80 minutes, Dolby Digital Surround; Audio Commentary, Interviews) As 6-year-old Andy's favorite toy, Woody (Tom Hanks), a take-charge, pull-string cowboy, is confident in his role as room leader. But after Andy's birthday party, newcomer Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), a flashy space ranger with laser action and pop-out wings, crash-lands into Woody's world.

Buzz instantly wins the admiration of Andy's other toys, igniting a rivalry that lands the duo inside the home of Sid - the toy-torturing boy next door. To escape Sid's evil plans, Woody and Buzz must work together and realize they've got the perfect friend...in each other!

Toy Story 2 (1999, 94 minutes, Dolby Digital 5.l Surround EX; Audio Commentary, Sep. Film Score Audio Track, Outakes) Andy goes to summer camp and the toys face a new crisis: Woody turns out to be a valuable collectible, and is kidnapped by an evil toy collector. It's now up to Buzz and the gang to find a way to save him.

Five stars for the movies, one star for Disney
Why must they stick to this archaic way of releasing their movies on video/DVD? I could understand discontinuing collector's or limited editions, but why discontinue entire movies? Well we all know the answer, I just hate to be jerked around like this. Disney is the largest movie company in the world but our enjoyment of their films is based around their idiotic release/discontinue schedule.
Well, with that unpleasantness out of the way, I must say Toy Story 2 is my favorite animated movie of all time and the Toy Story series is my favorite animated series (if you think about it, though, that's not saying a lot). Let's just do this in the order they came out.
Toy Story blew my mind, because the things they did in that movie (the first in particular) were so like me when I was a kid (at that age). Toy Story is sure enough my second favorite animated movie ever. It's funny, and colorful, and touching. I think all good kid's movies should have a sense of wonder, or delight, and it shouldn't be in either a cynical or naive way. They should show wonder in a way that can be found in the real world, which is a balance hard to find. The original Toy Story has all kinds of wonder and awe, both in positive and negative ways (some kids could be afraid of Sid but I bet they won't be able to stop looking at him). It's about finding your place in life, and what to do with what you've got. When Buzz happens upon a commercial for himself and then tries to fly through the window-well that is one of the most touching scenes in any movie I've seen. And the whole ending sequence is beautiful, from Buzz and Woody on the RC car going through traffic, or them being blasted from a rocket through the air. Not to mention it's filled with all kinds of toy-related jokes that any kid can relate to. I think it's safe to say it'll be looked back on like the very first full-length animated movie (it was Snow White, wasn't it?).
Toy Story 2 is nearly flawless. It has one of the craziest openings for a movie ever, and I love the way it can find a way to have characters with all kinds of motives. Al is driven by his greed, the Prospector is jaded but just wants to be loved, Jessie hasn't given up hope yet so is overjoyed when she can find a way to confirm her hopefulness. The movie uses the toys as a metaphor for growing up and moving on: or not. You can aspire for your dreams or you can realize you're happy with what you've got. Toy Story 2 is/was the last movie Disney made with Pixar before they got too smug and self-indulgent. They realized they had the power to stir emotions and awe (they also realized they could make a ton of money), but instead of giving us a sweet movie like Toy Story, we got the self-congragulatory Monsters Inc, with its obvious conflicted main character, and instead of a great secondary character like the Prospector, we got Boo. Finding Nemo was a step in the right direction, but in my opinion doesn't have the heart of the Toy Story movies.
I can actually think of one thing wrong with Toy Story 2, and that's that lame Sarah Mclachlan song. I'm not one of those people with a weird Randy Newman fascination, but his songs were so much better than that one Mclachlan song. I guess it's because the scene in which it's used is already so emotional, instead of Newman's weird but effective delivery we got Mclachlan hammering the point home with her yodeling. But I love that scene because it shows how the little girl grew up. Other than that, Toy Story 2 is great: funny and vibrant, even on my crusty old VHS tape.
I wish I had these movies on DVD. They spark wonder in me at my age just like they did when I first saw them. They have plenty of in-jokes and such but also have a timeless quality (and a strong sense of innocence). Five stars for the both of them, the best animated series of all time.

It's Different.
It's different from your average animated film. So was Toy Story part 1 but this one is better. The movie plotting is a lot better in this part. I give it five stars(I'd give it six if it was in my hands!)

The secret lives of toys
Woody (Tom Hanks), who turns out to be a rare collectible, is stolen by an unscrupulous toy store owner and slated to be sold to a toy museum in Japan. Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and friends embark on a dangerous cross-town rescue mission. This is a very entertaining and perceptive film that remembers the guilt that a child can feel over outgrowing a favorite toy. Sammy the bear was my own constant companion when I was a young child. As I grew older, I sometimes felt a pang of shame when I would encounter him lying unloved and unplayed-with in the bottom of my old toy chest. I hope he's as philosophical and understanding about it as Woody is. As cheerful as this film is, it takes on an added dimension by honoring that first melancholy that a child feels upon outgrowing a formerly cherished plaything. The animation and voice talent are also top-notch. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The second four-disc set of Fushigi Yûgi continues the adventures of Miaka and Yui, two Japanese middle-school girls drawn into an ancient Chinese book, The Universe of the Four Gods. The later episodes are darker in tone, marked by threats of rape, attempted rape, and the deaths of several secondary characters (some of whom die two or three times). Miaka and her friends, who fight in the name of the "beast-god" Suzaku, are pitted against the warriors of the rival deity, Seiryu: twins Amiboshi and Suboshi; werewolf Ashitare; lightning-wielding Soi; Miboshi, who looks like a tiny monk; Tomo, who dresses like a Peking Opera general; and the icily vicious Nagako. Nagako commands this troop in the name of Yui, who is waging a vendetta against Miaka. Despite the myriad plots, battles, and spells, director Hajime Kamegaki focuses on the romance between Miaka and martial artist Tamahome. Tamahome has lost the outlaw panache that initially made him attractive, and Miaka has grown no more prepossessing. She whines continuously, and every third episode seems to end with her either declaring she'll never forgive some evil or apologizing for not living up to someone's expectations. What does Tamahome see in her? Their endless proclamations of undying fidelity leave little time for the activities of the more colorful and interesting supporting characters--transvestite Nuriko, sorcerer-in-training Chichiri, and mountain bandit Tasuki. While Miaka and her friends slog on, her brother Keisuke and his friend Tetsuya are reading The Universe of the Four Gods and tracking its effects in the real world. The final battle that pits Tomahome against Nagako and Suzaku against Seiryu proves more anticlimactic than apocalyptic. Kamegaki has several key events occur off camera, including Yui's final wish to Seiryu and how Miaka escapes from the penalty customarily imposed on those who summon Suzaku. Fushigi Yûgi should be seen one or two episodes at a time: watching for more than an hour is like eating a box of bonbons in one sitting. Rated 13 and up for violence, nudity, and sexual situations, including suggestions of rape. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (54)

An Improvement over the 1st Half but.....
The second half was definitely better than the first but it still had a lot of problems (what else would you expect from Fushigi Yugi?). First the good things. The animation was better for the most part (there were a some poorly and lazily done episodes), but I guess they made up for it with the "Nuriko, the Eternal Farewell" episode. That was a fantastic episode. One of the best one in the entire series. Also, the episode where Tatara and Suzuno were reunited was fantastic. The music set the feeling of the moment perfectly resulting in one of the best moments of the series or of any anime series for that matter. The summoning of Seiryu was done very well also. The ending was great too with some nicely done animation. Great voice acting on the part of Seki Tomokazu, Touma Yumi, and Nuriko's seiyuu. Now onto the bad. In the second half I still had a problem with the main character Miaka who was still (except for the very end) a bad character in my opinion. In this second half of the series she was still running after Tamahome or away from (We can't be together I can't marry you bladdy blah blah) and saying stuff like that would be the best for Tamahome then running off which was complete [nonsense]. The creators of the anime must have been TRYING to make us not like Miaka. They succeded pretty well. Miaka's voice actress, Araki Kae, should stick to the little girls like Chibi Usa instead of doing 8th grade girls because she sounds horridly annoying in Miaka's role. Tamahome is not much better, all of his 2,000 love speeches to Miaka or about Miaka make me want to mute the TV even though it IS Modorikawa Hikaru doing Tamahome's voice. Thankfully there wasn't as much Hotohori scenes in the second half. The animation in the episode where something surprising happens involving Chiriko (I think you know what I'm talking about) was awful. That episode was the most screentime Chiriko had in the entire series, more than the amount of all his previous screentime put together. All the stuff about I want to know Tamahome's true feelings was annoying too. Did anybody notice after Miaka came out of Tomo's shin shell thing and it showed that up (sort of at an angle shot) of Miaka? It was riduculous. No human is that thin and certainly no human who eats as much as Miaka does is. Even Yui isn't shown as thin as that and she isn't obssessed with food. There was way too much Miaka fan service, half of the time she has no clothes on, partly because everybody else is always taking them off (Tamahome, Nakago, Tomo, Nuriko) and everyone's always trying to take away her virginity so she can't summon Suzaku, very annoying. I wish we had been able to see more of the Byakko Seven because they were all much more interesting than Miaka and Tamahome ever were to me. I loved Tatara and Suzuno especially. Fushigi Yugi has lots of ups and downs and it's your choice whether you want to invest the money for the whole thing.

Hmmm...
Well, I'm writing this under the assumption that all readers are considering buying/have bought and watched the first half of the Fushigi Yuugi series. I'll start right now by saying that I've only ever seen it in Japanese, so I can't give you a fair opinion on the English dub.

In brief, what I thought of Fushgi Yuugi in general- well, I really quite liked it. It's not a favourite of mine, and I don't think it ever will be, but its still incredibly cute and funny.

What I thought of this set:

Well, excuse me while I go bang my head against a wall. Don't get me wrong- the second half is definately not bad, and for the most part is very, very enjoyable. There are, however, certain aspects that have inspired within me the urge to hurt something.

1) The complete shifts in characters. Miyaka started out as a likeable character. Granted, she was a ditz, but the character had spirit and passion, and was done very well. By this point in the series though, her personality has shifted completely. Gone is the girl who was willing to fight a gang in an alley because she didn't have to worry about teachers yelling at her. (This was in episode 3, I believe.) Enter Miyaka, weak priestess, who wanders around wailing and blushing, waiting for people to cater to beck and call....

Tamahome suffered the same personality shift as Miyaka. Like her, I really loved Tamahome at the start of the series. His character was portrayed as being shallow with a good heart underneath it all. Like Miyaka, he was hilarious, and incredibly likeable. I shamelessly admit that I was cheering him on the whole time, hoping he'd 'get the girl'. By the time the second series rocked up though, he had Miyaka and had become a simpering mess. He was completely whipped, no longer the strong character I liked. It was extremely disappointing.

We get to see more insight into Yui, but not much into the Seiryuu Seven, which is vaguely disappointing, but can be forgiven. We see the Byakko Seven- well, three members- and slowly find out more and more in the dark past of 'The Universe of the Four Gods', which I have to say, is excellently done. Sadly though, there is very little Hotohori- in my opinion, a real shame, as his character was wonderful and his Japanese voice actor is one of my personal favourites.

The plot is still engaging. It doesn't focus on the other members of the Seven as much as I'd like, in favour of screams of 'Tamahome!' 'Miyaka!' but each character does get their brief spot in the limelight.

The drawings are still excellent, and the animation flows as well as the first season. When it's not trying too hard to be deep and meaningful, we see that wonderful Fushigi Yuugi humour, which was originally the first thing that caught my attention. There's still plenty of fanservice, which was kind of misplaced, considering this is a series that targets girls, but is still funny.

All in all, the second series is enjoyable, and is a nice way to round out the series. The ending leaves a bit to be desired, but that's what the OVAs are for. If you've seen the first half of Fushigi Yuugi (which was, to me, superior) this half is a necessity. I don't think that, on the whole, you'll be disappointed. Still, if you're anything like me, you'll wish that certain parts had been revised.

Fushigi Yugi
4 GODS, 2 WORLDS, 7 WARRIORS, 1 QUEST.

WARNING, MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS (okay it does)!!!

Hi it's me again!! You know from Fushigi Yugi Boxed Set 1.

If you haven't read it yet go and read it!!
Here are all the characters (with their powers) so far:
Susaku-Miaka-Priestess, Tamahome-Martial Arts, Hotohori-Sword, Nuriko-Strength, Tasuki-Harisen, Chichiri-Magic, Mitsukake-Healer, and Chriko-Intelligence.
Seiryu-Yui-Priestess, Nakago-Magic, sort of but much more powerful then Chichiri's, Amiboshi-Flute, Suboshi-His spinning balls (I forget what they are called), Soi-Lightening. The next three are Ashtaire, Tomo and Miboshi.(I won't tell you their powers

Okay. Now this DVD set begins with a show that reviews over all the characters. Starting with Tamahome, Hotohori, Nuriko, Tasuki, Chichiri, Mitsukake, and last but not least Chriko.
The last episode on the first Boxed Set was when Miaka and the Susaku 7 set off for Genbu on boat.
On the way there, there is a terrible storm caused by Soi of the Seiryu 7(who controls lightening). Tasuki gets washed of the ship and since he doesn't know how to swim Miaka jumps in to save him but she just ends up sinking faster then he does.
Tamahome, the hero, has to jump in to save her and Nuriko from the ship throws down a rope for Tasuki to grab on. Nuriko falls and goes down into the ocean along with Tamahome and Miaka and gets washed away. Miaka and Nuriko get onshore to a rock but Tamahome doesn't make it in time and gets eletrocuted in the water.Nuriko pulls him up to safety and they all rest in the cave. Lightening hits the cave and water is rushing in. Nuriko with her strength holds the walls up but Miaka falls into the water and Tamahome dives in to save her (oh yeah, he's all right now). The current pushes them away but Nuriko grabs them and pulls them out with his superstrength just before the lightening strkes the water.

That's just a preview of what happens, to find out the rest buy this excellent DVD set!!

Be brave: stick it out
I have to say that for a good portion of this half of the series, I was Less Than Impressed.

First of all, the writers seemed to forget about their WONDERFUL supporting cast (except, of course, for when they were killing them off, but I'll get to that) and focused a great deal of this half to JUST Miaka and Tamahome. While I can find it in my heart to stand Miaka, I hate her and Tamahome as a couple. Probably mainly because somebody forgot to give Tamahome a personality. There's a good ten episodes (the figure could be off; I never actually counted) where I seriously considered just giving up on the series all together; it got repetitive and annoying.

However, I stuck it out, and I'm really hoping that anybody else who spends any amount of time on this series will do the same. Except for the middle section, this half is a REAL emotional roller coaster. It has the same comedy as the first half (though in this half there were quite a few awkward gags that would have been better left out, and there might have actually been more fanservice in this half than in the first, which, if true, would really be saying something), but there are several episodes that will leave you in tears, even watching them a second or third (or more) time. There are deaths, and a lot of them; they increase in frequency the later in the series it gets, and for saps like me, the last few episodes will get really hard to watch. While these episodes are very dramatic, it's a shame some of the best characters are killed off as this leaves them unavailable to provide relief during the rocky middle section.

On the plus side, we also get to learn more about the history of the Universe of the Four Gods and the Priestesses who came before Miaka and Yui; this information was intriguing enough to keep me invested.

I got to the last three or four episodes thoroughly believing that no ending could really satisfy me, and I am VERY happy to say that I was proved wrong. While an attempt at garnering sympathy for Nakago failed and I still don't like Tamahome, I was otherwise blown away by the ending. It was wonderful, and I was very glad that I did stick with it. Take my advice on this one; I'm sure you won't regret it.

The Best Part of the Series...
... and really, the best part of all of Fushigi Yugi, including Eikoden (shudder) and Oni (though not including the manga). As I said in my previous review of Suzaku, I believe this series is under-rated, and, to repeat myself further, I was guilty of this as well. I really didn't like the first few episodes, but kept watching and grew to like it. Then I saw Seiryu, and it was all worth it. Seiryu has all of the characters we have grown to love, with a much deeper, darker message than Suzaku. We grow to understand why Yui has grown to hate Miaka so much (you would too if you ended up with a mind-f***er like Nakago). We really begin to feel for the characters and their heart-ache. And we begin to see Yu Watase's deeper messages: messages about life, love, friendship and war. When I first started Suzaku, I wondered how anyone (Gilles Poitras) could list Fushigi Yugi in their top 41 recommended titles. Seiryu made me see why. It's a great series, and once you make it through the first half, you can enjoy the wonderful second installment. ... Read more

Reviews (332)

Excellent job Disney.
I saw this when it first came out in theaters back in 1992. I was only 7 or 8 at the time, and it just didn't appeal to me as much as The Little Mermaid or The Rescuers Down Under. I don't really know why, but having just getting the DVD in the mail, my view of the movie is completely different.

Beauty and the Beast really is one of Disney's top 4 animated films. How they managed to combine a massive cast of characters into the main plot is amazing. Beast is one of my favorite Disney characters after re-watching this. There's so much emotion inside of him. Anger, rage, pity, ambition, and love. You'll really care for him from the moment he appears on screen. Belle is possibly the most humble heroine to date. She doesn't see that she's beautiful, but just cares for helping others and reading books. The supporting cast is just as good. Gaston, the villain, is just a....well I can't use the word. You can bet your money you'll feel the same way. But the characters are just the icing on the cake. The story is what the strong point's always been. Disney did a great job adding so much more to it, whereas the original didn't focus on anyone but Belle and the Beast really. But I'm sure you all know the story, so I'll just get into the features on this DVD.

On the first disc, you get 3 different versions of the film- theatrical, work in progress, and special edition. The theatrical is what you saw in theaters or on the home video release. Work in progress is mostly drawings in black and white while the voices and everything else is put in. The special edition has a few lines changed here and there, and the added musical "Human Again" into the film. Personally, I hated "Human Again". It comes right after and before other songs in the film, making you want them to just get on with the story. Plus the animation in it really stands