Dval's stats
- Review count266
- Helpfulness votes422
- First reviewDecember 3, 2011
- Last reviewSeptember 24, 2016
- Featured reviews1
- Average rating4.5
- Review comment count7
- Helpfulness votes8
- First review commentMarch 9, 2012
- Last review commentMarch 17, 2015
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Set during the opening days of World War II on the Eastern Front. It's main cast is a group of Soviet teenagers with extraordinary abilities; the teenagers have been drafted to form a special unit to fight the invading German army. They are opposed by a Schutzstaffel (SS) officer who is attempting to raise from the dead a supernatural army of crusaders from the 12th-century Order of the Sacred Cross and enlist them in the Nazi cause.
Customer Rating
3
WW2 anime
on September 10, 2012
Posted by: Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Basic recap: World War II has been going and Germany has already captured Europe while pushing into the Soviet Union. At a standstill, both sides are looking to the occult to tip the tides of battle in their favor. The n.a.z.i.s.(stupid censors) are making a pact with a long-dead knight and his army to help take over the world and it's up to Nadya, a 14 year old psychic, to stop them.
One of the few titles I recommend as a rental to most people.
Pros:
Great potential
An anime that doesn't take place in Japan
Awesome soundtrack
Very gritty feel
No character stereotypes
Pros:
Great potential
An anime that doesn't take place in Japan
Awesome soundtrack
Very gritty feel
No character stereotypes
Cons:
Visuals aren't quite up to par. Hopefully the Blu-ray is better, but the DVD version isn't much, if any, better than a regular TV series.
Way too short. A lot worse than Fate/Stay Night UBW in terms of compressing information and leaving out pertinent info for us.
Extras. Battle Royale (awesome) and Redline trailers...that's it.
Visuals aren't quite up to par. Hopefully the Blu-ray is better, but the DVD version isn't much, if any, better than a regular TV series.
Way too short. A lot worse than Fate/Stay Night UBW in terms of compressing information and leaving out pertinent info for us.
Extras. Battle Royale (awesome) and Redline trailers...that's it.
I picked it up because it was inexpensive and I wanted a new anime to watch. Doubt I'll ever watch it again unless they push out a sequel or prequel, though. Should have just ordered the Blu-ray version since it's $5 cheaper...
What's great about it: Not the usual
What's not so great: Too short
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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![Freezing [4 Discs] [Blu-ray/DVD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/prescaled/500/500/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/304b2327-370a-41e7-956a-951dd4939472.png)
This sexy release from the action packed anime series Freezing includes all 12 episodes of the show, following the story of Kazuya Aoi, a genetically modified girl who has been created to fight interdimensional aliens, who trains at an academy for others like her, while simultaneously navigating the wacky world of teenage hormones.
Customer Rating
4
Brutal, clothes-ripping fightfest
on September 6, 2012
Posted by: Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Will have to start off by saying that this one fully deserves the M rating. Tons of fighting, severed limbs, slit throats, and a lot of bare skin. Miraculously, the anime stays incredibly parallel to the manga in case you've ever read or plan on reading it.
Basic premise of the story is that the world has been attacked in the past by extra-dimensional beings called the Nova. No idea where they came from, but it's clear that they want to destroy humanity. The fate of the world rests with altered young women called Pandora. The Pandora have to baptise a young man to be their partner who helps them to fight in battle against the Nova.
Satellizer El Bridgett is the main character who's also called "The Untouchable Queen." The story gets set in motion when she's abruptly introduced to Kazuya Aoi who can somehow manage to touch her and not end up on the receiving end of her sword.
Good points. Because the series follows the manga so closely, there's next to no "filler." There's a slight deviation at the end but that can be attributed to only having 12 episodes to work with and also leaving the possibility for a second season which would be great. There's fighting in every single episode and no one gets left with all of their clothing on. Surprisingly, the language is pretty tame for how gratuitous the series is. There's actually 6 OVAs and a couple episode commentaries to go as extras as well. Blu-ray is always awesome, too.
The bad. The English voices for Satellizer and Kazuya weren't exactly the most motivated. Wish that I could have watched it with just the original Japanese for Satellizer and English for everyone else. Freezing also loses a lot of viewers because of how much skin shows up. Sadly, Kazuya is your typical no-backbone main male character that can't decide between two girls as well.
Definitely recommend this one to any anime lover as long as you're not offended by adult content. I bought it since I've been reading the manga for over a year and greatly enjoyed it. Another good series added to my collection.
What's great about it: Tons of action
I would recommend this to a friend!
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This exciting release from the fantastical anime series Sacred Blacksmith includes all 12 episodes of the show, following the story of a young, female knight named Cecily, whose battle record is deplorable until she receives a magic blade from a depressive blacksmith named Luke.
Customer Rating
3
Adventure anime
on September 2, 2012
Posted by: Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Quick overview: "44 years ago, a great war known as the Valbanill War ravaged the land. One of the war's most dangerous weapons was the Demon Contract, where humans sacrifice their bodies to become powerful demons. Realizing the damage the contracts have caused the land, the surviving nations made peace and banned the use of the Demon contracts.
Cecily Cambell is a 3rd generation Knight from Housman, one of the cities of the Independent Trade Cities, a democratic federation of cities. As her grandfather was one of the founders of the Independent Trade Cities, she is proud of her heritage and wishes to protect her city as a knight, like her father and grandfather before her. One day, she fights a mad veteran of the war causing trouble in the market, and, inexperienced and overmatched, faces defeat. But she is saved by a mysterious blacksmith named Luke Ainsworth. Cecily is impressed by Luke's katana, a weapon she has never seen before, and asks him to make one for her. Her involvement with Luke will bring her to an adventure she never expected."
*From the creator of Shuffle!* Shuffle might have lacked the action that The Sacred Blacksmith has, but I sure enjoyed it a lot more. TSB has a few things going for it a few more going against. I'll start with the good.
The animation and artwork was very well done here. TSB seems like it would fit right into one of the "Tales of ...." universes. Medieval settings, magic, sword fighting, and demons all over the place. Aside from Mechas, just what I love the most. The voice acting is done pretty well, too. Even if Cecilly's introduction annoys me every time. And the music. Any fantasy series has to have a good score to back it up and The Sacred Blacksmith is no different. The music was pretty good.
Now for the bad: The characters: Cecilly is a dimwit. Luke is, too. Seems like the story would flow better if one...or both of them died.
Plot: It's all over the place. First two episodes build on it. Next 8 just lounge around on the porch like us rednecks tend to do. And the last two are way too rushed. Just kind of left with the "Uhh...that's it!?" response.
Boobs: Cecilly has them and we're made all too aware of it. Like every couple minutes. It might add a little bit of humor and fanservice, but this series really doesn't need it. Every time we're made aware by EVERY SINGLE NON-IMPORTANT CHARACTER; it gets annoying. I enjoy my boobage, but it was just thrown in at every point they wanted here.
Extras: Standard previews, all 6 of them, series trailers, and the standard textless theme songs.
All-in-all, I bought it and watched it, but I doubt I'll take it out of the box again. It gets to fill up my collection. Bought Freezing along with it so I'm looking forward to it a lot more. $35 isn't bad but there are better series out there.
What's great about it: Good action
What's not so great: Lack of an ending
I would recommend this to a friend!
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This sexy release from the wacky anime series Cat Planet Cuties includes all 13 episodes of the show, plus the OVA, following the story of a frisky, part-feline alien girl named Eris, who's set her sights on a shy guy named Kio, and plans on setting up an alien base in his living room.
Customer Rating
5
Bodacious space cats
on July 26, 2012
Posted by: Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Initially, I really wanted to buy this series, but after my local store didn't (and won't# receive any in store, I held off my purchase. Read a review on the anime news network website that brought the series back to my attention and recommended it as one of the few fanservice-y anime that does more than just put out.
The original title for Cat Planet Cuties is "Asobi ni Iku yo!" and focuses around a young boy, Kio, who makes first contact with the alien catgirl, Eris. Chaos ensues as radical groups, government agencies, and other aliens want to kidnap or kill Eris and any other Catians. Kio is joined by his friends Aoi and Manami who are both highly skilled operatives/mercenaries. Aoi works for the immigration bureau and uses a highly advanced body suit while Manami is training to be a CIA operative. All three girls are in love with Kio, but things heat up when Eris comes into her first mating season.
While only one season long, I still found Cat Planet Cuties to be a great buy. Sure, it's overflowing with big busts and cute girls, but it actually has a plot and changing characters. Kio isn't a total wuss and asks for training so that he can protect the girls. The girls all have super powers or fighting skills. Manami keeps trying to push Aoi onto Kio while telling herself that she isn't in love with him anymore. And Eris is just so cute and naive that you wonder if she really knows what's going on.
Quote here from ANN review:
"The show also boasts high production values. The budget is apparent from first half of the first episode, with its high concept adventure scenes of boats and space ships. The expensive-to-animate sequences continue in later episodes, as the series takes place across a variety of locations and the characters ride #and explode# a variety of vehicles and participate in chase scenes and numerous fire fights. There are so many action scenes and undercover government agents that I was reminded of Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu.
"The show also boasts high production values. The budget is apparent from first half of the first episode, with its high concept adventure scenes of boats and space ships. The expensive-to-animate sequences continue in later episodes, as the series takes place across a variety of locations and the characters ride #and explode# a variety of vehicles and participate in chase scenes and numerous fire fights. There are so many action scenes and undercover government agents that I was reminded of Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu.
Like Fumoffu, Cat Planet Cuties has cute helper robot/mascot things called Assist-A-Roids. Most of them are identical, but several take on their own personalities, with two of them costumed as samurai, and the most hilarious one, Yun Fat, dressing as the eponymous Chinese action star. In an early episode, Yun Fat fires a gun in slow motion while holographic doves appear behind him #an obvious nod to John Woo#. I laughed out loud."
CPC features 6 different ending themes #although one is also the OP# which actually kept me watching every single ending just to see if something else changed. The extras aren't a lot, but the first disc features 2 episode commentaries and the 2nd has some humorous clips from the series redubbed. Would have loved an outtakes section.
Loved the series and definitely worthwhile. CPC has only been out for two months, but Best Buy has pulled it from their shelves and it's only available from the website, now. Pick it up if you get a chance. Glad I did.
What's great about it: Cute, sexy, and funny.
What's not so great: availability
I would recommend this to a friend!
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This release from the sports-comedy anime series Bamboo Blade tells the story of Toraji Ishida, a down-on-his-luck Kendo instructor at a local high school, whose life is turned upside down when a former rival challenges him to a tournament - competing with only girl students.
Customer Rating
4
Kendo-based anime
on July 9, 2012
Posted by: Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Took me a while to get through this one, but I finally sat down and finished off the last half of the series. First off: At 26 episodes, this is a heck of a buy for only $25. Felt it was a really original series that I quite enjoyed...just couldn't do marathon sittings like I can with Gundam/Macross and other action oriented series.
Bamboo Blade starts off a little misleading by introducing us to Yuji. Feels like he's going to be the main character, but it's really Tama that is. I suppose it was a brave step to put her as the main character instead of having a male lead, but I do think that the series might have been just a tad more interesting if Yuji got more screen time.
This series is about the local high school trying to fill its roster for the girl's kendo team. There's really only one member to start with, but over the first 13 episodes, we're introduced to 4 more to complete the team. Awesome thing here is that the girls aren't your stereotypical types that you get in almost every single series. Tama is short and shy, but extremely strong. Kirino is actually very smart and is a great leader despite being a blonde. Miya-Miya seems to be your typical air-head and you're left wondering how it is that such a hotty fell in love with a tiny guy that looks like a penguin, but she's actually quite vengeful and sadistic. Sayako is pretty tall and a red-head. With her hot temper, she's probably the easiest to forecast. And the last one is Azuma who looks like a brainiac but is actually quite dumb and a big clutz.
Story is basically about the coming together of the kendo club and its members overcoming trials and tribulations. It's pretty much a slice of life anime with a bit of sports, action, and comedy mixed in. The kendo scenes and tournaments are animated quite well and I honestly felt like taking up the sport after watching the series. Loved all of the characters in this one which is quite rare for me.
The only drawback is that slice of life genre. When episodes go by without anything really happening and don't leave off with a cliff-hanger, it doesn't really entice you to watch the next one. There's a few (not too many) that were like this and that's why it took me longer than the usual marathon-sitting to get through Bamboo Blade. All-in-all, it was still a good series that I feel is worth owning.
26 episodes, English/Japanese vocals. OP and Ending themes were alright. Ending one was a little catchier, though. Extras kind of blow...but I wasn't expecting much. Only disc 4 has the textless songs as well as about 8 trailers. Oh, and the English voice-overs were really done well, too. Loved the actress that does Tama.
What's great about it: Original and funny. Great value
What's not so great: quite a few low points
I would recommend this to a friend!
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This wacky release from the sci-fi comedy anime series Tenchi Muyo includes all 26 episodes of the show, following the story of a boy named Tenchi, who has the worst luck until he's mistakenly kidnapped, discovers there's life on other planets, and falls into the ranks of the Galaxy Police.
Customer Rating
4
Lighter side of Tenchi Muyo!
on July 4, 2012
Posted by: Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Seeing how the original Tenchi Muyo! is out of print now and likely to cost you a couple hundred bucks, GXP is a good alternative that exists in the same universe as the original series. The S.A.V.E. bundle is exceptionally nice as you get the entire series for only $25 right now. Buying each of the 8 volumes would wind up costing close to $200.
GXP is set a little bit after Tenchi has done all of his exploits in space but touches on one of his friends from town that has probably the worst luck known to the universe. Seina Yamata is prone to every injury imagineable as everything that can go wrong, does. Even his family is eager to drive him out of the home/shop since he costs them so much in repair/hospital bills. He spends the majority of his time with his best friend Kai and his sister, Kiriko, who he's also in love with. After an accident at Tenshi's house starts him off on a career with the Galaxy Police; Seina's life is turned upside down.
The series definitely has a light-tone throughout and only rarely has moments of drama/real action. Seina faces the same troubles/joys as Tenchi in the fact that he seems to have almost every lady in the universe fighting over him. However, Seina does end up with 4 (possibly 8) wives...talk about a player! Greatly enjoyed the majority of the characters in this series except for his roomates at the Academy. The in-fighting between his love rivals was great throughout.
GXP really lacks a definitive plot, though. It just kind of jumps from volume to volume. One bad guy is kept around the entire time just to make an excuse for a detour in the story and provide a bit of action. People somehow survive explosions in outer space and magically reappear. I still enjoyed it, though. Just wish there was a bit more variation with each volume than there is.
The graphics aren't exactly the best...but what do you expect from a series that is 10 years old and wasn't exactly made for widescreen HD viewing. It's on DVD, but it's still only 480P resolution. Perhaps we'll get a remastered version in the future...? Music is catchy and reminds me of YuYu Hakusho.
Series is 24 episodes with full English/Japanese vocing. Seina's English voice is a little girly/whiny, but it's still enjoyable for the most part. The extras are practically non-existant. Pretty much the same trailers on each of the 8 discs. Character profiles. And the textless songs. Basic.
If you enjoyed Tenchi Muyo! and want a little bit of a parallel story for it, definitely pick this one up. Heck, for $25 I'd pick it up anyways. Humorous and light-hearted, it's defintely a fun series. Mind-blowing amounts of inuendo and adult situations, so it's not for little kids.
What's great about it: Enjoyable characters and lots of laughs
What's not so great: Random plot
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Customer Rating
5
RPGoodness
on June 29, 2012
Posted by: Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Haven't played the game this movie is based off of, but after seeing the movie, it's time to steal one of the brothers XBOX360 and buy the game, too. I had seen the release for this coming up for quite a while off of Funimation's site, but I had no plans on purchasing it. My store ended up with a single copy by some fluke, and I couldn't resist a new title...
Have to say that this was a great gem to find. $25 for a Blu-ray/DVD combo that's a full 2 hours long. Nothing worth mentioning in the extras except that there's going to be a S.A.V.E. version of Disgaea coming out soon. I'll pick that one up, too. Story starts out with action and ends with action. Thought it moved relatively smoothly with a good story to it.
Basic preview of it: "In a mythical kingdom, the mighty Imperial Knights harness a magical substance known as Aer to power their weapons and protect humanity from the monsters of the forest. But something strange is afoot. The Aer is somehow changing, causing the wilderness to waste away and stirring the woodland beasts to attack with greater frequency. As danger creeps steadily closer to civilization, two young recruits - Flynn, the rigid son of a fallen hero, and the rebellious and brash Yuri - must ride with their fellow Imperial Knights to distant ruins in hopes of uncovering the truth behind the transforming Aer.
Some will not survive the thrilling journey. Some will be betrayed. If Flynn and Yuri cannot overcome their differences and learn to fight together, all will be lost for the people of the realm."
The ending is really just another beginning for the entire story. Humans are often our own worst enemy and this is shown well by the betrayals in the movie. Tales of Vesperia is a pure action/fantasy movie with a little bit of comedy. No drama/romance/slice of life/etc...which I imagine the game includes a bit of (they always seem to). You never really get to know any of the characters, though. As much as Yuri and Flynn were the main characters, very little was told about them. Pair of twin girls appeared to have decent roles in the movie, but nothing ever becomes of them except for damsels in distress. Mysterious child scientist hidden in the forrest that only appears once. Too many characters that I would have liked to have known more about, but I know it's pretty limited in just 2 hours instead of a 12-24 episode series or a 50 hour RPG.
Artwork was fantastic. Every character was a character and not just some faceless figure in the back. Can tell that they took their time and put a lot of effort into a quality movie. Not a huge difference between the DVD and Blu-ray. Great musical score that you'd expect from an RPG type movie/game. Ending theme wasn't really catchy, but it was quite beautiful. Really loved all of the symphonic tunes throughout. Went well with the plot and scenes.
All-in-all, I was definitely happy with this movie and recommend it to anyone. PG13 just because of a bit of blood, violence, no profanity or nudity, and a itty bit of inuendo. A definite BUY.
What's great about it: Everything
What's not so great: Lack of character depth
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Customer Rating
4
Quick-paced thriller
on June 13, 2012
Posted by: Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Currently playing through the visual novel/game of Fate/Stay Night at the time of release for this movie so I was super-stoked to hear about its arrival on the shores of North America. What could be better than having a movie reference to go along with a game that is primarily still-picture/voice based? Then, I see that Best Buy has the Blu-ray version on hand and cheaper than the DVD one!
The only real downer for this one is the "cheap" feel. Single disc, no inside liner, and not even a card inside to send back to the manufacturer saying "Hi! I like to purchase your stuff instead of downloading! Please make more stuff!"...
For those that don't know, Fate/Stay Night is about a fight to the death over the Holy Grail. The Holy Grail chooses 7 masters/magus to summon 7 servants that are heroic spirits of the past #and future# to participate in the fighting. The servants can be anyone, but the 7 different classes they may be summoned as are Saber, Berserker, Lancer, Archer, Caster, Assassin, and Rider. Sadly, the movie is so fast-paced that you never get any real attachment to the different servants and get to know who they really are except for Archer. If you want a lot more character development, I suggest getting the visual novel or trying to find the anime series to watch.
What wasn't good with this one? Practically nothing. The visuals were stunning. Can tell that they had a pretty good production budget to work with. The English voice-acting was pretty good, too. Felt like the actress for Saber had a hard time starting out the role, though. Fight scenes were amazing. Tons of weapons, action, blood, everything! I was quite distraught to see what happens to Illya in this, though. Sakura and Taiga disappear after the first couple minutes to never be seen again. Rin appears to be cozying up to Shirou as he doesn't form an attachment with Saber in this route. Definitely wasn't expecting how a lot of this turned out compared to the game.
Someone who has never had anything to do with this franchise will be left wondering a few things since the movie moves way too fast to explain it all. Who is Gilgamesh and how is there an 8th servant? How can Shirou recover from stab wounds to the heart and countless other maulings? How did Kotomine get a servant? Why did that thing #no spoiler# happen to Illya?
All-in-all, I greatly enjoyed the movie and felt it was excellent for only $20. Can't wait to actually watch it on an HDTV next week instead of a computer monitor. If you can get it, buy it. Support the production companies so they keep making more stuff for us!
What's great about it: Visuals, music, plot, price
What's not so great: Too fast-paced
I would recommend this to a friend!
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This bone chilling release from the supernatural horror anime series Shiki includes episodes 13-22 of the series, following the story of a young man named Natsuno Yuuki, whose village is being overcome by a deadly plague. The source of the disease is mysterious, but as the body count rises, so does the possibility that it comes from the undead.
Customer Rating
5
A true masterpiece
on June 7, 2012
Posted by: Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Well, I loved the first season and was wondering what the second season would have in store for me...and I would say that I was blown away. Took a small break to watch the ending of Game 6 of the Spurs against the Thunder, but otherwise I watched the entire season in on stretch. Found it odd that they load 8 episodes onto the first disc and only 4 on the second :/
Well, by this point, you know that it's a series about a vampire invasion. Won't ruin any spoilers of the end. Season two was like the first season with a lot of drama, but the action must awesome this time around. Whereas before it was a horror/suspense series, I'd call the 2nd more of a horror/gore/action type. There's no shortage of blood to spill going on as the streets and sewers literally run red with blood. Mountains of bodies pile up as old friends become new foes and no one knows who they can trust. Definitely not for the weak of heart as I found myself cringing and trying not to mute a couple parts. The graphics are one thing...but the voicing was so superb...it really made all the screaming reach out to you.
I had a hard time trying to find a side to actually go for...humans or vampires. The beginning of the series definitely made me feel more for humanity, but the attrocities they commit in the second half made me wish that the vampires would succeed in their attempt to create a home base for themselves. Shiki was a true masterpiece in this sense. Both sides were just after their own livelihood: "Their survival means your demise" sums it up pretty well. The fear and despair on both sides can be felt so vividly. Really wanted everyone to survive.
The ending was a pretty big surprise for me, but I thought it was actually pretty well done. Shiki goes through more characters than Game of Thrones, so you can't get attached to any characters. There were two deaths that I had a hard time watching. They both experienced extremely graphic and horrible deaths. Even if they were vamps...the humans still put them through pure torture. Hrmm, there's actually a 3rd that was particularly bad as well. Toshio's experimentation on his wife after she comes back to life wasn't pleasant. Especially when he explains some things he did to her that weren't visualized.
In the end, a ton of humans and vamps bite the dust. My only regret is that there isn't anymore to watch. Believe this is a great time to go read the manga and see how it is compared to this adaptation. As long as you don't lose your lunch easily, this series is incredible. Wouldn't recommend Shiki to kids, but the story is top-notch and really drags you in with all the suspense.
Only downside: The extras did kind of blow. 2 episode commentaries, original Japanese trailers, English trailer, and 7 trailers for other series. Oh, and the usual textless opening and ending themes. Did love the music, though. Watched each opening and most of the endings each episode.
What's great about it: Everything
What's not so great: It ended
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Customer Rating
5
Superb horror anime
on June 6, 2012
Posted by: Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Been waiting on this one to come out for a while as I've seen a few AMVs with content from this series. I'll leave out any spoilers until the end of this for those that want to watch the series without knowing anything about it beforehand. Most will already have suspicions by the 1st or 2nd episode, but Shiki does a wonderful job at building the suspense and mystery throughout the first season.
I loved the assortment of characters that we're introduced to here, but there isn't much in the way of character development. Surprisingly, the "Shiki" seem to develop more than the regular cast. Toshio Ozaki, the village doctor, is probably the best developed character so far seeing as how he starts out completely calm and composed but by the end he's lashing out at everyone because of his frustration. He regains his composure in an effort to combat the village's situation.
The artwork and visuals from Shiki are phenomenal #might be something to do with the Blu-ray...#. It's not just about the graphics, though. The character designs run the full range of everything that you'd expect to find in a backwoods village in the middle of nowhere with a population of only 1300. You have the few kids/teens born into the village, a couple "aliens" that have moved from the big city, and the majority of older/elderly residents that comprise the location.
Aniplex/Funimation hit a home run with the voice cast in this one, too. Haven't had any English voices that made me want to box my own ears...#looking at you "Vampire Knight"# and haven't touched the original audio, yet. I enjoy series where I have to read the subtitles, but it's a lot more enjoyable when I can focus on the whole screen instead of trying to read what they're saying.
SPOILER ALERT: SPOILER ALERT:
Now, that's out of the way. Little bit of coverage for the story through the end of the first season.
"The story takes place in a particularly hot summer in the nineties, in a small quiet village called Sotoba. A series of mysterious deaths begin to spread in the village, at the same time when a strange family moves into the long abandoned Kanemasa mansion. Toshio Ozaki, dean of the only hospital in Sotoba, initially suspects an epidemic. But as investigations continue and the deaths begin to pile up, he becomes convinced that they are the work of the undead plaguing the village. A young man named Natsuno Yuuki, who hates living in the village, begins to be pursued and surrounded by death."
The story mainly focuses around Natsuno and Toshio, but occassionally you'll get scenes shown from the point of view of the supporting cast. What's the story really about? Vampires! Actual vampires...not the freaks from Twilight that glisten in the sun. Stake through the heart, decapitate, burn up in the sun Vampires! The village also calls vampires the okiagiri who are a local legend. There is no peace-making between humans and vampires here. It's just kill or be killed. This season pretty much ends on a high note for the vamps as they seem to be knocking off those who suspect them one-by-one. Time to see how season 2 is!
"The story takes place in a particularly hot summer in the nineties, in a small quiet village called Sotoba. A series of mysterious deaths begin to spread in the village, at the same time when a strange family moves into the long abandoned Kanemasa mansion. Toshio Ozaki, dean of the only hospital in Sotoba, initially suspects an epidemic. But as investigations continue and the deaths begin to pile up, he becomes convinced that they are the work of the undead plaguing the village. A young man named Natsuno Yuuki, who hates living in the village, begins to be pursued and surrounded by death."
The story mainly focuses around Natsuno and Toshio, but occassionally you'll get scenes shown from the point of view of the supporting cast. What's the story really about? Vampires! Actual vampires...not the freaks from Twilight that glisten in the sun. Stake through the heart, decapitate, burn up in the sun Vampires! The village also calls vampires the okiagiri who are a local legend. There is no peace-making between humans and vampires here. It's just kill or be killed. This season pretty much ends on a high note for the vamps as they seem to be knocking off those who suspect them one-by-one. Time to see how season 2 is!
Definitely recommend this series to anyone. Little bit of blood but not enough to be gore so far. Fanservice is pretty much non-existant. Tons of suspenseful moments. Will probably be my favorite release this year unless they release "Mirai Nikki" in English. Go, buy it now.
What's great about it: Story, characters, voicing.
What's not so great: Extras
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Dval's Review Comments
Eliminate your unwieldy collection of remotes and start using one device. A Geek Squad Agent will program your new learning remote control (such as a Logitech Harmony remote) for easy operation of your TV and home theater components. Perform commands like Watch a DVD or Listen to Music with the push of a single button.* This service takes about an hour to complete. After completing your order, you will receive a confirmation e-mail that contains a redemption code. You can then schedule your appointment by calling 1-800-GEEK SQUAD (1-800-433-5778) and following the prompts for Home Theater and Installation.** Please print your Geek Squad confirmation e-mail and be ready when the Agent arrives at your chosen location.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5its work for reciver by wifi bettween 2flooer
By saadcitystar
from nashville
its work for reciver by wifi bettween 2 flooer my reciver in 2 flooer and my tv is doween stires,so its work doween stirs in tv samsung by wifi
Dval
Clarksville, TN
Interpreting
March 9, 2012
I try not to be a grammar-junkie, but I think "saadcitystar" is trying to say that he/she's happy with their remote programming. It sounds like he/she purchased a Harmony remote with RF (radio frequency) instead of IR (infrared) that is capable of sending signals over about a 50' range and can even go through walls, cabinets, etc...
If purchasing a remote programming by itself, the service is $99.99, but if you're having other services done as well (audio setup, wall-mounting, calibration, or networking), the service actually drops down to $59.99.
+1point
1of 1voted this comment as helpful.
![Hide and Seek [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/prescaled/500/500/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/0be2d81a-5543-40ba-acaf-9754e197e582.jpg)
Overall4 out of 5
4 out of 5Throwback album
By Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Album came out back on Tuesday and it arrived on Wednesday. Love the quick shipping here.
Hide and Seek isn't quite the same as previous albums from The Birthday Massacre. Couple of the songs have a little bit darker feeling to them, but the overall sounds took me back to music from the 80's and early 90's. Really loving it.
Wouldn't really say that there's any songs that just jump out at you, but it actually works out good for this CD. Really enjoying every single song so I can just keep the entire thing going on repeat. Would be nice to have a killer hit like "Blue" or "Red Stars" thrown in, but the whole thing more than makes up for it.
There's also a Vinyl version available as well, but you'll have to order that through other means if you want it. Definitely recommend this one to any fans.
Dval
Clarksville, TN
Update
December 4, 2012
Have to update this as I've had this CD going for the past month in my car. Truely great CD. Very little pops out because all of the songs are so good. Should have given this one 5 stars.
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This release from the chilling anime series Gunslinger Girl includes all 13 episodes of the show's first season, following the girls of the Social Welfare Agency, who appear from the outside to be orphaned schoolgirls, but are actually trained to be cold blooded killers. Extras with the release include voice director commentary, textless songs, and more.
Overall4 out of 5
4 out of 5Killer girls from...
By Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Genre: Action
"Officially, the social Welfare Agency is a government sponsored corporation that's in the business of saving lives. At least, that's the ruse. In reality, it's an agency on the fringe of technology. They give terminal patients another shot at life using cybernetic implants. This conditioning process then shapes the patient into an effiecient machine for handling all of the goverment's dirty work. They've been given a second change at life, but at what cost?"
Basic plot: Little girls that were about to die have been given a second shot at life, but in return they're basically assassins for the government. The first season here doesn't really do much more than give us a character intro for 6 different girls. The story takes place in Italy which is a huge change of pace for most anime. Plot only got an average score because of the lack of one thus far.
Cinematography: The graphics are very visually appealing. Seeing everything out in the Mediteranean is a good change from the streets of Japan. The character designs themselves aren't very well done, though. They're really kind of normal. However, there's a ton of detail put into the outfits, guns, and scenery. Found it kind of odd, but the Blu-ray version is definitely nice and crisp. No jagged edges around the faces like on DVD versions.
Acting: Loved the English voice-acting and didn't touch the original Japanese. Kind of want to just to hear they're versions of each girl.
Extras: Non-existent. Not a single trailer, commentary, or even a textless opening or ending. Bare bones.
As the first reviewer posted, the story is a little disturbing. If you can get around little girls being used as military dolls, then the action is quite nice and I really enjoyed it. Just not the best series out there. Should definitely pick it up if you like anime, though.
Dval
Clarksville, TN
Part 2
January 3, 2013
Completely forgot about the extras on disc 2. There are actually quite a few. The voice-actor commentaries about their own characters are really enjoyable. Would bump the Extras up to 4 stars, but it wouldn't change the overall rating.
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Overall3 out of 5
3 out of 5meh...
By lobb152
I just didnt like this movie as much as the other two.
Dval
Clarksville, TN
February 13, 2013
Any particular reasons why? Story, cast, etc...?
+1point
1of 1voted this comment as helpful.
This mind-bending release from the psych-horror anime series Deadman Wonderland includes all 12 episodes of the show, following the story of a high school boy who is unjustly jailed for the murder of his class in a prison system that fits him with a collar constantly injecting him with poison. The poison can be neutralized if he can take regular doses of the antidote often enough, though these can only be obtained through prison work.
Overall4 out of 5
4 out of 5Supernatural prison
By Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Genre: Supernatural, Action, Drama
Length: 12 episodes + OVA
Length: 12 episodes + OVA
"Ganta is the only survivor after a mysterious man in red slaughters a classroom full of teenagers. He's framed for the carnage, sentenced to die, and locked away in the most twisted prison ever built: Deadman Wonderland. And then it gets worse.
At Deadman Wonderland, convicts are forced into brutal deathmatches for the amusement of the masses, the cheers of the crowd drowning out the screams of the dismembered. Even when Ganta befriends Shiro, an unusual female inmate, his dark fate crushes all hope – until he discovers the strange ability to wield his spilled blood as a weapon. Ganta learns his new skill might be related to the murderous man in red and uncovers disturbing secrets that could expose those who stole his freedom. He's determined to see justice served – but first he'll have to fight for his life in a prison that holds a million ways to die."
Deadman Wonderland is a decent series that gained attention in America after Cartoon Network aired it on the Toonami animation block when it was reincarnated back in 2012. I caught the first 2 episodes, but never got around to watching the rest. The series is filled to the brim with blood, gore, and action. The English dialogue is pretty racy as well. It does an excellent job with the shock factor. You just know someone is about to die, but it can be a little hard to predict how it's going to happen. Sadly, the series is quite rushed and a ton of knowledge is never made known. There also isn't really a true ending. Red Man remains a mystery, sort of. What relation does Shiro and Ganta have? Don't want to spoil any of the ending, but it pops up just as many questions and doesn't really answer anything. It leave tons of room for a 2nd season, but I haven't seen anything in the works, yet.
I enjoyed the series overall even with the rushed ending and lingering questions. My brother was also a fan and admitted that he was a little confused with the entire thing. This is a great value on a pretty good series. Pick it up!
Dval
Clarksville, TN
Reply
August 7, 2014
That's correct. First two black discs are the DVD version while the last 2 light blue discs contain the BD versions.
+1point
1of 1voted this comment as helpful.
Keep your air clean and healthy with this Therapure 90TP50RM01 mini air purifier that is designed for areas up to 5 sq. ft. Stainless-steel collection blades allow easy cleaning and ultraviolet light destroys airborne viruses.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Not what I was looking for, much better
By kakky
from Houston
Came in looking for a new portable radio. Salesman guided me to a blue-tooth speaker to connect to my phone instead. Can also use this with my MP3. Works much better than the radio would have and great sound. Helpful salesman did a bit of technology training to help me get it set up.
Dval
Clarksville, TN
Wrong item?
August 18, 2014
Hey there. I think you may have gotten the wrong item for your review. Sounds like you purchased a bluetooth speaker instead of an air purifier.
+5points
5of 5voted this comment as helpful.
![Coppelion: The Complete Series [2 Discs] [Blu-ray/DVD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/prescaled/500/500/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/78268882-088c-4c55-82f6-d67951fe455b.jpg)
This set serves up every episode of the anime series Coppelion.
Overall3 out of 5
3 out of 5Great anime!
By ACEACE
from CORONA
Picture and cgi excellent. Story excellent. But I gave it 3 stars because the sound is pcm only. That means stereo not 5.1 dolby digital much less DTS. Why they don't spend the money on the sound affect on Bluray is completely troubling.
Dval
Clarksville, TN
sound in anime
March 17, 2015
It'd be great to have more titles with full 5.1 or 7.1 dolby digital sound, but it's pretty rare outside of the big movies. Really long answer so I'll just paste the response from the animenewsnetwork for you.
Audio is important, and many fans are becoming more and more concerned with making sure that they're getting the best quality audio possible when they fork over the money for a shiny disc of their favorite show. But with so many different formats, which one is best? Which ones should you be asking for? Sometimes the difference is negligible or non-existant, other times it makes a huge difference.
Let's start with the easy one: why some shows have 5.1 mixes for the dub, but not for the original Japanese. I've answered previously on this column that most TV anime doesn't bother with anything more than a stereo (2.0) mix because the Japanese broadcast standard doesn't really support 5.1 audio, and given how big home theater systems aren't as common in Japan for a number of reasons, they generally don't bother remixing for 5.1 when it comes time to release the discs on home video. However, when making the dub, an American publisher might think 5.1 is worth the extra work. If they're already set up to do 5.1, the audio has to be remixed anyway, so it is an opportunity to have a nice added feature for dub fans.
5.1 mixes require special equipment, take a lot more time, and are harder to check for errors (and requires a lot more office space to do so), so it's often not practical to do 5.1 mixes for everything. They can also cost more money. The decision to make a 5.1 mix is made on a show-by-show basis, based on whether the Japanese is 5.1 (usually just movies and some high-end OAVs) and how much the show is predicted to sell.
As for what format in which they're stored on a disc, these days you generally see 4 different kinds of audio tracks:
• Linear PCM (Completely uncompressed, basically just a WAV file. Takes up a lot of space, especially in 5.1.)
• Dolby Digital (AC3) (Lower quality, like an MP3, but takes up a lot less space. Supported by DVD and Blu-ray.)
• Dolby TrueHD (Blu-ray only. The full quality of the WAV file, but compressed to a more manageable size. Still much bigger than AC3, however.)
• DTS Master Audio (Blu-ray only. For the end user, pretty much identical to Dolby TrueHD.)
• Linear PCM (Completely uncompressed, basically just a WAV file. Takes up a lot of space, especially in 5.1.)
• Dolby Digital (AC3) (Lower quality, like an MP3, but takes up a lot less space. Supported by DVD and Blu-ray.)
• Dolby TrueHD (Blu-ray only. The full quality of the WAV file, but compressed to a more manageable size. Still much bigger than AC3, however.)
• DTS Master Audio (Blu-ray only. For the end user, pretty much identical to Dolby TrueHD.)
When you make a DVD or Blu-ray, you are tasked with squeezing a lot of data onto a finite amount of space, so compression can be very important. Wasting too much bandwidth on audio means you might have to sacrifice video quality. The above compression formats are essential ways to get the most quality out of an audio track without having an unwieldy amount of data to contend with.
Audio quality obsessives swear that Dolby Digital AC3 audio has a lot of distortion and they can DEFINITELY tell a difference. I am skeptical. I've definitely heard bad AC3 encodes that definitely affected audio quality, particularly in very early DVDs, but there has never been a double-blind study that shows even audio experts can tell a difference at higher bitrates (and quite a few proving that nobody can tell at all). At any event, the presence of "lossless" audio (in either LPCM, DTS-MA or Dolby TrueHD) has become an important marketing bullet point for Blu-ray discs, so whether people can REALLY tell the difference or it's all a placebo effect, who am I to argue.
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