Wanted!
While we generally jump right into this page's craziness, we'd like to give pause for a moment and relect on the horrible weather that struck the Gulf Coast of the United States. From everyone here at Animefringe, we'd like to send out best wishes to all the people left suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Okay, for anyone not sure what this page is about, the latest installment of Animefringe's Wanted!--that strange little column where our staff rattle off a list of all the killer stuff they're most looking forward to getting in the coming month and beyond!
Tim’s Picks
(Anime) Elfen Lied - First volume has just released down under, and with way too many warm fuzzies in my animation diet as of late, it’s good to know that I can get some variety by flavoring it with a little blood.
(Game) Where Do Babies Come From? - The follow-up to the Sonic Team’s only vaguely admirable game of the past five years, Feel the Magic XX/YY (alternately I Would Die For You or Project Rub, depending on where you are), and possibly sporting the single greatest title of any game in history.
(Other) For Someone To Invent Non-Stick Wall Tiles - Seriously, just how many times have your mornings been ruined by the unwelcome discovery of mysterious pubic hairs stuck to the shower wall? Far too many, I’d wager, and living in a house of six only furthers my desire to get rid of the problem.
Andrew's Picks
(Anime) Fighting Spirit Vol. 8 - Okay, what can I say? I'm hooked. This is a gem from Geneon that more people need to be aware of. Boxing, humor, toilet humor, like making fun of Ippo's *beep*. Oh yeah, there’s some kick-butt boxing action too.
(Anime) Mars Day Break Vol. 1 - You’ve got a talking dolphin, a talking cat, a pirate woman who could kick your ass, and some nice looking mecha type robots, should I say more? It's pirates, but in MARS! ARRRRHHHHH!
(Figures) Guyver II - Okay. At Otakon, I fell mercy to figures, and now I want more. I’ve got Guyver I, but I want the cool Guyver II. Hey, I was told that it’s a chick magnet!
Janet's Picks
(Manga) Eden - I like cyberpunk, especially the meat versus machine philosophical debate. Hiroki Endo's Eden is supposedly a graphic *and* philosophical piece of cyberpunk literature, so it sounds tailor-made for me. It also has a shrink-wrapped 18+ rating, so that just makes it all the more desirable.
(Manga) Pita-Ten Official Fan Book Vol. 1 - This series consists of stories set in the world of Pita-Ten as done by fan artists and writers, although we do get some work from Koge-Donbo as well. I enjoyed Pita-Ten, so I figure that I might as well check out these fan comics.
(Manga) Shinobu Kokoro - It's ninja yaoi! Really; that's all I need to say. The tagline "Shinobu Kokoro: Protecting the clan with some man-on-man!" sealed the deal.
Lesley's Picks
(Electronics) iPod - Yep, I must be one of the only people left on the planet without an mp3 player, and as my CD player enters into its final death throes, I know it's time to upgrade to an iPod. My mp3 collection is huge, and I love being able to listen to the latest J-Pop and anime tunes as I walk into town or shop. Now the iPod has a color screen and added perks, such as video playback. I think it's time to shell out the cash.
(Game) Final Fantasy X Ultimate Collection - Excuse me while I drool over my laptop, but isn't this gorgeous! This lovely white box contains the Japanese version of both FFX and FFX-2, along with a DVD containing the Eternal Calm filler that bridged the two games. Normally, I hate RPGs, but the FMV of Yuna sending souls to the Farplane in FFX caused me to fall in love with the games, and this stylish boxset will enable all fans to enjoy both of the games for a low price.
(Miscellaneous) A Japanese credit card - Yes, much to the delight of all fans of J-Pop, Apple have finally opened the Japanese branch of iTunes, where for the obscenely expensive sum of ¥600 ($5.44US or £3.00GB), you can download the latest tracks from all your favorite artists. There's one problem to this -- you need a Japanese credit card! Looks like that I'll have to make do with the thirty second previews... sigh.
Chris' Picks
(Anime) Samurai 7 Vol. 1 Limited Edition - Although I don't remember much about it, I do remember liking the first few fansubbed episodes a while back. This limited edition comes with an artbook with all sorts of goodies, so it should be a good buy if I can scrounge together enough cash.
(PS2) We Love Katamari! - I haven't quite beaten the first yet, but I love it nonetheless. This is THE must-have game of September, and at $30.00 or less, who could pass it up?
(PSP) Taiko no Tatsujin - I played a friend's copy the other day, and the gameplay without the drum on a handheld is much better than I had expected. Addictive minigames and great music make this another Namco game that I'll definitely have to import.
Joe's Picks
(Anime) Cowboy Bebop Remix Vol. 1 - Gunpowder, printing press, steam engine, Cowboy Bebop Remix... Wait a second; this list demeans Cowboy Bebop Remix. I hate to say “greatest thing ever made,” but the Pyramids have to move aside.
(Anime) Genshikin: Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture Vol. 2 - There’s a lot of great anime coming out soon, and Genshikin won’t be a title that gets swept away by it at all. If you like comedy or just something original, then make sure that you pick this up.
(Anime) Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig Vol. 1 - It’s the sequel to what I deemed the best release of the year. How could I not pick this one up?
Mandy's Picks
(Anime) Tenjho Tenge Vol. 2 - It would make a great addition to any anime fans collection. Hot bishies and cool fighting scenes... That makes for one great show!
(Manga) D.N. Angel Vol. 9 - It’s supposed to come out September 13th, but it's hard to tell when I'll actually get it. I just realized that there are only ten volumes; or I'm guessing that there are only ten volumes, because that's what the official site says. This makes me sad and a little upset, because they took so long for one story arc... *cries*
(Other) Banana Pocky - Lots of it. What can I say? I love this stuff. I took one bite, and I was hooked. That was two months ago now, and I've only had that one box. Besides, the little monkey on the package is cute.
Patrick's Picks
(Anime) Ah My Goddess Vol. 1 - One of the first series to get me into anime arrives in the form of a shiny new TV series! It took them long enough to finally do the manga justice.
(Anime) Burst Angel Vol. 3 - It's hard for me to dislike a series with unnaturally attractive gun-toting women jumping around in mechs, and I haven't had this much technopunk fun since Bubblegum Crisis: 2040.
(Anime) Pom Poko - After reading more than one American review of this show -- each of which can be summarized by "raccoon-like things use their magic testicles to save nature" -- I feel that I have to support this hilarious, yet tragically misunderstood series. Although, for the record, the tanuki in the series really do use their magical testicles to save nature.
Adam's Picks
As you might've noticed, I skipped last month's Wanted. Well, I just didn't have anything to want. ^_^
(Anime) Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Ultimate Edition - Yes, Adam is totally insane. $300 blown in a single swoop on a box set that isn't even in English. Jeez, what an idiot.
(Anime) Tenchi Muyo!: Ryo-Ohki (OVA 3) Ep. +1 - Let's hope this extra episode is finally the one where Tenchi picks who he wants to be with. For the price Adam's paying to import it, this half-hour episode better be well worth it.
(Conventionss) Maximum Con-age - Hoping for some serious bounty, Adam's hitting not one, but two Atlanta cons this September. Dragon*Con (September 2-5) should net Adam some great sci-fi and comic stuff and Anime Weekend Atlanta (September 24-26) will be that special con where he gets to hit up panel after panel of anime goodness.