Anime Review: Battle Skipper

battle skipper anime


Year: 1995
Length: 3 Episodes
Genre: Comedy, Mecha, Sci-Fi
Studio: Artmic

Synopsis: Despite the title, this is not a feature but the three-part OVA Battle Skipper (1995), which Takashi Watanabe directed before going on to Slayers.

When the members of the Etiquette Club at St. Ignacio’s School for Girls go down the tubes–literally–they acquire the skimpy outfits they wear to pilot the unfortunately named BSs or Battle Skippers, state-of-the-art military mecha. As “Extars,” the Etiquette Club members fight to eliminate evil from the world, which means the bizarre schemes of Sayaka, the nasty, super-rich president of the rival Debutante Club, and her flunky, Todo.

The series was created to promote a line of robot toys from Tomy, and viewers who are willing to accept high school girls’ quarrels escalating into battles involving satellite weaponry may enjoy these silly adventures.


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Anime Review – Princess Principal: Crown Handler 1

princess principal crown handler 1


Year: 2021
Length: 54 Minutes
Genre: Action, Historical, Mystery
Studio: Actas

Synopsis: The film is set in London at the end of the 19th century and after the attempted assassination of the Imperial princess in the television anime. The Empire is increasing counter-spy actions in the wake of the incident, and finds Control, the Commonwealth group in charge of covert operations against the Empire, at unease and suspecting its spy within the royal family as a double agent. Control assigns their spy ring Dove with a new mission to extract a secondhand bookstore owner and deliver him to Commonwealth hands. Ange, Dorothy, and Chise successfully spring the bookstore owner from an Imperial prison. Control also assigns Dove to make contact with Bishop, their spy within the royal family, to ascertain their loyalties.


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Anime Review: Vlad Love

vlad love anime


Year: 2021
Length: 12 Episodes
Genre: Comedy, School, Supernatural, Vampire
Studio: Production I.G / Drive

Synopsis: Mitsugu Banba is a high school girl who finds meaning in donating blood. She frequently visits a blood bank to donate blood, despite being harshly treated by the nurse. One day, she encounters a beautiful girl who looks like she’s from overseas at the blood bank. The pale girl looks like she’s about to faint any minute, but then, she starts destroying the blood bank. The girl loses consciousness and Mitsugu takes her home…


STORY

I don’t know about you, but there are times when I’m not all that enthused to watch anime. A major reason is simply because it feels like most of these shows are super similar and lack any sort of originality. If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen almost all of them. But then an anime like Vlad Love comes along and turns out to be so weird and all over the place that your faith in anime humanity is restored for a minute.

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Anime Review: Otherside Picnic

>>>>>>> SPOILER ALERT <<<<<<<

otherside picnic anime


Year: 2021
Length: 12 Episodes
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Yuri
Studio: LIDENFILMS, Felix Film

Synopsis: The “Otherworld” is a vast and dangerous realm hidden from the knowledge of the common folk. It is also home to many creatures that threaten any human who dare visit it. To witness its desolate yet oddly absorbing environment, one must search for portals that could reside anywhere, from secret elevators to shrine entrances.

After a fateful encounter with a horrendous Otherworld denizen, Sorao Kamikoshi ponders whether to keep going or give up in life. Meanwhile, Toriko Nishina scours the Otherworld in hopes of finding her friend Satsuki, who she believes is lost somewhere within the realm.

When the two cross paths, friendship blossoms. In order to acquire as much information about this obscure dimension, the two travel back and forth from the real world to the other. Sorao and Toriko’s bodies are soon influenced by the Otherworld, preparing them for the many horrors to come as both of them try to fulfill their goals.


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Anime Review: Steel Angel Kurumi 2

steel angel kurumi 2 anime


Year: 2001
Length: 12 (15-min) Episodes
Genre: Comedy, Mecha, Romance, Sci-Fi, Yuri
Studio: OLM

Synopsis: Taking place 75 years after the first series, Steel Angel Kurumi 2 brings the Steel Angels in a new mis-adventure. High school student and aspiring cellist Nako Kagura accidentally discovers and kisses Kurumi Mk. II at her home, thus making her Kurumi’s master. But things go awry as Nako’s best friend Uruka gets jealous and tries anything – including her father’s army of top-secret mecha – to destroy Kurumi and win back Nako. Things get more out of control when Saki Mk. II is awakened by Uruka, and Karinka Mk. II joins in to steal Nako away from Kurumi.


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Anime Review: Adachi to Shimamura

adachi to shimamura yuri anime


Year: 2020
Length: 12 Episodes
Genre: Romance, School, Slice of Life, Yuri
Studio: Tezuka Productions

Synopsis: Somewhere in the school at noon, one might hear the sound of two girls playing table tennis together as they wait for time to pass by.

As if by fate, two students—Sakura Adachi and Hougetsu Shimamura—stumble upon each other on the second floor of the school gymnasium. As they gradually foster a budding friendship, their feelings for one another only become more ambiguous. Growing closer by the day, the two must learn to navigate their contrasting personalities as well as determine the depth of their affection for each other.

The nature of this relationship gradually shifts when one of them starts to develop feelings beyond the boundaries of a platonic relationship. Even so, Adachi and Shimamura must realize if forming a bond stronger than friendship will bring them closer or tear them apart.


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Anime Review – Assault Lily: Bouquet

assault lily bouquet anime


Year: 2020
Length: 12 Episodes
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Magic
Studio: Shaft

Synopsis: Fifty years ago, mysterious creatures known as the “Huge” suddenly appeared all over the world, posing an existential threat to humanity. To defend against these menaces, soldiers in the form of teenage girls known as “Lilies” use the energy “Magie” within their bodies to power weapons called “Counter Huge ARMS” or “CHARMS.”

After being saved by a Lily two years ago while evacuating from a Huge attack, Riri Hitotsuyanagi vowed to become a Lily herself. She enrolls in the prestigious academy of Yurigaoka, a training ground for Lilies, and discovers that one of her classmates is Yuyu Shirai—the same Lily who rescued her. Much to her confusion, however, the person she thought to be cheerful turns out to be quite antisocial and prefers to fight alone. Even so, Riri still desires to get along with Yuyu and is willing to do anything she can to reach that goal.

With Yuyu and the other Lilies by her side, Riri’s journey on becoming one of them has just bloomed!


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