Azure Flame Reloaded

Setsuna Mudo always knew he was different from other people- after all, you can hardly be said to be normal when you’re tortured by improper feelings for your own sister. What he doesn’t know, however, is that he is also the reincarnation of Alexiel, a powerful angel who was cast out of Heaven. Now, even as he struggles with his own inner conflict, Setsuna finds himself drawn into a war between Heaven and Hell; a battle where the angels may themselves be more corrupt than the demons they pursue. Continue Reading »

Growing up is something we all have to face eventually, and for elementary school student Tsubomi, the time to start the transition from childhood to adulthood has arrived. With a younger sibling on the way, her first period and the realisation that boys can be more than just friends, Tsubomi has a lot to deal with- but luckily a mysterious new student at her school is always there to offer support and advice through these important times. Continue Reading »

Together with her intelligent sword Grandeek, itinerant warrior Tia travels the world in search of the greatest weapon in the world. It’s no surprise, therefore, that she ends up on the Isle of Weapons, a place where numerous blacksmiths practise their craft in search of that same perfection; but on arriving, it becomes clear that all is not well. A stolen sword has possessed its owner and forced them to go on a killing spree to sate its anger, but with the murderer having gone beyond what it means to be human, can anyone stop them?

Continue Reading »

Shed by the legendary tree Yggdrasil, the mysterious Fruits of Time are both a blessing and a curse, granting immortality to women, but condemning men to a fatal, bloodthirsty hunger. Rin Asogi is one such immortal, and as the ages pass, she and her faithful companion Mimi can only watch as the world turns and each generation succeeds the last. Their endless lives are far from uneventful, however, for in the background a shadowy force is slowly but surely hatching a deadly plan that could change the world forever. Continue Reading »

When a strange impulse compels Prince Arren to kill his father, he finds himself fleeing for his life, unable to trust even himself. Through a chance meeting with the wizard Ged, however, Arren finds himself drawn into a whole new series of events- one that must inevitably end in a confrontation with the ambitious mage known as Cob.

With the directorial reins of this Ghibli film having been handed from the legendary Hayao Miyazaki to his son Goro, Tales of Earthsea was always going to be a film that attracted much comment and scrutiny, but for me it was something I could never really be bothered to watch- until the day family members unexpectedly came home with the DVD. By this late stage in the game, I was already aware of the mixed reviews the film had accrued elsewhere, but how would it fare on the Azure Flame “400 anime” scale? Continue Reading »

Despite its name, Treasure Town is infamous not for being a place you would actually want to visit, but for being a hotbed of gang wars and yakuza activity. In amongst all this chaos, two young boys- canny streetwise Black and childish idiot savant White- fight both to survive and to protect their home turf from outsiders and the changes they bring.

Continue Reading »

When a strange incident leaves 17-year-old Makoto Konno with ability to ‘leap’ backwards through time, she does exactly what most people would do- uses her ability for her own personal gain. Nonetheless, as fun as it is to avoid mishaps, pick up extra pocket money and improve her grades, it gradually becomes clear that messing around with time has its consequences, and that trying to change one thing for the better can make something else far worse.

Continue Reading »

According to legend, many years ago, a powerful god named Gestalt was banished to Earth and sealed in an island known only as ‘G’. Determined to find the truth behind these rumours, priest Father Olivier decides to leave his order and travel to G, but when he gains a travelling companion in the form of sorceress Ohri, it is only the first step in becoming embroiled in a more complicated adventure.

Continue Reading »

“…just which screencap you can be bothered to upload.”

After two seasons and twenty-six episodes of flower petals, HARD YURI and angst, the infamous Maria-sama ga Miteru decided to take a rest from TV series format and adapt the next part of the novels as five fifty-minute OVA episodes. Having enjoyed the TV series, I was initially interested to see where the story would go next, but as I was soon to discover, this OVA seemed designed to weed out the true MariMite enthusiast from the milder fan.

Continue Reading »

After being abandoned by her owners one rainy night, “Chibi-Neko” the kitten is saved from an untimely end when a student named Tokio picks her up and takes her home. Despite the fact that his mother is allergic to cats, Tokio’s parents decide to let him keep Chibi, in the hope that caring for her will help alleviate his depression over failing to get into college. For her part, Chibi comes to adore her new owner, and in her naïveté, she hopes that she will one day turn into a human so that they can always be together. Even so, the world has many lessons for a young kitten to learn, and it seems for sure that she will one day realise that no cat can become human.

Continue Reading »