Azure Flame Reloaded

When Tokidoki Rikugou fails his high school history class, he has to make up for it by attending a virtual reality tour of Edo- the last resort for drumming information into young minds. Unfortunately, what started off as a simple make-up class turns into something more sinister when Tokidoki is pulled into what appears to be the real Edo- albeit one where magic and the supernatural are a way of life. Can Tokidoki adjust to this new life- and will he ever find a way home? Continue Reading »

Anime Olympics

With the real Olympics having just finished, it’s time for our favourite anime characters to step up to the plate and have a go at their own unique set of events. Highlight include-

• Trap Race: how fast can you dress as a member of the opposite sex?
• Harem relay: harem members race around the track in an attempt to get the object of their desire.
• Fat cat rollathon: fat cats roll towards their food bowls.
• Metal Diving: contestants must swim through Real Drive’s virtual reality.
• Mobile Suit race: how quickly can one Gundam pilot destroy generic mobile suits? Continue Reading »

Book Promotion Special

Here at Azure Flame we like to keep you up to date with the latest developments in the anime world- everything from the Spice and Wolf trading game to the acclaimed crossover series “Mewsou Renkin”. Today, however, we’re here to advertise a new set of self-help books, written by some of the finest names in anime! Continue Reading »

Backlog catch-up is a myth.

Reviewed this week: Amatsuki 12-13, Antique Bakery 3-4, Blade of the Immortal 2, Chi’s Sweet Home 53-68, Detroit Metal City 1, Eve no Jikan 1, Himawari!! 6, Itazura na Kiss 17, Kaiba 11-12, Koihime Musou 4, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 12, Otome S.ifr 2, Nabari no Ou 17-18, Natsume Yuujinchou 4-5, Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 4, Persona Trinity Soul 22-6, Real Drive 13, Ryoko’s Case File 4, Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 4, Soul Eater 16-18, Telepathy Shoujo Ran 6-7, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 14-15, Xam’D 3

…and in manga: .hack//Link 3, Caramel Espresso 1-2, Clannad 6-8, Claymore 82, Elfen Lied 89-101, FMA 85, MariMite 25-7, Minami-ke 34-5, Nodame 121, Rose of Versailles 9-10, Sketchbook 13-16, Slayers Aqualord 1, Slayers Revolution 3, Tsubasa 194, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 1, xxxHOLiC 159-161, Yotsuba&! 55 Continue Reading »

Reviewed this week: Amatsuki 10-11, Clannad Tomoyo Edition, Itazura na Kiss 15, Koihime Musou 3, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 11, Mnemosyne 6, Nabari no Ou 15, Natsume Yuujinchou 3, Persona 18-20, Slayers Revolution 3, Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 3, Soul Eater 15, Telepathy Shoujo Ran 5, World Destruction 2, xxxHOLiC Kei 12-13

…and in manga: too lazy to read any! Continue Reading »

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei: the lost chapters

2-H enters the classroom, only to see that the whole place is lit by candles- Sensei is in the shadows.

Chiri: Sensei, what’s going on?

Chiri switches the light on, causing Sensei to rise up and scream.

Sensei: You mustn’t!

Maria: Sensei’s a vampire!

(Meru: Idiot.)

Sensei: Turn that light off! Class, today we must spend the entire day without relying on electricity once! Therefore, IT class is cancelled- we’ll watch an educational movie instead!

Chiri: But to watch the movie we’ll need a TV and DVD player.

Sensei: Zetsubou shita! The culture that relies so much on electricity has left me in despair! Continue Reading »

Dragons’ Den

(UK readers, a new series of the real Dragons’ Den begins next Monday at 9pm on BBC2.)

Welcome to our regular feature based on the TV program of the same name, in which anime characters try to market their great idea to five fat cats of anime! President Aria made his fortune in the gondola industry of Neo Venezia, and is now CEO of a well-known company. Mikoto started her business in the capital of Wind Bloom, and is now a trusted advisor to the queen, with business partners scattered across the world. The Admiral’s first business venture was to invest in a Chinese restaurant, but a meteor threat to Earth saw her buy shares in ground and space based defence technology, which she currently administers with her protégé “The General” (aka Shogun). Mr Tibbs started his career as a tea cat for the bank, but his sound grasp of finance saw him rise up the ranks until he became one of their most prominent managers. Finally, The Cardinal is the world’s most powerful fat cat, with a wide range of business interests that ensure that he has a paw in every pie (often literally, depending on his appetite). These five cats represent some heavyweight investment clout in every sense of the word, but is any deal attractive enough to get them to roll off their backsides and shake paws with a budding entrepreneur? Continue Reading »

There were times when we all felt that way about Busou Renkin.

Reviewed this week: Allison and Lillia 12, Amatsuki 8-9, Amuri in Star Ocean 1, Antique Bakery 1, Aria DVD Special, Chi’s Sweet Home 47-52, Chocolate Underground 4, Hidamari Sketch x365 1, Itazura na Kiss 13, Kaiba 9, KgNE Next Season 3, Koihime Musou 1, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 10, Miyori no Mori, Nabari no Ou 13-14, Natsume Yuujinchou 1, Persona 12, Real Drive 11, Shion no Ou 22, Slayers Revolution 2, Someday’s Dreamers ~Summer Skies~ 1, Soul Eater 13-14, Telepathy Shoujo Ran 3, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 11, World Destruction 1

…and in manga: Tsubasa Chronicle 192 Continue Reading »

Reviewed this week: Amatsuki 7, Chi’s Sweet Home 45-6, Chocolate Underground 2-3, Himawari!! 5, Itazura na Kiss 12, Kyouran Kazoku Nikki 9, Nabari no Ou 12, Real Drive 8-10, Shion no Ou 21, Slayers Revolution 1, Soul Eater 12, Telepathy Shoujo Ran 1-2, Wagaya no Oinari-sama 10

…and in manga: Slayers Revolution 1-2 Continue Reading »

Forget the DS- how about the Five Screen?

Are two screens just not enough? Perhaps you want a bit more challenge when it comes to keeping track of onscreen events? Then why not invest in the new Five Screen? Arranged in the shape of an open-topped cube, the Five Screen unfolds to reveal all of its screens, each of which can be configured to be a touch screen. Use screens to control your characters, keep track of enemy stats, view overworld maps and much, much more! The insanity just keeps mounting up when you try to play anything on the Five Screen!

Continue Reading »