Me unboxing Batman: The Animated Series Volume 1

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I unbox Batman: The Animated Series Volume 1.

Anime Review: Afro Samurai (2008)

 

Quick Info

Directed by: Fuminori Kizaki
Distributor: Funimation Productions
Written by: Tomohiro Yamashita
Release Date: August 26, 2008
Runtime: 125 Minutes
Availability: On DVD and Blu-Ray, streaming on Crunchyroll

Story Summary

In a distant, yet feudalistic future, a young boy watches in horror as his father is decapitated by a man seeking the “Number 1” headband. Whoever wears it is the strongest samurai in the world and can only be surpassed by the one who wears the “Number 2” headband. After his father’s death, a boy known only as Afro sets out on a Journey to reclaim the Number 1 headband and avenge his father’s death.

Thoughts on the Plot

The story is interesting, not really amazing or spectacular, but it's an interesting story. It is essentially a Hollywood story animated by the Japanese animation studio Gonzo, but it's a decent story that was enjoyable to watch, just not particularly amazing or exceptional.

It is amusing that Samuel L. Jackson wanted to make an anime, but I also enjoy that he's an anime fan. Even if I don't agree with him politically, I can appreciate his work, whether it's a movie or an anime.

The Animation is Good, but the CGI is Weird

The animation by Gonzo is really good, the fight scenes are interesting to watch, and there’s plenty of action in this short series. The fight scenes are clever and interesting, and it is a decent-looking anime, with some conspicuous CGI in it, but it’s not too bad. But the design style makes this anime a little different than other anime.

Gonzo Studio either makes amazing animation, or it can be decent to downright terrible animation. Afro Samurai falls under decent animation; it's not terrible, but it's not their best work either.

The English Dub Is Good

This anime is very unique; it’s a different type of story, and it’s very interesting because it’s one of the few anime, outside of Hayao Miyazaki movies, to have a Hollywood celebrity, Samuel L. Jackson, in it. He voices Afro, the lone warrior who wants to avenge his father’s death. He also plays Afro’s strange traveling companion, Ninja-Ninja, in a quirky fashion as well.

Other members of the cast are also very good to listen to. Yuri Lowenthal as Kuma is a great voice actor and he gives a great performance as Kuma. The dialogue between him and Samuel L. Jackson is terrific, even though his character, Afro, doesn’t talk much. The other character that does a lot of talking is Ninja-Ninja. Yuri Lowenthal and they both are excellent, especially during their fight scenes against each other.

Kelly Hu is very good despite her one-time appearance in the series; she does a good job too. Ron Perlman is spectacular as Justice; he’s a truly evil villain, and Ron plays his part perfectly. He hasn't done a lot of voice acting because he's been in Sons of Anarchy and other movies, but he's still a terrific voice actor.

The English dub is good, but not one of those mind-blowing dubs that set the bar for anime; it's just Samuel L. Jackson wanting to have fun and be in an anime.

There is no Depth, Just Mindless Violence

Is the plot good? Yes, but it’s not particularly deep or anything; it’s mainly a fun hack-and-slash sword-fighting anime, but there is no Afro Samurai, only Samuel L. Jackson with an afro and a sword. The plot is fun, and that’s the main draw to Afro Samurai, besides having Jackson in it.

It's a popcorn anime that's just mindless action and fight scenes. But if you enjoy that kind of thing and you're looking for something to watch, you'll probably enjoy Afro Samurai.

If you're looking for a deeper anime, you should look elsewhere, but if you just want an action anime, this is the one for you. It's just a mindlessly fun action series.

Parental Warning

The strange futuristic setting might not appeal to all audiences, along with the strong profanity, a sex scene, and bloody, gory violence, gave this anime a TV-MA rating when it aired on Spike TV. Afro Samurai is definitely for adults and not for kids; this is meant for ages 17 and up.

It's Got a Great Cast With a Decent Story

While the setting and story might not appeal to everyone, if you like Samuel L. Jackson, Yuri Lowenthal or Kelly Hu, you should definitely rent Afro Samurai from Netflix or your local library, it’s a mindless Acton anime, but that’s what makes it fun, along with a good musical score, Afro Samurai is an anime that should be watched at least once, whether or not you want it in your DVD or bllu-ray collection is up to you. But bloody swordfights never looked so awesome. The entire anime of Afro Samurai, including the movie Afro Samurai: Resurrection, is available from Funimation Entertainment.

My Grade: C-

Afro Samurai is a novel anime; it's not the best anime I've seen, but it's decent. It's not particularly memorable either.

Afro Samurai is mindless fun, just another action series for adults. It's not particularly memorable unless you like Samuel L. Jackson, Kelly Hu, or Ron Perlman. It's an anime you watch and then move on to the next one. It's only memorable for using celebrity voice actors and decent animation from Gonzo, but not much else.

It's a mindless action, popcorn anime that's a time-waster if you're bored and you can't think of anything to watch. It's mainly fun if you're a fan of Samuel L. Jackson and want to watch something different that he's in compared to the typical live-action movies that he's usually in.

It might be worth your time if you're a fan, but it's not really worth the money unless you really feel you have to have it in your anime collection.

It's worth streaming on Crunchyroll's website, but only diehard fans of the anime will buy it. It's worth your time, maybe, but not necessarily your money.

© 2015 ReViewMeMedia

Movie Review: Batman Under The Red Hood

Movie Review: Batman Under The Red Hood

Thoughts on Fullmetal Alchemist And Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

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My thoughts on Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and what I like about both series.

Manga Review: Romeo X Juliet Omnibus

Manga Review: Romeo X Juliet Omnibus

My written review for the Manga Romeo X Juliet Omnibus from Yen Press.

Movie Review: Van Helsing

Movie Review: Van Helsing

My written review of the 2004 movie, Van Helsing from Universal Pictures.

Anime Review: Death Note

Anime Review: Death Note

My written review of the popular anime Death Note.

Anime Review: Ghost Hunt

Anime Review: Ghost Hunt

My review of the anime Ghost Hunt from Funimation Entertainment.

Anime Review: Samurai Champloo

Anime Review: Samurai Champloo

My written review of the popular anime, Samurai Champloo from Geneon/Funimation Entertainment.

Anime Review: 'Trigun' (1998)

Quick Info

Director: Satoshi Nishimura
Studio: Funimation, formerly Geneon Entertainment
Released: March 12, 2013
Runtime: 650 minutes
Availability: In Print, on DVD, Buy on RightStufAnime, and Amazon
Streaming: Hulu and Funimation, check to see if it is streaming in your country here

Story Summary

In the distant future, on a desert planet called Gunsmoke, a notorious outlaw travels the world, wreaking havoc and destroying cities wherever he goes. His name is Vash the Stampede, and he is the $$60,00,000,000 man, and everyone is chasing him, including two insurance girls, Meryl and Milly, who try to keep the damage Vash causes to a minimum.

But Vash's goofy exterior hides a dark past that refuses to leave him alone. He must confront the mysterious Gung-Ho Guns and keep his promise to "Take care of Knives".

Impact of “Trigun” and Licensing Woes

Even after 24 years, Trigun is still a great anime; it’s considered a classic these days. But why is it still so popular, even though it’s been out of print for ages after Geneon Entertainment closed, and has recently been licensed by Funimation Entertainment and is now available on DVD? The movie has been licensed and released in the U.S. years after the series was finished.

This was a gateway to anime for a wide audience because it aired on Adult Swim. It's a classic, right up there with Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Cowboy Bebop. The dub is highly regarded by fans, even if they prefer not to use English dubs.

Two Decades Later, The Animation Still Holds Up!

Even though it wasn’t an exact faithful adaptation of the manga, it’s still a very good anime to watch. The action sequences were exhilarating, and the character designs are unique and stand out.

The art style is nice, and while the animation doesn't look as polished as digital animation, it's still special because cell animation is no longer used in the same way as it was in Trigun.

Studio Madhouse made this anime, and while it wasn't as stunning as a lot of their later work, it's still really good. The animation still stands out despite its age.

The English Dub Is Great!

This review will not cover the Japanese dub with English subtitles because this review is written for people who might just be getting into anime and aren’t “sub purists” who only watch the Japanese version and don’t watch the English version.

The Japanese dub isn't bad, but since this is a space western and westerns are associated with America, English is the best choice between Japanese and English. If you like Japanese voice acting, you'll probably enjoy Trigun in Japanese.

The English dub is terrific, and everyone sounds great. The performance by Johnny Bosch, who voices Vash the Stampede, is perfect, and it’s surprising because this was his first anime role. Jeff Nimoy is also great as Nicholas D. Wolfwood, a very unconventional traveling priest.

Dorothy Elias-Fahn is also well cast as Meryl Strife, and she’s a very good voice actress. Lia Sargent plays the seemingly air-headed insurance girl, Milly Thomson, and she gives a nice performance. It’s nice to listen to her voice, even though it might get on some audience members' nerves.

Bo Williams was great as Millions Knives. He did a really good job as Knives, playing an excellent villain. He was an interesting character, and the showdown between Knives and Vash was fantastic.

The dub is still fun to listen to, even though it's really old now, and dubbing has improved a lot since Trigun was released. It's still one I enjoy a lot.

The Soundtrack Is Great!

The musical score is very memorable, especially the opening theme “H.T.”

The music evokes the feel and emotions of a western, and it sounds like something you'd hear in a western. It has a lot of twang and guitars, and the music is a wonderful thing to hear. It evokes emotions in the audience, and there are musical themes that I think of when I remember Trigun.

The Themes of "Trigun"

There are also themes concerning pacifism and genocide, and strong Christian themes in the character of Vash the Stampede. Trigun’s themes resonate with many viewers and have made him one of the most memorable and iconic anime characters on screen. It defined anime for many in the U.S. and is considered an anime classic that is a must-watch.

The themes of pacifism and morality, and how much restraint is needed not to kill in a world where killing is easy, make the audience think about Vash and his beliefs about not taking a life.

There's also the interesting relationship with his mother in the story, and how he wants to follow her ideals.

It also deconstructs the idealistic view of pacifism that is shown in stories where it's easy to cheer on a pacifist when they're not being shot at. What makes Vash's pacifism stand out and stay with the viewer so much is the space western setting, where killing is easy, normal, and commonplace.

Vash is defined by being a pacifist in a setting where that is the hardest thing to do. It makes him one of my favorite anime characters. The Christian themes aren't easy to spot, but they are there.

The Tonal Change Might Throw You Off

Trigun has an interesting story because of the tonal shift. It starts off light-hearted and funny, but slowly shifts into a more serious tone as the story progresses. The shift could throw off the audience because they're expecting it to be pretty funny, but when it becomes serious, it's rather jarring.

The manga didn't really start out funny, but it's an interesting way to introduce Vash. The humor. The inconsistent tone is weird, but it makes the story interesting.

Parental Warning

Trigun's violence isn't extremely graphic, but people are shot and wounded by gunfire or slashed with melee weapons.

There is also some profanity, but it's not as strong as an MA-rated anime or R-rated movie.

 It’s an Older Anime, but It’s a Must-Watch for Anime Fans 

Overall, Trigun is a great anime, and it still looks good despite its age, although the characters do sometimes go off-model. The music is nice, and the English dub is very good. The story is worth your time, as it is deep, meaningful, and carries a good message. However, it is not suitable for kids, due to its stronger language, blood, and violence. But it is definitely a classic anime that deserves to be on your shelf. Experience the space western for yourself; it’ll stick with you after it’s over.

Trigun is available on Hulu and Crunchyroll.

Grade: A-

Trigun is an anime classic that was the gateway anime for many Western fans. It has excellent animation, deep themes, and a captivating story. It's well worth your time and money, and it's not expensive to purchase at all.

Studio Madhouse has improved a lot, but it's interesting to see some of their old work; it still holds up despite being one of their older titles. The animation still looks really great and shows off Vash in his iconic red coat.

It's still a wonderful space western, and it's a classic anime that every anime fan should watch. If you like Johnny Yong Bosch, you should enjoy watching his first foray into anime dubbing. It has a great dub.

I enjoy watching it, and it's one of my favorite anime to watch. The Trigun movie, Badlands Rumble, has been released on Blu-ray and DVD.

If you want to stream the anime, you can watch it on FunimationNow, Hulu, and YouTube.

“Copyright 2010 ReViewMeMedia, All Rights Reserved. Any unauthorized duplication or use of this material is strictly prohibited.”

Anime Review: Romeo X Juliet

Anime Review: Romeo X Juliet

My written review of the anime Romeo X Juliet

Anime Review: Fullmetal Alchemist (First Series)

Anime Review: Fullmetal Alchemist (First Series).

Here's my written review of Fullmetal Alchemist, The first series.

"Band of Brothers" blu-ray official cover art. | Source

Quick Info

Director: Various
Studio: HBO Home Video
Released: October 21, 2014, for blu-ray
Total Episode Count: 10
Runtime: 705 Minutes
Availability: On Blu-Ray, DVD, and digital, streaming on HBOMax

Story Summary

Band of Brothers follows the exploits of Easy Company, 506th Regiment, of the 101st Airborne during World War II. It shows the major events of World War II from their point of view and how they fought and died during the war.

The show also has interviews with the soldiers before the episode starts, so that's an interesting aspect of the HBO miniseries.

Unlike a lot of media set in World War II, this is based on real-life events and not a fictional story set in World War II.

The Action Is Great

This series is a masterpiece; it’s one of those shows that you’ll remember for a long, long time. It’s a grand undertaking with scenes that are even better than Saving Private Ryan. It's very intense, and the visual effects are very well done.

It keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. It's a very well-done TV miniseries. The visual effects look amazing, and the production value was excellent.

The Story Is Interesting

There are your typical miniseries, and then there are extraordinary miniseries. Band of Brothers falls under the category of extraordinary. Band of Brothers recounts the exploits of Easy Company, 506th Regiment, of the 101st Airborne Division, who parachuted into Normandy on D-Day in 1944.

I think that the story was very interesting because it's based on what really happened. Some things may be exaggerated to be more dramatic, but it's a very interesting and entertaining way to view history, like what happened in World War II

The Actors Before They Became Famous

The actors are all very good. They all did an excellent job. This miniseries had famous actors before they were really famous, like Tom Hardy, Michael Fassbender, and many others. I really enjoyed the miniseries because it had such great actors in it.

The Interviews Make the Series Better

The story is amazing, and the fact that they interview the survivors before the beginning of the episodes is really special, but they don’t tell you who they are until Episode 10, the last episode of the series. It’s interesting to hear their point of view, too.

I just think it's great that they interviewed the survivors because it's not just another fictional World War II movie; this is about real people, and seeing them interviewed, talking about their experiences, makes each episode real for the viewers.

They also didn't reveal who was being interviewed until the last episode, which was really neat because they tell their stories, and it keeps the miniseries interesting without you becoming distracted by who is being interviewed on screen.

The Soundtrack Is Good

Michael Kamen composed the soundtrack and it was a good soundtrack but I don't remember it. That doesn't mean it was bad but it wasn't that memorable to me. It was still a good soundtrack that was good for the miniseries.

The Miniseries Honors Our Military

Still, this is a great miniseries, and I think as someone who has family who served in the military (he's retired from the military now+), this does our soldiers proud by showing their heroic sacrifices and what they did for this company. I think sometimes we forget that war is horrible and that good people die in wars. World War II was especially atrocious, and Band of Brothers shows us that Easy Company gave it all they had and that they sacrificed a lot so the Axis powers wouldn’t be victorious in Europe.

Parental Advisory

However, as a warning to parents, Band of Brothers is not a show for children. It has coarse language, so much language that the veterans themselves commented that they overdid it. The violence is realistic and graphic, and there’s a high body count. There’s also a sex scene in one of the later episodes, but it's very brief.

Band of Brothers Official Trailer

Historical Inaccuracies

As a note about historical accuracy, it is pretty accurate, but some things were changed for artistic purposes; when it comes to the war, they got that right. Hollywood has never been completely historically accurate whenever they make historical period pieces, so there will always be some historical inaccuracies in anything produced by Hollywood.

Source

It's a Great Miniseries About World War II

Overall, I highly recommend this series to the adult crowd who want a good historical drama miniseries. Band of Brothers is the best miniseries I’ve seen in a while.

It's well worth the time to watch it, it's very well done and it kept me wanting to see what would happen next, and it makes me appreciate the finest generation and everything they sacrificed so that we could have the life we had today, there's a reason they're called "the finest generation, and you can see it in this miniseries.

Quick Thoughts

What Works:	What Doesn't Work:
Realistic portrayal of war	Some embellishment for entertainment value
Excellent story, visual effects
The Interviews with survivors are interesting

Final Grade: A+

This television miniseries was amazing. It makes you appreciate everything they did to stop Hitler and the Nazis. It also accurately shows what combat is like, and how hard being deployed is for military servicemen is, no matter what time period it is.

It's an amazing series that history buffs and casual viewers alike can watch and enjoy, but it's adult entertainment and not meant for kids.

I loved that they interviewed the survivors and let them share their stories with us; even if it isn't quite historically accurate in some areas, it is certainly accurate in others. This was a fantastic series, and I highly recommend it.

I enjoyed it a lot, and I hope that you'll watch it and appreciate the sacrifices of World War II veterans everywhere.

The series is available on blu-ray, DVD, and online for digital download.. It is also streaming on HBOMax and if you have a subscription to HBOMax go watch it there. It's an amazing miniseries, and it's worth both your time and your money if you want.

Even though I haven't bought it, it's still an amazing miniseries that is worth watching.

© 2015 ReViewMeMedia

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood English Dub Cast List Update 2!

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Description
I found the cast list for Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood had been updated!
Maxey Whitehead as Alphonse Elric
Vic Mignogna as Edward Elric
Caitlin Glass as Winry Rockbell
J. Michael Tatum as Scar
Travis Willingham as Roy Mustang
Andy Mullins as Cornello (ep 3)
Barry Yandell as Yoki
Bill Jenkins as Slicer
Bob Carter as Sig Curtis
Brina Palencia as Nina Tucker
Bryan Massey as Isaac MacDougal (ep 1)
Chris Cason as Gluttony
Chris Patton as Greed
Christopher R. Sabat as Alex Louis Armstrong
Chuck Huber as Shou Tucker
Colleen Clinkenbeard as
Riza Hawkeye
Rose Thomas
Cynthia Cranz as Paninya
Ed Blaylock as Fuhrer Bradley
Eric Vale as Zolf Kimblee
Gwendolyn Lau as Sciezka
Jerry Jewell as Barry the Chopper
Jim Foronda as Denny Brosh
Juli Erickson as Pinako Rockbell
Kevin M. Connolly as Kain Fuery
Kyle Hebert as Vato Falman
Laura Bailey as Lust
Lydia Mackay as Trisha Elric
Meredith McCoy as Maria Ross
Mike McFarland as Jean Havoc
R Bruce Elliott as Basque Grand
Sonny Strait as Maes Hughes
Tiffany Grant as Martel
Wendy Powell as Envy
Aaron Dismuke

Anime and Manga Shopping for Dummies

Anime Is Expensive, Ugh!  It's Cheaper Online!

As anime fans, we always like to collect our favorite DVDs, manga, posters, wall scrolls, figurines and CDs, and merchandise. The problem is that anime, manga, and especially figurines tend to be expensive. You look for a series you really, really enjoyed, and then you go to Best Buy and see the price tag and think, “That’s way too expensive!”

Brick-and-mortar stores tend to have prices slightly higher than those of online retailers. It depends on the anime and whether you can wait or if you absolutely must have it now. If you buy it at a retail store, you may pay a higher price plus taxes. However, if you buy it online, you may have to pay shipping charges; it all depends on your preference.

Amazon.com Bargains!

For online users, there are plenty of sites to buy from; Amazon.com has a lot of anime in stock either directly from them or through third-party sellers. If you’re buying from third-party sellers, make sure to check their feedback. I’ve bought from third-party sellers, and it was a mostly good experience, but I would not buy from any seller that has less than 98% on their seller feedback for their storefront.

If you’re buying directly from Amazon, your DVD will most likely be over $35.00 and is eligible for FreeSuper Saver Shipping + tax. It takes about five to seven days to ship, but it is pretty fast, and since you don’t have to pay the shipping, that does help a lot.

But what if you don’t want to spend thirty to twenty-five dollars just to get free shipping? Funimation has a great line of DVDs that are under $30 on Amazon. Funimation's S.A.V.E. Titles has many good anime titles listed there, one of them I can definitely recommend is Ghost Hunt, it’s a very good anime about paranormal investigators, and it’s very well done. But as a warning, it’s highly recommended to look at user reviews before spending money on a series.

There are also great anime like Ping Pong: the Animation, Robotics;Notes, Romeo X Juliet, and XXXHolic.

You can also check out Amazon’s Anime Bestseller List to see what is selling well; you might find something that you’ve been wanting for a lot less on the bestseller list.

If you’re interested in manga titles, you can look at the Comics & Graphic Novels Manga Bestsellers to see if there’s something you want to get. Just be aware of the Yaoi label, as it means boy’s love in Japanese and is about a romantic homosexual relationship; reader discretion is advised.

Crunchyroll's Many Specials and Deals!

Crunchyroll is a very excellent online retailer for anime, manga, wall scrolls, figures, and other merchandise. Not only does Crunchyroll have sales on their front page from a different company every few weeks, but they also has a bargain bin, daily deals, and weekly specials as well.

Also, make sure to check on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, as they have sales on holidays too!

Crunchyroll has a minimum spending $75 for free shipping. You can find good deals on Crunchyroll's store, and for thrifty anime fans, you can find plenty of bargains. A good thing about the site is that if you are pre-ordering from them, you usually get the item before it hits retail stores.

Example of bootleg anime DVDs

How to Spot Fraudulent Bootleg Discs

Anime fans are always looking for inexpensive merchandise. Sometimes people take advantage of people who want to buy anime but don’t know the difference between a bootleg and legitimate merchandise.

Anime bootlegs will usually come in three-disc sets for 26 episodes. Most anime DVDs do not cram so many episodes on each disc. The quality of the DVD case is poor, and the artwork looks like fan art put onto a DVD case.

The video encoding his horrible, because they try to cram so many episodes onto one disc. The subtitles are awful and have typos. They also copy, verbatim, the English dub, which legitimate releases are never the same as the English dub because of the language difference, and they usually have Chinese subtitles on the discs as well.

Also, most legitimate anime DVD releases have a company logo on the front, the side, and the back. Many bootleg DVDs only have one logo, and they also do not have a summary of the story on the back of the case like legitimate releases do.

HiDive Has Amazing Sales!

HiDive, the streaming service owned by Sentai FilmWorks, has sales, and they have extremely steep discounts when their discs are on sale. You can pick up some fantastic titles on sale when they have their anime on sale. The amount to get free shipping is $75.00+ so that is a lot of money, but if you buy a ton during a sale, you'll be saving a lot of money in the long run. I highly recommend periodically checking the SentaiFilmWorks website and HiDive for streaming. If you're looking for a great deal on buying anime, they license.

Don't Forget to Check Websites on Holidays!

Make sure to check all the anime websites for if they're having a sale. Also, make sure to check often for sales, especially during holidays. Also, remember to check the internet on Black Friday and Cyber Monday for sales too.

Crunchyroll and Amazon often have various sales throughout the year. You can also follow their Twitter feeds and watch for different sales that they'll announce on Twitter.

You should be able to find what you want for your anime collection. Just keep an eye out for those sales, everyone!

© ReViewMeMedia 2025