Australia, July 21, 2008 - Welcome to the July instalment of our look at the anime titles hitting retail in Australia. Which titles are coming out this month (and in fact, this week)? Read on to find out…
Release Date: July 23
RRP: $34.95
Genre: Fantasy
This CLAMP Double Feature release packs two titles – Tsubasa Chronicles: The Movie and xxxHolic: The Movie. The thread that links the two together is stronger than the fact that they're both from the all-female animation studio CLAMP (the team behind Chobits, among others). The stories are linked by the Yuko, the Dimensional Witch, a woman who can grant wishes – but for a price.
The Tsubasa movie, subtitled The Princess in the Birdcage Kingdom, takes place in a world where all the inhabitants live within a huge birdcage. The evil king has imprisoned the princess of the kingdom, and is looking to seal the world off from the outside for evermore. It's up to the Tsubasa crew to stop him, and maybe find another feather along the way.
Yeah, he looks like an xxx-holic to me.
The xxxHolic disc, subtitled A Midsummer Night's Dream, is a little more surreal in tone. The main players in this production are Yuko the witch, Kimihiro Watanuki, a high school student constantly being pursued by spirits, and Shizuka Domeki, another student whom Kimihiro sees as a rival, but who actually represents his only source of respite from the spirit world (the spirits are automatically driven away from him). The three find themselves trapped within a mansion, alongside a number of other quirky personalities, and must work out what's going on in a place where nothing is as it seems.
While the films aren't long (Tsubasa weighs in at only 35 minutes, while xxxHolic is an hour), this release is a good entry point to both the Tsubasa and xxxHolic series'. You can read our review right here.
Release Date: July 23
RRP: $29.95
Genre: Action / Adventure
The second series of this hit action series kicks off with a bang. A string of murders is changing the criminal landscape, with the Russian crime syndicate Hotel Moscow under attack. Can the Black Lagoon gang of mercenaries – who do a lot of illicit work for Hotel Moscow - take out the twin goth lolita killers? Or will they just have to thrust their boobs at them and hope that helps?
Expect graphic violence, sexy ladies, kick-ass action, black humour and existential commentary.
So very very wrong. WTHIWWJP?
Release Date: July 23
RRP: $24.95
Genre: Action / Adventure / Science
The Burst Angel series was a riot. While it wasn't strikingly original… nor did it always fulfil its potential, it was still great fun, with an eclectic cast of characters and some great action. This OVA is a prequel to the series, and follows Jo and Meg before they joined Sei and her mercenary crew. They've returned to Tokyo, despite promising each other they never would, and are off to see innocent little Shirley, a mute orphan (it's always a mute orphan) whom the girls know. Sadly, she's become the latest victim of a vicious killer wreaking havoc on the city. She's alive, but in a serious condition. What to do? Track down the killer of course.
Burst Angel Infinity is a very short OVA – around half an hour, but if you're a fan of the series who wants some more Jo and Meg action, it will be worth a look.
Release Date: July 23
RRP: $29.95
Genre: Science Fiction
It's reality TV… in space! Well, kinda. Starship Operators follows the 73rd class of cadets at the Defense University, a group of students from the planet Kibi. They're on the verge of graduating and are on the maiden voyage of the new warship Amaterasu. They find out on the journey home, however, that the kingdom of Henrietta has declared war on Kibi. Not only that, but the Kibi government surrenders without a fight! What's to be done? Use the Amaterasu to fight back, and get funding for the war from the Galaxy New Network – in exchange for the exclusive rights to film and broadcast the conflict. The students become reality stars in a real war…
Gamers will recognise the name of the ship from the classic action RPG Okami.
Release Date: July 23
RRP: $79.95
Genre: Action / Adventure / Fantasy
Set in the world of Guardia, a place where an ancient race, known as 'Edel Raids' can become incredibly powerful weapons, Elemental Gelade tells the story of the Red Lynx sky pirates who come across one such Raid, known as Ren. Cou, one of the sky pirates, takes it upon himself to protect Ren as they journey to the legendary Edel Garden, but it's never going to be easy. Expect action, adventure and - the greatest of all professions - sky pirates.
It's Elemental, my dear Gelade.
Other Releases This Month
- Bleach Volume 9
Release Date: July 23
RRP: $24.95
Genre: Action / Adventure / Occult - Death Note Volume 4 & Gelius Figure [ltd ed]
Release Date: July 23
RRP: $39.95
Genre: Mystery / Thriller - Eureka Seven Volume 10
Release Date: July 23
RRP: $29.95
Genre: Action / Adventure / Mecha - InuYasha Collection 6 Part 2
Release Date: July 23
RRP: $79.95
Genre: Action / Adventure / Fantasy - Naruto (uncut) Collection 03 (Eps 26-38)
Release Date: July 23
RRP: $49.95
Genre: Action / Adventure / Martial Arts - Shakugan No Shana Volume 6
Release Date: July 23
RRP: $24.95
Genre: Action / Adventure / Science Fiction - Witchblade Volume 5
Release Date: July 23
RRP: $29.95
Genre: Action / Adventure / Science Fiction
Send to Friend
Comment
RSS Feeds