THEM Anime Reviews
Home Reviews Extras Forums

News Archives - June 2004

Return to News Archives index

June 30 2004, 9:00 AM

Gone for the Weekend Again!

This time, several THEM staffers will be running the anime room at this (long!) weekend's WesterCon in Litchfield Park, Arizona, under the auspices of AniZona.

In the meantime, Tim has a review for the middle-of-the-road OAV splice-job SONIC THE HEDGEHOG: THE MOVIE. It doesn't suck, but that's about the best that can be said for it. "Shut up, Tails!"

A second opinion of INUYASHA has Derrick putting down a few naysayers who are certain it still can't be any good after a triple-digit episode run. Nope, still worthwhile viewing for this reviewer.

Derrick is not nearly as forgiving on AIR MASTER, slamming it hard and calling it "very nearly worthless", thanks to unlikable characters and puerile humor.

Stig gives us a first look at DIVERGENCE EVE: MISAKI CHRONICLES, and is actually rather disappointed that he's only able to find the first five episodes, because it looks like it's actually going somewhere beyond large-breasted fan service. Who knew?

 
June 28 2004, 9:00 AM

Arizona Heat Swallows Up THEM Staff, Film at 11

The moment Carlos and Christi returned from San Francisco, they realized they'd lost their tolerance to the brutal Arizona heat, which explains pretty well why they've been too tired to update the site. Oops. While we are taking measures to prevent this sort of hiatus from happening again, we've got a bit of backlog to cover.

First off, Enoch has a review of the PLEASE TWINS! OAV, a sequel of sort to PLEASE TWINS! that follows the lead of the PLEASE TEACHER! OAV, meaning that when the whole cast isn't prancing about in swimwear, they're in the bedroom doing the horizontal tango. Enoch's not having any of it, and his ultimate assessment: Check, PLEASE!

 
June 16 2004, 9:00 AM

The Heat is On

It's mid-summer here in Arizona ... love those hundred-degree temperatures. Guess where the editor won't be this weekend! Yep, he's off to San Francisco, so again expect a possible, brief hiatus in updates.

Meanwhile, halfway across the world in Singapore, Diane gives us a positive review of the beautifully enigmatic HAIBANE RENMEI.

 
June 15 2004, 12:00 PM

A Great Big Thank You

Several months ago, THEM Anime was very close to being gone forever. Obviously, that did not happen.

While the credits page is still being worked on, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the following donors (THEM members and readers alike) for ensuring this site's continued survival:

Robert Adam
Tom Albanese
Jeremy Beard
Daniel Beaulieu
Rita Brogan
Jason Bustard
Bethany Cole
Teresa Copeland
Andrew Dahl
Adam Fleischaker
Stuart Friedberg
Stig Høgset
David Hsing
Catherine Laughlin
Dror Lefman
Christopher Macdonald
Jonathan Moss
Niko Paju
Joseph Saunders
Katheryn Saunders
Rebecca Teng
Cort Wee

If I've misspelled or missed your name and you have donated to THEM Anime Reviews, please feel free to contact me via e-mail (editor@themanime.org) with the subject line, THEM Donation Info.

Thank you for your continued support of our website!

-- Carlos Ross
Meticulous Figurehead
(Chief Reviewing Editor)

 
June 14 2004, 12:00 PM

Back to the Salt Mines

Everyone enjoy their weekend?

Isaac starts us off with a positive second opinion of AI YORI AOSHI, drawing comparisons with HIS AND HER CIRCUMSTANCES and OH MY GODDESS, but lamenting a bit about the contrived "dating sim" bits in between the solid romance.

Now that she has completed FULL MOON O SAGASHITE, Jen gives us an update on that series, which earns full marks.

Jeremy's review of MELTY LANCER is ... negative to say the least. "Train wreck." "Mish-mash." "Schizophrenic." I can't say as we expected much out of it: not only is it a video game anime (groan) but the title. MELTY LANCER. Isn't that just the dumbest thing you've ever heard?

He also takes on the pleasantly odd romance comedy EVERYDAY IS SUNDAY, and gives that short series a thumbs-up.

Finally, he takes on STREET FIGHTER II V, which is decent for a martial arts action series, and earns an average rating.

 
June 11 2004, 9:00 AM

And Back to Friday

Readers of this site who are members of the Republican Party are encouraged to watch PORCO ROSSO and take a close look at Donald Curtiss. He might look familiar to you. Honest.

Review time has Stig attempting to sit through the MAHOROMATIC: SUMMER SPECIAL, which takes one of the series' running gags and runs with it ... way too far.

Baka na no wa ikenai to omoimasu!

Ironically enough, Stig has better luck with an ecchi title, of all things, giving a balanced review of the oddball game tie-in DARLING. Take that, Mahoro!

Finally, Bob takes on the conclusion of the RUROUNI KENSHIN anime continuity, REFLECTION, and gives it a top rating.

 
June 9 2004, 9:00 AM

Settling Back into the Routine

Our first review submission from Erin Lewis (Elfling) today for INUYASHA MOVIE 1: LOVE THAT TRANSCENDS TIME, which gets solid marks.

Carlos takes on the Kon Satoshi film TOKYO GODFATHERS, and raves about it. No one is particularly surprised, as Kon has yet to make even a mediocre theatrical feature, much less a genuinely bad one.

Undoing all that karma is Bob's review of the entirety of COOL DEVICES (adults only!) which is hysterically funny. The review, that is, NOT the anime. Since Bob actually bothered to watch the entire of this series, he officially earns THEM's Medal of Honor for meritorous masochism in the name of anime review. Congratulations.

 
June 7 2004, 9:00 AM

Back from FanimeCon

Whole lot of reviews this time around.

Stig starts us off with a positive review of the Matsumoto work COSMO WARRIOR ZERO, featuring yet another facet of the gigantic Captain Harlock universe.

Tim takes on the fourth POKEMON movie, POKEMON 4EVER, which deals with a forest spirit named Celery Celebi, and a series of circumstances that look suspiciously like they were lifted from Studio Ghibli. Of course, this being a POKEMON movie, the execution is hardly worthy of the comparison.

Bob gives the action series MEZZO an average rating, but a rather positive tone throughout. We wonder what the MEZZO FORTE review is going to look like.

Bob also takes on the excessively cute BOTTLE FAIRY, which he proclaims to be "the best one-star anime series out there". Yes, that was indeed a backhand.

Not to be outdone, Tim tacks on a highly unfavorable review of COLORFUL, a show about perverted losers who stare at women and do nothing but.

As our local Morning Musume / Mini Moni expert, Jen takes on MINI MONI YARU NO DA PYON!, which unfortunately is too much even for her, as she spoofs the DIGI CHARAT and BOTTLE FAIRY reviews in this unnecessary explosion of cute.

So what does it take to break a run of bad anime? Jeremy saves the day with a review of the "very good" HUNTER X HUNTER GREED ISLAND series. Phew.

Unfortunately, we have to take the bad with the good, and so Jeremy also tackles the utterly formulaic GAOGAIGAR.

GaGaGaoGaGaGaoGAOGAIGAR

Faring somewhat better is WILD ARMS, which gets an "average, but could've been better" rating from Jeremy.

Finally, Jeremy takes on the cumbersome title KITA E: DIAMOND DUST DROPS, which is an excellent way to learn about the lore and locales of Hokkaido, but may not be as successful as an actual anime.

Meanwhile, the Editor has gone back and updated a few titles to reflect licensing announcements (such as GUNSLINGER GIRL and TOKYO MEWMEW).

More to come later, as always.

 
 
© 1996-2015 THEM Anime Reviews. All rights reserved.