TOKYOPOP is shutting down their US division May 31st. In recent years the publishing company has fallen on tough times, like much of the manga market. Since February, TOKYOPOP has limped along with just 6 employees after a series of layoffs sparked by the Borders bankruptcy. TOKYOPOP has brought manga to the US since 1997…
Yonna in the Solitary Fortress
Yonna in the Solitary Fortress is a fully computer animated short film that tries to create a soft storybook feel. It doesn’t work. The show comes off as just creepy looking. The story is nonsensical but here is a sketch: Yonna and her brother are driven to live in a fortress alone because thye have…
School Days
I’ll admit that I like to watch an occassional romance. When I saw School Days, I thought I’d give it a watch since it’s been awhile since I saw a romance. The anime starts up like one… Makoto Ito begins as an innocent and naive guy who many girls crush on. He has a crush…
Halcali
Halcali is an all female pop and hip-hop duo from Tokyo. Halca and Yucali have excellent harmony but are too “bubblegum” for my taste. Their album Halcali Bacon was the first album from an all female group to top Japan’s Oricon charts. The duo is remarkably flexible; they have been able to change with the…
Hibiki’s Magic
This is a guest post written by Mallory Thompson. Hibiki’s Magic is like eating a cupcake, topped with pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles accompanied by a cool glass of milk. Hibiki is a magician who is terrible at magic, which is rather generic in the world of manga. Hibiki is one of those characters who…
Alice in the Country of Hearts
This is a guest post written by Mallory Thompson. How would you like to play a game? Alice has been kidnapped and brought to Wonderland against her will. The only way she can go home is to play a game she doesn’t know the rules to. To top it off, the inhabitants of Wonderland have…