Anime & Manga - Page 64

Manufacturer: Funimation Prod Brand: FUNIMATION-UNI DIST CORP

Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos, a new feature-length adventure into the world of an international anime sensation. A fugitive alchemist with mysterious abilities leads the Elric brothers to a distant valley of slums inhabited by the Milos, a proud people struggling against bureaucratic exploitation. Ed and Al quickly find themselves in the middle of a rising rebellion, as the exiled Milos lash out against their oppressors. At the heart of the conflict is Julia, a young alchemist befriended by Alphonse. She’ll stop at nothing to restore the Milos to their former glory – even if that means harnessing the awful power of the mythical Philosopher’s Stone. The broadcast series Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009) seemed to bring the adventures of Edward and Alphonse Elric to a dramatic and definitive conclusion. But the characters remain so popular that more stories about them were inevitable. The first Fullmetal Alchemist feature, The Conqueror of Shambala (2005), which took place after the first animated series ended, transported Edward to Weimar-era Munich. The events in The Sacred Star of Milos (2011) occur during Hiromu Arakawa's original continuity but at a new location in the familiar Fullmetal universe: the border between Amestris and its western neighbor, Creta. This disputed territory was once the land of Milos; caught between the rival powers, the remaining Milosians live in misery in the ditch-like valley that separates them. The Milosians hope to restore their country with the aid of Julia Chrichton, whose parents' research pushed the boundaries of alchemical knowledge. Any unconventional alchemy attracts the Elric brothers, who are soon caught in a web of interlocking plots and counterplots. Ed and Al learn that the Sacred Star is not a celestial body, but a "sanguine star": a Philosopher's Stone that would enable the wielder to control a vast, subterranean river of lava. Director Kazuya Murata and his crew build a story that feels appropriate for the characters but...

Manufacturer: DreamWorks Animation Brand: 20TH Century Fox Model: DWA170084BR

2013 Golden Globe® Nominee, Best Animated Feature Film 10 Annie Award Nominations, including Best Animated Feature A magical and heartwarming adventure for the whole family! Based on William Joyce's the Guardians of Childhood book series, Rise of the Guardians is a gorgeously animated film about Boogeyman Pitch Black's attempts to spread darkness and fear throughout the world and the guardians' attempts to foil him. Charged with the duty of watching over the children of the world, guardians Sandman, North, Tooth, and E. Aster Bunnymund are loved by children everywhere. When the Man in the Moon appoints Jack Frost to be the newest guardian, the other guardians doubt that Jack can be of much help against Pitch, especially considering that the children don't even believe in Jack Frost's existence. But when Pitch prevents Tooth from collecting the children's teeth, keeps E. Aster Bunnymund from hiding eggs on Easter, and turns the children's happy dreams into nightmares, the guardians realize that they're going to need all the help they can get. The children stop believing in the guardians one by one, and the question that remains is what can one fun-loving, somewhat immature boy with the power to freeze everything he touches possibly do to counteract the fear and darkness enveloping the world? The animation effects are excellent in this film--especially the images of frost and ice spreading across ponds and windowpanes. The characters are interestingly quirky, the action is constant and well paced, and the considerable voice talent includes Alec Baldwin, Chris Pine, Jude Law, Isla Fisher, and Hugh Jackman. A familiarity with the books aids deeper understanding of characters like North and Sandman, but viewers unfamiliar with the books will have no problem enjoying this film. (Ages 7 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Manufacturer: Funimation Brand: FUNIMATION PRODUCTIONS LTD. Model: 26131146

Hiyori's a sweet, shy girl who's used to living in the background. Now, the wallflower is ready to bloom and reveal a big secret: she's totally infatuated with Tomoki! To get closer to the dirty-minded object of her affection, she joins the New World Discovery Club. With Tomoki's lazy love of peace and quiet, he's not interested in accommodating any new Club members and tries to scare Hiyori away with his usual perverted antics. Nonetheless, she remains committed to her crush and starts bonding with Ikaros, Nymph, and the gang - until a sudden, tragic accident changes everything. It seems Hiyori has a deeper - and more dangerous - link to the Angeloids than anyone suspected! How is she connected to the Synapse? Why is she trying to kill Tomoki, even after confessing her feelings? Find out in the hilarious, super-sexy Heaven's Lost Property movie, The Angeloid of Clockwork! Although the Heaven's Lost Property feature The Angeloid of Clockwork (2011) was released theatrically, it plays like a choppy series of OVA adventures cut together. Pretty high school student Hiyori Kazane nurtures a crush on Tomoki. She watches him with his friend Sohara and the Angeloids, but she's too shy to say anything to him. The first half of the movie echoes the original series: Tomoki and his friends go about their usual misadventures around town and at local festivals. The filmmakers include plenty of jiggle shots and underwear jokes. At one point, the girls' panties fly away like a swarm of butterflies, although the viewer never learns why. The last third of the film turns serious: apparently Hiyori is dreaming her everyday adventures while her body lies in the facility known as Synapse. When she's hit by a truck, Hiyori dies in her dream and reenters her real body. She wants to come back to Sorami so intensely, she returns as an Angeloid--to destroy Tomoki. The tragic romance plays oddly against the gross jokes. During much of the film, Tomoki is drawn as a sort of toy-avatar who argues with himself on the toilet and rides the conv...

Manufacturer: Funimation

Deadly assassin-turned-maid Roberta returns to the criminal's paradise of Roanapur, dead set on revenge - no matter the cost. In a backdrop of violent chaos, the smugglers of the Lagoon Company team up with Roberta's employer to save her... or at least to stop her bloody rampage. The five-part OVA Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail (2010) picks up where the last TV series--Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage--left off. Roberta, a maid who suggests the Terminator in long braids, goes on a rampage to avenge the death of Lovelace, her former employer. His assassination somehow involved the CIA, the NSA, Asian and South American drug cartels, and, although the Lovelace family is supposed to be from Venezuela, the Colombian revolutionary group FARC. Flying bullets, knives, explosives, blood, and four-letter words take up so much screen time, there's little left for character development or a coherent narrative. Naturally, the combined forces of the CIA, NSA, and US military don't stand a chance against a pill-popping maid who packs more heat than the North Korean army (including an 18th-century flintlock). Fortunately the mercenary/pirate quartet of Black Lagoon is on the scene. The fragmentary story line includes a nasty anti-American tone: a Cuban military officer comments, "Some American heads would make nice souvenirs." But there's plenty of material to offend pretty much anyone, including a chain-smoking nun, a heroin addict, and a Chinese assassin who speaks a brand of pidgin English that would embarrass Charlie Chan. Leading the charge is potty-mouthed Revy, who calls a dying Hispanic soldier "beaner" before shooting him in cold blood. Black Lagoon isn't the most violent series in the history of anime, but its gleefully sadistic tone makes the nonstop slaughter more repugnant. The endless string of blood and profanity would probably earn Roberta's Blood Trail an X rating if it were released theatrically. (Rated TV MA; more appropriate for viewers over 18: graphic violence, violence against women, extensive profan...

Manufacturer: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Brand: Disney Model: 28444759

Disney Pixar proudly presents the hilarious story of how two mismatched monsters met and became lifelong friends in a movie screaming with laughter and oozing with heart. Ever since college-bound Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) was a little monster, he’s dreamed of becoming a Scarer—and he knows better than anyone that the best Scarers come from Monsters University (MU). But during his first semester at MU, Mike’s plans are derailed when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, “Sulley” (John Goodman), a natural-born Scarer. The pair’s out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University’s elite Scare Program. With their dreams temporarily dashed, they realize they will have to work together, along with an odd bunch of misfit monsters, if they ever hope to make things right. Get ready to party with hours of exclusive bonus extras, including an inside look at the world of monsters and the animated theatrical short film "The Blue Umbrella." Mike WazowskiMike Wazowski's lifelong dream is to become a Scarer at Monsters, Inc. and he's sure he knows just how to do it. Ever since he was a young monster, Mike's had his eye on Monsters University, home of the world's top Scare Program. Now a freshman and hopeful Scare student, he's well versed in the rich history, theory, and technique required to reach his goal, and the little green one-eyed monster has more confidence, enthusiasm, determination and heart than all of his classmates combined. But unexpected roadblocks derail Mike's plans and he's forced to team up with a group of misfit monsters and an unlikely ally to give it the old college try and pull off the biggest coup in the University's history. James P SullivanWhen it comes to Scaring, Sulley's a natural, his abundant size, fierce roar and family legacy of a long line of high-achieving Scarers make him a shoo-in for the esteemed Scare Program at Monsters University. But from the moment the overly confident monster steps his ...

Manufacturer: Funimation Brand: helping hand

The mightiest team of mages from the magic kingdom's most infamous guild faces evil rising from the embers in this action-packed feature length adventure! Follow Fairy Tail's dream team-Natsu, Gray, Erza, Lucy, Wendy, Happy, and Carla-as they lend a helping hand to a girl with little memory and a grudge against wizards. As they uncover clues about her mysterious past, a lunatic prince hatches a half-baked plan to sacrifice her in exchange for immortality. When the fool unleashes an ancient force, a raging war becomes the fiercest inferno Fairy Tail has ever faced. Can the guild with a heart of gold save the planet from a fiery finish?

Manufacturer: Funimation Brand: FUNIMATION-UNI DIST CORP Model: 28445970

A cult classic from the glory days of anime blazes to life on the big screen in this feature-length sci-fi epic starring Takuya Kimura (Redline, Howl’s Moving Castle)!The year is 2199. Mankind teeters on the brink of extinction as the Gamilas, a heinous race of alien invaders, wage an endless war for the right to inhabit the Earth. The last hope for humanity lies on the distant planet of Iskander, and the only battleship capable of attempting the journey is the legendary Yamato. Armed with the devastatingly-powerful Wave Motion Cannon, grizzled Captain Okita and the Yamato’s crew venture boldly into the darkest depths of space. The Gamilas attack at every turn, but fallen hero Susumu Kodai and ace pilot Yuki Mori fight side-by-side for the future of their world. Together, these young lovers unlock the secrets of Iskander – only to face a harrowing voyage home that will change their world forever!