Name: Pound Pound no Fukuin Genre: Romance, Comedy Year: 2008 Rating: Recommended One Pound no Fukuin (One Pound Gospel) follows the life of 19 year old Kosaku Hatanaka, a young talented boxer. A key requirement for entering boxing matches is to ones weight within the permitted limits of the weight class they are in. Kosaku who is within the feather weight category must keep his weight within a given limit or else he would be disqualified before the match even begins. For a boxer in the lightest class it is essential that their weight is controlled through rigorous dieting and cardiovascular training. However Kosaku though being talented he often finds himself unable to resist the temptation of a nice meal. With no little to no control over his appetite he would either have to move up a weight class or end his dream of being a boxer. One day during his road work (running exercise) he collapses from hunger but is saved by a passing nun. After regaining consciousness Kosaku is determined to thank Sister Angela and soon finds himself competing for her attention.
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Name: Simoun Genre: Science Fiction Year: 2006 Rating: Enjoyable Simoun is set in a world called Daikuuriku. In this earth like planet the inhabitants are all born female and are given the chance to choose their sex at the age of seventeen. The nation of Simulacrum wields the powerful technology of Helical Motors of which are used to give flight to objects. These mysterious motors are the key force behind their nations military. Amongst those who have not yet visited the spring that determines gender a select few are given the chance to become Sibyllae, respected priestesses that pilot Simouns. Powered by the Helical Motors the Simoun are flying machines capable of destroying large forces. The pilots are able to use the Simoun to create Ri Maajons, patterns in the sky that each to its own has special abilities. Amongst the Sibyllae forces the most famous squadron named Chor Tempest consists of the most talented pilots. Aaeru a new member soon joins this force, unlike many others she accepts that Simouns are tools of war and Ri Maajons are not just prayers offered to the gods. Aaeru is faced with questions of war and religion but whats more concerning is the secrets that lie within the ancient Helical Motor technology.
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Name: Basilisk Genre: Action, Fantasy Year: 2005 Rating: Enjoyable In the past the two clans Iga Tsubagakure and Kouga Manjidani were engaged in a continous war that lasted centuries. The bloody feud was finally put to an end when Hattori Hanzo succeeded in creating an agreement of peace between the two clans by committing both groups to the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu. However though the two clans agreed to set a temporary stop to their dispute the peace was far from permanent. In the year 1614 internal instability has created turmoil between those who are to inherit ruling power. To solve this issue Ieyasu breaks the peace treaty between Iga and Kouga by ordering them to send their 10 best fighters to compete in a competition to select the next Shogun. Each clan will have their competitors' names recorded onto a scroll. Once all 10 members of a certain clan is killed the victor is the clan who still has surviving members. As a reward the winners shall receive benefits from the grandson they represent who shall hold the title to the next Shogunate. However not all members are willing to fight in the name of a grudge that has long started to wither. The heirs to the Kouga and Iga clan, Gennosuke and Oboro hope to bring about a lasting peace to their clans. However the conflict that blocks their path may be too great. The two star-crossed lovers are forced into a fight in which they must decide which side to take.
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Name: Baccano! Genre: Action, Science Fiction Year: 2007 Rating: Recommended In the year 1711 a group of alchemists take a chance in summoning a demon in their quest to obtaining immortality. Surprisingly the demon gives the alchemists not only the elixir of life but also the method to reproduce this liquid that grants eternal life. However what is unknown to the alchemists on this voyage, is that though given the ability to cheat death it doesn't come completely free. In the future the recipe to create the elixir is concealed amongst two of the surviving immortals. Though the potion grants immunity to disease, physical harm and age, those who have consumed the potion can take the lives of another who has drank it. As the immortals scatter across the world many live in fear that one day they may eventually lose what they have been clutching to for the past years. Baccano is set in a world of the mafia, where gangs fight for territory and others just kill for pleasure.
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Name: Wolf's Rain Genre: Adventure, Science Fiction Year: 2003 Rating: Recommended Wolf's Rain is set in a dystopian future where cities are left in ruins and humans are stricken with poverty and suffering. In this future it is believed that wolves has been extinct for hundreds of years. However what many of the humans don't know is that wolves still exist. Though close to being wiped out, the remaining wolves survive by hiding their identity. A typical human isn't able to see through a wolf's disguise and hence to their untrained eye its just another human being. Amongst the wolves there is a legend that when the world is going to end a path to paradise will welcome all wolves that seek it. Kiba a lone wolf is a believer of this legend. As he travels from city to city, his pack of traveling partners increase. With multiple obstacles that stand in the way of their journey to paradise, the wolves must struggle in their search for a destination that may not even exist.
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Name: Nobuta wo Produce Genre: Drama Year: 2005 Rating: Recommended Kiritani Shuji is a high school student who is popular amongst everyone. He does whatever he can to please everyone he meets. Everyone can count on Shuji. You can count on him when you need a favor, need some one to liven up the party or simply just want some one to hang out with. However being popular isn't easy, much of the time Shuji ends up hiding his true feelings and even has to resort to distorting the truth. Kusano Akira on the other hand is a flamboyant student who doesn't hesitate express his feelings and personality. Though Shuji finds Akira to be annoying much of the time, it is soon clear that its only when he is around him he is able to be himself. One day a new student transfers into their class. Kotani Nobuko is a girl with no self confidence of which always leads to her being the unpopular student that gets picked on. Shuji considers life to be a game and soon decides to work together with Akira in an attempt to transform Nobuko into a popular girl. However its not easy to produce a popular girl, especially when the candidate stutters when talking to others. To make things even harder Shuji and Akira must conceal their involvement with Nobuko. Nobuta wo Produce is a story about change. Though Nobuko lacks social skills, it is apparent that Akira and especially Shuji learn much from the person they are trying to change.
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Name: Mahoromatic Genre: Comedy, Science Fiction Year: 2001 Rating: Must See To protect earth from alien invaders the secret organization known as Vesper uses highly advanced androids. These extremely powerful combat androids are able to fight and defeat the invaders, however as a consequence the life span of these battle maidens are quite limited. Mahoro is known as Vesper's strongest warrior android and is well known for her battle capabilities even amongst her own kind. However after countless battles it is inevitable that she too will soon cease to live. As a reward for her services she is granted the choice of spending her remaining time the way she pleases. By leaving the stressful world of combat she is able to prolong her existence for just over a year. Mahoro chooses to enjoy the time she has left as an ordinary human. She soon moves in with Suguru a junior high school student living in Tokyo. Though at first Suguru doesn't realize any connection between him and his new found maid Mahoro, it is soon revealed that his father was actually a commanding officer in Vesper, the one who had responsibility over Mahoro when she served as a battle android.
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Name: Kimi wa Petto Genre: Drama Year: 2003 Rating: Enjoyable Iwaya Sumire is an independent, successful and good looking woman working as a writer for a large newspaper corporation. However in life she finds that her superiority intimidates her co workers and other men, so much that it gets in the way of her making friends and lasting relationships. One day things take a turn for the worse, having been stressed due to her workload she gets demoted by her boss for scolding a co worker for making a mistake, and also knocking him out. However whilst returning home she finds a large box lying in front of her apartment. Inside is an injured young boy. Not knowing what to do she takes this boy inside and looks after him until he recovers from his injuries. Soon after she decides to let the boy stay on one condition, that he live as her pet. Being named Momo, this aspiring young male dancer lives with Sumire and it isn't long before a strong relationship is created between the two. Although it it far from love, the bond that holds the two together is just as strong as both need need each other to fill what is missing in their lives.
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Name: Honey and Clover (live-action) Genre: Drama, Romance Year: 2008 Rating: Must See The three students of an art college in Tokyo, Yuta Takemoto, Takumi Mayama and Shinobu Morita live in the same apartment block. Mayama has his goals in becoming a successful architect, Morita has already started to become a renowned sculptor in the art world, however Yuta on the other hand has no clear goal of what he wants to do or become in the future. However one day Shuji an art professor introduces his cousin's daughter Hagumi Hanamoto to the three and from there sprouts a strong friendship. Hagumi though gifted in the art of painting is quite lacking when it comes to social skills. Coming from a country town, Hagumi has not had much contact with other people and hence her new life in the busy city of Tokyo brings about many challenges. From first sight, Yuta falls in love with Hagumi however isn't able to express his feelings, on the other hand Morita with his flamboyant personality has no trouble displaying his feelings but in doing so scares her. Honey and Clover may at first seem like a calm drama but it is soon revealed that there's allot of chaos within the lives of the characters in their journey towards adulthood.
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Name: Ushi ni Negai wo Love & Farm Genre: Drama Year: 2007 Rating: Enjoyable Every year students studying agriculture have to attend a compulsory hands on training program set in the country town of Yubari. This year six students travel from Tokyo to Hokkaido to work on the local farms in Yubari. Though some are clearly more enthusiastic than others, there are always those who travel to Hokkaido just to satisfy their course requirements. As for the towns people, each family are struggling financially and are all close to being forced to sell their farm. Whilst the farmers are not so looking forward to the new batch of students, they can only hope that all things will go smoothly. For if the program were to be changed to be optional, the town would lose their funding from the government. Amongst the six there are those who are looking forward to the new experience, those who are looking forward to returning home and one who is returning to a his dying town of which he had hoped to forget.
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