The Anime Beat

2009 TV Series (episodes 1-26). Director: Toshiyuki Tsuru. 650 minutes. DVD, bilingual, $49.98. Distributor: Funimation.

Being dead isn’t such a drag for Brandon Heat – and yes, with a name like that you’re either on the street kicking ass or in porn. After all, he has a second chance at one thing: revenge.

After years of working for Milleneon, a mafia outfit with supernatural abilities, Brandon is bent on bringing this house of crime down. There’s just one problem. Milleneon is now run by Harry McDowel, his best friend. Be that as it may, armed with twin guns and a coffin full of big heat, the undead Brandon initiates a chain of killing that cannot be broken. Neither men nor the demons employed by Milleneon can stop him.

2009 Movie. Director: Joji Shimura. 90 minutes. DVD, bilingual, $19.98. Distributor: Funimation

The land of Jushin is all but a memory, fractured into numerous kingdoms run by corrupt tyrants. Once the Amen Osa, magic wielding warriors charged with upholding justice, kept the peace. But when the king was assassinated, they too disappeared. Or did they?

Enter Munsu, a pistolero who wields the power of an Amen Osa. But is he one? His roguish charm and apathetic demeanor say otherwise. Accompanied by the delicate flower Sando, his oddly petite bodyguard, Munsu wanders Jushin’s landscape. Hero or scoundrel, he’s definitely a thorn in the side of authority.

Finally, something different! What I love about Blade of the Phantom Master is its stark departure from the contemporary, and much abused, anime setting. No, there are no high school students fighting ghosts or monsters on the streets of Tokyo. Instead, we’re transported to a world that mirrors feudal Korea. This is a charred, mythical landscape marked by guns, swords, and Asian castles. In fact, the entire story is inspired by Korean folktales and myth.

The transformation from game to animated movie is growing increasingly common. It’s usually driven by a title’s notoriety. Some translate well. Others do not. Enter Halo, one of the most popular franchises in the gaming world.

At this year’s Comic-Con, being largely a writer at play in the fields of anime, I was curiously invited to an Xbox event at the Omni Hotel. Much to my surprise, I found myself sitting across a table from not only Frank O’Connor, Development Director of the Halo Team, but also Shinji Aramaki. Shinji Aramaki, renowned anime mech designer (Bubblegum Crisis, Mospeada, Megazone 23) and director (Megazone 23, Appleseed, Appleseed EX Machina)! I knew this had to be good.

Alright Emi, give me the bio.

“Hi hi! My full name is Emily Hu. I'm nineteen, I was raised in Taiwan but grew up in California. I'm currently majoring in comics at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. I started seriously drawing in the seventh grade and realized I wanted to be an artist after failing miserably at academics, namely math... haha...”

Have you always been an anime fan?

“I've always been into anime because I was raised in Taiwan, so I still remember watching Slam Dunk and Yu Yu Hakusho with my family as a kid. It's only recently that I started getting more into the spectrum of American comics, mostly thanks to Watchmen.”

What anime and/or manga do you love? What are you currently watching/reading?

Romeo X Juliet
2009 TV Series (episodes 1-12). Director: Fumitoshi Oizaki. 290 minutes. DVD, bilingual, $59.98. Distributor: Funimation.

Nestled in the clouds above northern Italy, or perhaps even the Thames itself, hangs Neo-Verona. Yes, lovesick Verona. Our star-crossed lovers are back! This time, however, Shakespeare’s parchment is stained not with the quill, but anime ink.

On the cobblestone of this Verona the Montague family reigns oppressively. The Capulets have been driven underground and thought to be extinct. Juliet, forced to conceal her identity, now dons the mask of the Red Whirlwind, a sword-wielding champion of the people. Different? Indeed. But fret not, for this Juliet will still meet her Romeo. And family, love, and duty will unhinge their newly found, heroic lives.

Samurai Champloo: The Complete Collection
2009 TV Series (episodes 1-26). Director: Kazuto Nakazawa. 650 minutes. DVD, bilingual, $69.98. Distributor: Funimation.

Arguably one of the best anime in the last five years, Samurai Champloo is a road trip for which Hollywood should be chomping at the bit! After all, you’ve got the uncouth warrior Mugen, the laconic ronin Jin, the cute and comically naïve Fu, and a hip-hop nature that makes this anime simply too damn cool. Add their common search for the sunflower scented samurai, which is laden with assassins – let alone the fact the Mugen and Jin would very much like to kill each other –, and you’ve got a recipe for a sumptuous visual feast.