The Limit Break

A monster movie without a man in a rubber suit?

It already sounds suspect. CGI will no doubt consume the movie and then the audience will be "treated" to an acting performance by a subpar thespian who just gets in the way of all the exciting monster action (you hear that Sony, why oh why did you cast Ferris Bueller as the main character in what could have been the biggest film in history?).

But it's a new year. And "Cloverfield" delivered a new type of monster movie, not one with the above mentioned traits. No dude in a lab coat who will carefully explain what we're up against. And more appropriate, no perfectly wrapped-up ending.

"Cloverfield" is an intense, almost scary event movie that can only be described as half 9/11 and half Godzilla. Shot entirely in hand-held camera style, it has no big-name stars and a modest budget. As great as the 1995 "Gamera" movie was and 2005's "King Kong," "Cloverfield" is the first movie since the original "Godzilla" that made me think there was a monster tearing up a city.

Let's get one thing straight: "Cloverfield's" monster is nothing special. It has as many powers as Varan and Manda which isn't saying a lot.

The film's power is the documentary style that elevated a stupid concept such as "The Blair Witch Project" into a thrilling, must-see flick.

"Cloverfield" and "Blair Witch" aren't even in the same league.

Meshing disaster and kaiju action isn't too difficult. What makes "Cloverfield" so effective is the legit despair we follow. It's just a guy filming a party who then goes on to film the destruction of New York. The mysterious beast makes a mess of a city like any good monster. The only difference is we are along for the ride, first-person shooter style. Shaky camera, senseless deaths, running from fear and screaming loudly, it's like we are there.

No elected officials, scientists and military men there to console us. In fact we (the movie) are right next to the helpless military on the streets. We trudge and fall around the city trying to find a trapped friend. And we see our friends die.

Some people have complained about this movie.

The ridiculous notion of no monster backstory. No definitive or happy ending.

Guess what? That's life. If a giant monster attacked your city what would be priority No. 1, finding out what the monster is and where it came from or getting the hell out of town? Things would get messy.

If anything people should attack the implausibilities of "Cloverfield." There are many such as one character getting impaled by a thick rod then running around the city as if it's not a life-threating injury. And the question of battery life since the movie takes place in the span of about seven hours.

All useless. The rest of the film is so thrilling useless questions shouldn't be a problem.

The images of falling buildings and ensuing smoke eating up the city brought back eerie memories off 9/11. And the complete decimation of the city and overall girth of a monster will always bring up Godzilla comparisons.

The acting is credible with no star overshadowing the other and two characters who are so hot they remind me of true-to-life anime characters (look up Jessica Lucas and Odette Yustman if you like gorgeous women).

With so much authenticity it's no coincidence the ending is quite ambiguous. It's not as head scratching as "End of Evangelion" but watching till the end of the credits might help.

If you like a great non-traditional kaiju film you must see "Cloverfield."

After eight days and one anime convention I've made up my mind.

But a disclaimer. Here is a list of all the anime I saw in 2007 in chronological order. This includes old anime that I watched for the very first time.

"Chrono Crusade"
Great series, dark, funny at times, somewhat complex and if you don't get the least bit teary eyed at that ending you don't have a soul. I have the opening and ending songs to this series in my iTunes.

"This Ugly Yet Beautiful World"
On paper it's a subpar anime. But you gotta remember, this series wasn't based on any manga, book, video game or historical event. Unless there really are hot alien girls that changed the lives of a small group of teenagers. The highlight of this anime is without a doubt the opening theme "Metamorphose" sung by the great Yoko Takahashi, best known for "Neon Genesis Evangelion's" OP theme, "A Cruel Angel's Thesis." Like the "Eva" song, "Metamorphose" is a must-have for any anime nerd's music collection.

"DNAngel"
I could see how this could be interpreted as a girl's anime, but come on, if you were a scrawny 14-year-old guy seriously lacking self confidence and you were given mystical powers wouldn't that be something to watch? Not to mention two hot twins (don't start thinking hentai, all you perverts, yeah, I know what popped in your head, Riku, Risa, hot tub, maybe throw Mio in there as well).

This anime has it all: action, suspense, love, heartbreak, comedy. What more can you ask? I had hoped for more action to end the series, but you can't have everything. As for Daisuke's ending up with Riku, that's fine, much like Daisuke I preferred Risa initially, but in the end you gotta go with substance over style. Fine soundtrack, the two ending themes, "The Beginning Day" and "The Gentle Afternoon" both by Minawo are superb songs.

"Ai Yori Aoshi"
Funny harem anime. It totally took me by surprise. The first episode was very serious, it certainly didn't resemble the rest of the series. Opening song "Eternal Flower" is a nice little song, catchy simply because it reminds me of this anime. One last question: Is it wrong that I have a crush on Tina Foster?

"xxxHOLiC"
Interesting series with a tremendous amount of potential. When I heard about this I thought it was a guaranteed winner. And with CLAMP's track record this was a walkoff home run. Fantastic premise, great characters and an ending that falls flat on its face. Opening song "19 Years" is a cool tune even for those that aren't into anime. The first ending song "Reason" is a winner especially when it's combined with the always-cute dancing of Mokona.

"xxxHOLiC the Movie"
A boring waste of one hour. The end is credible with some actual life-and-death stakes involved. Unless you are a complete xxxHOLiC fan avoid this.

"The Place Promised in Our Early Days"
I've seen this only once. Truth be told I didn't like it. It looks stunning and it feels like an actual, Oscar-worthy film. But the story is complex and very slow. Perhaps churning through this a second time is necessary.

"Samurai Champloo"
Simply put one of the best anime I've seen in years. Likeable characters, strong action scenes and the hardest soundtrack I've ever heard in any medium ever. If you like anime you'll love the ending song "Song of Four Seasons" by MINMI.

I am just wasting words describing this series. It has to be experienced both visually and audioally (yeah, that's not a word).

"Rumbling Hearts"
This totally blew me away. The best soap opera I've ever seen. I've read on message boards that one could be driven to suicide if they watch this series after a break-up. Never a dull moment, "Rumbling Hearts" is one of the top anime on several Internet sites. Of course with such love there's bound to be a tremendous amount of hate. If you're a fan of anime or just a solid story in general watch this.

"Godannar"
Lighthearted mecha anime with decent action scenes. It's great the first time around, but its replay value is zill, as the jokes and fan service wear thin fast.

"Ai Yori Aoshi: Enishi"
Second season of "Ai Yori Aoshi" is light on laughs and just isn't as good as the first season. Only watch if you're a fanboy. At least Tina Foster's in it.

"Spirited Away"
I had never seen it before and what else can I say other than the damn thing's a masterpiece.

"Get Backers"
Fun series with excellent characters. Very interesting at first, but suffers from terrible "Dragon Ball Z"-type episodes in which a fight literally drags on for 20 minutes. At more than 50 episodes it a load to get through, but still fun.

"Girl's High"
Fan service. Cheap jokes. Hilarious scenarios. Yup, this is a fine appetizer anime, but don't expect to fill up like a main course.

"The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya"
Excellent. Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so. The Interweb folks are slurping this up and rightfully so.

"Tekkonkinkreet"
Stylistic, innovative and a coherent plot to boot. What's not to like? I don't know.

Now that I've listed off what I've seen, "Claymore," "Code Geass" and "Death Note" can't crack my top list. Of course the ultimate fanboy event of the year was hands down "Transformers." I actually cried when I heard Optimus Prime's voice and saw the Transformers letters onscreen.

Anyway, the top anime for last year came down to two series: "Rumbling Hearts" and "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya." I couldn't include "Spirited Away" because I wanted to stick to more recent stuff. Head to head these are just two incredibly enjoyable series.

If it was based on just storyline and thorough enjoyment the winner is "Rumbling Hearts." So what distinguishes one over the other? Simple, what makes them bad. "Hearts" is simply a soap opera. It's not "anime" enough to flood merchandise other than to play the computer game (which surprisingly came out before the anime). It's liked so much some people hate it.

The downfall of "Melancholy" is the wasted potential of a fantastic show. What's with that filler after Kyon and Haruhi's epic kiss? I saw the final episode not last, but sixth in order. What a huge letdown when I watched the rest. But that's a small detractor. And at least the filler was still funny.

The one thing that puts "Melancholy" over "Hearts" is its appeal. At Anime Los Angeles this past weekend there was a great amount of Haruhi Suzumiya gear. Cosplayers too. I couldn't make out any Mitsukis and that's probably because there weren't any.

Anyway I highly recommend the ASOS Brigade live-action show produced by Bandai. Haruhi is played by Patricia Ja Lee, one of the former Pink Rangers from "Power Rangers." What a babe.

I believe "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya" will be the next great series. Some people still haven't heard about it. It was released in 2006 so give it another year or so to really catch on.

With that said I'm chomping at the bit to watch "Death Note." This might get the automatic best of 2008. I just have to wait till the whole DVD set is complete. All I know is I hope 2008 brings even better anime than last year.

Being the otaku that I am the highlight of my year is Anime Expo.

But that's not till July. Luckily there was an anime convention in January to whet my appetite. Anime Los Angeles took place this weekend at the Burbank Marriott and Convention Center.

This isn't a huge convention, only a couple thousand people go. My friends who go with me to AX didn't want to tag along so I was on the brink of not attending (probably because of the rain). Luckily one of my friends ended up going with me. Anime L.A. was all right, not even a junior varsity version of AX, more like a freshman team convention.

Kind of pricey too for what they had. A $30 cover charge for such a small convention was steep, but I wanted to check it out.

Highlights included a hot Asian artist wearing a very revealing tunic which made her ample bra with supple breasts incredibly visible. Think of a real-life Mai Shiranui from "Fatal Fury." There was also some young hottie (jailbait) in cosplay who was pretty good at "Dance Dance Revolution." I certainly hope the other nerdy convention folk looked and did not touch this girl.

I also beasted on a bunch of combatants at "Marvel vs. Capcom." The sticks were horrible.

Without a lot of money I had to make smart purchases or in my case, one smart purchase. That purchase ended up being a great Haruhi Suzumiya figurine. Unfortunately I didn't have enough for the figurine of her in the bunny costume with guitar. That will have to wait till AX this year, I'll pay any price damn it, just don't let the dealers know that.

Despite the cramped quarters my friend and I saw the J-rock band, Rusika, perform. I felt like such a noob there simply because I didn't know who they were and they had a small following before their show even started. Rusika kicked ass, it was a great performance. I apologize again for not knowing any J-rock bands, singers or songs. Two things I do know are that I enjoy the music and Rusika lead singer Natz has awesome, anime-like hair.

Anime L.A. was a fun time. It's definitely not a stay-at-the-convention-10-hours-a-day event. I had fun and it makes me hungry to train ("DDR," weight lifting to try to impress the female cosplayers, "Marvel vs. Capcom 2" [I want to get 20 wins in a row this year]). I also need to start saving money for figurines and random anime/videogame junk.

The final episode's in the middle.

"God Knows."

Three hotties.

Anime cliches.

Bunny costume.

Air guitar.

Forced coercion.

Haruhi's extreme BOREDOM.

This must all sound quite random. It's what I ended up thinking after watching "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya." All of the above mentioned random things take place in "Haruhi."

It's a shame the U.S. DVD release shows the series out of order. The real final episode of "Haruhi" is the sixth episode entitled "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Part VI." This episode kicked my butt. I thought, "If this is the just the sixth episode imagine what the rest of the series is like."

Unfortunately, the way the U.S. version shows it is lame. Sure, the other filler episodes feature fan service, hilarity and off-the-wall antics. But after watching that I thought, "Too bad episode six wasn't the finale." Turns out it was.

A curious decision.

Anyway, enough complaining about episode order. The thing to talk about is the series' overall greatness. Haruhi, a beautiful (but bored) high school freshman, is only interested in espers, future people and aliens. This anime starts off simple enough and seems completely normal until we find out there really are espers, future people and aliens. Well, one of each anyway.

And it was Haruhi's will that brought them there. In fact her very existence is God-like. If she gets too bored or temperamental it could mean the destruction of the world.

Enter Kyon. He's an average guy. Nothing important about him at all. Yet he is the stabilizer, the one that Haruhi confides in even if she or he won't admit it. Together Kyon and Haruhi create the S.O.S. Brigade, a school group that serves no real function except to please Haruhi. Pleasing her means playing baseball, hijacking PCs from the computer club and dressing up super babe S.O.S member Mikuru in sexy cosplay uniforms.

Mikuru, the obvious moe of the series, is the future woman that Haruhi wished for. Yuki, the nerdy, but Sailor Mercury sexy alien, is part of the Brigade as well. She's an artificial human created by the Integrated Data Entity. And finally the esper, Itsuki, has incredible powers in a dark dimension similar to our own. Unfortunately, this dark dimension forms when Haruhi's anger or boredom flares up. It's no coincidence that they all show up right after Haruhi wishes for them.

The episodes themselves contain funny dialogue, sexual tension, fan service, fight scenes, action, drama and a typical end-of-the-world scenario that I think all anime that are capable of doing so should. Haruhi knows anime and its cliches and takes time to poke fun at it. The anime itself is aware of the stereotypes it takes on, but that's all part of the joke. If you know anime that's what makes it funny.

Haruhi herself is one of the most interesting characters in all of anime. Her message of only being interested in "aliens, espers and future men" is strange enough. But her actions defy common logic. Maybe it's the God complex she's not aware of. She forces people to do things they don't want to. She uses physical and mental violence to get the job done. And it's a treat in every episode. The word "No" doesn't exist for her. Even Kyon, her calming force, tries to tell her no to her various cockamamie schemes, but she just goes around his concise thinking.

Despite her stubborn, forceful nature a poignant episode takes place when the school celebrates the spring festival. Kyon waits out the day in the auditorium where various bands play in front of a crowd. To his surprise Haruhi and Yuki are in a band substituting for the lead singer and lead guitarist.

At this point I think Haruhi will fail and the world is doomed because of it. But it actually became my favorite scene of the series. Not only did Haruhi display an ultra-rare form of humility, she also kicked a lot of ass singing (and played a mean air guitar). Seiyuu (voice) Aya Hirano does a splendid job singing "God Knows," a jam that I've now played 35 times on my iTunes and I just got it. Haruhi is actually humble and it seems like she is rewarded for it.

"The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya" is one of the top anime series and upon further research it has an incredible following. I'm not quite a Haruhite, but I can't wait for the planned second season. For now I'll stick to reading message boards and listening to "God Knows."

Way back when I remember going to some random store with my parents. It was one of those all-in-one department stores that had everything. It was quite boring for me, an anxious 8-year-old who wanted to be anywhere but there.

Until I saw a VHS on sale of a Godzilla movie I had never heard of. "Ghidorah: The Three Headed Monster."

I was giddy. I begged my parents to buy it. And they did.

I was so excited, this was the first movie to feature Godzilla's arch-enemy, Ghidorah. I had seen the original "Godzilla," "Mothra" and "Rodan." How would Japan attempt to vanquish such an extreme foe?

Oxygen Destroyer? Church bells ringing simultaneously? Gigantic volcanic explosion?

As a youngster I was disappointed this movie wouldn't be the classic monster vs. Japan flick. That's okay, Godzilla, Mothra and Rodan join forces for the first time against Ghidorah...now that's a battle I wanted to see.

The only problem was as a youngster I was disappointed for the very same reason I was disappointed as a grown-up, jaded Godzilla fan: where are the monsters?

Seriously, there's no legit monster action till about 45 minutes into the film. At a running time of about 90 minutes that's too late to hold the interest of a kid let alone an adult with access to video games, satellite TV and a computer hard drive full of uh, media.

Now that I'm older I can appreciate the "story" and "characters" this movie tried to push. Like a lengthy anime series what we fans don't want is useless filler. We want action. I want Ghidorah trashing Japan. I want explosions, burning buildings, scared Japanese people running for their lives and a powerless military.

None of that is in "Ghidorah."

What we are treated to is an solid ass kicking that's pleasing, but nowhere near as violent or exciting as the future thrashing Ghidorah gets in "Destroy All Monsters" (how the hell did he survive that one?).

For true Godzilla fans this is a must watch. It's nowhere near as good as the previous Toho films, but it's no embarrassment such as "Godzilla vs. Megalon" or the awful American "Godzilla."

Video game sequels usually deliver. Most of the time they are better.

"Kingdom Hearts II" delivers, but it isn't necessarily better.

Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic game. The first "KH," however, was so great a sequel could only be as good. Sora, Donald and Goofy return to kick more Heartless butt. Only this time the trio have an insane amount of new moves and chain combos that rival today's fighting games.

The difficulty isn't as charged up on Proud mode. There are no mega-difficult bosses for Sora this time around. In fact you can breeze through the whole game without much difficulty. I think I died once and that was because I forgot to equip enough potions for a boss fight. Limit breaks where you team up with Beast, Jack Sparrow, Mulan and other Disney heroes wipe the floor with regular enemies and take chunks off boss's life meters.

In this game there are literally double the amount of ways you can fight so beating enemies isn't a problem. The game's saving grace? Deep plot and innovative boss fights.

That's Square's magic formula and it always seems to work.

About the difficulty...

If you truly love this game eventually you will make it to level 99. And once you get there a new challenge awaits. When I say challenge I mean a hair-pulling, constant cursing, controller throwing 50-round massacre.

Talk about cheap, two hits points. You get hit three times and it's game over. The Hades Paradox Cup is a real ballbreaker. Enemies gang up on you. Goofy and Donald aren't there to back you up. The rules change in matches 1-40, but 41-50 really test you. No limit breaks, Drive gauges or Summons. The game essentially neuters all the techniques that make "KH II" unique.

You get to use magic which until now was useless. All I can say is abuse the hell out of Reflect. And run run run away in match 49 against Cloud, Yuffie, Tifa and Leon.

The replayability of this game is only in the Hades Paradox Cup. It'll be fun to beat the game a second time, but honestly, there's nothing, NOTHING to do between leveling from 50-99.

I say "KH" was a better game, but the multitude of combos and epic Square storyline make "KH II" a perfect little bro to four years older bro, "KH."

This is not a typical anime series.

It won't blow you away with awesomeness. It does have a bit too much fanservice early on. Thankfully there's not much to be found toward the end of the series.

Overall, "Girl's High" is a slice-of-life comedy that's enjoyable enough for even the most jaded anime lovers. A show about the follies of high school? Crazy, unusual antics? Inappropriate conversations?

"Girls' High" has all of them.

Because of the show's tone it can't be anything more than a rental. I'm not even sure if there is a box set. Believe me, your buddies won't be hanging around just to watch another thrilling episode of "Girls' High."

No, this anime is more of a guilty pleasure watch. "Evangelion" and "Cowboy Bebop" fans should stay away. This is the perfect show if you want to unwind, laugh a little, not think about a running plot (there isn't one) and think back to those uncertain high school times.

I'm sure even the ultra-popular jocks had their awkward moments.

Relive some with "Girls' High."

At 12 episodes it's short enough to plow through in a couple of days and slow enough to watch one episode then another a few days, hell, even a few weeks later.

Women can appreciate the cattiness of the series while guys will simply laugh at the obscurity of the ill-thoughts actions of an all-girls high school.

See, anime fans, this show has the best of both worlds. Watch it with your girlfriends (wait, anime fans + girlfriends, that's gotta be a misprint).

Overall, I'd recommend this series. I haven't given away anything about "Girls' High." Some scenes are so random and shocking they must be seen and heard to be believed.

So believe. Believe in "Girls' High."

When you play a game the second time around the mystique and "aw, damn" factor goes away.

But if it's a good game that requires a tremendous amount of leveling up then constant button mashing and welcomed enemy encounters pep you right up. And since "Kingdom Hearts" isn't a turn-based RPG where you hope an opponent doesn't get more chances to smash your party in a couple of blows that makes the whole leveling up process even better.

About two months ago I decided to replay "KH" again. But on difficult mode.

I'll admit, I was a bit frustrated at first. Unusually cheap enemies zap your life meter way too quickly. Bosses hitting so hard you're critical before you've started hacking and slashing. I couldn't stand it.

The solution was simple. Do what every RPG lover always does: level up. Or in my case, overlevel.

Tossing difficulty aside, the game is simply a masterpiece. It's certainly worth a third and fourth playthrough. But, like everyone else, time is short. Oh, well, at least I saved the five toughest bosses on my memory card. I'm at level 100 which means even the scrubbiest players should have an easy time against Sephiroth and Kurt Ziza.

It also helps that I got an abundance of elixirs and megalixirs at my disposal. I'm serious, I was straight stingy and didn't use a single one until I saved my game the last time. I have so many elixirs and megalixirs I could go into battle against Sephiroth, the Ice Titan, the Phantom, Kurt Ziza and Ansem and never run out.

Despite knowing the storyline, how to beat the bosses and compensating the difficulty by overleveling, "KH" was just as good the second time as the first. I still got chills at certain points, bummed at the end and giddy at the thought of a sequel.

Speaking of the sequel...

It's been a while since my last update, but for good reason. For almost the last two months my life has been consumed by both "Kingdom Hearts" games and almost two weeks ago, "Super Mario Galaxy."

Beating both "KH" games on difficult and Proud mode, respectively, is no easy task especially when Sora grows to level 100.

That's a lot of mindless enemy fighting.

I'm still working on "Mario."

Nintendo's newest blockbuster is a superb game. I still can't say it's as good as "Super Mario Bros. 3," but it's up there. "SMG" steps up the "Mario" franchise the way "Super Mario 64" did in 1996.

I've completed the game with all 120 stars, but I'm working on the game's "second quest."

There's still much gaming to be done, but believe it or not, I don't have plans to play at a hectic pace with the Christmas season right around the corner. Without work or school it would be as good a time as ever.

This will get me caught up on anime which I've been seriously neglecting for almost three months now.

I admit it, I'm a "Dance Dance Revolution" nerd.

I know how to play the game. I'm no expert, but I can do eight- and nine-foot songs. The 10 footers are within reach, but I'm still months and several pounds of sweat away from those songs. I own a dance pad that cost a total of almost $400 after tax and shipping.

Yeah, that's me.

But if you're into video games and anime you probably like "DDR" so my confession is not that unbelievable.

Last week I bought "Dance Dance Revolution Supernova 2" for the Playstation 2 and "Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party" for the Wii. "Supernova 2" is the superior game. "Hottest Party" has many clever innovations and new variables to make a previously monotonous game interesting.

But the Wii version has no true dance pad support except for the limp plastic and foam piece of crap that comes with the game. The pad is just horrible and although it's responsive now it probably won't be in two weeks. And I couldn't even imagine tackling 10-footers with such a flimsy pad.

"Hottest Party's" song list is weak compared to the arcade and PS2 hits "DDR" fans know and love. I've read on several forums that expert players are in love with the dance steps in "Hottest Party."

I'll admit, they are a bit different than other games. But step charts are not enough to make up for a lack of a competent dance pad and less-than-stellar songs.

"Supernova 2" is more of the same quality I have grown to love on the PS2. I still have yet to unlock all the songs (I get tired like all human beings after extraneous exercise), but I'm sure I'll have them all by the end of the week.

Hopefully this extra "DDR" training will help me face my fears of 10-foot songs such as "Xepher," "Max 300" and "Paranoia 290." I know some people will call me a noob, but I think my progress is damn good considering I've been playing for 15 months.

I must wrap this up, "Supernova 2" won't play itself.

I did not wait in line at midnight this week.

I do not own an XBox 360.

I hate first person shooters.

Therefore I do not own "Halo 3."

Call it a personal bias against Microsoft as a whole. But Billy Gates' track record of faulty equipment speaks for itself. The bulk of XBox's games are simply clones of "Doom" and other tired FPS games that look and play the same.

It's no coincidence that Microsoft is giddy about "Halo 3's" incredible sales ($170 million in the first 24 hours). Microsoft will turn major profit on this game. Too bad the XBox as a whole has lost billions on this venture. Junky XBoxes have cost Microsoft $1 billion alone. That's right billion, not million.

Microsoft has had to pony up $1 billion to fix all the impotent XBox consoles that frustrated gamers take home every year. And get this, it's been reported that many "Halo 3" discs are scratched. Which leads me to wonder, "Why doesn't Microsoft get it right to begin with?"

They can't.

I used to be a mindless PC user. Until my computer slowed down, viruses flooded my hard drive and my Internet became virtually useless. I switched to an Apple last year and haven't had a problem since.

So it's safe to say I won't be investing in Microsoft's goldmine, "Halo 3." I have to give it props though, it is undeniably a video game juggernaut and can only help a still-growing, but incredibly healthy industry.

Without quality RPGs or adventure games I can't see myself plunking a bunch of money for a possibly defective gaming console. I have a Wii for Nintendo's flagship games and mainstream titles. My PS2 still gets plenty of action (damn you, Sony, when will that overpriced coaster, PS3 catch up?). And I haven't even played any "God of War" games yet.

Sorry, "Halo 3" despite your various fanboys and geeky hero, Master Chief, I can resist your charms and won't throw away my money.

I’ve never craved filler episodes so much in my life. You would think an anime with 49 episodes would be loaded with junky episodes, but “Get Backers” has been quite refreshing.

So refreshing I think the two-, three- and 15-part episodes have been too much of a good thing. I hate filler just as much as the next anime fan. “Get Backers,” however, treads on dangerous, “Yu-Gi-Oh”-like ground. When half an episode consists of a lengthy fight in which opponents explain what their attacks are going to do or how this fight has been over even before it’s started then that’s about the time I not only get bored, I also get angry.

Three anime series I absolutely hate, “Yu-Gi-Oh,” “Pokemon” and “Dragon Ball Z” feature monotonous fights featuring combatants trading lines of dialogue rather than trading blows. Oh, and what about the perpetually stupid leveling up to release an “ultimate” attack or power. Seriously, what the hell, leveling up, this isn’t an RPG.

Luckily, discs seven and eight of “Get Backers” have more filler episodes. The characters are interesting enough to carry filler episodes and at least the constant dialogue while fighting is kept to a minimum.

After this weekend I will have completed the series. My whining about the lack of filler episodes (ironic, I know) is only minor and I believe unless “Get Backers” totally drops the ball, this series will get a definite thumbs up from me.

What a weekend it wasn't.

Not that my weekend was bad, it was actually decent. I hung out with friend and family, downed some beers and watched WWE's Summerslam on pay-per-view. But it wasn't Las Vegas and "Street Fighter," more specifically, Evo 2007.

Every year, the best fighting game players in the world gather for a weekend of debauchery and video games and it seems Las Vegas is going to be the permanent spot of the prestigious yearly gathering. My favoite video game, "Marvel vs. Capcom 2," a fighting game that mixes Capcom's "Street Fighter," "Mega Man" and various other Capcom franchises with comic book characters from Marvel Comics, is one of the tournaments that attracts a healthy amount of nerds and high rollers waiting to bet thousands of dollars.

That's right, "Street Fighter" has evolved since it blew up in 1992 with "Street Fighter II." Instead of the arcade, players meet in Vegas for bragging rights, big cash and wild partying at night.

And I wasn't there.

Perhaps next year when funds are healthier and I have friends and cousins who are a bit more willing. I can't wait. But if I spend a bunch of money on Evo, how will I have enough money for Anime Expo and Comic-Con 2008?

I better start saving.

As a kid I didn’t care about the plot of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” As long as the Turtles fought Shredder and other baddies, each episode was a success. And the toys were incredible. I pestered my parents constantly as a kid anytime we went to a store that sold toys. I had a pretty good collection, too.

I remember the day I found the extremely rare Shredder toy. To be honest, the Shredder toy looked like crap. He just didn’t resemble the tall, broad shouldered, menacing foe of the Turtles. Shredder was simply a skinny wuss with a girly cape. But I knew it was the only Shredder in town and I had to have it.

And I got it.

I’m sure if I still had that Shredder toy in good condition I could get tons of money on eBay. But what drove the demand for kids like me to plead with their parents and damn near throw tantrums when the rare Shredder was in a store and it was absolutely the last one remaining?

The cartoon, of course.

For the first time in about 15 years I saw the pilot episode of “Turtles” and it was pretty impressive. It doesn’t measure up to the light-hearted, yet dark tone of the first “Turtles” movie. Obviously the visuals are nowhere near as good as this year’s computer animated “TMNT.” The comic book-like feel of the new “Turtles” series that began in 2003 had the original beat as well. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there had to be one strange attractor that made “Turtles” irresistible. For teenagers and guys in their twenties, it could certainly be April O’Neil, geez, that girl was an absolute babe.

I never knew how hot she was until I re-watched the pilot. For an American cartoon this girl was smokin,’ on par with the finest-drawn ladies in anime. And I thought the “TMNT” April was fine with her waist as thick as my thigh complete with breasts way too big to be anything but man made. Old-school April can handle any impossibly proportioned hottie.

I’m really digressing now. Somehow, I don’t think young boys were too wrapped up in the beauty and physique that was (and still is) April O’Neil. Perhaps it was the Turtles’ love of strange pizza. Or stupid jokes. Certainly not the voices, they were awful, especially Raphael.

It had to be the action. It wasn’t anime action and the violence was mild, but for youngsters, these fight scenes must have been perfect. Foot soldiers getting smashed, jumping off roofs, escaping flooding water and fighting thugs in the sewer, what kid wouldn’t like all this?

As good as the original series was, Fox’s 2003 version was better. The look, the action, the deep, plot-driven storyline, almost everything was superior. Except the bad guys. How you have a “Turtles” series without Bebop and Rocksteady? What about Shredder’s power struggle with Krang? No Neutrinos, Rock soldiers, Fly Baxter Stockman or Technodrome? Sorry, new school “Turtles,” when it comes to thugs, Hun just isn’t going to do it.

Now that I’m older I can be more objective about any “Turtles” movie or show. With the exception of that “Turtles III” debacle, all versions of the Heroes in a Halfshell are excellent in my view.

Because of monetary limitations at the end of this month I am canceling my Netflix subscription that I've had for more than two years. So in the next 10 days I am on a mission: finish a 10-disc anime series.

That series is "Get Backers" and after three episodes I'm pumped. I haven't been this excited about an anime in a while. Three down, 46 more to go, and I can't wait.

So far, Ban and Ginji, both of whom have extraordinary powers but don't use them for superhero-type fame, have taken on recovery assignments. They get stuff back and they have an almost 100 percent guarantee rate. They don't have an office nor a clientle that bangs down their old-school bug doors (their work office/mode of transportation). It's a simple concept, but the anime is funny, so far there have been cute girls in every episode and high-octane action seems to be guaranteed.

The last episode featured a showdown between the Get Backers and a transportation team that have incredible powers just like Ban and Ginji. Car chases, extreme violence, bouncy boobs, more comedy and a cliffhanger that's sure to pay off with more action in episode four?

Sounds like a winner to me.

What makes a good anime? Is it the plot, that engaging storyline that keeps you tuned in to the next episode? Or is it memorable characters that piss you off or bring a smile to your face every time they show up? Perhaps it’s the uniqueness of the world the anime takes place in: futuristic, sword wielders, magical kingdoms, etc.

An anime’s uniqueness can carry it a long way. The best example I can think of is “Samurai Champloo.” If I were to tell someone casually what the series is about they would scoff and no doubt answer, “That sounds lame, how did that get 26 episodes?” It’s unfair to compare “Champloo” to director Shinichiro Watanabe’s classic, “Cowboy Bebop,” but comparisons must be made.

Both series have tremendous style. Both have incredible soundtracks. Both feature excellent fight scenes. Both have badass loner-type main characters. However, “Bebop” remains one of the most popular series because Spike has a goal and an opponent. In “Champloo” Mugen, Jin and Fuu know what their goal is, but their final challengers are quite random and very much coincidental.

Who is Spike’s opponent? Rival badass Vicious is without question “the final boss” as video game lovers would put it. Much like “Bebop,” the samurai in “Champloo” fight against worthy opponents in numerous filler episodes. Unfortunately there is no one guy for Mugen and Jin to match up with.

Don’t get me wrong, the last two episodes of “Champloo” were still spectacular. But it lacked the same effect Vicious had going into “Bebop’s” final episodes. Pathetic filler episodes took away a lot of the buildup of “Champloo” (digging for lost treasure with zombies and playing baseball against racist Americans, what the hell was that?) and the lack of a true opponent hurt the anticipation.

Still, “Champloo” won me over with style. Sure, those fight scenes were spectacular, but many anime series have kick-ass battles. The music, editing and rhythm of each “Champloo” episode kept me coming back for more. It’s hard to say this, but “Champloo” actually felt modern even though the time period is back in the day when samurai walked the Earth and swords were the weapon of choice. And that’s a good thing.

At the moment the DVD boxset is very pricey (between $160 and $180) and nowhere near worth it. The DVDs feature very few extras and to charge that much for a series, well, let’s just say Best Buy and other DVD retailers should be wearing ski masks and holding anime nerds as hostages. “Samurai Champloo” is a fine series, worth a rent or a buy if you can find it for less or do what most Internet people do (but shouldn’t) get it for free by watching fan subs.

Oh, by the way, the end song to this series, "Shiki no Uta" by MINMI is just too addicting. Don’t listen to it unless you plan on getting addicted.

If I want the latest version of iTunes I go to Apple’s Web site and download it. For free. If there’s a worm targeting Microsoft software you better believe there’s a patch out there to remedy that situation. For free. I think.

The point is there’s no reason to purchase new software if something goes wrong. Or if it’s a slight upgrade. Tomorrow, August 14, millions of people are being duped for about $40 or $50 at various video game stores.

Get pumped, football fans, the latest mediocre version of “Madden” is here. You know, “Madden,” right, the monopoly terrible video game giant EA Sports has on the video game industry. I haven’t played the new “Madden” yet, but here’s what’s new about this year’s version: slightly better graphics, slightly different player stats, some new way to control players, maybe some new plays to choose from and of course, the roster, which is about 90 percent the same as last year.

Doesn’t sound like it’s worth $40 or $50 to me. “Madden” fanboys, of course will claim, “This is the best game EVA!” But “Madden” fanboys and causal gamers alike will agree everything what I said about the new “Madden” game, without even playing it, is true. I must congratulate EA on its marketing schemes. They must have serious accountants with MBAs working there.

Hardly.

The only reason EA has fans drooling over “Madden” is because it is a monopoly. There are a total number of 0 football alternatives for Playstation 3, XBox 360 and Nintendo Wii. EA has exclusive rights to the NFL and its players. Doesn’t the U.S. government have laws against this? I remember when the SNES and Genesis had numerous NFL titles to choose from which forced companies to make a solid product otherwise the competition would eat them up. Each game had advantages and disadvantages.

Now we have mediocrity to look forward to every year. Imagine if a new “Mario” game (I’m talking real “Mario” not a puzzle game or racing game or sports game featuring Mario) was released every year. I guarantee the end result would suck. How much effort could a game company really get in one year’s time?

How about releasing a brand new “Madden” game every five years? I bet there would be a serious step up in graphics and incredible game play. To quench the thirst of the new season, an upgrade could be downloaded to your memory card, for a price of course.

I don’t blame EA, it has millions of people in the palm of its money grubbing hands. I guess “Madden” fans suffer from some kind of disease other true video game fans are immune to.

The last time I saw "Godzilla Raids Again," the sequel to the fantastic original "Godzilla," I was about 8 or 9 years old. As a youngster I was anxious and couldn't wait for the stupid humans to quit their chatting and let Godzilla or other monsters do their thing.

Almost two decades later I watched "Godzilla Raids Again" on DVD and the film feels as if it's just the long lost red headed stepchild in the "Godzilla" library. The beginning of the film reminded me of the dark tone of the original, but slow pacing and infrequent monster thrashing dooms the movie. "Godzilla Raids" has the advantage of being in black and white which automatically made me think of the horror the fictional post-atomic bomb Tokyo felt when witnessing Big G.

Unfotunately the larger-than-life Godzilla from the original just isn't here. Sure the addition of Godzilla's first in a long line of opponents, Angurius, premeries, but the human interaction and plot is especially weak. In the first "Godzilla," the human element was actually pretty good with ultra-cool, eyepatch wearing Dr. Serizawa, the future Godzilla killer with his brilliant invention, the Oxygen Destroyer, betrothed to beauty Emiko. But Emiko is already in love with navyman Hideto. Those damn military men stealing all the girls...

Anyway, "Godzilla Raids" can't match the love triangle, can't replicate the terror in people's hearts, can't equal the literal god-like mystique of Godzilla and the worst of all, can't get the man in the rubber suit enough screen time. The actual fight between Big G and Angurius is not bad. Plenty of biting, pushing, buildings falling, explosions, everything you could ask for in a monster movie fight.

Godzilla's second film is certainly a disappointment, but it paved the way for a cornucopia of sequels, some good, some great, others ridiculous (Hello "Godzilla's Revenge" and "Godzilla vs. Megalon") and unfortunately, one American (let us never speak of that abortion again). So thank you, "Godzilla Raids Again," Toho could have just thrown in the towel and said, "We can't do better than our monster movie classic," but they didn't. "Godzilla Raids" is technically a failure, but by default is a Godzilla-sized success.

It’s August 2007 and the box set for “Rumbling Hearts” has hit the stores. “Rumbling Hearts,” the anime spawned from the PC game, surprised me when I first saw the series.

According to animenfo.com and other anime sites, “Hearts” had been consistently voted one of the top series. I knew nothing about the game, heck, I didn’t even know the game existed. Naturally, based on the high reviews, I had to check it out.

After two episodes I was blown away.

Without spoiling the ending of episode two all I have to say is the end result left me almost in tears. And I’m not one to choke up on just anything (well, the death of Optimus Prime in “Transformers: the Movie” sometimes gets me). The roller coaster of emotions in that episode (amusement, anxiety, anger, sadness) made me believe this series really was worthy of the hype.

Twelve episode later and the answer was a forceful “yes.”

I couldn’t stop blabbing to one of my cousins about “Hearts’” greatness. He saw it and even he agreed. I knew this show was special when I, along with a large group of friends and cousins, went to Anime Expo 2007 in late June/early July and we caught a showing of episodes two and three of “Rumbling Hearts.” All of the members in my party loved it. And the anime was even shown in the awful English dub.

One of my cousins was so impressed he wanted to buy the series and he doesn’t even like anime. A friend of mine who wasn’t going to be at AX the next day asked me to look into buying a box set the following day.

Which brings me to this month.

The nice folks at the Funimation booth had all three discs available to buy. But no box set. They said not till August 7.

I’m not sure if I’ll actually buy the box set. I’m not sure if my friends and cousins will buy it. All I know is this must be a good series if a bunch of guys, some of them not really into anime, were impressed by just two episodes.

This sounds like I’m just slurping “Rumbling Hearts” like it’s the greatest thing since the invention of the wheel. A lot of people haven’t bashed it enough for me to be aware of the criticism. I know where the criticism could come from:

Too melodramatic. Granted the events that take place are anything but, however, once the drama is established and friendships, relationships and promises come into question, melodramatic is an appropriate word.

But, the difficulty in the love triangle is complicated which is why I can see past the melodramatic qualities.

After researching the “Rumbling Hearts” game it makes me want to play it. If I do, I hope I don’t get sucked in like lengthy RPGs and waste hours of my life which turn into weeks which turns into months (thanks a lot, Final Fantasy XII).

Good series deserve a second watch. I consider “Rumbling Hearts” to be a great series so I guess sometime in the near future I’ll have the pleasure of suffering with the series’ characters -- trust me, if you’ve seen it, you will know what I mean.

After watching the third disc of "Ai Yoi Aoshi: Enishi" I felt cheated. In twelve episodes nothing happened. "Enishi" simply was not a suitable continuation. I have yet to read the manga, but from the last episode of season one to the last episode of season two the relationship of Aoi and Kaoru stalls.

There were hints that the Sakuraba family might give their blessing to their future marriage. There were hints that Kaoru and Aoi might upgrade from their G-rated relationship to a PG-13 bond. In a couple of episodes it seemed as if Aoi might reveal her relationship to the rest of the folks living in the Sakuraba mansion.

Instead nothing happens. Sure it's been two whole years since Aoi and Kaoru met again. But their love appears to be frozen in time because it's doing nothing. They are not any closer to being married. It has been four years since "Ai Yori Aoshi" aired in Japan. I don't know if there is a third season in the works. If there will be a third season it needs more of the following:

More laughs.

Less filler episodes.

An actual story in which "things" happen.

It sounds as if I totally hated "Enishi."

Hate is a strong word. An anime has to be really bad in order for me to hate it. But I definitely think "Enishi" is average.

In a best-case scenario "Ai Yori Aoshi" should follow the "Chobits" formula which is pretty much the same formula any good comedy should include: big laughs, set up the story, big laughs, continue the story, big laughs and finally get dramatic and solve the problem. The best comedies, whether they are chick flicks, gross-out films or buddy movies, all follow this formula.

"Enishi" stalls the Aoi-Kaoru relationship. Fine, I can accept that. So how about hilarious comedy, something to make up for lack of story. Most people can accept funny episodes in exchange for story. Same concept for summer blockbuster films: as long as the special effects are great and things blow up then you shouldn't care too much about plot. "Ai Yori Aoshi" doesn't have to try too hard to be funny.

Tina Foster's excitability and Taeko's clumsiness could carry entire episodes by themselves. Throw in Kaoru's reluctance and Aoi's naive attitude toward her housemates and you got funny. If "Ai Yori Aoshi" simply finished the story then a solid anime is born.

Unfortunately, "Enishi" is one of those series that seemed rushed (the second season aired only one year after the first and was roughly half as long as season one). The result is an average anime that could have been so much better.