I'm sure lots of people are sick and tired of sequels, and they have a right to be sick of them. That aside, this sequel was great. It's pretty much what you'd expect from a summer movie. Explosions, chase scenes, awesome fight scenes.Expanding on that, it had two really good fight scenes. Both involving Gina Carano and Michelle Rodriguez. Whatever they may lack in acting skills, I think they more than make up for them in their fight scenes. Which is reasonable given that Carano is an MMA fighter so she would know how to add some realism to a fight scene if there was anyone. There were other fights but not so notable. It takes place after Fast 5 and before Tokyo Drift if anyone else is keeping track. So all the regulars are back for this one as well with the exceptions of Don Omar and Tego Calderon. Though really, with so many characters already in the series, and with Tyrese taking the place of the comedic character, they weren't really missed. They were however mentioned by the other characters when others wondered where they were, in something of a callback to the last movie where they were last seen in a casino gambling away all their money. This is one thing about the movie that I liked. They did a lot of nods and callbacks and a few callforwards to all the other movies in the series. After the first one I made it a little game to myself to see if I could catch all of them, which even though I think it may not have needed it, added a little extra incentive to pay attention to more than just the explosions and cars. One more thing. Again for those that have been paying attention the story ("what story?" You may ask)this one takes place chronologically before Tokyo Drift. However, since the last movie, Han played by Sung Kang and Gisele played by the astounding Gal Gadot got themselves into a relationship, but we know, or should know, that Han is very much alone byt the time Tokyo Drift rolled around. So throughout Gisele was throwing out death flags left and right every fifteen minutes it seemed like. So we know something was going to happen to her. Just not how or when. Let me tell you, even though you know it's coming sooner or later, somehow you still end up shocked when it does.

Clocking in at just under 90 minutes, it still manages to feel like I sat through something longer. Which in this instance is a good thing. Because at the end of the day, it's still about bike messengers. No offense. From the first time I saw a promo for it, it seemed all too familiar. Like I'd seen something like it before, and I have. If you've ever seen the movie Hackers, it's basically that, except with messengers instead of hackers minus the camp. Most of it anyway.If you've got nothing to do and want to see something different but not too different, this might be a movie to consider. The story is pretty simple and not really any surprises in it. I'd say the best part of the movie is this running gag with a bike cop that is basically chasing Wiley, the main protagonist, down throughout the entire movie which has very little significance to the actual plot. the worst part is they keep trying to squeeze in why Wiley does the job that he does despite the inherent danger and that he could actually be so much more were it not for his love of riding. It bares zero significance to the story. Even less the the aforementioned bike cop. Wisely, it doesn't linger too long on those deep thoughts and just keeps riding at full speed without stopping for long.

If you like fighting anime like History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi or Tenjou Tenge, then you'd probably like this one. It's got some really crazy fighting in it, that is beyond realistic; putting it nicely. Not really much in the way of plot as with other similar anime. The animation is terrible, even by 90's standards. This was animated around 2002-03. Although in this case it's due to it being rendered very closely to the original manga version which is from the 90's However, despite it's many glaring flaws, there's something that keeps me watching it. Maybe it's the absurdity of it all. It's actually quite comical.

My first exposure to this series was actually it's music. Before I had ever seen one episode of it I already had all of the OST's. So how did that happen? Beats me. It's fairly simplistic. As far as a choral rock orchestra goes. I love the music. Then again my taste in music skews from the norm. It is anime music for starters.

Revolutionary Girl Utena falls squarely into the shoujo category. Bishie's everywhere, big eyed girls, flowers everywhere. so, hey, I watched the whole thing. Normally, I would stay away from this kind of shoujo. I tend to lean more towards the comedic type: Skip Beat, Lovely Complex, etc. But the powers that be told me to watch this. I was pretty much blown away. And if you think Evangelion had a lot of symbolism, I laugh at your ineptittude. HAHAHAHAHA. Seriously, though, everything is a symbol in this show. Everything. Except for maybe the shirt flying open thing. Whcih sadly, only happens to the guys. We do get a few naked girls here and there, but it only ends in rage. Well, it's not really even the point of the show, just an aside really. This is shoujo afterall.

Despite all the twists and fighting, and overall non-crappy drama. It still has many other standard cliches that plague shoujo and all anime really. Repetition. Fight, win, get the girl. Literally in this case. As she is the prize and is necesarry to open the gates to the end of the world. And reused scenes, in particular this one:

and this one:

Notice how it was the same music but a different animation. When you hear that song start, you know it's time for a fight. Utena's wasn't that bad but it was almost evey episode. As epic as the music was even that gets stale after 34 episodes. There's also an annoying little pet. It does however beak away from many other shoujo in that the girls aren't shrinking violets nor are they the chick. They are all incredibly competent and will beat your ass in a fight. Contrast this with the standard anime chick/doormat/useless moeblob. You'd think there'd be more of this, especially in shoujo, anime aimed specifically at girls, but there isn't. One more thing about this show. It subcribes to the all men are bastards ideal. In this case I'll letit slide cause damn, the guys on this show are bastards.

So. I finally finally saw Infinite Ryvius about 8 years after it was released stateside. to think I wanted to watch this when I first got into anime. If I watched this after watching Evangelion my mind would have bee utterly blown. The nightmare fuel in this show is enough to last for years. From homicidal religious zealot schoolgirls to gangrape (it's implied in one of the episodes, atleast), and megalomaniacal teenage boys in big robots. As well as a huge military conspiracy intent on covering up your survival and trying to blow you up. All of that and I'm sure some people would call this a teen drama about growing up and learning to cope. I would, but this is anime, so its okay to call it a teen drama. I wouldn't have it any other way and it's why I watch it.

Onto the characters. Without getting into too much detail, because I don't feel like it, I don't think any boring characters exist in this show, save for Neya, and the Aiba brothers. Even then they weren't too bad, just not as interesting as everyone else. Everyone changed a little, even the side characters and the joke characters that had little to do with the main story, went through changes. the clearest examples would probably be the girl in the dinosaur suit who as the show went on, started losing parts of her costume until she was down too just a sleeve by midway through the series. The second half was her recovering each part until she was whole again by the end. And then there's the naked guy. He started the show naked with nothing but a throw pillow to cover his manhood, Eventually he moved onto a lion-cloth fashioned from a towel, then he even got a name and a shirt, but still no pants.

What really surprised me about this show is it actually had a decent, thought out ending unlike many anime where it just ends because they caught up to the book or the studio ran out of money to write a proper end for a show. It's not a great ending, just a well thought out one that has a definite conclusion.

I almost forgot to mention one more thing about this series. The music: Both the opening and the ending gave me somewhat of an oldschool anime feel, which I tend to like. That's just me I think. I just happen to like old anime music better. it doesn't give off that same melt your teeth, moe moe feel. In other words, the music doesn't sound overproduced or run through a a synth to make up for the singer's talent or lack thereof. I'm not saying that didn't happen either way, but it doesn't sound like it. A couple other tracks you hear have a definite hip-hop feel to it. the eycatch atleast, it has what most assuredly sounds like a loop from Biggie Smalls.

Okay, so most of last year and entering this year we have seen lots of comic books, and even games get turned into movies. Most sucked ass. This one, to my chagrin didn't. Now I haven't read the comic book, so excuse my ignorance if this thing was butchered, but it was good action movie. Nearly two hours I sat there and enjoyed it. Most of it anyway. The shaky camera was jarring and felt really unneccesary.

I always wanted to see this movie in the theatres, but like a week after it debuted, it was nowhere to be found in my area. What the hell happened? Hell if I know, but now that I saw it I'm not dissappointed. If you want something that's deep and makes you care for a character, this movie is probably not for you. Unless of course you were Ian back in high school. Well, in any case, you will laugh at it. There is no doubt in that. If you want to watch an hilarious road trip movie and kick back, then please, by all means search this movie out. It is well worth it.

One more thing for those that like to compare movies. I'll save you the trouble. The best comparison I can think of for Sex Drive would be if someone took American Pie and Road Trip and combined them. It sounds like a bad idea, but I think it works.

One of my favorite anime of all time. Almost perfect save for one glaring mistake. The ending. Everything up to that point is awesome. The characters the vehicles, just about everything are based on Range Murata designs are clean. I for one am a big fan of his so maybe that's just me. I'd give this one a nine. If it weren't for that one thing. Dead characters should stay dead. Speaking of dead characters, this one has probab;y one of the most satisfying villian death scenes. The bitch gets her neck snapped, and it makes this sweet little crack. Then she just crumples to floor like a rag doll before her ship gets blown away by a huge cannon.

The third in a series of light novels translated from its original Japanese language; Boogiepop at dawn doesn't disappoint it's fans. The book brings us the origins of some of the series main characters, shedding some light on why thy are the way they are. It also adds some depth to them. In particular Kirima Nagi. Some of what was missing from the previous books was just what was motivating these characters to risk their lives fighting these monsters. Who would do such a thing and why? So yes, finally some light is shed. But not too much and only ends with more questions.

Saying that, if you decided you wanted to get into the series now, You'd be confused beyond belief. Maybe they add a list of chronoogical events as they happened. As it happens, the ending sets up the story for the fifth book. Seeing as how this is the third book, I wonder what happens in the fourth?

The important thing is I'm still playing it. I'll be honest. I'm not as avid a gmaer as I used to be. Some games I'll lose interest in them about halfway through, and not play them again. The World Ends With You, I've put it down for a few weeks in the time I've had it, then I come back to it, and I'm tearing through it like I just bought it all over again. Its just that fun.

Its got a very unique fighting system that utilizes both screens at once quite nicely. The bottom screen is for most purposes of this game your main screen and the top screen is where your partner fights. In a battle you can either have them go full auto or control the top screen by way of the D-pad, and at the same time control your main character, Neku, with the stylus on the botom screen. You share a life bar and enemies, so if one monster gets erased on either screen, that's it for them.

The way the attacks are carried out are through the use of pins, that are classified from A-D. You can have a total of six pins for Neku. They all have their own stats, that can be altered through fighting or also through items you equip your characters with and what area of the gae you're in. So one item may make them stronger in one area but in another it may weaken them considerably. I'm aware this stuff isn't new. But the way they implement it offers players a chance to customize their fighting style whether it be melee or long range in a very fun way.

part of the replayability of the game is the amount o customization it offers players. That and the music. You don't get tired of it. It's something like a mix between techno and pop. Its very inline with the feel of the game.