Code Geass + Code Geass R2

Directed By: Gorō Taniguchi
Written By: Ichirō Ōkouchi
Producer Studio: Sunrise

Season 1: 25 episodes
Season 2 (R2): 25 episodes

Summary: Several years ago, Japan was invaded by Britannia, an imperialist nation based in America. Using the Knightmare combat frame (similar to Gundams) Britannia quickly overwhelmed the Japanese, who fought to their last. But when Prime Minister Kururugi was killed mysteriously, the Japanese were forced to surrender. As a result, the Japanese lost their culture, rights, and their name. The proud nation of Japan was now known merely as Area 11.

Lelouch Lamerouge is a Britannian high school student living in Area 11. Originally a prince of Britannia, he gave up his claim to the throne when his mother was murdered and his sister crippled, only to be cast aside as a weakling. The two came to Area 11 while it was still known as Japan, living with the Prime Minister and his son Suzaku. After the war, the two friends were separated. One day, after an unexpected chain of events, Lelouch becomes caught up in a terrorist attack on the Tokyo settlement where he lives. Completely surrounded by Britannian armed forces with no hope of survival, Lelouch is granted Geass, "The power of the Kings" by a mysterious girl who appears to be immortal. Using this power of absolute submission of the mind, Lelouch uses it to control his enemies' movements combined with his amazing intelligence, capturing victory for the rebels. Taking on the persona of Zero, a masked hero of the Japanese and a symbol of hope for the future, Lelouch vows to use his new found power to gain revenge on his father the emperor, and create a new world where his sister Nunally can find peace and joy.

Review:
Positives: CG is a beautifully animated, emotionally powerful story. If you're a sucker for the sadness, a lover of laughter, or an action junkie, this anime has a fantastic balance of everything. The American cast did a fantastic job throughout. Few (if any) actors left be disappointed. The humor is well-spread throughout, but the show is serious whenever it needs to be. The action sequences with the knightmares are something to behold. Sunrise achieves a perfect balance of cgi and cel art to get epic battles (no exaggeration) that make you nostalgic of the days of Transformers (lol) and Gundum. CG also goes out strong with a fantastic ending to a fantastic series. And did I mention that there isn't a SINGLE FILLER EPISODE? Not one. I bet you don't even believe me, do you?
Negatives: Not too much I can say here. Though there are a couple plot holes involving character death in some parts. (I won't reveal which ones.) And, if you're a girl like I am, you might not appreciate the amount of fan service throughout. For example, half the cast is in bunny suits at the beginning of R2. What's that all about? I guess you fanboys need something... But the amount of it's a little over the top.
Overall: Definitely worth your while. 9/10

Want more? check out the wikipedia page.

*BUT THIS PAGE MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_Geass

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Super Smash Bros. originally for N64

Super Smash Bros. was recently released for the Virtual Console on the Wii in 2009.

Super Smash Bros. was originally:

Directed by: Masahiro Sakurai
Composed by: Hirokazu Ando
Developed by: HAL Laboratory
Published by: Nintendo

(10/10)The first game Super Smash Bros. was originally for the N64 and was released on:

January 21, 1999 (Japan)
April 26, 1999 (N. America)
November 19, 1999 (Europe)

This game featured 8 starting characters:

Mario
Donkey Kong (DK)
Link
Samus
Yoshi
Kirby
Fox
Pikachu

And 4 unlockable (secret) characters:

Luigi
Ness
Captain Falcon (C. Falcon)
Jigglypuff

There are also 8 starting stages:

Peach's Castle (Mario and Luigi)
Yoshi's Island (Yoshi)
Congo Jungle (DK)
Dream Land (Kirby)
Hyrule Castle (Link)
Sector Z (Fox)
Planet Zebes (Samus)
Saffron City (Pikachu and Jigglypuff)

And 1 secret stage:

Mushroom Kingdom (Mario and Luigi)

There are also several non-playable characters that the player must face as enemies. These characters include:

Master Hand - The boss you must face in the last stage of single player.
Giant DK - A miniature boss that you must face on the way to Master Hand in single player mode.
Metal Mario - A miniature boss that you must face on the way to Master Hand in single player mode.

Single Player Mode:

This mode can be played on 5 different difficulty levels: very easy, easy, normal, hard, and very hard.

Single player mode consists of 14 stages, and 3 of them are bonus stages. Stage 4, 8, and 12 are all of the bonus stages.

The player must choose a character to play as, the difficulty level, and how many lives they should have (1, 2, 3, 4, or 5).

Multiplayer Mode:

As mentioned earlier, there are 12 playable characters and 9 stages. The player can face another player or computer. There are 4 open spaces - 1 for the 1st player and 3 for either computer players or human players. There are 4 costumes for each character (color change). There are 20 items that the player can decide if he/she wants to appear or not. For a list and description of these, click HERE.

Audio

The music in this game is very well designed and there are songs from almost every character's game if not every.(10/10)
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Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni

Directed By: Chiaki Kon
Length: 26 episodes

(8/10)Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni is a strange show that you will probably think makes no sense. There are different chapters in the show, each one completely different. There is a similar pattern in each chapter, but something totally new at the same time. Every character has his or her strengths and weaknesses, but certain things can overcome them all. I know this isn't a very long review, but this show is pretty indescribable. It's something you need to see on your own. I loved it, but it's not for everyone. I recommend it to those who like mystery and comical shows. I'd give this show about an 8 out of 10. This show has mild gore, so keep that in mind before watching. Have fun!(8/10) Read more!

Fullmetal Alchemist- 2003

(9.7/10)Fullmetal Alchemist was originally a shonen manga written and drawn by Hiromu Arakawa. It ran in Shonen Gangan magazine from August 2001 to April 2010 and has become one of the most popular manga titles in the business. The plot of the first anime (There has been a second since- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood) differs greatly from the manga's plot during the second season of the series, so I'll be covering it separately. :)

Shorthand: FMA

Japanese: Hagaren no Renkinjutsushi

Length: 51 episodes

Summary: Brothers Edward (Ed) and Alphonse (Al) Elric live in the military-controlled country of Amestris in an Eastern farming village called Resembool. Following the death of their beloved mother, Ed and Al attempt to revive her by use of Alchemy, the science of understand the structure of matter, breaking it down, and rebuilding it as something else. The most basic concept of alchemy is the principle of Equivalent Exchange: In order to create, something of equal value must be lost. Because nothing could possibly equal the value of a human soul, their attempt fails, creating a monster that couldn't even pass for a human being. The price of the transmutation (To transmute is to use alchemy on something) was so heavy that Edward's left leg was taken, as well as Alphonse's entire body. Thinking quickly, Ed attached the soul of his younger brother to a suit of armor, paying with his right arm.

Outfitted with Automail, metal prosthetic limbs that function like normal arms and legs, Ed sets of on a quest with his brother to find a way to return themselves to their original bodies. In order to gain access to higher level research materials on alchemy, Edward becomes a State Alchemist bearing the code name Fullmetal. The brothers focus their search on the Philosopher's Stone, a mythical artifact giving the user the ability to bypass the law of Equivalent Exchange. Along the way, the brothers encounter horrors caused by alchemy, corrupt operations within the military, and the frightening truth about the Philosopher's Stone and Human Transmutation.

Review: Fullmetal Alchemist has gained one of the biggest reputations in anime. But can it live up to the hype? Its storyline is powerful yet not so complex that watchers need to view the series several times to fully understand. The plot successfully combines action, adventure, science fiction, and drama with scattered humor, giving viewers a good combination of serious and silly. Some of the 1st season contains filler, however in some cases the fillers are important parts to a character's development or even a turning point in a character's life. I wouldn't go as far as saying that there aren't any episodes that could have been done without, however it isn't like trudging through Naruto trying to find an episode that actually has some sort of point to the overall story.

The main characters are likable, but slightly generic. However the dynamic supporting cast is what makes it what it is. This anime is somewhat limited on the actual number of "bad guys." Characters who you would think to be pure evil turn out to have understandable motives. Some characters appear to have taken a complete 180 by the series' end. Some people that you initially hate you end up loving in the end.

The English Dub of Fullmetal boasts an all-star cast to say the least. Big names in anime such as Vic Mignogna (Edward Elric), Travis Willingham (Roy Mustang), Colleen Clinkenbeard (Riza Hawkeye), Laura Bailey (Lust), Sonny Straight (Maed Hughes), Caitlin Glass (Winry Rockbell) and Dameon Clarke (Scar). The Fullmetal Dub truly shows how far acting in anime has come in past years. We all remember the lovely days of old Yu-Gi-Oh! right? O_O I kinda wish I didn't...

Though the art style of the Fullmetal Alchemist Anime differs greatly from the style used in the manga, the series is well-drawn pretty much all the way through, though I can think of a couple scenes that look somewhat sloppy. (This may just be because I'm something of an art Nazi) With this slight exception, the series is beautifully drawn, written, and acted. All in all, I'd give this anime a 9.7 out of 10. I fell in love with the characters, powerful story, and message. This makes a perfect starting anime for anyone trying to get into the culture.(9.7/10)

Hope this was helpful to you guys! Until next time,
The Silver Strike Alchemist
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Elfen Lied

Directed By: Mamoru Kanbe
Original Story and Manga Written By: Lynn Okamoto
Length: 13 episodes

(8.5/10)Elfen Lied was a definitely one of my all time favorite animes. I loved the characters and the story was pretty amazing too. There is the factor of some nudity at parts throughout the show though, but I still think that it really was worth watching. It's basically about these humans (girls) born with a disease that gives them an extraordinary power. This disease causes them to kill everyone, even their own parents. These so called humans aren't really humans anymore and most of them are killed when they are born because people believe them to be the enemy of the human race.
This story is mainly about one "diclonius" (the name given to those with the disease) named Lucy. This story shows the back stories, so the viewer can see why things turned out the way it did. I'd give this show about an 8.5 out of 10. I definitely recommend this, but due to the nudity, I insist that you contemplate if you really should watch it before you do. One other issue is that there is a pretty good amount of blood. Make sure to think about this before you watch it! Be careful!(8.5/10)
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