Anime Summaries (in alphabetical order)
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
(Newtype-USA December 2004 issue)
Queen Beryl cannot accept the fact that momoru isn't hers, so she plants a stone inside his body that sucks a part of his life away every time he thinks of Usagi. But Mamoru won't give up his love for her. In the meantime, Minako's condition worsen- she collapses and has to go to the hospital. Despite the fact that she suffers fro ma life-threatening illness, she won't agree to surgery because she thikns it's more important to accomplish the mision from her previous life. Makoto finds out that Minako can't transform anymore, so she goes to battle a demon in Minako's place. But Makoto gets injured during the battle and collapses. Artemis finally convinces Minako to live in the present as well as in the past, and Minako reluctantly agrees to undergo the operation. In the end, she rebuilds her friendship with the other sailor scouts. Rei used to oppose Minako, but now she suggests that thye hold a get-well party for her. Around the same time, the moon princess Usagi finds that the more she usues the power of the Silver Crysal, the more power is sufficient to destroy the entire Earth! Mamoru realizes the danger and decides to seal her inside his body in order to save Eath. Dodging an attack from Queen Beryl, he jumps into Metalia's light...
Chrono Crusade
(Newtype-USA December 2004 issue)
Sister Rosette is a nun in the Magdalene Order. She and her partner, a devil named Chrono, fight against devils, poltergeist and other forces of evil in 1920s New York. When a clue surfaces about the disappearance of Rosette's younger brother Joshua four years ago, she and Chrono must confront the powerful devil Aion!
Fighting Spirit
(Newtype-USA December 2004 issue)
Ippo Makunouchi is a shy and compassionate boy who is raised by his mom after his father passes away. One day at school as Ippo is getting the crap kicked out of him (as usual), a boxer named Mamoru Takamura passes by and saves him. Ippo is so awestruck by Takamura's power and grace that he sets out to become a boxer.
Gankutsuou
(Newtype-USA December 2004 issue)
Albert and Franz are friends who decide to escape their mundane lives and take a trip to the moon. There they meet the mysterious captivating count of Monte Cristo. Albert is fascinated by the Count, who is farfrom what he seems. Long ago, Albert's parents crossed the Count. Now he has singled out Albert for use in his twisted schemes of revenge.
Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi
(G4techTV mailing list)
Try telling that to twelve-year-old Sasshi Imamiya. He's lost his home, lost the toy collection that defined his very geekdom, and he's about to lose his best friend, Arumi. Reality is closing in on him. That is, until they discover that their neighborhood shopping district is actually a portal to a series of parallel existences. Reality decides to take a vacation - an extended vacation - as Arumi and Sasshi suddenly find themselves in a world like their own. only not. And as they try to fight their way back to the real world, they'll face menacing mushrooms, big-breasted space pirates, killer kung-fu fighters, a tripped-out transvestite, a sorcerer who seems to be in some sort of midlife crisis. and that's just the beginning! They say there's no place like home, but this ain't exactly Oz, and it sure as heck ain't Kansas! Put the kids to bed, leave Toto with the neighbors and get ready to dive into the madcap, whacked-out world of Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi!
13 episodes!
Otogi Zoushi
(Newtype-USA December 2004 issue)
Strange things keep happening at night around the tracks of Tokyo's Yamonote train line. At the request of his publisher, a freelance journalist named Tsuna investigates the incidents with a young woman named Hikaru. They find clues about the disappearance of Hikaru's brother Yorimitsu.
Peacemaker Kurogane
(Newtype-USA December 2004 issue)
Haunted by the violent slaying of his parents, 15-year-old Tetsonosuke Ichimura decides to join the Shinsengumi, an elite group of swordsmen sworn to protect the capital. Locked in a brutal conflict with the Choshu rebels who killed Tetsu's parents, the Shinsengumi are soon revealed to be every bit as brutal as his parent's murderers. Will the young Tetsunosuke lose his humanity in his quest for vengeance, or will he become the "peacemaker" his father had hoped for?
Saiyuki: Requiem
(Newtype-USA December 2004 issue)
On their continuing journey toward the land of Shangri-la, Genjo Sanzo, Son Goku, Cho Hakkai, and Sha Gojyo rescue a young girl named Houran from a demonic attack. As thanks for saving her life, she invites them to her master's palace, but things in the his aren't always what they seem! The demon-slayers are forced to battle unseen terrors and deadly visions that threaten to tear the party asunder.
Samurai 7
(Newtype-USA December 2004 issue)
Fed up with the constant raids by NOBUSHI bandits after the end of the war, a small group of villagers decides to take matters into their own hands and fight for the right to preserve their way of life. Because they are no match for the NOBUSHI, the villagers hire samurai to fight for them…
Steamboy
(Newtype-USA December 2004 issue)
Ray Steam comes from a family of crazy inventors. One day his grandfather mails him a strange metal ball that sends him on an outrageous adventure through the streets of London. The ball is a bizarre invention called a “steam ball” that harbors a new and incredible energy source; unfortunately for Ray, some very powerful people want that energy for themselves. Is the team ball a miracle of science or a harbinger of doom? Follow Ray, his father Eddie, his grandfather Lloyd, and the spoiled little rich girl Scarlet on their quest to keep the steam ball out of the hands of those who would use it for evil!
Wolf's Rain
(Newtype-USA December 2004 issue)
A highly advanced civilization once built dome cities filled with marvelous wonders of technology. But that was long ago, and now the cities have fallen into ruin. A wolf named Kiba wanders into one of the decaying areas and encounters Tsume, another wolf who leads a human street gang. The two don't understand each other at first. Kiba find's Tsume's choice to live among hateful humans perplexing, and Tsume laughs at Kiba's goal to find the legendary Paradise, promised land of the wolves. Their meeting, however, changes their lives.
YAKITATE!! JAPAN
(Newtype-USA December 2004 issue)
Kazuma Azuma is workign to become a world-renowned bread-maker. he leaves his hometown and comes to Tokyo to work at the famous Pantasia bakery, where he learns to perfect his craft and competes against rival breadmakers!
Movies
Howl's Moving Castle
(Newtype-USA December 2004 issue)
In a world where science is mixed with magic, the Witch of the Waste casts a curse upon the young Sophie, turning her into a 90-year-old woman. Sophie then heads for the moving castle, the abode of the wizard Howl, who has a nasty reputation for eating young girls' hearts. But Sophie doesn't care about all that. She barges into the castle and declares herself Howl's new housekeeper!
About the book:
Howl's Moving Castle is based on British author Diana Whynne Jones' book of the same name. Miyazaki usually reworks stores when he animates them, and Howl is no exception. But if you pay close attention to the individual scenes and details, you'll see that the anime is actually quite faithful to the original novel. The biggest difference is the war. In Jones' book, the King orders Howl to defeat the Witch of the Waste and find Justin, the King's missing brother. But in the anime, the King's kingdom is at war, and the King orders Howl to join the fight. This twist results in a new ending, so even if you've read the book, the story wont be spoiled for you.
