The Anime Beat

Viz Cinema, the nation's first theater devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. If you're in town, here is the list of events for February.

Here are few new titles to keep a critical eye open for.

After all, for mecha lovers, this show has a lot of potential. But, as of now, I would place it somewhere between a so-so derivation of Full Metal Panic and Evangelion “light.”

I just got the list of Viz’s manga releases for the first half of 2010, and it’s a long list. So, rather than give you my fun, yet abridged synopses of these undoubtedly great titles, especially since I have yet to read any, here’s the initial installment straight from the mouth of PR:

Focused, artfully drawn, a steady pace, a much older protagonist, Naruto Shippuden The Movie extracts everything you love about a given episode and lets it pervade 94 minutes of film. That’s right.

My previous words still stand: this is the underdog team we just love to root for! Bamboo Blade Part 2 delivers the same blend of comedy, high school drama, and sword-cracking action that made the initial DVD pack so enjoyable.

While not compelling or even groundbreaking in character or content, I did enjoy the show. El Cazador de la Bruja is friendship and crazy times induced by gunpowder.

Well, I haven’t seen it yet. But I’d lay down 20 in Vegas that Cobra The Animation is all about guns and girls.

For those already tapped into the streaming vein of PlayStation Network, anime is definitely on its Christmas list. Here’s the latest post from my friends at PSN. And, evidently, this is only a small part of the 12-day promotion.

Watch this movie! You won’t be surprised why Ichi has received endless acclaim. As adaptations go, it’s spot on.

Whether you’re a Voltron fan or not, for $3.99, you really can’t lose! One again, it satisfied my gaming appetite; and this says a lot, since, besides Tetris, the gamer in me tends to shrink in the face of mobile phone play.

On March 2, 2010 Aria The Origination DVD collection, which includes the final third season and OVA, will drop into stores and cyber outlets everywhere.