While I enjoyed this movie thoroughly, I really feel that the actual mystery took a bit of a back seat to some (much needed, but almost otherwise nonexistent) character history and interaction. So…Awesome for me (and other fans of the series with even a basic idea of the characters), but possibly not so great for those new to the series?

The subtitlist’s strict belief that I won’t understand Japanese names is beyond bizarre, and while it doesn’t really affect the story, it does make for some awkward transitions.
Personal favorite moments I look forward to in every episode:
Jimmy/Conan (who seems to be about 6) not being restrained from searching dead bodies for clues. They also never bar him from the crime scene, regardless of the manner of death or number of victims.
Richard getting his karmic backlash (he tends to physically throw or threaten Conan when his flaws in reasoning are pointed out) when Conan inevitably darts him in the neck. I especially love it when he tries vainly to determine why he passed out and what he may have said.

I enjoyed this show quite a bit, but can't help but feel that four measley episodes cannot possibly do justice to the extremely interesting and likeable main character. It's as if his background and future were off-limits until the game world had decisively explored them, limiting the series in scope and direction. A nice gift for fans of the game, but misleading to those unfamiliar with it's repetitive enemies, dubious rating system, and long pauses between story progression.

With an opening theme that firmly belongs on one of the DDR games, this anime’s strangely addictive powers have rendered this once-reluctant reviewer into nothing more than a mush-brained addict. With the marathon feature, I lose all track of time, and the series has even managed to minimize unnecessary exposition and repetition, granting even familiar episodes that déjà-vu sense of “Have I seen this? Oh well, I’ll watch it anyway, just in case.”

Wonderful. Literally, I couldn’t have asked for a better ending, though I am the type of person who would have asked for another 26 episodes if given one wish, and who genuinely desires that all my favorite characters live long and happy lives, even if it isn’t feasible to the story. I was also extremely upset at the strangely disconnected last episode until I learned that it hadn’t been aired, which helped to temper the feeling that it was both ignorant of the final results of episode 25 and atypically cheerful and happy compared to the rest of the series’ tone.

Extra bonus points to the English voice actor for his heartfelt and anguished (while still humorous) screams. The realism of all of these characters is truly astonishing, and I find their human foibles the key point that separates an “anime” set in reality, from one that could be entirely based on reality. I can’t emphasize enough how alarmingly realistic these characters are, even if they aren’t technically made of flesh. Every advance is a heartwarming achievement, and even the setbacks and letdowns are done in a way that makes them either touching and realistic or truly shadenfreude (humor at another’s expense).

Do you want to experience déjà vu? Of course you do. First, put in Ghost Hunt and select English as the spoken language. Listen to the tortured antagonized love-interest between Mayu and “Naru”. Now switch to Kaze no Stigma and hear those same voice actors play the same roles, if not the same exact characters. Cool, calm, and generally awesome-all-over-the-place guy meets opinionated, loud girl who can’t decide if she finds him annoying or is desperately in crush with him. Rinse. Repeat.

This installment begins the second season of the show, and actually wouldn’t be a bad place to start the series. After all, a large portion of Season One is either preparation for or the slow journey to the Grand Line. (:

I have something against the human-emotion aspect of offering forgiveness or even empathy to someone who deliberately and methodically killed you. Rueful greetings or tender reconciliations, even post-mortem, ruin my feeling of justice.

If you can’t tell, I’m a huge fan of the motion these characters possess, but really, this second half of the season seems to have reached a plateau. You can almost picture it: seeing for miles, with no obvious climbs or dips to break up the monotony. The big climb for the fighting story takes place at the very end of the box set, and leaves me wanting more confrontation. The situational humor comes and goes, and I find that it has a hard time being either original, or interesting enough to keep me looking forward to the next non-fighting scene.

I am an addict. It’s true. I like it, and so do you. Put aside your complex series, requiring constant fan wiki’s to fully document the multiple storyarcs and motivations of each character’s twisted past. Instead, pick up a straightforward and light-hearted anime that makes you feel good about humanity. Or should that be demonity? Seriously, how many animes can you think of that can embody both the word “light-hearted” and “megalomaniacal magic-wielding world-destructive uber-being?” This one.

I love this series. It’s really high up on my personal favorites list, and even the theme songs (and their accompanying opening/closing) can improve my mood on any given day. Special bonus: Did I mention this box set is not only affordable, readily available, and full of fun, but also includes 39 episodes? Fie upon you, weak 23-26 episode seasons. You cannot hope to compete with my 39 episodes of happiness.
Important Note: Do not disregard this anime as overt yaoi. It isn’t. I’ve seen over 45 episodes spanning two seasons and I’ve yet to get any confirmed romance between two males, though I will confirm the odd awkward moment.

I'm not sure how this is happening, but I'm coming to enjoy this show, and I resent its intrusion into my mind. The "Marathon Play" feature takes the painful skipping of openers/closers as well as the 5-minute recap (which can pretty well sum up an episode, rendering the 20 +/- minutes of effort by the animators largely irrelevant) out of the way, leaving you in a daze when the DVD is over and you can't remember what you were supposed to be doing 3 hours ago.

I have to say, though, that sometimes these episodes take forever to get to the obvious plot points and conclusion, and I'm not sure if that's a result of me being familiar with the characters, or if this is simply a result of formulaic storytelling.

The dialogue in Japanese is apparently a lot more suggestive than what we were willing to risk saying in plain English. Still, it’s somewhat satisfying to see Van Winkle rendered into a gibbering idiot by her fear of Alucard, even if I did enjoy her cheerful personality. That’s what Nazi’s get, you know. Especially undead Nazis, freckles or no. I do wonder what the original creator was thinking when he named the musket-wielding Nazi Lieutenant “Rip Van Winkle.” I was unaware of any Germanic origins to the tale, and she doesn’t suit the name of an old man who slept for many years, unless it’s a reference to the resurgence of the entire Nazi battalion, as if awakening from an unfortunately peaceful slumber?

I really find myself enjoying this series more and more, especially on the second viewings. Occasions to note on this installment: Alucard’s mind-control power is first labeled the “love beam”, which is apparently a popular fan-reference for the series from Japan. Be sure to watch through the credits every time, to catch the revealing scene stills that help bridge the gap between installments!