Down come the leaves, in rolls the earlier darkness; let’s welcome October by taking a seat, carving a pumpkin and cuddling up with some Autumnal Anime from Manga. It’s a largely awesome month this Annex: there’s masked hitmen, witches with planes for legs, a trip to the Moon (and back) (and back again), more Bleach, a gaggle of vampires and the return of my favourite demonic Butler. So, in the words of Dolph Lundgren to Jet Li in The Expendables: “bring it, Happy Feet!”

Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom – Part 1

What’s it all about?

A young man wakes up in a warehouse in the middle of nowhere. Disorientated and with not a memory to his name (which he can’t remember) he is instantly forced to fight a young female assassin for his life. He just about survives and is inducted into Inferno – kind of a UN for the gangs and mafia. He’s re-christened Zwei, she is Ein and she is going to train him to become Inferno’s top killer, earning the title of Phantom.

13 episodes across two discs.

Is it any good?

Me likey. Phantom is bursting with conspiracy, brainwashing and complex hits. Things, well characters, can get a bit overwrought at times wallowing in their respective pits of pain and despair. But for the majority of the time P: RfaP is a mysterious and sexy ride, punctuated with stylish violence.

Sum me up, in star form.

Rating: ★★★½☆

What are my audio and subtitle options?

English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0, with English subtitles.

Any bonus materials?

There’s something called Picture Dramas. Turns out their static shots with voice over, that make up extra stories that add to the main story. Pretty cool.

There is also the traditional textless opening and closing sequences, which I just make a throwaway comment about every month, but thought I’d better occasionally make sure everyone actually knew what that meant. They’re the title sequences from the beginning and ending of each episode, minus all the credits and title text. As these sequences are almost always very, very pretty indeed – they’re actually a nice addition, they are just ALWAYS on EVERYTHING, so it becomes easy to take them for granted. Every month.

When’s it out?

Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom – Part 1 puts a contract out on DVD as of the 3rd of October.

Strike Witches

What’s it all about?

It’s time to get a tad mental up in here. It’s 1939 and instead of the Nazi jerks ruining everyone’s day; a giant black portal opens up and unleashes a bunch of ALIEN jerks – the Neuroi, who look like stealth bombers covered in graph paper and shoot red lasers at everything.

The Allies send a bunch of spitfires up, but they’re boring and don’t make a dent. Instead a boffin quickly knocks up the Striker Unit – rocket shaped doodads that heighten natural magical ability. With no-one to fly these random contraptions, on which all our hopes are pinned, “they” put out a call for witches. The witches turn up, stick their legs into the leg planes, grab up a machine gun each and take flight to battle the Neuroi – the Strike Witches are born.

The Strike Witches don’t wear any bottoms – they’d probably get all rucked up inside their leg planes. They have cat’s ears and tails though. And they all have shiny bums.

Is it any good?

It’s really good fun. I really dug the alternate history stuff and all the aerial dog fights are a cool bonus – even if all the shots that go between the girls’ legs gets a little creepy after a few episodes. Oddly it all ends really abruptly, without leaving an opening for more. Hopefully it’ll sell lots and lots and lots, so we can get another series.

12 episodes across two discs.

Sum me up, in star form.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

What are my audio and subtitle options?

English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0, with English subtitles. Obviously

Any bonus materials?

There is a commentary track for episode 12 and textless opening and closing sequences.

When’s it out?

Strike Witches zoom onto DVD in their shiny blue pants on the 10th of October.

Freedom

What’s it all about?

Well, it’s the future, and as a satellite fell out of the sky and wrecked the Earth – we all now live on the moon. Takeru and his buddies like to race their wicked futuro-motorcycles around, but are about to receive a higher purpose. Upon finding out that the Earth isn’t as knackered as the Moon government have been telling everyone, Takeru and his mate nick a rusty space shuttle and blast off. Will they reach Earth? Yes. Will there be anyone still alive? Yes. Will they manage to get back to the moon again and sort out the shonky republic? Not telling.

7 episodes on one Blu-Ray, or across two DVD’s. You also get a “beautifully designed slip cover” and some art cards.

Is it any good?

It’s actually great, surprising no-one, coming from the pen of the writer of Akira (that explains the motorcycle gangs). The animation is beautiful, the story is engrossing and the next stop is MARS! I’m already strapped in. I’m not really already strapped in. But I did really love Freedom.

Sum me up, in star form.

5 stars out of 5

What are my audio and subtitle options?

English 5.1 and Japanese 5.1, with English subtitles.

Any bonus materials?

Tons and tons. Check this lot out: Prologue, Introduction Trailer, Freedom Digests, Talking About Freedom: Sessions 1 and 2, Freedom in the USA 1 and 2, Another Vehicle Race, Nissin Cup Noodle TV Commercial Digest, Freedom: The Hope, Fly Me To The Moon 1 and 2, Next Episode Trailers, Messages from the characters, and OF COURSE opening credits and closing credits!

When’s it out?

Freedom is unleashed on DVD and Blu-Ray, in a Collector’s Edition stylee, on the 10th of October.

Bleach Series 7 – Parts 1 and 2

What’s it all about?

So, I have a cut-off point when I’m doing the Annex, to make sure I get it to you for the start of the month. Unfortunately Part 1 of the seventh series of Bleach was late to the party and didn’t make it in last month’s edition. But not to worry, Part 2’s out this month, so let’s do them together.

It’s business as usual in Bleach-ville: there’s some scraps and silliness, Ichigo battles to control his inner gubbins, Orihime gets kidnapped and lots of people sense a lot of spiritual pressure.

Part 1 is episodes 132 to 141 on two discs and Part 2 is ep’s 142 to 151 on two discs.

Is it any good?

I’ve gone off it, if you couldn’t already tell. To quote a character in this season “this whole thing is beginning to bore me”. There’s nothing innately wrong with Bleach, it’s still a whole lot of big fights, monsters, magic and masks – it’s just been banging on for so bloody long, I’m honestly sick of it. Bleach is the anime equivalent of Last of the Summer Wine.

If it rocks your world: fair play and crack on. If you’ve not seen it before: probably best not to jump in at the seventh series.

Sum me up, in star form.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

What are my audio and subtitle options?

English 2.0, or Japanese 2.0 with English subs.

Any bonus materials?

Parts 1 and 2 both have some Production Art, textless closing sequences and a fistful of trailers for other Bleach stuffs.

When’s it out?

Part 1’s out, has been since the 26th of September. Part 2 is out on the 17th of October.

Dance in the Vampire Bund

What’s it all about, and what’s a “Bund”?

Vampires? Oh man… Vampires are so played out. Or are they? They still are. Our world is sauntering as long as normal. A couple of girls are turning up with holes in their necks every now and then, but it’s no big whoop; the masses still don’t believe in vampires.

The Mina Tepes, Queen of the Vampires, turns up. She wants to buy a bund for all her blood sucking brethren to call home. She also has an interest in a schoolboy called Akira, who’s lost all his memories. Who is he, and what is he to Queen Vamp? Turns out he’s a werewolf. Yawn.

Oh yeah, and a “bund” is a floating landfill. Apparently.

12 episodes on two discs.

Is it any good?

As sick to the fangs as I, and I’m sure you, are of the bite-y undead – Dance in the Vampire Bund does strive to bring some new stuff to the table. The fang-less vamps that have removed their pointy teeth to try and be normal are interesting and sad. The “Shade Gel” is a nice touch, like factor 5,000,000 for vamps it lets them wander around in the day time. And there’s a lady with a stake shootin’ stake shooter strapped to her inner thigh.

Sum me up, in star form.

3 stars out of 5

What are my audio and subtitle options?

English 5.1 or Japanese stereo with English subtitles.

Any bonus materials?

There are some commercials, a promo video and textless opening and closing elements. You can also watch all twelve of the funny little intermissions, on their own, in a row.

When’s it out?

Dance in the Vampire Bund sashays onto DVD on the 24th of October.

Black Butler Series 1 – Part 2

What’s it all about?

Ciel Phantomhive is the last of the Phantomhive’s. He’s also a tetchy little bugger with an eye patch and a demonic Butler called Sebastian. Sebastian is a legend. Set in jolly old Victorian England, the first half of this series saw the boys catch Jack the Ripper.

This second half will see Ciel and Sebastian partake in a curry making competition, judged by the Queen herself, and come to a head with them battling an evil angel atop a half-built Tower Bridge, with human sacrifices for foundations and London ablaze in the background.

Episodes 13 to 24 on two DVDs.

Is it any good?

Still very good. Black Butler is a well-behaved Victorian riot of duels, manners, murders and tea. And cake. Sometimes off-beat, sometimes scary, sometimes silly – Black Butler is pure entertainment, by Jove!

Sum me up, in star form.

Rating: ★★★★☆

What are my audio and subtitle options?

5.1 for the English dub or the original Japanese audio in stereo, with English subtitles.

Any bonus materials?

As with Part 1, there are commentaries for one episode on each disc, a bonus episode and textless opening and closing sequences.

When’s it out?

That hell of a Butler will be serving up hot tea with a slice of awesome cake from the 24th of October.

So a pretty good month for anime. You should defo get Freedom, Black Butler is still damn good and Strike Witches and Phantom are good fun too. Let me know if you check any of them out, else I’ll catch you next month. November’s already shaping up to be a vintage Annex with the original battling babes, Ikki Tousen, and the schoolgirl soft-rockers K-ON! already nestled in my to watch pile. Wrap up warm, enjoy your Halloween’s and I’ll see you for some fireworks next month.

New? Hi. You can catch up with the previous Annexes here:

Al’s Anime Annex – September
Al’s Anime Annex – August
Al’s Anime Annex – July
Al’s Anime Annex – June