In the streets of Tokyo, a new menace has surfaced: Shounen Bat, a young boy who wears golden roller skates and a baseball cap, and likes to whack people on the head with a golden baseball bat. These seemingly unconnected and random attacks soon become a police investigation... but after all is said and done, is there a pattern to this chaos?
Strange things have been happening at a local high school... mysterious disappearances, strange powers and brutal murders all emerge amongst kids who, up till now, have been perfectly normal. Even the Shinigami (Angel of Death) herself has been sighted. What's happening? The answers lie in the mysterious creature known as Boogiepop...
GAINAX's recipe for this schizophrenic 6-episode OVA series includes giant robots protruding from limbs, a melancholy protagonist, a rock soundtrack by the Pillows, an alien girl that wields a guitar and rides a Vespa, and a story to complement the madness. Add poking fun of the anime industry, Japan, and GAINAX itself, to taste.
"I have only abandoned my body, I still live here" - are the words emailed to friends of Chisa, several days after her death by suicide. As Lain delves deeper into the world of the "Wired" (also known as the internet), the line between it and reality becomes more and more unclear. Close the world, open the nExt.
When popular pop idol Mima decided to retire from her group, Cham, and become an actress, she had no idea that one person's obsession would soon spiral out of control. With death threats, letter bombs and a forged website which details her every move, Mima finds herself slowly becoming trapped in a nightmare she can't seem to escape. With murders piling up and her mental state slowly degrading, can she discover who the culprit is, before she becomes the next victim?
In Japan, a team of scientists have created a medical breakthrough: a device that allows the wearer to enter the dreams of a patient, for the purpose of healing. The talented Paprika is a master at her profession, but complications have now appeared in the form of a “dream terrorist” – an unknown foe who inserts nightmares into the minds of those who use the device. The victims are swept up in a ghoulish parade of dolls, kitchen appliances, and musical animals, and are reduced to a vegetable state – or worse. Now, Paprika and the team of scientists must delve into the minds of those affected to figure out the source of the tampering before more people, including themselves, are damaged beyond repair.
In the future, a devastating event known as Second Impact destroyed Tokyo as we know it, giving rise to the current day Tokyo III, a city under siege by mysterious lifeforms known only as Angels. Mankind's only defense are Evangelions, man-made machines piloted by Rei, Shinji, and Asuka, all who are the tender age of fourteen. The fate of Japan and the entire world now lie with these children, though they might not have the power to save the most important thing of all: each other.
Tatsuhiro Sato is a university dropout and a "hikikomori" – a person suffering from social withdrawal. To Sato’s dismay, his self-imposed exile from the world is rudely interrupted when a mysterious girl knocks on his door. She has charged herself with the task of curing Sato of his hikikimori ways! Now, as new problems ranging from hentai games to internet suicide spring up, can Sato manage to overcome his hermit-like ways, or will the imaginary N.H.K conspiracy force him to remain a hikikomori forever?
While visiting her grandparents on a remote island, Shiina Tamai, our young protagonist, inadvertently finds a strange star shaped creature, which she names Hoshimaru. This creature, while seemingly harmless and unusual, holds many secrets. As Shiina and her new friend Akira soon find out, their creatures are much more than they seem to be...and against their will, they are thrown into a dangerous and hostile situation of trying to save the world from others who would use their dragonets to enslave it.
Monster is about the nightmare of realizing your best intentions can sometimes have the most disastrous consequences. For Dr. Tenma, a brilliant neurosurgeon, this occurs when he chooses to save the life of a little boy over the life of the mayor of Düsseldorf, against the wishes of the Head Surgeon of Eisler Memorial Hospital. This story chronicles the lengths that Dr. Tenma will go to in order to make reparations for that one mistake as he travels a winding and seldom-used road.
Have you ever felt like the world would be a better place if certain people weren’t around? Such grim daydreams might occur when watching the dismal daily news, but on one fateful day, Yagami Light finds that these daydreams can become reality. By pure happenstance, he comes across a black notebook entitled "Death Note", whose text within states that whoever's name is written on its pages will die. With the aid of the death god Ryuk, Light takes it upon himself to rid the world of its corruption, ushering in a new era of purity one death at a time. But as Ryuk foretells, Light's actions will not go unchallenged...
Maebara Keiichi, an ordinary high-school boy, has transferred to a new school in Hinamizawa, a small rural village. At the outset everything seems peaceful and Keiichi becomes friends with a nice group of schoolgirls with whom he spends many idle summer afternoons. Suddenly violence encroaches upon the blissful peace of the village and Keiichi becomes entangled in an endless cycle of fear and death. The inconsistent, but inevitable horrors of Hinamizawa are told and retold becoming an endless and inescapable nightmare of insanity. Will it end even if the mystery of Hinamizawa is solved?
Life is simply not worth living for down and out school teacher Itoshiki Nozomu. He has no hope of progress, no prospect of promotion, no chance at happiness… he is in despair! Even his name spells 'zetsubou' – 'despair', when compressed. But when the time comes to end it all, Itoshiki's attempted suicide on the first day of the new school year is foiled by relentlessly positive Fuura Kafuka. This saves Itoshiki long enough to meet his new class, and the quirky range of students under his care. Will Itoshiki Nozomu depress his students with his anguish? Or will Fuura show Zetsubou-sensei the joys of life and hope?
The year is 2019. Delinquent biker gangs rule the streets of NeoTokyo, a city devastated by the mass destruction of a mysterious energy wave. In order to unlock the secrets of Akira, Tetsuo, an unlikely subject, is forced into unleashing his hidden powers, at the cost of his friends, his body, and his sanity.
F City, F Prefecture: the battleground where good and evil have finally chosen to decide once and for all who will rule the world…or at least that's the general idea! Neither side seems up for the task, as surviving the brutality of everyday life is enough of a chore. On the side of evil is the organization of Across, its only member the loudmouthed and abrasive Excel who struggles just to put food in her stomach; on the side of good, three disenfranchised, unemployed bachelors whose only pursuit in life is romance. Add in alien invasions, jungle warfare, and Mexican immigrant laborers to Japan, and this war doesn't seem likely to be ending soon!
A mysterious new hacker known only as the Puppet Master threatens to create chaos, erasing and rewriting the memories of his victims: humans who have cast away their physical body to become cyborgs. Is he an evil genius, or could he signal the beginning of a new age in the relationship between man and machine?
What starts as a simple interview of a legendary actress becomes a journey through the history of Japan. But this is no ordinary lesson; from the perspective of this actress, we learn of the beauty and sadness of love, the pain and regret and joy of the Japanese people and their film, through this film: Millennium Actress.
Sassi and Arumi have been friends since early childhood, but now Arumi's family is moving to Hokkaido, deeply upsetting her long-time friend. However, when Arumi's grandfather accidentally breaks the pelican statue atop his restaurant, the duo find their world turned upside down and not quite as they left it. From a fairy tale kingdom, to kung fu China, to the prehistoric age and everything in between, Arumi and Sassi can't quite seem to figure out where they are, or better yet, how they can manage to get home to their own Abenobashi Shoutengai!
In the year 2075, humanity has spread to the stars, along with their technology, colonies, and... waste? At such great speeds in orbit, even a tiny bolt can cause a tragic disaster. Enter the team of the half division. Their job? To gather the garbage and debris that circles the Earth, in order to keep space safe. From broken-down satellites to bolts and nails, there's nothing that the underpaid and underappreciated staff can't salvage. Join Hachimaki, Tanabe, Fee, and the rest of the gang as they risk their lives to keep space clean, and keep their wallets... empty.
Rumic's Theater is a collection of 13 stories by Rumiko Takahashi, who is also responsible for such things as Inuyasha, Kimagure Orange Road, and Mermaid's Forest. While each story has its own tone, the focus tends to be based upon marriage, death, apartments, or general quirky situations and experiences. Sarcasm and mixups abound in this entertaining series.
Ten years have passed since the demise of the bubble economy, a time that polarized the world into two groups of people: the rich and the poor. In the present day, Saiga Tatsumi (a former war photographer) has been hired to investigate a secret club for the rich named the Roppongi Club, but he soon discovers secrets much darker than he’d ever imagined. With the help of a exploited goddess named Kagura, Saiga now possesses the power to kill by simply taking a photograph; but can he stay alive long enough to save her from her captors?
Unbeknownst to humans, demons from an overlapping dimension walk amongst them in the streets of Tokyo. The balance between the worlds is kept by the crow guardian Karas and Yurine, its master and voice of the living city. However, the time of harmony nears the end as the once-Karas Lord Eko returns. Seeking to purge humanity for its evils, he terrorizes the city with his minions that feast on human blood. The ultimate battle between good and evil awaits; can Yurine and her newly initiated Karas prevail against Lord Eko and protect their city against his monstrous horde?
Has someone done something to hurt you or the ones you love? Are you seeking revenge? Rumor has it that there’s a website that can service your needs. Titled “Hotline to Hell”, it contains a form that can be accessed only at midnight. Type in a name, and the Hell Girl will carry out your bidding – for a price. For though your appetite for revenge will be satisfied, your soul will also be condemned to hell after you die. But who is the Hell Girl, and does she care whether your revenge is justified? Apparently not, as long as she gets more souls…
Nishi has been in love with Myon since he was 9 years old. They both had feelings for each other, but due to Nishi's cowardice their relationship never became more than friendship. Now, in the present, Nishi is 20 years old and aims to be a great manga artist; but he still loves Myon. After years of being apart they meet again, but she tells him that she's thinking of marrying her boyfriend. Nishi is still a coward so he accepts it and wishes her luck. While they're talking at her older sister's restaurant a pair of yakuza walk in looking for their father. One of the yakuza starts harassing Myon and out of anger Nishi chooses to finally take a stand -- but he is shot and dies. Now, in limbo, he chooses to live again; but will he really live any differently than before?
In a futuristic world almost barren of life, mankind is confined to mechanized domed cities where A.I.’s control all aspects of life. In this world, humans are no longer born, they are manufactured in a production line; and alongside them live androids known as autoreivs. Within one of these domed sanctuaries named Romdeau lives Re-l Mayer, one of a few citizens who aren’t entirely prevented from thinking. Her grandfather's prominent position and the affection of the scientist Daedalus have left her more free will than is normally allowed, but Re-l has started to question the sanctity of the city and the citizens' perfect way of life. With mysterious beings known as proxies causing havoc and a man named Vincent causing great influence on her life, Re-l must travel outside of the city to find the answers she seeks and discover the mystery behind "the awakening".
Hayato Mikogami is returning to working as a freelance journalist but has had little luck in the big city, so he decides to return to his hometown to investigate a series mysterious murders by a man wearing a skull mask. However, when he arrives, he finds that most people have little to say about the incidents since very few people witness the events first hand. In order to find more clues he reluctantly enlists Kiriko Mamiya as his photographer, and later that night, he comes across his first clue: a man, moments after he had been killed by the Skull Man...
Makoto has been admiring Kotonoha on the train to school every day. His new friend Sekai has taken an interest in his love life and offers to help hook Makoto up; and reluctantly, Makoto accepts her gesture and quickly is able to befriend Kotonoha. Eventually Makoto musters up enough courage to confess to Kotonoha and she returns his feelings – Makoto finally has a girlfriend! Deeply grateful to Sekai, he asks her what he can do to return the favor; she asks him to close his eyes, and gives him a deep kiss. A stunned Makoto is left watching Sekai take the train home. His feelings, which were set on Kotonoha, were moved by Sekai's kiss; what should he do now?
Demons are escaping from the underworld, and causing much havoc on the population. Possessing both human bodies and artifacts alike, the demons are inconspicuously forcing people to commit murders; the demons must be stopped! The task of returning – or exterminating – the offenders lies with Enma, Kapaeru, and the talking witch hat Shapoji; can Enma and the gang banish the demons before things get out of hand?
