Shelf Life

Back With A Vengeance

Due to some outside circumstances, I was unable to pump out columns like I told myself I would do over Christmas Break. Nevertheless, I make my triumphant return, with the perennial promise to catch up and get back on track again. Will it happen? Who knows, but I'll be sure to try. However, one thing has caught my attention as of late... the confusion that people seem to have over my gender. I realize “Bamboo” isn't as gender-specific as a name like Jennifer or Charles, so I'll lay your questions to rest: I am a female. And yes, Bamboo Dong is my real name. Now you can stop sending me timid e-mails asking.

Brief update: So while I'm on the East Coast now, my luggage (along with a stack of DVDs) is somewhere in the Midwest. Awesome. Long story short, Shelf Life is cut short this week, and I'll be doing some mixing and matching in the weeks to come. Thanks for reading!

Welcome to Shelf Life. ADV Films 100 min. 2/3 $29.98 12/14/2004 This show fills me with pure joy. At first I couldn't quite square with its episodic nature, but the more I watched it, the more I realized I didn't care. The characters are a blast to watch (minus the token soft-spoken wussy girl), and it's always exciting to see how they'll solve their next problem. Combining the Guns for Hire genre with a streak of the supernatural and eerie, Najica Blitz Tactics.

Get Backers Vol. #3 - Into the Limitless Fortress ADV Films 125 min. 3/10 $29.98 12/14/2004 I was in danger of lapsing into a bit of anime burnout, but this volume of R.O.D. the TV slip your mind.

Wolf's Rain Vol. #4 – Recollections Bandai 100 min. 4/7 $29.98 12/14/2004 And there we have it. The infamous recap episodes. Not one, not even two... but four. Right when something was about to happen. Sadly, I still enjoyed them. Each of the recaps was told through a different character's eyes, and managed to condense much of the major plot points into four episodes... though a twenty-six episode series shouldn't even need a recap. As much as I love the series (and think that it's one that everyone should own), I can't bring myself to put this as anything above a Rental item. By all means, if you've been collecting this show then buy it for the sake of completion like I did. As far as individual volumes go though, this was a disappointing set of episodes to watch. If you haven't watched these episodes already, don't expect too much out of them. Wolf's Rain (wulfz rān) n - A torrential downpour that causes amnesia, thus requiring those exposed to undergo extensive treatments in which their whole lives must be recapped to them in quadruplicate by a professional. Syn: There are many aspects of this show that are seen in other series, but nothing else quite combines these as well as Wolf's Rain. When it comes to a moving series about searching for a dream, Full Metal Alchemist gets a hearty recommendation.

Media Blasters 90 min. 1/3 $74.95 12/14/2004 Every now and then, it's nice to kick it old school. Shin Getter Robo.

Shrine of the Morning Mist - Asagiri No Miko Vol. #1 Media Blasters 125 min. 1/? $29.95 12/14/2004 When I reluctantly put Asagiri no Miko into the DVD player, I had no hopes for it. Much to my dismay, it grew on me. Backed by one of the most ear-offending Shrine of the Morning Mist (shrīn əf thə môr'nǐng mǐst) i - A shrine where young ladies are trained to battle ferocious monsters with bells and shards of paper, so that they may learn the value of Friendship and Teamwork™! Syn:Check out some of the other magical girl shows out there like Wedding Peach and Sailor Moon. Or, be a little more edgy and sink yourself into the world of Aquarian Age.

Sister Princess Vol. #2 - Sibling Revelry ADV Films 100 min. 2/7 $29.98 12/14/2004 The first volume got sent straight to the Perishable bin because of the contrived (non-) storyline and the utter ridiculousness of the main concept. The downfall of the second disc can only be blamed on the characters. It's not that the storyline has improved... it's just that something else has trumped the awfulness of it. It's not often that the milquetoast hero of Please Twins a go.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading!