Shelf Life

When Nerds Collide

My DVD shelves didn't used to be such a massive wreck. I used to obsessively organize every new DVD I got, battling with myself whether or not I should display art boxes spine in or out, whether I should file my Oh My Goddess! releases separately or together. Not anymore. I think there was a day when I realized that continually moving discs row by row to keep things alphabetized was too taxing, and I just gave up. The result of that is me, just a few days ago, combing through my shelves and discovering discs I bought twice because I had forgotten I'd already had a copy, and plenty of discs that elicited the comment, “Woah, I have this? Awesome!!”

Then I went through all the past Shelf Lifes to see which discs I've already reviewed. Apparently, I fail at keeping track in my head. There's some terrific titles I never reviewed that I could've sworn I had, and plenty of big releases that completely slipped my mind in the shuffle of the time.

How does this affect you? Well, not too terribly much, actually, but what you will see in the weeks/months is a sudden onslaught of old releases that were left out the first time around for one reason or other. So, forgive me for this peppering of older releases, and hopefully you'll find out about a title you haven't heard much about yet, or you'll be enticed to check out something that you weren't planning on before.

Thanks again for reading, and welcome to Shelf Life! I promise there'll be Perishable Items next week.

Genshiken – The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture DVD 1 Media Blasters 125 min. 1/3 $29.95 07/26/2005 Sometimes, real life is a lot more interesting than fantasy—even if it's scripted and animated. That's part of what makes Otaku no Video. Tastes Like: Salt. "It's found in every kitchen in the world and hey, even in sweat, but take it out of your diet and you'll be begging for it in less than a week. You need salt.

Kimi ga Nozomu Eien or Kanon. Tastes Like: Lifesavers. They leave kind of a nasty aftertaste and make your tongue numb after awhile, but while you're eating them, all you can think about is the flavored sugar.

Mermaid Forest DVD 1 - Quest for Death Geneon 75 min. 1/? $29.98 07/05/2005 I have a love/hate relationship with Rumiko Takahashi Anthology. Tastes Like: Beef and vegetable stew. You can heat it up as many times as you want, but every time you eat it, you keep discovering tasty little morsels you didn't notice the first time around.

Tenjho Tenge DVD 1 : Round One Geneon 100 min. 1/9 $29.98 06/07/2005 “Bomb A Head! V” is the stuff of legends. If you haven't seen the opening sequence for Ikki Tousen, but if it's fists and tits you want, give that one a watch. Tastes Like: Melons.

Fafner DVD 1 - Arcadian Project Geneon 100 min. 1/? $29.98 07/05/2005 For anyone who's ever asked: “What should I watch? Evangelion or Fafner. Not because it's better than any one of those shows, mind you, but because you knock out two birds with one disc by watching this inferior rip-off. Picture this scenario: life is great on a peaceful island, until one sordid day. When monster-things start descending from the sky, the only thing that can protect the island is a giant robot called Fafner. Suddenly, several things are revealed: the island is actually a military stronghold, the kids were all grouped together in the event they'd be called to help the military, and as it turns out, the island isn't what it seems. In reality, the rest of Japan was obliterated ages ago, but because of a holographic sky, nobody knew they were all alone. If you're recognizing more than a few similarities with both Eva and RahXephon, that's only the beginning. Heck, they even make it just as confusing as both those shows, and in more ways than one. Not only does the story require viewers to take dozens of logical leaps, but there are too many characters with not enough face time, and they all look almost exactly the same, to boot. Overall, I was just not impressed with this first disc. If you're new to anime, you might enjoy this as an introduction to giant robot shows (with gorgeous production values to match), but if you've been around long enough to recognize clichés, this is only worth watching once on the off-chance that it branches into something a little more creative, and a lot more breathtaking. Related Products: What, do I really have to say it again? Tastes Like: Leftovers. At the end of the week, if you're really desperate to get rid of them, you just throw them in a huge bowl and stick them in the microwave.

Hanaukyo Maid Team: La Verite DVD 2 - Lost in Kamakura Geneon 100 min. 2/3 $29.98 03/22/2005 Considering how much I hate maid shows, detested the first volume of this series, and abhor the rest of the Hanaukyo Galaxy Angel. Only, that show's a lot better. Tastes Like: Cherry Kool-Aid. It's kind of gross and it probably gives you cancer, but even grown-ups will it to wanting a secret taste of that watery tripe every now and then.

Thanks for reading, and me again next week!