Darker Than BLACK
Watched [Shinsen-Subs]/[Syndicate] Fansubs
~25 Episodes (~20 mins. each) + 1 OVA (Side Story)

( Thoughts )

( Links )

~Alexius

( Thoughts on movie [Spoilers] )

22-07-08: Can't wait. I'm going to the first showing at 12:40 pm!

Edit: It appears that I'll have to unfortunately wait for Monday now. Oh, well. ^^ Can't wait.

~Alexius

( Summaries )

( Reviews )

~Alexius

Enchantment
Orson Scott Card

...in Enchantment, Card works his magic as never before, transforming the timeless story of Sleeping Beauty into an original fantasy brimming with romance and adventure.

The moment Ivan stumbled upon a clearing in the dense Carpathian forest, his life was forever changed. Atop a pedestal encircled by fallen leaves, the beautiful princess Katerina lay as still as death. But beneath the foliage a malevolent presence stirred and sent the ten-year-old Ivan scrambling for the safety of Cousin Marek's farm.

Now, years later, Ivan is an American graduate student. Yet he cannot forget that long-ago day in the forest — or convince himself it was merely a frightened boy's fantasy. Compelled to return to his native land, Ivan finds the clearing just as he left it.

This time he does not run.

This time he awakens the beauty with a kiss . . . and steps into a world that vanished a thousand years ago.

A rich tapestry of clashing worlds and cultures, Enchantment is a powerfully original novel of a love and destiny that transcend centuries . . . and the dark force that stalks them across the ages. -Hatrack

( My Praise )

( Quotes & Online Text )

~Alexius

Blood+ (50 Episodes, ~20 Minutes Each)
Watched the [Shinsen-Subs] fansub.

Throughout the passage of time and the shifts in backgrounds, a particular war continues to leave its mark on history, extending its influence into the modern world. There are two major groups involved in the ensuring war. The first group consists of monsters known as Chiropterans who can change their appearances into that of human beings. They are actually immortals who feed on the blood of the living. The second group is an organisation known as the "Red Shield", formed to track down these monsters and exterminate them. Otonashi Saya is a high-school girl who lives a peaceful life with her family. The only problem is, she has no recollections of her life beyond that of the past year. However, her happy life will be destroyed by an event that will lead her to her destined fate. -ANN

( Review )

( Good stuff. )

~Alexius

Dark Angel

Dark Angel is an American cyberpunk science fiction television program, created by James Cameron and Charles H. Eglee, which ran from 2000 to 2002 on the FOX network. Dark Angel chronicles the life of Max Guevara (X5-452), a genetically enhanced super-soldier, portrayed by Jessica Alba as an adult, and Geneva Locke as a child. In the year 2009, a genetically enhanced, 9-year-old female (to whom creator James Cameron refers as "transgenic") super-soldier who calls herself Max Guevara, (also known as X5-452, a truncation of her barcode tattoo on the back of her neck 332960073452), escapes along with eleven others like her from a secret government institution. At the institution, codenamed Manticore, they were created and subsequently raised and trained to be soldiers and assassins. On June 1, 2009, months after Max's escape, terrorists detonate an electromagnetic pulse weapon in the atmosphere over the U.S., which destroys the vast majority of computer and communication systems, throwing the country into utter chaos. The first season begins ten years later in 2019, as it follows the life of the now 19-year-old Max as she struggles to search for her Manticore brothers and sisters. In a United States which is now barely more than a Third World nation, she tries to live her life, evade capture, and learn to trust and love. -Wikipedia

I only just watched the Pilot episode and I'm shocked by the quality of this television show. It only lasted two seasons and was then cancelled due to financial losses and time issues (it was trumped by Whedon's Firefly), yet just the broadcast and special effect quality of the first episode made it feel like a far-above average full-feature 1hr30min action movie (which is actually the length of the first episode). Really, I came into watching the show with some average expectations (I was recommended it by a friend) but I'm amazing by how well this series was made (and I hate Jessica Alba, but this show so far is making me respect her a great deal more - well, at least at that time in her career). Yet, it was only the first episode I watched, so I'll edit this post later with my final critique!