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If you haven't read Death Note manga yet, I'd recommend you start by watching the movie instead. The film has only just been released here in Singapore and I have to say that this its very close to the manga itself. What sucks is that this film is only the first of two parts. So you'll be left hanging. But fret not, because the second part will be coming out later this year.

The story is a game of one upmanship between Light Yagami and a guy called "L". Light picks up the Death Note, a book which will kill anyone whose name is written in it. Light goes on to kill criminals using the book and this results in the public creating this idea of some executioner character whom they name Kira. Some believe Kira to be a saviour sent to cleanse the world, whilst others feel he is no worse than the criminals he kills. Eventually, a mysterious person called "L" starts to take charge of the investigation about the mystery murders.

Gasps were audible throughout the screening. People who'd obviously never read the manga were bemused by the twists and intricacy of how Light manages to skip past "L" and how "L" closes in on Light slowly but surely. Even though I read the manga till its final ending, I still found myself intrigued by the film itself, which has slight plot changes to drive the film forward faster.

Tatsuya Fujiwara of Battle Royale fame stars as the protagonist/villain Light whilst Kenichi Matsuyama is the antagonist/sweet obsessed monkey "L". Can't wait for the second part! Check out the trailer on Youtube.

Manglobe, the creators of Samurai Champloo, have come out with a new sci-fi anime series, Ergo Proxy. So you can expect the action to be ultra slick and sexy. And it is. Ghost In The Shell-esque (which Jap sci-fi anime isn't?) and gothic-cool, its very lovely in aesthetic details and apparently tries to put in a lot of storyline details as well.

Watching the first two episodes, I'd use the word potential to describe it so far. You can see it could be really good but the story's really confusing at the start and its a bit of a struggle to follow. Still, it slowly reveals itself to be a sci-fi psychological thriller, AI themed story it was set out to be. With touches of religion, the general conspiracy theory mood and 1984 style state control, I get the feeling the general theme might be considered freedom, in particular freedom of existence itself. The title, I assume, is inspired by Descartes, Cogito, ergo sum. I think, therefore I am.

At the helm is a rather likeable lead, Real, who's a goth chick with blue eyeshadow! Wielding guns! I initially thought her hair was some kitten costume but its actually subtle ponytails if my current assumptions are correct. Naruto fans will think of her as the female Kankuro.  I'm still waiting for the whole thing to unfold itself but I'm really hoping its gonna be real good. I mean, if the ending song is Radiohead's Paranoid Android, (shock & awe!) it can't be that bad right? The art is tight and chop socky, flowing and engaging altogether at once, I was instantly reminded of Champloo's first episode although the dreary palette and depressing climate really don't quite give the same punch.

And the reason why I found out about this? Cos my girlfriend thinks the lead was so pretty that she just had to watch it no matter what. That Manglobe Samurai Champloo connection was just the icing on the cake.

Gantz is this sci-fi anime which sees the protagonist beheaded in the first episode in a bizarre incident. Instead of dying and going to your typical fire and brimstone hell, our guy lands in a tatami matted room, filled with all manner of people from a salaryman to gangsters. The pic above is from one of the earlier chapters which depicts this naked girl being teleported into the room after a suicide attempt. She slowly slices in, bit by bit, in an unabashedly crude and raw fashion that announces this anime's disregard for decorum. I'm reminded of Gunther von Hagens and perhaps he had some influence on this anime.

The violence, sex and moral dilemmas that follow make this an intriuging, adult manga exploring the issues of humanity, violence and survival. There's a chilling similarity with von Hagens' brutal frankness in his work, which really fortifies the attitude of this fist in your face of an anime.

I recently finished watching the rather engaging MONSTER. An anime from Japan that is hardly for kids, it runs more like a psychological thriller series just that the actors don't
suffer from acting flaws.

Naoki Urasawa is the mangaka responsible for this series and he also did the amazing 20th Century Boys, which captivated me so much, my girlfriend got upset with me for paying more attention to it! (BTW, she was the one who introduced me to this)

MONSTER is about a Japanese doctor saving the life of a young boy who turns out to be the monster in question. Philosophical and disturbing at times, the series is lit up by some terrific characters like the man pictured here, Inspector Lunge of the BKA.

Check out this wiki entry for more info.

If you haven't already caught One Piece. You should. The single best anime/manga to have come outta Japan in a long time. Whilst the premise doesn't seem as exciting as some other shows. Its terrifically written and I love how everything is weaved into an intricately detailed work of art. Everything happens with reason within this fantastical pirate world. There are adventures, mysteries and bending of physics in this world where reindeer talk and there are cities in the sky. It creates a believable fantasy and at its heart contains a moving story.

Here are some links to get you started.

Kaizoku Fansubs
One Piece Manga