From the moment you hear the first strains of Soul Eater’s opening theme song, “Resonance,” you know you are in for something special. FUNimation’s release of the first thirteen episodes of the fifty-two episode series from BONES expertly mixes kinetic fight scenes with a wonderful sense of comedic timing and solid character drama.  Top all that off with a slick animation style and a fantastic soundtrack, and the show quickly becomes a real a treat for anime fans looking for something new and exciting.

The series begins with a three-episode prologue that introduces the three main characters and their partners.  Each of these characters are students at the DWMA, a school that trains folk to hunt “kishin” and consume their corrupted souls in an effort to eventually become what beings known as “Death Scythes”.  All this really means is that they work for the Grim Reaper and are really, really good at killing really powerful bad guys.  The bad guys, in this case, being humans who have become monstrous beings capable of devouring the souls of others.  If left unchecked, these creatures have the potential to become dark gods which means it is up the students of the DWMA to stop them.   

Of the seven major characters in the series, the two that the story follows most often are Maka and Soul.  Their relationship as a “meister” and “weapon” duo forms the primary core of the show with most major events being told from their point of view.  Once the show gets past the first three prologue episodes, the overall storyline begins to emerge and is continuously enhanced with new supporting characters and villains constantly being layered on to create an ever-expanding array of side stories and subplots. 

Overall, the show is very involving with only a few filler episodes showing up to interrupt the progression of the main storyline with the worst example being the first Excalibur episode.  Although that particular episode is so far off the beaten path as to have practically no relation at all to the rest of the series, at least it was pretty funny.    Despite the occasional less-than-stellar filler episode, the worst thing I can say about Soul Eater: Part One is that it’s not on Blu-ray yet (dammit!).  Although the DVD transfer is fairly solid throughout, with a fantastic anime like this, Blu-ray would just make this show even more epic than it already is.

Bottom line:

Soul Eater: Part One is a fantastic investment if you enjoyed FLCL, Fullmetal Alchemist or similar shows along those lines.  With its perfect blend of high-octane action mixed with deep personal drama and solid comedic timing, Soul Eater just keeps getting better every time I watch it.  I highly recommended you give this anime series a try.  I am certain you will be hooked before you know it.

Final score: 5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed by:  Laughncat 1

Description:  Soul Eater: Part One – Episodes 1-13 (released by FUNimation)

Purchase:  Amazon / Right Stuf

I’m in your house, stealing your dango.

Much like the Dining Set (Set A) I reviewed a several weeks ago; this Guestroom Set (Set B) is another example of stellar artisanship from Phat! Company.   If anything, the Guestroom Set is even more intricate than the Dining Set due to the inclusion of shelves for displaying items and a revolving wall panel that can flip back and forth to display different writing on each side.  With numerous accessories and lots of display options, the Guestroom Set is more about customizing the setting you’re looking for rather than just filling in empty spaces.

Other than anime and videogames, there are few things that warm the cockles of the my heart the way good zombie fiction does.  “The Walking Dead” is definitely one of those series and, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, AMC will be bringing Robert Kirkman’s comic book epic to the small screen later.  Since AMC first the announced they would be adapting the series for TV, perhaps the biggest question surround the project was whether the series would make the leap to TV intact or be massacred by censors.

Several weeks ago, bootleg copies of a trailer for the series surfaced on Youtube after it was shown for the first time at this year’s Comic-Con.  Unfortunately,  most of the copies were shakier than a bowl of jello during an earthquake and all were universally awful in terms of visual quality.  Thankfully, AMC finally released an official version of the trailer a few days ago on their website.

After watching the trailer, I’ve got to say that zombie fans are in for a real treat with this series.  Not only show look like it will be following the comic books very closely, but AMC doesn’t seem to be pulling any punches when it comes to the gore factor.  Hopefully, when the series finally airs in October, it will be every bit as good as the trailer makes it look.

More Info:

• The Walking Dead comics (Amazon)

With all the fun I’ve been having with my new nendo playsets, I just couldn’t resist giving everyone a peek at what the two Japanese Life playsets look like when fully assembled and combined.  I’ve already scheduled a review of  Set B is scheduled for tomorrow which fits nicely with the review of Set A I did a couple of weeks ago. 

Also, Yotsuba insisted I share some photos of the house warming party the Professor and I put together for her.  Nothing says home like having a good friend over for a relaxing dinner and some pleasant conversation. Do you agree?

Hit the jump for the complete photoshoot.

After last week’s release of the full song list for DJ Hero 2 by Activision, I felt to need to share one of my favorite mixes from the first game. I never thought I’d be one for anything Tears For Fears related, but this masterful mix proved me wrong. The “Shout” is perfectly entwined with the instrumental beats of Eric Prydz “Pjanoo” never fails to get my head nodding in time to the beat.

More Info:

• DJ Hero 1 & 2 (Amazon)
• Tears For Fears Discography (Amazon)
• Eric Prydz Discography (Amazon)