Wasteland Wednesday: Tenchi Muyo! Book of Earth Laserdisc Set

And here is the Tenchi Muyo! "Book of Earth" LD set, which contains episode 8-13 of the original OVA, along with the Mihoshi Special. Also, included are two pretty neat special features, a video picture book titled, "Here Comes Jurai 2" and an interview with the voice talent.

Throwback Ad Tuesday! Mahoromatic: Automatic Maiden

In 2002 Pioneer released six DVD volumes of Mahoromatic: Automatic Maid. In 2007 a complete edition was released by Section23/Sentai, titled Mahoromatic: Full Metal Maid, and another box set arrived in 2012, titled Mahoromatic Ultimate Collection.

Throwback Ad Thursday! Lupin the 3rd: Treasure of the Sorcerer King

Lupin the 3rd: Treasure of the Sorcerer King for the PlayStation 2 holds the distinction of being the only Lupin game ever released in North America. This third-person stealth game allowed the player to don various disguises and continually elude Inspector Zenigata, along with (albeit briefly) playing as Jigen and Goemon. Although suffering from a bit of clunky gameplay, fans of Lupin the 3rd will still find enough to enjoy about this one (a used copy in decent condition will run under $20, and is well worth it).

Throwback Ad Tuesday: Anime Statues

A 2007 magazine ad for Entertainment Earth's then-current selection of anime statues, which included Masane Amaha from Witchblade, Persona 3's Mitsuru Kirijyo, and original characters, Shoko-San (from Shunya Yamashita), and Lucia (from Mitsumi Misato).

Manga Monday: Gundam The Origin

Gundam The Origin is a retelling of the original 1979 anime with a new spin. While the overall manga adheres follows Mobile Suit Gundam, there are noticeable changes, mostly altering when and where certain battles occurred, along with exploring several character's backstory with more depth, particularly Char Aznable's childhood.

Friday Review: The Great Adventure of the Dirty Pair (Novel)

Dirty Pair is best remembered today for its numerous anime incarnations but, prior to appearing on the screen, Kei and Yuri were first brought to life in the pages of Haruka Takachiho's light novel series.

Throwback Ad Thursday: Gantz Perfect Score Collection

Okay, I'm a sucker for unique DVD packaging and in 2007 ADV Films released the complete series of Gantz in an orb-shaped box set, dubbed the "Perfect Score Collection." I never picked up this particular edition myself, due to a number of reviews complaining about the cheap quality of the packaging...which is a shame, because this is surely one of the more interesting anime-related DVD sets out there.

Wasteland Wednesday: Variable Geo VHS

Variable Geo started out as a fighting game in 1993, spawning various sequels on various home computers, along with iterations on the Super Famicom, Sega Saturn, and PlayStation. In 1996 Variable Geo was adapted into a three-episode OVA, which ADV Films released on VHS in 1999.

Throwback Ad Tuesday: FHE Anime Tapes

This vintage 1989 advertisement is an eye-opening reminder of just how much anime used to cost. Released under FHE's (Family Home Entertainment) "Just For Kids" Home Video banner, these tapes were going for $29.95 a pop. Fortunately, the advertisement offered a buy-two-get-one-free deal. Just For Kids released some fairly atrocious English-dubs, but even the dialogue was nothing compared to how much they butchered the films via editing and undue censorship. 

Available at the time were: Battle for Moon Station Dallos, Clash of the Bionoids (the original Macross movie), Defenders of the Vortex, Locke the Superpower, Space Firebird, Techno Police, Space Warriors - Battle for Earth Station S-1.

Throwback Ad Thursday: Gunsmith Cats Manga

Dark Horse published the Gunsmith Cats manga in single issue format between 1995 and 2001, then later collected in a series on nine trade paperbacks. In 2007 these were re-released in four "Revised Edition" omnibus volumes with extra artwork. A sequel, Gunsmith Cats Burst, was also handled by Dark Horse, hitting shelves back in 2007.

Throwback Ad Tuesday: R.O.D. The TV

A spin-off of the 2001 anime OVA, Read or Die, this 26-episode series was originally released in the USA on DVD by Geneon between 2004 and 2005. Aniplex later picked up distribution rights and re-released the series on blu-ray in 2010. As seen in this magazine advertisement, Geneon offered the first volume in a limited edition format, available in a book-style faux-leather cover.

Magazine Monday: Comics Scene #12 (April 1990)

Instead of posting the usual anime-themed magazine, this week I decided on Comics Scene #12, which boasted such lively cover text as "Japanimation!" and "Lensman and Akira Invade!" Back in 1990 anime hadn't yet achieved the status in North America that it holds now, so it was an interesting time capsule to go back to this issue, some twenty-six years ago.

Friday Review! "It's Over 9,000!" When Worldviews Collide

It’s a safe bet that anyone remotely acquainted with Japanese manga or anime is familiar with the name Dragon Ball Z. For over two decades the franchise has been an undeniable phenomenon and marketing juggernaut, one that still draws in fans the world over. Its unequaled staying power continues to spawn countless DVD and Blu-ray releases, video games, apparel, toys, and – most recently – a brand-new anime in Japan, Dragon Ball Super.

Throwback Ad Thursday: Dirty Pair Flash

We're taking a trip waaay back with this ad, before the DVD era and when dubbed VHS (which included only 2 or 3 episodes per tape) sold for $19.98, while subbed copies went for $29.95. I believe I still have a few Dirty Pair Flash tapes in the basement that I'll have to dig out and scan. I've included a few more of ADV Film's Dirty Pair ads below the jump.

Wasteland Wednesday: Astro Boy Vol. 1 VHS

In 1993 Right Stuf released a series of video tapes to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the original 1960s Astro Boy series. The initial volume contained two episodes, "Vampire Vale" (episode 55) and "Phoenix Bird" (episode 99).