What's this? An actual HTML-ized page of descriptions instead of a straight dump of one e-mail's text? Well, sort of. Wonders never cease.

Most commentary by Phil Lee. Other contributions as noted.

Tamala 2010: Punk Cat in Space (movie). To an extent this defies description. It's a hyper-cute, hip-and-cult, techno driven, black and white 90 minute film about the adventures of a marketing icon from the Kitty planet. This is a missive straight from the Makes-No-Sense-But-Sure-Is-Cool Department. Just go look at the website: http://www.tamala2010.com/

R.O.D. TV is a lot like Read or Die except that it doesn't have Yomiko Readman, doesn't have the great jazz soundtrack, isn't as well animated, and is slower. Okay, so it's not much like the OVA at all, but it is fun and if Yomiko doesn't show, it's not for lack of trying. Her assistant Nenene has hired a trio of dysfunctional sisters who work as a detective agency (and just happen to have paper powers) to help track down Yomiko, who has gone missing. It's fun, if not transcendent.

For those of you who missed Princess Tutu last semester, it's Swan Lake: The Magical Girl Series. It's grand.

Tim adds...: And for those of you who walked out on Princess Tutu, here's what someone else who described similar disbelief at being able to enjoy an anime about ballet discovered: It's not about ballet, it's about fairy tales. They now love the show. You should too, or you'll be forced to marry Neko-sensei.

If you're thinking you'd seen Mermaid's Forest before, think again; these three episodes are from the recent Mermaid's Forest TV series. I'm not entirely sure of the connection between the new episodes and the old movie, but if they're anything like the original, they'll be well worth watching.

Ah, yes, more Kino no Tabi, aka A Boy And His Motorcycle. I forget whose bringing this out in the US, but they need to hurry the hell up. [Tim notes: the ADV.] [Phil notes: Ah, that would be the problem then.]

Naruto is your standard Shonen Jump series about people beating each other up. This time, the theme is ninjas, and apparently it's a lot of fun. Someone who has actually seen the show should step in and enthuse about it.

Prinny adds...: Naruto is a crazy albeit incredibly adorable 12-year-old who had an evil nine-tailed fox demon locked inside him at birth. Even tho people scorn him, he's entered the ninja academy and wants to become the greatest damn ninja there ever was. Naruto himself is awesome, but along the way, you meet Rock Lee, who is exactly what his name sounds like. With eyebrows the size of Texas, he can rip you a new one.

Cromartie High is what happens when you take Azumanga Daioh, make all the girls hulking male thugs and crank up the surreal factor. It's quite an experience. Episodes are 12 minutes long, so we'll be showing two at a time.

Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito translates as "Look at my Big Fucking Hat". Okay, not really, but it may as well. I mean, look at this: http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/yami-to-BFH.jpg . I could park my car in that hat. This is a TV series based on an H game, so expect it to feature scantily clad women and a lame fantasy plot. I'm also assured there are lesbians in it. I fully expect this show to suck, but we have to show at least one episode, if only to marvel at the size of that hat.

They Were 11 (movie). Fantastic old school hard SF shoujo courtesy of Moto Hagio. Our hero is attempting to get into the Space Academy and has reached the final phase of testing, the hands on practical examination. This involves taking a random selection of 10 students, shoving them into a derelict space ship, and telling them they have to survive on their own for a month and a half. If they get through the test, great, they pass; if they hit the panic button, they fail. Of course, things go straight to hell immediately starting with the appearance of a mysterious 11th person... They Were 11 also gets major points for having one of the best food fight scenes ever.

You all know and love Macross Zero. The third part is finally out, so we'll watch it and freak out and yell "ROY FOKKER LIVES!" a lot. It'll be great.

Futatsu no Spica is about a little girl who desperately wants to be an astrounaut, all while overseen by the ghost of a man wearing a lion helmet. Tim tells me it's very cute and more than a bit depressing. Beyond that, you'd have to ask him.

Tim adds...: It's very cute and more than a bit depressing.

Hitsuji no Uta is a four part OVA series, which alone was enough to get it on the schedule. A self-contained series instead of a random handful of TV shows? That's crazy talk! At any rate, it's a horror/drama series that appears to involve, if not vampires, the need to drink blood. With animation by Madhouse, it looks pretty good, and I'm all for having some horror, drama, and/or blood drinking on the schedule.

Conni describes 12 Kingdoms as Fushigi Yuugi, except that it doesn't suck. High school girl gets dragged off into fantasy world, you know the drill. Someone who has actually seen this should explain it.

The web-lemur adds...: That's actually a pretty good description. This could easily suck like a lot of other generic fantasy anime, but somehow, it doesn't. The characters actually, you know, change and grow. What a concept. It's relatively pretty too. And it has the voice of Koyasu until his character goes into a coma after one episode.

Planetes is hard SF about garbagemen in space. No, really, these poor bastards are run-of-the-mill workers who happen to be stuck collecting random debris out of Earth's orbit. Cue Devo's "Space Junk". I'm terribly psyched about this series, if only because of the fierce Kacho Oji vibe it gives off.

Crayon Shin-chan: The Adult Empire Strikes Back (movie) 'Nuff said.

Paul adds...: Just in case you need to know about my boy Shinnosuke Nohara, "Otona Empire Strikes Back" is about the ultimate theme park--the 1960s! All the adults in Kasukabe (Shin-chan's hometown) end up living in the past. It's up to the Yuraba Kindergarten class to save them--and the world! Pretty damn funny, even with the wonky Hong Kong subtitles. TONS of Japanese nostalgia references, from Godzilla movies to Harlock and beyond. Maybe the best of the Shin-chan movies so far. Watch for the kids in the bar scene, driving the cat bus, and how to defeat evil with stinky feet. No, really.