It's been almost four decades since we had a high-profiled silent movie the world's gone crazy over (Mel Brooks's classic Silent Movie), thanks in part to our film industry being laid brick by brick with a 100% ratio of talking in it. Michel Hazanavicius's The Artist, however, does more without words than just about every film released in 2011.

Taking place during the start of the talkies, The Artist focuses on two main characters. The first is George Valentin (Jean Dujardin), a silent film star whose pictures are a hit all over the world. After the premiere of his latest film an aspiring actress by the name of Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) literally runs into George, and becomes an overnight sensation with the press before she even makes a movie debut. Peppy slowly rises to fame, hoping to one day work side-by-side with George again.

Two years later silent movies finds its end, being replaced by talking pictures. George, refusing to star in them, decides to go out and direct his own silent movie. The film opens the same day as Peppy's first talkie, and like it happened in real life gets trounced by it. Hit by the Great Depression George is forced to sell all his belongings, fire his butler Clifton (James Cromwell), and his forced to wallow in a talkative world with only his pride and dog (Uggie) in tact. Peppy's stardom continues to shine, but she and Clifton want to try everything they can to help the man who gave them what they needed to make themselves who they are.

As The Artist is practically silent from start to finish, it's up to pure direction to make the storytelling aspect work. Sure enough this sort of formula works, with raw emotion and expressions showcasing the true feelings of these characters. Joy, sadness, jealously, and anger are shown in its truest forms, all without the aid of the screams, laughter, and other sound effects we're used to hearing in just about every other movie out there. All that we're given is a beautiful soundtrack composed by Ludovic Bource, who just about perfects the way to create the right essence via music.

The cast dazzles on the screen from start to finish. Both Dujardin and Bejo are sure to become rising stars with their performances as George and Peppy. Their smiles, frowns, and actions showcase the true meaning of acting without uttering a single sound throughout the majority of the film. John Goodman brings out the frustrations of running a movie studio through his character Al Zimmer, while Cromwell plays the butler who loves his job too much to leave to a T. Of course you cannot talk about The Artist without mentioning Uggie's four-legged performance. His actions, cutesy emotions, and duties as the all-around lovable sidekick to our downtrodden hero are reason enough to have the Academy start handing out a trophy each year to the Best Animal Actor. (He did win the Palm Dog Award during the 2011 Cannes Film Festival for his performance, so it certainly hasn't gone unnoticed.)

Finally there is the pacing of the film. As soon as the credits roll you are instantly drawn into the world of The Artist. How the story is told is spectacular, and its usage of speech cards for many of the speaking parts and sounds is done with sheer brilliance. At times there will be regular sound effects, but they are used only to convey a sort of understanding of what is going on in the minds of certain characters. This is Hollywood storytelling like it once was, coming back to kick the face in of all the Chipwreckeds and Zookeepers for being the film abominations that they are.

The Artist serves as a reminder of why movies were made in the first place, reviving an art form that was once lost in an ocean of talkies. This is the type of film that dares to take something old, and make it new again. If anything, The Artist should be set as an example to moviemakers everywhere to show where they came from in the business, and why they do what they love to do. Leave the cell phones off, sit back, relax, and be engulfed in what can only be described as pure movie magic.

***** (out of five)

PS: Don't let the PG-13 fool you. This is a film that anyone of all ages can enjoy in its mostly silent, black & white, and 4:3 aspect ratio glory.

20. Asobi Seksu - Fluorescence

The duo of James Hanna and Yuki Chikudate have created another delicious blend of shoe-gazing dream pop that will have you feeling like you’re floating in the air. Tears will roll down your cheek as Yuki hits those high notes on such tracks as “Leave The Drummer Out There” and “Sighs.” Asobi Seksu have always put together albums that leave you feeling good, relaxed, and -- above all -- discovering your inner peace, and Fluorescence is no exception.

19. Flogging Molly - Speed of Darkness

When your punk music needs a strong traditional Celtic twist, Flogging Molly is always there to bring it to you. Their recent album once again shows off the lyrical talents of Dave King, from its sailing-inducing title track and the sad captain’s ballad “So Sail On” to the cries of battle in “Revolution.” After eleven years together Speed of Darkness proved that Flogging Molly are nowhere near slowing down, but rather outpacing their competition.

18. VERBAL - Visionair

It may not be as strong as when he teams with Taku Takahashi for their amazing m-flo duo, but VERBAL shows that he has the chops to create a strong rap album on his own. No worries for those wanting some of his better-known “LOVES” collaborations: he has brought along some friends in the forms of Lil Wayne, Namie Amuro, Nicki Minaj, and Drake for the ride. Visionair features such great club-worthy tracks like “BALL N BOUNCE,” “I WANT IT ALL,” and “Fall Out.” The album’s only crime: it wasn’t released outside of Asia (unless you did what I had to do and purchased it from an import site).

17. Cheeseburger - Another Big Night Down The Drain

With all due respect to LMFAO, the Brooklyn-based rockers have truly concocted Party Rock, especially with their opener “Party Song.” The celebration doesn’t stop there, with their track “Winner” making Charlie Sheen look like an epic failure, and the after-shenanigans cleanup “Roll Like That.” Cheeseburger also pulls a KISS and has a few one-night stands on the same album, with “Gina” being the bad girl in the bedroom and the heartbreaker named “Suzy.” Another Big Night Down The Drain is anything but its namesake, as it is the soundtrack to one of the greatest evenings of your life.

16. American Water - This Is Where It Ends

A new face in the local waters, American Water’s debut album will have you clamoring for more. With its mixture of alt-rock sounds and dream pop essence This Is Where It Ends is the type of album the Boston music scene’s been waiting for. From the acoustic “Sink or Swim” and the grungy “Old Best Friend” to the exciting “This Place Is Going Down” American Water have created an album that’s both catchy and noteworthy. Be on the lookout for this band somewhere down the line. Something tells me they might make their mark in some way or form.

Official Reverb Page

15. Evanescence - Evanescence

After being off our radars for half a decade, Amy Lee and her comrades returned, cranking the rock up tenfold. Its shockingly positive opener “What You Want” and “The Change” are a welcome remodeling to their formula, but Evanescence haven’t forgotten to break your hearts the heavy-hitting “Lost In Paradise.” Amy Lee’s voice hasn’t sound this great in years, being more mature than what was heard on the band’s first two albums. Evanescence’s self-titled return made sure that we didn’t forget what made them such a powerhouse of rock in the first place, but at the same time it showed what happens when they push the rock element further than ever before.

14. The Go! Team - Rolling Blackouts

When this UK outfit releases a new album, you know there’ll be plenty of happiness pouring out of your speaker. The high school band-sounding “T.O.R.N.A.D.O.” and the magical girl-transforming “Secretary Song” are just the mere openers on this sound circus. Tracks like “Buy Nothing Day” and “The Running Rage” will have you jumping around for no apparent reason, a sure sign that the joy The Go! Team brings to the table are flowing ever-so freely through your body.

13. R.E.M. - Collapse Into Now

It’s a shame that R.E.M. broke up this year, but at least they left us with one more great album. Its opener “Discoverer” showed that Michael Stipe’s voice hasn’t changed a bit in the band’s 30-year existence, while at the same time displays the band’s sense of maturity they developed from being together for so long. “ÜBerlin” could’ve been the hint of the band’s break-up, thanks to the lyrics regarding “flying on” and changing for the better. One can only imagine what would’ve been the next step in what was the best musical comeback last decade, and sadly that’s all we can do now. Be glad that Collapse Into Now exists, for it shows what made R.E.M. such a treasure in the music community.

12. Flash Bang Grenada - 10 Haters

The album Jay-Z and Kanye West wished they could’ve made. A collaboration between underground rappers Busdriver and Nocando the duo teleports, plays cops & robbers, and goes “Hyperbolic” with the legendary Del the Funky Homosapien. The vernacular they use is nothing short of sheer brilliance, and the beats -- while simplistic -- captures the truth that, in these hard-pressing times, less is truly more. Be sure to pass the “Moisturizer” around.

11. the pillows - Horn Again

After taking a year off from releasing anything, Hokkaido’s brightest stars return with a great collection of alt-rock tracks that are sure to put a smile on anybody’s face. A great blend of their best sounds from the 90s and 2000s this album once again proves why the pillows are the best band out of Japan. From its opener “Limp Tomorrow” to its fast-paced closer “Doggie Howl” Horn Again is a strong reminder of why we fell in love with them in the first place. Their “Brilliant Crown” might also be one of the most beautiful songs released in 2011.

Check out Part Two of the Top 20 list here on the Boston Bastard Brigade! Who knows? One of your favorites might just be on it.

In this video I talk about the two currently running TV series Once Upon A Time and Grimm. Both shows are on different networks and each has its weaknesses and strengths. However I look at their origins, and have some thoughts about them.

So grab your beverage of choice and enjoy.

Starting up the game for the first time, there is very little to be surprised about. We open with a cut scene where, after a tree full of tanooki leaves are blown throughout the mushroom kingdom, bowser and his minions have yet again captured the princess. While not very original, if you were expecting oscar buzz from the story in this game, you clearly have never played any featuring this particular plumber. The real glory coming from this series lies in the gameplay and that is where this particular entry starts to shine.

One night, Super Mario 3 and Super Mario Galaxy 2 went out to have a few drinks. As night went on, the world got fuzzier and fuzzier for the pair until it seemed to melt away completely. The next morning, they woke up next to each other, not quite sure of the previous evenings events.  Nine months later, they gave birth to a beautiful baby 3DS game. This is the story of how Super Mario 3D Land came to be. It is designed to take the 3D-style of Mario gameplay, introduced to us by Super Mario 64, and combine it with the linear level-based structure of the earlier games. Why then would I single out Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Super Mario 3? I’ll explain myself one game at a time.

Aside from the obvious inclusion of the 3D style of play, most of what Super Mario Galaxy 2 had to contribute to this newest game came from identity. While you certainly weren’t flying from planet to planet, the graphics look as though they came straight from the same assets. I mean this in the most positive way possible, because Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a gorgeous game. The music as well, though not orchestrated, sounds like, and if I’m not mistaken often is, taken right from the aforementioned Wii title. The incredibly linear progression is another factor that makes this comparison difficult to dispute.

One of, if not, the most popular Mario games to date is Super Mario 3. Is it because of the ingenious level design? Okay, fine, that’s probably why everyone loves it so much, but the tanooki suit certainly doesn’t hurt. With the rarity of the item and the cool new powers it allowed you to have, it had a certain allure that always makes my heart skip a beat whenever I find it. In Super Mario 3D Land, you will find many tanooki suits.  It is probably the most common item in the game. Fear not, however, as there are several different varieties of tanooki suit available to you. This includes one that is wearing a sporty neckerchief and has the ability to turn to stone. Airships and koopa kids also make a reappearance, but instead of the individual kids there is what appears to be a male and female version of Roy Koopa.

Let’s face it, Mario doesn’t really visit us to tell us a long story, a lesson I learned when I received my Super Mario Galaxy reservation call from Charles Martinet. He comes by to let us have a mushroom-stomping good time. This game has had me more glued to my 3DS than anything else I’ve gotten to play on it. Though it does admittedly have a bit of easy start, the difficulty does ramp up towards the end. Then, once the princess is rescued, a whole new set of significantly more difficult versions of each level open up. There are several obstacles that take advantage of the 3D capabilities of the device and they are often quite clever. Anything from using forced perspective to having a jet blow fire in your face on an airship only adds to the fun.

If you are a 3DS owner and you’ve been yearning for something that hooks you to your system, you’ve found your game. Not only are there eight worlds, with about 6 levels apiece, you get to play through them twice. Add to that, using the Streetpass feature on your system, you can get extra small challenge levels and items by passing someone else with the game. So, for all of you with a 3DS sitting on their shelf out there, go and buy this game, it deserves to be purchased and you deserve to have it. If you don’t have one yet, then it’s something that will make a great addition to your library when you decide to get one.

A third video has arrived from your ever-faithful Pandalicious. This time, Panda has slipped into something a little more familiar. Pandalicious is irked about it and has some thoughts to share.

It is time for Panda's Thoughts: Episode 2

So the fan base has wanted ESH to be live for quite some time. That won't be happening any time soon, but until then, I've decided to become one with you the YouTubeverse. That is right...I've taken up my video editing skills (all four of them) once again.

Ladies and Gentlenerds!
I bring you..."Just Saying" Episode Zero. I'll let it speak for itself.

It has to be said, before I begin, that if you’ve never had the pleasure of playing these games before, then you are doing yourself a disservice and I highly recommend seeking them out as soon as possible. Each game is beautiful, in several ways, right down to their core. Everything from the barren, yet detailed and gorgeous environments, to the moody musical scores, ooze personality. Even the stories of both games, though relatively simple, have so much more meaning behind them, you could dissect them for hours.

When it comes down to it though, I’m not here to talk about how awesome those games were, I’m here to talk about whether this particular package does them justice. I am pleased to report that this is one of the best HD remaster packages I have played. The upscaled graphics of each game will have you seriously doubting that these games are ten and six years-old respectively. While the cut-scenes are not nearly as crisp as their in-game counterparts, they provide a nice foil to judge just how good a job was done of the upscale.

For those of you with 3D TVs out there, you’re in for even more of a treat. This package supports stereoscopic 3D and, although I had to flip my imagination switch as I do not have a 3D TV, the games look to be a perfect match for this feature. From climbing colossi, to riding a mine cart past castle spires, the environments lend themselves very well to 3D elements. For those that enjoy the sultry tones of the games, you can also partake of them in 7.1 surround sound. It also has full game-sized trophy support for both Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. If you’re lacking in gold trophies, Ico is packed to them brim with them, so you’re in for luck. Be warned though, that most of them are fairly difficult, exempting the story progression trophies.

As far as bonus content goes, they included about as much as you could expect them.  There are several behind the scenes videos for each game, including their upcoming The Last Guardian, and dynamic themes based on each game. Some additional features, only released for the European version of Ico, have also been included. After completion of the game, a second players option opens up and a real person can take the reins of Yorda. Pretty awesome to be able to have someone take the AI out of the equation.

I try to be as wary as I can of any of these so-called HD remaster titles. Sometimes a coat of shiny paint just isn’t enough to warrant a second purchase of a game, no matter how much you enjoyed it before. I’m glad to say that Bluepoint Games, the developer in charge of the port, also famous for their port of the first two God of War games, knows what they’re doing. The games look great and Team Ico made sure there is plenty there to get you to come climbing, stabbing and puzzling back for more. If you haven’t played these games before then I highly recommend this collection as a buy. If you’ve played, and loved, these games before, they’re still well worth reinvesting and experiencing again. Now the long wait begins again as I continue to pine for The Last Guardian. Nope, still not out yet.

Last year's Split/Second was one of the most exciting racing games to come out in years, so it's no surprise that many developers would want to imitate the insanity that Black Rock Studios brought to the racer. Who would've guessed, however, that the MotorStorm series would be one of those to rip a page out of their books? Here we are, then, with MotorStorm: Apocalypse, a racing title that knows how to make players sit on the edge of their seats.

For Apocalypse Evolution Studios added more styles of cars into the fold, including choppers, superbikes and muscle cars. Gone are the natural environments, replaced with a giant city that has been riddled with natural disasters and explosions. Also found is a story mode, split into three difficulties (Rookie, Pro, Veteran) that each follow a different racer. Playing through each of these three storylines will also show off different parts of the disasters that happen during the two-day festival.

During the story modes you are given one specific vehicle to use in each chapter. While it gives players a chance to go hands-on with every car, truck and bike available I couldn't help but think that it would've been better to be able to pick-and-choose which ones you wanted to drive throughout the storyline. I had issue trying to steer some of the bikes at higher speeds, and turning proved to be quite difficult when you were using a big rig or mudplugger. It took me a long time to get used to handling the bigger and smaller vehicles, whereas the ATVs and muscle cars were more of a cinch to drive.

While story modes in racer titles tend to be hit-or-miss MotorStorm: Apocalypse manages to be quite intriguing. Using Flash-styled animation players learn about their characters' back stories and what had brought them to the big city. We are also introduced to some of the background characters, many of which help make your characters who they are. While the animation style is a tad choppy it doesn't do anything to diminish the well-written story. In order to move onto the next race you must finish in a position between fifth (Rookie) and first (Veteran), and that's where the real challenges begin.

Unpredictability is the name of the game when it comes to the races themselves. Many times while you race the track directions drastically change via natural disaster. One lap you could be doing a simple run-around, when all of a sudden the start of the second lap has a building falling in front of you, creating an opening filled with jumps and other massive explosions that will either help or hinder your performance. Unlike Split/Second these disasters cannot be triggered by other racers; instead it's Mother Nature that is out to screw you out of a victory. I cannot remember how many times I had to restart a race because I got wrecked by a collapsing building or falling debris. Even if you time yourself right while the world crumbles around you, there still is a strong possibility of losing the race in a blink of an eye.

What makes MotorStorm: Apocalypse stand out is its overall look. With its nitty-grittiness full intact the game looks as gorgeous as it does anarchic. The worlds you race in are dark, grim and filled with much debris from the disaster, each place looking to (and probably will) fall apart at any given moment. Your vehicles also dazzle throughout the games, with each bump and jump appearing on your car or bike as it goes through the wears and tears of the races. The only downside is the look of the characters, especially on the ATV and superbike. They just seem to not be as realistic as the cars they are driving. Props must also be given to Klaus Badelt's soundtrack, which has been remixed with style by the likes of DJ Shadow, Noisia and Elite Force.

MotorStorm: Apocalypse contains various racing modes that will keep players coming back for more, not to mention the vast amounts of online and split-screen multiplayer fun you will find. By winning races (or coming in at a certain ranking) players will also be able to upgrade your rides in order to make them more used to the surroundings you're racing in. The story modes will probably take you roughly twelve hours to beat, depending on how good you are with the more tougher difficulty challenges, whereas the multiplayer modes will have you coming back again and again until the next MotorStorm game is released.

PROS:

• Inventive tracks, good selection of vehicles
• Natural disasters make racing more exciting
• Dubstep soundtrack plays well with the action onscreen

CONS:

• Bikes, bigger vehicles hard to handle
• Human characters not as great looking as the rest of the world
• Difficulty level spikes like you'd never believe

FINAL THOUGHTS:

The MotorStorm series has been known to excite its gamers and keep them at the edge of their seats, and Apocalypse is no exception. From its over-the-top insanity to its face-paced racing techniques Evolution Studios continues on with its streak of heart-pumping moments in the racing realm. With it looking like a Split/Second sequel will never come to pass MotorStorm: Apocalypse has no trouble carrying that thrill ride torch and speeding away with it.

FINAL GRADE: 8.5 (out of 10)

Okay, I’ll admit that I have an unnatural love for the Resident Evil series.  Knowing this, I swore to myself that twenty dollars was too much to ask to own Resident Evil 4 for a third time.  When I saw it for half that, it broke me right then and there, and I’m glad because I had a blast playing through it again.

If you’ve played it already, I don’t need to tell you that this is a beautiful game.  The detail given to the character models and environment paint a picture of both grime and beauty and I’m still talking about the Gamecube version.  Now, they’ve given it a fresh coat of paint and upscaled the whole thing to HD.  Right off the bat, it’s easy to tell how much better this version looks and it does a great job of reinvigorating the game.  Add to that, trophy/achievement support gives another reason to come back.  The one thing that bummed me out a little bit was that it doesn’t have a full set of trophies/achievements.  Kind of nit picky, but it would have made it even more worth the additional play-through.

All too often, a six-year-old game doesn’t age particularly well.  This is not the case with Resident Evil 4.  The gameplay that revolutionized third-person shooting is still tons of fun.  It does take a few minutes to get the hang of the controls again after years of playing Gears of War and Dead Space, but once it clicks in your head, it’s time to party like it’s 2005.  The one thing that would have made this package perfect would be if they have added Playstation Move support.  With the Wii version of the game already existing, it doesn’t seem like it would have been too hard to include the motion-based controls.  Either way, the game still feels great to play and the action is thrilling.

If you’ve played this game before and you’re looking to play the prettiest version of the game, then this might just be for you. It contains every extra mode produced for it and even features a leaderboard with best times and scores for the various game modes.  If you haven’t played this game before, then, whether it’s this version of the game or not, you need to play this piece of genre-defining history at your earliest convenience.  It is quite possibly one of the best games I have ever had the pleasure of owning thrice.  Just one warning to those newcomers out there.  You will not notice a chainsaw guy coming and he will chainsaw off your head.  It will scare the crap out of you.  Just thought you should know.

Star Fox 64 3D is not a very long game.  Looking back at the original, this was actually one of the things I loved about it.  It is exceptionally rare to have a game that you can beat in a single sitting and I can see where this could potentially be a problem.  If you can beat it in around an hour, then why would you want to keep playing it?  Not only are there several different combinations of paths you can take through the single-player, but that game is well-balanced enough and exciting enough that I being able to feel like you’ve accomplished something in that sitting is enough to keep me coming back for more.

That being said, there have been several new things added to the game that have increased the re-playability.  The Battle Mode been updated to include your face as you battle and different battle mode types, including the battling for points, for an amount of time, or until everyone else is down.  There is no online multiplayer, but they have included the ability to play against bots if you don’t have anyone nearby to play with.

Also included is a new score attack mode for the single-player missions which allows you to play any specific level from the main game in an attempt to get a medal.  What’s even better about this is that these medals are not the same as the ones earned by playing the normal single-player mode, so there are twice the number to earn.  Even more depth is achieved by using the gyro sensor to control the various vehicles you’ll use in the campaign.  These controls can be used exclusively, excluded or used in conjunction with the normal controls.

Trying out the gyro controls, they felt pretty good, but didn’t add anything too special.  The one exclusion would be when you use them without ever touching the analog stick, which adds a layer of difficulty.  It’s a ton of fun to see if you can make it to the end of a level without falling on the crutch of the stick.

One of my personal favorite things about the original game was the intense soundtrack and slightly campy vocals.  This is, in my opinion, the one area where the ball has been dropped for this port.  All of the music and voice work have been re-recorded, most likely to increase the quality of the audio, but there were a few things lost in the translation.  The music has been re-orchestrated and they did a fine job of capturing making sure the songs sound like they did before, but the music just doesn’t have the same punch it did before.  I found myself putting on headphones and turning it up full-blast and still not being satisfied with the impact of the music.

The voiceover work in the original, I’ll be honest, was not academy award winning work.  The new recording, if they got different people, sound very much like the original actors, which is definitely a good thing.  The only issue, is that for several of the lines, it feels like the actor was handed a piece of paper and told to “say these words” instead of being instructed to “perform these lines”.  One in particular involves the reveal of Andross when you get to him at the end.  In the original, he gives you a very convincing evil laugh.  In Star Fox 64 3D it literally sounds like the script said “Ha ha ha” and the actor read it exactly as written.

All in all, the small issues that I have with the game are nit picky things that would only bug a die hard fan.  Even with these issues, this is still an amazing game that is worth your time whether or not you’ve played the game before.  The graphics have been overhauled and it looks amazing, with special mention going to the liquid effects and textures on the ground.  The 3D is quite well done and adds a lot of excitement to the game, as long as you’re not using the gyro sensor.  I will admit that my eyes got more tired playing this game than it has with others, but turning it down to just a fraction above off helps fend that off, while still keeping the 3D in effect.

If your’e a fan of the original, then this port is definitely worth your time.  If you’ve never played this game before, then you need to immediately go play it, whether it be this port of the original N64 version.  Remember, if you’re under heavy fire on the way to the store then there’s only one thing to do...  Do a barrel roll!  Good luck...

Pandalicious is up first with her hands-on intro review of zombie survival 101, I mean, Dead Island. She breaks down the basics of controls, game mechanics and even shares a few tactics for your first few hours of playthrough of the game. NinJa even joins in on the conversation as she's been side-seat-gaming the title with Panda from the jump.

Rounding out the show, NinJa drops the 4-1-1 on FUNimation's controversy creating manga turned anime series Dance in the Vampire Bund. Sure it has a funny name. Yes, it has vampires. Sure there's sexual situations with obviously underage looking (or just blatantly underage) kids. What more could you want? Werewolves? Why not? You've been good.

Get a frosty beverage because it's time to enjoy ESH Podcast Episode 261: Some of the Undead Aren't Playing by the Established Rules

Here are the facts: Black Dynamite is one of the greatest movies of our time; Black Dynamite once killed Chuck Norris and brought him back to life, just to make a point; Black Dynamite once stood toe-to-toe with The Man, with The Man backing away for fear of his own well-being. After watching the pilot we might have to add one more fact: Black Dynamite might be the best movie-based cartoon since The Real Ghostbusters.

Premiering on the Adult Swim website the eleven-minute episode follows his royal badassness as he undertakes a mission to stop That Frog Kurtis, the beloved host of the children's program The Puppet Show, from pulling a massive crime spree composed of his puppet pals and kid fanbase. Developed by Titmouse, Inc. (the same guys who do Metalocalypse and Superjail) the animation style adds more nods to Japanese anime than the Electric Factory-inspired cartoon cut-scenes from the original film. While the style looks great -- especially in the fight sequences -- it tends to lose some of that 70s luster the original film had.

Everything else about the Black Dynamite cartoon, on the other hand, does just about everything right to keep with the spirit of the movie. Having Michael Jai White voice the classic title character -- as well as Tommy Davidson (Cream Corn), Kym Whitely (Honeybee) and Byron Minns (Bullhorn) returning to voice their characters -- was the right move, and the humor and dialogue fits perfectly with the situation on hand. There's something both hilarious and kick-ass about seeing a bunch of mack daddies beating the bejesus out of some puppets, and the Muppet parody aspect of the episode had me rolling on the floor with laughter. (Kudos should also be given to Kurtis's voice actor J. B. Smoove, a very underrated actor who almost always steals Larry David's spotlight on Curb Your Enthusiasm.)

As a eleven-minute pilot the Black Dynamite cartoon looks standout, but the true test of the shows longevity will come in 2012 when the half-hour series makes its debut. For now, though, this Dynamite is looking to be a blast-and-a-half!

**** ½ (out of five)

It's been quite some time since LSB has crossed my mind. I was obsessed with their first album, singing and screaming the lyrics to "LeetStreet Fighter" and "Masquerade". I also would internally sing the lyrics to "Yuri the Only One"- daydreaming about finding my only one. These are common traits in any anime fan girl. (Got a problem with that?)

Apparently, I've been living under a rock for the last six or so months. Awareness has set in that LSB has released their second album "Otaku Hearts". The latest music video got it's debut at Otakon this year, while the rest of the LSB fanbase eagerly awaited it's internet release.

If you are a fan of this band and haven't had your taste for them satisfied- take a view of the spiritual successor to "Yuri the Only One" entitled "She's So Kawaii" here.

They have some of their other songs from this new album on YouTube all ready for your earholes--so go take a listen

Need to know what is going on with LSB? You can get all your LSB related news on their website http://www.leetstreetboys.com/ Check out when their next appearance will be, watch some of their other music videos, read their hilarious webcomics. I wasn't disappointed, and hopefully neither will you.

Microsoft's Summer of Arcade titles has launched a fresh, innovative title to the XBLA Store. Bastion, published by WB games, is a refreshing take on the isometric game mechanic and is a welcome departure from WB’s other library of comic book and cartoon inspired games.

Bastion’s art style, while not quite pastoral or neon is still very bright, lush and full of life. The game world is a treat to the eyes, and the soundtrack has a Wild West meets rock-n-roll feel, but you won’t have much time to admire the sights or sounds in Bastion, however, as parts of the world are continuously popping in, or falling out. What’s left, you’ll probably be destroying in hopes of finding items within. From what players experience in the demo, there isn’t much story to Bastion. The game starts rather abruptly, and the player is quickly introduced to the controls and the omnipresent narrator who observes and comments upon your actions in the game. Nearly everything from how destructive you are, or what weapon combinations you choose is commented upon. Over 3,000 separate lines of narration were recorded for Bastion, giving this title a lot of replay value. Players may find themselves experimenting with different weapons or skills, or just playing more skillfully in hopes of triggering new responses from the narrator.

Bastion plays somewhat like the Gauntlet games of arcade past, crossed with the cramped bullet-avoiding gameplay of airplane shoot-em-ups like 1942 or Ikaruga. Bastion’s controls are intuitive and responsive, yet, while Bastion is easily approachable to the casual gamer, the controls and battle mechanics reward those players who use skill and agility rather than button-mashing. Players in Bastion have two weapon slots (usually a melee and ranged weapon), and a shield used by the left trigger. The player is also able to execute a dodge roll, and will find certain power skills similar to “bombs” in shoot-em-ups. As players get more comfortable with the controls, they will be able to pull off skill cancels to shave off animation time in actions, reflect damage with a well-timed shield block or deal more damaged with timed strikes using certain weapons. You’ll need all the help you can get, since the enemies in Bastion are quite powerful, often only needing 3 to 5 hits to kill you. With this in mind, speed and precision are your allies.

Bastion takes an innovative approach to the leveling system and statistic development, in addition to the “town” system of most RPGs. In something of a call-back to creation RPGs like Dark Cloud, Bastion allows the player to rebuild the world as the game progresses. What shops and other town features you place, and in what order, is up to you. In the demo, the player is given the options to replace the Armory and Distillery. The Armory is an area where you can store your weapons and skills and change your load-out before going into battle. Bastion encourages experimentation with items and skills, often requiring different tools for different enemies and areas. The Distillery is the area where you use your experience points to buy character upgrades, purchased in the form of various beverages. This was an interesting change from the well-worn skill point system of other RPGs.

As previews go, Bastion offers a solid and satisfying taste of what the full game will offer. The demo is a gripping 15 to 20 minutes of non-stop gameplay. The narration and weapon combinations in the demo alone easily earn the demo two or three run-throughs before the experience becomes stale, assuring that the full game should have a long life in any arcade fan’s 360 library. In an economy where every dollar counts with entertainment value, Bastion looks to be a purchase worth every point.

By: VincentAuron

Wonderland is always great fun to visit and American McGee really seems to have his finger on it.  The story starts by letting you know that Alice has recently been let out of an insane asylum since her entire family died in a fire.  Her psychologist convinces her to go to wonderland and everything starts falling apart immediately.  While rafting on a river with the white rabbit, his eye suddenly explodes and the river fills with a black liquid and baby doll parts.  After drowning in the river, she awakens in her psychologist’s office.  After leaving the office, it doesn’t take long before she starts hallucinating again and ends up falling back into wonderland.

Without going too much farther into the story, each chapter of the game is centered around a particular character, or set of characters, in the Alice in Wonderland universe.  The simple formula for how it rolls out is as follows:  Alice is in the real world and wanders for a bit until she falls into wonderland, after some time the sections of wonderland becomes corrupted and Alice’s dress changes, Alice finds the character she was looking for and gets transported back to the real word.  A pretty simple formula, but it works pretty well throughout.

The game plays quite a bit like a mixture of a platformer from the early 2000s and God of War.  Most of your time is spent jumping and floating from place to place.  The rest are either puzzles or fighting sections.  Getting from section to sections tends to fall into the trap of “do this for me and I’ll open the door” far too often to the point that Alice comments on it at one point.  For the combat, there are an assortment of weapons that fall quite neatly into the normal archetypes.  You’ve got your melee, machine gun, grenade launcher, bomb and hammer to eliminate your foes, but they are very elegantly disguised as items you might find in the world of wonderland.

While the game is certainly a huge step up from its 2000 counterpart, it did retain a few annoying characteristics of platformers from that day.  There are often collectibles in games like these and almost always these collectibles have a purpose.  In this game, there is one set of collectibles that does absolutely nothing but earn you a trophy/achievement or two.  The platforming is often perfectly fine, but there were a couple of instances where it went amuck.  There was one in particular where I died for simply jumping too high.  The action, as well, can tend to be a bit repetitive as most of the puzzles, platforming and fighting patterns are revealed quite early and repeated throughout the game.

All in all, while it is by no means a perfect game, Alice: Madness Returns is relatively fun and definitely has its heart in the right place.  Anyone who is a fan of the original story and especially folks who played American McGee’s Alice will love this return to the twisted wonderland.  I recommend it as a rental for anyone and a purchase for those of you who want a free copy of the first game.  Hurry up, you’re late for a very important date with a fun Alice game!

From the vocal stylings of A.J. Locascio as a very convincing Marty McFly to the excellently crafted story, with throwbacks and fan service galore, Back to the Future: The Game felt like it belonged in the universe.  Filling a great missing chunk in the timeline of the movies, you go back to when Doc Brown was a teenager to rescue his older self from jail.  After solving that small problem, the joys of time traveling surface once again for Marty as timelines start getting messed up all over the place.  If this sounds familiar to you, then you are clearly a fan and if you are a fan of the series, then I would be remiss if I didn’t recommend that you go and download this game immediately.

That being said, while it is a fantastic gift to Back to the Future fans, this game may not be for everyone.  Even distracted by my love for the films, I can tell that the difficulty is rather low.  Most of the areas in the game are rather small and only once or twice in the entire five game series did I get stuck for more than ten minutes.  While this definitely kept everything flowing, for those of you looking for a challenge, this is not that game.  At the risk of nitpicking, the lip-synching rarely ever looked correct, but it was certainly not a deal-breaker.  While most of the episodes had plenty of action in them, there were admittedly some parts where pace dropped down a bit, but this was never a bad thing as it allowed for plenty of time for inside jokes and movie references.  Towards the end of the last episode it even got surprisingly self-satirical, but trust me when I say it was in the best way possible.

I have a confession to make, this was the first Telltale subscription that I’ve ever done.  I can honestly say that there is a reason why they’ve kept doing things this way.  It’s almost like seeing that you got that magazine you were looking forward to reading, or that package you forgot you ordered, in the mail whenever an episode began to download.  Each episode being in two-to-three hour chunks also helped to break the game up without burning you out.  After playing this game, I will likely follow with Jurassic Park, just because of how impressed I am with the way it has been handled.

I’ve been trying with all my might to not give away any spoilers while talking about this game, but I’m afraid there is one that I will disclose here.  At the end of the game, after the credits were finished rolling, the words “To Be Continued” flashed up on the screen.  I will be keeping my ear to Telltale’s wall until I hear something about that, but I’m sure we have plenty to look forward to until then with Jurassic Park and The Walking Dead games coming soon.  Now I’ve got to finish up Ocarina of Time 3D, so I’m gonna make like a tree and get out of here!

It's been twenty-five years since the Beastie Boys first hit the record stores with their breakthrough album License To Ill. During that quarter-of-a-century the trio made up of Mike D., Ad-Rock and MCA have spent their years inventing gangsta rap, creating memorable music videos and cementing themselves as one of the most influential music groups of all time. This Tuesday the band is set to release their eighth album: Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, a record that combines every great element of their past LPs into one amazing musical experience

The latest adventure with the Beastie Boys starts on the right foot with "Make Some Noise," a track that blends their old-school upbringings with modern-day experimental remixing. It adds a nod to their biggest hit with the line "We gonna party for the motherfucking right to fight," with the overall feel that the original party from years ago isn't just still going on, it's showing no signs of slowing down. It's "Say It" that calls back to their noisecore punk roots, along with the full-on proof that they can still be as lyrically nasty as ever. (Hearing Mike D. spit "You could keep 'em out of service and you're a complainer/You bust your ass Jones like you slipped on a banana" made me smirk, both for its creativity and its nod to classic slapstick.) Another nod to their noisecore origins is "Lee Majors Comes Again," which adds a Big Black flair to the Beasties sound.

View the short film Fight For Your Right - Revisited here!

Rapper NAS accompanies the boys in "Too Many Rappers," mixing the old-school and new-school melodies together in perfect harmony, along with the sci-fi samples and free-flowing rhymes that help make this song worthy of any dance club. Santigold comes aboard for the album's other collaboration "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win," a track with a Bollywood electonica vibe and sexy sax solo that gives the trio's rhymes a sort of spicy feeling worthy of its album title. "Funky Donkey" takes the torch from its monkey cousin, adding more from its Paul's Boutiqueupbringing than its Ill parents. The classic old-school sound appears in "Crazy Ass Shit," where the Beastie Boys return at full force with its boasting abilities.

It's been seven years since their last lyric-filled album To the 5 Boroughs hit the record stores, and while it was still a great album it lacked the lyrically genius of their previous releases. Hot Sauce Committee Part Two on the other hand showcases that not only do the Beasties have the game, but they reinvent the rap genre once again; maybe not in the same way Kanye West did with My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, but more from the indie artistic side that they're best known to play around with. The fact that the guys from Brooklyn still sound this way after being in the business for two and a half decades is not just a miracle; it's proof that classic old-school hip-hop gets better with age and discipline. Then again the Beastie Boys can still kick a lot of ass even when the maturity level drops to zero.

**** ½ (out of five)

Hot Sauce Committee Part Two will be released on Tuesday, May 3rd in stores everywhere. The album was reviewed via the Beastie Boys' official SoundCloud page.

The first thing I want to say about this game is that I hope lots of others take their cues from how 3D is handled in this title.  It’s subtle enough that it doesn’t feel like it’s right up in your face, but there is still enough of it to be able to admire.  Depth is used quite well in the main gameplay with objects moving from the background to the foreground.  The periscope strike mode also manages to scratch the itch for some more action-based 3D.

As anyone who may have passed by me with their 3DS on in standby mode knows, I’ve been spending quite a bit of time playing this game.  Essentially, Steel Diver is a submarine action game with some interesting controls.  Instead of using the fantastic new analog stick built into the system to control your underwater vessel, there are various knobs and sliders on the touch-screen used to maneuver around the various obstacles it puts in your way.  Each sub has slightly tweaked stats and controls, making it a new experience each time you traverse the level.  Seriously, there were some stages that I failed miserably with one sub and passed like it was nothing with another.  That alone made the game last all the longer as it is a ton of fun to play through to see what each level is like with each sub.

There are seven missions in the campaign, but in order to unlock stages six and seven, you must complete all that precede them with each sub.  Each stage also has a time limit of between ten and twenty minutes, but don’t worry about that, because in the hours I put into the game, that limit never ran out for me.  As long as you press forward consistently, you should have plenty of time left when you reach the end.  Once you get to the end of a level, you get to experience a short periscope strike mini-game where you use the gyro sensor to swing around and fire torpedoes at ships around you.

There are also three bosses to contend with throughout the game.  I would definitely say that they were the most difficult aspect of the campaign.  While, I won’t ruin what each of these bosses are specifically, I will say that the final boss is quite a challenge.  It’s been a long time since I’ve sat that far forward in my seat while playing a portable game.

In addition to the main campaign, there is a periscope strike mode, much like the one after each level, and a time trials mode.  In the periscope strike, the gameplay is exactly like the mini-game at the end of each level, except instead of there being a limited time, it records how long it takes you to sink every ship around you.  This mode is the most visually striking as there is a lot of depth used with the 3D and there is also a stage where you’re firing in a storm and the effects are quite beautiful.  It’s very gratifying to see your torpedoes fire towards the enemy in 3D.

The time trials mode takes the combat part of the game and removes it completely, simply timing how long it takes you to get from one end of a level to the other.  Specially designed to look like some sort of training facility, these levels are designed with simplicity in mind and it works very well for it.  The final mode, which adds the bit of multiplayer to it, is called steel commander.  To be honest, this is really just battleship.  You can use download play on another device to get some local multiplayer going and I’ve always enjoyed the game battleship since I was young, but it doesn’t add too terribly much to this particular experience.

With all of this, the game has lasted me quite a while and I think it’s still got some legs on it to go.  The way they’ve implemented the controls makes it a ton of fun to keep coming back and see how fast and accurately you can make it through each stage.  That being said, there is a bit of a slow start to it and if you’re looking for a fast-paced action submarine game, this is not it.  I would definitely give this one a try before you buy it, but I have personally had a great time.

Five years after the release of First Impressions of Earth the Strokes have returned. With two solo albums from Albert Hammond, Jr. and one from Julian Casablancas the band had finally found some time to get together and make another record. As soon as the new album entitled Angles ended -- with ten songs and a total running time of 34 minutes -- I could only utter one question: Was that it?

Having the rest of the Strokes record separate from Casablancas was a regrettable mistake, as already noted by guitarist Nick Valensi, and it shows in the final cut of Angles. Casablancas sounds distant, even lonely at times, when he's separated with his bandmates. While his tone in voice has never changed, his expressive behavior seems more closeted than in full bloom. It's as if he's unsure of himself without his friends in the same room with him, an odd feeling considering he seemed to do all right by himself on his solo album Phrazes For The Young. The same can be said about the other Strokes members, who sound like they're having issue trying to come up with their trademark sound.

One also can't help but notice the 80s atmosphere that encompasses the album, especially in "Two Kinds of Happiness," "Games" and the opener "Machu Picchu." A few other artists have played with this sensation, most notably Brian Karscig and his band The Nervous Wreckords on the album Valuminium (reviewed in issue two of the ESH magazine). The odd difference between the Strokes's take and The Nervous Wreckords's is that Karscig got the sound and its mood down pat, whereas the Strokes sounds like they're trying too hard. There are moments in "Two Kinds of Happiness" that shine, but for the most part these select songs don't mix well with the album as a whole.

That's not to say Angles is bad, as it has some great tracks to back up their return. Its single "Under Cover of Darkness" is the Strokes at their best, with Casablancas crooning the way he does and the rest of the band playing in an enthusiastic manner. The lyrics of "So long, my friend...but I'll wait for you" seem to hint on the inner feelings of the Stokes themselves, as the hiatus left them needing to get back together to make the magic they know they can. "Call Me Back" shows off the band's somewhat romantic side, with the lyrics dealing with a couple who have no idea how much the other lover feels for them. It's a different direction for the band, but it has a nice sort of 1960s Paris vibe to it. "Metabolism" seems keen on showing how Casablancas and the rest of the band want to try everything they can to be different in a musical world that's filled with Strokes clones and knockoffs, with the inevitable realization that they can't deny the truth that's in front of them.

Angles is an odd album to figure out, and unfortunately it left me shortchanged. It's not the shortest album they've released, as Room On Fire has that distinction. What separates the two albums is its overall feel, and the fact that Room On Fire feels more complete than Angles is something I'm still trying to comprehend. It also doesn't help that Angles sounds more like half an album than a full one, leaving listeners with a glass half-empty deal. As soon as "Life Is Simple In The Moonlight" faded out a rare instance happened: The Strokes left their audience wanting more, and they shouldn't have.

** ½ (out of five)

From the very first time I pooped my copy of Pokemon Red into my Gameboy Color, I’ve loved this series.  Simply, the formula they’ve created works and if you compare Pokemon Black and White to their predecessors, you’ll notice that to its core, not much has changed.  You are still a rookie trainer who is just starting their journey to become a master trainer and has to collect gym badges while occasionally dealing with a group with “team” in their name that has some nefarious intention.  The thing that really makes getting into a new one of these games worth it, is the little changes that can really make a difference.

One of the best new subtle differences in these new titles are the dynamic camera angles.  Believe me, I know this sounds particularly trivial, but it really makes a huge difference.  Not only does it give a whole new life to the battles by zooming and panning around the screen while your pocket monsters do battle, but even in the environments you walk around in outside of battle are even more impressive because of this feature.  Speaking of battles, the sprites of your monsters, which were typically motionless when they weren’t attacking all now have an idle animation, which helps add character to the various creatures and make them seem a bit more real.

This next thing could easily be misconstrued as a bad thing, but has been quite enjoyable.  In the main part of your quest, the beginning until you defeat the elite four, there are nothing but brand spanking new Pokemon.  Once you complete the main quest, you can of course access a new area with familiar creatures and import ones from past games, but until then you get to have an experience much like that first game where every Pokemon you ran into is new.  As a fan who has been playing these game for years, I really appreciated this feature.

A new feature which I’m sure will give this game some legs is seasons.  The game is currently set to be in autumn, but each month we will be treated to a brand new season which will change the environment and give us access to new locations, items and Pokemon.  Paired with the time of day feature, this really makes the game world feel like a living breathing world that changes.  As well, this game takes place in a new region, the Unova region, which unlike most of the other games has a lot more of an urban feel to it.  With the dynamic camera you get to see everything from large skyscrapers, to giant highways which in and of itself gives this game an inherently different feel from the others.  The online features, though very similar to those of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, have been made a bit more convenient and they’ve even included video chatting for those of us who have a DSi.

In short, this game has a lot of reasons to write it off, but you will be doing yourself a disservice if you do so.  If you enjoy the addictive gameplay of the series, which I logged over 100 hours into Pokemon Pearl, then you will continue to enjoy it here.  If you think there’s not enough different about it, then give it a try, because the subtle changes may surprise you with how much they positively effect the games.  If you like Pokemon, you will enjoy this game, pure and simple.  If you haven’t gotten into it yet, go for it!  It’s a great series that is a lot of fun and can last you for quite a while.  You should definitely buy this game, it’s worth it.

Keep your eyes open next week as I will be standing in a line on saturday night so I can get my hands on the Nintendo 3DS.  I’ll be bringing you my impressions of the system on tuesday as well as launch day updates via Twitter as I stand in line on saturday night, so don’t miss it!  See you then, in three glorious dimensions!

Ninja kicks off the show sharing her thoughts on some recent anime series she has watched - first Kore wa Zombie desu ka which she briefly mentioned a couple of episodes ago and then adds the newly watched (but not newly released) Xenosaga series. From light hearted harem series to quasi-dramatic sci-fi romp in under an hour with only one tangent or two before Pandalicious picks up the mic to talk about the series Monster.

This episode is special as we deliver it as our small way if contributing to the relief efforts taking place in Japan. If you can, please support these efforts by donating to the Red Cross Foundation or the 1Love.org group to help those in need.

With that, tuck yourself in and enjoy Episode 239: Forever and Ever and Ever I Get It I Get It I Get It

One of the best things about Dead Space 2 are all the atmospheric locales that you get a chance to visit during your stay at the Sprawl.  With Severed, if you enjoyed them the first time, then this is very good news for you.  Most of the rooms you’ll find in this extra are ones that, assuming you’ve played through the main quest, should look familiar to you.  The major difference is that you are heading in the opposite direction.  To its credit, with the paths that were chosen, being able to experience the rooms in reverse actually made them seem quite different.  Probably my favorite part was being able to take it slow through the psych ward, which pretty much requires you to get out of there quickly the first time through.

The gameplay remains exactly the same, but I personally took this opportunity to try and focus on using some of the weapons that I ignored my first time around.  As part of your character, you get a supped up pulse rifle and a special seeker rifle.  The only bummer part of that is when you start a new game with Severed, while you can still earn single-player trophies/achievements, it resets all of the counters for earning them.  The story, while I hope it may eventually have something to do with later installments, could easily be written off, but was fairly fun and interesting to take part in.  It’s not quite as amazing as the main story, but if you’re hungering for more Dead Space 2 action, then it’ll do just fine.

All in all, Dead Space 2: Severed is a fun extension of the single-player content of the game.  With only two chapters, there’s not quite enough time for as solid a story to be developed, but if you’re a die hard fan of the game and you just can’t live without some more content, this is definitely just what you’re looking for.

Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions

Hey folks, just an FYI here. The new ESH Podcast episode will drop tomorrow and is a "very special" episode of our podcast.

NinJa sits down (via the interwebs of course) with Guy Kawasaki, Alltop.com creator and author of the soon to be released book, "Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions." NinJa and "Jackie" talk about how enchantment can be a powerful motivator for people, companies and brands. And if you want to know what the Jackie is about, you just have to listen to the episode tomorrow to find out.

If I had to list one thing that the first episode of Back to the Future: The Game could have improved, it would be pacing.  It started a bit slow and while it did eventually pick up, it could have been a bit more even throughout.  This is an issue not had by its successor.  The story picks up right where the last lets off and hits the ground running.  This fast pace slows from time to time, but never enough to deter you from stopping play.  As the game ended and I got a small taste of what was to come in the third episode, I already couldn’t wait for the next.

The main part of the gameplay remained largely the same this time around.  The puzzles are not particularly difficult, but there is still a degree of excitement when you get something right, more often because of the consequences it has on the characters.  The part of it that still amazes me is how they’ve managed to get me to buy completely into the fact that this is a direct continuation of the original story.  All of the things that happen seem perfectly reasonable and fit right into the mythos.  It even manages to call back to itself by making winks and nods to stuff that happened in the first episode.

By and large, if you’ve played the first episode then you pretty much know what to expect from part two.  If you’ve merely gotten the first episode instead of going for the whole subscription, I highly recommend it, because if the second episode is any indication, the remaining portion will be worth every penny.  Looks like Telltale has a lot up its sleeve lately, so keep your eyes and ears open for the rest of the awesome library they’ve got coming.

The subject of transgenderism does not come up too often in the anime realm. For the most part when it comes to male characters wanting to dress like women (or vice versa) it tends to stay in a safe bubble where that is just as far as they'll go with their transformation. Not only does Wandering Son (or Hourou Musuko, as it's known in Japan) step away from this bubble, but also takes the issue and brings it to light via a middle school setting. As shocking as that might be, there is a tad bit of realism in putting a GLBT-based plot in an environment like this.

The premise is simple to say, but is complex to comprehend. Shuichi wants to be a girl, Yoshino wants to be a boy, and both like to cross-dress as the other sex whenever comfortable in their areas. The when, how and why as to their discoveries about themselves has so far not been revealed, but their closest friends know (or, at least, somewhat know) that this is who they want to be in life. While they are going through changes (some they want, others they wish wouldn't be happening) an awkwardness surrounds the two friends, as Shuichi is in love with Yoshino, and wishes to spend the rest of his life (as a her) with her (as a him). With a lot of hard work, determination and some support from friends the two friends do what they can to survive through school, and make sure that they can tackle on their changes head on, even if there are some hinderances.

It comes as no surprise that noitaminA is broadcasting Wandering Son; after all they're no stranger to the concept of transgendered characters. (Both Paradise Kiss and Moyashimon aired in the popular anime block.) AIC did a wonderful job with the animation; the show almost looks like it was drawn using a water-colored technique. The voice acting, on the other hand, is hit-and-miss. While Asami Seto's Yoshino sounds very natural I couldn't help but notice how many times it appeared Kōsuke Hatakeyama was straining himself while voicing Shuichi. (This is his first role, however, so this might be forgivable.)

In regards to the realism of the storyline and the progression/evolution of the characters, I'm not so sure I'm the right person to judge this aspect of the show. Sure it's entertaining, and there are a lot of really good heartfelt moments in Wandering Son, but I'm somewhat doubtful if they managed to capture what goes on in the mind of someone in the transgendered community. I have a couple friends that have gone through -- or still are going through -- these changes, but even then I only know what they tell me about this sort of stuff. I don't know if the anime really captures what's going on within the mindscape of someone whose transgendered, but at the same time what I do see in this series is entertaining, and it does look like they're trying to do everything they can to teach people about this sort of population.

From what I've seen in the first four episodes of Hourou Musuko it appears that they're doing something right with the way the storyline's convening. The animation's great, the majority of the characters are likable and the highs and lows of finding acceptance in middle school seem to be captured quite well. But do the characters of Yoshino and Shuichi truly represent the issues and challenges that real people in the transgendered populace experience? That's a question much better asked for someone who has experienced it.

*** ½ (out of five)

Wandering Son is available to stream on Crunchyroll.