After finishing the first "arc" of an eventual nine and introducing us to the second, When They Cry: Higurashi moves on to showing the brutal conclusion of the Cotton Drifting arc, providing several more key clues to the nature of what's happening in Hinamizawa. With the introduction of the Curse Killing chapter, however, things only continue to become more mystifying as events seem to begin to overlap and contradict each other as Keiichi attempts to protect a dear friend.
As Ichise becomes more indoctrinated into the ways of the Organo, Onishi becomes aware of a new threat shadowing the city of Lukuss. Texhnolyze continues in this volume, which contains episodes thirteen through sixteen, as the final puzzle pieces of the setting click into piece to begin pushing forward towards the true core of its story.
Mushi-shi, as its title would suggest, revolves around the idea of the existence of the mushi, or organisms composes of the basest, most purest form of life, and the impact they have on the people who interact with them. A traveling Mushi-shi (or Mushi Master), Ginko, makes his way around the countryside, seeking out those whose problems have arisen from the mushi and doing what he can to resolve them.
Slayers is widely known as a classic fantasy anime-or to be more accurate, a classic comedic take on fantasy anime-is based on a series of light novels by Hajime Kanzaka, which also spawned video game, manga, and OAV adaptations. Slayers stars Lina Inverse, a young, underdeveloped sorceress with a nasty temper as she travels the world in search of fame and fortune, yet somehow inevitably becomes caught up in dramatic conflicts to save the world instead.
Tehxnolyze's third volume, spanning episodes nine through twelve, continue to follow Ichise's journey through the dark corridors of Lukuss and the political factions and individuals that continue to manipulate it. A strange, disturbing series of events leads to a shakeup within the ranks of the Organo, and Ichise finds himself indebted to its young leader, Onishi. At the same time, the young girl Ran continues to watch everything, knowing and already dreading the inevitable outcome.
The Third: The Girl With the Blue Eyes introduces us to a version of Earth ruled by desert sands and with its population ravaged by wars in the far past. Under the rule and watch of a species known as The Third, jack-of-all-trades Honoka does her best to get by, unaware that a young man she rescues seems to be one of their targets...
The second volume of Texhnolyze, bringing episodes five through eight of the dark, ambitious project by much of the same team that produced Serial Experiments Lain, clarifies more pieces of the puzzle that composes Lukuss and those trying to manipulate it and its people.
From much of the team that brought Serial Experiments Lain into fruition, Texhnolyze is a dark, surreal, disturbing look into the dystopia of Lukuss--an underground city divided amongst itself due to the process of Tehxnolyzation, or the substitution of lost limbs with artificial appendages. In the first volume, we are introduced to the story of Ichise, a boxer faced with the loss of both his right arm and left leg, and how he slowly begins to be dragged into the conflict amongst the warring factions of the city.
Tohru has now been living with the Sohma family, twelve members of which are cursed to transform into a Zodiac animal when hugged by the opposite sex, for a year now, gradually changing their lives with the strength of her optimism and kindness. Looming in the shadows, however, is the figure of Akito, unstable head of the Sohma family, and suggestions of a darker side of the curse that Tohru isn't aware of.
Tohru continues to deepen her bonds with the Sohma family in the third volume, covering episode thirteen through nineteen, of the anime adaptation of the shoujo manga by Takaya Natsuki.
While the first six episodes introduced us to Tohru, the Sohmas, and established them as surrogate family, the next volume settles more into demonstrating the gradual but significant impact Tohru's presence has on the people around her, teaching them the value of kindness and inspiring them to slowly overcome their own flaws and the scars left on their history.
Fruits Basket's premise, based on the popular shoujo manga by Natsuki Takaya, revolves around the story of twelve Chinese Zodiac; specifically, portraying them through the Sohma family, in which twelve members of which are cursed to transform into one of the animals whenever hugged by the opposite sex. Things take a turn for the chaotic, however, when high schooler Tohru Honda accidentally uncovers their secret.
When They Cry (alternatively known as Higurashi no Naku Koro ni)'s origins are humble ones--a personal, or doujin, project on the part of a Japanese man known as Ryukishi07 to create a PC text adventure game. The initial premise is one that feels very familiar to us--the story of a boy named Keiichi Maebara, newcomer to the small village of Hinamizawa, who grows close to a circle of friends composed of four girls. Things take a sinister twist, however, when Keiichi hears whisperings of the dark history that surrounds the peaceful village--stories of brutal serial murders and dark cults, and becomes alarmed and increasingly paranoid as he begins to suspect his friends are involved.
The surprise temporary return of Jimmy Kudo provides makes this seven episode disc of Case Closed with one of the strongest entries in the series to date.
Homemade bombs, kidnappings, and karaoke feature highly in this bittersweet disc of mysteries taking young detective Conan Edogawa from the baseball field to glamour filled mansions in order to solve crimes up and down the social spectrum.
