Christmas! Christmas!

By: Brian Thomas
Date: Monday, December 25, 2006

Since this column recently moved from Saturdays to Mondays, this is my first column to land directly on Christmas day. I could ramble on for a while about how important it is to watch cartoons on Christmas or Santa won’t come to your house next year no matter what you do, but as a special gift to you lucky bastards, I’m going to make this a short one. Not that I have a lot of choice, since hardly any new DVDs are released this week. However, we do have some new stuff for you to browse through tomorrow while you’re returning stuff.

Okay, so you’ve got things to do. Wear that nice sweater just once – grandma worked so hard on it.

SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Every time a toilet flushes, an angel gets her wings.

(O) THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS (Comedy Central) Lest we forget, it was Christmas that was behind the start of South Park. The first cartoon by Matt Stone and Trey Parker pitted an evil Frosty the Snowman against Jesus way back in 1992. Then in 1995, Fox exec Brian Graden paid the boys two grand to make another short just for him, this time featuring a battle between Jesus and Santa Claus. The day is saved by Brian Boitano. Graden gave the video to around 80 people as a Xmas card, but when bootlegs got around, Comedy Central decided it was funny enough (and more importantly, cheap enough) to deserve a series pilot, and the series debuted in 1997, and Christmas episodes have been important to the show. The original short is available on South Park: The Hits Volume 1. The second short was also incorporated into the season 4 episode “A Very Crappy Christmas” as a TV commercial the boys animate.

NEW DVD RELEASES

Here’s a rundown of the constant stream of anime comin’ at ya on DVD from around the world:

(O) ANIMATED 3-pack (Fox) Includes the big hit Ice Age, along with the bombs Bartok the Magnificent and Thumbelina.

(O) BASILISK Volume 4: Tokaido Road (Funimation) Again equal in number, both of the Kouga and the Iga harbor sorrow and despair. The clans follow separate paths to Sunpu Castle, as Gennosuke seeks the solution the the riddle, this costly ninja war. But treachery and death follow hard at their heels, as those blinded by hatred long harbored seek to shorten the list. Limited edition comes with art booklet, collectible cards and loads of Japanese extras
(O) CARDCAPTOR SAKURA Volumes 1-18 (Geneon) Sakura was a normal fourth-grader until she stumbled upon the book of Clow Cards in her father's library. After accidentally setting the magical cards loose, it's now up to Sakura to catch them all again before they wreak havoc on the entire world! 35 episodes on 18 discs.
(O) FULL METAL PANIC!: THE SECOND RAID Volume 2: Tactical Ops 02 (Funimation) With a traitor in hiding, Mithni goes on the hunt. One crashed party and a high-speed gunfight later, the turncoat's information has the mercenary group abuzz.
(O) HARE + GUU Volume 6 (Funimation) The kids get in trouble with the law.
(O) MOON PHASE Volume 3 (Funimation) Episodes 11-14. Even as Kouhei and his family risk all to save Hazuki from her fate, the formidable Count Kinkel refuses to be thwarted by human designs. As his plans grow darker and the web draws tighter, death and destruction nip at the heels of all. The Count's powers lie beyond compare, and not even dawn's light can offer new hope.
(O) NEGIMA Magic 501: Magic Outside the Classroom (Funimation) Excitement runs high at Mahora Academy as the girls of Class 2-A prepare for their annual school trip. But poor Negi Springfield has more than Kyoto on his plate, for one of his students appears to be missing. Also available in a limited edition that comes with exclusive Negima figure and art booklet.
(O) THE NEW ADVENTURES OF HE-MAN Volume 1 (BCI Eclipse) He-Man and Skeletor battle anew on an alien planet in the future! 33 episodes on six discs, plus documentaries, trivia, art cards, booklet and more.
(O) SAIYUKI RELOAD GUNLOCK Volume 5 (Geneon) Hazel then tries to convince Sanzo that he should join Hazel’s quest to rid the world of demons.
SPEED GRAPHER Volume 5
© Funimation
(O) SPEED GRAPHER Volume 5 (Funimation) Tokyo is plagued by a tragic music box tune. Also available in a limited edition with art cards.

And be sure to check back next week—and every week—for Mania’s Anime Avalanche! And check in every Tuesday for the latest DVD Shopping List!

Questions? Comments? Let us know what you think at Anime Avalanche.

Christmas! Christmas!

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