Youngsters will relish the antics of Mimiko, a Japanese girl with as much spunk as another animated favorite, the little French mademoiselle, Madeline. Lighthearted and cross-cultural, this Japanese cartoon, made popular for American audiences through English dubbing, is based on Panda koPanda ("Panda, Little Panda"), the 1972-73 two-parter written by anime master Hayao Miyazaki (My Neighbor Totoro). Isao Takahata, another anime king (Grave of the Fireflies), directs the production, showcasing some characteristic elements of anime that surpass usual Saturday morning fare: crisp animation, depth of characters, and sophisticated musical tracks. Cinematography aside, viewers will be captivated by the optimistic orphan who lives with her grandmother and has no fear of "burglars, ghosts, or any old thing. " In the first story, "Panda Family," Grandmother must travel to Nagasaki and, reluctantly, leaves Mimiko at home alone. To Mimiko's delight, she is not alone after all when a father and son set of panda bears moves in. Unaware they are zoo escapees, Mimiko adopts Papa Panda and little Panny and writes to grandmother, "I've got myself a daddy and a baby. " Rapid-fire adventures begin for the trio, yet Mimiko keeps her cool whether dealing with Panny's mischief, zookeepers' threats, or a close call with a raging waterfall. High-flying fun continues in the second tale, "The Circus in the Rain," as a baby tiger escapes the Big Top to join Mimiko's menagerie, a monsoon floods her home, and a runaway train spells disaster. All in a day's work for this daring do-gooder; Grandmother would be proud. [+]

Techno is a genius who is content to live his life without human companionship. That is, until a girl named Hitomi wanders in front of one of his surveillance cameras. Now it's anything goes as Techno vows to use everything at his disposal to make his "Daisy" fall in love with him. Character designs by Ranma 1/2's Atsuko Nakajima. All six volumes in a collector's box.

This six-part OAV (original animation video) begins as a freewheeling spoof of mecha adventures with plenty of slapstick comedy, robots of all types, a crazed villain, scantily clad babes, and a resident hunk. In the not-too-distant future, nerdy Hiroshi Ozora creates a power suit later dubbed "Moldiver" designed to make him into an invincible superhero with muscles like his best friend Misaki's. When Hiroshi's younger sister Mirai gets into his computer, she makes some changes: the Moldiver acquires curves, a miniskirt, stockings, and high heels. In her battles with the nefarious Dr. Machinegal and his army of robot women, Mirai proves an effective but destructive heroine, leaving a trail of ruined buildings and fallen roadways wherever she passes. No wonder Machinegal refers to her as "that leggy girl who breaks everything!" Unfortunately, the plot-and the fun-begin to fall apart in part 4, "Destruction," when Mirai and Hiroshi's brother Nozomu gets into the act and behaves like an obnoxious brat. Mirai has to fight three villains: Machinegal; his chief robot, Isabelle; and Nozomu as "Moldiver 3. " The last-minute romance between Mirai and Misaki feels forced, making you wish you'd stopped watching at the end of episode 3. Rated 13 and up: nudity, minor profanity, violence, and sexual and toilet humor. -Charles Solomon.

The 60's classic 8th Man! An agent of the evil Black Butterfly Gang has been exposed to the rays of an exploding Cyclotron (while. never mind). Now, he's discovered that he can walk effortlessly through walls! Also includes The Battle of the Brothers, The Monstrous Eeler, The Gold Beetle of the Orientia, and The Return of Napoleon Bonaparte.

One of the first anime features, Fist of the North Star was based on a popular manga series set in the not-too-distant future, when Earth has been devastated by a nuclear holocaust. The scattered survivors huddle in ruined cities, awaiting an enlightened warrior-hero worthy of the title of "Fist of the North Star," who will start the planet on the path to recovery. That mythic hero arrives in the person O, who looks like a caricature of Sylvester Stallone drawn for an American Saturday morning cartoon show. The relatively simple story is burdened with many subplots involving evil brothers, betrayals, kidnappings, and murders, all needing endless expository scenes. Director Toyoa Ashida borrows shamelessly from the Rambo and Mad Max films, along with Frank Frazetta's illustrations. Fist of the North probably ranks as the most violent film in animation history, but after the fourth or fifth head explodes in gobbets of red paint, the effect becomes unintentionally comic. -Charles Solomon.

This Japanese import featuring five teenagers with superhero powers may turn out to be for older girls what Pokémon is for the pee-wee set. The fantasy-action story lines of Sailor Moon (named for the leader) is typical anime fare-which means it's far more creative than anything you'll see on Saturday morning. And far more complex-the stories are intricate and flashback sequences feature wordless narrative. Then again, what high-spirited girl wouldn't love the magical makeup that transforms hip schoolgirls into butt-kicking heroines? In this one-hour feature, we meet a new foe, a mysterious childhood friend of Sailor Moon's boyfriend who returns-from deep space! His evil plan to rid the Earth of life includes flowers with awesome powers, vine-covered foes, and telekinetics. Quite the challenge for Sailors Moon, Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter. Despite the action, the series certainly has a different feel and color scheme than most male-driven anime. The Japanese have two terms: shonen (for boys) and shojo (for girls), and if girls haven't had a chance to see the shojo anime, this is the starting point. This subtitled version is uncut from the original Japanese cartoon, and the reading crowd above 7 is the appropriate audience for the video's occasional spooky imagery. This unedited version was soaked up by kids in Japan, but the cultural differences might be questionable for American parents. There's a brief, nondescriptive conversation about homosexuality and ghostly naked figures (think Barbie doll) that are illustrated, although it's not nudity as much as the female form. [+]

This six-part OAV (original animation video) begins as a freewheeling spoof of mecha adventures with plenty of slapstick comedy, robots of all types, a crazed villain, scantily clad babes, and a resident hunk. In the not-too-distant future, nerdy Hiroshi Ozora creates a power suit later dubbed "Moldiver" designed to make him into an invincible superhero with muscles like his best friend Misaki's. When Hiroshi's younger sister Mirai gets into his computer, she makes some changes: the Moldiver acquires curves, a miniskirt, stockings, and high heels. In her battles with the nefarious Dr. Machinegal and his army of robot women, Mirai proves an effective but destructive heroine, leaving a trail of ruined buildings and fallen roadways wherever she passes. No wonder Machinegal refers to her as "that leggy girl who breaks everything!" Unfortunately, the plot-and the fun-begin to fall apart in part 4, "Destruction," when Mirai and Hiroshi's brother Nozomu gets into the act and behaves like an obnoxious brat. Mirai has to fight three villains: Machinegal; his chief robot, Isabelle; and Nozomu as "Moldiver 3. " The last-minute romance between Mirai and Misaki feels forced, making you wish you'd stopped watching at the end of episode 3. Rated 13 and up: nudity, minor profanity, violence, and sexual and toilet humor. -Charles Solomon.

Includes episodes 111 - 124 Three years have come and gone, and the day of reckoning has finally arrived! The Androids are here, just as Trunks predicted, and they're wreaking havoc on an unsuspecting city! Goku and his friends must now put their training to the test, but are they ready to face these mechanical monsters? Yamcha is held at the mercy of the ruthless Android 20, and Goku and the others must race to help their friend. Believing their power to be far superior, the Androids tempt Goku's rage by leveling half of the city! But there's one thing the Androids didn't count on - Goku's a Super Saiyan! The battle with the Androids begins in earnest as Goku launches an all out assault against Android 19. The Super Saiyan seems to have the fight well under control, but something is horribly wrong! Goku's strength is mysteriously draining away! And Android 19 isn't showing any signs of slowing down! Attacked from within by a crippling virus, Goku is helpless against the maniacal Android 19. But just when it looks like the end for Goku, Vegeta appears on the scene! And he's got a few big surprises in store for the Androids! In his first fight as a Super Saiyan, Vegeta takes control of the battlefield and defeats Android 19 in convincing fashion! Unwilling to share 19's fate, Android 20 runs for cover in the mountains! Now Vegeta and the rest of the Z-Fighters must find the diabolical Android and put a stop to his evil ways. The hunt is on! Vegeta, Piccolo, and Gohan lead an exhaustive search through the mountains for the wily Android 20. But all is not as it seems - the hunters are also the hunted! Android 20 lurks in the shadows, ready to strike, and it looks like Piccolo is his first target! Can the mighty Namek withstand the Android's energy-draining attack? Our heroes make a startling discovery - Android 20 is none other than the evil Dr. Gero himself! But this new revelation may have come too late, for the diabolical doctor has fled to his secret laboratory, where he intends to awaken two more killer androids! Can the Z-Fighters stop him in time?.

Blossom wields far greater power than Kongo as they continue their battle, but suddenly a figure wrapped in a veil of fog appears! He is the Guardian, and his 300 foot tall body frightens Kongo into diving headlong into challenging the Guardian. Instead, it is Kongo who is challenged. Asked to perform a series of tests, will Kongo win once again?! Or does this strange Guardian have other ideas? Episodes 10-11.