Boy, strep throat is nasty. I'm almost recovered and, if nothing else, no longer contagious. But because I was able to get ahead of things a little bit, I am still able to stay on schedule for one more week -- Final Yamato. The finale of the Space Battleship Yamato series for a great long while, Final Yamato wasn't the perfect ending note, but it wasn't bad either. Of course, this is hardly the place to start if you've never encountered the crew of the Yamato before, but if you have, then the review should tell you why I'm still kinda excited about the recent animated film and the live-action version hitting Japanese theaters soon.

About a month ago, I was fortunate enough to be pointed toward Pale Cocoon, a strong OVA from 2006 that marked the debut of director Yasuhiro Yoshiura. His ability to make a great sci-fi short on a limited budget puts him in the ranks of the now-famous Matoko Shinkai. And if his debut was pretty impressive, his follow-up, Time of Eve, is even better. While still in the sci-fi realm, this show is significantly different in tone from Pale Cocoon, tackling some sensitive issues while inserting witty humor and banter. It proves to me that Yoshiura has the goods to be a top-flight director. Read the review to find out why this 6-episode series should be on your "anime to-do list."

Several years ago, many of us in the anime world were excited to hear of something new from Katsuhiro Otomo, the writer/director behind the famous Akira (even though his follow-up Steamboy was just OK in comparison). As fate would have it, the seven-part OVA series Freedom would only feature his character and mechanical designs, as well as a bit of bike racing in the first episode. Sadly, Bandai released each episode individually at ridiculous price points, and it nearly killed interest in the States. However, now available in more convenient (and far less expensive) packaging, Freedom turns out to be worthwhile on the whole, even though Otomo fans might be disappointed that the director isn't more involved.