Hikari

26

R

Betterman

Keita Aono is an ordinary high school student who loves to chat with his friends about military technology and the girls in their class. One day, Keita is surprised and delighted by a new transfer student in his class, his childhood friend Hinoki Sai. But when Keita tries to catch up with Hinoki after school, he accidentally wanders into Bottom World—an underground amusement park whose opening was canceled due to an unexplained tragedy. As Keita explores the area, he eventually finds Hinoki in the cockpit of a strange robot. She is here on behalf of Akamatsu Industries, a company contracted with the secretive international organization Mode Warp to investigate strange cases of violence worldwide. After joining Hinoki in the robot, the pair attempt to defend themselves against the various attractions of Bottom World, which have come to life and become violent. However, they are unable to escape until a man with transforming powers—dubbed "Betterman"—joins their struggle. Faced with an enemy he does not understand and a slew of mysterious new technology, Keita joins Akamatsu Industries in a fight against a force they call "Algernon."

TV Spring 1999 6.57

8

PG-13

Black★Rock Shooter (TV)

On the first day of junior high school, Mato Kuroi happens to run into Yomi Takanashi, a shy, withdrawn girl whom she immediately takes an interest in. Mato tries her best to make conversation with Yomi, wanting to befriend her. At first, she is avoided, but the ice breaks when Yomi happens to notice a decorative blue bird attached to Mato's phone, which is from the book "Li'l Birds At Play." Discovering they have a common interest, the two form a strong friendship. In an alternate universe, the young girls exist as parallel beings, Mato as Black★Rock Shooter, and Yomi as Dead Master. Somehow, what happens in one world seems to have an effect on the other, and unaware of this fact, the girls unknowingly become entangled by the threads of fate.

TV Winter 2012 6.79

1

PG-13

Black★Rock Shooter (OVA)

On her first day of junior high school, Mato Kuroi meets Yomi Takanashi. Though Yomi is initially taken aback by Mato's straightforward personality, the pair quickly becomes friends and begin to spend time together daily. As a sign of their friendship, Mato gives Yomi a cell phone charm—a blue star, identical to her own. However, when the two enter their second year, their relationship starts to change. Placed in a different class, Mato begins to spend more time with Yuu Koutari instead, a girl she met through the basketball team. In fact, the former best friends drift apart so much so that Mato cannot find Yomi anywhere, as if she had disappeared entirely. Elsewhere, Black★Rock Shooter is on a quest to vanquish the Dead Master. These two, while opposed, bear a connection not unlike Mato and Yomi. As their stories begin to cross, it seems Yomi's disappearance may have to do with the blue star-shaped charm and the legendary gunslinger herself.

Ova Winter 2010 7.09

24

R

Blassreiter

Modern Germany is plagued by an outbreak of "Amalgams." Existing solely to wreak havoc, these cybernetic entities spawn from rotting flesh and can fuse with technology to gain new abilities. With society left in the wake of their destruction, the Xenogenesis Assault Team (XAT) is formed to suppress the threat. Alongside its primary mission to protect against the Amalgam attacks, the organization is also researching the newly discovered "amalgamated" humans which possess rational thought and are far deadlier than their non-sentient counterparts. Joseph Jobson is one such amalgamated human who has full control over his powers. Although successful in his line of work as a lone warrior, an unfortunate encounter with the recently-turned-Amalgam Gerd Frentzen makes him a priority target of the XAT. As he eludes the organization and seeks new allies, Joseph is transformed into the Blassreiter—a being heralded as the strongest Amalgam in existence. Now, he must fight back with his newfound powers to uncover the truth behind not only his past, but also the entire Amalgam conflict.

TV Spring 2008 6.87

PG-13

13

6.67