Looking for a gift for an anime fan? Think you'll have some holiday cash to spend on yourself at the end of the holidays and don't know what to buy? The EX staff gives their recommendations and wish lists for what they'd like.

Anime Picks

Charles: SUPER ATRAGON (A.D. Vision) for a domestic release. Action, suspense, and nice animation and soundtrack make it very worthwhile. For an import release, I'd recommend the DIRTY PAIR MOVIE. It's fun and entertaining, and while you won't be existentially challenged by its content, you'll have a good time. (And the old DIRTY PAIR is much better than that FLASH stuff).

Keith: THE VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE (Import LD) Fantasy stories seldom get this good. Great story, plenty of action, likable characters, lavishly animated and topped off with a killer soundtrack. By the grand master of action, Kawamori "MACROSS" Shouji.

Chad: GOLDENBOY. It's extreme and really funny. Despite what the cover may imply, there is far more comedy than "H" and the comedy hasn't been this fresh in a long time (if you don't count AKAZUKIN CHACHA which hasn't gotten over here yet...).

Peter: NAUSICAÄ (Laserdisc). Sure, I've seen it. But some of my 'non-fan' friends haven't, and I can't rent it from my local area. I can't afford to buy it for myself. (We copy editors don't make squat!)

Roderick: BUBBLEGUM CRISIS, the series that first put AnimEigo on the map, may have been "sullied" with an English dub release, but the LD release is still all-sub. Grab that increasingly rare specimen known as a "subbed AnimEigo LD," but save a copy for me.

Eugene: HERE IS GREENWOOD (Software Sculptors). With all the stuff available domestically this year, it's hard to pick the gems of the pack. Being a romantic, I recommend HERE IS GREENWOOD episodes 5-6, which contains both parts to the SECOND LOVE... ALWAYS BE WITH YOU story line. Hey, it's mushy, but that's what Christmas is all about.

Ken: GUNDAM MOVIES MASTER GRADE LASERDISC BOXED SET (import): Sure, the animation's as dated as it gets but these are the movies (based on the original television series) that started a Bandai legacy. Also, the remastered prints and additional new footage help make the viewing of such old anime pleasurable, rather than painful.

Mark: MEMORIES COLLECTORS EDITION (Import LD): Definitely my vote for best Anime movie last year, this LD set includes the movie in full letterbox and a special making of, interviews, etc. Also YOU'RE UNDER ARREST DOUBLE PACK (AnimEigo LD/Tape), which is now selling at a special package price. Now we can only hope that they get the TV series rights too.

Maria: AKA-CHAN TO BOKU LD #2: (Import) A new TV series available in December, just in time for the holidays. This warm-hearted slice-of-life anime series will have you laughing and crying at the same time. Contains episodes 3 & 4 of the TV series from the popular manga series published by HANA TO YUME (Flowers and Dreams).

Chris: TENCHI MUYO IN LOVE!. This very well written movie continues the adventures of Tenchi and the girls with a quality not seen in the OVA and TV series. It also explains some points not hit on during these series, such as why Tenchi returned to earth, and of course, who was Tenchi's mother.

Tom: FUSHIGI YUUGI LD BOX 1 (or SOL BIANCA 1) I know this has been out for a while, but it's one of those great shows that I wish I had another $400 in my monthly budget to buy. It's been perpetually on the "To Buy" list for 2 years now. Maybe Santa will help get this item off the list!

Eugene Moon: OH! MY GODDESS (AnimEigo) Yes, it's been out for a while. Yes, it's fluff. But it's good fluff (especially around this time of year). And it stars Inoue Kikuko, Touma Yumi, and Hisakawa Aya as three of the cutest goddesses you ever laid eyes on.

Next: Manga Picks