Patalliro! Stardust Keikaku

Patarillo! is set in a society much like ours in most ways, with one decided twist. The manga on which it is based is one of the much-read works produced for adolescent Japanese girls that features a healthy proportion of gay men and beautiful teenagers aka bishounen (beautiful boys). Most of the action takes place in Marinera, the land of eternal spring, located somewhere in the South Seas. The country is a major producer of diamonds; they provide much of the basis of conflict in the anime series. They come from one of the most prolific mines in the world, owned by the king of Marinera, the vertically challenged but horizontally endowed boy-king Patarillo himself. The International Diamond Syndicate - a huge semi- criminal organization/ secret society dedicated to taking over the world`s entire diamond supply- wants that mine and will stop at nothing to get it. In the early episodes they send off a number of bishounen assassins to do in Patarillo, which necessitates his having a bodyguard, the English MI6 agent, Major Jack (`Bishounen-Killer`) Bancoran. Bancoran`s nickname doesn`t mean he shoots bishounen in cold blood. The soubriquet comes from the fact that no male under the age of 17 can resist his sexual fascination. This, to Bancoran`s eternal disgust, includes Patarillo himself. The action switches often from Marinera to MI6 headquarters in London (London seems to be an easy two hour`s flight from the South Seas) or Bancoran`s palatial condo in the suburbs of same. (MI6, be it noted, looks a lot like Fritz Lang`s Metropolis, while Jack`s `apartment` bears a passing resemblance to Randolph Hearst`s spread.) The action also goes into the past and future and out into space. Patarillo evidently gets around.

The story centers on a young man named Giuseppe, who is called "Toristukare Otoko" by the townspeople because once he gets absorbed in something, he cannot look at anything else. One day, he falls in love at first sight with a girl selling balloons named Pechka. He goes crazy and tries to get closer to Pechka, but she has a sadness in her heart and... For the sake of his beloved Pechka, Giuseppe and his partner, the mouse Cielo, secretly solve her worries by using the many tricks he has been obsessed with.

Story begins when Koala asks Butt Detective to find a missing relative who disappeared from an idol contest. The case takes Butt Detective to Stardust Island, the site of the contest, and also the home of the international criminal organization Phantom Thief Academy, headed by Phantom Thief G. Here, the organization advances its secret conspiracy, codenamed the Dark Age Plan. Butt Detective enters Stardust Island under the guise of an idol. At the same time, he joins forces with Phantom Thief U, who is out to steal back the valuable Moonlight Stone from Phantom Thief G. The story will also reveal more about Brown's past.

Take flight with "Porco" Rosso, a valiant World War I flying ace! From tropical Adriatic settings to dazzling aerial maneuvers, this action-adventure from world-renowned animator Hayao Miyazaki is full of humor, courage and chivalry. When "Porco" —whose face has been transformed into that of a pig by a mysterious spell— infuriates a band of sky pirates with his aerial heroics, the pirates hire Curtis, a rival pilot, to "get rid" of him. On the ground, the two pilots compete for the affections of the beautiful Gina. But it is in the air where the true battles are waged. Will our hero be victorious?