Of all the new Spring anime launches, Gonzo's Speed Grapher was the one that showed the most promise. Having watched the first few episodes, it looks like the anticipation (of this writer at least) was justly rewarded. The initial premise - a photographer decides to investigate a secretive underground "pleasure" club, only to find himself "gifted" some strange new powers - ends up revealing an intriguing storyline. Our main character, Saiga, finds himself with the sudden ability to kill through his camera, all the while encountering a girl, Kagura, who doesn't quite seem to know what is going on in her world. Her sudden manifestations at the club (where she drops down from the ceiling to then transmit "abilities" onto others) feel like dreams to her, and in reality, she is captive to a faction that reveals itself to be the true "shadow authority" of this near-future version of Japan. Add to this some attractive visuals and an opening credit sequence that features Duran Duran's "Girls on Film" (which fits the the theme of the show beautifully), and you have what is certainly the first true must-watch series of the year.

If you happen to be familiar with the hugely popular manga and anime series Naruto, then think of Basilisk as its twisted evil twin. The Tokugawa-era storyline follows two warring ninja clans looking to annihilate each other, and at the same time claim a scroll that will lead to an alliance with the ruling government. The show's main draw is definitely the intense duels between members of both ninja clans, and this is where the comparisons to Naruto come from. As they exercise their fantastic powers to defeat one another, reality takes a quick exit and we fully enter the realm of supernatural fantasy. But this is not a vote against it - the Gonzo-produced series looks great, and the action is quite thrilling to watch. Recommended for fans of straight action, but don't expect to be wowed by the storyline.

Sousei no Aquarion is a strange creature. On the one hand, you have Shoji Kawamori, the show's director, who has contributed to such popular series as Cowboy Bebop, Patlabor, Escaflowne, various Macross incarnations, and even this season's rival mech show, Eureka 7 (he's behind the main mechanical designs). On the other hand, the degree to which it resembles the grandaddy of modern mech anime, Neon Genesis Evangelion, is a uncomfortably high. Both shows take thematic cues from the world of angels, feature young new cadets who have to come to terms with the psychological effect that piloting these giant fighting machines has on them, and the second half of most episodes usually involves a threat to the city being countered by the show's saviors. They even share a similar title - Neon Genesis Evangelion versus Holy Genesis Aquarion.

If there's one thing that differentiates them, it's the overt sexual allusions found throughout Aquarion. The emotional element that links the pilots to their ships leads to orgasms (real ones, not figurative) whenever they combine (a la Voltron) into the Aquarion combat unit. A young pilot reacts to her first combat situation in the company of a veteran in the way a virgin would to her first sexual encounter. Although it does spice things up, this is not to say that the show is truly sexual in nature, as the main story still revolves around humanity trying to defend itself against an oncoming threat, a staple of the genre. The verdict? Far from being a standout, although great mechanical designs, nice visuals, and thrilling CG battles make for an entertaining (if mindless) half-hour.

The other anticipated new mech series of the current TV season takes a very different approach to the genre, and ends up being the stronger of the two. Renton is a young teenager who wishes there was more excitement in his life (he works as a mechanic). His prayers are answered when a giant humanoid combat vehicle comes crashing into his home. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what makes Eureka 7 so much fun to watch - the lighter tone could have something to do with it - but it quickly becomes apparent that viewers are probably going want to stay tuned and see how the story unfolds. What kind of relationship does Renton really have with this mech, and why is it that he is able to make it do things other can't? Does it have something to do with his father? Maybe not as "adult" as the other shows covered here (it's the only series reviewed that doesn't air after midnight), there's a lot to love about Eureka 7, and it would seem that the early buzz was justified.

Trinity Blood, yet another release from the suddenly-prolific Gonzo studio, didn't make its way into last month's preview guide, and comes in as a pleasant surprise. Airing on pay-channel Wowow (Thursdays at 24:00), the series mixes genres to create an interesting hybrid - a hard sci-fi setting featuring vampires. The backdrop is a far-off future, centuries after Earth underwent an Armageddon, that revolves around a conflict that pits the religious empire of the Vatican against a strange alien race they come to call "vampires." Towards the end of the first episode we learn that another faction, referred to as the Order of Rozen Creuz, is also getting ready to join the fray. It's a refreshing new take on a genre (vampires) that certainly needs it.

But it's not all good. Despite the fact that most of the show's details are stunningly rendered, from the massive combat ships and fortresses to costumes and interiors, some of the character designs (thankfully not all) veer too close to the cutesy-mold of moe-style animation - this refers to anime, mostly OVA, that caters to the hardcore otaku crowd: disproportionate girls wearing skimpy outfits, with the owl-like eyes that so many associate with the genre. But that being said, the intriguing mix of compelling action and political maneuvering make this one to watch.

The shojo genre, aimed at girls, isn't usually the kind of thing that gets covered in this column, and it was with some reservation that Glass Mask got mentioned in last month's guide. But the series' huge following, not only through the original manga but also with an earlier animated adaptation in the eighties, suggested that it could have had a crossover appeal. Unfortunately, such is not the case, and anyone not already a follower of the (take a deep breath) coming-of-age- through-great-adversity- from-a-female-perspective style of storytelling is not going to be converted by Glass Mask. For fans of the genre only.

Although Karas, another eagerly awaited series, made its debut on PPV, a review will only appear in next month's column, following the DVD release (expected this month). Blood Night and Angel Heart have yet to launch.