The Click

May 31st - June 6th

Oof! Sorry about The Click's absence last week - a close family member decided to become suddenly married last week. Best wishes, and all that I guess.

So then! Let's get The Click officially rollin', what with the describin' of shows that are new or unique and other lists of things that are not new but still possibly unique, as well as a small contingent that are neither. You know how it is.

Macross Plus
(Sci Fi)
Monday June 2 11:00pm - Episode 3

Zatch Bell
(YTV)
Friday June 6 9:00pm - Episode 35 "The Final Mirror Battle"

This week's Picks are Macross Plus for the exact same reasons as the last two times I've chosen it, because it's a wonderful and engaging show that has aged far better than its contemporaries in the past decade, and also Zatch Bell is back! In Canada, anyway. They still have approximately another 40 or so episodes before YTV catches up to when the show disappeared off the face of the Broadcast world on Toonami, so don't go getting your hopes up for the show's return, US fans. Not that you shouldn't feel as though you should quash that little feeling of hope in your heart - you keep that hope alive.

PREMIERES:

Bakugan Battle Brawlers
(Cartoon Network)
Saturday May 31 11:00am - Episode 15 "Duel in the Desert" (Repeats Sun June 1 10:30am)

Those Bakugan kids, affectionately known heretofore as "The Brawlers," are fooled into a pointless Bakugan Battle against some very powerful opponents in order to further the cause of Bakugan-related mayhem. When will this senseless marble-violence end?!?

Bleach
(Adult Swim)
Sunday June 1 12:00am - Episode 66 (Repeats Sun June 1 3:00am)

Ichigo and Renji and Uryu are in a literal race against time to reclaim the kidnapped maiden Orihime, and a strange girl named Ririn has our heroes at her beck and call, forcing them to play her twisted parlor games.

Blue Dragon
(Cartoon Network)
Saturday May 31 9:00am - Episode 10 "In Enemy Territory"

Shu and his, sigh, gang of video-game conventions attempt to storm the evil "Grand Kingdom," only to be separated by the defenses of said Grand Kingdom's General Logi, who will no doubt pose quite a threat to our heroes. Hope they've leveled-up their healer and did enough grinding to have the proper stats.

Code Geass
(Adult Swim)
Sunday June 1 1:00am - Episode 6 "Stolen Mask" (Repeats Sun June 1 4:00am)

Code Geass' treacly screed against intolerance and imperialism reaches dizzying new heights this week, as Suzaku's entrance at an all-Britannian school causes no small amount of hatred amongst the filthy Judeo-Christian, Anglo-Saxon schoolmates. Ooh, and robots too!

Death Note
(Adult Swim)
Sunday June 1 12:30am - Episode 32 "Selection" (Repeats Sun June 1 3:30am)

(YTV)
Friday June 6 10:00pm - Episode 32 "Selection" (Repeats Sat June 7 1:30am)

A demented lad who has grown up amidst the Kira controversy, Teru Mikami's warped sense of justice and divine retribution rival those of Light's himself - which would, in theory, make him a perfect candidate to inherit the Death Note. In theory.

Kyo kara Maoh!
(ImaginAsianTV)
-Tuesday June 3 7:30pm - Episode 58 "The King of Chaos" (Repeats Tue June 3 10:30pm, Wed June 4 3:00am, 3:00pm)
-Tuesday June 3 8:00pm - Episode 59 "Demons, to Earth" (Repeats Tue June 3 11:00pm, Wed June 4 3:30am, 3:30pm)

It's tough work being a teenaged ruler of the Demon Kingdom, what with the constant meetings and resolutions and trips to dangerous places to make treaties, and that in your triumphant return to Earth, your entire family seems to be in on the fact that you command a Demon Army that could lay waste to the Universe, questioning how exactly they found that fact out and the hilarious hijinx that purportedly ensue!

Naruto
(Cartoon Network)
-Saturday May 31 9:00pm - Episode 170 "The Closed Door"
-Saturday May 31 9:30pm - Episode 171 "Infiltration: The Set-Up"

(YTV)
-Friday June 6 8:00pm - Episode 138 "Pure Betrayal and a Fleeting Plea"
-Friday June 6 8:30pm - Episode 139 "Pure Terror: The House of Orochimaru"

YTV has also, wisely I think, opted to double up on the Naruto fillers in order to burn through them a bit quicker. "Quicker" in this case still meaning another 35 weeks or so at that schedule to catch up to where the show becomes not just arguably good but objectively good, still. This week on Cartoon Network or Toonami if they haven't completely shot that brand of theirs in the back of the head yet: Naruto recovers from the brink of death with the help of a mysterious girl with a tragic secret, while in Canada on YTV's still-thriving Bionix block, Naruto and another mysterious girl with a tragic past investigate what seems like Orochimaru's secret hideout, and the perils therein.

Pokémon
(Cartoon Network)
Saturday May 31 9:30am - Episode 524 "Luxray Vision"

Ash and friends go into Scooby-Doo mode, investigating a spooky castle with a treasure trove of... treasure, which needs protecting!

Shin-chan
(Adult Swim)
Sunday June 1 1:30am - Episode 34 (Repeats Sun June 1 4:30am)

This week on Shin-chan: Butts, poop, fartings, urinations, lacquered crystalline figurines.

Speed Grapher
(IFC)
Friday June 6 11:00pm - Episode 14 "Hell is a Wet Woman" (Repeats Sat June 7 2:00am)

That is exactly the sort of title that typically inspires Beavis and Butthead-style tittering and juvenile laughter in myself. But, the less is said about my distinct lack of tact and taste the better. Saiga and his mysterious feminine companion, Kagura, continue their trek across the country while on the lam from sinister corporate and government types with strange, ooky powers.

Street Fighter II V
(IFC Canada)
-Monday June 2 11:00pm - Episode 19 "Special Orders to Iron Men: The Mightiest Rescuers Launch the Sheltering Skies" (Repeats Tue June 3 11:00am, 5:00pm)
-Monday June 2 11:30pm - Episode 20 "Unknown Explosive Force: The Full Extent of Unbelievable Power" (Repeats Tue June 3 11:30am, 5:30pm)

Cammy fights some guy, Guile and Nash fight Bison, and Zangief fights Ryu, while the beleaguered Canadian audience fights with the guilt of watching such a silly show and their intrinsic 12-year old being delighted by all the bloodless violence.

Transformers: Animated
(Cartoon Network)
Saturday May 31 10:30am - Episode 23 "A Fistful of Energon" (Repeats Sun June 1 11:00am)

Megatron puts a price on Starscream's head, leading two of Megatron's most powerful Decepticon subjects on a race to capture the rogue robot. Inconsequential cartoon robo-violence ensues, no doubt.

Witchblade
(IFC)
Friday June 6 11:30pm - Episode 23 "Tender Grave" (Repeats Sat June 7 2:30am)

Big scary malfunctioning weapons are ready to descend upon Tokyo, and we know from Akira and Evangelion and the other three anime films Washington Post writers were exposed to in the mid-90's and therefore represent the entirety of the genre, that this is a common theme in anime. Also, jokes about tentacles and seizures and robots.

Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
(4KidsTV)
Saturday May 31 11:00am - Episode 146 "Conquering the Past, Part 1"

Jaden is in some kind of sticky situation, where he is losing his "spirit" but in a totally non-religious or spiritual way. More like in a "non-threatening children's entertainment" way in order to skirt the concept of death entirely.

MOVIES/FEATURES

Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea
(Cartoon Network)
Saturday May 31 4:00pm

Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society

A new Pokémon special, kids! Perfectly timed to go out and buy the new Pokémon Mystery Dungeon game! But it's probably alright, if you're into Pokémon anyway.

And Ghost in the Shell! There hasn't been a bad Ghost in the Shell-related thing yet, I'm fairly certain. Even the PSX and PS2 games were an interesting diversion, if little else. Well, now that DreamWorks and Spielberg have nabbed the movie rights, maybe that'll change.

Anime: Drawing a Revolution
(Starz Edge)
Sunday June 1 4:50am

Appleseed
(Encore Action)
Monday June 2 4:30pm

Rounding out the features package this week are two things that will be on constant rotation on the various and sundry Encore networks until the TV landscape becomes a dry, desolate barren wasteland devoid of imagination and courage, the place where even B-list celebrity game shows go to die a slow, agonizing death. Case in point: Karas: The Prophecy is airing again this week but you all know my feelings about that, now.

Alright, so, I'll be around next week to fill you all in, once more, about the wonders of eye-sucking TV anime entertainment! Provided nobody else in my family gets married or dies or dies after getting married, or marries a dead

REPEATS/STRIPS

Black Lagoon
(Starz Edge)
-Fri June 6 5:50am - Episode TBA

Bleach
(YTV)
-Fri June 6 9:30pm - Episode 12 (R Sat June 7 2:00am)

Bleach
(YTV)
-Sat May 31 11:00pm - Episode 17 "Bullets Suit Death Best"
-Sat May 31 11:30pm - Episode 18 "No Way to Run"

Digimon
(Toon Disney)
-Sun June 1 1:30am - Episode 174 "You Want Fries With That?"
-Sun June 1 6:30am - Episode 175 "From Dawn to Duskmon" (R Mon June 2 1:30am)
-Mon June 2 6:30am - Episode 110 "O Partner, Where Art Thou"
-Mon June 2 9:30pm - Episode 230 "Yoshi's Biggest Batttle: The One With Herself"
-Tue June 3 6:30am - Episode 111 "Now You See It Now You Don't"
-Wed June 4 6:30am - Episode 112 "A Question of Trust"
-Thu June 5 6:30am - Episode 113 "Not as Seen on TV"
-Fri June 6 6:30am - Episode 114 "The Icemon Cometh"
-Fri June 6 9:30pm - Episode 231 "The Clash With Merukimon!"
-Sat June 7 6:30am - Episode 176 "Darkest Before Duskmon"

Dinosaur King
(4KidsTV)
-Sat May 31 10:30am - Episode 7 "A Gameshow Showdown"

Elemental Gelade
(ImaginAsianTV)
-Tue June 3 6:00pm - Episode 21 "The Truth Unfolds" (R Tue June 3 9:00pm, Wed June 4 1:30am, 1:30pm)

Eureka 7
(YTV)
-Sat June 7 2:30am - Episode 29 "Keep on Movin'"

Fullmetal Alchemist
(YTV)
-Sat June 7 1:00am - Episode 13 "Flame vs. Fullmetal"

Gankutsuou
(ImaginAsianTV)
-Tue June 3 6:30pm - Episode 21 "The Golden Boy's True Identity" (R Tue June 3 9:30pm, Wed June 4 2:00am, 2:00pm)

Gundam Seed Destiny
(YTV)
-Fri June 6 10:30pm - Episode 10 "A Father's Spell"

Inuyasha
(Adult Swim)
-Sat May 31 11:00pm - Episode 9 "Enter Shippo Plus, the Amazing Thunder Brothers!" (R Sun June 1 2:00am)
-Sat May 31 11:30pm - Episode 10 "Phantom Showdown: The Thunder Brothers vs. Tetsusaiga" (R Sun June 1 2:30am)
-Sun June 1 5:00am - Episode 77 "Panther Tribe and the Two Swords of the Fang"
-Sun June 1 5:30am - Episode 78 "Only You, Sango"
-Mon June 2 5:00am - Episode 79 "Jaken's Plan to Steal the Tetsusaiga"
-Mon June 2 5:30am - Episode 80 "Sesshomaru and the Abducted Rin"
-Tue June 3 5:30am - Episode 81 "Vanishing Point: Naraku Disappears"
-Wed June 4 5:30am - Episode 82 "Gap Between the Ages"
-Thu June 5 5:30am - Episode 83 "Female Wolf-Demon and the Lunar Rainbow Promise"
-Fri June 6 5:30am - Episode 84 "Kega's Bride-To-Be"

Law of Ueki
(ImaginAsianTV)
-Tue June 3 7:00pm - Episode 21 "The Law of Seiichiro Sano" (R Tue June 3 10:00pm, Wed June 4 2:30am, 2:30pm)

Pokémon
(Cartoon Network)
-Mon June 2 6:30am - Episode 112 "The Stun Spore Detour"
-Tue June 3 6:30am - Episode 113 "Hello Pummelo"
-Wed June 4 6:30am - Episode 114 "Enter the Dragonite"
-Thu June 5 6:30am - Episode 115 "Viva Las Lapras"
-Fri June 6 6:30am -Episode 116 "The Underground Round Up"

Speed Grapher
(IFC)
-Mon June 2 8:30pm - Episode 13 "Ginza the Lawless" (R Tue June 3 3:00am)

Tokko
(Sci Fi)
-Tue June 3 12:00am - Episode 10 "Time to Say Goodbye"
-Tue June 3 12:30am - Episode 11 "We Were Born to Be"

Transformers: Animated
(Cartoon Network)
-Mon June 2 6:00am - Episode 4 "Home Is Where the Spark Is"
-Tue June 3 6:00am - Episode 8 "Total Meltdown"
-Wed June 4 6:00am - Episode 5 "Blast From the Past"
-Thu June 5 6:00am - Episode 6 "The Thrill of the Hunt"
-Fri June 6 6:00am - Episode 7 "Nanosec"