Suzuka: Volume 4
Okay, I must be insane. Or maybe not, considering this week doesn’t really have much in the way of stellar titles. I kinda fought myself between this and Zipang, and Suzuka won. At any rate it’s a cut above the average as far as romance shows go, since things actually change and progress character and plot wise, rather than remaining largely static until the end. It’s not a harem either, so those of you who object to hordes of moe objects should be fine too. It’s not something a single guy would probably want to watch on their own, but this is a pretty good show if you’ve got a ladyfriend who’s into romances.

Hellsing Ultimate Vol. 3
It’s the remake to the cult hit of the same name, sans the Ultimate. Lots of vamps, gunkata, blood, and gore. Mature themage abounds for obvious reasons, and it’s more of a horror show than an action one, at least to me. Fans of the first series will want to check it out, as would horror buffs, but the original series isn't required as this is a remake that is supposed to be truer to the source manga.

The Story of Saiunkoku Vol. 2
Oooh, I'm an idiot! Sigh. This is what happens when I rely on second hand information from unreliable sources. I've been corrected that this is a period political drama, and that there's not much romancing involved, even if it takes place in a kingdom. That said, it still gets my previous recommendation since despite what it's about, I still hear that it's a pretty good series anyway. Hit it, yo!

Zipang, Vol. 7: Return to the Future
The other serious candidate for this week’s pick was Zipang; an alternate history (think Harry Turtledove) show where a detachment of ships from modern Japan’s Naval SDF gets transported back into the midst of WWII. It’s more for military history and WWII buffs, but any fan of action shows should get their fill and then some. Hit it.

Innocent Venus: Vol. 2
By now I’ve gotten kinda used to doing a couple nice entries, and then ripping a really crappy one a new hole, but this week is sorta paradoxical in that there aren’t any really good or crappy releases this week. So now I have to settle for second worst, so to speak. Innocent Venus isn’t a terrible show, but it’s not particularly great either. It is basically a poor man’s 1984, set in an authoritarian future Japan where the rich live in nice cities and the rest get a hearty “screw you.” It also manages to tack on robots, genetic experimentation, and strange girls with the power to save the world. A borderline rental.