Christmas is still weeks away, but I seem to be getting in the festive spirit already, and thanks to Manga Entertainment UK I’ve got a sack full of goodies to give away to one good little boy or girl. I’ve not even had a chance to check all these gifts out myself yet, but I have taken time out from checking my list for a slightly OCD inflicted second time to cut and paste this press release:

AQUARION VOLUME 1 – Written and directed by Shoji Kawamori, creator of ‘The Vision Of Escaflowne’ and ‘Macross 7′, AQUARION – VOLUME 1 comes to DVD in November featuring the first six episodes of the 26-episode anime series. Full of action-packed mecha battles and anime heroics, AQUARION is a must-see for fans of titles such as ‘Escaflowne’, ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’, ‘Vandread’ and ‘Voltron’.

WITCHBLADE: BOX SET – This October, all six volumes are packaged together in one awesome boxed set in Witchblade: Box Set. Featuring all of the episodes from the entire series, as well as an extra special treat for Witchblade comic book fans in the form of an exclusive video tour of Top Cow Studios with founder and illustrator, Marc Silvestri. One of the most beautifully produced and impressive looking anime series in recent memory, Witchblade also boasts an unusually emotive and involving storyline that posits a moving mother-daughter relationship saga against the backdrop of an explosive supernatural action-adventure.

BLACK CAT: BOX SET – Adapted from the bestselling manga by Kentaro Yabuki and directed by Shin Itagaki (Devil May Cry), Black Cat is a neo-noir action thriller involving savvy bounty hunters, deadly assassins, ruthless gangsters and a lethal bio-weapon created in the form of a young woman.

So what have you got to do of you want my sack-load coming down your chimney this season? Well, just answer me this simple question:

What Dai Sato written anime series did Aquarion creator Shoji Kawamori design mecha for?

Just email me your answer, with a few basic rules:

• Answers must be received by email by Noon on the 30th November 2009
• Your email must include your full name and postal address
• Only one entry per household
• You must live in the UK only – sorry people
• If you put my email and the answer up on a forum or whatever without my permission you are, to quote my American friends, a ‘freaking douche-bag’.

So what you waiting for? Get emailing.

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED. Winners will be notified shortly by email – so good luck!

Last week I had a brief look at Madhouse’s Devil May Cry anime series based on the popular PlayStation game franchise – and time permitting I’ll still be taking a more in depth look over the next couple of weeks – but my first impressions were pretty strong. It’s a dark and brooding show art-wise, that still manages to maintain a sense of humour while packing in all the stylish demon killing and violent bloodshed of the original games. It might not break any new ground in terms of originality or innovative storytelling, but that’s not really the point. Big guns and even bigger swords – that’s the point.

But why take my word for it – at least four of you are going to get a chance to see it for yourselves. I’ve teamed up with the generous people over at Manga Entertainment UK, who have kindly given me two copies of the DVD set and two copies of the Blu-ray set to give away. That’s right – the complete series could be yours for absolutely free. All you have to do is email me with the answer to this question:

In the original game series, what was the name of Dante’s twin brother?

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED. Winners will be notified shortly by email – so good luck!