Chäos; Head

Postmodern and puzzling, this tangled sci-fi mindbender has an offbeat hero in Takumi, a 17-year-old “otaku” schoolboy and frequent truant who submerges so deeply in manga, anime, online chats, and gaming that he's lost touch with reality, disdaining “3D girls” in favor of busty female action-figure characters. But he finds himself in an anime-fantasy-come-to-life when he becomes a suspect in a series of mysterious serial killings, and various comely Slayers and Sailor Moon lookalike classmates materialize to either flirt, investigate him, or enlist his aid in fighting ominous forces assailing the city. Apparently, a high-tech, cult-like corporation/political party is manipulating human perception with projected mass delusions, and only a small group of psychically gifted individuals (most being long-legged schoolgirls with power swords) can resist the threat. But with the rug of reality repeatedly yanked out from under everything, it's hard to stay engaged—except when Takumi complains he doesn't understand what's going on, which will be the complaint of many viewers, especially if they're unfamiliar with the source manga. Compiling all 12 episodes, originally aired in 2008, in a dual-language set, rated TV-14, this is a strong optional purchase. (C. Cassady)