Well, as most of you probably know the holidays are fast approaching. Still wondering what to get your favorite person? Afraid they have everything? Simply too lazy to decide for yourself? Have no fear, here at Dark Diamond our literal think-tank is always operating beyond capacity, usually resulting in fused brains and/or spontaneous cranial ejection from the tank itself.(If I had a dollar for every editor we lost that way…)

We’ve come up with a handy list of gift suggestions, every gift $50 USD or less and all guaranteed to make the Otaku in your life happy or he has awful taste.

Click on through for the full riveting list that is sure to make any anime fan or gamer very happy these holidays!

The Place Promised in Our Early Days

Getting an anime fan some anime should be an obvious choice. However, it is always hard getting someone something they haven’t seen, and even harder getting someone a complete series. So why not get them a movie? The Place Promised in Our Early Days is a great 90 minute sci-fi film, with some of the best animation I’ve ever seen, ever. While suitable for all ages, it will not disappoint or bore the older viewer. It relates the story of three people living in an alternative reality in which Japan was split into two halves after World War II. It centers around a tower that plays god with the space time continuum, and a promise made by the three people 3 years prior to the movie. An excellent movie that anyone can enjoy.

Price: 18.99 from Amazon, but if you hunt around a bit you can find it for around 10$.

The Place Promised in Our Early Days

The Orange Box

Never before has there been such a high concentration of pure gaming awesome in one box. Including Half-Life 2, HL2: Episode 1, HL2: Episode 2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2, there is enough gaming goodness here to keep one occupied for weeks on end. Half-Life 2 and it’s episodic companions are easily one of the best games ever made, let alone one of the best shooters. You will get about 25-35 hours out of them in total, and best of all, you don’t  need a supercomputer to run them. I believe the first machine I ran half life 2 on was a 1ghz athlon with integrated graphics, so even those of your friends with aging hand-me-down rigs should have no problem running it.

Portal is a shoe in for puzzle game of the year, using an innovative use of portal technology to create three dimensional physics puzzles combined with an engrossing and often hilarious plot.

Team Fortress 2 is an easy to get addicted to class based multiplayer game. Balanced to near perfection, it brings out the best in Capture the Flag and Territorial Control style point control maps. It lets you take on one of the following roles of your choice, Scout, Soldier, Pyro, Medic, Demoman, Heavy, Engineer, Sniper, and Spy. Each class has their own weapons and play style, giving a new experience depending on what you play.

Price: $44.99 from NewEgg, but the thrifty reader can find it for around 30-35 if they look around for a sale, especially at brick and mortar stores.

The Orange Box

Gyo

Manga is another great choice, and few is finer than the often overlooked horror manga “Gyo”. Best of all, it is only two volumes, so it is very do-able to give the entire series. It centers around the “death stench”, a horrible smell that seems to mark the arrival of half robotic self replicating fish with mechanical legs. Later on, larger creatures, such as wales, sharks, and squids also make an appearance. Turns out that these critters are self replicating quasi-cyborg entities that use decomposing bodies as a means of power generation. Seems silly? Well it isn’t, and that will be made clear from the excellent art style and horrifying depiction of these abominations and what they do to everything they encounter.

Price: $9.71 per volume from Anime Wild. This is a pretty average universal price, but it may be worth your time to check your local Borders if they should be cheaper.

Gyo

Melty Blood: Act Cadenza

Everyone loves a good fighter, and few are better than Melty Blood. Act Cadenza is the latest revision of this venerable 2d fighter that takes place in the Tsukihime universe which is chock full of unique and interesting characters to use. Its gameplay is easy to pick up and play, but hard to master, making this an excellent choice for novices and experts of the genre alike. Now, it is Japanese only, but the interface is simple and should prove no problems for non-speakers to use. And as with previous iterations of Melty Blood, the fine folks over at Mirror Moon are working on a full English translation of the game which will work with all retail copies.

Price: $39.90 from Play-Asia, but the adventurous reader might find it for less from auction sites such as eBay.

Melty Blood Act Cadenza

The Seven Samurai (Shichinin no samurai)

Classic live action film in MY Dark Diamond? It’s more likely than you think, and it is also one of the best films out there, in any genre. Ranking in at #10 in IMDB’s top 250 films of all time , The Seven Samurai is the quintessential samurai film, telling the tale of seven (shock!) samurai as they are hired to protect a village from the yearly bandit raids that reduce their livestock and village to ruins. One of Kurosawa’s finest works, each scene is a masterpiece of direction, artistry, style, and acting. Each character is wonderfully portrayed and developed throughout the film, and even the comic relief character will have you emotionally invested more than you ever expected. The only downside is its length, three and a half hours. Luckily, it was written with this in mind, as the pacing is perfect, and there is a well placed intermission should you want to split the film into multiple viewing sessions.

Price: 34.99 for the remastered edition from Amazon, but with minimal hunting around you should be able to find other editions for much less.

The Seven Samurai

The Anime Encyclopedia

Know someone who is just getting into anime? Have no fear, here at dark diamond we still keep the noobs in mind. What better gift than something to encourage addiction? This massive stack of 800+ pages contains information on movies, tv-shows, and the business of anime in general since 1917. It has over 2,000 individual reviews in it, perfect for someone looking to expand their interests, or those new to the genre entirely.

Price: 17.99 from Amazon.

The Anime Encyclopedia

Plush Bomberman Bomb

Ok, the three of you who HAVENT played bomberman, stop reading now. Your new task is to find the closest system capable of floating point operations, and a copy of bomberman for that system, and play it till your fingers fall off. You will thank me later. As for the rest of you, this should need little introduction. Not only are these little devils fluffy remakes of the classic bomb, they include motion sensors so you can blow away your friends in real life, or just have them heave the bomb right back at you, resulting in your own untimely demise as happens so often in the real game.

Price: 23.00 at Wizzywig collectibles, but you may be able to find it cheaper if you hunt around a bit.

Plush Bomberman Bomb

Azumanga Daioh Box Set

Not only is this undeniably hilarious and accessible series a great choice for your otaku, it is also a great choice for say, your open minded significant other. Ask any anime fan for a show to try to get people into anime, and 9 times our of 10, they will respond with Azumanga Daioh. A hilarious tale of a group of friends trip through highschool, even the most anti-anime viewer will be hard pressed to dislike. Best of all, it is one of the most resonably priced box sets you will find.

Price: $39.99 at right stuff. (probably around the best price you will find)

Azumanga Daioh DVD Box Set (Thinpak)

Namco Sound Trading Figure

For those of us who appreciate the old school gaming days, when all we needed was a few pixels and a button or two. And damnit, we LIKED those pixels and buttons. None of this new-fangled next gen bloom and motion blur, all we need is the very essence of what makes a game a game. We played these day in and day out, uphill both ways, in the snow. Our controllers even had wires. What could be better than a figure bursting full of nostalgia? Featuring characters from classics such as Galaxian, Xevious, Rally-X, Mappy, Dig Dug, The Tower of Druaga, this will let you display your favorite classic game, including a playable sound in which to annoy anyone near you!

Price: $7.99 at mugen toys.

Namco Sound Trading Figure

Super Mario Galaxy

Every once in awhile, a game comes along that pushes the bar ever closer to gaming nirvana. Not only does super mario galaxy do this, it is a game that anyone, regardless of age or gender can enjoy. If you know someone with a wii, or someone who wants a wii, or anyone you want to have a wii, they need super mario galaxy. It is as close to a requirement as you can get for being a gamer. This 3D platformer pushes the boundaries of the genre, while still being easily accessible to all. The artistic direction is excellent, the controls are surprisingly intuitive, and above all, its the most fun you will have playing a game in a long time.

Price: $49.99 at Amazon, but if you hunt around a bit, you are likely to find it cheaper.

Super Mario Galaxy

Any one of these should please any Otaku, and even non-gamer/anime fans as well, otherwise you need better friends. But don’t waste time! Less than three weeks remain, so get out there and start shopping! Hopefully this list will give you some ideas, if not take care of the decision making process entirely.

Have any other recommendations for your brethren? Something else you would particularly like to see in your stockings? Let us know, leave a comment!