The BEST episodes directed by Akihiko Nishiyama

#1 - Wanting to Fall in Love Just Like a Dream: The Strategy of a Twelve Year-Old Angel (Part Two)

City Hunter - Season 2 - Episode 48

Kozue begins to enjoy life with Ryo and decides to try to set him up with her older sister. Meanwhile, Ryo finds out that Kozue was wounded by an unknown man who had killed another over a deal gone bad, and the bullet stuck against her spine is the cause of her paralysis. The arrival of Detectives Iwadate and Saeko also begins to complicate matters. With Kozue scheduled to undergo an operation which may allow her to walk again, Ryo realizes that Kozue may be in greater danger than initially thought.

#2 - Ryo is the Love Thief! Hidden Love Affair Behind the Magic Mirror (Part Two)

City Hunter - Season 2 - Episode 44

His mokkori "kidnapped", Ryo must try to defeat Takeshi in a showdown between thieves by stealing a magic mirror. But when Takeshi is able to obtain the mirror using another hypnotic trick, Ryo does not pursue. He mentions that there is a secret behind the mirror and that it was never meant to be stolen. Thus Takeshi has lost but Kasumi's grandmother discovers that Kasumi has fallen in love with Ryo. She then forbids Kasumi to return to the family estate and thus Kasumi boards with Umibozu and Miki at the Cat's Eye.

#3 - So Long, My Friend... The Last Shot Echoing in My Heart (Part Two)

City Hunter - Season 2 - Episode 32

The Villa explodes, and while the Princess and the peace talk participants are able to escape, Robert appears to have been caught in the blast. Ryo tracks down General Marukido and is prepared to kill him when a twist is revealed: Robert is actually alive. When Robert reveals his true colours and attempts to assassinate the princess, Ryo must face his former partner in a showdown.

#4 - To Kaori From Ryo... With Love at Christmas (Part One)

City Hunter - Season 2 - Episode 37

Kaori makes plans to throw a party for the orphans at Kusunoki house but Ryo refuses to participate. When she finds out that Kusunoki house is to be closed down by the owner of the land, Mr Ookouchi, she requests Ryo's help only to be turned down. Believing that the proprietor, Mr Hitiyoshi, may have been cheated out of the ownership certificate for the house, Kaori takes matters into her own hands by breaking into Ookouchi's safe and stealing several documents including the land ownership certificate. Ookouchi's men react by ransacking Kusunoki house and kidnapping one of the kids as ransom for a certain document.

#5 - Take Back Love!

Excel Saga - Season 1 - Episode 16

After getting demolished again in the last episode, new copies of Ropponmatsu 1 and 2 are delivered to Watanabe's apartment. But by mistake, Excel and Hyatt accidentally activate the new models, which immediately become fixated with them, in more ways than one! But will this double dose of shoujo-ai end in tragedy... or just dark comedy?

#6 - Butt Out, Youth!

Excel Saga - Season 1 - Episode 11

Thanks to the state of modern education, the future is looking bleak- and that means that Across must take action. To that end, Ilpalazzo sends Excel and Hyatt to work at Excel's old high school, which has since become a dumping ground for all manner of juvenile delinquents. But no sooner have they tamed the students than a new challenge arises- whipping the school's woefully poor baseball team back into shape. But even with all the clichés of sports anime on their side, will Excel and Hyatt be able to create a team good enough to win their crucial match against the Monkey Balls High team?

#7 - The Cold is Winter! Snowed Under Episode

Excel Saga - Season 1 - Episode 6

When Ilpalazzo sends Excel and Hyatt on a mission to gather more resources for Across, the duo find themselves journeying out to the mountains. However, whether it's panning for gold or hunting for meat, finding resources in the middle of a survival drama setting promises to be far from an easy task for our intrepid heroines! And elsewhere, Watanabe, Iwata and Sumiyoshi face trials of their own as they attend a bizarre training seminar and meet up with a new colleague- the beautiful and dangerous Misaki Matsuya.

#8 - The Koshi Rikdo Assassination Plot

Excel Saga - Season 1 - Episode 1

Ilpalazzo desires to exterminate the world's manga artists, ordering Excel to start with Rikdo Koshi, but she is thwarted by the intervention of the Great Will of the Macrocosm and her own conscience. After chatting with Pedro the immigrant worker and chasing down dinner, Excel makes a second attempt on Rikdo's life.

#9 - My Amazingly Distant Family

Kaleido Star - Season 1 - Episode 5

Sora's adopted father makes a surprise visit to Kaleido Stage. For the debut of the Triple Illusion, the team performs poorly and receives a negative review the next day. The review spread to her worried father and among the performers. In another performance, the three continue to struggle, and Sora's father sees the negative atmosphere back stage. Worried, he suggests for her to return with him back to Japan. Soon afterwards, her father has a heart attack, and with an hour till another performance, Sora runs off to her hospitalized father. Missing a performance, she decides to return home, but before boarding the flight, she becomes depressed once again, expressing her childhood dream of performing. In turn, her father lets her return to Kaleido Stage; Sora apologizes to the stage crew and follows up with a better performance.

#10 - Escape in the Rain

Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor - Season 1 - Episode 14

Sho awakens after his critical injuries from his confrontation with Enzyme II aka his father, Mr. Fukamachi. He apparently has no memories of rescuing him from Cronos, but when the group is attacked by Zoanoids, he finds himself inexplicably unable to transform. After they escape the Zoanoids, Sho is upset that he can't rescue his father if he can't change, and he is struck with a painful realization that he can't remember involving his father. Tetsuro surmises that killing his father has repressed both Sho's memories and his abilities to transform as a result.

#11 - An Amazing Change From Zero To Hero

Kaleido Star - Season 1 - Episode 20

Sora and company had not worked for 2 weeks, and they attend the first Kaleido Stage production under Yuri. Soon, the three work at a seafood restaurant, which ends shortly after humiliating themselves in front of Yuri. Upon Sarah's return, she arrives with a job opportunity at the marine park. Auditioning for the job, they invite other former Kaleido Stage members, including Rosetta. On the other hand, Layla declines. At the marine park, the group is notified of a show cancellation, which brings suspicion of Yuri's intervention. Nevertheless, they perform their routines in the park anyways, and they impress the park attendees. During their impromptu show, Sarah surmises that it was actually Kalos who cancelled the performance to give them an opportunity to perform in a more open space with a bigger audience. Just before an angered park owner interrupts their performances, Dio and a mysterious masked performer arrives.

#12 - Swimming in the Sea of Love

Golden Boy - Season 1 - Episode 4

Kintaro has challenged the local swimming coach (and former Olympic athlete) to a race, but he first needs to learn how to swim. While training, however, his situation with the coach, Ayuko Haramizu (voiced by Kikuko Inoue and Sue Ulu) is compromised.

#13 - The Guy I Kinda Like is a Sergeant

Full Metal Panic! - Season 1 - Episode 1

As part of the organization Mithril, Sergeant Souske Sagara, Melissa Mao and Kurz Weber recieve a secret mission: guarding Kaname Chidori, a popular student from a school higher in Tokyo which has a hidden military potential.

#14 - Kill House

Hellsing - Season 1 - Episode 8

Victoria learns more about whoever is making the "artificial vampirization catalyst semiconductor" or "freak chips" that turn humans into second-class ghouls.

#15 - Anna's Not So Amazing Father

Kaleido Star - Season 1 - Episode 11

After a Little Mermaid performance, Anna reads about a comedy act performed by her father, Jack Barron, whom she had not seen in a decade. Then she looks back to her childhood memories of him, and the day he left the family. Yet, Anna had maintained contact via correspondence. At a comedy club, they watch his bitter and cynical act, which insults the audience. This "new" version of her father is stark in contrast to the father she remembers, and she runs out of the comedy club. Apparently, his career was marked with disappointment and deception. After calling her mother, Anna attends Jack's comedy act once more dressed as a waitress to confront him on stage. Together, the two talk through some old truths and reconcile.

#16 - The Miraculous Cell

Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor - Season 1 - Episode 7

After Sho's disappearance, Tetsuro is taken to Cronos headquarters to be interrogated. There, he talks to Guyot in person, who reveales shocking informations about Zoanoids' real nature and Cronos' project of world domination. Meanwhile, Guyver II and III show up after Guyver I's Control Metal mysteriously reactivates, letting the first unit free to cause chaos in the building.

#17 - Go to Demon Mountain

Patlabor: The Mobile Police - Season 1 - Episode 4

A monster surprises a group of hikers in a forest. The police sends SV2 to capture it.

#18 - Unnecessary Things

Infinite Ryvius - Season 1 - Episode 2

As the condition of the Liebe Delta Station deteriorates even further, we start to see the intentions of the saboteurs. In an attempt to save everyone aboard the station, the Zwei evacuate everyone into the Rever and ready it to launch out of the Geduld. However, in order to prepare the launch in time, the remaining teachers purge what's left of the station to lower its velocity. In the meantime, Kouji and Ikumi are rushing to the Rever while carrying Faina who was injured duing the panic. They make it back in time as the teachers carry out the purge, sacrificing themselves in the process.

#19 - To Be Too Conscious

Infinite Ryvius - Season 1 - Episode 14

When the battle with the Blue Impulse begins, questions and revelations abound as the Impulse releases it's own Vital Guarder. What is the Blue Impulse?

#20 - Whereabouts of the Future

Infinite Ryvius - Season 1 - Episode 12

The crew aboard the Ryvius must make a difficult decision after the news broadcast. Meanwhile, those back on Earth continue to conspire about the Ryvius.

#21 - We Didn't Know Anything

Infinite Ryvius - Season 1 - Episode 8

#22 - A Little Harmony

Infinite Ryvius - Season 1 - Episode 5

While learning how to operate and survive on the Ryvius, the crew aboard the saboteurs' ship prepare for their backup plan. The Zwei assign groups for certain jobs to make the operation of the Ryvius much smoother. However, Kouji and Yuki are placed into the same group and they are less than enthusiastic. Yuki's bitterness towards his brother, though, makes him take his anger on his brother, all while the Ryvius is being attacked. The Ryvius automatically defends itself by creating a well of immense gravity, destroying the ships in the process.

#23 - Red Labor Landing

Patlabor: The Mobile Police - Season 1 - Episode 9

Noa and Asuma are sent to investigate a terrorist who is going to steal a military labor of the Soviet Armed Forces.

#24 - Free Order

Infinite Ryvius - Season 1 - Episode 17

Kouji and Ikumi talk Yuki out of his tantrum and convince him to stay with the Lift Ship. Meanwhile, back on Earth, the guys responsible for this mess are talking things over. The loss of Hyperion is dismissed as a minor concern; more troubling is the fact that the captain of the Blue Impulse ""drill ship"" has had a total nervous breakdown and is now in a padded cell. The Ryvius crew performs repairs, but morale is low. ""Wanted"" posters for Airs Blue are widely distributed, but he still manages to escape capture. Juli is struggling with her new responsibilities, and, oddly enough, misses Airs Blue. Her first proposed reform--doing away with the ""unlimited points"" status completely--is soundly rejected by the bridge crew. That'll come back to haunt them. Another enemy ship, the Dicastia (with an all-female crew!), attacks the Ryvius with a new strategy; using a multi-part Vital Guarder, they surround the Ryvius with a gravity-sphere, intent on crushing it.

#25 - The Thing That Was Lost

Gravion - Season 1 - Episode 11

After seeing what darkness Toga is capable of in the heat of battle, Eiji quits the Gran Knights and leaves the castle to return to a normal life. Leele ventures to town to convince Eiji to come back. Two pilots down, Gravion must operate with its auto-pilot taking up the slack when the Zeravire attack.

#26 - Labyrinth

Gravion - Season 1 - Episode 3

Eiji begins to get used to life in Sandman's castle and to the castles inhabitants. As he and Toga venture to the forbidden area of the castle in search of Eiji's sister Ayaka and the identity of the G-Shadow's pilot, Raven attempts to convince the EFA to allow Earthgertz to take the lead in the defense against the Zeravire.

#27 - Toga's Day Off

Gravion - Season 1 - Episode 6

Eiji sneaks out of the castle during the staffs shopping day and takes Toga along with him for his first day out of the castle and his first day in the big city. As the maids search for them, the Zeravire launch an attack on the city.

#28 - You Win!

Patlabor: The Mobile Police - Season 1 - Episode 14

Goto takes Division 2 out for drinks as a team building excercise.

#29 - Dark Troubles Rising

Patlabor: The Mobile Police - Season 1 - Episode 20

Noa and Asuma get into a fight concerning Asuma's personal life. When Division 2 get's assigned a special mission, Asuma is sent to Hajioji to pick up Unit 3.

#30 - Spring Storm

Patlabor: The Mobile Police - Season 1 - Episode 25

Shinshi takes control of Kanuka's position in Division 2. However, he is really bad at it. Then, he is offered a new job. Will Shinshi stay with Division 2 or will he take the new job? And how is his wife going to react?

#31 - The Destruction of Special Vehicles!

Patlabor: The Mobile Police - Season 1 - Episode 29

SV2 orders their lunch from Shanghai Restraunt, as usual. But they never get it. They intend to find out why and won't work until they get their food.

#32 - The Dogs of SCHAFT

Patlabor: The Mobile Police - Season 1 - Episode 33

Noa and the gang that the Griffon didn't really crash, the crash was faked. SCHAFT must not let Utsumi get to Tokyo, but he gets there. Noa must prepare for the fight against the Griffon.

#33 - I'm Selling Peace of Mind

Patlabor: The Mobile Police - Season 1 - Episode 37

Division 2 must get the Patlabor Insurance to cover for the cars they destroyed.

#34 - The Men Who Returned

Patlabor: The Mobile Police - Season 1 - Episode 42

Three old terrorists team up to steal some money.

#35 - His Name is Zero

Patlabor: The Mobile Police - Season 1 - Episode 46

SV2 gets a new patlabor model called the Zero. It is superior to the ingram. After messing up during a mission, Noa is worried that she will lose Alphonse.