As remakes go, anime has always been a great venue for this kind of project. We love our collector editions, our starter kits, complete collections and the like. So, it's no surprise to discover that your favorite anime series is available in a variety of compilations.

Well, this is one compilation you won't want to miss.

Evangelion 1.0 is the first installment in the four-movie-series of the classic, Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise.

And although like in any good compilation, you already know the story line, Evangelion 1.0 does it a little better. Combining the first six episodes, Evangelion 1.0 starts you at the beginning of the NGE series, setting up all the action that's yet to come.

And judging from this installment, there will be plenty of that indeed.

Remember, these movies were not meant to simply collect the original episodes but also to improve them so expect better animation and some interesting changes in how the story develops.

Want to learn more? Check out my review of Evangelion 1.0.

You might remember back in 2008, Vertigo Entertainment announced it had plans to remake the live-action Death Note movie. You might also remember that earlier this year, Warner Bros. announced it had acquired those rights and was proceeding with the plan.

But what you may not know is that Zac Efron has apparently had some discussions with the powers-that-be on being a part of that project.

In an exclusive interview, Efron tells Collider.com that yes, he's "had a meeting" and loves the idea but it's not something they're actively working on at the moment.  You can see the full interview at their website.

Now, if you're wondering whether this latest movie release will introduce anything new, the answer is probably not. Although nothing official has been released regarding the storylines, the original idea was supposedly to remake the movies for an American audience without subtitles.

And as for when the movie might be released? No official word on that yet either but IMDB.com does have a listing that shows a target date of 2011.

When Kazuma was defeated by his cousin Ayano in a battle to determine the heir of the sacred family sword - the Enraiha - he was banished from his house in disgrace by his father. Now four years later, Kazuma has returned and with new powers to boot - the power of Wind.

Can he form an alliance with his cousin Ayano? And can he convince her that he's not one who murdered his family?

Based on the novel series from the late Takahiro Yamato, Kaze no Stigma is an outcast-turned-hero kind of story with a nice supernatural twist for good measure and produced by Gonzo, you can be sure you're getting the flashy animation you expect in your anime shows.

Incidentally, the novels this series is based upon remains incomplete. Yamato passed away before ending the story and while I'm sure Gonzo gives us some resolution within the 24-episode anime series, it will be interesting to see if the full story arc ever gets finished.

Rated TV-14, this action-supernatural title has some mild violence but nothing too outrageous. Get the scoop on Kaze no Stigma, a new anime series from FUNimation here.

If you're a Darker Than Black fan, here's something you might enjoy:

The official Japanese website for Darker Than Black is now streaming a promo video for "side stories" to the anime series. The stories will explain what happened to the main character Hei during the two year span between the first Darker Than Black series, Kuro No Keiyakusha and the second installment, Ryusei no Gemini.

You might remember that Hei is a psychic "contractor" with the ability to control electricity. In the first series, he works with a secret agency - the Syndicate - to discover the secret to Hell's Gate and find his sister, Bai who has been missing for several years.

Darker Than Black is a 25-episode post-apocalyptic anime, distributed by FUNimation in the States. Volume 6 was released in August, 2009 containing the last episodes of the first series along with an OVA that addresses some of the romantic sub-plots that were hinted throughout the story.

While it's almost a given that FUNimation will pick up and produce the second installment of the series, no word on how that will play out with these new side stories. Which will come first? We'll have to wait and see.