HTF Anime Discussion Part VII - Page 94

ChristopherDAC:

As a fan of Slayers TV, I can say your assessment of the series from what you've seen isn't wrong at all. In fact, the first half of season 1 of slayers basically just sets up Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Season 2, Slayers NEXT, adds one more important character to the mix, Xellos, a very high ranking Mazoku to the crew and well.. the fun doesn't stop.

To all:

Watched more Chobits last nite, and somewhere on disc 3 of Chobits. Quality series in all, and love rewatching it.

Another fine DVD Day (TM)! I will be picking up Ghost in the Shell:SAC vol. 5, Wolf's Rain vol. 6, and Star Wars: Clone Wars vol. 1 later today, after work. I also need to get another DVD rack, since the anime section of my collection is just about out of space .

John.

Looks like some people are dumping their Cowboy Bebop discs in anticipation of the new 5.1 versions. My normal used DVD place has all the discs for $9 each. I already have disc one so I could finish out the series fo $45. I don't think I need to wait for the new discs as long as the content is the same the older discs will work for me.

Yep. I've slowed down a lot in my buying, and I'm still way behind.

Jason

Rob is an evil man, I tell ya. An evil man...

I made two orders, and am basically getting Dual! 1-4, Sakura Wars The Movie LE, Mahoromatic Something More Beautiful 2-3, Mahoromatic Summer Special, Snow fairy Sugar 3 and 6 (only need to find #4 to complete series), Fancy lala 1-5, (MSG = Mobile Suit Gundam) MSG 0080#1, MSG 0083 #1, MSG 08th MS Team Miller's Report, and Arjuna 1-3.

And no, I have no frigging clue as to when I'll finish watching these...

Thanks for your recommendations Guys...

Woo Jae,
I have scouring the net and seen many different incarnations of Escaflowne. These range from $39.99 to $99.99 to even $239.99!! Would you please let me know which version to go for. I woouldn't want to end up with some pirated copy.

JohnAD,
Have just ordered 'Someday's Dreamers'. It looks like it will be excellent. I'm not really into the 'big robot' stuff so this looks especially good. Anything else you can think of would be welcomed.

John

I have the Escaflowne Perfect Collection. It comes in a crappy paper thin slip cover but has a fold out with all the DVDs from the TV series + the movie. Deep Discount has it for $59.99. I don't like big mecha stuff either but this was a good show.

Some of my cheapie favorites are Nightwalker (vampires and a killer story) and Those Who Hunt Elves (fantasy comedy kind of like Slayers with a bear that shits toliet paper, gotta love that right?

As for a backlog, I have quite a bit waiting for me.
Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon R
Sailor Moon S
Sailor Moon Super S
Berserk Complete
The Devil Lady Collection
Arjuna Collection
Nadia Collection 1
Nadia Collection 2
alot of other assorted discs...such as Knights of Ramune, Moldiver, Iczer Reborn, etc.

Easy way to tell if they are bootlegs is to look at the following FAQ.

http://www.digital.anime.org.uk/piratefaq.html


Be wary as there are also bootlegs of R1 releases.

Well as far as I know, there are several releases of Escaflowne.

1. The original TV series release, consisting of 8 eight individual discs MSRP'ing at $29.98 each.

2. The movie releases, which had the Movie SE (29.98), and an Ultimate Edition (contains making of and soundtrack cd in a blue plastic box - (54.98))

3. The Limited Edition TV series set release, in its own box with a collectible action figure. Probably sorta hard to find... $199.98

4. A brick with all of the TV episodes and 2 disc movie called Escaflowne Perfect Collection for $99.98.

Of those, I'd recommend the Perfect collection.

EDIT: Hmm. Alanna beat me to it. Oh well ^_^;

Well folks, I've watched finished discs 3 and 4 of Chobits. Still fun to watch, and another great CLAMP series. Hopefully I'll finish it tonight.

Rob:

No, I just finished up my six-month backlog last week . All I've got now are the anime disks I picked up yesterday (I watched Star Wars - Clone Wars vol. 1).

John:

Some more non-mecha recommendations:

Cowboy Bebop - You can't go wrong with this one. Sci-fi, with some comedy and drama. Few series are as good as this one is.

Berserk - Big sword + War + Whacked ending + Gutts = Great series. Just about as good as Cowboy Bebop

Chobits - Your typical story of boy finds girl and they live happily ever after. Except it's not your typical story, and it's a lot deeper than what you might think. Highly recommended.

GTO - The teacher I wish I had when I was in high school. Definitely not your usual anime show.

John.

Just finished off "Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi" last night. Overall, an enjoyable series, even with the slow middle.

I can't say I like the message of the ending, tho.

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

Was it ever explained why Mune-Mune and Eutus kept appearing in Sasshi's creations? It didn't seem they ever really did.

Also, I feel some compassion for dub lovers with this release. After listening to bits of it, all the bad southern accents would have driven me nuts.

Jason

Jason:

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

John.

John,

I knew that, but wasn't it explained that everyone else was from his memory? Mune-Mune wasn't a part of that...

Jason

Jason:

Honestly, I don't remember. I'll have to go back and rewatch the series.

All:

I watch volume six of Tenchi in Tokyo last night, before the Rome: Total War fever kicked in . An interesting turn of events. It seemed to me that some of the characters didn't quite look like they normally did. I wonder if the second-string artists were put in for these episodes ...

John.

Wow...quiet today.

John.

Yep.
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)
For myself, I tend to think that the whole Shin Tenchi series was inferior art by inferior artists, but I guess not everybody sees it that way.

Got a link to info on the new versions? I already have the current sessions and I might sell mine off also if the new ones are going to have any worth while improvements in content.

Also curious if anyone has watched all (available) Haibane Renmei? I picked up the first disc blind and it's interesting, but not so much that I want to go out and buy all of them just yet.

I'm borrowing Haibane Renmei from a friend so in a few days should have an assessment of the show. I just got out of the hospital after being kept there for pneumonia this weekend. Watched the last disc of Fushigi Yugi Seiryu again last night because a friend was watching it. I should have every part memorized by now.

A Review of BLUE GENDER after watching Disk 1 & 2 (of 8):

Content:
The basics - we have mechs vs. bugs, gore and an evolving love story.
For those who think this show is a simple rip-off of Verhoeven's Starship Troopers, you should take another look. Simply put - there is plot and characterization here virtually AWOL in Starship Troopers. Here are characters to care about, the cold but increasingly accessible Marlene, the adaptive, warm hearted Yuri - it all works extraordinarily well here.

This show is horrific, no doubt. Harsh I'd call it - uncompromising might be another word. It's brutal for sure. Unlike allot of anime's where the protagonists are basically invincible, Blue Gender takes literally the opposite approach. I find myself both eagerly anticipating and dreading the combat sequences. The rumors you may have heard about the gore are quite true - but if you think you'll be laughing at the gore, you're assuredly mistaken.

The characterization, pacing, music, art and story are worthy of an A rating. The only place this title falters is the animation - it’s much like Beserk. And like Berserk - it hardly matters since it’s the story is so engrossing. The art and style nicely compensate for the sometimes rough animation.

I will say however, I've noticed the animation steps up during mecha combat. Nothing quite as smooth and liquid as the opening theme showing the mech fighting a charging Blue, but nicely done nonetheless.

I'll still give it an A.

On the technical side:

Video:
I've noticed a couple minor problems. There are some compression artifacts surrounding the text during title sequences and the commercial break points - but never during the show. Bear in mind I'm viewing on a 114" screen so most folks might not notice.

I see no visible ringing/edge enhancement or any color bleeding. Using 480i from my XP50 dvd player my Sil504 deinterlacer in the projector did a better job here than Witch Hunter Robin - making the image appear as if was actually flagged for progressive (which of course is not the case being video sourced). There is literally no combing or I don't recall seeing any.

Not unlike Gasarki, this is one of the crispest transfers you'll find.

Sound:
A huge thumbs up! The DD 2.0 track has a GREAT .1 signal. Not only was my sub engaging nicely, but I've got the seating wired with a pair of Auro bass shakers and a 50Hz low pass filter and got plenty of response. The 2.0 track processed nicely through PLIIx for 7.1 - but directionality was limited to the front sound stage. A minor note - on Disk 2, I noted at least 3 sound dropouts. They are minor hitches - 2 during the opening titles and one during an episode. There is no way for me to tell if it’s just my disk.




Review Equipment:
BenQ 8700 DLP Projector 1280x720 res, 720p native, Sil504 Deinterlacer
Panasonic XP50 Faroudja FL2200 DVD Player
Momitsu V880 Sigma Based Region Free DVI DVD Player
114" Diagonal 1:78 Dalite High Contract Cinema Vision
Yamaha VX2400 THX Receiver
7.1 Setup - Polk with Yamaha YST350 Sub
Seating wired with 2 Auro Pro Bass Shakers, 50Hz Low Pass Filter

John:

Yes, go out right now and finish buying all of Haibane-Renmei . It really is a great series, which I think most of the people here who've seen it would agree.

Christopher:

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

Alanna:

Get better!

John.

Thanks

Still trying to find the time to watch Wolf's Rain 6...

I'm up to the 4th Berserk Manga and I'm really enjoying it. Darker than the Anime but a ton more background and information to help link events. Does the story ever end or is it like a comic that just keeps on going?

A manga goes on, until the publisher drops it due to lack of popularity or funding. Or disagreements with the mangaka.

Watched some more stuff this weekend.

Finished Sakura Wars OVA set, Sakura Wars TV series, re-watched His and Her Circumstances #1 and #2, Mahoromatic season 1 and disc 1 of season 2, all 25 episodes of Dai-Guard, and Snow Fairy Sugar 1 (well if not all then 3/4 of it or some such. Fell asleep, so sue me.)

All were pretty fun series, and ranged from B- to B+ for me.

And my AnimeLiquidators order arrived, sans Sakura Wars LE Movie and Mobile Suit Gundam 0083.

Woo: That's a TON of anime for one weekend. I would be confused and mixing them all together in my head by then. Ewwie. How is Snow Fairy Sugar? I thought that looked cute, granted you fell asleep during it but stil...I probably would too if I had watched that much stuff!

I'm beyond dead broke, yea I'm in the red... my workplace took all my sick and vacation time at the beginning of the year when I had my baby so I am left with zilch and am out of work til the 4th with pneumonia. I'm a little better, still having ALOT of trouble breathing but am not running a fever anymore. But my BF has it now and I had to take care of him and baby last night. Found someone to watch the baby today or else I would be screwed because his fever is spiking bad and am having to play nurse.

But I ordered Ceres, Celestial Legend from Rightstuf and preordered Full Metal Panic Complete too. I've wanted to see these for awhile and hope they are good. Saw the first ep of FMP on a Newtype disc a few years back and was intrigued despite the mecha. I hate credit cards. And Deep DIscount DVD. And sales.

I wish ADV would put Noir or Kaliedo Star as a cheapie or something... would love to see those.

Edit: After I posted I checked my signature... apparently I already preordered FMP Complete.....! Shit! LOL This is a lesson to all - donh't shop online when you are sick!

Alanna:

DDD is your friend...come to the dark side (mwa ha ha ha) .

Woo:

All I watched this weekend was Wolf's Rain vol. 6. I really can't wait to see the last disk. I'm not going to pick up too much today. I've got Samurai Champloo vol. 2 and a new DVD rack scheduled, and maybe one more disk. If they have to rack that I want, I'll be able to almost double my anime DVD storage, and finally have a place to store my J-pop CDs.

John.

John: DDD is NOT my friend! Oh no! heh. I guess they have been pretty good to me. They replaced a shipment that was over $100 for me once that had been lost in the mail which amazed me, so I guess I can afford to help them out a little bit more before the place goes under (lets not think about that though).

I'm waiting for the final volume of Wolf's Rain to tear into that. I have 5 and 6 on the backburner. I did want to ask if vol. 4 is even necessary though. Heard it was all recap eps and did not purchase it but is it really worth it? I am sure I will get it later to fill out my box but is it necessary to continue the story? Is there bits and pieces included that are a necessity? Let me know so I can decide whether to get this or wait.

Only reason I could watch as much as I did was that I had Good Friday off, and took Monday off as well. And names/things are't hard to track while marathoning (unless it's a terminology dense series like Twelve Kingdoms).

Alanna, that really stinks - hope you and BF feel a lot better soon. Lots of liquids, regular tylenol (or aspirin), and lots of rest is critical. And ordering things multiple times while NOT sick? Been there, done that.

Finished Mahoromatic: Something More Beautiful last night (that's discs 2-3 of season 2). The whole of Mahoromatic is something like a B+/A- for me (Have yet to see the summer special, which I may do tonight). Typically Gainax.

First season was pretty ecchi, but had some drama, but season two was a bit less ecchi and more comedic, but also more dramatic. Highly entertaining series that worked for me.

Also trying to watch Snow Fairy Sugar, and it's a pretty light and entertaining show. It's basically about a girl who can see the season fairies and season fairies themselves (Season fairies create rain, sun, clouds, wind, etc etc with music). Set in a quasi European setting, a young girl Saga finds an apprentice Snow fairy named Sugar, and their story starts there... Pretty cute stuff, show so far rates a G (err MPAA rating system G, that is) and has both a bit of drama and comedy.

EDITED: for spelling, adding in responses to Alanna's massive message from earlier.

Alanna:

Well, it depends on how much you care about recap episodes. Yes, the episodes on volume four are all recaps. Well-done recaps, but recaps nonetheless. It was interesting to see the different POVs, but the episodes were not needed to understand the story. I would say you can probably wait.

Woo:

I think you nailed Mahoromatic on the head with 'Highly entertaining series that worked for me'. I agree 100%.

John.