What's new

Advanced Anime Discussion (2 Viewers)

Kong Chang

Screenwriter
Joined
Dec 17, 1998
Messages
1,632
Ken,
What I am really afraid is that they will utilize 5 episodes on a single layer disc, which will lower the video bitrate to an unbearable 4Mbps average for mpeg2 compression. It's just awful. The reason I like Japan is because most of the anime DVDs made and compressed in Japan, the video bitrate average around 9.2Mbps (8.6 ~ 9.6 VBR). You can't get this type of average bitrate putting 5 episodes on a disc, with two or three languages and whatever extras on there. Something has to give. Because when the bitrate is low, and the anime starts panning quickly, the quality starts looking like a VCD or SVCD, and that ain't good either. And a good thing with Japanese is that with 3 or 4 episodes per volume, they will most likely use dual layered discs to allow max video bitrate, and most likely choose linear pcm (uncompressed audio) for many of their anime.
---
Brian,
You can own a nice cheap Sampo, for roughly $150, which is region-hackable by remote (and MV hackable as well, not that this is important anyway). It's affordable and you can watch anything in NTSC or PAL and in any region. :)
 

Kong Chang

Screenwriter
Joined
Dec 17, 1998
Messages
1,632
For those who haven't heard already:
A new Cowboy Bebop series is in the works now...currently in pre-production in Japan. And they stated depending upon the popularity and success of the Cowboy Bebop film, they will make more films/movies if the 1st movie does well in Japan. So let's cross our fingers!!! :)
And for those who are gonna purchase the R2 DVD for LoGH, the boxset, which contains roughly 47 DVDs of all the series and movies and OVAs, will roughly retail about USD$2000 (take or give a few hundred dollars).
---
I'm going to watch Metropolis the anime movie tonight. I will give you my impression later on. :)
[Edited last by Kong Chang on August 17, 2001 at 01:40 PM]
[Edited last by Kong Chang on August 18, 2001 at 03:47 AM]
 

Joe_C

Supporting Actor
Joined
Sep 29, 2000
Messages
710
quote: A new Cowboy Bebop series is in the works now...currently in pre-production in Japan. And they stated depending upon the popularity and success of the Cowboy Bebop film, they will make more films/movies if the 1st movie does well in Japan. So let's cross our fingers!!![/quote]
What?!? That's the best news I've heard in a long time! I'm very surprised, especially since the last episode is rather...conclusive
wink.gif
The success of the CB film is pretty much a given. If they're basing their decision on that, its chances seem all but assured.
By the way, where's Andy been??
------------------
Digital Hoard
[Edited last by Joe_C on August 17, 2001 at 06:37 PM]
 

Joe_C

Supporting Actor
Joined
Sep 29, 2000
Messages
710
And for those who are gonna purchase the R2 DVD for LoGH, the boxset, which contains roughly 47 DVDs of all the series and movies and OVAs, will roughly retail about USD$2000 (take or give a few hundred dollars).
Holy shit!
eek.gif
$2000? I could almost double my entire DVD collection (120+ DVD's) for that much money! Kong, are you going to buy that insanely expensive set?
------------------
Digital Hoard
 

Chris Beveridge

Second Unit
Joined
Jul 3, 1998
Messages
349
The new Bebop series is not with the same characters. It's a shared universe series and the character designs have not been finalized. It'll be similar to Angel Links residing within the Outlaw Star universe.
------------------
Chris Beveridge
Webmaster, www.animeondvd.com
Animation and stories for those who like to think outside of the Disney box
 

Kong Chang

Screenwriter
Joined
Dec 17, 1998
Messages
1,632
Joe,
If I had that cash, I would. I mean, it's 47 DVDs of LoGH. The LDs were so extensive and they came in so many boxsets, one boxset per series, and then you had the movies and other series, it was hard to catch up on all of them.
frown.gif

If I had $2000 laying around, I will definitely pre-order the R2 DVD series. It is the best space opera ever!! Very serious and politically tactiful. :) This is one series that needs to be picked up so that people can understand the meaning of great space opera.
---
I went to the sneak preview of Metropolis, screenplay by Katsuhiro Otomo (of Akira) fame, based on the manga by Osamu Tezuka (of Astroboy, Jungle Taitei, et al fame), directed by Rintaro (who has directed many great anime movies). My god, this movie just rocked. It was beautifully well done. I felt I couldn't catch up with all that was happening. There was so much going on at once, that even my eyes couldn't focus on one scene too long because another area had something else going on.
The basic premise of Metropolis is like this, think of Blade Runner meets A.I. movie, and add a little bit of Robot Carnival, and you get Metropolis. The plot is so complex, it is hard to describe it in a short synopsis without making this message pretty long. Anyway, this movie goes nationwide in November 9th, limited release, by Tri-Star Pictures (part of Sony), and will be English dubbed. Worth watching no matter what language it is in. The movie is just too good!! :)
[Edited last by Kong Chang on August 18, 2001 at 04:04 AM]
 

Joe_C

Supporting Actor
Joined
Sep 29, 2000
Messages
710
November 9th? Well I know what I'm doing that day :) Oh by the way, I've added an Anime Glossary to my site and finally finished up my review/primer (spoiler free) of Cowboy Bebop. It's all on my site (I love saying that), so check it out guys. I'm pretty proud of the Bebop review, it sure took me long enough to write
wink.gif

------------------
Digital Hoard
 

Jeff Ulmer

Senior HTF Member
Deceased Member
Joined
Aug 23, 1998
Messages
5,582
Just finished disc 2 of Blue Seed and am working through number 3, and man is this fun! Not only the 7 episodes per disc on the first two, but the omake theatre is a gas!
Still no sign of El Hazard.
------------------
Link Removed | Burt Lancaster is Link Removed | dOc
 
Joined
Sep 3, 1999
Messages
27
Okay fellow anime fans...I'm in need of advice. I've gotten into anime since getting into DVD, and I've gone through many of the series currently available in R1. There are a number of series I've had no exposure to, at the risk they might be too "girly". Pink packaging has something to do with it in some cases. :) In some other cases, the episodes are boxed into large collections, and the investment is a great one considering my unfamiliarity with the series. In many cases, these series are well reviewed, highly regarded, and talked about often.
For the record, my favorite series have been Bebob, Evangelion, Escaflowne, Kenshin, Gasaraki, and Trigun. Other enjoyable series include Tenchi stuff, Gundam stuff, Outlaw Star, Lain, Dual, and Lodoss. Currently watching and enjoying 3x3 Eyes, Crest of the Stars, Nadia, Orphen, and Big O.
So, I suppose I'm looking for some sage advice on the following. I think I might have to give some or all of these titles a try since I'm running low on anime fuel.
Fushigi Yugi
Battle Athletes Victory
Magic Knights Rayearth
Revolutionary Girl Utena
Jubei Chan
Thoughts on these please? Or on other titles overlooked? The only series I started watching and didn't care for were Nadesico and El Hazard: Alternate World.
Any and all help is greatly appreciated, as always. I've absorbed much knowledge from these anime threads, as well as Chris' website. Thanks to all!
Jonathan
------------------
Tracker List
 

Morgan Jolley

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2000
Messages
9,711
Neon Genesis Evangelion. You'll either love it like nothing else can be loved or you will hate it beyond belief. I tend to love it. Its 26 episodes on 8 DVDs, 13 VHS. The first 2 DVDs have 4 episodes, so I suggest renting them at the same time and just running through them so you can get into it and make the other 6 discs worth a rent/purchase. I bought the whole series, but I was able to get it for just over $160 altogether.
 

Artur Meinild

Screenwriter
Joined
Aug 10, 2000
Messages
1,294
Kong, that Metropolis movie really sonds interesting, do you know where I can see some more info about it?
Also, what is LoGH short for, just curious! :)
BTW, I got my El Hazard box the other day, and I've already watched it in both english and japanese, oh man this is a great DVD set!
------------------
~ Stud. Polyt. ~ Artur Meinild ~
 

Jeff Ulmer

Senior HTF Member
Deceased Member
Joined
Aug 23, 1998
Messages
5,582
Legend of Galactic Heroes.
------------------
Link Removed | Burt Lancaster is Link Removed | dOc
[Edited last by Jeff Ulmer on August 18, 2001 at 08:51 PM]
 

Kong Chang

Screenwriter
Joined
Dec 17, 1998
Messages
1,632
For those of you who are curious about Metropolis, the anime movie, the official Japan site is down. However, since Sony is releasing this movie for Toho under the Tri-Star Pictures here in the U.S.A., they may release the movie and carry a English site with some information down the road. There seems to be no info from Sony at this time at the USA or Japan site.
frown.gif
However, R2 DVD has been announced already in Japan for a release on Dec. 21, 2001. Two editions will be released. First is a Memorial Box Limited Edition of the movie, priced at 12,800 Yen (roughly $106 USD). Second is a normal regular DVD edition priced at 3,800 Yen (roughly $31 USD). No word on extras in the Limited Edition. My guess is that it will have DTS 5.1 (since the movie was filmed with DTS 5.1 and DD 5.1), and a lot of cool extra to make it worth $70 more than the normal edition.
---
Jonathan,
I do recommend giving Fushigi Yuugi a try and Jubei-chan as well. Okay, give everything a try that you have listed.
Don't ask me why Pioneer released El Hazard: Alternative World first, because that is not the best El Hazard. The only best El Hazard series is the first OVA series, and that one truly rocked.
Nadesico is an anime that is not catered to newbie anime fans. It is catered to fans who have been growing up on anime for ages because there are a lot of old anime references which many newbie anime fans don't get or understand. Besides the action sequences, all the jokes are inside jokes and if you have never grown up on old 70's mecha anime, a lot of it will go over your head. Of course, ADV mainstreamed the whole series, and the subtitles, and everything else, and it plainly sucks, IMO. Watch a fansub version...much much better translation, IMHO.
---
LoGH = Legend of Galactic Heroes
Japanese is ginga eiyuu densetsu ‹â‰Í‰p—Y“`à (if you have Japanese reading capability, you'll see the Japanese kanji name :) )
 

Jeff Ulmer

Senior HTF Member
Deceased Member
Joined
Aug 23, 1998
Messages
5,582
After power viewing 20 Blue Seed episodes, which I'm liking a lot, I moved on to Photon, but what's the deal with the censoring? Was it drawn like that, or did they do that afterwards?
------------------
Link Removed | Burt Lancaster is Link Removed | dOc
 

Jeff Kleist

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 4, 1999
Messages
11,266
I haven't seen Photon, but if you're talking about censoring of naughty bits, it was illegal in Japan unti very recently to show pubic hair. Why? Because of leftover relic laws from the post WW2 occupation by the Generals o' Good ol Southern Values
Jeff Kleist
 

Kong Chang

Screenwriter
Joined
Dec 17, 1998
Messages
1,632
While I can't agree with her sentiments about Metropolis, but I can see her point about being disappointed. It's like watching a movie that is based off a novel. After you read the novel and then watch the movie, you tend to be disappointed by the scriptwriter and the movie itself and think the novel is so much better.
Since the movie is based off Osamu Tezuka's original manga work, and scripted by Katsuhiro Otomo, it is to be expected that it is not going to be too much like Tezuka's way of storytelling. Instead, it is going to be more and more like Otomo's storytelling as can be seen in Robot Carnival, Akira, Memories, et al. (although many of these he did not write the script).
You can only adapt so much and turn it into a movie. In addition, you have to change certain situations and plot points to fit it into a movie-like structure, else it just doesn't work.
Since many of us, including myself, have not read the original manga, we all enjoyed the movie, on its own terms. It was definitely worth the trip we took and the money we paid for it. The animation was superb, a combination of hand-drawn with CGI in the background (a la Macross Plus type feeling).
I highly recommend watching it.
---
As for Photon, the censoring is natural. You have to remember that "pubic hair" is very taboo in Japan and considered "dirty", hence any pics of "pubic hair" will tend to be 1) not drawn, or 2) censored by pixelation or covered.
Photon is not hentai. Photon is an misadventure adventure. It is one funny 6 episode OVA series that we all fell in love with. :)
 

Jeff Ulmer

Senior HTF Member
Deceased Member
Joined
Aug 23, 1998
Messages
5,582
Regarding Photon, I don't think it is just pubic hair that was covered, as it's also the guy's butt, though perhaps there is more that just can't be seen. It just looked pretty stupid haing a pair of black dots on anime, unless it was supposed to be there. Fortunately, it was only the guy who got covered, the ladies are left intact.
tongue.gif

------------------
Link Removed | Burt Lancaster is Link Removed | dOc
 

Joe_C

Supporting Actor
Joined
Sep 29, 2000
Messages
710
It turns out the rumors for the new series set in the Cowboy Bebop universe were unfounded. This was on Chris' site today:
quote: No new Bebop (08:30 AM EST): During Otakon, there was a panel with Mr. Kawamoto of Cowboy Bebop fame, who had been asked some questions about the continuing of the Bebop show and shared universe. Unfortunately, as we've come to learn, Mr. Kawamoto has read the thread here that lists the information from that panel. According to the email I've received regarding it, "Mr. Kawamoto has seen this website and claims this is false information (I did not attend his panel, so I can't say for sure). Perhaps this person misinterpreted what was said, or maybe the translator inaccurately spoke. Either way, I was told to have this thread corrected by Mr. Kawamoto."
The thread in question talks about how this new series would be in the same universe as Cowboy Bebop but with new characters. Apparently this was really misinterpreted during the panel, as it appears Mr. Kawamoto was rather simply talking about a new series where a number of the Bebop staff is working together again as opposed to a new continuing series.
Our apologies to Mr. Kawamoto for the erroneous report.[/quote]
Damn...
------------------
Digital Hoard
[Edited last by Joe_C on August 19, 2001 at 05:02 PM]
 

Kong Chang

Screenwriter
Joined
Dec 17, 1998
Messages
1,632
The floating black dot is to hide the thing-that-is-dangling. :P The funny part of that is that whenever it moves, the dot moves with it. This is a Japanese joke, and a very funny one, because those who have seen Japanese hentai stuff will appreciate the sub-humor in that black dot. :)
---
Damn! No new Cowboy Bebop series? ttaku mou...
I wonder what new series the production staff will be doing next then?
Hmm, have to wonder...
The movie premieres in Japan on the 1st of September. :) YAY!!! That means, DVD in R2 will be available come early 2002!!! YES!! Can't wait!
----
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Forum statistics

Threads
356,710
Messages
5,121,108
Members
144,146
Latest member
SaladinNagasawa
Recent bookmarks
0
Top