Str0ngStyle said:
I thought this wasn't coming out til next month. Pics, impressions, I want it all.
I have been trying to get this series completed for years, but many issues have prevented me from doing so. Now only Fushugi Yugi needs a decent re release and I can die happy
I ended up pre-ordering it from Right Stuf the day they started taking them because, like you, I had only managed to grab a few of the DVDs here and there, and the prices/availability kept me from ever getting the whole set. But I was still really surprised when I got the e-mail that it shipped. Definitely not complaining.
The box set itself is nicely done, and the alternate art on each side is great...really stunning red/pinks and blue/purples. They're all in thinpaks, but there's also a little collector's booklet with commentaries from Kunihiko Ikuhara and nifty columns about the manga, the shoujo genre, and remastering. Of course, this is supplemented with some great full-color artwork.
The episodes themselves look noticeably better than on my CPM DVDs, so the image quality is greatly improved, and everything looks nice, even on my HDTV. I watched the dub first, mainly for nostalgia, but unfortunately, the dub is still standard stereo and they didn't re-record anything. So, the dub is still cringe-worthy at the beginning and it's the same as the CPM stuff. The Japanese track, even though I only listened to it for a bit, sounded spectacular, though.
I'm definitely not a fan of anime in general as I was when I was in my teens, but this set is amazing, totally great and it reminds me what was great about the anime I did like. So great to see other Utena fans!
Here's a look at the other side + thinpaks + booklet: