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[Labolas]

i just finished the Ushio to Tora OVA's from the early 90's, while it isn't really the best thing out there, i really enjoyed it, i won't go as in-depth as i did with Yugi or Mario, but it was entertaining for a formulaic monster of the week show, i especially love Tora, not only his design is cool but im a sucker for that kind of archetype if you know what i mean, a ferous beast with the capacity of cohesive human tought and speech with the personality of a wild animal being tamed into some kids pet even if he doesn't want to admit it, or atleast that's how i interpeted it, i also loved the art-style with the bright neon colors with harsh shading, and the power/hair metal soundtrack, in a way, this show was the fundation for what would eventually be Yu Yu Haksuho, InuYasha, and Bleach, so i respect it, i may also watch the new one later, but for now, i think the 10 episodes were enough, may watch it alongside the not-so-new but still kinda recent HxH from 2011, but i want to finish Ninku, Rewatch and Finish InuYasha and watch Yu Yu Haksuho first.

Oh yeah, it's good to hear the OVA still holds up. And yup, the new tv series is good too if you want more Ushio and Tora. Mappa did a good job with the series imo.

 

[Happosai]

i just finished the Ushio to Tora OVA's from the early 90's, while it isn't really the best thing out there, i really enjoyed it, i won't go as in-depth as i did with Yugi or Mario, but it was entertaining for a formulaic monster of the week show, i especially love Tora, not only his design is cool but im a sucker for that kind of archetype if you know what i mean, a ferous beast with the capacity of cohesive human tought and speech with the personality of a wild animal being tamed into some kids pet even if he doesn't want to admit it, or atleast that's how i interpeted it, i also loved the art-style with the bright neon colors with harsh shading, and the power/hair metal soundtrack, in a way, this show was the fundation for what would eventually be Yu Yu Haksuho, InuYasha, and Bleach, so i respect it, i may also watch the new one later, but for now, i think the 10 episodes were enough, may watch it alongside the not-so-new but still kinda recent HxH from 2011, but i want to finish Ninku, Rewatch and Finish InuYasha and watch Yu Yu Haksuho first.

Second round that the OVA Ushio & Tora makes to the thread. Last Summer I was on temp leave from work and spent it going through numerous OVAs with my wife. We watched this and I loved it. The last episode about the weasel like creatures didn't seem fitting for the finale...but, it was an OVA and they likely hit a snag.

One thing that stands out is how the violence shifts to extreme with the demon heads at the construction site. That was more like 80's anime violence. It was a fun watch. My earliest memories were watching it during college in a box-sized dorm I had back then. I didn't have much of an anime collect and I picked it knowing nothing about it off the shelves in Best Buy. It was sold double with Megazone 23 as the other anime under the "anime essentials" boxes by ADV.

I get that the 2015 series completes "the manga" but the glossy digital ink, weird glow, and seemingly cheaper production quality doesn't make it something really worth it for me. Glad they never tried to remake Bastard!! either.

 

[OmegaSpirit32X]

I get that the 2015 series completes "the manga" but the glossy digital ink, weird glow, and seemingly cheaper production quality doesn't make it something really worth it for me. Glad they never tried to remake Bastard!! either.

i guess, never seen the new one but im willing to put up with it just because it's more Ushio and Tora, afterall IIRC, 1999 HxH also ended on a weird note with the lamest arc, Greed Island (near the end of Yorkshin if you only count the original anime and not the OVA's) but then the stuff afterwards was amazing and the new one being made by MAPPA wich i heard was a great animation studio kinda gets my hopes up.

i do not like how "grounded" the colors feel, it's like with YuGiOh! Season Zero compared to DM, i miss that neon color palette with harsh shadows. or the opposite effect with HxH 2011 being more bright and colorful compared to 1999 HxH, and now that i mentioned it, let's talk about Hunter x Hunter...



i watched it a few months ago, i started with the 1999 version but, after GI Finale, i switched to the 2011 version and i guess it makes a difference, unlike with say Ushio to Tora wich wasn't finished back in the day due to being a limited run OVA, or YuGi Season Zero wich was at first never finished due to low ratings, eventually being reworked into the much more succesful Duel Monsters, HxH 1999 was never finished due to the Author's back-pains preventing him from working for a long time, thus having to delay the later arcs, thus the anime had to be pulled after Gi, and unlike Ushio to Tora wich seemingly ended, HxH is still on hiatus, not even the new anime finished it because the manga is still going on, just in a seemingly eternal hiatus.

as for the show itself, i tought it was great, the characters were so likable, and the way they become friends was alredy natural in both the manga and 2011, but the old version actually adds even more value, with Leorio being more miserable at first and Killua being more of a sociopath at first, plus Kurapika's arc gets foreshadowed when Gon meets Leorio in the city, wich never happens in either the manga or 2011, other differences i noticed would be the scene where Killua rips Jones' heart out being left uncensored, in fact there's a certain added "extreme" value to it by having him crush his heart in front of his eyes, wich was never shown in the new version, this being said, outside of that example, from what ive heard the old version actually censors more than the new one did.

 

[DGrayson]

As I mentioned earlier in the thread I started watching anime around 1995ish. Just before it took off in teh US.

So it was super exciting when DBZ and Pokemon started showing up in network tv in teh US.

I used to watch both with my sisters when i was in High school.

Anyways long story short, that was like 23 years ago and now my son is 5 years old and he started watching the classic Pokemon tv show. He really likes it and I watch a bit with him and its honestly surreal thinking that I saw some of these episodes 23 years ago on tv with my sisters.

 

[Happosai]

As I mentioned earlier in the thread I started watching anime around 1995ish. Just before it took off in teh US.

So it was super exciting when DBZ and Pokemon started showing up in network tv in teh US.

I used to watch both with my sisters when i was in High school.

Anyways long story short, that was like 23 years ago and now my son is 5 years old and he started watching the classic Pokemon tv show. He really likes it and I watch a bit with him and its honestly surreal thinking that I saw some of these episodes 23 years ago on tv with my sisters.

My plans for my kids with anime is slightly different. The first anime I ever saw was likely Sherlock Hound and I was too young to realize it was anime. 21 year ago when it became big for me it was the result of buying OVAs and 80's anime movies on VHS that were far beyond my age. I bought Wicked City when I was 14 back in 2001 and I can't say I'd show it to my kids. My wife watched it recently and liked it. So, I understand that it's aged well with me.

Dragon Ball wasn't intended for kids and I don't feel justice showing anyone censored anime. Maybe something Miyazaki or Monster Rancher for kids?

 

[DGrayson]

My plans for my kids with anime is slightly different. The first anime I ever saw was likely Sherlock Hound and I was too young to realize it was anime. 21 year ago when it became big for me it was the result of buying OVAs and 80's anime movies on VHS that were far beyond my age. I bought Wicked City when I was 14 back in 2001 and I can't say I'd show it to my kids. My wife watched it recently and liked it. So, I understand that it's aged well with me.

Dragon Ball wasn't intended for kids and I don't feel justice showing anyone censored anime. Maybe something Miyazaki or Monster Rancher for kids?

I really don't want to be *that* parent thst forces something on their kids. Things I have shown my kids on purpose. Classic transformers. Classic Pokemon. DragonBall (non z), star wars movies and cartoons ( lego star wars).

Anyways some he likes some he doesn't. I'm happy if he gives it a shot. I'd he doesn't get into it, that'd perfectly fine.

 

[kunonabi]

Yeah, letting the kid stumble onto something is probably better. Considering how big manga is now it should happen fairly naturally.

Man, those El-Hazard screenshots is making the wait for tomorrow unbearable.

Speaking of blu-ray releases that snuck up on me I pre-ordered the new Robotech release yesterday. Hopefully funimation doesn't screw it up.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

Anyone got any movie/ova recommendations? I've seen all the major ones I feel. I was looking for hidden gems. I've seen the Ghibli stuff. Ghost in the Shell, Ninja Scroll, Redline, Promare... All of Shinkais stuff... Eva... Vampire hunter... So yeah what's flown under the radar worth checking out?

 

[Happosai]

Anyone got any movie/ova recommendations? I've seen all the major ones I feel. I was looking for hidden gems. I've seen the Ghibli stuff. Ghost in the Shell, Ninja Scroll, Redline, Promare... All of Shinkais stuff... Eva... Vampire hunter... So yeah what's flown under the radar worth checking out?

Riki-Oh parts 1 & 2
Dragon Half 2 part OVA (one of my favorite comedy anime)
Lily C.A.T. if you want dark and mysterious sci-fi
New Cutey Honey OVA (the one from like 1994) is a fun OVA
Those Who Hunt Elves for another great 12-episode OVA (has a second part); this is also comedy
NeoToyko for a movie if you haven't seen it
A Wind Named Amnesia (one of my favorite anime movie)
Outlanders OVA funny / risque space comedy

 

[Celcius]

Just finished watching Mobile Suit Gundam (1979). I'd definitely recommend it if you want to see how the series started.

 

[Happosai]

Just finished watching Mobile Suit Gundam (1979). I'd definitely recommend it if you want to see how the series started.

I'd throw Space Runaway Ideon, Mazinger, and Macross too if we're going back to 70's/80's robo-anime.

 

[Celcius]

Just finished Char's counterattack. I had to google the ending because it was a bit unclear but I enjoyed it overall.

 

[Happosai]

Just finished Char's counterattack. I had to google the ending because it was a bit unclear but I enjoyed it overall.

Watch 'Cat Soup' the movie and try interpret what's going on. Given it was meant to abstract anime...

 

[JunkerWoland]

For those not following Otakon, the below image features most of Discotek's new announcements from this weekend's convention.

The one missing item is Discotek also acquired the six-episode OVA, Top wo Nerae! (Gunbuster), set to be released subbed and dubbed on Blu-ray in 2022. While "lots of special features" are promised, no specifics were given. Ideally, we'd get the rough cut of Episode 5 and the unmatted Episode 6, but I'd be happy enough with just an English-subtitled, disc release that maintained the original 2ch audio for the first episode.

Anyone who'd rather something a little more formatted and text-based, ANN also has a rundown of the company's announcements (link).

 

[Happosai]

For those not following Otakon, the below image features most of Discotek's new announcements from this weekend's convention.

The one missing item is Discotek also acquired the six-episode OVA, Top wo Nerae! (Gunbuster), set to be released subbed and dubbed on Blu-ray in 2022. While "lots of special features" are promised, no specifics were given. Ideally, we'd get the rough cut of Episode 5 and the unmatted Episode 6, but I'd be happy enough with just an English-subtitled, disc release that maintained the original 2ch audio for the first episode.

Anyone who'd rather something a little more formatted and text-based, ANN also has a rundown of the company's announcements (link).

Incredible. Seems like Gunbuster will go fast when that finally gets officialized. I know the idea is the keep print numbers low but that's one I'd prefer not to miss out on.

Some other great ones in there too. I don't step out much to pick up anything for the collection... that may change.

 

[ArgleBargleFooferah]

I watched the Crusher Joe film today and it was fun. Wtaching the first OVA now and it's pretty good.

 

[kunonabi]

Incredible. Seems like Gunbuster will go fast when that finally gets officialized. I know the idea is the keep print numbers low but that's one I'd prefer not to miss out on.

Some other great ones in there too. I don't step out much to pick up anything for the collection... that may change.

I'll probably stick with my old copies of gunbusters since the music will probably still be borked but I'm getting pretty much everything else they announced. I've been waiting on Mamo forever.

 

[Omega Supreme Holopsicon]

My problem with blu ray is that it is ephemeral, after around 50 years the plastic portions start degrading, or so I've heard. I desire that which is eternal, so I'll have to rip my blurays into quartz memory, superman memory crystals. They are said to hold over 360TB, and can last for billions of years of simulated wear and tear. That is what I desire eternal storage for an eternal being.

Otherwise the memories will be lost in time, like tears in the rain, which is a pain to search through.

Digital information with adequate error correction is eternal. And art should last forever, for all of eternity. Block time universe suggests this is already the case, but cyclic causality suggests we may need to do actions to ensure such is nonetheless.

 

[Happosai]

I'll probably stick with my old copies of gunbusters since the music will probably still be borked but I'm getting pretty much everything else they announced. I've been waiting on Mamo forever.

I keep waiting for GallForce to come out full collection. It's also occurred to me that like nothing was ever attempted in regard toward a North American release of Mermaid Saga, RumikWorld, or Urusei Yatsura for blu-ray.

 

[kunonabi]

I keep waiting for GallForce to come out full collection. It's also occurred to me that like nothing was ever attempted in regard toward a North American release of Mermaid Saga, RumikWorld, or Urusei Yatsura for blu-ray.

Yeah those would all be great to get.

 

[Happosai]

I picked up Kimagure Orange Road TV on blu-ray last October and just started watching for the first time. About 10/47 episodes in. It's odd that it seems in order to have made this manga and eventually anime into like a social study. It's weird because certain themes in Kyosuke's life are similar to mine some 20-odd years ago. Seems this would have been an anime that would have been more relatable to my teenage self than today. It's fun to watch with my wife but stuff makes me feel old. I read a few reviews that criticized the animation as being sub-par. I don't get that. Seems like there was a lot put into every step of the animation process 10 episodes in. It's also nice to see it in HD.

I saw one of the movies long ago but first time on the series. So far, so good. Did anyone else watch this back when it first hit the West on laserdisc or VHS?

 

[OmegaSupreme]

I'd love an Azumanga Daioh re-release. A funny and charming slice of life show from the early 2000s.

​

 

[Happosai]

I'd love an Azumanga Daioh re-release. A funny and charming slice of life show from the early 2000s.

​

I thought about extending the timeline in my OP to add anime from 2002-2005 as retro. However, after reviewing anime from the early 2000's, it's clear that things had already move far out of retro.

Major changes already present in anime from 2002-2005 that separated them from (for example: 80's anime):

- Blob-like forms replacing detailed human features in drawing style (compare anime facial features from popular titles in the 2000's to that of something by Kawajiri for example)
- Target audience demographic in the 80's seemed to lean the majority toward teens and adults. In the 2000's , demographic leans more toward teens and children
- Stories becoming more simplistic and less thought provoking
- Digital airbrushed backgrounds and digital ink rather than painted backgrounds and hands painted cels

Although, I feel that they're worth discussing. It's more a memory to those who got into anime I the 2000's rather than those who were watching fan subs on VHS or in Latin American or European countries that saw classic anime on network television in the 70's and 80's.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

I thought about extending the timeline in my OP to add anime from 2002-2005 as retro. However, after reviewing anime from the early 2000's, it's clear that things had already move far out of retro.

Major changes already present in anime from 2002-2005 that separated them from (for example: 80's anime):

- Blob-like forms replacing detailed human features in drawing style (compare anime facial features from popular titles in the 2000's to that of something by Kawajiri for example)
- Target audience demographic in the 80's seemed to lean the majority toward teens and adults. In the 2000's , demographic leans more toward teens and children
- Stories becoming more simplistic and less thought provoking
- Digital airbrushed backgrounds and digital ink rather than painted backgrounds and hands painted cels

Although, I feel that they're worth discussing. It's more a memory to those who got into anime I the 2000's rather than those who were watching fan subs on VHS or in Latin American or European countries that saw classic anime on network television in the 70's and 80's.

My mistake. I had forgotten the timeline. It's still a great show I heartily recommend. Low stakes. Great humor.

 

[Happosai]

My mistake. I had forgotten the timeline. It's still a great show I heartily recommend. Low stakes. Great humor.

You posted a in the right place. It's not going to fit the OP but if you were to share this in the regular anime/manga thread; it seems unlikely that many would chime in. There were 2000's anime titles I liked too but the magic of the animation was mostly gone. After just recently finishing Those Who Hunt Elves 1 & 2...I can appreciate low stakes humor.

 

[JunkerWoland]

I'd love an Azumanga Daioh re-release. A funny and charming slice of life show from the early 2000s.

I also wish someone would relicense the Azumanga Daioh anime, although I worry it'd probably fall to a Sentai or the ever growing FUNimation empire. The show's subtitles could benefit from an update, particularly one applying a lighter touch when it comes to handling culture matters. I do, every so often, consider grabbing the Japanese Blu-ray, but the release remains expensive and I've never seen whether the final product looks somewhat decent or was turned into a blurry mess. Regardless, I still occasionally throw the old DVDs into a player and watch a few episodes. If you're into this sort of thing, Yen Press' re-release of the manga is also pretty good, though now hard to find.

 

[Space Runaway]

Anyone ever give Space Fantasia 2001 Nights a watch?

A 1987 OVA based on the manga series 2001 Nights and directed by Yoshio Takeuchi, who was the main director of Cobra under Dezaki (Among other notable works). The title pretty much gives away that this is a space anime with a degree of influence from a certain other 2001 movie.

I've never read the source material but as I understand it the OVA covers one of the arcs from the comic. In this case it's about the "Robinson" family spreading life to a new planet. The OVA is set up as 3 stories that take place in different periods of time but are all connected, giving you something kiiinda resembling a 3 act structure. The first and third stories are very whimsical in execution and are the most closely connected. The second has the most interesting visuals of the bunch (Takeuchi's past experience with Cobra coming through in this one) and is arguably the most engaging as there's a more direct story with some degree of agency. You also get some characterization which the other two mostly lack.

If you like space stuff or space visuals then at about an hour long it's an entertaining watch, though probably not the most engaging piece for the average viewer and most likely requires familiarity with the manga to truly enjoy. It seems to have been received positively in Japan yet has never gotten a release outside of VHS and LD. I can see why western distributors would pass on this though I'm surprised it didn't get a basic JP dvd release or something.

 

[ShinobiWan1]

My first animes were watered down versions, like Robotech and Clash of the Bionoids. I loved them to death though, I still enjoy hearing the themes and voice acting. (maybe it's just nostalgia?)

I had a buddy from Japan, and he would often bring me VHS tapes of anime, like Dragon Ball Z or Tonari no Totoro. It was amazing! He just recorded stuff from TV, so there were lots of cool commercials too. He also showed me Akira, which was absolutely fantastic. I also remember seeing Record of the Lodoss War on the Sci Fi Channel Anime Saturdays, and the Dragon Quest anime.

From there, I would just rent whatever I could from Blockbuster video, stuff like MD Geist, Fist of the North Star, Vampire Hunter D or Windaria. Anything they had on the shelf, really. Suncoast Video had an anime section, so I started getting more videos, like Wings of Honneamise, Roujin Z or Bubble Gum Crisis. I learned lots of my early Japanese language from memorizing the Bubble Gum Crisis lyrics haha, like Akuma to Tenshi no Kissu



Anyways, I've enjoyed plenty of anime since then.

 

[Happosai]

My first anime's were watered down versions, like Robotech and Clash of the Bionoids. I loved them to death though, I still enjoy hearing the themes and voice acting. (maybe it's just nostalgia?)

I had a buddy from Japan, and he would often bring me VHS tapes of anime, like Dragon Ball Z or Tonari no Totoro. It was amazing! He just recorded stuff from TV, so there were lots of cool commercials too. He also showed me Akira, which was absolutely fantastic. I also remember seeing Record of the Lodoss War on the Sci Fi Channel Anime Saturdays, and the Dragon Quest anime.

From there, I would just rent whatever I could from Blockbuster video, stuff like MD Geist, Fist of the North Star, Vampire Hunter D or Windaria. Anything they had on the shelf, really. Suncoast Video had an anime section, so I started getting more videos, like Wings of Honneamise, Roujin Z or Bubble Gum Crisis. I learned lots of my early Japanese language from memorizing the Bubble Gum Crisis lyrics haha, like Akuma to Tenshi no Kissu



Anyways, I've enjoyed plenty of anime since then.

Places like Suncoast and Sci-Fi Saturday's are where many of us discovered anime. It would be cool if you still had those import VHS. I still keep some of my anime on VHS that never had proper North American releases like Rumik World, Gunsmith Cats (limited release but bloody expensive), and Lens man.

 

[ShinobiWan1]

Places like Suncoast and Sci-Fi Saturday's are where many of us discovered anime. It would be cool if you still had those import VHS. I still keep some of my anime on VHS that never had proper North American releases like Rumik World, Gunsmith Cats (limited release but bloody expensive), and Lens man.

I have one, but my VCR has trouble playing it. It's recorded in SLP/EP, and my VCR doesn't like that speed for some reason. But it has stuff like Dragon Ball Z (one of the Cell Games episodes) Hokuto No Ken and some other stuff. I'll have to check it again

Really poor audio quality (probably because my VCR struggles to play it), but here's some of the commercials from that tape

 

[Space Runaway]

I was gonna do this as a double post with 2001 Nights but decided against it as I wasn't sure the subject matter was worth it but in the process of deleting all the screenshots I figured, eh fuck it why not. =P

So here we have the sometimes-famous sometimes-infamous Ichirou Itano's least known work, 1992's "Star Dust".

Itano is generally known for great animation, awesome space mecha battles and gratuitous gore. In Star Dust we get...some ok-ish space fight stuff, I suppose? Being an obscurity that only existed on VHS, there's no subs or fansubs available (Though there is a Russian dub so someone translated this) so I had to go in raw. Though that's not much of a problem as the OVA is very thin - it's the future, our hero is some goofy bucktooth guy, space freighters are a thing, some enemies attack, quick fight, things are eventually settled somewhat peacefully(Anyone that died is instantly forgotten) and everyone has to escape some kind of solar flare. Good guys win, the end.

It's a pretty strange outing for Itano, with the highlights being cool detailed spacecraft art, that neat old-style breakaway animation when machines are blown apart and some nice but very brief space combat. The interesting aspect is it appears it was partially a project for the students of the Itano's animation class. During the credits there's about 60 zillion in-between animators listed which are pretty much said students getting some hands on experience. To their credit the OVA doesn't look any worse than most stuff from the era(Though with only VHS rips available, this does look older than it is) but then they did have a solid director and some notable production staff to carry the load. And for what it's worth they also tapped famous Sunrise singer MIO for an ending tune.

I really can't recommend this to anyone except like completionists, genre enthusiasts or those into extreme obscurities. Still, I can definitely say, this is a thing that exists. =P

 

[JunkerWoland]

Some slightly lackluster news, regarding Discotek's upcoming release in 2022 of Gunbuster.

Over at the Blu-ray.com forums, Justin Sevakis appears to confirm the US release will not feature, Honoo no Tokkun, the music track parodying the theme of Chariots of Fire from the series' first episode. Mr. Sevakis is the Production Contractor for Discotek, more specifically he handles authoring for most (if not all) their releases. He was also a presenter on the Otakon panel, where Gunbuster was announced. The forum thread is a little wonky, but his specific comment about the music track: "Guys, copyright violations don’t magically cure themselves. Japan does not have fair use. That song is gone for good" (link).

Similar to the forthcoming, international releases of Evangelion, the above statement does suggest Gunbuster will be another Gainax work, where only the Japanese release contains all the original music content. As someone with no interest in the announced English dub, whether I grab Discotek's version will now largely depend on price and the included extras.

:: edit ::
A note about the above: Sevakis was having something of a contentious conversation in the mentioned Blu-ray.com forum thread, and it appears all related posts have now been deleted, including the quoted message on Gunbuster. Just wanted to provide that clarity, in case anyone clicks the above link.

 

[Space Runaway]

Kind of a follow-up to the FMV game post I made a good while back. Nowhere near as interesting but it's still a neat piece of history from the era to look into.

Back in 87 there was a US kids show Captain Power, which was live action with some occasional cgi. It had a gimmick using the old Video Challenger tech (Which I believe itself was based off the infamous Action MAX) where you could use the toys in a lightgun-like fashion to score points shooting at specialized VHS tapes (Or other toys).

I'd seen some of the show but never looked into the VHS tapes as I never had any of the toys they were made for. Interestingly enough, the "lightgun" sections of the tapes were 2d animation done by the old Artmic-AIC combo. Much like FMV games Cobra Command or Road Avenger, these had fully animated scrolling environments done at about OVA quality. They're not the most interesting things to sit through due to what they are but I always enjoy seeing fully animated environments (Sadly something that seems to no longer exists in 2d animation) and these are mostly just that:



(2:22 if timecode fails)


(2:13 if timecode fails)


(2:44 if timecode fails)

Much like the FMV games I was curious about the staff who was behind this animation.

So right off we have Yasuo Hasegawa directing (Well, animation director but in this case he seems to be serving the same function). He's generally known more as a producer, notable for stuff like El-Hazard, Bastard!! and various Tenchi works. As a director he's been involved in some notable stuff like some of the old Time Bokan series, the infamous Cosmos Pink Shock and of course everyone's favorite, Riding Bean.

Shinya Ohira is working as one of the animation supervisors. He's know for doing key animation on works like Akira, Lensman, Gall Force, Bubblegum Crisis, Violence Jack (that one ), Riding Bean, FLCL...it goes on. =P

Kazuhiro Arai was the art director for this and he's been art director on Dangaioh, Megazone 23 p2 and Layzner, along with tons of other stuff since.

And surprisingly all the robot and mecha designs are from none other than Shinji Aramaki who everyone should know for his mecha designs on Mospeada, MegaZone 23, Bubblegum Crisis and Madox-01 (Which he also directed). He's also listed under backgrounds and I don't think I've ever seen him credited with background art outside of this.

And for music, all that crazy synth was done by Kenji Kawai who has scored an assload of stuff. Though for this thread notable stuff would be Ghost in the Shell, everything Patlabor, Devilman (OVAs)and Ranma 1/2.

A lot of the credited animators were involved in some interesting and notable works but none were as distinguished as the staff listed above.

Not a shabby staff for some gimmick VHS tapes. =P

​

 

[kunonabi]

Some slightly lackluster news, regarding Discotek's upcoming release in 2022 of Gunbuster.

Over at the Blu-ray.com forums, Justin Sevakis appears to confirm the US release will not feature, Honoo no Tokkun, the music track parodying the theme of Chariots of Fire from the series' first episode. Mr. Sevakis is the Production Contractor for Discotek, more specifically he handles authoring for most (if not all) their releases. He was also a presenter on the Otakon panel, where Gunbuster was announced. The forum thread is a little wonky, but his specific comment about the music track: "Guys, copyright violations don’t magically cure themselves. Japan does not have fair use. That song is gone for good" (link).

Similar to the forthcoming, international releases of Evangelion, the above statement does suggest Gunbuster will be another Gainax work, where only the Japanese release contains all the original music content. As someone with no interest in the announced English dub, whether I grab Discotek's version will now largely depend on price and the included extras.

:: edit ::
A note about the above: Sevakis was having something of a contentious conversation in the mentioned Blu-ray.com forum thread, and it appears all related posts have now been deleted, including the quoted message on Gunbuster. Just wanted to provide that clarity, in case anyone clicks the above link.

Another Gunbuster release I can skip then.

In more positive news I'm really enjoying the Lupin III part 3 set. Very nice package and the transfer looks good. Nothing mind blowing of course but the show still benefits from the upgrade nicely.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

Kind of a follow-up to the FMV game post I made a good while back. Nowhere near as interesting but it's still a neat piece of history from the era to look into.

Back in 87 there was a US kids show Captain Power, which was live action with some occasional cgi. It had a gimmick using the old Video Challenger tech (Which I believe itself was based off the infamous Action MAX) where you could use the toys in a lightgun-like fashion to score points shooting at specialized VHS tapes (Or other toys).

I'd seen some of the show but never looked into the VHS tapes as I never had any of the toys they were made for. Interestingly enough, the "lightgun" sections of the tapes were 2d animation done by the old Artmic-AIC combo. Much like FMV games Cobra Command or Road Avenger, these had fully animated scrolling environments done at about OVA quality. They're not the most interesting things to sit through due to what they are but I always enjoy seeing fully animated environments (Sadly something that seems to no longer exists in 2d animation) and these are mostly just that:



(2:22 if timecode fails)


(2:13 if timecode fails)


(2:44 if timecode fails)

Much like the FMV games I was curious about the staff who was behind this animation.

So right off we have Yasuo Hasegawa directing (Well, animation director but in this case he seems to be serving the same function). He's generally known more as a producer, notable for stuff like El-Hazard, Bastard!! and various Tenchi works. As a director he's been involved in some notable stuff like some of the old Time Bokan series, the infamous Cosmos Pink Shock and of course everyone's favorite, Riding Bean.

Shinya Ohira is working as one of the animation supervisors. He's know for doing key animation on works like Akira, Lensman, Gall Force, Bubblegum Crisis, Violence Jack (that one ), Riding Bean, FLCL...it goes on. =P

Kazuhiro Arai was the art director for this and he's been art director on Dangaioh, Megazone 23 p2 and Layzner, along with tons of other stuff since.

And surprisingly all the robot and mecha designs are from none other than Shinji Aramaki who everyone should know for his mecha designs on Mospeada, MegaZone 23, Bubblegum Crisis and Madox-01 (Which he also directed). He's also listed under backgrounds and I don't think I've ever seen him credited with background art outside of this.

And for music, all that crazy synth was done by Kenji Kawai who has scored an assload of stuff. Though for this thread notable stuff would be Ghost in the Shell, everything Patlabor, Devilman (OVAs)and Ranma 1/2.

A lot of the credited animators were involved in some interesting and notable works but none were as distinguished as the staff listed above.

Not a shabby staff for some gimmick VHS tapes. =P

​

I loved the Captain Power tv show! A friend of mine had those playable tapes. I thought that shit was amazing when I was 5.

 

[JunkerWoland]

Another Gunbuster release I can skip then.

The likely music replacement is a bummer (it's not even just the questionable necessity of the act and more the replacement isn't particularly well done), but depending on price and extra contents the set could still be something to watch.

The now out-of-print limited edition of the Japanese Blu-ray had a separate disc of substantial extras, including an unmatted version of Episode 6 and a rough telecine transfer of Episode 5 used for audio recording. By their own words, Discotek promised its release wold have "lots of special features." Assuming they can grab the gems off the Japanese extra disc, their edition could be a cheap way to get material that's no longer even readily available in the series' domestic market. With standard US pricing and the right set of extras, I'd be happy with a product that could act as a complement to my regular version of the Japanese BD.

 

[Labolas]

Saw that there's an upcoming bluray release of NGE and End of Eva. Can't say I'm impressed with how it looks. The effort looks bare minimum from what I can tell. I'll stick with my Platinum DVDs instead.

edit: nevermind it's the standard edition.

 

[Happosai]

I have a question/request for someone who may know where to point me in the right direction. So, I bought the Kimagure Orange Road TV blu-ray set last year directly from Discotek (sent via the insideous RightStuf to my residence). It arrived looking fairly immaculate (the discs) and so I put it on the shelf and waited until about 3-weeks ago to start watching it. Discs 1-3 played great. Then, I put disc 4 in and the blu-ray player spit it out. Tried it in the PS4, same deal. Tried it in a multi-region blu-ray downstairs, same deal. I put the disc under a light and found miniscule data layer scratches on it that were nearly invisible. Hell, I didn't even know you could scratch a blu-ray. Long story short, it's more than a year past the return window and despite how much I loathe RightStuf...they didn't do this. This is clearly something done by the company that prints the discs for Discotek.

Here's where I need help. I've tried every disc repair method and it's futile. Aside from that, the boxset is $80 + $25 shipping to Mexico + import fees + RightStuf charges their own international fee of $15. So, I'm not going to waste that much money (again) for a set that may have other inoperable disks.

Does anyone know where I could find and possible download the episodes I missed. Disc 5 (the last disc does play) it's only the disc 4 episodes).
I get that Crunchyroll has them but I don't do streaming. I would prefer to find a site where I can download the MP4 and at least salvage them for a flash drive. Here are the list of episodes I never got to see:

31-40

"Madoka and Yuusaku - The Marching Song of Runaway Youths" "Will My Birthday Come Twice? Time-Runner Kyosuke" "Strange Madoka! The Mushroom of 120% Truth!" "Roots Panic! Madoka in the Mysterious Homeland" "Perverted With a Camera! Robo-Kyosuke!" "Adios, Kyosuke! Paranormal Powers Caught On Video!" "Heroic Orange Legend - Madoka's Duel in the Blizzard" "Kyosuke Timetrips! The Third Christmas" "Hypnotizing Madoka - Kyosuke's Dangerous New Year" "First Dream of the New Year - Giant Monster Jingoro's Counterattack" Space Runaway

 

[Space Runaway]

Checked out the Braiger sd-bluray.

Reminiscent of how many older titles looked on those HK bootleg dvds that were so common back in the 00s. Seems like they did some touch-ups which softened the image a bit. Though considering what Discotek were working with, it's still acceptable.

 

[sol_bad]

Has Retrocrush been mentioned here? They have some cool series and movies available.

RetroCrush | Browse Shows

Mostly retro, always fresh.

www.retrocrush.tv

Of course, it's not available in Australia.

 

[JunkerWoland]

Right Stuf and their entertainment subsidiary, Nozomi, have launched a Kickstarter to dub the Dirty Pair television series for release on Blu-ray (campaign link).

Similar to the companies' previous crowdfunders, the campaign is primarily focused on raising money to create an English dub. Where this project differs is offering a $250 tier that includes the rest of the Dirty Pair series on Blu-ray (OVA, feature film, and Dirty Pair Flash). Worth noting, unlike the television series, the rest of the Dirty Pair anime have already been dubbed into English. As with their previous projects, any anime releases created through crowdfunding will have a six month or more holdback period, before offering retail editions.

The structure of this Dirty Pair project is a bit financially unfriendly for anyone only wanting some or all of the anime in HD. $60 is the cost for just the television series on Blu-ray; $135 buys the TV show, a bunch of tchotchkes, and a collector's box for the rest of the franchise; and as previously mentioned, $250 delivers the physical tat and all of Dirty Pair on Blu-ray. Normally, I like to support these types of campaigns, but as someone who doesn't care about an English dub and can live without Dirty Pair Flash, I'm leaning towards passing on this project, as the company clearly intends to eventually create retail editions for all of this content.

Also worth keeping in mind, since this material is almost certainly based on the Japanese Blu-ray set, the TV series apparently received pretty heavy DNR-ing, and the film has some minor visual edits, apparently due to copyright issues. Fandom Post has a fairly short forum thread with visual comparisons and details relevant to the edits (link).

 

[Space Runaway]

Right Stuf and their entertainment subsidiary, Nozomi, have launched a Kickstarter to dub the Dirty Pair television series for release on Blu-ray (campaign link).

Similar to the companies' previous crowdfunders, the campaign is primarily focused on raising money to create an English dub. Where this project differs is offering a $250 tier that includes the rest of the Dirty Pair series on Blu-ray (OVA, feature film, and Dirty Pair Flash). Worth noting, unlike the television series, the rest of the Dirty Pair anime have already been dubbed into English. As with their previous projects, any anime releases created through crowdfunding will have a six month or more holdback period, before offering retail editions.

The structure of this Dirty Pair project is a bit financially unfriendly for anyone only wanting some or all of the anime in HD. $60 is the cost for just the television series on Blu-ray; $135 buys the TV show, a bunch of tchotchkes, and a collector's box for the rest of the franchise; and as previously mentioned, $250 delivers the physical tat and all of Dirty Pair on Blu-ray. Normally, I like to support these types of campaigns, but as someone who doesn't care about an English dub and can live without Dirty Pair Flash, I'm leaning towards passing on this project, as the company clearly intends to eventually create retail editions for all of this content.

Also worth keeping in mind, since this material is almost certainly based on the Japanese Blu-ray set, the TV series apparently received pretty heavy DNR-ing, and the film has some minor visual edits, apparently due to copyright issues. Fandom Post has a fairly short forum thread with visual comparisons and details relevant to the edits (link).

Thanks for the heads up.

Like you I've no interest in Flash and a couldn't care less about an English dub (And they state 75% of the funding is going just toward the dub =/) but I might still back the lowest level just to have a physical copy of the TV series on bluray. If the OVAs and movie get a retail release then I'll grab those.

Also I watched through a fansubbed version of the JP BD versions somewhat recently and they are indeed fully scrubbed and with visual edits (The movie even went so far as to censor the red crosses on uniforms and objects like a modern Doom port =P).

 

[sol_bad]

Was the Bubblegum Crisis blu ray set released at mass retail?

 

[JunkerWoland]

If the OVAs and movie get a retail release then I'll grab those..

I'm thinking there's not much need to worry about the "if." Based on how the Kickstarter is structured and some of the talk I'm seeing around the web (eg., link1, link2), all of this stuff will eventually be available at retail. The campaign is also already around 66% funded (about $92,000 is still needed) and will almost certainly succeed.

I plan to keep an eye on things. If the campaign possibly offers the other discs as add-ons or creates a new tier for only the discs, I might bite. I'd even be willing to absorb the cost of Flash, if it meant getting everything in a nice chipboard box, which is something that won't be available at retail. Realistically, the $250 price for the entire series isn't bad for what's included, it's just around $50 of the cost is sunk into swag items.

Was the Bubblegum Crisis blu ray set released at mass retail?

There is a retail release of the Bubblegum Crisis BD. For any number of possible reasons, though, the retail version is only one disc with a lower bitrate (confirmed source). I've never seen any comparison images, but have read a few reviews of the retail release and people seemed generally pleased. The retail disc is around $30 and can be purchased at the usual stores or directly from AnimEigo (store link).

 

[sol_bad]

There is a retail release of the Bubblegum Crisis BD. For any number of possible reasons, though, the retail version is only one disc with a lower bitrate (confirmed source). I've never seen any comparison images, but have read a few reviews of the retail release and people seemed generally pleased. The retail disc is around $30 and can be purchased at the usual stores or directly from AnimEigo (store link).

Thanks, I'll have to get around to getting it soon.

 

[Fbh]

Finally watched the Patlabor movies. Really enjoyed them both, specially the second one.
Great characters, some really nice visuals and some interesting concepts behind them. Kinda curious why they didn't blow up as much as Ghost in the Shell as I did find them just as good.


Also me watching and being reminded of a time when mechas weren't made with ugly CGI:

 

[JunkerWoland]

Kinda curious why they didn't blow up as much as Ghost in the Shell as I did find them just as good.

As a franchise in the West, Ghost in the Shell has had much more going for it over Patlabor. The GitS manga was already available in English and had cultivated a fandom upon the movie's arrival in 1995, with the film benefiting from significant coverage in both the enthusiast media and fanzines. Assuming you were in the right place at the right time, one could even watch the GitS movie in theaters. Interest in Mamoru Oshii and his other works largely resulted from the popularity of the GitS film, while the GitS franchise has also maintained a high visibility thanks to fairly consistent releases of new media.

On the other hand, the roll-out of Patlabor in English, from manga through various anime incarnations, has been messy, potentially making it difficult to engage with the franchise. While there's fondness for the first two films, Patlabor never organically grew a fanbase with sensible, chronological releases of content and lacks keystone entries that people latch onto in the same manner as the initial GitS manga or 1995 film. I'd also suggest people more readily accept GitS for its action, tech, and futuristic trappings, even at the expense of more philosophical and dramatic elements, while its harder to turn a blind eye on the Patlabor franchise's political and social commentaries.

Also me watching and being reminded of a time when mechas weren't made with ugly CGI:

I (and I imagine almost all robot fans) wholeheartedly agree. To be fair, CG robots can be used to good effect with the right budget and art direction (I'm thinking Macross Frontier and Gundam Unicorn or even the ships in Yamato 2199 (but not Yamato 2205)). But yeah, employing CG is usually a cost-savings measure that results in cheap or out-of-place looking mecha. Sadly, CG is also absolutely murdering what's left of the super-robot genre, since the robots are now all lifeless husks of poorly shaded polygons.

 

[Labolas]

Anyone got any movie/ova recommendations? I've seen all the major ones I feel. I was looking for hidden gems. I've seen the Ghibli stuff. Ghost in the Shell, Ninja Scroll, Redline, Promare... All of Shinkais stuff... Eva... Vampire hunter... So yeah what's flown under the radar worth checking out?

Blood the Last Vampire, 3x3 Eyes, Golden Boy, Birdy the Mighty, Sword of the Stranger, Iria, Gunbuster, that's all I can think of right now.

I decided to show some love to Dirty Pair and back the project. I couldn't less about the dub, but I'm probably one of the few that would like to see Flash get some love.

 

[ValiantTraveler]

I'm currently watching Rose of Versailles with my brother -- with French subs, adequatly. Every episode has been impressive in terms of story, visuals, and voice acting. The villains, especially female ones, are so cunning and shrewd and manipulative, it's impressive how much trouble they cause. I love how the feelings are characters are conveyed through visuals like fire for anger, a fissure for shock, or bubbles for euhphoria. The voice acting is superb with an authenticity rarely found in current-day anime. These lines spoken (by André?) at the end of the ending theme are always so poignant. And of course Dezaki's style elevates the somewhat economic animation.

I'm also reaching the end of Legend of the Galactic Heroes -- again, with my brother. This is my second time watching it and his first. The fact that he sat through 100 episodes made mostly of dialogues is a testament to how fascinating the story is, because my brother gets bored easily when there is no action. The elegance and poise of the characters combined with the thought-provoking discussions and large-scale battles is just as captivating as the first time I watched this series. I was apprehending the episodes where major characters die because I knew it would be a shock to my brother, and it was. Again, they don't make anime like this anymore. I'm aware of the remakes, and I'm happy they exist, but the character designs and voice actors of the original series are far superior. The voice acting is simply more authentic and understated. I orderd two volumes of the novel to keep a physical item of this landmark of Japanese ficiton.

 

[Happosai]

Blood the Last Vampire, 3x3 Eyes, Golden Boy, Birdy the Mighty, Sword of the Stranger, Iria, Gunbuster, that's all I can think of right now.

I decided to show some love to Dirty Pair and back the project. I couldn't less about the dub, but I'm probably one of the few that would like to see Flash get some love.

I haven't seen Blood the Last Vampire in ages. It was the first anime move I watched where I could uniquely detect that the CG was executed well.

3 X 3 Eyes is one of those "sell me something I already own" titles. It's been in my physical collection for about 8-years now (I bought the Pioneer release that included a water-based tattoo inside the inner sleeve). However, like many in my collection -- it's never been watched. I watched DNA-squared not long ago but why should I watch 3 X 3 Eyes. I'm going to eventually but I have a playlist of all the blu-rays and DVD releases I'm going to watch from now until about next Summer. Anyone want to try to convince me to squeeze this one in there? Space Runaway Or is it worth putting off longer.

Laugh if you want to but I'm about to start into Nightwalker. I haven't seen that anime since I owned it on VHS back in 2001. I only saw the first 4 of 12 episodes and sorta forgot about it. My wife asked me recently what vampire anime there was out there (pre-year 2000). For laughs we watched Vampire Wars (watch the dub if you want a memorable laugh too), Vampire Hunter D & Bloodlust, and that's really about it.


P.S. GAF -- Sorry for taking so long to contribute to our thread here. Changing careers at the moment and have some spare time for the next week or so until I start the next job.