What are you Watching?

[llj]

Rightstuf has the page for Gatchaman II up.

http://www.rightstufanime.com/Gatchman-II-DVD

I don't think Tatsunoko has released Gatchaman II on blu-ray yet even in Japan.

[Char Aznable]

Re-watched Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade. It's been so long since I seen it the first time I had practically forgotten most of the film. Honestly, in the end, I wasn't sure if I fully enjoyed the movie or not--but I think it's a film that may need repeat viewings to fully appreciate. However, from a purely cinematic, visual/audio standpoint, the film is incredible. Everything comes together so nicely in terms of art direction, musical score, and even the characters' muted designs. And, as usual in a Mamoru Oshii film (though he only wrote this one, his visual stamp on it is still evident), the animation is stunning. For me, the hand drawn method will always be more impressive than modern digital animation.

I'm now eager to check out the Red Spectacles and Kerberos Panzer Cops, the two live-action films that came before Jin-Roh.

[DKop]

I own a few issues of the Kerberos Panzer Cops comic versions of the manga we got in the states from Dark Horse, but finding the rest to complete that collection in the wild is still an ongoing quest for me to look out for. From what I read I really dug it.

[Scott]

Currently, watching The Slayers for the first time. I always wanted to watch it, and it's streaming on Funimation, miraculously. After that, will watch either Galaxy Express 999 or Record of Lodoss war.

I was cleaning out the garage the other day and I found a few VHS tapes of Star Blazers I bought on VHS from AWA some 10-15 years ago, so I may give those a watch as a chuckle. They're still factory sealed. I never got around to them.

[llj]

Star Blazers! I've been wondering what's going on with the rights situation on that one, as well as Yamato. Is there some sort of Harmony Gold type situation going on? I have one of the old Voyager DVDs but I didn't like the quality of the disc so I stopped buying after the one and held out hoping for a better release later on (this was about 15 years ago... )

[SteveH]

Star Blazers! I've been wondering what's going on with the rights situation on that one, as well as Yamato. Is there some sort of Harmony Gold type situation going on? I have one of the old Voyager DVDs but I didn't like the quality of the disc so I stopped buying after the one and held out hoping for a better release later on (this was about 15 years ago... )

It's...worse than Harmony Gold.

First up, I'm guessing you picked up the very first Star Blazers DVD. It was crap. Shovelware dump of the first couple of Kidmark video tapes. Totally inept.

Tim Eldred went to controller Barry Winston at VEI and told him (well, more like politely suggested. it's a thing.) they had to do a better job or they would damage the value of the license. He actually listened and Tim worked his butt off learning DVD mastering and getting it done. The later DVDs (seen as box sets) are better, but still a bit raggy because for some reason Winston just didn't have any kind of decent masters or original film to pull from, just whatever crap Tapeworm did to make the Kidmark VHS tapes for Westchester Films. The Yamato movies are somewhat better and have very nice bonus content generated by Tim.

VEI then decided that they didn't see a need to offer the sets at retail so on the whole you had to buy them from VEI themselves. And they were WAY WAY over priced. So because of these artificial barriers sales were...much less then desired. Yeah, you know, overpriced and hard to get will tend to keep sales low.

Nothing changed, nothing was GOING to change, until Nishizaki got out of prison, started work on Yamato: Resurrection, wanted the American branch to be controlled from Japan and suddenly around 2010 Tim got 'retired' from working for VEI, Barry Winston handed the 'keys' to some guy in L.A. who works for Voyager Entertainment Japan and everything spiraled into a craphole of shocking ineptness.

There was an attempt to release Yamato 2199 as Star Blazers 2199, again mainly only available via VEI's site, they pulled the plug 4 discs in with NOT A WORD OF APOLOGY OR EXPLANATION and since then, nothing. Nothing. NOT. A. THING. Look, I no longer have a dog in that hunt but I love the show and it kills me that it's basically obscure as hell nowadays. And yet, for some damn dumb reason, Voyager Japan really thinks that 'Star Blazers' has the same 'name value' as Voltron or Power Rangers or Robotech.

*pfagh* Star Blazers needs a several million Dollar reconstruction revival. I mean not just find some 16mm film reel syndication prints and telecene them, I mean go to the original Japanese films and completely rebuild Star Blazers scene by scene, cut by cut, and marry that to the most clean audio track that can be found (again, likely off those 16 mm syndication prints). With today's digital editing technology it'll be much easier to strip in English callouts (where in the past they had to be overlaid via optical printer and 'burned in' to the master print) and some of the edits and transitions can be smoother. I am not in favor of the idea of trying to make Star Blazers more 'mature' by thinking of it as English Yamato. I think Star Blazers and Yamato are two separate properties that serve two different markets. I'm likely the only one who feels that way.

Nobody is going to listen to me. I know this. I don't have the power.

[llj]

Damn...what a clusterf*ck. I mean, what Harmony Gold is doing by holding DYRL and all the other newer Macross anime in Japan hostage is already crap enough, but at least Macross had a solid complete release on R1 DVD a few times over the past few years, which is more than you can say for original Yamato.

[Scott]

What I would really like to do is find that complete Fist of the North Star anime on DVD for something cheaper than the $100 it generally goes for. Amazon had it on sale for $25 last year and I missed my chance and have been lamenting since. I really want to watch it. Maybe I'll just read through FotNS again to lessen the wound.

[PinkAppleJam]

Only just started DragonBall (not Z) Season 1 on old DVD I've had for ages, and woah I am falling right down that rabbithole! Mono sound and grainy visuals, I am right at home.

SO MANY RUDE JOKES it's completely obvious how and why this did not get released anywhere or shown on kid's TV in the UK at the time. And probably wouldn't even now! #VictorianSensibilitiesPrevail #PooJokes

[llj]

Finally watched original Vampire Hunter D, can't believe it took me this long. For some reason, none of the local video rental stores carried this in their anime sections.

It's funny how I know more about VHD through its cultural impact moreso than the movie itself. I think this OVA has been referenced in American movies and TV moreso than any other 80s-90s anime.