The old-school anime DVD/BD news thread.

[llj]

Yup Greg, you'll want to own any pre-PS3 release of DYRL. I hate to link to Kotaku, but the gist of it is here:

http://kotaku.com/5939504/the-macross-d ... ond-belief

[ZenAmako]

Megazone 23 Part II was the one that was cut. The laserdisc (and probably VHS) versions had a shorter version of the Shogo/Yui sex scene. The full scene was restored for the Japanese DVD (the DVD from ADV Films uses the same master), which got a new telecine from the film negative. Prior to the release of the DVD, I always wondered why there was more sex in the film comic (the manga that was comprised of stills from the movie). I don't know why the LDs (Japanese and English versions) were edited. Maybe they thought they had gone too far for a general release. There is also a special edition of the MZ23 PS3 game that comes with the English version of MZ23 Pt. II on DVD, and THAT is heavily edited to remove both sex and violence.

I wasn't a fan of the changes made to Macross: DYRL for the Blu-ray release, but I still wouldn't trade the HD video and new 5.1 audio for a few seconds of gore and a bit of missing BGM.

[ZenAmako]

My big fear with Macross DYRL is that when we eventually get a US release (and it will happen, someday) we will never get the "uncensored" version as the recent Japanese blu ray release edited out a few seconds of violence and that may be the master print now going forward. It's not a big deal in the bigger scheme of things, but I'd counter that those "questionable" scenes weren't such a big deal that they needed to be edited in the first place.

Wow. I did not know this! I wonder if it is the scene in which Millia steps on the Zentran's head and squishes it? Or that one split second towards the end when that Macross citizen gets beheaded due to the transformation. Those are the only two scenes of grotesque violence that I can think anyone would edit for content. So I imagine the regular DVD version is still good? I never bothered since I own the movie on LD.

Those are indeed the two bits that are censored on the Blu-ray. The head squish is there, but it's been "blurred." Also, there is a bit of background music just prior to Minmay singing the song at the end (when Hikaru and Minmay are talking, after the famous slap) that is missing on the Blu-ray. There's no music now until the song "DYRL" starts. I believe the reason they did this was to have a bigger impact when the song begins.

[usamimi]

Some new release news!

Funimation finally released details on the new Cowboy Bebop re-release--a standard edition DVD set, a standard edition blu-ray set, an Amazon exclusive DVD/blu-ray set, AND a funimation.com shop exclusive dvd/blu-ray set. x__X YEESH. They already have the Amazon exclusive version for pre-order here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MMO ... J4SOQAIDX5

So far, all we know is that it'll have 2 artbooks and a limited edition "clamshell" box. As much as I like artbooks, I've never been that impressed with the ones that come with DVD sets (at least here in America) so I'll probably be find with just a standard edition blu-ray set myself...since we already own 2 different DVD sets and VHS of the series. Though I'm curious to see what their funimation.com exclusive will include.

We're also FINALLY getting blu-rays for Kiki's Delivery Service: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MMP ... J4EPNKUTSD
AND Princess Mononoke! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MMP ... MFOSKMQR4Y

Sooooo excited for both of those, since the original DVD releases for both weren't all that great.

[usamimi]

So the Robotech/Macross Collection 1 DVD set came today. I haven't watched it yet, but some of my twitter friends had questions about it, so I popped in a few discs to check. What I learned:

-It has the "broadcast" version of Robotech, but the picture hasn't been updated at all--quality is real grainy and plenty of interlacing problems.
-The Macross discs have the ADV dub!
-There are NO set-up menus on the discs, so if you want the Japanese language track, you have to switch the audio track manually.
-No special features.
-The Macross discs' picture quality isn't anything terrific...I'm assuming they're using the old ADV masters for it.

But for it's price, it's not bad. Cheaper than tracking down the old ADV DVDs, at least. It's too bad it won't be sold in stores, though, since it's an Amazon "print on demand" product: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M4E ... ZIBEU4MM5N

[llj]

-It has the "broadcast" version of Robotech, but the picture hasn't been updated at all--quality is real grainy and plenty of interlacing problems.

Does this have some of the extra footage that was cut out of some versions? Most specifically, in the first episode there is an extended dialogue sequence with Rick and Minmay inside the plane after he saves her. I had this scene on the F.H.E VHS releases but that sequence was chopped out in every DVD release since.

[usamimi]

-It has the "broadcast" version of Robotech, but the picture hasn't been updated at all--quality is real grainy and plenty of interlacing problems.

Does this have some of the extra footage that was cut out of some versions? Most specifically, in the first episode there is an extended dialogue sequence with Rick and Minmay inside the plane after he saves her. I had this scene on the F.H.E VHS releases but that sequence was chopped out in every DVD release since.

I haven't watched it yet, but when I have some time I'll pop it in and check. It says it's the Broadcast TV version, so we'll see, I guess!

[Char Aznable]

Does this have some of the extra footage that was cut out of some versions? Most specifically, in the first episode there is an extended dialogue sequence with Rick and Minmay inside the plane after he saves her. I had this scene on the F.H.E VHS releases but that sequence was chopped out in every DVD release since.

I'm extremely curious about this too.

Though I don't know if I can bring myself to buy Robotech on DVD yet again. I love the show, and it ranks as one of my favorites, but I bought a bunch of the ADV single DVDs when they were first released. Then I upgraded to the Protoculture Collection boxset and gave those older DVDs away to a friend. Maybe if Harmony Gold releases that eventual "deluxe, ultimate definitive masterpiece" Blu Ray version with every uncut/cut/broadcast version I'll bite again.

[greg]

Gosh, does anyone remember those old f.h.e. VHS that crammed many episodes onto one cassette? The episodes were severely edited and thrown together into like a 2 hour movie on each VHS. They managed to fit the entire Macross saga onto something like 6 VHS or something. These were my reintroduction to Robotech in the late '80s, when I was in junior high. When I was a kid, I had first started watching the show on TV at the tail end of the Macross saga and mostly watched the Robotech Masters season (Southern Cross). Then this friend of mine had borrowed those VHS from his friend and we watched them together.

[usamimi]

Some new stuff recently announced:

-Maiden Japan's gonna release Patlabor: The New Files in Feb 2015
-New company Cinelicious announced they'll be releasing Belladonna of Sadness not only on home video in America, but also VOD and a limited theatrical release
-Toho is going to release Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer on blu-ray in Japan in January! Hopefully it doesn't get canceled like last time.