The Old School Otaku Lounge

So much old school anime has been announced or released lately that it almost seems like anything is possible. I figured now might be a good time to update my wish list! Kimagure Orange Road has been #1 for a while but that's been announced for Blu Ray so...here's my new top 10 wishlist in semi arbitrary categories:

MECHA - NEVER LICENSED
SPT Layzner, L Gaim, and Dragonar: These are my "holy trinity" of mecha that never got a US release. They all look bad ass and super 80s. I feel like I "need" to watch them, even if they aren't masterpieces.

Galvion: The awesome transforming race cars and amazing theme song are enough to pique my interest.

OTHER - NEVER LICENSED
The Enemy's the Pirates: I've seen the fansub and it's amazing in every way. Insta-buy on US release.
California Crisis: I've only seen it raw, but it's beautiful.

DVD LICENSE RESCUES
Jo Jo's Bizarre Adventure (1993): The one US release (besides KOR) that I wanted but got away.

VHS BUT NO DVD/BD
Leda: The Fantastic Adventure of Yohko - beautifully animated and super fun
Genesis Survivor Gaiarth - rented it all on VHS back in the 90s and LOVED it
Rumic World - Seems like a no-brainer

I'm sure there are a bunch I could add to this if I made it a top 30. But it would be more fun to see your lists!

danth wrote: ↑Mon Aug 27, 2018 8:15 pm So much old school anime has been announced or released lately that it almost seems like anything is possible. I figured now might be a good time to update my wish list! Kimagure Orange Road has been #1 for a while but that's been announced for Blu Ray so...here's my new top 10 wishlist in semi arbitrary categories:

MECHA - NEVER LICENSED
SPT Layzner, L Gaim, and Dragonar: These are my "holy trinity" of mecha that never got a US release. They all look bad ass and super 80s. I feel like I "need" to watch them, even if they aren't masterpieces.

Galvion: The awesome transforming race cars and amazing theme song are enough to pique my interest.

OTHER - NEVER LICENSED
The Enemy's the Pirates: I've seen the fansub and it's amazing in every way. Insta-buy on US release.
California Crisis: I've only seen it raw, but it's beautiful.

DVD LICENSE RESCUES
Jo Jo's Bizarre Adventure (1993): The one US release (besides KOR) that I wanted but got away.

VHS BUT NO DVD/BD
Leda: The Fantastic Adventure of Yohko - beautifully animated and super fun
Genesis Survivor Gaiarth - rented it all on VHS back in the 90s and LOVED it
Rumic World - Seems like a no-brainer

I'm sure there are a bunch I could add to this if I made it a top 30. But it would be more fun to see your lists!

Mine would be:

Sol Bianca: I'd love for this to be put out on DVD for the first time, and include that English dub that I believe only exist for the Encore network anime block because it's never been released when the sub VHS tape was coming out.

Bari Bari Legend: Since there's all this Initial D hype, need to look back at Shigeno first manga series regarding the MotoGP world.

F: Got a release in Italy with its own dub, but nothing for America, i'd love to see that here but I think only racing fans would be into it (like me).

The rest of Bite Me Chameleon: Only one OVA of this was put out by ADV, and i'm guessing it never sold well, so im curious on how the rest of them look. I found a takoban issue at a conveience store in Japan and picked that sucker up easily.

Bomber Bikers of Shonan: Another OVA series that only one ep was release on VHS, and only one since Robert Woodhead told me "no one bought it, so we never went past that first episode."

Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals: only on VHS IIRC, not really that bad of an OVA, would like to see a DVD release at some point.

And the grand finale that i'd like to add is a Bluray release of the Evangelion TV series, whenever that cold day in hell will be when it's released.

DKop wrote: ↑Tue Aug 28, 2018 3:33 am Sol Bianca

Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals

Oh man, hell yes. I remember seeing previews for Sol Bianca and it looked amazing. Then I bought Sol Bianca: The Legacy on VHS not realizing it was different and boy was I disappointed.

I remember being kind of annoyed with FF:LotC not really having much to do with the games, but ignoring that it's actually darn enjoyable. I'm a fan of the character designer, and the animation is solid.

Licenses: Fang of the Sun Dougram. Ashita No Joe (TV series). Queen Millennia.

License rescues:

Gall Force (all of them)
Dagger of Kamui (existing Animeigo DVD is REALLY bad)

Good stuff, no qualms about what people are picking.

I'd like to see:

New Release:

Galient (TV and OVA), Galatt, StarzanS, Tiger Mask, Tiger Mask II, Tiger Mask W, Dr. Slump TV, Blue Noah (for historical purposes only. It's a pretty dire show, animation-wise), 1000 Year Queen (TV and movie) (I know, previously mentioned but I needed to specify both because when you use the QM title some people only think of the movie), Sakegake! Otokojuku! (I think there was a movie as well as the series?), Flying Phantom Ship and other Toei feature madness from the '60s, others I will think of after I hit the post button.

Live Action I want so many, many shows but I will say that since Discotek is picking up the Message From Space TV series, they may as well go all-in and grab Star Wolf as well.

Does Born Free Dinosaur Team count as anime or live action?

Aw man, Gold LItan. That would rock.

Rescues:

Nothing I can honestly think of that hasn't been covered. Dagger of Kamui would be high on my list however. That's some prime Rin Taro s**t going on there. Oh, how about the Queen Emeraldas OAVs? The first two were brilliant, the second two complete arse.

How about City Hunter?

Never on DVD:

I say this with clenched teeth, but DNA Sights 999.9. Just because Matsumoto. *shudder*

OTOH The Cockpit was beautiful and boy am I cheesed that they never did MORE of those stories. Or any of Matsumoto's wide catalog of work.

Completely Impossible wishes:

Not what you think!

I'd love to see a series of discs (probably have to be standard def BD) with all the featurettes from Toei's 'TV Manga Festival', where they run something from Space Pirate Captain Harlock, Captain Future, the live Spider-man, a couple other shows. I don't know how often they did these but clearly they went into the '80s as Dr. Slump had several shorts made (hehehheheheh). It would be a gas to see the collected insanity that assaulted the eyeballs of Japan's youth in one sitting. I have no idea how long this program ran but had to be from Mazinger Z to around Dr. Slump, *maybe* Saint Seiya? Dave probably knows. Licensing all the disparate titles would be expensive as all get out.

Yet I seem to recall that there WAS a DVD release of these in Japan. At least some of the feature programs. So maybe possible after all?

danth wrote: ↑Tue Aug 28, 2018 7:56 am

DKop wrote: ↑Tue Aug 28, 2018 3:33 am Sol Bianca

Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals

Oh man, hell yes. I remember seeing previews for Sol Bianca and it looked amazing. Then I bought Sol Bianca: The Legacy on VHS not realizing it was different and boy was I disappointed.

I remember being kind of annoyed with FF:LotC not really having much to do with the games, but ignoring that it's actually darn enjoyable. I'm a fan of the character designer, and the animation is solid.

I remember Legacy being utter BS. I wanted to like it but it just felt really flat for an OVA that was complete compared to an OVA that wasn't. I wound up collecting all of Legacy on DVD, and no desire to ever upgrade to a higher quality if it ever comes available.

For me Sol Bianca was really cool for that opening raid on that ship, but then got a tad mired in... I dunno what. I did groove on the sniper from orbit stuff however.

If the entire OAV had been like that opening raid, with the action and the music and all, Sol Bianca would have been one of the superior OAVs of its time.

Yet I'm fascinated to make the connection to one of my fav '90s anime series, Tekkaman Blade. I believe they shared Chara designers.

Sol Bianca is one of my favorite OVA's, even top tier on any other favorite OVA list for me. That first one was fine on its own,having a complete and tightly packed story. The second one is only an issue because it seemed that it's only half of a story, and it shows it was going somewhere. But word on the anime fandom street is that it didn't sell well and the supposed 3rd OVA never happened because of it. Who knows if there was a script written for the 3rd one, and if it is, who knows where it is in some writers closet at this point. I'd like to know those answers....someday...

I found a discussion here that lists anime on VHS that never made it to DVD/BD. It's a bit out of date though.

My picks from that discussion (that haven't been mentioned or actually released yet):

Capricorn
Compiler/Compiler 2
Girl From Phantasia
Iczelion
Super-Deformed Double Feature
Crystal Triangle
Dog Soldier
Ultimate Teacher
Wanna-Be's
Dragon Century
Grey: Digital Target

And of those Ultimate Teacher would be my top pick because it's legitimately good IMO. Dog Soldier is one I'd buy in a heartbeat despite it's terribleness.

Sol Bianca was a big deal at the time it was released in the US. Wasn't it voted fan favorite somewhere?