Area 88 is out in the States

LoneSage · Post by **LoneSage** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 4:20 am

So...anyone interested in seeing this show? I saw an advertisement somewhere, something like "Based on the hit video game, U.N. Squadron!" but isn't it the other way around?

Either way I'm interested in what made U.N. Squadron the game it is.

CecilMcW00t · Post by **CecilMcW00t** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 4:38 am

Yes I would love to check this out. Is Carrier Airwing based off this as well?

8 1/2 · Post by **8 1/2** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 4:46 am

Obviously, I'm in. Always wanted to see it really.

Cthulhu · Post by **Cthulhu** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 5:24 am

Just to make sure you guys know... there are two Area 88 series. One is really old (from the mid to late 80s), and the other aired on TV in Japan last year. The old one had a US release before, but that was a pretty long time ago, and the DVD released by Central Park Media didn't contain the whole series IIRC.

Both are actually pretty good - the new one is a lot longer, and a lot more visually intense (it's muuuch newer), but I enjoyed both.

incognoscente · Post by **incognoscente** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 6:41 am

I've been wanting to watch the old series again--I had rented some VHS tapes of it back in... 1998? and haven't seen it in local rental stores since.

I'd prefer to pick it up on DVD, but it looks like that won't happen in its entirety. :(

I didn't even know there was a new series. Thank you for this thread.

Cthulhu · Post by **Cthulhu** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 6:51 am

More details:

This is the DVD of the old series, which I'm pretty sure is incomplete:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... d&n=507846

This is the first volume of the new series:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... d&n=507846

The new series just started coming out, and it looks like it will span four volumes.

If you really want to see all of the old series (which is sort of worth it, as it's really good), you need to either track down the VHS tapes (bleh), or get the Japanese DVDs which came out two years ago and have no English on them...

My advice? Watch the new series.

ST Dragon · Post by **ST Dragon** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 8:28 am

I've watched most on of the original Area 88 series on VHS back in 1990s.
Awesome Anime!
I've wanted to track down the old series in some other type of media other than VHS tapes, but I would also like it to be complete.
It might be convenient to get the DVD of the old series & fill up the missing episodes with VHS.

Anyways, the characters on the cover of the new series, look a bit too childish for the dramatic theme/feel of the original.
One should double check on this before getting it....

Somehow I doubt this will be better...

Cthulhu · Post by **Cthulhu** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 11:48 am

The new show itself is quite serious. I have no idea why they used art like that for the box...

ST Dragon · Post by **ST Dragon** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 1:44 pm

So the art on the cover is completely irrelevant to the actual anime?
Aren’t these 2 characters on the cover in the film?
Does the new one have the same serious/dramatic theme like the old one?

Cthulhu · Post by **Cthulhu** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 2:20 pm

Well, of course they're in the show.

The storyline is still about a guy who gets forced into the military and has to keep killing people against his will. I forget if the photographer really figures into the old one or not (it's been many, many years) but he's really important this time around. Yes, it's still a serious show, and still dramatic, but it has been lightened up a little, as it's a lot longer than the old one and they needed more "relief" moments. Don't worry, it's not a comedy now or anything.

~Kid Icarus~ · Post by **~Kid Icarus~** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 3:38 pm

Does it feature *ANY* of the superb music from the videogames? Or rather, did the videogame use music from the original TV series?

I love the SNES soundtrack.

Minzoku · Post by **Minzoku** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 5:29 pm

*reviving an old topic*

ST Dragon wrote:Anyways, the characters on the cover of the new series, look a bit too childish for the dramatic theme/feel of the original.
One should double check on this before getting it....

I just found that box set in Best Buy today, but that picture must be a crap mock-up, because the one I saw actually has a very recognizeable Shin Kazama on the cover and talks about him on the back.

I was tempted to pick it up, but I already blew a bit more than I should've, due to buying Christmas prezzies

superhitachi4 · Post by **superhitachi4** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 5:50 pm

Don't you guys watch subtitled stuff? There have been subs of this floating around forever.

ST Dragon · Post by **ST Dragon** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 5:58 pm

I thought so. Those characters looked too childish for the show.

Anyways, I downloaded an episode to check it out. It turned out to be in Japanese with French sub-titles (My French are kind of rusty at the moment

), but, the animation quality is excellent. The characters look a bit different to the old show; Shin’s Rival Kanzaki doesn’t look as sinister and Shin Kazama looks a bit younger.

The music scores are completely different. The 6th episode that I watched, instead of the classic Japanese/Anime music, it has an orchestral / Techno intro theme & some cool Trance / Techno themes.
I think the music is by "CyberTrance", sound produced by Vincent De Moor & Strings arranged by Tatsuki Tagaya.

The guy with the large noise, who would supply them with weapons, looks just like in the original show & shin’s girlfriend is prettier.

I’ll have to watch a few more episodes to have a more clear opinion, but it seems to be an excellent remake!

Ganelon · Post by **Ganelon** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 8:08 pm

ST Dragon wrote:I've watched most on of the original Area 88 series on VHS back in 1990s.
Awesome Anime!

Yeah, same here. Great OVA.