Guys, thanks for this recommendation!drauch wrote:^Gunbuster is amazing! The ending is a real treat for my sci-fi-fandom.
ChurchOfSolipsism wrote: ALso, this is how SKykid usually posts
If you're impressed so far, then you will shit bricks during episode 4.Oh yes you do.Siren2011 wrote:(I also need to see Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise so bad!)
ChurchOfSolipsism wrote: ALso, this is how SKykid usually posts
You either have a R2 copy that was fan translated or you have a copy of the U.S. Renditions videotape. The "Chariots Of Fire" theme was censored out of the North American dvd release by Bandai for fear of copyright infringement (they didn't wanna pay royalties to Vangelis for its use).Skykid wrote:Oh yes you do.Siren2011 wrote:(I also need to see Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise so bad!)
I like the fact that Gunbuster draws so much influence from not only its own anime heritage, but from Top Gun and other similar stuff from the era. And isn't that the Chariots of Fire theme remixed during the training session in episode 1? Classic stuff.
This was one of the few shows that sold me back in '92 into collecting anime (the three videocassettes were $35 each!). I thought the designs were quite faithful to Mikimoto Haruhiko's stills. Nothing GAINAX made after matched the detail quality of designs this show has.It's funny though what a bit of soul and spirit (and gorgeous film grain you can only get from cels shot with a camera) can do for a plot that's essentially little girls in skimpy uniforms piloting mechs. It sounds like something they could have made in 2010, but somehow it's light years (literally!) ahead in terms of watchability
I have a bit of a fetish for that film grain.It's funny though what a bit of soul and spirit (and gorgeous film grain you can only get from cels shot with a camera) can do for a plot that's essentially little girls in skimpy uniforms piloting mechs. It sounds like something they could have made in 2010, but somehow it's light years (literally!) ahead in terms of watchability
I have a bit of a fetish for that film grain.It's funny though what a bit of soul and spirit (and gorgeous film grain you can only get from cels shot with a camera) can do for a plot that's essentially little girls in skimpy uniforms piloting mechs. It sounds like something they could have made in 2010, but somehow it's light years (literally!) ahead in terms of watchability
Well, Vangelis did the original Chariots Of Fire. The little ditty on episode 1 of Top Wo Nerae! was done by a separate music composer, but it was made to sound like it. Hence, Bandai Visual took it out for fear they'll get sued. For what they're charging for the dvd set (from 40-60 bucks!), they should've left the song intact. It's a good thing I kept my old vhs copies (now that I think about it... I blew over 100 bucks on them!Siren2011 wrote:
That was Vangelis?! Amazing. His COF score sounds so much different than his Blade Runner stuff.
Yup, I have the U.S. Renditions tape, and I noticed that song too.
I have a bit of a fetish for that film grain.It's funny though what a bit of soul and spirit (and gorgeous film grain you can only get from cels shot with a camera) can do for a plot that's essentially little girls in skimpy uniforms piloting mechs. It sounds like something they could have made in 2010, but somehow it's light years (literally!) ahead in terms of watchability
EDIT: Just received Manie Manie in the mail. I'll give you guys all the juicy details when I get done with it.
).Ah must be the R2 one. It's actually a beautiful set, super quality, and came with all the extra science lessons and 3 short film segments based around the universe. I'd link you all to it but I'll probably get in trouble with the shmup feds, so PM me if you want it.xbl0x180 wrote: You either have a R2 copy that was fan translated or you have a copy of the U.S. Renditions videotape. The "Chariots Of Fire" theme was censored out of the North American dvd release by Bandai for fear of copyright infringement (they didn't wanna pay royalties to Vangelis for its use).
ChurchOfSolipsism wrote: ALso, this is how SKykid usually posts
I have a dvd from Geneon, but I wouldn't know these differences since all I've had up to that point were the Streamline Pictures videocassette and the Orion videocassette. I should start saving up for this complete blu-ray version...PC Engine Fan X! wrote:I've noticed that the Bandai released USA region Akira Blu-Ray disc is based on the Streamline Pictures release version which has a couple of minor differences compared to the original unedited version of Akira (when doing a frame-by-frame analysis):
* The scene where Kaoru gets her t-shirt ripped off by some of Clown's thugs and she falls face first on the street, there's one single frame that was deleted of her nips shown just before she slams against the pavement. (In the original Japaneses theatrical version of Akira, it's present for completeness.)
* The scene of a huge & swollen Tetsuo slowly lumbering across inside the soccer stadium, his gentials are replaced with some cybernetic parts in the Streamline Pictures version of Akira (is present in the USA region Blu-ray version as well). In the original Japanese theatrical version, it's present & uncovered.
I understand that Streamline Pictures wanted to release Akira stateside in select cities back in 1990 but they could've released it unchanged and let Akira be as it is in it's unedited and unaltered form to preserve it's artistic integrity.
It's breathtaking and beautiful to view the Blu-Ray version of Akira in 1080p format indeed.
PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
Yes, there are girls in skimpy outfits who pilot big robots (although by looking at Jung, they're not little by any means). I was never that much opposed to those qualities in anime, so long as there is something else going on in the series: smart or raunchy comedy, imaginative sci-fi, memorable drama, killer action, etc. combined with distinctive chara designs and a decent music score to boot. Hell, only of these plot elements and movie qualities would be great, and Top Wo Nerae! has it all in spades.Skykid wrote:Ah must be the R2 one. It's actually a beautiful set, super quality, and came with all the extra science lessons and 3 short film segments based around the universe. I'd link you all to it but I'll probably get in trouble with the shmup feds, so PM me if you want it.xbl0x180 wrote: You either have a R2 copy that was fan translated or you have a copy of the U.S. Renditions videotape. The "Chariots Of Fire" theme was censored out of the North American dvd release by Bandai for fear of copyright infringement (they didn't wanna pay royalties to Vangelis for its use).
Just finished Gunbuster this morning and damn, that's what it's all about.
I can't believe it took me that long to actually watch something that awesome, I should have been onto that from the beginning (I knew of its existence of course.)
It was terrific. I was totally seduced by the beautiful colour and design work, and that incredible depth of imagination Anime had when they were all about exploring sci-fi.
SPOILERS:
The whole messing with Einstein's theory of relativity and light travel versus time was capitalised on beautifully. I'm not sure that the maths was always accurate, but it didn't matter because it was cemented so well into the storyline. And yes, this had what we would consider today as fairly trite themes: Young girls in skimpy clothing, a smattering of tits and ass, a hero who has to find her inner strength to prevail and become a hero of the ages, and lots of melodrama; yet it was still utterly captivating. All the influences were great (I was loving the product placement), and the SD science lessons were brilliant. I loved the fact that Gainax were bold enough to tell folks there was no episode 5 preview because "we haven't finished it yet", that Noriko has Miyazaki tributes on her wall and that they came up with a warp technology pioneered by prof 'Tanneuser' who developed the 'Tanneuser Gate', lol.
"I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate." - Roy Batty, Blade Runner
And, I'm sure this has been mentioned in the past (but it was a new association for me), but does anyone see the quite obvious Gunbuster influence in MD Advanced Busterhawk Gleylancer?
I didn't really have both pieces of the puzzle until now, but Gleylancer is like Gunbuster the shmup that never was!
Closing: I don't care for the rose tinted glasses argument, yet I'm willing to accept that some of what I find beautiful about Anime was definitely crystallised in the Gunbuster era. That said, on the flip side, taking the 80's aura out of the frame, it's still more fun, with stronger characters, greater heart and a thousand times more artistry than the tin-canned factory pieces they churn out today. Someone show me something as good as Gunbuster that was made in the last decade and I'll eat my head.
EDIT: Getting Diebuster now.
ChurchOfSolipsism wrote: ALso, this is how SKykid usually posts
Yes but... Isn't she the main character?ryu wrote:that was my first impression as well, and i eventually really liked it. maybe just because i figured "wow it's really like gainax ripped themselves off with gurren lagann".
that aside, diebuster's plot will eventually take some corners you'd never expect. at least it's done things i've never seen in any other anime ever. might be worth the watch for just that.
iirc nono should be getting a lot less screentime too from episode 2 or 3 on. which everyone will probably agree with is a good thing.
ChurchOfSolipsism wrote: ALso, this is how SKykid usually posts
If it's an anime of some note, I would always recommend watching the OVA formats first - the condensed movies always lose something and feel slightly weird.greg wrote:Guys, I picked up Gunbuster on UMD for REAL LOW CHEAP on my last trip to Japan, and watched it on my PSP for the flight home. I'd never seen Gunbuster before then. Apparently they edited the episodes into one movie, right? I haven't seen Gunbuster in its entirety via episodes, but I have seen enough of it to notice that they took a lot of the footage out. I especially noticed the "Rocky"-style training sequences were reduced to almost nothing. Has anyone seen this movie version?
ChurchOfSolipsism wrote: ALso, this is how SKykid usually posts
Yeah, back in the 80s, Japan didn't have to worry about much anime being exported out of their country in an official way. That's a shame that they simply removed those scenes from all DVD releases. They should've at least just inserted some other music that fit those scenes. Heck, maybe even the "Gonna Fly Now" song from the Rocky movies.Skykid wrote:Also, the training sequence was cut from all DVD releases, OVA or movie due to fear of copyright infringement of Vangelis' Chariots of Fire theme. They even replaced the track and dropped the audio quality of the entire first episode, angering fans (apparently.)
Oh, don't worry about that. Japanese R2 releases usually have those scenes intact. It's the North American, European, and Australian versions that get censored and edited. The training sequence with the "Chariots Of Fire" sound-alike is still there, but Bandai re-synched generic background music from another part of the show (it did affect the sound quality of the dvd transfer for the first episode). The Japanese Region 2 dvd and blu-ray should have this scene with the original music.greg wrote:Yeah, back in the 80s, Japan didn't have to worry about much anime being exported out of their country in an official way. That's a shame that they simply removed those scenes from all DVD releases. They should've at least just inserted some other music that fit those scenes. Heck, maybe even the "Gonna Fly Now" song from the Rocky movies.Skykid wrote:Also, the training sequence was cut from all DVD releases, OVA or movie due to fear of copyright infringement of Vangelis' Chariots of Fire theme. They even replaced the track and dropped the audio quality of the entire first episode, angering fans (apparently.)
As for the link you sent me, my work's content filter blocked it, so I'll have to look at it when I get home.
Yo didn't you check your inbox?greg wrote:Well, the Gunbuster UMD I bought was a Japanese release, so those training scenes were just taken out to shrink it into a movie.
As for the Region 1 release of the DVD, you're telling me that those scenes are there, but just have some different music edited in? I wouldn't mind that. Just as long as they don't cut away the animation.
ChurchOfSolipsism wrote: ALso, this is how SKykid usually posts
I did, actually. I've just been busy lately. I just started teaching another ESL class at night. I intend to aquire the full Gunbuster show on DVD. I just picked up the movie on UMD because it was only about 600 yen, and it gave me something to watch on the airplane back to the USA.Skykid wrote:Yo didn't you check your inbox?
I think the training scene was left intact, except they changed the music. When bandai visual changed the music, they also screwed up the sound for the entire first episode (it is said to sound a little bit "muffled"). Most normal viewers will not notice the change.greg wrote:Well, the Gunbuster UMD I bought was a Japanese release, so those training scenes were just taken out to shrink it into a movie.
As for the Region 1 release of the DVD, you're telling me that those scenes are there, but just have some different music edited in? I wouldn't mind that. Just as long as they don't cut away the animation.
Where is that in the Dark Horse localisation volumes? I'm up to 21 here.Hagane wrote:Blade of the Immortal volume 27 is the fucking greatest thing in an action manga ever. And I don't even read moonspeak to know what the characters were talking about! Samura is just so great at action scenes.
Siren2011 wrote:So I just got done watching Neo Tokyo.
My feelings about it are mixed.
It is clear that the labyrinth bit was meant to be a background to the other two stories, but it lacked a tangible story itself, thus was boring as fuck. It tried desperately to be avant garde, but it came across as pretentious and nonsensical. I loved the bit with Gymnopédie No. 1, though.
THE RUNNING MAN
Ok, so I really didn't like this one, either. While watching the cars explode was fascinating, and that one guy's expression will be etched into my brain for years to come, they really didn't focus on the details of the story, but instead relied on showing the viewer with visuals alone. The only things we knew about the main character was the fact that he was going insane from his dedication, and that he was a champion racer. They didn't bother to expand the story at all. This led for quite a lackluster watch. If I wanted to watch "abstract art", I would have gone to a museum of modern art (which I would never do). It still looked cool, though, despite the moments where basically nothing interesting happened. Better looking than the circus one with the boy and his cat, anyway.
CONSTRUCTION CANCELATION ORDER
This is where the movie shines, right here! The first three minutes I was like "ah, it'll just be like the other two," but that was definitely not the case I would soon find out. The relationship between the supervisor and the worker robot is priceless, and the jokes that occur between them are hilarious (Feeding the guy nuts and bolts, telling him it was no longer obligated to work for him, etc). Just watching the supervisor's insanity unfold was reason enough to watch Neo Tokyo, especially if you've ever been frustrated with electronics before. The only thing I hated about this one was that it was over_WAY_ TOO_SOON. What the FUCK were they thinking? This perfectly compelling concept could have been milked for at least 30 more minutes, as long as the jokes were fresh. Out of all three "sub cartoons", it was by far the best animated one and the one with the most inspired art direction (very impressive for something that was made four years before my birth!).
Overall, it's a watch for me. But I advise anyone who hasn't seen this film to skip over the first two "features". You would literally be missing nothing.
ChurchOfSolipsism wrote: ALso, this is how SKykid usually posts
Glénat (Spanish/French publisher) is at volume 26, about to release 27. I've dl'd 27 in Japanese though, I just couldn't wait.Skykid wrote: Where is that in the Dark Horse localisation volumes? I'm up to 21 here.
And yes, I've been trying to get people to realise BOI is the fucking greatest thing in action manga ever for a while.
