Recommended Anime/Manga?

[Raytrace]

Just watched AD Police Files episode 1 - absolutely loved it from start to finish - just brilliant

[xbl0x180]

Just watched AD Police Files episode 1 - absolutely loved it from start to finish - just brilliant

I dunno. I saw it on a double-bill with BubbleGum Crash and they both were real low in quality compared to BubbleGum Crisis. I'd rather watch Gunsmith Cats

[Raytrace]

Just watched AD Police Files episode 1 - absolutely loved it from start to finish - just brilliant

I dunno. I saw it on a double-bill with BubbleGum Crash and they both were real low in quality compared to BubbleGum Crisis. I'd rather watch Gunsmith Cats

hmm well then Im probably gonna really love Bubblegum Crisis :p

[xbl0x180]

Just watched AD Police Files episode 1 - absolutely loved it from start to finish - just brilliant

I dunno. I saw it on a double-bill with BubbleGum Crash and they both were real low in quality compared to BubbleGum Crisis. I'd rather watch Gunsmith Cats

hmm well then Im probably gonna really love Bubblegum Crisis :p

Oh, dude, I thought you had seen BubbleGum Crisis! That's, like, late 80s quintessential OAV programming. Sonoda Ken'ichi had a few solid hits back then:

Riding Bean
Gall Force (and the SD spoof Ten Little Gall Force)
BubbleGum Crisis
Gunsmith Cats

I'd watch those any day over BubbleGum Crash and even AD Police

[Raytrace]

Oh, dude, I thought you had seen BubbleGum Crisis! That's, like, late 80s quintessential OAV programming. Sonoda Ken'ichi had a few solid hits back then:

Riding Bean
Gall Force (and the SD spoof Ten Little Gall Force)
BubbleGum Crisis
Gunsmith Cats

I'd watch those any day over BubbleGum Crash and even AD Police

haha yeh no I know they're legendary, but I still haven't seen Bubblegum Crisis - I'll probably watch first one tonight

Gunsmith Cats looks cool too, I shall check all you've listed out

[Raytrace]

on episode 3 of AD Police Files Billy Fanward is voice by Reuntal!!! - what a voice -

http://www.animenewsnetwork.co.uk/encyc ... php?id=954

Just finished it - xblox180 seriously I don't know how you couldn't have liked it - episode 3 was incredible, great script and story, and the Reuntal guy's voice really made Billy seem genuinely tragic

anywayz, onto Bubblegum Crisis

[Raytrace]

Bubblegum Crisis 1 was great - a bit less gritty than AD Police FIles and the art was definitely a lot better - great stuff

I really liked the Blade Runner references and feel from the very start - searing sparse polysynth pad intro a la Vangelis - check - Even the bands name 'Priss and the Repricants' :p

there was a scene in AD Polic Files that was also almost frame by frame a tribute to Blade Runner, it was referencing the part in Blade Runner where the snake performer replicant finally gets killed and falls backwards through all the glass...

[xbl0x180]

Bubblegum Crisis 1 was great - a bit less gritty than AD Police FIles and the art was definitely a lot better - great stuff

Once you get to episodes 5-8, they exponentially get better. My favourite is episode 7 with "Vision And The Revengers." This one was done by none other than Urushihara Satoshi and has a kickin' music theme by Hashimoto Maiko



God damn, that's hot I don't remember if the DVDs have this, but there was a special music videocassette with all the songs compiled into live performances and anime clips called Hurricane Live 2032.




Definitely worth getting as well

[Raytrace]

Once you get to episodes 5-8, they exponentially get better. My favourite is episode 7 with "Vision And The Revengers." This one was done by none other than Urushihara Satoshi and has a kickin' music theme by Hashimoto Maiko



God damn, that's hot I don't remember if the DVDs have this, but there was a special music videocassette with all the songs compiled into live performances and anime clips called Hurricane Live 2032.




Definitely worth getting as well

cool stuff - I just watched opening of Gunsmith Cats anything with that much Shelby Mustang in it is fine in my books!

[drauch]

Everything Kenichi Sonoda is so awesome. Bubblegum Crisis is unequaled.

[drauch]

About to finish Giant Robo: The Animation. Big fan of the art of Toshiyuki Kubooka and Lunar, which initially inspired me to check it out. I haven't read the original manga it's based on, and while the OVA isn't really what I expected, it's quite enjoyable and has a fantastic score, although I'm not huge on super-hero-esque characters. And Ginrei is a huge hottie. Also been watching the original Future Cyber Formula GPX, which could be best described as Speed Racer mixed with F-Zero.

[xbl0x180]

About to finish Giant Robo: The Animation. Big fan of the art of Toshiyuki Kubooka and Lunar, which initially inspired me to check it out. I haven't read the original manga it's based on, and while the OVA isn't really what I expected, it's quite enjoyable and has a fantastic score, although I'm not huge on super-hero-esque characters. And Ginrei is a huge hottie. Also been watching the original Future Cyber Formula GPX, which could be best described as Speed Racer mixed with F-Zero.

Giant Robo was a live-action teevee series. Here in the U.S., it was "Johnny Socko And His Flying Robot" I remember watching Cyber Formula GPX back in '94 - almost every anime magazine ran features on this thing that I had to see it. I even had a poster insert from Anime V or Animedia

[Raytrace]

Bubblegum Crisis episode 2 - more brilliance

watchin 3 now - love the Top Gun references in all the place name sin the very first scene

another great episode- man that's some serious guitar playing at the ending credits!!!

[O. Van Bruce]

Let's bring some freshness here...

JINRUI WA SUITAI SHIMASHITA



It was weird and disturbing. worth watching if they keep doing a good job

besides, the chick is hawt even with short hair



damm... I like pink hair too much

Within 23 minutes, this AMAZING show actually made fun of our very current system of humanity:

1. The separation of human from the true source of their food: pretty ladies, including the main character, had ZERO idea on how live chicken turn into chicken-on-a-plate. I personally have met countless people who doesn't even know how to gut a fish, and find it 'disgusting' to do even the simplest food preparation.

2. People who thinks going vegetarian / vegan gives them moral high ground. Pretty chicken-eating girls refuse the idea of killing a chicken. Oh I'm so morally high. Haven't you met in real life those who switch around "I'm going vegan" and "I'm going veggie" and "I eat meat now" within a few months, just because it is hip / politically correct.

3. The problem with the so called 'democratic' meeting. Men spend HOURS debating just for the sake of debating. This happens a LOT in the Japanese Parliament.... Oh wait, it happens in our US Congress too, I guess? =P

4. The main character ain't exempt from the weakness of mankind. The MAIN character displayed her DARK SIDE during and after the Chase-the-chicken incident. To cover up her mistake, she LIED in plain sight about receiving UNCC messages. In her OWN words: Hiding the Truth, Manipulative information, Intimidation.

5. People who have NO SHAME at all to admit their failure to honor their duty. The receptionist in the factory had NO idea what he's talking about. He is all like "I get money, I don't care, it just my job". I am SURE you've met someone like that in your society.

6. The camera picture sound effect. Do you know WHY we have sound effects when cell phones take pictures? It is to prevent people from taking upskirt pictures in crowded subways. High tech, low moral. VERY human.

7. Twisted Advertising techniques. Have you been to the Hershey Chocolate Factory in PA and go to their tour? IT IS CREEPY, because they WANT YOU TO REMEMBER IT.

8. The artificially synthesized carrot bread. It is aimed at children who don't like carrots. It's like our "Diet Coke", people are so demanding and addicted to get the taste they want, but don't even want ANY compromise. They want it SO BAD they are willing to ingest artificial crap and call it food / drink.


ALL THESE in 23 MINUTES. THIS SHOW IS A MASTERPIECE

Did I mentioned that it ressembled Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei on this account?

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Once you get to episodes 5-8, they exponentially get better. My favourite is episode 7 with "Vision And The Revengers." This one was done by none other than Urushihara Satoshi and has a kickin' music theme by Hashimoto Maiko



God damn, that's hot I don't remember if the DVDs have this, but there was a special music videocassette with all the songs compiled into live performances and anime clips called Hurricane Live 2032.




Definitely worth getting as well

cool stuff - I just watched opening of Gunsmith Cats anything with that much Shelby Mustang in it is fine in my books!

Upon checking my AnimEigo 4-disc DVD set of Bubblegum Crisis "Remastered Edition with Extras" from 2004, it has the following listed features:

01.) The "Holiday in Bali" Live Action Special with the original Knight Sabers voice actors
02.) 13 Music Videos
03.) Text Interviews/Comments of 9 members of the original Japanese production staff
04.) Program Notes
05.) Line Art Galleries
06.) Original Japanese Bubblegum Crisis Promos

So yeah, it's chock full of BC extras up the wahzoo compared to watching it on the initial VHS releases. I recall seeing a single VHS tape episode of Bubblegum Crisis (with original Japanese voiceovers + English subtitles) with a MSRP of $39.99 USD back in the early 1990s at my local Suncoast Pictures store (when they first started selling anime and were, eventually, converted in the current F.Y.E. stores we have nowdays). I thought that was just too expensive to get into collecting all eight individual VHS tape releases of BC and never did so. Each VHS BC tape jacket cover insert featured some slick full-colore eye-catchy anime artwork (that you couldn't miss even if you wanted to). (Eventually, AnimEigo did sell the entire VHS BC set as a bundled set but it was still pricey.) Am glad to have gotten it as a bundled DVD set when I had the golden opportunity/chance to do so.

As for the Hurricane Live 2032 VHS tape content, it too, is included in the bundled DVD set with the following as listed:

6 Music Videos -

Tokyo 2032/There's a Hurricane Tonight

There's a Hurricane Tonight - Live Version

Mad Machine

Wild and Scarred

Touchdown to Tomorrow - Live Version

Touchdown to Tomorrow

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[xbl0x180]

I was too lazy to check my DVD box set, but, yeah, it's the 4th DVD that has all the music videos from the Hurricane Live videocassettes. Back in the day, when each videocassette was worth 40 bucks and change, I only managed to buy 6, 7, and 8, which I considered to be the best episodes. The covers for these were as eye-catching as you stated. Some of them came with detailed liner notes and inserts, which are probably featured now as DVD extras or as something you have to download from the AnimEigo website.

The Pioneer and early AD Vision videocassettes also had cool clamshell boxes with attractive covers - and were marked at 35 to 40 bucks a pop. I still have a few of those, even after I threw away over 100 of them into the trash!

[Raytrace]

Did they ever exist on LD?

I am seriously thinking of embarking on starting to collect LDs (need to get a player first) ;p

[xbl0x180]

Did they ever exist on LD?

I am seriously thinking of embarking on starting to collect LDs (need to get a player first) ;p

Ah, LDs... the LPs of video. Yes, they did exist at one time

[Raytrace]

woah Imma have to start it, the covers are usually just so beautiful...

[Domino]

Did they ever exist on LD?

I am seriously thinking of embarking on starting to collect LDs (need to get a player first) ;p

Ah, LDs... the LPs of video. Yes, they did exist at one time

Oh yes! A few years back I had one big US Laserdisc Anime collection. Just about all of the Streamline Pictures releases, The Pioneer releases, Central Park Media/U.S. Manga Corps releases, and etc.

Problems were the infamous laser rot on some of the discs and Laserdisc players are just too bulky for constant moving. I partly miss my collection because I had ultra rare stuff, but at the same time I don't miss it.



Currently I'm half way done with Zeta Gundam. It's like the bigger and badder Gundam show compare to MSG but damn I don't know what in the world is going on storyline wise. Then again Gundam aren't known for its stories in the first place.

I'm working my way through LOTGH as well, among various billion other titles. Yeah, it's pretty much perfect. Only minor grievance I can point out is the occasional change in animation style. First makes its appearance in the introduction of the Rosenritter in full, and noticed it again with one particular scene with Yang Wenli sitting in a chair. Rest of the show was animated in the "classic" style, except any shot that was on Wenli. Kind of annoying.

I think you watched either the DVD or Blu-Ray rips floating around the net. In those versions they did redrawn many scenes (in some cases like episode seven, a complete redrawn). When I found out about the redrawns I kept my original Laserdisc rips of the show. I just hate when one part of an episode looks like it was from the 80s and a second later it looks like the animation was done on a computer.

[xbl0x180]

Was "laser rot" prevalent? I thought that was only for the early LDs and a few CDs. Can LDs be demagnetised like floppies, diskettes, and videocassettes

[Raytrace]

Oh yes! A few years back I had one big US Laserdisc Anime collection. Just about all of the Streamline Pictures releases, The Pioneer releases, Central Park Media/U.S. Manga Corps releases, and etc.

Problems were the infamous laser rot on some of the discs and Laserdisc players are just too bulky for constant moving. I partly miss my collection because I had ultra rare stuff, but at the same time I don't miss it.



Currently I'm half way done with Zeta Gundam. It's like the bigger and badder Gundam show compare to MSG but damn I don't know what in the world is going on storyline wise. Then again Gundam aren't known for its stories in the first place.




I think you watched either the DVD or Blu-Ray rips floating around the net. In those versions they did redrawn many scenes (in some cases like episode seven, a complete redrawn). When I found out about the redrawns I kept my original Laserdisc rips of the show. I just hate when one part of an episode looks like it was from the 80s and a second later it looks like the animation was done on a computer.

yeah I suppose laser rot probably is a problem, but to be honest I even think the covers themselves are such works of art that they're worth collecting in and of themselves

Yeah I dunno about Zeta I obviously do like it a lot, but I don't know why people seem to think it is so much better than 0079, there are WAY too many messy parallel plot lines going on, and Kamille is ridiculously whingey, art wise though (and especially in the intros) it is sublime...

Yeah I didnt so much notice redrawn elements in LOTGH but I did notice some really dodgy early low res layer based animations (i.e. where you could see the pixelation of a cel which had obviously been converted to digital), sometimes this was really bad, especially when they used it to zoom an object and you get moiré at certain points. Having said that, LOTGH could be drawn with matchstick men and it would still be one of the finest animes, actually not just stories in general, ever portrayed on screen IMO...

[Raytrace]

Was "laser rot" prevalent? I thought that was only for the early LDs and a few CDs. Can LDs be demagnetised like floppies, diskettes, and videocassettes

No AFAIK magnetic fields dont have any effect on optical disc formats.

[Domino]

Was "laser rot" prevalent? I thought that was only for the early LDs and a few CDs. Can LDs be demagnetised like floppies, diskettes, and videocassettes

It was prevalent during the early days of laserdiscs. Most or less the cause of laser rot was the glue that holds both sides of a laserdisc together started to deteriorate. You get plenty of white specs on the screen with the screen jumpings and at times bad audio. If the laser rot was really bad then the colors went down hill and more or less the disc became unwatchable.

The laserdisc video is in the analog realm; which means the better the laserdisc player the better it will read the worse laser rotted disc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ftDpUJH ... re=related

This video does a really good job explaining laser rot. The 90s Sony DADC press discs had the most amount of cases of laser rot. Most if not all ADV Films laser disc releases were press by Sony DADC. When I had my copy of Gunsmith Cats vol one and two they were rotted as hell. 3M pressed discs were a hit and miss while the Pioneer discs had the best pressing quality of the US LD pressing plants.

When I had my copy of Robot Carnival laserdisc from Streamline Pictures the video quality was crap. It was because the disc was rotted. Then again when I sold it I got $60 for it.

yeah I suppose laser rot probably is a problem, but to be honest I even think the covers themselves are such works of art that they're worth collecting in and of themselves

Yup, like vinyl. Then again I like the play the fucking things.

Yeah I dunno about Zeta I obviously do like it a lot, but I don't know why people seem to think it is so much better than 0079, there are WAY too many messy parallel plot lines going on, and Kamille is ridiculously whingey, art wise though (and especially in the intros) it is sublime...

So far I'm giving both stories a meh. 0079 was ok and I still don't know what in the world is going on in Zeta.

[Raytrace]

So far I'm giving both stories a meh. 0079 was ok and I still don't know what in the world is going on in Zeta.

0079 is meh? :'(

[Domino]

So far I'm giving both stories a meh. 0079 was ok and I still don't know what in the world is going on in Zeta.

0079 is meh? :'(

Yeah I found 0079 to be meh. I don't know why but like halfway through the show I was getting so sick of tired of episode after episode of fighting. I'm so used to LOGH that most episodes of Gundam it's noting but fighting in a row. I'm having a similar problem with Zeta right now; plenty of episodes of fighting but then again this is GUNDAM we are talking about. I guess I'm getting old and want more story than action, sigh.

The only thing good from 0079 is Zeon.

[Domino]

If you are in France you are going to be in luck:

http://www.mania.com/aodvb/showthread.p ... ost1992415

[drauch]

I think you watched either the DVD or Blu-Ray rips floating around the net. In those versions they did redrawn many scenes (in some cases like episode seven, a complete redrawn). When I found out about the redrawns I kept my original Laserdisc rips of the show. I just hate when one part of an episode looks like it was from the 80s and a second later it looks like the animation was done on a computer.

Yep, you're right. Looks like I have the DVD version. Seems like the laser disc is now pretty hard to find as everyone is seeding the Bluray/DVD instead. Great...it's really annoying. Kinda ruins some scenes for me.

[xbl0x180]

I think you watched either the DVD or Blu-Ray rips floating around the net. In those versions they did redrawn many scenes (in some cases like episode seven, a complete redrawn). When I found out about the redrawns I kept my original Laserdisc rips of the show. I just hate when one part of an episode looks like it was from the 80s and a second later it looks like the animation was done on a computer.

Yep, you're right. Looks like I have the DVD version. Seems like the laser disc is now pretty hard to find as everyone is seeding the Bluray/DVD instead. Great...it's really annoying. Kinda ruins some scenes for me.

I have this same complaint, but it's of La Blue Girl. Every DVD release is of the censored/cut version, including the download crap. I used to have the videocassettes of the full version - only to throw them into the rubbish bin when I moved to uni

[Kaiser]

Watched all 26 eps of Gungrave in last 7 days. While it's loosely based on the franchise (the ps2 action games which weren't too bad but lacked in lots of regards), it's for the better as the story is great. It's a godfather-like drama, where the story is about two punks entering a mafia organisation and trying to climb their ranks up, surprisingly this show made me care about every character, because they all had a depth to them. In last 1/3 however a bit of sci-fi is being added and it's mostly about wrapping things up, the build-up to the ending is incredible, so is the ending itself. One of my favorite animes in recent time.

Pros:
- Animation
- Story and the cast
- Action scenes
- No fucking lolis
- No panty shots

Cons:
- Last 1/3 could have been written a bit better but can't complain considering that it's all about wrapping everything that was set before it.

By any means, it's a man's anime, the story will not be everyone's cup of tea as it can get really depressing.