You are currently viewing archive for January 2005
I just spent too much money at Rightstuf... Too much anime, too little time. Too many sales, too little money!
There were two things there that were too good to pass up so I need to pass them along.
First, they through the end of the month, they are having 40% off all BANDAI DVD titles (use coupon code: BLAST at checkout)... I got Please Teacher to replace my defective one that I got for Xmas, and the last Disc in .hack//twilight. Expect reviews at some point.
Second, the unaltered subtitled version of the original Macross, Super Dimensional Fortress has been on sale under their Weekly Specials for the past few weeks. Boxes 1, 2, and 3 are each $38. It may not sound like a good deal, but considering the whole set sold for over $300 when it came out 3 years ago, and the current retail price is around $80 a box, you won't find a better deal anywhere. What's more, these boxes are now out of print, as the Animeigo license has reverted back to Harmony Gold ... so if you want to see Macross in the original Japanese, this is the only subtitle version available in the states.
Now, I reviewed the Robotech Remastered, Volume 1 a few days ago and said it was part of the Macross Saga... what's the difference? Macross, Super Dimensional Fortress is one of the 3 shows that were intertwined to make Robotech by Carl Macek ... so this is it in its "pure" unedited form. There is no english track on the disc, only subtitles... and due to some license issues, I doubt we will ever see the English Robotech version (or any English version) and the subtitled version on one disc. I would love to eat those words, perhaps with HDDVD or Bluray? One can hope... than again, that would make this a quintuple dip for the same animation! That would even surpass my Star Wars Trilogy "collection" (Original VHS, Widescreen THX VHS, Special Edition Widescreen VHS, Super Extra Crispy Widescreen Special Edition DVDs)!
Regardless, for years I have wanted to see it in its original form since the story is a little different from the Robotech one. How different? I'll be sure to let you all know, but by then it may be too late to get this OOP title. If you think you may want it, be sure too get it now while you still can!
There were two things there that were too good to pass up so I need to pass them along.
First, they through the end of the month, they are having 40% off all BANDAI DVD titles (use coupon code: BLAST at checkout)... I got Please Teacher to replace my defective one that I got for Xmas, and the last Disc in .hack//twilight. Expect reviews at some point.
Second, the unaltered subtitled version of the original Macross, Super Dimensional Fortress has been on sale under their Weekly Specials for the past few weeks. Boxes 1, 2, and 3 are each $38. It may not sound like a good deal, but considering the whole set sold for over $300 when it came out 3 years ago, and the current retail price is around $80 a box, you won't find a better deal anywhere. What's more, these boxes are now out of print, as the Animeigo license has reverted back to Harmony Gold ... so if you want to see Macross in the original Japanese, this is the only subtitle version available in the states.
Now, I reviewed the Robotech Remastered, Volume 1 a few days ago and said it was part of the Macross Saga... what's the difference? Macross, Super Dimensional Fortress is one of the 3 shows that were intertwined to make Robotech by Carl Macek ... so this is it in its "pure" unedited form. There is no english track on the disc, only subtitles... and due to some license issues, I doubt we will ever see the English Robotech version (or any English version) and the subtitled version on one disc. I would love to eat those words, perhaps with HDDVD or Bluray? One can hope... than again, that would make this a quintuple dip for the same animation! That would even surpass my Star Wars Trilogy "collection" (Original VHS, Widescreen THX VHS, Special Edition Widescreen VHS, Super Extra Crispy Widescreen Special Edition DVDs)!
Regardless, for years I have wanted to see it in its original form since the story is a little different from the Robotech one. How different? I'll be sure to let you all know, but by then it may be too late to get this OOP title. If you think you may want it, be sure too get it now while you still can!
I figured I'd give this new skin a try. It is a lot closer to my original vision when I decided to start a blog, it is just going to require a bit of tweaking - but a lot less tweaking then the old skin. Stay tuned.
Studio Summary
Contains the first 12 episodes completely remastered on two discs!!
1999: A massive alien battlecruiser crash-lands on Earth in the midst of a bloody global war. With the possibility of a more perilous threat looming, the human race puts aside their differences and collectively undertakes the arduous task of rebuilding the spacecraft, redubbed the SDF-1, to defend the Earth should its extraterrestrial masters come to reclaim it.
Eventually, the alien Zentraedi invade Earth to collect the SDF-1 and the technology it contains, forcing the inexperienced crew, including hotshot pilot Rick Hunter and his war hero mentor Roy Fokker, to launch the battlecruiser into war - a war that will cross generations, stretch across the farthest reaches of the universe and turn ordinary soldiers into extraordinary heroes.
Contains the first 12 episodes completely remastered on two discs!!
1999: A massive alien battlecruiser crash-lands on Earth in the midst of a bloody global war. With the possibility of a more perilous threat looming, the human race puts aside their differences and collectively undertakes the arduous task of rebuilding the spacecraft, redubbed the SDF-1, to defend the Earth should its extraterrestrial masters come to reclaim it. Eventually, the alien Zentraedi invade Earth to collect the SDF-1 and the technology it contains, forcing the inexperienced crew, including hotshot pilot Rick Hunter and his war hero mentor Roy Fokker, to launch the battlecruiser into war - a war that will cross generations, stretch across the farthest reaches of the universe and turn ordinary soldiers into extraordinary heroes.
For those of us who went to college in the early '90s and were in to Beavis and Butt-head, this must surely call up some great memories. I can remember running around one homecoming with some friends, shirts on top of of our heads, standing in the beer line shouting, "I am the great Cornhoilio! I need beer for my bunghole...Are you threatening me? The streets will flow with the blood of the nonbelievers!"
Sigh... it's no wonder I went through girlfriends like beer... er water. Mmmmm, beeeer (sorry wrong cartoon).
Anyway, for those that want to take a quick trip down memory lane, this link to The Cornholio Soundboard will be sure to amuse you for at least 10 minutes. Its a part of Nef's Blog, thanks for putting this up!
Sigh... it's no wonder I went through girlfriends like beer... er water. Mmmmm, beeeer (sorry wrong cartoon).
Anyway, for those that want to take a quick trip down memory lane, this link to The Cornholio Soundboard will be sure to amuse you for at least 10 minutes. Its a part of Nef's Blog, thanks for putting this up!
In a two-part article on Now Playing (Part 1, Part 2) Genndy Tartakovsky reveals some enticing tidbits on the upcoming sequel to the Emmy Award-winning Clone Wars series on Cartoon Network.
"Basically, if you cut out the scroll [from the beginning of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith], it would be completely seamless where we end and the movie starts."
From where I sit, this has really wet my chops for a couple of reasons. The first Clone Wars cartoon was an excellent stand-alone addition to the Star Wars Saga, and a wonderful work of animation in it's own right... but this quote alone confirms it as a true part of the Star Wars cannon, and not just another one-off from the extended universe.
Also, the new series will be five 12-minute episodes as opposed to 20 three-minute shorts. As much as I enjoyed the original, and even though it a rival to Episode II, the storytelling was a bit hurried broken up into such small serials.
In the second article, Tartakovsky reveals that it was his team that came up with the models for General Grievous well before the production of Episode III, and that Clone Wars II will have much lightsaber action.
I can't wait!
"Basically, if you cut out the scroll [from the beginning of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith], it would be completely seamless where we end and the movie starts." From where I sit, this has really wet my chops for a couple of reasons. The first Clone Wars cartoon was an excellent stand-alone addition to the Star Wars Saga, and a wonderful work of animation in it's own right... but this quote alone confirms it as a true part of the Star Wars cannon, and not just another one-off from the extended universe.
Also, the new series will be five 12-minute episodes as opposed to 20 three-minute shorts. As much as I enjoyed the original, and even though it a rival to Episode II, the storytelling was a bit hurried broken up into such small serials.
In the second article, Tartakovsky reveals that it was his team that came up with the models for General Grievous well before the production of Episode III, and that Clone Wars II will have much lightsaber action.
I can't wait!
First of all, lets get this out of the way. Animation Unlimited is dedicated to all forms of animation. Thus, as video games are animated, they follow my one rule: anything animated I see fit, I'll shoehorn into this site. Being that gaming is one of my vices I may talk about it from time to time... I just find I don't have the hours necessary for true game reviews.
I know I am a little late coming to the table on this game, so I am not going to post a full review of it. My wife gave me KOTOR a year ago for Christmas... and between the birth of our son and general craziness that is called life, I did not get the chance to play it much until recently. Heck, even the sequel is out now.
All I can say is "What a ride!"
As of this posting, I am about 80% through the game. I'm not sure how long the rest will take me, but given that I have 40 hours in savegame time on my Xbox (in and of itself is an impressive length for an RPG), it could well be another 10 hours gametime. That equates to a few weeks in my current world.
From an animation perspective, KOTOR is smooth, crisp, and downright pretty. They did a pretty good job of matching lipflap with the voiceover, and the acting is quite well done. The combat sequences have enough variation that you never feel like you are seeing the same moves over and over again, even if there are only a few dozen different moves.
RPGs have often been hit or miss with me, I have a real problem with games that are just timesinks. Kill Kill Kill KIll with little return. Happily, KOTOR does not fall into this category. It plays like a good book, you don't want to put it down because you want to see what comes up next. For instance, last night I got caught ... I hit a point in the game where plot twists, dialogue and cutscenes abounded. For 2 hours I wanted to find a place where I could stop, save, and go to bed ... but I kept thinking, a few more pages till the next chapter, then I can stop. Well, after this went on for a while, I knew I HAD to find a place to stop. fortunately, the "chapter" came to an end and I was able to get some shuteye.
I could go on for a while more about how good the story is, how much fun the action is, and how enjoyable the side quests are.... but I'll stop here. The bottom line is that KOTOR is a classic RPG that truly earned it's "Best Game of 2003" badge. From where I sit, it was the best game I've played in 2005 as well.
Buy KOTOR from our online store today!
I know I am a little late coming to the table on this game, so I am not going to post a full review of it. My wife gave me KOTOR a year ago for Christmas... and between the birth of our son and general craziness that is called life, I did not get the chance to play it much until recently. Heck, even the sequel is out now.
All I can say is "What a ride!"
As of this posting, I am about 80% through the game. I'm not sure how long the rest will take me, but given that I have 40 hours in savegame time on my Xbox (in and of itself is an impressive length for an RPG), it could well be another 10 hours gametime. That equates to a few weeks in my current world.
From an animation perspective, KOTOR is smooth, crisp, and downright pretty. They did a pretty good job of matching lipflap with the voiceover, and the acting is quite well done. The combat sequences have enough variation that you never feel like you are seeing the same moves over and over again, even if there are only a few dozen different moves.
RPGs have often been hit or miss with me, I have a real problem with games that are just timesinks. Kill Kill Kill KIll with little return. Happily, KOTOR does not fall into this category. It plays like a good book, you don't want to put it down because you want to see what comes up next. For instance, last night I got caught ... I hit a point in the game where plot twists, dialogue and cutscenes abounded. For 2 hours I wanted to find a place where I could stop, save, and go to bed ... but I kept thinking, a few more pages till the next chapter, then I can stop. Well, after this went on for a while, I knew I HAD to find a place to stop. fortunately, the "chapter" came to an end and I was able to get some shuteye.
I could go on for a while more about how good the story is, how much fun the action is, and how enjoyable the side quests are.... but I'll stop here. The bottom line is that KOTOR is a classic RPG that truly earned it's "Best Game of 2003" badge. From where I sit, it was the best game I've played in 2005 as well.
Buy KOTOR from our online store today!
I finally watched a couple of episodes of Justice League Unlimited that were stored on my DVR. Once again, I'd have to say that WB is doing great things with the DC Comics line.
That being said, I noticed a few things.
For one, this isn't your Papa's Superfriends. Wonder Woman is a certified badass, the Dark Knight is indeed dark, and the two of them may have a thing going on. It was a trip seeing WW flirt with the Bat... and his response, "It would never work, you are a princess from a race of immortals, and I'm a rich kid with issues ... lots of issues." CLASSIC!
The animation is top-notch, as is the storytelling. The themes they are dealing with are not so kiddie -- war, love, revenge.... it's a far cry from Lex Luthor freezing the world with an ice ray -- and most of this probably soars right over the pre-teen's heads. Granted I have only seen a couple of episodes, but so far I'm impressed.
I really like the character models. WB continues with the style originated with Batman in 1992... although no longer groundbreaking, the well-established look is cleaner and crisper than ever before.
All-in-all, I have to say I'm pleased... can't wait to clean the DVR off a bit more!
Buy Justice League Unlimited from Amazon
That being said, I noticed a few things.
For one, this isn't your Papa's Superfriends. Wonder Woman is a certified badass, the Dark Knight is indeed dark, and the two of them may have a thing going on. It was a trip seeing WW flirt with the Bat... and his response, "It would never work, you are a princess from a race of immortals, and I'm a rich kid with issues ... lots of issues." CLASSIC!
The animation is top-notch, as is the storytelling. The themes they are dealing with are not so kiddie -- war, love, revenge.... it's a far cry from Lex Luthor freezing the world with an ice ray -- and most of this probably soars right over the pre-teen's heads. Granted I have only seen a couple of episodes, but so far I'm impressed.
I really like the character models. WB continues with the style originated with Batman in 1992... although no longer groundbreaking, the well-established look is cleaner and crisper than ever before.
All-in-all, I have to say I'm pleased... can't wait to clean the DVR off a bit more!
Buy Justice League Unlimited from Amazon
I don't know how often this happens to the rest of you, but I seem to have the worst luck when it comes to retail DVD sets. My wife got me the Please Teacher Perfect Collection set for X-mas. Unfortunately, it was in a multipack... and 2 of the discs popped loose at some point between the manufacturing and my house. The discs were all scratched up so badly I did not even attempt to play them, I just put them back in the box and returned the whole thing to Best Buy.
They did not have another one there that did not rattle, so I am waiting to see if more come into stock before I repurchase the set with my credit.
Ah well....
They did not have another one there that did not rattle, so I am waiting to see if more come into stock before I repurchase the set with my credit.
Ah well....
As a writer for Animation Unlimited, I would like to inform the readers of a few things that you can expect from my reviews. That is, things you should expect provided Johaan doesn't get upset with me and give me the boot (ed: watch out!).
1. I like my anime in context.
I'm not fond of the series that starts off with monotonous banter that holds no significance in the big picture of the expected storyline. And when I say "expected storyline," I'm referring to that which the studio marketing department wants you to focus on.... the reason that "they" rope you into buying/renting/watching any particular animation media "they" produce. That said, you can expect a bad review if the show goes off on a wild tangent mid-series/movie and goes nowhere with it.
2. Let's get some emotion.
I'm picky about the voice acting. I hate it when voice actors sound like they are trying too hard, or simply lack emotion in their vocal tone. Yeah, it's animated, but that doesn't mean that the voice actors should be sub-par.
3. Extremity is a good thing.
When done right, going over the top adds an extra sense of oomph that some of the better Anime need to grab the attention of the audience. A prime example, "The Ping Pong Club" (ed: give us a review!). Anyone who's seen it knows what I'm referring to. If you haven't and love weird and rude comedy Anime and Cartoons, you'll love it.
4. Movement/Dialog is great, but not everything.
There are quite a few shows out there with storylines that imply there will be a lot of fighting, shooting, flying, acrobatics, etc, and then concentrate on dialog more than actual action. This can be a problem, but it doesn't have to be. Saiyuki for example has great adult, comedic-themed dialog. I love the series for this reason alone, but the fight scenes are a bit too bland. There are a lot of stills with moving backgrounds that try to give a sense of movement ... but don't really cut it. It's still a good series, but for anyone that has seen it and enjoys the anti-chemistry among the 4 main travelers knows what I'm referring too. What's a good contra positive example? Yukikaze... it's decent on the emotion department with their dialog, but they still stay in context since most of the characters are military. Take note, I'm only commenting about the first disc in the Yukikaze series and not the series as a whole. Action scenes are excellent for anyone that loves fighter jets.
This should give you all an idea of what to look for in my reviews as far as ratings are concerned. It's understandable that some may think that I'm off with my opinion on a particular series, or all of my opinions on any series. If so, talk about it in the forums and see how others choose to view things.
Also another thing, I'll try to keep my reviews short and to the point.
1. I like my anime in context.
I'm not fond of the series that starts off with monotonous banter that holds no significance in the big picture of the expected storyline. And when I say "expected storyline," I'm referring to that which the studio marketing department wants you to focus on.... the reason that "they" rope you into buying/renting/watching any particular animation media "they" produce. That said, you can expect a bad review if the show goes off on a wild tangent mid-series/movie and goes nowhere with it.
2. Let's get some emotion.
I'm picky about the voice acting. I hate it when voice actors sound like they are trying too hard, or simply lack emotion in their vocal tone. Yeah, it's animated, but that doesn't mean that the voice actors should be sub-par.
3. Extremity is a good thing.
When done right, going over the top adds an extra sense of oomph that some of the better Anime need to grab the attention of the audience. A prime example, "The Ping Pong Club" (ed: give us a review!). Anyone who's seen it knows what I'm referring to. If you haven't and love weird and rude comedy Anime and Cartoons, you'll love it.
4. Movement/Dialog is great, but not everything.
There are quite a few shows out there with storylines that imply there will be a lot of fighting, shooting, flying, acrobatics, etc, and then concentrate on dialog more than actual action. This can be a problem, but it doesn't have to be. Saiyuki for example has great adult, comedic-themed dialog. I love the series for this reason alone, but the fight scenes are a bit too bland. There are a lot of stills with moving backgrounds that try to give a sense of movement ... but don't really cut it. It's still a good series, but for anyone that has seen it and enjoys the anti-chemistry among the 4 main travelers knows what I'm referring too. What's a good contra positive example? Yukikaze... it's decent on the emotion department with their dialog, but they still stay in context since most of the characters are military. Take note, I'm only commenting about the first disc in the Yukikaze series and not the series as a whole. Action scenes are excellent for anyone that loves fighter jets.
This should give you all an idea of what to look for in my reviews as far as ratings are concerned. It's understandable that some may think that I'm off with my opinion on a particular series, or all of my opinions on any series. If so, talk about it in the forums and see how others choose to view things.
Also another thing, I'll try to keep my reviews short and to the point.
If you like us, make purchases through the links bellow and support this site!
I only add affliliates of vendors I like and use, so you should expect good experiences with them, enjoy!
I only add affliliates of vendors I like and use, so you should expect good experiences with them, enjoy!
Reviews
Feature Articles
- .hack//SIGN: Complete Collection - Reviewed by Johaan
- .hack//Legend of the Twilight: The Series - Reviewed by Johaan
- Ah! My Goddess TV - Volume 1: Always and Forever + Artbox - Reviewed by Johaan
- Ah! My Goddess TV - Volume 2 : Love Plus One - Reviewed by Johaan
- American Dad: Pilot Episode - Reviewed by Johaan
- The Batman: The Bat in the Belfry - Reviewed by Johaan
- Blue Gender, the Series - Reviewed by VHex
- Chobits: Complete Collection - Reviewed by Johaan
- Full Metal Panic: Complete Collection - Reviewed by Johaan
- Full Metal Panic? FUMOFFU, Volume 1: Full Metal Pandemonium + Artbox - Reviewed by Johaan
- Full Metal Panic? FUMOFFU, Volume 2: Full Metal Fracas! - Reviewed by Johaan
- Generator Gawl, the Series - Reviewed By VHex
- Hellsing - Reviewed By VHex
- Love Hina Perfect Collection - Reviewed by Johaan
- Please Teacher, Complete Collection - Reviewed by Johaan
- Please Twins: Three's Company, Limited Edition Vol. 1 - Reviewed by Johaan
- Please Twins: Sibling Rivalry, Volume 2 - Reviewed by Johaan
- Please Twins: Only for You, Volume 3 - Reviewed by Johaan
- Please Twins: Twins Forever, Volume 4 - Reviewed by Johaan
- Real Bout High School, Volume 1 - Reviewed by Johaan
- Robotech Remastered, Extended Edition #01 - Reviewed by Johaan
- Robotech Remastered, Extended Edition #02 - Reviewed by Johaan
- Robotech Remastered, Extended Edition #03 - Reviewed by Johaan
- Star Wars: Revelations - Reviewed by Johaan
- Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith - Reviewed by Johaan
- Super Dimensional Fortress Macross: Box Set 01 - Reviewed by Johaan
- Super Dimensional Fortress Macross: Box Set 02 - Reviewed by Johaan
- Super Dimensional Fortress Macross: Box Set 03 - Reviewed by Johaan
- Teen Titans: The End (Season 4 Finale) - Review - Reviewed by Johaan
- Teen Titans, Season 5 (Episodes 1-4) - Review - Reviewed by Johaan
- Witch Hunter Robin, the Series - Reviewed by VHex
Feature Articles
- Animation Unlimited's Top 5 Anime Lists - by Johaan
- Macross vs. Robotech: Part 1 - "10 Differences in the First 10 Minutes" - by Johaan
- Doing the "Shonen Stumble!" - by Johaan
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