price:$4.99
Bandai
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (G Gundam Complete 1st Collection) 『For me, this is the BEST Gundam series. Domon Kashu has SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many issues in this thing plus the attitude he has, i just love it. I love the space saving boxsets all in one here.』
(Not Nearly As Bad As Expected) 『Let's face it; on the whole, Mobile-Fighter G Gundam is typically considered by fans to be the black sheep of the Gundam franchise. I knew this going into the 49-episode DVD collection, which is spaced out across two 6-disc sets from Bandai under the budget-friendly Anime Legends collections.
So consistent was the negative feedback of the series that I purposely began my Gundam viewing obsession with the original, followed by Zeta, Wing, Seed, 0080, and 0083 all before tearing into G. With apprehension and low expectations, I began the 49-episode journey of Domon Kasshu and company and am pleased to report that I was pleasantly surprised. Before we get into the nitty-gritty of the highs and lows of the show itself, let us take a moment to discuss G Gundam's roots and developments.
As many know, the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise is one of the longest-standing and most successful licenses to come out of Japan, a nation known for an obsession with all-things Giant Robot. That said, back in 1994 the Gundam franchise was already celebrating its fifteenth year of existence and commemorated the occasion with three individual and unrelated programs (G was the first of the three, followed by Wing then the 08th MS Team).
Airing in Japan in 1994 (and running through 1995), G Gundam maintains the dark, gritty feel of shows from the era like Gundam Wing. However, unlike Wing, G Gundam takes place in the Future Century (FC) where the earth-nations-inspired space colonies battle it out to earn control over the planet for a four-year term. Democracy be darned, this responsibility is determined through a Roman Gladiator style tournament whereby each colony sends a Gundam (&pilot) to duke it out on the planet's surface, often at the expense of the population/ landmarks.
On paper the plot sounds pretty weak and certainly contributed to my low expectations going into the program. However, and like the rest of the Gundam franchise in general, the show's writers wisely pace the larger plot context against the more-immediate and relatable struggles of a lead character, his love interest, and a mysterious photograph. In truth, the "mortal combat" theme of each episode serves only as a story progression tool while the cast is methodically introduced.
Where the show succeeds is through its immature yet lovable cast of characters. National pride (and clichés) abounds and constantly reminded this author of the simple reality that nobody but the Japanese could have so flawlessly pulled it off. Die-hard fans of the Gundam mythos will likely cringe at Mobile Suits (or Mobile Fighters as the case may be) decked out to resemble a boxer or a windmill maketheir appearance. However I should point out that for every laughable gimmick displayed, there are at least a pair of wicked-cool Mobile Fighter designs including Neo-Germany's Shadow Gundam, Neo-China's Dragon Gundam and even lead character Domon Kasshu's Shining and Burning Gundams.
Of course the individual fighters pale in comparison to the larger conflict presented here in Domon's mission of vengeance against his corrupted brother, former master, and the dreaded and oftentimes disturbing Dark Gundam. Taking a chapter from The Empire Strike's Back, a large portion of the lead character's development comes in the form of training. Only unlike mastering The Force, Domon's own struggles involve mastery of an ever-evolving form of martial arts called Tohofuhai. Espeically noteworthy in this sequence is a dull and rusted sword that cannot slice through butter when operated by an unfocused mind. This representation of the acquisition of discipline works very well here and sets Domon up perfectly for an epic battle between multiple enemies.
Pacing of the story is quite fluid as well despite a bit of inconsistency in the lead characters' abilities. Early episodes show a Domon able to catch a barrage of gunfire with his bare fingers only to be intimidated by a lone pistol later on and his mechanic/ personal physician/ love interest Rain Mikamura starts out with a plethora of gadgets (like force-field-generator earrings) that seem to disappear as the show progresses as well.
I should mention that while the plot advances with steady authority, the maturation of lead character, Domon Kasshu is a bit more inconsistent. He is introduced as shadowy, almost supernatural character displaying amazing feats of strength and ability only to regress to a bit of a wild card about midway through the prose. His impatience and lack of discipline come to a fever pitch just before the showdown between he and his former master but his personality continues to fluctuate even throughout the Gundam Fight Finals in Hong Kong.
More consistent is the character of Rain who manages to become Domon's counterpoint in many situations with level headedness and patience.
In conclusion perhaps G Gundam's greatest strength is intertwined with its greatest flaw: It is a part of the Gundam Universe. Because of this, viewers are treated to a take on the franchise literally like no other before it or since. Classic and contemporary Gundam designs make cameos left and right (especially during the later stages of the tournament) including the likes of the original Mobile Suits, Zeta Gundam, F91, Victory Gundam and so on. Sharp eyed viewers will delight in spotting the subtle homage to the other series' hidden throughout.
Conversely, being affiliated with the Gundam Universe is a dangerous proposition for any show not because of continuity restraints but rather because the bar has simply been raised so far that anything that strays from the formula seems to be rejected. Viewers coming in to G Gundam expecting the political and scientific accuracy that the franchise is known for will surely be disappointed. To put it simply, G Gundam sacrifices nearly all aspects of political conflict or scientific intricacy to deliver its more action-oriented prose. Sure it's a step in the wrong direction for those who view the franchise as a mecha-oriented Star Trek but on the other hand it's no more unrealistic than beloved American robot shows like Voltron or Transformers (explaining its success during its 2002 debut on Cartoon Network).』
(This is a personal favorite) 『I've been an anime fan since I was 8, and I can thank this series for that. When I got this dvd I was impressed, the G-files interviews were informative and the discs include both dub and sub. The only downside is there's two collections to get and not just one.』
(G Gundam) 『Overall this was a very good series. It had great super robot qualities, great mechs, good characters, and even apperances from gundams in different series (if you look hard enough). the only problem with it is they could have had more extras on the dvd's.』 『It is time for the Gundam Fight tournament! Each country sends a Gundam to Earth for this prestigious tournament in the hopes of winning power and glory for their homeland! But this time, there's an unseen evil lurking behind the scene. Domon Kasshu, Neo Japan's reluctant Fighter, is determined to uncover this evil and clear his family name! The fight to the top begins now! Genre: Action/Sci-Fi/Mecha.』
price:$4.99
Bandai
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (A seriously flawed and tired storyline...) 『For anyone who has seen the Gundam Seed series, I would not bother watching this unless you understand that it basically repeats everything that happens in the first series but with some new characters. I mean, they even bring back the Genesis weapon. Then they try to Nuke the Plants, again! And Kira and Athrun end up fighting, again! And the Archangel and everyone is targeted by both the Earth forces and Zaft, again! Finally Athrun joins the Archangel's crew, again! And they were so lazy that when Athrun and Kira received new Gundams, they are the same exact Freedom and Justice... what happened to making sweet new machines??? Watch Gundam Seed and then for some laughs watch Destiny... there is a bit of good action but overall it reeks of the same tired plot twists used in Seed. And BTW, I am a HUGE Gundam fan, all the way back to the original (with its super cheesy intro music!).
I recommend that you should watch in Japanese with ENglish subtitles, if you watch at all.』
(It's good Best episodes) 『Gundam Seed Destiny Complete Collection 2 Contains 6 Discs (Episodes 27 Unfulfilled Feelings To (Episode 50 The Final Power)English And Japanese Audio And There Are Two Sets of Subtitles One to Translate The Japanese Audio And Other To Translate The Title of Each Episode And Intro And Outro Songs AND NO IT DOES NOT CONTAIN EPISODE 51 THE FINAL PLUS WITH EXTRA SCENCES AND KIND OF DIFFERENT ENDING Its About 600 Minutes. Textless Openings And Endings songs, Character And Mecha Encyclopedias. Its Starts to Get Crazy After Episode 32 (Stella) For The Minerva And The Archangel Peoples lives change And People Start Showing There True colors』
(The Final Box Set Of A Fantastic Series) 『This set fully completes my Gundam Seed anime series set since I've already gotten the previous two box sets and the first Gundam Seed Destiny box set which I'm truly happy for since some of Bandai's recent choices of which sets to release and which to outright cancel(Zegapain being one of them). The series is hard to follow though if you've never seen the beginning of the GS universe and the stories of the characters so I'd advise watching the series from the very beginning to understand what is really going on, like most of the Gundam universe series this show seems to mostly stress the utter stupidity and futility of wars. If you look at the various fighting sides you'll see they all seem to have various and seemingly just reasons for what they are doing and why they are fighting but in the end shows how nothing will change with brute force and that it's up to the people to willingly decide to change the way things are without the threat or fear of oppression. The characters grow on you and you will weep as some are killed off through the series but that in itself is what makes a great series as you cheer, cry, and feel for the characters as they continue on in the show. The voice cast for both the Japanese and English actors were right on for their roles and kudos to both, the video is clear and sharp and the music is great both heart pacing and fast very addictive as you watch the battle scenes in the series. So I say for any mecha anime or sci-fi anime fan and for the price check out the series you'll most likely be very entertained, and for fans of the gundam series rejoice as the final set is finally out....』
(Worth watching) 『Gundam Seed Destiny, though received much harsh criticism from fans and reviewers alike isn't bad by any means. If you've watched the series from the beginning of Seed your in bound for more of everything good and bad the series has offered and delivered. The continued assaults between Zaft and the Earth forces will reach a satisfying conclusion but the story won't end there. New mobile suits arrive and change the course of the war. Kira and the Archangel crew will finally take the top stage as the line between right and wrong blur, heroes take the side of the wrong and enemies from before become welcome allies for the end. I won't spoil the story with detailed explanations though I do give a firm warning that the last episode has somewhat of a let down ending, just as it doesn't give a lot of closure. The movie Gundam Seed Destiny Final Plus is basically an extended version of the last episode with more action and story and is a much more satisfying ending. Overall if you've enjoyed the characters, gundams, battles, and triumphs that Seed has given you so far, you'll love this box set. If you've felt you've been dragged along for a boring ride that doesn't suit your tastes, perhaps the 4 Destiny movies would be better as they give the story without all the extra development and filler. Either way Seed Destiny is definately a true Gundam thrill.』
(The single worst anime i've ever seen.) 『Gundam Seed Destiny is a 50 episode anime following the prequel, Gundam Seed.
For the first 34 episodes, it maintains the same level of quality of its predecessor. The remaining 16 episodes turns the series on its head, turning this sequel series into something along the lines of Ace Ventura Jr. or Son of the Mask, only less Jim Carrey's spawn and more a hostile takeover of the plot by characters with less personality than a cardboard cutout, with robots so overpowered they never get damaged. The OTHER side of the war has the newly designated bad guys characterization going downhill as well. For example, one character makes a large point in his character, only to suddenly change the next episode and contradict himself, turning into a villain for no reason. In the show, this decision likely took only five minutes.
This is where the show's horror truly shows. If you're a large SEED fan and have already bought the first Destiny set, watch up to episode 34 and quit the series while you're ahead. If you haven't watched the series yet, stay away. Those last episodes are horrible enough to plunge both this and its prequel into a sea of desolation.』 『Studio: Infinity Resources Inc Release Date: 04/21/2009』
price:$7.49
Funimation Prod
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (A fantastic series!) 『Gungrave is the story of Brandon and Harry, two young friends that join a mafia group called Milleneon. The series begins with Brandon and Harry as ordinary young men and continues with their activity within Milleneon. This includes their movement within the group, as well as how they change as time passes.
This is a really powerful anime. The story is brilliant- it sucks you in very quickly and keeps you gripped throughout. My description doesn't really do justice to the plot, which is very complex, moving and intriguing. Brandon, who really is the main character, is very well developed, as is Harry and the various supporting characters.
The art-work is really beautiful, as is the music, which helps create a heavy, haunting and tragic atmosphere. I really can't recommend this anime enough, it's without a doubt one of my favourites. You won't regret giving it a chance!!!! 』
(Review) 『Goods were as advertised. Transaction took place without a glitch in a timely fashion.』
(A Nice Series Of Revenge and Betrayal But Also Of Forgiveness And Redemption) 『If You already have anime series like Samurai Champloo, Cowboy Bebop, or Wolfs rain here's another fantastic series for your collection. The series gives a nice backdrop of the two main characters and their differing points of view on life and while they disagree on some views they are the best of friends, though the main story-plot does have on betray the other for his own rise to power within a powerful organization. The dead apparently don't stay dead though in this series and through science the betrayed friend is brought back to life to protect a very important person from the organization that is now run by the very friend that betrayed and murdered him. What you'll truly appreciate and grow to like is how throughout the years the betrayer has hidden regrets for his choices and a wish to redeem his sins that he's made in his life. That is probably the most heartfelt parts of the series as you see the bygone years of these two friends as they rise from street hoodlums to great power and money in their careers, but you also see the cost for theses choices as their friends are killed, personal sacrifices are made for their positions or remaining living friends, and finally the one choice that ends with one friend dead and another to gain ultimate power but at the cost of his remaining happiness. The ending fits the storyline greatly and while may annoy some viewers with how it ends it's still a nice climax for the two friends to find salvation and peace within themselves and each other. The video is clear and sharp with no blurriness or distortions to worry about and the audio was great as well the voice cast for the Japanese and English actors/actresses were great for their roles, the extras sadly aren't much just the usual trailers and textless intro/ending songs but that's about it. The box sets has seven dvds put into an individual slim cases and put into a paper sleeve. So if you like the dark drama animes with a lot of action, gunfights, and drama with a entertaining storyline with it here's a great choice to try out and for this price well worth it...』
(Never Betray The Family) 『This is an excellent anime, which there are far too few of. Brandon Heat (Beyond the Grave) is the main character. He is mostly calm and cool, which seems to be a contradiction between the way he behaves and his name. He is basically raised on the streets with his friends, but finds love...to bad she becomes adopted by Big Daddy after her adopted uncle passes away. Big Daddy is the head of an organization comparable to the mafia, hence the title of this review. He is a very likable character, not the villian. He eventually allows Brandon to see his love, Maria, but only on supervised visits, since he now works for the organization. The anime follows along with death, love, betrayal, and revenge. The story becomes over the top around halfway through the show, with people being brought back to life for the purpose of powerful soldiers, which the new leader of the oraganization quickly seizes upon and sells them on the black market to conflict zones. This anime shows the possiblities of science, as well as humanity in its mafia style setup. This is an exceptional anime that should not be missed. I rate it #1, followed by Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Gundam 0083, and many many others. This will always be my favorite.』
(Vengeance is a Dish Best Served as a Complete Collection) 『The thing with Geneon's untimely demise is that it offered companies like Funimation a great library of unique titles to re-release as the market demands them. Case in point: Gungrave. A stylish and moody piece of animation that had, until now, existed in a complete boxed set briefly back in 2005. Funimation has gathered together all of the episodes and is once more offering a Complete Set for fans and prospects alike.
Coming in at a total runtime of 650 minutes, Gungrave the Complete Set spans 7 discs and comes packaged in seven thin packs within a richly decorated cardboard outer case. Language options are standard sub and dub fair which means original Japanese dialog (Dolby Digital 2.0) and an English Dub (Dolby Digital 5.1) with English subtitle options in either language.
The show wears an appropriate 16&Up rating due to its frequent use of violence and strong language. However, and like most anime titles of this genre, the presence of sexuality and/or nudity is surprisingly sparse.
Features are a pretty solid bag and include 16:9 Anamorphic widescreen presentation, conceptual art stills, textless opening and closing themes, and a host of trailers.
The story, or what passes for one in this case, follows a guy named Brandon Heat, who has been resurrected from the dead and is now known as Grave (which is short for Beyond the Grave).
Under the supervision of a mad scientist and young girl, Grave wanders around his deserted hometown recollecting his memories and preparing for a mission of revenge against the friend who betrayed him (resulting in his trip six feet under).
The first few episodes take their time assembling Grave's back-story through a succession of flashback sequences that depict a slightly disturbed Brandon Heat's involvement in street gangs. Once the gangster "Mad Dog" Ladd enters the fold, gun shots ring out, are fired, blood is spilled, and soon it's just Brandon and his best friend Harry MacDowel fending for themselves on the city streets.
For the most part, the pacing works. How so you wonder? Well the core of the viewer's interest is derived from the natural curiosity as to what led up to Grave's bizarre situation.
You realize that Brandon and Harry are thick as thieves in their underworld exploits in life but logic tells you that this relationship must have soured. How, when and why? How does Brandon meet his untimely demise? More importantly still, how does he return to the land of the living?
You'll wonder these things just a bit quicker than the backtracking is able to reveal them but this is no big deal because a riveting story never was Gungrave's strong suit and shame on you for thinking otherwise.
In truth the story is serviceable here which is to say it represents just enough to keep the wickedly cool visuals flowing from scene to scene, episode to episode. You may have heard it mentioned in other reviews and there is definite truth to the fact that Grave is perhaps the most unlovable protagonist of all time. He's distant, cold, and drab- and that's before he becomes a zombie!
Although it should be dually noted that affection for the lead character isn't a requisite for making the most of the Gungrave experience. The key word here is mood and boy does Gungrave paint a pretty picture through its lighting, ambiance, and just plain grit. It isn't hard to liken the prose to the literary classic Gunslinger series by Stephen King. In fact that's really one of the best comparisons I can come up with (just so long as you don't expect the mind-twisting elements that riddled the later entries of the book series). Gungrave is definitely shallower, more violent, and linear in its pacing and prose.
The English dub works better than it has any right to and perhaps that can be credited to the simple fact that the roles clearly didn't require a whole lot of emotion (particularly that of Grave himself). The secondary characters simply had to be gruff, rough or tough and American actors, if I may generalize, rarely have trouble nailing that assignment. The Japanese dialog brings a bit more emotion to the script but don't expect miracles from Grave, he is what is regardless of which continent the actor portraying him hails from.
In all this is definitely not a title for the masses but rather is an acquired taste; kind of like black coffee or German beer. If you're looking for a shoot-em-up with a simplistic plot saturated with vengeance (ala Kill Bill) and cool visuals (come on the guy blows his enemies away with his guns crossed and his hat dipped below his eyes for crying out loud), this is a must-own collection. If, on the other hand, you find yourself in the camp seeking emotional attachment, rich storytelling or ultra-believability, perhaps you would be wiser to let this one drift past like the cloud of dust kicked up from Grave's cold stiff boot.』 『Back from the grave… back for murder.
For Brandon Heat, death doesn't matter. Driven by his need for revenge, he returns from beyond the grave to cripple Milleneon, the huge mafia organization that uses undead monsters as its enforcers. His ultimate goal will be to destroy Harry MacDowel, the leader of Milleneon and, at one time, Brandon's best friend...』
price:$4.99
Funimation Prod
Usually ships in 24 hours 『The Holy War Begins...
Ten years ago master there was a secret war fought by master mages with their servants in order to obtain the Holy Grail and the result was devastating to everyone. Today, the Holy Grail is beginning again with new masters. One such master, Shirou, must now come to grips with the reality of the secret world of war mages and their summoned servants when he unknowingly summons his own servant, Saber; the one said to be the most powerful servant of them all. Perhaps, Shirou will be the one to prevent the destruction that had marked the first war.』
price:$12.99
Bandai
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Great series) 『This is a great series that any sci-fi fan should love. Lots of Gundam stuff is pure fluff or crap, but this is hard-core space opera with lots of action and intrigue. You dont have to know anything about Gundam or the Gundam universe to enjoy this (I have only ever seen 0080 War in the Pocket and this series). Personally I find myself rooting for the "bad" guys in this series, but one of the great things about this series is the moral ambiguity and lack of a real "good guy" and "bad guy". The only real criticism I have is the awful opening and closing music, and the sort of forced romantic story elements. (Note: this review is of the SUBTITLED show, I have not watched it dubbed as most of the time the dubbing is terrible).』
(Great Compilation) 『While in production order this OVA is the second of the three Universal Century OVAs this OVA takes place after 08th MS Team and 0080.
For the most part this product is simply just the original 4 DVDs of 0083 that were released way back in 2001. Nothing is different except that you get all 4 volumes in one package.
Extras are pretty good. There are textless versions of both Openings and Endings. A short on Cima called "Mayfly of Space", a Karaoke of all of the Openings and Endings, and some very rare trailers from back when this OVA was first being released in 1990.
A word of advice if you do buy this. There are Japanese and English Credits for the openings and endings. If you just play without going to the set up menu the English credits will play. If you change the language to Japanese before starting, then the Japanese credits will play. It's a personal preference which one you'd like really. It doesn't matter which one you choose, however the Japanese credits look much nicer and cleaner while the English credits were actually taken from the VHS release of this series which happened a good 10 years ago and those credits actually look like a VHS tape. If you don't care which one credits play then just play.
Overall, the only thing I have to say that I did not like was that I think the price is a bit high considering this is a 4 DVD set with just 12 twenty minute episodes. It's not like how where with Zeta Gundam or Gundam Wing's Anime Legends collections where the price is actually the same, (more or less), but for 25 or 26 episodes and 6 DVDs. On the other hand the extras outshine much more here on this set than in other Gundam DVDs that I have and the series was worth the price to me so I bought it. If the series is worth it then you should buy it is the most I can say. I believe this is the best price we'll get this series at on DVD.』
(That punks gotten pretty good.) 『Gundam 0083 takes place between Mobile Suit Gundam and Zeta Gundam. However, this show was made after both of those shows. Zeon has returned and stole a Gundam armed with nuclear weapons. Now, the Federation must stop the firing of the nuke. The battle basically comes between two pilots, one fighting for revenge and the other still trying to figure out why he's fighting. The battles begin on Earth, but reach space quickly. Any Gundam fan should own this, especially considering the amazing ending. Hail Zeon!』
(the greatest gundam series, well, almost) 『Unlike the unrealistic G, W and turn A series, the 0083 is for adult viewers who like a real war feel.
Artwork is excellent with detail, and the robots are the cool and real.
Do not miss this 0083 series!』
(OK) 『Ok I bought this product after reading the reviews which most are 4-5 stars. All I have to say is most of the other people on here are seriously deprived when it comes to a good story line at within a series. While the action is ok it is a far cry from top notch and the storyline I would call immature at best. I was generally bored watching this and basically watched the whole series out of sheer curiosity on whether it would get any better, I was seriously disappointed. Damn why couldnt have Bandai messed up the discs on this series like they have done on the other ones? At least I wouldnt have wasted my time watching the rest of the series. Anyway save your money on this one.』 『Studio: Infinity Resources Inc Release Date: 04/07/2009 Run time: 325 minutes』
price:$11.49
Adv Films
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Don't Judge This One By Its Cover!!!) 『I have fallen in love with the series! I only saw a few episodes on TV. At first when I saw it about ballet, I was a little skeptical because I thought it would a girly, almost sissy, froo-froo (girly-girly). But it actually wasn't all about that. It had its balance to the girly aspect with darkness and such. I found it to a wonderful and great series. The ending is something I didn't see coming.』
(Just As Expected: Awesome) 『I watched the first few episodes of Princess Tutu online a while back, but came to a dead end by episode 9. Finally I bought it the other day, two years later, and I'm quite glad I did. It's lovely, although my friends find it slow at the beginning. I've only gotten up to around episode 14 but I've fallen in love.
My only complaint I have is on the English dub and the 'Beginner Ballet' lessons. The English voice cast take 'weird' to the extreme with their either extremely high, low, squeaky, or tired voices, and it causes distraction. So normally I just turn on the subtitles and switch it to Japanese, which sounds much more pleasing to the ears. Then there's the ballet lessons, which are basically repeated footage from the first few episodes and Professor Cat (in English, mind you) saying something about vocabulary, and ending with an annoying, "Or you will marry me!" It doesn't teach anything, so I personally find it a waste of time and space on the disk.
I'd read the plot beforehand, maybe watch the first episode online, and if you like I'd advis buying this. Overall, this set is a great buy, and if you're into 'chick-flick' anime, you'll love this.』
(Such an amazing Series.) 『Okay, so I started watching this series two days ago, and I already finished it. It's soo addicting and just all around a beautiful anime. It's basically-ugh, I really can't describe it! It's beautiful, it brings back memories of older fairy tales, and it's just amazing. The OST for it, too, is wonderful and has inspired me to play my violin again.
The only, ONLY gripe I have about this anime is the ending, buuut I'm not going into details~~ ^-^ You'll just have to watch it to find out~』
(you have to watch this!) 『This series combines a twist on our regular stories which we have grown up loving with an original idea creating a wonderful piece. A must watch.』
(Saw onces, Could not get away) 『I watched the first three episodes of this show with a group at school, and fell in love with it. Finally decided to order the seasons, and completely satisfied with it. The DVD has extras that include mini dance lessons with Neko Sensei(Mr. Cat). It also allows for the viewer to choose Japanese, with or with out subs, or english, with or without subs. Would recommend for pretty much any age group that likes anime.』 『Studio: Adv Films Release Date: 04/21/2009 Run time: 650 minutes』
price:$6.49
Funimation Prod
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (The Origonal Tenchi) 『This DVD contains the first 4 episodes of the tenchi muyo OVA that started it all.
the episodes are 1 Ryoko Resurrected 2 here comes Ayeka 3 hello Ryo-ohki 4 Mihoshi falls to the land of stars
The qualaty of this DVD is excelent it has both japanese and english tracks with english subtitels. In case you are wondering yes it's the real deal not bootleg crap.
Many people are confused about the order in wich the tenchi series was made this OVA in three volumes is what started it all, it is fallowed by tenchi universe the TV series, then tenchi in tokyo the TV series. There are 3 movies and a spin of series called tench muyo galaxy police there is also anouther ova.
I hope you find my review helpfull I<3 Tenchi!! 5 stars!!』
(Pretty good) 『This Tenchi is a little different from the others I've watched. Some of the voices are different. Some of the graphics are too. It's not bad but its not great either.』
(The action heavy part of the Tenchi Muyo OAVs) 『This particular volume in the Tenchi Muyo OAVs brings us the conflict with Kagato, the introduction of another girl into Tenchi's extended family and a comedy episode with some foreshadowing for things to come. It still features the usual mix of comedy and plot twists galore that the Tenchi Muyo OAVs are well known for. The disc comes with Japanese and English audio which will satisfy fans of both preferences. But special features in this disc are lacking as the only notable feature is a collection of trailers for titles that Pioneer/Geneon recently distributed and licensed back in 2002/ 2003 when this DVD first came out. If you just want the episodes, then this volume of the Tenchi Muyo OAVs is worth purchasing. If you want special features, then try hunting down the Tenchi Muyo Ultimate Edition DVD set which has an extensive offering of special features for fans to go giddy over.』
(A Blunder of Epic Proportions) 『Tenchi Muyo! is one of those legendary anime productions that continues to live on in the minds of fans. Essentially a fairy tale and a coming-of-age story, the plot revolves around the seemingly simple Tenchi who inexplicably finds himself surrounded by a bevy of beautiful alien women. Naturally, zany adventure and epic danger quickly ensue. For many, this now common "harem" style of anime was their first introduction to the art form during a time when it was still a rare commodity. And for most, the series' cast of lovable, fascinating, and unforgettable characters still remain indelibly etched onto their hearts.
The franchise is also a complicated one, with various alternate versions of the original series spanning nearly all forms of media, including television, manga, video games, and even novels. Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki - Box Set The Complete Series is the much anticipated seven episode continuation of the original OVA (original video animation, or direct-to-video) animated series, although fans expecting to find the show's earlier thirteen episodes will not find them here.
Misleading monikers aside, these newest installments to the Tenchi canon serve as perfect examples of how not to resurrect a series. After a thirteenth episode that ended on a rather inconclusive note, fans, after years of waiting, naturally imagined the new installments would contain the same heartfelt romantic intrigue, epic battles, and zany shenanigans associated with the earlier productions. Instead, they received seven boring, nearly humorless episodes that revolved around characters not even present in the earlier stories. Below are some of my more detailed complaints, but beware of spoilers:
Remember Ryoko, the awesome space pirate? She's now a weak, ineffectual whiner. Remember Noike and Misau? Of course not, because they weren't in the earlier episodes, but they dominate these. Remember the awesome battles in the climactic sixth episode? Not one is worth mentioning this time around. Remember wondering what Tenchi's mother must have been like? Well, you got your wish--she was a half-deluded prankster who enjoyed toying with Tenchi through trickery and gags. Remember thinking Yosho was an unmarried widower? Well, turns out he's actually married to a Jurain woman that he sees, hmmm, virtually never. Remember thinking Lady Seto, the Devil Princess of Jurai, must really be a force to be reckoned with? Nah, she's just a harmless, somewhat frail woman. Remember looking forward to a climactic showdown with the Goddess Tokimi? Never happens, turns out she just wants to be friends! Remember wondering about the identity of the Counter-Actor? Of course not, she never existed or was even hinted at in the earlier stories, nor is she well explained in these. And, of course, here's the biggest one--Which girl does Tenchi choose? Apparently, he will someday marry all of them! *sigh*
Couple all these complaints with just average animation and shaky writing, and you have what is possibly the worst continuation of a beloved series anyone could have ever conjured up. The show's only slightly redeeming quality is that certain long-held questions regarding some of the characters are finally resolved or explained (but whether anyone likes those "answers" is a different story).
The entire Tenchi Muyo franchise is special. Seek out the earlier episodes (known as Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki OVA 1 and 2), check out the TV series Tenchi Universe (and its excellent sequel movies, Tenchi Muyo in Love and Tenchi Forever), and seek out Hitoshi Okuda's brilliant No Need for Tenchi manga novels. But as for the episodes in this set, they will only make you cry.』
(Didn't seem to be all of it...) 『I liked the series just fine but this still seemed like it was missing some pieces. One time they show a flashback to where Ryo Ohki took on the entire Jurai fleet, but I don't recall that scene from anywhere. Maybe it's me LOL. Still a great short Tenchi series.』 『Tenchi seeks answers from his past while Ryoko faces the present head on. But the gang's world gets turned upside-down when they receive a strange visitor. After composing himself, Tenchi discovers that the mysterious visitor is not his mom, but a long, lost sister who has come to inform him of his arranged marriage and, more importantly, his new fiancée, Noike. While Ryoko, Ayeka, and the others are disputing this, Tenchi leaves to work in the fields, where he unknowingly meets his bride to be. When Tenchi collapses from exhaustion, Washu gives him a prescription for three days of complete rest and relaxation! Now, with Tenchi confined to his bed, Noike must find a way to rally the girls into helping out around the house! After proving herself to him and his friends, will Noike finally be the girl Tenchi chooses?
Extra’s Include:
Character Profiles
The Real Tenchi Tour
Japanese TV Spots
Lovely Cookin’ Music Video
‘Himitsu Nabe’ Tenchi Muyo! Special
40 Minute Live Action Special
30 Minute Radio Drama
Stills fromTenchi Muyo! Ryo Ohki(Click for larger image)
price:$59.90
Viz Video
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Great) 『This is a great box set to get everything together. As explained however, there are regional restrictions on the DVD's, however with the right know-how or region-free DVD player you won't mind.』
(The Movies rule,) 『One I hadn't even seen, so it is definitely worth viewing for those who enjoy the series, only way to make it better is have more of Rumiko's actual input on it.』
(INUYASHA THE COMPLETE MOVIES BOX SET) 『HI IM YOLANDA I BOUGHT INUYASHA THE COMPLETE MOVIES BOX SET YOU GET ALL 4 INUYASHA MOVIES I GOT THEM ON USED DVD'S I LOVE THEM THEY LOOK AND SOUND GREAT AND ARE LIKE NEW. I SAW THEM IN A LOCAL STORE FOR THIS SAME SET OVER $100 WITH TAX. I RATE IT % STARS +.......THANK YOU』
(All the movies are great!) 『I just got this in the mail yesterday, i was waiting all day for it to come and the mail came late!(it came at 7:30pm!)anyways...i was only able to watch the first movie last night and finished the rest of them today. I loved all the movies! they were amazing especally the second one! the second one was my favorite!
the thing that i did not really like about the movies was the drawing style. it does not look that bad but the characters just look kinda different than they usually do in the show. but other than that great movies! its a Must buy for an inuyasha lover. you should totally add this to your collection!』
(a must have) 『this is a must have for any inuyasha and any cartoon fan. each movie was great which is rare now a days. but pick it up u want b disappointed at all』 『Studio: Viz Media Llc Release Date: 09/04/2007』 『The fourInu-Yashatheatrical features pit the cast of Rumiko Takahashi's "feudal fairy tale" against new foes: The search for the shards of the Shikon Jewel falls by the wayside as Kagome, Inu-Yasha, Shippo, Miroku, and Sango tackle these supernatural enemies. InAffections Touching Across Time(2001), the moth-demon Menomaru seeks to reclaim the powers of his father, who was defeated by Inu-Yasha's father during the attempted Mongol invasion of 1274.The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass(2002) evokes the Japanese legend "The Tale of the Bamboo-Cutter," when Kaguya appears, claiming to be the legendary Moon Princess.Swords of an Honorable Ruler(2003) reveals that Inu-Yasha's father, the Great Dog Demon, possessed not two but three swords: Tetsusaiga, Tenseiga, and Sounga, which are linked to Earth, Heaven, and Hell, respectively. When the Sounga is accidentally freed, its aura raises the soul of Takemaru, the samurai who murdered Inu-Yasha's mother. The villains inFire on Mystic Island(2004) are the Four War Gods, powerful demons on the island of Houraijima, who preserve and augment their power by sacrificing half-demon children. The later films are darker and more violent, although the directors balance the mayhem against familiar comedic elements, especially Kagome and Inu-Yasha squabbling. The features all reflect larger budgets than the television series, as the filmmakers employ a variety of CG effects: explosions, lightning bolts, insects, monsters, and strangling tree roots.Affections Touching Across Timestands out as the handsomest of the films, with designs that suggest the woodblock prints of Kawase Hasui. A must-have forInu-Yashafans. (Rated Teen: suitable for ages 13 and older: violence, grotesque imagery, brief nudity, alcohol use, risqué humor)--Charles Solomon』
price:$12.99
Funimation Prod
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (In The Future, Entitlements Gone Extremely Wrong And Then Some) 『It is often in the world of anime that the viewer has no clue what is really the backdrop of the existing conflict until several episodes into the series, or in some extreme cases not until halfway through the series or, worse, until the blatant end. The opening of the first episode of Vandread says more than enough about the background: someone took a bunch of colonists headed away from Earth at high speed, divided them up between male and female, put them on separate planets, and forgot to tell them to play nice with their neighbors. Oops.
Fast forward seventy years, and the war of the sexes is in full swing between Tarak (male) and Majeir (female). Divided and petty in their own societies, both sides have really only one unifying goal: flatten the other side. Even still, there are some people here and there who don't believe in the war so much as they believe in doing what they want to do, like interplanetary pirates or a factory worker who thinks he can pilot the machines he has only built since he was young. And when one such male factory worker gets caught on a ship being attacked by female pirates, instant gender-bending conflict is a given. Throw in a stoic and observant male medical officer and a 'politically saavy' pilot officer into the fray, and it goes from 'conflict' to 'this isn't going to end well for someone'. Vandread plays every ounce and angle of that conflict for every bit that it is worth, and manages to play it completely without the air of a horrid 90's sitcom, unlike some other anime that have gone there.
-x-x- SPOILER WARNING -x-x-
And then, there is the reality of the conflict. Towards the end of the first half, an observant viewer would notice that there is something rather unusual about the other colonies they come across, and these strange automated enemies that keep attacking the ship and crew. Know how the colonists fled Earth almost a century ago? They fled for a very good reason, and herein the title of this review comes into play. The colonists (as well as dozens of other colony groups) were allowed to leave by the regime on Earth so that they could escape the hostile environs the planet had become, and would later be harvested for body parts to be used as replacements for the failing bodies of the inhabitants of Earth. Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets Battlestar Galactica in a very macabre fashion, though for viewing sensibility the actual proceeds of the harvest are never really shown. Less is the better on that note.
The elitists of Earth believe they are entitled to the body parts of their colonists to sustain their lives theoretically forever. Thankfully, the Pirates step down the Jolly Roger and pick up their guns, ready and willing to stick it to the harvesting fleets from Earth. One ship of mismatched crazies, however, is not ample to flatten an automated mechanized invasion and harvesting fleet, so they go about picking up some heavier firepower from people they meet along the way home, and then try to convince their respective home planets that something evil this way comes. After much wrangling (and use of a whip in one case O.o) the battles lines are drawn and things get brutal quickly.
I'll leave the rest to your viewing pleasure.
-x-x- END SPOILERS -x-x-
Vandread is a bit unusual, in that it makes use of conspicuous CGI for the space combat scenes, but everything else is standard anime cel-shading. The first time or two you see this, it can be a bit jarring, but the battles are executed with flair on the part of the production staff and the cel-shading is not at odds with the CGI, but rather the CGI provides a very good compliment to the anime as a whole.
The storyline starts off on the anti-side of boy meets girl, and ends up asking more than one existential question by the end. Vandread comes off as one of those rare series that you can watch for the basic entertainment value of drama, gender conflict, or gratuitous space combat, or you can read into it as far as you want and come out with more than a few social-political questions that need better answers nowadays (or else fear that something this twisted becomes cold, hard reality for all of us, not just in a show).
For anyone who can stomach mecha anime as a whole, I highly recommend it.』
(Funimation Brings the Classic Home Once More) 『Vandread isn't really all that new, in fact, having made its Japanese broadcast debut way back in 2000, one might go as far as to say it's pretty darn old. But like most Gonzo titles, it's survived the test of time over and over again. Funimation's recent box set release of the property represents the third time the DVDs have been released to the North American market; first through Pioneer, then repackaged and re-released from Geneon. Suffice it to say, tales with this kind of staying power rarely reach this status undeservingly.
Funimation's release consists of all 26 episodes, which were in fact two seasons (Vandread&Vandred The Second Stage), across four discs. Housed in an attractive cardboard slipcase, the four discs come in a pair of artistic thin packs. Total runtime comes in at 600 minutes even and the show wears a very conservative 13&Up rating. Conservative because the show really is friendly to viewers of all ages save for a few sexual innuendos and extremely-light cussing. There is no nudity to speak of and while death is presented on occasion, it is never graphic or overly violent.
The set presents the usual dub&sub dialog options; An English dub, original Japanese audio track (with English subtitles is so desired).
Classifying the show isn't near as easy as typing out its hard stats however, as I'm quickly discovering. Technically it's a mecha entry on account of its use of robotics throughout. In fact the very term Vandread is derived from the concept of the physically conjoining of a fighter robot called a Van-Type and a space-fighter craft known as a Dread. When combined, the two craft become a powerful giant robot that can range in appearance from a hulking, oversize-gun carrying humanoid to a metallic crab surrounded by orbiting weapon-spheres depending upon the combination of the ships involved.
However, and unlike most robot shows, Vandread is as much a space-opera as it is a science fiction/ action piece. It's set in the distant future in a Universe where mankind has expanded his reach of population to include multiple planets and space stations. However, and what makes Vandread unique, the show literally opens with a propaganda film designed to frighten an all-male populous with the fact that all women are, in fact, monsters.
See it turns out that in the future, thanks to cloning techniques, male and female copulation (or even cohabitation for that matter) is no longer necessary to continue the race. As such both sexes are only vaguely aware of the other's existence. Yes it's a novel concept and sure it lends to Vandread's individuality as a whole, but the same-sex reproduction ideals are a bit sketchy (if not homosexual promoting).
The big gag, at least early on anyway, works off the concept of three males becoming entangled with an all-female pirate ship before being transported, via a space-warp, to a distant galaxy to avoid annihilation. The core of the story follows this ship's (the Nirvana) voyage back home while paying special attention to the daily drama stirred up thanks to the differences between the sexes. No, not those differences, but rather the awkwardness and feelings of passion that only be achieved through the old "opposites attract" concept. It's immature, it's silly, it's sometimes annoying but Vandread makes certain to counteract the goofiness with a steady-dose of CG rendered action sequences that still hold up even after all these years.
The visuals are far more solid then they have any right to be considering the show's vintage. What's that, you say there are shows far older (Gundam Wing or Macross for example) that still look nice so what's the big deal? Well keep in mind that right around the time that Vandread was created, the world was making a collective move away from standard hand-drawn cells and painted backgrounds to an all out computer generated imaging overload. That's fine and good, but many early efforts of the practice suffered from limited hardware capabilities, stiff animation and poor texturing. Somehow Vandread ducks and weaves through this minefield of pitfalls by combining a beautifully vibrant color pallet in the standard animation with CG inspired exterior backgrounds and robot models. Sure, the process has been refined in the nine years since but that isn't to say Vandread suffers any as a result.
Pacing can best be described as all over the place as the early episodes were brutally formulaic and relied far too heavily upon the whole "men and women meeting for the first time will be funny" gimmick. Additionally most of the first season is structured more as a succession of stand-alone episodes than a single ongoing tale. This trend degenerates to grander story arcs as the show progresses and by the middle of the Second Stage; Vandread feels more like a traditional mecha anime entry.
In my opinion the move away from the cuteness and attempts at slapstick to the slightly more psychologically engaging plots of the Second Stage was a step in the right direction. So much so in fact that I almost feel like the series probably would have hit its stride in the third or fourth season had it lasted that long.
As a whole the show suffers a bit in terms of confliction scope, as the enemies our cast frequently engages throughout the entire series are never really known as anything other than "the enemy". Worse still, they appear out of nowhere, get whipped, then live to attack another day. Their motives are never clear, nor is their presence ever fully justified. Other detractors along the way include an over-the-top (and quite obnoxious) lead male character, and overly naive lead female character, and what can only be described as a robotic version of He-Man's annoying court jester, Orko.
The soundtrack is especially well done with a reoccurring techno number that's simply infectious. I had the pleasure of enjoying the set though a 5.1 surround sound speaker set and found that the rolling bass riff coupled with a high end of synthesized horns flawlessly.
In conclusion Vandread is certainly not for everyone but manages to survive the test of time thanks to its unwavering (if at times, forceful) charm. While it rarely gets the credit it deserves, the show certainly paved the way for many robot-based series that would follow (titles like Gravion and Godannar). This latest DVD release from the masters of quality at Funimation assures that Vandread will continue to spread its charm with the presentation values it deserves.』
(Vandread, A dark future) 『Vandread is an interesting example of the giant robo genre of japanese animation with a little bit of harem comedy added in for a bit of spice.』
(A Funny Entertaining Sci-Fi Anime Worth A Look) 『This series was very reminiscent of series like Trigun, Full Metal Panic, and Outlaw Star nothing to serious but entertaining, dramatic, and funny enough to be very addictive. The first thing you have to realize is not to take most of this series seriously though if you're looking for a hardcore dramatic series like Ghost In The Shell, Akira, or the like than this series won't be for you, while it has space mechas battles and some drama for most of the series it's mostly light-hearted for the first season. The start of Vandread Second Stage does become a little more dramatic and serious though especially with the story-arc of what the people of Earth have done to the human colonies in space for their own agenda. The main plot of the series is that after a century or so of the male/female genders being separate and living on different worlds they for whatever reason have started fighting one another for resources and personal agendas. The stories on both sides on what the other genders are like also make the series very funny, as when you hear the story on the male home-world at how demonic the females are and how they will eat your organs and are just horrific. Thus begins the awkward journey of three males trapped on a ship of a multitude of attractive females after a battle between the genders goes chaotic and causes a fusion of the male and female space ships. The cast have a vast array of humorous situations that make for a good laugh throughout the show and the characters are hilarious as you see as they try to interact between the genders bumbling along sometimes. The true cute couple of the series for me were Hibiki Tokai a third grade citizen on his world who basically was just a lowly factory worker when he got trapped aboard the ship because he boasted he could bring back a vanguard, and Dita Liebely a bubbly female pilot of the ship who wants to contact her first alien and since she's never seen a male before she sees Hibiki as the first alien she's contacted. The video is clear and sharp so no complaints and the audio was also good the cast for both the Japanese/English were good as well. Again though like the recent releases from Funimation the set is four dvds put into two thinpack dvd cases and than into a paper sleeve, the extras aren't much just the standard textless intro/ending songs and some trailers but for the price still not bad. So if you like funny action drama sci-fi animes here's a good one to look at for you anime collection...』
(Men are from Tarak, Women Are From Mejere) 『On The surface Vandread seems to be another stupid harem anime with mechs thrown in for show. At least that what I thought when i discovered in a used bin and passed on it. The DVD Flavor Text just billed as a war between the sexes, and it is, but it tries something new. In Vandread Earth like in your usual Future anime has started to fall to ruin so they send colony ships into space. Somehow two ships land on to planets and the early colonists decide to separate the sexes. Flash forward to the present as the men prepare to launch a new weapon in the war against the women. Here we meet the male protagonists. Hibiki, the usual misunderstood loner, Deuelo the Enigmatic Doctor and Bart, the spoiled funny guy. A female pirate ship attacks at that moment. We meet the female leads. Dita, the Ditsy alien freak, Jura the sultry one and Meia the misunderstood Serious one The men launch a counterattack The ships semi-sentient power source activates and send them spiraling across the universe where they are attacked by a mysterious enemy. Thus begins their adventure back home as the mystery behind their worlds and their present situation is slowly revealed. The show a mixture of Comedy, drama and adventure. they don't blend evenly as the episodes jump between the genres. As the story progresses we see the women and men come to terms with their past prejudices and views. The Cast is enormous beyond the main 6. rash secondary character is unique and have seperate personalities. From the smart Girl with glasses, The Bratty little girl and even a cosplay freak who spend much of the episodes in a bear suit. the numerous background characters are seperated by where they work where only the bridge cew is distinct. Most of the 6 leads have episode or two to show growth. and One or two characters have their own secrets. By the second stage we have all the pieces set for a climatic battle as all secrets are revealed and we find out what really happened 100 years ago. This thinkpak is a bargain for both stages. A little thin in the extras department. But it looks nice and the English voice cast is filled with the well-knowns like Mary Elizabeth McGlynn,Wendee Lee, Tony Oliver, and Steve Blum. They do an excellent Job. But if you aren't into the dub there is a Japanese track. it is a fun series once you give it a chance. Starz had both stages in continuous run for years. give it a chance.』 『The battle of the sexes may seem bad on Earth, but in a space colony far, far away, things are even worse. Men and women haven’t seen each other for decades, so they don’t just argue in the future – they go straight for each other’s throats. Enter lowly Hibiki, a little guy with big dreams of adventure, who finds himself in the middle of a firefight after stowing away in a top secret mech designed to purge the galaxy of estrogen! But as the gender war rages on, a mysterious crystal weapon forever links their starships – and their destinies. Time is running out as men and women explore their sexual differences, struggle to suppress raging hormones, and fight to survive the threat of a deadly common foe!
The Complete 26 Episode TV Series!
Season 1 - Vandread
1. Boy Meets Girl 2. And… I’ve Lost My Way 3. This is the Path I Choose to Live 4. I Want to Know More About You 5. Sweet Temptation 6. What a Wonderful World 7. Easy Life 8. Impossible! 9. More Barbaric Than Heaven 10. White Love 11. Together… 12. They Don’t Care About Us 13. To Feel the Fire
Season 2– Vandread The Second Stage
1. Red Angel 2. Be My Baby 3. Blossoming Path 4. Everything 5. Somedays 6. Original Smile 7. Kiss on My Cheek 8. Reality 9. Embrace All 10. Easy Come, Easy Go 11. Paradise 12. Himegoto 13. Trust
price:$12.49
Bandai
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Seriously...what was Sunrise thinking with this sequel?) 『First, to all those five star raters... have you guys seen Gundam Seed? The first series? I mean really... because if you have then how can you justify giving this five stars?
Well now to my point: This is basically a sequel to Gundam Seed, but with nearly the exact storyline and plot threads. The same events that took place in Gundam Seed seem to be happening all over again. Athrun goes back to Zaft, he and Kira fight, dead characters from the first series show back up, the Archangel pisses of both Zaft and the Earth forces and gets in the middle of the conflict. Zaft even uses Genesis... AGAIN! And the Blue Cosmos has a new leader surprisingly similar to the last one.
Overall there are some good qualities and if the story wasn't what appears to be a first draft of the first series just reedited slightly then this would stand as a great series. The intro music is really the only music of quality. most of the music cut into the actual episodes pales in comparison to that in Seed. The writers even drive a wedge between what was one of the better romantic hook ups in Gundam history!
If you MUST watch this series, then PLEASE watch Gundam Seed first or this will completely ruin what is one of the most amazing series ever (referring to Gundam Seed here not Destiny). Please also watch with Japanese voice and English subtitles. But again... please please please watch Gundam Seed first!』
(Love It) 『Gundam Seed Destiny Collection 1 Contains 6 Discs (Episode 1 - Angry eyes) To (Epiosde 26 - The Promise)English And Japanese Audio And The Japanese Subtiles and The Second Set Of Subtiles is To Translate The Title Of each Epiosde And The Intro and Outro songs』
(Far exceeds expectations) 『As the title suggests, this anime far exceeds my initial expectations. Having seen War in the Pocket, Stardust Memories, Gundam Wing and a few others, I'm no stranger to this genre but I had my reservations about this anime due to disc complaints and possible over dramatization.
Thankfully, I did not have disc problems. I did notice a few minor scratches and expected the worse, but they were dragons I never had to slay. In regards to drama, this anime is emotionally charged, but in a good way.
This is a well conceived anime to the point where you will be pulled through a large range of emotions as a result of how the show unfolds. You'll find yourself anxious, frustrated, happy, sad - the whole gambit. I'm not into spoilers, so I'll merely say there were points where I almost looked up what happens online because I couldn't view the episodes fast enough - that's how engaging it is.
If you purchase gundam seed (vol 1 and 2), I (highly) recommend purchasing gundam seed destiny (vol 1 and 2) along with it. Destiny is a direct sequel to seed and equally as good as the first show. I found it highly enjoyable and look forward to any possible new gundam series.』
(Very good anime) 『The Gundam Seed Destiny Anime Legends, Vol. 1 contain the first 26 episodes of the serie. This serie is very good. 』
(Mew4Muse) 『This series comes right after Gundam SEED. But BEWARE!!! This sequel is FULL of parodies of what happened in Gundam SEED. The main character Shinn can be very annoying and there were some major parts of the plot I thought were really ridiculous. I won't spoil it and say what those are, but I'm SERIOUSLY hoping the rumored Gundam SEED movie fixes these. One romance in particular got seriously screwed by whoever wrote the plot.
I give the series a 3 because, despite all that, it was still pretty good. The animation is beautiful, the JAPANESE voice cast is fantastic and the music is great. (Except for the last opening credit, C'mon!)Not to mention it shows us our favorite characters from Gundam SEED and some of the amazing (and yes, some STUPID) things they do.
』 『Studio: Infinity Resources Inc Release Date: 01/13/2009』 『The follow-up to the popularGundam Seed(2002),Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny(2004) takes place two years later, in year 73 of the Cosmic Era. Hot-headed Shin Asuka, whose family was killed during the previous war, becomes the pilot of the Impulse, the latest and most complex Gundam, which assembles itself in midair. Athrun Zala, the hero ofGundam Seed, has given up combat duty, but by the end of Episode #5, he's back where he belongs: in the cockpit of the aptly named Gundam Savior. The conflict between the Naturals and the genetically enhanced Coordinators remains the underlying cause of the political conflicts. Renegade Coordinators disturb the orbit of the asteroid Junius 7, positioning it to strike the Earth. Shin, Athrun and other Mobile Suit pilots destroy as much of Junius as they can, saving the world from complete destruction. But the enormous devastation precipitates a declaration of war from the Earth Alliance against ZAFT and the satellite worlds of the PLANTs. Characters andmechafromGundam Seedjoin the new cast in a complicated series of political and military maneuvers, highlighted by the rip-roaring Mobile Suit battles. Director Mitsuo Fukuda skillfully blends CG and traditional animation to give the fights in space, under water, and on land their maximum pizzazz. The endless flashbacks and the clips fromGundam Seedoccupy so much time that when Shin and the ZAFT forces find the secret biological lab where children were mutated into the cyborg pilots Sting, Auel, and Stella, it feels like an afterthought, rather than the climax of the first half of the story.Gundam Seed Destinyreflects contemporary political issue more clearly than any other entry in the long-runningGundamcontinuity. The revolt of the indigenous people of Western Eurasia against the Earth Alliance Forces; the mounting chorus to purge Coordinators from "our pure and blue world;" and ZAFT Chairman Durandal's lengthy denunciation of defense contractors who foment wars to increase profits have a disquietingly familiar ring. (Rated 13 and older: violence, grotesque imagery, brief nudity, minor risqué humor, alcohol use)--Charles Solomon(1. Angry Eyes, 2. Those Who Call for War, Those Who Call for War, 3. Warning Shots, 4. Stardust Battlefield, 5. Scars that Won't Heal, 6. The End of the World, 7. Land of Confusion, 8. Junction, 9. Bared Fangs, 10. A Father's Spell, 11. The Chosen Path, 12. Blood in the Water, 13. Resurrected Wings, 14. Flight to Tomorrow, 15. Return to the Battlefield, 16. Struggle in the Indian Ocean, 17. The Soldier's Life, 18. Attack the Lohengrin, 19. The Hidden Truth, 20. Past, 21. Wandering Eyes, 22. Sword of the Blue Skies, 23. The Shadows of War, 24. Differing Views, 25. The Place of Sin, 26. The Promise)』