price：$3.96
UFO Tv
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (ARE WE ALONE) 『I would encourage people to look through these many films and buy the highest rated film out there.After one or two your wasting your money because all these films differ little between each other.Three stars is all i could give this one because i have so many of them.If this is your first film about the subject than you will most likely give it four or five stars.Do yourself a favor and stop at two.』
(UFOS, the best evidence) 『This is a must have for any serious UFO investigator. I love George Knapp and he presents a good case for UFOS.』
(UFO's the best ever evidence) 『Very good, well presented. The 3 DVD's covereed each topic well. I would recommend purchase of this product.』
(Best overview out there!) 『I have been researching the UFO question including crop circles, animal mutilations and human abductions for about 15 years. I've seen 90% of the available videos and read many of the books available on these subjects. This 3 DVD collection is head and shoulders above most presentations. Opinion is kept to a minimum, and verifiable evidence is kept at the forefront. I recommend that anyone who watches this series and maintains the position that we are not being visited should watch it again and pay attention this time. The evidence is indisputable.』 『Now presenting the most anticipated and requested series of programs ever made on UFOs, from award-winning investigative journalist GEORGE KNAPP! Features the most comprehensive examination of the UFO phenomenon ever produced for home viewing! Includes three spellbinding full-length programs, photos, video and documents, along with an unprecedented collection of interviews with researchers, eyewitnesses, experiencers, and the best-known, most credible UFO authorities in the world today. Disc One: THE VISITORS: Traces UFOs throughout history, including sightings by the world?s most famous people, and an astounding collection of UFO photos and videos which seem to defy explanation and science. Disc Two: STRANGE ENCOUNTERS: Explores terrifying tales of alien abductions, disturbing animal mutilation cases and mysterious crop formations. Disc Three: THE GOVERNMENT COVERUP: Examines how governments, especially our own, have been hiding the truth about secret UFO studies, astronaut encounters and military battles with alien craft. We also take viewers along with us on our unprecedented trip to Russia, where we investigate UFO secrets from behind the once Iron Curtain.』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Great story well done.) 『Fine story telling, and a wonderful atmosphere is created right from the start. The characters unite gradually and bond on their way to their ultimate goal. One of a kind experience, enjoyed this very much.』
(An Entertaining Story But The Ending Will Either Leave You Confused Or Annoyed) 『I'm sure most people have read the editorial about the series that's probably the most easiest info you'll get about this series. Yes you have an the future five wolves most likely the last of their kind trying to find their way to what they perceive to be paradise for their kind. Along the way they will find obstacle in the form of a disheartened wolf-hunter with his own tragic past, an evil empire that quests for more power, and an mysterious third person whose true reasons to open paradise won't be known until the very end of the show almost. If you're looking for either an easy to understand ending or happy ending than you'll will be disappointed as this will have neither. The ending leaves it open for either the series producers to continue the series later on or for the person watching to make their own decision about the finale. I have to say for myself though I really did not care for the ending at all I know some anime series have to have the tragic or mysterious ending but for me I'm more of the happy endings where the characters make it though at the end and can rejoice at their victory. The animation is terrific and the voice actors both subbed and dubbed did a great job as well. So all I can say for this series is if you like dramatic,action-packed, and tragic filled animes this is a good one to get but again if you're looking for a ending with a decent closure than you might one to pass this one. Either way a great series at least worth checking out...』
(One of my all time favorites) 『Not much I can say that hasn't already been said about this masterpiece of an anime. Sure, people get confused by the fact this is only Part 1 of the Complete Collection, but I still loved this anime so much that I didn't mind having to buy both parts. If you don't want to pay list price for this box set (which is easily understandable for those who don't have a lot of money to spare), then you can find it at a lower price easily.
This is still a must have for any anime lover who is also into Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Apocalyptic-world settings.
The characters are very well developed and the plot is creative enough to keep people interested and involved until the end. Fair warning, this is not an anime meant for young children. My niece was very interested in this series, because it is centered around wolves, but I had to stop her from watching it because of its graphic nature (particularly towards the end of the series). For some children this might not be an issue, but it's still something to be aware about if you're looking at buying this as a gift. This probably wouldn't be my first choice as an introduction into anime either because of the complex themes and plot.』
(Being a wolf is great.) 『This anime is a must have,if you don't have this anime your not a collecter.This show has it all,and the ending is great,am not going to ruin it but don't be sad at the ending you'll see what I mean!』
(Wolf's Rain Collection oneI put) 『I put off buying this one,becasue I kept hoping Cartoon Network would rerun it. They haven't. So I bought it so I could see it again. I didn't realize how much I had forgotten or hadn't notice it. There are so many characters it seems like every English voice actor I am used to hearing, had a part on this one. A make shift pack of wolves follow the scent of the luna flower maiden to find paradise. The pack has no real leader, but Kiba's vision and desire to find paradise is so strong he pulls Tsume, Toboe and Hige along with him. One point when viewing the DVD, if you wish you can skip the fourth DVD, its basically a summary of the first three episodes. It must the opeaner for the second season.』 『There is an old legend that speaks of a hidden paradise on Earth - A paradise in which only wolves can find. And while thought to have been extinct for hundreds of years, wolves indeed still walk the Earth… hidden among mankind Now, a group of outcast wolves set out to find Paradise: Kiba, Hige, Toboe and Tsume. Each wolf is driven by their own personality and desires, but together they are pursued by humans seeking to quench their own thirst for power. A difficult and long journey lies ahead, withParadise waiting to be found. The Bebop team returns with Animation by Studio BONES, Music by Yoko Kanno. Character designs by Toshihiro Kawamoto. Genre: Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi.』 『Although wolves are supposed to have died out more than 200 years earlier, a quartet of lycanthropes prowl the ruined world of this post-apocalyptic fantasy. The shape-shifters include Tsume, a cynical criminal; eager, naïve Toboe; perpetually hungry Hige; and charismatic Kiba, who's seeking "Rakuen," the prophesied wolf-paradise. Tied to his search are the Moon Flowers, and Cheza, a girl somehow created from those blossoms. But the wolf-boys aren't the only ones interested in the flower-girl. Scientist Cher Degréwants to continue studying Cheza in her laboratory, so she enlists the aid of detective Hubb. The fallen Noble Darcia and Lord Orkham and his minions are after Cheza, and she's somehow linked to Quent, a hunter bent on exterminating the wolf-humans.
The world of high-tech machinery and the world of curses, prophecies, alchemy and shape-shifters would seem to be at odds, yet the filmmakers manage to integrate the two in this often intriguing fantasy-adventure. The dark palate, angular designs, alienated characters, and dramatic camera angles will appeal to fans ofBlood: the Last Vampire, and "Rakuen," the paradise Kiba seeks, remains a tantalizing promise. But the plot ofWolf's Rainis complicated with secondary stories and minor characters the filmmakers fail to develop in the first half of the series. Episodes #15-18 consist almost entirely of flashbacks with only an occasional new scene or line of dialogue, which make the story feel both padded and underdeveloped. (Rated 13 and older: violence, brief nudity, alcohol and tobacco use)--Charles Solomon』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Absolutely Excellent) 『This was the second anime I ever watched and I now have it in my collection. It is a perfect product and it shipped quickly. I am very excited to re-watch this series and enjoy it all over again. Thank you!』
(A complex story!) 『I'm just adding on to the other reviews - most are excellent! The story have a lot of twist and unexpect development that take you by the seat and keep you guessing about what will happen next. It start off looking like any other mecha shows but becomes more and more complex - it's tough to not reveal spoilers! It also showed the different sides of the battle - those who wants peace and those who want to wage war - even on their own side! There are a lot of reference material and pseudo science used in this dvd series - they do it in a interesting way that make it look like certain type of Japanese child's show (I don't have any idea which specific shows but this type of show have been used as a parody in a few other anime dvds) as they explain technology terms in a simple way that the general public understand but it's also funny as the characters dress up like either kids or bunnies! The movie The Prince of Darkness (not attached to the Complete Chronicles but need to be buy seperately) answer some of the questions that arise in the end of the dvd sequence.』
(One of the best!) 『At the risk of trafficking in tired cliches, Martian Successor Nadesico has quite literally something for everyone: Cute girls (and let's be honest, guys too), humor, action, drama, and an intelligent storyline. Plus mecha, of course, and lots of them. What more could you possibly want? It's probably not the greatest place to begin if you're new to anime, given the sheer number of references to other anime series and jokes about otaku culture; but honestly, most of these are so oblique that they'll pass unnoticed, particularly the talent competition near the end of the series, which is a parody of Macross (I didn't catch that one myself, having never seen Macross, or Robotech as it was called in the States).
To be fair, I can see how some otaku (translation for the uninitiated: fanatics) would find the show's characterization of otaku unflattering. But to be honest, that's kind of the point; Martian Successor Nadesico is as much a study of otaku culture as it is a gripping story of political intrigue and space battles, but more than that, it's a chance for otaku to laugh at themselves. Come on, admit it, you'd find cosplay bizarre if you were looking at it as an outsider. I find Civil War reenactors strange, but I'm not about to try to stop them from doing it if that's how they want to spend their weekends. And make no mistake, Martian Successor Nadesico would be hilarious even without the otaku references; my favorite bit from the first episode involves Akito catching a suitcase full of Yurika's panties with his forehead, and if that doesn't make you laugh, I have very little hope for you. (In fact, come to think of it, most of the best jokes involve either Akito and Yurika's "relationship" or Mizumi's predilection for weird, inappropriate puns.)
All of this isn't to say that Martian Successor Nadesico doesn't have its flaws. Every so often the plot seems a little confused about whether it wants to be funny or dramatic; it's not so bad as to make the show unwatchable, but it's definitely jarring when it does happen. I also got the distinct impression that the writers didn't know how to wrap everything up in the final episode; as a result, the story stops dead and many loose ends go untied, particularly the meaning of the metal plate that a certain character drops near the end. (Ruri passes a comment about the unresolved plot points during her end-of-episode narration, so it's possible this was done deliberately. Or maybe it's just a cop-out and they really didn't know how to end things. I'm gonna have to lean toward the latter on this one.) But overall, I'd say that this is one series that every otaku needs to see at least once. As is my wont, I watched each episode in English, then again in Japanese with subtitles, and I highly recommend this technique to get the full effect. You'll get to hear Spike Spencer's spot-on performance as Akito and Kira Vincent-Davis' perfect deadpan as Ruri, plus you'll get to hear all the jokes as they were intended in the original Japanese. (As much as possible, at least, because I'm quite sure that most of Mizumi's puns would be indecipherable to an English-speaking viewer if translated literally.) Because, you know, that's what real otaku do. Or so I'm told.』
(You must buy it) 『Martian Successor Nadesico takes place in the year 2196 where there is a war waging between the inhabitants of Jupiter called the Jovian Lizards and Earth. The main character Akito Tenkawa is a boy with a mysterious past he was a pilot but is scared to fight so he becomes a cook he gets fired from his job because every time there is an attack on Earth he freezes up and then starts having like a panic attack.So heading home on bicycle he hits this car and the luggage attached to the car falls this girl and guy come out of the car and Akito starts helping the girl pick her stuff up. The Girl asked if they have met before and he says no after that she leaves and he finds a picture of a little girl and him as a kid and then realizes that the girl is a friend he had on Mars when he lived there. He wanted to ask her something so he follows the car. To make a long story short she is the captain of a ship called the Nadesico and he becomes a cook/pilot of a robot called an Aestevalis. My review was probably boring but I can a asure you that this was just the some stuff that happens the first episode and that the anime is really funny has a lot of action and it's a Harem anime where almost all of the girls in the series like the main character.』
(Underestimated by being only a parody!) 『
(SPOILERS INCLUDED!)
You know people, when I first started watching this show I thought that it would be just a very good parody, as most reviewers stated it.
True is that it mixes all sorts of stories and plots inside it: Comedy, drama, action, Mechas, science fiction, romance, an anime inside an anime (it is actually hard to explain but easy to understand once you watch the shows) etc.
At the beginning it is mostly a light-hearted show, making successfully fun out of everything and the main story resolves in three main axes: a) Humans and their forces fighting against aliens, b) Aliens fighting against humans and c) a private company that has the strongest space battleship and hired the craziest crew for this purpose, fights for humanity but has its own agenda. This is how the story mainly evolves till somewhere it reaches the middle of the episodes.
However, it starts to get very emotional and presents itself to have many plot twists such as: one side betrays the other, propaganda and manipulating the truth, political and military power games going on and romance evolving all around it. Not to mention the fact that the aliens proof to be humans as well. People will die by sacrificing themselves for the ones they love and in times it gets very emotional if not dramatic at all. Yes, the story - according to most reviewers - in my humble opinion, is much underestimated. You will see that it has a solid storyline, great character development and the message it brings across is LOVE (SPOILER!) and the love between the female captain and the Nr. 1 pilot of Nadesico is the one that will eventually safe everyone; and the series have a (bittersweet in a way) happy ending. Additionally, all the twists and questions will be answered in the end.
The animation is not bad at all: In order to get a good picture, imagine an animation that is a little bit better than the one that Evangelion or Cowboy Bebop had.
As for the opening - finish songs they are very good and you will love its music.
In my humble opinion, no matter what kind of anime fan you are, this show will definitely have something for you and you will love the series.
Is it worth buying it? I definitely will answer with a YES!
Either way, if you cannot afford the money for it than at least rent it because it is worth watching it.
Just keep in mind to watch the series till the end and then make your final judgment.
I hope that I could help in a way clarifying some things about Martian Successor Nadesico.
』 『Martian Successor Nadesico(1996) was initially criticized in Japan for making fun of both anime and fan culture, but its unbridled and ultimately good-natured silliness won over critics--and large audiences on both sides of the Pacific. It's 2195 A.D. and the "Jovian Lizards" are attacking Earth. Tired of the inept campaigns of the United Space Force, Nergal Heavy Industries builds a super battleship, theNadesico, which they staff with top people who have "slight personality problems." Ditsy Captain Yurika nurses a crush on the traumatized Akito--despite his skill as a robot pilot, he signs on as a cook. He's won over by the irrepressible Gai Daigoji, a fanatic admirer ofGekigangar 3, a hilarious spoof of '70s mecha series. The story reaches new heights of absurdity in "Let's Go with Hot-Blooded Anime": the casts ofNadesicoandGekigangarwatch each other's programs, borrowing ideas and complaining about the plots.
In another episode, the crew holds a "Geki Fest" that satirizes anime conventions, including booths selling special, "limited edition" merchandise. The war becomes a struggle that pits the crew of theNadesicoagainst both the Jovians and Nergal Industries. Although the conflict hinges on Akito's mysterious ability to move through space and time in a "boson jump," the path to peace lies inGekigangar 3("the thread that ties humanity together!"). In America, onlyRocky and BullwinkleandThe Simpsonshave dared such outrageous self-parody. (Rated for ages 12 and older: Brief nudity, mildly risqué humor, cartoon violence)--Charles Solomon』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Sailor moon season 4....) 『... is not my favorite season. In fact it is my least favorite. After the heart snatcher season this one just did not have the plot to live up to the name that sailor moon was making. If this season had been better, the show may have continued, but after this season aired on t.v. the show was cancelled. Is that a surprise? It is a must have if you are collecting the entire sailor moon series however. Even though the plot is sort of bad, there are episodes that are worth watching in this season.』
(I love Sailor Moon!) 『Not the best as far as story lines, but easily one of the funniest seasons thanks to Chibiusa and Usagi. I was so happy to be able to find some of the seasons. I would recommend it for any Sailor Moon fan!』
(One Of My Favorite Seasons) 『Great Season, DVD Menu's Were Kinda Lame, Quality Wasn't As Great As It Could've Been, Hate The Dub Version So The Dual Audio Is Great! Geneon/Pioneer Did A Horrible Job Of Dubbing The Voices Are Just Awful, The Only Good Thing They Did Was Keep The Original Japanese Background Music, Besides That Watch The Japanese Subbed Episodes Theyre So Much Better, If Your Used To The English Voices Once You Adapt You'll Love It Soo Much More!』
(Sailor Moon Super S - The Complete Uncut TV Set) 『I pay for it and i thought it was the real US one but i receive a bootleg. I try to contact the seller for a refund but one respond i will never buy from this seller.』
(Sailor Moon Rules The Universe!!!!) 『I remember watching Sailor Moon when I was a kid.When I was watching Sailor Moon on YouTube it brought back alot of memories from my childhood.I loved all of the Sailor Scouts is Sailor Moon,Sailor Mercury,Sailor Mars,Sailor Jupiter&Sailor Venus that they fight against evil for love&justice especially from the Negaverse.Sailor Mars&Sailor Jupiter's powers are my favorites.Serena always made me laugh on the she is such a crybaby&so clumsy.And I also like the Handsome Tuxedo Mask who always save the Sailor Scout whenever their in danger.I would like to get Sailor Moon DVD&start my own Sailor Moon Collection!!!!』 『* 7 volume disc set, includes all 39 UNCUT episodes of the "SuperS" TV series!』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (This is NOT the Street Fighter live action movie) 『 Amazon is wrong on the description.
I tried to update the description of this particular item, but Amazon refused without a reference link. Nevermind I bought the darn thing thru this site, you'd think they'd give me a little more levity. But no. Also, the publisher ADV is now defunct so you can't find an online reference for this title.
As it is, this is a pretty obscure box set anyways. This is the Street Fighter CARTOON, and Jean Claude Van Damme is NOT involved in any way.
Now I know what you're thinking. Its from ADV, and its Street Fighter, so it much be another anime about good old SF, but its not anime at all (in the sense of it produced for/from Japan). This is a cartoon created to broadcast on American television, mostly the USA network, and the cartoon is loosely based on the live action movie (where Ryu and Ken and Sagat are all arms dealers, Chun Li is a reporter, Blanka is Guile's old friend Charlie and a brilliant scientist, etc etc.)
This box set contains a bunch of the early episodes. The action is mediocre at best, the video production quality is acceptable as is the dvd mastering. The characterizations are very shallow, typical fare for most US produced animation that gets into syndication. Its highly episodic with no larger theme tying things together. It was released under the ADV Kids label, and a younger crowd might find this mildly entertaining.
If you're a big/ hard core SF fan... only pick this up as a curiosity. otherwise, stay away~. 』
(Not as Terrible as everyone says, but not oscar-worthy, either) 『This movie isn't the crap fest that everyone makes it out to be. If you like street fighter, this is probably the best you're gonna get out of live-action. Van Damme is so Damme terrible an actor, and his accent's hard to understand most of the time. However, Raul Julia more than makes up for it. He's so charismatic, and I'll never think of another actor as possibly being able to play M. Bison. It's kind of like how fans feel about Yule Brenner with The King and I, except on a lower quality scale due to the entire movie not having Julia in every single scene. "Quick, change da channel!" is one of the funniest scenes I've ever seen in a movie, believe it or not. The fight scenes are actually not too bad, and the casting and story are kind of hit-and-miss. Julia as Bison, as well as the actors who played Zangief, Vega, Sagat, Honda, Balrog, and Ryu weren't too bad, and Van Damme looks and acts the part of Guile, even if he doesn't sound it. I didn't like the casting for Chun-Li and Ken very much, to be honest. The story, having Guile and Cammy being the main good guys, and Bison and his henchmen as the bad guys were both fairly interesting. I hated the parts involving Chun-Li's news crew, most of the parts with Ken, and the Dhalsim-Blanca ordeal. I think the actor did a fine job as Dhalsim, but the movie character didn't seem at all like the game character, except for the fact that they both seemed like pacifists from India. Most of the other characters seemed to fit fairly well with their game counterparts.
All in all, while the movie's not really great, and Van Damme lowers it a star with his acting, Raul Julia is a magnificent enough presence to raise it two stars in my opinion, giving Street Fighter a three star rating.』
(Super Street Fighter II The Movie) 『It was only a matter or time before the phenomenal video game smash hit was turned into a video game, and when word was out there was to be a live action movie, i don't think anyone really knew what to expect. And once it was out, it made it's money, which was guaranteed, but left a lot of the fans of the game in disappointment at how there favorite video game characters had been portrayed.
To those who never played the game, it was a JCVD movie where he led the U.N against the dictatorship of General Bison with 100 other side characters involved. But to those who just dismiss the movie and give it 2 to 4 word reviews, you really need to stand back and look at just how many characters from the game are portrayed into this film. What was it meant to be? 80 mins of nonstop fighting with special effects coming out of there hands?
I have to say, for the task that was at hand and the plot of the movie, it's not that bad of a job when asking someone to involve so many characters from a video game and incorporate them into a full length motion picture. I mean, this movie was based on Super Street Fighter 2 and that game had about 16 characters in it. It really came down to the casting of certain characters and costumes that really held this movie back.
Jean Claude Van Dame - as Cornell William F Guile. I think half the audience liked the idea he played Guile, and the other half would ask why the muscles from Brussels is playing an American military Cornell? As like any JCVD movies, he has his moments of coolness&his moments of complete lameness.
Raul Julia as M. Bison i thought was great casting. Raul really researched dictators like Hitler and Mussolini for this role, and created exactly who Bison was expected to be. I'm not just praising him cause he died just after this movie, no, he is one of the much better actors in this movie that when I think if someone else could have been cast who would be better in this role, then Raul is the one I would say is the #1 choice.
Ming-Na as Chun Li I think did a terrible job. It's not so much she didn't look the part, but I think they could have found someone who looked a better Chun-Li, but also her acting from sarcasm to doing her own lame stunt's that look stupid in the movie (hence that roll she did to put a tracking device on the truck) really make you wonder how she got this role in the first place. She plays the role too goofy in most parts, then when she is supposed to be mean, you just don't buy it.
Wes Studi I think played a great Sagat. He looked the part, and played it straight. Even tho he was not as tall as Sagat should be, it would be very hard to track down a 7'4 kickboxer to play the role.
Jay Tavare I suppose played a decent Vega. Surely there is someone out there that could have done a much better job, but this guy played the character decently and no real complaint about his performance in the movie.
Kylie Minogue playing Cammy was the worst choice of the entire movie. She completely killed the character by having no knowledge what-so-ever of who the heck she was supposed to be portraying. And her accent in the film is just enough to make cringe.
Byron Mann as Ryu was not quite the right choice, tho he could have been better if he was a little darker and not working with Damian Chapa who really did not suit the role of Ken Masters at all. The two of them where not what you expected out of so many SF2 fans favorite characters. Both of them should have been played by people a bit thicker and didn't look like the comic relief from a stoner movie.
Roshan Seth I suppose played Dahlsim as best he could for the way he is written into this movie. Many where disappointed he was not a Yoga master made of rubber shooting flames out his rear end, but for what his role was here, I suppose he did a decent enough job.
Grand L. Bush looked the part of Balrog in some parts of the movie, but he did not seem he was the right choice for the character. Balrog should've been much meaner and bulked up. This guy was far from the right choice.
Peter Navy Tuiasosopo as E.Honda I will say was a good choice to play the role. Even tho he was Hawaiin in the movie, and the video game he is Japanese, not to forget in real life Peter is Samoan, there probably wouldn't have been a lot of Japanese men of this size that could make this character work on screen.
Andrew Bryniarski as Zangief was really horrible choice. It wouldn't have been that hard to find an actual wrestler who stands at about 7 foot in height who looked more the role then this guy does. This guy looks like he is wearing a bad fake beard and wig, and is trying to play the character just as goofy as can be. it really ruins scenes with guys like Raul Julia who give a great performance, and then this guy screws it up with really bad acting.
Gregg Rainwater as T.Hawk, why did they even bother? I'm not even going to go on about this one.
Miguel A. Núñez Jr. as Dee Jay was pretty bad as well, the character was written in badly, so i guess it wouldn't matter who played this role.
Robert Mammone as Charlie (Blanka) again, another one they should have had a beefed up guy play the role of and make him look somewhat credible then just completely stupid.
Kenya Sawada as Captain Sawada - what a memorable character this one was - not. This was supposed to be the introduction of a new character for the video games Capcom was planning to release in an upcoming SF game, but after the fact no one took any notice of him in this movie, I guess the idea was canned.
So with very few right choices for the roles of the SF characters, you can see why the movie is not praised by fans of SF2 from being the wrong choice of characters. If it had a balance of the right looks for the role, and everyone on the same level from who is going to play the role seriously, and who is going to portray it as a loony tune, then the results may have varied more in the thumbs up favor.
BONUS FEATURES - Boring commentary from the director giving you more information about his background and life then anything to do with the movie. - Trailers to SF4 (big deal) - 2 Deleted Scenes that are worthy of looking at. - The trailer (whoopie)
Still, with the negative things I have said about this film, and the things I would have changed, much like Masters Of The Universe, there is just something about the film that makes you want to see it at least once every year or two. It's far from the worst film of all time.』
(Capcom Real life) 『Jean Claude movie, what can I say ,not the best movie out there, but worth watching once if you like the capcom game.』
(Keep in mind, this movie does not take itself seriously) 『Better than 2009's Legend of Chun Li that simply tries to hard.
Jean Claude Van Damme was at his best in Street Fighter! "Now who wants to go home? And who wants to with ME!"』 『Colonel William Guile is a martial arts expert who travels the global tournament circuit. His competitive fighting, however, conceals his top secret mission- he is leader of an elite group of international crime fighters known only as Street Fighter. Their code of honor: Discipline; Justice; Commitment. Whether the evil Bison plans to release a deadly virus, set a comet on a collision course with Earth, or collapse the train tunnels beneath the English Channel, it takes a well-honed combat unit to foil his sadistic scemes... Packed with fierce fighting, ample thrills and a team of genuine heroes, Street Fighter is a proven winner.』 『Despite remaining the subject of intense debate by fans of the Capcom video game on which it’s based, the Jean-Claude Van Damme punch-em-upStreet Fighterreturns to DVD with an array of supplemental features, many of which may seem very familiar to anyone who’s owned previous DVD releases of this title. The film itself, directed by screenwriter Steven (Die Hard) de Souza, remains an amusing camp exercise, buoyed largely by the presence of Raul Julia in his final film role as mad dictator General Bison, who holds a trio of soldiers for ransom. Coming to the rescue is a bleached-blond Van Damme and a team of fighters, including Chun-Li (Ming-Na), Sagat (Wes Studi), Cammy (Kylie Minogue) and other characters from the Street Fighter rogues’ gallery. De Souza’s decision to weave humor into the storyline hobbles the impact of the fight scenes, which are largely relegated to the final third of the film, and budgetary restraints render some characters--most notably Robert Mammone’s Blanka--as laughable caricatures. The result is probably appalling forStreet Fighterdie-hards, though most audiences seem to regard it as a camp hoot. That status may account for this Extreme Edition, although the tie-in factor with the 2009 theatrical releaseStreet Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Lishould be taken into consideration as well. Those who own the 1999 Collector’s Edition DVD of this title will already have most of the extras featured here, including commentary by de Souza, a making-of featurette, outtakes, deleted scenes, storyboard and video game sequences (the latter featuring likenesses of Van Damme and Julia) and a barrage of promotional images. Theonly features that are new to the Extreme Edition are the sharp anamorphic transfer, which is a vast improvement over the previous release, and a trio of trailers for theStreet Fighter IVgame andStreet Fighter IVfeature-length anime.--Paul Gaita』
price：$9.99
Funimation Prod
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (A Domestic-set Horror Mystery) 『Red Garden is one of those rare anime titles that slips through the cracks as far as placing it into a single genre is concerned. It spans a pretty wide variety of subjects and pacing but at its core is a basically a mystery laced with supernatural undertones. But before we get ahead of ourselves here, let's take a look at the hard facts.
Originally released in individual season sets by ADV Films, this set represents the first time the complete series with OVA is being released to the public. Coming in at a total runtime of 600 minutes, Red Garden The Complete Series spans 4 discs and comes packaged as a pair of thin packs within a cardboard slipcase.
The show wears an appropriate TV MA (17+) rating, which is due to some disturbing imagery and horror-themes and some segments loaded with gore/ violence.
Language options are typical sub&dub meaning the option of original Japanese dialog track (in Stereo) or an English dub (Dolby Digital 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound) and English subtitles available under either language choice.
The breakdown consists of 22 episodes and the OVA, and of course, a nice host of Funimation trailers.
To explain the show to someone who has never seen it would go something like this: A wave of teen suicides washes over New York City (not Tokyo for once) and we follow the exploits of four teenage girls/ high school classmates: Kate, a rich preppy snob, Rose, family babysitter and modest personality; Rachel, party chick extraordinaire; and Claire, the quiet rebel.
The girls all wake up one morning only to discover that they cannot remember anything of the night before.
Things really get creepy when an old woman informs them that their proverbial cards have already been pulled and though they still appear alive, death is on its way to claim each girl.
While this all sounds terribly hopeless, there is a way to cheat destiny in that when called upon on certain nights, they are to engage in brutal and bloody battles against evil human-dogs. By day, they have to go on as if nothing's out of the ordinary (and here you thought staying awake in high school was hard enough when you stayed up to watch Letterman).
The visuals of the show seem to be either a love or hate affair (kind of like Gonzo's other contemporary remakes Gankutsuou and Romeo x Juliet). Gone are the typical wide-glassy eyes of anime girls and their place are bright, simplistic tones in the day, dark and gritty (borderline gothic) sequences once the sun sets.
The pacing of the show is nice and consistent with layers of the larger mystery (including what these seemingly unrelated girls have in common) being slowly revealed amidst the zombie-dog slashing action.
The voice work is fantastic in either incarnation with the English dub actually nailing the mood every bit as effectively as the original Japanese track maybe because its one of few anime titles out there set in the United States with English character names and locations. For once it actually feels like the English actors have a slight edge on the pronunciation angle.
Which brings me to my next point of interest: Like with past Gonzo properties, the attention to detail in setting and location is fantastic. Many of us have never been to Tokyo so we have to take their word for the accuracy but it becomes a different story when such national landmarks as those found in NYC become the backdrop. Gonzo deserves major credit for the scouting and research work that had to have gone into the production of this piece.
I wouldn't go as far as to say that this title is for everyone even though my critique appears quite favorable in hindsight. It takes a pretty unique set of expectations on the viewer's behalf to make the most of the experience. There are essentially two sides to the story: One resembles the atypical common cross-section of teenage schoolgirls and personality archetypes. The other could probably best be described as an animated version of popular survival-horror video games like Resident Evil. The blending of the two concepts work well in some segments but feel a little forced in others. In all though, it's nearly worth the price of admission just to take in the domestic visuals in the anime medium with enough of a mystery-driven story arc to keep the episodes moving along.』 『While alive, Kate, Claire, Rose, and Rachel each explored the streets of New York with the promise of limitless futures unfolding before them. But now, brought together as members of a blood-stained sisterhood, their once-delicate hands reach out to silence demonic beasts no ordinary weapon can destroy. Brutally murdered only to be resurrected as clandestine killers, the girls must stalk their prey with a primal ferocity– or risk losing what remains of their so-called lives. The only clues to their tragic past are a swarm of crimson butterflies and the mysterious woman who carries the harrowing secret behind the lives they lived – and the walking corpses they’ve become.』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Mermaid Forest = okay series.) 『Mermaid Forest is a series about a guy who ate Mermaid flesh and was bless with immortal and eternal youth. Sounds great right? Mean never getting old, not worrying about dying, sounds like a dream. Well our main character knows better. After watching his wife and friends grow old and die from old age while he remains young and healthy, he sets out on a quest to become normal again. The series picks up 5 hundred years after he ate the mermaid flesh in which he finds a girl named Mia how is like him and about to meet a terrible fate and goes from there.
Mermaid Forest is a good series. Not a perfect or ground breaking anime, note the four stars. The animation is wonderful, all the characters are attractively drawn especially the women. The animation is decent not eye poppingly fluid and realistic but good. The music is somewhat forgettable. The character designs are as expected from the creator excellent. The acting is also well done.
Now for the bad parts. I should say bad part. As you watch the series it becomes blarringly obvious that the writer is accustomed to a hundred episodes to develop the characters, their motives and plot and just cannot make the adjustment completely to having only thirteen episodes. First two episodes get things going introducing the main characters, then immediately goes into Yuta's past. This serves to show the type of person Yuta was before meeting Mia and the type of life he led up to that point. This would have been fine is half the series weren't made up of these flash back type episodes that should have been the first episodes not scattered about the length of the series. Next is that you never really know what time period the stories in because it never says. Next is that you really don't get to really liking and connecting with the characters until the series is almost over. That's pretty much it, if the series had been arranged different, the dates the story was in were given and was a twenty-six episode series with time to slowly develop characters the series would have been much better.
Now then the all important question buy, rent or forget. Personally I like the series and it costs less then $40 so I'd say it's a buy but only if you don't have anything better to buy.』
(Interesting but also frustrating.) 『This isn't so much a series as a collection of stories that often appear to be written by different people. Some of them are quite good while others are only so-so. On the plus side, the collection as a whole has some intrinsic value. 』
(To live forever) 『One of Rumiko Takahashi's most successful "side projects" is the Mermaid series, about a pair of immortals struggling to find a way to become mortal again. The short series "Mermaid Forest" has neither the wacky action or mythic fantasy of her other series, but instead has a melancholy, gritty feeling.
The stories center on mermaids, and what eating their toxic flesh will do to a human being. A tiny number become beautiful immortals who never age and will never die, unless they are burned or their heads are cut off. But most people either cough up blood and die immediately, or turn into bug-eyed, veiny purplish monsters.
In the first episode, Yuta has been wandering the earth for five hundred years. One day he finds a tiny, secluded village, populated by eerie old women who stab him to (temporary) death -- and are keeping a pampered teenage girl named Mana trapped. Yuta spirits the naive girl away, finds out that she's an immortal -- and learns the gruesome fate that the women have in store for her.
The stories that follow flash back on Yuta's lonely life before Mana, showing us the man who outlived his wife and all his friends, and who went searching for a way to become mortal again. On the way he falls in love with a pirate girl, encounters a child brought back to life with mermaid sorcery, and becomes briefly involved with a young lady who is cruelly betrayed.
But in the present, Yuta and the naive Mana have even more adventures -- a serial killer with a stolen eye, a man who only transformed HALFWAY into a monster, an immortal woman desperate to keep her "son," and a malignant child who feeds unwitting women mermaid flesh in order to get an immortal "mother." And most chillingly, Mana is kidnapped by a beautiful woman deformed by mermaid blood, whose hatred of her elderly twin will trap both Mana and Yuta...
Don't expect wacky antics a la "Ranma 1/2," or fantastical battles as in "Inuyasha." "Mermaid Forest" is a whole different animal, full of bittersweet flashbacks and a lot of gruesome action. Blood, monsters and hacked bodies are scattered through every plot, interspersed by pretty scenery and beautiful shots of swimming mermaids.
The animation is a bit different from previous work, since it's mostly computer-generated, which gives it a rather antiseptic look. But the stories have a philosophical bent beyond just studying how it would suck to be an immortal -- her stories explore a mother's obsessive love, prejudice, captivity, the evil that children can have, and love that lasts beyond the grave.
It might sound suspenseless to have immortals as the series leads, but it's not. Mana and Yuta are a fascinating contrast -- one is a sad, seasoned man who has been alive for five centuries, and hasn't dared to get close to anyone before. The other is a teenage girl who never left her bed until Yuta freed her, and has a bit of a princess complex.
The story hints at an attraction between them, and Yuta even has a nightmare about losing Mana as he's lost everyone else in his life. But don't expect Yuta and the immature Mana to take it very far. Why would they? They have all the time in the world.
The complete "Mermaid Forest" is an open-ended, beautifully-made series, and at its heart it's all about how we all need someone with us. Powerful and pretty.』
price：$6.99
Funimation Prod
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Worth Every Penny) 『I have never written a review for anything and i have spent thousans of dollars on items on Amazon. But this series compelled me to write a review.
Now I don't consider myself to be a hardcore Anime Lover becasue i don't watch any in the original Japanese Language. I actually like the English Dubs, but I am very picky about what anime i watch or buy because it gets expensive. I wouldn't sit and watch any piece of crap!
Now this series is Great because I think that is revolutionay as far as the animation goes. The CGI doesn't take away from the fact it is a cartoon. I don't like watching all computer generated characters. So the the characters always look crisp.
The series story line is also intricate! it starts off deep! I usually can tell what is going to happen or how they will defeat the enemy, but not on this Series. The back story is also a mystery in the beginning. At first i didn't like that because i "like to know why!" but it made the story so much better when the story starts to unfold in the middle of the series.
I can't leave out the fighting! man the fights was alsome. You will never see any anime with Gundam like robots that have the fighting power or the mobility of these on the Aquarion Series. The closes would be "Mobile Fighter G. Gundam" if you don't know it, you need to get that as well.
So bottum line is, if you like a good fights with a good story like behind it, then this would be a great show to get! and that's all i can say.』
(A unique, mecha charged anime series featuring a cool group of characters and a storyline infused with action, drama and humor!) 『For anime fans, Shoji Kawamori and Hiroshi Onogi are both a legendary anime industry powerhouse duo. The two are known for their work on the popular "Macross" (parts of the storyline is known in the US as "Robotech") and "Macross Plus" series.
Kawamori is also known for creating anime series such as "The Vision of Escaflowne", "Earth Girl Arjuna" and known for his mechanical designs from Macross but also for series such as "Eureka Seven", "Dangaio" and "Ghost in the Shell".
Hiroshi Onogi is known for his many screenplays and writing for anime such as "RahXephon", "Eureka Seven", "Mobile Suit Gundam MS Igloo" and many other titles.
The two teamed up together again in 2005 with the anime studio Satelight, Inc. (a studio in which Kawamori is an Executive Director) to create the series known as "Genesis of Aquarion" (Sosei no Aquarion) which aired on TV Tokyo from April 2005 to September 2005. And in Japan, whenever Kawamori and Onogi team up, fans can always expect an entertaining and deep anime series.
"AQUARION" takes place during a time in the planet in which human kind is facing near extinction. The series takes place during a time when "The Great Catastrophe" had destroyed many areas around the world with many of the humans now living on the streets. After the catastrophe, the Shadow Angels (winged-beings that have been dormant for nearly 12,000 years have re-appeared on Earth and use humans (aka "wingless ones") to harvest on.
Humans have become food for the Shadow Angels, who depend on humans to supply them with prana (life force) as a source of energy but also to feed their Tree of Life.
A human named Gen Fudou had excavated three advanced mecha fighters with absolute strength and the power to defend human kind against the Shadow Angels. With Fudou gone missing, an organization known as Deava is responsible for the three machines known as Vectors and researching them and how it behaves in battle against the Shadow Angels but most importantly, how certain humans that are known to be "Element Users" can pilot and control them but can combine the vectors to create a powerful machine known as Aquarion.
Depending on which element users are using the machine, they can turn Aquarion into the following forms: Solar Aquarion, Aquarion Luna, Aquarion Mars, Aquarion Soluna and Aquarion Angel.
The series focuses on the adventures of the element users who work together and face challenges in their lives as pilots. A lot of them don't know their true potential and a lot of them don't know the potential of the Aquarion, but everything changes when they encounter a young man living on the streets known as Apollo (who appears to have element capabilities) but also a return of the man who discovered the Vectors, Gen Fudou.
Aside from the battle between the humans and the Shadow Angels, there is also a storyline about reincarnation and how certain element users may be tied to the ancient past. We also learn about the drive of the Shadow Angels, especially with the character of a Shadow Angel named Toma who has this hatred towards the humans and we slowly discover why.
The following are the episodes featured on four DVD's in this complete series:
DVD DISC ONE:
The first seven episodes feature the Deava team characters and how they discover Apollo and wonder why this orphan from the street knows how to pilot the Aquarion and why he starts to generate suspicions of being "Solar Wing" while others feel that Sirius is the reincarnation of "Solar Wing" and thus a rivalry is started. We learn about the team and their major flaws of working together and distrusting each other, that is until Gen Fudou comes to change things.
1. "Memories of Heavenly Wings" 2. "Beast of Darkness" 3. "Element School" 4. "Barefoot Warrior" 5. "King of the Underground Labyrinth" 6. "To the Other Side of Emotions" 7. "Knight of the Crimson Rose"
DVD DISC TWO:
On this DVD, we learn about the Aquarion Vector's merging and having to put through various tests to battle Shadow Angels sent by Toma. We also start to learn more about the past with Toma, Appolonius and Celiane. Meanwhile, the Deava team members slowly grow as a team and try to learn how to pilot the Aquarion effectively. And how each element user and their special abilities can make a big difference in the transformation of the Aquarion.
8. "The First Merge" 9. "The Path to Dreams" 10. "Stars in the Sky, Flowers on the Ground" 11. "Happiness is at the Bottom of the Lake" 12. "The Time of Amber" 13. "A 12,000-Year-Old Love Letter"
DVD DISC THREE:
For the third DVD, the storyline focuses on how each member starts to discover themselves and overcome their weaknesses. But also, we start to learn if certain Element users are indeed reincarnations of Appolonius and Celiane.
14. "Shining Shadows" 15. "Aquarion's First Love" 16. "Black Mirror" 17. "Merge to Eat" 18. "Cosplay of the Soul" 19. "Mischief without Malice" 20. "Sound of an Angel's Feather"
DVD DISC FOUR:
The final episodes focuses on the battle between Deava and the Shadow Angels.
21. "Crimson Path" 22. "Wings Unseen" 23. "Fleeting Wings" 24. "Heaven's Gate" 25. "Final Battle! Atlandia" 26. "The Day the World Begins"
VIDEO&AUDIO:
"AQUARION" is a series that features cool character designs and vibrant animation.
The character designs are by Eiji Kaneda, who has graduated from hsi work as key animator for series such as "Itazura na Kiss", "Nabari no Ou", "Ouran High School Host Club" and now the character designer for "AQUARION".
With its many characters, each of these characters have their own distinct look and I absolutely enjoyed the overall designs of the anime series. As for artistic backgrounds, we mostly see the Aquarion fighting in the blue skies or space and of course, many of the planet's surroundings from high above. Where sometimes in an anime series, there is more emphasis on backgrounds and less on character designs, "AQUARION" is a series that tends to place most of the detail towards the characters and the mecha.
As for the audio, "AQUARION" is presented in English 5.1 Surround Sound and Japanese Stereo. I watched the series with both languages and in a way, this is a series that delivers on both languages. But the main difference is that the Japanese voice dubbing has many of their characters with a much deeper voice. But nevertheless, both are well done when it comes to voice acting.
Of course, the biggest difference in the audio is that the English dub is in 5.1 Surround Sound and the action scenes are feature a good amount of LFE through the subwoofer and explosions generate nice booms through your front channel speakers. Surrounds are also effectively used and overall, a pretty good audio soundtrack on DVD for this series.
The Japanese track is only in Stereo and for those who have a home theater setup and have a receiver capable of producing stereo on all channels can definitely enjoy the Japanese soundtrack. This was my preference when listening to the Japanese audio.
As for subtitles, the series is presented with English subtitles.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
"AQUARION THE COMPLETE SERIES" comes with the following special features:
* Textless Songs: Viewers can enjoy the two opening theme songs and the ending theme without the text. * Trailers - FUNimation Entertainment trailers
JUDGMENT CALL:
"AQUARION THE COMPLETE SERIES" is definitely an enjoyable and entertaining anime series. It's strength involves its storytelling but through character development. Unlike a series such as "Mobile Suit Gundam" or "Super Robot Wars", there are no people who want to be heroes. In fact, the humans really don't know what they're doing until Gen Fudou shows up and the group undergoes training and pushed to know their strengths and weaknesses. Each storyline focuses on the growth of these characters.
Then you add the reincarnation scenes and it does lend to the excitement of the series and also an interesting and unique plot. But Shoji Kawamori and Hiroshi Ohnogi who are true veterans in the mecha genre know that there are elements just overdone in a mecha series, so they went out and created a storyline that is fresh and unique.
It's important to note that there is a two episode OAV series titled "Genesis of Aquarion" (an alternate retelling of the TV series) but is not included in this complete series nor has it been released in the US just yet.
"AQUARION" differs greatly from other mecha anime series in the way the mecha are used (there are only three mecha's but depending on each element user's ability, when merged as Aquarion, depending on who is leading, can bring out a different style of Aquarion) and also the storyline of reincarnation and more.
Also, a primary difference that makes this series differ greatly from other mecha series (and also gives this series its TV MA rating) is because when the three mecha's merge as Aquarion, "merging" is almost sexual. The pilots go through a rush of pleasure during the transformation and the characters would scream out their feelings of merging. In fact, there are episodes that deal with addiction to merging and even pilots who have never merged going to the experienced pilots and wanting to know how it feels to merge.
But for the most part, aside from the merging, "AQUARION" is not a series that features intense violence, nudity, profanity or anything like that. It's probably more about the sexual innuendo that gives the series its TV MA rating.
Also, while the series does have its serious moments, there is plenty of humor and episodes such as "Cosplay of the Soul" in which Jun Lee is able to convince Deava to use cosplay as a form of communication for the pilots and learning about each other. And of course, the rivals must cosplay each other. So, Apollo has to cosplay as Sirus, Sirus as Apollo, Sylvia as Reika, Reika as Sylvia and of course, this episode is just all out funny as they group must go out to battle in character. Which was quite interesting.
Another episode titled "Merged to Eat" as the pilots are scared that their partner Rena Rune maybe a vampire and start remembering incidents in which Rena would take care of their bloody wounds by immediately sucking on their wound. A weird and dark episode but again, hilarious and entertaining.
And again, this series is all about mecha action and every episode features on Aquarion taking on various Shadow Angels but seeing the various pilots and the results of pairing three different element users and what kind of results they are able to get from various combination. Again, an interesting concept for a mecha anime series. And for those who have a home theater setup will like the use of the special effects and the utilization of all speaker channels.
For anime fans wanting a mecha series that is different from your average mecha series out there, you really can't go wrong with "AQUARION THE COMPLETE SERIES".
"AQUARION" is an action-packed series featuring a pretty solid storyline, cool characters and a unique mecha concept. Definitely worth checking out!』
(Go... Aquarion?) 『Anime has a lot of cliches, and mecha anime has even more than its fair share. Especially if you include, you know, metaphysical stuff along with the giant killer robots. "Aquarion" seems to have all those cliches and more, but Shoji Kawamori's series starts hitting its stride after five or six episodes -- pomposity is replaced with a sly sense of humor, peppered with some decent characters and a bittersweet edge.
12,000 years ago, the Earth was invaded by the arrogant Shadow Angels, and were defeated by the Shadow Angel Apollonius (also called Solar Wing) and his human lover Celiane, in the enormous three-part mecha Aquarion. Now the Shadow Angels have returned. Then two element users -- including Celiane's reincarnation, spoiled princess Silvia -- come across a strange, feral street boy named Apollo. Not only is Apollo shockingly powerful, but he pilots the Aquarion as he always knew how.
Silvia is appalled by the idea that her long-lost soulmate is this rough, dirty boy, and Apollo is only coming along to rescue his abducted friend. And as they battle the Shadow Angels, this motley little team of element users learns some extremely weird lessons -- the benefits of fighting barefoot, cosplaying, addiction, diets, dreams, vampires, jealousy, their "first times," finding Apollo in a booby-trapped labyrinth.
But then a familiar face returns -- Apollonius' ex-lover Touma, who still feels betrayed by Solar Wing jilting him for Celiane 12,000 years ago (sheesh, get OVER it). And as the climactic battle against the Shadow Angels approaches and the Tree of Life gains power, one of their own will turn against them... but what does fate have in store?
The first several episodes of "Aquarion" are not very engaging -- they speed by too fast, don't really make you care about the characters, and basically consist of the same pattern: Apollo does something feral and/or stupid during training, Silvia and/or Sirius are disgusted, the Cherubim attack, but Our Heroes (including Apollo) save the day and learn a valuable lesson in the process. Also typical anime cliches (accidental kiss, Benedict-and-Beatrice soulmates, and big strompy robots).
But after the first five or six episodes, something happens -- the series gains a sense of humor that infuses its rather cheesy overarcing storyline. Kawamori lets the story unfold gradually, and with a sly sense of spoofery and occasional bittersweet moments (Apollo's friendship with Baron) instead of pompous seriousness. Silly attack names ("Unlucky Bottom Attack!"), comical deus ex machinae (Our Heroes are saved by a cry of "DINNER!"), piroetting alien mecha, lots of pseudomystical stuff, cosplay, and a Yoda-like commander who exists solely to teach the heroes Important Life Lessons and spout cryptic sayings at the worst times. And I must admit, those orgasmic mecha merges are pretty funny.
The biggest problem: the last four or five episodes are... well, while it's a fairly impressive ending with interesting twists, it doesn't make much sense. There are just too many holes left open, apparently for the sake of Big Tragic Uplifting Finale.
The characters are something of a mixed bag, though. Kawamori spends too much time emphasizing that Apollo is a feral wild-card, so we don't get to see enough of his loyalty and kindness. He's far more endearing when he's being goofy (gobbling Silvia's ice cream before she can react), while Silvia is pretty much a brat to everyone, except the brother she has a bizarre incestuous crush on.
The supporting characters end up being much more interesting, partly because they seem so much more real. We've got the loyal, flirty athlete Pierre, the painfully unlucky Reika, and a handful of newbies who are still learning the ropes. And there's Silvia's brother Sirius, whose confidence and self-image are being slowly destroyed by Apollo's presence, and who is driven to terrible but fated actions.
"Aquarion" takes a long, long time to get off the ground. But once the satire kicks in, this mecha series becomes a gorgeously animated, fluffy brand of brain-candy.』
(Good Show Made Better By a Complete Box Set Release) 『With titles such as Macross Plus and Escaflowne to his credit, it really comes as no surprise that mere mention of the name Shoji Kawamori stirs up excitement in mecha anime lovers such as myself. His latest creation, Aquarion, is the culmination of lessons learned from his previous endeavors coupled to the charm of a simpler time in animation. The plot, while not overly complex nor edited to appear more complicated than necessary, combines just the right elements of solid story telling to make Aquarion unique among a rich field of competitors.
The story's pretty straight forward: A Great Catastrophe has left the world in ruin and an ancient race of alien beings called the Shadow Angels have taken advantage of the weakened state of humanity to begin their assault on the planet (after 12,000 years of laying low). Earth's last hope and greatest defense against the threat comes in the form of the Mechanical Angel Aquarion. For those rolling their eyes at the fact that this story has been seemingly told again and again, take heart in the fact that this isn't just another cookie cutter giant robot show. In fact some of the nuances that make Aquarion unique among its competition can truly be called influential enough to spawn legions of imitators for years to come.
About the best way to describe the program would be to compare it to the shows it most closely emulates: Take the heavy mythological elements of RahXephon, combine them with the level of fun that made early 1980s giant robot shows so magical (think Vehicle Voltron) and finally top it all off with the victimized human element of The Matrix for good measure. If none of these comparisons strike a chord with your ability to decide whether or not Aquarion is right for you, read on. I'll break the show down on its own merit throughout this review. If however you are in fact familiar with the above analogies, there need not be another word said to influence your decision: This is giant robot action meets Atlantian mythology all done up in the crisp animation standards of today. In that regard it's worth the nostalgic undertones alone.
Perhaps the show's greatest contribution to the entire genre is the robot Aquarion itself. Sure the concept of three ultra-capable jet fighters combining to form a massive butt-whipping mecha is nothing new, the idea that the end result is completely dictated by the personalities of the three pilots involved certainly is. Known here as Elements, the individuals charged with the task of saving all of humanity one wild mechanized fistfight at a time play a far deeper role than simply glorified fighter pilots. Indeed this series makes interesting use of the concept of a person's aura as, depending on the combination of the three Elements involved in the conjunction, the Aquarion itself can basically take on limitless forms. Sorry Voltron, a single character isn't delegated the role of "forming the head" here but rather the position is up for grabs among the three Elements chosen to go out and do battle. Depending on which one snags the responsibility, Aquarion unites into a unique mode with special abilities including everything from archery, to the leg dexterity of a pro soccer player, to a punch with near endless reach.
Even cooler is that each Aquarion configuration has its own name, color motif and unique look. Part of the fun, especially early on, is determining each build's strengths and weaknesses. Aquarion literally becomes the personification of the "head" character's personality.
Villains in the show are standard fair aliens; humanoid beings bent on global conquest with a slightly "classic mythological" depth about them which is nice as it offers a unique contrast to the often-times bubbly nature of the cast of teenage good guys.
Perhaps the depth of the enemy is greatest realized in the 7th episode of the show, Knight of the Crimson Rose. Here the viewer is treated to a bit of art (poetry to be exact) and the consequence that negative emotion can inflict. The Shadow Angles capitalize on the arrogance and confidence of Aqaurion's pilots, literally forcing them to find strength through their weakness and fear.
About the oddest element this series brings to the genre would have to be the combination sequence itself. Since, as stated above, Aquarion interlocks not only mentally and physically but energetically as well, the show goes to great measures to illustrate the almost orgasmic sensation the pilots experience as they merge both with one another and the machine as well. While undeniably unique, it is a gimmick that is perhaps taken a bit far throughout the course of the 26 episodes. Especially since juvenile sexual references often pop up here and there with younger inexperienced pilots looking for what basically boils down to a sex-ed conversation from their superiors. However, I should note for sensitive viewers and concerned parents alike that the references are never pornographic or off color. The Mature rating that the show carries is certainly on the conservative side of the spectrum as really there is little here in the way of explicit violence, language, and so on.
This is a Funimation Entertainment release which, in case you aren't familiar, means the property is treated like a piece of fine art. The box, jacket, and disc art is simply top notch all the way. I often go on record as saying that with many companies you are simply buying dvds, with Funimation, you are immersing yourself in the total experience. Aquarion is no exception to this trend (although I will say that the inclusion of books as was the case with Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid would have been absolutely clutch). I'm personally quite excited to note that Funimation has decided to bundle up the previously two-volume release into a single box set. Cost for this box set is considerably less than ADV Films' single-box release of RahXephon (which is also a 26 episode series). Not only is the price better than it was to buy the two volumes, it's just nice that buyers wont have to track down two sets to enjoy the show in its entirety.
But I digress, back to the meat and potatoes of the show itself; the animation is spot-on throughout the entire series with a lush color pallet and spectacular textures. I mentioned the occasional depth displayed by the aliens but the intelligence behind their attacks pales in comparison to the mecha battles themselves. Releasing giant machines called Cherubims to the planet's surface, it is these skeletal-inspired beauties that Aquarion finds himself clashing with time and time again. In all honesty whatever shortcomings the plot suffers from (occasional tangents that do little to advance the overall prose) are more than made up for by the beautiful battle sequences. The battles maintain their status as spectacles to behold right on through to the end. The subdue Shadow Angel designs and sharp lines make for an awesome counterpoint to Aquarion's fluid curves and brighter color pallet.
Finally the series boasts a beautiful, moving musical score by Yoko Kanno. Think Escaflowne here with soaring orchestral pieces often infused with dramatic vocals.
In all, some criticize Aquarion for its inability to match the psychological depth of comparative shows such as RahXephon and Evangelion but I suspect that Shoji Kawamori's plan was to avoid falling into the pitfalls that plague such shows by resetting the proverbial clock on what makes good robot anime great. As such he makes it a very deliberate point to counteract the darker moments of the prose with an energetic and likeable main cast, creepy enemies with a bright, larger than life giant robot defender; splashes of light for every shadow.
Aqaurion is an enjoyable self-sustained series that does far better when judged on its own merits rather than it does by comparing it to similar entries. This is all made even better by the fact that it was released by Funimation- which means its loaded with extras and the attention to detail is without rival.』 『The complete series available for the first time in one box set!
When the Shadow Angels invade after 12,000 years of slumber, humanity is held captive by fear and sheer alien dominance. Eleven years after the Great Catastrophe decimated the world, most of those left alive are scavengers, dirty and starving in the streets. There is hope, however - Mechanical Angel Aquarion! Powered by three souls intertwined, a rare breed of pilot takes the controls. Known as Elements, one among them must rise if mankind is to survive. Prophecy is being fulfilled as the end of the world approaches… Through a swirling cloud of love, betrayal, loss and destiny, the last hope for the new century arrives and takes flight!
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Going Downhill.) 『The Episodes in the "Teens" are probably the fall down part of the Gatchaman series, The episodes on Collection 2 are not as fun and exciting as Collection 1. For me it's because there's really no fighting action just God Phoenix VS Galactor Mecha. I rather see them infiltrate Galactor bases and beat the crap outta the bad guys. Still, there are quite a few highlight episodes but they are HEAVILY surrounded by boring episodes.
Highlight Episodes -The Fearsome Icekander -Speed Race Through Hell -Who Is Sosai X? -The Great Insect Operation -The Neon Giant Who Laughs At The Dark
If you're a BIG fan of BOTP and G-Force I recommend this for the nostalgia. I'm 100% sure that Collection 3 has alot of more fun and exciting episodes so be sure to pick that up after you get done watching Collection 2!』
(Worth the price, if only to see how much better it gets...) 『As mentioned, Vols 3&4 contain entirely episodic shows, with little to now exploration of the characters or the the 105 episode spanning plot. While I agree that taken by the each these episodes are nothing to write home about (I'd give them two to three stars), I'm giving the box set four stars because of classic source material, the fantastic restoration, and the truckloads of extras (althouth I still haven't gotten around to seeing all of the extras yet!). Also, the dubs are quite useful--I feel very strongly that you'll get much more enjoyment out of watching the series in the original Japanese--it just hits harder and the acting is so good, that you forget how campy it can taken. Still, I applaud ADR for the faithful dubs, the actors take their jobs seriously, and once I've seen the episode in Japanese it's great to have it play in English so the viewer doesn't have to concentrate as hard (maybe you can get some work done while you watch?). Also, it's interesting to see the different dialogue, and the dub-actors takes on the characters.
Watch these largely throw-away episodes, many of which don't even show the series main villian Berg Katse and certainly don't flesh him out, and then contrast it with the later volumes to see how much better the story gets (the animation and monsters/mecha are *still* superb)--also, watch as the writers take the sometimes ridiculous material from these earlier episodes (the "who is the Red Impulse" stuff, Galacactor's foil to the Ninja Team--the Blackbirds!, and ESPECIALLY Joe's insane "doggy injury" and turn them into dramatic plot points or weave them into intricate story lines that keep you glued to the screen and guessing episode after episode.
Some of the extras are obviously "filler", but with so much to choose from I certainly don't want to discourage ADV--The (noted comic artist) Alex Ross material, artwork and especially the interview are fascinating, the original Japanese material (a video-still, translated version of the original Japanese comic) and sketches are enthralling and show what a phenominal success this show was back in the early 70's, and how it still holds up today. The English dub actors/producers commentary is good,
Volume 4 is certainly the more relevant of the two disks, with the first appearance of Sosai X, Joe's display of obsession regarding Berg Katse, the biggest glimpse of who the Red Impulse is and why he helps the Science Ninja Team, and Joe's injury which plays a MAJOR part in the story much later, especially episodes 98-105; the best episodes of ANY animated series.
Included on this DVD are the eps:
Vol 3; The Mysterious Red Sand The Fearsome Ice-Kander The Fearsome Jellyfish Lens The Indestructible Machine Mechanika Revenge! The Whale Operation -Extras include Clean closing animation, Commentary with Luci Christian (the english dub Jinpei) and Charles Campbell (ADR director), Gatchaman Karaoke, and ADV previews.
Vol 4; Hell's Speed Race (a Great Joe/Katse show--Katse almost unmasked!) A Critical Moment for Science Ninja Team Who is Governer X? (obviously, a good Sosai X show) Firebird vs. Fire Eating Dragon (A good Red Impulse Show) Giant Raging Mecha Ball A Neon Giant Who Laughs at the Dark extras: Clean Opening Animation, Clean Closing Animation, Commentary w/Victor Carsrud (Ryu), Gatch Karaoke, ADV Previews
Extras DVD Vol 2 (included in the Vol 3&4 box set) Joe Condor Profile Joe Character Sketch Episode Sketches Joe the Condor (English Dub) audition footage Interview w/Brian Jepson (Dub Joe) Gatchaman Publishing Gallery What is Gatchaman? Interview w/Alex Ross Gatchaman Manga Volume 1
Buy it because you'll enjoy it. Buy to support ADV's efforts. Buy it so you'll know what's going on in the next volumes when things start getting REALLY good!!!
PS: Vols 5&6, which are scheduled to be released in October, should contain the following stand-out episodes:
#29 "Gallack X, Demon Man": First appearance of the female general--she'll be very important later.
#32-33 "Grand Operation Gezora": The female general shows up with a plan to kidnap members of Gatchaman--who is the female general?? Hmm, time will tell...
#27 "Gallactor's Witch Racer": One of the first of many love affairs Joe has with a woman on the wrong side of right and wrong.
#31 "Plan to Assassinate Dr. Nambu": Joe get's into a rumble with a Gallactor Devil Star Assassin on the road (basically a hot female-killer with a mask), which causes him to think about how he lost his own parents. Joes triumphs, but his confrontation with the Devil star will come back to haunt him--ONE OF MY FAVORITE EPS OF THE SERIES.
#39-40 Jigokiller Parts 1&2: This two-parter is the first real display of Ken's feelings for Jun, and sheds more light on the Ken/Red Impulse connection.
#44 "Gallactor's Challenge": Dr. Nambu let's it slip that Ken's father is alive, but who can it be? Shouldn't be too hard to figure out if you're over 10 years old, but still a great episode.』
(Gatchaman enters a bit of a slump...) 『While many series go into a slump near the end of their runs, Gatchaman gets its slump out of the way early. The episodes incorporated in this box set are, unfortunately, some of the consistently weakest in the series. The worst offenders are Episodes 14 (involving the fearsome Ice-kandar), 16 (Mechanika), 18 -20 (the Whales, a "Speed Race through Hell", and the INFAMOUS PUPPY EPISODE). Episode 23, involving a giant bowling ball rampaging through the land is no great shakes either.
More enjoyable episodes in this run involve "the Fearsome Jellyfish Lens", "the Great Insect Operation", and "The Neon Giant that Smiles in the Dark".
Fortunately, from what I remember, the series will begin to pull out of its slump in the next two volumes. Yes, there will still be duff episodes, but there will be more classics sprinkled in as the run continues.
In my review for Collectors Box Set #1, I said this ADV adaptation was a not-too-embarrassing dub. With these two volumes, the dub takes giant strides into the cringe-worthy. The ADR people have upped the late-sixties to mid-seventies slang quotient to a point where it looks like they are using it as a crutch. The dub-Ken's catchphrase looks like it is going to be "I can dig it" or variations thereof. The slang is cute when used sparingly, as it was in the first two volumes. It becomes obnoxious when it's used as a sledgehammer.
Despite my lackluster review of this particualar box set, I'm still looking forward to seeing the rest of the series adapted, especially the episodes of the second year.』 『Casual fans will pick it up for Battle of the Planets or G-Force nostalgia. Otaku will pick it up because it's part of the canon. Comics fans will pick it up for the Alex Ross boxart. Gatchaman has something for everyone!』
price：$5.00
Right Stuf
Usually ships in 3 to 5 days Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Truly a Great Show!) 『Comic Party is a sweet and FUNNY way to look in the lives of young comic writers and artists. Any writer or drawer might even see a little bit in themsleves as the story goes along. Great show for manga and anime fans! Great voice acting by the dubbed team, catchy music, fun story,thanks for inventing me to the party! ^_^』 『Studio: Bayview/widowmaker Release Date: 09/19/2006 Run time: 463 minutes』
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getting to know the technique of motorbike expensive sale -- Ta -- if -- -
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