Saturday, June 30th, 2001

Newly added (10:18 PM EST): Oliver Chin has sent in his latest column that appeared in the 5/29 Comics Retailer magazine, entitled Video Games and You.

DVD around the globe (09:32 PM EST): Since we overdosed on a ton of Slayers Try over the past couple of days, we're averting our eyes from anime (though we did manage to catch the very cool Japanese movie Whiteout). But that doesn't mean we don't have new reviews, and these are from different regions to be sure. Tong Lin takes a look at the Japanese R2 release of the Ah! My Goddess Limited Edition Boxset, Adam Kath takes a look at the Australian R2/R4 release of Ninja Scroll while Steven Hui takes a look at the French R2 release of Jin-Roh. Man, Jin-Roh's been released almost everywhere before region 1!

T-Shirt (08:53 AM EST): The latest incarnation of our favorite site mascot, Divi-Chan, has been put together for the Otakon 2001 convention, as well as listing all the other conventions this year on it. Ahhh, yet another great looking Divi! Check out our Anime on DVD Convention T-Shirt - we look forward to seeing people wearing it at Otakon!

Friday, June 29th, 2001

Newly reviewed (08:50 PM EST): Just to completely throw off the Slayers Survey, we've finished the box set today, and have completed out Slayers Sentence by watching all of Slayers Try! This of course leaves us with 21 more episodes of Magic Knight Rayearth season 2 to get through before the 2nd Urusei Yatsura TV box arrives...

Thursday, June 28th, 2001

Site news and alternate angles (09:33 PM EST): Just a couple of things to cover before I start loading up with some sweet new alternate angle reviews. For the next week and a half or so, we'll be running a bit quieter than normal, but probably not by too much. The in-laws are up for the week, and tied in with a holiday in the middle of the week, we're going to be a bit busy. But we'll still be keeping up with the news and all, but reviews from me may slow down a bit. And we're also on 24 hour call from the day job, so when I am awake, I may be Mr. Cranky and watching anime may not be in my best interest.

One big thing going on next week that we're definitely going to be up on is Anime Expo 2001. We've got our staff reporter on the scene, complete with press badge, to get all the good news that can be gotten (and we're always looking for tips and interesting stories from everyone), and will make sure that these bits of information are top priority for posting to the news page here. If you're a junkie for this info, definitely check out the forums, as they'll be hopping as the news comes in.

And with that, let's kick off the alternate angle reviews of the day:

• Nadia Vol. #1 by Karen Cross

• Nadia Vol. #1 by Roman Martel

• Big O Vol. #1 by Aaron J. Heiner

• Arc the Lad Vol. #1 by Roman Martel

• Gasaraki Vol. #3 by Roman Martel

• Robotech Vol. #1 by Christian Johansson

• Rurouni Kenshin Vol. #7 by Zubin Kumana

• Starblazers Vol. #4 by Mike Breen

• Dragonball Z: Frieza: The Summoning by Jonathan Hertzog

Wednesday, June 27th, 2001

Advance review (10:07 PM EST): Due out on 8/14/2001, Kenneth Lee managed to secure himself an early copy of Patlabor TV Vol. #1 and has sent us in all the juicy details.

Newly reviewed (10:01 PM EST): We ended up going on a small binge and decided to take in Ranma 1/2: Random Rhapsody Vol. #2 tonight as well and get our review for it done.

Newly reviewed (09:24 PM EST): The retailer we had ordered it from took a bit longer than anticipated to get it to us, but we finally got in this week Ranma 1/2: Random Rhapsody Vol. #1 and have compiled our thoughts on it.

Newly reviewed (05:52 PM EST): After the six month delay, we finally got our chance to watch the first two episodes that make up Hades Project Zeorymer Vol #1. This is a title that's going to definitely conflict with a few folks buying sensibilities.

Akira update (05:39 PM EST): The non-flash side of the Akira site has updated with some sweet new information, especially for those picking up the Special Edition version. Of particular interest, in what seems to be in the vein of the Matrix disc release, there's a "Capsule Option" - translation of Japanese grafitti. I'm guessing that if you play with the option on, you can check out what things say without having to clutter up the screen if you're not interested. One other feature, one that's going to take a hell of a long time to get through, is the disc has over 4500 stills. I can't wait to get to those, as well as the interview with the restoration staff to see what they did.

Quick plug (07:21 AM EST): I just wanted to drop a quick note that DVD Planet is having a sizeable anime sale at the moment, and as one of my absolute favorites is on sale, it's a real easy push; you can get nearly every volume of Battle Athletes Victory, a 26 episode series, for about 7.99$ a volume. If you don't have this series, this is an excellent time to try and snare it and find out why so many others have gotten hooked on this great show.

Tuesday, June 26th, 2001

New cover art (09:12 PM EST): We've added a new piece of cover art to the site tonight, this time for Niea_7 Vol. #1.

New title announcements (06:47 PM EST): Posted on the forum this evening by David Williams, ADV Films has set a 9/18/2001 street date for the Robotech 5 & 6 (14.95$ each) discs as well as the 3rd box set (44.95$), which brings the Macross portion of Robotech to a close.

Press (05:04 PM EST): ADV's latest press releases are out, and this time they're talking about Nadesico Vol. #6 and Robotech Box #2.

More on Akira in Region 2 (04:50 PM EST): A bit more information has slipped out overnight regarding the Japanese release of Akira we mentioned yesterday. Apparently this is a 2 disc edition will have a 16 page booklet & Pictorial Continuity Collection while the special disc will have an Otomo Katsuhiro Interview, Featurette, Announcements and TV commercials. No word at all yet on the possibility of subtitles (slim) or anamorphic enhancement (high).

Monday, June 25th, 2001

Akira in Region 2 (07:05 PM EST): For those willing to lay down the big bucks, Akira's gotten its first tentative information released today here about the Japanese region 2 release. While there's no word on anamorphic enhancement yet, the audio features are definitely going to sway some people to pick up this version as well, since it has Japanese DD 5.1, Japanese DD 2.0 and English DD 5.1. Street date is 10/25/2001 and list price is 9,800¥. Since it's being released by Bandai Japan, if it's anything similar to their recent movie releases, it should be quite a treat.

Advance review (07:04 PM EST): Due out on 07/10/2001, ADV is releasing Blue Seed Vol. #2, which I found to be more entertaining than the first volume to be sure.

They're back! (05:54 PM EST): I admit that I don't read all that many anime sites in general, but one that I do read has finally come back into play. Check out the newly revamped and re-launched EX!

Clarification (05:48 PM EST): Last week when I posted our Jin-Roh region 3 review, I made a few factual errors about a few things that I want to clear up. We inadvertently referred to the region 3 release as a Chinese release, when it's clearly a Hong Kong release. I made the mistake of considering Hong Kong part of China, which is actually region 6 and not 3 (though often HK discs and players are referred to as Chinese discs and players). I also mentioned that Jin-Roh was one of only 3 or 4 fully licensed releases in Hong Kong, when it should have been that it's one of 3 or 4 fully licensed titles that have English subtitles on it. There are at least another seven fully licensed titles in Hong Kong, such as Captain Tsubasa J, Digimon, Gaogaigar Final 1-2, Gaogaigar Final 3-4, Pokemon Revelation Lugia, Streetfighter Zero and Superdimension Fortress Macross the movie (thanks to Ken for getting the list). Of course, no slight was intended to fans of the HK releases, but as I've stated on the forum in various areas, I'm a) a region 1 resource and b) generally leary talking about HK releases as most region 1 owners will only be exposed to the massive amount of bootlegs available on Ebay from HK and Singapore based sellers. It's a situation where if I had a nickel for every email that asked "Is this legit?" with a link to an Ebay auction, I'd be rolling in the cash.

Sunday, June 24th, 2001

Advance review (06:19 AM EST): Bringing yet another series to a close, as many seem to be doing these days, ADV's release of Martian Successor Nadesico Vol. #6 brings this fan favorite to its only truly logical conclusion. We've also finished watching Blue Seed Vol. #2 and should have that review up in the next day or so.

Initial impressions (09:31 AM EST): Our latest shipment from CD Japan arrived yesterday, and we were blessed with much region 2 goodness. The big shiny part of our order was the Video Girl Ai 3 disc set, which was done for first pressing only. I've been a huge fan of this show since I had seen this show almost as soon as it came out thanks to Dallas Operator 7G, and fell in love with the style, the music and the story. The region 2 release is simply stunning, taking three episodes to each of the first two discs to max out quality and then go and make the sound uncompressed PCM. Noriko Sakai's vocals sound simply luscious. The set also includes a third disc, a CD in a keepcase, of music and drama tracks. This is a fantastic looking little box, one that I can't wait to take an evening and simply absorb.

On the non-anime related side, we also got in the Ayumi Hamasaki: Countdown 2000-2001 live concert disc. My wife and I recently became huge fans of Ayumi and all her remixes, and finally being able to see her perform live (and to see a big J-pop concert performance as well) was a real treat. The disc itself is a real stunner, with 17 songs performed during this New Years Eve concert, with a gorgeous anamorphic transfer that captures every bit of fog through the lights without any breakup. We weren't sure what the audio was going to be like since it's unlisted, but like the Video Girl Ai set, it's also uncompressed PCM audio, and with this disc cranked up, the whole house was reverberating. Mmm, Ayumi-goodness!

Saturday, June 23rd, 2001

Licensing rumor? (03:39 PM EST): While the licensing rumor for DiGi Charat failed to pan out, there's two new rumors that look like they might have some meat behind them. According to this page at Anime Expo's site, Pioneer is the group behind bringing over the Ah! My Goddess! the Movie to the convention, along with Akira and Tenchi Muyo in Love. In fact, most companies are obviously bringing the properties that they own to AE2001. What else is worth noting? Bandai is bringing out Cyberteam in Akihabara, which longtime astute readers here will remember we mentioned in the rumor category over a year and a half ago along with Crest of the Stars and Fancy Lala. Chances are good that both of these have a home. One thing to ponder, if the Goddess movie does pan out, rumor with that movie indicated that the Mini-Goddesses series' license was tied to the acquisition of the movie, so there's a slim chance that Pioneer may have gained that as well.

Contest winner (11:23 AM EST): A big tip of the hat goes out to Sean Matthews who sent in the winning entry for our Assemble: Insert contest, the one where anime characters start hawking products here in the U.S. market. This particular image had us laughing from the start and every time we thought about it.

Alternate angles (10:35 AM EST): Another batch of alternate angles sent in by readers here have been approved, so let's get cracking and get 'em posted:

• Robotech Vol. #2 by Mark McPherson

• Escaflowne Vol. #4 by Thomas D. Trevathan

• Bastard (Limited Edition) by Nicholas Paufler

• Martian Successor Nadesico Vol. #3 by Roman Martel

• Golgo 13: Queen Bee by Mark McPherson

• Cowboy Bebop Vol. #4 by Jared Wietbrock

• Rurouni Kenshin Vol. #7 by Abraham Evangelista

• Rurouni Kenshin Vol. #7 by Lawrence Chu

Newly reviewed (08:40 AM EST): ADV's first box set has finally come out, and it's definitely a winner. Check out our thoughts on the recently released sweet little box set known as Robotech: Legacy Collection 1.

Friday, June 22nd, 2001

Newly reviewed (08:57 PM EST): We've finally finished wrapping our head around last weeks experience that was known as Jin-Roh that was recently released in China. Next on our list is the Robotech Legacy Box #1 after we finish checking out that disc of extras!

Newly reviewed (07:43 PM EST): After being tempted by the region 2 version for a couple of years now, I'm saved from spending 80$ as Pioneer has released Bastard!! here in the US. Though they did get me for 50$ since I wanted the limited edition with the figure....

Revolutionary DVD (06:02 PM EST): The folks at CPM are definitely getting themselves worked up, and it really looks like they've got a serious reason to be. The features for the upcoming Revolutionary Girl Utena movie disc has been posted today in the forum:

---

• Anamorphic widescreen (Whether we can make it progressive or not is up to the authoring house, so I'll get back to you guys on that.)
• Ikuhara's running commentary track with English subtitles (This is one of the best commentary tracks I've heard in years, and really helped me enjoy and understand the movie more)
• Behind-the-scenes video (Featuring Ikuhara supervising the dubbing in NYC, footage of voice actors Rachael Lillis, Sharon Becker and Mandy Bonhomme)
• Japanese TV spots
• Japanese trailers
• US teaser & trailer
• Kobayashi's art boards w/ Ikuhara's commentary
• Character sketches w/ Ikuhara's commentary
• Fan tribute (Fan art and cosplay contest winners!)
• Trivia quiz
• Clean, untouched video (no overlays or hard subs)
• Removable song & sign translations (for the dub)
• Sub track with Romanji song lyrics
  
  (pant, pant, pant)
  
  And THEN, on the DVD-ROM side...
• Art Gallery
• List of fan submissions
• Director's commentary script
• Complete English dub script (written by Ikuhara's hand-picked translator)

This will obviously be a DVD-9. The menus look fantastic. I'm drooling over this thing while I'm looking at them...

As you can see, we've pulled out all the stops to make this an absolute REFERENCE QUALITY disc. I really hope you'll agree.

World premiere of the English Language dub will happen at Big Apple Anime Fest in New York City this Halloween. Featuring appearances by Kunihiko Ikuhara, Rachael Lillis, Crispin Freeman and Mandy Bonhomme. (www.bigappleanimefest.com)

You like? You can get, late October.

---

Boogiepop DVD (05:54 PM EST): I have to admit, the title is just infectious. Boogiepop Phantom. TRSI's latest show has gotten the first full bits of hard info out today, such as prices and release dates:

• Boogiepop Phantom Vol #1 on 09/25/01

• Boogiepop Phantom Vol #2 on 10/30/01

• Boogiepop Phantom Vol #3 on 11/27/01

• Boogiepop PhantomVol #4 on 01/29/02

• Boogiepop Phantom Box Set of all 4 on 1/29/02

All four volumes list for 29.95$ and have a running time of 90 minutes. The box set, due on the day of the final volume, lists for 99.95$. This is an very good way to market the show, showing both individual and box set release dates, and the box set having a lower price than the combined by about 20$. No word yet on the extras or what the box itself may contain, but even if it's nothing but the box, the 20$ savings is definitely worth waiting for the more cost conscious fan.

Also worth noting is that there's indication that there will be both an English Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 track while the Japanese track will be in its original 2.0 format.

Just a tease (02:03 PM EST): While Synch Point won't have I Gonna Be An Angel on DVD soon, the VHS release is just around the corner, and their press release on the site gives a glimpse of the VHS cover, which I would guess is likely to be similar to the first DVD cover as well.

Akira delay? (01:38 PM EST): We mentioned earlier this week about the non-tin special edition of Akira hitting on 9/25. We've heard from some retailers that Pioneer doesn't know where Image got this date. We've got other retailers and news sites listing all three releases coming out on 9/25. Some for 7/24. Frankly, I simply don't know anymore. It's a complete and utter mess from the "die-hards" point of view of trying to figure this out. The casual buyer won't notice anything until it actually shows up in stores. But for those who read here and live by street dates, get yourself something to soothe your heart until we figure out exactly what's going on.

Con panel (12:56 PM EST): For those curious folks, a few pictures of the anime website panel from Mikkakan have been posted under the Saturday Panels at this site. You too can finally see the "Scourge of the Dutchmen"!

Thursday, June 21st, 2001

Gundam, Big Time (07:30 PM EST): While the original Gundam is getting ready for it's July release here in the US on Cartoon Network, the folks back in Japan are getting themselves treated to the first five volumes of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. The folks at CD Japan have created a big Gundam special page to show off the box set as well as show off lots of pictures of various DVD's and CD's certain to make any Gundam fanboy simply jump up and down in their seat.

Site updates (07:26 PM EST): While we've been fairly quiet for the past day or two, we've been working on some of the behind the scenes stuff as well as taking in a couple of lengthy discs (6 episodes of Bastard and 12 episode of Robotech). We've added a second page of upcoming (and existing) cover art this evening, and we've also reworked the region 1 reviews section to be a bit less bulky. In addition to reworking that, we've opted to add in upcoming reviews that haven't been reviewed.

Huh? Well, within a few days of new title announcements, we build the page that the review will eventually go to, so when we do the review, we don't spend the time looking for the info. Having these available and updated as the release gets closer means that readers can check out the plot summary, see what known extras there are as well as check out the cover artwork. We hope this helps.

Sneak peek (06:53 PM EST): The TRSI gang was kind enough to drop us an image today that contains the cover art for the first volume of Boogiepop Phantom... It's definitely piqued my interest, how about yours?

NuTech hentai (06:48 PM EST): The folks over at AVN.com were kind enough to alert us to an article they have posted that talks with some of the adult entertainment actresses who are working with NuTech for their upcoming hentai titles. Interesting reading to be sure, and some interesting titles I'm looking forward to hearing.

Wednesday, June 20th, 2001

Press (06:16 PM EST): Bandai has sent out their latest press release that's touting the July start date for Gundam and Gundam: MS 08th Team to begin airing on Cartoon Network!

Tuesday, June 19th, 2001

Mailing list (05:26 PM EST): On the right sidebar, you'll note a Yahoo Groups listing. This is the mailing list we've had basically since the dawn of time but hardly ever used after the first couple of months. The list is now being resurrected as Roman and Christy are trying their hand at doing a bi-weekly newsletter to help people who just can't read here every day (even though you should!) keep up on all the news, reviews and release information.

New today (05:19 PM EST): Something I'm thinking of trying is doing a "new release day" list on Tuesdays. Since we often review a lot of titles in advance of the street date, we tend to forget about them when they're actually released. As such, let's take a peek at what was released today, according to the official release dates:

Viz released Ranma 1/2: Random Rhapsody #2, at which point I realize I still haven't gotten in a copy of the first volume. Pioneer let loose with the Bastard!! (Limited Edition) disc and figure, which we're just now watching. This style of release with the figure had better encourage other studios to try it, as it's very popular in Japan with shows such as Hand Maid May and Love Hina. Bandai has let loose with two titles this week, Big O #1 being a real favorite of mine while the concluding volume has arrived for another series, Saber Marionette J Collection #3.

More new title announcements (10:45 AM EST): Right Stuf has updated with a few new titles today: 

• Ceres, Celestial Legend Vol. #3 on 9/25

• Getter Robo Vol. #2 on 09/11

• Hakkenden on 09/18

• Nadia Vol. #2 on 08/14

• Ranma 1/2: Random Rhapsody Vol. #5 on 09/25

• Video Girl Ai Vol. #1 on 09/25

New title announcement (09:43 AM EST): Let's just let the press info (provided by Mike Toole to the forum this morning) speak for itself:

The Hakkenden
During the war-torn feudal wars in Japan, the Awa clan faced certain extinction from a rival clan backed by demonic forces. However, a careless promise by their lord leads to both salvation and disgrace when their family dog brings back the head of the enemy warlord and insists on marrying the lord’s daughter.

Their unnatural union bears fruit but when both are killed, the eight unborn pups are reincarnated as the eight Dog Warriors - The Hakkenden. As they slowly find each other and come together as a group, these eight warriors, who represent the eight separate aspects of Bushido, engage in bloody battles with demonic entities and evil samurai in a final attempt to redeem their clan!

• Deluxe Box Set Contains All OVA (Original Animation Video) Episodes
• Bilingual (English & Japanese language) DVD With Optional English Subtitles

DVD / $54.98 / 420 min. / Release date: 9/18/01

Monday, June 18th, 2001

New title press (06:18 PM EST): The press machine at ADV is going full tilt, and we've got the combined press releases today from the that include Orphen Vol. #2, Sorcerer Hunters Vol. #3, Nadia Vol. #2 and Getter Robo Vol. #2.

New title announcement (12:40 PM EST): ADV Films has let loose with another street date, this time for Blue Seed Vol. #3. The disc will contain six episodes as well as five more of the omake shorts on 09/18/2001 for 29.99$.

Akira confusion (07:12 AM EST): Here's something you can expect to see confusing fans and retailers alike for the next several months. Pioneer has announced that the non-metal case special edition version of Akira (i.e. the same exact discs as the the metal case, just in a keepcase) will arrive on 9/25/2001. Some retailers are changing the date for the limited edition tin version, still due on 7/24/2001, to 9/25/2001. This is wrong. The tin edition, now being marketed as the Akira: Limited Special Edition by distributor Image Entertainment, will not be changing its date at all. The non-tin edition is now being labeled as simply Akira: Special Edition. Which is what most retailers are currently using. Expect much confusion.

Sunday, June 17th, 2001

Catalog check (06:47 PM EST): Our handy little Catalog Check has been moved into one single page for easier viewing, which can be found here from here on out.

Digital Omake (06:32 PM EST): Newly added to our Digital Omake page is some new secrets for Saber Marionette J Collection 3 and Bubblegum Crisis 2040 Vol. #3.

Reviews (06:04 PM EST): We originally intended to have Jin-Roh up this weekend, but having taken it in last night I really need to think about how I want to talk about this show before putting words to the review. Fencer of Minerva was also on our list, but seeing at just how adult that title is, we can't watch it during daylight hours with the young one running around. So expect to see that towards the end of the week. We'll be watching some more Rayearth season 2 in the meantime, but that won't be reviewed until we're done with all seven volumes.

Over the next couple of weeks, do expect to see a few new faces around the site. Inspired by the leap taken by Mike Toole over at Anime Jump, we've decided to corral a few people into working on primary site reviews. With as much coming out as there is, we just can't keep up on all of it as fast or as detailed as we like. Odds are you'll still see a review of the title from me over time, but like most large DVD reviewing sites, it's time to start expanding a slight bit.

One of them will be familiar to long time readers, as Roman Martel will be picking up some of the primary titles. The new face will be Megan Morris, who will also be working the same as Roman in reviewing some of the older things in our to-do list as well as taking the lead on some of the upcoming new series.

Contests (05:56 PM EST): We've gone through all the entries for the Black Heaven Contest, and our winner has been picked out. For those wondering why it took so long to get to the winner, there were a lot of entries and it took awhile to get through reading all of them, as well as the winner having a college address and our wanting to verify that they'd still be there. Our Assemble: Insert contest has ended, and the top picks have been sent off to TRSI to get their opinions, so we should have winner picked in the next day or so. For the remainder of June, I'm not sure if we'll start another one up or not just yet. We're also trying to think of a good contest idea to give away some Magic Users' Club region 2 DVD's as well.

Friday, June 15th, 2001

Newly reviewed (09:27 PM EST): A bit of a digest review, we've completed our viewing of Nightwalker Vol. #2 this evening after checking out a couple of episodes during each of the past couple of days. This series was definitely a surprise to us, and it seems to a lot of other people as well. With the local convention this weekend and the hot and humid weather here, we're likely to not get much more caught up. Our basic goal is to take in both Fencer of Minerva and the region 3 release of Jin-Roh. With luck, we should have both of these up sometime Sunday afternoon.

Newly reviewed (08:49 PM EST): For the hentai fan out there, here's a review for Pure Love that's a must read if you enjoy this genre of anime at all.

Newly reviewed (08:13 PM EST): As promised, the first of the three reviews mentioned last night has been completed and we're finally done with the Project A-Ko series after taking in Project A-Ko: Uncivil Wars.

Thursday, June 14th, 2001

Alternate angles (10:56 PM EST): Let's see if we can clean house again....

• Gasaraki Vol. #2 by Roman Martel

• Trigun Vol. #8 by Roman Martel

• Slayers Try by Matthew McGinn

• Crest of the Stars Vol. #1 by Chris Morse

Newly reviewed (10:48 PM EST): Knowing that our priorities are straight, we bumped up a region 2 title in our review pile ahead of most of the region 1 titles. What could it be? How about Kiki's Delivery Service?

Newly reviewed (09:24 PM EST): We're a bit behind in reviews this week as Dance Dance Revolution has invaded our household as well as blistering heat, causing us to seek refuge in the cooler non-TV rooms. Tonight we've completed our review of Right Stuf's latest release, Assemble: Insert. Tomorrow we should have Nightwalker Vol. #2, Pure Love and Project A-Ko: Uncivil Wars.

CPM tidbit (06:05 PM EST): Also discovered last night when Justin Sevakis visited the chat, it was learned that Now and Then, Here and There is slated for a 1st quarter 2002 release, done in a 5/4/4 style. With all the positive buzz on this title and this release style, it's definitely something to look forward to.

New title announcement (12:46 PM EST): David Williams of ADV has posted that Getter Robo Vol. #2 will arrive on 09/11/2001. No indication of running time, but we're guessing 75 minutes @ 29.99$.

Newly reviewed (12:36 PM EST): Well, sort of. We're going to have a few new reviews up late this evening while we hang around on the chat channel, but I wanted to post a review/editorial/cautionary warning about a change in our video review style. We upgraded our DVD deck this past weekend from our trusted friend, the Pioneer 414, to the latest out of Hong Kong, the Skyworth 1050P Progressive Scan deck. It will really change things for us. And in our eyes, all for the better.

Miscellaneous (08:41 AM EST): There's a licensing show going on in New York City this week, hence the recent news about WB And Fox picking up a few Pokemon-ish style shows for broadcast. A bit of news that folks here will be interested in is that Pioneer apparently had promotional cards for upcoming shows. They had them for Gatekeepers, Soul Taker (which makes the acquisition the first official nod I believe) and a rather interesting one for Armitage III - Dual Matrix, which would indicate that a sequel is indeed officially in the works. 

And in a chat room exclusive, Justin Sevakis if CPM let it be known that they've acquired the Maetel Legend OAV's for release here in the US, helping to expand the Matsumoto universe even more. Check out this link to see the cover art for the first volume in Japan as well as a hint of what some of the extras may be like.

Thanks to Mariela for sending us this information this morning!

Urusei Yatsura TV Box 2 (08:29 AM EST): The emails started flowing out of AnimEigo late last night that they expect to complete replication and begin shipment of the 2nd Urusei Yatsura TV box set by June 25th (and expect it to take two weeks to complete shipment of all boxes). Also of note, they've added the box set for TV 21-25 (TV Box 5) to their preorder page as well.

Wednesday, June 13th, 2001

Getter Robo update (05:10 PM EST): Those who read my review last week of Getter Robo Vol. #1 may have noted my lack of knowledge regarding the series going into it, when some is seemingly required. Luckily, the gents at Anime Jump have labored hard to create a primer and introduction to this show, which I'd definitely encourage checking out (if only to spike his bandwidth, cause him to shut down and force him to write for this site instead. muahahaha!).

Con note (05:05 PM EST): Just to remind folks, we (meaning me, my wife and the little one) will be attending Mikkakan in Merrimack, NH this weekend, and will be sitting in on the anime website panel. Expect a full blown grudge match as Anime on DVD squares off against Anime Jump. He better jump when I tell him! :)

Press (05:00 PM EST): ADV's latest press release talks about the 9/4 release of Arc the Lad Vol. #4, which contains 5 episodes for 29.99$.

Catalog Checklist (02:27 PM EST): Piloting something new here, we've added Catalog Checklists for each company that list shows that have been released in the past that may be eligible for DVD in the future. Titles that are announced/released are checked off, giving fans a chance to see just what's sitting in the back catalog as well as listing which titles are no longer owned by various studios and which titles DVD right simply cannot be obtained. We've got to figure out the best place for all of these to reside, but until then, you can check things out here:

• ADV Films

• Animeigo

• Bandai

• Central Park Media

• Manga Entertainment

• Media Blasters

• Pioneer

• Urban Vision

Catalog Checklist trois (01:24 PM EST): Thanks for Mariela, we've added a chunk of titles into the Media Blasters catalog checklist. We've also updated the Central Park Media's list with some feedback about titles that they no longer have rights to.

Catalog Checklist again (12:10 PM EST): A quiet moment has allowed me to get Pioneer's catalog checklist up and available as well as the AnimEigo catalog checklist. And what the heck, here's Central Park Media's list. If anyone can provide a list for Bandai, it would be most appreciated.

Tuesday, June 12th, 2001

Review pile-up (06:40 PM EST): Ah, gotta love it. Another six titles arrived, and we had just started into the Rayearth season 2 box set. I've updated the column to the right here with what's in our pile. Our likely candidates will be Assemble Insert tonight and possible Kiki's as well. Rayearth is going to take awhile, but at least it'll be done before Slayers Try... I must find myself a Boston area native who loves all kinds of anime and can write cohesive and fun to read reviews to handle some of this load.

New title announcements (10:24 AM EST): An interesting bit of information was emailed to us this morning that shows Amazon listing a plethora of new hentai titles from NuTech Entertainment, a couple of which we had heard about. Amusingly, they're all listed for a 7/3 release date (where's that bridge I want to sell). Considering VOTOMS is now six months late, we'll probably see these released over the next six months or so. Listed below are the box sets, but each disc is also available individually for 24.95$:

• "Angels in The Court." Two Vols.. Box Set SRP 39.95

• "Black Mail." Three Vols.. Box Set SRP 59.95

• "Desert Island Story X." Four Vols.. Box Set SRP 79.95

• "Desert Island Story XX." (different series -- not a typo.) Four Vols.. Box Set SRP 79.95

• "Kohime." (should be spelled Koihime) Two Vols.. Box Set SRP 39.95

• "Shusaku Replay." Four Vols.. Box Set SRP 79.95

• "Welcome to Pia Carrot." Two Vols.. Box Set SRP 39.95

• "Welcome to Pia Carrot 2." Two Vols.. Box Set SRP 39.95

We'll add and update these into our upcoming lists when we hear some more concrete street dates and details.    

Monday, June 11th, 2001

New title announcement (07:20 PM EST): Proving that a little water won't bother them, ADV Films David Williams has posted to the forum that Sorcerer Hunters Vol. #3 has been set for release on 09/11/2001.

English Mononoke (06:25 PM EST): A snippet of information was forwarded to us today that came from the BBFC, the group that rates and classifies all video releases in the UK. According to this snippet, Princess Mononoke been classified 'PG' without cuts for video release. So that's one big worry off of fans shoulders! Thanks to Mark Yates for the info.

Ouch! (06:20 PM EST): Some may remember that when we recently reviewed ADV's upcoming release of Orphen, we noted (perhaps briefly) some strange differences between the English dub and the subtitles prepared for it. Well, fellow nut and New Englander Mike Toole of Anime Jump took a look himself recently, and apparently it was enough to stir him to write an editorial that's quite an interesting read.

Slight disc delay (05:49 PM EST): Pioneer's upcoming release of Gatekeepers Vol. #1 was originally listed with a 9/11/2001 date, but with the official release information now out, it's listed for a 9/25/2001 release.

Sunday, June 10th, 2001

Petitions (04:04 PM EST): The petition section has been updated with a new one, this time listing the things that need to be done to make Video Girl Ai's release right.

Press (04:00 PM EST): There's a few new press releases worth checking out. The first is the latest batch of new titles coming out in Japan, courtesy of CD Japan. The next is a look at Manga's highly anticipated release of Blood: The Last Vampire and last but certainly not least, MVM has sent us the release info for the joint UK/Australian release of Oh! My Goddess this summer, along with the cover art which may be what the US release will be like as well.

Digital Omake (03:59 PM EST): A new piece was added this afternoon for Neon Genesis Evangelion Vol. #7.

Newly reviewed (08:45 PM EST): Probably our last review for this weekend, we've taken a look at Right Stuf's other new release, Mail Order Maiden 28.

Saturday, June 9th, 2001

Upcoming cover art (11:53 PM EST): One of the reasons we initially removed the upcoming cover art directory was due to our bandwidth issues. Since things seem to have stabilized a bit, we're going to try it out again, but slightly different this time. You can check out the artwork here.

Newly reviewed (11:31 PM EST): Ahh, even when we try and go low-key, we still get in a fair number of reviews. For our final review tonight, we've taken in Right Stuf's latest release that's known as Buttobi/CPU - I Dream of Mimi.

Newly reviewed (10:33 PM EST): The next title to make it through our review process is Manga's 5/29 release of Amon Saga.

Newly licensed? (05:17 PM EST): The fansub site Kodocha Anime is one of the better ones out there that removes titles from their list pretty much the second it's known. One side-effect of this practice is that often titles become known to them in advance of the regular sites and sometimes even the people at the various studios. Kodocha listed Gatekeepers this week, which we learned was coming from Pioneer. What we hadn't heard is that according to the Kodocha site, Synch Point has acquired the Di Gi Charat show. Hopefully we'll hear something official ourselves soon for a second confirmation. For more on the series, check out this page.

Alternate angles (10:38 PM EST): We're going to continue to be a bit low-key this weekend, but we do have a few new alternate angle reviews up:

Region 1

• Angel Links Vol. #2 by Roman Martel

• Martian Successor Nadesico Vol. #2 by Roman Martel

Region 2

• Turn A Gundam Vol. #7 by Darrel Dawson

Region 3

• Jin-Roh (DTS/DD/English Subtitled) by Jens Mogensen

Friday, June 8th, 2001

Newly reviewed (11:31 PM EST): Burning close to the midnight oil here, we've completed our review of ADV's Arc the Lad Vol. #2, which streets this coming Tuesday.

Advance review (10:38 PM EST): Due out on 7/17/2001 from ADV Films is the first in their latest series release, Getter Robo Vol. #1. Ah, more Go Nagai goodness!

Newly reviewed (09:07 PM EST): Digging in again and trying to get caught up with the slew of discs that arrived this week, the first new one up is Vampire Princess Miyu Vol. #1, a release that's now tinged by knowing the final two episodes of this OVA series are delayed quite awhile.

Disc delays (08:03 PM EST): According to updates at several retailers, AnimEigo's upcoming releases of Baoh and Vampire Princess Miyu Vol. #2 are on indefinite hold due to authoring house issues that are beyond their control. They hope to have the discs re-announced later this year.

TOKYOPOP recall (07:02 AM EST): TOKYOPOP has issued a recall press release for their recent release of Spring & Chaos. TOKYOPOP will be fixing both the encoding issues as well as the dubtitling issue. Information on how to return the disc and expected re-shipment are included in the release as well as some interesting comments by the staff there. Considering it's been just about a week or so since many people, ourselves included, have finally seen the disc, this is an excellent turn around time and we're very pleased to see how TOKYOPOP has interacted with the fans over this issue. We'll be looking forward to the next releases.

Thursday, June 7th, 2001

Site tidbit (09:06 PM EST): We're going to run a little lean over the next day or two, due to my 15 month old daughter having both a double earache and a sore throat. While she's starting to feel better, her downtime has led us to watch a couple of shows and we'll have a number of reviews over the weekend, such as Getter Robo, Vampire Princess Miyu and Arc the Lad as well as one or two others to be sure.

Cover art (09:05 PM EST): A new piece of cover art was added today for Right Stuf's upcoming OVA compilation of Yamamoto Yohko, Starship Captain. We've updated our review template with it, and you can see the fuller picture on Right Stuf's site.

New title announcement (01:03 PM EST): As posted on the forum late this morning, ADV has set the street date for Orphen Vol. #2 to 09/11/2001. We're guessing 3 episodes/29.99$ at the moment.

Date changes (01:01 PM EST): Via a changed list at Right Stuf, just about all the upcoming announced releases for Media Blasters have undergone street date changes. We've compiled the list here by date:

Wednesday, June 6th, 2001

Newly reviewed (06:31 PM EST): Here's a truly mixed review for you here. If you're a fan of the slower moving shows such as Wings of Honneamise, Gasaraki and Legends of Galactic Heroes, you're very likely going to enjoy Bandai's latest release, Crest of the Stars Vol. #1. That's if you can get past some severe video issues.

TOKYOPOP talks (06:26 PM EST): A response via email to Anna Sartin, one of our readers, was posted on the forum this evening, talking about one of the problematic issues that surrounded their Spring & Chaos release and potentially their upcoming titles. According to Matthew Galgani of TOKYOPOP;

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We are in the process of reviewing all aspects of the Spring and Chaos DVD and will apply all lessons learned to our future releases, including Vampire Princess Miyu. One thing that is certain is that we will be doing a literal subtitled translation for all of our releases, again including Vampire Princess Miyu.
 

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New title announcements (05:10 PM EST): According to today's update at Right Stuf, Pioneer's got two new discs on their plate. Due on 10/09/2001 is the fifth collection of Sailor Moon S TV, which runs for 140 minutes and retails for 29.99$. Due on 09/11/2001 is the release of Gatekeepers Vol. #1, a very fan popular series at the moment, with a running time of 75 minutes and a retail price of 29.99$. This leads many to believe that the series will be an eight disc release.

Tuesday, June 5th, 2001

Coming soon (05:57 PM EST): For those that read here daily, know my forum postings and even my chat style, you'll know we're getting to the lower end of our reviewing pile when we start pulling out shows like Knights of Ramune or Sailor Victory... heck, getting two episodes into Slayers Try should scare a lot of you. Well, back to the backburner they go. We got in a few nice shipments today that are going to keep us hopping and heighten our fanboyish level. Coming over the next week or so will be Crest of the Stars Vol. #1, Getter Robo: Armageddon, Arc the Lad Vol. #2, Vampire Princess Miyu OVA Vol. #1, Mail Order Maiden, I Dream of Mimi/Buttobi CPU, Assemble: Insert and probably the one that will take a bit longer, Magic Knight Rayearth Season 2.

Having finally gotten this bad boy in from Media Blasters, I really have to give full and major props to these guys. Way back last year, a bunch of us (myself included) were getting completely stoked on how absolutely cool these Japanese boxes were for the Card Captor Sakura series. Lots of talk, lots of "these are what box sets are supposed to look like". Well, Media Blasters took note and Rayearth season 2 is enclosed in a bad boy just like it. I love it. Hell, my father, who hates anime, thinks it's great. It's a box that really makes you feel like you got something special.

Way to go Media Blasters. Bitchin' move.

Press (05:56 PM EST): The ADV press release machine geared up again today talking about Sorcerer Hunters Vol. #2 and the Kimagure Orange Road Movie: Summers Beginning.

New title announcement (05:53 PM EST): The folks at Viz have let loose with this press release talking about Video Girl Ai's debut onto region 1 DVD this coming September.

Monday, June 4th, 2001

For fun! (07:45 PM EST): If AnimEigo can do a deadpool contest, so can we! Check out our Slayers Survey!

Newly reviewed (07:24 PM EST): Though more of a digest review, we've gotten around to taking a look at the 3/27/2001 release from Media Blasters that's known as Sailor Victory. And just so you know how close to the bottom of the pile we are, we're going to start in on Slayers Try tonight. Pray for me my friends!

Utena movie (06:56 PM EST): A bit of correspondence was forwarded to us today, though I can't remember if we've covered it before or not. In that case, better safe than sorry. According to an email from CPM, the Revolutionary Girl Utena movie's region 1 DVD will indeed be anamorphic. They currently don't have any information on whether it will be progressive or not, but did indicate that it was indeed hard to get a hold of the anamorphic print. We here at Anime on DVD are grateful that the print was secured. Thanks to Alan Steckley for the heads-up.

Sunday, June 3rd, 2001

Alternate angles (04:34 PM EST): Let's see if we can make our way through a few more alternate angles with opinions on shows by the readers here:

Region 1:

• Escaflowne Vol. #3 by John Trevathan

• Project A-Ko: Love & Robots by Jon Gibson

• Martian Successor Nadesico Vol. #1 by Roman Martel

• Bubblegum Crisis 2040 Vol. #5 by Roman Martel

• Ranma 1/2: Random Rhapsody Vol. #1 by Andrew Donarumo, Jr.

• Rurouni Kenshin Vol. #6 by Lawrence Chu

• Golgo 13: Queen Bee by Aaron J. Heiner

• Cowboy Bebop Session 3 by Jared Wietbrock

• Tenchi Forever by Jared Wietbrock

• Dragonball Z: Frieza: The Summoning by Sean Smith

• Dragonball Z: Androids: Invincible by Jonathan Hertzog

Hardware:

• Sony SA-V900 Home Theater Speaker System by Gregorio Cabaltica

Region 2

• Castle of Cagliostro by Benjamin Andreu

• Castle of Cagliostro by Reed Nelson

• Genesis Climber Mospeada Vol. #1 by Adam Kath

• Sakura Wars TV Vol. #2 by Sean Kemp

• Love Hina Process 9 by Anthony Ton

Newly reviewed (02:40 PM EST): Dipping again into the review pile, we've pulled out the recent release of Rurouni Kenshin TV Vol. #6, which brings to an end the 5 episode discs (for awhile?).

Advance review (10:02 AM EST): Due out on 7/31/2001 from ADV Films is Sorcerer Hunters Vol. #2, the release with another seven episodes of Carrot fun and a much better cover too.

A-Kon report (07:10 AM EST): Mariela has returned from Saturday's busy day at A-Kon and has posted some lengthy notes on the panels and what she's learned. If there are updates once her notes get in complete order, we'll post them here and update that page as well.

Of interesting note is the dramatic changes made to ADV's release of Princess 9. This series was originally way back listed as a 9 volume release (each disc being an inning for the baseball series). It was changed down to 6 discs recently, which got a lot of people more interested in it. Well, they're going to try an experiment with the title by making the series DVD only and releasing the discs for 19.98$.

Also of note is that the City Hunter 2 set that's being done as a pre-order only set is also an experiment in gauging interest in going after shows that simply can't be dubbed. Many older shows no longer have their separate audio stems and dubs can't be produced for them, leaving only the subtitle market. So if you're in the slightest a City Hunter fan and you're hoping to see other stuff, it may not hurt to snare this set. Out of the 2000 minimum needed, the set is at 356 orders. Hmmm, maybe we need a City Hunter primer...

Saturday, June 2nd, 2001

Newly reviewed (04:32 PM EST): We've taken a look at TOKYOPOP's first anime DVD, the newly released Spring & Chaos show. For those who are anticipating their upcoming releases of Vampire Princess Miyu TV and Saint Tail, you may want to see how their first attempt at an anime DVD has turned out.

Oh! My UK (08:52 AM EST): Word has come down that MVM, the UK anime company that deals with a lot of AnimEigo's releases, will be putting out Oh! My Goddess on 2 DVD's later this summer. You can check out all the info here as well as see what may be the US cover art as well.

Newly reviewed (08:50 AM EST): Yet another series has completed with Pioneer's release this past week of Trigun and we've completed our review of volume 8 of this series that manages to really shift gears halfway through.

Friday, June 1st, 2001

Newly reviewed (09:27 PM EST): Finishing yet another series, Escaflowne Vol. #8 brings to close one of the better series of recent years and brings to close a very fast paced release from Bandai. Though I somehow doubt they're going to get a breather from it. Coming over the weekend will be Trigun Vol. #8, Spring & Chaos and Sorcerer Hunters Vol. #2.

Anime on DVD salute to A-Kon  (08:55 PM EST): One of the favorite pastimes of the Anime on DVD IRC group during con season is to check out all the pictures posted over at Fans View (which is mostly just cosplay view, since there's hardly any real news). Tonight, the gang and I on #animedvd would just like to send a big salute to the gent in the back of this picture who just proves, sometimes you just gotta shift things around some. And let it be a lesson to everyone else that goes to anime conventions... this could be you!

Manga's Blood (08:29 PM EST): A post on the Manga Entertainment forum has revealed that Blood for the US release of this stunningly beautiful 45 minute movie will be using the digital master for their release, though they also apparently do have the film master. The differences between the two are extremely minor though, and many consider the digital version to be the superior one.

Newly reviewed (08:09 PM EST): This past week hasn't been too good for us to catch up on watching shows and reviewing things, but we're starting to dig in again and have the newly released Escaflowne Vol. #7 up and ready.

Press (12:56 PM EST): The latest press release comes from Palm Pictures, parent company of Manga Entertainment, talking about their new five year deal with Macrovision in protecting their discs. The press release appears to follow the typical propaganda pushed forth by Macrovision in how it does not affect video quality, even though it's been proven time and time again just how much it can and has affected video quality on both VHS and DVD over the years. At this time, Manga continues to be the only company that uses Macrovision on their DVD's, and I send my thanks to the companies who do not.

Can you tell I absolutely hate Macrovision?

Alternate angles (09:46 AM EST): We've got a few more ready to go this morning. If you've sent in a review recently (region 1 or 2) and we haven't gotten to it yet, we're going as fast as we can! We'll get caught up soon, hopefully this weekend.

• Trigun Vol. #7 by Roman Martel

• Sol Bianca Vol. #3 by Roman Martel

• Martian Successor Nadesico Vol. #1 by M.C. Wilson

Petitions (09:06 AM EST): A new petition has been added this morning for a release of the Space Pirate Captain Harlock.

Ask the 'Cat! (09:01 AM EST): Back and fully rested, LadyCat is back to deal with the questions and get things squared away among the confused readers here with Issue 46!

First impressions (08:46 AM EST): Doing the unthinkable last night, I actually picked up a copy of Spring & Chaos from Suncoast in the mall. I decided to pick it up on the spot since it's the first offering from TOKYOPOP's anime division, and we'll have a full review up this weekend, but I wanted to toss a few first impressions out there. The packaging is going to be something that'll receive mixed reactions, but I have to admit liking the cardboard slipcase and the general layout of the interior as it gives a lot more artwork to the fan than keepcases do. The disc layout looks pretty decent with a nice mix of music and artwork for the menus, and the disc is loaded with various subtitles, though the subpictures on some of the Chinese/Korean language tracks show too much of the "transparent" area around them.

What does concern me a bit is the video presentation. While not excessively poor, it did back up some of my initial fears. When I received the Toonami versions of Blue Submarine No. 6 and Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz, I had criticized both for their video transfers which left a lot to be desired. The authoring for those were done not by the normal Bandai authoring house, but by a company called ComChoice. At that time, checking out their site showed a testimonial by the folks at Mixx/TOKYOPOP. The problems I saw with the Toonami discs are the same here in terms of video. Again, while it's not the bottom of the pit, I'm keeping ComChoice in the same company as AIX Media, the company who authored most of ADV's discs until they went to POP/Cinram, who Bandai also uses.

Checking out the smaller authoring houses is always a good thing. ADV struck some gold with Imagesource and they're getting MOFC to put out some really great looking discs. AIX never got up to snuff though, and I can only hope that ComChoice gets a handle on anime soon.