Update for: FF1&2 anime DVD, "new" Angel Blade DVD, & Cutey Honey anime R-2 releas
Sorry for bumping such an old thread, but I finally had a little free time to pop open my copy of the R-2 DVD release of the FF1&2 anime (released last November), so I wanted to follow up with some content info.
RyoGeo said:
Dash no Chris, is there anything special to this disc set beyond the basic episodes? Are there special bits on this, other than the new Obari cover?
DN3000 said:
Will this edition contain anything extra?
First, some notes on the packaging. The new Terry - Andy - Joe - Mai illustration by Oobari serves as the front cover illustration for both the DVD and the insert booklet. The Mai portion of the illustration is reproduced as a monochromatic pinkish-red "greyscale" image on the printed side of the DVD itself. The booklet is 8 pages, in full color (although the 8th page -- the back cover -- is just a blank red page). Page 2's Japanese text provides background info on the game series behind the anime, along with several images from the FF1&2 anime. Page 3's text provides background info on Pony Canyon's FF2 strategy VHS/LD release, "Garou Densetsu 2 -Ougi Denshouhen-" (released in June, '93), along with several images from that strategy video. Pages 4-5 feature an interview with Oobari Masami, a brief summary of his career, a small b&w photo of Oobari, and several images from the FF1&2 anime. Pages 6-7 feature a very simple character relationship chart, explaining the ties that bind together the 8 main characters of the 2 anime (Terry, Andy, Joe, Mai, Jef, Tung, Geese, & Krauser). The chart prints the character names in both Japanese and English, and I noticed that the "Jef" spelling of the Bogards' father's name (previously seen in Japanese mooks & filmbooks about the FF anime films) is once again used here.
The jacket insert that provides the front and back covers of the DVD keepcase, is printed on both sides. The keepcase itself is made of transparent plastic, so removing the insert booklet and the DVD will allow you to see the backside of the jacket insert. The left portion (behind the booklet) explains the DVDs menu setup. The right portion (behind the DVD) is black, with the "Battle Fighters Garou Densetsu" logo in the upper left corner, the "Battle Fighters Garou Densetsu 2" logo in the lower right corner, and a DVD-sized pinkish-red disc in the center (the monochrome version of the cover image of Mai is once again printed here, in the center of the pinkish-red disc). The inner spine portion of jacket insert is a similar pinkish-red, with "BATTLE FIGHTERS" in black English letters running down the middle. If one were to remove the jacket insert, reverse it, and re-insert it, the monochrome image of Mai would become the front cover, the menu explanation would become the back cover, and the spine would show "BATTLE FIGHTERS" instead of the Japanese logos for the 2 films.
Each track on the DVD (other than the tracks that mark the opening, title, and ending credit sequences of the films) is tied to the beginning of one of the fight scenes, allowing the viewer to use the chapter select menu to jump directly to a particular match-up. In addition to the 2 anime TV specials, the DVD also features a brief selection from the aforementioned "Garou Densetsu 2 -Ougi Denshouhen-" strategy video. Unfortunately, it's only about 5 mins long -- just long enough to show introductory sample bouts for the 4 main characters (Terry, Andy, Joe, & Mai) but no long enough for combos or tactical advice. This is similar to the strategy video samplers that were included at the end of the R-2 releases of "Battle Spirits Ryuuko no Ken" (aka, Art of Fighting) and "Samurai Spirits Haten Kouma no Shou" (aka, Samurai Spirits The Movie). Personally, I think if Marvelous Entertainment (the producers of these DVDs) isn't going to bother providing the entire 60-minute strategy video on each DVD, they should just scrap the 5 minutes they're giving us and just give us the SNK TV commercials instead (which were previously available on the FF & AoF anime videos/LDs, and on Pony Canyon's strategy videos/LDs).
As previously stated in this thread, the FF1&2 R-2 DVD release (and all the R-2 DVDs of NEO-related anime) are Japanese-language only, with no subtitles of any kind.
BenimaruN said:
whoa! thanks for the oobari report chris. i've been a fan since the first minute of the ff anime so i'll put your info to good use. i love 'angel blade,' so i'll make sure to check out the other hentai as well.
[link] Studio G-1 NEO (it's sorta dead, but maybe incessant traffic will resurect it) [/link]
Still no word on a follow-up to the original 3-part Angel Blade hentai anime series (or of a follow-up to the Sore yuke Marine-chan or VIPER -GTS- hentai anime series, for that matter), however there is a "new" Angel Blade R-2 DVD coming in July. Entitled "Angel Blade - Ultimate Edition," this will be a single DVD package containing all 3 episodes for only 7140 yen (this is a bargain, considering each of the 3 episodes were originally released individually for 7140 yen
apiece -- basically, you're getting all 3 eps for 1/3 their original price). In addition, "Ultimate Edition" will include new footage not found in the original release of the series, and
an all-new cover illustration (that link goes to an early "sneak preview" line drawing of the proposed cover illustration -- there's a couple naked breasts in this pic, just so everyone's forewarned). So far I've seen no announcements concerning this DVDs serial number, running time, or number of discs (although I'm assuming it'll be a single DVD). I'll try to post an update as I get more info.
BTW, thanks for the Studio G-1 NEO link, BenimaruN! It's been a donkey's age since I've visited the site, so I hadn't seen all the pre-production concept art for Choujuushin Gravion. Wow, some of the characters were changed pretty drastically from their original designs. It'd be nice to see Mizuki Tachibana (apparently, referred to originally as Eyehawk Mizuki Tachibana) in
this little black number with the spade-shaped hole over her navel in an upcoming episode of Gravion Zwei.
slerch666 said:
Are there any Mazinger Z DVDs in R2? How about the original Cutey Honey TV series?
2004 looks set to be the year for Cutey Honey. With a new live-action theatrical film throwing Nagai Gou's seminal android superheroine back into the spotlight, Toei Video is finally releasing all 3 Cutey Honey anime series (Cutey Honey [1973-74], Shin Cutey Honey [1994-95], and Cutey Honey F [1997-98]) on R-2 DVD:
On 4/21/04, the 1973-74 Cutey Honey anime TV series will be released on 3 individual DVD volumes (10 eps on 2 discs in each of the first 2 volumes, and 5 eps on 1 disc for vol. 3 -- a total of 25 eps), and in a DVD boxed set ("Cutie Honey Premium Box"). The boxed set will also include a 6th DVD featuring: the series' Pilot Film, the series' preview from the Spring '74 Toei Manga Festival, a collection of TV Spots, promo adverts for the first episode, and a credit-free version of the opening title sequence. A bonus CD soundtrack, "ETERNAL EDITION Cutey Honey," will also be included in the boxed set. Also included will be a pamphlet/booklet providing synopses for all 25 episodes. The boxed set is priced at 31,290 yen. The individual DVD volumes will be 10,290 yen each for vols 1 & 2, and 5040 yen for vol 3.
On 5/21/04, the 1994-95 Shin Cutey Honey [New Cutey Honey] OAV series will be released as a 2-disc DVD volume, entitled "Shin Cutey Honey Complete Pack" (a total of 8 episodes). It appears that the initial run of this DVD package will be in a limited digipack format. No details yet on the special features or the booklet, only that the package will include both. The "Complete Pack" will retail for 10,290 yen.
On 6/21/04, the first of 4 DVD volumes of the 1997-98 Cutey Honey F [Cutey Honey Flash] anime TV series will be released. Each volume will contain 2 discs, with 10 eps each on vols 1-3, and 9 eps on vol 4 -- a total of 39 eps. Vols 2, 3, & 4 go on sale on 7/21, 8/6, & 9/21, respectively. I was hoping that Cutey Honey F would get a boxed set release, too, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. Hopefully, we'll get lucky and one of the 4 vols will include a box as a first pressing bonus. Each volume will be priced at 10,290 yen.
BTW, here's a link to
Toei Video's Cutey Honey page, and one to
the official site for the live-action film, Cutie Honey, in Japanese theaters at the beginning of Summer '04.
I've got all 3 of these series on LD already, so I was thinking I probably wouldn't pick them up on DVD (especially since the total for the boxed set, the digipack, and the Flash DVDs is 82,740 yen -- about $750 - $790 in Japan). But after looking at the contents of the boxed set, it's getting harder and harder to pass these up.
--Chris