Amazon.com

Producers at Harmony Gold combined the series Super Dimension Fortress:Macross, Genesis Climber Mospeada, and Super-dimensional CavalrySouthern Cross to create a sprawling space opera with a new plot:Robotech (1985), which helped to build an audience for anime in the U.S.The story begins in 1999, when a gigantic spaceship strikes the Earth. Tenyears later, Earth forces relaunch the ship as the alien Zentraedi attack,hoping to recapture it. The seesaw warfare is played against a vagueromantic triangle involving brash pilot Rick Hunter, straight-laced officerLisa Hayes, and aspiring singer Minmei. The Zentraedi have somehow lost thesecret of biological reproduction, but the two races are virtually identicalbiochemically. The similarity is sealed by the marriage of Earth pilot Maxand Zentraedi spy Miriya. Minmei's performances become a key element in theongoing war, as the Zentraedi consider her bubblegum pop songs a form of"psychological assault." (They have a point.) Although humanity emergesvictorious, much of the Earth is devastated. Lisa and Rick discover theirtrue feelings as the new threat of the Robotech Masters appears--which leadsinto the second continuity. Gen-X-ers who grew up on Robotech willdelight in retracing the coy romances and crude space battles; viewersaccustomed to the faster pacing, snazzier effects, and more dramatic conflictsof more recent anime will grow impatient with the endless shilly-shallying. It's aclassic of sorts. (Suitable for all ages; appropriate for ages 8 and up:mild violence restricted to spaceship and robot battles) --CharlesSolomon ... Read more

Reviews (27)

DVD quality, here's what to expect.
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I was hesitant in buying this due to the many similar reviews complaining about DVD quality. Here's what you will (or will not) expect from the Robotech DVDs:

1. Do not expect high quality DVD video or audio found in remastered movies like Disney's Beauty and the Beast.
2. It is a little grainy (but sharp) with a lot of artifacts (dust and such).
3. Color quality is somewhat "light", as if a little too bright.
4. Sound quality is TV quality.
5. In short, if you watched it on TV back in the 80s, then expect similar 1980s TV quality. In this aspect, it is similar to watching a VHS recording of your favorite prime time show.
6. If you have seen HK DVD bootlegs of 1980s anime (like Kimagure Orange Road -KOR), I'd say they are pretty much of the same audio-video quality.
7. Would I still have bought it? Now that I have seen it for myself?

YES SIREEE! Overall, the quality is still acceptable (to me at least): It is TV quality. Just imagine, you are watching a TV show as you were back in the 80s. It is still better than my old Robotech VHS from F.H.E.

One of the greatest action cartoons of the eighties
The box set contains 6 discs with all the episodes (48) of the macross saga of the robotech series. It also contains various previews for other anime movies of note. The picture quality on the dvds is not great for todays standards but still very watchable, the sound is also lacking but this is all secondary to the fact that the story line and the action on most of the episodes is ultra involving and is still fresh and original. Episodes like 'battle Hymn' are unforgetabble and will be watched again and again. I am a big fan of the series but still believe that even those who have not even heard of robotech would enjoy this dvd box set wich is one of the jewels of my DVD collection (expanding some 200 DVD)

Long time coming
I've only rewatched about a fourth of this series, after watching them for the first time twenty years ago. It's great fun to revisit these episodes. One thing that is slightly surprising is how well they've held up in my memory, which is a testament to how well written the series is and well executed each episode.

Picture quality is not important to me and I refuse to penalize a ground-breaking mid-80s anime for 'unsophisticated' animation or whatever. The animation is as thrilling now as it was then, but what's most important, the story is truly excellent. Excellent characterizations, excellent story development: the Zentraedi, the Veritech fighters, the SDF-1, are all introduced slowly and there was real care given to raising tension and building a universe. I admit I find the very same things annoying that I did so long ago: Minmei is very annoying, for example, and Lisa somewhat stuffy (though my 8-year old self had a crush on her), and some cheesy/ditzy moments.

But my excitement at finding this series on sale has been mightily met. This was a cartoon series that rose above what it had to be. It matches its epic scope with clear characterizations, including a surprisingly mature love triangle. Not to mention cool fighters and cool fights.

I never knew until now that the three parts of the Robotech saga were joined later by Carl Macek upon US entry. That was brilliant.

What a piece of rubbish
I can not understand why anybody likes the 1st saga of Robotech, it is complete garbage. I enjoyed both Masters and New Generation, but I cannot stand the first saga at all. The characters are very shallow, especially the protaganist Rick, he is a complete and total jerk, after the 1st few episodes I was hoping the Zentradi would blow him out of the sky. The mech designs themselves are really lacking, and the story itself is completely dull and boring. This series is just plain awful.

SO MANY TO CHOOSE FROM...
With a stroke of success in the 80's, the Robotech: Macross series still has a place for many fans today and shares a strong cult following. Being a fan of the series as a kid, I decided to buy the whole Robotech: Macross series, but I came across the overwelming amount of editions to the series. I didn't know which to buy, so I watched them all. Here are the differences between to different boxsets (all offered through Amazon):

Robotech: the Complete Macross Series
One Boxset: 6 disc

Sells for around $60-$65
Nothing special, picture quality is not great, but bearable. Comes in one compact boxset with all the disc in it. Would not reccomend getting this edition unless you just want a copy of the series and want to spend the least possible amount of money.

Robotech: The Legacy Collection: Macross Saga (Collections 1-3)
Three Boxsets: with 3 disc in each
Sells for around $40 each boxset, entire set around $120-$130
Same picture quality as the above set, but with addtional features. Comes with the most extras out of any current sets, but even then, they are so-so. I would actually recommend getting the above edition as I was not impressed with the extras, some were interesting, but it definately didn't justify the price. Your paying almost twice the price.

Robotech Remastered: The Macross Saga (Volumes 1-3)
Three Boxsets: Two disc each boxset
Sells for around $25 each boxset, entire set around $75-$80
Remastered picture quality superior to both sets above, sound quality much improved. This is the set that I would recommend. The price is affordable and well worth the extra money compared to the first set. Also includes a few bonus footage.

Macross: Super Dimensional Fortress (Sets 1-3)
Three Boxsets: Three discs each boxset
Sells for around $60-$70 each boxset, entire series around $180-200
Macross is the original Japanese series of the Robotech: Macross Saga. The storyline is slightly different with different music and sounds. When it was brought to the US, Harmony Gold added the Macross material with two other Japanese series to make Robotech. Macross is more "mature" and includes several scenes taken out of Robotech. Picture quality is even more crisp than the Remastered Series. I would reccomend only to die-hard Robotech fans. It's pretty expensive and lacks really any real extra features. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Inspired by "Gulliver's Travels," the fantasy-adventure Castle in theSky (1986) was Hayao Miyazaki's third feature, and helped to establishhis reputation as a visionary in both Japan and America. The orphan Sheetainherited a mysterious crystal that links her to the legendary sky-kingdom ofLaputa. With the help of resourceful Pazu and a rollicking band of skypirates, she makes her way to the ruins of the once-great civilization.Sheeta and Pazu must outwit the evil Muska, who plans to use Laputa's scienceto make himself ruler of the world. Castle echoes elements inMyazaki's earlier Nausicaä, and anticipates imagery in his laterfilms, from My Neighbor Totoro to Spirited Away.Disney's newEnglish dub, which features Anna Paquin (Sheeta), James Van Der Beek (Pazu),and Cloris Leachman (pirate matriarch Dola), is lively and close in tone tothe original Japanese, if a bit talkier. The excitingflying sequences, appealing characters, and fantastic vision of asteam-powered future Jules Verne might have imagined make Castle in theSky a must-have for fans of Japanese and Western animation. (Unrated:suitable for ages 10 and older: violence) --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (132)

Castle in the sky - Laputa
This is definetly the one of the best animation ever made. One of ealier classic that defined Miyazaki's crown as king of animation. It's so good that Disney had to copy designed, action scenes, and story from this movie. Guess what movie was that? Atlantis. Don't get me wrong. Atlantis is not a rip off of Laputa, because Disney can't even do a good job ripping people off. There is no way Disney can steal the spirit of Laputa, no one can. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Disney, this is not a political review, I am just disapointed seeing what Disney ls doing. Once you've seen the movie, you'll see what I mean.
The movie ages very well because it is still aa funny, and heart warming as I first saw it almost 10 years ago. It's got a beautiful story, great character design, beautiful Miyazaki style machinaries, amazine and funny action sequences, and definetly one of the best score ever written. Too bad that Disney bought the right of this movie so it can rip this movie and Nadia off to make the stupid Atlantis. It's heart brokening to see Disney don't respect a classic just because it is not from Dinsney. Heck, Disney haven't made a classic since Disney him self died. I hope all Miyazaki's movie gets what it deserve, and I hope Disney respect other's work when it decides to buy the right off them. I hope you guys gets to see this movie whenever it comes out. It's been in Disney's storrage room for how -ever long.

Fantastic High-Flying Adventure
The third feature film of acclaimed writer/director Hayao Miyazaki (Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away), Castle in the Sky showcases his talents for creating great adventures yarns with substance as well as style.

Set in an alternate 1920's earth, where airships rule the skies and entire continents can fly, Castle in the Sky is the story of two orphans who meet by chance. A young girl, Sheeta (Anna Paquin), floats literally from the sky after narrowly escaping capture from a band of pirates, wearing a mysterious glowing necklace. She is caught by Pazu (James Van Der Beek), a brave and resourceful young assistant engineer, who notices that the crystal she wears has fantastic magical properties. It is this crystal that several suspicious parties are trying desperately to get their hands on, including the Dola Pirate Gang, and the Army, led by the nefarious Colonel Muska (Mark Hammil). It soon becomes clear that the real prize in this race is the ancient, supposedly mythical, floating island of Laputa.

What follows is a grand chase towards the Caste in the Sky, with captures, narrow escapes, air battles, and more. Miyazaki's love of flight is more than apparent at the way the action soars, moving easily from land to air, and the pace of the movie, though the film runs over two hours, only lets up when and for as long as it needs to. Miyazaki showed in both The Castle of Cagliostro and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind that he has a talent for making rousing adventure movies, and, though Castle has some of the ecological messages found in Nausicaa (and later, in Princess Mononoke), they always take a backseat to the events that drive the movie.

The characters here are a varied, strange, and incredibly fun lot. The Dola Pirates are always entertaining when their banter flys, Mark Hammil has a blast as the scheming villian, and Pazu and Sheeta are two of the cutest leads you could ask for. They're also a refreshing taste from the "ordinary" in the anime genre. Sheeta is more than capable of handling herself, and Pazu is a cheerful idealist, a nice break from the surly teenage leads that overpopulate anime. In addition, their relationship is wonderfully done; it's the simplest, most pure form of love imaginable, that neither tries to be romantic or plutonic, but is just shown as it is. There is never a single kiss on screen, but the audience knows, through the body language and the words in their moments together that these two will be together one way or another for life.

And even though this is one of Miyazaki's earlier films, the animation is still fairly impressive. Of course, it looks a little dated next to the likes of Spirited Away, but it still looks and feels like a wonder. The character designs are Miyazaki's usual simplistic but expressionistic fare, and the vehicles that populate the world are imaginative and plausible, and the architecture has a surprising amount of variety.

The real treasure on this DVD release is the completely redone musical score on the English Language version of the film. Back in the mid-'80's, Studio Ghibli was not nearly the powerhouse it is today, and consequently, composer Joe Hisaishi was at times forced to put his rather sparse score on sythesizers and such. However, the new score contains everything from the original release, and a heck of a lot more, all done in beatiful orchestral renditions. And as for actual quality of music, the score for Castle in the Sky easily holds its own against Mononoke in terms of quality and power.

Of course, you have to watch the english dub of the movie to hear this, but having said that, it's not a bad job, arguably superior to Mononoke and Kiki's Delivery Service in terms of the actor's performances. Cloris Leachman is hilarious as Dola, Paquin does a fine job of Sheeta, and even Van Der Beek manages to be only marginally annoying. And really, how can you not like Mark Hammill?

Overall, Castle in the Sky is one of Miyazaki's best films, showcasing some of the most imagination, colorful characters, and dazzling adventure, it also carries some fairly powerful emotions. It also looks great, even after eighteen years, and is simply a great deal of fun to watch.

Castle in the Sky....
Is it just me, or do those very words, without even knowing what they refer to, contain a whimsical, imagination-inspiring power to them?

"Castle in the Sky" is by Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, who I've come to believe is one of the most masterful storytellers alive today, and maybe of all time. It begins with a young girl, Sheeta, drifting down from the sky into the arms of a young miner named Pazu. From there begins an incredible adventure as these two search for answers to the girl's origins while running from both air pirates as well as mysterious agents. I don't intend to reveal much of the plot here, but suffice it to say, this movie reignited the feelings I used to have as a child when watching such classics as "The Wizard of Oz" and the "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" (which I also just recently purchased on DVD.

The movie was created several years ago, but was recently brought to America, with a wonderful redubbing into English, thanks to Disney Studios. If you're looking for visuals like the mind-blowing, computer simulations in recent Disney hits such as "Finding Nemo", this isn't it. However, if you're a fan of traditional cel animation, this film may be one of the best ever produced. Miyazaki's attention to detail, his ability to bring these two dimensional characters to life, is awe-inspiring.

For me, the greatest thing about this movie is that it's reminded me of the kind of fictional magic I hope to create myself one day, and makes me wonder if it's too late in my life for me to become an animator. The bad thing about seeing a movie like this, is that I know that I could never produce anything nearly as beautiful.

Fortunately for me, if I ever get the opportunity, I'm just stubborn, determined, and delusional enough to give it a shot anyway.

Wonderfully strange story with fascinating images
This is a wonderful movie. The story is enchanting, with fantastic flying machines and cities in the air. The land and air are full of strange and mysterious people who range from the kind and good to the power hungry evil types. What is especially nice about the characterizations in this film is that only a few are wholly good or wholly evil, most are a mix and are trying to work out their place in the plot of the story.

The story opens with an action sequence without any explanation about what is happening. This causes us to focus our attention and to try and figure out what is going on and what all these strange people and machines are. In some ways it seems like a 1930s serial, in others futuristic, and in others ancient myth without connection to the world in which we live.

While this isn't as beautiful as "Spirited Away" or even "Princess Mononoke", it is still head and shoulders above nearly everything you see passing as an animated movie nowadays (with a couple of exceptions). My kids encouraged me to get this DVD and they enjoyed it immensely. I expected to like it, but enjoyed it more than I expected.

Miyazaki has a unique imagination and has a powerful ability to use his wonderful images to tell the story in delightful and beautiful ways that go beyond conventional live action movies - no matter the special effects budget - or even most animation. Watching his stories is a special experience that I am grateful to him for sharing with me.

please watch the original version with English subtitle !!!!
I'm a Japanese and have watched this film so many time over the last 18 years and remember all its details, since
this is my favorite film of Hayao Miyazakis'.
I have now a French DVD together with synclonization and subltitle in English and Japanese original voice.
I'm shocked and furious about English voiceover version because the BGM music is changed from original Japanese version and I found it the absolute disaster.
So far when I watced it in French I found no alterlation of BGM.
I don't have the same DVD which is sold in USA and haven't checked it but I guess this English version in French DVD comes from DVD in USA.
SO please be careful, please watch this film in Japanese with English subltitle.
I cannot believe why Miyazaki's prodction allowed the music to be
changed. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Beast Wars, better than G1
The DVD set of the first season of beast wars is INCREDIBLE,you will not be dissapointed. This may not be liked as well for strict G1 fans, because Optimus Prime and some of the other G1 Characters are not involved until season 2, with the exception of Starscream, which appears in "Posession". Instead of Prime and Megtaron, Beast Wars is a story years in the future, way past Optimus Prime's time. The Autobots, now Maximals, and the Decepticons, now Predacons have new leaders, Optimus Primal, a decendent of Optimus Prime, and Megatron, a decendent of the Original Megatron. BW is an incredible series and the characters, story and emotion IS MUCH better(in my opinion) than G1. Bob Forward and Larry Ditillo outdid themselves on writing these stories. Great Stuff! A+++++

Not bad at all....
My friend got me interested in Beast Wars in 1998, two years after it's
debut and I have loved it since. I don't care what anyone says about it
Beast Wars has to be the best Transformers series ever! If you still pefer
the original series you have to check out the episode Possetion! Now to
get to the main aspects of the DVD. There are 26 episodes on this DVD.
The special features include about ten minute interviews with the series two
main writers Larry DiTillio and Bob Forward. I highly recomend this to any
transformer fan!

success at last
the first season is more then i hope for.you cant get a better version then this.i must say you did good.i have been looking all over for this. i was going to ask wb if they had it on dvd.thanks rhino.

Best Transformer series...
Beast Wars!!
At first, with nostalgic prejudice for the original 80's American G1 series, I was POSITIVE that Beast Wars were second rate. It didn't help that I never caught the show's initial run in order or that i only occasionaly saw an espoisode now & then, so the plots/characters never seemed to make sense.

Only after watching the original G1 series on DVD I noticed the glaring difference in quality. I realized that the G1 series were just glorified toy commericals, but Beast wars had high quality writers, very good story lines, and highly interesting charcters/charcter interactions, Beast Wars was a real program. There was also the minor things that bugged me from the originals that were fixed with Beast Wars, like when they transformed they were relative to their size, NO changing size (small item to huge robot) to fit the show/toy line. There were many tie ins with the original series including a special guest apparence of three decepticons in diffent episodes.

The CGI animation was good for mid 90's, bright, clear colors with shimmering metallic surfaces show thru excellent on DVD (that's on only a stero TV, on HDTV it's heaven). A waste that the environment was bland & rather empty. The animals didn't appeal to me at first, but when u thought about it, it ended up fitting into the story better. Then there's none of those ANNOYING humans that wear only one set of clothes and have the transformers alway having to save them from terrible situations they make for themselves.

I was disappointed that there is no subtitles or language options. The menu interface is rather cumbersome to select things. Then for those that care, there are barely any extras like the faces behind the voices or staff caring on with blah blah blah...

I purchased this DVD set and anxiously anticipate the rest of the episodes of Beast Wars and Beast Machines!!!

Where it all begins...
Finally finally finally, someone listens to our begs and pleas to bring this great series to DVD. Rhino, I applaud you. Obviously this is the longest collection of all three seasons, and this is the root for the much more exciting and plot twisted second & third seasons.

Every episode is well crafted, wasn't bored with anyone of them. My favorite Cybertronian of course, is Optimus Primal. I just wish he would have used his power to its full potential like he did in "Gorilla Warfare". Which was one of my favorites episodes from the first season. If you loved Transformers from the past, then you gotta get this and see what their descendents have started. Get this right away!! ... Read more

Reviews (396)

Certainly a work of art
Yes, everyone gushes about this movie, so I'll try to keep it less so. Roger Ebert once said "When anime fans say how good the film is, nobody takes them seriously." Ouch, but he is right. When looking at this movie, don't view it as "anime," that catch-all word that congures up images of creepy teenage girls, neverending fight scenes, and poorly dubbed movies. Rather, view this as an animated movie about an aspect of WWII that we don't always think of.

It seems brining up the topic of this movie results with two knee-jerk reactions. A) This is an Anti-American movie where Americans are blamed for all deaths in Japan while ignoring Japan's role. OR B) An indictment of America for killing these two children, and a call to avoid war at any costs.

The first is a poor description of this movie due to the movie's elements. Americans are almost never mentioned, save as the pilots of the inhuman planes that fire-bomb the villages. The movie instead raises questions that many should be able to ask: who was at fault? The Japanese people for refusing to help these children? The aunt for expecting too much of a 14-year-old boy traumatized by his mother's death? The Emperor of Japan refusing to surrender when he was obviously defeated? Seita for having too much pride? The Americans for retaliating after Pearl Harbor? Or, as I wonder if the movie suggests, that when people are dying of starvation, politics and finger pointing cease. The movie spends almost zero time blaming a set of people for Seita and Setsusko's situtation (interestingly, the only "bad guys" there seemed to be in the movie where people like the farmer who beats Seita for stealing his crops). When people are set in a blame-first mentality, it's refreshing to see a movie that has little of this pop-culture quality. Because of all of this, the 2nd Knee-Jerk reaction to this movie ("I'm sure Bush had a hand in this!") is incorrect as well.

Overall, everyone else has done a good job of describing the basic content of this movie, so I won't repeat it all. However, this movie is recommended for those who want to see the power of an animated movie that is usually not done in the US. The characters of Seita and Setsuko are so well done (I don't think I've seen a 4 year old portrayed that real in a long time) and strong that you can't help but have a sinking feeling in your gut everytime you know something is going to happen to them. Most notable, Setsuko is not a stereotypical cartoon child. She cries wildly during the night -supposedly due to bad dreams about the war, she refuses the food that could keep her healthy, and plays around her cave with an utter disdain for the war going on around her. There are no cutesy catch-phrases to sell Burger King cups by. By the end, the wasting away of the characters is a very difficult things watch. In the end, I didn't cry (I'm bad at this, I rarely cry at movies), but was still speechless for a few hours afterwards. This is not a movie to watch if you are emotionally unstable at the moment or prone to depression. But, you will be moved. We are fragile.

Moving. Hits on many levels. Perfect
I have never reviewed a film on Amazon but I am compelled to because this is such a fine one. I did not expect, what I feel to be one of the most eloquently told and moving stories, to come in animated form.

Sure, I've seen almost all of Miyazaki. My kids love them and I love, for instance, the playfulness of Totoro and how Kiki finds her self confidence. And then there is the technical brilliance of, say, Spirited Away.

But Takahata's Grave of the Fireflies is a cut above. It shattered me emotionally, yet somehow uplifted me spiritually. I don't see it as a sad movie, devoid of hope, as someone wrote here. It is a beautiful tragedy with a message to tell. It is a film for adults and it hits on many levels and I am still seeing meaning in it after three times viewing it.

The hope comes from the love of the brother and sister for each other and their dignity. Despite their many hardships they are, with a few exceptions where Saita completely breaks down, well mannered. Meanwhile, everyone they meet cares only for themselves, or at least shows a rude ambivilance towards the two. The contrast is incredible. Yet, judgement is not passed upon them. It is left to us to judge. Nor is judgement passed on the enemy, whom the closest we get to, is seeing them as they streak overhead in their bombers.

Also, the hope is shown by the "spirit" Saita and Satsuko who shadow the real characters at important crossroads in their lives and in the very last scene as ghosts watching over modern Japan.

But the movie is not about Japan or World War Two or even War itself. It is about compassion and the human spirit. As a film, it is most like Schindler's List and the same emotion and depths of emotion I felt in that movie I feel with Fireflies. Everyone should see this movie.

Grave of the Fireflies. A masterpiece of the creative form
Ever since I became a writer somewhere around 1996 or 1997, I've had an intense fascination and desire to create things that touch readers, whether through saddness, fear, or happiness, because I think that when a piece, either written or on screen, touches you emotionally, it leaves a lasting impact on you that can lead to a better understanding of the world around you, and even possibly yourself as well. I think that as a creator, this is the greatest achievement one can reach, and I have the utmost respect and admiration for anyone who accomplishes this very thing which I so eagerly wish to achieve.

"Grave of the Fireflies" is the sad tale, based on the semi-autographical book "Hotaru no Haka" by NOSAKA Akiyuki, which tells of the author's experiences during the aftermath of World War II, in which he lost his little sister to malnutrition, for which he blamed himself.

In "Grave of the Fireflies," 14 year old Seita and his 4 year old sister Setsuko lose their mother after the Allied forces bomb their village. Their father is in the Navy and at sea, and hasn't been heard from in a long while. Without going through the entire plot, suffice it to say that the story is a moving and frightening look back at the lives of two young children who should never have to face such horrors at their tender ages. The tone and mood of this heartwrenching piece is set from the very first scene, when Seita utters the fateful words "September 21st, 1945. That's the day that I died."

Before watching "Grave of the Fireflies" I'd heard that it'd been referred to by many, like movie reviewer Roger Ebert, as one of the greatest war films made, and after watching it, I have to agree. Only a person with the emotional depth of a gnat or the heart of block of wood could watch this film and not feel the emotional power of it. It's the kind of story that lingers in your consciousness long after, and forces you to see the true face of war, the REAL consequences and victims of the violence we seem all too quick to inflict upon each other these days. And the most incredible thing about this movie is its subtleness, its complete lack of political propaganda or any attempt to try to blantantly force a moralistic ideal down the viewers throat. Director Isao Takahata shows supreme trust in the story itself, choosing to use the beautifully illustrated film to portray the tale in all its moving glory.

In Japan this movie was shown in schools as an educational piece. I don't know if this has been done in America, but I think that it should. We need to learn to understand the entire spectrum of war, and on an even more basic level, we just need to teach our children the lessons of empathy and compassion so that when they find themselves in positions in which their decisions impact others, they'll take care to consider the consequences before making those decisions. I also think that every world leader should be forced to sit down and watch this film over and over until its message is ingrained into the nooks and crannies of their brains, because it often seems that compassion and empathy are qualities sadly lacking these days.

ONE OF THE BEST FILMS OF MY LIFE (AND THE MOST SAD)
(I'm sorry but my english is not very good.)

I've seen this film some days ago, and now i continue thinking about the story of this film.

I felt love, happy, sad and pain when i watched the film.

The history is about 2 children that are in the middle of the War in Japan (WORLD WAR 2) and they have to survive without parents and without money.

Only i tell you that I have NEVER cried so many like in this film.

You must to see it!!!!!!!!

pd1=I think that should be obligatory to view at school.

pd2=I'd like that all governings of the world watched this film.

pd3=I recommend it for people older than 14 or 15 years. (It's too sad for the children)

A Sharp and Bitter Taste of Tragedy
What a tremendous achievment. It is rare for a film with this kind of scope to be politically and nationally nuetral, just showing what it was like to live and die in a horrific time as World War 2. No finger pointing saying that it was the American's or the Allies' fault. No blame on their native homeland of Japan. Just the chance to watch and even feel the senslessness of war, poverty, inhospitality, and the worst result of any war, just or unjust, death. And one of the most amazing aspects of this film is that it is a cartoon! But after watching for only five or ten minutes you don't remember that its a cartoon, you are immersed in the real world, surrounded by people just trying to survive, even though the animation struck me as being very Hanna Barbarous.

To truly convey the sense of immenent tragedy and hopelessness throughout the entire film they have the opening scene showing Seita (one of the main characters) die and his spirit reunite with that of his sister's, Setsuko, whereupon we watch the rest of the film as Seita remembers the events unfold around them. Right away we know that whatever they go through, whatever good or bad happens to them, Tragedy is lurking somewhere, waiting to strike.

Personally, from then on, almost every scene was heartbreaking, but none more so than watching the slow degeneration of his sister's body trom malnutrion, but thankfully not her spirit. This is not to say they were all harsh. There were a few scenes that were just centered around the joy of being alive, but even then there was always something to remind us of what was going on around them. I was as happy as they were getting to watch them run down the beach and into the ocean, or seeing them chase fireflies outside of thier aunt's house, but the best time for me was their first night alone in the cave, and to help his sister to not be afraid, Seita helps Setesko catch a bunch of fireflies to light up their darkened abode. Seeing the wonder and enjoyment on her face was almost enough to bring me to tears after all the previous emotional despair. And it was then extra sad to see them wake up in the morning to dead fireflies and then taking the time to dig them a grave. Very touching.

This young girl, while visibly suffering, was generally more prone to have fun and let her attention be diverted. You can see this come to its fufillment when Seita gives her a bite of the watermelon, and she uses her last words to say that it tastes good. No complaints about the pain she is obviously dealing with. No crying out to her brother that she doesn't want to die. Just a simple way of saying thank you to her brother. In this same scene we also see how much Sieta truly cares for Setsuko. After giving her the bite of watermelon, he generously sets a piece on her chest, and the rest within easy reach. Instead of breaking his fast with her, Seita selflessly rushes outside to start the rice cooking, more for her than for himself. In his rush to meet her needs he doesn't even realize that she has said her goodbye to him, and she dies while he is in the act of helping her in the only way he knows how.

Another heart rending scene is after she dies and we see a rememberance of how she played and tried to help take care of their small live-in cave. Seeing all that innocence shown so purely in the face of a child in the midst of war moved me to tears and made me thankful to be a father of a similar aged little girl.

This is a movie that truly stays with you and changes how you look at things. Normally after watching a movie I will read, write, or socialize with my wife of friends for awhile. Not so after this one. I went to bed deeply impressed by what I had seen. I awoke the next day thinking about it. I had one of the most mellencholy days that I have ever worked because I was in a constant remeberance of it, trying to soak up all the lessons in it, as I knew I would not watch it again for a long while. It was almost twenty hours later that I finally picked up a book again, a long time for me. And even now it is still right there, beneath the surface of my normal thoughts. Just writing this review brings back vivid scenes.

One last thought about the movie. As other reviews have said, it was upsetting to see the way their aunt treated them. She basically drove them out of the house in all ways short of actually telling them to leave. But one cannot really blame her for her actions. Sure she was being selfish. But she was also living in fear. It really was taxing her family's resources having them there. There wasn't much to go around.In these kind of circumstances most people will try to hold onto everything, becuase you might not survive if you have to share your meager things with others. She shared with animosity and disaproval of their every action because she had no ideathat giving out of Love and a desire to help your fellow human will bring you more back in return.

My final words are watch this. Even if it is hard for tuo to see, or brings up things you thought were past, watch it anyhow. You will be better off for it. Personally I would not recomend letting children view this though. Let them retain their innocence while they have it. War, pain ,and death are not pretty sights, but even less so for our young ones. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The 1985 series Tatakae Cho Robot Seimetai Transformers ("Fight Super Living Robots Transformers") was a U.S.-Japanese coproduction, written in America and animated in Japan. Based on a line of robot toys from Takara--licensed to Hasbro in America--that could be reconfigured into cars, trucks, planes, etc., it spawned numerous sequels and a feature. Civil war rages on the planet Cybertron between the virtuous Autobots and the evil Decepticons. Both sides launch crews into space to find new energy sources, but the ships crash on Earth and are buried in lava. When the robots awaken four million years later, the Decepticons, led by the dictatorial Megatron, want to drain the planet of its resources, enslaving or destroying mankind. The Autobots ally with humanity and befriend oil-rig worker Spike Witwicky. The Saturday morning-style cheat of cutting to a logo, rather than animating transitions, and the frequent pauses for commercial breaks make for very choppy storytelling. The designs of the robots are interesting but lack the graphic sophistication of Yoshiyuki Tomino's Gundam Mobile Suits. The animation is very limited, and the choreography of the battle sequences lacks the panache of Tomino and other more talented directors. Like Robotech, Transformers will appeal most strongly to adults who watched the show as kids: it's remained popular through Web sites, role-playing games, fan fiction, and a lively trade in the original toys. Serious students of anime will find this early series of historic interest. Unrated; suitable for age 6 and up: Robot vs. robot violence. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (175)

A dream come true!!!!!!!!!
I've been waiting so long for this day to happen. The Transformers complete first season on DVD. This was the most amazing cartoon I had ever seen while growing up. I was nine years old when the Transformers debuted in 1984 on Saturday mornings. I had my mom set the alarm clock ten minutes before six o'clock to make sure I didn't miss the begining of it. I only wished I still had all my original toys. The entire story line is brilliantly written. The heroic Autobots, lead by there leader, Optimus Prime versus the evil Decepticons, lead by there leader, Megatron. It shows the true meaning of the phrase "It's good vs. evil". I'm hoping that they continue to release all the Transformers seasons on DVD until the very last episode. Just like the recently released Robotech series. The Transformers were, and still is, my favorite cartoon and toy ever!! I have never stop thinking about Transformers even to this day. It is a must have for everyone!! Buy this DVD!! It is MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE!!!!!!!!!!

THE classic 80s cartoon series! ...but over-remastered
PICTURE QUALITY (2/5 STARS)
The overall image quality has definetly been improved: brighter colours, sharp images and heavy remastering (scratch removal, ect.) but WHAT HAVE THEY DONE?? They really made some devastating mistakes! Some scenes are played in reverse (i.e. the infamous Ironhide transformation scene from 'Heavy Metal War'), some visual heat-, smoke- and fire-effects are just missing!! And there is this mistake-documentation which should show the people what errors the original film masters had and that they have been corrected... they found the errors, but forgot(?) to correct many of them.
Sharpness and colour of the image deserve 5 STARS, but in fact of the errors 2 STARS is the proper rating!

SOUND QUALITY (2/5 STARS)
Generally the sound is very clear and free of hiss/crackles but WHAT HAVE THEY DONE...AGAIN?? They have remixed the soundtrack to Dolby Digital 5.1, initially that sounds brilliant but to reach this goal Rhino added some really strange&stupid soundeffects. Ok, the explosions have a great *boom* but gunfire sounds like children toy guns.
The Dolby Stereo soundtrack is another mess, some episodes have the new 5.1 remix simply downmixed to stereo, but others have the original soundtrack with no added effects. I believe every fan of the series demands at least an option to hear the original sountrack!
First a disappointment then you (have to) get used to it. Nothing more and nothing less.

EXTRAS (5/5 STARS)
The extras is the real strenght of this set! I wonder why they have used so much from season 2 and 3. Can it be that they already have used up all their resources?

SPECIAL/UNIQUE ON THIS DVD RELEASE:
- all new transfer from the original 35mm negative
- Dolby Digital 5.1 remix & Dolby Stereo
- extras... more than meets the eye
- 2 limited-edition cels of Transformers characters (limited?? just to the availability of this boxset LOL!)

COMMENT:
I am a great fan of Transformers G1 and I would have loved to see the TFs in its original form, without remastering mistakes and additional soundeffects.
As a Transfan I also bought the UK boxset of season 1 which contains a lot of other worthy extras. The picture quality is not so sharp and brilliant but there are NO MISTAKES and errors. The soundtrack is the 5.1 remix from this US boxset. I highly recommend buying both editions or if you are not sure, just buy the UK Region 2 boxset if your DVD player is PAL-compatible!

Great transfer, but with a few errors
While not the best production to bear the Marvel Productions or Sunbow Productions banner (that would be Dungeons & Dragons and G.I. Joe, respectively), Transformers is by far the most popular Marvel/Sunbow series. So, of course, Rhino knew they'd make a mint by releasing the first season on DVD in its entirety (*and* uncut, unlike the original FHE releases).

Rhino did one better by restoring the series, going for the 35mm source, and the original vocal/sound effects tracks. While the sound is spot on (and actually better, as the "changes" reflect effects unearthed in the new mix), the 35mm masters are from the *first* take that Sunbow ordered. In essence, that source has errors that were corrected (or not, depending on the episode's budget) before airing. For the most part, Rhino has corrected these errors using alternative sources (including the suddenly very horrid-looking broadcast master), but they weren't perfect (and the bonus disc manages to catch them with their pants down)-there are additional moments where Starscream, Skywarp, and Thundercracker are miscolored, for instance, and the disappearance of the Decepticon space cruiser in "More Than Meets the Eye", Part III. Rhino wanted the best quality possible, as evidenced by a few feats of digital editing where the 35mm master was only slighty "wrong".

However, most have noticed the big issues with "Heavy Metal War", which has a huge host of "new" errors, while still covering up a lot of problems with the 35mm master (the last minute or so of the ep has a good 4 cuts to the broadcast master in order to cover up missing animation, for instance). However, since the ep features the first appearance of the Constructicons (plus a major battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron), we notice the errors that much more. The fact that the three affected scenes are the ones featuring Megatron's challenge of Prime, the power transfer sequence (which Rhino would have been better served by just using the broadcast master for the entire scene, save the few shots that weren't fixed by Sunbow in 1984), and the battle between Prime and Megatron makes it almost unbearable on some level.

Rhino did a great job with the remastering process, even with their mistakes. Of course, Toei's mistakes in processing the animation (most of which are amazingly dumb, especially for such a high quality studio) and the lack of a 35mm master of the corrected episode don't make it any easier for Rhino. One not only hopes for an even better job from Rhino with season 2, one expects it, largely because the re-take budget dwindled to practically zero from that point on as Sunbow's workload increased almost sixfold (as evidenced by the whopping three distinct styles in the animation in Season 2). Regardless, if you like Transformers, you'll probably enjoy this box set.

Awesome
Ok, there are tons of reviews nit-picking every little detail in this box set. I am not going to do that. If you look for mistakes hard enough you will find them, hell you will spot them easily in this box set. But if you are looking to be entertained, as you were when you were a kid watching this series, then you will feel like a kid again seeing this series come to life again on DVD. This is not your kid's Beast Wars or Beast Machines or Transformers Armada, Energon or whatever other boring, bad-animation, rip-off that spun off of one of the greatest cartoons/toy-lines ever. No, this is the original and best.

From the introduction of the Transformers in the 3-part opening episodes "More Than Meets The Eye" to the introduction of Skyfire (Fire In The Sky) & Dinobots (S.O.S Dinobots & War Of The Dinobots) to the introduction of the Constructicons (Heavy Metal War) & the Insecticons (A Plague Of Insecticons). This first season is what started it all. None of us would be writing reviews, or caring about the Transformers all these years later, if not for this first season.

The 2nd season gets better with introductions of Omega Supreme, the Aerialbots and others.

The 4th disk is all Special Features with bumpers, Botcon special and oher extras and outtakes. The first Box Set is definately one of the best.

The animation and characters stand the test of time. This was long before they created Transformers with little or no character. Optimus Prime is one of the best leaders ever in a cartoon, cool characters like Sideswipe, Jazz, Bumblebee and many others in the first season left us fans wanting more and more.

The only problem I have with the Transformers cartoon continuity (not this box set but the overall series) is that there seems to be chunks of story cut out. For example, how did Teletran One get destroyed? What happened to the Ark? Where did Transformers from the Movie come from originally? Was Hot Rod built by the Autobots on Earth or was he a rebuilt Autobot from Cybertron? Same for Sky Lynx. Who created Autobot City aka Metroplex? What happened to Sparkplug (Spike's Dad)? If someone could answer some of these questions please feel free to email me at Joecool1@ptd.net

i love transformers no 1 !!!!
i love transformers long time since i was kid and my favorite love no1 is optimus prime the autobot leader he turn in semi truck and lot battle with megatron much times. and also my favorite 2nd is starscream too best than megatron. thanks i have two dvd of season 1 and 2pt1 thanks i will order more like season 2pt2,3 and season 3, 4 soon thanks very much i love it!!!!!!! thanks!!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (419)

Still one of my MOST favorite movies!!!
My mother tells me that when I was little, I used to make her rent this movie every week. I still remember what the old cover looked like. I have to say that I bought a copy a few years ago and I still watch it every once and a while. I know all the songs by heart - I can still repeat my favorite lines - This is an incredible movie for all ages that I think everyone should watch to get a glimpse of that magic of the imagination that we tend to forget exists after we've grown up!

The plot of the movie is based on the book by Peter S. Beagle(read it if you like fantasy!), but I have to say that I like the movie better. Of course, the author did the screenplay, so that might explain why the movie is so good. It's about a unicorn searching the world for others of her immortal kind. On her journey, she meets humans who help her on her path, like Schmendrick(sp?) the bumbling magician who transforms her into a human woman to carry out her quest, Molly Grue the cynical outlaw, and Prince Lir who becomes a hero for her sake. But some of those she meets, like Mommy Fortuna the witch and King Haggard with his castle by the sea, will try to stop her from solving the mystery of her lost people. Will she be able to hold onto herself long enough overcome the ominous Red Bull who drove the other unicorns down all the roads long ago?

Again, I say that this is one of the movies that defined my childhood, one of the things that convinced me I wanted to be a writer and believe in the magic of imagination. This is a great movie for kids, but there's plenty there for an adult to appreciate as well. Buy it and watch it!!! It's worth it.

An exquisite film... not quite for everyone, I believe
I recall seeing this movie on TV when I was like 8-years-old and its beauty and meaning really affected me. Not again a film has touched me the way this did. I am not giving away what is about, only thoughts and images. The journey of the last unicorn that runs thru the world to find her lost kin and finds love instead... A clumsy but noble magician named Schemndrick... A sad woman who has lost almost everything... A bitter and lonely king searching for hapiness and his adopted son, who will turn to be a hero... A haunting world with wonderful landscapes... An overwhelming score by Jimmy Webb and America... Let's just say that if you like fantasy and still carry with you that good old inner child and also have a taste for melancholy, this film will stay with you. But, if you are into happy endings, better stay away.
Even at that early age I saw this picture, I had a sense of loss and sadness when it ended. I think that actually, it changed me forever. A part of the innocence was gone, in a good way. It deals with deep and mature matters, kind of heavy and serious for an animated flick, but I think it's good for a child to learn to think and awaken sensibility.
I am not sure to recommend it for little children, 3 to 5... I think it's too much for them. From 7 and on, they can appreciate it more, and better for a 10 year-old. There's some middle cursing also, like "hell" and "damn", so very concerned parents should avoid it until their little ones are a little grown up.
The cast is great. Christopher Lee shines. Mia Farrow, Alan Arkin and Jeff Bridges are also here and deliver powerful performances.
Read the book which this movie was based on, written by Peter S. Beagle -who made the screenplay too, thank God, for it is perfect.
An unforgettable, beautiful, charming, touching, thought-provoking, heart-squeezing movie that you can fall in love with.

AVOID
This is a very good film that has yet had a decent video release here in the US. This DVD release is a disaster.

This particular print has several major defects. First this movie suffers more than most when cutting it from widescreen to full screen. But the pan-and-scan job (the technique used to make a widescreen film fit on a regular television) was also totally botched leaving many scenes showing only half a face or character.

There is also many color problems. The print is biased to red. Dark scenes, of which there are many, show a red tint. Related to this is that the greens are subdued. Many objects that should be green show as blue.

The print is also grainy showing more video noise than normal.

The soundtrack is extremely harsh sounding making it dificult to listen to.

I'd recommend you seek out the widescreen version which has none of these problems.

The Last Unicorn
I have seen this movie over 100 times and I really believe it is one of the greatest films of our time. I loved it as a kid and I don't know that I fully understood it, because now as an adult I appreciate the heart that goes into this film. It is a beautiful love/life story about being true to who you are. I cry almost every time I watch this, it is definetly worth buying.

good movie bad singing
It a good movie, with a good plot. The characters were good and well drawn. the only problem was the singing, now the songs were good. But they got people who thought they could sing who couldn't. But other then that a good buy. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

These are fantastic!
These videos are not to be used as parents. They are to be used as educational devices. If used properly your child will learn faster and more at a very young age. You are most definately supposed to interact with your child and not plop them down in front of the tv all day long. If their child is crying because they don't have the cheap toys on the screen then they need to work on their spoiled little brat. I have seen first hand the knowledge children gain with these videos. Baby Einstein is great for a child not for an adult. The images on the videos are for children. I praise the Baby Einstein company.

These are great dvds! To each it's own!
This last two people were the same people. They're great dvds, just some babies may not like them. All of my kids, and my neigbhors kids all LOVE them! They will not cause your child any long term damage, that is just assinine.

A lot of babies love this dvd. My 2 year old triplet's and 6 month old STILL watch them for 1/2 hours and more so I can do real work around the house.

My Baby sister cries when she sees this! It sux!
These DVD's are a complete waste of money! My sister pays no attention to them, she chews on the "shiny" disks and points to the cheap toys on the cover complaining she doesn't have them. I donated the disks to the Good Will for some other cheeseball to buy them. If you buy these you will go nuts and maybe even get so pissed, you crack the disks engaging your son/daughter into some dangerous activity. I hope you use this info wisely, and interact with your child/sibling instead of forcing them to watch the dumbest DVD ever. You and your child will eventually thank me for interacting with your child future. If you listen, to my review, you are improving the liklihood of your kid to be successful in life! Thanx!

I paid money for this little thing!?!?!?!?!?
This is by far the WORST dvds ever! In ALL of the dvds under the Baby Einstein company, they all feature the same thing: cheap toys with a colorful background!!! I am not kidding you. You would be better off by buying the toys instead of the dvds. It would not only be more effiecent cost wise, but interacting with babies, is much better than sitting them in front of a screen watching a video\dvd type of thing. Throughout the baby einstein series, the same toys are used over and over and over... If you think about it, the baby eistein company is taking YOUR precious money for cheap toys and some clever editing they put on dvds! If you look closely at the dvds, you can oviously tell that not a lot of work went into making the dvd. When you first watch it, the question you will most likely ask yourself is: how much money did they put into producing this dvd? Buying one is enough to know the whole series. In addition, studies have shown that TV is BAD for growing babies. Save your money and avoid this dvd at all costs! I would give this dvd ZERO stars but by the review standards, that is not an option.

*0/5 stars*

IS TV BAD
I HAVE A 7 MONTH OLD SON AND I HAVE PURCHASED A FEW BABY EINSTEIN VIDEOS WORLD ANIMALS NEIGHBORHOOD ANIMALS AND BABY NEPTUNE. I TOO HAVE READ THE WEBSITE ONE OF YOUR REVIEWERS HAD WRITTEN ABOUT . IT DOES NOT STATE THAT WATCHING TV IS BAD FOR CHILDREN UNDER 2 IT STATES THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN ENOUGH RESEARCH DONE AND IT IS NOT RECCOMENDED. THE REVIEWER SUGGESTS A MOMMY'S DAY OUT PLAY GROUP,THERE IS NOTHING OF THE SORT IN OUR AREA. I ALSO AGREE WITH CHILD INTERACTION,HOWEVER I WON'T UNLESS IT IS ABSOLUTLY NECESSARY BE LEAVING MY SON IN THE HANDS OF A PLAYGROUP FOOLING MYSELF INTO THINKING THAT IT WILL BE BETTER THAN A HALF AN HOUR OF INTERACTING WITH ME AND BABY NEPTUNE. MY SON LOVES THE COLORS SHAPES OTHER BABIES ETC,AND HE IS SAFE IN HIS OWN HOME. I AM NOT A LAZY MOTHER I PLAY WITH MY SON ALL DAY AS I WORK NIGHTS. I TOO TAKE HIM TO PLAY WITH OTHER KIDS POINT OUT THINGS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ETC..... AND SOMETIMES GO ON LITTLE SLEEP SO HE DOES NOT HAVE TO GO TO A SITTER. I AM VERY FORTUNATE FOR A SCHEDULE THAT NOT EVERYONE HAS. SO FOR ALL THOSE MOMS OUT THERE WHO ARE USING THESE VIDEOS AS A TOOL TO LEARN AND BEING THERE WATCHING THE VIDEO WITH YOUR BABY I APPLAUD YOU. YOU TOOK THE EFFORT TO DO RESEARCH READ THESE REVIEWS AND TRY TO DO THE BEST FOR YOUR BABY,AFTER ALL NOTHING IN MODERATION IS BAD,I HAVE HEARD OF PLAYGROUPS GOING TO MCDONALDS,IS THERE NO END TO THE CRITISISM? IN ADDITION AT 6MONTHS MY SON HAD A FOUR WORD VOCABULARY 8 TEETH AND CAN GET HIMSELF OUT OF HIS OWN CARSEAT!! AND HE WATCHES 1/2 HOUR OF BABY EINSTEIN PER DAY. THANK YOU BABY EINSTEIN!!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

"Turkish Delight"
I love this movie..I was about 8 years old when I first saw it and would watch it all the time. I thought the door to another world had to be the coolest thing that could ever happen to you and 25 years later Im still hoping I will find that door. I have kids now and they love it too and so will you. The animation is old school but your adventure will be new everytime you watch it. ... Read more

Description

In 1988, the landmark Anime film AKIRA, by director Katsuhiro Otomo, defined the cutting edge of Anime around the world.By today's standards, Akira remains the pinnacle of cel animation and retains the explosive impact of its highly detailed animation and its intensely violent saga of power and corruption.Neo-Tokyo has risen from the ashes of World War III to become a dark and dangerous megalopolis infested with gangs and terrorists.The government seethes with corruption and only maintains a token control over the powerful military that prevents total chaos and hides the secrets of the past. Childhood friends Tetsuo and Kaneda plunge into Neo-Tokyo's darkest secret when their motorcycle gang encounters a military operation to retrieve an escaped experimental subject.Tetsuo, captured by the military, is subjected to experiments that make him a powerful psychic, but, unfortunately for Neo-Tokyo, Tetsuo's powers rage out of control and he lashes out at the world that has oppressed him!Nothing can stop the destructive forces that Tetsuo wields except possibly the last boy to destroy Tokyo.Insert: 1) Black BRC response card (regular version).

2) Todd McFarlane Toy Insert (limited to 300,000 total inserts)* Anime masterpiece first time ever on DVD for North American release! * Created and directed by Katsuhiro Otomo.Special Features: * Digitally re-mastered including High Definition film transfer, High Definition restoration. * THX Certified * New English dialogue, new 5.1 mix (on the English audio only), scene access and more. * Disc 2 contains supplementary materials including "Akira" Production Report, "Sound Clip," director's interview, trailers, production materials, Restoration of "Akria", and "Akria" glossary. * Widescreen format (1:78) and enhanced for widescreen TV's (anamorphic).Akria The Special Edition (DVD9, 2 discs) ... Read more

Reviews (557)

The classic in a spiffy new version
For the uninitiated to Anime, Akira is the prototype. Everything great about Anime is here -- Rich scenes, bold action, powerful emotions and a mind-bending plot.

The Special Edition vocals are a departure from the old vocals, and, as other reviewers here note, are not always an improvement. The translation is also subtly different, with fewer memorable lines. However the story is easier to understand at the same time. Both versions have their high and low points...

The DVD transfer, BTW, is flawless -- and the soundtrack on DVD (I had worn out my VHS type) is impressive with my 5-speaker Dolby Digital setup.

The movie also has some of the downsides of much Anime -- some characters are cardboard cutouts, the animation has moments of lameness that appear dated followed by beautiful, flowing chase scenes. And the movie does not always make perfect sense, but then, if you are watching a movie about people who can channel pure energy, why get technical?

Warning for all squeamish people: This movie is NOT for you. More people die in this movie than in Apocalypse Now, Platoon and Pearl Harbor combined. (Of course, 20 million people die in the first scene, but that's beside the point...many of the deaths are graphic and my wife had a hard time watching).

The Special Edition includes lots of neat extras on the second disc -- trailers, making of, cool stuff about the weird instruments used to make the eerie music, and an interview with the creator, who doesn't seem to realize the enormity of his creation.

The Greatest anime movie now on DVD!
Set after 1988 when Tokyo gets bombed, 30 years later in the near future somewhere in 2019, it's now called "Neo-Tokyo" a urban jungle of Neons and Technology. A gang of good bikers led by "Kaneda" have a war against another Biker gang, but one of Kaneda's friends who is named " Tetsuo" gets hurt in a accident and is taken by Army soldiers, that's when things turn for the worst. Tetsuo is being the subject of a secret government experiment that gives him telepathic powers and telekinetic powers beyond belief, he now goes mad and rampages through Neo-Tokyo to find the source of his power.

A brilliant, visually stunning, spectacular and unique futuristic animated science fiction thriller from Japan that set the ground for anime back in 1988, based on a popular Japanese comic book and is one of Japan's most popular and highest grossing movies. In 1989, it was brought here in America and amazed audiences as well as critics and introduced them to Japanese anime. Phrased for it's awesome animation, great artwork, details, stunning background, ultra-violence, high action, Atmosphere, character devolpment and a odd ending which makes this movie a one-of-a-kind experience that you must see on DVD.

The DVD 2-Disc set is great and has great picture quality and CD-like sound in THX, Widescreen format, Bilignal with english Subtitles, and tons of Extras such as Trailers, "Behind the Scenes" and more, so if your interested in Anime or a fan of Animation, Science-Fiction, Action and anime then this is a must own.

Also recommended: Ghost in the Shell, Blade Runner, Scanners, Total Recall, Heavy Metal, Day of the Dead, Carrie, Roland Emmerich's Making Contact ( a.k.a. Joey), The Shining, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Starship Troopers, The Matrix, Mad Max, Fist of the North Star ( 1986 animated), The Crow, The Road Warrior, Firestarter, The Rage: Carrie 2, The Fury, Metropolis ( anime version), The Dead Zone, Nightmare City, Die Hard, The Noah's Ark Principle, Saving Private Ryan, Esclaflowne: The Movie, The Sixth Sense, Minority Report, The Running Man, Wizards, The Thing ( 1982), Altered States, The Stand, Terminator 1 & 2, and Spriggan: The Movie.

This is The Best Anime I Have Ever Seen
I think this movie is a good example of anime,this movie got me in to anime because it has a cool storyline and good animation, I don't reccomend this just to anime fans but to anyone, even if your not fan of anime, this movie will get you into anime

Great film
This is one of the best anime films i've ever seen. The animation is good. Even in the original film the animation is great for a 1988 movie. It is violent and has plenty of language. The dubbing was horrible, not the voice acting but how the characters mouths moved with the words (for those of you who really care about that sort of thing.) I actually liked the voices. If you've ever seen the series Trigun or Dual Parallel - Trouble - Adventure you will probably recognize the voice talents of Johnny Yong Bosch (sp?) who was Vash in Trigun and the dude who played Kasuke in Dual. The story is also pretty cool. The only really downside to the movie (for some people only) is that the movie seems to go on for a really long time. I kept thinking it was about to end and then something else would begin and that got kinda annoying. Overall I really enjoyed this movie and would definately reccomend it especially for fans of the Armitage movies.

Vash vs Leo, Leo kills the p*ssy!!
Akira is the greatest anime, but Kaneda's "Vash" voice makes the movie repulsive to watch. Kaneda's "Leo" voice was a billion times better. Not only that, Leo is tough, cool, and respectable; Vash isn't!! If Leo and Vash got into a fight, Vash would have an advantage because he has firearms instead of swords, but Vash won't exploit that advantage because of his p*ssy belief of not killing his foes. This will give Leo the advantage and he'll chop Vash into bits!! Leo rules Vash blows!! That retard who said that Vash is better in the review below mine ought to be beaten to death with a Soviet sledgehammer!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (25)

bizarre metaphor for family life
wow. this movie really got to me. the first scene in the film establishes the depths of immoral and distastefulness that follows. opening with an intense scene where a man makes love to a young prostitute, then finding out who the prostitute is really strikes a nerve in you. the plot follows with almost no sense and no taste but presented with great acting and great direction. it's basically revolves around a family that each member has their own sick and twisted problems. normally in any other hollywood/american film you'd encounter only one of these problems [or some problems not at all] but all wrapped up together brings it together to produce a very interesting family. a visitor [i'm assuming 'visitor q'] enters into the situation. although i felt his actions weren't as impactful and uplifting as it should've been he still brought the whole family together in a well... less than wholesome way. with his violent and bizarre and intimate solutions, he teaches the lesson that "families should stick together under any circumstance". and trust me, some circumstances are incredibly messed up. this movie is one of those movies where you'll find yourself saying after many scenes "wow, i didn't think i'd ever see something like that in a movie" but then you'll be found laughing over it. it is disturbing, but really if you're like me and you watch a lot of these over-the-top movies it'll still shock you but not in a 'irreversible-rape-scene' kind of way.

great flick, way more enjoyable and stimulating than 'happiness of the kitakuris'. takashi miike is awesome.

The horrors of family dysfunction
When the outside world fails us, whether it's dealing with a crap job day after day or a love life that goes nowhere or rejection in various forms we often turn to our family. For many of us the family is a safety nest, a sanctuary of saneness where we can escape the pressures of every day life. That's why films dealing with the disintegration of the family unit have been so shocking and unfathomable to me. What happens when even our family nest is destroyed and all that we thought was dear is shattered to pieces? I have seen some pretty disturbing cinematic examples in the past, most notably "Cutting Moments" and "Combat Shock" that had me asking the question what if, could this ever happen to me and my family? Takashi Miike takes the concept of family dysfunction to new extremes with Visitor Q.

Visitor Q examines a Japanese family with more problems than you could shake a stick at. The movie opens up with a young prostitute and a middle-aged man engaging in intercourse in front of a home-video camera. Throughout the act, the man keeps expressing remorse and doubt about what he is doing. Remorse for what, cheating on his wife? Nope, turns out the prostitute is actually his daughter. After this disturbing act that lasts not long, the lady taunts her own father with cries of "early bird!" and charges him 100 000Yen for the act, way more then he can afford. No problem, the girl says just give the rest of the sum to mom once you have it. Incest is the first of many atrocious acts committed by this family. Throughout the course of the movie the viewer is submitted to various scenes of necrophilia and domestic violence. Most bizarre is the young teenaged boy who continuously whips and beats up his mom, a crack addict and herself a prostitute. Mom doesn't seem to mind too much though and even encourages the boy to beat her up even harder as long as it's not on her face.

Visitor Q has a cheap Snuff-film kind of look to it and I wouldn't be surprised if Miike had filmed this with an 8mm camera, it certainly looks that way. If Miike's sole intent with Visitor Q was to shock the viewer with as many outlandish images as possible than this can be considered a success. However, I found this film to be quite lacking on an emotional level. The family and their disturbing actions are presented in such a hollow way that the viewer doesn't even feel any sympathy towards them. The family members themselves seem to be quite satisfied with their current lifestyles. There is only one exception in the form of a scene where the young woman who works as a prostitute sits on her bed in her room and holds a stuffed animal in her hands. There is a glimmer in her eyes that suggests that better days used to exist for her. It would have been nice to see fragments of the family's past so that we could answer the following questions: Has this family always been this screwed up? If not then what led them to become this way? What is the purpose of them holding a video camera and wanting to tape all of their atrocities? Miike never bothers offering any answers.

Visitor Q works well as long as it's taken strictly for what it is intended to be: a piece of exploitation filmmaking. It doesn't challenge on any emotional level the way Audition does, it's just a forum to throw as many shocking scenes in the viewer's way. Or is it perhaps meant as a social commentary on the ever-increasing absurdities of reality TV? Or a portrait of the changing dynamics of a Japanese society that has over the last couple of decades increasingly become attuned to the ways of the American models of entertainment and capitalism? It's open to our own interpretation but one thing's for sure, Miike never fails to shock or to challenge.

Takashi Miike AT HIS WORST
This movie was Garbage...I though Vistor Q was going to be great but instead I got garbage...Its stupid and yet disturbing...Trash....

Very bad...THis movies plot was just as stupid as the film...DO NOT GET THIS FILM!!!

-0000000/5 stars

The Worst movie I've ever seen
I must say, Takashi Miike; the director of this film is a very disturbed individual. I feel like this was made only to shock and disgust people. other than that, there's absolutely nothing to it. From a Japanese female point of view, I was very offended and disgusted by the story. This film is SICK - I would not recommend it.

jap cult classic
Beginning scene OK but annoying. First hour, not that impressed. Then, the last 45 minutes is F***in crasy. The director seems to put necrophilia, rape, murder, drug use, incest, and lactation all in the grand finale. This is a must have for Jap Cult Classic collectors if for anything, to watch people look at you funny, when you tell them about this Import movie you saw. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Deep concept story
Because all staffs spent more than years, SAC has constructed with deep concept through the story. In SAC, there are couple of individual stories and continuous stories ("The Laughing Man")... you can recognize either one when you see the title. (Individual story described as "a stand alone episode", continuous stories described as "complex epsode"... "i" has been intentionally removed. It gives us a small hint to understand the whole concept of SAC.) I really love SAC because I can watch it over and over, and still can find something new.

Compair to the movie GITS, all voice actores and actresses are doing better job (especially, I admired Tachikoma's voice actress... she really did a good job to maintain Japanese version's attitude.)

I've already watched 26+4 (2nd gig) episodes, and have some DVDs (in Japanese). $40 is a kind of bargain for me! (In Japan, they sell 2 episodes for almost $60!!) I believe, from next volume, they sell a bit lower because this volume has included sound truck. I don't mind to pay this price ($40) for this edition, which comes with three discs. If you don't care about sound environment and original sound truck, I recommend to buy the regular version. However, I it's worth to listen the sound truck! (It's really cool music!)

Cool...but!....check this out!
Ill get to why i rated three stars, but first, some background

I was blown away by COwboy Bebop and it still remains my favorite being that it was the very first 26 episode series ive ever seen. GITSAC came along and it blew away every other anime ive ever seen. the animation is a work of genius, soundtrack is intoxicating, camera work is breathtaking, characters are thorough, and the storyline>>>WHOA!. there was so much and it was so detailed i absorbed every word of it and watched it over to make sure i got it all. This is the anime to beat. i havent met its equal.

as for waiting for it to get to the US, i really want the dvd collection, but i cannot waste 30 to 50 bux on only a few episodes. my problem with this is that they sell them in small volumes(3stars), then come out with the full 26 eps. version(5stars)for a lower price. then we're either all pissed off or shell out another 30 for it. ive seen it in bebop, trigun, beserk, noir. All have sold volumes, then move to a full 26 episode Perfect Collection, which is BY FAR the way to go(Noir has yet to come out with the perfect Collection) As long as it takes, im gonna wait until GITSAC comes out with one. It'll save me money, and although its probably the best anime ever, i am patient enough to wait for a full 26 for a lower price.

Anime at it's best
For those of you who like the manga and the movie you will love this series. It is based off the manga and supposedly it is before the movie happened. For me I don't think so, there is a reason I believe why it is called Stand Alone Complex. Now the character design and the story is more from the manga. So for those of you guys who liked the movie and that's all you know or like, you might not enjoy it right away. This series is what the creator(Masamune Shirow)intended it to look like. The movie is the change. This is a 26 episode series so there are a lot of stories and situations to come. I'm glad that finally they are also using DTS for the sound. Many of the Korean animes are in DTS and it's so nice to hear it like that. The only bad thing is that they are charging alot more and giving you the 5.1 disc as well(like you'd play it if you have DTS). The soundtrack that comes with this is excellent, done by Yokko Kano, which is done by the same person who did Cowboy Bebop. Her versatility amazes me. My only complaint is the price as I do not think the next volumes will come anything extra like the soundtrack so you are paying the extra $10 dollars for the 5.1 disc which you don't care about when you buy the DTS vesion.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Vol. 1 Review
The Ghost in the Shell name is best known for the animated movie released in Japan and the United States in the mid 1990s, based on the popular manga by Masamune Shirow. In 2002 Production I.G. started ambitious work on an evolutionary animated series heavily based on the manga, with more input from Shirow. In June 2004, the series will make its American debut on the Cartoon Network, followed by this DVD release in July.

Stand Alone Complex then is the title for the TV series, which takes place independently from the manga and theatrical movies. Crafted wonderfully, the series features a balance of intelligence, technology, rebellious counter-culture, sadness, action, and cerebral plots that, while typical of Japanese manga, go far and above what American viewers typically receive. Movie watchers will see some familiar characters and settings - the main character, Major Motoko Kusanagi, is the tactical commander of Public Peace Section 9, a described governmental "offensive force against crime" led by the older Daisuke Aramaki.

Section 9's members are nearly all cyborgs - military-grade constructed bodies and cyberbrains that host the human brain imprint (essentially the soul or "ghost" of a person, the "shell" being the body). Batou, the muscular gung-ho cyborg, and Togusa, the semi-normal relative newcomer (he's essentially a human with some cybernetic implants) should also be familiar to movie viewers, as is Ishikawa. Other more one-dimensional team members, like Saito, Pazu, and Boma, will probably be more familiar for manga readers. The Tachikomas (Fuchikomas in the manga) round out the active Section 9 staff, sentient AI tanks that provide a bit of humor with their child-like, yet compelling, mannerisms, personalities and voices.

The overall series plot and title stem from the Laughing Man case, though there are plenty of individual one-episode stories. The episodes are frequently introspective, while highlighting and sometimes amplifying various human flaws through technology. Another theme involves a kind of revolutionary counter-culture fixating around the cult figure of "The Laughing Man," a seemingly ingenious hacker whose apparent crimes in the past may or may not have spawned independent imitators for common causes - the "Stand Alone Complex." The show's writers seem to be well versed in alternative or counter-cultural ideas - the Laughing Man frequently appears in the guise of a rotating smiley-face icon quoting from J.D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye," while the name "The Laughing Man" itself is from one of Salinger's short stories.

The quality of the artwork varies by the episode - there isn't one unifying art style as in other anime series. That said, the animation is generally quite good, with a generous mix of 3D graphics blended with the 2D characters. Likewise the music direction and composition is amply offered in the varied and frequently eclectic style of Yoko Kanno, and resembles her mix in Macross Plus and Cowboy Bebop. Frequently the combination of art, music, and plot mesh quite well. Viewers may question Kusanagi's dress code, the quick bouts of graphical violence, or the complete lack of action - this show is definitely not for children.

The Special Edition DVD set features 3 DVDs: the first features the first four episodes with extras, the second features the first four episodes with DTS sound (and extras), and the third features the original soundtrack for the first season. Only the first disc is featured with the regular set.

Here is an episode summary:

SECTION 9: The series is introduced after a short encounter with a rooftop criminal as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and party is suddenly held hostage in a robot geisha house. Aramaki quickly takes control with Section 9, but nothing about the hostage situation, the aftermath, or the army's involvement is as it seems. The entire team is introduced, some albeit briefly, as is Aramaki's long-time friend Kubota. The plot generally isn't too complex and is easy to figure, but it's a good start.

TESTATION: At the Kenbishi Heavy Industry's Maneuvers Dome the company's new heavy multi-legged sentient AI tank seemingly goes berserk, blasts itself out of the Dome, and gets on the highway - but where is it going? And why? It's Section 9's job to follow and if possible stop the tank, while discovering why it went berserk. This episode r