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What Are You Considering Buying?


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Crisha
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Joined: 21 Apr 2010
Posts: 4290
PostPosted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 10:57 am Reply with quote
Well, crap, decisions, decisions.

Do I take advantage of Siren Visual's current 30% off August sale and buy the Chihayafuru complete set, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai complete set, Monster, and/or Genius Party? (Yes, yes, I probably will, at least for Chihayafuru.)

Or do I pre-order UK's Gurren Lagann Ultimate Edition bluray, which contains the entire Gurren Lagann universe on Blu-Ray (TV series, films, parallel works) contained in rigid packaging with an exclusive artbook? The pre-order price of 108 Euro would save me 40 Euros. (So tempting, I wanna cry. I have a bluray player that allows me to change the region code on it. It's a bluray release of one of my favorite series that's a reasonable price!)

Or do I pledge for that new Under the Dog Kickstarter (either $60 or $100), which I would like to succeed? (Noooo, why you do this to me?)

Or do I order one of the LEs of AoA's Kill La Kill? (Because f*** me, urgh limited editions. I want LEs for series I love, even if the LEs aren't all that worthy.)

I also have my Attack on Titan part 2 LE pre-order that's going to be charged soon to keep in mind.
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Alan45
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Joined: 25 Aug 2010
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Location: Virginia
PostPosted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 11:59 am Reply with quote
@willag
Go for it! You gotta' catch them all.

It is only money. Mr. Green
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DKL



Joined: 08 May 2005
Posts: 1933
Location: California, USA
PostPosted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 11:59 am Reply with quote
A part of me wants to hold onto the hope that NIS America eventually does Chihayafuru...

So I don't have to do the importing from Australia thing.

(that said, what region DVDs does a Japanese PS4 play? I may actually be in the clear)
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st_owly



Joined: 20 May 2008
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Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
PostPosted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 12:02 pm Reply with quote
DKL wrote:
A part of me wants to hold onto the hope that NIS America eventually does Chihayafuru...

So I don't have to do the importing from Australia thing.

(that said, what region DVDs does a Japanese PS4 play? I may actually be in the clear)


No such luck. Japan is R2, Aus is R4.
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Crisha
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Joined: 21 Apr 2010
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 12:31 pm Reply with quote
Alan45 wrote:
You gotta' catch them all. It is only money. Mr. Green

A wise response from a distinguished older gentleman who would know better than I. Cheerio, good sir! Do you mind if I reference you in the future for whatever fate befalls me? Mr. Green


DKL wrote:
A part of me wants to hold onto the hope that NIS America eventually does Chihayafuru...

My hope keeps dwindling with each year that passes. At this point, it's about a pipe dream. Rather, I'm more hopeful about them licensing Kyousougiga since that's more recent.
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DKL



Joined: 08 May 2005
Posts: 1933
Location: California, USA
PostPosted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 1:14 pm Reply with quote
st_owly wrote:
DKL wrote:
A part of me wants to hold onto the hope that NIS America eventually does Chihayafuru...

So I don't have to do the importing from Australia thing.

(that said, what region DVDs does a Japanese PS4 play? I may actually be in the clear)


No such luck. Japan is R2, Aus is R4.


Blargh.

That said, I had an Oppo player before, but that thing derped out on me and I had to return it...

I don't know if I want to gamble again, especially given that the only relevant imports on my radar right now are the Patlabor movies (and maybe the Haruhi box, I don't know), which will work on my current PS3 (?).
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Surrender Artist



Joined: 01 May 2011
Posts: 3264
Location: Pennsylvania, USA
PostPosted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 5:56 pm Reply with quote
You know, back when I came back to this Japanicartoons racket a few years ago, all I had to do was scoop piles of dirt-cheap volumes that were left over in the aftermath. Now I've just about exhausted what I want and can get of that and now there are all of these fancy new special edition releases. I'm not made of money, consarnit! Even if I were, using that to buy things would mean that I was tearing my own body apart to buy things, which would make ever consumer act a painful, potentially fatal experience.

Where was I going?

Right, now I remember.

Several series that I have am curious about have been will soon be released in highly swank limited editions, but after consideration, I have decided that I will probably not buy any of them. However, just as a precaution, I invite anybody who thinks that I might be missing an opportunity that I'll regret to make a case for the following:

1. Card Captor Sakura (I saw a little of this in its weirdly distorted CardCaptors form; sometimes I wonder what it was supposed to be like and some cool people dig it)

2. Sailor Moon (I remember crawling out of bed in the wee hours when I was a boy to suck a lemon popsicle and watch cartoons, this among them; I also saw it on Toonami, but I've never really felt that I properly *like* it and I've hate a muted response to Sailor Moon Crystal, but it has its own, distinct issues)

3. Toradora (This was the strongest contender, it seems the most 'demographically accessible' and I want to encourage NISA to produce more English dubs)

I'll probably at least watch Toradora on Crunchyroll, but a persuasive case might put a greater priority on them to inform and encourage my decision.

I've also dismissed the limited edition versions of Kill la Kill. I friggin' loved Kill la Kill, but what Aniplex is offering for the price its asking seems pretty pitiful to me. I will probably buy the standard editions volumes, but I can't see how the limited edition versions are worth it. The packaging isn't especially impressive and the rest of the premium elements are underwhelming. I mean... postcards? I still don't get the postcards. Give me production diaries, commentaries and a good, sturdy chipboard box with attractive, stylish art. (Quality control issues notwithstanding, TRSI's release of Revolutionary Girl Utena was pretty close to my ideal)

I'm on the hook for the second Attack on Titan collector's edition. The dumb banners are dumb, but they're a kind of dumb that I sort of like.

I hope that this premium mania dies down soon so I can go back to buying weird, old stuff (I still pine for Devil Lady) and a few newer releases (I need Watamote! back in my life and I'm long overdue for a date with Discotek).
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Maidenoftheredhand



Joined: 21 Jun 2007
Posts: 2633
PostPosted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 6:09 pm Reply with quote
DKL wrote:
A part of me wants to hold onto the hope that NIS America eventually does Chihayafuru...


Willag wrote:
My hope keeps dwindling with each year that passes. At this point, it's about a pipe dream. Rather, I'm more hopeful about them licensing Kyousougiga since that's more recent.


I bought Chihayafuru at the recent sale. If it somehow gets licensed in the US I might even double dip depending on who releases it.

Siren Visual deserves my money for licensing such a great series. Smile


Last edited by Maidenoftheredhand on Mon Aug 18, 2014 6:11 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Alan45
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 6:10 pm Reply with quote
@Surrender Artist
I tend to think of Cardcaptor Sakura as magical girl done right. A reasonable mission, enough excitement to keep if from being too sweet and a reasonable ending. It is by CLAMP the same people who did Magic Knight Rayearth which I think you liked (of course they have some clunkers also). The price for the Blu-ray version is high, but not when you consider that it includes all 70 episodes.

Cardcaptor Sakura is available on Crunchyroll just like Toradora is. I suggest you check both out and make your own decision.

As for Sailor Moon, I haven't seen but one episode and can't comment. I think it may be available on Hulu if you want to check it out.

@willag
I figure money spent no longer exists so you don't have to worry about it. You probably would have spent it on frivolous things like food and shelter anyway. Let's put it this way, for everyone who comes to the retail forum to say "I wish I hadn't wasted money on X", we have ten who say "I wish I had bought Y when it was new and cheap".
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Crisha
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Joined: 21 Apr 2010
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 7:11 pm Reply with quote
I understandz your painz, SA, I understandz. However, I actually like this Limited Edition era (as long as there is a standard edition as well). I have an obsession of getting the best possible releases for my favorite series, so getting extras and chipboard boxes is all wonderful gravy on my yummy turkey dinner.

As for what you're considering...

I would tell you to watch CCS and Toradora on Crunchyroll first.

I'm normally not too big on romcoms, but I genuinely enjoyed Toradora. Having said that, the drama got a bit stupid for me in the later episodes as the series focused less on the comedy and more on the teenage relationship angst. It's still one of the better series I've seen focusing on high school relationships. It's one of those series that I enjoyed and can recognize its strengths, but I didn't necessarily have a personal connection with or a strong fan love for. I want to own the series, but it's not as high priority as others.

Cardcaptor Sakura on the other hand, I loved. I had a similar opinion as yours in high school - my impression of CCS was clouded by what I knew and saw of Cardcaptors when I was young. Nah, not for me. And then I had a friend in El Paso for a brief while who convinced me to watch some episodes of the series, saying it's completely different in tone and characters from the 4Kids version. So I tried it. And it was just so adorable, warm, and heartfelt, and I just wanted to huggle several of the characters. I'd compare it to the slice-of-life portions of Figure 17 in the kind of emotions it evokes (though CCS is more upbeat than F17). This works because of the character's ages. A majority of the main characters are in elementary school, so the innocence and idealistic optimism works and adds a lot of charm to the series. And yet, even though they're children, they often act quite mature for their age and have better behavior than what you would normally expect kids their age to have. Because of their maturity, the relationships and bonds they form have greater weight than crushes kids normally have, but because of their young age there is none of the sexuality/hormonal aspects that complicate things. It's just Pure Love. Syaoran/Sakura acting the same way in Tsubasa never really worked for me like it did in CCS, because they were teenagers. Most attempts to make such innocent relationships work with naive, cutesy, high school females (moe) tend to fall apart for me. Tohru (Fruits Basket) might be the only exception. But because of the way things are in CCS, I can believe that it's a deep, pure love.

But there's more to the series than just the relationships (though the relationships are a significant aspect). During the Clow arc, the characters compete to capture the Clow Cards that have run free in order to become the next Master of the Cards. Syaoran is determined to beat Sakura and initially is very affronted by her, but eventually warms over to becoming friends (and then more later on). The series doesn't wallow in angst or drama, being a mostly light-hearted series, but it does deliver its own gravitas and dramatic moments per the situation. During the Final Judgment in the Clow Card arc, the characters risk losing memories and their feelings for their most precious person if the Judge doesn't deem them worthy. Characters get hurt, face conflicts within themselves, and overcome emotional issues throughout the series while dealing with the cards. And some episodes are just pure fun. During the Sakura Card arc, Sakura gets sucked into an Alice in Wonderland story and all of the people around her become characters in the story, and it's absolutely hilarious (Syaoran as Tweedledee and Tweedledum gets to me every time). And there's another episode where the school is putting on a play of Sleeping Beauty, and Syaoran is chosen to play the princess and Sakura the prince.

Of course, at 70 episodes, the series is quite long and not all of the episodes are memorable (a majority from the Clow Card arc). I know I got bored for some (unfortunately, many are at the beginning). I don't think I could marathon the series again. But it has many episodes I absolutely love and would gladly rewatch over and over again.

Overall, it's a very charming and memorable series, and buying the Limited Edition was a no-brainer for me. I would still recommend watching the series on CR. Plopping down the money for even the DVDs is a big investment for someone going in blind.
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Dessa



Joined: 14 Jul 2004
Posts: 4438
PostPosted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 7:32 pm Reply with quote
In some ways, you could see CCS as deconstructing some elements of a magical girl series, simply by lampshading them a bit. Sakura doesn't magically change clothes... they're made for her by her best friend, because a magical girl needs to have cute outfits. And it's made clear that magic isn't just a toy to play with or to do things you want to do, it's a serious thing, and you have to be careful with how you use it. And it's not a "girl thing" or an "if you want it badly enough" thing. It's a "person with the ability" thing.

I would very much recommend checking it out on CR before making your decision, though.

Which reminds me, probably don't need it on my queue anymore, with 18 DVDs sitting in a box at my feet now ^^;
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DKL



Joined: 08 May 2005
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 1:15 am Reply with quote
I'm not gonna lie:

Lately, it's gotten to a point with me that when something has the words "Limited" on it, I just go out and buy it.

(I'll actually have all of the shows talked about above by the time Sailor Moon comes out, though I did miss the window for the TRSI extra gift offer)

But, as everyone has been saying, everything is on Crunchyroll though (I think Sailor Moon is on Hulu though), so I do recommend checking everything out.

CCS in particular is something that has aged pretty well... I still like the show, even after like more than a decade since I first saw it.

The funny/surprising thing about the show is that it offered some pretty interesting insight with regards to the idea of responsibility that I really only seem to understand later in life.

(I don't even think this idea was too in-depth in the manga where, after a certain point, it just felt like Sakura's relationship with the cards was just tacked on as an excuse to develop her human relationships)

That's not a very common occurrence with shows that I watch several years later where I'm like... more cynical lol

Also, oh my gawd, the Toradora dub was so good. I recommend picking that set up just to hear Cassandra Lee being super adorable.
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DKL



Joined: 08 May 2005
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Location: California, USA
PostPosted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 5:59 pm Reply with quote
I think I'm interested in going in on Tari Tari... can someone elaborate on Sentai Filmworks upcoming release and any potential issues with it?

(OAVs? Director's cuts? Blu-ray version of episodes? Etc.)
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fireaxe



Joined: 07 Jul 2006
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Location: Trois-Rivieres, Canada
PostPosted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 6:44 pm Reply with quote
DKL wrote:
I think I'm interested in going in on Tari Tari... can someone elaborate on Sentai Filmworks upcoming release and any potential issues with it?

(OAVs? Director's cuts? Blu-ray version of episodes? Etc.)

I believe the original DVD release had some issues (lines of subtitles missing in one particular episode), but they promptly fixed it, if I remember correctly.
The new upcoming BD release will probably be free of issues. Since they've already been burnt once with that franchise, I'm guessing they'll QC this one over and over again, but maybe you'd want to wait and read the first reviews if you want to make sure that it is.
There are no OVAs or director's cut involved with this franchise, so that definitely won't be an issue, but I will admit that I don't know for sure if they fixed/changed any part of the animation for the original JP home-video release.
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DKL



Joined: 08 May 2005
Posts: 1933
Location: California, USA
PostPosted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 8:34 pm Reply with quote
Thanks for the info.

The reason why I'm asking is because I saw the Gatchaman Crowds thing from the front page recently and people are talking about how there's a director's cut for the last episode that wasn't made available for the US release and I'm like WTF, better do more research before buying now >_>
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