Forum - View topicBuried Treasure - Alien Nine
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Prede
 Posts: 388 |
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I own the box set with the three mangas. CPM did wonders with the extras. They are all a great watch. The interview with the producer clears up a few things (like why it ends the way it does spoiler[ The studio thought there would be a sequel]), and it is just an interesting watch. The behind the scenes of the dub is also very good. I really loved the dub on this one. Kelly Ray did an amazing job for a newbie. And all the actors are on top of their game. Jimmy Zoppi and Veronica Taylor stand out for me, although they all do a great job. And Yeah it's a lot like Shadow Star Narutaru. Both series have childlike opening theme songs, feel like they were made for children, and seem innocent enough at first glance. But both series are actually cruel, dark, disturbing and twisted series. This does not go as far as Kitoh went (in Narutaru), but it's pretty dark when compared to other stuff out there. And this is also pretty gross. It's hard to explain why and how, but it's just a gross series. It's also interesting to note Kelly Ray plays the lead in both series for the English dubs. And Shiina of Narutaru could not be more different then Yuri if she tried. Although the dub on Narutaru was nowhere near as great as this one was (then again I hear even the Japanese voice actors also were disapointing). I am still trying to figure out how they went wrong with that one...(Kelly Ray sounds ok half the time in Narutaru, but the other half...) FYI Shadow Star Narutaru was also released by CPM, and so it is also out of print sadly. It needs a rescue Anyway Alien Nine is an all around exellent series. Great review Justin. I highly reccomend buying the boxset with the manga, as it's a great read as well (with some cool extras too), and even more confuseing... |
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Devil Doll
 Posts: 656 Location: Germany |
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http://anime.mikomi.org/episode/914/Will.html (warning: lots of spoilers) |
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TheTheory
 Posts: 1029 Location: Central PA |
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I picked this show up blind when RightStuf was offering the DVD/Manga set for, like, $12. A fabulous purchase... loved it and wished it didn't end. I never thought of the puberty analogy mentioned in the thread (perhaps because I'm a guy), but that makes a whole lot of sense in hindsight.
Due to this thread I totally just placed an order for Shadow Star Narutaru... that sounds just up my ally. |
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configspace
Posts: 3717 |
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How was the condition? I also saw them on ebay.. but I kind of wonder what's the difference in condition between stores selling them on amazon for $55 (cheapest btw) vs a few bucks on ebay.... and are you sure they are actually "new" and not just good condition or "like new" as many like to label theirs? because I couldn't find any that were actually new.
I believe the manga finishes with A9 Emulators. Last edited by configspace on Thu Sep 17, 2009 8:51 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Dargonxtc
 Posts: 4463 Location: Nc5xd7+ スターダストの海洋 |
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Justin, I have to give you much thanks for including this one among your Buried Treasures. It is one of my favorite, though not without its frustrations. The show despite the poppy songs and cute characters is truly a dark and sinister tale. For me the adaptation captured perfectly the tone, mood and down right sickness from the original manga. Something that rarely ever happens.
I respectfully disagree. It was an outright tragedy. See, as dark as some would (rightly so) see the anime, in reality it is only a setup of what is really going on. The tragedy part is that the anime nails the first half. It draws you in, and just when you start to realize that the bigger picture is more devious than the one initially thought, it makes an ending out of a halfway point. The second half of the manga, animated and produced with the same quality of the first have, would have easily knocked this series into masterpiece territory. The contiguous narrative would have become apparent if the series finished. The fourth (and separate) book in the series does have an ending, though I felt it was somewhat of a cop out. It wasn't bad, but still. The ending of the third book I would say was a quasi-ending. Either way it would have been a much, much, much better place to stop than where the anime ultimately did (<--The part I disagree with you on). My thoughts that I had not too long ago. Also Justin, since you would have a better idea than most, or even know the answer. Do you know why the series never finished the story? Inquiring minds want to know. And trust me, I am not the only one who would love to hear the reason. |
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Gewürtztraminer
 Posts: 1028 Location: Texas - Its like whole other country. |
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I too bought the DVD/Manga set during a sale a few months back on a whim.
Certainly one of my better blind buys. It might be a media difference but I thought Yuri was a LOT more whiney in the anime. It did not change the story much at all though. When I was watching the credits for the last episode, I did a double take, paused the disc, and backed up a bit. Did I really see what I just saw? (would have put it in all caps, but too obnoxious) I was SO glad I had the manga to immediately dive into and continue (yes, I did see what I thought I did).. Wow, kudos to an anime tackling something difficult in a strange and weird way. This is certainly one to be seen at least once. I thought after End of Evangelion, my mind was incapable of being blown, but I was wrong. |
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Ai no Kareshi
 Posts: 561 Location: South Africa |
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I'm thinking I must watch this.
Thanks for making me aware of this title, Justin! 
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pachy_boy
Posts: 1323 |
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It did seem like a rape scene to me at first too, which would’ve ruined the friendship they were building. But then I saw the AMV for it, ‘You Are Not Alone’ on Yuri Studios, and found out that the subtitles on the DVD may have been dubtitles. According to the subtitles in the AMV, what Yuri was really saying was that “Then I can’t change my clothes” after discussing that she can’t take her borg helmet off. Then Kumi takes the initiative to forcibly change Yuri’s clothes for her, which still traumatized Yuri a little, and is still kind of a fanservice scene, but confirms it wasn’t what I thought it was. Hope this helps. |
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O-chan
 Posts: 78 Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan |
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I swear that back during the anime boom I saw this series and really liked it. Justin said about how it was creepier or more cutting than Evangelion. Here's why: Evangelion was a walk in the park compared to the cruelty of this series. He was spot on in his assessment that no one (sans the audience) had sympathy for these girls. One part actually shows in the end spoiler[one of the girls demise, that is actually expanded upon in the manga on how if the girls are killed the aliens actually assimilate with them and they're not human anymore, I believe by the end of the manga all three girls go through this and are not human]. In the end, this is far far far more disturbing than anything Evangelion could of hoped to accomplish. It's amazing how it falls under the radar.
O-chan |
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Prede
Posts: 388 |
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It probally didn't sell well in Japan. The producer was expecting a sequel to finish off the series. I think 4-6 more episodes could have completed the manga if done right. Shame it never happened. I much prefered JC Staff's adapted character desings to Tomizawa's original versons. Last edited by Prede on Fri Sep 18, 2009 2:23 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Great Rumbler
 Posts: 327 Location: Oklahoma |
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Okay, that makes a lot more sense. Now I can finally sleep at night! |
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G. Zeus
 Posts: 26 |
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Ahh... Alien Nine. I thought the dissonance was pretty hilarious at the beginning but it was utterly depressing towards the end. It's kinda like enjoying slapstick humor until you realize that the character's already sobbing and bloody all over while rolled up in a fetal position.
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belvadeer
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I'm glad someone caught the reference 
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Prede
Posts: 388 |
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While by now I think it's clear she's moved on from dubbing anime, but I think it's important to note she stared in Shadow Star Narutaru as well Justin. And acurding to the encyclopedia here she had a main role in Munto 2. So She stuck around long enough to get three leads...And she was exellent in Alien Nine btw... |
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NotarySojac
 Posts: 1 Location: NJ |
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We first encountered Alien Nine on Comcast's Anime Select channel in 2003 and '04 (along with PuniPuni Poemi) and despite Yuri's whining it became one that we watched whenever we encountered it in the lineup. We picked up the DVD/Manga box set and were saddened to find there would likely be no sequel to a very diverting and disturbing show. The manga in a way made it worse since we knew the story was already written but the decision was made that it was not worth the $$$ to continue the animation. Now we have to hunt down this last manga volume even though its ending may not be so satisfactory...
The whole puberty angle never occurred to me, but I'm thick as a brick. I shall have to see if my wife got that take on it... |
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