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REVIEW: Den-noh Coil Blu-Ray


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Greed1914



Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 4404
PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 9:15 am Reply with quote
I had no idea that this was even out, let alone dubbed. I'll have to look into a purchase. I haven't bought anything from the Maiden Japan label, but I can't imagine it varies much from usual Sentai releases.
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varmintx



Joined: 31 Jul 2006
Posts: 1196
Location: Covington, KY
PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 9:30 am Reply with quote
First part's on the shelf, second is pre-ordered. Been waiting to watch this show forever.
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Neko-sensei



Joined: 19 Jan 2007
Posts: 283
PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 10:09 am Reply with quote
Excellent review. This is a truly unique, often shockingly insightful series about the relationship between play and reality with a second half I suspect (based on this first article) Theron will adore.

Speaking of which, not that I'm accusing Theron of being a joyless seriogre or anything, but how is it possible not to be charmed by episode 12 of this show, throwaway or not? (Of course the installment is actually quite bleak, since it argues that all civilization is innately self-destructive...)
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Kougeru



Joined: 13 May 2008
Posts: 5516
PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 10:18 am Reply with quote
I don't really think you can call them throwaways unless you've seen the second half of the show. They're not entirely important, but they do add to the overall growth of the characters.

Quote:
Casting choices and performances are mostly great, especially Luci Christian in a virtually unrecognizable rendition of Haraken, Brittney Karbowski in a fully predictable casting as Fumie, and Laura Chapman as Specsgranny, but really, the dub has no weak spots..
Oh boy lol. I can't disagree with Luci being good but the no weak spots? Most the acting, as with most dubs, sounds rather "High School Drama Class" level.

Quote:
The dub also features Tiffany Grant in at least a half-dozen different roles, and you can only clearly tell that it's her in her most prominent role (as Daichi)
Huh..guess you are not listening close enough? It's fairly obvious every time.

Rating both dub and sub equally is the only issue I have with this review. The sub is pretty high tier while the dub is pretty standard level for a dub (Which is pretty low compared to most JP acting).

That said, I can't believe it took this long to get licensed. This is such an amazing anime. "Visionary" is just one word for it. I think it's predictions of the technology will be very close to what really can happen, but it's best parts were what it does with all that technology. The story it tells, and the themes it covers were all execution so well. Easily one of the best anime of the last decade, possibly ever, IMO.


edit: I also hate the spelling the went with. "Dennou Coil" was perfectly fine...
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Blanchimont



Joined: 25 Feb 2012
Posts: 3423
Location: Finland
PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 11:12 am Reply with quote
Quote:
... Despite taking nine years to be released in English, this release is timelier than it ever could have been before.

Actually only four. It was released on DVD in Australia 2011 (region 4) by Siren Visual. This is however the first time it is released dubbed and in region 1...
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Animegomaniac



Joined: 16 Feb 2012
Posts: 4064
PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 11:17 am Reply with quote
Neko-sensei wrote:
Excellent review. This is a truly unique, often shockingly insightful series about the relationship between play and reality with a second half I suspect (based on this first article) Theron will adore.

Speaking of which, not that I'm accusing Theron of being a joyless seriogre or anything, but how is it possible not to be charmed by episode 12 of this show, throwaway or not? (Of course the installment is actually quite bleak, since it argues that all civilization is innately self-destructive...)


I felt that one and the Last Not a Dinosaur one were better than the rest of the series; Sure, one seems to be based on a Futurama episode which was based on a Simpsons episode which was based on a Twilight Zone episode... or was it the Outer Limits?- while the other just oozed with Ray Bradbury's The Foghorn. The Lighthouse? The Beast from 20000 Fathoms?

Why do I prefer the asides? Here's another Simpson paraphrase: Techglasses: The cause of- and solution to- all of this series problems. Was I the only one wondering the ultimate unasked question of this series: "Why wear them? What's the point?"

It does remind me of the insular social/business culture built around the Ipad, especially considering the ultimate use the Ipad is quite similar: Finding new ways for people to waste time. The fact that this series treats it more like a toy makes me believe the creators think along the same lines.

I liked the animation and the music, loved the overall production design- for a supposedly cultural utopia, there's a lot of urban decay in this very much "used future"- but the show as a whole felt disconnected to me.

In short, I liked everything about it except the core conceit. Everything they did was important to them but those buggie treasures are like bitcoins to me; Just because a few people think they're all important, it doesn't make it true for the rest of the world. "This is why it's important, this is why we want it, this is why we need it." I never understood it at all; It's created and consumed at seemingly different values and amounts.

Like those Yoma rocks from Beyond the Boundary; ah, one of those shows. "Take our word for it, there's a value to this item."

Virtua pets... Right, I understood the android frogs of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. Maybe this world has a similar animal shortage as that one but a pet that offers no physical interaction, no real resulting responsibility habits and no sense of community ownership means that it has much use as a pet as... pet rocks are better, Chia pets too... potted plants, no... even Tamagachis died if you didn't feed them.

Honestly, I think most kids would just get bored with them, not risk their... Actually, I don't know what was at stake. If one of these virtua pets died, couldn't someone reboot them? Or does the creator of this show think that what represents the creature is the creature and there is no town wide CPU storage unit holding and crunching the data?

Why does it feel like I'm thinking more about it than anyone who wrote it?
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Shiroi Hane
Encyclopedia Editor


Joined: 25 Oct 2003
Posts: 7578
Location: Wales
PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 11:20 am Reply with quote
Quote:
the second Yoko

For the record, it's Yuko (or more properly Yuuko/Yūko).
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One-Eye



Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Posts: 2260
PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 11:47 am Reply with quote
I agree with Theron's review. When I originally saw this I thought it was a pretty excellent series and couldn't understand why no one had ever picked it up. I thought about importing it from Australia several times, but just never got around to it. I'm eager to pick this up on BD and I'm curious how the dub will sound (I tend to be pickier about dubs than Theron in my xp). IIRC like Theron I was a little underwhelmed by the soundtrack, but aside from that a solid work. I'm glad it got a dub, but I wish it received a little more love like at the very least a slip cover. Not a fan of the cover art (it looks like they are trying to make it look action-y) preferred Siren's. A definite must buy for me and I'll be purchasing this when they release the second part.

Kougeru wrote:
edit: I also hate the spelling the went with. "Dennou Coil" was perfectly fine...
Same here.
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relyat08



Joined: 20 Mar 2013
Posts: 4125
Location: Northern Virginia
PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 12:59 pm Reply with quote
varmintx wrote:
First part's on the shelf, second is pre-ordered. Been waiting to watch this show forever.


Same. I adore this series. I bought the AUZ release literally two weeks before this announcement though, which was a bit of awful timing...
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Konopan



Joined: 06 Oct 2011
Posts: 396
PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 2:30 pm Reply with quote
Episode 12 (beard wars) and 13 (Plesiosaur) are two of the most memorable episodes of the entire show though...
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leafy sea dragon



Joined: 27 Oct 2009
Posts: 7163
Location: Another Kingdom
PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 2:44 pm Reply with quote
Well, here's one of those cases with a show not getting licensed for a long time that was discussed in a recent Answerman. I think it says something about this show that Den-noh Coil was not mentioned even once in that Answerman discussion.

Definitely sounds interesting though. I'll put this on my watch list, mainly in light of Pokémon GO.
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Zin5ki



Joined: 06 Jan 2008
Posts: 6680
Location: London, UK
PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 3:13 pm Reply with quote
Theron wrote:
Despite taking nine years to be released in English, this release is timelier than it ever could have been before.

I am sorry for splitting hairs here, but there was an Australian DVD release of this series in 2011. I feel there is a sense in which this claim is a little misleading.
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Errinundra
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Joined: 14 Jun 2008
Posts: 6509
Location: Melbourne, Oz
PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 7:54 pm Reply with quote
^

It seems that Head Office is unaware of the existence of the provinces.

If you listen to the Stream it Again, Sam episode of the ANNcast episode on 10 March 2012 it seems likely that the US would never have got the opportunity had not Eric Cherry - at that time CEO of Siren Visual - hadn't made it a personal mission to prise the licence rights from Tokuma Shoten.

Episode 12 is wonderful. It would be the gateway episode I would use to encourage people to try out the show. Sure, it and episode 13 are stand alone episodes but the way the series has been marketed in two releases emphasises their filler status.

Great review, though. I wish I had half your talent, Theron.
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Top Gun



Joined: 28 Sep 2007
Posts: 4558
PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 8:43 pm Reply with quote
I just about had to pinch myself when I saw the news that Sentai had unearthed this buried gem. I first watched it a year or so after it aired, and I instantly fell in love with it: it's one of those children-targeted series that doesn't talk down to its audience in the least, and as a result is relatable to people of any age. (Plus, as Theron noted, the timing for this release couldn't be better.) I thought about importing it from Australia many times, even with the logistical hurdles that implies, but I'm so glad I waited. The first half is on its way to me in the mail as we speak, and the second is on pre-order.

But yeah, the one point I will have to disagree with is episode 12. That easily ranks as one of the greatest stand-alone anime episodes I can think of. So much fun.

(Now if someone can just get Kaiba and Monster out here, I can pretty much die happy. Very Happy)
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Key
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Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 18101
Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 9:15 pm Reply with quote
Concerning episodes 12 and 13, which seem to be much more beloved than I would have guessed: different strokes for different folks, apparently. They bothered me because they didn't seem to be part of the main storyline in any definitive way and they were more silly extensions of the series' concept. I also thought they stretched the underlying mechanics past the breaking point of plausibility. For a series which at least flirts with realism, that seemed like a problem.

As for the English release comment, yeah, I dropped the ball there. I knew about the Australian release but somehow failed to consider that it counted as an English release. I have already updated the review to reflect that.
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