Akira on DVD? It Might Happen

Xunker writes "I was mooching around, looking for infomation on the mother of all anime films, Akira, when I found an interesting tidbit pertaining to it's release on DVD. The gist of it being that Pioneer got the rights to it after MGM let them slip, and the word on the wire is that they're redubbing it in preparation for a re-release on DVD in 2001! Finally anime newbies like myself can see what all the fuss is about!"

Comments

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[Anonymous Coward]

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Re:Anime is Anti-woman, pro-violence.

[Anonymous Coward]

That is not logical. If a friend of mine goes and paints a duck purple, and this purple duck happens to be the first duck I see, should I assume that all ducks are purple? Most people make this mistake. Simply because you've seen one or two shows which you label 'anime' and they were quite perverted does NOT imply that all anime is perverted.

There are actually many different genres of anime. One is dubbed Hentai, which literally translates as "pervert" if my memory serves me. The shows you describe fall in this genre. There are literally thousands of anime episodes/movies that are NOT perverted at all. To name a few, Rurouni Kenshin, Nausicaa of the valley of the wind, Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Mononoke Hime. This are great films, and why definitely not filmed for a child audience, have virtually no sexual content what so ever.

There are also different genres of manga's which are mostly split into a Male and Female category. While the Male category typically involves much more action/adventure/sexual content, the Female genre involves a lot more story line with emotional conflicts, personal relations, etc.

To simply say that all manga & anime are evil is to say that all ducks are purple. Time to brush up on your boolean algebra, eh?

-AC

No, Bother

[Bryan Ischo]

For an opposing perspective ...

I first saw Akira in 1990, when my Japanese roommate had it on tape. I watched it once or twice and it was my first Anime, and I loved it.

I saw Ghost in the Shell this summer, and while I liked it, I didn't think the animation was as good as Akira, and with Ghost in the Shell I had the most tanglible feeling of "that was IT?!?!" that I have ever had with a movie. Meaning that I was enjoying Ghost in the Shell when it suddently and abruptly ended. I've never had a movie end in the middle of the interesting bit before, and when it didn't even feel close to having come to any kind of conclusion.

Now I saw Akira again this summer as well, and I have to say it was even better than I remembered. Why? Because the other times I saw it, there were no subtitles - it was all Japanese. Akira is hard to follow as it is. Finally being able to understand what was really going on was great.

All that being said, I am not an Anime fanatic. I have seen only a few Anime movies, and many of them I thought were not worth watching. The three that were, though, were Akira, Ghost in the Shell, and Princess Mononoke. Akira and Princess were definitely the best.

Re:No, Bother

[donglekey]

Watch Ninja Scroll 2 Jubei's revenge, it has the most abrupt ending ever. It doesn't make a lick of sense throughout the whole thing, what I thought was a long introduction turned out to be the whole frickin movie!

Re:No, Bother

[Rho17]

Amen!
...but... there is another episode(?) after this...called Hell's Spawn.

Akira not that great.

[Static]

Sure, it was animated entirely by hand. Sure, it got a good cinema release outside Japan. But it's a little too so-so. I've only seen the English dub, note, so I'm guessing there's a lot I've missed.

If you want to see the sort of potential an anime movie has, get The Wings of Honneamise. Arguably better animation than Akira. Much more accesible story line. And the English dub is actually pretty good.

Wade.

oh, so what about this dvd copy i have?

[Leto-II]

I've had a DVD copy for a while now.. Only cost about $4USD too. Only problem is it's got no english subtitles, just Chinese. Oh well, that's what I learned Chinese for anyway -- so I can get high quality cheap-ass anime and understand it!

Next goal is to learn Japanese, so I can go to China to use my Chinese skills to get cheap anime and then understand the Japanese, instead of relying on Chinese subtitles...

Fear my low SlashID! (bidding starts at $500)

Akira! Yes! New dub? NOOOOOOOO!!

[jonabbey]

Well, maybe a new dub wouldn't be so bad. I saw Akira in Japanese several times before seeing a dubbed copy, and hearing it dubbed in english made it a lot easier to get the story.

And the story is arcane, but that's the whole point.. just like Mononoke, Akira is an epic, with themes and images that you just wouldn't see in a western movie. Watching Akira is a wonderful experience, and I can't wait to hear that soundtrack in digital surround sound.

Re:That's a very long movie...

[mo]

Not to diss the movie or anything

I'm going to diss the movie. It was just way too slow! If you want to see a good movie (I'm not a huge anime nut) get Ghost in the Shell or Ninja Scroll.

Re:Akira != Good

[Vermifax]

Just wanted to agree with your clarification of my idea and point out that I was being self-referential. ...OUR ...minds :) I too thought that Akria was God's gift to animation, and maybe it was, but I am still not hyped about the DVD.

Vermifax

Re:Akira != Good

[Vermifax]

I agree heartily. I think much of the attraction of Akira is that it was the first movie that turned a lot of the microculture on to anime years ago. Great animation, bad story. It just simply blew away our poor little scooby-doo minds. I think a lot of people have latched on to the feeling they first had when they saw it. I can only think of it as someone who never saw a car other than a yugo, and when the first time they saw a honda how awesome that was because it was so much better than a yugo. Now, they know that mercedes exist but they still remember when they first saw a honda and think it's as good as the mercedes. Quite possibly I'm over-pretentious and full of it, however I just do not think Akira compares to some of the anime we have now.

Vermifax

Re:sneakered mecha

[cpt kangarooski]

Voltron's only one of the original mecha series in the states. Look further back to MS Gundam, Tetsujin 28, Mazinger Z....

However Voltron hardly had good mecha combat scenes, which is what the thread was looking at. (besides, while there was lion voltron, there was _also_ little vehicle voltron. and three-robot voltron, IIRC)

Re:Giant Robo

[cpt kangarooski]

I concur on the dub, but I don't think I'd get this for three reasons.

1) I honestly do try to support bringing anime over to the US - fansubs are great, but I'm sure this costs a lot more

2) I have doubts about the quality of the subs

3) It's missing the cool 4th DVD from the official R2 Giant Robo Giga Collection.

But if you do get it, or see it, you should post a review of the disc quality on one of the anime groups.

I saw the rare 4 LD set floating around there a while back, but it got snatched up.

Re:Akira Was My First Anime

[cpt kangarooski]

D'oh! I of course, did mean medium. Well that's tamago on my face.

As to Giant Robo, oh yes. It's absolutely incredible. As it happens I was listening to the soundtrack just now. I'm really upset that we're stuck waiting for about a year still for the US DVD release - I would have even taken it before Mac+.

For people not familiar with Giant Robo, let me explain. In the 60's was a comic by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, upon which the popular live action TV series we know in the US as 'Johnny Socko and His Flying Robot' is based. Much later, Giant Robo was based on this (and it's a lot better...)

It's a 7 part series, the music as previously mentioned is supurb (a full orchestral score) and the animation is excellent. The whole thing has a very retro feel to it, as the source material dates back so far; it takes place in the future, but the animation style is deliberately somewhat old (Blazing Transfer Student, a fairly obscure short OAV series is another good example, and the Gekiganger segments in Nadesico as well) and the plot is what you would get if the James Bond folks thought _big_.

There are some hard to find VHS tapes and very hard to find LDs in the US of Giant Robo, so I strongly suggest that y'all look for it, but the DVD ought to be great if the Japanese box set is any indication.

(Wings of Honneamise is also very good, and quite different, but I hear that the DVD is pretty lousy, so....)

There are a couple good sites here: http://members.tripod.com/~giantrobo/ and here: http://www.ex.org/3.2/04-feature_gr1.html

Re:I should mention...

[cpt kangarooski]

While Esca is my favorite series, let me just add Eva to this list. (which ought to about wrap it up for stuff that's easy to find in the US)

Oh, the Children aren't really as good pilots as in the other series, but there's nothing like a 15 story-tall sneakered mecha eating it's enemies. ;)

Re:Damn it

[MonkeyBoy]

That's one of the more exciting aspects of this... hopefully this means we get ANOTHER translation for the english track.

That whole bit about having to keep the revs above (something or other) was pretty pathetic. Whoever changed a remote/automatic fuel cutoff to that... well, deserved what they got, since Streamline and Orion both hit the rocks.

I actually liked the voice actors/actresses, but so much of dialog just doesn't work. Dumb down complex concepts and it ends up sounding... dumb.

(while I prefer watching anime with subs, when I stick them on in the background I prefer an english track so I can easily focus in and out)

Re:Akira is overrated

[Phil Wilkins]

> Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana. --anonymous geneticist

Groucho Marx actually.

Re:Given a choice, who watches it dubbed?

[Zagadka]

Yeah, then you get up and go to the next room for a sec, and suddenly realize you can't understand what they're saying unless you look at the screen!

I am ashamed to admit how many times this has happened to me... (nevertheless, I still prefer subbed over dubbed)

Re:Given a choice, who watches it dubbed?

[Zagadka]

or the most part the voice actors hired on many projects suck... just watch most of the old "Streamline titles" or "warriors of the wind" (warrning: if you've seen the original Naussica do NOT watch warroiors of the wind)

The problem with Warriors of the Wind wasn't the voice acting. The problem was that they decided to rewrite the entire story, and cut out huge chunks of it. From what I remember, the voice acting wasn't that bad. Of course, the last time I saw Warriors of the Wind, Knight Rider was still showing on TV (and I don't mean reruns), so my memory could be a bit hazy...

Of course, their are many other examples of anime with incredibly poor dubbing. The worst I'd ever seen/heard was a dub of Macross Plus into Cantonese with English subtitles. Let's just say that forcing someone to listen to this tape is probably against the Geneva Convention. (And the worst part is, Macross Plus is known for it's great soundtrack)

Re:Lament about Regional Coding!

[Zagadka]

This is our good friends the RIAA in action.

No. The RIAA has nothing to do with it. It's the MPAA you're thinking of. The RIAA is audio, MPAA video. It really isn't that hard to remember.

one thing to note:

[mushroom blue]

Hopefully, this doesn't come off as a "I'm so eleet because I can read/speak japanese" statement, but if you've seen only the English dub of Akira, then you haven't seen Akira. You see, Voice acting aside (LEONARDO AS KANEDA?!?!?), the adapters of the screenplay felt that a lot of the symbolism and dialogue (read: what moves the plot) were too deep (or just too foreign) for most english-speaking people (anyone resent that?), so they edited the dialogue... and by doing so, altered the plot considerably. if you had trouble following Akira, even after watching the dub multiple times, you'll see that Otomo Katsuhiro's world is a lot clearer after one viewing of the original movie... however, most of you will need to read subtitles. :)

I'm very glad that pioneer will be re-dubbing this movie. Perhaps they'll keep most of the dialogue intact, if just so people like me don't have to constantly hear "How could you like Akira? it made no sense!" from the dub-only crowd. :)

i hoe they have the ORIGINAL JAPANESSE...

[Bigbambo]

with GOOD subtitles..i have seen the anime dubbed and parts of it just didnt make much sense..my guess is they had a crappy english translation..I think dont quite understanding it made me more interested in it..if i got it the first time i prolly woulda watched it like 2 times..not understanding it made me watch it like 30 times

Re:i might be wrong...

[Duckie01]

Your accusations aren't justified. Akira has indeed been available on DVD.

Re:The Dialogue: Movie-A-Minute!

[Dan D.]

Oh see, now for me that hurts my feelings, especially since I've watched the movie now around 7 or 8 times to see if I could figure it out. I think I finally did around 5, but I discovered some depth near 7 or 8. It really is a well written story from the technical aspect. And the cooky metaphysical stuff that goes through the ending is explained rather well by Kai (or the little blue chick) around the middle.
In an effort to defend Otomo, here's my synopsis
(Please don't read this if you haven't seen it)

• Akira and the blue children were early military test subjects in the area of psychic abilities (apparently everyone's military was getting in the groove on that in the 50's, since ours did studies too) They screwed up and Akira blew up Tokio (making it resemble very seriously a nuke. Political Commentary #1)
• Testuo came to a school in his youth and got beat up, but Keneda came to his rescue and they became really good friends. (Tetsuo's always been small and physical less strong, a throwback to the fact that he was a test subject, too. I think he was thrown out early I don't remember.)
• the modern gang is a bunch of kids in reform school who fight another gang called the clowns. During one particular bash (the opening of the movie) Tetsuo runs into the blue boy, and his real abilities awaken.
• Kai, Ryu and the blueboy's protector run a resistance group who are trying to stop the military and stop the new experiments to reawaken Akira. This oppressive atmosphere seems more reminiscent of Tienemen Square, but who's to know (political commentary #2)
• The military discovers Tetsuos power and runs their tests on him. Keneda tries to find Tetsuo and rescue him.
• Tetsuo grows super powerful and starts to wreak havoc on the city.
• Kai and Keneda (now friends) try to stop Tetsuo. Kai is given help by the blue children, she becomes an avatar for them, of sorts. Keneda is just trying to help a buddy, what's wrong with trying to help a buddy?
• Tetsuo finds akira and reawakens him, (about the same time his powers are ready to overwhelm him) Keneda is saved by the blue boy. They lose Tetsuo.
• Cooky Metaphysical: Tetsuo and the bluechildren are super evolved, but because Tetsuo isn't blue and tiny he couldn't handle the power appropriately (although he did have more of it than all three) he was still beaten by Akira though. Keneda gets a little droplet of light in his hand that is probably symbolic of Tetsuo's spirit or something and he's sad because his friend is dead. But he and Kai are still alive to deal with neo-tokia.
• Movie ends with the phrase "I am Tetsuo" just to let you know that he's evolved into the super being in some alternate dimension hanging with Akira and the blue children until they can return... or something like that :) okay... so hopefully that didn't spoil it for you.

I hate me

[Joe Groff]

That's right, I hate me... come on! mod me down! i dare ya!
SUB-20000 USER ID FOR FREE!

Re:Anime is Anti-woman, pro-violence.

[Forkenhoppen]

Perfectly innocent?

...hmm. Yeah, I guess Card Captor Sakura kinda qualifies.. although, considering the way the relationships fly around in that series, there'd probably be a lotta people out there who'd vehemently disagree with you. :)

Re:That's a very long movie...

[aschlemm]

I was lucky enough to get to see Akira on the big screen and I was blown away by it. I had never seen animation done that way before. I look forward to getting my hands on a DVD of Akira when it's released.

Original?

[0x0]

How 'bout the Japanese version (subtitled or
unsubtitled)? Is/will it be released on DVD? Does MGM have its rights too?

- 0x0

Re:The DVD Version Better Be Good

[bocee]

I got my copy from one of those video club things... it was the introductory video that they gave to you "risk free." So I got the tape, and then quit the club.

I think Columbia House may still have the offer going.

Re:Akira Was My First Anime

[MrYotsuya]

Akira originally came out in Japan in 1988, so 12 years would be closer.

we have it already...

[dinadan]

well, in germany there is a dubbed version available on dvd - to bad, there is no japanese audio track included.

Re:Ninja Scroll

[Madd0g11]

Ninja Scroll is wicked good anime, but anyone that says Dragon Ball Z is good has smoked too much crack. Dragon Ball Z = Shit. If you want to see a good series, Cowboy Bebop is amazing, I also recomend Lain (very weird) and of course my fav, Evangelion (see the movies when your done with the series for full effect).

Re:Don't bother...

[Tofuhead]

I love most Anime.

A kindred spirit! Me, I love most books over twenty pages.

< tofuhead >

Akira: It's Like A Tiny God

[Grendel Drago]

What are you smoking?

Not just blood in a cartoon... EXPLODING PINK BUBBLE-GUMMY MELTING MUTATING FLESH in a cartoon! And death. Lots of death. You know how in most Hollywood movies, when a house or something collapses, people jump out, or move out of the way... in Akira, they don't. Seems to be a hallmark of Otomo's work; I read 'Domu', he does the same thing there.

But back to the topic at hand. The story warrants watching it three times. The characters are *archetypal*, not cardboard. (I'm a big fan of the General, personally.) I never read the manga, I still love the movie.

And... "chinese"? What makes the characters Chinese? They have Japanese names, as far as I can tell...

And the soundtrack! (Swooning.) Seriously, get the soundtrack. It's great. Strange, very strange, but great stuff.

grendel drago

Re:Akira: It's Like A Tiny God

[Punto]

Not just blood in a cartoon... EXPLODING PINK BUBBLE-GUMMY MELTING MUTATING FLESH in a cartoon!

That's my point.. it's not that I don't like violence, I just don't care for it. Sex is nice, but a movie that has only violence is boring.

And... "chinese"? What makes the characters Chinese?

Their short black hair, round faces, small eyes, werid names and small breasts.
When the story is boring, I like the big eyes and big breasts, not because 'they look more american' (I'm not even from US), but because the design is "cleaner" and nicer. (and of course I know all anime characters have werid names).

--

Re:Given a choice, who watches it dubbed?

[Grendel Drago]

Subbed! Subbed is the way to go! Right on, man! I cannot *stand* bad voice-acting and dub jobs... after the first two episodes of 'The Slayers' I watched subtitled, I was hooked. After a while, you don't even notice them anymore...

grendel drago

Re:Don't bother...

[spack]

Akira isn't for everyone. I love most Anime. I watched Akira for the first time two weeks ago and I was quite disappointed. It wasn't as good as I thought it would be. It is a very weird story. To me Kaneda wasn't even the main character. Tetsuo (sp? pron?) was more the focus of the movie. But to have a movie focusing on this guy rapidly evolving into some higher form that will basically wipe out the city/country... it just didn't seem that great. I suppose if you like pain and suffering then you'll like the movie. Lot's of people die... without point. Yeah, I know... that's how a lot of Anime is. I guess I'd just recommend renting this before you buy it. You may be disappointed.

Re:Akira Was My First Anime

[oratam]

The one I haven't see talked about often on slashdot is my favorite. I have seen a fair number of different series and movies and I fell in love with this one before the first epsiode ended.

Serial Experiments Lain (13 ep.)

I won't try to explain it, but you should go see it.

DVDs??? Yech

[cantherius]

Ok, first of all, DVD's should not be purchased at all,especially not by Slashdotters. We know the problems we are having with the "owners" of the things, so why are we not boycotting?

Secondly, want to see Akira? Rent it on video. It's an awesome film, an awesome Anime, and doesn't need cheesy voice-overs and cut out scenes to be cool.

arrives next week

[FrenZon]

umm.. according to the online retailer I ordered it from last month, my copy should be arriving next week.

(this is Australia - Region 4)
Glen Murphy

Re:That's a very long movie...

[ahertz]

Ok... I gotta laugh here. I am a huge anime nut, and I fully agree that Ghost in the Shell is a great movie. But it's not a terribly fast paced one... There are many fast action scenes, but interspersed with them are an equal number of really slow (although beautifully drawn) scenes. Point is, this movie can put you to sleep just as easily, if you don't feel like paying attention.

Re:Apparently you can buy it now...

[ahertz]

I wouldn't buy that... DVDs like that on Ebay are pirated, with a lousy translations and even worse picture quality.

Real classic anime...

[ZoeSch]

For crying out loud... akira was a great movie (As were Ghost in the Shell and the Nadesico OAV -not the TV Series-) but hardly qualify as classic Anime. You need to check out the original Gundam series (Including 0080 and 0083 and if you're extremely lucky Gundam X and Gundam Z), and everything made my Go Nagai like Mazinger Z or Kotetsu Jeeg and if you consider yourself extremely lucky try to find Uchu Kubo Blue Noah or the original three Robotech/Macross series (You'll then understand Nadia Secret of Blue Water better :)

For those who want something really weird check out Ogon Bat (Search the web for Fantasmagorico), Captain Future or the 1000 year Princess. I even saw some Japanese adaptations of classic western tales like snow white, cat and boots, cinderella, etc. which were supposed to be for children but that were really creepy.

Gee, I remeber when I moved from the US to Venezuela they had like this huge tradition of showing Anime everyday on almost every channel, that's where I learnt about the real classics.

Re:Real classic anime...

[badjohny]

i agree that roboteck is a classic! a little trivia for you. did you know that the first 3 chapters in japan were actually 3 seperate cartoons. only the original we called macross. then when the broght them over here, they combined the 3 shows. it would be like us combinding thundercats, heman, and gi-goe,and selling itas one series. luckly they all were close enought that the story came out good. i read that in an artical with the creators. pretty cool info.

Re:Real classic anime...

[badjohny]

crap! my spelling is horrible in that reply. sorry everyone :)

Not that great

[L-Train8]

I don't understand the popularity of Akira. How did it get to be considered the grand-daddy of all anime? It is not nearly as popular in Japan as it is in America. Yes, it is gorgeous. The art is amazing. But the "plot" is incomprehensible. If you like fascinating images that don't make sense, check it out. For me, there is plenty of great anime out there that not only looks great, but has a plot that makes sense, and maybe even explores some interesting ideas or themes.

Re:Not that great

[tauntalum]

The plot makes more sense if you read some of the comic books... but then they aren't for sale anymore either...

Re:Not that great

[plunge]

Can you get comic books on DVD?

Lament about Regional Coding!

[decipher_saint]

There was once a time when I could have just bought the darned VHS cassettes when they came out in Nihon. When I went out to buy my DVD player last year I was faced with a choice:

• Buy a DVD player Regionally coded for Japan and get all the new anime (as is my wont)
  
• Buy a DVD player regionally coded for North America so I could get regular movies as they are released here.
  

I ended up buying one coded for North America, why are DVD players regionally coded anyway? It's not like I'm going to dub hundreds of copies and sell them overseas (which I could do, rather cheaply I might add, with existing VHS). I would like to buy a DVD player that does not check regional coding, does such a device exist?

If anyone out there knows where I could get a high quality DVD player that can 'ignore' regional coding, please let me know...

Capt. Ron

Re:Lament about Regional Coding!

[bgalehouse]

All household DVD players and DVD roms are region coded by the factory. Early DVD roms relied on the software doing the checking, but the recent models have hardware (well, to be honest, firmware) protections.

This is our good friends the RIAA in action. However, these technologies are historically unreliable once in the field. So if somebody were to do a search they might find various methods for embarassing the designers of these methods.

Re:That's a very long movie...

[decipher_saint]

I was in Japan when Akira hit it's 10 year anniversary, I managed to make it through the movie on TV (with commercials) and then I made it through the 'making of' special they had on afterwards *whew*! It is quality stuff though, but you will have to watch it a few times (probably) to figure out some of the finer points

Capt. Ron

Akira was dull.

[denchen]

I agree with others here... Akira just wasn't that exciting. Sure, animation was top-notch, but so was the CGI in Phantom Menace, and look how that turned out.

There are much better Anime films out there. Among my all-time favorites are Macross: Love Do You Remember (I'm probably in the minority here, but I've watched the final battle I'd say 100 times and still can't get enough of it) and Princess Mononoke (got my DVD reserved!). I remember liking Ghost in the Shell, but I honestly can't say I remember the movie, just the impression that it was good =)

Re:Akira was dull.

[Cackmobile]

I agree. All it that happens is they hell each others names out and blow stuff up. Ghost in the shell or ninjascroll are better. And the robotech series!

Akria on LD...

[YT]

I purchased Akira on LaserDisc back in 94' It's an excellent movie, and is what got me into anime.

Re:Given a choice, who watches it dubbed?

[onosendai]

It all depends how with it I am, if I'm actively watching the show, I'll watch the subtitles, if not I'll get lazy and switch on the dubbing.
However, I prefer the original soundtrack, some of the dubs get pretty darn painfull after a while

Re:PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

[supabeast!]

I can walk into the mall 15 minutes away and get a copy for $19.95 USD. I dunno where you guys live, but if you live in the US, move out of the sticks, fellas :)

Re:screw akira--macros plus is out on dvd

[Aerolith_alpha]

war in pocket was pretty good, but it really doesn't compare... it lacks the sheer intensity of Mplus, but really Mplus is based on ideas brought forth in gundam, so credit where credit is due, ne?


mov ax, 13h
int 10h

Re:Fuck Macross Plus. I want Macross II :)

[Aerolith_alpha]

I must confess to only having seen the movie for macross II, it looked like it had potential, but I wasn't all that impressed...


mov ax, 13h
int 10h

Re:screw akira--macros plus is out on dvd

[Aerolith_alpha]

umm... you havent seen macross plus have you?


mov ax, 13h
int 10h

Re:I should mention...

[Aerolith_alpha]

yeah, i was disappointed to find that a lot of the cooler techno tidbits from Mplus weren't on the soundtrack cd when my friend got it... oh well...


mov ax, 13h
int 10h

Re:I should mention...

[Aerolith_alpha]

yeah, but there is just something very cool about mecha with swords that you can't quite catch with machineguns and rockets... but the pace and the realism of the MPlus fights is just stunning. The first time i watched it i rewound the tape and watched that first fight against the rogue zentrati like 10 times.


mov ax, 13h
int 10h

Re:screw akira--macros plus is out on dvd

[Aerolith_alpha]

THATS what i get for not reading... MACROSS MACROSS MACROSS damn keyboard.


mov ax, 13h
int 10h

Re: Mecha combat

[Aerolith_alpha]

there really are a lack of good mecha games though... Battletech erm, mechwarrior is way too sim oriented, and shogo is just quake all over again... the transforming was a cool idea, but its really not all that helpful or noticable IMHO. That would be so cool to make a really good mecha game...


mov ax, 13h
int 10h

Re:Anime is Anti-woman, pro-violence.

[Mononoke]

I'm posting this anon, because otherwise I'll get hammered.

Yes, you probably will. We're all violent, you see. Too much anime watching, probably.

I'm fed up of seeing Anime promoted on this site. I've been to Japan, and seen with my own eyes the portrayal of women in manga comics over there. It's disgusting! Full of Japanese men fist-fucking & raping women.

Not all of it. Some of it has Japanese women fist-fucking and raping men.

Indeed, one of the most popular manga characters is called 'Rapeman', and all he does is smash his way into offices and rape secretaries.

Most popular? With whom? Probably with people like you who want to bash something, and are too afraid to log in to do it.

Japan is such a stifled and buttoned up culture that manga & anime are its only escape from being the good conforming corporate drone.

And USA is such a stifled and buttoned up culture that intolerance for other cultures and ways-of-life are its only escape from being the good conforming corporate drone.

But this is America! People here act out their fantasies. Please /. don't promote this terrible so-called art. It's a disgrace.

Don't you mean 'Amerika', Mr Buchanan?

--

Re:Anime is Anti-woman, pro-violence.

[Mononoke]

Have you ever seen Japanese Television? It's full of shows parading those funny foreigners.

Just like television in every other country, including USA.

Remember the Japanese minister stopping pullovers from being imported because they wouldn't fit the special japanese head? Or foreign food being banned because it might disagree with the special Japanese intestines?

Remember rounding up all the Japanese Americans and putting them in prison camps? Remember rounding up Muslims when that building in OKCity got blown up. Remember Jim Crow laws?

Racism is racism is racism. You've given us some fine examples.

The simple fact is... that you should learn how to use HTML.

--

Akira is overrated...

[Mononoke]

IMHO, of course.

Its popularity is mostly due to it being on the first examples of high-quality Japanese animation available in the US. Better stuff has become available in the years since.

If Akira's early release makes it the "mother of all anime films," then you must really be impressed by the likes of Speed Racer and Astroboy.

Yeah, Akira is ok, but I'd rent it rather than buy it.
--

Re:Akira != Good

[SonofRage]

Ghost is the Shell is a thousand times better than Akira. Akira must be one of the most over-rated anime films ever. It was ahead of it's time and all but other than that it's not particularly interesting. If you want a good laugh watch the dubbed version and have fun listening to all the name screaming. Kanedaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anime, Schmanime

[kindbud]

It's still just a cartoon and I don't care about karma, so mod away.

Re:Anime is just the Japanese word for Animation.

[lunatik17]

No, Anime is simply the way Japanese refer to animation in general

...qualifying it as a medium. Here's dictionary.com's definition: "A specific kind of artistic technique or means of expression as determined by the materials used or the creative methods involved: the medium of lithography." This, I believe, describes Anime to a T.

it's how the English word animation is rendered in Katakana.

Shorthand, perhaps. "Animation" expressed in katakana is actually "animéshon" (writing katakana characters in romaji is awkward :) But you are right in your main point, that Anime is simply their word for animation. Here in America, however, it refers specifically to Japanese animation.

Re:It's around on VCD or VHS...

[peterarm]

i saw it on vhs ages ago (it was the first anime i'd seen), in "Victoria, Canada" as you americans like to say :) don't know about michigan though...

Akira != Good

[Punto]

The animation is good, and the violence is 'unusual' (you'll say "cool, blood on a cartoon!!"), but basically, it sucks.
The story is confusing and boring, there is a lot of backstory, there is no development on the characters. You don't 'get to know' the characters, you should alredy know them from the manga. And more important: there are no women with big breasts :). All the characters are "chinese".

I'd recommend other movies on the 'classic' genre, like Ghost in the Shell, or the Miyasaki movies.

--

Re:Akira != Good

[jellisky]

Quite possibly I'm over-pretentious and full of it, however I just do not think Akira compares to some of the anime we have now.
Well, I would hope it wouldn't. Kind of like saying that the special effects in the Wizard of Oz don't compare to today's. The big point is that Akira is a classic. Everyone has an opinion on how good a classic is, but it's what impact it has that's the important thing in defining a classic.
I can't disagree with most of the points already brought up: the hard-to-follow plot, the occasional slowness in the story. But, you're totally right about "It just simply blew away our poor little scooby-doo minds."
That's why Akira is a classic. It attracted many people to the genre in a way few other pieces at the time could. It was revolutionary in it's own way. Yes, the story was a bit sub-par compared to what we might have liked, but the fact is that many of us "poor little scooby-doo minds" were first introduced into this awesome subset of cinema and TV by Akira.
BTW, no offense taken on the poor little minds part. Luckily, I've seen the error in my ways and corrected them.
Akira wouldn't last a moment in today's anime culture. It would just be so subpar. But it wasn't produced recently, and people should keep that in mind.
It's just like comparing the computers of 1993 to the computers of today. Yeah, today's desktop models have almost as much, if not more, computing power than many of the near-supercomputers in 1993, but some people still look back with fondness to their first computers back in '93. Nostalgia is a powerful feeling.

Re:Akira != Good

[jellisky]

I'm not hyped either about the DVD, as I currently don't have a player. But it's nice to know that if I get the itch to watch it, it'll be easier to find now.

Re:Akira != Good

[Megahurts]

to extend the metaphor, give me the honda any day, and keep the Titan AE's in the mercedes lineup all to yourself. =D

now if only I could find the vettes, vipers, and bmw M-classes. =D

---

Re:Akira != Good

[ryusen]

i would have to say akira was ok(i felll asleep while watching the original japanese version back in the day)... but it's real attraction is that alot of people never even knew what anime was untill akira was released and although i would agree it was not as good as ghost in the shell or kazenotaninonaussica... it did open up alot of people's eyes to the medium... although not quite in the same way that urotsukidoji opened people's eyes)

Re:Akira Was My First Anime

[jaybone]

I saw Akira a few years ago, and I must say that I am excited to see the DVD version. Akira is incredible, and no matter what anybody says, this is the best Anime has to offer.

Well...maybe Ghost in the Shell is close.

Re:As a casual viewer...

[amarrero]

This used to be a huge point of discussion in the past with dubbed VHS and subbed VHS. Most casual anime fans don't care about the subbed, but most hardcore anime fans would riot (seriously) if /any/ anime title was released without it's original japanese language (see Princess Mononoke).

With DVD releases, this debate is moot. There's no good reason /not/ to include both an english and a japanese track with english subtitles (some anime DVD's have up to 4 languages now, see Evangelion). That's why DVD's are a great medium, both the casual and hardcore anime can be pleased, at least on the audio portion. Video quality, extras and hard vs. soft subtitles are another story entirely).

I grew up in Puerto Rico, where all the U.S. movies, for example, are shown in english with spanish subtitles, so I can say that you get used to reading subtitles rather fast.

I'm not by any means a hardcore fan (tho my anime spending habit might say otherwise), so I do watch both subs and dubs, normally to compare. There are series that I watch in English (Tenchi, Cowboy Bebop), stuff I watch in Japanese with subs (Battle Athletes), and stuff I watch both in English and with subs (Sakura Diaries, pick it out and watch both at the same time to understand why). I'm glad I have these options without having to purchase different releases.

Most anime DVD's, ironically enough, default to english, or read the defaults set on the player (Record of Lodoss War is a notable exeption), so I don't see a problem in having additional tracks. The wider the market for anime dvd's is, the more these companies make, with then allows them to bring more anime to the US. It's a good cycle, tho it's vicious on my checking account. =)

In other words... DVD's rock! =)

Angel

Given a choice, who watches it dubbed?

[Mantle]

... they're redubbing it in preparation for a re-release on DVD in 2001!

I'm just curious. How many people here like to watched dubbed anime? I only like subtitled foreign films/animes, and so do my anime-fan friends, but do casual viewers prefer dubs over subs? For what possible reason?

Mantle

Re:Given a choice, who watches it dubbed?

[ryusen]

the problem with dubbing is a twofold... for the most part the voice actors hired on many projects suck... just watch most of the old "Streamline titles" or "warriors of the wind" (warrning: if you've seen the original Naussica do NOT watch warroiors of the wind)
and the in subtitles you can add notes that explain alot of what's lost in translation due to cultural differences... many of these differences are subtle but do add extra mening to the show

Re:Given a choice, who watches it dubbed?

[ryusen]

well yes i forgot to mention that, but you are very right... another really bad dub to avoid at all costs is "clash of the bionoids" a macross the movie" hack for children
i kinda liked the Megazone23 part 2 dub... if you can find it i thought it was decent

My problem with dubs:

[Mantle]

For me, the problem I have with dubs is the stylization of characters and the environment is so Japanese that to hear them speak corny english dialogue is somewhat of a dischord to me, and distracts me from the story and art. Even if the translation is done right into sensible english the fact itself that they are speaking english does not settle with me.

The things that annoy you are actually the things that I enjoy about watching subtitled versions. I like to hear the inflection and expression in the Japanese voice and in the Japanese way. I don't really have problems reading subtitles because I can read fairly fast and use peripheral vision to catch the gist of it.

Interesting.

What do your friends prefer to watch?

Mantle

Re:My problem with dubs:

[Tridus]

They seem to prefer subs too, judging by what they have in their video libraries.

As another poster in this thread pointed out, one of the advantages of DVD is that you can have it both ways on the same disc, then we're all happy.

:-)

Re:Anime is Anti-woman, pro-violence.

[Ser\/o]

encouraging? I don't think so. I've seen tons of anime, including a fair-sized chunk of hentai, and I never felt encouraged to rape and kill. After all. . . it's just a cartoon, and just as I'm not killing and raping, I'm also not building secret labs under my house, or believing my doggie could help solve mysteries.

When I think about anime being anti-woman, I think about Wrath of the Ninja, Kite, Mononoke, and several others where central characters are female. And not the big-tittied Slayers/DirtyPair kinda women either!

Re:Anime is Anti-woman, pro-violence.

[Ser\/o]

Don't like seeing anime on /.??? Well, get your over-generalizing ass to your user prefs and disable the topic. Sheesh. . .

Re: Mecha combat

[the phantom]

Do you -- or does someone you know -- have a PS2? If you can get your hands on one, try Armored Core II. You are given a basic mech, but can upgrade it with all kinds of cool sh-t -- better guns, legs, arms, heads etc. You can use all sorts of color scemes, and do just about anything you want with you mech. The game has an arena where you can play two player split screen or two player/two PS2/two tv; the missions are challenging and all require just the right mech; and the ais in the arena go from pushovers to riduculously hard. It is a great game!


----------

Re:A small correction

[the phantom]

Jim Carey?!
It might work... but I am going to have to say no on generally principle... But there's no accounting for [my] taste, and I don't really like the man (or the actor).


----------

Re:screw akira--macros plus is out on dvd

[the phantom]

Yes, it did, but I have a minor qualm: Minmay. I don't like her. She may have been better before the American bastardization (not the bad form of the word bastardize, just stating a fact), but she really gets on my nerves. She can't hit a single note and she is a bubble headed ditz. Lisa Hayes is so much better than her.

The movie Do You Remember Love has a much better Minmay character. Perhaps I only say this because I have seen this subbed and not dubbed, but Minmay can sing, and she is not quite so vaporous. Rick is also a bit more decided about Lisa, so perhaps that helps as well.

At any rate, my thoughts on Robotech are "Die Minmay, Die!"

--Its German, it means "the Minmay, the".
--Oh, well, anyone who speaks German can't be bad.


----------

Re:screw akira--macros plus is out on dvd

[the phantom]

The other day, a bunch of us were thinking how cool it would be to have a 3D fighter (a la Armored Core II on the PS2) with Mechs from the various animes:

• The EVAs would be about the best in the game, but damn hard to use -- because of their AT fields, they are virtually impossible to kill, BUT they need power and their only weapons are fists and that little knife; maybe a machine gun with limited ammo...
• A couple of the Gundams ought to be included -- I'm fond of Deathsyth, so maybe the five Gundams from Gundam Wing? or maybe some others... I don't know. At any rate, these would be the cheese mechs. Very good for players who have never played before (fast, powerful mechs), but lacking the style and finesse of other mechs.
• Definitly the Valkeries from Robotech/Macross, and maybe the YF-19 or -21 (or both). These have no armor (seriously, unless it is pioleted by Rick Hunter, one shot and its dust), but they have the Macross Missles (tm) -- you know, thousands of missles from every possible opening on the vessle that go in random directions but never miss...
• For style, Escaflowne needs to be there, and perhaps one of the Zaibach mechs with a cloak. Good at melee combat, but no ranged attackes (i.e. a sword and that's about it).

I'm sure I'm leaving a bunch out, but it is a start, no?


----------

Re:Akira Was My First Anime

[the phantom]

It's Studio Gainex, the folks who brought us EVA. I am convinced that Kare Kano and EVA are the same, only Kare Kano is cute and fuzzy. Anyway, Kare Kano, I must agree, is great, thought the episode and a half of recap was not really needed. Oh, how did you like the paper cut-out episode? Better than stick figure week, no?


----------

Re:Akira Was My First Anime

[the phantom]

Hello, Navi.
Hello, Lain.
Navi, connecto wiredo.

Wow, 13 episodes of insanity. Thank the maker.
Can we all say "mind f_ck"


----------

Re:Akira Was My First Anime

[the phantom]

A couple more for the list:

• Kaze no Tani no Naushika or Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind: created by the same man (Hiyao Miazaki [sp?]) a Lupin III -- it is a very bueatifull film; the animation is stunning, the music hypnotic and the story interesting and relevant. It is a fantasy/SF set 1,000 years after the fall of our future civilization. The world is being consumed by forests of fungus that produce deadly vapors. Amidst this decay, the last human survivors try to eek out a living...
• Kare Kano: this is mentioned below, but it definitly needs to be included. Made by the same people who brought you Evangelion, it is amazingly fun to watch. It is just like EVA, but cute and fuzzy and set in a high school. Yay for Pero Pero, the super-deformed dog!
• Trigun: I have only seen the first three or four episodes of this, but it is great. Set in the old west, but on a distant planet with lots 'o future tech (kinda like Dune) it is the story of Vash the Stampede, the best gunman alive. He manages to always win without ever shooting at anyone, even with a huge bounty on his head. "Love and Peace! Love and Peace!"
• Ranma 1/2: I hate to include this, but one or two episodes at a time can be fun. This one isn't even all that bad dubbed. Just remember, don't watch more than one or two episodes at a time or your teeth will rot and you will go insane.
• Lain: its been mentioned before. Total mind fsck. Think the Matrix, but oh so much more. Also, notice that all of the computers in the show are Macs or Mac clones. Even the title of each episode is announced by a slightly modified Mac text-to-speech voice. They even seem to be aware of the legendary Copland OS.

There are tons more I could mention, but I have gone on long enough already. Most all of these are good for "anime newbies," though you might want to wait a bit on Lain.


----------

Re:Akira is overrated

[the phantom]

I have to agree that Akira is a bit overrated. It is slow and plodding and perhaps not the best thing for a newbie. Yes, it is a visually stunning film, and I like it very much, but if you want the story, I am told that the Manga (Japaneese comic book) on whick Akira is based is much better. There was another thread up a ways that mentions some really good anime for beginers...


----------

Re:Suggestions

[the phantom]

Yay for Nausicaa!!!! One of the best films in the world, though DANM hard to get in the US in a watchable form... I had to get fansub from Canada of all places. One can only hope that *shudder* Disney will release it on DVD with the Japaneese soundtrack in the next couple of years (they have the rights to it, but look at how they fscked around w/ Mononoke Hime... I just hope my DVD gets here sometime in this millenium...).


----------

a long time - about time

[Airon]

I watched Akira at a cinema 1990, a german dub. Since germans dub everything it was good and I watched it another two times. I liked the american dub a little more, but it was very inaccurate on lib movement, sometimes missing out parts of characters completly.

I will be thrilled to see this classic transferred to DVD(anamorphic please!), that hopefully does this cinemascope film justice.

And most of all, lets hope they make it a region-free DVD.

Tony

Right from Pioneer's Site

[aberkvam]

The link for Pioneer Animation on the Anime on DVD site is broken and (since I don't read Japanese) I am not sure if the link in the /. article is correct.

The only mention of Akira that I could find on Pioneer Animation's site was on their Current Titles section where they say "Akira-info coming soon". It's not on their Coming Attractions section where they list out through December.

Looks like their site could use an update...

Re:A small correction

[Nezumi-chan]

Monkey Punch's original Lupin was a lot less likeable than Miyazaki's take on him. Miyazaki deliberately softened Lupin as he thought that the original was too cruel and would turn audiences off.

Taking that into account, Carey makes more sense.

A small correction

[Nezumi-chan]

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind: created by the same man (Hiyao Miazaki [sp?]) a Lupin III

Lupin III was actually created by Monkey Punch. Castle Cagliostro and the TV series were done by Miyazaki based on Monkey Punch's original designs.

As an interesting aside, wouldn't it be interesting to see Jim Carey play a live-action version of Lupin III?

Re:I never liked Giant Robo

[Galvatron]

like Babylon Five

Ah, that explains it :) After they had that lame "he's an ambassador to Mimbari now..." excuse to replace the captain at the end of the first season I got pissed and refused to watch it anymore. "As an old Earth president once said..." Gag me.

Seriously though, maybe I will watch it again sometime, my friend only had the first few episodes on hand, and they didn't interest me enough to track down the rest of the series, but maybe it is worth watching. I'm pretty sure the episodes I watched were subbed though, my friend is even more vehemently against dubbing than I am :)

I never liked Giant Robo

[Galvatron]

Admittedly, I only got through about half of it, but it just seemed kind of lame to me. What about it did you like?

Re:I never liked Giant Robo

[Robotech_Master]

Well, one of the problems might be Manga Video's lackluster and rather inconsistent dub. The voice acting in the original Japanese version is a lot less over-the-top and cheesy (though admittedly the English version did get better as it went on).

As for what did it for me . . . well, aside from the utterly incredible symphonic score, it was largely the nature of the story. Like some of the best epics of science fiction (like Babylon Five), the story starts out with what seems like a relatively simple good guys versus bad guys scenario. You think you know who the good guys are. You think you know who the bad guys are. Then as the story progresses, revelations occur and flashbacks have additional footage/memories appear that cast events in an entirely different light. By the end of the sixth episode, even the people who thought they were the main villains of the piece don't know what's going on or who's pulling their strings. I need to dig up the last episode eventually so I can see how it all turned out.

And as an added extra, there are the GinRei OAVs--pretty hard to find outside of Japan save by fansub, since they were never translated by Manga Video. Indeed, they would probably be hard to translate, as a lot of them depend on in-jokes and references to other anime that Americans outside the fandom arena might not "get." (For instance, the writer/director of Giant Robo was also the fellow who created Gigantor, and the original Gigantor robot makes an unexpected cameo appearance in the second GinRei OAV. (The first one is silly; the second one is utterly over-the-top zany. Not to be missed.)
--

Re:Akira! Yes! New dub? NOOOOOOOO!!

[bigfleet]

What about the fact that I'll probably never hear Leonardo's voice from the original Ninja Turtles ever again?

Ninja Scroll

[donglekey]

Ninja Scroll is in my opinion the best anime movie ever. It is stylistic, elegant, action packed, a little on the weird side, and so so cool. Don't get the sequel though, it makes absolutely no sense. Dragon Ball Z has to be the best series I have ever seen. The cartoon network episodes are horribly cut and dubbed now, but the japanese versions are cool as hell. The plot just keeps on going.

fyi akira is out on dvd on RC2

[Naru]

more specifically with german language & subtitles. no original japanese included.

Re:TROLL TUESDAY

[medicthree]

Not on the West Coast!

Re:Way cool

[pallex]

yeah, in case you lose the dubbed speech, feel free to print this post, cut it out and stick it onto the screen.

AKIRA: "TETSUO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

TETSUO "AKIRA! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

Think thats about it. The stuff about milk and giant rabbits and grey aliens doesnt make sense in any language.

Re:As a casual viewer...

[pallex]

I watched some shite jap karate-type film once, round at a friends house (he`s well into that genre).
The amusing thing was that, although he *hates* dubbed films, and would rather read the subtitles, he apparantly had no problem watching a jap film that had been dubbed into Chinese, with english subtitles as well.
So apparantly dubbing is ok, as long as its not into a language than you can understand.
Very strange.

Re:Anime is Anti-woman, pro-violence.

[mangu]

But this is America!

But it's not America everywhere. There are non-Americans reading Slashdot, too.

Does watching violent films, playing violent games, etc, encourage people to perform violence? Reading violent books, perhaps? Is that why so many wars have been fought in the name of Christ, because there are so many violent passages in the Bible? And what about news, does reading newspapers make one want to start a war somewhere? And where did the first man to commit rape find the inspiration for his crime?

Seriously, if someone is so weak-minded that he will perform rape because he saw it in a comic book or cartoon, he will not go very far in America. He will stop at the first "STOP" sign and stay there forever. <insert your favorite dumb blonde joke here>.

Akira is OK

[Enonu]

I know everybody has seen Akira since it's widely available, but there is so much better anime out there. Take for example Mononoke Hime (Princess Mononoke) that is comming out on DVD the 19th of Dec. Believe me, Akira is nothing special. Watch at least 20 movies, and a few 26 episode series, and you'll understand what I mean.

A dedicated fan to the art ....

Re:Sign up for DVD Notify on Amazon.com

[Enonu]

Totoro was one of the craziest anime movies I've seen. The kids seemed to be on speed, and that cat bus with 10 or so legs is frekings nuts.

Heh, nice to see that somebody else has seen more than just Akria.

Re: Mecha combat

[Thrikreen]

Personally I'd rather have the VF-17 "Nightmare", a stealth Valkyrie from Macross 7. =) But "cheese" is a understatement for Gundams, they are major "munchkin" mecha (if you don't know the term "munchkin" look up rolerplayer types). It's always the same, the one Gundam can take out a whole armada with one shot from your Standard Big Ass Gun. That's why I usually avoid Gundam stuff, the outcome is always too obvious - where's the excitement when you always know the Gundam is going to win? Compare that with the 2 major fight scenes in Macross Plus between Isamu and Guld.

We have it in Germany...

[Vandenzob]

Yup! Aren't the rules of international distribution funny??? It was there in my video store and I have also seen it on shelves as a DVD. Try searching for it on German sites, it's a zone 2 DVD though... Though chip-ing is legal here, the manufacturer of the DVD player offers it as an extra service, just pay $40.

Also be VERY carefull when ordering DVDs from Europe, every country has it's own company that prints a DVD version according to their taste. Sometime you can find an american of italian movie with only the German sound track for instance. And in the next country it is available in english, turkish and hungarian. (which is the whole point of DVDs... Multilanguage.) Sometimes you will find it with macrovision encoding, sometimes the company did not even bother. In general DVD made by Warner are pretty standard, but for other imported films it is not necessary. Expect to see rogue DVD prints comming from outside the Western World sphere that are just MPEG-1 cheap ripoff or amazing 2 in one packages in 5.1 dolby.

Hey, you have NO excuses, you have The Net at your service. Remember Kusanagi's last words "The Net is vast and infinite" :> :>

BTW: There is a rumor about Star War Episode 1 on DVD in France, can someone confirm? Has it got an english soundtrack? Ooops, I should use the Net too :>

UPDATE: IT'S IN GERMAN ONLY. Ver-damned!

[Vandenzob]

That sucks, but here it is:

http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/asin/b00004ryir /h ardmangade/302-6740692-4954448

I HATE when they do that! Even The Good the Bad and the Ugly is just in german. Though they might have a point as Akira is Japanese as much as A Chinese Ghost Story is Chinese, so why should the actors speak english automaticaly? (though I HATE that logic.) Anyway, good opportunity to brush up a foreign language anyway.

Try belgium or Dutch sites. Point is, there are 12 countries there so one might have it. And then there are 100+ other ones too :>

Re:i might be wrong...

[cavecanem]

First Post notwithstanding, Akira _has_ been available on DVD.
Granted, it is only the RC2 version and has only german dubbed audio (which is why I'll never buy it) but it _does_ exist.

Great art but too twisted at the end..

[kazzuya]

It gets pretty heavy towards the end.. I enjoyed more the manga. The non-Japanese version was also all colored. The animation is great and I think surpasses Ghost in the Shell in that department.
It's probably among the last of good anime.. (I guess I'm becoming a bigot). Turn A Gundam, Gundam Wings, Tenchi something.. what's all that stuff ?! Grendizer, Mazinger, Hokuto no Ken (Japanese soundtrack), Dr.Slump, Gundam RX-78.. those were anime !
...ahh the old times !
mumble

Include Japanese Please!

[enneff]

I really, really hope that they include the Japanese soundtrack on the DVD. Not because I speak Japanese, but simply because the last time they dubbed it, the cheesy american voices were so distracting. I'd much prefer subtitles.

Re:Include Japanese Please!

[Halcyon-X]

You can turn on closed captioning! :D

Re:The DVD Version Better Be Good

[yamla]

Bid on it at EBay. Lots of people are selling their copy.

Re:Akira: Wonderful Animated Movie

[cqnn]

If you really look back at some older generations
of anime, you will find just as much "head hurts"
material as is produced now. Much of it being
seen as the forebearer for a lot of the storylines
applied today.

AKIRA (of course)

Gunmm / Battle Angel Alita

Robot Carnival
(a head trip from start to finish)

Nausicaa and the Valley of Wind -
Whisper of the Heart -
and many other Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli
efforts.

Even before Evangelion, Gainax was playing
with peoples heads (and the laws of Physics)
in Gunbuster.

Space Adventurer Cobra.

this is better than the 2nd coming of jesus

[grizzo]

redubbed? does that mean, new dubbing??? if it does, i will be more excited than i could possibly handle: there is nothing i want more than to see the line "this chapter's finished" stricken from the script! that is one of the worst cases of poor translation any anime has ever seen!

also, for all you kats who can't figure the movie out: pull your head out of your ass (since the movie's not that tough) and read the comic books. they were released in america and epic did a much better job of translating them into english than the movie guys did-- even added color! the movie has huge cuts in the plotline that the comics help to clear up.

and finally, may i just say that there is no "mecha battle scene" out there that can come close to the fleshmonster at the end of akira. i mean, he envelops his girlfriend!!! how sweet is that?

love,
grizzo

(do me a favor. bust a groove on over to grizzo.com and experience my insanity... i like that)

www.grizzo.com
it's 100% grizzo

Saw hints at E3 this year...

[Terminus Est]

Just wanted to chime in and say that at the E3 Expo this past May, I recall someone (probably at Pioneer's booth) handing me a black plastic bag with "Akira on DVD...2001" or something, and with the Pioneer logo on it. So this info seems to confirm it, though I wish I could get a specific date...

Re:Anime is Anti-woman, pro-violence.

[mistah_monkey]

This most popular Anime series on Japanese television, ever, Urusei Yatsura is neither violent nor anti-woman. In fact, the main character is a lecherous teenage boy, the heroine is a space alien girl with green hair, horns and fangs. To claim that all anime is overly violent or sexist is plain ignorant. Some of the most popular (and coolest) anime contains very little sexist or extremely violent content. Heck, one of the most succesful anime creators, Rumiko Takahashi, is a woman.

I suggest that you have virtually no idea what you're talking about.
------------------------------------------ ---------------
I bent my wookie

Re:tentacle porn?

[mistah_monkey]

Yeah, like "LA Blue Girl" and that other kooky but somehow also very erotic anime porn...
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I bent my wookie

Why!?

[wedg]

WHY!#?!!? Why must they re-dub it!? Why must they dub it at all!? It's fucking sacreligious. The voices in the original dub were bad enough, but it can only get worse (think of Pioneer's voice actors in Tenchi-Muyo ... shudder...).

Is the American public - no the American anime scene really so stupid that they can't read a line of text and appreciate how well the real voice actors and actresses do their job?

Sometimes a voice actor is what makes a character, and to bastardize a character by replacing that voice simply because people are either too stupid or too lazy to read subtitles is rediculous. It's selling out.

Commercialization is always bad. Look what it did to the internet.

A furious Wedg

Support your fansubbers! Buy only from real distributors! (Not those who sell copies of copies of copies of copies of a friend's tape...)

Akira popped my cherry...

[CrazyJoel]

on anime. I remember it like a million years ago. I was walking through school and in one of the classrooms these 4 guys were watching a movie on a tv. It was animated. But it sure wasn't disney. It wasn't in English and I couldn't understand anything that went on, but it was sure cool to watch.

No movie since has given me the same "Akira" feeling. "Ghost in the Shell" naw. "Mononoke" close.

Everything else is just friggin fighting robots and tentacle rapists. CRAP!

Akira Subtitles

[suckster]

Sorry if this question is remedial ed for most of you, but it's bugged me for some time now. When I first saw Akira -- at the UC Theatre in Berkeley, circa 1990 -- the version I saw was undubbed but had subtitles I haven't encounted again. Dark and surprisingly witty, these subtitles were liberally obscene and quite obviously unsanitized.

In the years subsequent to this screening, I watched VHS versions with both dubs and subtitles, but neither used the same translation, instead opting for highly bowdlerized readings seemingly aimed at at-risk children or adult inmates. The film lost much in these translation, IMO.

Some of you must be familiar with the variety of translations I'm talking about here. Was there ever a VHS or LD release that featured the original, R-rated script in its subtitles?

Re:Don't bother...

[dr_eaerth]

IMAO, it's not worth getting. While the animation is decent (I've seen lots better), the story will confuse the Hell(tm) out of you.

I found the story pretty simple, actually. It's weird, and I'm not sure I understood it actually WHILE I was watching it (on a spinning high-generation videotape) ... I remember ending like ... "MAN, that was weird." But after I'd thought about it a little bit, it became clear.

Akira has really a typical science fiction plot. The "out there" stuff was all *style,* where it broke a lot of expectations, but the *story* itself was easy enough, which made the movie comprehensible. Maybe I don't know all the history involved, but in the context of the movie, I don't care. It's out of scope.

I think Akira was a very well-done movie. One of my favorite flicks, and a fascinating treatment of a classic sci-fi theme. It's no A Clockwork Orange, but it's worth getting.
--

Re:Akira Was My First Anime

[Xevion]

Take it from an Anime newbie (All I have seen was Akira, some Fist of the North Star, and a couple others I can't seem to recall the name of). Anyway, I would advise against getting the Fist of the North Star for a "newbie" because quite frankly it was a bore. At least Akira could keep me partically interested, and the animation was good. Ok, fine, this is coming from a biased point of view as I don't like Anime in general, but FOTNS was horrid by my standards. The plot was dull, the animation bad and done at like 4fps, everything was so bleak, and boring. I guess Anime is an acquired taste, like Linux (Just had to put that in somewhere =) as I most certainly have not acquired the taste for it. Akira had some entertainment value, but FOTNS was worse than an episode of Full House.

anime

[hardburlyboogerman]

I,too ,have not seen much in the way of anime.I am looking forward to taking a view. (I wonder if a redneck version might be possible?) My daughters love it.So we'll see it if and when civilization comes to Southeastern Ky. :-)

i might be wrong...

[dirtmerchant]

I might be wrong, but hasn't this been available on DVD for a helluva long time?
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Re:i might be wrong...

[dirtmerchant]

look my post says BULLSHIT in it. now i'm as cool as you.
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Anime is just the Japanese word for Animation.

[MsGeek]

Ummm . . . no. Anime is a medium, not a genre.

No, Anime is simply the way Japanese refer to animation in general...it's how the English word animation is rendered in Katakana.

Disney movies, when they come to Japan, are called Anime. They don't like them much, but they are called Anime anyway.

BTW you haven't lived until you've seen Bannou Bunka Neko Musume Nuku Nuku TV. I've only seen two episodes of this, fansubbed, and it's incredibly funny...the Police Squad! of Anime. It tears apart all the cliches of the Manga/Anime medium with aplomb. The June Foray of Japan, Megumi Hayashibara, does the voice of Nuku Nuku, a humanoid robot with the digitally augmented brain of a cat. (long story, don't ask) 14 episodes were done for TV Tokyo, the same network that aired Neon Genesis Evangelion, another recommended series.

The Nuku Nuku Original Animated Video series was released on tape by ADVision. I don't know if ADV has the rights to the TV series but the OAV was definitely NOT as much fun as the two episodes of the TV series.

Would some clueful soul with money get the rights to this show? The fansub was good, a very clever dub could be done by good comedy writers, and this could be a cult classic.

---- Hey Grrl Geeks! Your very own geek news site has arrived!

Mother of all Anime...

[Simprini]

This is a good line. Someone told me this was a good movie so I picked it up. It happened to be the first Anime I ever saw. The problem with that is that most other films pale in comparison. There is other good stuff out there but I had to look for it. Before I figured this out I was under the impression that all Anime was this freaking good. It would be a wonderful addition to the DVD collection.

oh ma gawd

[n0j]

what unbearable posts.

Akira is so so. It's way too long, but those who care that it's on DVD - fine.

The Ninja Scroll is without question the single most impressive cartoon ever.

and the term 'anime newbie' is the most absurb noun phrase of the year. get over it. you all just sit in front of the tv. how can someone be better at that? "dude, you are totatlly sitting on the couch wrong for this movie! It's like you don't even understand the genre."

Ninja Scroll! Ninja, Ninja Scroll!

[n0j]

Ninja Scroll is the best. You can talk it up and it still delivers. Almost nonstop action.

And there's naughty bits!

Re:As a proud owner...

[badjohny]

actually, in the book. tetsuo does get a mechanical arm. when the is in the "great tokyo empire" he as a mechanical arm. it is only later, when he is appoaching his true power lvls that he is able to re-grow his arm. this happens in issue 34 or 33. not sure. but he looses his arm in 11/12. and he is not in the comic till issure 16 i think. and in 18 or 19 they show that he has the mechanical arm. also, then ending of the movie, is very close to the ending of the comic, they just kinda skip the whole "great empire" story. but the message is the same. kinda :)

Re:As a proud owner...

[badjohny]

i would highly recommend it. the GN are great. there is much more of a story to them. The Great tokyo empire was setup after akira destroyed neo tokyo. Tetsuo sets akira up as a god/savior and he has people worship akira. Kanada is "killed" when akira destroys tokyo again. but he comes back later when tetsuo kicks the drug habbit and fully awakens. the good old USA gets involved and brings in there laser cannon satalight. and you learn much more about akira's past and what he as truly become. you will understand the movie more if you have read the books.

Re:screw akira--macros plus is out on dvd

[dark_panda]

Macross (or Robotech as I believe it was called after Americanization) kicked arse. I remember watching it every day after school back in, like, grade 6 or something.

It was like Dallas in space, only with bigger robots than the original Dallas and no J.R. Ewing.

J

Re:Anime is Anti-woman, pro-violence.

[Evil Dead]

Simply put, you are full of shit. Thank you.

What a wasted opportunity

[tezmc]

Oh please noooooooo ... not DUBBED!

I still have my old sopy of akira on VHS.. Special edition, Original subtitled Japanese, widescreen and with an extra tape about the making of the film.

I still like to dig it out from time to time, crank the sound up really loud and just kick back.

I didn't bother buying any other anime since then, as every one I saw after that seemed like a kids cartoon in comparison.

Not that I've been paying much attention for a while.

I'd love to buy Akira on DVD though, but only if there was a subtitled Japanese version (yes, I hate dubbing THAT much!)

,Tez

Re:Akira Was My First Anime

[Chris Mattern]

> I won't try to explain it, but you should go
> see it.

If you encounter someone who claims he *can*
explain Serial Experiments Lain, get him
psychological help quickly.

Chris Mattern

I should mention...

[z-axis]

The Macross Plus DVDs, at least the ones you find at the only good rental store in my neck of the woods, are very well done. (This only applies to the OVA DVDs; I have yet to see a DVD version of Macross Plus - The Movie.) And the dubbed audio track is actually respectable, not that I watched it for more than five minutes. (This is a rarity in anime.)

Macross Plus is probably better for anime newbies, anyway, and I enjoyed it quite a bit more than Akira.

And this is a nitpick -- I'm not that big into mecha fight scenes, but I thought that those in Macross Plus were much better than the ones in Escaflowne (this is coming from someone who loves Escaflowne). Certainly the best I have seen to date. Macross Plus - The Movie omits one of these and extends another; for this and a variety of other reasons I would recommend seeing both versions (OVAs first).

Now where is my Escaflowne - The Movie DVD!?

Re:I should mention...

[z-axis]

No argument here. Esca and MPlus both rule beyond belief. (It doesn't hurt that they both have soundtracks by the magnificient Yoko Kanno...)

Re:I should mention...

[z-axis]

Perhaps you're looking for this?

(Macross Plus had three soundtracks if you include the "Sharon Apple" single...)

I have to know...

[z-axis]

Ninja Scroll is in my opinion the best anime movie ever.
Dragon Ball Z has to be the best series I have ever seen.

Is this a troll?

I would disagree.

[z-axis]

It's been some time since I've seen Akira, but if my memory serves me correctly, I rather think that it's Akira that pales in comparison to the best of anime, such as Macross Plus and the earlier Ghibli films.

A lot of the most popular anime amongst semi-newbies (such as Akira, Ghost in the Shell, and inexplicably, the awful, awful Ninja Scroll), I think, is overrated at the expense of better films. Akira wasn't awful, but I'd jump at the chance to see Laputa again.

Re:annoyed

[briareus]

D is ok, but the animation and artwork are pretty poor. Amano's artwork was great, but he really only does cover art. The new D looks promising though . . .

Re:Anime is Anti-woman, pro-violence.

[jscook]

So then every classic western inspires would be murderers(sp?)? No, people have minds, most dont use them, but they are there, and they make the final choice, not the movie

Re:Anime is Anti-woman, pro-violence.

[jscook]

Just because a few people go out and make movies you may not like, doesn't mean they all do. And even if they did, you still have the option of not watching.

pioneer at e3

[Kenzo]

Pioneer had a big booth at e3 this year and on the cover of their goodie bags was Akira.

Ghost In The Shell Running Second To Akria

[DarkrhaveN]

NEVER SAW AKRIA ? Fuck waiting for it on DVD go to blockbuster and rent it, Akria is one of the hottest Anime's ive ever seen followed closely By Ghost In The Shell and the first Ninja Scroll

Re:screw akira--macros plus is out on dvd

[askheaves]

Dude, what are you talking about? There's no beating the Car Mech vs. Teddy Bear Mech scene.

Re:screw akira--macros plus is out on dvd

[askheaves]

Actually, yes I have. I was joking. Macross Plus was friggin' awesome and I enjoyed it thouroughly. I just got a kick out of the Hospital Hallucination scene in Akira. Made me feel warm inside. :)

Way cool

[minkey]

As a new convert to DVD this is great news, i just hope they include the original soundtrack and subtitles. The dubbed versions really seem to lose something. Its a great moview tho, altho it needs a few watches to grasp whats going on at times :)

Re:Akira = Good

[severn2j]

But I prefer the subbed version myself (it feels more authentic), but the film doesn't even come close to the original manga. If you want Akira, read the books..

Akira = Good

[jellisky]

Yeah, as a previous viewer of Akira, I will advise all anime fans to make sure to see it. It's nice to see a classic like that get the proper re-release treatment. Thanks much, Pioneer, if you really are doing this!

Re:As a proud owner...

[Chaos Monkey]

Ahhh, thanks for the info. As I stated, I only have up to about 16, though I hadn't heard of the "Great Tokyo Empire," so quite possibly only up to 15 or so. Also, again, since I hadn't read all the way though the graphic novels, I wasn't aware that the movie ended like the graphic novels... Looks like I'll need to set aside a couple bucks and pick up the rest of the GN's! ;)

Thanks again!

dvd

[Confound]

To my knowledge, Akira exists on Laser Disk and VCD, but not on DVD. confound

agreed

[Confound]

I don't think Akira is that central. I'd recommend watching more Studio Ghibli and Gainax work. The central works would be the work of Leiji Matsumomo (Captain Harlock, Queen Emeraldas, Galaxy Express 9999) and Osamu Tezuka (astroboy and BlackJack) beats much of the crap coming out now. (What was La Blue Girl anyway? Was there a plot in there anyway? The amount of hentai and ecchi has skyrocketed. blech. boring uninspiring crap. urutsokidoji? run that one by me again, was there a plot in that either?) more contemporary requirements would be Rurouni Kenshin, Shin Seki Evangelion, Trigun, Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Nausicaa, Valley of the Wind and of course, MD Geist (just because it's violent and has a decent plot). waiting to be flayed alive. . . confound

Re:agreed

[ryusen]

i agree with you on some of those older ones... if you can find them
MD Geist i thought was quite good... but it was too short.. it should ahve been like a 6 part oav series to develop characters better
and i think urusukidoji did have a plot.. you just need to be able to look past it's *ahem* extreme graphical content... even one of my friends who is a fairly conservative female agreed that the plot was good(at least the first parts), just it was hard to watch
if you are going to mention must see anime... um gundam... gundam... er did i mention gundam.. well the older stuff anyhow... for those who know anything about the storyline.. watch the things that take place from UNC89 and earlier... most of the later series and alternate universes only exist to let bandai sell more toys
those series would be moble suit gundam (the orginal can be had in a subbed 3 movie set)
Gundam 0080
Gundam 0083
Zeta Gundam
Gundam ZZ (although that one does push our limits)
Char's counter attack (what should have been the final resolution)
and Gundam 8th squad
the flashback series have some of the nicest art and mecha desins...... heck 0080 character designs were done by haruhiku mikimoto of macross

depends on the subber / dubber

[Confound]

I can't watch Kenshin dubbed. The dubbing makes him look like such a baka! I feel embarrassed for him. The theme of the ainme itself is a good indicator for whether to watch sub or dub. No american actor can really grasp the themes in Rurouni Kenshin, it's a very Japanese series. There is so much bound up in it about historical Japanese culture, and the characters behave in ways that sometimes seem really strange to the Western mind. the dubbing actors really blew it. the voices are all wrong, the words were actually changed in some places, robbing the series of some of its nobility. (You're right about Trigun, the dub is better.)

Re:depends on the subber / dubber

[Rutilcaper]

Another thing is, not all the characters are Japanese, and hearing them in English (especially with accents, even if it's a foreign adventure.) Like, I really like the dub of Cagliostro (The new one, not the Streamline) Hearing that crazy Russian guy, mmm n.n

sneakered mecha

[Confound]

Eva is awesome, but what about Voltron? One of the original mecha series? Sure, the animation isn't the greatest, but damn, those cats were cool.

this is a quibble

[Confound]

robotech isn't a real series. it's 4 japanese series cobbled together by clumsy american animators. the Macross series was one of the ones put into the blender to create robotech. eventually macross was released on it's own, but robotech is the crappiest piece of garbage i've ever seen. From rick hunter to lisa hayes to minmei, i detest them all. (but Macross is pretty good) c

American Film is Anto-Woman!

[Confound]

I'm tired of seeing american films that portray women as either fragile or domineering, manipulative bitches! I think all american film should be outlawed!

This travesty of art MUST stop! People here in America are obviously against the liberation of women!

sarcasm is not effectually conveyed through a digital medium.

Sigh

[ChenKenichi]

OK, Akira was a great flick back in the 80s when everyone was clueless about Anime, but there are SO many better titles out now that it doesn't bear repeating. What is this obsession with Akira? And don't get me started on that Star Wars thing =).

--

Re:Anime is Anti-woman, pro-violence.

[xat chick]

Sorry, but censorship is censorship. The price and responsibility of a free society is that you're going to see, hear and experience things that are upsetting. Guess what - that's life. I don't want to live in a society where anything that might potentially upset or disturb me cannot exist. Who decides? Who watches the Watchmen?

And remember, oddly enough, it's surprisingly safe for a woman to travel alone in Japan. And if you think that Japanese culture is buttoned up and stiff, honey, you haven't really been to Japan.

Re:Anime is Anti-woman, pro-violence.

[xat chick]

Please read my comment again. Carefully. I know what rape is. My mother was nearly killed by a rapist. Let me repeat that - perhaps it will penetrate this time - My Mother Was Nearly Raped And Nearly Killed In Her Own Home. When I finally got to her, her face was a mask of bruising, the whites of her eyes were bloody and many of the teeth in her jaw were loose or coming out. Her hands and arms were slashed with a kitchen knife. She had bruises, scrapes and cuts over most of her body. I lost count of how many stitches she had to have to close all of her wounds. Her attacker? A married carpenter working in the hospital where my mother worked. A fine, upstanding young man with only one blotch on his record - indecent exposure 15 years before his attack on my mother. Don't you even dare suggest that in any way, shape or form that I condone rape. I found out that day what it really felt like to want to rip apart another human with my bare hands - smiling all the while.

I don't condone rape. Let me repeat that slowly and distinctly. I. Do. Not. Condone. Rape. If I had my way, all rapists would be hung by their dangly bits until they dropped off.

What I am trying to say is that by merely closing our eyes and pretending something doesn't exist does not mean it doesn't exist. By deleting all mention of rape from our media do you suppose that rape will no longer occur? Can you be that naive? Do you really think that by eliminating all reference to rape that rape will cease? That's a rather simplistic response to a problem that has plagued humanity since the beginning of recorded history. The problems go much deeper and cannot be solved simply by eliminating depictions of rape in the media.

Do you happen to know what percentage of humans who are exposed to depictions of rape in the media actually go out and rape another human? From my research, I've discovered that most rapists find depictions of rape in the media disgusting and sinful. Many (in our Western culture)are faithful readers of the bible and other religious works. Shall we now ban the bible, since a disproportionate number of bible-readers commit rape?

But wait, perhaps I am being unfair. Are you one of these people who sees themselves as a perpetual victim? Do you contend that you are being sexually harassed when someone says that you look nice? Do you want the government to make the world all nicey-nice and safe? Worked great in Germany before and during World War II. Have you ever considered taking soma*? I agree that it'd be lovely if humans did not hurt one another, mentally or physically - but I'm not willing to pay the price for that kind of enslavement.

But I am willing to take risks. By playing the role of victim, many humans are able to abdicate all responsibility for their lives. By claiming victim-hood, these humans minimize their independance and live safely, blinders safely on and ear plugs firmly shoved into their ears. But they also belittle the experience of true victims. Victims that we hear about in the news; 80 year old women who have been attacked and raped, 6 month old babies who have been raped, men who have been raped. It's about power and violence.

*soma A drug that makes one complacent and pleased with the status quo. From Aldous Huxley's book Brave New World.

Re:Anime is Anti-woman, pro-violence.

[xat chick]

Simple answer - don't buy or read the things that offend. That is your commentary on the situation. I don't like beets. Won't buy 'em, never will. That doesn't mean that I have a right to stop anyone else from buying and *shudder* enjoying them. Believe me, I am not pleased by the depiction of rape in any form - particularly after my mother was nearly raped and nearly killed in her own home. And growing up a cop's daughter is an education in and of itself. We have had a society where social mores dictated how most Americans lived their lives. It was called Victorianism and we couldn't (as a society) get rid of it quickly enough.

People do NOT act out fantasies here.

[jonskerr]

Very very few people indeed act out their fantasies in america. Don't you have any? If people acted out their fantasies all the time, you couldn't go to your mailbox without a gun strapped on over your bathrobe & slippers. The only people who regularly act out fantasies here are historical re-creationists and swingers. boy, wish I was one of those...

Mononoke best anime for now. Best movie period tho

[jonskerr]

Coming december 19. Now, Akira totally rules, don't get me wrong. And the two movies are so different it's actually dumb to even compare them, except one issue they both deal with: greed.

yes, /., bastion of censorship!

[fishfucker]

PLEASE STOP THE MASSES FROM THINKING! IT'S ALL ON YOU! YOU ARE MY LAST HOPE! YOU MUST NOT FAIL! LOOK OUT FOR ALL THOSE IDIOT MUTTONHEADS WHO ARE GOING TO GET SOME CRAZY IDEAS FROM AKIRA (because NOBODY would ever hear about it if not for /.) AND KILL US ALL WITH THE PUNCTUATION THEY'VE SAVED UP FROM USING CAPITAL LETTERS.

fisfhcuekr.

(yeah, masses, thinking? a bit overboard and reactionary, and, uh, wrongheaded in that its opposite is rather a priori, yes, no?)

oh, one last special message. ART == FUCK.

oh wait, no, i mean... COMICS == REAL.

Re:yes, /., bastion of censorship!

[Troller Durden]

Don't you have someone or something to be sexsexing? MOER UPDATENG, LEES SALSHDOTENG.

uh. yeah. so you're too wealthy to stoop ...

[fishfucker]

to the media of the working man? uh. Akira been out on videotape for a long long long long time, and is probably being played on rep houses in even podunk towns. just because it's not on DVD is no reason not to see it. fisfhucekr. ("uh, so, dude, do you have a CD or something?")

No good dubs? Yeah right!

[Halcyon-X]

I guess you must have really high standards, but personally I thought the dubs of Neon Genesis, Macross Plus, Ranma, Dragon Ball Z, and Princess Mononoke (to name a few) were great. I have only seen one Ranma episode and one of the Macross Plus parts in Japanese, but I didn't think I was missing anything - except the picture since I was busy reading all the subtitles. If you get the English dubs, you won't be missing anything. The voices on the dubs are at least on par with any animated films we have here (though the content is usually entirely different, of course).

Kaneda!

[DNAspark99]

Akira was much better as the 37 book series, the stories represented there and in the film are almost entirely seperate. It was very confusing to see the film before the full series was released, it really screwed with my concept of where the story was going. Hands down, though, the Akira film will forever stand out as the *definitive* anime movie. (in America, anyways.) Ask anyone who doesn't watch or know about anime, chances are they've either seen or heard of that "strange cartoon" called Akira.

--

Hey, it's Pioneer, relax!

[j_snare]

In all that I've seen Pioneer do, they've always been very considerate. Much more so than most of the companies that release Anime over here. (I won't mention ADV) Pioneer will generally fill up the tape or DVD in a series, halving the number of tapes you need to buy, and still providing it at a fair, decent price.

I have full confidence that Pioneer will be releasing a high-quality DVD with Japanese and English tracks. Of course, I think I read something about them re-dubbing it, and I've always seen good dub jobs when it comes from them.

I'm not worried about Pioneer putting out a good version. I have a feeling that their job won't be quite as cheesy as the previous company.

Okay, yeah, I'm a fan of Pioneer's. But anyone who releases 4 episodes on a tape gets extra points by me! (Not to mention the other great stuff they've put out!)

Re:I have it on DVD...

[tauntalum]

*show a cut-away of the brain, Fist of the North Star style*

"You're already dead..."

Akira: Wonderful Animated Movie

[tauntalum]

The work is certainly dated, but it remains at the top of my favorites.

It has a very interesting soundtrack and an interesting story. (although the movie gets cryptic at times, because it is compressing a gigantic comic book series into one movie)

I recommend people try it. (although I wonder if I'm preaching to the choir)

Another film based on Katsuhiro Otomo's work is Memories. That is my absolute favorite animation!

Unfortunately no one has picked the title up in the US (to my knowledge). So the only option is to pick up a fan-sub.

Take my opinions with a grain of salt... I still prefer SS3 or SFA2 to all of those fancy 3-d fighting games... :)

Re:Akira: Wonderful Animated Movie

[Forkenhoppen]

I saw Memories in a darkened showing room at Anime North two years ago. Few people showed up to see it, because it was on at the same time as the cosplay. (Truth be told, I saw it because they wouldn't let me back into the cosplay..)

It really is an amazing anime. At the time, it really messed with my head, and I never really saw the whole thing, so I'm really yearning for a chance to watch it again. I'd love to see it brought over.

I think a lot of this "old style" anime has sort of been eclipsed by the "my head hurts" style of anime. Examples of these include Evangelion, which really busted up the mecha genre, Shoujo Kakumeki Utena, and Lain.

The latest entry into this sequence of "my head hurts" anime series is a wonderfully subversive series called FLCL. (pronounced Furi Kuri (foo-ree koo-ree)) If you've never seen a mech come out of a guy's head before, then this is a show for you.

I dunno. It looks like all of the "good" stuff has been replaced with either "I'm on crack" stuff, or really whacked out slapstick. (ex; Excel Saga) Not that I'm complaining; it just takes some getting used to.

James

Don't bother...

[Kierthos]

IMAO, it's not worth getting. While the animation is decent (I've seen lots better), the story will confuse the Hell(tm) out of you.

The movie is basically set in the middle of the manga (Japanese comic book) run, so there is all this backstory you're not getting, and all this aftermath that you have no clue happens. What you're left with is a confusing section of the manga series that has been animated.

Of course, since it is going on DVD, who knows what they will add. Hopefully some of the backstory, something on the writers perhaps.

That being said, my favorite part of it is the flying leap-kick from the back of the motorcycle.

Just my 2 shekels.

Kierthos

Re:Don't bother...

[skoda]

Interesting...

I watched it recently, shortly after seeing "Ghost In the Shell", and it seemed that things were pretty vague at times in "Akira". I didn't realize I was only getting the middle part of the story.

For the anime newbies (such as myself), I recommend "Ghost..." first; I thought it was distinctly better than Akira. Akira, IMHO, was about 30 min too long -- the entire final scene should have been tighter. It was also even more vague than "Ghost...", which is saying something.

Still, both are excellent. They are very interesting and engaging movies, with some amazing animation throughout.
-----
D. Fischer

God is in the wired

[xenocidex]

IMHO, the best Anime series is Serial Expiraments: Lain.

Re:screw akira--macros plus is out on dvd

[ryusen]

i guess the thing with gundam0080 war in the pocket is that it didn't really focus on the mecha(even less so than other gundam series)
but yeah i guess i do have to admit macross plus did have some really intense scenes... also character deisgns from 0080 were done by haruhiki mikimoto the macross creator... so i guess there is alot there we could go into detail on

Re:Anime Newbie?

[ryusen]

i haven't seen all of akira, but the only people who can really call me an anime "newbie" are the old timers who saw astro-boy... from what i've seen anime came to the us in waves..
1st was tezuka's classics like astroboy and kimba
2nd came the 70's stuff i remember raideen and mazinga z in particular but others were more particular for speed racer
then i remember star blazers in the early 80's shortly follwed by robotech and transformers(you could also count some of the other short lived less memorable ones such as orbots)
by this point many people knew the shows but there was still not much of a consideration of "japanese anime"
it wasn't untill the late 80's early 90's when titles such as bubble gum crisis, akira, kimagure orange road and others became easily accessable in english that anime became an entity of it's own in the us
of course in the late 80's most of it was fan subs.. i think we owe them alot for helping spread anime

Re:screw akira--macros plus is out on dvd

[ryusen]

maybe i'm too old school... but i think Char's Counter Attack ,Stardust Memories, a War in the pocket(both excelent gundam series as oppsoed to gundam wing) or Five Star Stories to be amoung the best mecha shows

Re:Anime is Anti-woman, pro-violence.

[ryusen]

i think you have read only a small amount of the manga and watch a small amount of the anime out there... take a look at Clamp(a female artist/writer group who are very popular) and of course Rumiko Takahashi who is possibly the single most prolific artist with more series than i care to name...
There is also a whole line of shojo(girl's) manga which is by far the most popular single manga genre (i cite manga because most anime is based on manga)
On the Anime side... look at Miyazaki whihc is sometimes violent but so family oriented that Disney is producing it in english
Yes there is ALOT of porno anime... but there is alot of Porno period... look at the amount of porno that's available in the us... just in japan there are a grater abundance of anime and manga for all subject matter than there is in the us.. so there will of course be a greater amount of adult anime and manga

Re:Suggestions

[ryusen]

i guess you do have a point about the styles in the visuals.. but i kinda like the metaphisical aspect of ghost.. and i am more partial to shirow's art style
one thing i forgot to mention is i think someone who liked ghost in the shell might also like wing of honmise or how ever you spell it... for that same metaphysical type of mood

Re:Anime is Anti-woman, pro-violence.

[Wicked Michael]

Just because you've been to Japan, read some manga, seen some anime, doesn't mean you understand the base cultural differences between Japan and the West. There is an excelent book on the subject "Pink Samurai" by Nick Bornoff.

Re:Anime is Anti-woman, pro-violence.

[Ubergeek26]

That might be true of some, but it isn't of all. In fact it is something that is actually broken into 2 differing genres. There is one for men, and one for women.

Watch how you word your argument the same could be said about TV, Music, and movies in general.

Heck did you take the time to watch Child's Toy while you were there. That is a very good series, and isn't what you described.

Your comment is a gross over- generalization.

All things anime.

[Ubergeek26]

I had heard that Akira is going to be released in DVD format, and had actually heard the rumor when I was in attendace of AnimeExpo this year. FYI- Those that aren't in the know- Macross - Digitally remastered- is supposed to be released on DVD by Animego. It looks damn good, but then again what stuff has Animego done that isn't? For you newbies this is a must see. If you have seend Robotech this is a must see. Hell it is just a must see.

It's About Time

[Crayola]

Akira is a landmark animated film. The animation quality is very high (especially the effects animation). Crank it up with a good sound system, and if the DVD is any good, the opening scenes as motorcycles whip through Tokyo will be awesome (and the tank battles, and Kaneda dueling with a laser cannon from his bike...). Hopefully, the DVD will also offer Akira letterboxed. (A letterboxed VHS was released, but briefly).

Of course, you have to watch the thing at least twice to figure out what the heck is going on, and there may have been more recent movies that people like better, but Akira is still one of the better titles after all these years.

Re:Anime is Anti-woman, pro-violence.

[Crayola]

But this is America! People here act out their fantasies. Please /. don't promote this terrible so-called art. It's a disgrace.

Objecting to anime because of a grotesque series is like objecting to movies because of porno.

There are many perfectly innocent anime titles or series (Kiki's Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, and Card Captor are easy to find) that the whole family can enjoy. Go rent a few.

Pioneer's DVD Technical Expertise

[boogak1]

Has anyone mentioned the fact that it will be Pioneer releasing Akira is a Good Thing©? Every Pioneer anime DVD I've watched has been excellent technically... the image and colors are sharp and their THX certified DVD's are awesome on a good Dolby Digital 5.1 system. A few you should check out just as show off disks to your "Is DVD that much better than VHS?" buddies are the Tenchi Muyo movies and Armitage III.

Re:Suggestions

[Drawshot]

Yes! Nausicaa is my all time favorite anime. I originally saw it as the horribly edited (for American kiddie consumption) 'Warriors of the Wind', and later saw the full unbutchered film at Anime Expo. A few years ago I was able to get a pretty good quality fansub of it, and it has become one of my most prized possesions. Forget Akira... I want Nausicaa on DVD!

Re:Akira is overrated

[slashBastard]

You were told right, Akira the movie is kind of like a long chapter from the comic book series. I read the story in comic book format years ago, I would be much more excited if someone announced they were going to release a reprint of the the comic rather than a DVD of the movie.
Not that the movie was all bad or anything!
--------------------------------------- ----------- ---

tentacle porn?

[FigBugDeux]

tentacle porn?

I have it on DVD...

[redboris]

Of course, there's only the japanese language track. BUT, there are english subtitles you can turn on. The translations are extremely literal I think. They call the bikes cars and, well, some other interesting translations. Bought for me on my birthday via Ebay from my girl.

-redboris
"Regular expressions, they're the sh*t man"
-Anonymous GA Tech CS professor

It's not so bad o.o

[Rutilcaper]

Hey, the dub ain't so bad. Things just aren't the same without the Colonel's everpresent growling and the voice of Leonardo from the Ninja Turtle's as Kaneda. n.n Everyone should really stop with this whole arguement about how subs are better than dubs and viceversa. Like pretty much everything you have to take it in a case by case basis...I can't stand watching Evangelion, Sailormoon, or even Tenchi in dubbed...but some things like Cowboy Bebop and Trigun I really prefer...there's so much inflection, it just makes it more n.n (Besides, the voice of Vash is the Black Power Ranger n.n)

Re:Anime is Anti-woman, pro-violence.

[angelic_crusader]

I'm posting this anon, because otherwise I'll get hammered.
Damn right. You seem to be seriously overlooking all the great, non-'Rapeman' anime that exists, for example, Shinseiki Evangelion, Macross Plus, Ghost in the Shell, et al. Granted, there are some more extreme themes available if you want them, but this does not mean that all anime is like that.
In addition, isn't America supposed to be sort of a haven for free expression? This, from your comments, seems to be a concept you know little about.
And I think the term 'Anonymous Coward' is in your case very accurate. If you have an opinion you should feel lucky that you have places like this to air it, and you shouldn't feel ashamed of your opinion, otherwise you may as well not have one. Also, everyone (including you) is entitled to their own opinion, which is mostly why I am posting this comment, because you seem to have forgotten that fact.
_____________________________________

Re:It's around on VCD or VHS...

[MonkeyBoy]

I know it exists on VHS.

Well, I know it once did exist on VHS, but when I went to replace my 5-odd-year-old copy a few months ago I couldn't find it anywhere. Not in stock, not special order, not from my usual online anime/non-anime sources. Not even dubbed pan 'n scan, much less subbed letterbox (which I don't think was ever released).

Now maybe the channel had sold out, but... I think it's more likely that MGM wasn't putting anymore product in the channel. Akira has never gotten the recognition it deserves in the US.

It's pretty telling that Amazon US doesn't list it right now but Amazon UK does. I don't think MGM has/had distribution rights anywhere but the US.

Giant Robo

[Robotech_Master]

As an aside, I've found that there are some folks on EBay offering a Chinese all-regional DVD set of Giant Robo with English subtitles (pirated, of course), for about $60 or so plus $20 or so to ship it from Hong Kong. If I didn't have this money problem right now, I'd be ordering it. The dub just doesn't do it for me.
--

Re:Akira Was My First Anime

[Robotech_Master]

Ummm . . . no. Anime is a medium, not a genre. All the titles you named are from remarkably different genres. Comedic suspense, political "hard" SF, farther-out SF, fantasy, all sorts of things. Which isn't to say they're not good (the ones on the list that I've seen are fantastic), but a genre has to do with what kind of story something tells, not what country it's from.

That being said, here's one that's not on DVD yet (except in Japan)--Giant Robo. Possibly the best giant robot anime ever made, Mangavid says it'll probably be a year or so before they get around to releasing it on DVD. Darnit. Dub job semi-sucks at the start but gets better; score is in-frigging-credible. Kind of like a cross between the symphonic orchestration of Star Wars with the martial-Japanese rhythms and cadences from Bionic Commando--and a version of Dies Irae to boot. Don't miss it.
--

Re:Akira Was My First Anime

[plunge]

Also quite good, and in a genre not represented at all in this discussion so far: "His and Her Circumstances" I groaned when a friend suggested I watch it. Anime with no mechs or gunfights? Just a story about a love relationship in High School? Blah. But after watching 1-4, I got hooked. It's really creative, EXTREMELY fast paced, zany, and phsycoligically very incisive.

Re:The Dialogue: Movie-A-Minute!

[plunge]

Yeah, that's basically it, except sometimes someone screams "Akira!" too. And the Tesuo hardware/blob mutation thing is one of the coolest, freakiest things you'll ever see fully realizied in Sci-Fi.

Re:annoyed

[plunge]

D is okay, but something about it never really excited me. Worth a watch, but it's not a classic.

Old News

[Hobart]

Chris Beveridge's excellent AnimeOnDVD site has had this forever and a day.

Anime on DVD FAQ - Anime Title Information - #1: Akira

That's a very long movie...

[devphil]

Finally anime newbies like myself can see what all the fuss is about!

It's about "get a whole lot of caffeine if you plan on watching it at the end of a work day." The first time I watched Akira at a friend's party, the exposition scenes kept putting me to sleep. Literally.

Not to diss the movie or anything; I just wasn't ready for that much sitting still and staying alert simultaneously.

Re:The DVD Version Better Be Good

[citizenc]

I have yet to see it for sale in any of the Blockbusters here in Canada.. I will look though. Thanks for the tip.

------------
CitizenC
My name is not 'nospam,' but 'citizenc'.

The DVD Version Better Be Good

[citizenc]

For some reason, I managed to lose my copy of Akira. Annoyed, I went hunting around for another copy. However, -NO- store that I went too, including Anime ones, carried it. I have spent close to a year trying to find a copy in a store, but there are none to be found. So, I went to get it ordered in for me.. and it will cost -AT LEAST- $60. Excuse me.. that's a little steep. If the VHS version is $60, how much will the DVD be? $100? Of course, I'll still buy it.. but it better kick ass for that price.

------------
CitizenC
My name is not 'nospam,' but 'citizenc'.

I wish MGM would relase "Strange Brew" on DVD

[decipher_saint]

Yeah, I know this is off topic (BTW - big anime fan here!). And seeing Akira on DVD would royally rock. But I have to add my .02 about what I'd like to see on DVD (if anyone agrees with me lets spam MGM!)

The best movie about beer EVER!

That movie had everything:
-Beer
-Bob & Doug (the hosers!)
-Gold Leader from Star Wars
-Uhhh beer

The only negative things I can say about it is that Americans seem to think we talk like that (mabe we do, but I can't tell!). And the fact that the sequel got canned! (which pisses me off)

Strange Brew @ IMDB

The only thing I would like to see more than this great movie on DVD is if Molson sold "Molson's Golden" in Alberta (with the original recipe) again, God I loved that beer, but I ramble.

Perhaps I should stop drinking at work... hmmmm ;-)

Capt. Ron

Nifty

[EXTomar]

As far as I remember Pioneer has said they've had an interest in doing something with Akira since 1998 saying that they would like to move around 2001. Looks like things are going their way.

Sure people may claim that its old and even campy and uber cryptic but you have to remember how ground breaking AKIRA was. At 1.1 billion yen price, it was the most expensive piece of animated work anywhere using a different and lush style in sight and sound. Go Pioneer for bringing out one of the essiential pieces of "classic" Anime.

As a casual viewer...

[Tridus]

I'm nothing even remotely resembling a hardcore anime fan, but I have friends who are. Every now and then I watch some.

I really prefer dubbed. I don't speak japanese, I have no desire to learn how to speak japanese, and I don't enjoy trying to read the entire movie while at the same time watching whats going on.

Thats really about all there is to it for me, having a language track in another language doesn't do anything for me except get annoying. Trying to read the entire text of the movie is also annoying. Get rid of the two of them at once by dubbing it into english, and I'm happy.

Of course, to each their own.

Old news

[emufreak]

Once again, Slashdot is light years behind on anime news. :] This was announced at AX2000. Akira is coming out on DVD, from Pioneer, in the summer of 2001.

screw akira--macros plus is out on dvd

[Aerolith_alpha]

that about says it... best mecha fight scene in any anime--maybe tied with escaflowne if you want to get technical... :)


mov ax, 13h
int 10h

Apparently you can buy it now...

[grunby]

Did a quick search on Ebay...
seems to be pretty popular...Came up with like 6 or 7 hits for the Akira DVD...It can apparently be played worldwide, ie. no region code... (Didn't think it was possible). Anyways, you may be able to get it was ebay at a premium price...

- [grunby]

Damn it

[Fjord]

Just when my coil was hitting the green line! (no this doesn't make sence unless you've seen the english dubbed version)

Akira is overrated

[myc]

Akira is really quite overrated IMO. Artistically its quite stunning, but insofar as the storyline goes I think it leaves quite a bit to be desired. I honestly didn't see the point to it except as a vehicle for gratuitous violence.


---
Santa Claus: "Ho ho ho!"

annoyed

[fluxrad]

i'd just like to put this into the pot:

no one ever mentions Vampire Hunter D when we get into these huge, embroiled, arguments over which is the best "screw akira" "no screw you" movie.


FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network

No idea for a subject

[badjohny]

Well i have been a fan of Akira since a 5 min preview was shown on MTV in the 80s as a teaser for anime. I went out and started collecting the comics soon after. The comics, btw, are much different and much better. The reason i feel alot of people don't get akira is that it is a thinking anime. by this i meen that you have to really think about what is going on to get the movie. alot of animes are like this, but they usally throw in some cool robot fights to please everyone. Now i am not saying some people are stupid for not getting it. it is just some people look deaper into movies than other people. Akira is about evolution and the human potential. i have seen the move 100s of times, and every time i have to explain it to people as to what is going on. the first time i saw it i thought "what the heck is this!" but after i saw it a few times, i realize what was trying to be said. it is the same with Evangelion, Ghost in the Shell, and many other Animes, you can watch them for what is on the screen, or you can look into the story they are trying to tell you. you will take much more out of the movie if you really think about what they are about. And on a side note, does anyone know when Evangelion "Death and Rebirth" the movie is comeing out on DVD? i heard soon.

Re:Suggestions

[z-axis]

Agreed. Nausicaa is excellent. Actually, all of Miyazaki's films, that I have seen, are excellent. Laputa just happens to be my favorite, and how can you not have a soft spot for Totoro?

Stylistically, I thought Patlabor and Ghost in the Shell were quite similar, right down to the crowded city montage in each film. It was very obvious that it was the same man behind the camera, so to speak. So I think a comparison is fair. I enjoyed Patlabor's deliberate pace; Ghost may have been more "cerebral", but I thought Patlabor was more intelligent.

Suggestions

[z-axis]

All that being said, I am not an Anime fanatic. I have seen only a few Anime movies, and many of them I thought were not worth watching. The three that were, though, were Akira, Ghost in the Shell, and Princess Mononoke. Akira and Princess were definitely the best.

I can't think of anything that compares to Akira, since it's so out there... but if you liked Ghost in the Shell, see Patlabor, a better film by the same director. If you liked Mononoke, try to see Laputa: Castle in the Sky and My Neighbor Totoro, again, better films by the same director.

Re:Suggestions

[ryusen]

i don't know if you shouuld compare patlabour to ghost int he shell... although it's the same director... we are talking abotu completly different mentalities... ghost was much more cerbral... in questioning who we are... masamune shirow(the manga writer) also has appleseed which is an excelent manga that is much the same way... although my fav from him is Orion
and if you are talking Miyazaki... you have to see his first film... Kazenotanino Naussica... unfortunetly there is no good official traslation... but if you like nice art it compares to stuff comming out now and it's 15 years old

As a proud owner...

[Chaos Monkey]

As a proud owner to numerous of the graphic novels of Akira, let me say that the yes, the age old wisdom of "the book(s)" are better than the movie holds true. Just so you are aware:

1) The movie (quite incredibly) follows the graphic novels shot for shot, color for color. The same man that produced the graphic novels directed the movie.

2) The movie deviates from the graphic novels about the time Tetsuo is taken away by the government.

3) The graphic novels went on for quite awhile (unfortunately, I only have up to 16 or so, the last issue I heard of was 35?), a number of the graphic novels came out *after* the movie. Hence, when they made the movie, they had to come up with *some* sort of ending. A poor choice on their part - they should stuck purely with the graphic novel, ended the movie at like issue #12, and then made a second movie.

4) The movie has Akira as being pure energy (frozen in those containers). In the graphic novels, he is still a kid frozen away (*much* more awesome). When Tetsuo awakens Akira in the GN's, Akira is blind, and uses a small portion of his power to "see" around him, and also listens to Tetsuo to figure out where to go. When the government activates the "SOL" laser, it catches them by surprise. Yes, Tetsuo loses his arm, but he uses his power to regenerate it - it doesn't turn into a mechanical arm. Also, there is another major explosion in the GN's (similar to how there is one at the end of the movie), however, the cause if it is when Akira finally opens his eyes. When he did that, he lost control of his power for a minute, and *woosh*.

I'd tell more, but really, you should just go find copies of the GN's and read them for yourself.

Also, just so you know, I hold Akira as being among my favorite animes (along with ones like Vampire Hunter D), because of how much *detail* they paid attention to, both in the mechanical realm of the world and with the characters, as well as the story line (though again, they shouldn't have deviated!!!)

Alright, it's too early to rant this much, so 'nuff said.

Akira Was My First Anime

[Fatal0E]

one of my friends got it for me for my birthday about 5 years ago, it's not even the wide screen edition one. It's such an awesome movie (from a Sci-Fi pov).
Artistically it's unbelievable. The movie is almost 7 years old and Anime as a medium has come unbelievably far but it's still competes!

PS: The other must have for even a newbie's collection is Fist Of The North Star
"Me Ted"

Re:Akira Was My First Anime

[cpt kangarooski]

You just have to look for something good. Anime is a genre - you can't expect it to all be good, the same way that not all black and white movies are good or bad.

I suggest...

• Castle of Cagliostro
  The best of the many, many Lupin the Third films. Humorous adventure of a master thief. (movie)
• Patlabor 2
  Serious near-future police mystery. Can be a bit slow, but an excellent movie. (movie)
• Cowboy Bebop
  Bounty hunters in space - excellent animation, stories, music (by Yoko Kanno, who's absolutely great) and not to be missed. (26 TV episodes, generally episodic)
• Vision of Escaflowne
  A girl is transported to a hidden sister planet of Earth and is involved in the middle of a war there. Again, music by Yoko Kanno, so it's great. There's a nice payoff eventually for physicists. (26 TV episodes, running plot lines so watch 'em in order)
• Grave of the Fireflies
  Really sad story of a brother and sister in Japan during the end of WW2. (movie)
• Macross Plus
  Good action movie - a love triangle between two rival flight test pilots and a singer in the future. Again, Yoko Kanno music. (4 OAVs - i.e. direct to video episodes)
• Neon Genesis Evangelion
  Big robots, cute girls, the apocalypse, a nice sixties flair but set in 2015. Starts out fine, gets weird fast. Helps to see the two follow up movies after the end of the series. (26 TV episodes)

This is all good stuff. I've tried to stick to things that are on DVD (the entire market is rapidly shifting that way) and of course, I strongly suggest that you watch it in Japanese with subtitles. There just really aren't any good dubs, IMHO. Really, if you asked your friendly neighborhood anime otaku what to watch, and indicated your tastes by naming some US movies you can probably get more suggestions. (e.g. if you like Star Trek you'd probably like Sol Bianca; if you like the Dungeons and Dragons movie you'd probably like Record of Lodoss War; if you like /.'s many NP posts you'd probably like La Blue Girl...) Additionally, many comic book shops and independent video stores rent anime, in case you're unhappy with the prices on the net. Don't even bother with stores, they charge too much.

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

[Jeff DeMaagd]

If the VHS version is $60, how much will the DVD be? $100? Of course, I'll still buy it.. but it better kick ass for that price.

It will probably cost $30 unless it's a super premium edition. Pioneer doesn't yet charge more than $30 for a single DVD.

The reason Akira on tapes costs so much now is that it is out of production, the original company that put it out (Streamline) picked an exclusive distributor that quickly died (Orion) and they couldn't get the distributor rights back.

Being out of production, the tapes have been in very short supply for a LONG time. Limited supply with a strong fan base = an exercise in supply & demand. The shops selling this tape generally know how hard it is to get, a local anime store kept getting their rental copies stolen.

NEW Akira!!!!

[terminalkaleidoscope]

For the Anime/Manga geek, there's also other new Akira stuff to report --

Diamond Previews pg. 33(comics geeks will know what I mean) lists Akira vol. 2 tpb from Dark Horse Comics -- A continuation of the previous Akira storyline. On sale March 21, 304 pg -- but contact your local comics store to order now, since they order 3 months in advance.
Anime is cool and all, but anyone who's read the manga of nearly any Anime can tell you -- Manga is almost ALWAYS vastly superior to anime of the same story. VASTLY

McFarlane Toys have Tetsuo, Kaneda and Kaneda's cycle toys available -- very nice likenesses. I just picked up Kaneda myself yesterday, and he's overlooking my workstation at work (next to the Bob & Doug McKenzie figures already there)

It's around on VCD or VHS...

[Drakino]

Finally anime newbies like myself can see what all the fuss is about!

What? It exists in other formats now and can be seen. I currently own it on VCD (Official release, nice to have), and I know it exists on VHS. Waiting for a DVD is no excuse to not see anime. Any VHS based anime I want to see, I simply rent from the local anime store here.

The Dialogue: Movie-A-Minute!

[Grendel Drago]

[Neo-Tokyo EXPLODES.]

Tetsuo: KANEDA!

Kaneda: TETSUO!

[Neo-Tokyo EXPLODES.]

[CONFUSING METAPHYSICAL THINGS happen.]

[Credits.]

apologies to RinkWorks,
grendel drago