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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!"
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.
Moof!
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.
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Editor Emeritus and Senior Writer, TeleRead.org
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.)
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Editor Emeritus and Senior Writer, TeleRead.org
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.
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Editor Emeritus and Senior Writer, TeleRead.org
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
Can you get comic books on DVD?
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.
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.
D is okay, but something about it never really excited me. Worth a watch, but it's not a classic.
Chris Beveridge's excellent AnimeOnDVD site has had this forever and a day.
Anime on DVD FAQ - Anime Title Information - #1: Akira
o/~ Join us now and share the software
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.
You cannot apply a technological solution to a sociological problem. (Edwards' Law)
I have yet to see it for sale in any of the Blockbusters here in Canada.. I will look though. Thanks for the tip.
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CitizenC
My name is not 'nospam,' but '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.
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CitizenC
My name is not 'nospam,' but 'citizenc'.
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
crazy dynamite monkey
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.
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.
:-)
-- "So they told me that using the download page to download something was not something they anticipated." - Bill Gates
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.
-- "So they told me that using the download page to download something was not something they anticipated." - Bill Gates
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.
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
mov ax, 13h
int 10h
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]
Just when my coil was hitting the green line! (no this doesn't make sence unless you've seen the english dubbed version)
-no broken link
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!"
NO CARRIER
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
"It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once." -David Hume
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.
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.
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.
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.
- I'm making a page dedicated to procrastinators! I'll let you know when I get started.
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"
BOSTON SUCKS!
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.
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.
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D. Fischer
ShoutingMan.com
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)
When you discover youve been standing in shit you dont jump up and down on it to punish it.You walk away -Alan Moore
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.
[Neo-Tokyo EXPLODES.]
Tetsuo: KANEDA!
Kaneda: TETSUO!
[Neo-Tokyo EXPLODES.]
[CONFUSING METAPHYSICAL THINGS happen.]
[Credits.]
apologies to RinkWorks,
grendel drago
Laws do not persuade just because they threaten. --Seneca