Slashdot Mirror
Miyazaki Region 1 DVDs at Last?
PinkStainlessTail writes " Ain't It Cool has a "story" (or baseless rumor, it is AIC after all) claiming that Miyazaki's SPIRITED AWAY, CASTLE IN THE SKY (aka LAPUTA), and KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE will be released on 2 disc region 1 DVD sets from Disney in April of this year. The original story comes from comic artist Steve Bissette's message board. " Here's hopin'
DAMMIT! WHERE IS NAUSICAA!?
I have to defeat the lameness filter now, because slashdot sucks. # Please try to keep posts on topic.
# Try to reply to other people's comments instead of starting new threads.
# Read other people's messages before posting your own to avoid simply duplicating what has already been said.
# Use a clear subject that describes what your message is about.
# Offtopic, Inflammatory, Inappropriate, Illegal, or Offensive comments might be moderated. (You can read everything, even moderated posts, by adjusting your threshold on the User Preferences Page)
Man do I feel stupid. I had some idea about DVD Regions when I got my player a year or so ago, but didn't give it much thought. This article forced me to go look-up a few sites that offered information on exactly what the mention of DVD Regions in the
Sometimes
--- have you healed your church website?
If, like me, you live in Region 2 (Europe and Japan; handy, that), you don't care. But then, you haven't cared for a long time, cos they're all available at cdjapan.co.jp. Two-disk sets of Totoro, Mononoke, Kiki's Delivery Service, Laputa, Spirited Away, Whispers and probably others are currently residing on the DVD case.
Note: even though they're region 2, they're also NTSC, so you'll need compatible equipment. That's not a problem for Americans with multi-region players, though.
The films are in Japanese with optional english sub and dub, and the second disk is all in Japanese.
In case you're interested, I'm a big fan of cdjapan, especially now that the exchange rates are going my way. They're extremely efficient at getting the stuff out, and my first stop for those hard-to-find films that aren't generally available elsewhere.
Is it posted on nausicaa.net yet? No? Probably BS then.
Miyazaki's stuff is pure genious. He is, without a doubt, one of the greatest directors that ever lived. This is good for everyone, not just anime fans.
Ive already imported all these movies, and I will probably wind up buying the r1s as well. I sure hope that they have all the extras that were on the japanese dvds. Tons of cool stuff on the dual disk sets.
no
I'm holding in my hand a boxed set called "Archives of Studio Ghibli", published by Anime Cartoon International. It's got 6 DVD's, each with two films. It doesn not include the newest film, or Castle Cagliostro (which is separately available). The DVDs have Japanese menus, and offer English or Chinese subtitles with the Japanese soundtracks.
Actually Japanese TVs use a lower black level (0 IRE as opposed to North America's 7.5 IRE, which isn't nearly so much of a problem), and the only color shifted Japanese R2 dvd was Spirited Away, which has a noticeably red tint on every set in Japan. There's actually a lawsuit regarding that very issue brought about by a few Japanese people (see this article at animenewsnetwork).
-- Your IP is showing
This was probably mentioned in the original story, but I'll repeat it here...
When I ordered Spirited Away, I got an email from cdjapan telling me that some people reported a red tint. However, they assured me that the transfer was approved by Studio Ghibli, and it looked as intended.
I forgot about it until I watched the movie, and reread the mail. Then I checked the movie again, and saw no sign of any red tint. Maybe it was there, but to me the movie looked as I supposed was intended.
IIRC, part of Disney's deal with Miyazaki is that they won't alter a single frame of the films for distribution. Pan-and-scanning is obviously changing the film-- so at the very least I'm sure Disney has to offer both options.
I read this around the time Princess Mononoke came out, but I'm sure the same applies. It's why Disney (through Miramax) was willing to release a 2:20 animated film, instead of their usual 1:25-- it was that or nothing. (And that's why nothing could be done about Mononoke's glacial pacing, but that's opinion, I suppose.)
As for the language tracks, there was some hubbub when it came to the Mononoke DVD-- Disney was originally going to release it with only the English language dub, but there was considerable fan outcry (spearheaded by the folks at AICN, I believe), and so the disc was delayed so they could get language clearances and have both versions.
Personally, I enjoyed Spirited Away much, much more than Mononoke, and would look forward to a comparably well-done release, with widescreen, both language options, etc. Hopefully Disney's learned their lesson-- that Miyazaki's fan base can be downright ornery in their devotion, and will demand quality.
Both companies you listed are well known bootleggers.
Your copy is a bootlegm obviously so at that price.
Here's the article from Anime News Network, just posted about half an hour ago, with more concrete news on the Kiki and Castle in the Sky DVDs. As you can see, there's nothing said about a Spirited Away DVD release, though :/
How is Anime different from American Cartoons?
1. More mature. Yes their is porn, but you also have stories that are not meant for children. Meaning that people can die, grow old, kill, blood, really good love stories... etc.
2. Character Development. If you have ever watched a really good anime you find yourself loving or hating certain characters. In one anime I watched the main character died at the endo of it(2 OVAs and 94 episodes later... any guesses).
3. Unbelievable Soundtracks. Cowboy Bebop, Escaflowne, Kenshin, Macross Plus, Lain, Spirited Away, Totoro, Initial D. A lot goes into making the music fit the anime. I can't tell you how much I can recollect on a series just by hearing music from it. Think... the Star Wars use the force music... how that can send shivers down your spine(John Williams is a genious).
4. Funny and Serious. Anime is not restricted to a specific genre at all. They can be funny and then be serious one minute. That makes for some great entertainment.
5. Facial Expressions and Emotions. I already mentioned the character development, but a huge trait of anime is the facial and body expressions. Especially when they have a close up of view of the face.
I am sure that their are others. Blind Ignorance is scary. If you are going to say that something sucks... watch it and make sure.
Actually...
Spirited Away
Kiki's Delivery Service
Castle in the Sky
In short, there may yet be cause to worry if Disney doesn't feel that we need Japanese audio on these DVDs...
If not now, when?
Here:
http://www.inmatrix.com/genie/
Actually the bundle is really a bootleg, but since its ripped from the existing laser discs and other dvds it stii gives a good quality. It's not official though.
http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/video/answers.ht
------
The vast majority of Studio Ghibli products released in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and other southeast Asian countries are not licensed. These locations are notorious for their lax (or non-existent) enforcement of copyright laws, so be very careful when purchasing any video product manufactured or sold in this area.
There have also been numerous reports of various Studio Ghibli DVDs manufactured in Hong Kong or Taiwan being sold at stores, online shops, or on Internet auctions. As far as we have been able to determine, these are pirated copies. To our knowledge, only IVL in Hong Kong and Buena Vista Home Entertainment in Taiwan sell authorized or licensed Studio Ghibli videos/DVDs. Visit the Pirate Anime FAQ for more information on spotting bootlegged items.
The DVD set from an outfit called "Anime Cartoon International" (now known as "Manga International", not to be confused with "Manga Entertainment") is a definite bootleg. The following is from Steven Alpert, the Managing Director at Studio Ghibli International Distribution:
We have NOT licensed to anyone called Anime Cartoon in Hong Kong, and these sets must be pirated. We have a reputable licensee in Hong Kong who would certainly not be involved in this.I will be in touch with our attorneys to see what we can do to get the sales of these on eBay stopped, and I would imagine Disney will want to do the same.
Thanks and best regards,
Steve
To report the sale/auction/distribution of pirated material, contact:
Joe Woodall
Corporate Legal Department
The Walt Disney Company
Burbank, CA 91521-0662
joe.woodall@disney.com
I think the R3 Hong Kong releases are superb, though, all really lovewly anamorphic transfers and I'm not bothered about the lack of an English dub - I prefer to watch it with the original soundtrack!
I use the word 'hack' very liberally. Many times, it's just a few buttons on the remote.
While you're at it, desable Macrovision, and if you're in the market to buy a DVD player, use that site so that you buy a DVD player that plays SVCD's... thus allowing you to skip the whole buying DVD's-to-replace your VHS collection.