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Forum - View topicShelf Life - 18if
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MarshalBanana
 Posts: 5423 |
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Instead of Shelf Worthy, Rental or Perishable. Why not replace rental with stream, I mean who rents DVDs and Blu-Rays nowadays.
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meiam
Posts: 3442 |
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Wow metropolis is getting re-release in blue ray? Is there much improvement visually between the DVD and blue ray? The movie was already unbelievably gorgeous I don't know if it can be even better. I wonder if the story hold up, I quite liked it as a kid.
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belvadeer
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Definitely a good handful of giant robot anime to consider picking up.
Well now, that's definitely my daily dose of "What the hell Japan?" for today. XD |
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SkerllyFC07
Posts: 108 |
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Is it a coincidence that just like in Violet Evergarden, the best episodes are #7 and #10? Only here it´s backwards, with 7th being the best and 10th being below 7th
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Zin5ki
 Posts: 6680 Location: London, UK |
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I can understand the desire to keep a visual parallel with Fritz Lang, but was this a sufficient reason for the cover artwork of Metropolis to be a notable spoiler? There are several other official designs they could have used.
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Toonces
Posts: 113 |
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Yeah, the show is ambitious, but never lives up to its full potential. Different directors and styles all sound like great ideas, but only a very small handful of episodes are worth watching. Pretty much the only good episode for me was the one where the were dealing with the robot prince in a CG world.
Otherwise, great idea, not so great execution. |
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GeorgeC
Posts: 795 |
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It's been reviewed by tons of people before but apparently ANN is a little behind on the Blu ray releases for it. To sum up: It was released on Blu ray the better part of ten years ago in Japan BUT it took forever for a Western release to happen. The Blu ray has the same banding issues the DVD had so either the Blu ray itself is an upscale of the DVD master, OR the issue is with the original master materials used to create Metropolis the movie. It was an early digital anime feature film (1998?) and there are issues with anime from that period that used extensive CG -- ie, the CG was often times NOT rendered to what we would consider full-HD quality today. Anyhow, I've got the UK Blu ray edition and for the most part it IS better than the DVD edition but there are definite banding issues in some scenes but it's STILL a gorgeous film. Now that I'm older, I have more patience for it and the film is actually BETTER for me now than when I originally saw it in 2002/2003(?) on DVD. This is technically the FOURTH major Blu ray release of Metropolis in the West. There was a UK release (Region A-compatible but branded as a Region B Blu ray; it was a "soft" territory lock but obviously could play in North American Blu ray players because a ton of us imported it who DON'T have open-region Blu ray players) in both regular and steelbook editions (I imported the steelbook). The first US Blu ray edition was a lackluster BD-R release from Sony but Mill Creek licensed the film anyway. Both the UK and original Sony released happened in early 2017 I believe. I dunno... my memory's getting bad on some dates! Mill Creek released Metropolis this past summer as a Wal Mart exclusive but there were no extras on the Wal Mart Blu ray release. It DID have both the Japanese and English audio tracks. (The English dub is a superior one for the time frame in which it was created; I think it was 1999/2000; Metropolis did have a limited theatrical engagement in the US but was shown in very few cities. If it were released today, I probably would have been able to see it in my city but it was basically restricted to West Coast/East Coast, New York/LA.) I've confirmed this in-store but didn't buy that disc. Nice cover art on the slipcase, though! The steelbook edition from Mill Creek HAS extras -- basically the making of documentary and all the extras released on the original Western DVD of Metropolis and all the extras ported to the UK Blu ray release as well. If you don't already have the UK Blu ray of Metropolis, obviously the steelcase edition from Mill Creek is the one to get if you want all the extras. Otherwise, save your money and get the Wal Mart release if you're still interested. They still had it in my local store last time I checked the home video aisles... This hasn't been confirmed but I'm suspecting ALL the Blu ray editions are using the SAME flawed, master tape that was used to create the original Japanese Blu ray release of Metropolis years ago. Unless Sony pays for a remaster of Metropolis, what we have now is the best we're going to get. I'll probably end up getting the Mill Creek steelbook even though I have the UK edition already. I like the film enough and want to encourage Mill Creek and other companies to take a chance on more foreign animation releases... |
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Hiroki not Takuya
 Posts: 2570 |
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The review of 18if is as good and fair a synopsis as I think can be given. As I loved the show, I'd recommend getting it for the episodes he mentioned (I think they are that good and unique) and forget the last two because they try to tie together stand-alone stories that have no good connection. I've been waiting for this, but also I'd recommend FlipFlappers as a sort of better companion piece about the story possibilities of the World of Dreams
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gridsleep
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18if... a veiled reference to 28if on Abbey Road?
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CatSword
 Posts: 1489 |
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I'm concerned to see Funimation re-releasing Taboo Tattoo as an "essential." If someone ends up buying Taboo Tattoo under that impression, it's going to be hard for them to trust one of Funimation's "essentials" again.
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getchman
 He started itPosts: 9129 Location: Bedford, NH |
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Its just a rebranded SAVE line, selling at the same prices, still has a reversible cover but no longer has a green spine. Im sure most folks can make the connection with a little observation |
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DigitalScratch
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18if had a lot of good ideas, one fantastic episode that still sticks with me, and a cat man voiced by J. Michael Tatum. But the entire anime is dragged down by terrible visuals and stories. To this day it is one of thee ugliest anime I’ve ever seen (even the headache that is Handshakers at least had fluid movement and proper proprotions.) Almost every shot has something wrong with it. That, or it’s too visually bland to have any sort of impact.
And while every episode had a good idea to explore the hardships of each girl’s lives, I just felt the pacing was off. Protagonist-kun was always some plot device that would do whatever any girl wanted and he was so extremely boring cause he’s just there to comfort the girls and somehow knows what to say to make them feel better. So when the girls all talk about how much he’s helped them, it doesn’t feel the least bit earned or sympathetic. Really the only episode worth seeing is Episode 7. The only one where the animation not only is trying but is beautifully stylistic. And the story is great, as the girl’s recovery isn’t dependent on our Protagonist-kun and instead on her childhood friends. Oh,and Episode 9- the idol episode. Because it was so over the top and insane in its critique of idol culture that it falls right into being hilarious. |
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15528 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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I have talked quite a bit about 18if before, in the series discussion area I looked at each episode, pointing out many of the failures, and some of the standout things. I can't remember if I did a rant of how frustrated I was with the main character, who had no consistency to his personality. On top of what was already mentioned, sometimes he would be absolutely good socializer, while others he practically seemed like a recluse. Despite being one in the forums fascinated with it while it was running, I am actually not a big fan of episode 7, I found the visuals far too distracting, and the story was not satisfying. I think it does come a little down to taste. I do think episode 10 is amazing though.
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