Review by SteveL
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Armored Trooper Votoms Blu-ray Perfect Soldier Box [Limited Pressing]AnimationLooks and sounds amazing
VOTOMS is a classic title, one that was the inspiration for many, and the start of the "real robot" series. As stated in the description, there are no subtitles or language options other than spoken Japanese for all series in the box. The entire set was remastered, overseen by none other than Ryosuke Takahashi, the original director for the series. Scenes from the TV series that had cel damage, tape, dirt, and dust were lovingly cleaned up and fixed. The original film grain has been cleaned up and scaled back, but there is no loss in detail for the main TV series. Brilliantly Shining Heresy does not look that amazing, but my understanding is this is due to the compositing of digital effects. Mellowlink looks amazing. This is one that was rumored to have "masters lost due to a studio fire" rumor surrounding it for a long time in the North American fan market at least. This release has proven that the original material were not lost, and if they were, then Sunrise has performed some amazing magic to make it look like the series was taken from component masters and properly cleaned up. Comparing to the original DVD release, the video quality is nothing short of breath taking. Audio quality has been remastered using the FORS system and it sounds amazing. There is not much directionality and I believe the TV series at least is stereo from a mono source. The creditless opening and ending for the TV series is amazingly beautiful. Also included are the soundtracks to all of the series. The price is high but they put a lot of time, effort, and love into the remastering and the release. Highly recommended to fans with the means to pick it up and enjoy it.
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Sakura Wars - Review in Little Lip Theater - Utau Dai New YorkAnimationDecent, but not great
I am a huge Sakura Taisen/Wars fan and given my love for the voice talent involved with Sakura Taisen V, I was rather excited about getting an album that featured a new track devoted to each character. Each track takes the form of the climax from the maginary performances of the plays in Sakura Taisen V. Unfortunately the music is only so-so and the tracks themselves aren't nearly as full of life as I had expected or wanted. The album is OK, but there are much better Sakura Taisen albums to buy, such as the Sakura Taisen V vocal collection album.
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GALAXY EXPRESS 999 ETERNAL EDITION File No. 7& 8AnimationAmazing
This 2 disc set collects nearly all of the vocal tracks that are played throughout the phenomenal Galaxy Express 999 TV series and movies. The only tracks missing would be the TV sized opening and ending themes, though the full length versions are on here. Also included are several instrumental tracks from the films. Anyone who is a fan of the vocal tracks in the Galaxy Express 999 universe should definitely check this one out!
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PrhythmangelaGreat album
The 3rd full length angela album to be released is certainly something any angela fan would enjoy. The CD is mainly a collection of their singles, with a few new tracks included on this album. The only issue I have is the sound quality on track 3. There must have been an error during mastering, as looking at the WAV file for the track reveals that it has severe clipping, which winds up sounding like distortion on playback. Other than that, this albums is tops!
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Excellent Model Series RAH.DX - Gundam Archives Side 1: Rain Mikamura Figure [painted & pre-assembled]CollectibleGreat sculpt
This figure captures the fine features of Rain in all her glory. The sculpt is finely detailed and once liberated from the packaging, looks like a nearly 100% perfect representation of the female sidekick/love interest of Domon Kashu.
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Tsukuyomi - Moon Phase PHASE 13AnimationPerfect ending to a perfect series
I thoroughly enjoyed this series and was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the DVD only episode, episode 26. I was expecting something rushed and of a lesser length than a TV episode. I was quite surprised (in a good way) when the bonus episode turned out to be the same high quality I had come to expect from the series from the previous DVDs in the series. The episode itself was tons of fun to watch and was a great addition to the 25 episodes that came before it. Very rarely does a series grip me in a way to make me anxiously await the release of the discs that follow. This series kept me excited from start to finish and is something I have rewatched on several occasions. Tsukuyomi is very highly recommended.
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Glass no Kamen Vol.1AnimationSlow, but good
I picked this show up on a whim, and I must say I am rather pleased with the quality over all. Glass no Kamen is actually a remake of an TV series that was released in 1984 (with an OVA in 1998). Luckily you can enjoy the TV series without a background with the previous TV or OVA series, as the remake TV series is a lengthier retelling of the same basic story with new animation and different voice talent. I can't wait to pick up further volumes in the series!