Unboxing [UK]: Summer Wars - Film (Blu-ray)

Next unboxing title for this post is all about saving the world by playing around with social networks - Summer Wars.

Note that this post has been updated (4th June 2015) to reflect the new blog format and add additional notes to the release.

Unboxing [UK]: Whisper of the Heart (BD/DVD)

The next item is my first order from Amazon and one of my favourite Ghibli films from the studio.

Note that this post has been updated on 18th July 2017 to reflect the current blog format.

Anime Collection Update: Whisper of the Heart (+ Discussion on Ghibli releases)

Amazon package has arrived, and it's my favourite Ghibli film on Blu-ray (with the DVD included as a combo).



Whisper of the Heart - Blu-ray / DVD Combo
Region: B (Blu-ray), 2 (DVD)

There were a few reasons I got this. First of all, I took myself a year to realise that the Ghibli collection I was given was in fact a Bootleg licensed and approved by the Malaysian government. What this means, well basically every film included in the collection was pirated and sold illegally as bootlegs to everyone who fell for it on ebay and other bootleg sites. This is unacceptable, as the money does not go back to the Ghibli creators.

This is what a bootleg looks like:

I did however have some of the titles on DVD at the same time (it was my birthday back then) so I did have some legit versions. When I got access to Blu-ray, I decided that I should get every release in HD but in this case I had six Ghibli films already on DVD and getting them on Blu-ray also means getting two versions on DVD.

Just a reminder on which Ghibli films I have on DVD:
Howl's Moving Castle

My Neighbour Totoro
Pom Poko
Ponyo
Porco Rosso
Spirited Away

Out of those six films, three of them (soon to be four with Porco Rosso) have been released on Blu-ray in the UK as a BD/DVD Combo. And five of them have been released on Blu-ray in Japan. While the US is slightly more superior to the UK versions, the UK has more releases than the US will mainly due to licensing issues and reverse importation. Grave of the Fireflies has luckily been released by Sentai Filmworks for Blu-ray and Princess Mononoke has been seen on Disney's Ghibli list.

Ghibli releases for UK:
Arrietty - DVD - Blu-ray/DVD
From Up on Poppy Hill - DVD - Blu-ray/DVD [September 2013]
Grave of the Fireflies - DVD - Blu-ray/DVD [July 2013]
Howl's Moving Castle - DVD - Blu-ray/DVD
Kiki's Delivery Service - DVD - Blu-ray/DVD [July 2013]
Laputa: Castle in the Sky - DVD - Blu-ray/DVD
My Neighbour the Yamadas - DVD - Blu-ray/DVD
My Neighbour Totoro - DVD - Blu-ray/DVD
Nausicaa in the Valley of the Wind - DVD - Blu-ray
Ocean Waves - DVD
Only Yesterday - DVD
Pom Poko - DVD
Ponyo - DVD - Blu-ray/DVD
Porco Rosso - DVD
Princess Mononoke - DVD
Spirited Away - DVD
Tales from Earthsea - DVD - Blu-ray/DVD
The Cat Returns - DVD
Whisper of the Heart - DVD - Blu-ray/DVD
Minor-Ghibli | Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro - DVD - Blu-ray/DVD
Minor-Ghibli | The Little Norse Prince - DVD

Ghibli releases for Australia:
Arrietty - DVD
Grave of the Fireflies - DVD
Howl's Moving Castle - DVD - Blu-ray
Kiki's Delivery Service - DVD - Blu-ray
Laputa: Castle in the Sky - DVD
My Neighbour the Yamadas - DVD - Blu-ray
My Neighbour Totoro - DVD
Nausicaa in the Valley of the Wind - DVD - Blu-ray
Ocean Waves - DVD
Only Yesterday - DVD
Pom Poko - DVD
Ponyo - DVD - Blu-ray
Porco Rosso - DVD
Princess Mononoke - DVD
Spirited Away - DVD
Tales from Earthsea - DVD - Blu-ray
The Cat Returns - DVD
Whisper of the Heart - DVD - Blu-ray

Ghibli releases for USA:
Arrietty - DVD - Blu-ray/DVD
From Up on Poppy Hill - DVD - Blu-ray/DVD [September 2013]
Grave of the Fireflies - DVD - Blu-ray [Sentai Filmworks]
Howl's Moving Castle - DVD - Blu-ray/DVD
Kiki's Delivery Service - DVD - Blu-ray/DVD
Laputa: Castle in the Sky - DVD - Blu-ray/DVD
My Neighbour the Yamadas - DVD
My Neighbour Totoro - DVD - Blu-ray/DVD
Nausicaa in the Valley of the Wind - DVD - Blu-ray/DVD
Ocean Waves - DVD
Only Yesterday - DVD
Pom Poko - DVD
Ponyo - DVD - Blu-ray/DVD
Porco Rosso - DVD
Princess Mononoke - DVD
Spirited Away - DVD
Tales from Earthsea - DVD
The Cat Returns - DVD
Whisper of the Heart - DVD - Blu-ray/DVD

Unboxing [UK]: Tekkonkinkreet - Film (Blu-ray)

As part of my birthday gifts, I also asked for Tekkonkinkreet!

Note that this post has been updated (4th June 2015) to reflect the new blog format and add additional notes to the release.

Manga Collection Update: Attack on Titan, Haruhi Suzumiya, Is This a Zombie?

Went to visit Cambridge today to locate HMV since bigger cities mean bigger stores. Found HMV and noticed the anime they had, including the Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood BD Collection box which looks a bit meh to be quite honest. Panty & Stocking was there as well, quite pricey. I also saw Bakuman available, facepalm'd since KAZE fucked it up and it's still being sold.

Sadly none of them were on sale (not even Welcome to the Space Show which has been on sale a few times in various HMV places). Was considering Evangelion 2.22 CE for £11 but went for some films in the '3 for £20' deal; Chronicle, Enter the Dragon and Hangover Part II, all on Blu-ray.

So I got some manga instead in Waterstones, they had quite a lot when I last checked back in February (I got Death Note, Fullmetal Alchemist and Neon Genesis Evangelion back then). I was going to get some Gantz manga since the reception was quite positive and has ended just recently but sadly Volume 1 wasn't available.

So in the end I picked three Volume 1's from three different mangas:

Attack on Titan

Is This a Zombie?

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Attack on Titan has been going on quite a lot in the media, the anime has been doing well and already been licensed for UK, USA and France has almost got a set released in stores. Found Volume 1 available so I thought why not.

Is This a Zombie? was available and the series has had two seasons (Season 1 on DVD by MVM next month and Season 2 DVD in Q3 2013 for USA and UK). Looks quite thin but I guess there's plenty to offer,

Haruhi Suzumiya was a manga I had been aiming to read for quite a while and I found it for £6 which was a good offer.

That's it for this update, I have three pieces of anime arriving in the next few weeks then there'll be nothing more until August time.

Unboxing [UK]: Berserk Golden Age: The Egg of the King - Film: Collector's Edition UK (BD/DVD)

For this unboxing, I'll be taking a look at the first film of three in the Golden Age saga in the Berserk universe from KAZE Entertainment UK.

Berserk returns after a long time of demand for more on the big screen. The new Berserk saga is said to cover everything from the manga for the fans, but first they had to get the Golden Age arc out of the way first. The Golden Age arc is split into three parts; The Egg of the King, The Battle for Doldrey and The Advent. The first part covers Guts and his arrival to the Band of the Hawk mercenary group. The Golden Age Arc does miss a lot compared to the TV version, so I recommend the TV series as well to get the best experience if you haven't read the manga. Note that this release is distributed by KAZE UK who tend to be restrictive and slightly lacking in quality control for their products. This release is a Collector's Edition which contains both the DVD and Blu-ray of the film plus a 30 page booklet translated from the Japanese release exclusive to the UK version. The subtitles are also locked in this release.

BD Language: English, Japanese

BD Video: 1080p HD Native 16:9 ratio (Widescreen)

BD Audio: English DTS-HD Master 5.1, Japanese DTS-HD Master 5.1

BD Subtitles: English (Japanese Dub with Sign Translations)

BD Region: B

BD Discs: 1

BD Defects: No sign translations for English dub

DVD Language: English, Japanese

DVD Video: 576i SD PAL Colour 16:9 ratio (Widescreen)

DVD Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1

DVD Subtitles: English (Japanese Dub with Sign Translations)

DVD Region: 2

DVD Discs: 1

DVD Defects: None

Plot:

Guts, an immensely strong sword-for-hire, has little direction in his life, simply fighting one battle after the next. However, this all changes suddenly when he meets and is bested by Griffith, a beautiful and charismatic young man who leads the Band of the Hawk mercenary army. After Guts joins the Band and the relationship between the two men begins to blossom, Casca, the tough, lone swordswoman in the Band of the Hawk, struggles to accept Guts and the influence he has on the world around her. While the two men begin to fight together, Griffith continues to rise to power, all seemingly in order to reach his mysterious, prophesied goals. What lengths will Guts and Griffith go to in order to reach these goals, and where will fate take the two men?

Extra Content (Physically):
30 Page Translated Booklet

Berserk Golden Age is available on Blu-ray & DVD from KAZE UK, Madman Entertainment and Viz Media USA. UK owners, I personally recommend the Viz Media releases as they contain tons of extras including the fan favourite Outtakes.

Unboxing [UK]: Paprika - Film (Blu-ray)

As part of my birthday gifts, it's the last film the late Satoshi Koi directed; Paprika.

Note that this post has been updated (4th June 2015) to reflect the new blog format and add additional notes to the release.

Unboxing [UK]: Angel Beats! - Complete Series (Blu-ray)

Next unboxing title for this post features fun, excitement and sadness - Angel Beats!.

Note that this post has been updated (3rd June 2015) to reflect the new blog format and add additional notes to the release.

Anime Collection - As of 22/06/2013

It's been two months so it's time to properly show my current collection.

Let's start with DVD:

Akira

Berserk (TV) - Complete Series

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion - Complete Season 1

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 - Complete Season 2

Death Note - Complete Series

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - Complete Series

Ghost in the Shell

Highschool of the Dead: Drifters of the Dead - OVA Special

Howl's Moving Castle

My Neighbour Totoro

Pom Poko

Ponyo

Porco Rosso

Spirited Away

The Animatrix (not in picture, inside Matrix Collection)

For Imports:

Baka & Test: Summon the Beasts - Complete Season 1 (Blu-ray / DVD Combo)
Black Lagoon - Complete Series (Blu-ray / DVD Combo)
Ga-Rei-Zero - Complete Series (Blu-ray / DVD Combo)

For Blu-rays:

Angel Beats - Complete Series
Freedom - Complete Series [Collector's Edition]
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood OVA
Ghost in the Shell [2.0 Redux]
Highschool of the Dead - Complete Series [Original Release]
Ninja Scroll [20th Anniversary Collector's Edition]
Origin: Spirits of the Past
Paprika
Summer Wars
Sword of the Stranger
Tekkonkinkreet
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

For Manga:

Azumanga Daioh - Omnibus: Complete

Blue Exorcist - Volumes 1-2

Death Note - Omnibus: Volumes 1-2

Fullmetal Alchemist - Omnibus: Volume 1

Highschool of the Dead - Omnibus FCE: Volume 1

Neon Genesis Evangelion - Omnibus: Volumes 1-3

One Piece - Omnibus: Volume 1

Anime/Manga Collection Update: Angel Beats, Code Geass, Tekkonkinkreet, Azumanga Daioh Omnibus + More

I'd admit, today was my birthday (*short applause*). So to celebrate, I decided to select a ton of anime due to my late arrival into the hobby at a teen age.  So here it is, my latest bunch of anime *and* manga.

Angel Beats (Complete Series + OVA) - Blu-ray
Region: B (Blu-ray)
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (Complete Season 1) - DVD
Region: 2 (DVD)
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 (Complete Season 2) - DVD
Region: 2 (DVD)
Paprika - Blu-ray
Region: A & B & C (Blu-ray)
Tekkonkinkreet - Blu-ray
Region: A & B & C (Blu-ray)

Azumanga Daioh - Omnibus

All 4 Volumes with 39 chapters.

Highschool Of The Dead - Full Colour Omnibus Vol.1

First 4 Volumes with 17 chapters.

Neon Genesis Evangelion - Omnibus Vol.3

Volumes 7 to 9 with chapters 41 to 63.

There are in fact two animes missing from this update; Berserk Golden Age Arc: The Egg of the King and UN-GO (Complete Series + OVA). Berserk is missing due to a mishap which I ended up with the Blu-ray version and not the Collector's Edition Double Play (blame Sainsburys). For UN-GO, Manga UK delayed the product due to stock issues and will not be here until the 8th of July.

Unboxing [UK]: Sword of the Stranger (Blu-ray)

Another film picked at random, got this on offer from United Publications and I heard this was very well received by many anime folks, giving it a range from 8 to 10 out of 10.

Note that this post has been updated on 20th December 2017 to reflect the current blog format.

Unboxing [US]: Ga-Rei: Zero - Complete Series: Original Release (BD/DVD)

The second of four Birthday pickup items and another title that didn't get a Blu-ray release in the UK.

BD Language: English, Japanese

BD Video: 1080p SD Remaster/Upscale 16:9 ratio (480i 4:3 ratio for extras)

BD Audio: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0

BD Subtitles: English (Japanese Dub with S.T. & L.), English (Sign Translations and Lyrics)

BD Region: A, B

BD Discs: 2

BD Defects: None

DVD Language: English, Japanese

DVD Video: SD NTSC Colour 16:9 ratio

DVD Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Japanese Stereo 2.0

DVD Subtitles: English (Japanese Dub with S.T. & L.), English (Sign Translations and Lyrics)

DVD Region: 1, 4

DVD Discs: 3

DVD Defects: None

Ga-Rei: Zero is a action thriller based on the Ga-Rei manga. It is also a prequel, hence the Zero added to the name. I don't know much about the plot unfortunately (I've going through this anime blind basically).

There are two versions for the complete series; Standard/LE and Re-release. The re-release contains all the content from the first release but with a new cover art and Blu-ray size box. The Standard & Limited Edition has an artbox to fit both DVD sized cases; one case for Discs 1 of both the DVD and Blu-ray with the second case for Discs 2-3 for DVD and Disc 2 for Blu-ray. The Standard & Limited Edition are apparently out of print and I was quite lucky to grab a copy before it disappeared, they're only a few pounds more expensive but its nicer.

Plot:

The creative team behind the Full Metal Panic! trilogy is back with a nightmare-inducing series about teenage exorcists forced to draw swords against bloodthirsty creatures of unholy origins.

Kagura and Yomi may look like ordinary school girls as they walk the streets of Tokyo clad in short skirts and knee-high socks, but they’re the heroes you scream for when monsters creep out of the darkness. These sword-totting sisters are part of an elite counterattack unit that specializes in suppressing outbreaks of supernatural activity. They train together, live together, eat together, and spend their nights disemboweling demons with sacred blades. Tragedy strikes when Yomi is possessed by a dark spirit, and Kagura must choose between raising her weapon against the eerily familiar face of ultimate evil – or watching her mentor slaughter innocent citizens. In a life or death battle that pits sister against sister, survival may be the greatest agony of all.

Extra Content (On-Disc):
Location Specials
Series Premiere / First Episode Promo Videos
DVD Promo Videos
Textless Songs and Trailers

Extra Content (Physically):
Card-based Artbox

Ga-Rei: Zero is available on DVD from MVM Entertainment in the United Kingdom but also on Blu-ray and DVD combo pack from Funimation in North America.

Unboxing [UK]: Highschool Of The Dead: Drifters of the Dead - OVA: Standalone (DVD)

Fan Service, Fan Service Everywhere.

Note that this post has been updated (4th June 2015) to reflect the new blog format and add additional notes to the release.

Unboxing [US]: Black Lagoon - Complete Series: Anime Classics (BD/DVD)

Next item is one of four Birthday pickup items and a title I have been dreaming of watching since I started.

Note that this post has been updated on 20th July 2017 to reflect the current blog format.

Anime Collection Update: Black Lagoon, Ga-Rei: Zero, High School of the Dead OVA and Sword of the Stranger

Time for a second experiment with importing! Back in April 2013, I bought my first imported anime; Baka & Test Season 1 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) and it was compatible with Region A and B for Blu-ray and Region 1,2 and 4 for DVDs. Now I recently found out that Samsung Home Cinema players can actually be turned region free without any tough instructions (like most players as they require all-in-one controllers) so after noticing the code worked without knowing it would work on anything outside R2 I bought some more imports.

A week later, my package arrived today and out of the 4 animes in the box, two of them are from USA. The following items I bought are as follows:

Black Lagoon - Complete Series (Season 1 and 2) - Blu-ray / DVD Combo

Region: A (Blu-ray), 1 (DVD)

Ga-Rei: Zero - Complete Series (Limited Edition) - Blu-ray / DVD Combo

Region: AB (Blu-ray), 1 & 4 (DVD)

High School of the Dead: Drifters of the Dead OVA Special - DVD

Region: 2 (DVD)

Sword of the Stranger - Blu-ray

Region: B (Blu-ray)

Now what does this mean next? Well I guess I can finally get Oreimo Season 1 on DVD, or maybe even The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, or perhaps Future Diary when it comes out. But I have planned to get Black Butler as well.

Expect more anime pickups this friday!

Unboxing [UK]: Berserk (TV) - Complete Series (DVD)

One of the most popular anime shows of all time is finally in my hands, Berserk is a dark fantasy anime based on the #1 manga of the same name. This show covers mostly on the Golden Age Arc of the series, which follows how Guts became the black swordsman.

The version that I bought is known as the 'Box of War' edition which includes all 25 episodes and tons of special features including the hilarious outtakes, textless opening/ending and much more. This DVD pack contains the exact same content that the US had. There are six discs included in this copy, each up to nine episodes at a time with the third and final disc containing the last 6 episodes and extra content. A Blu-ray version is also available, however it is currently only released in Japan with no English dub and English subtitles.

DVD Language: English, Japanese

DVD Video: 4:3 Original Ratio PAL Standard Definition

DVD Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0, Japanese Stereo 2.0

DVD Subtitles: English (Japanese Dub with S.T. & L.)
DVD Region: 2

DVD Discs: 6

DVD Defects: UK release has Mono sound, US release is fixed for Stereo.

Plot:

"In this world, is the destiny of mankind controlled by some transcendental entity or law? Is it like the hand of God hovering above? At least it is true, that man has no control, even over his own will."

A brave young warrior named Guts fights for his fortune as a mercenary on the front lines. A fated encounter unites Guts with the charismatic and deadly young man named Griffith. Leading the rogue soldiers known as the Band of the Hawk, Griffith wields his formidable force like no other. Driven by a quest for status, the Hawks exert military and social prowess the likes of which have never been seen before. The armies of Midland will quake with fear as Griffith and Guts set off on a path that will bring the world to its knees.

Berserk is a fantastic show with a few minor problems related to certain content ignored from the original manga material. The ending itself wasn't suitable enough to continue the series as a result but luckily a plan to re-adapt the series is planned through movies.

Extra Content:

Textless Opening and Closing

Original Japanese Opening and Closing (Note: This is the same as the English one)
Encore TV Opening
Forces: TV Version
Paint It Berserk
Production Sketches
Art Gallery
Outtakes
TV Spots
Storyboards
Interviews with original creator Kentaro Miura and producer Toshio Nakatani

Anime Collection Update: Berserk (TV Series)

I have saved most of my time on unboxings for this month as I have been taking care of my exams for the past few weeks. But this is actually an early one because MVM made the price on this as £9.99 instead of the usual £24.99-£29.99 margin that other sites have.

I will do an unboxing later on this but here's a snapshot of what the cover looks like. The UK version is basically the same version as the Box of War edition in the US.