Otaku Collection #6 | 30th December 2017

This update has been delayed for way too long. It's been around 16 months since my last major complete collection update, and I got way more than I had anticipated. Between the months that had passed I finished my third & final year of University and managed to get certain items once I returned home.

If you like a quick recap on the previous update, here's my post on the 5th collection from back in September 2016. Nevertheless, here is my 6th collection update. There's a lot of new additions this time around and some areas weren't updated so I omitted them out (retro games and consoles for example).

Remember the Otaku Collection updates contain anime, manga, asian cinema films, video games and anything related to these topics. So let's begin!

Otaku Collection #5 | 7th September 2016

Well then. It's been over a year since my last major complete collection update, and the main reason for the delay was because my average pickups per months was much lower compared to my time at University (also I was unable to find a placement so I had no choice but to take a year out instead). I decided to hold off this update until I had enough to make a difference.

If you like a quick recap on the previous update, here's my post on the 4th collection from back in April 2015. Nevertheless, here is my 5th collection update. The difference here is that I have moved things around so that I can provide more space for each specific distributor.

Remember the Otaku Collection updates contain anime, manga, asian cinema films, video games and anything related to these topics. So let's begin!

Otaku Collection #4 | 10th April 2015

Note: This collection update was sorted on the 1st April 2015 but due to other things going on I delayed this post for quite some time. Luckily I didn't buy anything between these couple of days aside from one film which ended up in another location.

Well it's been a long time since I made a complete collection update. I decided this month was the best time to make one since I will be getting more over in the summer and I didn't want to leave it any longer. This collection update is much bigger than the last one but luckily I was able to fit everything on the shelf I added for the third update back in September.

As usual, the Otaku Collection updates contain anime, manga, asian cinema films and anything related to these topics. So let's begin!

Otaku Collection #3 | 8th September 2014

It's been a long time since I unveiled my collection of anime and manga. It's been about 9 months since I had made an update and because I'll be going back to University quite soon I figured I should probably make another update now before then.

Manga Collection Update: Fullmetal Alchemist Box Set

I'm now back in University and I have managed to pick up some manga, well a rather big one.

I bought the Fullmetal Alchemist box set (SRP £150, bought for £110), includes all 27 volumes and the Ties That Bind novel. This set is to replace the 3-in-1 manga omnibus that I have since they feel cheap.

Otaku Collection #2 | 18th January 2014

It's been a while since I have done one of these, though this update was delayed due to the items I was hoping would arrive on time. I decided on having this update now before I bring in the other items from these next few months.

Anime Collection Update: Good Luck Girl! and Michiko & Hatchin Limited Edition sets

It's 2014 and it's been an odd month.

I had two items ordered on New Years and an estimated delivery for this week, however due to the weather conditions on both the UK and North America side the items couldn't be delivered on time. I contacted United Publications and confirmed they will be shipping these items next week if possible. During these delays I decided to get two different items while waiting for the other two. These two were rather decent purchases from Funimation.

Anime/Manga Collection Update: One Piece and Wolf Children

It's that time again.

I have two new additions to the collection, thanks to Christmas. Unfortunately I had one item delayed to April by Amazon for unknown reasons while other sites are dispatching it already. The following two items are rather big items for this quarter season. They are...

One Piece - The Complete Box Set I: East Blue & Baroque Works
Format: Single Volume
No.: 1-23 + 0: Romance Dawn (Version 1)

Wolf Children - Film: Collector's Edition
Format: Blu-ray and DVD
Version: UK
Region: B, 2

One Piece was pretty costly but luckily it was grabbed before the price itself increased by £20 on Amazon.

In addition to this, there will be more items incoming but what it is will be determined. And since I'm at home, the older posts will be updated with newer pictures and updated layout.

Anime/Manga Collection Update: Is This A Zombie?, Yotsuba&! and a surprise post

It's just before the day that gifts and stuff are shown but here's a quick update on what has been purchased.

Just before returning home, I have picked up the second volume of Yotsuba&! and the third volume to Is This A Zombie? from the Sheffield Space Centre shop which sells sci-fi books, comic books and Japanese anime & manga.

Is This A Zombie?
Format: Single Volume
No.: 3

Yotsuba&!
Format: Single Volume
No.: 2

In addition I also received a post from Studio Canal for the fixed number to the Whisper Blu-ray set.

The issue was first brought up in July when Kiki's Delivery Service was released on Blu-ray. People continued the numbering format is now the exact same as the DVD's and Studio Canal confirmed that the earlier titles were errors and will be fixed. The only titles affected were Arrietty, Laputa: Castle in the Sky, My Neighbour the Yamadas and Whisper of the Heart.

Anime/Manga Collection Update: Death Note, Perfect Blue, Yotsuba&!

It's been a big month for pickups. I decided on getting a few bunch of things so here they are:

Anime

Let's start off with the anime. I picked up two films that were released here in the UK and two shows which were imported from North America. First Squad was bought as part of Amazon's special offer with certain Blu-ray titles so it was a good time to pick it up. The other film Perfect Blue was confirmed to be very limited than I expected so it was best to pick that film up as well, aside from a few issues that the film has but considering the UK is the first to receive the film on Blu-ray outside Japan for English territories.

First Squad - Film
Format: Blu-ray
Version: UK
Region: A, B, C

Perfect Blue - Film: Collector's Edition
Format: Blu-ray and DVD
Version: UK
Region: B, 2

and for the previous collection update I mentioned:
Last Exile: Fam, The Silver Wing - Season 2 (for Last Exile) Part 1: Limited Edition
Format: Blu-ray and DVD
Version: USA
Region: A, 1

Maken-Ki! - Complete Series ("Season 1"): Limited Edition
Format: Blu-ray and DVD
Version: USA
Region: A, 1

Manga

Manga wasn't my priority this quarter because I am quite behind in terms of collecting shows. But I found a shop in Sheffield where they sold a 'bunch' load of manga that not even Forbidden Planet and Waterstones could handle. Of course the drawback is the pricing which is the same as the expected price. One particular manga I started to collect is the high popular series Yotsuba&!, created by Kiyohiko Azuma who made Azumanga Daioh (fantastic manga and anime series). The early volumes of this series is losing its stock so I found some copies in store but I decided on the first volume. Death Note, I actually own the first two Black Editions' (the first is one of the first manga volumes I've read) and for £50 it was a good deal and brand new. Attack on Titan is self explanatory since I was planning on picking it up.

Attack on Titan
Format: Single Volume
No.: 3

Death Note - The Complete Box Set
Format: Single Volume
No.: 1-12 + 13: How to Read

Yotsuba&!
Format: Single Volume
No.: 1

Asian Cinema

Finally, we have two asian films that have been well received by fans and critics worldwide. The 2003 South Korean Oldboy and 2011 Indonesian The Raid (also known with its subtitle Redemption). Oldboy is an adaptation of the Japanese manga of the same name, unlike the recent 2013 hollywood adaptation which is based on the 2003 film (adaptation-ception...). Both films I have yet to watch but I am looking forward to watching these.

Oldboy - Film: Steelbook
Format: Blu-ray
Language: Korean
Version: UK
Region: B

The Raid - Film
Format: Blu-ray
Language: Indonesian
Version: UK
Region: B

Anime Collection Update: Last Exile's Fam, The Silver Wing and Maken-Ki!

After purchasing the UK versions of Afro Samurai and Devil May Cry, I noticed that I could still get a few more sets to add into my collection. I took a look throughout Amazon, Play and Zavvi but unfortunately nothing in the UK was worth the buy. I didn't even bother with Manga because I preferred to get the anime I wanted out of the way before I focus on the former. So I decided to see what titles are available for automatic delivery on United Publication, I found one of them being untouched for a while and also a brand new series that just got released this month. Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring you Last Exile: Fam, The Silver Wing Part 1 and Maken-Ki!: Complete Series (or perhaps Season 1).

Let's start off with Fam, The Silver Wing. This is the second season to the famous Last Exile back nearly a decade ago. The second season is like Eureka Seven's Astral Ocean where it doesn't follow the previous season other than a few certain aspects and the name itself while also not gaining much reception from fans of the original season. This Limited Edition set includes the first half of the season and a slim artbook exclusive to the set.

Maken-Ki! (also known as Maken-Ki!: Battling Venus) is (as you probably have guessed) a fanservice ecchi show about a guy caught up with girls battling each other with Makens in high school. This set is also a Limited Edition with it's own artbox and split up cases for each format. The design is nice on the upside.

Both Limited Edition sets are still available (Maken-Ki! was just released) from Funimation with a Standard version also around. Part 1 and 2 for Fam, The Silver Wing is available in Standard form. Fam is available on Blu-ray and DVD standalones in Australia and United Kingdom. Maken-Ki! is upcoming for DVD in Australia with no sign for release in United Kingdom.

Anime Collection Update: Afro Samurai and Devil May Cry on Blu-ray (and a little thing called Pacific Rim)

I had a look at the amount of cash I had left on my account and it looked as though I had enough to get some more anime, now I want to get at least 1 anime a month purchased and added to my shelf so I decided to head off to HMV to see what they had available. At the same time, Pacific Rim just came out so I picked that up and some cheap anime, one of them is actually 'was' out of print here in the UK. Ladies and Gentlemen, Afro Samurai and Devil May Cry are now included in my collection!

Afro Samurai: Complete Murder Sessions is a re-release that includes the director cut versions for Afro Samurai: The Complete Series and the film sequel Afro Samurai: Resurrection together in one set, no changes on the discs as it's just a re-package but at £19 it's an okay deal. The release is from Manga Entertainment and is set to Region B only from Funimation's original release.

Devil May Cry: The Animated Series is an adaptation of the Capcom video game series. This release was also originally done by Funimation and Manga Entertainment used the license for distributing to the UK. This was one of the first anime releases for Blu-ray and was mainly out of print due to the license expiring but thankfully Manga confirmed they have renewed it for more stock. The release contains all the extras from Funimation's release including stuff related to Devil May Cry 4. At a price of £14.99 in HMV, it's a steal.

The other item is Pacific Rim, a steelbook edition that includes a 3D and 2D version on Blu-ray. It's cheaper than what you see on Amazon, it was £18 (£12 cheaper).

Anime/Manga Collection Update ~ Super Update Part IIIB

It's time for a collection update but not just any update, I have some batches of anime arriving and it's time to reveal what they all are.

Part IIIB: The UP1USA Package Part 3

Bad news folks, Freezing went out of print for UP1 as well so I'm stuffed with that. Now for the good news; someone on AnimeUKNews has given me a link to one available through Play Asia. Play Asia is like an Games and US version of Yes Asia (who deliver Asian films and Japanese versions of Anime) but customs will be involved with this one. Since I paid about £43, the customs will add at least £10-25 more onto it. Meanwhile UP1 was able to send me Shiki Part 1.

Anime/Manga Collection Update ~ Super Update Part IIIA

It's time for a collection update but not just any update, I have some batches of anime arriving and it's time to reveal what they all are.

Part IIIA: The UP1USA Package Part 2

Using the USA UP1 site again for the final batch but unfortunately only half of them have been ready for dispatch so I requested these to be here instead of waiting and they arrived the next day. The titles are Eureka Seven AO Part 1 and Haganai Season 1, both are Limited Edition versions. I picked AO because Part 2 was displayed as AB while everyone was saying Part 1 is A only, well it turns out that they're wrong.

Anime/Manga Collection Update ~ Super Update Part II

It's time for a collection update but not just any update, I have some batches of anime arriving and it's time to reveal what they all are.

Part II: The UP1USA Package Part 1

Instead of using the UK version of United Publications, I have decided to go and use the USA version. The only difference between the two are the prices, the US version is using american currency but because of that their price are somewhat lower than the UK for certain titles. For instance, the Aniplex USA titles are not using the price the owner provides (for instance £70 for Madoka becomes £59 depending on the rate of the currency) and therefore worth checking out. I have ordered seven titles from UP1USA and three of them have arrived today (which was unexpected considering the UK version was having delays in terms of arrival). The following three are the Puella Magi Madoka Magica volumes.

Anime/Manga Collection Update ~ Super Update Part I

It's time for a collection update but not just any update, I have some batches of anime arriving and it's time to reveal what they all are.

Part A: The Items Before Arrival

Before posting this, I had mentioned that I was now in University and have bought some items that were available in town. Well I didn't reveal what they physically looked like so it's time to see what they all look like:

Anime Collection Update: Evangelion 2.22, Ghost in the Shell 2, High School DxD, Redline

It's been a while since I have done an update so here's the latest items that I have picked up since I bought Baccano! on Blu-ray.

Evangelion 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance: Collector's Edition - Blu-ray / DVD Combo

Region: B (Blu-ray), 2 (DVD)

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence - Blu-ray

Region: A & B (Blu-ray)

High School DxD: Complete Series (Season 1) Limited Edition - Blu-ray / DVD Combo

Region: A & B (Blu-ray), 1, 2 & 4 (DVD)

Redline: Collector's Edition - Blu-ray / DVD Combo

Region: B (Blu-ray), 2 (DVD)

Evangelion 2.22 and Redline has Collector's Editions. The CEs contain the Blu-ray and DVD copies and also a 20 page booklet that goes behind the scenes or interviews the director of the film. Initally High School DxD was to be the last copy in my collection for a short time due to money shortage, but I can now confirm that I will be heading off to University with enough money to continue adding more. The High School DxD version was a Limited Edition set which is basically a artbox and two slim Blu-ray cases. Regarding the CEs, they were going out of print and as a special edition they will obviously not be reprinted at all. I had a choice to either let them off or buy them before they disappear off the map.

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence on the other hand, was only a fiver so I picked it up alongside Evangelion 2.22 in HMV.

Anime Collection Update: Baccano! and Clannad

As a replacement for KAZE's condensed version of UN-GO, I bought Baccano! after Aniplex's announcement that their Blu-ray release will be going out of print.

A standard set that contains all the episodes including the Bonus OVAs with Textless opening and endings as extras. The cheapest Blu-ray release from Aniplex USA.

I also bought the first season of Clannad, the anime adaptation from Key's Visual Novel games. Great series and one of my favourites. This was purchased as part of my experiment with importation, this time focusing on a Sentai Filmworks title and a Aniplex title (hence Baccano!).

Baccano!: Complete Series (Blu-ray)
Region: A, B & C (Blu-ray)
Clannad: Season 1 (Blu-ray)
Region: A ~ B possible (Blu-ray)

Baccano! is an interesting release title from Aniplex as the DVD version is released under Funimation which probably explains why the Blu-ray version was never released outside other English countries than USA.

Blog News: UN-GO and Future Plans

This post will be much different than my other posts as they directly go towards what will happen over the next few months.

The first thing that I should mention now is that the unboxing for UN-GO will be put on hiatus because the version published by KAZE has been condensed and does not contain all the special content and quality that previous versions of UN-GO have; for instance the Sentai Filmworks release which came out months prior. As much as I want the show itself, it is unacceptable to shove all 11 episodes and the OVA film on a single Blu-ray disc and not to mention KAZE's usual locking problem and bad quality control affecting the product as a whole. UN-GO has already been a defective by not allowing Panasonic Blu-ray owners to play the series on their players due to incompatibility issues. The DVDs I cannot yet confirm however other than they are two discs due to the usual DVD standards.

As a UK anime fan, I would recommend you skip this release if you want a decent Blu-ray version and purchase the Sentai Filmworks version which is compatible with Region B players using the same method carried out to other releases such as Angel Beats!, Clannad and The World God Only Knows. Not only will you still be supporting the industry but you will also contribute to getting KAZE out of the UK market for their own faults with other precious products gone defective due to their stupid quality assurance. It is not Manga UK's fault that their collaborations have provided us with this situation so don't go and blame them for this.

The second thing to mention is that because I got UN-GO as a birthday gift, I don't want to spend my own money for it due to money shortage so in exchange for this I will be getting the Aniplex release of Baccano! on Blu-ray whom have confirmed it will be going out of print soon, so it was best to pick this up before it goes away. I apologise that I haven't got a good unboxing for UN-GO but I will get this release before the end of the year passes by.

The third notice is the money shortage, I have spent about £200 of anime over the past few weeks due to being late to the otaku phrase and as an adult now I have to earn money. With university in the next few months, I will still be able to get future anime releases under the condition that I can't simply get an import every now and then. Imports released by Sentai Filmworks, Section 23 and Maiden Japan will always be available for the next few years whereas Funimation and Aniplex will limited in terms of stock. I have planned to purchase the All the Anime release of Cowboy Bebop on Blu-ray plus some of their releases in October, MVM's Another and possibly Monogatari Season 1 depending on the quality of the product. For imports, Funimation's High School DxD is planned in case the BBFC censors the release like they did with Ikki Tousen Dragon Destiny, and finally Section 23's Elfen Lied release is on the cards though I will wait in case of Sentai's new locking system takes effect.

The fourth notice is for the blog posts in general, I will be inactive from 25th July to 8th August for Holiday reasons I cannot avoid. I will continue to post the remaining unboxings for the rest of my titles including Code Geass so stay tuned and support the industry.

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