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.

News topic: MCM Comic Con + Leak Announcements

This has been a big week for me. Not only did I graduate from my 13 years of school education, but there's a ton load of anime announced and arriving to the UK. These announcements are coming from the MCM Comic Con, where Manga Entertainment UK, MVM Entertainment UK, Anime Limited UK and other UK Anime shops have come to show off the latest anime and other entertainment related events. Unfortunately for Manga UK, Amazon has leaked their list of new schedules for the summer so let's start with what Manga UK has to offer.

Manga UK Announcements:

New Licences:

Attack on Titan

Blue Exorcist (English Dub Version)

Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works

One Piece: Collection 5 to 8

Space Battleship Yamato (Live Action Version)

Previous Announced Licences with a Release Date:

Berserk - The Golden Age Arc II: The Battle for Doldrey

Bleach: Series 11 and Series 12: Part 1

Clannad The First Series: Complete Collection

Clannad ~After Story~: Complete Collection

Fairy Tail: Collection 2

Hellsing: The Original TV Series: Complete Collection

Last Exile -Fam: The Silver Wing-: Part 1

Lupin the 3rd: The Woman Named Fujiko Mine: Complete Collection

Steins;Gate: Part 1 and Part 2

Part-Collection Licences with a Release Date:

Mawaru Penguindrum: Part 2

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan: Part 2

Persona 4: The Animation: Box 3

Tiger & Bunny: Box 3 and Box 4

Other News:

Manga UK has also confirmed that Dragon Ball Z will have a complete limited edition collection of all 9 seasons for christmas 2013 on DVD.

Manga UK has mentioned a possible film screening for Madoka Magica Films 1 and 2.

Hellsing Ultimate Volumes IX and X are in discussion for licencing and will not be released in 2013.

Blue Exoricst will not have a dubbed version for DVD unless Blu-ray sales were positive.

High School of the Dead: OVA DVD will also be available for order at United Publications UK Exclusively.

MVM Announcements:

New Licences:

[C]:Control: The Money and the Soul of Possibility

Daphne in the Brilliant Blue

Heaven's Memo Pad

Pumpkin Scissors

Red Garden

Shangri-La

Previous Announced Licences with a Release Date:

Bakemonogatari: Parts 1 and 2 (Blu-ray)

ef: A Tale of Melodies

ef: A Tale of Memories

Inu X Boku Secret Service: Complete Collection

Is This A Zombie?: Complete Collection

Is This A Zombie? of the Dead: Complete Collection

Anime Limited Announcements:

New Licences:

Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning

Other News:

Andrew couldn't make it for MCM Comic Con on 26th May, therefore no announcements will be mentioned.

Blog Update: New Pages added

Quick update to the blog. I have now added two sections to make things easier for us anime folk.

Unboxing - where all of my unboxing posts are listed.
Region Free - a list of every anime title that's compatible to the UK and Australia.
Anime Schedule - decided to bring up the list of anime coming to home release over the next six months for UK and USA.

Not much activity will be shown on this blog but I will promise to showcase more next month.

Unboxing [UK]: Ninja Scroll - Film: 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition UK (BD/DVD)

My first Blu-ray title from the christmas season, the next unboxing that I will be going through is the classic Ninja Scroll. Ninja Scroll was one of many films that entertained people back in the nineties and now it's celebrating it's 20th anniversary with a release on Blu-ray and DVD uncut and uncensored (the original releases were cut by the British Board of Film Classification back when they were rather strict in terms of content).

This version is one of Manga Entertainment's products here in the UK and also the second title in the Blu-ray range to get a Steelbook Collector's Edition (the first being Akira). This edition contains both the Blu-ray and DVD of the film and an exclusive 20 page booklet explaining the film from the creators themselves. Note that this release has kept the original 4:3 ratio and includes black borders rather than cropping the film itself.

BD Language: English, Japanese

BD Video: 1080p HD Remaster 4:3 ratio (Pillarboxed)

BD Audio: English DTS Master Audio 5.1, Japanese LPCM 2.0

BD Subtitles: English (Japanese Dub with S.T.)

BD Region: B

BD Discs: 1

BD Defects: No Signs Translation for English Dub

DVD Language: English, Japanese

DVD Video: SD PAL Colour 4:3 ratio (Pillarboxed)

DVD Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Japanese Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0

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

DVD Region: 2

DVD Discs: 1

DVD Defects: No Signs Translation for English Dub

Plot:

Jubei Kibagami has always been the master dealer of death, but in rescuing a ninja woman from a monster he sets loose a chain of events that puts death in his own veins and sends them on a nightmarish odyssey through a surreal and devil infested ancient Japan. How do demonic possessions, an annihilated village and a man Jubei thought safely buried in his past all connect? If Jubei can't piece the blood-soaked clues together, his only consolation will be that he won't live to regret it for very long! Prepare your mind and steel your gut for the insanely gore-packed orgy of violence that still stands alone and unchallenged as the ultimate anime action feature.

Extra Content:

Exclusive Commentary with Director Yoshiaki Kawajiri
Trailers
TV Spot

Ninja Scroll is available on DVD and Blu-ray from Manga Entertainment UK (United Kingdom), Madman Entertainment (Australia) and Sentai Filmworks (North America).

Unboxing [US]: Baka & Test: Summon the Beasts - Season 1 (BD/DVD)

A re-post for the new unboxing format I will be doing for my blog. To start of, here's the first season of Baka & Test: Summon the Beasts, distributed by Funimation Entertainment. My first imported copy from the United States and also bought rather cheap from United Publications.

This product contains the Blu-ray release and DVD release in Standard edition as the Limited Edition was sold out everywhere and now out of print. Both editions are exactly the same in terms of disc content. The Standard version that I have bought includes all thirteen episodes through two Blu-ray discs and three DVD discs (the third disc is just extras). Alongside the main episodes is the special christmas footage that was released before the first season aired. A reversible cover is also included.

BD Language: English, Japanese

BD Video: 1080p HD Native 16:9 ratio

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, 2, 4

DVD Discs: 3

DVD Defects: None

Plot:

The story centers around Akihisa Yoshii, the "baka" of the title. His academy rigidly divides up the student body into classes based on the results of tests. The prodigies are in the A class with reclining seats complete with air conditioning, but Akihisa is in F class, the lowest rung of the school ladder which is furnished only with low, decrepit tables and worn-out straw tatami mats. A girl named Mizuki Himeji is actually one of the smartest girls in Akihisa's sophomore year, but she had a fever on test day and was pigeonholed into the F class. Besides Mizuki (who Akihisa secretly adores), the F class also has Yuuji Sakamoto, the class president who has been Akihisa's friend and partner-in-crime since the freshman year. The school happens to have developed experiments to summon fantasy creatures, and Akihisa decides to rally F class to take on the higher-tiered classes and seize their perks. The F class uses the summoned creatures in an all-out battle for school supremacy.

Extra Content (On-Disc):

Baka-Only Cross-Dressing Contest
Mission: Impossible: Baka Preview
Mission: Impossible: Baka Mission 01
Mizuki Himeji Girls' Meal
The King Game in Fumizuki Academy
Special Christmas Footage
Promo Videos
Original Commercials
Original DVD Spots
Baka and Test Tales
Textless Songs & Trailers

Unboxing [UK]: Freedom - Complete Series: Collector's Edition (BD/DVD)

Next unboxing title for this post is the seven episode original video animation, Freedom.

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

Anime/Manga Collection Update: Freedom, Origins: Spirits of the Past and Neon Genesis Evangelion Vol. 4-6

After a few weeks with no blog updates, I have finally managed to post another update about my collection by purchasing two anime titles and another 3-in-1 manga book. The two anime titles are; Freedom, the Collector's Edition OVA and Origins: Spirits of the Past movie. Both titles are on Blu-Ray so I can experience these in glorious high definition. Un-boxing posts will be shown soon.

The manga however, is the second 3-in-1 version of the Neon Genesis Evangelion Manga series, based on the popular anime (though the manga was released first, the anime started production before the manga did). This one includes Volumes 4 to 6 and I hear the manga series has finally started to reach its climax this summer in Japan, so expect the rest of the series to be released completely this year (or early 2014).

Stay tuned for more posts, including the latest shows I have been recently watching and more un-boxing anime posts.