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technoblue

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  1. technoblue
    I also got into Macross through Robotech. Around where I lived, the networks looped Star Blazers, Voltron, and Battle of the Planets though, so Robotech was a rarity. I didn't actually see the whole Macross saga in English until high school with a bunch of friends. That would place the time either in the late 1980s or early 90s. We didn't get into the other Robotech stuff, so my impressionable mind was spared from the dubs of Sothern Cross and Mospeada until DVDs became popular and I was out of college with a job. By then, I was well aware of SDF Macross and, when the anime flood hit, I eagerly picked up the Animeigo DVDs and the Manga release of Macross Plus. I started to wonder (as some of us do) why everything stopped there and this led me to both fansubs and imports, and the long trail of Harmony Gold debates. So I'll just focus on the television shows... SDF Macross: The show starts off with familiar sci-fi motifs: a damaged spaceship, giant aliens, a boost of high technology for humanity. The valkyries are a neat twist of animation and engineering that still fascinate me when I see them, although the music and protoculture themes introduced were much more enticing when I started to get into the mythology of the Macross universe. The middle part of the show became a real hybrid sci-fi/political/life-style drama, especially given Zentradi integration, the love triangle, and Minmay's rise to stardom. I really enjoyed the speculative nature of the whole presentation. This is part of the reason why I write professionally. Macross 7: I watched M7 after Macross Plus and Macross Zero, but before Macross Frontier was released. I'm not sure how much that affected my bias. Anyway, I think it's great. Just as SDF Macross tweaked common sci-fi tropes of its day, M7 took tropes from SDF Macross and other shows from the 1990s and tweaked them further. For example, Basara is an antihero (there were many in the 90s, LoL). But M7 does lead the audience by the hand too much in the begining. Unfortunately, Mylene was tasked with that job most of the time. She is in constant conflict with Basara, reminding us how he is not Hikaru or Roy or Max or just about anyone else who would take a stand against the new alien menace. Of course, that's the point. And part of Mylene's growth, I think, is coming to terms with who Basara is by the end of the show. However, even Basara changes---becoming more than what he intends to be. The whole Spiritia plot is more than just an excuse to repeat the same two Fire Bomber songs over and over again, which is why it is good to give the series a chance. I mean if we all stuck with SDF Macross for five episodes, then Minmay would have never left her Aunt and Uncle's noodle shop and Hikaru would have never joined the service. Also, with regard to the colors of the VF-19 Fire Valkyrie, Ronny McD does have one thing to say: Macross Frontier: I agree that there are many similarities to SDF Macross in the latest series. Ranka and Sheryl, for instance, both reminded me of Minmay. Ranka was an echo of Minmay as the innocent teenager when she was just starting out, and Sheryl was an echo of Minmay as the veteran entertainer worn down by that lifestyle. Of course, the protoculture theme is prominent again. And though it was present in M7, I think it took a bit of a back seat since the Spiritia plot was so complex. I agree with the comparisions others have made between MacrossF characters and SDF Macross characters, so I won't repeat those comparisons again. One thing I will say: I think MacrossF did borrow a bit from M7 when creating the Vajra---a mysterious attacking force that cannot be defeated with just protoculture. Anyway, it's all good and when it's all over it will be like saying goodbye to an old friend.
  2. technoblue
    I wonder if that means we will see the preorders for Hikaru's 1S soon? If so, it could make the end of the summer (over here) a touch more expensive. But those photos...
  3. technoblue
    I just started watching Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya... It's a fun genre twist, although a bit jaring at first. I really enjoyed Fate/Zero and I thought Fate/Stay Night was okay. Playing Yahtzee with all the characters and coming up with a magical girl theme was really something. However, apart from the names, there doesn't appear to be much in common with the other Fate properties. Illya is given a new characteri type, for example. I thought the first episode had a definite Puella Magi Madoka Magica feel. And by that I mean that the initial set up is questionable for the protagonist. I guess I'm hooked, if only to see this alternate reality all the way to the end.
  4. technoblue
    I think so. From the original broadcast, it's the series with Teresa that fleshed out (and in some cases replaced) the events in the movie Farwell to Space Battleship Yamato.
  5. technoblue
  6. technoblue
    Definitely. I also wonder if success for this series would allow a reboot of Space Battleship Yamato II?
  7. technoblue
    ^^ I remember Colin Baker in Arc of Infinity. He also made an appearance on Blake's 7. I think both B7 and DW shared a pool of acting talent at the time since Terry Nation was involved with both programs. I missed what Peter Davison did beforehand, but I always thought Arc of Infinity was one of the better Davison episodes.
  8. technoblue
    Ha! Nice catch. I received disc 6 on Friday and watched the episodes over the weekend. Without going into detail, I liked the changes. And now I'm wondering if this new version of Yamato will end like the original? The last disc cannot come soon enough!
  9. technoblue
    I'm looking forward to Capaldi. And the new story arc with John Hurt is intriguing. Since Moffat seems more inclined on connecting the new show with content from classic episodes, I find myself wondering about Hurt's in-between character.
  10. technoblue
    I will say this: Attack on Titan is an acquired taste. I agree that it probably isn't the best show out there this season, but it is a fresh take on desperate adventure fantasy. I've been finding more to like in the latest episodes.
  11. technoblue
    I can only guess that it is his own personal hyperbole concerning the DVD market in North America (specifically, the U.S.). I could be wrong. And if I am, I don't know what he means.
  12. technoblue
    My first inclination is to go with your first thought. McKeever is a marketing guy stuck in an odd niche and so it is his job to protect the brand, even if it comes down to forum drama. I won't guess whether or not there is another purpose to it, but he makes some wild claims. I mean, describing the change in the anime industry as a horror? What alternate reality is he living in? Priorities for investment changed in North America, yes, but the culture is no different. His bit about the Robotech live action film has me scratching my head, but people are eating it up anyway. This director, Nic Mathieu, has only done commercials. These are the samples that everyone is showcasing: http://www.anonymouscontent.com/commercials/commercial-directors/nic-mathieu#turbulence Can he succeed at making a blockbuster movie? I don't know enough about that business to say. Everyone has to start somewhere, though. The cross-over comic? I don't know...DC can be hit or miss...much will depend on the creative team involved with it.
  13. technoblue
    You're welcome! I was thinking of adding some screenshots, but there are a few of IFOEdit earlier in the thread. If you need any more help or if you find that I misstated something in the "how to" and need to revise it, let me know!
  14. technoblue
    Credits and Software Requirements This tutorial will walk you through one possible solution for fixing the Macross 7 black subtitle problem identified by PS3 users. As far as I know, only the PS3 is affected, but other players might have a similar restricted color pallet. Credit for this fix goes to russ869 who brought it to everyone's attention. If you want to read about it as it happened, then jump to page 7. You will need the following: DVDDecrypter (http://www.dvddecrypter.org.uk/) IFOEdit (http://www.ifoedit.com/) IMGBurn (http://www.imgburn.com/) A PC running Windows XP or better A dual-layer DVD burner How to Fix the Macross 7 Subtitle Colors for the PS3 I. Copying the patched Macross 7 DVDs to Your PC You can copy each DVD to a unique directory from the command line, an explorer window, or by using DVD Decrypter. The patched DVDs have no copy protection, so there are a bunch of options. On my system DVD Decrypter was a little more efficient and saved some time. This "how to" starts with that program. When using DVD Decrypter, Insert your subbed Macross 7 DVD first Start DVD Decrypter Make sure Mode > File is checked Make sure all available .VOB, .IFO, and .BUP files are highlighted Optionally, you can choose a different destination directory other than the default Click the Decrypt icon Repeat this process for as many DVDs as need the subtitle fix. II. Revising the Subtitle Color Values with IFOEdit Once the files from the DVD are on your PC, you can fix them for the PS3! To do this, Start IFOEdit Navigate to your working directory and open the file, VTS_01_0.IFO In IFOEdit select VTS_PGCITI > VTS_PGC_1 In the IFOEdit Address windows scroll down until you find Color 0 through Color 15 Search for the following color values in that list: 255 128 128 and 0 128 128 (both are out of range on the PS3) Double-click on an out-of-range value to bring up the HexEdit Module window 255 128 128 is FF 80 80 in the Hex editor; change this value to EA 80 80 0 128 128 is 00 80 80 in the Hex editor; change this value to 10 80 80 If there is more than one entry under VTS_PGCITI, then click on each and repeat steps 4 through 6 as necessary Save the file and quit when finished III. Burn the Macross 7 DVDs with Subtitle Fixes You should now have at least one working DVD on your PC with a patched VTS_01_0.IFO file (Yay!), if not more. Use ImgBurn to make a new dual-layer disc with the available files. Create an AUDIO_TS directory for your DVD hierarchy if one does not already exist (It is okay if it is an empty directory) Start ImgBurn Choose write files/folders to disc to burn a dual-layer DVD or Choose create image file to save an ISO file to burn later Add the AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS folders as source directories Add a volume label (for example, MACROSS7_01 for disc 1) Click the build button when ready to create an ISO file or to burn a DVD Repeat steps 3 through 6 for each Macross 7 DVD that you fixed! And that's the end! Enjoy proper subtitles on the PS3! Edit: After going through this process myself, it seems only DVDs 1-7 and 9 need the fix.
  15. technoblue
    It looks like you can use the DVDs that you have to make the corrections. From all accounts IFOEdit should be the only program that you need and you should be able to make the corrections using the DVDs that you have. My Macross 7 discs are within reach, and I never did the fix, so I could go through and write up a quick "How to" and post it here. It might take a day, though.
  16. technoblue
    Yes. Disc 1 (OVA) has both Japanese and English audio Disc 2 (the movie) has Japanese audio with optional English subtitles
  17. technoblue
    Nippon-Yasan: Yes, you can pay at any time in between. For similar reasons, and to avoid crushing my wallet at the end of the year with other things, I decided to pay for the YF-29 early too. I had to wait until the end of the week, though, so I reserved my spot first and then paid.
  18. technoblue
    Thanks. I'll have to go back and read that again.
  19. technoblue
    It does. There is even a panel texture on the cover to the storage compartment.
  20. technoblue
    Both discs are in Japanese. The four-episode OVA has an English dub with a remix of episode four and the the movie has new English subtitles. The debate is about the quality of the subtitles and the new dub. Episodes one through three use the familiar Manga dub. The market angle makes sense, but why go to the expense of redubbing episode four and rescripting subtitles in house?. Why care about the English tracks at all? The DVD remaster of Plus was a Japanese only release, correct? Licensing and reusing the Manga subtitles seem an easier effort, but I admit I am out of my element here. * edited tired wordy brain *
  21. technoblue
    Instant preorder when this is available. A VF-11B wouldnt be a bad way to pass the time while waiting for the Arcadia releases. The ebay markup isn't too bad, either. Is there any place that sells the 11B with super parts for less than $260 now before shipping?
  22. technoblue
    I was thinking about the crotch design and the canopy going from 2.0 to 2.2. I have the first issue 2.0 with both the tinted canopy and the 2.0 locking crotch: http://anymoon.com/blog/?p=4599 The optional parts were not available either, so these small things are adding up for me.
  23. technoblue
    Okay, I give up! The option parts and design updates from my v2.0 Roy are worth it. I'll be placing my preorder soon and starting with Arcadia DYRL VF-1 valks rather than the TV versions. LoL, I guess it's all good.
  24. technoblue
    I would argue that Miller's Report is not a good comparison. Even though the movie reuses footage from the OVA and a PS2 game, it endeavors to move beyond the stereotypical Gundam plot and show the result of Shiro Amada's actions in the war. If the issue is all about reusing footage, then okay; however, people take issue with more than just the reused footage in Robotech. But think about it, your argument is using a compilation movie released 11 years ago! Simply, Robotech is not getting any better. And this is becoming old, but people keep throwing money in the wrong direction. Harmony Gold has yet to make a successful property with the brand. The company still relies heavily on the core Macross, Mospeada, and Sothern Cross licenses---the original shows! Yune has yet to give anyone any real hope that he understands what he is doing with that part of the business, which makes that fact that he still has a job mind boggling. Do fans really want to timewarp back to the 1980s with bland 1990s CGI? There is better anime out there. Gundam and Macross had better releases ten years ago! Alas, Macross got the short stick. With regard to Maceck, what I saw of the SDCC Robotech panel on youtube implied that the company is trying to fulfill some of his final tasks or wishes for the show. I couldn't watch for very long to get specifics though. The whole thing seemed drab and canned, emotionally.
  25. technoblue
    So, remixed subtitles are now available for the movie. Unfortunately, I've only seen them available with the complete Blu-ray disc--all 44GB--so it is a bandwidth intensive download. Anyway, it is an option for those who want to look for it. As for the other stuff, it would be ideal if Macross had a true international release with all sequels getting something of a Ghibli treatment with multilanguage tracks. I know that isn't realistic, but I keep hoping that the situation will change. Until that mountain moves, I'll do what I can to support the content, the artists, and its creators.
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