Sergorn

Well that was even better with the Subs Just one other thing I've noticed - Grace mentions an upcoming "Miss Macross" election to Sheryl - wonder that's how Ranka will make her debut ? That'd certainly be pushing the whole Minmay parrallal -Sergorn

I have to agress. Granted I loved all of Kawamori's Macross works (and most of its non-Macross stuff), and regard Macross II as the weakest of the bunch. But the involvement (or lack thereof) from the original creatore and the canononicity really have no revelence whatsoever whatsoever on the quality of the series. Eck... just look at Gundam - there's both been some very weak work from Tomino, and some great stuff without him or even non-UC. All things considered I wouldn't a mind a non-Kawamori Macross series as long as it's great personally. I agree about this as well. One of the problem with Macross II is that it felt incredibly rushed - as if they were trying to cram to much in too few episodes. In an away it almost felt like they were trying to redo Macross (with a similar build-up at first), except with only 6 episodes instead of 36. No wonder that didn't work -Sergorn

I'd say it was decent. I've obviously seen a lot better, but a lot worse too. The story was ok - it had potential, potentially interesting thematic (the whole journalisme/censorship aspect) and the Marduk were pretty cool villains all things considered - but the execution was rather meh, and in the end it felt like a cheap copy of DYRL. Also from a technical standpoint - it was *very* cheap. It's supposed to be an OAV (which at least at the time meant better quality), but graphically it was so-so and very unheaven with character looking very different one episode to another (eck... in episode 3 Ishtar looks like Minmay with short blue hair rather than Ishtar :|). Same thing with the animation... it looks more like a cheap TV Series, than an OAV. There's only episode 5 which was really good in both aspects - a shame all the episodes didn't have the same quality. Other than that the music was really good, I loved Ishtar's song, the mecha was pretty neat and iventive, and there was some good action action pieces here and there. So I like Macross II for what it is, but I find it very poor compared to other Macross productions. -Sergorn

Safe to assume the french Dub and Clash of the Bionoids were made from the same translation then. But I still watched the french version gazillions of time As I said the dubbing wasn't bad and having no point comparison there was no way to know the translation was that bad. But first time I saw DYRL subbed... It almost felt like the first time I saw Macross after seeing Robotech over and over -Sergorn

Well. The "dub" in itself wasn't that bad - the voice actors for the most part were pretty good. The translation though is a whole different matter. Well the french version was very special ^^ For starters it was called "Macross - Robotech le Film" on the box and had english credits ("Super Space Fortress Macross") and the ending had no vocals. More oddity : no character in french DYRL seems to have a name and a first name. Nope. They only all had ONE name and that's all. Of course most of them didn't have the proper names : Hikaru was called Hikari, Roy Focker became Foster, Gloval became Glovak and Minmay became.... Mingmei (that is for everytone beside the voice actor for Hikaru who actually did call here MINMAY - so I have assume he had seen Robotech before). All the names sounds like they'd be poorly romaniced - from what I'd heard it had actualy been translated from an english script poorly translated from Japan so... ^^' The weirdest aspect was the translation tough. After finally seiin the movie subbed a few years ago, I think pretty much 50% of the dialogue have like little to do with the original The craziest aspect though was when Misa plug that Protuculture computer in the ancient city : rather than the unknown language... It spoke in french... the voice claimed they were the "Space Immigrants" to the astoshniment of Misa (who seems to know of these immigrants) and tries to learn more, but the computer says that Hikaru and Misa are just "human copies" and shuts off leaving Misa like... "how rude" The relationship between the character felt somewhat different too - for instance it gave the impression that Misa and Hikaru were already good buddies at he beginning of the movie even thouth they yelled at each. Amongts other odities : Zero-G Love had no vocalcs, and one of Minmay's song (the one she sings when she is captive before Boldoza) was replaced by anotehr song in ENGLISH - which I have no idea where it could come from So yeah it was a mess -Sergorn

I'm not sure about that. -Sergorn

Ok screw my resolution I watched it anyway Boy.... that was juset amazingly awesome I loved everyt second of it, the action was just as awesome as the first episodes. Can't wait for the next one.... and most importantly : I need subs >< Now spoilery stuff.... My my that's an amazing series. -Sergorn

I can't wait to see this - these screens are great I think from now on I'll wait for the subbed version though. -Sergorn

Well that's reassuring I won't make any promise regarding the timeframe of the release - but my plan is to try to have the four chapters released before chapter 5 is out -Sergorn

Yeah but that's what I meant... we'll have a definitive editions, but seems the broadcast version won't be edited on DVD. -Sergorn

I've just notced, but what's interesting about the ANN annoucement is that there is no mention about the broadcast version being. Does that mean this version is destined to be forgotten ? -Sergorn

Well we're Region B in France, so these wouldn't work here unless Macross F is region Free. But anyway there's no way in hell I'd be buying a Japane DVD or BR without any english subs - especially since they're so freakingly expensive :/ -Sergorn

So hum... nobody is interested by an actual scanlation of the manga ?! -Sergorn

Well it could juste as easily be 3 episodes per disk. If the first one includes only the first couple of episodes, ca would make 26. Of course I'd definitly like to have 39 episodes series.... but I doubt it As for the Yakku Deculture Edition, my ! Is we have a longest cut on the DVD that's just awesome ! Man I just wish there was a chance a DVD (or even Better Blu-Ray) release here -Sergorn

Well the way Alto pronounced it, it sounds more like Mikhail than Michael... the way the SMS guy says it though, he says "Michel" like in French. Duh that's confusing -Sergorn

Well I finally got to saw the episode subbed. I must say I liked it better the second time. Overall I still like the DE better, but that one is good too. I really love the extended Sheryl concert... and on the whole eck, I just wish we could have a "definitive" version combining both episodes. Also the more I watch the opening the more I love it, even more so with the translation of the song ! Can't wait for Episode 2 -Sergorn

Yeah, most standalone DVD/DIVX player don't read MP4/H264 files/codec. That's why I usualy stick with DIVX/XVID Avi or sometime reecondes the videos. -Sergorn

I don't think they're "speed subber" anymore though. They used too, but they tend to take their time to do good subs now. The stuff I've seen from them lately (Code Geass, Gundam 00) was really good. As far as Macross Frontier goes both AiA and Shinsen Sub were pretty good. The dialogues in the AiA version tend to flow better (Shinsen's subs are probably a tad TOO litteral) but there were a couple of glaring mistakes in the AiA one ("Up toward the heavens" becomoing "A round of applause please" - come on !) I'm dl the AiA version of the Broadcast edition for now - though I hope there will be a avi version too, I tend to archive stuff in AVI. -Sergorn

Yeah I know it's mostly the same dialogues... but I then I don't know all the dialogues by heart, so seeing the episode without a direct understanding of everything distract from the experience. And besides the second viewing will less be spoiled by memories of the DE ^^ -Sergorn

Ok.... so ! Is anyone actually doing a scanlation of Macross Frontier or not ? Because if there isn't I'm willing to volunteer for the task. I've already done some scanlation before so it would just be a matter of cleaning and editing using ackem's translation. I've done the first couple of pages to give you guys an exemple of what it could be. I kept the cleaning pretty simple (ie. just toying with the constrats of the original scan), reduced the resolution, cleaned the bubbles and edited the translation it. Admitingly the result isn't on par to some of the higher scanlation you can find on the wed - but I looks ok I think, and can be done pretty quickly. So here's the result.... I'm waiting to see what you guys think (and eck... also to see if there anyone else doing it too) before doing more -Sergorn

And beside I don't want to make a final judgement without seeing the full episode SUBBED. -Sergorn

More likely it's because they are encoded in high definition. Traditionnaly anime were enoded in standard definition like 640x480. With with HD being more common more and more anime are encoded in high definition like 1280x720.... which require a lot more processing power (even more so if it uses newer codecs like H264). Usually though most fangroup will release Standard Definition fansubs as well and HD ones -Sergorn

Oh I definitly understand the quantity of work required for a fansub and I respect that... I've done some timing myself (which while easy is indeed a long and boring process) and some translating though not from Japanese so yeahI know how much time it requires (as a matter I've started working on a french fansub of Macross 7 based on the english scripts so yeah I know it's definitly a long process). However what I think somewhat annoying about the fansub scenes... is how we can have the same show being done by half a dozen of them, while some other great show are simply forgotten. I juste wish some time one would say "Well seems X is already doing a great of fansub of Y, so we'll do another great anime called Z this time" Oh well... -Sergorn

More like FOUR different subs in one day That's insane I know it's immensily popular and stuff... but you'd think Macross would have at least enough recognition to get at least one :/ -Sergorn

Well I can't be sure for *everywhere* (and I really don't know about Imports, I meant official domestic releases) but AFAIK there has been any official release of Macross Seven or Zero anywhere outside Japan has it ? As far as France goes - we had a release of the original SDFM in 2004 ; according to the editor it was a real legal MESS to actually make it happen. It took over two years to make it happens, (while usually anime being announced on DVD are released within a few month) required careful negociations with the Japaneses and... yeah they had to go through Harmony Gold to make it happens (and there is indeed a "nice" Harmony Gold logo on the box set) And let's just say that the fact Macross Zero has never been brought here... just doesn't add up. It's typically the kind of anime they would release under normal circunstances and the Macross name would probably sell well enough (even if only because for most people here "Robotech = Macross" ). It seems *highly* doubtful that in 6 years since Zero no editor would have contacted Big West to try to buy the license. So I can only assume that the reason it didn't happen is because of the whole legal mess surrounding the Macross license, Harmony Gold and Big West. And has I said AFAIK Zero wasn't released anywhere else either... so it's safe to assume it is related. Seems like trying to license Macross stuff outside Japan is like opening a big can of worm that no editor would touch with a ten foot pole. Of course I still keep my finger crossed for an official release of Zero and Frontier eventually (I have abandonned all hope for Macross 7) It usually takes a few days for Shinsen to release their subs. They're not the fatest fansubers, but they do good work. -Sergorn