Mechamaniac

No, way different. The primary theme of this film is the Meiji Restoration, and the waning days of the Samurai, and their control over the Emporer. Prior to the events in this film, Japan was ruled by the Tokugawa Shogunate, and the Daimyo, in essence, the Samurai class ruled Japan right up until Meiji came to power. Shogun is set nearly two hundred years before the Meiji Restoration, when the Samurai influence was absolute, and Japan was little more than several small countries ruled by individual Shogun. While it deals with a similar setting (east vs west) it is really more of an observation of how Blackthorne saw and tried to adapt to Japanese culture. Shogun BTW is based on the life of William Adams, shipwrecked in Japan in 1600. He had managed to impress Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu with his seafaring knowledge and was made an honorary Samurai and granted a large estate.

According to Egan's Macross Compendium, the events of Macross Zero take place entirely during the month of September, 2008. The launching ceremony is not until February of 2009. I don't know, but so far, it doesn't seem like months have progressed in the series timeline. So I don't see it leading right up until the first episode of the original series. I mean, jeez, there's no way Roy could grow all that hair in just 5 months! Still I think we'll probably see Gloval or the Macross itself.

OCS is really no different than advanced individual training is on enlisted members. The only difference is that these people are officers, or officer wannabes, and as such, they are put through more general bullshit, but for all intents and purposes, it IS basic training. Basic training on how to be an officer. Out of all the officers I came across, I would say that 95% of them were no better or worse than any other soldier I served with, they just had the advantage of the college degree which in some people's minds makes you "smarter", but that's bullshit. There were exactly three real badasses I came across in my time. One of them (and the toughest by the way) was a First Sergeant in my basic training company. This guy had earned his stripes the old fashioned way. He started out as a private, humping the boonies in Viet Nam, after pretty much everyone else got pasted, he found himself a Sergeant, then after his Sergeant got pasted, he found himself a Staff Sergeant etc. In other words, promotion by attrition. This was one bad dude. The other two guys were officers, both of which had been to SF school, so they were (in addition to commanding tons of respect because of what they had done) in very good shape, and had the awards that told the rest of us that they had been to some places where you don't just get the standard awards. As to the Army of 1877. back then, college was not really a necessity, in those days, it had more to do with who your family was, or who you knew. This was especially true during the Civil War, when pretty much all of the large plantation owners who had massive political influence, became Colonel's or better in the Confederate Army. It is pretty safe to say that to be an officer in the latter 19th century, you had to either distinguish yourself in battle, or be better educated than the masses, which in those days meant that you finished high school. Yeah, life sucked back then, but I would submit that the only reason that ANY soldier was tougher than today is that in those days, they did not really have a standing peacetime Army. They conscripted thousands of men when wars broke out, and thousands more volunteered. So, due to the fact that those in the Army were only there to fight wars, yeah, they were probably pretty tough, but after the wars, most of them packed up their uniforms, and went home.

Urmm, no, toughness has nothing to do with becoming an officer. All you need is 60 credits or more from a college or mail in university to go to OCS, and then BLAMMO - you're an officer. Out of all the Officers that I came across in my 8 year hitch, there were about two who were truly bad assed Mofo's. The rest of them were just normal soldiers like the rest of us, but more educated, and hence, in charge.

I agree. However, there is one major beef that I have with the film. SPOILERS AHEAD!!! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Algren really should have died at the end. Considering that the rest of Katsumoto's army was practically mowed down to the last man, the fact that Algren lived was sort of a disapppointment to me. He spent the whole movie wishing for death, and at the end he got to live happily ever after with the wife and kids of the man he killed at the beginning. It just felt like they wanted to wrap it all up in one happy package. I sort of agree, I mean, the last two really blockbuster hollywood historical epics both ended with the hero dying at the end, and this one would have been too cliche if it had ended similarly. I will be buying this one on DVD the day it is available.

Right, so to get back on topic. I saw the movie tonight, and it was AWESOME!. I thought Cruise was very good in this role, though the scene was definitely stolen by Ken Watanabe any time he was on the screen. Overall, it was pretty historically accurate as far as the Meiji Restoration was concerned. They took a bit of poetic license portraying the young Emporer Meiji, but I guess that had to happen. Aside from the debate about the decline of the Samurai, and where they were in that decline at the point of this movie, I enjoyed Zwick's portrayal of the mixing of ancient and modern Japan. The images of the streets of Tokyo lined with black english carriages, the high council members all in western attire, smoking cigars, and swigging whiskey. I found it very enjoyable. Yes, it had it's inaccuracies, but overall, it was very good. All in all, it's about time that someone started making movies about the history of Japan. It really hasn't been done since Akira Kurosawa, and I for one think it is long overdue.

I believe that was discussed earlier in this thread. The reason for that is becuase the armored VF-0S was done using traditional cel animation (hand drawn), whereas the other mecha are being done by CGI. You can really see this after the reactive armor is blown off, and you see a (really crappily drawn) VF-0S laying on its back, but then it gets up, and blasts off into the air to engage Ivanov's SV-51, and it all of the sudden is nice and clean and sharp and 3D = CGI.

OK, you fansubbers that are arguing over the piracy issue... You need to explain how any of you can call any of the others of you PIRATES. You are all doing the same thing, you are taking someone else's licensed material, and distributing it, that puts you all in the same boat as far as I am concerned. I assume you are saying that rather than waiting for a purchased copy of the DVD to arrive, that Infusion made their fansub from an ISO rip off the internet. If that is the only criterion for calling them pirates, then the line you are drawing is pretty frakking thin. But, hey, explain it to me, I could be wrong...

You also have to take into account that homosexuality was commonplace all over the world until the Catholic church came in, and decided that it was wrong. There are many accounts that point to no differentiation being made between homosexuals, and heterosexuals or what have you until the intervention of the church, which flowed to influence in the government etc. Bottom line is who cares?. As long as a soldier performs his/her duty on the battlefield, what difference does it make who they're screwing?

You are essentially correct in your summation WDC. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Samurai, and especially the Meiji Restoration. Samurai - Story of a Warrior Tradition, by Harry Cook Is there something wrong with Caucasians trying to play with samurai swords?

WOW! That's really great stuff. Keep them coming!

Hey, anybody actually get this file yet? Mine just completed, and it appears to be FUBAR. Wont play right in WM, or DIVX All I get is a big green screen with chunks of pixels all over the place, DiVX player does slightly better, it's locked on the scene with the anti UN destroid sticking its head up out of the water, but then it is all green and pixelated again. Anyone else having this problem?

Well, I woud rather download some nice high quality fansubs and make my own SVCD or DVD than give any bootleggers any money. That being said, it would be nice if someone could post some nice high res scans of the Macross Zero DVD slip covers. Using these, and the nice DVD cases that AOL keeps sending me, I will have a nice set of the OVA. I have no intention of selling this stuff for profit, let me make that abundantly clear. I have been around these forums for quite a while now, and I think everyone knows I'm at least on the straight shooters list a few times over. Thanks.

Yes, that's the time frame. When the xenophobic Japan of the latter 19th century opened its shores to the Gaijin, and the Bushii found themselves suddenly out of vogue in favor of a more modern, industrialized Japan. Hey, look on the bright side, at least they didn't have to UP size any of the armor to fit Cruise. Hell, as a matter of fact, they probably had to DOWN size the armor to fit that little waify bastard.

Downloading now. Love AonE's dubs, with one criticism. They make damn nice VCD's, but the font they use for their subs looks tiny when displayed on a TV. Oh well, can't complain about free!!

Realistically, it aint ever gonna happen in the US.

And any other fan subbing group aren't? You don't even make sense any more. Anyway, if you're going to argue something, back it up. Show us where INF failed on this release. Point out with maybe a time frame reference so we can all be educated on just how bad this is. I wondered how long it would take for someone to pick up on that one . Pot calling the kettle black man.

I voted Animeigo with one condition... Since they are in bed with HG, if I hear Tony Oliver or Reba West coming out of my favorite anime movie of all time, I will drive to Animeigo's HQ, and like Milton, "I'll set the building on fire".

Just to be pedantic, "prepubescent" means not having gone through puberty. I think I can safely say the Eva chicks don't qualify for the label. And if you're just now figuring out there's an unhealthy obsession with underage girls in anime fandom, I'd say it's time to wake up and smell the coffee. Yeah, it was early in the morning . Anyway, I don't get the whole thing with pubescent or recently post-pubescent females. Seems whacko to me, had a friend who was dating a 17 year old when we were 26, I thought him a strange mutant person then, I guess I just dont see the appeal of dating someone who you have to feed Kool-Aid to. That's why I'll take the old drunken Misato over any of them. Back on topic. Still, not odd that Mao is lusting after Shin, he is after all the older guy, and she has the whole teenage crush going on. In the long run, if Shin's gonna get any from anyone, it will probably be Mao, since Sara seems to have a serious Kadun up her ass, that girl's got some issues.

What he said. Unless you're a completist, and have to have them all MIB, I would get the new ones. Certainly, if you intend on transforming them even once, you should get the new ones. The nosecone, and wing flaps fall off of my 1/48 Hikaru every time I transform it, no matter what.

Yeah, like it matters.... Judging by the amount of fanboyism over the pre-pubescent chicks in Evangelion, amongst others, it seems that 12 year old girls are all the rage in Japan.

Not as long as the Valk keeps moving at the same velocity. If the Valk were to transform to battroid, and stop on a dime, then yeah, the pilot would encounter some significant G's which may result in pilot pancake. And of course, this would only apply in gravity, in space it would make no difference.

Sorry, I just never got the whole Rei / Asuka thing in Evangelion. I like my women old enough to drink, and drink ALOT!, that's why Misato is my fav.

Unfortunately, I think it will be a long time (if ever) before we see an official Megazone 23 release. IIRC, there is a certain amount of rights squabbling going on over this series, and coupled with the fact that it really is more of a cult classic than a mainstream cash grabber, I think that keeps it on the back burner. As to the CD's, if you mean soundtracks, I would say Ebay. And Harmony Gold has their claws in Mospeada these days, so for what it's worth, they are the source for licensed Mospeada gear.

Yeah, somehow though, it hasn't spread through the rest of Maryland yet.