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Anime on Blu-ray in NA (GitS, Bebop, Mononoke)

Mr March

By Mr March
in Anime or Science Fiction

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Mr March BOMBA!

Mr March

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I've not seen anyone else post about this, but there is something of a mini-renaissance coming up for fans of 1990's-era anime classics. Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell and Princess Mononoke are all set to be released in North America on Blu-ray before the end of this year. The Ghost in the Shell blu-ray is quite notable since this "25th Anniversary Edition" release will be a remastered presentation of the original 1995 film, NOT the GitS 2.0 that was previously the only domestic high-definition version of the film available. Personally, I'm thrilled about these releases since my anime blu-ray collection is small and consists of mainly import discs from Japan. Details of each are below:

Ghost in the Shell
Release Date: September 23, 2014

Princess Mononoke
Release Date: November 18, 2014

Cowboy Bebop The Complete Series
Release Date: December 16, 2014

Apparently the Cowboy Bebop set is also offered via exlusive versions for pre-order on the Amazon.com and Funimation websites. It's difficult to decide which of these releases I'm excited about most. Regardless, I'll be buying them all. Now there's still a rather large catalog of other anime I want on blu-ray (Patlabor, Spirited Away, etc) but this is a good start. It's about damned time :)

Edited by Mr March
technoblue SMS Squadron Leader

technoblue

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Bebop on blu locally. It's about time! :)

The other two will be a treat for those who waited, but i already bought into the Japanese releases and paid the import price.

FYI: Spirited Away is looking very nice.

boinger Bridge Bunny

boinger

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I'm glad the theatrical GITS bluray will be available soon and the Cowboy Bebop TV bluray set!

For the Cowboy Bebop TV series BD Set, Funimation is selling two different limited edition sets.

The Amazon limited edition will be different from the Funimation website store limited edition.

I'll pick up one BD set for sure, but not both.

Keith Super Dimension Member

Keith

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Pretty sure GitS is juat going to be the same as the A JP remaster BD (i.e. not 2.0) that came out with subs a couple years ago.

dizman New Edwards Test Pilot

dizman

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Cowboy Bebop has 9 discs...... why? Didn't we switch to blu-ray discs since they have so much storage space?

Also Patlabor is already on blu-ray Mr.March, the series, ova and movies.

Keith Super Dimension Member

Keith

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Bluray DVD combo pack. Also, we havrm't gottrn the second Patlabor OVA.

Edited by Keith
Mr March BOMBA!

Mr March

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Also Patlabor is already on blu-ray Mr.March, the series, ova and movies.

I was looking for releases here in North America. I'm aware of the Patlabor movie blu-rays in Japan, but I was hoping for a domestic release.

Penguin Global's Pipe Holder

Penguin

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I've got 'em all preordered already. I got the Japanese release of Mononoke (love the Japanese disc covers), but I always support the Ghibli domestic releases. Spirited Away is also out on Blu-Ray in Japan, so it shouldn't be too long before we see it domestically too.

Can't wait for the original GitS release. Not a fan of 2.0 at all.

The Patlabor 1st OVA and TV series are domestic releases. Like Keith wrote, still waitin' on the second OVA. Been a while since the last TV series volume was released and still no announcement. Hope that doesn't forebode anything ominous. Love the Japanese movies releases. Completely worth it.

Guest davidwhangchoi

Guest davidwhangchoi

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bebop blu ray is the remix revisions with the butchered audio and high filter, not the originals...

Mr March BOMBA!

Mr March

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bebop blu ray is the remix revisions with the butchered audio and high filter, not the originals...

Can you elaborate? I'm not familiar with this story.

Mr March BOMBA!

Mr March

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So all the HD versions of the series (Japanese and this new Funimation release) feature the remix audio. Well, that doesn't leave much choice if one wants the HD release. I already own the first DVD release of the original series + movie on DVD, so I'll always have them. Think I'll still be buying this. Perhaps some fans might attach the old audio tracks to the new HD footage some day :)

xrentonx SMS Squadron Leader

xrentonx

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I've had that Bebop preordered for a couple weeks now. Had the original box set on DVD for ages so I'm not too bothered about the audio (yet). I'll have to look into it more though.

Edited by xrentonx
Guest davidwhangchoi

Guest davidwhangchoi

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the remix video has like a brightening filter and washed out colors if you care for that sorta thing. (i think if anyone cares about details like 1080p, the reason for getting it on bluray, then this might be something that might be worth looking into before purchasing) i know ppl hate lucas for what he did. not sure if anyone cares about video quality, etc.)

Edited by davidwhangchoi
xrentonx SMS Squadron Leader

xrentonx

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Hmm...yeah, I'm gonna have to do some research. I've been out of the loop on Cowboy Bebop releases for years...

Edit: I care about cut content and video quality more than the remixed audio. Looks like I got some reading to do on Reddit (damn, I hate Reddit <_<)

Edited by xrentonx
xrentonx SMS Squadron Leader

xrentonx

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Oy...now I've got my finger on the cancel button...

Anyone know if the Japanese box set released fairly recently is unfuc*ked with? I'll deal with no-subs if this is the case. I can work around that.

Edited by xrentonx
JB0 Super Dimension Member

JB0

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Cowboy Bebop has 9 discs...... why? Didn't we switch to blu-ray discs since they have so much storage space?

Well, yes. But we needed that storage space for things. 6x the pixels + lossless audio, specifically.

Just like it was a bad idea to cram eight hours of video onto a DVD(though it could be done), it's a bad idea to cram eight hours of HD video onto a BluRay disk.

technoblue SMS Squadron Leader

technoblue

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Wait. The remix and Japanese blu have been out for how long and reddit is only starting to complain about it this year? Bad reddit. :p

The screenshots from the Japanese release on AVS look nice:

http://www.avsforum.com/forum/150-blu-ray-software/1445873-cowboy-bebop-complete-series-blu-ray-collection-japan.html

My original DVDs will be a good archive for the original dub. But I have no reason to think that the blu-ray will be 5.1 only. The Japanese release also had the old 2.1 Japanese language track. I'm with Keith, this seems to be a dub-only issue. Are there any other links with more information?

Hoptimus Pineapple Eater

Hoptimus

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Yeah I will be getting GITS and Bebop. I have the DVD release of Ver1 Bebop so I am ok with the changes as I always have my OG.

Mr March BOMBA!

Mr March

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Been investigating some more. I can fully understand the criticism against the edits now and I don't like the idea. It's Watanabe who has done the changes, but that doesn't make it right. On the flip side, almost every review I've read has praised the quality of the audio over the old stereo presentation. So at least the quality is there.

I'm going to order. I'll have to see this for myself to make a determination. I don't have any doubt that I'll be put off by some of the edits. Bebop - like Macross - is one of the signature anime series of my life; it's a show I've watched an unhealthy number of times, so I know it inside and out. Some of the edits might irk me, but I'm not yet convinced these changes will put me off to the same degree as others have complained. Also, I am not getting a "Ghost in the Shell 2.0" vibe here for this Bebop blu-ray set. The GitS 2.0 was a pervasive extreme edit to sound, picture, color and VFX that made the film something I could not stomach. This doesn't sound like the case here for Bebop. But again, I have to see it myself.

Nonetheless, thanks for the heads up. Reading into this has been very enlightening and frustrating. But I'd rather know than be uninformed.

Edited by Mr March
technoblue SMS Squadron Leader

technoblue

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I agree. The reddit thread seems to be picking more nits than raising an alarm. I think if it were something serious, then more sites would be drawing attention to the changes. The AVSForum that I linked above is well known for having audio and video purists. They even have a gold list that rates every blu-ray release available in North America.

Perhaps this is less GitS 2.0 and more Lain. There are changes going to blu-ray, but the good outweighs the bad.

I'm keeping a positive point of view.

Keith Super Dimension Member

Keith

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Also have to wonder if the brightness issue is not accounting for ghe different brightness levels on Japanese releases.

Edited by Keith
CoreyD Bridge Bunny

CoreyD

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I'd actually prefer to have the regular edition at half the price of the limited version. I only want the episodes in high-def. I don't need the extras.

Thanks for the heads up, Treatment.

Marzan SMS Squadron Leader

Marzan

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Anyone found out the difference between the Funimation and Amazon editions? Is it just the cover art?

Edit: Never mind, just found it

Funimation:

  • Complete TV series on Blu-ray and DVD (combo pack)
  • Exclusive Limited Edition tri-fold packaging in the style of a vintage record cover
  • Display easel for packaging
  • Four exclusive art cards
  • One additional exclusive art card with foil-stamp autograph from series director Shinichiro Watanabe

Amazon:

  • Complete TV series on Blu-ray and DVD (combo pack)
  • Exclusive Limited Edition clamshell art box
  • 140 page black and white art book featuring concept sketches and designs that highlight Cowboy Bebop‘s origins
  • 48 page vibrant, full-color art book

Funimation's is 80 bucks to Amazon's 90. But Funi's is on sale if you preoder for 65.

Edited by Marzan
Mr March BOMBA!

Mr March

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I'm going for the Amazon one. I typically dislike cards, autographed pictures and displays. They always end up in a box collecting dust. For obvious reasons, I very much enjoy art books :)

  • 2 weeks later...
Hoptimus Pineapple Eater

Hoptimus

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Got my US GITS 25th Anniversary BD. Gonna watch it this weekend. :)

They need to re-release GitS Innocence on Blu-ray. I believe that goes for a lot now.

The UK Release of that is REGION FREE and under $20 USD on Amazon.co.uk

That is what I picked up.

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