Myriad Posted February 22, 2004 Posted February 22, 2004 Fun fun fun! I wonder what the Harrier Pilots story is......... Woohoo Mig 21's! Note the payloads on the planes before and after sorties...... Planes seem to not loose payloads......... I can't watch Macross 0 episodes more then once. Not my cup of tea. Do the CGI planes in it have the same payload problems? There are pros and cons of CGI I guess.... Quote
Pat S Posted February 23, 2004 Posted February 23, 2004 Episode 4 was ok, but Shin seemed a little too happy to be alive considering what had happened to him in the past, and what just happened in that episode. "Kanzaki.... Kanzaki.... I'm alive, I'M ALIVE!" And no "How far to paradise?" in the background while his brain boils in the desert. I think the OAV did a better job on that part. I did like the music cue when the MiGs appear. Quote
Mislovrit Posted February 23, 2004 Posted February 23, 2004 Woohoo Mig 21's! The fighters look a lot more like MiG-15s http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/wor...mig-15-pics.htm to me. Quote
That NOS Guy Posted February 23, 2004 Posted February 23, 2004 Well the music could be worse. Like M7. Think about it, at least the BGM is catchy. Flaws aside, I think this is one of those animes you have to watch when you're just in duldrums/"yeah, I know it's not the greatest" moods. Just hope it isn't as depressing as the OVA. Plus, it's rekindled my love affair with Vietnam-era jets, including my beloved "Mig master". Quote
Sketch Posted March 8, 2004 Posted March 8, 2004 Heads up, Episode 5 and 6 were put out this weekend. http://torrent.anime-kraze.net:6969/ Get em while the Torrents are still hot. Quote
rdenham Posted March 8, 2004 Posted March 8, 2004 (edited) I loved Ep 6, however I keep getting a failed message when i try to download Ep 7. Edited March 12, 2004 by rdenham Quote
moose Posted March 21, 2004 Posted March 21, 2004 i was looking at a translation of the manga and it has a differnt ending then the current ova. I mean shin and kanzaki finally have it out and somethign about shim lsing his meneory in the end not teh ending in teh current ova about him leaving it at that.which one is correct or was i reading something in correct. Quote
Panon Posted March 21, 2004 Posted March 21, 2004 (edited) i was looking at a translation of the manga and it has a differnt ending then the current ova. I mean shin and kanzaki finally have it out and somethign about shim lsing his meneory in the end not teh ending in teh current ova about him leaving it at that.which one is correct or was i reading something in correct. Well, neither is wrong. The OVA just took a different tone but ending before the manga's editing. The OVA kept the grim atmosphere of the story - ie, Shin had been irreversibly changed, so he went back. The manga however, went for a happy ending - which in all honesty was a cop out. Should be interesting to see which ending the new series goes with. Edited March 21, 2004 by Panon Quote
areaseven Posted May 22, 2004 Posted May 22, 2004 (edited) Well, I've finished watching all 12 episodes, and rather than start a new thread, I decided to post my review on the series right here. Area 88 ( エリア８８ ) Group TAC/View Works/Animax/TV Asahi/Avex, Inc., 2004 ADV Films, 2005 Directed by Isamu Imagake Based on the manga by Kaoru Shintani Running time: 26 minutes per episode Rated TV-14 for violence, mature situations and strong language. Deep in the sandy plains of the Middle Eastern kingdom of Asran, Japanese photojournalist Makoto Shinjou travels to the remote airbase Area 88 to document the activities of the mercenaries who destroy the country's enemies for a living. Among the mercenaries is Shin Kazama, a Japanese ace pilot who was tricked by his former best friend into signing a contract with the Asran's fighter squad. Because of this, he lost his career as an airline pilot and the chance to marry his fiancee Ryoko Tsukumo. Now, Shin has three choices in order to leave Area 88: serve the mercenary group for three years, earn US$1.5 million, or desert the base, risking imminent death. Story: B+ Like the original manga and the 1985 OAV, the new Area 88 TV series has the premise of a pilot who must kill other fighter pilots in combat in hopes of returning to Japan and reuniting with his fiancee. However, the new series isn't just about Shin; newer characters not in the manga are introduced into the storyline. First off, you have Shinjou. Basically, he was added to the series because camera giant Nikon co-funded the project, but later on towards the end of the series, we realize how important he is as a character. In the original story, Kanzaki leaves Shin with Area 88, knowing he would end up dead in combat. For this remake, Shinjou is hired by Kanzaki as insurance for proof of Shin's death if it were to happen. Then you have other supporting characters like Kim, a kid barely in his teens who pilots a Harrier, and Kitori, a female pilot. Both actually don't do much in the story, even though they're brand new characters. Animation: B- If you're expecting high-grade animation within the same caliber as Yukikaze or Macross Zero, prepare to be disappointed. The cel-shaded animation for the planes looks good in a few angles, but overall, the series suffers from unrealistic flight physics. The OAV is over 20 years old, yet the dogfights are still much better than those in this new series. Soundtrack: C+ Possibly the weakest point of the series. What was Avex thinking? Eurobeat worked on Initial D because street racers in Japan listen to that kind of music. Trance has no place in aerial combat, except maybe the opening theme "Mission (Fuga)" by Angels. The ending theme "Dance in the Battlefield" by Keiko Terada is a pleasant jazz ballad. Sub vs. Dub Area 88 features Takehito Koyasu (Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, Mu La Flaga in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED) as Shin, Shinichiro Miki (Isurugi in 801 T.T.S. Airbats, Shun in Heat Guy J) as Shinjou, Tomokazu Seki (Tokio in Earth Girl Arjuna, Beyond the Grave in Gungrave) as Micky, Hiroki Takahashi (Genjo Sanzo in Read Or Die) as Saki, Ryo Hirohashi (Sora in Kaleido Star, Rakka in Haibane Renmei) as Kim, Sanae Kobayashi (Sara in Macross Zero, Antonia in Heat Guy J) as Kitori, Chikao Ohtsuka (Synapse in Mobile Suit Gundam 0083, Rikudoh in RahXephon) as McCoy, Shigenori Soya as Gustav, Masaya Takatsuka as Greg, Hikaru Midorikawa (Ryuhou in s-CRY-ed, Heero in Gundam Wing) as Kanzaki, and Satsuki Yukino (Milly in Trigun, Ai in Planetes) as Ryoko. English review coming soon. DVD Extras Under construction. The Bottom Line The new Area 88 series is not bad, but it lacks the anti-hero feel of the OAV series and the trance music can get really annoying. Nevertheless, it's still worth watching. Links Avex's Official Area 88 Homepage (Japanese) Animax's Official Area 88 Homepage (Japanese) TV Asahi's Official Area 88 Homepage (Japanese) Reference Anime News Network Edited May 4, 2005 by areaseven Quote
buddhafabio Posted May 22, 2004 Posted May 22, 2004 whew, i thought i had all of them. glad i didnt start watching them because i only had 1-11 glad area 7 said there was 12 Quote
Pat S Posted May 22, 2004 Posted May 22, 2004 That series went out with a whimper instead of a bang. I actually don't wish they continue because it bored the hell out of me. I actually love the old OAV and Manga, it's just the style of this new one tastes really bland to me. Not much happens, and the jet fight scenes aren't very interesting. Quote
Knight26 Posted May 22, 2004 Posted May 22, 2004 Actually A7 all those characters were in the original manga. They were just introduced later, the Viz run ended somewhere around 1/5-1/4 of the way into the series. I liked how they tried to incorporate those two characters stories in, they had some interesting ones in the manga, which I have. Overall I found it fun, not as good as the original but if they continue it and follow the rest of the manga storyline to the eventual conclusion no one will be dissapointed. Though they have made many storyline changes thus far from the manga they can still get back to the manga's main storyline farily easily, man I hope they do that, it would be so awesome. Quote
areaseven Posted May 22, 2004 Posted May 22, 2004 SPOILER ALERT!!! Do not read further unless you've reached episode 12. Shin had made enough kills to earn his freedom, but carelessly wasted his bullets before Kotori found herself locked on by the enemy. He drew the enemy's attention long enough for her to evade and attack, but sustained considerable damaged to his Tiger in the process. Meanwhile, Kanzaki had fired Shinjou through a phone conversation, which was secretly tapped within the base. The whole base found out that Shinjou was hired to photograph Shin's death, and they retaliated by beating him up and torching his photo equipment. The attacks stopped when everyone saw that Shin's plane was about to land. Because of an unstable landing gear, the Tiger skidded through the runway in flames. "I'm not going to die this way! RYOKO!!!" cried Shin. Back in Japan, Kanzaki gave Ryoko a Manila envelope containing photos of Shin. She was finally delighted to see her long-time fiancee, but Kanzaki then gave her some bad news, pointing at the dog tags and a death certificate inside the envelope. "I'm afraid that Shin is no longer in this world," he said. "That's a lie!" she replied. At Area 88, fire engines surrounded Shin's Tiger as he exited from it. He boarded a jeep with Kotori and met the rest of the team, who held a bloodied Shinjou. They told Shin what had happened, but he told him to let him go, as his beating was enough for him. That night, as Shin sat down by his desk, Shinjou entered his quarters. He told Shin photography was his life and he was willing to take any job; which is why he was sent to Area 88. Before he left, he told Shin that Kanzaki was to marry Ryoko. Shin's eyes widened in disbelief. Later, Shin went to McCoy's warehouse, requesting for a plane with vulcan ammo and enough fuel for long-distance flights. "Are you going for something we can't handle?" McCoy asked. Greg stared at Shinjou's photos posted at the mess hall. Micky asked him why the photos were still there. Greg sighed, saying he liked them and wanted to give them to his family that is no longer around. Meanwhile, Shinjou boarded a helicopter leaving Area 88. Kotori handed him his camera, which she hoped still worked. Shinjou told her to give Shin a message. All squadrons were ordered to scramble and intercept Shin. Kotori told Saki through the radio that she'll go for Shin first, as she was initially preparing for a recon mission. In the night sky, Shin dodged some gunfire from behind. Kotori warned him to turn around or she'll shoot him down for real. They both played a game of tag for a couple of minutes before the whole cavalry led by Micky arrived on the scene. Saki told everyone on the radio that an enemy squadron was closing in dead ahead of them, and if Shin were to indicate any signs of defection before the enemy planes arrive, they must shoot him down. The reward for Shin's head was US$200,000. On another side of the country, the helicopter crew escorting Shinjou received word that Shin was defecting. Shinjou frantically told the pilots to turn around. While everyone had their crosshairs on Shin, Kotori told him what Shinjou told her; that he was to return to Japan and tell Ryoko that Shin is still alive. As Micky was preparing to fire, Kotori told everyone to hold their fire as Shin dropped his fuel tanks. Shin radioed to everyone that they will attack the enemy from the west. Saki gave the orders for Shin to land and resupply his armament at a nearby base. Back in the helicopter, the pilots warned Shinjou that if he were ever to pull a stunt like that again, he'd be thrown in the middle of the desert. Then, without warning, a Tiger flew past them and turned around. Shinjou looked at the plane before preparing his camera. "It may not have his emblem on it, but it's definitely him," Shinjou said as he clicked away at the plane before it disappeared in the sunrise. In Japan, Ryoko was in her wedding dress, sitting nervously in her dressing room when she heard a knock. Shinjou entered the room. "Who are you?" she asked. "I'm just a photographer," he replied, handing her a photo. She glanced at the slighly blurry picture of the Tiger plane in the picture, knowing it was none other than Shin piloting it. She broke down in tears, thanking Shinjou for informing her on Shin's condition. "No, I should thank you. I didn't understand what was going on until now," he replied. Ryoko then ran to the backyard. "Shouldn't you take that gown off first?" Shinjou asked. "This is the dress I'll wear when I marry Shin," she replied happily, running across the grass while Shinjou took pictures of her. Quote
Lightning Posted May 22, 2004 Posted May 22, 2004 after skipping the spoiler thread just posted... i saw the original's first episode, it got my interest, that's for sure. Quote
bsu legato Posted May 22, 2004 Posted May 22, 2004 The animation definitely improves after the first 5 episodes. At first, the CGI aircraft seemed a little wonky and at times didn't seem to move properly. I'm glad to see that the later episodes are much smoother, and I actually dig the quasi cel shading they're using. Definitley an interesting alternative to the approach Kawamori is using in Zero. Quote
myk Posted June 16, 2004 Posted June 16, 2004 I didn't seem to notice this issue anywhere else in the thread, but did anyone see that Mickey Simon reads Playgirl magazine on his spare time? Anyways, I loved the new series although the original OVA ending would have suited this tragic story much better... Quote
That NOS Guy Posted June 16, 2004 Posted June 16, 2004 Am I the only man alive that liked the music? -NOS So what I already like techno... Quote
bsu legato Posted June 16, 2004 Posted June 16, 2004 I didn't seem to notice this issue anywhere else in the thread, but did anyone see that Mickey Simon reads Playgirl magazine on his spare time? lol! We caught that too! I wonder if that was a case of the animators not quite grasping what Playgirl is, or if was intentional. Quote
ArchVile Posted June 16, 2004 Posted June 16, 2004 I think they are just clueless on that because Micky has a picture of his girlfriend/wife in his F-4 cockpit in a flashback. Quote
Panon Posted June 17, 2004 Posted June 17, 2004 Am I the only man alive that liked the music? Not at all, I like that kind of music and thought it was all good. Unfortunately it's not the music or animation that bring down this show, but the characters. The obviously wanted to go a different path than the heavy melodrama of the OAVs, but instead of toning the drama down they just completely gutted it. For the vast majority of the series Shin is little more than a zombie just going through the motions.. even when he lost his first plane he just kept on going as normal, when that should have been a major setback to him being able to leave. Quote
bigkid24 Posted June 17, 2004 Posted June 17, 2004 I think this OVA suffered from the same problem that a lot of anime suffers from. The series starts out interesting enough with a cool premise and then it's like the creators get bored with the series and just leave it hanging. The ending to episode 12 didn't feel like much of an ending. I'm sure they wanted to leave it kind of open but c'mon!!! I felt that Gunslinger Girl suffered from a similar problem. Quote
wolfx Posted June 19, 2004 Posted June 19, 2004 I think this OVA suffered from the same problem that a lot of anime suffers from. The series starts out interesting enough with a cool premise and then it's like the creators get bored with the series and just leave it hanging. The ending to episode 12 didn't feel like much of an ending. I'm sure they wanted to leave it kind of open but c'mon!!!I felt that Gunslinger Girl suffered from a similar problem. I left out of this thread until i finished watching it and....I really liked Area 88. 1stly, a few corrections. This is the TV series, not the OVA. The OVA is older and I have yet to watch that. Gunslinger Girl anime is only 2 (or 3) books into the manga. So it ends where book 2 ends for now. Expect more in the near future. CG planes weren't yukikaze and macross zero great, but it was ok. Didn't mind the music either. Good stuff. What I don't get is the ending. SPOILERS WTF? I thought he made enough money to go home. Why did he stay back? And I read a few posts back that the OVA conclusion showed him returning to Area88 after he came back to Japan because he has become too much of a cold blooded fighter pilot and can't adapt to normal life? Behhh So....is this story concluded or is there more? Quote
areaseven Posted July 6, 2004 Posted July 6, 2004 Well, ADV Films announced at AX2004 that they have acquired the rights to this TV series. Any thoughts on this? Quote
bigkid24 Posted July 6, 2004 Posted July 6, 2004 I think this OVA suffered from the same problem that a lot of anime suffers from. The series starts out interesting enough with a cool premise and then it's like the creators get bored with the series and just leave it hanging. The ending to episode 12 didn't feel like much of an ending. I'm sure they wanted to leave it kind of open but c'mon!!!I felt that Gunslinger Girl suffered from a similar problem. I left out of this thread until i finished watching it and....I really liked Area 88. 1stly, a few corrections. This is the TV series, not the OVA. The OVA is older and I have yet to watch that. Gunslinger Girl anime is only 2 (or 3) books into the manga. So it ends where book 2 ends for now. Expect more in the near future. Ah, I didn't know that about Gunslinger Girl, but the 13 episodes that I saw don't make me want to watch more of it. As for your question about the ending I assumed it was because he needed to buy a new plane. Quote
Panon Posted July 7, 2004 Posted July 7, 2004 Well, ADV Films announced at AX2004 that they have acquired the rights to this TV series. Any thoughts on this? not really a whole lot to say really, other than I'll be buying it as soon as they put it out. I really didn't expect it to be snapped up that quickly, I'd worried it might slip through the cracks for a couple of years. Quote
wolfx Posted July 7, 2004 Posted July 7, 2004 I think this OVA suffered from the same problem that a lot of anime suffers from. The series starts out interesting enough with a cool premise and then it's like the creators get bored with the series and just leave it hanging. The ending to episode 12 didn't feel like much of an ending. I'm sure they wanted to leave it kind of open but c'mon!!!I felt that Gunslinger Girl suffered from a similar problem. I left out of this thread until i finished watching it and....I really liked Area 88. 1stly, a few corrections. This is the TV series, not the OVA. The OVA is older and I have yet to watch that. Gunslinger Girl anime is only 2 (or 3) books into the manga. So it ends where book 2 ends for now. Expect more in the near future. Ah, I didn't know that about Gunslinger Girl, but the 13 episodes that I saw don't make me want to watch more of it. As for your question about the ending I assumed it was because he needed to buy a new plane. What for? He's not gonna use the one he has already. That's why the commander dude said he'll make him pay for clearing up his downed plane but his right hand man said that would only be miniscule for Shin and won't be enough to keep him around. Quote
hellohikaru Posted August 16, 2004 Posted August 16, 2004 Old news but Hasegawa(not Fujimi) has released a special F-14A/F-8 Area88 DVD package. Interesting. I hope they make a Kitori(Mirage F1)/Kim(Harrier combo) but Hasegawa doesn't have a Harrier kit in that scale. Who is the old man with the eye patch who flies the Buccaneer ? And why Saki doesn't flies his Kfir like in the original series ? Quote
hellohikaru Posted August 17, 2004 Posted August 17, 2004 (edited) Just finish epiosde 12. Not much action in the last episode though. Somehow i prefer the original 1985 version more. Yoy don't get to see how Mickey gets his F-14 or Shin in his F-20 Tigershark. Wished they followed the manga though. Wished they hadn't gone for the stereotype good guys fly Western planes baddies the Russian stuff unlike the old series. Edited August 17, 2004 by hellohikaru Quote
Splash Posted June 20, 2005 Posted June 20, 2005 Talk about reviving a dead thread! ADV finally put a trailer up at their site, but no news of a release date. Sounds like the same VA that did Lt. Rei Fukai in Yukikaze does Shin Kazama? Quote
mondamoto Posted February 26, 2006 Posted February 26, 2006 Sorry to Revive this dead thread but I just read on Anime News net work ADV picked up the original Area 88 OVA. This is good news ADV New York Comic-Con licenses (2006-02-25 12:32:27) At their New York ComicCon panel, ADV announced two new licenses: This Ugly and Beautiful World and the Area 88 OVA series. Area 88 was previously released in the US on video and DVD by Central Park Media. Quote
Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0 Posted February 26, 2006 Posted February 26, 2006 YES!!!! Good news for me!! Any idea on if they plan individual releases or a box set of all 3? Quote
David Hingtgen Posted February 27, 2006 Posted February 27, 2006 Ooooooh. I so want the OVA series. (Seeing as how I've seen neither it nor the manga--my only Area 88 is the SNES game and recent series) Quote
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