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My Anime DVD Collection

Starting the year 2005 I began to start buying DVDs of Japanese animation that really interested me. The entertainment had to be so good and the price had to be so good that I was willing to pay for it and see it again and again for me to make the decision to purchase a DVD or DVD set Ideally when I made a purchase, I was getting as much DVD content as possible, as much video as possible. This means that it is best to wait a while after a DVD is released to see if subsequent discs come with new content. Like all forms of media (with few books being the rare exception), DVDs will always depreciate in value, so there was no need to pay full price for anything (unless the quantity was limited). Below is a list of my collection and my thoughts on each item. The collection and reviews will grow with the passage of time, so be sure to come back for updates.

This unique thinpak has a clear plastic outer cover with images protecting a white cardboard box. There are 4 DVD thinpak cases. Each case contains 2 discs. The normal series has 6 discs with 26 episodes. Disc 7 has the Chobits special Chat Room, which is a recap episode. Disc 7 is a character song collection soundtrack with 13 tracks. It also comes with the CD booklet. Each disc is the same as the single releases, just with different packaging.
Originally I did not like the series because it was about a man falling in love with a robot. The main character was doing stupid things for a robot that did not make sense for me. When I first saw the series, I was always asking, why is he doing that? If I just accept the fact that the main character thinks of Chi the robot as a real person, then it makes sense. Except for some silly instances (it is a romantic comedy after all), the story is well written and the characters are very colorful visually and internally.

The first movie has a foil cover, the second does not, and the third one was the special edition with artbox to hold all three movies with a foil cover, thus the first and third movie have a foil cover and the second one is normal. The discs are very standard with the feature having English or Japanese dub and trailers. There is nothing special.
What makes the movies different than the TV series is that it is a condensed version of it with new footage. This also means that the movies repeat minimal if any footage from previous scenes. The TV series aired a lot of flashbacks. The movies eliminated them. The story stays the same and the plot is more fast paced. There are also extended scenes in the movie which is like bonus footage, emphasizing certain aspects of the plot. Watching these movies does same time and money over watching 50 episodes, then again some interesting parts are cut out in favor of the extended scenes. The extended scenes are an incentive to buy the movies when you have already bought the 50 episode series. 

The Perfect Collection compiles all animation related to the Love Hina Series. It is a unique booklet that has one DVD per "page" that is a clear solid plastic DVD holder. The book is held together in a cardboard cover. The DVDs are the same as the single release with the 6 volumes of the series, 1 Christmas Movie/special, 1 Summer Movie/special, and 3 OVAs on the Love Hina Again disc.
This series was the gateway anime that drew me in the greater underground world of anime in 2001. Sure there was other anime in the U.S. like Sailor Moon and Dragonball, but they were heavily edited to American audiences and I really did not care much about it as just random entertainment. Love Hina was of the earlier anime to be available in fansub form the day after it aired in Japan, which was very impressive at the time. The Manga and franchise also had a good reception in Japan that reached the U.S. as well. This series is a turning point in my life that headed me in the direction that I am in now, for better or for worse. It gave me a higher level of appreciation for anime beyond typical cartoon entertainment.
Why is it good? I am not one who savors the eye candy of a cute girls in a harem setting (well, as long as it is not excessive). What I do appreciate is the variety and depth of characters. The main character, an aspiring looser, does not have any special abilities but he is not especially too stupid. He is more normal than other girls in terms of his personality and limitations, except for the fact that he recovers from being beaten by them. That is what makes it hilarious. The reason why he is beaten is either because he is a victim of circumstances or being a pervert. However, he is not in search of perversion. He is just places in funny situations that result in him being beat up by the girls. The basic plot is also interesting and has set a high standard for similar series to come (plot-wise, not moral-wise). Each of the girls also has a background and history that makes you want to care about them. Together, the cast makes a good party. The specials are more open in animation and story telling and the OVA just goes free form all restraint, yet maintaining a tradition of romantic comedy. it slightly differs from the manga series it derived from, but still very good. My #1 favorite anime series of all time.

This collector's edition is a older case made of cardboard on the cover and plastic on the edges. Likewise, the DVD looks like an older kind where it is double sided, meaning one side has 4:3 full screen view and the other has 16:9 widescreen view. The movie was originally made in 4:3 format, so the 16:9 actually cuts the image off. It comes with a mini poster and postcard.
The movie itself is quite spectacle. It is full of bloody action. The action is not senseless, for each battle actually advances the plot as the villains get worse and worse. There are few gaps in the story, and aside from the mutant ninjas with mysterious powers, it makes a lot of sense, meaning few plot holes. The main character is powerful, but is also humble and honorable. However, the title has nothing to do with story. Truly a classic.

Ninja Scroll the Series look like a traditional fold out book. The first there discs contain the 13 episode series, which is economical having 4-5 episodes per DVD. The fourth disc contains bonus material and not found on any of the single releases. It also comes with an episode guide.
The series continues after the movie, with 2 returning characters. It has an entirely new story, but the action and strange foes is bloodily consistent with the movie. the movie is still better overall but here we learn more about the characters involved since there is more time to tell the story. The female lead is interesting because she does not fit any traditional female anime roles: she is not busty/ sexualized, not violent, not weak, not scheming, not a tomboy, or not snobby. The only thing she is obsessed with is fulfilling her destiny (though not at first). In the beginning she is a little spoiled from being a priestess, but soon she becomes an strong independent character. The main character maintains the same strength and integrity throughout the story and gains a new purpose in this arc.

Called Peacemaker Kurogane in Japan, each individually released DVD comes in a clear DVD case. This is great because the DVD cover is reversible, meaning that you can take the paper cover out and flip it and have a new cover. Thus, when you open the DVD case you can see the other side of the cover. The front page artwork is different for the 2 covers, but the back episode summary is the same. Each DVD also comes with an information booklet. This is not very common in DVD releases. This booklet is not a bunch of advertisements promoting the company's other products, but rather a pamphlet with more details and information on the Peacemaker series. Here there are interviews with the creators, animators, and voice actors. There are character profiles, and original side stories. It is a great bonus to compliment the series.
The series itself seems pretty average. Some reviewers have coined it to be a prequel to Rurouni Kenshin. In a way it does take place in the same time period as Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal. there is even a common character in both series. However, the story is not as good as I originally anticipated. The plot seems average and the action very lackluster. The good thing is that there are many colorful characters with unique and attractive traits. However, none of those characters, with the exception of the main character, never fully exploit their traits. There seemed to be open storylines that do not resolve. The character development was pretty good. I anticipated so much to happen since there were great characters doing many things, yet it did not materialize. Some characters like villains looked very sinister and devious in the beginning but later disappeared into obscurity. There were so many loose threads that if it were not for the main character, the story would completely fall apart. the ending was a little less believable as well.

There are 3 DVDs per box and 3 boxed sets and 7 boxed sets total. The DVD cases are all white color. The boxes that hold the DVDs are uniform in design with the Robotech symbol and sketches of characters and objects from the series. Each boxed set contains 2 DVDs with episodes and 1 bonus disc with extras.
I was not too familiar with Robotech earlier but a friend recommended it to me. I have never seen the Japanese version called Macross, so I cannot compare with that. The entire series is dubbed in English only with really no references to Japan in the series. However, if you watch the Extras disc, you can see why some changes were made as explained by the producer. It is a very long and meaningful soap opera. The characters were well written. Like most war centered anime, there are many casualties that you can brush over, but the main characters stay strong, though some of them die. Considering that the show was created 20 years ago, it is not that bad. The war machinery is also interesting to watch in the fact that they can transform to different modes.
The combination of action, adventure, and drama create a good mix that is entertaining to people of all ages. The entire Robotech saga is actually based on 3 different Japanese animated series with no relation to each other. Yet, when you see the English edit, they seem to be related all together. it is this series that went International, as opposed to Macross, because it appealed to a large base of fans. The science fiction technology is interesting, but there is also a lot of drama and relationships, which was a novel concept back when it first played in the U.S.
The extra disks that are in the boxed set really teach you about the history of the creation of Robotech and the edits they had to make from the original Japanese Animation. They also have selected scenes in different languages so you can hear the different interpretations of the script. It is worth the extra time watching after seeing the series. 

What is troubling about anime/ manga franchises being released in the U.S. is the lack of consistency in licensing. The company Anime Works owns the rights to publish the Rurouni Kenshin TV series while ADV Films has the rights to publish the OVAs and Movie. Viz Media published the manga series. This causes a variation to occur between the companies, since they do not talk to each other, they have to come up with different translations and voice actors (dub listeners are short changed). This is caused by the complex legal licensing laws in the U.S. and corporate greed. As a result, ADV must use the name Samurai X because Anime Works is using he name Rurouni Kenshin.
White is the common theme throughout the design of the DVD set. This collection was specially made with detailed sketches over white. Even the DVDs are decorated the common theme of artistic backgrounds and numbered I-V. it is simple, yet elegant. This is definitely different than the single releases, but I do not have the other versions to compare. Disc 1 has the prequel OVA called Trust and Betrayal, disc 2 has Samurai X: the Movie, disc 3 has the epilogue OVA called Reflection, disc 4 has a director's cut of Trust and Betrayal as a continuous movie, and disc 5 has Reflection as a director's cut movie.
Two words best describe the first OVA: must see. The animation for Trust and Betrayal is different than the series, this sets the tone to be more serious. It is a very serious story with no humor whatsoever as was shown in the TV series and manga. At some times the drama is slow and other times the action like sword fights are fast, but everything overall seems just right. Most everything presented in the story has a purpose, even all the minor characters play vital roles to enhance the story. The artworks is superb and the musical score is blends flawlessly conveying the right emotion at the right time. One cannot help but sympathize with the main character.
The movie is a standalone story that seems to be in synch with the TV series. It really does not compare to the first OVA. It keeps recycling the same flashback scenes a little too often. It is still good to watch.
The epilogue requires you to watch the TV series or read the Manga because it continues the story where the first OVA and TV series left off. It is much more involved than previous anime. Samurai X: Reflection is as serious as the first OVA and is worth watching if you have seen the TV series or first OVA. Kenshin is my third favorite series of all time.
The two movies compiling Trust and Betrayal and Reflection do not look that much different than the original OVAs. I cannot distinguish any differences between the regular and director's cut in terms of added material. The only major difference is that these movies are continuous and flow together well over the hour and a half they play. It depends on how much time the viewer wants to spend watching them. They are as equally good as the originals.

The DVD covers are unique because they are all metallic foil colored. This gives them an outer space look that allows them to stand out The the two season are on 4 discs for 13 episodes, which is 3-4 episodes per disc. It is not very economical. The Second Stage provided the collectors's box to store the DVDs, as well as some trading cards and a pencil board.
The series is a journey through space with a twist. Here, men and women are separated on different plants and consider each other enemies and that forms the basis of the conflict and behavior of the characters. The characters are colorful with interesting and reasonable personalities. The space ships are in CG and the characters are traditional. There are some lessons that the characters learn as the series progress. It is overall fun to watch the interactions among characters. It was the second fansubbed series I watched and has since then become my 2nd favorite of all time. 

There is nothing significant about he packaging. Book I and II were released at the same time, so the art
is similar. Ys II: Castle in the Heavens is a different release that has a different style of animation.
When Ys RPG video games came out in the 80s it was very popular. The animation came out later. It is basically an RPG fantasy series. The plot is basic and familiar. What makes this story unique is that it centers around only 1 character. Usually there is a cast of characters, but here, there is only 1 character to focus on. The story is interesting and colorful, but nothing really makes this great. If you like the video game then yes it is worth watching. A good aspect of this is that the series is short and easy to follow. It is very traditional in its storytelling, which is a plus. Book I and II have a coherent story. Ys II has a different animation style and new characters in a related but new direction. Why it is not called Book III is a mystery to me. It is a classic series, bit too good, but worth watching if you are a fan of the video games.