10-07-2002, 09:22 PM
Just got my set in after a month of finagling with an HK seller on eBay (not worth the time, IMO).
Studio: Manga International
# of discs: 3
# of episodes: 26
Packaging: 5/5. Gatefold box with a slipcover. Standard fare, nothing extraordinary. It is very colorful though, and no horrible e-mail addresses. =)
Video: 5/5. Crisp and clear, DVD sourced most likely. Slight blurring but not very much considering how much movement the show has, and especially since it's only 3 discs.
Audio: 5/5? I can't really tell, I have a lame mono TV but Kazuma and Ryuhou were yelling a lot so it sounded fine to me. ^^; Audio on the extras are distinctively lower, though.
Subs: 4.5/5. These were directly sourced from digital fansubs minus the little side-notes here and there. Typos here and there; it was probably OCR. Punctuation is ok; occasional missing periods, exclamations and question marks were good. Basically, think of the fansubs without proofreading, and you have it. Due to the fansub source, however, the script is quite good. Unfortunately, episode titles are rarely if ever subbed correctly.
Also, just a side note: HK subs are infamous for silly translations of certain one-liners, most of all "you that guy" from Anime Studio's version of Giant Robo. In the first episode there is an instance of "kisama!" (loosely trans. as "asshole", "bastard") which is quite deliberately subbed as "you that guy". Given that this was digisub sourced I think it was just a cruel practical joke from someone in MI. =P
Interface: Animated menus in English. Chaptered with "prologue - episode - ending"; no part A or part B, although all eyecatches and prologues were left intact (this is a huge pet peeve of mine, so definite plusses there; the prologues to Scryed are fairly important to the rest of each episode).
Extras: Three textless versions of the OP (each version changes as the series progresses and characters/techniques are revealed). The volume on these is distinctly lower for some reason.
Content: s.CRY.ed is a fighting anime that has splashes of X-Men and romance drama in it, but first and foremost it features lots of guys trying to beat the crap out of each other. My personal opinion of certain things aside, the show is excellent on a technical level: lots of digital animation and panning, but done in a way that isn't overtly distracting. The budget and pacing remain consistently good for most of the show (my opinion of the last two episodes are not very high, but I am not alone in this so I know it's not just me ^^
, and if you're looking for a fighting show more intelligent than DBZ, pick this up. (A radish would have more intelligence than DBZ.) The HK set is quite good, not as good as Noir or Pretear but definitely among MI's new wave of tailored-for-US HK sets.
Recommendation: It's not a masterpiece but it's definitely a fun and enjoyable show. The set's not too shabby, and given the fact that this has not yet been licensed (even by ADV, for some unfathomable reason) this is about the only way you'll be able to see a DVD-quality version of it anytime soon.
-- Natsuki the Esoteric
Studio: Manga International
# of discs: 3
# of episodes: 26
Packaging: 5/5. Gatefold box with a slipcover. Standard fare, nothing extraordinary. It is very colorful though, and no horrible e-mail addresses. =)
Video: 5/5. Crisp and clear, DVD sourced most likely. Slight blurring but not very much considering how much movement the show has, and especially since it's only 3 discs.
Audio: 5/5? I can't really tell, I have a lame mono TV but Kazuma and Ryuhou were yelling a lot so it sounded fine to me. ^^; Audio on the extras are distinctively lower, though.
Subs: 4.5/5. These were directly sourced from digital fansubs minus the little side-notes here and there. Typos here and there; it was probably OCR. Punctuation is ok; occasional missing periods, exclamations and question marks were good. Basically, think of the fansubs without proofreading, and you have it. Due to the fansub source, however, the script is quite good. Unfortunately, episode titles are rarely if ever subbed correctly.
Also, just a side note: HK subs are infamous for silly translations of certain one-liners, most of all "you that guy" from Anime Studio's version of Giant Robo. In the first episode there is an instance of "kisama!" (loosely trans. as "asshole", "bastard") which is quite deliberately subbed as "you that guy". Given that this was digisub sourced I think it was just a cruel practical joke from someone in MI. =P
Interface: Animated menus in English. Chaptered with "prologue - episode - ending"; no part A or part B, although all eyecatches and prologues were left intact (this is a huge pet peeve of mine, so definite plusses there; the prologues to Scryed are fairly important to the rest of each episode).
Extras: Three textless versions of the OP (each version changes as the series progresses and characters/techniques are revealed). The volume on these is distinctly lower for some reason.
Content: s.CRY.ed is a fighting anime that has splashes of X-Men and romance drama in it, but first and foremost it features lots of guys trying to beat the crap out of each other. My personal opinion of certain things aside, the show is excellent on a technical level: lots of digital animation and panning, but done in a way that isn't overtly distracting. The budget and pacing remain consistently good for most of the show (my opinion of the last two episodes are not very high, but I am not alone in this so I know it's not just me ^^
, and if you're looking for a fighting show more intelligent than DBZ, pick this up. (A radish would have more intelligence than DBZ.) The HK set is quite good, not as good as Noir or Pretear but definitely among MI's new wave of tailored-for-US HK sets.Recommendation: It's not a masterpiece but it's definitely a fun and enjoyable show. The set's not too shabby, and given the fact that this has not yet been licensed (even by ADV, for some unfathomable reason) this is about the only way you'll be able to see a DVD-quality version of it anytime soon.
-- Natsuki the Esoteric