Video - 3.5/5 The video here was clearly ripped from the Japanese R2 disc(s?). The picture is nice and sharp and colours are bright and properly saturated. However, the disc lost points for a few reasons. First, there's an MI watermark during the movie, and I really hate those. Second, on the movie it's clear that some sequences were taking from the TV and some were newly animated. On a number of the TV shots, the print quality is lower, and there's more fuzz and grain. Finally, it looks to me as though the Japanese discs were progressive, as the interlacing is really obvious on this disc. If you're watching from a distance you won't notice it in the details, but if you're watching up close (ie on a notebook computer), it's in your face (watch the character outlines) and will drive you mad. For those curious, the bitrate according to WinDVD is averaged at 5Mbit and the two features (~2,5 hours combined) uses just under 6GB. Both features are presented in 4:3, which is the original aspect ratio for the OAV, and probably an open matte presentation of the movie to ensure continuity between the cuts (see below).

Audio - 4/5 The audio on both features is a standard stereo track with some solid directionality. No hiss or breakups, but I save the 5 for something truly flooring.

Audio - 4/5 The audio on both features is a standard stereo track with some solid directionality. No hiss or breakups, but I save the 5 for something truly flooring.

Packaging: 4/5 The disc came packaged in a standard keepcase and used the R2 artwork on it. I forgot which typt it was, as I've got the case in storage and the disc in a binder. Menu: 4/5 Semi-animated menus here, with the standard bilingual "Play all/Chapter/Subtitle". Each plays a different piece of music, and is mostly white with some cutouts. The big annoyance, though, is that after 10 or 20 seconds the main menu will automatically play the feature. This sucks if you load up the disc and run to the bathroom while it loads as you'll have to go back to the start of the film. Extras: N/A No extras this time =( Content: 3/5 movie 4/5 oav Spoilers follow. This disc contains two features. First, the original GodMars movie, which is a 100 minute retelling of the "Gishin" arc of the TV series (with a new ending), and second, the GodMars OAV "The Untold Legend at 17," which is a side story/alternate retelling to the Gishin arc through the eyes of Marg. The movie is based on the first 25 episodes of the TV series, and does a good job of hitting the major points of the story (without much characterization) although it helps to have seen the TV series first, not only to avoid spoilers, but also to fill in some of the gaps that the movie has to leave out for time. Much of the animation is taken directly from the TV series (including the one and only time that GodMars actually combines) but the battle sequences, which occupy most of the second half of the film, appear to new animation, with more advanced techniques used and a grander scale. In contrast, it makes the battle shots left in (such as the confrontation between Mars and Zule) look cheap, as what is acceptible for a 64 episode series does not fly in a feature film. That said, the fact that they rewrote the ending (and still managed to find a way to recycle animation) earns the writing team some points in my book, although at 100 minutes, the film could have dealt with a battle or two fewer (or shorter), as I was getting antsy for it to finish by the time that it did. I should, of course, note that I watched the OAV first and on the same day, and this added to my desire to see things finish up as both cover some of the same events. However, it doesn't change the fact that most of the movie is one big recap episode. Fortunately, the OAV is a lot better. The OAV, "The Untold Legend at 17", is the story of Marg, Mars's twin brother. It's hard to place this story in the continuity, as some things completely contradict the TV and Movie. However, for fans of the series, the OAV is great. In the OAV, Marg is not the weak sentimentalist sneaking around the palace, but rather an active member of a resistance group on Gishin. The OAV opens with a gorgeous fight scene where Marg and the other guerillas destroy a Gishin missile facility while flying on giant birds. In this version of the story, Marg also had a romantic interest, the resistance leader's daughter, and we find out more about the life of the Gishin people as the group travels to recruit more members. Marg is a much stronger character here, and his motives (as if he didn't have enough as-is) become more pronounced and and he becomes a much more sympathetic character, despite meeting the same fate as in the TV series. Besides the storyline, the character and mechanical designs have been reworked for the OAV, and everything looks sharper, more mature, and in the case of Gaia, a heck of a lot less ugly. Despite the interlacing problems, this just looked GOOD, and serves as a solid reminder of what an OAV budget could do in the olden days. It's just a pity that we NEVER SEE A COMBINATION INTO GODMARS. Finally, the OAV has 8 chapter stops and runs for ~50 minutes. In summary: I've heard that the movie and OAV were produced due to fan demand, and having seen them, it makes sense to think that way. However, if you're looking to use this disc to sample the franchise before getting the more expensive TV sets, you're going to find yourself completely lost. In both cases, a knowledge of the events of the TV series is either helpful or necessary, and without it you'll be left with some serious blanks. For fans, though, the OAV is a welcome addition, and the movie is a decent way to pass the afternoon if you haven't seen the show for a while or want to refresh yourself later on as to earlier events.