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WOW!
makes me glad I decided "Not to sell" both times I almost parted
with my beloved 3-part novel series then...
Had no idea the books were going for that kind of bling.
Merc, Leiji Matsumoto Fans, how did I not hear about this?
- Thread starter SouthtownKid
- Start date
WOW!
makes me glad I decided "Not to sell" both times I almost parted
with my beloved 3-part novel series then...
Had no idea the books were going for that kind of bling.
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If I had to pick an all-time favorite Gundam design, it would be Victory. The first time I saw it, I just liked its variation of the original design -- it's more curved edges...It almost looks ceramic or something...if it was olive green, it would be almost like what I would imagine Miyazaki might create in a Gundam or something.
I've actually started building plastic models in my spare time for the first time in many years, and I'm coincidentally in the middle of building both an F91 and a Victory. I really like both of them.
On the F91, the thing that grabs me for some reason is the grill. I don't know why, but I like that a lot. The only thing I don't like about the F91 is that it kind of kicked off the way-too-big-shoulders era of Gundams, although at least in this case, the shoulders are big for a purpose. But in many following Gundams, the shoulders are HUGE for no reason, and I'm not a fan of the big-shoulder look.
As far as the movie goes, its big problem was that it was originally conceived as a full 50-episode series -- and in fact, work had already begun on it (to my understanding) -- when the word came down to make it as a movie instead. So an entire season's story had to be condensed into a couple hours. That's why it feels disjointed in places, and there are places where it feels like there have been big jumps in time or something. But knowing that, I can smooth it out in my head and imagine what happened to fill in the blanks. And yeah, I like the characters a lot, too.
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Yeah, those are the versions of the books I have, too. I lent them out to friends a couple times back in the '90s... I'm glad I got them back. I'm kind of sad they are "worth" so much now, because it makes them effectively irreplaceable -- I'd never be able to re-buy them if I had to.WOW!
makes me glad I decided "Not to sell" both times I almost parted
with my beloved 3-part novel series then...
Had no idea the books were going for that kind of bling.
Every once in a while, I toy with the idea of typing them by hand into some e-book format, to be sure I'd always have a copy of them to re-read. And there would be the side benefit of being able to fix the names "Char" and "Kycilia" throughout the books.
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I'm working on a Crossbones Gundam and a Zeta. Both are Master Grade kits. Because of the decreased vision, my eyes get strained easier than regular so the going is slow, but it's been fun. The Zeta is particularly difficult because of all the transforming parts.
I have the F-91 MG that comes with the top of the Rafflesia, but I've been scared to build it because ALL accounts I've read about it say it's a difficult kit to put together. We'll see how these two go.
I knew about the F-91 as a series thing too, and you can easily see all the groundwork that was laid for a much bigger story. There is a very solid cast of characters that would have been great over an extended series, given time to grow and interact with one another. U.C. Gundam in general is more fucking cool than today's fan will ever know strictly because of reasons like this.
Oh, and I really like the Victory Gundam a lot, too.
EDIT: Those are the same books I have, too. Weren't they compiled into a single volume at one point?
I have the F-91 MG that comes with the top of the Rafflesia, but I've been scared to build it because ALL accounts I've read about it say it's a difficult kit to put together. We'll see how these two go.
I knew about the F-91 as a series thing too, and you can easily see all the groundwork that was laid for a much bigger story. There is a very solid cast of characters that would have been great over an extended series, given time to grow and interact with one another. U.C. Gundam in general is more fucking cool than today's fan will ever know strictly because of reasons like this.
Oh, and I really like the Victory Gundam a lot, too.
EDIT: Those are the same books I have, too. Weren't they compiled into a single volume at one point?
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Yeah, the compiled one is the one people are selling for $200 on amazon. I didn't even see the individual novels on amazon at all, although I guess I didn't look too long.
And yeah, that Master Grade F91 is the one I have, too. Like you, I'm kind of scared of messing it up, so I've been taking it real slow. And I've been doing a few High Grades in between, just for fun and kind of to practice.
Like I said, I wasn't a huge fan of the Crossbone design, but I saw this guy's youtube video (he has a really great channel) of an X2 paint job, and it kind of changed my mind about it...
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Strangely I kind of like the "Sha" spelling (yes I'm weird, even though I'm used to Char by this point). Who was Kycilia? That name isn't ringing any bells with me right now. I haven't read through the novels in about 8 or so years so I'm a bit foggy on the details. I remember when I first saw the TV series on VHS in the 1990s I kept waiting to see if Japan was "with it" enough in 1979 to have Sayla give Amuro her "amulet" for good luck.
Now you tell me the animation came first. Which makes sense. By today's standards... her giving him pubic hair for good luck wouldn't be strange at all.
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The Zabi sister. The one who realized who Char was but was cool about it and took him under her wing, even though she also realized Char's purpose for hiding his identity was revenge against her family. I liked the way she died in the movies, but I really hated to see her die in the novels.
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So anyways, to go back to Yamato for a second, reading about the upcoming live-action movie, I found out there was another animated movie that came out not too long ago that I had somehow not heard about. 'Yamato Rebirth.'
So I watched it.
It was cool seeing the Yamato modeled very well in 3D. But pretty much everything else was made of suck. It takes place 17 years after Final Yamato (my least favorite of the Yamato movies, prior to this one). The trailer makes it look way better than it actually was. If you see the characters actually moving around, you'll see what I mean.
Watching it, it really struck me how similar it felt to the recent 'Robotech: the Shadow Chronicles' of a few years back. The story is VERY similar, and both feature updated character designs that manage to completely fail to capture the feeling and spirit of the originals. Kodai comes off the best, Doctor Sado they didn't even try to change (and so left him out of the story for the most part), but the other few returning characters look terrible. It's especially jarring when they have a flashback scene to Final Yamato, and you see again what the characters are supposed to look like. The new uniforms are the most hideous things I have ever seen. They look more like some metrosexual superhero costume than a military uniform. Even Kodai's captain's coat, while not as offensive as the regular new uniforms, blows.
Also like Robotech: Shadow Chronicles, they use CGI for the space ships and battles with varying degrees of success. Yamato pulls it off a little better than Shadow Chronicles, and a few shots are legitimately impressive. But there are also a few that are less than impressive, and the alien beam effects (of which there are a lot) look terrible. The alien ship designs are pretty bland, too, and don't look like they belong in the same universe as the alien ships from previous movies/series. The interiors of the alien ships also reminded me of Shadow Chronicles in that they were empty and boring. Interiors modeled in the most simple 3D, devoid of anything that might accidentally create a sense of atmosphere. The interior of the Yamato looks pretty good, though. The bridge looks great.
Also like Shadow Chronicles, the plot revolves around Earth forces being betrayed by an alien race who'd been pretending to be friendly but was secretly sinister.
Yet another thing that reminded me of Shadow Chronicles is that Yuki's ship is lost near the beginning of the movie, and so there is talk about wanting to go search for her, although again like Shadow Chronicles, they don't actually get around to doing that. The final similarity to Shadow Chronicles is that it ends on a "To Be Continued" while not giving any hint as to when or if it ever will be.
I can't recommend this movie to anyone. The upcoming live-action movie looks way more promising.
For me, Yamato is the original tv series and the second movie, Saraba/Arrivederci/Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato. I also like the second tv series and Be Forever Yamato, along with the bits I've seen of the third tv series (I should watch the rest of that). New Voyage, I barely remember, and Final Yamato I flat-out dislike as a huge creative misstep and giant leap backwards in character development for the cast. Hate it.
I own all the movies on VHS, but don't have a VCR to play them on anymore. Arrivederci was the only one I re-bought on dvd. I also have the first season of Star Blazers on dvd. Sue me, it's a bit of nostalgia for me... even in its edited form. I used to watch it in the early mornings before elementary school. Even with all the edits (and changes from sake to spring water and stuff) the spirit of the original still comes through strongly, imo.
So I watched it.
It was cool seeing the Yamato modeled very well in 3D. But pretty much everything else was made of suck. It takes place 17 years after Final Yamato (my least favorite of the Yamato movies, prior to this one). The trailer makes it look way better than it actually was. If you see the characters actually moving around, you'll see what I mean.
Watching it, it really struck me how similar it felt to the recent 'Robotech: the Shadow Chronicles' of a few years back. The story is VERY similar, and both feature updated character designs that manage to completely fail to capture the feeling and spirit of the originals. Kodai comes off the best, Doctor Sado they didn't even try to change (and so left him out of the story for the most part), but the other few returning characters look terrible. It's especially jarring when they have a flashback scene to Final Yamato, and you see again what the characters are supposed to look like. The new uniforms are the most hideous things I have ever seen. They look more like some metrosexual superhero costume than a military uniform. Even Kodai's captain's coat, while not as offensive as the regular new uniforms, blows.
Also like Robotech: Shadow Chronicles, they use CGI for the space ships and battles with varying degrees of success. Yamato pulls it off a little better than Shadow Chronicles, and a few shots are legitimately impressive. But there are also a few that are less than impressive, and the alien beam effects (of which there are a lot) look terrible. The alien ship designs are pretty bland, too, and don't look like they belong in the same universe as the alien ships from previous movies/series. The interiors of the alien ships also reminded me of Shadow Chronicles in that they were empty and boring. Interiors modeled in the most simple 3D, devoid of anything that might accidentally create a sense of atmosphere. The interior of the Yamato looks pretty good, though. The bridge looks great.
Also like Shadow Chronicles, the plot revolves around Earth forces being betrayed by an alien race who'd been pretending to be friendly but was secretly sinister.
Yet another thing that reminded me of Shadow Chronicles is that Yuki's ship is lost near the beginning of the movie, and so there is talk about wanting to go search for her, although again like Shadow Chronicles, they don't actually get around to doing that. The final similarity to Shadow Chronicles is that it ends on a "To Be Continued" while not giving any hint as to when or if it ever will be.
I can't recommend this movie to anyone. The upcoming live-action movie looks way more promising.
For me, Yamato is the original tv series and the second movie, Saraba/Arrivederci/Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato. I also like the second tv series and Be Forever Yamato, along with the bits I've seen of the third tv series (I should watch the rest of that). New Voyage, I barely remember, and Final Yamato I flat-out dislike as a huge creative misstep and giant leap backwards in character development for the cast. Hate it.
I own all the movies on VHS, but don't have a VCR to play them on anymore. Arrivederci was the only one I re-bought on dvd. I also have the first season of Star Blazers on dvd. Sue me, it's a bit of nostalgia for me... even in its edited form. I used to watch it in the early mornings before elementary school. Even with all the edits (and changes from sake to spring water and stuff) the spirit of the original still comes through strongly, imo.
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Good review of the Yamato animated movie, STK.
I feel similar about Shadow Chronicles, too. Maybe my biggest problem was how 'all over the place' it was. When it was focusing on characters and themes central to the TV show, I thought it worked pretty well. But once they started introducing all those new characters and things started moving too fast for the plot to keep track of it all, it felt like Robotech was being drawn and quartered: whatever was left of it was pulled in four different directions at once, and it was just a big, bloody mass at the end.
I feel similar about Shadow Chronicles, too. Maybe my biggest problem was how 'all over the place' it was. When it was focusing on characters and themes central to the TV show, I thought it worked pretty well. But once they started introducing all those new characters and things started moving too fast for the plot to keep track of it all, it felt like Robotech was being drawn and quartered: whatever was left of it was pulled in four different directions at once, and it was just a big, bloody mass at the end.
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bokmeow
Ned's Ninja Academy Dropout
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If you're a three9 fan then you need to check out the five animated shorts Toei made in collaboration with Kyushuu Denryoku:
Original Animation: Energy Journeys
Original Animation: Energy Journeys
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So I'm bumping this thread... I'm reposting my review from the movie thread here in the hopes it might spark a little more Yamato talk.
So I finally watched the Space Battleship Yamato movie. Found it on blu-ray at a Japanese video store near me and picked it up. I'd heard mixed reviews from fans and non-fans, so my expectations were not that high.
But I loved it. It was pretty much everything I ever hoped it might be. It's not the kind of movie I'd recommend to everyone, but if you respond to Matsumoto-style over-the-top sentimentality, this movie is for fucking you. It runs a little more than 2 hours, and I spent at least 1 hour, 40 minutes of that with a lump in my throat. That is a long time to be choked up, and I was tired as hell by the end.
Visually, it's very good looking for a movie made outside of Hollywood and without Hollywood money. Well worth the extra money I spent for BD over dvd. The only place that falls a little short effects-wise is the aliens. I thought the decision to make them less humanoid was a really smart one that worked well for the story, but the CG for the aliens was closer to really good tv (BSG, etc.) level than movie level.
As for the story, it was amazing to me how powerful it managed to be in spite of knowing all the plot points from the original series. If you're moved by this kind of material, this live action movie is as powerful as Arrivederci Yamato, from which a few moments and character deaths are taken. How many times have I watched Sanada and Saito's last stand in Arrivederci? Yet it still manages to be just as moving here.
As for the various story and character updatings, I felt they all worked. Yeah, it changes the character of Yuki, but the overall effect still manages to retain the spirit of the original story completely.
And HOLY SHIT, the casting of Tsutomu Yamazaki as Captain Okita was FUCKING PERFECT. If you're not familiar with the name, he's the dude from Tampopo and A Taxing Woman. No one on Earth is more suited or could have played this part anywhere near as well as him. I did keep wishing they'd been able to get Nobuko Miyamoto to play Doctor Sado opposite him though. Fuck, that would have been perfect. The woman they did get gave off an almost identical (if a bit younger) vibe to her, though, so it worked. But man, was he great.
In summation: Normal people, probably give this a pass. Matsumoto and/or Yamato fans, you must see this.
I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up watching this again sometime in the next couple days.
I hope some domestic distributor licenses this and puts out a subtitled release. If you are a longtime Yamato fan, you can pretty much watch this movie raw as I did, but subtitles would be nice.
So I finally watched the Space Battleship Yamato movie. Found it on blu-ray at a Japanese video store near me and picked it up. I'd heard mixed reviews from fans and non-fans, so my expectations were not that high.
But I loved it. It was pretty much everything I ever hoped it might be. It's not the kind of movie I'd recommend to everyone, but if you respond to Matsumoto-style over-the-top sentimentality, this movie is for fucking you. It runs a little more than 2 hours, and I spent at least 1 hour, 40 minutes of that with a lump in my throat. That is a long time to be choked up, and I was tired as hell by the end.
Visually, it's very good looking for a movie made outside of Hollywood and without Hollywood money. Well worth the extra money I spent for BD over dvd. The only place that falls a little short effects-wise is the aliens. I thought the decision to make them less humanoid was a really smart one that worked well for the story, but the CG for the aliens was closer to really good tv (BSG, etc.) level than movie level.
As for the story, it was amazing to me how powerful it managed to be in spite of knowing all the plot points from the original series. If you're moved by this kind of material, this live action movie is as powerful as Arrivederci Yamato, from which a few moments and character deaths are taken. How many times have I watched Sanada and Saito's last stand in Arrivederci? Yet it still manages to be just as moving here.
As for the various story and character updatings, I felt they all worked. Yeah, it changes the character of Yuki, but the overall effect still manages to retain the spirit of the original story completely.
And HOLY SHIT, the casting of Tsutomu Yamazaki as Captain Okita was FUCKING PERFECT. If you're not familiar with the name, he's the dude from Tampopo and A Taxing Woman. No one on Earth is more suited or could have played this part anywhere near as well as him. I did keep wishing they'd been able to get Nobuko Miyamoto to play Doctor Sado opposite him though. Fuck, that would have been perfect. The woman they did get gave off an almost identical (if a bit younger) vibe to her, though, so it worked. But man, was he great.
In summation: Normal people, probably give this a pass. Matsumoto and/or Yamato fans, you must see this.
I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up watching this again sometime in the next couple days.
I hope some domestic distributor licenses this and puts out a subtitled release. If you are a longtime Yamato fan, you can pretty much watch this movie raw as I did, but subtitles would be nice.
Zero Satori
Jaguar Ninja
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When you said this, I thought you meant that you watched the Space Battleship Yamato movie.
StealthLurker
Naomi Yamazaki's Wingman
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I picked up the blu-ray a while back too. Thought it was pretty good. Watched it with my japanese neighbor. She absolutely loved it, but she's a Kimutaku fan so she's biased.
By the way, my copy had subtitles....
.
By the way, my copy had subtitles....
.
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No idea what kind of troll humor joke you are trying to make. I watched the 2010 movie. The one actually called "Space Battleship Yamato" even in Japanese. I wasn't talking about the lifeless 1970s compilation movie "Uchu Senkan Yamato", which managed to miss on everything that was great about the original tv series.
Mine only has Japanese subtitles.
StealthLurker
Naomi Yamazaki's Wingman
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Yeah by subtitles I mean English. Got mine from a Book-off next to Mitsuwa.
.
.
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I know. But while mine is region-free, it's a rip from the straight-up Japanese release. So it only has the features of that release and only Japanese subtitles.
Zero Satori
Jaguar Ninja
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Sorry. I guess I thought that, because you were earlier using the title "Arrivederci Yamato," you preferred to use the romanised titles of these films. I find that both "UCHUU SENKAN YAMATO" and "SARABA, UCHUU SENKAN YAMATO" are good films, the latter being far better, of course.
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You are high as a kite. Yeah, the second movie is great. IMO, the best of the franchise. But the first so-called "movie" is unadulterated garbage. Everything that was powerful or meaningful from the tv series got left on the cutting room floor until what was left was a bunch of soulless, completely disjointed snippets. It's like the worst clip-show ever made because -- not only is it a clip show -- but they left out 90% of the most important clips. They briefly cover the bare plot points and leave out nearly ALL the character stuff.
Watch the original series. Then watch the compilation "movie". Then come back here and say with a straight face that you think the first "movie" is good. Star Blazers is a better adaptation of the story than the compilation "movie" is.
Watch the original series. Then watch the compilation "movie". Then come back here and say with a straight face that you think the first "movie" is good. Star Blazers is a better adaptation of the story than the compilation "movie" is.