Rainbow "Monsters of Rock Live at Donington 1980" Japanese editions

As you probably already know, Rainbow's
"Monsters of Rock - Live at Donington 1980"
is to be released as 1CD+1DVD set on Apr. 22 in US and UK
from Eagle Rock Entertainment.


Japan's Ward Records will release it in several different editions on Apr. 15
which have 2 CDs of the concert.




There are 4 variations (with links to Amazon Japan when possible):

• 2CD standard edition
• 2CD+DVD limited edition
• 2CD+DVD+T-shirt edition (Limited to 5000 copies): T-shirt is L-size only on Amazon.
• Super Premium Box (Limited to 500 copies): only available at Ward Records website.
  
  • 2CD of the concert
  • 1CD of radio interviews of the band members (Blackmore / Powell+Airey / Powell)
  • 1DVD
  • 3LP of the concert (same content as 2CD)
  • Reproduction of the concert booklet (excerpt, Rainbow-related pages only)
  • Reproduction of the press pass (from the actual pass used by Japanese rock critic Masayuki Itô)
  • T-shirt (S/M/L/XL)

(Personally I wish there were 3CD+1DVD edition without T-shirt etc.)


Ward Records claims their CDs have
"some parts cut from the international editions."



The tracklistings are as follows:

CD 1:

1. Opening: Pomp and Circumstance (*)
2. Intro /
   Eyes Of The World
3. Since You Been Gone /
   Over the Rainbow (*)
4. Stargazer
5. Catch The Rainbow
6. Don Airey keyboard solo (*) /
   Lost in Hollywood /
   A Light in the Black (excerpt) (*) /
   Ritchie Blackmore guitar solo
7. Difficult To Cure /
   Don Airey keyboard solo
8. Cozy Powell drum solo (1812) /
   Lost in Hollywood (reprise)

CD 2:

1. Lazy (excerpt)
2. All Night Long
3. Blues
4. Will You Love Me Tomorrow
5. Long Live Rock n Roll
6. Ritchie Blackmore guitar crash (Kill the King) (*)
7. Long Live Rock n Roll (reprise) (*)

DVD:

1. Lazy (excerpt)
2. All Night Long
3. Catch The Rainbow
4. Eyes Of The World
5. Ritchie Blackmore guitar solo
6. Difficult To Cure
7. Will You Love Me Tomorrow
8. Long Live Rock n Roll
9. Ritchie Blackmore guitar crash (Kill the King) (*)
10. Long Live Rock n Roll (reprise) (*)

*-marked ones are not listed in the international editions.

But, it seems to me the differences can be mostly attributed to how you describe medleys and solos.

For example, the last 3 "tracks" of CD2,
may be same as the one Long Live Rock n Roll
in the international edition.

The only significant difference may be the opening.
But I'm not sure if it makes 2CD necessary.
There may be more differences actually.

Too bad they don't mention track length, or total time of each disc.
(They say DVD is approx. 30 mins, though.)


BTW, Ward Records explicitly states 2 songs played in the concert -
Love's No Friend and Man on the Silver Mountain - have been lost,
and this is the "as full version as possible today."

"Thunderbirds Are Go" (2015) BD coming in Japan

Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's 2015 TV series
"Thunderbirds Are Go"
is to be released on BD (and DVD) in Japan in May.

Here's what I can tell about the BD boxset.

Basic information

"Thunderbirds Are Go" Blu-ray Collector's Box Vol.1

• Release date: May 11, 2016
• Publisher: NBC Universal Entertainment
• Cat. #: GNXF-1993
• Discs: BDx4
• Region code: ALL
• Video: 16:9 HD
• Audio: English dts-HD MA 5.1 / Japanese LPCM 2.0 Stereo
• Subtitles: Japanese / English / Japanese for Japanese dubbs
• Contents: Episodes 1-13
• Runtime: 286 mins (+ 60 mins of extras)
• SRP: 19200 Yen (+ tax)

Extras

• Reggie & Thunderbirds: No Strings Attached
  British TV special aired prior to the series,
  which includes behind-the-scenes,
  interviews with Richard Taylor (executive producer), Rosamund Pike (Lady Penelope), etc.
  
• Shôji Kawamori on Thunderbird S - Part 1
  Interview with Japanese artist Shôji Kawamori (perhaps best known for "Macross" anime franchise), who designed "Thunderbird S" for this new series.
  Here he talked about how he came into the project, where he got the idea for the design, the evolution of the design, also his childhood experiences with the original "Thunderbirds" show.
  
• Slideshow (stills)
  

The Package

• Digipack with slipcase
• Full color booklet (32 pages)
• Postcard ("Thunderbird S" design sketch by Shôji Kawamori)

Notes

• This is a limited edition, initial press only.
• Vol.2 is not announced yet.

As you know, in UK, ITV released the show only on DVD,
and reportedly they have no plan for BD release for now.
It's a strange decision when the show was made and aired in HD in the first place.

Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's shows have been VERY popular in Japan,
especially the original "Thunderbirds".

The original show was released on BD s few years back, in the original 4:3 AR,
unlike 16:9 trimmed version in the UK.

That boxset has long been OOP but, it's to be reissued on the same date.
(minus the booklet included in the previous set.)

"Thunderbird" Blu-ray BOX


I wrote about the previous boxset here (near the bottom).

Links

• Japanese official website of the show (in Japanese only)
• NBC-UNI's information page of BD boxset
• Shôji Kawamori's official website (partially in English)

"Hard to be a God" Japanese BD includes "Playback" documentary

Aleksey German's "Hard to be a God" has been available on BD in US and UK
with different extras, as reviewed by
Blu-ray.com and DVDBeaver, respectively.

Based on these reviews, both BDs have good extras,
but there's one notable material missing:
"Playback"(2012),
a documentary movie on ther making of "Hard to be a God".
(For the details of "Playback", please read Film Divider's article.)

But the recent Japanese BD includes it.
As far as I know, this is the first time "Playback" is available on BD/DVD.




Japanese BD basic specs

• Video: VistaVision (16x9 enhanced)
• Audio: Russion
• Subtitles: Japanese
• Region code: ALL
• Discs: BDx2 (Disc 1: DL, Disc 2: SL)
• Publisher: IVC
• Release date Dec. 18, 2015
• Runtime: 177 mins

Disc 2 is devoted to "Playback" (67 mins).
Also comes with a 28-page leaflet with essays by Japanese critics.

Of course, even if you can ignore its high price,
the Japanese BD wouldn't attract many foreigners
as it only has Japanese subtitles,

I have no plan to get it for the present, because
I'm rather skeptical of the A/V quality of the products from IVC.

James Bond 007 - Japanese graphic novels

In Dec. 2015, Japanese publisher Shogakkan released
the reprints of 4 books of Takao Saitô's graphic novel adaptations of
Ian Flemming's James Bond stories.

• Live and Let Die
• Thunderball
• On Her Majesty's Secret Service
• The Man with the Golden Gun
  

Originally written in 1968,
they are officially licensed adaptations,
but long time out-of-print.

After the licence has expired Saitô begun his most successful
(and still going on) series Golgo 13.
It's widely believed these Bond adaptations served as the basis for Golgo 13.

These reprints are billed as
the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Saitô's career.

Also obviously a tie-in with Japanese release of the movie Spectre.



Of course they are in Japanese,
but if you are a collector who wants to have anything James Bond,
they may be of your interest.


I haven't read any of them myself, but reportedly,
the stories are very different from the Flemming's source books.

Note that, among the 4 stories above,
Thunderball was the only one already adapted to screen at the time.

Still, Saitô's Bond doesn't look like Sean Connery at all.
(Somewhat like Victor Mature IMO.)
See here, for example.

Melody (aka S.W.A.L.K. ) (1971) BD coming in Japan

On Dec. 22, 2015 in Japan,
Kadokawa Pictures will release the movie
"Melody" (aka "S.W.A.L.K.") (1971)
on BD (and DVD), from the new master.


Buy at Amazon Japan (left: BD, right: DVD)



Basic BD specs (according to Kadokawa):

• Cat. #: DAXA-4733
• Region code: A [*1]
• Running time: 106 mins
• Screen: VistaVision
• AR: 1.78:1 [*1]
• Audio:
  • English: dts-HD MA 5.1
  • Japanese LPCM 2.0 (2015 new recording)
  • Japanese LPCM 2.0 (TV boradcast version)
  • Japanese LPCM 2.0 (LD version)
  3 Japanese tracks have diffrent voice cast.
• Subtitles: Japanese
• Extras: Japanese trailer (4 mins)

DVD has basically same content as BD.

*1: Informations found on Amazon Japan, but not on Kadokawa's website.

Other information source: Blu-ray.com



Soundtrack CD

ANA's Star Wars project - actual flight has begun

Back in April, ANA announced "Star Wars Project" with SW-themed airplanes.

Recently they held a "Fan Appreciation Flight event"
which is reported here on a Japanese news show.

According to the report, ANA actually use these planes in commercial flights.

Flight schedule can be fouund at the official site.
(click "EN" at the top to see it in English.)

Rainbow's 1984 show coming to DVD in Japan

On Oct. 21, 2015, Japan's Ward Records is going to release
Rainbow's "Live in Japan 1984" on DVD.

Recorded on Mar. 14, 1984 at Budokan, Tokyo,
Rainbow's "final" show backed by a symphony orchestra
was once released on VHS/LD in 1984 but long time OOP.

On the new DVD, video is restored from
the recently discovered original 1-inch master videotape.
Audio is also restored.

The DVD also includes archival interview with the members of the band
except Blackmore.

DVD specs

• Main feature: 104 mins
• Extras (Interview): 8 mins
• AR: 4:3
• Audio: DD 2.0 / DD 5.1 / dts surround
• Subtitles: Japanese

Editions

On the same day they also release Eagle Rock Entertainment's
"The Richie Blackmore Story",
and there are sevral different editions with and without it.

• "Live in Japan" DVDx1
  
• "Live in Japan" DVDx1 + CDx2
  
• "Live in Japan" DVDx1 + CDx2 + "The Ritchie Blackmore Story" DVDx1 (limited to 5,000 copies)
  
• "Live in Japan" DVDx1 + CDx2 + "The Ritchie Blackmore Story" BDx1 (limited to 5,000 copies)
  
• "Super Premium Box" (limited to 500 copies)
  
  • "Live in Japan" DVDx1 + CDx2 + LPx3
  • "The Ritchie Blackmore Story" DVDx1
  • 2 T-shirts
  • 1 hardbck photobook (60 pages, 30x30cm, import)
  • 1 Japan-exclusive photobook
  This set seems to be only available at Ward Records website.

The Band

• Ritchie Blackmore (g)
• Joe Lynn Turner (vo)
• Roger Glover (bs)
• David Rosenthal (kb)
• Chuck Burgi (ds)

Tracklist

1. Intro: Toccata and Fugue in D Minor / Over the Rainbow
2. Spotlight Kid
3. Miss Mistreated
4. I Surrender
5. Can't Happen Here
6. Catch the Rainbow
7. Power
8. David Rosenthal solo
9. Street of Dreams
10. Fool for the Night
11. Difficult to Cure
12. Ritchie Blackmore solo
13. Chuck Burgi solo
14. Blues
15. Stranded / Hey Joe / Stranded
16. Death Alley Driver
17. Fire Dance
18. Vielleicht das Nächste Mal (Maybe Next Time)
19. 19. All Night Long / Woman from Tokyo / All Night Long
20. Lazy
21. Since You Been Gone
22. Smoke on the Water

(Tracklist is same for DVD, CDs and LPs.)

Dark Star - Japanese BD

Japanese distributor TC Entertainment will release
John Carpenter's "Dark Star" on blu-ray on Apr. 3, 2015,
in 2 editions.

• 1-Disc Standard Edition (cat#: TCBD-0435) (Buy from Amazon JP)
• 2-Disc Limited Edition (cat#: TCBD-0434) (Buy from Amazon JP)

Specs

Basic Disc Specs

Region code: A
Video: VistaVision/16:9 enhanced/1080p HD *1

Audio:

• English dts-HD MA 5.1
• English dts-HD MA 2.0

Subtitles: Japanese

*1: Some of the special features are in SD,
which must be NTSC.

Main feature:

Includes 2 versions of the movie,
83mins theatrical cut and 73mins director's cut.

Special features:

1-Disc edition

• 3D Guide to the Dark Star Ship
• Written Intro by Dan O'Bannon (w/ Japanese subtitles)
• Trivia
• Posters and Stills gallery
• Original and Japanese trailers

2-Disc edition

has everything in 1-disc edition, PLUS:

• Making-of *2
• Interview with Sci-Fi Author Alan Dean Foster
• Interview with actor Brian Narelle

*2: Presumably "Let There Be Light" documentary.

Also, the 2-disc edition comes in a box packaging.
with some 20-page booklet (presumably in Japanese only),
a set of 8 postcards featuring foreign poster artwork.

Notes

The 2-disc edition seems to be a good combination of
US VCI's "Thermosteller" edition and
UK Fabulous Films and French Carlotta editions.


To my understanding,
US edition has lots of special features but doesn't have the director's cut.
Both UK/French editions have 2 versions of the movie, but
only has "Let There Be Light" documentary (117mins) as special features.

Japanese 2-disc editon has 2 versions of the movie
and most of the special feautures from VCI edition.
The only omission is
Audio Commentary by "Super Fan" Andrew Gilchrist.

As always with Japanese BDs, the price is very high.
So, not many people consider to get it
but if you are a kind of "collector", maybe?

Or, if you already have US VCI edition,
you may want to get Japanese 1-disc edition
only to see shorter director's cut.
Japanese BD is expensive but region coded A
(and SD materials are NTSC),
while UK/French BDs are region coded B
(and SD materials are likely PAL).

Knight Rider - Japanese BD boxset

NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan released
"Knight Rider Complete Blu-ray Box"
in Japan today (2014-11-27).

The set contains all 4 seasons (84 episodes) on BD,
plus 2 bonus DVDs.

Buy at Amazon Japan



Links

• The publisher's product page
• Japanese official website of the show

(They are in Japanese only, of course.)


Basic disc specs

• Discs: BDx24 + DVDx2
• Region code: All
• Audio: English dts mono / Japanese dts mono
• Subtitles: Japanese
• Total running time: 4355

Supplements

• Birth of Knight Rider
• Design gallery
• Photo gallery
• Behind the shooting of Knight 2000
• On musical score
• Audio commentary with David Hasselhoff and Glen A. Larson on the pilot episode
• 2 bonus DVDs (English audio with Japanese subtitles):
  • Knight Rider 2000
  • Knight Rider 2010
  (Caution: I'm NOT sure if DVDs are also region ALL, as it's not explicitly stated.)
  
• Booklets:
  • Episode guide (40 pages)
  • Initial pressing only: Reproduction of Japanese dubb script for the pilot episode (192 pages)

According to the advertisement,
This is the "world's first release of Knight Rider on Blu-ray"
and it's "HD transfer from the original films".


For Japanese customers, the big "catch" is the additional Japanese dubbs with the original voice cast,
for the cut scenes and missing episodes from the original Japanese broadcast.

Of course it adds nothing for foreign fans,
but I think such effort shows the publisher's care for this release.

Easy Rider and Taxi Driver - Japanese special boxset BDs

On Sep. 03, 2014, SPE Japan will release special limited editions of
Easy Rider and Taxi Driver blu-ray,
featuring miniature replicas of motorcycle and taxi, respectively.

As of this writing there's no information on SPE Japan's official website,
but according to several sources including Amazon Japan,
the spces are as below.

Easy Rider

Region code: ALL

Audio:

• English Dolby TrueHD 5.1
• English DD 5.1
• Japanese Dolby TrueHD 5.1

Subtitles:

• Japanese
• English

Extras (65 mins):

• Audio commentary w/ Dennis Hopper
• Making-of

Misc:

• Special box packaging
• Miniature replica of Captain America's motorcycle
• Reproduction of Japanese press sheet

Taxi Driver

Region code: ALL

Audio:

• English dts-HD MA 5.1
• Japanese dts-HD MA 5.1

Subtitles:

• Japanese
• English

Extras:

• Interactive Script to Screen (graphic-in-picture)
• 1986 Audio Commentary:  Director Martin Scorsese and Writer Paul Schrader
• Audio Commentary: Professor Robert Kolker,  University of Virginia
• Audio Commentary: Writer Paul Schrader
• Martin Scorsese on Taxi Driver
• Producing Taxi Driver
• God's Lonely Man
• Influence and Appreciation
• Taxi Driver Stories
• Making Taxi Driver
• Travis' New York
• Travis' New York Locations: 1975 and 2006
• Intro to Storyboards by Martin Scorsese
• Storyboard to Film Comparison
• 4 Photo Galleries:
  • Bernard Herrmann Score
  • On Location
  • Publicity Materials
  • Scorsese at Work

(The extras appear to be identical to the US DigiPack edition in 2011.)

Misc:

• Special box packaging
• Miniature replica of Travis' taxi
• Reproduction of Japanese press sheet

The Doors - Japanese "Singles Box" released

On Jun. 23, 2013, Warner Music Japan (WMJ) released a boxset entitled
"The Doors Singles Box".

Buy at Amazon JP


This strictly limited, Japan-only boxset compiles all the Doors singles released in Japan
from 1967 to 1972 (originally from Victor Records),
as a collection of 14 "maxi" CDs in paper sleeve replicas of the original releases.

WMJ's catalog info is here.

Cat. #: WPCR-14801/14
Discs: 14

• Newly digitally remastered in 2013
• Bonus alternate sleeve of "Light My Fire"
• Gorgeous booklet
• Original lyrics and Japanese translations

Tracklisting:

Disc 01
1 - Light My Fire (mono, Single Ver.) +
2 - The Crystal Ship (mono) +

Disc 02
1 - People Are Strange (mono) +
2 - Unhappy Girl (mono) +

Disc 03
1 - Love Me Two Times (Original Album Ver./Different with US Ver.)
2 - Moonlight Drive (Original Album Ver./Different with US Ver.)

Disc 04
1 - The Unknown Soldier (mono, Single Ver.) +
2 - We Could Be So Good Together (mono, Single Ver.) +

Disc 05
1 - Hello, I Love You (Original Album Ver.)
2 - Love Street (Original Album Ver.)

Disc 06
1 - Touch Me (Single Ver.) +
2 - Wild Child (Original Album Ver.)

Disc 07
1 - Tell All The People (Original Album Ver.) +
2 - Easy Ride (Original Album Ver.)

Disc 08
1 - Runnin' Blue (Original Album Ver.)
2 - Do It (Original Album Ver.)

Disc 09
1 - Land Ho! (Different Mix) +
2 - You Make Me Real (Original Album Ver.)

Disc 10
1 - Love Her Madly (Different Mix) +
2 - (You Need Meat) Don't Go No Further (Different Mix)

Disc 11
1 - Riders On The Storm (Edited Short Ver.) +
2 - Changeling (Single Ver.) +

Disc 12
1 - Tightrope Ride (Single Ver.) +
2 - Variety Is The Spice Of Life (Single Ver.) *

Disc 13
1 - Get Up And Dance (Single Ver.) *
2 - Treetrunk (Single Ver.) *

Disc 14
1 - The Mosquito (mono, Single Ver.) +
2 - It Slipped My Mind (Single Ver.) *


*: Previously unreleased ‘SONGS’ on CD
+: Previously unreleased ‘VERSIONS’ on CD



Buy at Amazon JP

Tokyo Story - newly restored BD w English subs in July in Japan

Newly restored BD of Yasujiro Ozu's Tokyo Story (Tokyo Monogatari) is due July 6, 2013 in Japan.
(DVD edition will be released too but I don't think it's important.)



Here's the info I took from Ozu 110th website and Shochiku's product page.

BD specs

Disc format: BD50G
AR: 4:3
Running time: 135 mins
Audio: Japanese LPCM Mono
Subtitles: Japanese / English
Region code: unknown

Extras

• Trailers (7 mins)
• Audio commentary recorded in 1984, with:
  • Chishû Ryû (actor)
  • Takashi Kawamata (Assistant cinematographer)
  • Buichi Saitô (Assistant director)
  • Yoshio Shirai (film critic)

Note: I guess (or rather, believe) English subtitles are NOT available for the commentary.

Goodies exclusive to initial 5,000 copies

• Slipcase
• A book of complete script with photos from the film

Restoration

In 2011, the film was given a digital restoration with 4K scanning.
NHK aired it in April 2011 on their HD channel.
More brush-ups were given to this broadcast master
for the presentation in Berlinale Classics of the Berlin Film Festival in 2013.

This newest master was supervised by Takashi Kawamata, who was as an assistant cinematographer of the film.
Audio was supervised by Yasuyoshi Tanaka who served as assistant to Ozu in 3 films.
Kazuhiro Shimizu, who has done all the restoration of Shochiku films in the past, is in charge of this restoration too.

Personal thoughts

From what I read on the net, it seems previous DVD of Tokyo Story in the USA (from Criterion) and BD/DVD in the UK (from BFI) are rather disappointing in terms of picture/audio quality.

I hope Criterion will release new BD utilizing this new master,
with audio commentary subtitled in English.

(Same goes for Eureka's Masters of Cinema in the UK,
but as BFI already released BD of the film,
perhaps it's difficult for them to get the right.)

Giant Robo The Animation - Japanese BD boxset

On Oct. 26, 2012, Frontier Works and Media Factory released
"Giant Robo The Animation - The Day The Earth Stood Still"
as limited "Ultimate Blu-ray Box" in Japan.
[Added Dec. 23, 2012: Publisher's website: Media Factory]

Basic disc specs

Number of discs: 4 (Single-Sided Dual-Layered x3 + Single-Sided Single-Layered x1)
Video: 4:3 1080p
Audio: Japanese LPCM 2.0 / English DD [*1]
Subtitles: None
Running time: 512 mins (Main feature: 339, Special features: 173)

*1: To my understanding, there are 2 versions of English dubbs with different cast. But I can't tell which version is included here.

Notes:

• Remastered and restored from the original negatives scanned in 4K
• Contains all the special features in the dvd releases in the past (upconverted from SD)

The Package

Newly drawn box cover art by Akihiko Yamashita (character design).

Digipack

Booklet

Approx. 100-page booklet is entitled "Project GR".
Includes design works, interviews, text data

Disc Contents

Disc 1

Main feature: Episodes 1-3

Special features:

• Audio commentary on Ep 1: Kappei Yamaguchi, Sumi Shimamoto
• Audio commentary on Ep.3: Akihiko Yamashita, Kazuyoshi Katayama

Disc 2

Main feature: Episodes 4-6

Special features:

• Audio commentary on Ep.5: Masamichi Amano, Yôta Tsuruoka

Disc 3

Main feature: Episode 7

Special features:

• Audio commentary on Ep 7: Akihiko Yamashita, Masami Ozone, Kenji Hayama, Kazuyoshi Katayama

Special features menu page 1

"G-Robo Battle Talk - 'G' by maestros" (30:22)
is a discussion by Yasuhiro Imagawa, Shinji Higuchi, Federico Colpi (and the host whose name escaped me).

Interviews with cast and crew (36:27) includes:

• Kappei Yamaguchi (voice actor, Daisaku)
• Sumi Shimamoto (voice actress, Ginrei)
• Kazuyoshi Katayama (animation director)
• Masami Ozone (drawing director, storyboards) [who also did the manga version]
• Kenji Hayama (drawing director, storyboards)
• Masamichi Amano (composer)
• Yôta Tsuruoka (music design, sound director)

Sumi Shimamoto

PV/CM

• Episode 0 (Ver.1): Ep.1 teaser
• Episode 0 (Ver.2): Ep.1 trailer
• Ep.2 TV spot
• Ep.7 promo video
• Ep.7 TV spot
• 1999 promo video for website (for DVD release)
• 2 promo videos and 4 TV spots for BD boxset release

International PV

• US promo video
• 3 promo videos for Italy

 

Special features menu page 2

Recording sessions by the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra
for Ep.1,2,3,6,7 (09:52, 10:56, 14:59, 18:52, 22:44 respectively)

This appears to be a bunch of home videos of the recording sessions.
So, don't expect the quality of concert video.
The videos occasionally show noises which must be in the source.
Most performances are not complete.
There's no narration, but sometimes Japanese text explains the date, the title of the music being played.
Some tunes are shown with the accompanying scenes in a small window.

Mostly it's just the musicians performing, Amano conducting. No interviews with anyone.
But occasionally you see interactions between Amano and musicians, engineers at work, and a little bit of views of Warsaw.


Working videos for sound mixing
of Ep. 2, 6 (11:42, 16:11 respectively)

Unfinished anime (some portions of which are rough drawings, storyboards cutouts, and memos) is shown with finished audio.

Giant Robo in videogames

• GR in "Super Robot Taisen Alpha 64" (00:34)
• Promo video for PS2 game (06:25)

DVD Premium Re-Master Edition opening movies: GR-1 to GR-4
The opening movies of discs in the previous 4-disc DVD boxset entitled "Premium Re-Master Edition".

Disc 4

Contains entire original soundtracks albums of Ep.1-7.
Audio: LPCM 2.0 96kHz/24bit

While playing the music, the album cover art is shown with zooming and panning.

Popup menu has tracklist, and indicates what tune is now being played.
However, being a popup menu, it disappears after a while. I find it rather inconvenient.

IMO, this is the greatest new special feature in this set,
because all 7 CDs are long time OOP. (I own them all, though)


While Phoenix Entertainment (the company which controls the copyright of the GR music) offers most of them as remastered editions with bonus tracks (mostly from "Ginrei" series) on their website, they are limited to Japanese residents.

So, in some cases they are priced very high in used disc market.
Or you have to go to places like YouTube to listen to the music, violating copyright.

But now we can hear the music in 96kHz/24bit audio.

My thoughts on the product

Overall I'm happy with this boxset (except for its price, as always).

Inclusion of the entire soundtrack in HD audio is especially welcome.

Of course I can complain about other extras. I wish they included:

• A new interview with Imagawa, especially on the possibility of other episodes. (Imagawa is absent in new extras. Maybe he was too busy.)
• Uncut "funeral speech" by Iemasa Kayumi,. (Imagawa mentioned it was actually recorded.)
• Interviews with the musicians and the staff of the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra.
• Interviews with more voice cast.
• Details of English dubb. (director, cast, translator, etc)
• Subtitles: Both English for Japanese audio and Japanese for English audio.
• While all the special features in the previous DVD editions are ported over, some information (i.e. comments from voice cast) in the DVD's booklets are missing.

But these are nitpicking.

One more nitpicking - to contain 7 episodes in 3 discs, they chose to have them as 3-3-1.
But I'd rather want them to be 2-3-2.
I mean, there are notable "breaks" between Ep.2 & 3, and 5 & 6. They are much appropriate points to change the discs. For me it's especially distracting to change the discs between Ep.3 & 4.

And who cares if some extras are scattered onto multiple discs? They are fillers to begin with. There really is no need to have them together in one disc.

Lastly... considering its price, I'm not sure if this boxset is worth your money if you have previous DVD boxset(s).
Video/audio quality is technically better, but not so many people (including myself) have A/V system good enough to fully appreciate the differences.
And this anime was made for smaller TV screen to begin with.
In the booklet, technical crew mentioned today's larger screen revealed blemishes and flaws in the original materials they didn't notice (or could tolerate) in the past.

But, being a big fan of this anime since its original LD release, this set was hard to resist.