Forum - View topicThinpaks: Sakura Wars, Kaleido Star, Mahoromatic etc
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Fui
 Posts: 339 |
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All these thinpaks have come out and I'm tempted to get them but I've burned like $300 in the past month on DVDs...sigh. Basically, which are worth it?
Sakura Wars got pretty weak reviews overall but has anyone seen this and know about it? It isn't rated by a lot of people. The animation looks good and it's cheap ($35 for 5-DVD thinpak) but I don't want to buy something stupid...reviews are telling me that it's barely worth getting. Kaleido Star looks like a good choice but it seems kinda girly. I don't even want to think about the checkout person's expression when s/he scans the thinpak with a nearly-naked angel-girl on the front >_> ($35 for 5-DVD thinpak). I'd probably get Mahoromatic because it seems to be okay (a love story, I think?) but it's really expensive ($90 for 27 eps). Ahh why must you price-gouge me? Noir seems OK but my brother said it was so-so so I'm a little skeptical about this one ($57 for box set). Lain is another option but I have no clue what it's about. All I know is that it's supposed to be weird. I'm not sure what to make of this series...it's definitely famous but unfamiliar to me. DNAngel is new I think and it looks like good animation but I heard it's for like fangirls? Love stories are good but I don't want the focus to be ogling a 12-year old kid. It's also a little expensive ($70 for thinpak set). I probably won't get this unless people think it's really good. Hmm can anyone give insight on these or have any suggestions on thinpak or box sets that are out? Which ones are good and maybe more worth it in your opinion? I'm a poor college student, save me -_- I don't really like getting single-DVDs because a.) You have to wait for future eps, b.) they're very expensive and c.) they don't come cleanly in a nice art box (and if they do they price-gouge you for the art-box too =_=). Also, anyone know if School Rumble is going to be licensed anytime soon? I don't want to get fansubs because it seems like an anime I'd want to collect...probably will come with a nice art box :D I've gotten these thinpak sets in the last month with my ratings for how worth it they are: Samurai X Directors Cut: Trust/betrayal & Reflection - A- Azumanga Daioh: Class Album - A Angelic Layer - A- Kino's Journey - A- Peacemaker - n/a Excel Saga - in progress Chrono Crusade - A- Thanks, back to studying o-chem =_= |
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squirtbag
Posts: 10 |
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My opinions:
To me Lain stands out the most. Its weird but simply amazing. Some people say its slow so I guess its not for everyone. If you saw boogiepop or texhonolyze (sp?) thats what it feels like..messing with your head. A+ Noir is also really good...Its like hack//sign style and kind of slow but great character development and story. Awesome music. A+ Mahoromatic is a generic romance-comedy but probably one of the best of its kind. It also has very dramatic moments. Also very good imo. A Kaleido star is a progressive story with a happy ending. Sounds simple but its good stuff and fun to follow. A sakura wars - stick to downloading. its not bad but doesnt seem like its worth buying. B+ DNangel didn't really work for me...not my taste. B- School rumble is an awesome comedy. Compares to azumanga daioh. A- |
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Kouji
 Posts: 978 |
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The only one of those anime series that I've seen has been DN Angel, which was a really entertaining series, but not really anything incredible. The series does suffer from having some cliched shoujo moments and the filler-in episodes need better scriptwriters, but the main storyline itself is interesting. I especially found the battles between Dark and Krad to be engaging. I also liked how the series had a lot of shounen-ai humor in it. The animation was very good and the music was catchy, but not anything spectacular. I loved the ending and thought it was one of my favorite anime endings. Overall, it was a good series and even though I actually considered dropping it a few times while watching it, I'm glad I stuck with it because it ended up being really enjoyable. But whether or not you'll like this series all depends on how much you love shoujo anime.
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Zalis116
Moderator
 Posts: 6897 Location: Kazune City |
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I wouldn't exactly call Mahoromatic a "generic" romance--sure, it's an etchi comedy with ample fanservice, but there's also a more serious/tragic story going on.
The problem with Kaleido Star is that there's a second season (which is finally seeing DVD release), so once you watch the first 26 episodes, you'll be waiting a long time for them to release another thinpack of the second season. I haven't actually seen very much of the show, so I can't say much about the actual content. But what does it matter what the clerk might think? That's part of being an anime fan, proudly walking into stores without any shame and buying DVDs with weird art. Noir is a decent series if you like girls w/guns and don't mind the plot being a bit slow sometimes. Unlike most thinpacks, you get the disc extras that came with the original release, so that sort of justifies the price. I liked DN Angel, but then again, I like cute shoujo romance stories, and it may not be to everyone's taste. There's a fair amount of action to balance things out, and the "fangirl" part mainly concerns Dark, I believe. Maybe there's a bit of pandering to the shoutacon crowd with Daisuke, but he's 14, not 12. It's enjoyable, but I don't know if I can call it "really good." |
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HitokiriShadow
 Posts: 6251 |
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Mahoromatic isn't really a love story. There is a bit of a romance element, but it's on the back burner until the last few episodes. It's more of a sci-fi action/ecchi comedy series. As for being expensive, it does seem expensive compared to ADV's stripped thinpacks, but it is a reasonable price compared to the original DVDs (7 DVDs plus a CD soundtrack) and the thinpack includes all the on DVD extras (but no inserts that may have been included with the original DVDs) and the CD booklet that you would get if you purchased the soundtrack separately. If you had bought all the DVDs individually, you would be paying at least $140 (assuming you paid $20 per volume, and you would be paying more if you bought a volume with the box), and that isn't including the soundtrack. |
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ryokoalways
Posts: 562 |
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It is more common for people that played the game before to watch Sakura wars. It cant really be a stand-alone anime, since the anime is offering background info, or side-events, more or less. People that likes the game tend to like the anime though.
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Kazuki-san
 Posts: 2251 Location: Houston, TX |
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True, but the ending of the first season completes the major plot to that point. The second season begins a new plot, although it is somewhat similar to the first, in terms of competition, etc. It's generally underated for how great a story it is. Fui: I never got any odd looks at the checkout counter, and I bought all the volumes individually. It's really a title that can be equally enjoyed by both genders. |
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Azumangaman
 Posts: 256 Location: Canada |
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Noir is really cool, but none on this list can compare to the power of Kaleido Star. I am a guy, and this is one of the best things I've ever seen. It's funny, serious, and for that price it's hard to miss.
Fui:I don't see the big deal (just like Kazuki-san) with what a cashier would think? After all, I bought the first season of Desperate Housewives, so you don't have a big deal. I'd personally only be nervous buying hentai, but I'm way to young for that stuff anyway (and I'm not interested). GO BUY KALEIDO STAR! |
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BoygetsfireD
 Posts: 475 Location: earth |
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well, I've only seen 2 on your list, though I definately reccomend them:
Lain and Noir They are both incredible series, and 2 of my favourites. Lain is really weird, but not too weird. Like, you can still follow it. I've seen some stuff (not anime, and I actually forget what it was) that was weird, but so weird as to just come off as bad. Lain is well put-together. Noir is just sweet. An interesting story line, nice character development, good action, fairly thought-provoking, and so on. and both have really great sound tracks, to boot |
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daxomni
 Posts: 2650 Location: Somewhere else. |
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I've also only seen two of those on your list.
1. Lain - I watched the first DVD and then dropped the series. I just couldn't get into it for some reason. I watched it so long ago that I don't remember very much about it at this point. 2. Mahoromatic - Nice series. I disagree with anyone who claims it's "generic". The story was interesting enough to keep me watching and the characters were a riot IMO. I watched both 'seasons' and I really enjoyed the ending. |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18388 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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Serial Experiment Lain is one of the all-time anime classics and arguably one of the most original of all anime series. I've always described it as an exercise in techno-surrealism, as the weird artistry is an integral part of the storytelling. The very short version is that it's a tale about obsession with information technologies and how that can distort one's world view, but it's a much more complex story than that. Slow-moving, but utterly fascinating; it's one of those series that you'll probably burn through in one sitting once you get started with it.
Mahoromatic is a very racy comedy-drama, not truly a romance even though it's often classified as such. It's the kind of series that can make you laugh out loud but also bring a tear to your eye, sometime even in the same episode, and the sobering subtext (the main character's days are literally numbered) keeps things in perspective. I highly recommend it. Noir is a solid "girls with guns" series about a duo of female assassins. Almost as much as mystery as an action story, and with one of the better soundtracks. |
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