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Shelf Life - Friendship is Magi


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Treeborn



Joined: 30 Mar 2013
Posts: 729
PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 6:29 pm Reply with quote
I agree that season 1 of Haganai was not amazing. I really enjoyed it, but it wasn't amazing. The dub certainly makes it funnier than the original version, though. Season 2, however, was fantastic in my opinion. All the important characters got development (Especially my favorite character Smile). Season 2 was the season that made this my current favorite harem series. Definitely recommend watching, and DEFINITELY purchasing the dub realease. Already bought season 1 a while ago :p
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Half Life





PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 7:37 pm Reply with quote
Treeborn wrote:
I agree that season 1 of Haganai was not amazing. I really enjoyed it, but it wasn't amazing. The dub certainly makes it funnier than the original version, though. Season 2, however, was fantastic in my opinion. All the important characters got development (Especially my favorite character Smile). Season 2 was the season that made this my current favorite harem series. Definitely recommend watching, and DEFINITELY purchasing the dub realease. Already bought season 1 a while ago :p


I agree fully with this whole post.
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SpacemanHardy



Joined: 03 Jan 2012
Posts: 2509
PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 8:14 pm Reply with quote
SouthPacific wrote:
Protip: Any Aniplex release that does not have a BD release will have great looking DVDs, and any Aniplex that does have a BD release will have pretty crappy looking DVDs (most likely).


You have absolutely, positively, NO proof of that.

I've heard terrible things about both the OreImo and original Blue Exorcist sub-only DVDs. And those came out LONG before AoA made the blurays for both series available.

So no, there's no way you can offer a "Protip" on the matter. If anything, it seems to be nothing more than a crapshoot whether or not the DVD release will be worth anything or not.

SouthPacific wrote:
As for the low audio bitrate i've only heard it being on the english dub tracks. The original audio tracks are always top notch quality.


So what, us English dub fans just have to suffer? Doesn't seem very fair. Aniplex paid good money for the dub to be made. They obviously want people to listen to it. So then *WHY* praytell are they purposefully gimping it's quality?

There are plenty of English dub fans out there who have high-end sound systems too. Why should they have to settle for inferior sound quality?

And regardless, *NO* audio track should *EVER* be reduced to as low as 160kbps. That's barely even CD audio quality. That would be unacceptable even for a low-end, barebones release from FUNimation, Sentai Filmworks, or hell, even Media Blasters.
Confused
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CrownKlown



Joined: 05 May 2011
Posts: 1762
PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 9:14 pm Reply with quote
For those who think Hagani is really simple, if half of what they say about the light novels and the interpretations of those novels is true then this is really dark series.

That being said I took the show at face value and view it just as a silly fun harem. Although I am kind of curious why the review came out now, when the series has been out for five or six months. I don't mean this in an antagonistic manner either just curious, most of the other reviews seem to be more in line with an expected or recently passed release date.
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SouthPacific



Joined: 24 Oct 2013
Posts: 689
PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 10:13 pm Reply with quote
SpacemanHardy wrote:
SouthPacific wrote:
Protip: Any Aniplex release that does not have a BD release will have great looking DVDs, and any Aniplex that does have a BD release will have pretty crappy looking DVDs (most likely).


You have absolutely, positively, NO proof of that.

I've heard terrible things about both the OreImo and original Blue Exorcist sub-only DVDs. And those came out LONG before AoA made the blurays for both series available.

So no, there's no way you can offer a "Protip" on the matter. If anything, it seems to be nothing more than a crapshoot whether or not the DVD release will be worth anything or not.

SouthPacific wrote:
As for the low audio bitrate i've only heard it being on the english dub tracks. The original audio tracks are always top notch quality.


So what, us English dub fans just have to suffer? Doesn't seem very fair. Aniplex paid good money for the dub to be made. They obviously want people to listen to it. So then *WHY* praytell are they purposefully gimping it's quality?

There are plenty of English dub fans out there who have high-end sound systems too. Why should they have to settle for inferior sound quality?

And regardless, *NO* audio track should *EVER* be reduced to as low as 160kbps. That's barely even CD audio quality. That would be unacceptable even for a low-end, barebones release from FUNimation, Sentai Filmworks, or hell, even Media Blasters.
Confused


Absolutively, positively huh? I guess owning Aniplex releases isn't proof anymore... ƪ(‾ε‾“)ʃ

Oh well, it's not like I can't scrape together some proof for ya, and since you seem to trust Chris B. i'll just have him have a go at it;

“This release is definitely one geared for the fans with all the packaged items but the whole thing comes together well and left me pleased through and through.”

- Chris Beveridge

And here is his full review of the DVD set of Oreimo that Aniplex USA has released: http://www.fandompost.com/2011/09/23/oreimo-complete-series-limited-edition-anime-dvd-review/

It doesn't seem like he hated it. Laughing

As for the older Blue Exorcist release you speak of I can't say much, because I didn't even know an older one existed. And if it did exist, and it was of bad quality, it was probably because of a number of reasons. Since it apparently was released so long ago it could be that operations at Aniplex USA hadn't really kicked off yet, but whatever the case may be they sure amended themselves with the newer releases, so I don't see why you're so upset about this Shocked.

And seeing how you like to hear things , i've only heard good things about their DVD release of Garden of Sinners. Again, Chris Beveridge can vouch...

http://www.fandompost.com/2013/01/21/the-garden-of-sinners-complete-collection-limited-edition-anime-dvd-review/

Some very recent DVD only releases reviews;

http://www.fandompost.com/2013/12/11/vividred-operation-complete-collection-anime-dvd-review/

http://www.fandompost.com/2013/12/06/oreshura-complete-collection-anime-dvd-review/



As for the dub audio question I can't answer you, seeing how I don't work for/with Aniplex USA... To be honest, it feels more like they're experimenting with dubbing, and they marketed their dubs A LOT through social media, but seeing how they're gradually lowering the quality of the english dub track, and not dubbing their other recent releases they may not have liked the results of their efforts.
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Alexander55



Joined: 19 Mar 2013
Posts: 104
Location: Ontario, CA
PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 11:35 pm Reply with quote
Friendship is Magic Looks like there like I spotted an obvious My Little Pony reference in Bamboo's article, not that I mind since I am tolerable towards the fandom.

Moving to the subject, Haganai is good, mostly because of its characters and references, like the Monster Hunter reference they had in that one episode and another about Corpse Party(a horror game) featured in one of Sena's dating games where the girls get eaten by sharks and you get a "Bad End" ending in the style the Corpse Party game has. I also liked that episode where Sena was playing her perverted hentai games only to be smacked and bullied by Yozura. Messed up but hilarious.

I also loved the ecchi the series had while not brief, it wasn't excessive either. It was literally perfectly timed and justified. Still, the series had some flaws, particularly some episodes that were lackluster and felt pointless, like that one episode where Kodaka and his gang were to go to swim in some local pool area only for them to eventually retreat back shortly after Yozura and Rika felt sick due to their anxiety and departed back. Sena, Kodaka, and Kobato stayed for a while but eventually left to. Felt kinda pointless since we didn't see them all stay there.

Still, Haganai is a worthy purchase if you have characters you liked. I liked most of all of them but if I were to say my favorites it'd be Yozura, Sena, Kobato, Kodaka, Yukimura. and Maria. Rika is fine but a little off with her fetishes but if you're dig them, she's your girl.
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irishninja



Joined: 15 Jun 2005
Posts: 344
Location: Seattle-ish
PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 1:30 am Reply with quote
Thanks in part to Bamboo's professed love of Yowapeda on Twitter I gave it a try and loved it. But I am way, way behind on it now. I was once an avid cyclist so seeing all the bicycle talk is great.
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11528
PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 2:32 am Reply with quote
@Henduluin Nice collection! The set of Vagabond manga in the middle picture is really beautiful.
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KLAC
Exempt from Grammar Rules


Joined: 22 Oct 2009
Posts: 1123
PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 6:16 am Reply with quote
well give recall watch hear s1 dub of haganai give did ok sure give had fresh name dub doing yozora & yukimura.

also had saxton as sena quite well & yes tipton as rika give make also saying in 3rd person doing.

s1 dub did fine when s2 come yea we all know what happen in s2

spoiler[the rise of rika & fall of yozora on coming yea give had feel of degrassi doing yea when did rika became clare of series give still rika being rika on it.]
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SquadmemberRitsu



Joined: 26 Jan 2012
Posts: 1391
PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 8:52 am Reply with quote
From what I recall of Haganai Season 1, the comedy was spot on but the drama was lame and not very well developed. So Bamboo saying that the comedy was hit and miss and the drama was a saving grace just confuses me.

Although Season 2 is better in both regards even though it does rely on the suspension of disbelief quite a bit
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ANN_Bamboo
ANN Contributor


Joined: 05 Jan 2002
Posts: 3904
Location: CO
PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 4:40 pm Reply with quote
I don't love the casting choices for Magi. The choices for the main characters are fine, and they do a fine job, but a lot of the side characters fall into that weird cartoon trap where everyone has to have some kind of bizarre affectation. It's like everyone's trying to do a bit from the early 90s. I don't know why that's still so prevalent now, especially since it doesn't really add to the characters, and all it does is make some of the characters unnecessarily cartoonish.

It's hard to describe, but for instance, some of the guards have that "I'm speaking in a thin, reedy voice so you know I'm kind of a bad guy, but that also maybe in a previous life I was a sorcerer for a Ren Faire" affection, while some of the nomads have this "I'm trying to sound foreign but also trying really hard not to do a racist white-guy-doing-an-Asian-voice" affectation. It drives me nuts. Just do a normal voice.

The video quality is fine, and looks great on my 50", played from a PS3 (hooked up with an HDMI cable, for anyone who cares). The colors are bright, and I didn't really see any issues.

Quality-wise, the Japanese audio is better, and if you're flipping between them, you can hear the difference. But honestly, unless you have a crazy sound system, I don't really think you're going to be horribly offended by the English audio. Do I wish they were the same? Yeah, I guess. But personally, I don't think it makes or breaks the release. Then again, I'm not an audiophile, so my priorities are different.

For a clamshell DVD release, the packaging extras are surprisingly nice, with nice postcards printed on heavy stock, and a small booklet with full-color images. I also don't think that makes or breaks the title, though.


Last edited by ANN_Bamboo on Thu Feb 13, 2014 4:45 pm; edited 1 time in total
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ANN_Bamboo
ANN Contributor


Joined: 05 Jan 2002
Posts: 3904
Location: CO
PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 4:42 pm Reply with quote
CrownKlown wrote:
Although I am kind of curious why the review came out now, when the series has been out for five or six months. I don't mean this in an antagonistic manner either just curious, most of the other reviews seem to be more in line with an expected or recently passed release date.


A variety of reasons. When I get review copies, I'll usually review the titles that immediately strike my interest first. And, titles come in spurts, so in the months where I get tons of new titles, some get reviewed first, while others get pushed down further in the queue.
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Usagi-kun



Joined: 03 Jul 2013
Posts: 877
Location: Nashville, TN
PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 7:52 pm Reply with quote
Haven't seen a lot of spots anime, but I'm intrigued. Will definitely check Yowamushi out.
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Stark700



Joined: 30 Jan 2012
Posts: 11762
Location: Earth
PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 10:01 pm Reply with quote
Personally, I like the second season of Magi more than season 1 so far but that's just me. I love the manga and the style of its work though especially with its world building.

Ah, I just read the beginning part of this article too and sucks to have a neighbor that doesn't take responsibility Sad
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CrownKlown



Joined: 05 May 2011
Posts: 1762
PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 12:25 am Reply with quote
ANN_Bamboo wrote:
CrownKlown wrote:
Although I am kind of curious why the review came out now, when the series has been out for five or six months. I don't mean this in an antagonistic manner either just curious, most of the other reviews seem to be more in line with an expected or recently passed release date.


A variety of reasons. When I get review copies, I'll usually review the titles that immediately strike my interest first. And, titles come in spurts, so in the months where I get tons of new titles, some get reviewed first, while others get pushed down further in the queue.


That makes sense, I am more of a save the best for last type, but if something was interesting enough I would probably watch or read it as soon as possible.
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