Forum - View topicNEWS: Discotek Licenses Soul Link, 3 Project A-Ko Sequels
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utawoutau
 Posts: 209 |
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The original Project A-Ko movie is the first time I ever knowingly watched anime. I've never watched any of the sequels. Are they worth watching?
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GATSU
Posts: 15550 |
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They're good, but that reboot is terrible.
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fuuma_monou
 Posts: 1846 Location: Quezon City, Philippines |
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They're okay. Just not as good as the original. |
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doubleO7
 Posts: 1072 |
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Everything but Uncivil Wars, huh? Finally! I've been waiting years for these to be re-licensed.
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EricJ2
 Posts: 4016 |
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THE A-ko is an anime legend, and has all the silliness the story and animation directors brought over from their work on Urusei Yatsura TV. A-ko 2, OTOH, is pretty much your standard dim-retread comedy sequel--think "Police Academy 2"--that just doubles back over the same gags and extends a "bigger" plot for new-story value, without the same timing. (We see more of B-ko's detestably rich father, and just exactly how he made all his money in brilliant military mech designs...) A-ko 3, "Cinderella Rhapsody", is the highlight, though, taking the formula back to the A-ko vs. B-ko battle, and finally clearing up the "No, they're not!" argument by bringing in a dim handsome clueless boyfriend for them to fight over. (Guess who he's more interested in...) And once they let their battle loose at a formal dance party, the old silliness is back again. A-ko 4, "Final", spends too much time just trying to wrap up an "epic" plotline than in being silly, but it's still more in the classic style than #2 was. (And if you look at the Uncivil Wars OVA and say "Wait, A&B are friends? They're monster-hunters? C-ko is ten years old??" don't worry, there's an explanation for that, if you stick around till the end...  )
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GeorgeC
Posts: 795 |
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The A-ko movies are the best part of the franchise.
The first film is the classic. (It wouldn't win best anime feature from me but it's a good film. Worth getting for the animation quality AND if you like redheads.) This is the one that got a theatrical release in Japan. It was exhibited in France, too. It's the one that SHOULD be on Blu ray but isn't supposedly because 35mm release prints don't exist(?) and the original master materials are missing. What we have on DVD is a cleaned up, processed version of the master tape used for the LD release in Japan. Darn shame... I would buy Project A-ko if it were available on Blu ray, mastered from the a 35mm print OR the original master reels if they ever find them. This is supposed to be typical of a lot of older films made in Japan. Companies come and go, old film reels go releasing, and some things will never be released on Blu ray or at least no anytime soon. They had to recreate a master print for Kurosawa's Seven Samurai because what they had in vault in Japan was in sad shape. They did what WB did for King Kong and scoured the world for the best remaining release prints to create a new master and restored that film (Seven Samurai) for the upcoming anniversary release (that's if they haven't re-released that movie yet in the new restoration). I don't think they'll do that for an anime feature short of it being an earlier Hayao Miyazaki film but I think those still exist in master print forms... I don't have the Discotek release of the first A-ko film but I have the remastered CPM release (second DVD version; the first DVD release through Image was supposed to be awful). The second CPM re-release is good. IF you want to get the rest of the A-ko, the second through fourth films are decent, they finish the story that started in the original film. I would personally skip the Uncivil Wars OVAs if you're on a tight budget... Frankly, they don't add anything to the series, IMHO, and they are an alternate reality/alternate telling of the main story. It's a noticeable slip in quality -- far, far worse than the sequel films. Same vocal cast but man did they screw up the story and characterizations! |
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Heishi
 Posts: 1346 |
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Project A-Ko? I see.
I have fond memories of Soul Link, particularly the OP song. |
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Kicksville
 Posts: 1245 |
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The Project A-Ko OVAs are underrated - they tend to get written off or forgotten, but they're all entertaining in their own ways and definitely worth seeing. It wasn't helping that the old DVDs have been expensive for years, so that problem is solved.
The exception is the Uncivil Wars (Blue Side/Grey Side) OVAs which came after these, and were not part of this announcement. Those are trash, so no loss there. |
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trilaan
 Posts: 1071 Location: Texas |
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Lots of dumping on Uncivil Wars, which I actualy like. I find it to be an interesting combination of A-ko characters with a Dirty Pair mentality.
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Kruszer
 Posts: 7994 Location: Minnesota, USA |
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Interesting, honestly did not expect Soul Link to ever get licensed by anyone. While it isn't exactly the greatest show, I did enjoy it enough to warrant a purchase.
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O-chan
 Posts: 78 Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan |
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Okay,
I'm also going to defend the Project A-ko Uncivil Wars OAVs. Yes, the movie continuity is superior but I love that for 2 episodes the franchise managed to effectively parody it's own parody nature and even give an alternate take on the frenemies dynamic of the leads. There are some LOL moments in the OAVs that I prefer over "movies" 2-4 which tend to take themselves a little bit too seriously. So I do hope Discotek do eventually get these as well. |
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russ869
Posts: 433 |
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If you haven't seen Yasuomi Umetsu's opening animation for Cinderella Rhapsody, you have to!! His hyper-realistic character designs and fluid animation (similar to what was seen in Robot Carnival: Presense and Megazone 23: Part II) are incredible. It is eerie in a most intense way.
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belvadeer
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More Project A-Ko home releases are a yes for me. : D
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Zalis116
Moderator
 Posts: 6900 Location: Kazune City |
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Kadmos1
 Posts: 13615 Location: In Phoenix but has an 85308 ZIP |
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If I am not mistaken, Justin Sevakis' younger sister, Robin, introduced him to anime with 1 of these movies.
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