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Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade

I just got done watching Jin-Roh for the second time, and it was even better than the first. To tell the truth I went into watching Jin-Roh thinking that it would be an Akira ripoff, but I was plesantly surprised. Its not humorous, in fact it is VERY depressing, but in the way it was meant to be. It isn't exactly action-orientated either, seeing as a good part of the film involves the deeper aspects of Fuse's involvement in the conspiracy. It is more of a psychological film.

But enough of my opinion, here is my question. Is the Jin-Roh, Special Edition (and likewise with Akira) that much different from the regular DVD that it is worth picking up?

Yes. It cost $59.98 SRP and the set is Disc 1 - the Movie, Disc 2 - Interviews, Traliers, Art Gallery, Disc 3 - Music CD.

With Jin-Roh the special edition is only worth buying if you are a BIG fan of the movie (personally I am). The interviews and all are nice, and so is the soundtrack. But ask yourself, are the interviews & the soundtrack worth an extra US$30 to you?

HMV's selling it for $115.99 Canadian; I bought the entire first season Rayearth box set for not that much more there (around $140)! I don't know, for that amount of coin, I'd want, at the very least, commentary tracks by Mamoru Oshii and Hiroyuki Okiura, because I find most other DVD extras in expensive Speical Edition boxes to be peripheral eye candy that I tend to watch just once or twice. But I love listening to commentary tracks over and over. Fortunately for me (and I know this is the minority opinion here), I was left completely unmoved by this film, so I have no need to make any tough decisions about which version of the DVD I want to buy. I don't know what's wrong with me; I liked both Patlabor films, directed by Oshii (though I love the more lighthearted tone of the TV series & OVAs more) and Urusei Yatsura: Beautiful Dreamer, also directed by Oshii, has got to be one of my top 3 favourite anime films (and probably in my top 10 films overall); not just that, but I also like counterfactual "alternate reality" science fiction, so I was expecting to love this film, especially after everything I'd heard about it, but, while quite gorgeous to look at, it did nothing for me. Maybe it's because you didn't get to see an awful lot of the German hegemony in Japan, other than the design of the military uniforms and all the Volkswagens. But it's not just that; I just never really got to care about the characters on either side. Also, the ending was just anti-climactic. But, as Royal Tenenbaum puts it, this is just one man's opinion. (I didn't care that much more for Metropolis either, for what it's worth.)

Obviously one problem with the film is Oshii didn't direct it. (He just produced it. Though my friend seems to have also disliked Avalon and I loathed Blood, so maybe Oshii's on a losing streak right now.) But the main problem I had was Fuse was so spineless by the end. Thanks to Evangelion and Gundam Wing, we get all these p*ssy protagonists in anime! Thank GOD a new Getter Robo and Devil Man came along to straighten them out!

Oshii wrote Jin-Roh, actually, and, if you check the interviews, he says how he'd have made a much different film if he had been allowed to direct it. Oshii had no direct involvement at all with Blood.

Personally, Tenchi, I don't think Oshii is very skilled at dealing with characters - his main goal seems to be in getting his audience to think. I finally got off my duff and got around to watching Ghost in the Shell last week, and was surprised at how I completely had no interest in any of the characters whatsoever. I was, however, fascinated by the ideas presented in the film. Perhaps, then, Okiura's biggest mistake with Jin-Roh is focusing so much on the characters that Oshii failed to develop.

Or whatever. I still love Jin-Roh. And Metropolis is one of my favorites. I could probably watch that movie all day. IN YOUR FACE, TENCHI!!!!!11!!

Well, if you're interested, I did post my thoughts (animenewsnetwork.com/bbs/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=1301&highlight=#1301) on Metropolis here last March. Or, you can always read Kiyone's amazingly similar thoughts (http://www.animenation.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=476315#post476315) on the AnimeNation board. In a nutshell, I found Metropolis to be the "same old same old" story of "man puts his faith in his creation, but his creation turns against him". It's one of those anime films that's "gorgeous to look at, but..." and I'm getting a little tired of anime films that are "gorgeous to look at, but..." (though I have high hopes for both Cowboy Bebop: Knocking on Heaven's Door and Spirited Away). I'm sure the manga's much better, and the motives of the characters would probably be much better explained.

Byron:

"Personally, Tenchi, I don't think Oshii is very skilled at dealing with characters - his main goal seems to be in getting his audience to think. "

He did a better job at UY than Rumiko Takahashi.

"I finally got off my duff and got around to watching Ghost in the Shell last week, and was surprised at how I completely had no interest in any of the characters whatsoever."

I'm one of the few people who like the GITS anime over the manga, and if you read the manga, there's not much characterization either. Oshii basically tried to sum up the themes of the manga, which is what Shirowe would've been able to do if he didn't waste my time with useless cyberpunk terminology.

Tenchi:

"In a nutshell, I found Metropolis to be the "same old same old" story of "man puts his faith in his creation, but his creation turns against him"."

How can you call an anime generic when it's based on one of the innovators in manga? And Metropolis deals with more than just machines, but also an unfair class system, and people's obsession with prolonging their status and power.

Obviously one problem with the film is Oshii didn't direct it. (He just produced it.

Though my friend seems to have also disliked Avalon and I loathed Blood, so maybe Oshii's on a losing streak right now.) But the main problem I had was Fuse was so spineless by the end. Thanks to Evangelion and Gundam Wing, we get all these p*ssy protagonists in anime! Thank GOD a new Getter Robo and Devil Man came along to straighten them out!