“Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva”
Publisher: Panorama (Hong Kong)
Format: Region 3 DVD, NTSC, Japanese Dialogue with optional Cantonese dub and English and Chinese Subtitles
Length: 97 minutes
Production Date: 2009
Currently in Print (as of writing): Yes
So I may have stated a few times before, I’m not a gamer. At all. For some reason I never got into it. Never even had a Commodore 64 as a child. Didn’t have a computer until I was 19 or so (family computer) and I didn’t buy one for myself until I was 25. But heck, we’re going back to a time before the internet was popular, as a such. Anyway, the film is based on a pretty successful series of puzzle games on the Nintendo DS and 3DS. It sounds like a terrible idea for a film, as a great deal of game adaptations are. Admittedly I didn’t have high hopes for this film. I just plunked it together in my last Hong Kong order along with “Haruhi”. It’s cheap, and I didn’t want to order the UK version of this film because the rough treatment (banged up and broken DVD cases and loose discs galore) and packaging of the last few orders I’d done through Amazon.co.uk.
After a very quick (less than a minute) introduction to the franchise, we are plunged into the first scene where Professor Layton and his young apprentice Luke Triton are at the tail end of a case. This sequence really shows off the unique character designs and great animation. Over the last few years, there has been numerous complaints from the Japanese animation industry about pay and working conditions as well as staff pissing off over to the more lucrative game industry. I suppose this film is like a return for at least a few of those former anime industry people. To a large degree the film is a breath of fresh air. It looks and feels really different from any anime out there at the moment. Besides the unusual character designs, like the games there is a sepia tone throughout the film. Visually it just looks fantastic.
In terms of plot, it doesn’t fare quite as well, however it is a pretty strong story and manages to overcome its game origins. It does feel more like a film rather than a game, which more than a lot of game adaptations can claim. Early on its origins do trip it up, as it looks like we’ll be treated to scene after scene of puzzle solving. Luckily we’re taken out of this pattern quite quickly. Some of plot feels rather silly and over the top. But if you just let it wash over you, it’s a really fun ride. I also really enjoyed the vintage British setting, though found Layton’s commentary on what British gentlemen should be like a bit silly and sort of showed the game maker’s ignorance of the UK. Ignore the game origins and film is a great little family film that looks nothing like any other anime film of recent times. I also have to make note of the subs on this disc. They’re fantastic and are a good size and font, something which has been lacking in a last few discs I’ve bought from Hong Kong. And may I remind you I’m talking about legit releases here, not bootlegs. No wonder some go the illegal route if that’s the standard of legit products. I’ll give it 7 out of 10 despite some of the leaps of logic the plot makes.
“Nazca”
Publisher: Pioneer (Geneon, USA)
Format: Region 1 and 4 DVD, NTSC, Japanese Dialogue with optional English dub and English Subtitles
Length: 12 episodes x 24 minutes
Production Date: 1998
Currently in Print (as of writing): No
A rather mediocre late night anime from the late 1990’s. It deals with a group of high school students who are mostly in a kendo club who discover they are reincarnations of Inca warriors. Naturally the main character’s master (also a reincarnated Inca warrior) wants to resurrect a plan from his previous life which involves purify the world (in other words wiping out every person on the planet) but also brought about the end of the Inca civilisation. Mystical bullshit and fight after fight ensues.
OK, maybe I’m being rather mean. There was a massive glut of late night anime in late 1990’s, which can be blamed on the success of “Evangelion”. Producers jammed as much anime as they could on TV which saw the birth of anime into the wee hours of the night and therefore more anime aimed at mature audiences. While this was all well and good, not every show was a success (and none as big of a success as “Evangelion”). There was a lot of trash. I suppose you could put “Nazca” in that category. There is a decent story at the core of this show, but we have seen it all before really. Some dodgy CG in the middle of the first episode really put me off the show when I first saw it about 12 years ago (via ye olde VHS fansub). I never expressed any desire to see the show again until Geneon left the US market and I bought a few more DVDs than I should of really have a coupe, years back. While the show does contain voice acting talents from Megumi Hayashibara (whom I think was just about in every successful anime in the 1990’s) and striking character designs from Hirotoshi Sano (of “Bounty Dog” and “Tekkaman Blade II” fame), I think in the end it’s not told in an interesting manner. There are a lot of fights (it becomes a bit of boring slug fest in some sections) and not much explanation as to why some events take place.
It’s not all bad though. I did enjoy it to a degree. I wasn’t bored by it, but it did feel really sub standard. One element they use sparingly (thankfully) is the CG. It looks dreadful, like it was from a PC game of the era. Compared to other shows of the time, it seems they really short changed this one in the CG effects department. During a bit of research on this show I found out that a couple short clips from the anime appear in the opening credits of “Malcolm in the Middle”. Yup. Why did they choose this show? I can only give this show 6 out of 10, which probably a lot more than what most people would give it.
Remaining Backlog: 23 months (it's much easier this way than listing the number of discs).
Publisher: Panorama (Hong Kong)Format: Region 3 DVD, NTSC, Japanese Dialogue with optional Cantonese dub and English and Chinese Subtitles
Length: 97 minutes
Production Date: 2009
Currently in Print (as of writing): Yes
So I may have stated a few times before, I’m not a gamer. At all. For some reason I never got into it. Never even had a Commodore 64 as a child. Didn’t have a computer until I was 19 or so (family computer) and I didn’t buy one for myself until I was 25. But heck, we’re going back to a time before the internet was popular, as a such. Anyway, the film is based on a pretty successful series of puzzle games on the Nintendo DS and 3DS. It sounds like a terrible idea for a film, as a great deal of game adaptations are. Admittedly I didn’t have high hopes for this film. I just plunked it together in my last Hong Kong order along with “Haruhi”. It’s cheap, and I didn’t want to order the UK version of this film because the rough treatment (banged up and broken DVD cases and loose discs galore) and packaging of the last few orders I’d done through Amazon.co.uk.
After a very quick (less than a minute) introduction to the franchise, we are plunged into the first scene where Professor Layton and his young apprentice Luke Triton are at the tail end of a case. This sequence really shows off the unique character designs and great animation. Over the last few years, there has been numerous complaints from the Japanese animation industry about pay and working conditions as well as staff pissing off over to the more lucrative game industry. I suppose this film is like a return for at least a few of those former anime industry people. To a large degree the film is a breath of fresh air. It looks and feels really different from any anime out there at the moment. Besides the unusual character designs, like the games there is a sepia tone throughout the film. Visually it just looks fantastic.
In terms of plot, it doesn’t fare quite as well, however it is a pretty strong story and manages to overcome its game origins. It does feel more like a film rather than a game, which more than a lot of game adaptations can claim. Early on its origins do trip it up, as it looks like we’ll be treated to scene after scene of puzzle solving. Luckily we’re taken out of this pattern quite quickly. Some of plot feels rather silly and over the top. But if you just let it wash over you, it’s a really fun ride. I also really enjoyed the vintage British setting, though found Layton’s commentary on what British gentlemen should be like a bit silly and sort of showed the game maker’s ignorance of the UK. Ignore the game origins and film is a great little family film that looks nothing like any other anime film of recent times. I also have to make note of the subs on this disc. They’re fantastic and are a good size and font, something which has been lacking in a last few discs I’ve bought from Hong Kong. And may I remind you I’m talking about legit releases here, not bootlegs. No wonder some go the illegal route if that’s the standard of legit products. I’ll give it 7 out of 10 despite some of the leaps of logic the plot makes.
“Nazca”
Publisher: Pioneer (Geneon, USA)Format: Region 1 and 4 DVD, NTSC, Japanese Dialogue with optional English dub and English Subtitles
Length: 12 episodes x 24 minutes
Production Date: 1998
Currently in Print (as of writing): No
A rather mediocre late night anime from the late 1990’s. It deals with a group of high school students who are mostly in a kendo club who discover they are reincarnations of Inca warriors. Naturally the main character’s master (also a reincarnated Inca warrior) wants to resurrect a plan from his previous life which involves purify the world (in other words wiping out every person on the planet) but also brought about the end of the Inca civilisation. Mystical bullshit and fight after fight ensues.
OK, maybe I’m being rather mean. There was a massive glut of late night anime in late 1990’s, which can be blamed on the success of “Evangelion”. Producers jammed as much anime as they could on TV which saw the birth of anime into the wee hours of the night and therefore more anime aimed at mature audiences. While this was all well and good, not every show was a success (and none as big of a success as “Evangelion”). There was a lot of trash. I suppose you could put “Nazca” in that category. There is a decent story at the core of this show, but we have seen it all before really. Some dodgy CG in the middle of the first episode really put me off the show when I first saw it about 12 years ago (via ye olde VHS fansub). I never expressed any desire to see the show again until Geneon left the US market and I bought a few more DVDs than I should of really have a coupe, years back. While the show does contain voice acting talents from Megumi Hayashibara (whom I think was just about in every successful anime in the 1990’s) and striking character designs from Hirotoshi Sano (of “Bounty Dog” and “Tekkaman Blade II” fame), I think in the end it’s not told in an interesting manner. There are a lot of fights (it becomes a bit of boring slug fest in some sections) and not much explanation as to why some events take place.
It’s not all bad though. I did enjoy it to a degree. I wasn’t bored by it, but it did feel really sub standard. One element they use sparingly (thankfully) is the CG. It looks dreadful, like it was from a PC game of the era. Compared to other shows of the time, it seems they really short changed this one in the CG effects department. During a bit of research on this show I found out that a couple short clips from the anime appear in the opening credits of “Malcolm in the Middle”. Yup. Why did they choose this show? I can only give this show 6 out of 10, which probably a lot more than what most people would give it.
Remaining Backlog: 23 months (it's much easier this way than listing the number of discs).
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