Jeikobu
May 24th, 2008, 03:55 PM
I pre-ordered the box from a different place and it came early this month (a big shock but I was pretty tickled), and so far have watched 8 of the 13 episodes. I must say it's been a lot of fun seeing the first episodes again, and for the first time seeing them on my TV and not a computer monitor. It's a nice difference. Plus it's just thrilling to actually own the uncut show. I will say this release is flawed, but not where it counts most, I'm happy to say.
First off, the video and Japanese audio (I almost never listen to dubs) quality are very good. The subs I feel are definitely below the quality of the Kaizoku fansubs, but they get the job done, and at least they don't bounce across the screen or get into large fonts at points that distract from the actual show. I'm also pleased to report that Zoro is spelled "Zoro" and not "Zolo". Thank you FUNi. :-)
The packaging is great, especially if you love saving shelf space. It's two thinpak cases in a box, so it's not much wider than a normal DVD case's width. The cover art is very nice on front and back. The actual DVD cover art front and back is nothing flashy or eye-opening, but accomplishes its purpose. (if you're interested, the first case's cover features the Luffy shot from the box front cover art, and the second case the Zoro shot. On the backs of the cases we get the episode lists for the respective discs) We also get reversible covers which feature the same treasure map on each.
The menus are nice, featuring a different character on each, and playing different musical score pieces from the show. They're also easy to navigate.
Now we get to the presentation of the episodes, and this is where I have some complaints. However, I imagine those are the fault of Toei, since they've always been fussy with their licensed stuff. Here are the problems:
-The opening is entirely textless. I loved the Japanese text in the credits when watching the fansubs, so it's frustrating to see it's been stripped. I even tried pressing the angle button on my remote, but it failed. There's one angle, and it's textless.
-The logo is the altered on we see on the box art. Compare the Japanese with the English:
http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/7/75/250px-One_Piece_splash.jpg
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61eVIZFvasL._SS500_.jpg
The katakana is replaced with "Shonen Jump" and some other little changes are made, like the "I" in "Piece" is no longer Luffy's silhoutte. This altered logo also appears in the eye catches instead of the original Japanese.
-The ending is all English text, and again, with no alternate angle, we can't see the Japanese credits. This may be nice for dub fans, but for sub-loving purists, like myself, it's an eyesore, and I'd expect more from FUNi since they're one of the few companies who tend to give us dual angles. However, I must again think this was Toei's, not FUNi's decision.
-The episode titles are changed to English in all appearances. In short, the only Japanese text you'll see anywhere in this box is bound to be in the actual show, like if a character's reading a letter or notice (which does actually happen in episode 2 or 3, and thankfully that is unaltered).
Besides, we seem to have everything that matters most and makes the show an uncut one. The eps are indeed uncut, and we get the full first opening and ending, as well as eye catches (with the different characters and theme solos), and even the next ep previews, which is a new treat for me, since Kaizoku Fansubs always for some reason omitted them.
I haven't explored the extras (which are sparse), but they include: "Textless Songs" (which one would think would only include a textless ending, since the opening we have in watching the eps is already made textless), an English commentary for episode 1, and some FUNimation trailers.
In short, there has never been a better opportunity or method to own One Piece, one of the great anime series of our time. This show is a classic that should appeal to a wide audience and gain the viewer's interest and applause. It's well written and a treat to watch, with wonderful, colorful characters, great humor, action, and drama alike, and well-written storylines. Personally, I'm still just thrilled to finally see this great anime get the release it deserves: an uncut one.
First off, the video and Japanese audio (I almost never listen to dubs) quality are very good. The subs I feel are definitely below the quality of the Kaizoku fansubs, but they get the job done, and at least they don't bounce across the screen or get into large fonts at points that distract from the actual show. I'm also pleased to report that Zoro is spelled "Zoro" and not "Zolo". Thank you FUNi. :-)
The packaging is great, especially if you love saving shelf space. It's two thinpak cases in a box, so it's not much wider than a normal DVD case's width. The cover art is very nice on front and back. The actual DVD cover art front and back is nothing flashy or eye-opening, but accomplishes its purpose. (if you're interested, the first case's cover features the Luffy shot from the box front cover art, and the second case the Zoro shot. On the backs of the cases we get the episode lists for the respective discs) We also get reversible covers which feature the same treasure map on each.
The menus are nice, featuring a different character on each, and playing different musical score pieces from the show. They're also easy to navigate.
Now we get to the presentation of the episodes, and this is where I have some complaints. However, I imagine those are the fault of Toei, since they've always been fussy with their licensed stuff. Here are the problems:
-The opening is entirely textless. I loved the Japanese text in the credits when watching the fansubs, so it's frustrating to see it's been stripped. I even tried pressing the angle button on my remote, but it failed. There's one angle, and it's textless.
-The logo is the altered on we see on the box art. Compare the Japanese with the English:
http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/7/75/250px-One_Piece_splash.jpg
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61eVIZFvasL._SS500_.jpg
The katakana is replaced with "Shonen Jump" and some other little changes are made, like the "I" in "Piece" is no longer Luffy's silhoutte. This altered logo also appears in the eye catches instead of the original Japanese.
-The ending is all English text, and again, with no alternate angle, we can't see the Japanese credits. This may be nice for dub fans, but for sub-loving purists, like myself, it's an eyesore, and I'd expect more from FUNi since they're one of the few companies who tend to give us dual angles. However, I must again think this was Toei's, not FUNi's decision.
-The episode titles are changed to English in all appearances. In short, the only Japanese text you'll see anywhere in this box is bound to be in the actual show, like if a character's reading a letter or notice (which does actually happen in episode 2 or 3, and thankfully that is unaltered).
Besides, we seem to have everything that matters most and makes the show an uncut one. The eps are indeed uncut, and we get the full first opening and ending, as well as eye catches (with the different characters and theme solos), and even the next ep previews, which is a new treat for me, since Kaizoku Fansubs always for some reason omitted them.
I haven't explored the extras (which are sparse), but they include: "Textless Songs" (which one would think would only include a textless ending, since the opening we have in watching the eps is already made textless), an English commentary for episode 1, and some FUNimation trailers.
In short, there has never been a better opportunity or method to own One Piece, one of the great anime series of our time. This show is a classic that should appeal to a wide audience and gain the viewer's interest and applause. It's well written and a treat to watch, with wonderful, colorful characters, great humor, action, and drama alike, and well-written storylines. Personally, I'm still just thrilled to finally see this great anime get the release it deserves: an uncut one.