LePoseur

I think it's more along the lines that many Americans don't like anyone who is as arrogant as they are themselves. Of course, this doesn't count for everyone, but the majority of French-(or insert any nationality)bashers I have met have serious ego issues they salve by linking themselves with the "greatness" of their entire country rather that to, say, anything that they have actually done themselves.

Graham, you are a man of good of taste. SEED and Destiny can both be slashed and burnt for all I care, Lunamaria is the only thing I'd spare. Hell, screw the spin-off I say. Start all over again and just make her the star. For that matter, I wish I could import her character file into GGeneration NEO to join my all-stars team.

HAHA! Yeah I just read that. I typed sh!t but I guess the "think of the children!" auto replacer on the board chose "poo" !! I kind of like it now that I read it that way, but anyhow. Now how do I turn that thing off again?

A few years ago Takatoys did an awesome nosecone for the 1/55. This was before Yamato even stepped up to the plate to make VF-1's. I still have one waiting for me to put together with a custom 1S head back when I was looking at an ultimate 1/55 (never did get around to have a Fulcy do a hip mod for it though). Takatoys' nose was nice (but looks like the page is down http://hometown.aol.com/amabrich/myhomepage/sale.html ), but I'm not sure about your luck in finding one now. You might want to shoot him a PM and see if he has any left as they really look excellent. If you go that route, well, it might be worth losing a jetfire.

Man, I can't believe I'm saying this as I still have a few Jetfires laying around that I bought around 1999-2000 for someday customs, but man, save the poor tranny and use a reissue for a custom, unless of course they are all yellowed to poo and broken.

Actually, in the book there's a part in the control room where they do end up with each other's sabers, only to lose them and then end up with their own again. Part of this can be seen in the film as the cut from Yoda's duel to Obi and Ani to see Anakin start to choke Obi-wan. You'll notice that he doesn't even have a saber in either hand. Then, after some whathaveyou, they end up both unarmed and then pull their sabers back. I'm guessing they filmed the entire duel, then in the editing room and under self-impossed presure for time George trimmed what he could, splicing off the first half where Obi loses his saber and then takes Anakin's, and hoped no one would notice. I know I wouldn't have if I hadn't have read the book first (which BTW is the best Star Wars book, or even screenplay novelization, I've ever read... again, considering the other options, that not really saying much) Man, I feel kinda dirty for even knowing this stuff... how come I can remeber this crap but can't tell you all 11 digits of my cell phone? Does that sound right to you?

About the Palpy/Anakin thing, I heard that it was a pretty late change to give him his own saber in that scene. So I guess when they filmed it he really was using Ankin's. Under the circumstances, I guess they figured they go with what they already shot, change the blade color and hope no one notices.

Yup you got yourself a copy of the (in)famaous "Hong Kong" dub. It was an offical dub made around the same time as MeagZone 23 Part II's. They both have all English dialog with Japanese subs. This was later used to make the Bionoids video and also released as a dub with no subtitles under the Macross name. Why did they do it? I've heard a bunch of different explainations, an English learning tool being the wackiest but most common, but who knows really... Why did they dub it so bad when Megazone came out pretty decent? Hey, heck if I know. As for polishing it up, well, there are LD's around that would give you a much better image, I got one off yahoo auction for $15, but really, you'd be better off with a straight DYRL DVD rip and the soundtrack added as an extra track.

Yeah, once picked up a Max 1A for 8,000 yen. Although now that you mention it the "normal" price for the 1/48's on TRU Japan.com before the super sets came out was just over 10,000 yen. A little different story but TRU-J.com has also had PVC Milia figure on sale for half price (1500 yen) for months now. Guess no one wanted them.

Touche, But to that I'd add, Bandai doesn't really seem interested in doing anything else with the franchise. I mean, would you rather see a slew of lackluster shows, on after another, with the only thing in common with the original series being the name? For me Non-UC Gundam is waste of time. I have nothing against people who like the shows, but, really, just make a new damn franchise. If there are no more stories to tell in the UC then it should die.

You know, I love Gundam and all, but Bandai America really blew it on this one. After the suprise hit with Wing, I would have loved to see them go back and reanimate the original Gundam. Clean up a lot of the plot points and drag it closer to the movie version, or if possible, even past the movies and more into the novel version or the newer Origins version. They could have split the production cost with Bandai Japan with the understanding that they would release it in Japan in some form as well (be it OVA or *gasp* in place of SEED). Then, if it was a hit they could have gone back and redone Zeta as well, giving us movies with 100% new animation. Don't get me wrong, I love the originals and I don't want them touched, or even the sound effects changed, but I have a hard time believing that anyone in Bandai America didn't think, "Hey, do you think we're screwing our franchise by taking the cheap way out here?" I mean did they really expect it to be a hit with anyone outside of the existing fans by taking the route they did? Then to piss off some of those fans they do have by replacing the sounds and having generally piss-poor voice actors (not to mention no subtitles, but yes, that's a different story). Yikes, I mean really...

Yeah, the most disturbing thing is when they intercut between the two. Happened a bunch in the first movie and was really distracting. I really love Zeta, I just wish Bandai/Sunrise did too. At least enough to fork out for all new animation and a more streamlined story than the last one.

Voted Minmei last time, but on second thought, I'm going Miria. If it was DYRL Minmei (the only one I was thinking about when I voted last time), there'd be no questions. But, her TV incarnation has too many issues, not to mention being like 15. Miria on the other hand is always good, be it TV, movie, and even Mac7, so...

At least it's cheap.

Actually, the super O and Elint have different two-seater cockpits than the 1D. the 1D is inline, while the other two bubble up behind the first seat. But if you're not really picky (like Bandai) you can do it I guess. Cap, on the other hand, strikes me as the kind of nit-picker I like in model makers.

Things that go <BUMP> in the night. New one's out boys.

Rohby, what can I say. That's awesome! I'm actually on a wife-induced toy buying ban, but man... it's not really a toy now is it? More of a model wouldn't you say? Well, enough rationalizing. Put me down for one too, OK?

Man, finally got around to seeing it last weekend. Unfortunately not as good as I had hoped. I mean, it's Zeta, so that's all good, but the story was way, way too rushed. Even with the whole moon story arc cut out it was like a constant character intro, followed by a battle, followed by a character intro, followed by a battle on and on until it was over. Some clever editing, like having Camile's father and mother on the same mission saved some time, but not enough to make his "I'm just tagging along" to "I'm a full-fledged pilot in a Mk-II" transformation have any legs. The new animation rocked, so much so that it really, and I mean really, dated the original stuff. It was painfully obvious in the theatre I saw it in, with all the old scenes having a grainy haze to them and the new ones being crystal clear. I hope it'll look better on the TV at home than it did in the theater. Still, it was worth the trip if for no other reason than the sounds. Never having been able to afford a nice home theatre setup when I lived in America, and not really having been able to use one (thin apartment walls) in almost all the places I've lived in Japan (the last time I could even listen to a stereo loud without headphones was in Kanazawa in 96) it was great to hear the MS moving around with a deep bass to their steps. Looking forward to the next one. Hopefully they'll focus on Four and even save her for the third one (I expect most of the new footage will be in the last movie, as it was for the first Gundam series).

Yeah, same here. Must be due to their move to DVD rips. SAC is one of those shows that throw around a lot of vocab I never usually run into so I perfer to watch it subtitled, but with the slow release speed I'm just about ready to walk over to the video rental shop and see the last few anyhow. I only hope the Appleseed TV show they were talking about turns out this good. Appleseed could use a good break for once.

No DVD's yet, this is theatrical. While I too am hoping for English subs on the (much later) forthcoming DVD's I am willing to bet all we'll get is Japanese. Bandai has not released (to my knowledge) any English subtitled Gundam in Japan that wasn't previously available in America first. Remember, the 0079 movies had the old VHS release in America before the R2's. And as I think they are all too aware of people importing the American copies to save a bundle, I doubt we'll see a same-day release on DVD either. More like spaced about a year apart (or never, if Bandai US doesn't get it's head out of it's ass).

No. I think Macross 7 is a great, if not flawed in its execution, show. However, I would never suggest watching it just for the mecha. I think anyone who did would be disappointed.

Hey LePoseur, thanks for posting that link. I looked at Zion's website, but the OT file is down. How are you getting his discs? Zion's discs aren't finished yet, for the others (I recommend the EditDroid version) there should be a thread on the forum for bit torrent, as well as just hitting MySpleen.

Not like I want to get into a whole big philosophical discussion, but just had a though about Anakin being the one to fulfil the prophecy to bring balance to the Force. Of course George has already said he does this by killing off the Sith in the last movie, and I'm all cool with that, but having taking in this movie I saw my perceptions kind of turned around from what I thought they would be. Mild spoilers ahead The last movie has really made me see the Jedi Council as have being in need of a "purge" so to speak. The message I seem to get out of the whole story taken at once is that, for lack of a better word, Love needed to be inserted back into the equation for the Jedi, specificly, unconditional love. In the end, it's Anakin's love for his child that lets him defeat Sidious, as Luke didn't turn him back in so much as force him to decide. Still, at the same time, it's Anakin's misunderstanding of his love for Padme, which seems more selfish and possessive, that almost ends it all. I feel like the Prequel Jedi have lost touch with why they are Jedi in the first place, focused more on themselves and aloof. In the end, it's only because of Qui-Gon that they are able to learn how to merge with the Force. (from the script) QUI-GON: (V.O.) The ability to defy oblivion can be achieved, but only for oneself. It was accomplished by a Shaman of the Whills. It is a state acquired through compassion, not greed. YODA: . . . to become one with the Force, and influence still have . . . A power greater than all, it is. QUI-GON: (V.O.) You will learn to let go of everything. No attachment, no thought of self. No physical self. YODA: A great Jedi Master, you have become, Qui-Gon Jinn. Your apprentice I gratefully become. This combined with Qui-Gon's line to Obi-Wan in Episode One about keeping his mind on the "Living Force" has been bumping around in my mind for a while with it all kind of coming out while I was on the train home. Bah, then again, maybe I'm reading too much into all this and should just concentrate on the cool lava effects.

Oh, don't get me wrong. Of course he only did it because they were a threat to him, I don't think it had anything to do with him being out to squash Buddhism. Honestly I don't think he cared about religion at all, but there in lies the problem. The monks had a strong power structure and were actively trying to dispose of him so he wiped them out. The point is many other people did believe and, although they were also sometimes a pain, tried to work around them. It could be suggested that Tokugawa's persecution of the Christians on the other hand was an attempt to quell the fears of the religious. Then again, I think, while have the extra bonus of that, it was just his own beliefs that led him to do that. I mean on a comparison threat level they were nothing. Besides the marriage of Buddhism to the Shogunate that happened under Tokugawa gave him another excellent way to control the masses. As for Hideyoshi, he seemed to be genuinely clever when he was young, but unfortunately started believing too much in the legend he had built up around himself and it not only made him loony, but crushed his family line. As for his line in the poem, I've also seen it as "Nightingale, if you do not sing, I shall make you want to." Now I've never see the original Japanese version, but there are shades of difference in those two translations that are pretty big. Finaly, I'd say don't read too deeply into the whole Oda as a bad guy thing. In most cases they want to tie into someone of name value that kids might know. Oda fits the bill as the best choice. I think that's about the extent of it.

Here's a theory or too for ya to chew on. A little disclosure first though, I'm a Oda lover. Out of the three (Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu) I think Oda was/is the hands down favourite in my book. Why? Well he got the ball rolling and shook up the power structure, was quick to adapt to new ideas (firearms), cunning (cutting of the head of the snake with Imagawa in an all or nothing battle) and truly seemed able to be able to pick out superior qualities in others (Toyotomi Hideyoshi). Still, he had his faults, and that I think it was has left him open to being the bad guy. First off, he was, and I mean truly, ruthless. I mean, burning a whole mountain of men, women and children (Mt. Hiei) just to get the monks? Yikes! Let alone that one action set him up as a religious threat to all who truly believed in Buddhism. That's just one example, but yeah, that kinda leaves him open to be painted in a bad light. Second, I think Oda really runs counter to what a lot of Japanese really think is the best road. I mean, in a nutshell I see "control" as being the buzz word for Japan in almost everything. You can't have that be your goal and then glorify someone who sidesteps the rules (coincidently, I also suspect this same trait is what makes him appeal to American students so much). Anyhow, in a country where Tokugawa's answer of "Wait," in the old school story of what to do with the bird who won't sing, is considered to be the wisest what do you expect, I guess. Finally, there's the oblivious, Tokugawa ended up winning the whole deal, and setting up almost 300 years of uninterrupted rule. When you have that kind of time, you can always make your former opponents look bad. Anyhow, just a theory.