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Finally, a firm word on Zeta


Keith

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Looks like I'll be back to buying Gundam DVD's next year (Zeta and F91). :)  The last Gundam DVD I bought was Char's Counterattack.

Yeesh, has it been that long? I knew my Gundam DVD's hadn't been added to in a while...

But they're all coming out next summer? Ugh. Do we know if it'll be a volume at a time, or are they going to release whole box sets at once? While I like the idea of box sets, I'm getting married in July and don't know if my checkbook will be able to handle it. Or my fiancée, for that matter. ;)

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Can't wait.

It'll be a good year for Gundam. Especially with Zeta being released as a box first (finally). I hope Seed at least gets a Disc 1+artbox release. I'll get F91 for completist's sake at least too when it comes.

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Summer? Hell no, Zeta better come out before spring!

As for HK sets, there's only 1 currrently available, the MI set.

I also wouldn't necessarily call this a last stand. Wing did very well, G did pretty well, and they screwed themselves over with the 0079 release by making it dub only. That alienated the massive portion of the fanbase that would have bought it.

Seed will inevitably kill Wing in sales, Zeta having subtitles will find its market, and with a little luck, we'll get the true SD Gundam OVA's, wish they'd hurry up & release an R2 set.

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they screwed themselves over with the 0079 release by making it dub only. That alienated the massive portion of the fanbase that would have bought it.

Actually it was the Japan side that did not let bandai US have the Japanese track for the R1 release. There was a lot of debate as to why at the time, I think because they wanted to some kind of special R2 release first. It was pretty much dub only or nothing at the time, so bandai went with what they could, so they could get UC going. They have promised many times that as soon as they can they will do some kind of subtitle release for the original Mobile Suit Gundam, once they can.

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The real reason for MSG being dub only is because it's not available on DVD yet in Japan. MSG is still the most popular Gundam series of all, and Bandai knows that many fans would import the far cheaper R1 DVDs if they had a Japanese audio track. Therefore, to screw over the Japanese fans, they also screwed over the American ones. Only time will tell if they ever re-release it with a Japanese audio track or the missing episode.

As to some other items:

-SEED will be released in individual volumes, according to Bandai's Jerry Chu. As is the trend, there will probably be a volume 1 + box.

-As to the original SD Gundam from the 80's, it will never be released here.

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The real reason for MSG being dub only is because it's not available on DVD yet in Japan. MSG is still the most popular Gundam series of all, and Bandai knows that many fans would import the far cheaper R1 DVDs if they had a Japanese audio track. Therefore, to screw over the Japanese fans, they also screwed over the American ones. Only time will tell if they ever re-release it with a Japanese audio track or the missing episode.

Didn't Gundam Wing come out here on DVD first, and bilingual too?

Sounds like total BS to me, considering

(1) they use territorial lockout on all their DVDs, and

(2) the HK bootlegs are be far cheaper than R1 DVDs for the Japanese market, and region-free too. These are openly sold on Yahoo Japan auctions, I don't see Bandai having a cow over that.

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I'm happy I got the 3 MSG movies at least. If I find a cheap bundle of R1's then cool, even if it is dub only. It wasn't the greatest dub, but definately passable, IMO. I've heard worse.

There was no way Bandai Japan was going to let R1 beat them to a MSG release. It would have been a slap in the face to the R2 folk, and it most assuredly would have been imported over there, ironically. I'd say for the 25th anniversary they'll do the R2 big release, then R1 can get its proper subtitled release not long after.

Until then, beware the bootleg, I saw some screenshots somewhere (a couple here) and the subs were just god awful.

For now, the Movies will do fine for me, and finally Zeta. I've only skimmed a couple of episodes I downloaded of Zeta, but am impressed so far. I look forward to seeing it. Only leaves ZZ and V unaccounted for for UC, since F91 is also coming.

Given the trend, I don't see how Seed wouldn't get a Vol. 1 + Box release. Probably 10 discs again, just like Wing. Fine by me. I really enjoyed Seed, and very much want a legit release of it on my shelf. Had a few lapses and left a lot open, but not a bad kickoff if it truly was the new branch-off point.

I just hope they don't make us wait too long before getting at least the Zeta box out.

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Didn't Gundam Wing come out here on DVD first, and bilingual too?

Sounds like total BS to me, considering

(1) they use territorial lockout on all their DVDs, and

(2) the HK bootlegs are be far cheaper than R1 DVDs for the Japanese market, and region-free too. These are openly sold on Yahoo Japan auctions, I don't see Bandai having a cow over that.

It came out only about a month or two here before it did in Japan. Besides, by the time that happened in 2000, Wing's popularity had already faded in Japan. MSG has always been the most popular series at any given time. Fans would certainly buy an R1 release and use a region free player, or a mod-chipped PS2. And if i were a Japanese fan, I'd rather have the cleaned up and restored Bandai version than some cheap HK bootleg.

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It's not our fault they released big LD set just as DVD was about to hit, and that's why we still haven't seen an R2 DVD set.

Seriously should have either held off on an R1 release altergether, or coaxed sunrise into letting them use the Japanese audio, it's just not right.

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D'oh!

Anyway, the argument about region lockouts vis-a-vis Gundam Wing doesn't hold water either, because quite a few fans (like here int he States) have region-free players. Lockouts wouldn't affect them.

Edited by Pat Payne
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It's not our fault they released big LD set just as DVD was about to hit, and that's why we still haven't seen an R2 DVD set.

Seriously should have either held off on an R1 release altergether, or coaxed sunrise into letting them use the Japanese audio, it's just not right.

It may not be right, but it's business. The entertainment industry will always do something if they think it will earn them some money, if it means they will knowingly piss off fans. I'm glad to just have the series on DVD, and at least there's the movies. The lack of the Japanese audio doesn't even bother me as much as Tomino cutting episode 15 does. That just isn't right.

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It's not our fault they released big LD set just as DVD was about to hit, and that's why we still haven't seen an R2 DVD set.

Seriously should have either held off on an R1 release altergether, or coaxed sunrise into letting them use the Japanese audio, it's just not right.

It may not be right, but it's business. The entertainment industry will always do something if they think it will earn them some money, if it means they will knowingly piss off fans. I'm glad to just have the series on DVD, and at least there's the movies. The lack of the Japanese audio doesn't even bother me as much as Tomino cutting episode 15 does. That just isn't right.

What was so special about Episode 15? Why was it cut out?

That I don't think I've heard before.

Edited by Anubis
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What was so special about Episode 15? Why was it cut out?

That I don't think I've heard before.

Episode 15 of MSG:

http://www.mahq.net/animation/gundam/serie...ies/msgep15.htm

Tomino felt that the story didn't contribute anything to the series, so he personally requested it not be part of the American release. It definitely has the worst animation in the entire series, but if you ask me, the episode that comes before it is the worst in the series and woulda been the one to cut. The episode is only available on HK sets.

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What was so special about Episode 15?  Why was it cut out?

That I don't think I've heard before.

Episode 15 of MSG:

http://www.mahq.net/animation/gundam/serie...ies/msgep15.htm

Tomino felt that the story didn't contribute anything to the series, so he personally requested it not be part of the American release. It definitely has the worst animation in the entire series, but if you ask me, the episode that comes before it is the worst in the series and woulda been the one to cut. The episode is only available on HK sets.

Thanks.

Stange, but if it didn't contribute anything, I won't lose sleep over it.

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I'll definately be picking Zeta up, unless they pull that dub-only maneuver... though that looks unlikely.

That's something we don't have to worry about. It was just for MSG that Bandai Japan made the Japanese track unavailable for R1.

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Stange, but if it didn't contribute anything, I won't lose sleep over it.

Whether or not it contributes anything to the story is irrelevant. There's no need to be cutting episodes just because Tomino suddenly decides 20 odd years later he doesn't like it. It's the same thing as George Lucas refusing to put the original version of the Star Wars Trilogy on DVD because he doesn't like the originals anymore.

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Interestingly enough, Bandai/Sunrise seems to become more active in marketing Gundam internationally. Aside from the "Revival of Gundam" in the US>, the three MSG movies, Gundam 0083 and Gundam F91 will be released in France in next summer. The good news is it's going to be subtitled versions. Tobe Gundam ! :rolleyes:

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