AstroBoy Korean BoxSet #1 Impressions

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ChibiGoku
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Postby ChibiGoku » 18 years ago

First off, the package just arrived today. After some issues getting the package opening and battling against the "wrappings", I managed to get it open. The First 3 volumes are including, apparently using the same artwork as the Japanese Release. The only downside is I did not get the limited Edition figures...Instead I got some poorly done Astroboy 2003 Figures. Strange, but Whatever. Probably a packaging error possibly.

EDIT: Ok, here's my review for volume 1. (Style is similar to Anime on DVD's review.)

Astroboy was released on DVD here in 2005. The release however was edited, cropped, and dub only, with no japanese audio track. Very disapointing. I decided to import the first Boxset after thinking it over carefully. It arrived eventually, and I finally got to watch through the first volume.

Techincal Information -
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 - 1:64:1
Languages: Japanese, Korean
Subtitles: English, Japanese, Korean
Audio Info -
Japanese 5.1 Surround Sound AC3
Korean 2.0 Doulby Digital Stereo AC3

Audio - For my primary viewing, I decided to watch the series in the original Japanese Language. Given the sound effects, and I watched it on a primary viewing set of a regular TV, I was unable to get the full effect of the Surround Sound Audio. The Opening had some issues adapting to a 2.0 system, but the rest of the episode held up well with the sound effects. I didn't notice any drop outs.

Video - This anime originally aired back in 2003 on FujiTV, it aired in a cropped Aspect Ratio of 4:3. The presentation here is the original source material, which is an anamorphic 16:9, or widescreen. The Show's opening and Ending is filled with Vibrant colors, seemingless loss of quality. Though, the very begining, there was some noise popping. The Episode itself is a different story itself. The quality actually has a grainy feel to it, with dark colors overall, giving it an overall Theatre feel to it or that of an older series. I could not detect any blocking noise or noise other then the very begining of each episode.

The subtitles seem to be free of error also. I mainly watched through the english subtitles, only looking through the other two subtitles momentarly. The fonts came with a White styled font, and big enough to be read. The episode fonts however, as Yellow (only on Korean and English subs). There's a few issues I have with the english subs, but the overall result is satisfying. There is no engrish that I can take note of. The only constant issue was "Capitan", which is the french spelling of "Captain". However, overall the subtitles are fine.

And interesting thing I should note: The English subtitles are automatically selected at the beginning. Whether this was intentional, I don't know.

Packaging - The first DVD uses the same artwork as the Japanese R2 DVD, Having Atom fly twords the audiance and the city in the background, with Yuko and Ochanomizu
looking on. The Korean Title replaced the Japanese Font style. On the back, it has brief episode summaries, with the episode title (in korean, however). The DVD has a picture of Atom on it, putting his arm up.

Menu - The Menu's itself are very easy to get through. Surprisingly, the menu's are in english. There is nothing too flashy about the Menu's, just some artwork of the characters, with a red mixed background. Of note, they used the english episode titles for the "Episode Selection". Even then, something is naggining me about them. This adds onto my suspition about something. However, I'll get into this later...

Also, episode 4's title is milabeled as Episode 5's title.

Episode Review - Will come later

Final Thoughts - The first four episodes are leadining to something big, especially the first 2 episodes, which give some information in regards to Dr. Tenma. Having seen the broadcast version of these, and English TV edit (for the first one and third episode), I was overall pleased with the DVD, other then the subtitle issue. Though this DVD leads me to suspect this was what was intended for the US release, given how the menu is set up, along with the english AstroBoy Logo... It does disapoint me though that Sony did deny us of a billingual release, but this DVD did give us what might of been our release, except with english audio with instead of Korean audio. If you get a chance, try to locate this boxset before it goes out of print again. Or even just the first volume of the Korean DVDs.

ChibiGoku
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Postby ChibiGoku » 18 years ago

Some Pictures I took from the R3 DVD ;) Most are from the Opening but whatever.

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Atoman
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Postby Atoman » 18 years ago

Thanks for the pics. I have the Korean set too. Isn't it well worth the money? Both widescreen and proper English subs and it's not a bootleg. :lol:

ChibiGoku
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Postby ChibiGoku » 18 years ago

Yes. Worth Every Dollar...Except the "Figurines". Again, I'll post pictures of those later.. For now, DVD Menu Shots.

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ChibiGoku
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Postby ChibiGoku » 18 years ago

Next Up, is the box itself...

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Now...the halfassed Figures...

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Astro Forever
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Postby Astro Forever » 18 years ago

Thanks for the pics! :D Looks great!!! :wahah:

ChibiGoku
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Postby ChibiGoku » 18 years ago

Added my Volume thoughts. My Episode summary and overall thoguhts on those episodes'll come later.

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1magus
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Postby 1magus » 18 years ago

Originally posted by ChibiGoku@Feb 19 2006, 01:36 PM
Yes. Worth Every Dollar...Except the "Figurines". Again, I'll post pictures of those later.. For now, DVD Menu Shots.

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It shows Denkou in Episode 4 only it is titles Rainbow Valley WHY? Thats not right. :huh:
"You're wrong. The heart may be weak, and sometimes, it may even give in. But I know, deep inside it, there is a light that never goes out."-Sora

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jennytablina
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Postby jennytablina » 18 years ago

I find it interesting that the Korean set shares a simialr menu style with it's american counter part. I would of thought it would of been much different somehow. Plus I figured from the way the main episodes show up they look slightly grainy and somehow different to how the opening looks (the Japanese opening BTW is awesome, I do wish they'd kept the theme song and titles as is for the english series rather than the other techno stuff)

I wouldnt complain too much about the figures, they were extras right? Your lucky to have even got them :P . I'ld of been chuffed with figures even if they were a pile o poorly molded plastic. Speaking of which, did these figures come in smallish boxes? Because I saw some boxes with a random Astro figure inside at a comic store the other day. I didnt get them but was wondering if they were from the same set.

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Breakman
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Postby Breakman » 18 years ago

Originally posted by jennytablina@Feb 21 2006, 11:35 PM
Speaking of which, did these figures come in smallish boxes? Because I saw some boxes with a random Astro figure inside at a comic store the other day. I didnt get them but was wondering if they were from the same set.

Yup, they look like the ones I got. As I said before, there's two series (series 1 are in black boxes, series 2 are in red) and the cost about $6-7 a pop. Some of the model scenes are pretty cute.

By the way, ChibiGoku, I think you are missing a piece for one of your scenes...


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