Sky Blue a.k.a.wonderful days

[Notional]

Hi all, I just stumbled over this title. I haven't heard about it yet, but I wondered if any of you know anything about it, and/or if it is recommendable?

It's from korea, but I think it still qualifies as animé.

Sky Blue on axel music (http://www.axelmusic.dk/productDetails/5023965362926)

Thanx.

[mcarocks2003]

It's meant to be very good. Just look up the reviews on the internet, all range from 3* to 5*.

I recommend purchasing it off the very reliable Play.com (http://www.play.com/play247.asp?page=title&r=R2&title=738709&p=37&g=51 &pa=stgts4)

[naiera]

It's dub only. Stay away and look for the R3 release instead.

[ic14]

[ QUOTE ]
mcarocks2003 said:
It's meant to be very good. Just look up the reviews on the internet, all range from 3* to 5*.

[/ QUOTE ]
What out of ten /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Must reveiws ive read about it said average Sci-Fi plot, great animation, and i think they are right. Tho the average Sci-Fi plot is good lol. Its animation is brill, an excellent combination of 2d, 3d and models.

But... (theres always one)

Its the International version only. That means "dub only" but the booklet inside explains why the director decided to do that.

[mcarocks2003]

Woah, it is dub only. I can't belive i missed it.

Back to the import scene it is.

EDIT- i must be reading the wrong reviews lol.

[crosbie394]

I'm glad i got this when it first came out!!

Wonderful Days LE (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/masaki86/wd1.jpg)
Fold Out (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/masaki86/wd3.jpg)
reverse foldout (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/masaki86/wd4.jpg)

[ic14]

[ QUOTE ]
mcarocks2003 said:
Back to the import scene it is.

[/ QUOTE ]
By import i guess you mean the R3 version? Cus any R1 release will be "dub only" too /images/graemlins/icon_rolleyes.gif

[Notional]

[ QUOTE ]
masaki86 said:
I'm glad i got this when it first came out!!

Wonderful Days LE (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/masaki86/wd1.jpg)
Fold Out (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/masaki86/wd3.jpg)
reverse foldout (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/masaki86/wd4.jpg)

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow that's some version. I guess it's reg 3 without english dub and NTSC?

Where'd you get it?

Is the english dub so awful, that you miss out on something with the international version?

[crosbie394]

I picked it up in Birmingham while accompanying a mate to a toy fair at the NEC. Paid £20 for it.

I haven't heard the full dub, but from what I have heard, it is ok. Not great. The sub is english, but all the extras on the bonus two discs (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/masaki86/WD5.jpg) are unsubbed, so the R2 release would combat this.

However; do buy the OST (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/masaki86/WD6.jpg), if only for the Photocards and insert (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/masaki86/WD7.jpg)

[Notional]

Where'd you get the OST? Does it need importing from korea/asia/overthere or?

[crosbie394]

I imported from yesasia

[quenelf]

I only saw the trailer, back when it came out.

Some of the CG shots were good, but most were abysmal, suffering from the usual 'looks like a video game' issues. Character designs/character animation were sub-par compared to most Japanese work. There was one very impressive shot though so I'm not saying it is all bad or anything; but to judge from the trailer there are plenty of bad bits.

More importantly the story is, reputedly, sub-par.

I'd skip it, unless you have a higher tolerance than me for obvious CG; in that case you may well find it to be a decent piece of eye-candy.

--quen

[crosbie394]

You obviously havent watched the film; the cg doesnt really play as big a part as you think. Only the buildings and vehicles are in cg, the character designs are great in 2D. You can't judge everything from a trailer tbh.

[quenelf]

[ QUOTE ]
masaki86 said:
You obviously havent watched the film; the cg doesnt really play as big a part as you think. Only the buildings and vehicles are in cg, the character designs are great in 2D. You can't judge everything from a trailer tbh.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, that's why I did explain that I'd only seen the trailer, so yes indeed it was quite obvious, because I said so /images/graemlins/happy.gif

The character animation was pretty poor in the trailer though (dull designs, lacking animation), and normally they only show the good bits in trailers...

--quen

[Greywing]

So, what is the reason given for only releasing the dub-only international version?

[toy_brain]

[ QUOTE ]
Greywing said:
So, what is the reason given for only releasing the dub-only international version?

[/ QUOTE ]
*Flips through the DVD booklet*
Hmm, all it ays is that "it was always the filmmakers intention to create 2 distinct vrsions of the film - one for the Korean market and one English-language version for international audiences. ..... In Sky Blue, the original version has been re-voiced and re-edited and additional sound and music scoring has been added."

It dosent explicitly say wether the re-editing was done by the original director or someone else, but it certainly implies that.
(I bet someone will still use the term 'butcherd' to describe it though - no matter how uninformed).

For what its worth, I've watched it all the way through and its a decent 'popcorn' flick. Very good CGI (mabye even better than Appleseed's) and the digital-cell animation generally meshes well with it and animates smoothly. The english dub is fine - not the best ever made (there's the odd weak minor character here and there) but the main cast are good and it dosent detract from the story or atmosphere.
At 87 minutes it keeps things nice and tight, its high on action and drama and low on needless waffle - though at times there is the odd thing that could have been better explained, and it dosent really do any thing new.

Worth £20? Hmmmmmm, not really... well, I wouldnt recomend it to everyone, but to anyone looking to branch out from Japanese-only aninmation its a decent option. I certainly dont regret buying it.

[ QUOTE ]
toy_brain said:
At 87 minutes it keeps things nice and tight, its high on action and drama and low on needless waffle - though at times there is the odd thing that could have been better explained, and it dosent really do any thing new.


[/ QUOTE ]

Hmm, Wonderful Days was quite high on needless waffle so perhaps they've trimmed it down for the better for Sky Blue.

I still haven't picked up either version, but might do some day - I've only seen Wonderful Days, but thought it was an amazing piece of artistry let down by a slightly incoherent and very cliched plot.

[Njr Scrawl]

Got a play.com World Cinema booklet with it. If its dub only I'll get the R3, but might also d/dip if it ever gets R1 licensed. Don't want different music & stuff as well.