Help me pick out the best summer budget sets!

[Otakufan]

I've been looking over the upcoming summer collections on Amazon.ca with the plan of pre-ordering a few. Trying to get the best bang for my buck while keeping the total down to about a hundred bucks a month Canadian.

I pretty much love every genre from shojou right through to the mech's. Although deep down, I'm probably a sucker for the ultra romantic, melodromatic which is why I probably like Princess Nine and Gundam Seed so much. My sig below should give you a pretty good idea of what I like.

Anyhoo, looking over the various summer collections from July to August, I'm leaning towards the following:

Love Hina: Anime Legends collection (A little pricy at $70 Cdn. but looks interesting)

Sister Princess (Thinpack) Collection ($48.99)

Kaze no Yojimbo (looks like a brick, $39)

Wolf's Rain Anime Legends (ditto, also $39)

Kiddy Grade (looks like a box, $70, worth the money?)

Gokusen: Economy Pack (Don't know what that means but hey it's only $15.60 so definitely going to get this unless you know something I don't!)

Giant Robo: Economy Pack (Ditto! $19.51 - worth acquiring?)

Argentosoma Anime Legends (brick, $39, worth it now at this new lower price?)

Petite Princess Yucie: Complete Collection ($47, worth consideration?)

So how about it? Which of these should I definitely go for and which should go on the chopping block? I can probably afford about two thirds of them.

Or is there some other upcoming budget collection that I've overlooked that I should also consider?

J.A.

[Azumangaman]

Wow. As a fellow Canadian, if you really want bang for your buck, go to DVD Pacific. Here are the prices if you care (in CDN Dollars).

Love Hina Anime Legends Complete Collection-$52.53
Sister Princess ThinPak Collection- $32.82
Kaze No Yojimbo (Its a brick)- $32.82
Wolf's Rain (also brick)- $32.82
Kiddy Grade Box Set- $59.10
Gokusen Economy Pack- $14.54 (better deal at amazon if free shipping is selected)
Giant Robo Economy: $18.19 (better at amazon)
Argentosoma Brick: $32.82
Petite Princess Yucie: $39.40

Well maybe not a big difference but still. I'd only get the ones at DVDPacific that are a decent difference in price (at least 10 bucks) because Amazon can get free shipping.

Anyway, I've seen vol.1 for Wolf's Rain and Petite Princess Yucie.

Wolf's Rain- It looks to be a really intuging series. It's gotten a lot of praise, so I'd say go for it. The animation is good and I really happen to like the characters. I think the plot is rather original.
Overall (vol.1)-B


Yucie: Hmm...I felt like I was forcing myself to watch it. There were some good eps. but I found it very slow. However, although it seems very mediocere, I DO have a feeling it really improves.
Overall (vol.1)- C+

Never seen Gokusen or Giant Robo, but they are MINE!

NOTE: If you aren't crazy about bricks, Robert's Anime Corner Store (link at top) has the original box with all 6 volumes for 49.99 USD. A bit more, but I think I'd rather get that.

[DiGiKerot]

Love Hina: Anime Legends collection
I'd probably skip it - its a pretty middling series to be frank. Its not as good as its fans might have you believe, and its not as bad as everyone else would have you believe - its just very average. I suspect it may have aged badly, but I've not seen any for a while. Its not worth it above two other series, anyway.

Wolf's Rain Anime Legends
The first volume and a bit were a little hard going - the first couple of episodes were great, then it was a little dull for a while. Once it picks up again, however, its absolute cracking. From some of the stuff you list as liking you may find it a little too straight-faced, though - there isn't much humour.

Kiddy Grade
I'm really not sure what to say about this - its a deeply flawed serious, and the animation (character designs aside) is really ropey, but I like it regardless. Its not amazing or anything, and it criminally wastes some fantastic secondary characters, but it is entertaining. Its not the worst thing on your list, anyway.

Giant Robo: Economy Pack
Absolutely worth getting.

Argentosoma Anime Legends
I've had this since they released the previous brick, and I've still not got past the halfway mark. Take that as you will.

Petite Princess Yucie: Complete Collection
I really enjoyed this - good animation, fun characters, half decent writing and direction. Its just generally overwhelmingly pleasant. Its definately worth a look.

[JackProton]

My vote is for Wolf's Rain -- great characters, nice futuristic world design and an intriguing mythic quest. Some interesting romantic angles too though that's not the primary focus of the series. Don't bother with the recap episodes though.

I'll only tentatively recommend Argentosoma because I'm not sure how well it matches your interests. Its pretty much only romantic in the sense that the plot revolves around a character completely obsessed - white whale level obsessed, in fact - with avenging his girlfriend's untimely death. A story about love, loss, obsession and redemption that's a bit different from the pack.

Kiddy Grade... well... uh... things blow up a lot. Like spaceships and skirts. Often at the same time. In airless space. Where no one can hear you sigh. Or swear. Or smack yourself in the head. Repeatedly. /images/graemlins/stunned0.gif

[Shale]

Love Hina
Generic-as-hell harem comedy that's still pretty funny. If that's to your taste, go for it. If not, don't.

Kiddy Grade
Very well-animated action/SF/fanservice show that starts out completely episodic and grows a plot around the halfway point. It can really struggle to hold viewers' interest early, but the action picks up around the fourth or fifth episode and the story's pretty good. So, qualified yes. Not sure I can wholeheartedly recommend it at the boxset price.

Giant Robo
Get it! Get it! Giant Robo is awesome action/giant robot goodness with great characters and Tezuka-esque art. It's incomplete, but a great watch regardless.

[cjed]

[ QUOTE ]
otakufan said:
I've been looking over the upcoming summer collections on Amazon.ca with the plan of pre-ordering a few. Trying to get the best bang for my buck while keeping the total down to about a hundred bucks a month Canadian.

I pretty much love every genre from shojou right through to the mech's. Although deep down, I'm probably a sucker for the ultra romantic, melodromatic which is why I probably like Princess Nine and Gundam Seed so much.

[/ QUOTE ]

I havn't seen all these, but of those I have, I'd prioritize tham as follows :

Wolf's Rain
Gokusen
Love Hina
Argentosoma[b]
[b]Kiddy Grade

[The Pirate Queen]

You want ultra-romantic, you want Yucie. I went into the series not expecting much, but it's utterly charming.

In fact, I think I'm going to rewatch it some time soon.

[Puppet Master]

I found Argento Soma to be complete and utter trash personally.

I liked Wolf's Rain it was pretty good an interesting story with the exception of the 4 recap episode that for some odd reason were made one after another occupying an entire disc. Otherwise it's something I can easily reccomend.

I've only see the first disc/first 5 episodes of Kaze No Yojimbo but im definetly looking forward to seeing the rest personally because it looks pretty good.

[Otakufan]

[ QUOTE ]
JackProton said:

Kiddy Grade... well... uh... things blow up a lot. Like spaceships and skirts. Often at the same time. In airless space. Where no one can hear you sigh. Or swear. Or smack yourself in the head. Repeatedly. /images/graemlins/stunned0.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess I should have mentioned that I'm also a leach. Lot's of blowing skirts, eh? Must consider this, um..........

J.A.

[Otakufan]

Been wondering about DVD Pacific. Heard good things about it but have never tried it. Do order from time to time from TRSI. But usually only during studio sales and even then usually only box sets due to their high canadian shipping costs. But will have to check them out.

Actually, I don't mind bricks. Or digi's or thinpacks or frankly anything else. As long as it doesn't take up a lot of room and it saves money.

J.A.

[Magic_Knight]

Wolf's Rain Anime Legends
Kiddy Grade
Giant Robo: Economy Pack
Petite Princess Yucie: Complete Collection (My most recommended, super fun!)

Those are what I would go for. Argentosoma is also quite good.

[Otakufan]

Thanks for all the replies.

Will wait a couple of days and then do some pre-orders.

Right now leaning towards Gokusen and Giant Robo because of the price. And probably Wolf's Rain.

Still undecided about Love Hina and Kiddy Grade. Maybe I'll wait on these guys until I can find them cheaper. Must sleep on this.

I should mention that I have the complete Evangeleon, Ganaraska & Rahxephon sets in my permanent collections, so I'm leaning towards Argentosoma.

Still undecided about Kaze and Yucie. Decent prices but still not sure if I actually want them.

Noticed nobody mentioned Sister Princess. Is this because nobody has seen this series or is it just that bad? I probably should have mentioned that I also love fan service and lots of cute anime girls. Blowing skirts are definitely a bonus.

J.A.

[Magic_Knight]

[ QUOTE ]
otakufan said:
Noticed nobody mentioned Sister Princess. Is this because nobody has seen this series or is it just that bad? I probably should have mentioned that I also love fan service and lots of cute anime girls. Blowing skirts are definitely a bonus.


[/ QUOTE ]

I have seen all of Sister Princess, but didn't mention it because it's not as good as the others. It has some good episodes and memorable moments, but for the most part it's average. As far as fanservice goes, there isn't much outside the beach (http://www.asian-stuff.com/image_galleries/sister_princess/3/sister_princess4.jpg) and island (http://www.asian-stuff.com/image_galleries/sister_princess/3/sister_princess5.jpg) episodes. If you're looking for lots of cute anime girls then I think you would enjoy it, but still, it's nothing special.

P.S. No Yucie love? /images/graemlins/cry00000.gif

[B-Rad Lascelle]

Post deleted by Brad Lascelle

[itsuka]

[ QUOTE ]
otakufan said:
Right now leaning towards Gokusen and Giant Robo because of the price. And probably Wolf's Rain.

Still undecided about Love Hina and Kiddy Grade. Maybe I'll wait on these guys until I can find them cheaper. Must sleep on this.

I should mention that I have the complete Evangeleon, Ganaraska & Rahxephon sets in my permanent collections, so I'm leaning towards Argentosoma.

Still undecided about Kaze and Yucie. Decent prices but still not sure if I actually want them.

Noticed nobody mentioned Sister Princess. Is this because nobody has seen this series or is it just that bad? I probably should have mentioned that I also love fan service and lots of cute anime girls. Blowing skirts are definitely a bonus.

J.A.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, if you like cute girls, and don't mind if they slap around a nerdy guy in the center of things, Love Hina might actually be your thing (can't imagine I'm actually promoting this show, since I personally loathe it...).

In the same vein, the pantyshots of Kiddy Grade would probably not turn you off. And it does start to have a decent plot halfway.

Wolf's Rain is a different cup of tea. Serious anime, melancholic and beautiful, it's basically a journey into the unknown. The ending is really love-it-or-hate-it. I'll spoil that the ending doesn't fit in the happy-happy-joy-joy category. Not much fanservice, though the designs are very beautiful.

Argentosoma is a decent member of the angsty teenage mecha genre, and if you like the rest, you won't be that disappointed. It might not be your favourite, but if you have room in your heart for a little more, you won't regret it at that price.

Gokusen is very funny yakuza high school comedy. Just get it at that price.

Kaze no Yojimbo is a sort of anime series makeover of a movie by Kurosawa called Yojimbo. The movie was about a samurai who wanders into a Japanese village and finds himself between two warring gangs of thugs. The series has been modernized, and apart from the Yojimbo plot, it contains a lot of mystery elements. Some people find it slow and gloomy, but I thought it had a great noir atmosphere, and I found the plot very intriguing. The second disc had some filler episodes, but the story all ties together neatly after that. Not much fanservice, though, it's a pretty serious yakuza series.

[AbeChinchilla]

[ QUOTE ]
otakufan said:
Love Hina: Anime Legends collection (A little pricy at $70 Cdn. but looks interesting)

Sister Princess (Thinpack) Collection ($48.99)

[/ QUOTE ]

If you want to keep your sanity intact, stay away from these two.

I highly recommend the Wolf's Rain set and GANTZ thinpacks (SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO worth it) though.

[mattsh]

Get. Giant. Robo.

Giant Robo is worth triple that price. If you buy any of the stuff on your list, Giant Robo would be top priority.

Can you tell I love Giant Robo and I'm trying to convince through repetition that Giant Robo should be purchased? /images/graemlins/catgirl0.gif

I even recommend the show to people who hate mecha anime, because it ends up being 70% story, 20% superhero action, 10% mecha.

[JackProton]

[ QUOTE ]
otakufan said:
[ QUOTE ]
JackProton said:

Kiddy Grade... well... uh... things blow up a lot. Like spaceships and skirts. Often at the same time. In airless space. Where no one can hear you sigh. Or swear. Or smack yourself in the head. Repeatedly. /images/graemlins/stunned0.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess I should have mentioned that I'm also a leach. Lot's of blowing skirts, eh? Must consider this, um..........

J.A.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ah. I see. Did I mention the "loli shoe cam"? /images/graemlins/catgirl0.gif

[Otakufan]

[ QUOTE ]
Brad Lascelle said:
Easy choice here... Wolf's Rain, Petite Princess Yucie and Giant Robo.
Buy 'em for cheap from DVD Pacific for a smidge over $96 Canadian (total including shipping).
No customs fees to worry about.
Life is good. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess I'm really going to have to check into DVDPacific.

No sales taxes? You're sure? Not the one out of three or so that I get now with TRSI?

J.A.

[B-Rad Lascelle]

Post deleted by Brad Lascelle

[Otakufan]

[ QUOTE ]
Magic Knight said:

I have seen all of Sister Princess, but didn't mention it because it's not as good as the others. It has some good episodes and memorable moments, but for the most part it's average. As far as fanservice goes, there isn't much outside the beach (http://www.asian-stuff.com/image_galleries/sister_princess/3/sister_princess4.jpg) and island (http://www.asian-stuff.com/image_galleries/sister_princess/3/sister_princess5.jpg) episodes. If you're looking for lots of cute anime girls then I think you would enjoy it, but still, it's nothing special.

P.S. No Yucie love? /images/graemlins/cry00000.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Okay, ditch Sister Princess. Definitely going for Robo, Gokusen and Wolf's Rain.

Hadn't seriously considered Yucie until I read some good things in another thread. Lot's of you really seem to like what appears to be a kid's show so I guess I'd better re-read Chris' reviews on this one. I do have Sugar and Angelic Layer in my permanent collection and like them both.

Love Hina seems to be lukewarm so I'll drop that for now.

I think I do want Kiddy Grade but maybe I'll wait for a better price or even try DVDPacific like some suggest.

Still can't make up my mind on Yojimbo. Good price but not sure if it's worth it to me.

Again, thanks everyone for the suggestions.

J.A.

[Otakufan]

[ QUOTE ]
Brad Lascelle said:

No fooling. Here's the breakdown...

Giant Robo Economy Pack - DVD Pacific Price = $18.19 CDN (http://www.dvdpacific.com/item.asp?ID=729201)
Wolf's Rain Complete Collection - DVD Pacific Price = $32.82 CDN (http://www.dvdpacific.com/item.asp?ID=730880)
Petite Princess Yucie Complete Collection - DVD Pacific Price = $39.40 CDN (http://www.dvdpacific.com/item.asp?ID=730804)

Total Without Shipping = <font color="green">$90.41 CDN</font>
Total With International Surface Mail = <font color="green">$96.05 CDN</font>

The equivalent cost with TRSI would be $101.19 US plus $11 US shipping and the possible sales tax ding. I haven't been hit with a single tax or Customs charge with DVD Pacific spanning close to a dozen orders this year. With TRSI, it was almost always a certainty.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, I guess that does it. Must check out DVDPacific this weekend when I can spare some time. Maybe I'll experiment with the Kiddy Grade set.

Thanks for all the advice,

J.A.

[The Pirate Queen]

[ QUOTE ]
otakufan said:

Hadn't seriously considered Yucie until I read some good things in another thread. Lot's of you really seem to like what appears to be a kid's show so I guess I'd better re-read Chris' reviews on this one. I do have Sugar and Angelic Layer in my permanent collection and like them both.

*SNIP*

Still can't make up my mind on Yojimbo. Good price but not sure if it's worth it to me.



[/ QUOTE ]

Again - if you love romance and melodrama, Yucie is for you. It's one of the most utterly charming shows I've seen in a long time, and despite the surface childishness, it's a much more engaging show than, say, Sugar. I'd put it about on par with Angelic Layer, only better.

Yojimbo is a fascinating series. It's almost a noir-style detective show, where you're thrown into the middle of...something, with no idea what's going on. You discover things as the main character does. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and highly recommend it - especially at that price.

[gsilver0]

I highly recommend the recetly repriced Utena sets.

Utena is a deep, dark, and multi-layerd character piece dedicated to the examination of the darker side of the human psyche and how it manifests itself in interpersonal relationships. It is all multi-sided, so we see everything from multiple perspectives, which keeps it balanced. The actual storyline, while beginning as a simple (though slightly twisted) yet surreal fairy tale quickly builds enough momentum to be thoroughly engaging, and the settings and symbolism is deep enough to warrant multiple viewings. I've watched it all the way through several times, and still catch hidden meanings and story/character dynamics.


It’s all about mind games and manipulation. Aside from Utena (and a few of the background characters), virtually everyone has deep and hidden (or not so hidden) motives guiding their actions. There is a lot of subtext in the series, which make the series even more entertaining a second time around, after learning more about each character’s motivations (an early episode that really impressed me on this front was the Sunlit Garden). I am especially fond of the “confession booth” scenes in the second arc, which go right to the core of many of the character relationships.

And the final arc? Simply incredible. It beautifully manages to draw the entire series together in every aspect: psychological, emotional, and even the fantasy elements.

[JackProton]

[ QUOTE ]
Itsuka said:
Argentosoma is a decent member of the angsty teenage mecha genre, and if you like the rest, you won't be that disappointed. It might not be your favourite, but if you have room in your heart for a little more, you won't regret it at that price.


[/ QUOTE ]
One of things I really liked about Argentosoma was the fact that the series was NOT populated with angsty teens. I believe technically the only teen there was the easy-going "genius" pilot Sue. Granted, the main character is quite conflicted and obsessed but he is not your typical hot-headed ace fighter/brooding babe magnet but a highly intelligent ex-grad student anti-hero who fights a secret war with his mind driven to the brink by loss.