Kimagure Orange Road movie 1 R3TW?

[Njr Scrawl]

I came across this page for the 1st KOR movie
http://member.giga.net.tw/mycai99/ka/orange_road/m01.htm

As Proware still release their KOR TV & OVAs http://mall.jsdvd.com/advanced_search_result.php?categories_id=&inc_subcat=1&keywords=Orange+Road&x=10&y=8 , I wondered if movie 1 was still around anywhere?

Tried a R3HK KOR movie 1, but its a horrible dump from VCD with hard subs although the cover looks very similar to Proware's on that page.

Has anyone watched the R3TW movie 1 & can comment on its quality?

[Thanatos]

Your best option is probably still to get the OOP R1.

[Buster Darkwings]

That Proware release might look a bit better that the R1 since it's apparently a DVD-9 and has a higher bitrate, but it still says it's a composite letterbox release. The audio is going to be better since it's LPCM, though. But you'd probably have trouble finding it, maybe try asking some eBay sellers located in Taiwan if they can find a copy.

I'm personally waiting for an R2 (or rather a Blu-ray at this point), but who knows when that will come.

[Thanatos]

Not sure if you really need a DVD-9 for a 58-minute film, even with LPCM audio, but okay.

Well, clearly the *best* quality version can only be obtained by buying the release on several formats, then comparing the video and audio tracks, using a billion video filters to clean up the picture, and then making your own custom DVD. :D

Unfortunately, I don't hold any hope for a future Japanese release of the film. I've long heard of the rumor that Matsumoto hates it, and its total exclusion from the TV/OVA/Movie 2 releases (with not even space in the Uberbox for the first movie) seems to lend crediblity, or just otherwise suggest the first movie and pilot film have some kind of domestic release problem.

[Skywise]

Not sure if you really need a DVD-9 for a 58-minute film, even with LPCM audio, but okay.

You don't. A single layer DVD can hold 63 minutes of content at maximum bitrate. Those 5 remaining minutes should be more than enough to hold the menus :).

[Buster Darkwings]

Not to nitpick, but it's actually about 68 minutes and 50 seconds.

[Njr Scrawl]

I have the R1 already (& both Japanese & AE LDs). R1 is not that bad.

Don't know why Matsumoto would hate it, except possibly its emotional reality. I thought movie 2 was the one he disliked for its real-world grittiness & remoteness from classic KOR. But maybe the magicality & more TV/OVA continuity has redeemed it since then. As Terada Kenji goes to cons, has nobody anywhere asked him if there are issues....?

[Thanatos]

Not to nitpick, but it's actually about 68 minutes and 50 seconds.

Thanks for the correction.

To Scrawl, it would make more sense for Matsumoto to dislike Movie 1 because it's not been rereleased in Japan and it's an original, anime-only story. The Shin KOR movies were adapted from his three novels of the same name.

[Njr Scrawl]

There is only 1 Shin KOR movie, & its based on the 1st novel. As you know the SKOR movie has flashbacks to the most important & poignant scenes (only re-animated in the SKOR style) of KOR movie 1, with same dialogue (but re-spoken I think) - which recaps the breakup.

So movie 1's influence is there alright. I'm not sure if the Matsumoto dislike isn't just an invention, similar to the reported Takeuchi dislike of some Sailor Moon, to excuse studio action or inaction.