Gilgamesh #1 Thoughts - ADV dual language releases

[shokoti]

I just got in Gilgamesh Volume 1 for review, and since it marks an interesting change for ADV thought I'd post some thoughts here.

Basically, it is the first dual language release from ADV, pressed for both the UK and German markets. So, when you first pop the disc in, you get the choice of UK or German, and once you select you're taken through the usual piracy warnings and logos.

The menu is the same for both version (which is funny because I could only find one credits menu and that was German), and you also get an additional German audio track, as well as German signs only and full German sub tracks (so sub four tracks per disc).

The biggest change though, which I think will please some people, is that the changes mean the opening and ending credits are left in the original Japanese versions. Also I believe (not 100% sure because I've not seen Gilgamesh before so have no comparison) the ep titles etc are left untouched as well.

Credit fans shouldn't fret though, because you can go into the credits menu and select a credit scroll for your language (English or German) which will give you a scroll of the translated credits. I think it's as full as ADV's normal ones just all combined into one, but I'd have to check.

Also the disc itself is now made to fit both markets, though like with Beez's dual language releases the covers are territory specific.

Just thought people might find this interesting. I'm told that Samurai Gun will be the same format later this year, as well as later volumes of Fumoffu and Elfen Lied (with re-orders of the earlier volumes going this way as well), and eventually all releases will be like this as well. I thought it was pretty cool, and as a fan of both original credits and getting translations, I was satisfied.

[ic14]

Great, just great. I dont like this, one bit.

Seems like ill be finshing up the ADV UK series im interested in and then ill stop due to this.

edit - Ok that sounds really moaney. What I mainly dont like is the changing over of formats in the middles of series, and also i dont feel that block credits at the end of a set of episdoes are ever translated as fully as the usual ADV way.

[aniki21]

That's a pretty extreme position to take... why so offended by the inclusion of German on your discs? They're not removing the English to take its place...

Seems kind of ironic, considering your signature line.

[Exelion]

So really its a tri-language release. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Can't say this bothers me at all, original Japanese credits are fine to me and there are translated credits available on the disc. Obviously a cost saving procedure and I have no problems with it at all.

[shokoti]

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IanC said:
edit - Ok that sounds really moaney. What I mainly dont like is the changing over of formats in the middles of series,

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It does sound pointlessly moany really, and the change of formats is only on two series mid-run, hardly the end of the world.

[ QUOTE ]
and also i dont feel that block credits at the end of a set of episdoes are ever translated as fully as the usual ADV way.

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Well I never said they were "block credits", and I have just checked them (as I said I would have to do) - they are actually the five original English endings as they would've been on the US disc, just rolled one after the other.

[AdyHart]

As long as the Menu language choices doesnt effect the quality of the release I couldnt really care one bit.

Some may find it a tad annoying to not have the exact same DVD format with the likes of Elfen Lied and Full Metal Panic but then all releases after that will have them anyway so whats the big deal.

Also another BIG thing that will come out of this is ADV can expand their markets to more than just the UK which means more money and therefore: Newer Series getting licenced, Exclusive extras aswell as other novelty stuff like boxes perhaps.

Ive always seen UK companies braching out into Europe as a decent idea as the UK as a population is no contest to the US so stuff needs to be downsized. Europe compared to the US though is a more equal field.

So all these people who complain about the UK not having the fan base the US has to support niche titles this is the first step towards that so until there's a good reason not to like this, be happy.

Unless I am over analyzing it [img]/images/graemlins/shy10000.gif[/img].

[bateszi]

I wonder, does this mean that ADV will now have to submit these volumes to the (costly) BBFC three times?

I'm sure I read somewhere that the BBFC are now accepting DVDs as material to certify stuff these days and hence, they may only need to charge for the one copy (I assume that up until earlier this year, it was VHS or nothing), so perhaps that has had some bearing on this move.

To be honest, I don't really care about insignifcant details like credits (though I'm aware other people do care), but it's cool to see how the UK companies are evolving and adapting themselves.

[shokoti]

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bateszi said:
I wonder, does this mean that ADV will now have to submit these volumes to the (costly) BBFC three times?

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Nope, the German audio and German subs are considered secondary tracks. You still only have the two main ones: English audio & sign subs, and Japanese with full subs.

[Shiroi Hane]

Is squeezing extra tracks and subs onto the UK discs as compared to the US discs likely to have any effects on the video quality?

[shokoti]

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Shiroi Hane said:
Is squeezing extra tracks and subs onto the UK discs as compared to the US discs likely to have any effects on the video quality?

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I'd very much doubt it'd have any noticeable significant effect.