Kyo Kara Maoh! Season 2 Vol. #1 Review Discussion

[Chris Beveridge]

Review

Released By: Geneon Entertainment (USA), Inc.
MSRP: $24.98/34.98
Running time: 125 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Resolution: 480i/p (mixed/unknown)
Encoded With: MPEG-2
Release Date: 11/28/2006
Review Date: 11/23/2006
Date Announced: 09/11/2006
Region: 1 - North America
Reviewed By: Chris Beveridge

[ QUOTE ]
In Summary:
Kyo Kara Maoh! is quite a lot of fun and it's a show that you can easily qualify as a guilty pleasure. So much of it works so well, especially in how it shifts between each world, but there's still something about it that keeps it from being a truly great show. This volume shows us a few technical and presentation changes when it comes to the disc itself but the show is very much continuing on with what works. Not many shows hit as many episodes as this one did so it obviously did something right and kept its audience. It may not be the best looking show or most technically wondrous, but even at its weakest it leaves me with a smile and several solid laugh out loud moments. This is a world that you want to play in and experience.

[/ QUOTE ]

[Noodle]

I didn't realize how much I'd missed this show until I watched this disc. I know it's not that far off it's original release pattern or anything... but it was like I'd clicked a switch in my brain after the last volume.

First off, the packaging: I wasn't expecting lovely velvet goodness on my book-box, OR the inclusion of the little cel cards again. I'd not seen anything about either when I was ordering... so, yay for that! Also, the reversible cover!! I mean, ok, I got the book-box so ... the inserts are essentially superfluous, but still, it looks awesome flipped around for the 3 hours it'll stay that way. :D

Content goodness: I had a lot of fun with most of this disc. Obviously we knew [hide]Conrad would come back[/hide], and with so obvious a conclusion it made that whole "tension" just play out awkwardly. At least everything looked cool while it was happening. :neko: (What can I say, I love Conrad and Josak?) The whole box / Conrad arc was kinda the weak spot in the show anyway, and I totally agree that it made for an awful "season" break for us... but it did have a nice and satisfactory resolution. The baby episode was kinda.... unrelated and fillerish, but the bit with Wolfram "preparing for the future" had me cracking up. And this mystery with Shori? Oh hell yeah, looking forward to that. :evil:

[The Pirate Queen]

I just got this last night, and haven't had a chance to watch it yet, but I'd just like to note that Geneon is evil. I got the box version - and the book this time is gorgeous and velvet. But the inside of the cover has artwork this time around. EVIL!

[Kikaroo]

Originally Posted by Dani

I just got this last night, and haven't had a chance to watch it yet, but I'd just like to note that Geneon is evil. I got the box version - and the book this time is gorgeous and velvet. But the inside of the cover has artwork this time around. EVIL!

><

Man I really need to get to BB - this, Ergo Proxy, and Hellsing all need to be picked still X_X

Sadly, I'm still a bit behind from the first season though. It's high on my list for when I get some free time though!

[Noodle]

Originally Posted by Kikaroo

Sadly, I'm still a bit behind from the first season though. It's high on my list for when I get some free time though!

All the better then, because the break in between the "seasons" was horrid, right in the middle of an arc. You'll probably get more enjoyment out of watching it all together... I know I would have. I plan to re-watch the last couple of discs with this new one again soon, when I can spare the time. (Which won't be TOO hard; I can always make time for Conrad, oh yes.)

[Kikaroo]

Originally Posted by Noodle

All the better then, because the break in between the "seasons" was horrid, right in the middle of an arc.

Yea - when I heard the second season was coming, I tried to space them out so that I wouldn't have much of a wait. Then FFXII hit and well. I think I have 4 discs to go as a result!

[ricecooker]

Originally Posted by Noodle

First off, the packaging: I wasn't expecting lovely velvet goodness on my book-box, OR the inclusion of the little cel cards again. I'd not seen anything about either when I was ordering... so, yay for that! Also, the reversible cover!! I mean, ok, I got the book-box so ... the inserts are essentially superfluous, but still, it looks awesome flipped around for the 3 hours it'llstay that way. :D

I didn't go with the book version but I agree that the packaging looks better this time around. I guess Geneon is making it a challenge to collect the film cards again, which unlike season 1, is group oriented. Here are some pics:
Reversible and silkscreen (volume 9 provided for comparison)
LE Film Cards volumes 1-10 (Hurry for the lottery! :roll: )

[Kikaroo]

Originally Posted by ricecooker

I didn't go with the book version but I agree that the packaging looks better this time around. I guess Geneon is making it a challenge to collect the film cards again, which unlike season 1, is group oriented. Here are some pics:
Reversible and silkscreen (volume 9 provided for comparison)
LE Film Cards volumes 1-10 (Hurry for the lottery! :roll: )

So it's more like the X set that came out recently (as in fuzzy, not that funky stuff used for the first book)? If so, I'm happy about that. I really love my X set.

You know, when I picked up the first discs I didn't know about the film cards - I got some but not all of them. X_X Maybe I should count and see which I did end up getting...

Maybe I'll have better luck this time around :nervous:

[Noodle]

Originally Posted by Kikaroo

Maybe I'll have better luck this time around :nervous:

We won't talk about the lengths I had to go to when trying to get them all. Eventually I got a good system in place (lol), but I owe a big debt of love to one forum member here for the first. :D :neko: TRSI gave me about a 50-50 shot... :nervous:.. so knowing they will do the cel cards again will probably keep me from pre-ordering any past #2 (which I already pre-ordered) because it was way too much of a headache wishing & hoping..

[Kikaroo]

Well to be honest, I hadn't even noticed the little stickers until about volume 4 I think it was. Then I made it a point to check whatever Best Buy had in stock at the time and grab one with the sticker, if I found one.

But prior to that I was oblivous! :nervous: And I don't think I made an effort to go out for them - if they didn't have any, I'd still get my volume. I probably have like ... 3.

Same thing has happened with most pencil boards too though - I don't notice until it's too late, then it doesn't really matter anymore. If I let myself become obsessed with collecting these "insert goodies", I'd go insane. And have gazillion unnecessary discs laying around. Bad enough I have to get the artboxes and other LE (when they are listed as separate items, at least).

Now, if Geneon did more than just put a sticker on there - it'd be a different story. (Different packaging/UPCs/something to make it stand out.)