Hi guys! I'm a bit early this time around. As I'm going to get my costume ready for Genericon next week (an awesome college convention in northeastern New York state), I realized that I probably don't have time to do a full review. Luckily, since I got a response from Uncle Yo about my reivew of his DVD, I figured what the hell and do another review of something Japan related. This time, I got a CD review for you. So, for your please, here's a review of Rammstein's album Reise Reise...the Japanese Edition.
Before the review, a story. Way back in 2001, the band had released their album Mutter to critical success. After the release, however, many people in the music world, and the band themselves, believed that they were going to break up. Luckily, Rammstein decided that a break from music would ease up the tension they were feeling. Around late 2003/early 2004 (I'm not sure on this) the band said that they were back together and making new music. Then, on November 27, 2004, Reise Reise was released.
Now, for the Japanese Edition to make it's entrance. In Mid-2005 (April 21, to be exact), Reise Reise was released in Japan. However, it was a bit different from it's European & American counterparts. Different album artwork, as well as audio being removed & replaced were the things that distanced itself from it's brethren. Ironically, the album was re-released in 2009 with the original artwork and audio put back, but keeping the audio they added in 2005. However, I'll be going over the original 2005 version, as I haven't been able to find the 2009 re-release for purchase on Amazon.
Starting off the review are the physical & audio changes. The American & European releases of Reise Reise were designed to look like a flight box from a German airplane, complete with the phrase Flugrekorder Nicht Offnen (Flightbox: Do Not Open...if my translation is correct) on the front in grey-black lettering. On top of that, there is 30 seconds of a flight recording on the CD (European Edition has it at the end, while the American Edition has it at the beginning). Now, why is this bad you ask? Well, that requires another story.
In the evening August 12, 1985, Japan Airlines Flight 123 had crashed into the mountain ranges of Mt Fuji due to the rear pressure bulkhead suffering from explosive decompression. The ensuing accident killed off 520 of the 524 passengers and crew members, and as of 2011 remained the single most horrific disaster in airplace history. The 30 second recording that I mention above was the final 30 seconds of the flight before they crashed, and you can hear the pilot yelling and panicking.
Now, if the American/European version was released in the Japan, that would have caused an uproar. So the band made some changes. As far as the outside physical changes, they replaced the flightbox artwork with the artwork that they were going to use for their next album, Rosenrot (albet slightly altered). If you'd like to see the outside physical changes, take a look at the Amazon links below. Just to note, the Japanese Edition had a slip of paper on the outside, so it'll slightly obscure the front:
Reise, Reise (American Edition)
http://www.amazon.com/Reise-Rammstein/dp/B0002XDODU/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1330131684&sr=1-1
Reise, Reise (Japanese Edition)
http://www.amazon.com/Reise-Rammstein/dp/B0007N38LI/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1330128892&sr=8-8
Rosenrot
http://www.amazon.com/Rosenrot-Rammstein/dp/B000BK8FH4/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1330128842&sr=1-2
Luckily, there aren't any changes to the inside of the album booklet. The lyrics are the same as the American/European releases (although there was a small booklet with the lyrics in Japanese). As for the inside artwork, nothing has changed.
The audio changes on the Japanese Edition aren't as drastic. The 30-second flightbox recording was taken off, and you don't hear it at either the beginning or the end of the CD. To make up for the missing audio, remixes were added for two of the songs (Mein Teil & Amerika).
Truth be told, I kinda like the changes. It's a original product that is somehow new at the same time. It's actually ironic, since I bought the American edition a few months after it was released, and I didn't even know that there was a Japanese Edition until 2006 or 2007.
As for the audio, there is no real difference between the Japanese Edition and the others. All of the music (except for the remixes) is exactly the same. Since the 30-second audio clip is missing, it's kinda weird to not hear it. Despite that, the songs sound exactly the same. I pretty much liked the American Edition of Reise, Reise, and in turn I loved this version. The remixes are pretty cool as well. Of the two, I like the remix of Mein Teil, but both sound awesome. The remixes for both songs are right below if you want to listen to them:
Amerika (Digital Hardcore Remix)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeQoemvuPEs
Mein Teil (You Are What You Eat Remix)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w-rCpOXjfg
Like I said above, I loved this edition of Reise, Reise. There was only one thing that almost prevented me from receiving it (I got it as a Christmas gift back in 2010), and one thing that'll prevent people from buying it, and that was availability. Back in 2010, it was a 5-year old album that was hard to find outside of Japan. Luckily, Amazon had a few copies on the American website, but even then there was still some trouble. To my memory, there was only 10 copies available at the time, and they were somewhat expensive. The cheapest that I saw was a little over 35 dollars, but my Grandma, in her infinite badassness, got it for me.
Nowadays, the album is close to becoming 7 years old, and it's even harder to find on Amazon. As I'm typing this, there are currently only 6 available in the used section. The section is right below for those brave enough to consider buying one:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0007N38LI/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&qid=1330128892&sr=8-8&condition=used
For me, this album was a 10 out of 10. However, if anyone already has the American or European Edition, the ratings will probably range from 7 to 8.5 out of ten. I honestly liked the way that the Japanese Edition of Reise, Reise looks, feels, and sounds. People who've already heard the music before might not like it, but still find it cool as a collector's edition.
See you guys after next week. Until then, stay Otaku!
Friday, February 24, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Uncle Yo! Fluffy Delicious DVD of Unbridled Entertainment (Second Edition) Review
Hi Guys! It's the last review of the month, so I figured it's time to do something a little bit different. After my somewhat sloppy attempt at reviewing Duke Nukem Forever a few months back, I said to myself that I wouldn't step out of anime territory again on this blog. However, I figured that perhaps something anime-related wouldn't hurt, so here's a review of Uncle Yo's Fluffy Delicious DVD of Unbridled Entertainment (Second Edition).
Using footage from Tekkoshocon 2010, as well as Anime Boston of the same year and the audio recording from a Coswatch podcast back in 2009 on the extras, this DVD shows off the talents of one of the geek world's funniest icons, and delves into the mind to see how the gears in his head turn. It's a great viewing, complete with laughs, tears, and just a hint of squeeing.
For starters, there's Uncle Yo himself. The way I look at him, he's a lot like J.K. Rowling. He's kind, caring, considerate, and doesn't try to coddle his fans. He treats them like normal people, not like kids (even if some of his fans are actual kids), and has an aura of humbleness and geeky insanity surrounding him. Every show that he puts on (obviously including what's on this DVD) always has something new, making every sight of him unique.
Secondly, the footage of the DVD, despite being amateur made, is actually quite well done. There are a few inconsistencies as far as the crowd's laughter (some scenes you can hear the crowd, while others you can't hear the crowd at all), the footage is very good. As for the DVD cover, it's a mix of bright red & yellow (with a blue stripe on top that displays the edition of the DVD in white letters), complete with a cute drawing of Uncle Yo running away from a crowd of psychotic fans. On the back you see him still running away, all the while having his signature trademark (The Delicious Happy Fluffy Pink Cupcake of Redundant Happiness) hovering above him ever so sinisterly. Perhaps what makes the DVD cover so impressive is the fact that he signs every...single...one of them, which is pretty kick ass in my opinion.
Third, the pricing of this DVD isn't too bad, as it comes in at 15 dollars. That's actually not all that hard on the wallet, and it definitely marks it as something to by at a con that Uncle Yo is at, or on his website. The link is right below if you want to look:
http://www.uncleyo.com/products-page/
Lastly, the extras of the Fluffy Delicious DVD of Unbridled Entertainment are quite good. The first is an impromptu interview at Anime Boston 2010. There are serious questions asked, as well as goofy questions asked. In either case, he answers clearly and precisely. However, in the case of Uncle Yo, these answers are often hilarious, but a couple answers are more serious than others. The other extra is an interview from 2009 off of Coswatch.com. There's no video footage, but there is a variety of pictures with Uncle Yo in them. As the interview goes on, you see this lord of geekery in hilarious situation. In perhaps a bit of irony, the last five question asked in the Coswatch interview were taken straight from James Lipton, and some of the best answers came out during that time.
In all honesty, I see absolutely nothing wrong with the bundle of amazement. Uncle Yo! Fluffy Delicious DVD of Unbridled Entertainment gets a 10 out of 10. Uncle Yo rules, the footage is good, the pricing is great, and the extras top off this delicious digital sundae.
Until next time, stay Otaku!
*
Uncle Yo, if you're reading this (and I hope you are), know that you are loved by more people than you think. You have a heart of the purest, yet strangest gold. You have a love for the fans that is strong, and the friendships you've made with your fans is just as strong, if not stronger. It is an absolutely honor to have come to your shows, and it's a honor to be one of your numerous friends. Keep living, keep laughing, and keep glomping for me.
Using footage from Tekkoshocon 2010, as well as Anime Boston of the same year and the audio recording from a Coswatch podcast back in 2009 on the extras, this DVD shows off the talents of one of the geek world's funniest icons, and delves into the mind to see how the gears in his head turn. It's a great viewing, complete with laughs, tears, and just a hint of squeeing.
For starters, there's Uncle Yo himself. The way I look at him, he's a lot like J.K. Rowling. He's kind, caring, considerate, and doesn't try to coddle his fans. He treats them like normal people, not like kids (even if some of his fans are actual kids), and has an aura of humbleness and geeky insanity surrounding him. Every show that he puts on (obviously including what's on this DVD) always has something new, making every sight of him unique.
Secondly, the footage of the DVD, despite being amateur made, is actually quite well done. There are a few inconsistencies as far as the crowd's laughter (some scenes you can hear the crowd, while others you can't hear the crowd at all), the footage is very good. As for the DVD cover, it's a mix of bright red & yellow (with a blue stripe on top that displays the edition of the DVD in white letters), complete with a cute drawing of Uncle Yo running away from a crowd of psychotic fans. On the back you see him still running away, all the while having his signature trademark (The Delicious Happy Fluffy Pink Cupcake of Redundant Happiness) hovering above him ever so sinisterly. Perhaps what makes the DVD cover so impressive is the fact that he signs every...single...one of them, which is pretty kick ass in my opinion.
Third, the pricing of this DVD isn't too bad, as it comes in at 15 dollars. That's actually not all that hard on the wallet, and it definitely marks it as something to by at a con that Uncle Yo is at, or on his website. The link is right below if you want to look:
http://www.uncleyo.com/products-page/
Lastly, the extras of the Fluffy Delicious DVD of Unbridled Entertainment are quite good. The first is an impromptu interview at Anime Boston 2010. There are serious questions asked, as well as goofy questions asked. In either case, he answers clearly and precisely. However, in the case of Uncle Yo, these answers are often hilarious, but a couple answers are more serious than others. The other extra is an interview from 2009 off of Coswatch.com. There's no video footage, but there is a variety of pictures with Uncle Yo in them. As the interview goes on, you see this lord of geekery in hilarious situation. In perhaps a bit of irony, the last five question asked in the Coswatch interview were taken straight from James Lipton, and some of the best answers came out during that time.
In all honesty, I see absolutely nothing wrong with the bundle of amazement. Uncle Yo! Fluffy Delicious DVD of Unbridled Entertainment gets a 10 out of 10. Uncle Yo rules, the footage is good, the pricing is great, and the extras top off this delicious digital sundae.
Until next time, stay Otaku!
*
Uncle Yo, if you're reading this (and I hope you are), know that you are loved by more people than you think. You have a heart of the purest, yet strangest gold. You have a love for the fans that is strong, and the friendships you've made with your fans is just as strong, if not stronger. It is an absolutely honor to have come to your shows, and it's a honor to be one of your numerous friends. Keep living, keep laughing, and keep glomping for me.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Step Up Love Story Review
Happy Valentines Day (Or National Singles Day or Depressing Alcoholics Day)! It's the day where couples young & old show affection towards one another. For others like myself, it's a day where we either enjoy being single and hang out with other single friends, or drown our sorrows in booze (which is what I play to do later tonight). Despite my mood towards this holiday, I decided to do a review of one of the sexiest, yet equally sweet and funny shows around. This...is Step Up Love Story.
First appearing as a manga way back in 1997 (which still goes on to this day), Step Up Love Story (also known as Futari H) first aired in Japan on July 26, 2002, all the way to January 22, 2004, and the American release in 2007 by Anime Works. The show focuses on Makoto Onada and Yura Onada, a newly married couple who both have a...problem. You see, our main characters are both virgins, and have very little knowledge on sexual matters. It doesn't help the fact that Yura's sister, Rika, is very active sexually, and tries to improve their night life. On top of that, most of the couple's friends and acquaintances are also sexually active to various degrees, and are trying to help them out as well. So, as Makoto and Yura begin to go through life together, they also try to see if they can overcome their sexual problems and become a true loving couple.
Usually, I do the positives first, but this time I'm getting the negatives done first. It's not that the positives are good, cause there's a couple good ones. It's just that the negatives this time around kinda irk me.
First negative...There is no dub. None, nadda, zip, zilch. The only English that is on here is the subs. I don't mind subs, even bad ones. However, with my brain problems, it's a little difficult trying to watch something and read something on the screen at the same time. I can force it the majority of the time, but there are moments where I'll pay attention to one while ignoring the other, and I'll miss something. So, I wished there were dubs included on this.
Second negative of Step Up Love Story is the extras. It's been a while since I last commented on this subject, so you know that this is major. There are only two extras with this: a trailer for the show, and a textless closing. I generally like a bunch (but not massive amount) of extras, so seeing just these two things is a little bit disappointing.
Third and final negative of this show is the availability. I got both DvD volumes in a package at a con back in 2010, where if I remembered correctly was about $20 (not a bad deal). However, on Amazon there is only one of the volumes available. If you want to get both of them together, look on ebay, or find them at a con in the dealer's room.
Now that the negatives are out of the way, let's get into what makes Step Up Love Story good, and the first positive is Makoto and Yura. You can tell right of the bat that they're a very loving couple, as they would do anything for one another. The love between them is very strong, as at certain points they are put into risque situations that put their love and trust of one another to the test. In the end, no matter how much temptation comes their way, they push it out of the way and return to each others arms.
Step Up Love Story's second positive is how they portray sex in this show. Ironically, sex is portrayed very tastefully throughout each episode. If you've ever watched hentai before, you know that it can get a bit brutal at times, sometimes to the point of disturbing. However, this show takes on more of the tender and occasionally akward side of sex. About the only time that it ever gets kinky is when Yura's sister shows up, as she is very promiscuous. Ironically, despite the various displays of intercourse, Step Up Love Story is not labeled as a traditional Hentai series, but it still isn't something that kids should watch. This is definitely an anime that couples (married or not) would enjoy watching together.
Third positive of Step Up Love Story is the animation. Despite being a show from the early part of last decade, everything holds up quite well. The characters, whether major or minor, look very well drawn. If there were any mess-ups, I certainly didn't see them, as I was too busy watching...other things to notice.
Step Up Love Story's fourth positive is the pricing. Despite only finding volume one of the show on Amazon, new copies start out at $5.99, which won't hurt your wallet in the slightest. Consider buying a copy of volume one with a larger purchase.
Step Up Love Story gets a 6 to 7 out of 10. There isn't any dub, the extras are sparse, and finding both volumes on Amazon is practically impossible, but Makoto and Yura are quite charming, sex is portrayed in a tasteful manner, the animation is great, and the pricing of volume one on Amazon is great as well.
Until next time, stay Otaku!
First appearing as a manga way back in 1997 (which still goes on to this day), Step Up Love Story (also known as Futari H) first aired in Japan on July 26, 2002, all the way to January 22, 2004, and the American release in 2007 by Anime Works. The show focuses on Makoto Onada and Yura Onada, a newly married couple who both have a...problem. You see, our main characters are both virgins, and have very little knowledge on sexual matters. It doesn't help the fact that Yura's sister, Rika, is very active sexually, and tries to improve their night life. On top of that, most of the couple's friends and acquaintances are also sexually active to various degrees, and are trying to help them out as well. So, as Makoto and Yura begin to go through life together, they also try to see if they can overcome their sexual problems and become a true loving couple.
Usually, I do the positives first, but this time I'm getting the negatives done first. It's not that the positives are good, cause there's a couple good ones. It's just that the negatives this time around kinda irk me.
First negative...There is no dub. None, nadda, zip, zilch. The only English that is on here is the subs. I don't mind subs, even bad ones. However, with my brain problems, it's a little difficult trying to watch something and read something on the screen at the same time. I can force it the majority of the time, but there are moments where I'll pay attention to one while ignoring the other, and I'll miss something. So, I wished there were dubs included on this.
Second negative of Step Up Love Story is the extras. It's been a while since I last commented on this subject, so you know that this is major. There are only two extras with this: a trailer for the show, and a textless closing. I generally like a bunch (but not massive amount) of extras, so seeing just these two things is a little bit disappointing.
Third and final negative of this show is the availability. I got both DvD volumes in a package at a con back in 2010, where if I remembered correctly was about $20 (not a bad deal). However, on Amazon there is only one of the volumes available. If you want to get both of them together, look on ebay, or find them at a con in the dealer's room.
Now that the negatives are out of the way, let's get into what makes Step Up Love Story good, and the first positive is Makoto and Yura. You can tell right of the bat that they're a very loving couple, as they would do anything for one another. The love between them is very strong, as at certain points they are put into risque situations that put their love and trust of one another to the test. In the end, no matter how much temptation comes their way, they push it out of the way and return to each others arms.
Step Up Love Story's second positive is how they portray sex in this show. Ironically, sex is portrayed very tastefully throughout each episode. If you've ever watched hentai before, you know that it can get a bit brutal at times, sometimes to the point of disturbing. However, this show takes on more of the tender and occasionally akward side of sex. About the only time that it ever gets kinky is when Yura's sister shows up, as she is very promiscuous. Ironically, despite the various displays of intercourse, Step Up Love Story is not labeled as a traditional Hentai series, but it still isn't something that kids should watch. This is definitely an anime that couples (married or not) would enjoy watching together.
Third positive of Step Up Love Story is the animation. Despite being a show from the early part of last decade, everything holds up quite well. The characters, whether major or minor, look very well drawn. If there were any mess-ups, I certainly didn't see them, as I was too busy watching...other things to notice.
Step Up Love Story's fourth positive is the pricing. Despite only finding volume one of the show on Amazon, new copies start out at $5.99, which won't hurt your wallet in the slightest. Consider buying a copy of volume one with a larger purchase.
Step Up Love Story gets a 6 to 7 out of 10. There isn't any dub, the extras are sparse, and finding both volumes on Amazon is practically impossible, but Makoto and Yura are quite charming, sex is portrayed in a tasteful manner, the animation is great, and the pricing of volume one on Amazon is great as well.
Until next time, stay Otaku!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Goldenboy Review
Happy week before Valentine's Day! With such a sweet (or depressing, for guys like me) holiday around the corner, I figured it would be fitting to review a sweet anime series. A dirty, sick, twisted, and demented series, but a sweet series regardless. So, here's a review for Goldenboy, another sleeper series among the sea of popular shows.
Released between October 1995 to June 1996 in Japan, and put onto DVD in 2007 by Anime Works, Goldenboy tells the tale of Kintaro Oe, a 25-year old prodigy that wanders Japan and tries out various temp jobs. It's found out that he was at the top of the class in Tokyo University's Law School and was going to pass with flying colors, when he suddenly dropped out for no reason. Now, he wanders the land, learning about life and enjoying all the lovely ladies he sees.
We've got some interesting and normal positives this time around. The first is Tatsuya Egawa. If you remember from my Plastic Little review, I credited Satoshi Urushihara as being a positive for that show, and Mr. Egawa is no different here. Although he didn't work on the show itself, he did work on the manga that the show is based off of. Mr. Egawa is very well known for drawing over the top faces, and you'll see a lot of them throughout the show. Even when there isn't a crazy face on the TV or computer screen, the normal faces of the characters can show a lot more than expected.
The second positive of Goldenboy is the story structure. For starters, there is no overall story. Instead, the shows plays out like a journey (across 6 episodes). Kintaro Oe wanders Japan, works at a job that's populated with lovely women, gets in trouble or witnesses someone causing trouble, fixes the problem that he or someone else caused, and leaves for the next job. Meanwhile, the lead female in each episode learn something about Kintaro and themselves, and become smitten with him in the process. It's a structure that works out quite, and lasts until the final episode.
Goldenboy's third positive is Kintaro himself. He's one of the most likeable male leads in an anime that I've seen in a while, and that's because of his character. He's kind, caring, always believes in what's right, and is ready to do some good...even if his methods aren't conventional. Perhaps what makes Kintaro such a good character is that he best described by the quote below:
"Don't judge a book by it's cover."
If you're already a fan of this show, you'll know what I mean, but for people who may be new, I'll explain. You see, Kintaro doesn't look that smart. In fact, he looks like bag of rocks some of the time. Hell, he even sounds like a bag of rocks most of the time. However, the facade of stupidity hides one bright individual, and a decent individual at that.
Goldenboy's fourth and fifth positive is availability and price. Having just come out out back in 2007, it's still widely available on the internet, and especially so on Amazon. Pricing isn't too bad either, as new copies start out at just over 11 dollars ($11.46 to be exact). Ironically, there are hardly any used copies on Amazon, but the prices are just as good as a new copy. Although I wouldn't recommend it, there are some of the original tapes of Goldenboy on Amazon, as well as the original ADV films (R.I.P.) release. If you go for the ADV films (R.I.P.) version, be warned that the few new copies that are left are a fortune ($139.06 is the price for one of the copies), but the few used copies that are available a very well priced ($9.50 is the starting price for the first used copy).
I almost forgot this positive, so please forgive me. The final positive of Goldenboy is the length of each episode, as they clock in at a half-hour. So you can watch one DVD, wait a day or two, and watch the other one. This is definitely one of those shows that you might not want to watch in one sitting, unless you're a diehard Otaku.
In all honesty, Goldenboy is one of those shows that is just about perfect. The animation, the characters, the stories, and all the other things within the show come together to create a nice viewing experience. However, there is but one thing that tugs on my collar. That one thing...is the voice acting.
Over on animetric.com, there's a review of Goldenboy, and within that review the author says that the dub is okay for the most part. I disagree, however, for the most part. The girls (whether older or younger) definitely have good voice actors, as do a few of the side characters (male or female), but most of the male characters don't sound all that good. There's a couple male characters in the second episode that sound like they're not even trying. As for Kintaro, allow me to quote the animetric review:
"Kintaro's dub voice sounds like it was done by a stuffy-nosed guy who has watched one too many "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" movies. I was half-expecting him to blurt out "dude", "awesome", and/or "totally radical" at some point. The fact that he practically screams the majority of his lines doesn't help either."
Goldenboy gets a 9.5 out of 10. Tatsuya Egawa was behind the manga used in this show, the story structure has a wandering vibe to it, Kintaro is very likeable, the availability and pricing are quite good, and the length of time isn't too bad, but the dubbing can leave something to be desired.
Until next time, stay Otaku!
Released between October 1995 to June 1996 in Japan, and put onto DVD in 2007 by Anime Works, Goldenboy tells the tale of Kintaro Oe, a 25-year old prodigy that wanders Japan and tries out various temp jobs. It's found out that he was at the top of the class in Tokyo University's Law School and was going to pass with flying colors, when he suddenly dropped out for no reason. Now, he wanders the land, learning about life and enjoying all the lovely ladies he sees.
We've got some interesting and normal positives this time around. The first is Tatsuya Egawa. If you remember from my Plastic Little review, I credited Satoshi Urushihara as being a positive for that show, and Mr. Egawa is no different here. Although he didn't work on the show itself, he did work on the manga that the show is based off of. Mr. Egawa is very well known for drawing over the top faces, and you'll see a lot of them throughout the show. Even when there isn't a crazy face on the TV or computer screen, the normal faces of the characters can show a lot more than expected.
The second positive of Goldenboy is the story structure. For starters, there is no overall story. Instead, the shows plays out like a journey (across 6 episodes). Kintaro Oe wanders Japan, works at a job that's populated with lovely women, gets in trouble or witnesses someone causing trouble, fixes the problem that he or someone else caused, and leaves for the next job. Meanwhile, the lead female in each episode learn something about Kintaro and themselves, and become smitten with him in the process. It's a structure that works out quite, and lasts until the final episode.
Goldenboy's third positive is Kintaro himself. He's one of the most likeable male leads in an anime that I've seen in a while, and that's because of his character. He's kind, caring, always believes in what's right, and is ready to do some good...even if his methods aren't conventional. Perhaps what makes Kintaro such a good character is that he best described by the quote below:
"Don't judge a book by it's cover."
If you're already a fan of this show, you'll know what I mean, but for people who may be new, I'll explain. You see, Kintaro doesn't look that smart. In fact, he looks like bag of rocks some of the time. Hell, he even sounds like a bag of rocks most of the time. However, the facade of stupidity hides one bright individual, and a decent individual at that.
Goldenboy's fourth and fifth positive is availability and price. Having just come out out back in 2007, it's still widely available on the internet, and especially so on Amazon. Pricing isn't too bad either, as new copies start out at just over 11 dollars ($11.46 to be exact). Ironically, there are hardly any used copies on Amazon, but the prices are just as good as a new copy. Although I wouldn't recommend it, there are some of the original tapes of Goldenboy on Amazon, as well as the original ADV films (R.I.P.) release. If you go for the ADV films (R.I.P.) version, be warned that the few new copies that are left are a fortune ($139.06 is the price for one of the copies), but the few used copies that are available a very well priced ($9.50 is the starting price for the first used copy).
I almost forgot this positive, so please forgive me. The final positive of Goldenboy is the length of each episode, as they clock in at a half-hour. So you can watch one DVD, wait a day or two, and watch the other one. This is definitely one of those shows that you might not want to watch in one sitting, unless you're a diehard Otaku.
In all honesty, Goldenboy is one of those shows that is just about perfect. The animation, the characters, the stories, and all the other things within the show come together to create a nice viewing experience. However, there is but one thing that tugs on my collar. That one thing...is the voice acting.
Over on animetric.com, there's a review of Goldenboy, and within that review the author says that the dub is okay for the most part. I disagree, however, for the most part. The girls (whether older or younger) definitely have good voice actors, as do a few of the side characters (male or female), but most of the male characters don't sound all that good. There's a couple male characters in the second episode that sound like they're not even trying. As for Kintaro, allow me to quote the animetric review:
"Kintaro's dub voice sounds like it was done by a stuffy-nosed guy who has watched one too many "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" movies. I was half-expecting him to blurt out "dude", "awesome", and/or "totally radical" at some point. The fact that he practically screams the majority of his lines doesn't help either."
Goldenboy gets a 9.5 out of 10. Tatsuya Egawa was behind the manga used in this show, the story structure has a wandering vibe to it, Kintaro is very likeable, the availability and pricing are quite good, and the length of time isn't too bad, but the dubbing can leave something to be desired.
Until next time, stay Otaku!
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