One of the nice things about Bittorrent and the DVD format in general is that obscure television series and movies are available all over the world, as opposed to just the countries in which they were broadcast.
Case in point: anime. Up until a few years ago, the only anime available in the US was the stuff that had been judged commercially feasible enough to be optioned by an American company and released here (usually with an atrocious dub). That meant the “classics” of the genre, like Akira and Grave of the Fireflies, but we were grimly aware (and quite jealous) of the fact that Japanese companies were churning out deep and wonderfully crafted cinema like nobody’s business back home.
Oh sure, if you were one of the truly dedicated, you could wait until a convention came to a nearby city and pay exhorbitant prices for grainy bootlegs, but that was pretty much the only way to get things.
Then the internet happened. Lacking a stateside promotional system of any sort, fans began spreading the word, and as data speeds got better, it became possible to download this stuff. Fansubbing went from being an obscure art form to a cottage industry, and the ubiquity of the DVD format made physical distribution much faster.
Still, there’s a big difference between watching a low-res fansub on the computer and watching a high-quality transfer on the couch. Sometimes years can pass between the original broadcast and the licensed release of the DVD.
Fortunately, most distributors have realized that there really is a market for this stuff in the West, and that window has been getting steadily shorter. When a series like Serial Experiments Lain generates a real buzz, it’s now only a few months before it’s localized.
(Of course, localization sometimes brings its own unpleasant issues, but that’s another point.)
Case in point: Noein – Mou hitori no kimi e.
This was a great series that was broadcast at odd hours in whatever slot was available on Japanese TV. Still, it picked up an avid fanbase, and thanks to some dedicated folks, word spread quickly. Only a few months have passed, and we already have the first volume Stateside.
So, how is it? Well, the original show was an odd combination of sci-fi epic/personal story immersed in Quantum Physics and time travel. Lost yet? Don’t worry. The show takes its time and introduces its concepts gently (though it wouldn’t hurt to read up on some of the stuff mentioned).
Basically, it concerns the idea that existence brings sorrow, but that to deny that pain leads to an empty life. Sure, it involves some guys travelling from a dystopian alternate future on the heels of a dangerous God for which the show’s named, but despite the special effects (which are stunning), it all centers around the decisions of one character.
In case that sounds too sentimental, don’t worry. This isn’t a show to pander. Many of the concepts (multiple universes, causality, mortality) take some real thought to get your head around. You’re given time to think, and alot to think about.
Most of the animation is traditional, with a judicious amount of CGI thrown in. What’s odd is that during scenes of violence or emotional distress, the style often shifts to a primitive, almost charcoal-sketch mannerism that oddly contrasts the crisp computerized stuff.
Bearing in mind that I watched this through on a fansub, I had high hopes for the DVD. The visuals are certainly a vast improvement. Everything’s clear and sharp, with just a bit of antialiasing during hectic camera motion.
The audio is good, but not great, and this is where I felt a bit let down. First off, the dub is actually fairly decent. Not great, but not too bad either. Given that I watched it in Japanese, I prefer the original characters’ voices (Tobi sounds too feminine, and Haruka can get a bit shrill). The actual translation is good, though certain names are mispronounced, it’s not a deal-breaker (Haruka and Karasu should both have emphasis on the first syllable, not the second).
The Japanese track is excellent, though the subtitles are not up to par with the work Shinsen did on the fansub. They’re grainy and yellow, and they lack the footnotes that were a nice touch on Shinsen’s version (yes, with some of the concepts, they helped).
There are 5.1 and two-channel mixes in both Japanese and English. The two-channel is fine, and the 5.1 has a nice punch to it, though it feels a bit tame on the low-end. Dialogue is centered and forward and never lost in the mix, which is good, since when all is said and done, this is a show centered on that.
This is a great series, both emotionally affecting and intellectually challenging. So far, only the first volume is out, with the rest to follow over the course of 2007.