Tekkonkinkreet!! Yikes!

[Horrorview]

I'm not usually a big fan of the OVA anime stuff as it tends to either confuse the crap out of me, or make me want to slam my head through a wall, but I really enjoy the "feature" stuff like Spirited Away, Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Steamboy, etc.. I'd not heard much of anything about Tekkonkinkreet before Sony solicited it for review, but I got all excited when I saw that it was coming to Blu-ray, and had to request it!

Man, am I glad I did!

I got my copy in Friday and have since watched it three times. Once on Friday, a little buzzed after the Sox/Yankees game, and in no shape to really appreciate the story, then once again on Saturday afternoon and evening (to show a friend). Man, is this thing a treat on the eyes! The animation style looks like a sort of blend between traditional anime, that crazy French flick, The Triplets of Belleville, and that old Aeon Flux series, with a little unobtrusive CGI polishing it off. The story's a bit odd, as it focuses on two orphans named Black and White who rule the streets of a run down city called Treasure Town (fighting off everything from encroaching gangs of other kids to the Yakuza to a bunch of...huge blue guys...from space or something). Still, it wasn't nearly as silly as a lot of the anime stuff I've seen, and I actually found some of it quite touching. The real star, though, is how good this looks on Blu-ray! Yikes!!

I know a lot of people discount HD's benefits to animation (at least HD-DVD fans desperate to make Disney's Blu exclusivity seem like less of a big deal), but Tekkonkinkreet is drool-worthy stuff. The transfer is so crisp and vibrant, even sitting fairly up close when trying to pick out the detail in the insanely complex backgrounds. This is my first HD anime experience (outside of Comcast's broadcast HD, which we all know isn't nearly as solid as BD), and I was floored. I can't wait for Disney to release the Miyazaki stuff on BD!! I can only imagine how good Princess Mononoke will look.

This is obviously not a proper review; I'm just throwing out a quick heads up about this title as it's bound to be a favorite of a lot of the forum's users. Definitely add this one to your "to buy" list!

[u_nick]

Great to hear! I am looking forward to this. It has been at the top of my Netflix queue for a while, but maybe I'll just ignore netlfix and blind-buy it.

How did you get your hands on it so early?

[Blaumann]

Thanks for the review!

Imo animation in HiRes is absolutely great and looks just gorgeous. I'm also drooling for the Miyazaki movies

[MOONPHASE]

Originally Posted by u_nick

Great to hear! I am looking forward to this. It has been at the top of my Netflix queue for a while, but maybe I'll just ignore netlfix and blind-buy it.

How did you get your hands on it so early?

yeah really i want to see this movie now because i am also really looking forward to it. I dont know if this is true or not but i heard that a couple of people who helped make the animatrix series helped out with Tekkonkinkreet (not the people who created the matrix i dont think but someone else).

[Horrorview]

Hey u_nick...I run a movie review site called horrorview.com, and I get movies from most of the studios early for review purposes. I've been at this since 2002. LOL. Way back in the old days!

This was actually directed by one of the Animatrix's producers - fellow named Michael Arias - so it does boast "from the makers of The Animatrix" on the back!

[u_nick]

Ah, very nice!

[Joe Cain]

I'm not so familiar with Tekkonkinkreet, but I've queued it up at Netflix---yay! for online Blu-rental!

Couldn't Paprika see a US BD release next year? Assuming it gets an Oscar nod for best animated feature.

[u_nick]

Originally Posted by Joe Cain

I'm not so familiar with Tekkonkinkreet, but I've queued it up at Netflix---yay! for online Blu-rental!

Couldn't Paprika see a US BD release next year? Assuming it gets an Oscar nod for best animated feature.

Moretonbay reported a little while ago that it's in his system for an 11/27 release.

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=8692&page=14

[CptGreedle]

I might have to get this one, it looks like a lot of HD eye candy, and the story s interesting. Plus, is that an AMERICAN director? Crazy!

[Horrorview]

Just got this in my inbox this morning

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


“One of the most wildly (and disturbingly) inventive
animated films I’ve seen.”
David Ansen, Newsweek

From the Acclaimed Director of “Tokyo Godfathers”

PAPRIKA
Available on DVD, High-Def Blu-ray™ and PSP November 27, 2007


Culver City, CA (September 17, 2007) – From Satoshi Kon, the acclaimed director of Perfect Blue and Tokyo Godfathers, comes Paprika, an anime journey into your wildest dreams. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release Paprika on DVD, High-Def Blu-ray™, and PSP on November 27, 2007. The DVD version of Paprika will retail for $26.96, while the High-Def Blu-Ray™ will be $38.96 and PSP $26.96. This Sony Pictures Classics film will arrive on DVD loaded with special features including four behind-the-scenes featurettes.

Paprika is based on a 1991 story by legendary Japanese writer Yasutaka Tsutsui about a beautiful young psychotherapist whose alter-ego enters people’s dreams in order to understand their subconscious thoughts. Over the years, many directors were attracted to this whimsical story, but Tsutsui chose Satoshi Kon because of his uniquely original
animation techniques. In adapting the story to the screen, Kon hoped to create a world that would surprise the audience. He succeeded, as Manola Dargis in the New York Times called the film, “A gorgeous riot of future-shock ideas and brightly animated imagery …A mind-twisting, eye tickling wonder.”

Synopsis
A group of brilliant scientists have developed a form of psychotherapy with the invention of a machine which enables a person to enter another’s dreams. When the device is stolen by a “dream terrorist,” it is up to Atsuko Chiba, a scientist under the code name PAPRIKA, to track down the apparatus and save the world from madness.

Special features on the Paprika DVD will include:
• “Tsutsui and Kon’s Paprika”: A behind-the-scenes look at the making of Paprika with novelist Yasutaka Tsutsui and director Satoshi Kon
• “A Conversation about ‘The Dream’”: Director Satoshi Kon, novelist Yasutaka Tsutsui, and voice actors Megumi Hayashibara and Toru Furuya talk about production of Paprika
• “The Art of Fantasy”: A look at the art direction with Art Director Nobutaka Ike
• “The Dream CG World”; A look at the cinematography and computer-generated world of Paprika with cinematographer Michiya Kato

The High-Def Blu-ray™ disc will also include “Storyboards” which will feature storyboard comparisons, animatics and photo galleries.

[Joe Cain]

Ask and ye shall receive! Can i get an 'amen?'

Amazon has the placeholder pre-order pages up (they weren't there this morning!): both products described simply as "DVD," but the 2nd has the $38.96 list price ($26.99 from Amazon).

[Horrorview]

Amen, brutha!!

[u_nick]

yay, anime on dvd reporting now too



http://www.animeondvd.com/news/news.php?news_view=12586

yet another preorder for november... yikes! my family is going to have a disappointing christmas from me

[AnimeOnBlu]

Originally Posted by Joe Cain

Couldn't Paprika see a US BD release next year? Assuming it gets an Oscar nod for best animated feature.

Little off topic, but if I recall correctly, Paprika cannot be nominated as it was released last year and did not get nominated.

Originally Posted by GoldenRedux

I already own the French Paprika release from Sony. Is there any reason to get the domestic release? Will there be anything different on it?

I think they might be adding one more special feature, but it should be identical otherwise from the little I have red about the stateside release.

[Joe Cain]

Originally Posted by AnimeOnBlu

Little off topic, but if I recall correctly, Paprika cannot be nominated as it was released last year and did not get nominated.

I may be mistaken, but I thought Paprika didn't see theatrical release in the US until this year---and I'm fairly certain that would make it eligible for nomination for the next Academy Awards. (hmm. next year's animation Oscar---too early for a thread?)

[Existentialist]

In the new issue of Game Informer it has a full-page ad for Tekkonkinkreet featuring a large picture of the blu version with the DVD version behind it. It also says available at Best Buy, so they better have it there Tuesday!!!

[Deciazulado]

Tekkonkinkreet Blu-ray.com Review

[Blodiak]

There should be more Animes on BD... I think Akira is coming soon wich is nice, Princess Mononoke will probably be released in the near future since it's one of the most popular Anime ever (and best). I didn't saw Tekkon yet (it's always over 35$ in stores) but if it's looking as good as Paprika it's a must buy.

[dcfan88]

Now that Sony has the sonyrewards program I had enough points to redeem something so I chose this. I've never heard of the movie (which I feel is odd given I'm an anime fan) but it was free and it arrived today.
I'm not sure when I'll be watching it but hopefully it'll be this week

[Nothing371]

a guy bought a movie and hasn't watched it yet.

A+ 10yr old thread resurrection. Now that was a well-deserved bump.