The Anime Blu-ray Video Quality Thread

[kevers7290]

Looking for some comparisons between the Bandai release of "Sword of the Stranger" and the Funi release. If anyone has any screencaps, it would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[Clark Kent]

Originally Posted by kevers7290

Looking for some comparisons between the Bandai release of "Sword of the Stranger" and the Funi release. If anyone has any screencaps, it would be much appreciated. Thanks!

This would definitely be interesting. The Bandai BD looked phenomenal.

[pikagreg]

Would take note I don't think Funi ever fixed the subs for the Chinese dialogue in the dub for Sword of the Stranger. You can request a replacement with fixed subs but they seem to be treating it like like Code Geass.

[wesslan]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

This would definitely be interesting. The Bandai BD looked phenomenal.

The Anime Limited UK disc with a collectors edition is also coming August 28.

[Naiera]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

This would definitely be interesting. The Bandai BD looked phenomenal.

This was a Bandai Visual release, which means it's a clone of the Japanese release. If FUNi ran it through their usual encoding setup, their release is going to be inferior.

[Gouki]

So, I think I can almost answer my own question, but here goes...

Over the weekend I finally got around to watching The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. (I am astonished by the restraint shown on Funimation's part, who left the intro and endings un-yankee'd. But they then faceplant by not having the episode previews with the Haruhi/Kyon orders displayed.)

So I'm all set to watch The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, and the GD disc freezes at 1:34. This is the Chinese version, since I wasn't going to spend $200 on a Bandai copy, and screw Funimation.

So barring cleaning the disc and hopping that works, my two options are now the Bandai and Funimation releases.

The Bandai print has come back down to earth, so a sealed copy is now around $75, Funimation is about $30-$45.

Usually the Bandai releases were clones of the Japanese versions, and I hate Funimation with a passion.

Special features look the same except for the Funimation dubbing session which I would watch zero times.

So Bandai release, or submit to Funimation?

[NLScavenger]

Originally Posted by Gouki

So Bandai release, or submit to Funimation?

Screenshot comparison

Not a huge difference in picture quality between the two.

[omarchafa]

I second the Bandai release over the Funimation. There is less artifacts on the Bandai release over the Funi release.

[professorwho]

Your call. FUNi is cheaper and looks good overall, Bandai's is better, but more expensive.

[llj]

Originally Posted by omarchafa

If I want to get Nadia of the Secret of Blue Water, which release besides the very expensive JP release (that I would never buy) should I get? Is the Sentai version any good like no brightness issues, post processing crap, and etc?

It's probably too late to respond now, but I should mention that there are parts of the series where original elements don't exist anymore, so they used inferior masters instead and you can tell. There's only a few minutes total out of the 39 episodes though. Unfortunately these instances weren't on the island episodes, which would have been preferable.

[NLScavenger]

Originally Posted by omarchafa

I second the Bandai release over the Funimation. There is less artifacts on the Bandai release over the Funi release.

Originally Posted by professorwho

Your call. FUNi is cheaper and looks good overall, Bandai's is better, but more expensive.

I actually see more compression artifacts on the Bandai screenshots.

[professorwho]

Sentai's Kyoukai no Kanata (Beyond the Boundary) set of the two films is 3 discs- 2 DVDs, and 1 Blu-ray. Both movies are on a single disc. Granted, they're 90-odd minutes each, but I would've preferred 2 discs. Disappointing.

My source is the US Amazon listing, as it has images of the packaging and discs:
https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Boundary-Ill-Here-Blu-ray/dp/B071RMZ3VS/ref=pd_sim_74_6?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B071RMZ3VS& pd_rd_r=JFWFG4KPP2PNQ82F2865&pd_rd_w=unFCH&pd_rd_w g=aBC5l&psc=1&refRID=JFWFG4KPP2PNQ82F2865

[Gouki]

Thanks guys, I decided Bandai, and found one on ebay for 43.99 shipped!

[bubba111]

Originally Posted by llj

It's probably too late to respond now, but I should mention that there are parts of the series where original elements don't exist anymore, so they used inferior masters instead and you can tell. There's only a few minutes total out of the 39 episodes though. Unfortunately these instances weren't on the island episodes, which would have been preferable.

Haha Nadia was one of the first Anime series I watched, and the island episodes absolutely befuddled me. Why is nothing happening here? These episodes seem pointless! There was such a good story going on -- why this pointless detour?

At the time, I did not realize there was something called "filler" that infected some anime series lol [cough Naruto cough].

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by bubba111

Haha Nadia was one of the first Anime series I watched, and the island episodes absolutely befuddled me. Why is nothing happening here? These episodes seem pointless! There was such a good story going on -- why this pointless detour?

At the time, I did not realize there was something called "filler" that infected some anime series lol [cough Naruto cough].

Anno had Shinji Higuchi direct them, as he worked on the finale of the series- thus the drop in quality.

[omarchafa]

Originally Posted by llj

It's probably too late to respond now, but I should mention that there are parts of the series where original elements don't exist anymore, so they used inferior masters instead and you can tell. There's only a few minutes total out of the 39 episodes though. Unfortunately these instances weren't on the island episodes, which would have been preferable.

Yeah, I did see that when I first watched the show. No big deal since it can't be help.

[zrdb]

Originally Posted by omarchafa

I second the Bandai release over the Funimation. There is less artifacts on the Bandai release over the Funi release.

The Bandai bluray-I have it and it looks great-but keep in mind they're cramming almost 3 hours on a BD50 so it ain't perfect.

[Clark Kent]

Yeah, there is nothing substantially wrong with Bandai's The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya. I've had it for years but the animation isn't the kind that screams visual masterpiece.

But I'm not sure it's worth shelling out extra money for it over a possibly inferior Funimation disc.

[Gouki]

Turns out I bought it from a die hard Gundam fan (User name is Char_Aznable, lol)

[omarchafa]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

Yeah, there is nothing substantially wrong with Bandai's The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya. I've had it for years but the animation isn't the kind that screams visual masterpiece.

But I'm not sure it's worth shelling out extra money for it over a possibly inferior Funimation disc.

No, but people like to shell out the extra cash just to get a slightly better quality. I know I will too.