The Studio Ghibli (HK) Discussion Thread

[disneywildcat]

Originally Posted by Turtleheart

I need to choose between getting the Hong Kong or Taiwan BDs of the Ghibli features, the potentially deciding factor being that they need to be region B-friendly.

I know that they all have "A" on the boxes, but over at the TW version thread Shingster has confirmed several of those to play in region B, and earlier in this thread Pyoko proffered that the HK versions are the same discs – but I can't find any solid confirmation of this. The most I've found is this thread at AVS Forum claiming several of the HK discs to be A-locked, and I can't tell from that alone if the person posting had actually checked or just gone with what's printed on the box. I would take the risk of buying one and testing it myself, but can't this time because I'm buying it as a present.

In order words, if anyone has the facility to test any of these HK Ghibli BDs in a player set to region B, I will be very thankful and will draw and scan a crude 2-frame animation on sticky notes of a scene of your choice.

For the first few releases (which includes Ponyo, Castle in the Sky, Nausicaä, My Neighbors the Yamadas) , the HK and TW discs were the same so both had the Cantonese and Mandarin dubs (as HK and TW have different dialects of Chinese).

But the majority of the TW releases (starting with Arrietty's TW release) are now different from the HK releases, as the TW releases don't carry the Cantonese dub and the HK releases don't carry the Mandarin dub anymore. Not to mention, many of the TW releases have retained more of the JP extras than the HK releases (which typically only have storyboards or if you're lucky, a trailer). This is especially noticeable in Poppy Hill (which has a good deal of the JP extras).

I wouldn't be surprised if almost all of the TW releases are Region B compatible, as a few of them state Region C compatibility (which is important for those living in Mainland China). And the TW releases appear to be distributed by Deltamac on behalf of Disney, as many of them carry the Disney logo on the back. Disney/BVI Taiwan also theatrically releases Studio Ghibli films in Taiwan.

Although Intercontinental Video does distribute both Disney and Studio Ghibli BDs in Hong Kong, it appears that Studio Ghibli's distribution is not part of Disney's home video distribution partnership with Intercontinental, as Intercontinental also theatrically releases Studio Ghibli films in HK (and of course Disney has its own theatrical distribution unit in HK). So it's very likely the HK discs are not burned (and locked) at the same source as the TW discs.

I only have four TW releases (Only Yesterday, Poppy Hill, Yamadas, Tales from Earthsea) and I don't have the ability to test regions, so I can't confirm if all TW releases are Region B compatible.

[Turtleheart]

^ Thank you for making that clearer anyway. Having realised today that I've barely a week left till ✝mas with nothing ordered, I'm afraid that chasing this up any further and drawing any movie scenes on Post-it notes will have to wait until that's over anyway.

So just for now, here's a Totoro in figgy pudding hat.

[Bandit Tajomaru]

Originally Posted by logboy

i wouldn't trust malay dvds for english subtitles - if there's not already a release subbed elsewhere (japan, USA) then they're babel fish translations, and unusable. false economy.

I actually have that DVD and the Malays just took English fansubs and put them on their DVDS. The subs are very good not babel fish. The one thing that is annoying about them is the Chinese dub is the default track so you have to set up Japanese audio and Eng subs every time you place it into your player. Also I think one of the episodes has missed timed subs. I haven't watch it in a while. The Chie the Brat disc is from the Japanese Blu ray so it has a very nice picture. Sad that the gray market is the only place to get Future Boy Conan & Chie the Brat with English subs.

[Mooch360]

I'm hoping Intercontinental announces a release date for The Tale of Princess Kaguya soon...it looks like it comes out in Taiwan (and North America) on Feb 20, so hopefully it will release in HK then too.

[Exist2Inspire]

Hey Everyone,

Apologies for not being here for a while, I was dealing with some personal things, but now I'm back and ready to maintain this and keep discussions going.

I've updated the main pages with the already released Ghibli Films and and added information regarding 'Princess Kaguya'

Glad to be back!

Originally Posted by Mooch360

I'm hoping Intercontinental announces a release date for The Tale of Princess Kaguya soon...it looks like it comes out in Taiwan (and North America) on Feb 20, so hopefully it will release in HK then too.

February 10th! Here's the YesAsia link for it, and I'll get the DDDHouse one up when I get home from work:

http://www.yesasia.com/us/the-tale-o...0-en/info.html

[svenge]

Originally Posted by Exist2Inspire

Hey Everyone,

Apologies for not being here for a while, I was dealing with some personal things, but now I'm back and ready to maintain this and keep discussions going.

I've updated the main pages with the already released Ghibli Films and and added information regarding 'Princess Kaguya'

Glad to be back!

Glad to see you back!

I've been considering getting the HK release of The Wind Rises, and since you have it in your collection I'd like to ask a couple of questions:

1) Are the subtitles the same as on the JP disc? In particular I'm wondering if at the 2:05:56 mark the phrase "Dialog Translation by Jim Hubbert and Rieko Izutsu-Vajirasarn" appears in the subtitles. The reason I ask this is because the review from The Digital Bits states that the Disney US release apparently uses a different translation track.

2) How many trailers / TV spots are on the disc?

[Exist2Inspire]

Originally Posted by svenge

Glad to see you back!

I've been considering getting the HK release of The Wind Rises, and since you have it in your collection I'd like to ask a couple of questions:

1) Are the subtitles the same as on the JP disc? In particular I'm wondering if at the 2:05:56 mark the phrase "Dialog Translation by Jim Hubbert and Rieko Izutsu-Vajirasarn" appears in the subtitles. The reason I ask this is because the review from The Digital Bits states that the Disney US release apparently uses a different translation track.

2) How many trailers / TV spots are on the disc?

svenge,

My gut tells me that it's the same translation as the Japanese release, mainly based on the previous HK Ghibli films. I'm at work right now, but once I get home I can double check that for you.

[disneywildcat]

I got the TW release of Spirited Away and I noticed it includes a virtual version of the dubbing script like the JP releases do. Has this feature been included in the HK releases (I would probably guess not). Just wondering (I can't read Japanese).

[Show spoiler]

Svenge, although I didn't pick up the TW release of The Wind Rises, it's likely that version carries the same English subs as the JP release. The English subtitles on Spirited Away's TW release credit Aura along with Jim Hubbert and Studio Ghibli for the English translation. I also wouldn't be surprised if it has the dubbing script found in the JP release.

[MSZ]

Hotaru No Haka(Hong Kong version) will be out in two weeks.

https://www.buyoyo.com/buyoyo/Produc...67041&prtype=0

[disneywildcat]

When Marnie Was There will be released in two days (May 27, 2015). Special features are storyboards and trailer.

MovieSuper Listing (IVL Official Store)

[OrlandoEastwood]

Hoping for a HK release of Ocean Waves.

[disneywildcat]

Originally Posted by OrlandoEastwood

Hoping for a HK release of Ocean Waves.

Ocean Waves doesn't appear to have had a DVD release in Hong Kong (as least there's no listing on HK based YesAsia for one). I don't know if a Cantonese dub exists as it isn't on the JP BD release (all Ghibli releases released by Intercontinental Video have a Cantonese dub, including the recent release of Grave of the Fireflies, which often appears to have difficult rights issues overseas due to the fact it wasn't a Tokuma production).



Taiwan and Korea have had DVD releases of Ocean Waves. And Taiwan will be getting its BD release on November 27 (with English subs and a Mandarin dub which the JP BD lacks).

[EinCB128]

My apologies if this has been asked already, but I am interested in buying the Japanese Blu-rays of My Neighbor Totoro and Princess Mononoke. Could someone please direct me to a proper web link where I can buy the versions with the correct dub-titles? I don't speak Japanese and I don't want to purchase a bootleg or the wrong copy. Thanks in advance.

[disneywildcat]

Originally Posted by EinCB128

My apologies if this has been asked already, but I am interested in buying the Japanese Blu-rays of My Neighbor Totoro and Princess Mononoke. Could someone please direct me to a proper web link where I can buy the versions with the correct dub-titles? I don't speak Japanese and I don't want to purchase a bootleg or the wrong copy. Thanks in advance.

Amazon.co.jp is your best bet for the JP releases. Check out this thread below.

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=224551

[burnin-snikers]

Hi, guys!
Japanese editions of "Totoro" and "Fireflies" both includes a short "Making of" promo extra on production of these films (with interviews with Miyazaki, Takahata, Nosaka etc.) Does any of HK or TW editions includes it (it should be 15 min. length)? Are any kind of subtitles available to it (Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese.. Any?) Thanks in advance for any info!

[disneywildcat]

Originally Posted by burnin-snikers

Hi, guys!
Japanese editions of "Totoro" and "Fireflies" both includes a short "Making of" promo extra on production of these films (with interviews with Miyazaki, Takahata, Nosaka etc.) Does any of HK or TW editions includes it (it should be 15 min. length)? Are any kind of subtitles available to it (Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese.. Any?) Thanks in advance for any info!

Totoro's HK edition only has storyboards.

The TW edition of Totoro appears to have storyboards, creditless opening/closings, teasers/trailers, and a promotional video, based on rough transitions of the text in the spoiler:

[Show spoiler]
特別收錄:
*繪本動畫
*無字幕片頭
*無字幕片尾
*第1波劇場版特報
*第2波劇場版特報
*劇場版預告
*宣傳影片

It appears that Totoro's TW edition may have the same bonus features as the Japanese edition. However, despite the fact that Deltamac Taiwan distributes Ghibli titles on behalf of Walt Disney Home Entertainment Taiwan, it is not the same disc as the Japanese edition (as the only spoken language options are Mandarin and Japanese, while the JP edition has many dubs on its release).

I don't own the TW edition of My Neighbor Totoro, but I own other Ghibli TW editions. The TW editions only have Traditional Chinese subtitles for the bonus features, while the movies themselves has Traditional Chinese subtitles, Tradtional Chinese Dubtitles, English Subtitles, and Japanese Subtitles. So expect only Traditional Chinese Subtitles on Totoro's Taiwan edition bonus features. Also the JP editions don't tend to have English subtitles on most of its supplements.

As for Grave of the Fireflies, I don't know if the HK edition has any supplements (its not listed in the description on YesAsia). There appears to be a TW release of Grave of the Fireflies, but it is not released by Deltamac Taiwan, so I can't vouch for its release.