KITE (1998) - Allegro release on blu-ray

[GasmaskAvenger]

So this is the version with the smut scenes but in HD, right?

So it looks like I can now buy both Kite animes on blu-ray now, as I didn't want the edited cut.

[CrazyBlu-RayFan]

Originally Posted by SPIDERone

Wow.. Finally after how many years? they're actually releasing this it seems!

The way they're stacking these discs do worry me a bit though! I have to wonder if they're pressed or just BD-R's.

As you can clearly see in the pic in your post, the insert of this has the official Blu-ray logo:

[Show spoiler]

BD-R's can't use that logo for reasons, so these are fully pressed discs.

[Kriztoffer Swank]

Originally Posted by GasmaskAvenger

So this is the version with the smut scenes but in HD, right?

Being fully HD isn't a given. The previous censored cut of Kite had numerous poorly-unconverted scenes. When it was HD, it looked beautiful. I'm waiting for a review/breakdown from someone willing to be the guinea pig on this first. If it were the full, uncut version of Kite entirely in HD, or even with the SD inserts upconverted properly, I might pick it up.

[SPIDERone]

Originally Posted by YoungCrazyBlu-RayFan

As you can clearly see in the pic in your post, the insert of this has the official Blu-ray logo:


BD-R's can't use that logo for reasons, so these are fully pressed discs.

Even though that's a thing, MediaBlasters (and their other companies) do tend to do some funky stuff, so I wouldn't be surprised if they used the logo regardless, but a good sign at least! Hopefully it turns out to be true!

My order is "Shipping Today" on amazon - I'll throw a follow-up on here with some impressions once it arrives.

[OutOfBoose]

Any updates on if it's an upscale or OCN?

[Monroville]

It is not just a matter of being "uncut", as the version on dvd in Germany not only has the uncut adult material, but different edits of how the scenes play:

The cut international version by Media Blasters compared to the uncut German DVD by I-ON New Media (definitely NSFW):
https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=125270

Can anyone find a larger picture of that blu-ray cover (so we can zoom in to the lower left area for a clearer look at the specs)?

[SPIDERone]

Just got this in today - haven't watched it but I did scan through it -

Disc does appear to be a pressed disc (not a BD-R). According ot the box it's Region A, BD-25, 1.33:1 ratio, 4 audio tracks (Japanese PCM 2.0/English PCM 2.0 stereo/Japanese 5.1 Dolby Digital/English 5.1/Dolby Digital). 2 Subtitle tracks (English and Slates).

I did pop it in and these appeared to all be correct. The film runs just over 51 minutes (51:25, I believe) and a quick scan does appear to be the uncut version.

There is a big disclaimer at the start that reads:

PLEASE NOTE
IN AN EFFORT TO PROVIDE THE VIEWER WITH THE BEST HIGH DEFINITION RESTORATION OF KITE, SOME IMPERFECTIONS AND CONTENT DIFFERENCES EXIST DUE TO THE CONDITION OT THE ORIGINAL FILM AND VIDEO ELEMENTS.
WE TRUST YOU WILL UNDERSTAND AND ENJOY THIS NEW PRESENTATION.

The majority of the video looks great. I watched it on a 4K UHD TV (LG OLED 65") and Oppo UDP-203 (4K) player and it looked great.. but sure enough those lower-quality elements kicked in around 28 minutes and the quality seemed to drop to about 360p. Fortunately, these seemed to all be quick clips (2-3 seconds) until around the 40-ish minute mark when they become a bit longer.

I can't say how it compares to the other releases, but for the most part this one does look great.. until those scenes kick in.

The extras are 2 interviews which appear to be in 480p and some storyboards/galleries.

If anyone has any specific questions on it, or anything you want me to check, let me know!

[OutOfBoose]

I see. Gotta order then.

[asmodeux21]

The HD footage is very beautiful, colorful, detailed, and film like. Other than minor inherent film related debris, it looks gorgeous. However, the SD footage( admittedly a small percentage of the movie) is a real let down. It looks like no effort was made in trying to make the SD shots look better. It's not only soft and muted in comparison to the HD footage, but there are annoying jaggies as well. Thankfully, the majority of "Kite" is in HD and does indeed look wonderful for the most part. I would recommend it even if the video is flawed in some sections.

[DJR662]

Thanks for the heads up, guys.

I have a couple of questions.

What exactly is the deal with the uncut footage not being available in HD, is this a case like Silent Night Deadly Night in which the uncut footage just doesn't excist anymore? Is the SD footage comparable to the US uncut DVD from Kitty?

If this is the best Kite is ever going to look and in its most complete form (even though with SD inserts), then I think I will order this one too.

[OutOfBoose]

Any confirmation that uncut material is SD on this release?

[Zen_Amako]

Originally Posted by OutOfBoose

Any confirmation that uncut material is SD on this release?

As I understand it (don't have the disc yet), the uncut material is mostly HD with some SD inserts where the original film wasn't available (like the rest of the anime). The is not a case where the lower quality bits are just the uncensored cuts.

[OutOfBoose]

I have the old director's cut DVD and the cut blu. I'm about to order, but I'm not sure if it's worth it. If uncut scenes are SD, then I'll pass. Anyway, I hope someone who owns the disc already will clarify.

[SPIDERone]

I've got the new uncut disc and the "uncut" scenes do match the HD-Quality of the rest of the film. It looks like it was all done as part of the same restoration (?) and possibly just cut down to the edited version from that content for the earlier release.

The SD-Quality scenes are mostly random bits and pieces (2 seconds of someone smoking, 10 seconds of dialog, 3 seconds of walking). The new scenes are high-quality -

[GasmaskAvenger]

There's only like a super brief amount of uncut hentai footage upscaled from SD. Almost all of it is real blink or you'll miss it moments.

[Member-167298]

Is there a possibility that the sale and possession of hentai like this is illegal in the US?

I had never heard of Kite until recently and when doing my usual internet background research I came across this article:

http://nerdreactor.com/2014/01/20/he...-in-handcuffs/

[Kriztoffer Swank]

So is the uncut Kite Blu-ray from Kitty Media worth getting? The cut Blu-ray looked good when it was in HD, but the upscaled SD footage was really miserable. I wonder if they upscaled the footage better this time around.