Beanbioca
As Good As It Gets
Nessieldwi
Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.
Curt
Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.
tdarwish2
I think another (maybe the first) reviewer said it best: "I can't believe there aren't more reviews here!" The original Japanese title for this show is "Uchuu Senkan Yamato" (Space Battleship Yamato). I believe it came out in 1974 in Japan, but was Americanized and released in the US in 1979. Be that as it may, this is, has been, and probably will be my favorite anime series of all time. Not only do I like it because it brings back great after-school memories of congregations of neighborhood kids, but it has a very believable and emotional storyline. Not many series I know of devote an ENTIRE episode to having an emotional goodbye to families before the Argo (Yamato) leaves the Solar System. There are so many well-developed sub-plots...you'll just have to see for yourself if you've never heard of this. It is a GEM, and if you like sci-fi at all, you will not be disappointed. Of the 3 series, my personal favorite is the "Quest for Iscandar." Rent it, buy it, or borrow it if you can. With VHS tapes becoming obsolete, you can get them cheaply on e-bay. I own all the VHS tapes, and the American DVDs recently put out by Voyager Entertainment. But I must say to the purists who aren't aware of this: get the 9-DVD set from www.sundevildvd.com. I am not affiliated with them in any way, but they offer a "Star Blazers DVD Bundle." It is the ENTIRE 78-episode series (Quest for Iscandar, The Comet Empire, and The Bolar Wars) for less than $100. One catch: the language is Japanese, but if you can bear the not-perfect-but-acceptable English subtitles, that's the way to go. All of these episodes are COMPLETELY UNCUT, and you'll see just how much footage was cut from the American versions! Desslok with his original Japanese voice sounds as cool as Mr. Eddie Allen doing his voice in English.They just don't make 'em like this anymore. Watch one, and you'll be hooked.....I can just about guarantee it. Enjoy.
arch29
The animation is a bit crude by today's standards, but only on the surface. Its style and heart are still unique and compelling, and clearly each frame is lovingly crafted. The music is phenomenal and moving, especially given that it was probably taken from the original 1974 film. The SF ideas presented (e.g. holography room, space/time warps, etc.) are borrowed by many films and series that have followed. The plots, though overly dramatic sometimes, are poignant and epic nonetheless. Overall, the series is rough on the edges, with many minor flaws such as character inconsistencies and scientific factual blunders, not to mention the gross inefficiency of using a seagoing battleship design for a space cruiser. However, the core of it is pure genius and I'm held in rapt admiration of it.The references to World War II are obvious: fighting an almost hopeless war against an evil, corrupt empire. The enemy leader, Desslok, even looks like a Nazi with the uniform he wears. The story is emotionally driven: fraught with patriotism, sacrifice, and the desperation to save Earth. The writers employ healthy doses of characterization and detail, something sadly lacking in most other series. Lots of morality and spiritualism are brandished effectively such as (paraphrased) "don't destroy other worlds in desperation, even though Earth will die in less than a year", "with great power comes great responsibility", "take pains not to harm indigenous life on other worlds", "take the blame for your actions and move on", "in spite of all the Capt has lost, he goes on, indomitable", and "your brother survives in you."Part of the series' attraction is the epic space battles. The see the animators craft the ships and their weaponry, and put them into action, is a sight to behold. "Space planes" soar in formation around the enemy and bristle with missiles and torpedoes. Weapons of mass destruction are brought into play to save the day. And the battleship Argo itself is such a work of art. Its splendor is shown off in a vast array of combat attitudes. They couldn't resist having the ship land in on an ocean, so that its seagoing superstructure and profile could be admired (powerfully reminiscent of the sea battles in our history). Overall, the heroic spirit personified by ship and her crew is exploited to the hilt, and it's hard to resist cheering for them in spite of the melodrama.
peter07
This series shaped my childhood as well. I would love watching them after or before school. It was a breath of fresh air from all the corny other cartoons on TV in that it had a real plot and REAL drama.I have bought the entire six-DVD set of the first series on Gamalon. I hope they come out with the second and third series on DVD as well.
runner-15
I have not seen this show in a number of years but my memories of it are quite fond. It introduced a realism in animation that you didn't often see before. I.E. People really die and stay dead, and also it presented a real story line. I would love to see this series return to T.V. I would definitely be a viewer.
