Ok, so this Tuesday all of Big O will be released on DVD. There was alot of hype, and promotion for the release. So, we got season two on DVD. But did we get a good DVD release? I think it could've been better. Alot better.
What could have been better? Lots of things. What are things the release could have had?
One thing is extras. Now, season one wasn't co-produced by Cartoon Network, and hardly had any promotion on the release. Yet, it had some good extras. Production Art Gallery, Creator Interview, creditless opening, ending, and that nifty little booklet insert. Now, season two was co-produced by Cartoon Network and had alot of promotion. What extras did we get? Production Art Gallery. That's it. And for people who have the Big O Visuals book, the gallery is nothing new. So what happended to that little nifty booklet insert from the season one DVDs? It was replaced with a mini poster. Why couldn't Bandai give us both the mini poster, and the nifty booklet? Who knows. Now, what could they have given us? For one, an artbox to hold the DVDs. A soundtrack, or a mini guide booklet. The Japanese release had an 8 page booklet with each DVD. Each contained production art, interviews, notes, etc. Why didn't Bandai translate the booklet for the US release? Who knows. There are alots of things they could've done. Maybe do reverisble covers (I'm still pissed at the last cover), give a free Big O manga with the last volume, or a free 'One-Coin' figure. (The last Sailor Moon S DVD came with a free manga)
Next is the lack of the second season opening. Now, the fact 'Respect' sounds like 'UFO' opening is kinda of a reason why they didn't include it. But if it was such a problem, why didn't they edit the song out of the show completely? Not to mention Bandai plays the song on THEIR OFFICAL BIG O II WEBSITE. What difference does it make if the song plays in the opening, or the actual show? Plus, if they could use the song, why not atleast use the animation? The animation with the first season song has nothing to do with 'UFO'. And couldn't they include the second opening as an extra? They used the opening once in volume 3, so why not in the other episodes? I want to hear what Bandai has to say about that.
Now, the Japanese release of the second season was pretty much like the first season release. Aside from the art style of the covers, every thing else was pretty much the same. The backs were black, and had little 'block' screen caps from the episodes. Just like the American release of season one. Now, you'd expect the Big O II DVDs would be just like the first season. Not. The back of the covers were totally different. The back at a very tacky 'Mechaized' theme, and not the slick 'noir' style of the first season DVDs. And the discs themselves look very different. The first season had a very simple black style with a character's head. The second season had some tacky, whacked up, rejected art project look.
Big O and Big O II Discs
Also, some of the menuses were changed on the DVDs:
Audio
Scene Selection
Production Art Gallery
I think the change on the Production art was better, since theres more space to show art. While I think the scene selection has changed for the worse.
</end rant>
What could have been better? Lots of things. What are things the release could have had?
One thing is extras. Now, season one wasn't co-produced by Cartoon Network, and hardly had any promotion on the release. Yet, it had some good extras. Production Art Gallery, Creator Interview, creditless opening, ending, and that nifty little booklet insert. Now, season two was co-produced by Cartoon Network and had alot of promotion. What extras did we get? Production Art Gallery. That's it. And for people who have the Big O Visuals book, the gallery is nothing new. So what happended to that little nifty booklet insert from the season one DVDs? It was replaced with a mini poster. Why couldn't Bandai give us both the mini poster, and the nifty booklet? Who knows. Now, what could they have given us? For one, an artbox to hold the DVDs. A soundtrack, or a mini guide booklet. The Japanese release had an 8 page booklet with each DVD. Each contained production art, interviews, notes, etc. Why didn't Bandai translate the booklet for the US release? Who knows. There are alots of things they could've done. Maybe do reverisble covers (I'm still pissed at the last cover), give a free Big O manga with the last volume, or a free 'One-Coin' figure. (The last Sailor Moon S DVD came with a free manga)
Next is the lack of the second season opening. Now, the fact 'Respect' sounds like 'UFO' opening is kinda of a reason why they didn't include it. But if it was such a problem, why didn't they edit the song out of the show completely? Not to mention Bandai plays the song on THEIR OFFICAL BIG O II WEBSITE. What difference does it make if the song plays in the opening, or the actual show? Plus, if they could use the song, why not atleast use the animation? The animation with the first season song has nothing to do with 'UFO'. And couldn't they include the second opening as an extra? They used the opening once in volume 3, so why not in the other episodes? I want to hear what Bandai has to say about that.
Now, the Japanese release of the second season was pretty much like the first season release. Aside from the art style of the covers, every thing else was pretty much the same. The backs were black, and had little 'block' screen caps from the episodes. Just like the American release of season one. Now, you'd expect the Big O II DVDs would be just like the first season. Not. The back of the covers were totally different. The back at a very tacky 'Mechaized' theme, and not the slick 'noir' style of the first season DVDs. And the discs themselves look very different. The first season had a very simple black style with a character's head. The second season had some tacky, whacked up, rejected art project look.
Big O and Big O II Discs
Also, some of the menuses were changed on the DVDs:
Audio
Scene Selection
Production Art Gallery
I think the change on the Production art was better, since theres more space to show art. While I think the scene selection has changed for the worse.
</end rant>
It sounds to me like they put no effort into the english dvds at all. I would have liked for them to keep the black style dvds, but well, all my complaining won't change a thing. 