Saber Marionette J Again - Plasmatic Crisis Collection (Vols 1-3)

Rating:
Summary: Sequel Syndrome
Review: Saber Marionette J was a wonderful series and I highly recommend it. This however, is your typical disppointing sequel. The plot extensions are weak and the characters lack the charm they had in SMJ. As a fan of SMJ, I know how tempting it is to pick up this sequel, even though someone tells you its bad, just because you want more SMJ than they gave you. I did. Take my advice; you can find better stuff to spend your money on than this.

Rating:
Summary: The original was better
Review: THis was a good series, but no where near as awesome as the first. The plot was rather easy to predict, and the voices in any langauge just didn't fit. Also I am all for Hanagata bashing, but in this series it just seemed repetative and pointless. Having the other Saber dolls stay with Otaru was cool, but their outfits were very weird. It was obvious this series was not rated the same as the first, just by looknig at Bloodberries outfit, which no longer has the orange under suit. Flashing otaru seems to be a big thing in this DVD, but everyone knows they would never do it in the original. Also plots seemed too rushed, like Marine's hate for men, and the marrionette's entering puberty. The ending also is rather vague as to whether it is real or a dream. Still if you liked the original this is a good one to watch while waiting for the next to come out. Also Faust seemed very odd, without his cloak and regalia he looked like a biker. It would also be nice to know more about the city of New Texas, as it was a major player in this series, but not in the first series. We also see the use of cars, police wise (originally only guys like Hanagata had one as they seemed hard to come by), and satalites that were never used before. Not to mention some things made no sense, like when Otaru nearly was ran over by the huge ocean liner that was traveling down the cannels in town. (never seen one of those in SMJ). Once again I like the series as a whole, but these 6 episodes were rather weak.

Rating:
Summary: The original was better
Review: THis was a good series, but no where near as awesome as the first. The plot was rather easy to predict, and the voices in any langauge just didn't fit. Also I am all for Hanagata bashing, but in this series it just seemed repetative and pointless. Having the other Saber dolls stay with Otaru was cool, but their outfits were very weird. It was obvious this series was not rated the same as the first, just by looknig at Bloodberries outfit, which no longer has the orange under suit. Flashing otaru seems to be a big thing in this DVD, but everyone knows they would never do it in the original. Also plots seemed too rushed, like Marine's hate for men, and the marrionette's entering puberty. The ending also is rather vague as to whether it is real or a dream. Still if you liked the original this is a good one to watch while waiting for the next to come out. Also Faust seemed very odd, without his cloak and regalia he looked like a biker. It would also be nice to know more about the city of New Texas, as it was a major player in this series, but not in the first series. We also see the use of cars, police wise (originally only guys like Hanagata had one as they seemed hard to come by), and satalites that were never used before. Not to mention some things made no sense, like when Otaru nearly was ran over by the huge ocean liner that was traveling down the cannels in town. (never seen one of those in SMJ). Once again I like the series as a whole, but these 6 episodes were rather weak.

Rating:
Summary: My Favorite Anime in "Mini-series" form
Review: When I first did research on this new installment of SMJ, I was skeptical but eager to buy, none the less. I was very apprehensive because ALL of the voice actors are different! But being the die-hard SMJ fan that I am, I had to update my US release collection and get this one anyway. Let me say, the voices hardly matter by the time you're through this 6 episode set. The voice actors seem to get more and more comfortable in their roles, so that by the end you hardly notice the difference and everything is fine (with the exception of Otaru, the main character, who sounds more "boyish" than ever).
For those of you entering the world of Terra 2 and Saber Marionette J, "Saber Marionette J" was the first set of 25 episodes to come out around 1996 or so. Start there first if you haven't yet. Fantastic series. Then this series, SMJ Again, comes out thereafter and, since it's only 6 episodes, some people consider it to be an OVA prototype for the next series (SMJ to X). I like to think of it like a "made-for-TV mini-series". It takes all of the emotions, drama, action and goofiness of 25 or 26 episodes and compacts them into 6. The production quality is totally AWESOME, from art to sound. The artwork and DVD mastering is crisp and clear with enough incorporation of CG into the ink art to make it eye-candyish without taking away from the plot or looking cheesy. The sound is mixed very nicely in Dolby Digital and is overall exquisite. The soundtrack calls back to the original SMJ scores at points, and also incorporates entirely new themes and ideas. Every episode has a new opening and closing theme sequence (at least aesthetically) and are easier to watch--no temptation to "chapter skip" through to the episode anymore.
Like I've said, the only reason why this isn't 5 stars is because of the voices...they're just not the same anymore, but if you're a subber and not a dubber, the Japanese tracks are the same actors. Whether dub or sub, this is a very enjoyable and at times intense DVD collection that I'm very glad to own. Stay tuned for Saber Marionette J to X to be released after this set! I'll be there to grab it first thing! Will you?