Dval's stats
- Review count279
- Helpfulness votes474
- First reviewDecember 3, 2011
- Last reviewSeptember 24, 2016
- Featured reviews1
- Average rating4.5
- Review comment count9
- Helpfulness votes28
- First review commentMarch 9, 2012
- Last review commentMarch 17, 2015
- Featured review comments0
Questions
- Question count0
- Helpfulness votes0
- First questionNone
- Last questionNone
- Featured questions0
- Answer count2
- Helpfulness votes3
- First answerSeptember 10, 2014
- Last answerOctober 6, 2014
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- Best answers1
![Tekkaman Blade: Complete Collection [9 Discs] [DVD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/prescaled/500/500/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/304b2327-370a-41e7-956a-951dd4939472.png)
This complete collection includes all 49 episodes of the sci-fi anime series Tekkaman Blade, telling the story of Ahi and Noel, two young pilots working for the Outer Space Development Group, whose lives are forever transformed when they happen upon one of the aliens responsible for drastic changes on Earth. Extras with the set include textless opening and closing sequences, trailers, and more.
Customer Rating
5
Old school alien invasions
on November 7, 2013
Posted by: Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Genre: Action, Mecha, Sci-Fi, Drama
Length: 50 episodes, 1,225 minutes!
Length: 50 episodes, 1,225 minutes!
"It is the near future. United Space Calendar Year 192, Alien Radam have besieged the earth, gripping control of the enormous orbital ring that surrounds the planet and bringing down mysterious spores that fill the earth with alien plants. Aki and Noel, two pilots from the outer space development group, find one of the alien lieutenants who landed on the earth in a crash. The stranger claims to have no memory and is determined to fight to protect humanity! His name is D-Boy and he appears to be a normal human until he transforms himself into the bio-mechanical warrior, Tekkaman Blade!"
Make no mistake, Tekkaman Blade isn't anything new. It might be new to DVD, but I remember renting the VHS tapes from Blockbuster back in the 90s. This series came out in 1992 which makes it 21 years old now...time for a drink!? While not mind-blowing, the upgrade to DVD is definitely a much higher quality than the original VHS and is on par with Robotech/Macross, if not a little bit better, in the graphics department.
Tekkaman Blade is the story of humanity's fight for survival amid an alien invasion. All seems lost until one of the enemy becomes their ally. This man, aptly named D-Boy, becomes mankind's knight in shining armor, literally. With his Tek crystal, he is able to equip a mobile armor suit with incredible capabilities. The tide of the war appears to be changing for the best until others similar to D-Boy, his own family, come to destroy him.
Just as a forewarning, this is not a short series. It runs for 49 episodes, has plenty of plot twists, and reuses a lof of the action scenes over and over. Despite this, it's still a joy to watch. There's plenty of action to negate too much dialogue. There's also a 3-part extension called Tekkaman Blade II which focuses on the events after this series of episodes. The graphics in it are a good deal better, and it offers plenty of fanservice with the addition of female Tekkaman fighters.
Good series for anyone to check out. Just make sure you've got some time freed up!
My Best Buy number: 905388050
I would recommend this to a friend!
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This release from the action packed anime series Black Lagoon includes episodes 25-29 from the show, following the story of a group of cutthroat modern day pirates who smuggle all manner of ill-gotten goods across the Pacific.
Customer Rating
5
High-tension shoot out
on November 1, 2013
Posted by: Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Genre: Action, Gore, Mature
Length: 5 episodes
Length: 5 episodes
"They killed her master. Now she'll kill everyone. The follow-up to the critically acclaimed anime Black Lagoon. Brace yourself for a barrage of hot lead and short shorts in the gun-blazing follow-up to the critically-acclaimed Black Lagoon. This tour de violence was inspired by the masters of mayhem John Woo and Quentin Tarantino -- and brought to you by the studio behind Trigun!
The cutthroat crew of Black Lagoon faces their stiffest challenge yet when a Venezuelan assassination sparks a killing spree that spans the globe. Roberta was a reformed assassin until a clandestine clash between politically backed acronyms claimed the life of her master. In the flash of a muzzle, she goes from maid to murderer on a pill-popping, crimson stained quest for vengeance. When Revy and the gang are hired to stop Roberta's killing spree, they quickly find themselves in the middle of an international shootout starring everyone from the KGB to the CIA. The bullets are flying, the bodies are piling upin the street, and Roberta's painting the town red -- with blood."
August 6th has been a great release day for anime. Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II, Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail, and Garden of Words. Haganai also came out, but I haven't picked that one up, yet. Roberta's Blood Trail *RBT* is a total blood-bath that has a seemingly endless number of bodies dropping on the ground. Tons of corpses, severed body parts, foul language, and Revy and Roberta in the shower make for an awesome follow-up to the series.
After Brock's inability to save anyone in their previous adventures, he's out to prove a point when Garcia and another gun-toting maid come asking for his help in tracking down and saving Roberta. He's determined to save someone this time. However, his attempts to save anyone are changing him from the kind, gentle salaryman into someone that fits into the wicked city of Roanapur.Absolutely loved this follow-up to the Black Lagoon series as I felt Roberta was an amazing character. She seems to be an invincible killing machine until you get further into the series and realize how plagued she is by her past. She gets to the point where she can't recognize friend from foe and you see how she earned the name of the Blood Hound. The amount of death and destruction isn't for the weak of heart. Pools of blood, severed limbs, and smashed-in faces are abundant. These episodes surpass the violence of the original series.The series ends with on a bitter-sweet note.
I was happy because of who lived, but sad in the way that it happened. Brock took a step out of the twilight zone to choose a side, but it may have been the wrong one. Of course, Revy knocks the stuffing out of him towards the end, too. Can't have it any other way. Amazing series that I recommend to all fans...of the appropriate age!
Guess Best Buy changed the SKU on this one as my old review was taken down. Back up we go!
My Best Buy number: 905388050
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Customer Rating
3
Side story to the series
on October 24, 2013
Posted by: Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Genre: Drama, Action
Length: 85 minutes
Length: 85 minutes
"When something wicked stages chaos, the Imperial Fighting Troupe sends the divas of the Flower Division to drive steel through evil's spotlight! Sweet Sakura, glamorous Sumire, adorable Iris, tactical Leni, mechanic Kohran, Kana the martial arts master, exotic Orohime, and stoic leader Maria are always ready for action! Just as a fresh face joins the ensemble, other members begin to vanish one after another. When a deviant virtuoso unleashes demons to terrorize Tokyo, it's up to the maidens of metal to pull their act together and drop the curtain on evil!"
Not much to say on this one that's really positive. After finishing the series a couple months back, I was excited to see the movie being rereleased in Blu-ray as well. Going from the previews, I thought it was a newer release with pretty good graphics, but it really isn't. The movie originally came out in 2001 and even with a Blu-ray makeover, it shows its age on its sleeve.
The plot: It's pretty basic in this one. The girls fight the demons, the girls get pulled from fighting the demons, the demons overrun the city, the girls break the rules to get their mechs back and fight the demons. Lachette, a new character from the American branch has arrived in Tokyo to join the Flower Division. Sadly, she doesn't really serve any purpose except for the last 5-8 minutes which still has me scratching my head. I won't spoil it for anyone but let me know if you figure it out.
The graphics are decent, but definitely a bit on the aged side. IG usually does very good CG animation, and for the time I suppose it was pretty good, but it felt way too flashy with the mechs. Really wish they had stuck to the cell-shaded drawings like the series had. Luckily, the movie is in full wide-screen format to fill up new TVs.
Voice acting: To tell the truth, I really disliked both the original Japanese audio as well as the English voice acting. The English version really lacked the emotion needed for a good portayal. And the Japanese version had too much *Engrish* going on! I know English is exotic to Japanese, but for me it really killed the scenes.
Sakura Wars: The Movie is decent. Watch it if you've seen the series or played the games, but if you've done neither then I recommend you stay away. No background knowledge is provided during the movie even for the new characters. It's on my shelf, but I don't foresee myself watching it again.
My Best Buy number: 905388050
I would recommend this to a friend!
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This sharp shooting release from the hybrid western anime series Trigun includes all 26 episodes of the show, following the story of Vash the Stampede, an infamous outlaw who's wanted for scorching every town on the frontier. Of course, there's no proof Vash has ever actually killed anyone, and any gunslinging gal who wants to collect the price on his head might just find herself falling in love with him instead.
Customer Rating
5
Comical hijinks in the barrens
on October 23, 2013
Posted by: Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Genre: Comedy, Action, Drama
Length: 26 episodes
Length: 26 episodes
"Vash the Stampede is a wanted man with a habit of turning entire frontier towns into rubble. The price on his head is a fortune, and his path of destruction reaches across the arid wastelands of a desert planet. Unfortunately, most encounters with the spiky-haired gunslinger don't end well for the bounty hunters who catch up with him; someone almost always gets hurt -- and it's never Vash. Oddly enough, for such an infamous fugitive, there's no proof that he's ever taken a life. In fact, he's a pacifist with a dougnut obsession who's more doofus than desperado. There' a whole lot more to him than his reputation lets on -- Vash the Stampede definitely ain't your typical outlaw."
Trigun is one of the older classic anime series that got a lot of attention from airing on Cartoon Network's uncensored, late night anime block called Toonami. After so many years, I got the desire to rewatch it again. Some things stood out more than in the past and others weren't as big as they seemed back in high school.
The storyline for Trigun is pretty good in my book. I wouldn't call it legendary as Vash's character and the gunfights are much more memorable. You can basically divide the series up into two halves. The first half of the series is very comedy-focused and builds up Vash and Wolfwood. However, the second half turns much darker with the introduction of Knives and the Gung-Ho Guns. Here, we learn the reasons for Vash's pacifism, his origins, and the path that he must take. I do hate the fact that at the end of the series, you still don't know who/what Vash and Knives really are *You do, but it really doesn't make sense*.
The series is a bit older so it's displayed in the old 4:3 *box* format so don't be worried about it not filling the entirety of your flatscreen TV. I wouldn't call the series detail-oriented with the artwork, but it does focus a lot more on the gun designs as well as Vash's coat. Otherwise, it's nothing spectacular.
Johnny Yong Bosch shows why he deserves to get so many leading Voice Actor roles with his performance of Vash here. He, as well as the majority of the cast, made Trigun so popular here in the U.S. with their excellent portrayal of the characters.
Trigun is considered an anime classic here in the States; even though it really wasn't popular in Japan. It's got a great range of characters and emotions which can drag almost anyone in. If you haven't seen the series yet, you're definitely missing out!
My Best Buy number: 905388050
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Customer Rating
4
Bloody conclusion to Blood-C
on October 23, 2013
Posted by: Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Genre: Horror, Action, Mystery
Length: 105 minutes
Length: 105 minutes
"Saya is part human, part monster, and has one thing on her mind: REVENGE. Visions of twisted experiments and creatures slaughtering everyone she loved fuel her thirst for vengeance. With blade in hand and rage boiling in her veins, she tracks her tormentor to Tokyo--where flesh-hungry beasts have begun to feed. There, she joins a group of young hackers hunting for the same man. As Saya slices her way through lies, traps, flesh, and bone, how much blood will she shed to cut down the mastermind behind her madness?"
Blood-C: The Last Dark is the conclusion to the Blood-C anime series. It begins 6 months after the events at the end of the series with Saya finally free and out to hunt down Fumito, the man who destroyed her life. I don't recommend watching the movie if you haven't seen the series first as there's a bit of stuff that will leave you scratching your head in confusion. Heck, there were still things that left me confused after watching both.
The Plot: It was there...and it wasn't. From the start, you know that Saya is out for revenge and after the prior events, she isn't about to let anyone else close to her. The old, naieve Saya is completely gone and instead she has become cold and ruthless. This definitely plays out extremely well. The blood is flowing from the very beginning and, luckily, it doesn't escalate to the levels of massacre seen at the end of Blood-C. The ending felt a bit rushed and the final battle was a bit anti-climatic, sadly. The ending also tosses in more questions than it really solved as well. Also, expect the plot twists again!
Graphics: The graphics for this movie are top notch. Incredibly well done CG animation blends in almost seemlessly and catches your attention from the beginning. Have to watch it on Blu-ray to get the full effect.
The vocal cast did another good job with The Last Dark. Saya and Fumito are the only returning characters *AKA the only characters still alive* and retain the original VAs. If you've seen other Funimation titles, you'll recognize several of the voice actors from other series as well.
Overall, I felt that Blood-C: The Last Dark was a good movie. It definitely has some plot holes and creates more questions than answers, but it certainly entertained me. The gore is still abundant but not as over the top this time around. Enjoy!
My Best Buy number: 905388050
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Customer Rating
5
Old-fashioned movie about ideals
on October 19, 2013
Posted by: Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Genre: Drama
Length: 125 minutes
Length: 125 minutes
"In a world eerily similar to our own, war between the Kingdom of Honneamise and its archrival, The Republic, seems inevitable. But even as the two nations' rapidly evolving technology creates new ways to wage greater and more deadly forms of warfare, a small group seeks to use those same advances to propel mankind forward into the future and into space in their world's first manned spaceflight program. For astronaut candidate Shirotsugh Lhadatt, it's not just a journey beyond the reach of the atmosphere, but a personal odyssey as he grows from an aimless young man into a leader willing to put everything on the line in order to move the human race forward and away from the brink of Armageddon. Prepare to witness the legendary film that revolutionized the anime industry, launched the careers of dozens of today's animation superstars and put Studio Gainax forever on the map as one of Japan's premiere production houses. Staggering animation, brilliant storytelling and a scope that goes beyond epic combine to produce an emotional powerhouse that will send your spirit flying towards the stars with "The Royal Space Force: Wings of Honneamise!"
1987! This movie was in production for 5 years and didn't release until spring break of 1987...I wasn't even 3 years old at this point! With a whopping budget of over 800 million yen #about $8million U.S. dollars today, but a lot more at the time due to higher currency value and inflation#, this movie better have been a masterpiece. And it definitely delivers in a major way.
Love. War. And the Final Frontier. That's what the movie is trying to express and it does pretty well on two of them. War is ever present. As long as man exists, then so will war. What starts out as pretty light-hearted becomes more somber as those unaccostomed to war are the targets of assassinations and invasions due to old fueds. Space: the final frontier. It's the goal of the movie from the beginning even if those involved thought it was a joke of some sort. After discovering his goal or ideal, Shiro changes from a slacker to a man on a mission to explore the stars. Love...it might be there, but I wasn't really feeling it. Shiro definitely has an interest in Riquinni, but she never returns his feelings and doesn't really even seem to understand what love is.
The Blu-ray remaster of this is pretty awesome. No way that you'd think it was made 26 years ago by the graphics. The big goofy smiles are a bit of a giveaway to the older time period as well as the slight Macross/Robotech feeling to the artwork.
Overall, an amazing movie that I'm glad I ordered. Was about to give up on ordering it as I kept on getting processing errors, but I tried again that night and it went through. Arrived in 2 days as well! Pick it up and you'll enjoy it.
My Best Buy number: 905388050
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![The Paradigm Shift [CD] [PA]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2043/2043057_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
4
Similar to their last album
on October 17, 2013
Posted by: Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Went ahead and purchased this one the day it came out after watching the video for "Never Never" on Youtube. I honestly wasn't thrilled with the song the first time through, but I have every other Korn album and I wasn't about to pass this one up without listening to it all.
The first two tracks definitely start off with some of that old Korn feeling; nice hard rock that you want to bang your head into the wall with. After that, it starts to tone back down into more of an alternative tone. All of the songs kick off with a great hard rock beat. But they shift into that much slower pace shortly after the intros. Haven't really picked out a favorite song from the CD so far.
Paradigm Shift might not be my favorite Korn album, but I definitely enjoyed it. Kept it playing in the car for about 3 days and it grew on me more and more. Would love to get another CD like "Issues" or "Life is Peachy", but I doubt we'll ever see one like them again. Should have bought the version with the shirt, but I was being cheap.
My Best Buy number: 905388050
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Customer Rating
4
Goofy end of the world movie
on October 17, 2013
Posted by: Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Pretty funny movie about the end of the world told from the perspective of comedians/actors in Los Angeles. Definitely enjoyed watching it overall. I really loved the fact that the actors don't even bother going by made up names for this. There's not much of a plot except that the apocalypse has come. However, that's where comedians shine. Even with their friends dying in front of them, the jokes keep rolling.
The movie is pretty vulgar, so if you can't handle lots of jokes about male genetalia, then stay away. Watch it and you should enjoy it. Should definitely watch some of the outakes, too.
My Best Buy number: 905388050
I would recommend this to a friend!
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This haunting release from the mysterious anime series Sankarea includes all 13 episodes of the show, following the story of a zombie-obsessed girl whose dreams come true when she inadvertently zombifies another girl - and they immediately become best friends.
Customer Rating
4
Zombies with a heart?
on October 2, 2013
Posted by: Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Length: 12 episodes
Length: 12 episodes
"Zombie-obsessed Furuya is making a potion to reanimate his dead cat when he meets Rea. She's about as miserable as a girl can get thanks to her creepy, domineering father. When the pain becomes too much, she tries to commit suicide with a sip of Furuya's weird elixir. The potion doesn't kill her - but it does turn her into a zombie after she falls from a cliff.
Now that Rea's undead and ready to finally live, she hides out with Furuya, who's always dreamed of having a zombie girlfriend. Their one-of-a-kind relationship comes with some challenges, like the fact that Rea is decomposing. Even worse, her freak-show dad is dangerously determined to get her back under his control. As Furuya fights to keep his ghoulfriend safe, Rea finds the secret to resurrecting her happiness: Live like you're dying - even if you're already dead."
Real quick call-out for anyone looking into this series: The initial release of Sankarea is the television-aired version which is censored. It's not much, but there's a little bit of gore which is covered with mosaics. There might be a little T&A, but I believe it was just gore. Funimation has issued a recall and will rerelease when the uncensored version has been finished. I personally enjoyed the series enough, and since I like to collect stuff, that I will keep this one and probably buy the uncensored one when it's out, too.
Sankarea is a twist on the zombie genre much like *Warm Bodies* was. It's got a solid sotry built into it except for one episode. There's one filler episode tossed in at episode 7 which blew my mind. Episode 6 ended with a cliff-hanger and I was a little irritated with what was thrown right after. Loved the story, but not the characters as much. Furuya is a pansy for the most part and can never confess his feelings for Rea or Ranko, his childhood friend. After you learn what Rea's father has done, he instantly becomes a villian that you really want to see gone.
The graphics are pretty good except for the censored parts. Funimation made a bit of a slip with this, but there's not a lot that can be done when that's what was provided as their master-copy to work with. It should have been caught in production, though. Don't bother with the extras unless you just want to watch textless songs and watch an episode commentary. Was pretty blah for extras.
The voice-actors did a good job, too. Didn't have any complaints with the English dub. Tia Ballard did was great as Rea.
Overall, I enjoyed the series quite a bit. The last two episodes set us up for something that never came to fruition, though. If there isn't a second season, I'll be greatly disappointed.
My Best Buy number: 905388050
I would recommend this to a friend!
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This release includes all 12 episodes and two OVA specials from the fantastical anime series Air, following the story of a traveling performer named Yukito, who travels, penniless, searching for the "girl in the sky." When he forges a friendship with a fragile beauty named Misuzu, however, his destiny takes a turn. Extras with the set include clean opening and closing credits, and trailers.
Customer Rating
5
Heavy drama anime
on October 1, 2013
Posted by: Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Length: 12 episodes + 2 OVA
Length: 12 episodes + 2 OVA
"Yukito is a travelling performer. He moves through this world with only the clothes on his back, driven onward by stories of "The Girl in the Sky." Not knowing when or if he will find her. Yukito wanders, clinging to fleeting hope.
Destitute and near starvation, Yukito's life changes after the eccentric Misuzu offers him food and shelter. This fragile beauty shares her dreams of a life lived amongst the clouds, and Yukito listens closely out of a gratitude which quickly gives way to curiosity.
The unlikely pair grows close, but Yukito cannot escape his destiny, or his past. His need to find "her" is much too strong. Who is the girl in the sky? Does she even exist? The answers twist in the breeze, and the questions float aimlessly through the air."
Friggin' Key, I swear! If someone knows how to push out a tear-jerker, it's them. Keep telling yourself that you don't feel your chest constricting and the moisture rolling down your cheeks is just sweat... Clannad had a lot of emotion behind it, but it also had nearly 50 episodes in total to work with. Don't think I've felt the strings to my heart being plucked as much by an anime series as Air has done. The final two episodes were something else...it might be as emotional if it just happened out of the blue, but the writers made sure that you knew what was going to happen in the near future. That feeling of *No, no, no...don't let it happen like I think it's about to* is used to maximum effect.
Air starts with Yukito and Misuzu, but for the first half of the series, there's more of an emphasis on a supporting cast that is pretty vacant from the finale. Yukito manages to befriend several girls in the town and helps them to find some closure to issues in their lives. Of course they're all filled with drama. At points, you can be crying out of sadness and then out of happiness. A couple episodes focus on the origin of the *Girl in the Sky* and how such a legend came to be. The 2 episode OVA also helps to explore the past even more.
I felt that Air was an amazing series that has a huge focus on the emotions. The plot is definitely not all together, but it comes together in the end and I enjoyed it. Don't expect a happy ending and be ready to wipe a few tears away. Enjoy!
My Best Buy number: 905388050
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Dval's Review Comments
Eliminate your unwieldy collection of remotes and start using one device. A Geek Squad Agent will program your new learning remote control (such as a Logitech Harmony remote) for easy operation of your TV and home theater components. Perform commands like Watch a DVD or Listen to Music with the push of a single button.* This service takes about an hour to complete. After completing your order, you will receive a confirmation e-mail that contains a redemption code. You can then schedule your appointment by calling 1-800-GEEK SQUAD (1-800-433-5778) and following the prompts for Home Theater and Installation.** Please print your Geek Squad confirmation e-mail and be ready when the Agent arrives at your chosen location.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5its work for reciver by wifi bettween 2flooer
By saadcitystar
from nashville
its work for reciver by wifi bettween 2 flooer my reciver in 2 flooer and my tv is doween stires,so its work doween stirs in tv samsung by wifi
Dval
Clarksville, TN
Interpreting
March 9, 2012
I try not to be a grammar-junkie, but I think "saadcitystar" is trying to say that he/she's happy with their remote programming. It sounds like he/she purchased a Harmony remote with RF (radio frequency) instead of IR (infrared) that is capable of sending signals over about a 50' range and can even go through walls, cabinets, etc...
If purchasing a remote programming by itself, the service is $99.99, but if you're having other services done as well (audio setup, wall-mounting, calibration, or networking), the service actually drops down to $59.99.
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![Hide and Seek [CD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2066/20661297_sa.jpg)
Overall4 out of 5
4 out of 5Throwback album
By Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Album came out back on Tuesday and it arrived on Wednesday. Love the quick shipping here.
Hide and Seek isn't quite the same as previous albums from The Birthday Massacre. Couple of the songs have a little bit darker feeling to them, but the overall sounds took me back to music from the 80's and early 90's. Really loving it.
Wouldn't really say that there's any songs that just jump out at you, but it actually works out good for this CD. Really enjoying every single song so I can just keep the entire thing going on repeat. Would be nice to have a killer hit like "Blue" or "Red Stars" thrown in, but the whole thing more than makes up for it.
There's also a Vinyl version available as well, but you'll have to order that through other means if you want it. Definitely recommend this one to any fans.
Dval
Clarksville, TN
Update
December 4, 2012
Have to update this as I've had this CD going for the past month in my car. Truely great CD. Very little pops out because all of the songs are so good. Should have given this one 5 stars.
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This haunting release from the psychological sci-fi anime series Elfen Lied includes all 13 episodes of the show, following the story of a telekinetic girl named Lucy, who breaks free from the torment and torture of a government research facility and is taken in by two kindly strangers - who have no idea that the sweet girl they've discovered harbors a split personality brought on by years of abuse, along with unfathomable powers toa ct on her rage.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Gore and horror at its best
By Dval
from Clarksville, TN
A deadly disease has somehow formed in the human genes resulting in humans with horns called diclonius (sp? Been a while since I saw it). In addition to the horns, these mutants also have supernatural powers in the form of invisible arms called vectors. What's to stop these mutants? Locking them up in a government test facility; testing, torturing, and mutilating them, right...?
Elfen Lied starts out with one of the diclonius, Lucy, escaping from her heavily fortified prison by slicing and dicing her way through waves of armed guards who are powerless against her vectors which can also deflect bullets (from a certain range#. A sniper's bullet to the head doesn't manage to kill her, but it is enough to create a 2nd personality in the form of Nyu who washes up on the nearest beach. There, she's discovered by Kohta and Yuka who had met Lucy many years before but are unaware of her identity.
The series then progresses through gallons of blood, truckloads of body parts, and the battle to stop the spread of the diclonius. Gore, horror, supernatural, and action are the main genre of this anime. You run into a bit of romance (Could refer to Lucy as a tsundere and Yuka is close enough to a yandere) with nothing really ever developing.
Not much in terms of extras besides a few trailers. However, I love the textless opening and closing themes. The opening, "Lilium" is one of my all time favorite songs with its haunting and beautiful melody. Greatly enjoy the closing theme "Be Your Girl" as well.
Despite only being 13 episodes, Elfen Lied has managed to be quite a controversial series. The amount of killing and nudity in the first episode rubbed some people the wrong way. This is one of my favorite series even if it was a bit gorier than I'm used to. Recommend it to anyone who wants a good horror anime.
Elfen Lied starts out with one of the diclonius, Lucy, escaping from her heavily fortified prison by slicing and dicing her way through waves of armed guards who are powerless against her vectors which can also deflect bullets (from a certain range#. A sniper's bullet to the head doesn't manage to kill her, but it is enough to create a 2nd personality in the form of Nyu who washes up on the nearest beach. There, she's discovered by Kohta and Yuka who had met Lucy many years before but are unaware of her identity.
The series then progresses through gallons of blood, truckloads of body parts, and the battle to stop the spread of the diclonius. Gore, horror, supernatural, and action are the main genre of this anime. You run into a bit of romance (Could refer to Lucy as a tsundere and Yuka is close enough to a yandere) with nothing really ever developing.
Not much in terms of extras besides a few trailers. However, I love the textless opening and closing themes. The opening, "Lilium" is one of my all time favorite songs with its haunting and beautiful melody. Greatly enjoy the closing theme "Be Your Girl" as well.
Despite only being 13 episodes, Elfen Lied has managed to be quite a controversial series. The amount of killing and nudity in the first episode rubbed some people the wrong way. This is one of my favorite series even if it was a bit gorier than I'm used to. Recommend it to anyone who wants a good horror anime.
Dval
Clarksville, TN
January 3, 2013
It is in English. Can choose from Japanese w/ English subtitles or English audio.
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This release from the chilling anime series Gunslinger Girl includes all 13 episodes of the show's first season, following the girls of the Social Welfare Agency, who appear from the outside to be orphaned schoolgirls, but are actually trained to be cold blooded killers. Extras with the release include voice director commentary, textless songs, and more.
Overall4 out of 5
4 out of 5Killer girls from...
By Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Genre: Action
"Officially, the social Welfare Agency is a government sponsored corporation that's in the business of saving lives. At least, that's the ruse. In reality, it's an agency on the fringe of technology. They give terminal patients another shot at life using cybernetic implants. This conditioning process then shapes the patient into an effiecient machine for handling all of the goverment's dirty work. They've been given a second change at life, but at what cost?"
Basic plot: Little girls that were about to die have been given a second shot at life, but in return they're basically assassins for the government. The first season here doesn't really do much more than give us a character intro for 6 different girls. The story takes place in Italy which is a huge change of pace for most anime. Plot only got an average score because of the lack of one thus far.
Cinematography: The graphics are very visually appealing. Seeing everything out in the Mediteranean is a good change from the streets of Japan. The character designs themselves aren't very well done, though. They're really kind of normal. However, there's a ton of detail put into the outfits, guns, and scenery. Found it kind of odd, but the Blu-ray version is definitely nice and crisp. No jagged edges around the faces like on DVD versions.
Acting: Loved the English voice-acting and didn't touch the original Japanese. Kind of want to just to hear they're versions of each girl.
Extras: Non-existent. Not a single trailer, commentary, or even a textless opening or ending. Bare bones.
As the first reviewer posted, the story is a little disturbing. If you can get around little girls being used as military dolls, then the action is quite nice and I really enjoyed it. Just not the best series out there. Should definitely pick it up if you like anime, though.
Dval
Clarksville, TN
Part 2
January 3, 2013
Completely forgot about the extras on disc 2. There are actually quite a few. The voice-actor commentaries about their own characters are really enjoyable. Would bump the Extras up to 4 stars, but it wouldn't change the overall rating.
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Overall3 out of 5
3 out of 5meh...
By lobb152
I just didnt like this movie as much as the other two.
Dval
Clarksville, TN
February 13, 2013
Any particular reasons why? Story, cast, etc...?
+1point
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This mind-bending release from the psych-horror anime series Deadman Wonderland includes all 12 episodes of the show, following the story of a high school boy who is unjustly jailed for the murder of his class in a prison system that fits him with a collar constantly injecting him with poison. The poison can be neutralized if he can take regular doses of the antidote often enough, though these can only be obtained through prison work.
Overall4 out of 5
4 out of 5Supernatural prison
By Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Genre: Supernatural, Action, Drama
Length: 12 episodes + OVA
Length: 12 episodes + OVA
"Ganta is the only survivor after a mysterious man in red slaughters a classroom full of teenagers. He's framed for the carnage, sentenced to die, and locked away in the most twisted prison ever built: Deadman Wonderland. And then it gets worse.
At Deadman Wonderland, convicts are forced into brutal deathmatches for the amusement of the masses, the cheers of the crowd drowning out the screams of the dismembered. Even when Ganta befriends Shiro, an unusual female inmate, his dark fate crushes all hope – until he discovers the strange ability to wield his spilled blood as a weapon. Ganta learns his new skill might be related to the murderous man in red and uncovers disturbing secrets that could expose those who stole his freedom. He's determined to see justice served – but first he'll have to fight for his life in a prison that holds a million ways to die."
Deadman Wonderland is a decent series that gained attention in America after Cartoon Network aired it on the Toonami animation block when it was reincarnated back in 2012. I caught the first 2 episodes, but never got around to watching the rest. The series is filled to the brim with blood, gore, and action. The English dialogue is pretty racy as well. It does an excellent job with the shock factor. You just know someone is about to die, but it can be a little hard to predict how it's going to happen. Sadly, the series is quite rushed and a ton of knowledge is never made known. There also isn't really a true ending. Red Man remains a mystery, sort of. What relation does Shiro and Ganta have? Don't want to spoil any of the ending, but it pops up just as many questions and doesn't really answer anything. It leave tons of room for a 2nd season, but I haven't seen anything in the works, yet.
I enjoyed the series overall even with the rushed ending and lingering questions. My brother was also a fan and admitted that he was a little confused with the entire thing. This is a great value on a pretty good series. Pick it up!
Dval
Clarksville, TN
Reply
August 7, 2014
That's correct. First two black discs are the DVD version while the last 2 light blue discs contain the BD versions.
+1point
1of 1voted this comment as helpful.
Sony XBR-55X850B 4K Ultra HD TV: This TV ushers in the future of high-definition with 4K — 4x the resolution of Full HD. Catch every stunning detail of the big game, and enjoy your favorite movies and shows with outstanding clarity. Plus, take advantage of Smart TV features like Web browsing, streaming video and social network integration.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Good entry level 4K TV
By Dval
from Clarksville, TN
Bought this TV in late June after having originally gotten the 65W950B model instead. There are a few things that could be improved upon, but it's excellent for its price range. Here's the round up:
Pros:
Great picture quality. 4K resolution is truely amazing when you have 4K content playing on it.
4K Xreality Pro: Upscaling works out quite well. I only have basic cable set up and it honestly made the picture look like it was HD quality. Sure, it didn't look like 4K, but you can't expect to make a 480p image look close to 4K resolution.
TriLuminous display: This is the big point for me when picking the Sony over the Samsung models. Sony gives better colors than Samsung which tries to focus too much on aesthetics and brightness.
Smart features: Easy to use and navigate. Had it connected to the internet in under 5 minutes after setting up and was streaming 4K videos off of YouTube and Netflix.
Great picture quality. 4K resolution is truely amazing when you have 4K content playing on it.
4K Xreality Pro: Upscaling works out quite well. I only have basic cable set up and it honestly made the picture look like it was HD quality. Sure, it didn't look like 4K, but you can't expect to make a 480p image look close to 4K resolution.
TriLuminous display: This is the big point for me when picking the Sony over the Samsung models. Sony gives better colors than Samsung which tries to focus too much on aesthetics and brightness.
Smart features: Easy to use and navigate. Had it connected to the internet in under 5 minutes after setting up and was streaming 4K videos off of YouTube and Netflix.
Cons:
Audio: Sadly, this model doesn't feature any improved sound qualities. If you want better sound, then you need a separate sound system or you'll want to step up to the X900B series which starts off at 65".
Search feature: Using the search feature within the TV is a pain in the butt. Type something in and it's likely to pull up a few million hits off of YouTube rather than searching for what you wanted on the TV. Had to go to the very end of all the apps just to find the web browser option.
Audio: Sadly, this model doesn't feature any improved sound qualities. If you want better sound, then you need a separate sound system or you'll want to step up to the X900B series which starts off at 65".
Search feature: Using the search feature within the TV is a pain in the butt. Type something in and it's likely to pull up a few million hits off of YouTube rather than searching for what you wanted on the TV. Had to go to the very end of all the apps just to find the web browser option.
While I count audio as a con here, if you're spending this much on a TV, then you shouldn't be in a stretch just to add some form of external speakers. Decent soundbars run as cheap as about $200 while the better quality ones range from $350-$600. If you want some great audio, then you save $300 off of the Sony ST7 soundbar with the purchase of this TV. Usually $1300 for it as it's a premium soundbar option.
I really wanted the X950B model, but alas, $8k is a bit outside of the realm I want to spend on a TV. Aside from the lower quality audio and lower contrast range, this model is a great alternative for almost 1/4 of the cost. Definitely can't go wrong with it!
Dval
Clarksville, TN
August 7, 2014
In regards to the W950B, I have to place it as the best-looking non-UHD TV on the market (not counting the Samsung F8500 plasma). I prefer the picture quality, color, and contrast that it provided instead of the X850B series. The speakers are pretty good and the built-in subwoofer actually rumbles nicely, too. The sheer amount of calibration settings is insane compared to any other TV I've gone into as well. Aside from the 4K display capability, the W950B beats it out in pretty much every department in my opinion. In the end, I was looking for a 4K TV, and the 65W950B was a bit too large for my space, so that's why I settled on the X850B instead.
+15points
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Keep your air clean and healthy with this Therapure 90TP50RM01 mini air purifier that is designed for areas up to 5 sq. ft. Stainless-steel collection blades allow easy cleaning and ultraviolet light destroys airborne viruses.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Not what I was looking for, much better
By kakky
from Houston
Came in looking for a new portable radio. Salesman guided me to a blue-tooth speaker to connect to my phone instead. Can also use this with my MP3. Works much better than the radio would have and great sound. Helpful salesman did a bit of technology training to help me get it set up.
Dval
Clarksville, TN
Wrong item?
August 18, 2014
Hey there. I think you may have gotten the wrong item for your review. Sounds like you purchased a bluetooth speaker instead of an air purifier.
+5points
5of 5voted this comment as helpful.
This set serves up every episode of the anime series Coppelion.
Overall3 out of 5
3 out of 5Great anime!
By ACEACE
from CORONA
Picture and cgi excellent. Story excellent. But I gave it 3 stars because the sound is pcm only. That means stereo not 5.1 dolby digital much less DTS. Why they don't spend the money on the sound affect on Bluray is completely troubling.
Dval
Clarksville, TN
sound in anime
March 17, 2015
It'd be great to have more titles with full 5.1 or 7.1 dolby digital sound, but it's pretty rare outside of the big movies. Really long answer so I'll just paste the response from the animenewsnetwork for you.
Audio is important, and many fans are becoming more and more concerned with making sure that they're getting the best quality audio possible when they fork over the money for a shiny disc of their favorite show. But with so many different formats, which one is best? Which ones should you be asking for? Sometimes the difference is negligible or non-existant, other times it makes a huge difference.
Let's start with the easy one: why some shows have 5.1 mixes for the dub, but not for the original Japanese. I've answered previously on this column that most TV anime doesn't bother with anything more than a stereo (2.0) mix because the Japanese broadcast standard doesn't really support 5.1 audio, and given how big home theater systems aren't as common in Japan for a number of reasons, they generally don't bother remixing for 5.1 when it comes time to release the discs on home video. However, when making the dub, an American publisher might think 5.1 is worth the extra work. If they're already set up to do 5.1, the audio has to be remixed anyway, so it is an opportunity to have a nice added feature for dub fans.
5.1 mixes require special equipment, take a lot more time, and are harder to check for errors (and requires a lot more office space to do so), so it's often not practical to do 5.1 mixes for everything. They can also cost more money. The decision to make a 5.1 mix is made on a show-by-show basis, based on whether the Japanese is 5.1 (usually just movies and some high-end OAVs) and how much the show is predicted to sell.
As for what format in which they're stored on a disc, these days you generally see 4 different kinds of audio tracks:
• Linear PCM (Completely uncompressed, basically just a WAV file. Takes up a lot of space, especially in 5.1.)
• Dolby Digital (AC3) (Lower quality, like an MP3, but takes up a lot less space. Supported by DVD and Blu-ray.)
• Dolby TrueHD (Blu-ray only. The full quality of the WAV file, but compressed to a more manageable size. Still much bigger than AC3, however.)
• DTS Master Audio (Blu-ray only. For the end user, pretty much identical to Dolby TrueHD.)
• Linear PCM (Completely uncompressed, basically just a WAV file. Takes up a lot of space, especially in 5.1.)
• Dolby Digital (AC3) (Lower quality, like an MP3, but takes up a lot less space. Supported by DVD and Blu-ray.)
• Dolby TrueHD (Blu-ray only. The full quality of the WAV file, but compressed to a more manageable size. Still much bigger than AC3, however.)
• DTS Master Audio (Blu-ray only. For the end user, pretty much identical to Dolby TrueHD.)
When you make a DVD or Blu-ray, you are tasked with squeezing a lot of data onto a finite amount of space, so compression can be very important. Wasting too much bandwidth on audio means you might have to sacrifice video quality. The above compression formats are essential ways to get the most quality out of an audio track without having an unwieldy amount of data to contend with.
Audio quality obsessives swear that Dolby Digital AC3 audio has a lot of distortion and they can DEFINITELY tell a difference. I am skeptical. I've definitely heard bad AC3 encodes that definitely affected audio quality, particularly in very early DVDs, but there has never been a double-blind study that shows even audio experts can tell a difference at higher bitrates (and quite a few proving that nobody can tell at all). At any event, the presence of "lossless" audio (in either LPCM, DTS-MA or Dolby TrueHD) has become an important marketing bullet point for Blu-ray discs, so whether people can REALLY tell the difference or it's all a placebo effect, who am I to argue.
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Dval's Questions
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Dval's Answers
Sony XBR-55X850B 4K Ultra HD TV: This TV ushers in the future of high-definition with 4K — 4x the resolution of Full HD. Catch every stunning detail of the big game, and enjoy your favorite movies and shows with outstanding clarity. Plus, take advantage of Smart TV features like Web browsing, streaming video and social network integration.
Transmitter
I wanted to know if i still need to hook up a 3d transmitter to the tv to get glasses to work with the 3d view? The transmitter that came with the glasses does not have the rite connection to hook up to the back of this tv. this is what the transmitter looks like http://images.highspeedbackbone.net/SKUimages/gallery/large/S190-0101-call04-mm.jpg
That's odd. I didn't get any piece like that in mine and never saw one like it when opening displays in the store either. However, you won't need that to enjoy 3D viewing. You can choose to do the 2D-3D conversion on the television or just make sure you have a 3D Blu-ray player (or PS3/PS4) and 3D content. WIth the TVs being Passive 3D instead of Active, there's no need to sync them with the TVs anymore either.
10 years ago
by
Dval
Clarksville, TN
Sony XBR-55X850B 4K Ultra HD TV: This TV ushers in the future of high-definition with 4K — 4x the resolution of Full HD. Catch every stunning detail of the big game, and enjoy your favorite movies and shows with outstanding clarity. Plus, take advantage of Smart TV features like Web browsing, streaming video and social network integration.
Are the television remotes compatible with my time warner cable box (Cisco 8742 HDC)?
The TV remotes will not be compatible with your cable box as they're not designed to be universal remotes. However, your Time Warner remote should be able to program to the Sony TV.
10 years, 1 month ago
by
Dval
Clarksville, TN