Studio Ghibli on DVD

[Michael Kerpan]

The Ponyo extras will not be subtitled -- and the pricing on any deluxe Ghiblii set will be exorbitant. Check out CD Japan and YesAsia -- or Amazon Japan if you can deal with Japanese,

[eerik]

Laputa Blu-ray coming in December.

[Alphonse Doinel]

Nausicaä was also released in July. From what I've heard it looks very good.

Way too pricey for me, but hopefully this means the Disney releases are around the corner. Ponyo spoiled me.

[perkizitore]

The UK Nausicaa blu-ray is much cheaper.

[eerik]

"My Neighbors the Yamadas" is coming as well in December. Specs and details. \:D/

[feckless boy]

Both of the Japanese releases will have English subtitles (=英語字幕), but $85 (7140yen) a piece is quite a hefty price tag.

[perkizitore]

Actually, Laputa is $63 on Amazon Japan but if you include shipping it's closer to $75.

[Finch]

If they released Nausicaa in Japan in July, then hopefully the same 5-6 months window between the Japan and UK release will apply to the Yamadas. I'd get the Japanese Blu in an instant if these things weren't so prohibitively expensive (by the way, they seem to have finally caught on that it pays to have English subs on your releases since the Ghiblis aside, the new Kitano film also gets an english-friendly Blu - hope that it's a continuing trend).

[Michael Kerpan]

No trend, alas.

The blu-ray releases of Haibane Renmei and Serial Experiment Lain have the English dubs included -- but no subs (which could easily have been included). And the trend in live action releases is not good. Fewer films than ever are getting subbed (even by companies such as Asmik Ace, which often included subs in the past). And Shochiku released Yamada's Ototo without subs -- despite including subs on all other new Yamada films of the past decade or so (starting with Twilight Samurai).

[Finch]

Speaking of live action, I am hoping that a Hongkong or Korean company ports the just released Blu of recent Japanese thriller Golden Slumber over with English subtitles. The film sounds very intriguing and I'd have paid for the Japanese Blu if it'd been English-friendly (and I'm only at the beginning of my Japanese lessons but thoroughly enjoying it).

HollywoodReporter

Village Voice

Japan Times

Slant/The House Next Door

[Michael Kerpan]

By the way, even Studio Ghibli releases some unsubbed discs -- though not of the really big name stuff.

[dx23]

Disney put a $10 off coupon for the upcoming Nausicaa Blu-ray/DVD combo in the Rewards website when you enter the code 786936175240.

[Finch]

Blus of Laputa and Yamadas will be released in the UK on 9 May through Optimum: the retail price is steep at £18 but would still work out cheaper than importing the Madman Blu 2 weeks earlier. Think I can wait unless the surely forthcoming Hongkong Blu works out cheaper which I wouldn't rule out given that DDDhouse has competitive prices even on the new releases.

[perkizitore]

They will probably drop down to £16 by street date, it's not worth importing to save £2.

[Finch]

Certainly wouldn't be worth to import the Madman Blu which is probably going to be the most expensive option of all. I haven't seen an announcement for the HK Blus as yet and considering how many new titles I am planning on buying in April already, I can hold off on Yamadas for another 2 weeks and get it from zavvi or HMV.

[David M.]

The UK Nausicaa blu-ray is much cheaper.

Unfortunately, it's also been grain-reduced. It's by no means a travesty but it's inferior to the Japanese version - and knowing which facility produces the Japanese/US versions, I'm going to wait for the American version.

What I really, really want is a BD of Spirited Away. There's been no DVD that's done it justice!

[bugsy_pal]

The UK Nausicaa blu-ray is much cheaper.

Unfortunately, it's also been grain-reduced. It's by no means a travesty but it's inferior to the Japanese version - and knowing which facility produces the Japanese/US versions, I'm going to wait for the American version.

That is disturbing... I was going to go for the UK version because it's a lot cheaper than the Madman version available here in Australia. May I ask where you learned of this issue with the UK version? Do you own both the UK and Japanese versions? And are you saying that the US version should not have the problem?

Do you know if the Madman version has the same issue as the UK?

Sorry for all the questions... but your information may well determine where I spend my hard-earned cash.

I did buy the UK version of Ponyo, which has lovely packaging and the picture is beautiful. I imagine that any grain reduction done to it would be less noticeable than with an older film like Nausicaa.

[Peacock]

Japanese and UK comparison

And here's a comparison of all 3

[perkizitore]

I already own the Optimum blu-ray, i might get the US blu-ray when it drops to $15 or less, but there is no way i am buying the Japanese version.

[bugsy_pal]

Japanese and UK comparison

And here's a comparison of all 3

Thanks - gosh, that's a dramatic difference between the two bluray versions. I prefer the Japanese version with the grain intact. The US version looks like it could be pretty nice too.

I have emailed Madman here in Oz to ask them whether they sourced the Japanese or UK versions for their bluray, or did their own transfer/encode - hopefully I wil get a response.

[Finch]

perkizitore PM'd me to say that the UK Blu's can be had for £15.85 (thanks for the link, perk) but if the Madman Blu is a port of the Japanese original, I may still get it unless Beev or someone else gets an early UK Blu review up that confirms Optimum haven't tinkered with the material this time.

[perkizitore]

I completely agree Finch, although i can't complain about Nausicaa because it only cost me a tenner.

[manicsounds]

dvdbeaver reviews the region A locked Nausicaa

[David M.]

That is disturbing... I was going to go for the UK version because it's a lot cheaper than the Madman version available here in Australia. May I ask where you learned of this issue with the UK version? Do you own both the UK and Japanese versions? And are you saying that the US version should not have the problem?

Compared (reliable) screen grabs of the Japanese and UK versions. I'll try and find you the link. It is not a port of the Japanese version but it's derived from the same master.

The US version should not have the problem because it will be mastered by Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory (where I had the privelege of visiting). They're perfectionists when it comes to video encoding and also understand issues such as grain/director's intent. According to Panasonic, Hayao Miyazaki asked for PHL to master all the future Ghibli BDs (seems like that only applies to the Disney/Buena Vista releases for the US and Japan, though).

The UK version still looks very good, but it has been altered.

Do you know if the Madman version has the same issue as the UK?

I think the UK/Australian versions are the same disc, so yes it will.

The UK version of Ponyo was fine. They didn't seem to touch the (digitally added) grain on that one.

[bugsy_pal]

The UK version still looks very good, but it has been altered.

Do you know if the Madman version has the same issue as the UK?

I think the UK/Australian versions are the same disc, so yes it will.

Well David, your assumption is correct - I received this reply from Madman:
"We authored the UK version, but the materials also came from Japan, so there shouldn’t be too much of a noticeable difference between the UK and Japan’s new version."

While the cleanup job looks pretty good, those who prefer the grain will want to opt for the Japanese or US versions of Nausicaa, if I have that right... I'll take the grain myself....