I didn’t remember Devil Hunter Yoko was that ecchi. Of couse, it was the 80’s; everything had gratuitous breasts back then. (One area in which the modern world is not an improvement, IMHO.)
Caught Strike Witches at CrunchyRoll. I’m sold on this show, it’s the early winner for summer. It’s hitting all the right notes since it toned down the fanservice for episode 2. I picked up the $5 version, which I don’t think is really any better than the $3 version; you just get 2 extra types of file and an animated GIF. Next week, I’ll grab the $3 version and compare. I’m downloading it right now, but it’s a 300+ MB .avi file, which makes me think they have crappy compression. Thirty minute DL; I don’t have a super fast connection.
Gravion, Grenadier or Witchblade next? Or load up Mai’s episodes in Kanon?
Hm. Gravion it is…. tomorrow, I think.
Update: Steven gave it a try too. Yes, CR’s offer of SW is legit…for that series. They’re just using the same mechanism CR has been using to “request” donations all along, and Gonzo gets a cut. CR has a lot of pirated programs too, and the interesting thing is, Gonzo didn’t demand that CR eliminate all piracy from their site before letting them have their shows. I figure they’re “agreeing to disagree” long enough to see if it’s a moneymaker, and if it is, CR will shed their pirate roots and “go legit” if they can get enough other studios to sign on.
I disagree about the resolution; I think it’s HD… in a small format, about 740 * 480? It does look a bit fuzzy when expanded to full screen, but it’s far better than the streamed version, which had heavy pixelating. So far, I see this:
Pluses:
It’s legal.
There’s no wait for a fansubbing group that *might* do it. (Kamen no Maid Guy, anybody? Anybody????)
The sub quality is not perfect, but above average. Certainly above some groups I’ve watched.
No DRM at Crunchy!!!!
Minuses:
Video quality is acceptable, but not up to DVD standards. I would not watch on a full size TV, I think.
Larger than normal file size.
So I can wait an unknown amount of time, pay nothing, and torrent a higher quality video, with a possibly iffy translation, or I can immediately go to CR and pay $3 for a slightly lower quality video. Damn, we’re getting there. This is actually a “decision point” for me; I’m not sure which way I’d go in general. If I had a larger monitor, it’s definitely a “no” because of the video quality. But Gonzo isn’t going to want to take the video up a notch on DRM-less files; the obvious trap is that Gonzo wants us to buy the program now to enjoy it, and then when the DVD’s come out, go “ooh, real HD, I’ve got to have it!” In short, use CR to undercut the moochers, and market the DVD’s to the collectors who have the disposable income.
It’s sad to see that they think their fans are that dumb. What’s sadder is, I think I just might be, for shows that are as good as Strike Witches is turning out to be….
JB: Regarding DHY, the transformation sequence stays, but yes, the episodes are toned down.
Explain how CrunchyRoll works to me. It seems to be saying that it costs me a $3 “donation”. Does Gonzo get some of that? Is this piracy or legit?
Never mind. I’ll invest $6 and find out for myself.
IIRC, it’s only the first episode DHY that’s ecchi, the rest are toned down.
I really, really don’t expect any English-language fansubs to come out for this series. Why go to the trouble when there’s already a good-quality sub that’s available for viewing less than six hours after the first Japanese broadcast? Maybe someone will transcribe the Crunchyroll/BOST subs (does anyone know if they use the same script?) onto a higher quality SD or HD raw and release that (hell, maybe someone’s already done it). That can’t be called a fansub, though.
For what it’s worth, the BOST downloads are only 200MB and encoded with h.264 in an mp4 container instead of XviD. Not having the Crunchyroll version, I can’t compare the encode quality directly, but it doesn’t seem any worse than your description and Steven’s. Downsides include the annoying BOST watermark in the upper right hand corner of the video and the fact that you pay for the episodes with BOST Points, which must in turn be purchased through PayPal (effective cost is the same as CR though).
Devil Hunter Yoko was kind of fun.
Gravion is kind of fun, too, if you take it in the spirit in which it was made (I bet). It’s very spoofy. I mean, just off the top of my head, I can think of four separate occasions in which the hero went cross-dressing, and only one of those times was he tricked into doing do. I imagine if you’re not expecting the humor, though, it can seem pretty stupid.
Saw the 2nd occasion tonight as I worked through the 2nd dvd, and it appears he’s going to run into the same pilot every time.