Star Blazers - The Quest for Iscandar - Series 1, Part III (Episodes 10-13)

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Star Blazers - The Quest for Iscandar - Series 1, Part I (Episodes 1-5)
Starring: Amy Howard Wilson , Eddie Allen (III) , Mike Czechopoulos , Chris Latta , and Lydia Leeds Director: Leiji Matsumoto Manufacturer: Voyager ProductGroup: DVD Binding: DVD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00004YA16 Release Date: 2001-01-09 |
Customer Reviews:
4 Stars for the anime, 2 Stars for the DVD.......2005-05-02
starblazers goood.......2005-01-02
Another version?.......2002-09-08
Star Blazers -- The Quest for Iscandar -- Series 1, Part I.......2002-03-17
Of course, having watched other sci-fi series like Star Trek: The Next Generation, Babylon 5 and others in later years, I try to look for little inconsistencies in a storyline such as Star Blazers. It's not that I want to tear the storyline apart, like "The Nit Pickers Guide to Star Trek," but I just want to see where are slight errors or abberations in that storyline.
For instance, after the battle at Pluto, it only took Captain Avatar's ship a very short time to return to Earth. However, while making preparations for the jump to warp from the moon to Mars, Captain Avatar says it would normally take months to make such a journey at normal travel speeds. How, then, could Avatar's ship get back to Earth in such a short time if his ship did not have warp capability?
But, as I said, I am not attempting to tear the storyline apart. This storyline, in the format of the old Republic Serials like "Commando Cody," compels you to come back for more. At the end of each episode, you find out how much time is left for Earth. And you want to know what lies in store for the Argo and its crew in upcoming episodes. It is such a beautifully crafted storyline that way!
I guess some characters like IQ-9 are meant as comic relief for the storyline, but I would not have put IQ-9 in the storyline were I its creator. These kind of characters just detract and divert from the storyline. But, again, this is just a minor issue. IQ-9 does have some good moments later in the storyline, and I do note that in his favour.
But I guess the best thing about this storyline is that Captain Avatar does not lead the Away Missions. Avatar stays on the bridge of the Argo, where he belongs. He does not put himself directly in danger, like Captain James T. Kirk or Captain John J. Sheridan. Avatar knows his place, and he leaves his subordinates to go into danger and do the dirty work. Besides, Avatar is so critical to the success of the mission, it would be suicidal to put him directly in harm's way.
Well, that pretty well covers it for me. I think my review of this DVD would carry over to the other DVDs in this series. Not that my opinion counts for much, of course, but I think I have given this DVD a fair hearing.
No, you can overlook the inconsistencies in this storyline and love Starblazers. I have since I was 12 years old, and I'll love it for many years to come.
Woohooo.......2002-01-09
Also what may be a point of interest... I filled in the registration card that came with the DVD. Then I waited for a long time for the second disc to come out. When it finally came out I popped in the disc and they had added all the features I requested. Lost footage, etc. Except for better sound.
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Star Blazers - The Quest for Iscandar - Series 1, Part II (Episodes 6-9)
Starring: Amy Howard Wilson , Eddie Allen (III) , Mike Czechopoulos , Chris Latta , and Lydia Leeds Director: Leiji Matsumoto Manufacturer: Voyager ProductGroup: DVD Binding: DVD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000055ZL7 Release Date: 2000-12-19 |
Customer Reviews:
Fire up the Wave Motion Gun, part 2.......2002-09-25
Also, take a look @ my comment on the series; it can be found on the page for the "Complete Series 1 Collection."
Great show, would be nice for better DVD.......2001-11-09
DVD getting better.......2001-07-19
Much Better Than the First Disc.......2001-05-28
For the uninitiated, here's a rundown of the plot. In 2199 Earth was under attack by an "evil" alien race called the Gamilons. The Gamilons bombed earth with "planet bombs" which destroyed the planet and emitted high levels of radiation, thus driving mankind into underground cities. In one Earth year the planet would become uninhabitable. Queen Starsha of Iscandar offers mankind hope in the form of the Cosmic DNA which would cure all mankind from the radiation sickness. She sends Earth a message along with powerful technology that will allow mankind to travel to Iscandar to get the Cosmic DNA. The Star Force is formed to travel to Iscandar to fetch the Cosmic DNA. Their faithful battleship is the Argo, a renovated WWII era navy battleship remade into a Starship. There is just one minor problem though, Iscandar is 148,000 Light Years away. No one has ever traveled that far before. More importantly, the Star Force only has one year to travel there and back for a total of 296,000 Light Years.
Here is a summary of the four episodes included on this DVD:
Episode 6: The Argo lands on Titan to search for the rare element Titanite for repairs. Wildstar, Nova and IQ-9 battle off the Gamilons. Plus, Wildstar learns the final fate of his brother's ship and crew.
Episode 7: The 2nd Battle of Pluto. The Argo sets out to destroy the Gamilon base on Pluto to put a stop to the Planet Bombing but meets up with the menace of the Reflection Gun.
Episode 8: It's undersea warfare on Pluto after the Reflection Gun sinks the Argo. The Star Force must take out the Reflection Gun to have a fighting chance.
Episode 9: Heavily damaged, the Argo seeks refuge in the Asteroid belt of Minerva to make repairs and a final stand against Colonel Ganz and the remaining Gamilon forces from Pluto.
Besides the 4 episodes on this DVD apparently Voyager is seeking atonement for the horrible work they did on Part I. Part II includes improved (impressive, in fact) navigation and the following DVD special features:
1. Character bios. GREAT work here, we get a complete listing of the Star Force characters, their biographies and even their Japanese counterpart names from the Yamato series.
2. A scene (complete in Japanese with English subtitles) from the Yamato series which was edited out from the English translation. The scene shows the Yamato (Argo) from the WWII era when it was sunk by American bombers. This is a DEFINITE winner for DVD extras. 3. Trailer (shameless plug) featuring scenes from Part III.
Here's my rundown:
Great: The Yamato scene in DVD extras.
Good: The episodes and the character bios.
Bad: The shameless plug for Part III (can't blame them though, it is a good marketing tool...)
Summed up, if you were ever a Star Blazers fan, give this (and Part I) a watch. It's great for a trip down memory lane. If you've NEVER seen Star Blazers, give it a try, it's a cult classic from the 80's (along with other Americanized anime greats like Robotech, Voltron, Transor Z, etc). The animation may look a little dated, but the storyline still holds its own very well against anything out there today. This series has stood the test of time. Due to limited distribution this show may have slipped by the radar of a lot of people but it caught on like a fire with those who did catch it. Give it a watch and see what the fuss was all about.
Highly Recommended
After 20 years finally get to see it in broadcast quality.......2001-01-30
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Star Blazers - The Quest For Iscandar - Series 1, Part IV (Episodes 14-17)
Starring: Amy Howard Wilson , Eddie Allen (III) , Mike Czechopoulos , Chris Latta , and Lydia Leeds Director: Leiji Matsumoto Manufacturer: Voyager ProductGroup: DVD Binding: DVD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00005CBSV Release Date: 2001-04-24 |
Customer Reviews:
star blazers - the quest for Iscandar - series 1, Part IV.......2003-05-01
Best Compilation Yet. Highly Recommended.......2001-06-28
For the uninitiated, here's a rundown of the plot. In 2199 Earth was under attack by an "evil" alien race called the Gamilons. The Gamilons bombed earth with "planet bombs" which destroyed the planet and emitted high levels of radiation, thus driving mankind into underground cities. In one Earth year the planet would become uninhabitable. Queen Starsha of Iscandar offers mankind hope in the form of the Cosmo DNA which would cure all mankind from the radiation sickness. She sends Earth a message along with powerful technology that will allow mankind to travel to Iscandar to get the Cosmo DNA. Earth's youngest and brightest come together to form Star Force to travel to Iscandar to fetch the Cosmo DNA. Their faithful battleship is the Argo, a renovated WWII era navy battleship remade into a Starship. There is just one minor problem though, Iscandar is 148,000 Light Years away. No one has ever traveled that far before. More importantly, the Star Force only has one year to travel there and back for a total of 296,000 Light Years...
The story picks up steam as the Star Force ventures throughout deep space battling unknown menaces as well as the Gamilons. Perhaps the greatest enemy of all though is the crew's own psychological health. In addition we also see some powerful character development among our heroes.
Here is a summary of the four episodes included on this DVD:
Episode 14: The Star Force plays the waiting game as they wait out a galactic storm at the Octopus Star. Plus, tensions run high among the crew (particularly Wildstar and Venture) as restlessness and homesickness kick in.
Episode 15: The Star Force is caught between a rock and a hard place as they try to prevent against being sucked into a "space whirlpool" and as they try to ward off an attack from General Lysis' space armada.
Episode 16: IQ-9 and Nova land on the planet Beeland looking for supplies and come up against a race of Bee People, who are being manipulated by the Gamilons. Plus, IQ-9 shows his "human" side to Nova.
Episode 17: Wildstar steps up to the plate when Capt. Avatar falls ill. General Volgar summons the power of the Balan Force to combat the Star Force.
Voyager continues to make leaps and bounds with each DVD volume. This volume by far has the best design in terms of navigation and screen design compared to the previous volumes (particularly the pitiful Part I). The audio and video quality is also vastly improved from the previous three editions.
Included in the DVD special features:
1. "An Overview of the Gamilon Empire." Beautifully designed and rendered you can explore and learn more about the Gamilon Empire. The history section provides a great background story including WHY the Gamilons declared war on Earth. You can also browse through profiles of the Gamilon characters, look at drawings/pictures of their space vessels, weapons, mecha, etc. In all, this is, in my opinion, the best DVD special feature yet (except for maybe the Yamato clip from Part II).
2. Yet another shameless plug for part 5.
Here's my rundown:
Great: The Gamilon Empire Overview in the special features section. Star Blazers itself.
Good: Improved navigation.
Sad: The continued shameless plugs. (Of course, you can't blame though...)
Overall, this is the best installment yet in the series. The "Gamilon Empire Overiew" has a particular treat, almost worth the price of admission alone. The collection of episodes in and of themselves is pure gold.
Summed up, if you were ever a Star Blazers fan, give this (and Parts I, II, III & all the future volumes) a watch. It's great for a trip down memory lane. If you've NEVER seen Star Blazers, give it a try. It's a cult classic from the 80's (along with other Americanized anime greats like Robotech, Voltron, Transor Z, etc). The animation may look slightly dated, but the storyline still holds its own very well against anything out there today. Due to limited distribution this show may have slipped by the radar of a lot of people but it caught on like a fire with those who did catch it. Give it a watch and see what all the rage was about.
Star Blazers in General.......2001-04-27
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Star Blazers - The Quest for Iscandar - Series 1, Part III (Episodes 10-13)
Starring: Amy Howard Wilson , Eddie Allen (III) , Mike Czechopoulos , Chris Latta , and Lydia Leeds Director: Leiji Matsumoto Manufacturer: Voyager ProductGroup: DVD Binding: DVD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00005A41L Release Date: 2001-02-27 |
Customer Reviews:
Another Fine Translation.......2001-05-28
For the uninitiated, here's a rundown of the plot. In 2199 Earth was under attack by an "evil" alien race called the Gamilons. The Gamilons bombed earth with "planet bombs" which destroyed the planet and emitted high levels of radiation, thus driving mankind into underground cities. In one Earth year the planet would become uninhabitable. Queen Starsha of Iscandar offers mankind hope in the form of the Cosmic DNA which would cure all mankind from the radiation sickness. She sends Earth a message along with powerful technology that will allow mankind to travel to Iscandar to get the Cosmic DNA. The Star Force is formed to travel to Iscandar to fetch the Cosmic DNA. Their faithful battleship is the Argo, a renovated WWII era navy battleship remade into a Starship. There is just one minor problem though, Iscandar is 148,000 Light Years away. No one has ever traveled that far before. More importantly, the Star Force only has one year to travel there and back for a total of 296,000 Light Years.
Here is a summary of the four episodes included on this DVD:
Episode 10: As they leave the solar system the crew gets a last chance to contact their families on Earth. Plus, Wildstar and Capt. Avatar share a tender moment.
Episode 11: Now out of Earth's solar system the Argo faces uncertain terrors in deep space as the Gamilon's attempt to stop the Argo. The first test: The Argo vs. the Desslok mines.
Episode 12: More Gamilon treachery: The Argo vs. the Space Net, a poisonous cloud and the Red Star. Plus, Captain Avatar's health deteriorates and Nova makes a wish.
Episode 13: The Star Force captures a Gamilon. Plus, a flashback look into Wildstar's past and the origin of the Gamilon-Earth war.
Continuing its tradition of great DVD extras from Part II, this DVD includes the following special features:
1. A Virtual Tour of the Ago. You can view photos and schematic drawings of all the part of the ship. Pretty cool feature.
2. Yet another shameless plug, this time for Part IV of the series. Can't blame them for trying though huh?
Overall, this is another great installment in the series. The tour of the Argo was a nice touch and the collection of episodes in and of itself is pure gold.
Summed up, if you were ever a Star Blazers fan, give this (and Parts I & II) a watch. It's great for a trip down memory lane. If you've NEVER seen Star Blazers, give it a try, it's a cult classic from the 80's (along with other Americanized anime greats like Robotech, Voltron, Transor Z, etc). The animation may look a little dated, but the storyline still holds its own very well against anything out there today. This series has stood the test of time. Due to limited distribution this show may have slipped by the radar of a lot of people but it caught on like a fire with those who did catch it. Check it out and see what everyone else was screaming about.
Highly Recommended
A great series, a fair dvd.......2001-04-05
To those who aren't familiar with the story, here's a short summary. In the not so distant future, earth is under attack from a distant planet known as Gamelon. Gamelon's 'planet bombs' rain down on earth, leaving it's surface a desert wasteland. As a result, people are forced to live in underground cities. But the radioactivity is slowly seeping into the earth, and in one year, all life on earth will be extinct. The planet's only hope lies in a message from a friend on a far away planet known as Iscandar. Starsha of Iscandar offers the cosmo DNA, a device capable of restoring earth to its former beauty, to the people of earth. The message also includes the plans for an engine capable of exceeding the speed of light. Construction of a new space ship begins, underneath the sunken remains of the WWII Japanese battleship YAMATO. The ship launches and begins it's 148,000 light year journey to Iscandar, with the hopes of saving all mankind. But, can they cross such a vast distance and return to earth in only 365 days ? Watch the series to find out!
Those who have purchased the first DVD in the series will find an obvious improvment in the menu screens and the addtional options of this disc. However, the menu screens are IDENTICAL to the second disc, with the exception of music and some new still photos. Also, it's promise of a 'Virtual tour of the Argo' is a little misleading, as it is merely a collection of pencil sketches and production cels (artwork) of the ship. I expected a 3D CGI ship to walk around and explore, but no such luck. The picture quality and sound are only slightly better than the VHS versions, but at least it will never deteriorate. I'd have to give 1 star for the disc itself, and the rest for such a great story. Fans will be pleased it's on DVD, but won't be too impressed with quality and the lack of extras on the disc.
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Star Blazers - The Quest for Iscandar - Series 1, Part VI (Episodes 21-26)
Starring: Amy Howard Wilson , Eddie Allen (III) , Mike Czechopoulos , Chris Latta , and Lydia Leeds Director: Leiji Matsumoto Manufacturer: Voyager ProductGroup: DVD Binding: DVD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00005LQ0H Release Date: 2001-08-28 |
Customer Reviews:
The Dramatic Conclusion..........2001-10-10
For the uninitiated, here's a rundown of the plot. In 2199 Earth was under attack by an "evil" alien race called the Gamilons. The Gamilons bombed earth with "planet bombs" which destroyed the planet and emitted high levels of radiation, thus driving mankind into underground cities. In one Earth year the planet would become uninhabitable. Queen Starsha of Iscandar offers mankind hope in the form of the Cosmo DNA which would cure all mankind from the radiation sickness. She sends Earth a message along with powerful technology that will allow mankind to travel to Iscandar to get the Cosmo DNA. Earth's youngest and brightest come together to form Star Force to travel to Iscandar to fetch the Cosmo DNA. Their faithful battleship is the Argo, a renovated WWII era navy battleship remade into a Starship. There is just one minor problem though, Iscandar is 148,000 Light Years away. No one has ever traveled that far before. More importantly, the Star Force only has one year to travel there and back for a total of 296,000 Light Years...
This volume chronicles the climax and conclusion of the Star Force's trip to Iscandar. It details the final cataclysmic battles with the Gamilons and the surprises they find on Iscandar along with all the human drama, romance and emotion. Plus, all the intergalactic secrets are finally revealed!!!
Here is a summary of the five episodes included on this DVD:
Episode 22: "Battle of the Rainbow Star Galaxy." THE decisive battle with the Gamilons. HEAVY casualties as the Star Force squares off with the summoned might of the Gamilon army under General Lysis.
Episode 23: The origins of Gamilon and Iscandar are finally revealed. As Captain Avatar's health fails, Desslok lures the Star Force onto Iscandar where the planets treacherous atmosphere and climate may very destroy the Star Force.
Episode 24: "The Battle of Gamilon." Desslok makes a desperate last attempt to destroy the Star Force once and for all...
Episode 25: The Star Force finally makes it to the beautiful and enchanting planet Iscandar where they finally meet the benevolent and beautiful Queen Starsha plus another great surprise. Will the Star Force even want to leave???
Episode 26: The dramatic conclusion to the "Quest for Iscandar." Will the crew make it back to Earth in time to save the human race? Will Captain Avatar survive the trip? Have we seen the last of the Gamilons? Wildstar and Nova???
This volume is another solid effort from Voyager. Included in the DVD special features of this edition:
1. "Interactive Mission Map of the Star Force's Journey to Iscandar and Back." Yet another solid installment in DVD extras. The map shows all the points/places that the Star Force stopped at along their journey. Clicking on each point reveals a brief write up about the Star Force's experiences at each destination.
2. Yet another shameless trailer: Volume I of the Comet Empire.
Overall, this is another great installment in the series. The driving force behind this edition is the collection of episodes themselves. The bittersweet conclusion to the "Quest for Iscandar" is just such a powerful story. The DVD extra is a great addition.
Summed up, if you were ever a Star Blazers fan, give this (and all the other volumes) a watch. It's great for a trip down memory lane. If you've NEVER seen Star Blazers, give it a try. It's a cult classic from the 80's (along with other Americanized anime greats like Robotech, Voltron, Transor Z, etc). The animation may look slightly dated, but the storyline still holds its own very well against anything out there today. Due to limited distribution this show may have slipped by the radar of a lot of people but it caught on like a fire with those who did catch it. Give it a watch and see what all the hype was about.
Highest Recommendation
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Star Blazers - The Quest for Iscandar - Series 1, Part V (Episodes 18-21)
Starring: Amy Howard Wilson , Eddie Allen (III) , Mike Czechopoulos , Chris Latta , and Lydia Leeds Director: Leiji Matsumoto Manufacturer: Voyager ProductGroup: DVD Binding: DVD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00005LQ0G Release Date: 2001-06-26 |
Customer Reviews:
Anime 101- An Introduction!.......2002-04-29
Building To The Climax - Another Fine Translation.......2001-07-11
For the uninitiated, here's a rundown of the plot. In 2199 Earth was under attack by an "evil" alien race called the Gamilons. The Gamilons bombed earth with "planet bombs" which destroyed the planet and emitted high levels of radiation, thus driving mankind into underground cities. In one Earth year the planet would become uninhabitable. Queen Starsha of Iscandar offers mankind hope in the form of the Cosmo DNA which would cure all mankind from the radiation sickness. She sends Earth a message along with powerful technology that will allow mankind to travel to Iscandar to get the Cosmo DNA. Earth's youngest and brightest come together to form Star Force to travel to Iscandar to fetch the Cosmo DNA. Their faithful battleship is the Argo, a renovated WWII era navy battleship remade into a Starship. There is just one minor problem though, Iscandar is 148,000 Light Years away. No one has ever traveled that far before. More importantly, the Star Force only has one year to travel there and back for a total of 296,000 Light Years...
The story escalates as the Star Force ventures WAY OUT IN DEEP SPACE to the Planet Balan, the halfway point to their destination of Iscandar. The further in space they get the more the crew's fears of the unknown and of failure escalate. In these episodes we get a deeper look into the characters' personas. Even if they can overcome their own fears, the threat of the deadly Iscandarian General Lysis still looms as they venture closer toward Balan...
Here is a summary of the four episodes included on this DVD:
Episodes 18: Sandor and Wildstar go up against the Gamilon Magnatron Wave computer, a magnetic wave-generating machine that threatens to tear to shreds any metallic vehicle, including the Argo!!! Can they stop it before it tears the Argo apart, or worse, before the Argo leaves them behind!!! Plus, a look into Sandor's past.
Episodes 19: Contact with Earth stirs up the crew's deepest, darkest fears regarding whether they can succeed in their mission. Very powerful episode where Communications Officer Homer completely flakes out from the stress of the mission and his family's deteriorating condition back on Earth.
Episode 20: The Battle of Balan!!! The Star Force reaches Balan, the halfway point to Iscandar and come across a Gamilon Base. General Lysis launches his ultimate plan to destroy the Star Force, a two-front attack with missile attacks from the front and a crushing Artificial Sun from the back!!! Plus, Captain Avatar appoints Wildstar "Deputy Captain" as his health further deteriorates.
Episode 21: The Star Force prepares for a final cataclysmic battle with General Lysis and all the Gamilon forces in the Rainbow Galaxy.
This volume is another solid effort from Voyager. Included in the DVD special features of this edition:
1. "The Star Force Art Galleries:" There are two basic sections to the art galleries. First is the "Friends and Enemies" gallery with drawings of many of the minor Star Force and enemy characters combining both full color drawings and sketches. The second gallery features full color drawings and sketches of the Star Force's planes, ships and space suits. Overall, it's a nice extra, but not worth the price of admission.
2. Yet another shameless trailer for part 6.
Overall, this is another good installment in the series. The driving force behind this edition is the collection of episodes themselves. The DVD extras, while nice, are not particularly that great. However, these episodes build nicely to the climax and resolution of the storyline.
Summed up, if you were ever a Star Blazers fan, give this (and all the other volumes) a watch. It's great for a trip down memory lane. If you've NEVER seen Star Blazers, give it a try. It's a cult classic from the 80's (along with other Americanized anime greats like Robotech, Voltron, Transor Z, etc). The animation may look slightly dated, but the storyline still holds its own very well against anything out there today. Due to limited distribution this show may have slipped by the radar of a lot of people but it caught on like a fire with those who did catch it. Give it a watch and see what all the hype was about.
Highly Recommended
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