Reviews (21)

Ready for Season Two?
Ah Saiyuki Season 2!

Three new characters show up. The war prince Homura (voice acted by none less than Jason Douglas, he also was the English voice of Lord Illpilatzo from Excel Saga, he always gets casted for the world conqueror bit doesn't he?), and his two minions Zenon and Shien descend to start a rebellion against the heavens. Now it looks like there is a three way race to get Scriptures now...

This Disk features FOUR new adventures for the Sanzo party and their enemies.

Episode 27: Basic Introduction of Homura and his minions... Homura calls the Sanzo party by their past life names, destroys literally truckloads of Demons with but a thought, and Sanzo's gun has no effect on Homura.
Most notable seen: Sanzo's introduction about the "If you meet the Buddha kill the Buddha"

Episode 28: Homura starts to gather demon followers, he apparently can turn demons into "gods". The Merciful Goddess refuses to do anything to stop Homura, says that watching Homura will keep her from being bored for awhile. Apparently Homura is the half human son of the Jade Emperor... the gods will do nothing to stop him as they have grown lazy and fat. Sanzo's party has to share a single room and draws cards to see who gets the bed while the others sleep on the floor. The episode ends with an attack on Houtou Castle to get the Seiten Scripture. Most notable scenes: The first meeting of Sanzo (of God Sanzo) and Son Goku. Goku and Gojyo fight over the bed and the innkeeper walks in and sees them in a rather embarrassing situation.

Episode 29: Homura and gang assault Houtou Castle. Homura single handedly bests both Dokugakuji and Kougaiji. Dr. Ni (that crazy scientist with the stuffed bunny) just hands over the Seiten Scripture to Homura in hopes that he will leave Lady Koushu and the rest with their lives. Sonzo gets a rude awaking from the merciful Goddess, who reminds him of the Teachings of his Master. The "if you meet the Buddha kill the Buddha" which has been said at least 3 times in the series now... Zenon kills a demon who killed his human wife. Basically this episode was to show that these new characters are in fact a force to be reckoned with.
Most Notable scene: Sanzo tries to shoot the Merciful Goddess... and fails."

Episode 30: Homura sends his latest Assassin to kill the Sanzo party to get the Scripture that Sanzo carries. This demon makes a village into a ghost town, his "Perfect Paradise". He calls himself the Undertaker, and puts the entire Sanzo party through all kinds of physiological torture. Basically Puts a plate of food in front of a hungry Goku to only make it disappear a second later. Deprives Gojyo of women and alcohol . Burns Hakuryu to get Hakki upset, and gently just pisses Sanzo off with the whole ordeal of things going on. They basically best him and go on their merry way. Most notable scene, Gojyo practically begs Sanzo for a smoke, and Sanzo reminds him that he said "You said my smokes tasted like Crap."

Basically this DVD has the basic ADV basics, a new opening theme and animation, new closing theme and animation, but no longer gives you any previews of upcoming episodes.

Like all the other volumes of Saiyuki they give a wonderful Culture references from the "Journey to the West" and other Japanese jokes you hear while listing to the Japanese audio. Also this series is best kept in context with the Japanese audio as the English seems to completely warp it at times... all in all a good DVD for Saiyuki fans. And also the fact that you can't go wrong with Zenon, how cool is a god with an AK?

The Remaking of a Myth
Saiyuki is a retelling in modern garb (if a dragon/jeep and beer can toting demons can be considered modern) of an old Chinese legendary tale - Journey to the West, originally set down in the 16th Century. Faced with the loss of a manuscript of great magical significance Sanzo, a priest , is dispatched along with three companions. As told here his companions are three demons - Goku the Monkey King, Gojyo the water sprite, and Hakkai a human turned demon when he slaughtered a thousand demons in revenge.

The four reel from one hair-raising adventure to another as they head for the final confrontation. Arguing, brawling and womanizing in between the heroics. As I've noted elsewhere this is an essentially masculine story, with women playing what is so far a very secondary role. This is a different spin than usual for this kind of anime, and it is surprisingly successful.

In these episodes each of the demons faces their own personal demons - Hakkai's grief over the loss of his beautiful wife, Goku's need for someone he can trust, and Gojyo's surprising soft spot. Sanzo is the wise man and healer in this group of stories, although sometimes his advice is every bit as harsh as the problem it solves.

Dialog is what really makes this series work. Not that there is anything to slight in the story or the artwork, but the snappy give and take of this modern gang-on-a-mission is what carries the day. In addition, the episodes refuse to become yet another tale of finding and destroying evil in the goriest fashion possible. Instead, they demonstrate instead a surprising amount of literary merit.

saiyuki is excellent!
saiyuki is a great action show. A tiny bit of humor now and then is a great show by me.

Once More Into The Fray (Again)
Seems like everyone has the names of Sanzo and his party of pilgrim/adventurers inscribed on their weapons of choice. Carrying ascripture around in this alternate Chinese world is risky business. The priest, Goku, Gojyo and Hakkai don't need any help to get into trouble though, but they are getting much more than they ever bargained for.

It seems that the god Homura's decision to rebel and gather the scriptures for himself has attracted some followers. First Souto, head of a group of crack divine shock troops gets the assignment to take Sanzo down. A little later, Homura and his own sidekicks, Zenon and Shien show up to demonstrate that Sanzo and Goku are completely outclassed in this contest. As usual, the monk pulls through, but not without serious damage.

While all this is going on there are two visits from season one - first a pair of twins in the service of Gyokumen Koushu show up with utter destruction on their mind - and then the idiot impersonators show up again for a short sojourn into the more violent forms of comedy. Somehow, our heroes keep up their attitude and return to each conflict determined to survive.

Production quality seems to have improved an order of magnitude since the last season. In the previous DVD I wasn't sure whether to believe it or not, but with this second one it is clear that the show has iimproved, both in art and writing. In the middle of all the action, the group finds time to develop as characters, and both animation and color have increased in intensity.

This series is a bit past the point where one can pick it up mainstream. This isn't a bad thing from a watcher's point of view, but be prepared for a sudden urge to empty your wallet for the series.

Saiyuki is more than you could expect
To basically start this off I'll start with the obvious, well Genjomaden Saiyuki is one of the most comical, entertaining, and certainly up with the best. I personally love this anime. There's a lot of DVDs and as far as I do I beleive that there are 18 DVDs total. Of course only up to 9 came come out and we all eagerly awaiting March 30th aren't we? Well at least I am. Saiyuki is about Demons and Humans living in Shangrila (let me know if I spelled it wrong; I'm not in the mood to look it up)together and I know this 7th DVD, well the Demons get all uncontrolable and attack humans while these gods come along and such, the god of war. Well the Sanzo gang consists of Son Goku (Demon), Genjo Sanzo of course, Sha Goyjo (Half water Demon), and last but never least Cho Hakkai (He killed 100 Demons which turned him into one). Basically that concludes my ranting... if any of you actsually read this, thank you!^^ Any questions e-mail: warrior.killua@verizon.net,
Arigato!
-Killua ... Read more

Reviews (13)

The world according to Plympton
Thanks to frequent exposure on MTV and several touring animation festivals, Bill Plympton's distinctive style is now widely recognized, even if the man behind the pencil isn't. While it's not really 'the complete works,' this DVD collects an hour's worth of his early short films, from his cut-out animation piece "Lucas, The Ear of Corn" from 1977 to 1990's "Plymptoons," a medley of his numerous 'microtoons' that were featured regularly on MTV's "Liquid Television." He earned a 1988 Oscar nomination for Best Animation with "Your Face," a musical short scored and sung by Maureen McElheron (who Plympton would work with again on his feature film "The Tune"). For the sake of completeness, we also get his television commercials for "Trivial Pursuit" and "Nutrasweet," a public service message on acid rain (another MTV staple), and his 1987 TV pilot for "Love In The Fast Lane," a series that never got picked up. Whether you already know the man's work, or you just enjoy attending animation festivals, this disc is a decent showcase of some of his short films. For more by Bill Plympton, check out "Mondo Plympton," which features more of his recent work.

Bill Plymton's sureal visual mind is wonderfull.
For those enlightened few who are aquainted with Bill Plymptos's work, the real world seems happier and brighter. One of the most creative people I know of, Bill Plympton will be remembered as a great wierdo. Some of his best animation, although by no means all, is collected here, including Boomtown, One of those days, and Plymptoos.

this is crap
Don't waste your money. There are 19 shorts:
-Four of them are just commercials and who wants to pay money to watch commercilas? They're not even good commercials.
-One is a stick drawing from 1968 that is just a guy buying a package from a man a copuple of times
-Another one of them is 15 seconds long that shows the MTV logo
-Two of them are unfinished and are pointless
-And all of them are boring.
If you were in a highschool art class you might say "wow that was pretty good," but other than that it is a waste of time.

Mind bending animation
There's a pretty good chance most all of us have seen Bill Plympton's unique style of work at some point or other. Whether it magazines, film, or television, he has been around for a long time and garnered the respect of many of his peers.

In this collection, we get to see some of his earliest work, dating back to 1968 and we follow his work up until about 1991. I think my favorite short on here is the one titled '25 Ways to Quit Smoking'. The use of the sumo had me laughing for quite a while.

His drawings, sometimes crude, are full of kinetic energy, always flowing along, morphing into something new and wondrous. The imagination displayed in these early works is pure, simple, and a lot of fun to watch. His humor, to me, is comparable to Gary Larson in that he takes everyday situations and shows the inherent humor in them, things most of us would probably overlook.

There is quite a bit of material on this disc, from award winning shorts, promotional spots, commercial work, and even a music video. Also, there are loads of extras including interviews, commentaries on the shorts, exclusive featurettes, rare early footage and much more.

There is some material on here, especially in the extras section, that is not suitable for younger audiences. These may be cartoons, but not in the traditional sense, and certainly for the more discerning viewer. There is another disc out called Plymptoons: The Complete Works of Bill Plympton but I have not seen that yet. A lot of the material listed being in there seems to be in this collection, so you may want to review both before buying one or the other. I didn't know the other existed before purchasing this one. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, there is also a nifty little fold out poster along with an extensive listing of his work from his beginnings up until about 2001.

Plympton at his best
Now, I'll be the first to admit that Bill Plympton's style of animation is crude at best, but what he does is use a unique blend of style with images to create the most surreal animation ever! This series of shorts is probably the best of his work from all the collections I have seen. I can easily understand not being able to sit through his animation for more than an hour straight, but each short on it's own has a great charm and an unique vision. Your Face, When Push Comes to Shove, and One Of Those Days will make you laugh, then cringe at what you're laughing at, then laugh again! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

For the USA manga fans:
Astroboy(Japanese original name is "Tetsuwan Atom", which means Armstrong Atom or Mighty Atom by the author's English titles written in manga books) is the first attempt of the weekly TV animation series made in Japan. It was released in Japan from Jan 1st 1963 until Dec 31th 1966 (4 years) with 193 episodes in total in B/W films. In Japan the watching rate was usually more than 30% and the highest marked astonishing 40.7 %. In USA, the on air was discontinued by the claim of parental movement insisting the story contains strong brutal actions, so only early part of the total episodes were available outside of Japan. The original Tetsuwan Atom was written in the form of Manga (comic) on the monthly books started from 1951. The author Tezuka Osam (Tezuka is the family name) was the best manga writters in history and in his lifetime he wrote more than one hundred fifty thousand pages of manga manuscripts (about more than 500 manga books) and directed many animation films for commertial TVs and non commertial experimentals. Outside of Japan, very small part of his huge amount of work is known. Atom is just 1% of him. The Atom series contains many classical SF spirits and rich ideas. The design of the machines and buildings are elegant decora style possibly Germanic. This Atom series influenced many Japanese kid at that time to make many engineers to have desire to make humanoid robots with intellect. etc, etc, Enjoy

I never tought it was so wonderful!
It was amazing! Seen this video was the best experience. How can somebody have such a great futuristic vision? Just think about it: this were the 60's! I recomend this video more for adults than for children, and I recomend it a lot above 100%!

Corny in a 60's kind of way.
I just viewed this video and enjoyed it very much. It's funny to see what the future was going to look like from the 60's. It even beats a lot of the newer cartoons that are produced now.

Tezuka Osamu's Classic
Astroboy, or "Tetsuwan Atom"in Japanese original title (literaly Atom with iron arms) was the first TV animation series in Japan which started in 1963. I was a kindergarten kid then, and TV was still new to our family. TV was still monochrome then, still I could feel  "clolor" of the scenery. It was my first encounter with Manga... Tezuka Osamu, the Manga artist who created Astroboy is "God of Manga" in Japan. Tezuka was the founder of the present Japanese Manga and animations. When "Lion King" was released from Disney, many Japanese fans are furious that the animation is replica of Tezuka's "Jungle Emperror/Kimba the White Lion." This Astroboy series is a story of boy-shaped robot who has human heart. Classics, but never loses its fascination. END ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Amazing Astroboy
While it was released in the 1960's, Astroboy contains thematic elements that seem more pertinant in today's ultra technological age. Astroboy's stories had dark aesthetic appeal that seemed more well suited to a mature audience than kids. Made with foreboding, ideologically implicit themes on artificial intelligence, discrimination, societal unrest and more, Astroboy is unbelievably powerful for animation. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Ready for Season Two?
Ah Saiyuki Season 2!

Three new characters show up. The war prince Homura (voice acted by none less than Jason Douglas, he also was the English voice of Lord Illpilatzo from Excel Saga, he always gets casted for the world conqueror bit doesn't he?), and his two minions Zenon and Shien descend to start a rebellion against the heavens. Now it looks like there is a three way race to get Scriptures now...

This Disk features FOUR new adventures for the Sanzo party and their enemies.

Episode 27: Basic Introduction of Homura and his minions... Homura calls the Sanzo party by their past life names, destroys literally truckloads of Demons with but a thought, and Sanzo's gun has no effect on Homura.
Most notable seen: Sanzo's introduction about the "If you meet the Buddha kill the Buddha"

Episode 28: Homura starts to gather demon followers, he apparently can turn demons into "gods". The Merciful Goddess refuses to do anything to stop Homura, says that watching Homura will keep her from being bored for awhile. Apparently Homura is the half human son of the Jade Emperor... the gods will do nothing to stop him as they have grown lazy and fat. Sanzo's party has to share a single room and draws cards to see who gets the bed while the others sleep on the floor. The episode ends with an attack on Houtou Castle to get the Seiten Scripture. Most notable scenes: The first meeting of Sanzo (of God Sanzo) and Son Goku. Goku and Gojyo fight over the bed and the innkeeper walks in and sees them in a rather embarrassing situation.

Episode 29: Homura and gang assault Houtou Castle. Homura single handedly bests both Dokugakuji and Kougaiji. Dr. Ni (that crazy scientist with the stuffed bunny) just hands over the Seiten Scripture to Homura in hopes that he will leave Lady Koushu and the rest with their lives. Sonzo gets a rude awaking from the merciful Goddess, who reminds him of the Teachings of his Master. The "if you meet the Buddha kill the Buddha" which has been said at least 3 times in the series now... Zenon kills a demon who killed his human wife. Basically this episode was to show that these new characters are in fact a force to be reckoned with.
Most Notable scene: Sanzo tries to shoot the Merciful Goddess... and fails."

Episode 30: Homura sends his latest Assassin to kill the Sanzo party to get the Scripture that Sanzo carries. This demon makes a village into a ghost town, his "Perfect Paradise". He calls himself the Undertaker, and puts the entire Sanzo party through all kinds of physiological torture. Basically Puts a plate of food in front of a hungry Goku to only make it disappear a second later. Deprives Gojyo of women and alcohol . Burns Hakuryu to get Hakki upset, and gently just pisses Sanzo off with the whole ordeal of things going on. They basically best him and go on their merry way. Most notable scene, Gojyo practically begs Sanzo for a smoke, and Sanzo reminds him that he said "You said my smokes tasted like Crap."

Basically this DVD has the basic ADV basics, a new opening theme and animation, new closing theme and animation, but no longer gives you any previews of upcoming episodes.

Like all the other volumes of Saiyuki they give a wonderful Culture references from the "Journey to the West" and other Japanese jokes you hear while listing to the Japanese audio. Also this series is best kept in context with the Japanese audio as the English seems to completely warp it at times... all in all a good DVD for Saiyuki fans. And also the fact that you can't go wrong with Zenon, how cool is a god with an AK?

The Remaking of a Myth
Saiyuki is a retelling in modern garb (if a dragon/jeep and beer can toting demons can be considered modern) of an old Chinese legendary tale - Journey to the West, originally set down in the 16th Century. Faced with the loss of a manuscript of great magical significance Sanzo, a priest , is dispatched along with three companions. As told here his companions are three demons - Goku the Monkey King, Gojyo the water sprite, and Hakkai a human turned demon when he slaughtered a thousand demons in revenge.

The four reel from one hair-raising adventure to another as they head for the final confrontation. Arguing, brawling and womanizing in between the heroics. As I've noted elsewhere this is an essentially masculine story, with women playing what is so far a very secondary role. This is a different spin than usual for this kind of anime, and it is surprisingly successful.

In these episodes each of the demons faces their own personal demons - Hakkai's grief over the loss of his beautiful wife, Goku's need for someone he can trust, and Gojyo's surprising soft spot. Sanzo is the wise man and healer in this group of stories, although sometimes his advice is every bit as harsh as the problem it solves.

Dialog is what really makes this series work. Not that there is anything to slight in the story or the artwork, but the snappy give and take of this modern gang-on-a-mission is what carries the day. In addition, the episodes refuse to become yet another tale of finding and destroying evil in the goriest fashion possible. Instead, they demonstrate instead a surprising amount of literary merit.

saiyuki is excellent!
saiyuki is a great action show. A tiny bit of humor now and then is a great show by me.

Once More Into The Fray (Again)
Seems like everyone has the names of Sanzo and his party of pilgrim/adventurers inscribed on their weapons of choice. Carrying ascripture around in this alternate Chinese world is risky business. The priest, Goku, Gojyo and Hakkai don't need any help to get into trouble though, but they are getting much more than they ever bargained for.

It seems that the god Homura's decision to rebel and gather the scriptures for himself has attracted some followers. First Souto, head of a group of crack divine shock troops gets the assignment to take Sanzo down. A little later, Homura and his own sidekicks, Zenon and Shien show up to demonstrate that Sanzo and Goku are completely outclassed in this contest. As usual, the monk pulls through, but not without serious damage.

While all this is going on there are two visits from season one - first a pair of twins in the service of Gyokumen Koushu show up with utter destruction on their mind - and then the idiot impersonators show up again for a short sojourn into the more violent forms of comedy. Somehow, our heroes keep up their attitude and return to each conflict determined to survive.

Production quality seems to have improved an order of magnitude since the last season. In the previous DVD I wasn't sure whether to believe it or not, but with this second one it is clear that the show has iimproved, both in art and writing. In the middle of all the action, the group finds time to develop as characters, and both animation and color have increased in intensity.

This series is a bit past the point where one can pick it up mainstream. This isn't a bad thing from a watcher's point of view, but be prepared for a sudden urge to empty your wallet for the series.

Saiyuki is more than you could expect
To basically start this off I'll start with the obvious, well Genjomaden Saiyuki is one of the most comical, entertaining, and certainly up with the best. I personally love this anime. There's a lot of DVDs and as far as I do I beleive that there are 18 DVDs total. Of course only up to 9 came come out and we all eagerly awaiting March 30th aren't we? Well at least I am. Saiyuki is about Demons and Humans living in Shangrila (let me know if I spelled it wrong; I'm not in the mood to look it up)together and I know this 7th DVD, well the Demons get all uncontrolable and attack humans while these gods come along and such, the god of war. Well the Sanzo gang consists of Son Goku (Demon), Genjo Sanzo of course, Sha Goyjo (Half water Demon), and last but never least Cho Hakkai (He killed 100 Demons which turned him into one). Basically that concludes my ranting... if any of you actsually read this, thank you!^^ Any questions e-mail: warrior.killua@verizon.net,
Arigato!
-Killua ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Astroboy #2 - First Love/Save the Carolina/Fighting Aliens
The version of astroboy vol. 2 that I have does not have a title, but does feature 3 episodes on the video. The are titled first love, save the carolina 3, and fighting aliens. Astroboy is a very unique character/cartoon in a sense that in almost every episode there is a war going on, or fighting, or spaceships shooting eachother, etc. yet, it aims to promote peace and harmony. althought i am in my early twenties, i had some trouble following the storyline of many an episode, and it beats my how little kids were meant to make sense of this. The storyboard is usually all over the place, and the language they use is definitely not for anyone below the age of ten.

Astroboy has become quite a cult-icon in recent years. He abounds on everything from keyrings to glasses to t shirts to everything else u can think of. If you find yourself getting into the astroboy scene, then this video is definitely for you. You'll love all the trademarks of astroboy and the cartoons. He's the only cartoon hero i know who actually HAS his girlfriend's legs! He's the only cartoon hero that can shoot bullets out of his underpants/hip! There are so many more little weird additions.. and i wont spoil them for you. Just get this video, it is very entertaining and well worth it... definitely something to cherish. Four Stars. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Let Your Jaw Drop, Let Your Spirits Soar
It is really too bad that this 30-minute mini-masterpiece directed by "The God of Manga (Japanese Comics)" himself, Tezuka Osamu, the creator of Astroy Boy, Black Jack, Kimba the White Lion and numerous other characters and one of the true pioneers of both graphic literature and animated films in Japan, will be missed by most American fans of Japanese animation. Yes, it is a variation on FANTASIA (animation minus dialogue set to classical music) and, yes, Walt Disney did it first, but that by no means detract from the originality and technical marvel evident in this extraordinary animated short. In fact, watching Tezuka's works from 1970s and 1980s such as LEGEND OF THE FOREST will vastly increase appreciation of how this unqualified genius has successfully transformed the American classical animation style into something totally unique, that in turn influenced other, better-known (in the US, that is) anime artists. (Witness Otomo Katsuhiro's recent METROPOLIS, a reverent homage to Tezuka's lasting influence)

The theme is indeed environmentalism, but don't expect any preachy admonition. The first segment, adapted from Tezuka's rather thoughtful and literary short about a flying squirrel raised by an old tree spirit, stylistically traces evolution of animation from 19th-century style etchings, to early Disney and Fleischer cartoons, to modern anime. The second segment tells an epic story of forest faeries, sprites, wizards and animals defending themselves against human industrialists who are cutting down trees. The look-alikes of Superman, SNOW WHITE's witch, Seven Dwarves and other celebrities make brief appearances in a hilarious montage that must be seen to be believed.

It is really a great entertainment for the whole family, and I strongly urge all anime fans to purchase copy of this VHS, and learn to appreciate the Master who started it all.

A must have for ANY Art fan
The only movie I could probably compare this to is Disney's "Fantasia". The story really isn't the beauty of it. It's a sweet enough story that focuses around a tiny squirrel and the forest fairies and whatnot fighting against humans trying to destroy the forest they live in. The story is an environmentalist's dream. The entire animation peice is written and animated to Tchaikosky's 4th Symphony. Although it was created and animated entirely in Japan, there isn't a trace of it in the animation. It takes all the major American animation styles from the past, and uses one once for each movement of the symphony. The animation styles may be old (like McCay and Disney), but everything about movement and backgrounds is done so beautifully (much better than American animators ever did). It's not rated, and suitable for all audiences. But as a former kid, I'd say that younger children wouldn't find it very interesting for long (there isn't any dialogue at all, only music). No explosions, no Ninja Turtles, just a moving story to beautiful music, animated with amazing skill. This is one of my absolute favorite videos ever. It's a must have for fans of art, fans of animation, fans of Japanese anime, fans of classical music... basically anybody. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Let Your Jaw Drop, Let Your Spirits Soar
It is really too bad that this 30-minute mini-masterpiece directed by "The God of Manga (Japanese Comics)" himself, Tezuka Osamu, the creator of Astroy Boy, Black Jack, Kimba the White Lion and numerous other characters and one of the true pioneers of both graphic literature and animated films in Japan, will be missed by most American fans of Japanese animation. Yes, it is a variation on FANTASIA (animation minus dialogue set to classical music) and, yes, Walt Disney did it first, but that by no means detract from the originality and technical marvel evident in this extraordinary animated short. In fact, watching Tezuka's works from 1970s and 1980s such as LEGEND OF THE FOREST will vastly increase appreciation of how this unqualified genius has successfully transformed the American classical animation style into something totally unique, that in turn influenced other, better-known (in the US, that is) anime artists. (Witness Otomo Katsuhiro's recent METROPOLIS, a reverent homage to Tezuka's lasting influence)

The theme is indeed environmentalism, but don't expect any preachy admonition. The first segment, adapted from Tezuka's rather thoughtful and literary short about a flying squirrel raised by an old tree spirit, stylistically traces evolution of animation from 19th-century style etchings, to early Disney and Fleischer cartoons, to modern anime. The second segment tells an epic story of forest faeries, sprites, wizards and animals defending themselves against human industrialists who are cutting down trees. The look-alikes of Superman, SNOW WHITE's witch, Seven Dwarves and other celebrities make brief appearances in a hilarious montage that must be seen to be believed.

It is really a great entertainment for the whole family, and I strongly urge all anime fans to purchase copy of this VHS, and learn to appreciate the Master who started it all.

A must have for ANY Art fan
The only movie I could probably compare this to is Disney's "Fantasia". The story really isn't the beauty of it. It's a sweet enough story that focuses around a tiny squirrel and the forest fairies and whatnot fighting against humans trying to destroy the forest they live in. The story is an environmentalist's dream. The entire animation peice is written and animated to Tchaikosky's 4th Symphony. Although it was created and animated entirely in Japan, there isn't a trace of it in the animation. It takes all the major American animation styles from the past, and uses one once for each movement of the symphony. The animation styles may be old (like McCay and Disney), but everything about movement and backgrounds is done so beautifully (much better than American animators ever did). It's not rated, and suitable for all audiences. But as a former kid, I'd say that younger children wouldn't find it very interesting for long (there isn't any dialogue at all, only music). No explosions, no Ninja Turtles, just a moving story to beautiful music, animated with amazing skill. This is one of my absolute favorite videos ever. It's a must have for fans of art, fans of animation, fans of Japanese anime, fans of classical music... basically anybody. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Plympton at his best
Now, I'll be the first to admit that Bill Plympton's style of animation is crude at best, but what he does is use a unique blend of style with images to create the most surreal animation ever! This series of shorts is probably the best of his work from all the collections I have seen. I can easily understand not being able to sit through his animation for more than an hour straight, but each short on it's own has a great charm and an unique vision. Your Face, When Push Comes to Shove, and One Of Those Days will make you laugh, then cringe at what you're laughing at, then laugh again!

The world according to Plympton
Thanks to frequent exposure on MTV and several touring animation festivals, Bill Plympton's distinctive style is now widely recognized, even if the man behind the pencil isn't. While it's not really 'the complete works,' this DVD collects an hour's worth of his early short films, from his cut-out animation piece "Lucas, The Ear of Corn" from 1977 to 1990's "Plymptoons," a medley of his numerous 'microtoons' that were featured regularly on MTV's "Liquid Television." He earned a 1988 Oscar nomination for Best Animation with "Your Face," a musical short scored and sung by Maureen McElheron (who Plympton would work with again on his feature film "The Tune"). For the sake of completeness, we also get his television commercials for "Trivial Pursuit" and "Nutrasweet," a public service message on acid rain (another MTV staple), and his 1987 TV pilot for "Love In The Fast Lane," a series that never got picked up. Whether you already know the man's work, or you just enjoy attending animation festivals, this disc is a decent showcase of some of his short films. For more by Bill Plympton, check out "Mondo Plympton," which features more of his recent work.

this is crap
Don't waste your money. There are 19 shorts:
-Four of them are just commercials and who wants to pay money to watch commercilas? They're not even good commercials.
-One is a stick drawing from 1968 that is just a guy buying a package from a man a copuple of times
-Another one of them is 15 seconds long that shows the MTV logo
-Two of them are unfinished and are pointless
-And all of them are boring.
If you were in a highschool art class you might say "wow that was pretty good," but other than that it is a waste of time.

Mind bending animation
There's a pretty good chance most all of us have seen Bill Plympton's unique style of work at some point or other. Whether it magazines, film, or television, he has been around for a long time and garnered the respect of many of his peers.

In this collection, we get to see some of his earliest work, dating back to 1968 and we follow his work up until about 1991. I think my favorite short on here is the one titled '25 Ways to Quit Smoking'. The use of the sumo had me laughing for quite a while.

His drawings, sometimes crude, are full of kinetic energy, always flowing along, morphing into something new and wondrous. The imagination displayed in these early works is pure, simple, and a lot of fun to watch. His humor, to me, is comparable to Gary Larson in that he takes everyday situations and shows the inherent humor in them, things most of us would probably overlook.

There is quite a bit of material on this disc, from award winning shorts, promotional spots, commercial work, and even a music video. Also, there are loads of extras including interviews, commentaries on the shorts, exclusive featurettes, rare early footage and much more.

There is some material on here, especially in the extras section, that is not suitable for younger audiences. These may be cartoons, but not in the traditional sense, and certainly for the more discerning viewer. There is another disc out called Plymptoons: The Complete Works of Bill Plympton but I have not seen that yet. A lot of the material listed being in there seems to be in this collection, so you may want to review both before buying one or the other. I didn't know the other existed before purchasing this one. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, there is also a nifty little fold out poster along with an extensive listing of his work from his beginnings up until about 2001.

It's greater than great
Being a young animator. I look up to Bill Plymtom because he is original. He shows that animation is so much more than just cartoon network and Disney. In this short film he definitely takes you thtough an experience that you will never forget because this work stands out from all the rest. I was amazed watching what you could really do with a face till you aren't even sure it's a face anymore! I recommend this to anyone that you should watch it at least once. I personally loved it and i think anyone reading this will too.Having met him at the World Animation Celebration in Hollywood was a treasure. I even got an autograph from him in my sketch book. After you watch it you will know why and you'll want his autograph too. ... Read more