(L) Druaga no Tou: Aegis of Uruk

[DangerMouse]

This show could be really fun, great start. I hope it balances the line between serious and comedy as it goes forward so that it has a little weight to it, like some of the best RPGs.

This is a really nice attempt by Gonzo at trying something new so we can watch at the same time as Japan, and as long as it doesn't stop these shows from getting a physical HQ R1 release I'm a fan of it, I guess I'm still way too much of a collector who likes filling his shelves full of physical movies and shows.

Originally Posted by donquigleone

Of course the real question is whether Gonzo can keep up the pace, I hope they can, And is this going into the fansubbed or Licensed section?

I hope so, when they keep up the pace, they've done some fabulous shows in the past, I'd love to see another one.

Wherever it ends up in the forum I do hope it being streamed like this doesn't stop it from really getting fully licensed and getting a real Region 1 DVD release from say Funimation (guess since they've been doing a ton of Gonzo's shows lately) or something because I'd like to be able to buy it with nice video quality on a real physical format some day with dual-languages.

[Westlo]

I have faith in Shouji Gatoh that this will stay amusing enough to continue watching.

[DangerMouse]

Yeah, I like the main staff on this including him, Full Metal Panic was awesome and did a great mix of both comedy and seriousness.

[duckroll]

So, for those that don't know, there's an ura (reverse) version of episode 1. The video on demand free streaming site GyaO had a totally different version of episode 1 for Druaga compared to TV stations and the english streams. Instead of going into Jil's dream, the entire episode is centered on what's happening to the party and other characters in the show while he was dreaming. It's probably a better indicator of what the series is going to be like, it's still mostly a comedy show, but more toned down. It wasn't as enjoyable as the actual ep1, but there were some good moments. The design of the areas in the tower itself are great too.

[Haohmaru]

Can you post the link of the reverse version or is that against the rules?

[duckroll]

Originally Posted by Haohmaru

Can you post the link of the reverse version or is that against the rules?

It's on Nicovideo if you know what that is.

[Shouta]

The Ura Ep 1 is pretty good too. It's not quite as good as the Ep 1 we got but is still really funny and amusing. It's Even funnier when you realize that it's timed like perfectly so stuff Jil is doing kind of shows up in the Ura ep.

Utu is awesome.

[Fimbulvetr]

Some people know what nicovideo is but still might want a link.
http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm2898038 GyaO version, Ura version or whatever you might call it. Seems to be called 「ジルの冒険」, while the title of the normal ep is ｢ドルアーガの巨塔｣

At first I thought maybe this other version might air as ep2 for everyone else, but ep2 title is different. How could they produce but not air this ura version?. Very mysterious.

[Haohmaru]

Thanks for the nico link!

[serenade_beta]

Spoiler for ep1:

OP - Well, that was energetic. Slightly above average, I guess.
ED - Animations were meh, but the song wasn't bad at all.

Well, for a first episode, the comedy was great. Very, very funny. On the other hand, the storyline was brain-damaging. But since it was a dream, I have no idea what the real story will be like.
The random inclusion of slimes and tentacle monsters as allies, NicoNico comments flying across the screen during the Druaga part, and the "I'm going to get married" and killed part were especially great.


As for the other version (AKA real events), it was still hilarious!
It was really funny when that Jil started sleep-talking out loud while falling off a cliff.
The other characters were also shown, like Amei (or whatever it is spelled, Ermey?) defeating a bunch of grunts, Meruto (Melt?) and Kuupa (who is the series' loli character, and has considerably godly strength) getting fired after blowing their allies up, and Kaya... taking a bath.


As long as the comedy can stay this level, I'm in all the way to the end, even if the story itself is not promising at all. The comedy was great.


Preview: Jil gets fired and finds a new party (shown in the ED with Kaya, Meruto, Kuupa, Amei/Ermey(?)

[SeedFreedom]

Sad to say i don't think this is going to be a comedy series so it might be over with the first episode. Nonetheless It wins the award for "best first episode which has little relation to the rest of the story" award. Great way to poke fun at the typical shonen stereotypes. Even if it can't keep its more comedic aspect, i still hope it will be a more light-hearted series. Im going to keep watching, but i dont know if the rest will keep me into the series.

On a side note, the quality was atrocious. i found myself watching a black screen on CR trying to make out what was going on. The subs were clear though.

How is anime suki going to treat this? are fansubs allowed? are you going to list it as licensed or fansub or maybe a new category?

[orion]

Well that's why you pay for the downloaded copy.

This is licensed world-wide for internet distribution by Gonzo with an R1 based company providing one of the legal streams. I would think that this should be considered "licensed" but it's up to the mods.

[DangerMouse]

I agree with your response about the streaming versions' quality complaint, it's probably about what's expected for the free youtube version when they give you the option of paying for a better one (That is if the better one is as good as some of the HDTV rips going around)

Personally I hope that doesn't stop Gonzo from working with say Funi who they are apparently close with to release it on dual-language DVD. A downloaded copy is still not the same thing as a pristine hardcopy with maximized encoding and full surround sound, plus I'd like dual languages, so I think it would be ashame if we never see a full R1 DVD/High-Def Bluray release.

But as I said, I'm one of those collectors who buy tons of anime for the picture quality and the ability to watch in both Japanese and English dubbed and buys almost everything (probably too much ) I end up following in fansubs, so I understand if the R1's don't think they could make enough money on a physical DVD release after all the online sales.

[Deathkillz]

Youtube subs wins

ep 1

Spoiler:

This could be gonzo's big break since quite a while. The start was abolutely hilarious XD

As I haven't really looked deep into this series (or rather picked it up without knowing much) seen it as a comedy made a real treat was expecting some halfassed adventure, but now it seems like it could be a winner. Well, it will still be a halfassed adventure but with comedy, a hero who is DUMB as bricks but not annoying at all.

The tentacle scene has to be the best...coming up second would be knocking his own mate out while telling him that he cannot go on, but fail to noticing the swarm of monster rampaging. And Nico nico scrolls...lolololol

And did I mention how I can relate this to Wow...omg scary

This has given me high hopes, hope they don't ruin it.

[orion]

Originally Posted by DangerMouse

But as I said, I'm one of those collectors who buy tons of anime for the picture quality and the ability to watch in both Japanese and English dubbed and buys almost everything (probably too much ) I end up following in fansubs, so I understand if the R1's don't think they could make enough money on a physical DVD release after all the online sales.

You overestimate the downloaded copy. The BOST TV downloads contain a watermark in the upper right hand corner of the screen. So if you don't like watermarks, then you need the DVD or DVD based downloaded copy. I haven't bought the CR downloads to compare.

[DangerMouse]

Originally Posted by orion

You overestimate the downloaded copy. The BOST TV downloads contain a watermark in the upper right hand corner of the screen. So if you don't like watermarks, then you need the DVD or DVD based downloaded copy. I haven't bought the CR downloads to compare.

Ah..., did I overestimate it on video quality as well given that you have to pay for it? Not that I've seen BOST's free version to compare, only Youtube's at this point.

I still can't convince myself to pay for it especially if I had to pay twice should a true DVD release come, if not I'll have a hard decision to make I suppose.

Anyway, that's pretty much in line with what I was saying, I still want a full DVD release

Sorry for editing so much while you were trying to reply lol ^^;

[Jinsoo]

I found the first episode hilarious. I'm glad that Gonzo actually went through with subbing and streaming it. Otherwise, I would've had to wait awhile for the fansubs.

As for the other version, it was pretty hilarious as well. It makes me wonder why they would produce an alternate episode but not air it as well. I have a feeling this series will get more serious later on but I hope they squeeze some more laughs in.

Ahhh. I wanna cosplay as Jil now OTL

[Kusaja]

Perfectly happy with the BOST TV download for PSPs, even with the watermark and all.

Not perfect (not anything close to DVD quality, unlike the stream), but good enough for my purposes as a casual viewer, especially since I got it for free (signed up in time)...and Crunchyroll essentially stole my "donation" without letting me download anything (while their streams were, how shall I say..."noticeably inferior", or just plain crap once I finally got to them, compared to the BOST TV download, let alone the stream).

Wonderful. Talk about misleading advertisements, but I won't bore you guys with the full rant. Suffice to say that Crunchyroll will never see a single cent from me again.

On a much happier note, the episode itself was quite entertaining, and almost worth the previous trouble. I give the creators props for the effort, and did get a couple of good laughs out of it (yes, even the death flags).

I don't know if the whole show will be like this, but I do expect the whole comedy angle to remain strong, even if takes a bit of a backseat compared to other elements.

[DangerMouse]

I agree Kusaja, I wouldn't be surprised if it will balance both like FMP, mostly serious when it counts but with good comedy, though I'd still be surprised if it doesn't get more serious. The comedy was a great surprise though wasn't expecting it at all.

This second version of the first ep that didn't actually air using the other POV is a really bizarre occurrence.

[Shouta]

I wonder if Gonzo will continue to do these Omote/Ura episodes for the show. That would be awesome and pretty unique. =o