AnimeSuki Forums

ZhanDVG · 2004-06-25, 00:21

So I've been hearing a lot lately about the Daicon IV video by Gainax... Anyway, my curiosity has been piqued, so I've been itching to see it, but alas, I have no idea where to find it... the most I've seen the soundless animation clip at gainax.co.jp (which seeing as it's sort of a music video [or so I've been lead to believe] it sorta defeats the purpose having no sound...) So, uh... anyone know where to find it? ^_^

kj1980 · 2004-06-25, 01:20

This was an experimental anime done by the members of an Science Fiction store named "General Products," whose members will later will go on to make the anime studio - GAINAX.

First of all, DAICON is actually sort of an acronym for "Osaka Science Fiction Convention." The "O" in "Osaka" uses the kanji "big" (大阪 ), which can be pronounced as "Dai." Add that with the "Con" of "Convention" and you get a pun "DAICON," which means Japanese white radish. Hence, the "Osaka Science Fiction Convention" was known as "DAICON" for SF fans.

General Products was an exhibitor for DAICON, and one day they decided they could put their skilled efforts into making a sort of theme film for the festival. Shot on an 8mm film and with plastic bags from the supermarket as cels, they created the OP film "DAICON III." People who worked on this will later go on to become one of the top anime creators of our time - Anno Hideaki (director of Neon Genesis Evangelion), Sadamoto Yoshiyuki (character designer from Neon Genesis Evangelion), Yamaga Hiroyuki (producer for various GAINAX anime), and Maeda Mahiro (most Americans will know him as the guy who did "The Second Renaissance" in the Animatrix).

By today's CG standards it is rather lame...but if you look at it from a 1981 perspective, it blew the people's minds away. Here are a bunch of Science Fiction fans, who got together - even though with the handicap of having absolutely no training on anime creation, who drew, coordinated, and shot the animation on a cheap 8mm camera. And the film was perfect for the theme of DAICON - it was a 5 min short which clearly signified what this convention was about - Science Fiction, tokusatsu SFX, and anime.

Two years later, these guys will make a comeback once again with a more powerful and extremely detailed upgrade - "DAICON IV." The kid from "DAICON III" is now grown up, she is in a bunny suit, and starts battling various SF characters to ELO's massive hit song "Twilight." Considering that this was done all by hand by a bunch of inexperienced (at the time) SF fans, this was just jaw-droppingly amazing. The animation quality during the action sequences, the detailed movement of the missiles, and the spectacular climax of a city engulfed in a nuclear explosion (from a swooping down sword) can only be expressed with awe.

General Products will continue to do indies films related to SF and tokusatsu SFX for a while, but these two animation shorts established the basis of GAINAX animation studio. You can say that because of these short films, they were approached by a major studio to do "Wings of Honneamise."

Where can you find this video? Tough question indeed. Although a VHS and a LD were released, they were a sold in very limited quantity at a special event so it is hard to get your hands on one. Once in a while it shows up on Yahoo Auction!, but you can see the price immediately shoot up towards 100,000 yen or more. I too only have a VHS copy of that film that is most likely rotten due to age sitting somewhere inside my closet...

ZhanDVG · 2004-06-25, 01:34

Hmm... nowhere one could download it then? I'd spent about an hour googling it, and plenty of people have both seen it and have footage to use in their own movies, so I'm sure it's out there somewhere...

Mr_Paper · 2004-06-25, 01:35

I assume you're not willing to buy the $200 LD with the shorts, so here's a site with the full versions of the Daicon III and IV opening animations:

http://www.catsuka.com/interf/bideo/amateur.htm

Personally... I'd be more interesting in seeing the Wings of Honneamise pilot video. >.>;

[Edit: kj1980 beat me at posting all the info >.<]

ZhanDVG · 2004-06-25, 12:05

Eh, the main reason I want to see Daicon IV is, as big of a Gainax fan; as big of an old skool anime fan as I am, I'm an even bigger fan of E.L.O. ;D Ah but thank you so very much!

warnold · 2004-06-25, 16:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_Paper

I assume you're not willing to buy the $200 LD with the shorts, so here's a site with the full versions of the Daicon III and IV opening animations:

http://www.catsuka.com/interf/bideo/amateur.htm

Thank you for that link. I have them on VHS, but this is at least as good quality, and I don't have to worry about it degrading. (Digital is good).

--
-billy-

Mr_Paper · 2004-06-25, 16:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by warnold

Thank you for that link. I have them on VHS, but this is at least as good quality, and I don't have to worry about it degrading. (Digital is good).

--
-billy-

Heh. I have a 3rd generation VHS with them all. ^^: Unfortunately I've watched it so many times it looks like 5th or even a 6th generation tape. >.<

Hatching Phoenix · 2004-08-31, 17:49

This may be the wrong forum to post this question in, but does anyone know where I can find a copy of Gainax's (when they were still Daikon studios) Daikon IV short? I saw it recently at a convention and whish to own a copy of it. Due to its size and relative age, I doubt that it's lisenced. Can anyone help me out?

Mr_Paper · 2004-08-31, 19:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatching Phoenix

This may be the wrong forum to post this question in, but does anyone know where I can find a copy of Gainax's (when they were still Daikon studios) Daikon IV short? I saw it recently at a convention and whish to own a copy of it. Due to its size and relative age, I doubt that it's lisenced. Can anyone help me out?

Unless you want to try your luck with Yahoo Japan Auctions...

Try this thread, I linked to a site with the Daicon III and IV animations in it.

*Woo! I learned a new tag ^^

Hatching Phoenix · 2004-08-31, 23:04

Thank you very much.
I got it.

AltTab · 2006-01-02, 12:33

torrent of laser disc quality video here http://boxtorrents.com/details.php?id=128785&hit=1

furigana · 2006-01-04, 01:21

Thanks for the links Mr_Paper!

It's amazing to look at the quality of animation in Daicon IV -- everything moves so smoothly and is detailed (just look at the machinery!) at the same time... no wonder that the soon-to-be Gainax guys were chosen to do Wings of Honneamise. And I finally got to see what the Densha Otoko opening animation pays homage to.

kj1980 · 2006-01-04, 03:15

Way to bring back an old thread...

Anyhow, it's great to see a re-emergence of interest in DAICON III and IV OPs from the hit and talks coming from "Densha Otoko."

It's also interesting if you think that the OP for "Densha Otoko" was done by GONZO....and if you know the background relationships between them and GAINAX.

NoSanninWa · 2006-01-04, 03:42

What is the background relationship between Gonzon and Gainax?

digifilm · 2009-05-03, 13:28

I took a higher rez version of the Daicon IV and put the update audio to it. I’m not exactly sure whats happened over the many years but I was able to get the song to sync only in 2 places. The beginning and the end. But nevertheless the quality is there.

To download just go here http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YUOXJN5R

cracrayol · 2009-08-04, 11:45

For those who are interested in DAICON movies, I've publish on Youtube 3 DAICON movies.

The first is a remastered version of DAICON III founded on NicoVideo website.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQjruwkyOaU

The second is the original LD rip of DAICON IV with remastered audio.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeDBIwRe2AE

The last is a slightly remastered version of DAICON IV, made by me. It mainly remove the noise and some artefacts of the original LD rip and it's in "HD".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-840keiiFDE

2004-06-25, 00:21	Link #1
ZhanDVG Hail to the Sky~ Join Date: Jun 2004 Age: 39	Daicon IV So I've been hearing a lot lately about the Daicon IV video by Gainax... Anyway, my curiosity has been piqued, so I've been itching to see it, but alas, I have no idea where to find it... the most I've seen the soundless animation clip at gainax.co.jp (which seeing as it's sort of a music video [or so I've been lead to believe] it sorta defeats the purpose having no sound...) So, uh... anyone know where to find it? ^_^

2004-06-25, 01:20	Link #2
kj1980 Gomen asobase desuwa! Join Date: Nov 2003 Age: 43	This was an experimental anime done by the members of an Science Fiction store named "General Products," whose members will later will go on to make the anime studio - GAINAX. First of all, DAICON is actually sort of an acronym for "Osaka Science Fiction Convention." The "O" in "Osaka" uses the kanji "big" (大阪 ), which can be pronounced as "Dai." Add that with the "Con" of "Convention" and you get a pun "DAICON," which means Japanese white radish. Hence, the "Osaka Science Fiction Convention" was known as "DAICON" for SF fans. General Products was an exhibitor for DAICON, and one day they decided they could put their skilled efforts into making a sort of theme film for the festival. Shot on an 8mm film and with plastic bags from the supermarket as cels, they created the OP film "DAICON III." People who worked on this will later go on to become one of the top anime creators of our time - Anno Hideaki (director of Neon Genesis Evangelion), Sadamoto Yoshiyuki (character designer from Neon Genesis Evangelion), Yamaga Hiroyuki (producer for various GAINAX anime), and Maeda Mahiro (most Americans will know him as the guy who did "The Second Renaissance" in the Animatrix). By today's CG standards it is rather lame...but if you look at it from a 1981 perspective, it blew the people's minds away. Here are a bunch of Science Fiction fans, who got together - even though with the handicap of having absolutely no training on anime creation, who drew, coordinated, and shot the animation on a cheap 8mm camera. And the film was perfect for the theme of DAICON - it was a 5 min short which clearly signified what this convention was about - Science Fiction, tokusatsu SFX, and anime. Two years later, these guys will make a comeback once again with a more powerful and extremely detailed upgrade - "DAICON IV." The kid from "DAICON III" is now grown up, she is in a bunny suit, and starts battling various SF characters to ELO's massive hit song "Twilight." Considering that this was done all by hand by a bunch of inexperienced (at the time) SF fans, this was just jaw-droppingly amazing. The animation quality during the action sequences, the detailed movement of the missiles, and the spectacular climax of a city engulfed in a nuclear explosion (from a swooping down sword) can only be expressed with awe. General Products will continue to do indies films related to SF and tokusatsu SFX for a while, but these two animation shorts established the basis of GAINAX animation studio. You can say that because of these short films, they were approached by a major studio to do "Wings of Honneamise." Where can you find this video? Tough question indeed. Although a VHS and a LD were released, they were a sold in very limited quantity at a special event so it is hard to get your hands on one. Once in a while it shows up on Yahoo Auction!, but you can see the price immediately shoot up towards 100,000 yen or more. I too only have a VHS copy of that film that is most likely rotten due to age sitting somewhere inside my closet... Last edited by kj1980; 2006-01-02 at 13:29.

2004-06-25, 01:35	Link #4
Mr_Paper Hmm... Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Looking for his book...	I assume you're not willing to buy the $200 LD with the shorts, so here's a site with the full versions of the Daicon III and IV opening animations: http://www.catsuka.com/interf/bideo/amateur.htm Personally... I'd be more interesting in seeing the Wings of Honneamise pilot video. >.>; [Edit: kj1980 beat me at posting all the info >.<] Last edited by Mr_Paper; 2004-06-25 at 01:53.

2004-08-31, 17:49	Link #8
Hatching Phoenix Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2004	Daikon IV This may be the wrong forum to post this question in, but does anyone know where I can find a copy of Gainax's (when they were still Daikon studios) Daikon IV short? I saw it recently at a convention and whish to own a copy of it. Due to its size and relative age, I doubt that it's lisenced. Can anyone help me out?

2006-01-04, 03:42	Link #14
NoSanninWa Weapon of Mass Discussion Fansubber Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: New York, USA	What is the background relationship between Gonzon and Gainax? __________________ There's not that fine a line between willing suspension of disbelief and something just being stupid.

2004-06-25, 01:34	Link #3
ZhanDVG Hail to the Sky~ Join Date: Jun 2004 Age: 39	Hmm... nowhere one could download it then? I'd spent about an hour googling it, and plenty of people have both seen it and have footage to use in their own movies, so I'm sure it's out there somewhere...

2004-06-25, 12:05	Link #5
ZhanDVG Hail to the Sky~ Join Date: Jun 2004 Age: 39	Eh, the main reason I want to see Daicon IV is, as big of a Gainax fan; as big of an old skool anime fan as I am, I'm an even bigger fan of E.L.O. ;D Ah but thank you so very much!

2004-08-31, 23:04	Link #10
Hatching Phoenix Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2004	Thank you very much. I got it.

2006-01-02, 12:33	Link #11
AltTab Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2006	torrent of laser disc quality video here http://boxtorrents.com/details.php?id=128785&hit=1

2006-01-04, 01:21	Link #12
furigana Eurekaaaaaa!!! Join Date: Apr 2004	Thanks for the links Mr_Paper! It's amazing to look at the quality of animation in Daicon IV -- everything moves so smoothly and is detailed (just look at the machinery!) at the same time... no wonder that the soon-to-be Gainax guys were chosen to do Wings of Honneamise. And I finally got to see what the Densha Otoko opening animation pays homage to.

2006-01-04, 03:15	Link #13
kj1980 Gomen asobase desuwa! Join Date: Nov 2003 Age: 43	Way to bring back an old thread... Anyhow, it's great to see a re-emergence of interest in DAICON III and IV OPs from the hit and talks coming from "Densha Otoko." It's also interesting if you think that the OP for "Densha Otoko" was done by GONZO....and if you know the background relationships between them and GAINAX.

2009-05-03, 13:28	Link #15
digifilm Junior Member Join Date: May 2009	my version with updated audio I took a higher rez version of the Daicon IV and put the update audio to it. I’m not exactly sure whats happened over the many years but I was able to get the song to sync only in 2 places. The beginning and the end. But nevertheless the quality is there. To download just go here http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YUOXJN5R

2009-08-04, 11:45	Link #16
cracrayol Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009	For those who are interested in DAICON movies, I've publish on Youtube 3 DAICON movies. The first is a remastered version of DAICON III founded on NicoVideo website. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQjruwkyOaU The second is the original LD rip of DAICON IV with remastered audio. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeDBIwRe2AE The last is a slightly remastered version of DAICON IV, made by me. It mainly remove the noise and some artefacts of the original LD rip and it's in "HD". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-840keiiFDE