Spice and Wolf - Merchandise (Figurines, Artbooks, DVDs, etc.)

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by xizro345

Let me say I have bought the DVDs for the first season. The so-called limited editions too (too bad what they offered hardly qualifies them as "limited" in my book). The Blu-Ray boxset isn't different than all the DVDs put together with some minimal addition save the the HD. I didn't like the minimalistic approach on DVDs done in the past by the Japanese companies (they're not VHS), and I'm not going to change opinion if they keep on producing stuff like this.

Well, this brings me back to the "what did you expect" question. The LE DVDs (which I also bought) had a good number of extras considering their somewhat average/moderate price (relative to other similar shows). Limited edition 300-piece puzzle with special illustration from the novel artist, nicely-printed ending illustration cards, a full-colour booklet, and tickets to be entered into the lotteries for 3 other prizes, for only 800 yen more than the regular edition price. It's obviously not like "a steal" or anything, but I didn't find them to be a bad value comparatively speaking. *shrug*

Is it that you were hoping for more on-disc extras?

Originally Posted by xizro345

I'm most interested in what kind of prices they'll offer for the second season.

The same or slightly more expensive, I would think. That's the usual pattern.

[xizro345]

I actually expect more on the disc as well, not only a pure VHS-style version. Most of the extras in the DVDs were for me of questionable quality (I really dislike the original illustrator artwork). The booklet is short and can't even be considered an "extra"... Granted I wasn't expecting a Nanoha STRIKERS limited edition version, but I expected more considering it isn't cheap at all for what it offers. And as for prices, I was referring to a (possible) Blu-ray single disc release.

[Kaguya]

Blu-ray BOX CM (Released on January 30)

Horo
I... I completed the jigsaw puzzle at last!
But... Why on earth is Blu-ray BOX released ?
And what's more, why on earth is it the limited production version?
Phooey!

Lawrence
If you pre-order it, you will not be worried about it.

Horo
Sure.
But with your money.

Horo
Please pre-order Blu-ray BOX.

Lawrence
What are you talking about?
You are the one who forced the puzzle on me.

Horo
This time, the hard puzzle is not included.
So, please buy it.

---------------------------------------------
Lawrence
If you desire it earnestly, I will risk on my merchant's pride and will get it!

Horo
Well... Since it was a little expensive, I thought whether you could buy it.
I'm glad that my appeal succeeded.

"What are you talking about?
You are the one who forced the puzzle on me."

This dialog represents DVD buyer's feelings.

[Blank-Mage]

That's ridiculously awesome. (But what's that about a puzzle? Did I miss something?)

[Kaguya]

Originally Posted by Blank-Mage

That's ridiculously awesome. (But what's that about a puzzle? Did I miss something?)

It is the jigsaw puzzle included in Limited edition DVD.
In CM of DVD, Lawrence was assembling the jigsaw puzzle desperately.
I also have six incomplete jigsaw puzzles.

[RampagingEvangelion]

Originally Posted by Kaguya

It is the jigsaw puzzle included in Limited edition DVD.
In CM of DVD, Lawrence was assembling the jigsaw puzzle desperately.
I also have six incomplete jigsaw puzzles.

I'll take one off your hands... hehehe

[Starburst]

If you scroll down just a bit beyond halfway there's what looks to be a prototype? unfinished? Horo figure. I'd post directly but they're NWS because she's nude.

http://tenra.at.webry.info/200902/article_8.html

Alternate Version: http://www2.moeyo.com/img/09/02/22/8/891.html

[0utf0xZer0]

Originally Posted by Starburst

If you scroll down just a bit beyond halfway there's what looks to be a prototype? unfinished? Horo figure. I'd post directly but they're NWS because she's nude.

http://tenra.at.webry.info/200902/article_8.html

Alternate Version: http://www2.moeyo.com/img/09/02/22/8/891.html

Given the selection there I'm thinking that those photos may be from a showing of custom or very limited run figures. Would be nice if it goes to production though.

(Except for the fact I still live at home and therefore couldn't order it.)

[RampagingEvangelion]

Wow, that is made of epic win

[Blank-Mage]

(It's alarming how many of those characters I recognize...)

It's not my favorite, maybe because it's not colored yet.

[RampagingEvangelion]

Originally Posted by Blank-Mage

(It's alarming how many of those characters I recognize...)

It's not my favorite, maybe because it's not colored yet.

(I was thinking the same thing >_<)

I'm sure if I saw a pic with color it'd look amazing.

[Starburst]

Originally Posted by 0utf0xZer0

Given the selection there I'm thinking that those photos may be from a showing of custom or very limited run figures.

I always hate that... I've got a list[1] of figures I'd likely buy but are all garage kits or one offs.

[1] I don't actually have a list, but I've seen a lot I would have put on one if they were available in a simpler fashion.

[Starburst]

http://make.wer.jp/makeplus.files/di...214_sample.htm

More pictures there, I believe it's the sculpters website? Lets you rotate around her a bit. They're small images though.

[Ryuou]

(Mod Edit: This is continued from the Season 2 thread.)

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

Well, as someone who purchased both the DVDs and the Blu-Ray discs, I can tell you firsthand that the Blu-Rays are, without a doubt, the best way of viewing the show. I don't think they have anything in particular in terms of special bonus content, but the background art for this show really shines in full HD, and the encoding is near-flawless. So, given that the 6 DVDs and the 4-disc Blu-Ray set cost around the same price in the end (assuming, of course, you're talking about the legit Japanese stuff), it's really a no-brainer to go with the Blu-Rays if you have a player. If I had known for sure that they were just around the corner, I would have waited.

Thanks for replying to this topic. Hmm...so it is only higher picture quality. I don't know, I haven't examined them intently, but from a quick look at the Blu-Ray files I downloaded for comparisons, it looks crisper but not by very much. It doesn’t seem to be a “damn I gotta get this version” amount higher. But, I guess maybe it's not the same as watching the real Blu-Ray disk on a Blu-Ray player. Is that the case?

[Vexx]

At my local Costco, they have two identical hi-def tvs and are playing the same movie (one normal DVD, the other Blu-ray). Yeah, there's a considerable difference - though that was a live-action example. I just don't know that Spice&Wolf had the "eyeglitter" that would make Blu-ray very noticeable.

Now, semething like 5cm/sec or collage of Kyo-ani "moments" might just burn eyeballs out.

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by Ryuou

Thanks for replying to this topic. Hmm...so it is only higher picture quality. I don't know, I haven't examined them intently, but from a quick look at the Blu-Ray files I downloaded for comparisons, it looks crisper but not by very much. It doesn’t seem to be a “damn I gotta get this version” amount higher. But, I guess maybe it's not the same as watching the real Blu-Ray disk on a Blu-Ray player. Is that the case?

Well, I can't speak for the downloads, because I have no idea what they were like. But are you comparing the Blu-Rays to the DVDs or to the HDTV broadcast (fansubs)? The DVDs, to me, always felt soft/blurry. Even the credits were obviously scaled down from the HD source and so didn't look sharp at all. There wasn't really any problems with artifacting, but the show just seemed to lack some of the sparkle I remembered when watching originally. And then I got the Blu-Ray box and played them on my HDTV, and that was definitely what the show was missing to me. It looks great in 1080p; everything is sharp and crisp, and all the little details come shining right through. One telling scene for me is the OP scene where you see the wagon way off in the distance -- it's tiny, but every detail is there as it moves along the vast landscape. That's sort of what's lost at DVD resolution.

In any case, though, I feel like this one of those "can you really tell the difference with HD" / "are DVDs good enough" questions. This is like my sister who always watches TV shows in SD even though we have an HD tuner box and HD channels because she just doesn't care. It may just be one of those "if I have to explain to you why native HD shows look better in HD, then you probably won't get it" sorts of things. Maybe you either see it or you don't. To me, it was really obvious.

Edit:

Originally Posted by Vexx

I just don't know that Spice&Wolf had the "eyeglitter" that would make Blu-ray very noticeable.

I guess, to me, the "eyeglitter" was in the backgrounds. Some of those were really brought to life in HD, whereas I felt they just looked flat and boring in SD when all the little details got blurred over. But I can see why that might be subtle for some. To me, I think HD is just part of this show's aesthetic.

Of course, all this is really talking about the first season, so I should probably move it to the other thread... I guess we'll leave it at this for now, but we can carry on the conversation over in the Merchandise thread.

[0utf0xZer0]

Originally Posted by Vexx

At my local Costco, they have two identical hi-def tvs and are playing the same movie (one normal DVD, the other Blu-ray). Yeah, there's a considerable difference - though that was a live-action example.

I remember seeing HD-DVD demos back when the technology first came out and finding little difference from DVDs. Of course, this was just before I got my driving glasses (I have trouble reading street signs from a distance), so I suspect that had something to do with it.

DVD upscaled to 720P using Photoshop:
http://i40.tinypic.com/30ts100.jpg

720P HDTV sourced fansub:
http://i41.tinypic.com/rauwkx.jpg

720P Bluray rip:
http://i42.tinypic.com/30clmxt.jpg

There's a noticeable jump from SD to HD, but the difference between the fansub and Bluray is much smaller - bit more texture on some of the trees, maybe. Although I imagine the higher bitrate means the Bluray version would have less video artifacts:

[Ryuou]

@ relentlessflame - Oh, good point. I have the HDTV broadcast files, and that's what I'm comparing them to. So you're saying that if I were to get the DVDs, then those would be worse than the HDTV files that I have? And the Blu-Ray won’t be much different than the HDTV files I have? Guess that makes sense.

[Kaguya]

I have to say that the quality of "Spice and Wolf Blu-ray Disc" is not necessarily high as a Blu-ray video disc.
Like the following images, I thought that I was uncomfortable about the horizontal stripes included in an outline.

Spoiler for large image:

Please set up the scale of a browser to 100%.

Since the aired version was the same, it is thought that the stripe pattern was already contained in the master.
But compared with DVD, it is clear much.

In a second season, since an animation company changes to Brain's Base, it will surely become good.

There was no new video in this disc in addition to TV-CM of Blu-ray Box.
Returns are that the character design picture of the front appearance of the stark nakedness of the whole body of Horo was in the booklet.

[Masanori Ota]

Originally Posted by Kaguya

I have to say that the quality of "Spice and Wolf Blu-ray Disc" is not necessarily high as a Blu-ray video disc.
Like the following images, I thought that I was uncomfortable about the horizontal stripes included in an outline.

Spoiler for large image:

Please set up the scale of a browser to 100%.

Since the aired version was the same, it is thought that the stripe pattern was already contained in the master.
But compared with DVD, it is clear much.

In a second season, since an animation company changes to Brain's Base, it will surely become good.

There was no new video in this disc in addition to TV-CM of Blu-ray Box.
Returns are that the character design picture of the front appearance of the stark nakedness of the whole body of Horo was in the booklet.

Interesting, thanks for the comparison pics.

Btw, do you know when the "visual novel" goes on sale for preorder? Like when it gets listed on websites, before April 30th.