-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- « Zhentarim DivX Presents » -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Title: Bubblegum Crash Parts: 01-03 (complete) Genre: Action Release Date: April 9th, 2002 Feature Length: 0:46:40 (Part 01) Illegal Army 0:44:07 (Part 02) Geo Climbers 0:45:16 (Part 03) Meltdown Size: Part 01: 349 MB Part 02: 349 MB Part 03: 407 MB Audio Languages: English and Japanese Subtitles: English Audio Encoding: Ogg Vorbis VBR Video Frame Rate: 23.97 fps (IVTC via Decomb3.8, with blending) Video Resolution: 640x480 Video Codec: DivX 5.0 with b-frames Video Quality: Quantizer 3.4 Source: NTSC DVD Ripper: MentarOmega -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- How to use divx5.ogm files: If you haven't set up your system for Ogg and DivX5 playback, check our FAQ on this URL: http://zhentarim.caeli.cjb.net/divx5faq.php Encoding Notes: Standard video encode using Smartripper, DVD2AVI, Avisynth, Decomb, TemporalSmoother, VirtualDub and DivX5. Since the video contains several fast panning scenes, I enabled blending in decomb this time, to avoid a too jerky playback. The video quality was good enough to allow a quantizer 3.4 with a 2-episode-per-CD release size, so I chose this setup instead of going for 1-episode-per-CD sizes instead. Standard audio encode using HeadAC3HE to Ogg Vorbis VBR. Whoever made the english dub should be shot - the stereo surround effect of the japanese track got lost in the transition. Also, it's sad how one of the best intro songs (japanese version) was mutilated, too. I'd recommend switching to the japanese track for sure. Credits: Come visit our web page at http://zhentarim.cjb.net or on IRC at DALnet channel #zhentarim. BUY it! If you like this, please support the creators of this anime by purchasing it. =-=-=-=-=-=- DVD Review Ripped from AnimeonDVD.com -=-=-=-=-=-= http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews/viewreview.php?review=180 Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers) When Bubblegum Crash was originally released, there was something of an uproar over it. With it being a sequel series, there was already the usual trepidations about it. To make it worse, the fan-favorite voice actress for Priss wasn't interested in reprising the role, so they got someone new for it. While a new actress isn't an unheard of problem when you move between series and production crews, it caused more concern with this kind of show since the actress needed to be a singer, and the songs were a big part of the shows popularity. And when people discovered that instead of the 80's style "rock" music that was employed in the original was going to be replaced by some ballad style "rock" music, it didn't get any better. With this factor and the retread plot used, many fans dismiss Bubblegum Crash pretty quickly as a bad show. I think that the show is more western oriented than the original. Amusingly, you can see this in the first minute or so of the show. Once you get past the rather nice looking CG city view and into the animation side of the show, there's a flyover of a billboard that reads "American Popcorn". That's what this show feels like, an American popcorn movie sequel. Team comes back after hiatus, new villain that's tied to an old villain, formulaic plot ensues. It's been several months since the events last seen in Bubblegum Crisis (2033) and things have changed. Linna has moved out of the aerobics life and into the stock market and is making big bucks really fast. Priss has changed her style of music somewhat and is close to making her pro debut and getting a contract while Nene still holds down a job at the AD Police. But Sylia seems to have gone missing and in general, the old team essentially seems to no exist, though the remaining girls do get together as friends. It's at this time that the Illegal Army, a group that uses some high- grade military combat suits that are modified, begins to make various hits throughout MegaTokyo by robbing banks. On the surface, they don't look more than common criminals in gear that nobody, even the AD Police, can take down. But under the cover of the bank robberies they're stealing parts to an advanced new AI system that's being developed by several companies. It's when this gets truly serious that one of the companies offers a contract to Sylia for the Knight Sabers and she ends up bringing them out of their "brief vacation" as she calls it. She had taken the downtime to revamp their suits and their operations to take on the new kinds of evil out there in the world. So it's with a fair amount of gusto, after some predictable scenes, that the girls are once again back in the saddle and taking on the enemy suits. The shows do a nice job of getting around the various locals of MegaTokyo, probably a bit moreso than the some what bland same landscapes we saw with the original series. The addition of the talking and advanced boomer AI unit that ends up under Priss' attention is reminiscent of some stuff in Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 as well. Unfortunately, that's what a lot of Bubblegum Crash is; a series of scenes and mini stories that feel like they've already been done in the series already. Being a completist, I'm glad to have Bubblegum Crash on DVD at last so I can say I finally have everything I once had, since I sold my LD's a few years back. I think with the amount of time that's past since the show was first released and the larger number of fans out there, the show will find itself a new audience on DVD that will appreciate it more than the old-timers who have issues with it. And with it running over two hours and being a nice low 24.95$ before any discounting, it's an easy one to snag for completists.