| The original aspect rartio is 4:3 (or possibly around 1.34:1). Every copy of it digitally I can find online, and as far as I know every English physical copy, is in some form of 16:9/widescreen version that's severely cropped. I was wondering why character's heads were cut off in shots so frequently. The Blu-ray version otherwise looks really good so it's weird that it and all the earlier English versions, as far as I know, are this mangled version and I can barely find anyone talking about it. I found proof of this from this Blogpost which posts some comparisons from the 16:9 version with a trailer for one of the original Japanese releases which appears to be 4:3. Blog: https://lamentanime.blogspot.com/2018/03/roujin-z-1991.html Original 4:3 trailer on YT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfrrIDT53_w But what's odd is even the 1991 Japanese LaserDisc version is listed as 1.85:1 on the LaserDisc Database: https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/29276/SRLW-1456/Roujin-Z So I don't even know if there was a Japanese version released in 4:3. And the cels are 1:1.4-ish (almost 4:3). #1: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/roujin-anime-cel-production-1920061012 #2: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/roujin-anime-animation-cel-painted-152506500 #3: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/roujin-anime-animation-cel-painted-140229412 I thought I found a 4:3 by a4e on a torrent site I won't name, but as far as I can tell that was just another cropped version with hardcoded black letterboxes, which is even worse. I checked AniDB and I can't find any other 4:3 encode listing either, they're almost all DVD or blu-ray rips in 16:9. |
| I also found this review which compares the aspect ratios of Central Park Media DVD to the blu-ray. I had a brief moment of alarm when I compared the disc specs for the old import CPM DVD and the Blu-ray. That DVD had a listed aspect ratio of 1.66:1 letterbox while the Blu-ray's ratio is 1.78:1. With panic growing about cropping, I took another look at the DVD, and it turns out that it isn't 1.66:1, but its NTSC format when zoomed in on my TV does lose a few lines of information top and bottom, and doesn't quite reach the edges. It would be cropped even more severely on a CRT with overscan. So I did have a lingering reservation about the Blu-ray. I needn't have worried, as all the picture information in the DVD was present on the Blu-ray, in its 1.78:1 aspect ratio. That's 1.78:1 widescreen at 1080p resolution to be exact. Comparing the Blu-ray to the CPM DVD is like comparing mountain fresh spring water to mud. I haven't seen the Manga Entertainment DVD that's being released at the same time as this Blu-ray, but if it's taken from the same master, it's got to be almost as drastic an improvement. The Blu-ray's transfer is to all intents and purposes, perfect. https://www.myreviewer.com/Blu-ray/148934/Roujin-Z/148985/Review-by-Jitendar-Canth I don't believe this, I'm guessing they're unaware of any 4:3 trailer and are merely comparing the already cropped versions together. I found this which lists a US Manga Corps. release of it at 1.66:1 theatrical aspect ratio: https://www.archonia.com/nl-be/artikel/17415/roujin-z-dvd-new-version And then I found this site which says in Japan there were at least 3 releases of it on DVD in Japan. #1 in 1999 in 4:3, #2 in 2002 in 2.35:1, #3 as the "ROUJIN Z HD Master Edition" in 2005 in 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The wilde variance in the aspect ratios from one to the next makes me think they're are massive flaws in this information though. Link 1: http://chronotomo.aaandnn.com/1999/08/dvd-roujin-z-z.html Link 2: http://chronotomo.aaandnn.com/2005/04/dvd-roujin-z-hd-master-edition-z-hd.html I think found copies on Amazon and eBay that list explicitly on the case "4:3" or "1.33:1" aspect ration like this one on eBay, though it's a French copy. https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/64sAAOSwn6hgbNhe/s-l1600.jpg I emailed the seller and I'm hoping for them to get back to me about whether it's a true 4:3 with no letterboxing. I hope it is (though it'd be disappointing it's still converted to PAL, which I'm not sure the quality of the conversion). |
Effete said: did you find 4:3 original version?I also found this review which compares the aspect ratios of Central Park Media DVD to the blu-ray. I had a brief moment of alarm when I compared the disc specs for the old import CPM DVD and the Blu-ray. That DVD had a listed aspect ratio of 1.66:1 letterbox while the Blu-ray's ratio is 1.78:1. With panic growing about cropping, I took another look at the DVD, and it turns out that it isn't 1.66:1, but its NTSC format when zoomed in on my TV does lose a few lines of information top and bottom, and doesn't quite reach the edges. It would be cropped even more severely on a CRT with overscan. So I did have a lingering reservation about the Blu-ray. I needn't have worried, as all the picture information in the DVD was present on the Blu-ray, in its 1.78:1 aspect ratio. That's 1.78:1 widescreen at 1080p resolution to be exact. Comparing the Blu-ray to the CPM DVD is like comparing mountain fresh spring water to mud. I haven't seen the Manga Entertainment DVD that's being released at the same time as this Blu-ray, but if it's taken from the same master, it's got to be almost as drastic an improvement. The Blu-ray's transfer is to all intents and purposes, perfect. https://www.myreviewer.com/Blu-ray/148934/Roujin-Z/148985/Review-by-Jitendar-Canth I don't believe this, I'm guessing they're unaware of any 4:3 trailer and are merely comparing the already cropped versions together. I found this which lists a US Manga Corps. release of it at 1.66:1 theatrical aspect ratio: https://www.archonia.com/nl-be/artikel/17415/roujin-z-dvd-new-version And then I found this site which says in Japan there were at least 3 releases of it on DVD in Japan. #1 in 1999 in 4:3, #2 in 2002 in 2.35:1, #3 as the "ROUJIN Z HD Master Edition" in 2005 in 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The wilde variance in the aspect ratios from one to the next makes me think they're are massive flaws in this information though. Link 1: http://chronotomo.aaandnn.com/1999/08/dvd-roujin-z-z.html Link 2: http://chronotomo.aaandnn.com/2005/04/dvd-roujin-z-hd-master-edition-z-hd.html I think found copies on Amazon and eBay that list explicitly on the case "4:3" or "1.33:1" aspect ration like this one on eBay, though it's a French copy. https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/64sAAOSwn6hgbNhe/s-l1600.jpg I emailed the seller and I'm hoping for them to get back to me about whether it's a true 4:3 with no letterboxing. I hope it is (though it'd be disappointing it's still converted to PAL, which I'm not sure the quality of the conversion). |
| I did not. They wouldn't show me screenshots/photos of the movie played on a TV (and didn't seem so bright anyway, so even if they did I'd have no idea if they had the TV image zoomed or stretched). Just emailed another seller on eBay. Seems all of the French "Manga Mania" DVD copies of Roujin Z are listed as 4:3 on the back. Hopefully this person understands and can show me some screenshots. Edit: they emailed me back. The PAL/French Manga Mania Roujin Z DVD is widescreen and letterboxed. That's disappointing. I'm guessing if there are 4:3 DVDs for Roujin Z none of them left Japan. |
EffeteJul 3, 2021 3:17 AM
Reply to mixese9140
It was originally an OVA that was then turned into a movie while in production.
All releases ever are widescreen, because it was never recorded in other way.
The 1999 DVD have ビスタサイズ (VistaVision) on its back (as can be found on listings for sale in Japan), so, even if no one, even on obscure places dumped it, we know its widescreen.
The trailer's imagery can have N explanations, the most obvious you need to display it on TV also they probably got a lot of cuts done for 4:3 to release on VHS before deciding on Theater and postponing it for a year.
This was also confirmed by this inquiry email
https://otomo-complete.com/inquiry/index.html
In general stuff like this happens a lot! Even some content released were 4:3, then cut to 16:9 in BD, you can't really know what was in the cells, it could be originally a wider cell, that got 4:3-ed, then 16:9-ed from a master years after because people didn't scanned the original full stuff before.
All releases ever are widescreen, because it was never recorded in other way.
The 1999 DVD have ビスタサイズ (VistaVision) on its back (as can be found on listings for sale in Japan), so, even if no one, even on obscure places dumped it, we know its widescreen.
The trailer's imagery can have N explanations, the most obvious you need to display it on TV also they probably got a lot of cuts done for 4:3 to release on VHS before deciding on Theater and postponing it for a year.
This was also confirmed by this inquiry email
https://otomo-complete.com/inquiry/index.html
In general stuff like this happens a lot! Even some content released were 4:3, then cut to 16:9 in BD, you can't really know what was in the cells, it could be originally a wider cell, that got 4:3-ed, then 16:9-ed from a master years after because people didn't scanned the original full stuff before.
| @mixese9140 Yeah, it's possible the trailer is from the older footage planned for the OVA and then they shifted entirely to a widescreen version for theater. I was hoping it'd have a 4:3 version like how (some) of the Urusei Yatsura movies have 4:3 home video versions because they were produced with both aspect ratios in mind. |
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