Xam’devil’s Advocate
For the record I do like Xam’d, it’s a nice show. I am less thrilled about Sony’s exclusive PSN thing, but I like day-date subbed release in HD. Really can live without DRM and the 24-hour rental period (way. too. short.). I think the price is a tad high but it is money well spent.
I also think it’s more insightful to examine the situation from my perspective than some sour-grape chugging guy who doesn’t have a PS3, haven’t seen the show in HD, and doesn’t know a thing about how businesses sell media, if I take the opposite position.
Why should you NOT buy Xam’d from PSN? A top 10 list version:
10. I’m a spoiled 16yo who is working part time but I spend all my money on old school animu like Megazone 23 or video games like Doki Doki Majo Shinpan! So. $2.99 is too expensive for some anime I don’t know much about.
9. I don’t like giving out my credit cards over to the internet, let alone typing my credit card info on a sixaxis. It’s the devil!
8. It’s a rental and not a download to own. It’s more than a feeling when you pay cold, hard cash for ethereal digital bits that disappear when the clock strikes 12. And it’s Marianne, not Cinderella.
7. He hates Bones, and you know you love him.
6. 2ch hates Bones too!
5. I’m just used to free animu from my fansubbing distro buddies on my irc channels. LOLpie8 be in ur DRMs killing ur doods.
4. Exclusive lockout + price premium is tried and true and oldhat, but that doesn’t make it any more desirable. One could say it’s fair trade because Sony did finance the property and can do what they want with it. Furthermore, discouraging companies from engaging in this practice may decrease the number of equally well-financed anime productions in the future. But what the hay, exclusivity sucks and an anime you can’t watch (because a PS3 is still $350+) is not much better than an anime that doesn’t exist at all.
3. LOL I wish I have a PS3 but I don’t because I don’t have a good reason to get one and/or I can’t afford it.
2. DRM, DRM, DRM. I mean, how else can I make caps for my blog amirite. It’s totally fair use! Come to me, my DMCA anti-circumvention interoperability exception!
1. I don’t like Xam’d. I am a terrible human being D:
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A day ago I googled “Xam’d” and I came across a post on the IGN forums. And it’s pure, unadulterated advertisement. I’m going to quote it here because this is unbelievably flattering to the degree that makes me gag.
I rented the HD version as well. Going in, I was set off by the steep price, but by the end I was perfectly fine with having spent the money. I would not purchase it at it’s present condition. Not because of any failings on the anime’s part, but because of the lack of English dialogue. This is a brand new anime that hasn’t even been localized yet, technically. Subtitles is hardly enough. I view the episodes as a preview of the show we shouldn’t be getting. It will be a while before this anime hits our shores. Think of it as paying admissions to an early premiere. With that said, I’ll probably have to cut down on some of my weekly Rock Band spending because of this. The price is just too much to keep up with otherwise. Now, to my review…
If you, like me, jumped at the opportunity of a High Definition anime; curious to see just how much of a difference there is between Standard Definition, know that this show will leave you with unrealistically high expectations. Colors are sharp, vivid, and blend incredibly well. The levels and tones are astonishing. Clean and smooth. Edges defined. Thin and unbroken (jaggies are a thing of the past). Much like a painting, the show moves incredibly swift and never lets down. The picture holds no matter the amount of visual effects. Truly something to be proud of.
As mentioned before, the episode is presented entirely in English subtitles with Japanese audio the only option. Regardless, the show is unbelievably awesome. Beautiful in its direction and presented by masterful seiyuus. The writing is sharp, witty, and emotional. I was equally impressed by the screenplay as I was by the visuals. The story seems much in the vein of Last Exile with a touch of RahXephon. Truth be told, I would be doing the anime a disservice by treating it as if it was more of the same. The story is wholly unique, and quite immersive. The characters alone make it entertaining to follow. Slightly confusing if you’ve never seen a sub before, but this will fade. Enchants with each new viewing. I have a feeling this anime will become an instant classic. Amazingly well rounded, and insightfully deep characters. Consider me hooked. I’ll be subscribing to the series. So if anybody would like to ask me any questions, I’d be glad to answer.
And I actually understand what this guy is saying because that’s similar to my own experience, sans the hyperbole. It’s lovely when you can get the kind of service PSN provides, if you turn a blind eye to the price. That said, the price just brings you back to earth.
But really, I think people object to buying Xam’d for just three reasons:
1. the DRM.
2. people do not value “exclusivity,” “fast” and “HD” the same.
3. the collector’s mentality.
If you can get beyond that, I think people would find $3.99 agreeable.
I’ve said it before. If it weren’t a rental, I’d consider it.
I wish I have a ps3 :(
The rental issue is a more complex problem that I found with a lot of fansub folks online. Maybe for another post.
Don’t forget the lack of PS3’s for most third-world countries’ populations.
orz
If you, like me, jumped at the opportunity of a High Definition anime; curious to see just how much of a difference there is between Standard Definition, know that this show will leave you with unrealistically high expectations. Colors are sharp, vivid, and blend incredibly well. The levels and tones are astonishing. Clean and smooth. Edges defined. Thin and unbroken (jaggies are a thing of the past). Much like a painting, the show moves incredibly swift and never lets down. The picture holds no matter the amount of visual effects. Truly something to be proud of.