Customer Reviews

Jem - The Complete 1st & 2nd Seasons

5 star:		(131)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Like most cartoons of the 80's, JEM may have had an agenda of commercialism behind it. But that in no way should overshadow the fact that this cartoon aspired to be more than what it seemed at the superficial level. JEM made a serious effort to not only capture the attention of girls ages 5-13(through a mixture of catchy 1 minute bubblegum pop tunes and a lucrative collectors doll market), but to actually distinguish itself as something special in the annals of animation lore.As a young comic-book obsessed, introverted boy in the 80's, JEM first managed to catch my attention as part of an animation block of Saturday morning programming along with Bigfoot and the Monster Machines, and the Inhumanoids.As a boy and die-hard comic freak, I tuned in for the Inhumanoids naturally. But there was something about JEM that automatically captured my attention. Perhaps it was the "super-hero" aspect of the show. Perhaps it was the bevy of gorgeous animated babes. Whatever it was,I was instantly hooked.I felt kind of weird being a male JEM fan,but I consoled myself with the fact that I only gave the cartoon my patronage, and NOT the dolls! But I digress. GOD BLESS RHINO!!!! Season 1+2 are here in all thier big-haired glory! Enjoy JEM from her humble origins to her maturity as a pop-goddess and role model for kids of all ages and genders! This is a solid essential for children of the 80's,or any fan of quality animation with quirky storytelling, memorable characters,and (of course) those awesome mini pop anthems that gave the show it's aura of individuality. Good for young children,as it is replete with wholesome values and the triumph of purity and right over the forces of malicious mischief.(By the way:the MISFITS ROCK!!!) The animation itself is a bit rocky at times and primitive by today's manga-obsessed purists. But this can easily be forgiven due to the show's out-and-out ability to enthrall and stand the test of time despite its dated look and feel. HEY RHINO:CAN'T WAIT FOR SEASONS 3-4!!! I feel those are the best episodes, as the show really matured story-wise,and even more unforgettable characters were introduced! Hope this was helpful!

I CANT BEGIN TO SAY HOW EXCITED I AM OVER THIS DVD RELEASE! RHINI IS RELEASING A WONDERFUL DVD COLLECTION FOR THE JEM FANS. THE EPISODES FROM THE 1ST AND 2ND SEASONS OF JEM ARE:
Season 1:
The Beginning
Disaster
Kimber's Rebellion
Frame Up
Battle of the Bands

Season 2:

Starbright 1: Falling Star
Starbright 2: Colliding Stars
Starbright 3: Rising Star
The World Hunger Shindig
Adventures in China
Last Resorts
In Stitches
The Music Awards 1
The Music Awards 2
The Rock Fashion Book
Broadway Magic
In Search of the Stolen Album
Hot Time in Hawaii
The Princess and the Singer
Island of Deception
Old Meets New
Intrigue at the Indy 500
The Jem Jam 1
The Jem Jam 2
Culture Clash
Glitter and Gold

I WILL PROBOBLY GET NO SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE THIS GREAT DVD BOXED SET IS RELEASED. JEM WAS A GREAT 80S CARTOON. IT WAS LIKE AN ANIMATED SOAP OPERA. RHINO HAS BEEN DOING A GREAT THING FOR FANS OF 80'S CARTOONS. THEY'VE ALMOST COMPLETED, RELEASING THEIR TRANSFORMERS DVD BOXED SETS, AND LAST MONTH, RELEASED THE FIRST SEASON OF G.I.JOE. ONE CAN ONLY HOPE FOR HE-MAN & SHE-RA TO GET THE BOXED SET TREATMENT. BUT ANYWAY- IF YOUR A TRUE 80'S CARTOON FANATIC, AND LOVED JEM AS MUCH AS I- MAKE THIS GREAT PURCHASE!

When JEM's alter ego Jerrica (NB: Jem is to Superman as Jerrica is to Clark Kent), loses her magic hologram projecting Jemstar earrings (which transform her into uber-pop kitten JEM), in the episode "Adventure In China", viewers are hit with a sombre, sad but deeply meaningful pop tune "Something Is Missing In My Life"- performed by Jem and The Holograms (JEM's rockin' all-girl band). Will Jerrica find her priceless stolen heirloom or will it, and the magic, talent and humanitarian legacy of JEM, be lost forever?

Such was a typical dilemma on JEM and it was always at key plot turns that this show broke 80's cartoon conventions and instead, broke out into song! Containing up to 3 'music videos' per episode, JEM was not just a cartoon- but a musical journey into poptastic Heaven! Long before Britney, Christina et al were annulling Las Vegas marriages or getting Dirrrty in front of impressionable young audiences, JEM was doing parents proud with enough top notch bubblegum pop to start a gum factory.

Fans of this 80's cartoon were hooked on this amazing show for not just the music, glamour, glitter, fashion & fame...but because JEM contained the best storylines, complex characters and an on-going soap-opera-esque drama that kept us coming back for more.

Even in the 2000's, JEMs storylines, songs and music videos still hold up today. Some of the outfits they wore may be a little laughable, but boy were those pop tunes catchy! Jem's songs were enchanting, sweet and positive with a saccrine flavor (JEM songs include: "I Believe In Happy Endings", "When It's Only Me And The Music" & "Share A Little Bit Of Yourself"), while JEM's rival band THE MISFITS performed punk-ish electro-trash containing self-inflated lyrics with a whole lotta sass. (eg: "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!", "I Am A Giant" and "You Can't Catch Me"- to name a few).

I do urge you to get this DVD and relive the songs, pass on the good values contained in this show to your kids, enjoy the G-rated Melrose-Place-style campish competition between the shows' 2 rival bands and ensure Rhino encouraging sales to warrant future releases of the remaining JEM series out onto DVD. Take note- the best special feature included is a 'continuous' jukebox style player with all the JEM/MISFIT music videos compiled back2back for your listening pleasure...how cool is that!

If Something Is Missing In Your Life...JEM sure knows how to fill that void! She never fails to make you smile and will lead you to agree life really is 'truly outrageous'.

I would like to say that this specific Jem collection is wonderful. I received it for my birthday from my sister when it was in stores for $30 from Best Buy; it was worth every penny reliving my childhood. It teaches good morals, and is a neat example of the "music video" concept that was cutting edge and experimental in the 80s. My friends and I sat around every weekend watching it until we finished all of the episodes (imagine a bunch of college students including guys staying in to watch an 80s cartoon). Completely worth seeing, renting, owning.

Now, I would like to say this- it is not worth the money people are currently trying to sell it for- and to be honest I think that Jem and the Holograms would be ashamed. I am currently trying to replace my copy, which was stolen in a break in a couple of weeks ago, (along with everything else) but even if the insurance company will give me the money to replace it at its current "going cost" I will probably not replace it (and yeah.. I am a die hard fan) ... why? Because the people who are currently selling this are making over 4 times what they purchased it at a year ago; hopefully it will be re-released shortly and then the market will bottom out... until then I will re-watch my recorded VHS tapes until they wear out completely and not worry about it. So my advice to serious buyers? Unless you are a collector who is out of college and has money to toss around or someone who thinks that they can make money off of this show, don't purchase it and write Rhino a letter, because hopefully Rhino will rerelease it so that the general public can enjoy this great cartoon at a reasonable price. I am going to wait a few years and maybe I will get my treasured cartoon back.. until then I will be anxiously waiting for She-re to be released.

Let me start off by saying that I am only 15 years old, and a guy. So I didn't grow up watching Jem, I wasn't an 80's child, and I've never seen it before the DVD came out.

Well I saw this Jem DVD at the store, I never heard of the show, but I thought the cover looked kinda interesting, and read the back of the box and thought that the summary of the show sounded pretty interested. I didn't get it though. When I came home I went on the internet to look up a little more about the show. After I saw all the great reviews, went to a few fan sites, and heard some of the songs, I thought I just had to get my hands on this thing, so I bought it, and I really started to like it.

Although it's easy to tell by watching it that this series was made years ago, the animation is done very well for something made in the 80's. And the story lines are done pretty well. And the other reviewers are right; this is pretty heated for a cartoon. Now, notice I said FOR A CARTOON. Don't be expecting anything too raunchy on this show. But they do have a lot of kissing on the lips and a few slapping people here and there.

The music is also very good. The Holograms songs are more poppy kinda stuff. While the Misfits are more kinda Avril Lavinge kinda thing.

I don't really think that this show is only for girls. Although the main characters are female, there is plenty of action for us guys, and Christy Marx, the creator of the show explains that although the show was meant for girls, she made it to where boys would be interested in it too. Apparently, it worked!

The extras in this box set are pretty good too. They have an interview with Samantha Newark, the voice of Jem. She talks a little more about her singing career than about Jem, but it's still informative. The interview with Christy Marx, the creator and writer of show, is twice as long as Samantha Newark's, and EXTREMELY informative, she talks about her growing up, how she got into the business, how the Jem show started, what it was like working on it, the music, how she had to keep both genders interested, and a lot more.
Oh, and in both interviews, both of them say that they want Jem to come back, so let's hope that happens.

The discs all have the same design, which is the logo of the show, except each disc is a different color.

The interior artwork is really bad. I don't think it looks like a 6 year old drew it, but it sure doesn't look like a professional did. I really don't know why people think the cover is so bad, I think it's okay, but whatever.

Well I really recommend this show to any gender or any age, because this really is a good cartoon.

First and foremost, I have to express how surprised I was when I heard that Jem was coming to DVD. I am really grateful that Rhino rescued Jem from fading into 80's trivia obscurity.
So what's the DVD like? I'll tell you the good news first. The sound is unbelievable!! I can't believe how improved and clear it is, especially the songs! The menus on the DVD are brilliantly designed as well. The special features consist of very insightful excerpts from the Jem Bible, an interview with creator Christy Marx, Jem public service announcements, some commentary tracks, and the best feature: the option to watch all of the videos on each disc back to back.
Now for the complaints. There is also an interview with Samantha Newark, who was the speaking voice of Jem on the show. Unfortunately, she mostly talks about how she is a singer/songwriter, and nowhere is it made clear that she was only Jem's speaking voice, not Jem's singing voice. Jem's vocals in the Holograms' songs were actually provided by Britta Phillips (currently of the band Luna). If I were Britta, I'd not be pleased. Don't be misled!
As for the packaging, it's kinda weird. The pictures of Jem and the Holograms on the inside are almost crudely drawn and are not at all like the drawings of the characters that were on the packaging for the dolls. Plus, on one part of the package, it says "Passion and Glitter, Fashion and Fame." As anyone who remembers Jem knows, it's "GLAMOUR and glitter!" What a terrible oversight!
Another weird inconsistency is that Pizzazz's hair isn't the right color in the cartoons. Instead of the vibrant green that it's supposed to be, it's a washed-out olive. What's the deal?
My only other complaint is that someone somehow screwed up one of the Misfits' videos, presumably during the remastering process, in the episode "The World Hunger Shindig." "Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie" is one of the Misfits' best songs, and whoever worked on that song for this DVD managed to mess up the drumbeat, totally ruining it in the process! If you already have the DVD, you know what I mean.
Anyhow, other than these minor complaints, if you're a Jem fan, buying this DVD is a no-brainer. It's so nice to have the show in such good quality for the first time. And other than the tragic and bizarre butchering of that one Misfits song, pretty much every Holograms and Misfits song worth hearing is on one of these 4 discs.
All in all, it's a job well done by Rhino and I hope the final season of Jem makes it to DVD as well! The Stingers need to make it to DVD too!

This DVD has a lot of episodes of the TV series "JEM"!

Here is a list of episodes it includes (including its original airdates):

Season 1

The Beginning 06-Oct-1985
Disaster 27-Oct-1985
Kimber's Rebellion 17-Nov-1985
Frame Up 08-Dec-1985
Battle of the Bands 29-Dec-1985

Season 2

Starbright 1: Falling Star 05-Jul-1986
Starbright 2: Colliding Stars 12-Jul-1986
Starbright 3: Rising Star 19-Jul-1986
The World Hunger Shindig 26-Jul-1986
Adventure in China 23-Aug-1986
Last Resorts 30-Aug-1986
In Stitches 06-Sep-1986
The Music Awards 1 13-Sep-1986
The Music Awards 2 20-Sep-1986
The Rock Fashion Book 27-Sep-1986
Broadway Magic 04-Oct-1986
In Search of the Stolen Album 11-Oct-1986
Hot Time in Hawaii 18-Oct-1986
The Princess and the Singer 01-Nov-1986
Island of Deception 08-Nov-1986
Old Meets New 15-Nov-1986
Intrigue at the Indy 500 01-Feb-1987
The Jem Jam 1 08-Feb-1987
The Jem Jam 2 15-Feb-1987
Culture Clash 22-Feb-1987
Glitter 'N Gold 15-Mar-1987

I don't think I need to tell Jem fans why they should get this so this is for those of you that don't know what Jem is about. Here's a synopsis from the dvd cover: After her father passes away, Jerrica Benton inherits half of his company, Starlight Music. The other half has been given to the ruthless Eric Raymond. Raymond plans to exploit Starlight to promote a new band called the Misfits. Jerrica doesn't believe that this was her father's plan, but she is powerless to do anything about it. That is until a remarkable computer companion named Synergy enters her life (thanks also to her father). With a huge supply of instruments left by her father and using Synergy's impressive holographic powers, Jerrica, her younger sister Kimber, and their friends are transformed into the rock band, "Jem and the Holograms." Now, as the lead singer, Jem, Jerrica sets out to make the Holograms dreams a reality, and at the same time keep a group of young girls, a boyfriend Rio, and the record company happy. --

This show was truly underrated. Thankfully a bunch of fans like myself kept an interest enough to get these classic cartoons out on dvd! I enjoyed this as a kid and I still love watching it today as an adult! Introduce your kids to this show because unlike many cartoons today, there aren't many that actually are entertaining with action and drama but also promote strong moral values. Throughout the series there are quality episodes that talk about sensitive topics like runaways, stealing, drugs, suicide, etc...but its also done in a manner that a child can understand and theres ALWAYS an emphasis on talking with a loved one if you ever have a problem. And when the show isn't about a moral issue, there's the popular fun feud to enjoy between Jem and their jealous rivals, The Misfits! The Misfits are constantly causing trouble for Jem and The Holograms and as a result both groups often get themselves in quite a bit of trouble as they travel around the world. One other clever little sub-plot is the love triangle Jerrica formed between herself, Rio, and Jem! Because she's hiding her identity as Jem to Rio, she's only managed to become jealous of herself!

There's also a few short original pop song segments thrown in that sound better than alot of 80s songs! Its just too bad they are only about a minute in length. To give you an example of what a great role model Jem can be to both boys and girls, here's a couple lines from the Jem and the Holograms song "How You Play The Game": 'it's how you play the game...how you play the game, that's where it begins, how you play the game (how you play the game), How are you're feeling at the finish, when its all over, that's what really matters, not who wins.' See! Sure, a little cheesy, but the kids could use positive messages like that. Anyways, buy this set! you can also check out the episode guide at http://www.tvtome.com/Jem/index.html
*** Update Oct.2005 - I disagree about it not being worth 100 bucks! It really depends on what the cartoon is worth to you but as a Jem fan, I would gladly pay 100 bucks to obtain this collection. There's also nothing wrong with those sellers getting 4 times what they paid for it. We all had the chance to buy an extra copy when they were at an affordable cost. Unfortunately it went out of print and therefore is now a collector's item. The value goes up.

It's easy to see why everyone loves this cartoon. I believe I speak for everyone when I say why the hell was this show canceled? This show was addictive, if not for the weirdly enchanting music video segments, for the colorful and intriguing storylines. The show had a really LONG way to go had it not been canceled. I especially loved the way the characters were portrayed as if they were real people.

Few would claim that Jem was the best show ever, but it is a lot of fun. How many shows are as much about muisc, fashion and dance as high speed chases, cuttnig edge technology and social consciousness? That all these disperate elements came together in an even mildly successful show would be a wonder but Jem was not only successful but a phenomonon that has survived the years.

Kids today might laugh at the awful animation, corny dialogue and fashions, but the underlying themes and fun are undeniable. I'm sure most who buy this set though will be doing so for nostalgia. Well luckliy, that's here in spades. All the PSAs created for the show are included (some I didn't even remember seeing) and browsing through the production bible will reveal insights to character and franchise motivations. But the best feature of this set (aside from having the shows on DVD at all) is the ability to watch only the musical segments. The music was the main reason I liked Jem in the first place and I'm sure mor eoften than not I'll only be watching teh musical segments anyway. This feature is just perfect!

I'm eagerly awaiting further season sets of Jem and Truly Outrageous trips down memory lane.