Customer Reviews

Lost Universe - Thinpak Collection

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

 

 

I initially watched this series because I am a big fan of Slayers and knew this was done by the same people. I watched the first episode and was immediately drawn in, because I love things that blend sci-fi and fantasy. Lost Universe is similar to Slayers in that it combines humorous and serious elements. There are some episodes that are just purely silly (in one episode, they must stop a ship by being hijacked by fanatical chicken-worshipers), while especially later in the series more serious themes of friendship, loyalty, and not giving up even in the darkest circumstances come into play. The characters are also more well developed and three dimensional than those in Slayers. In general, the Slayers legacy can be seen in Lost Universe, but it is in a lot of ways a much more mature series.

The only problems I had with it were I thought the ending was a bit rushed. I think that if they had gotten rid of just a couple of the filler episodes in the beginning and started the "actual" plot one or two episodes sooner, the series would have felt more coherent. As it is, many crucial plot details were revealed all of a sudden at the very end, and happen all at once such as to lessen the emotional impact. It seems almost like we have two series here -- the beginning, which is entertaining and comedic, and the more serious second half, which raises a lot of world-building and philosophical points, but doesn't have time to explore them thoroughly.

The series is very similar to Star Wars, too, to the point of almost being a blatant ripoff. I don't simply mean about the light and the dark side fighting each other with magical glowing swords, either. But you'll see when you get to the final two or three episodes what I'm talking about. The similarities, however, are more within the plot details than they are in the world-building, which I thought was done quite well, glowing swords and all.

If that doesn't bother you, though, then I think this series is definitely worth seeing. The awesome characters and compelling universe more than make up for any of the series' shortcomings in my opinion.

I have to say this is probably another gem I unknowingly found while looking for another series for myself and have not been disappointed with my choice. The series is similar to the humor of the anime series Slayers and Ranma 1/2. The series itself focuses mostly on the three main characters Millie Nocturne(An Under/Over achiever trying her best to be the best at what she wants to do with dubious results), Kane Blueriver(A captain of the starship SwordBreaker and while somewhat of a bumbler is actually a skilled fighter), and finally Canal(The SwordBreaker's holographic A.I. image with a smarmy attitude). The series has you see the trio go on their zanny and humorous quests together and while there is fighting and action it's not done to be to dramatic or serious like Gundam Seed or Inuyasha. The last final episodes do seem a bit more dramatic than the rest of the series but I think it fits in nicely though for the storyline. The voice actors for the dubbed audio were pretty good and while there were some that could have done better all in all they weren't bad. The Japanese voice actors did a terrific job as well no complaints there and the video for the series is clear with no blurriness or distortions to worry about. So if you like the light-hearted sci-fi anime with a big touch of comedy this hidden gem might be for you and for those still unsure try watching a few episodes you might just be surprised at how much you enjoy it....

Overall, I thought this anime series was good but More cartoony than I would have like. It ran the spectrum from being rated G in places to PG-13 in others. Because of some alcohol use in a couple of the early scenes, it would be tough for a G-rated crowd and the story line is certainly more PG-13. However, for outer space combat and adventure, I recommend it.

After renting the first several volumes of Lost Universe, I discovered that the video store didn't have the last half of the show! The plot line is so strangely gripping (watch the show and you'll know why it's strange to call it "gripping") that I had to know what happens. I had nearly given up on it when I found it here! This weekend, I'll find out how it ends . . . If you're reading this, you should buy it too, before you end up wishing you had. Plus, it works just fine, came in perfect condition, shipped in no time, and shipping was free! What more could you ask for? After all, it is "the best in the universe!"

One or two of the female voices are somewhat irritating at times, and the main character is so obviously a copy of Luke Skywalker. The artwork can be a bit spotty, as it chages from drawn to computerised. It is the sort of mystery that you don't find out what it is about, or even that there is a unifying plot, until near the end. Yet it does manage to be well enough written, have a happy ending, and have many funny spots.

One my favorite space adventure comedy anime. If you love Slayers this is another by the same people and yes the English Dub is funny bad at times. That's why it's listed as a comedy but do enjoy the sub version too and relax it's ment to be stupid funny. Please note this is "not" a space adventure anime like Banner of the Stars or Cosmo Warrior Zero but a "comedy". OK I think most of you get that point even if the last reviewer did not. This box set has more extras than the release by ADV a few years back like a new Subtitle track as well as the old one and restored video footage. I found this release by Rightstuf to be well worth the price and yes I do own the entire 6 volume set put out by ADV. Can't have too much Lost Universe. Hope they make more Lost Universe someday like they are of Slayers.

Its really well cone, bundle of laughs and funny to watch. Its a gem to get. I'm glad I got it.

Well.. what can I write about? The dubbing, I believe but won't spare the research, was made for television broadcasting. The Japanese subtitling made Far more sense than the English voices. I never heard the voice actor of the female ship again and I'm grateful for it. Running nails across a blackboard is the only fair description. The story was fairly silly in the original Japanese and I'll be stopping near the beginning and restart with it in Japanese to judge the quality of the show at a later date. Purchase at your own peril.