Search - Star Blazers - Comet Empire (Parts 1-6) on DVD

"Target: The Comet Empire!!!"

D. Knouse | vancouver, washington United States | 03/24/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I was a kid I admit to giving the second series of "Star Blazers" a pass. I watched it once, then waited patiently for "The Quest for Iscandar" episodes to start again. I think I now understand why. While the first series gave me an emitonally nostalgic buzz, it is a fairly simple and straight-forward story filled with great ideas and outstanding concepts that are easier for kids to digest. But with "The Comet Empire" the characters are so well-developed and the plotting so intricate that when I was young it was simply too much information. Today, however, I prefer this series for a multitude of reasons. The most noticable difference is that the animation has improved ten-fold! There are many scenes throughout the series that rival current-day anime. While "The Quest for Iscandar" was loaded with great ideas, the plotting sometimes took a backseat to inspiration. But here the story is more fluid and diverse, with interesting sub-plots, and with even more great ideas. While the first series concentrated on introducing the main characters and developing depth of character, this second series expands on those characteristics while giving more screen-time to the rest of the cast. Sandor and Orion and Eager and Homer all get more attention, as do the newer characters, like the colorful Sgt. Knox and his Space Marines; the charming Leader Desslok makes his return, as well. As an adult, I enjoy "The Comet Empire" more for the simple fact that there is more going on. Aboard the war machine that is "The Comet Empire" there is devious behavior and political maneuvering, with certain individuals vying for the throne. While at Earth Headquarters, the actions of The Star Force are taken as mutiny at first, but later embraced as their last defense. The complexity of emotion and plot kept me interested all the way to the end. This wasn't the nostalgia-rush I got from the first series, but seriously, everything else here is an improvement. Although, I still gave "The Quest for Iscandar" 5 stars. This is easily one of the best animated series of all-time, and I highly recommend both series. "The Quest for Iscandar" for unbridled nostalgia, and "The Comet Empire" for an excellent adventure story."

Such a disappointment

J. C. Shannon | Reno NV | 08/16/2004

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I just got the first episode of the Comet Empire series, and I was very disappointed. The Macrovision blocker bleeds into the "regular" picture. The sound is awful. It sounds like they taped it off an old tv broadcast and THEN transferred it onto DVD. After the first series was released, I was SO looking forward to seeing the second.
The only reason I gave this 2 stars was for the sentimentality factor. It is great to see an old favorite. It's a shame the company who put this out didn't bother making this worth the $150 price tag.
"

Another triumph

Michael H. Siegel | Austin, TX | 09/29/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Those of you who've read my review of the first series know how I feel about Star Blazers. This series languished in my faded memory for 20 years before I found it on DVD. And then it exploded any expectations I had by being magnificent and beautiful -- one of the best sci-fi series .... heck, one of the best series period to ever hit the small screen.The second season details the struggle against the awful Comet Empire. The peace and tranquility bought by the Argo's victory over Gamilon is shattered when a mysterious comet wends its way toward the solar system. At the same time, a garbled desperate message reaches Earth and the Star Force reunites to investigate and find out just what the threat to Earth is.Once again, the talented writers have found the right balance of thinking big and writing small. The story is epic -- monumental. And yet they never lose sight of the human drama. Amidst the stunning battle at Saturn, the Star Force's desperate fight on the surface of Telezart and the final apocalyptic confrontation, we still get those little moments that make Star Blazers so amazing -- Wildstar's developement into a capable commander, the tension between him and Sergeant Knox and a touching tender love story between Trelaina and Mark Venture that brings tears to the eyes of the most cynical viewer.I wish that someone had spent the time and money restoring the video and audio. The quality of the material is poor. The audio fades in and out, the video has flecks and spots and warps. The problem is the source material. No one imagined anyone would care about this series in 2003 and so no one bothered to preserve it.But you know what? By episode 10, I didn't even notice. The story had swept me away and I could just ignore the poor quality of the audio/video and embrace the story with the same rapture I did at ten years of age.The extras on the DVD are even better than last time. They include not only an overview of Earth, the Comet Empire and the weaponry, but interesting interview with the cast members. These people were struggling actors who did what seemed a throwaway job. And they're suprised and moved to find out how much the series meant to the viewers.But again, this is just a bonus. The real flesh of this collection is the best animated series to hit the small screen. Once again, I advise you to jump in with both feet. You won't be disappointed."

Not just a "cartoon". Much, much more

e5150 | United States | 10/20/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like everyone else who worships this series, I too lived and breathed Star Blazers in my youth. Right after school, at 3:30 on Channel 11 (but occasionally in the morning at 7:00), was my time to get lost in another world. In fact I vividly recall my mother, during the show's morning performances, waking me up for school by turning on my little black and white tv, and I would be roused from my slumber to the theme song: "We're off to outer space..." What a great way to start a day! I tear up just thinking about it. And of course my friends and I would discuss that day's episode at school. Unforgettable, irreplacable memories.
Growing up has not lessened the experience one iota, since Star Blazers contains all the drama and excitement of any adult tv show, without the language and nudity (though apparently some skin existed in the original Japanese version). The character development is staggering (due to the amazing voice actors); the frustration of loss and the elation of victory is palpable.
I prefer the Comet Empire Series only slightly more than the Iscandar series because the artwork is a little better, though neither of them have truly bad artwork. It's not the hi-tech modern anime that we're used to now, but rather the acorn from which it grew. The scene at the beginning of the series where the Star Force is gathered at Captain Avatar's Memorial and the new Andromeda battleship flies toward them covered in lights was quite an advanced piece of work for the time, but that sort of technique wasn't used often in the series.
The dvd extras with the original voice actors is too good to be true, and it's a shame they weren't used on the Bolar Wars series. I will not watch it due to that little detail. It just isn't the same. Wildstar, Venture, Nova, Sandor, Conroy, Orion, et al. are forever to be associated with the voices from the first 2 series.
Even though I realize the Argo should have been destroyed 100 times over with the damage it received (especially from the Comet Empire's "hidden" ship), I will not let that minor technicality sway my opinion of this remarkable, intelligent, moving story. The music is great, the voice actors make you truly feel close to the characters, and the drama and heroism is unmatched by any other "mere cartoon"."