Star Blazers, Series 3: The Bolar Wars

Came as described and packaged well!

The Bolar Wars is the series that I never had seen before and for a long time never knew that it existed. Once I found it I ordered it. The price and shipping were both reasonable and excellent. Before I started watching it because I have read that they used different voice actors to tell the story. There are some differences that take getting used to that are different from the first two series. One is the introductory screen which is totally in Japanese and the ending credits screen is also in Japanese. The captions throughout the series are in Japanese. In the third disc there is a leaflet that explains the restoration and the reasons for leaving the captions in the original format. It is helpful to browse through the extras in the main menu to understand the characters and the various ships and equipment. At first I was right that I didn't like it but as I continued watching I began to change my mind. The story is interesting and at times takes turns that will surprise you if you have seen the first two series. In the end I really liked the series and consider it a fitting end to the Star Blazers saga. If you loved the first two series then I recommend that you get this one to complete the collection.

Showed up quick and it works

DVD of an old animation. For people who liked Star Blazers this is a great purchase.

the third series of this show is just as good if not better than the first two. At first the voice change got in my way of enjoying it, but I continued watching it, and also noticed the slight lack of care as far as the animation was concerned. But Once that wonderful ship got off of Earth and that familiar Wave Motion engine sound started going, I was in the show. The story is very good, Desslock as usual IS THE MAN. For those of you watching this, do not let the over acting get to you, later on they work and the story is one faithful to Star Blazer/Yamato storyline. Enjoy

I have to say I like Bolar Wars every bit as much as I did QUEST FOR ICANDAR and COMET EMPIRE. The different in dubbed voice acting didn't bother me as much as i thought since between the subtitled 5 movie box set and 2012 Space Battleship Yamato 2199 series I've gotten use to different voices coming from the characters. I thought it was interesting in episode one that when one cadet reported to Wildstar that we see another officer in the room wearing the type of Star Blazers uniform later seen in the Yamato Resurrection movie. Dr. Sane's (Sadto) new nurse remind me a lot of the nurse he has in the modern 2012 series. The opening and closing credits in original Japanese is great. I'm surprise that unlike 2012 series though that Bolar Wars sometimes have Japanese subtitles for people and places names appear on the screen but not English subtitles as well. Having stuff like a Cafeteria appear in new refitted Yamato remind me more of 2012 series than the first 2 seasons of Star Blazers. The story about Earth having problem with the sun that make me think of Krypton's sun in Superman stories and search for a new Earth to live only to discover a new enemy along the way is great. Having been made in 1980s the animation is better than first two series while still giving same feel of the original seasons.

Of course, it starts with "Only one year remains before all life parishes on Earth", cliche' just like the First Series, and finding Leader Desslock calling General Talon "Sergeant Masterson". But I believe it's still a decent part of the series.

Remember Star Blazers? Remember fighting the Gamilons during the desperate, perilous, one year trip to Iscandar for the first series, or how menacing the Comet Empire was and or visiting the mysterious, beautiful Trelaina on her lonely, dead planet? Remember how awesome and exciting those adventures were and how the dialog and plots were so well written? Well Series 3: The Bolar Wars isn't any of that. The animation isn't bad. It's on par with the first two series and done by the same exact studio. However, if you were watching "Space Battleship Yamato" in the original Japanese, you might think that this was a decent addition to the series lore. Something must've happened in translation. The voice acting is subpar this time around and the translation is clunky / clumsy at best.. Different voice actors take on the roles of familiar, beloved characters. Sound effects and animation editing is fine. It's the voice acting that makes this series comically horrendous. I knew that from actually watching the series air on television nearly 40 years ago, after a long hiatus after series one and two during the late 70s and early 80s. The overall feel of this series feels rushed or unfinished as if the studio had some leftover ideas and decided to toss them together to make a third season. The Americanization studio that took over with new voice actors didn't seem to put much effort into making it any better. Some of the scenes, orders given from commanders, combat operations on the Yamato / Argo do not make any sense in real life or in anime sci-fi. That's forgivable because of the sheer nostalgia that this series offers. I loved watching what became of the crew of the Yamato / Argo and the United Earth Government after the Comet Empire. I wanted to see what happened to the Gamilas / Gamilons and their empire after Dessler / Desslok had his "change of heart". I love seeing the anime design language of this series that inspired numerous other anime sagas that followed. I hope the folks that did the rebooted Space Battleship Yamato 2199 also redoes this series. I purchased this series on DVD just for making my collection complete and for the nostalgia. That's it. If you have fond memories of the first two series and that's all, you may want to give this third series a pass. It's pretty horrible. The story is cut and paste from the first series but with a twist. The sun is dying and earth has only a year left. The United Earth Government is making plans to evaluate the planet and the Yamato / Argo / Starforce is sent for look for a suitable planet to evacuate to, Along the way, they encounter another galactic war taking place in which they get caught up in. You don't get much time to get to knew and like the new characters. The old characters' personalities are a bit off, and so they are barely recognizable. It's a big mess. I gave three stars because of nostalgia and familiarity with the series universe. if I was going into this series completely cold, it wouldn't get more than a star. Even with nostalgia glasses on, it's barely watchable.

thanks you

Excellent anime thanks