Are there any fans of...

[Nate]

Star Ocean EX?

Okay, I'm a pessimist...I expect this thread to die...but if it doesn't, I'll be pleasantly surprised (I love pessimism).

Anyway, Star Ocean 2 was one of my favorite RPGs (never played the one for Super Famicom). I wish Square-Enix would release Blue Sphere over here too...but being that it's a GBC game, I kinda doubt they ever will...boo to them!

Well, for those of you in the know, Star Ocean EX is the anime based (VERY loosely) on the game Star Ocean 2 for Playstation. I say VERY because the storyline is more streamlined, some EXTREMELY minor characters in the game become major players in the anime. *coughyukicough* Also, it seems that any time Ashton does something kewl in the anime, 95% of the time it's because the dragons are possessing him...I know he wasn't the strongest or most competent guy in the game, but man did they make him look useless in the anime...

Worst of all...

[SPOILER]Excel didn't blow up! That's right! In the game, it REALLY threw me for a loop 'cuz the Wise Men succeeded in blowing up Excel. Remember the giant bird you had to fight in the game for the Tears of the King so that you could try to cure Ashton? Well, in the anime, it has the power to freeze time, so right before Excel can be destroyed, it freezes time and opens a portal to Nede. BOO![/SPOILER]

Other than that, the storyline is OKAY...Leon seems to be more of a scientist than a mage, though, and NO ONE mentions Opera and Ernest's third eyes...which is pretty weird. I watched it because a friend of mine ordered it off the net, but it was the Hong Kong version and it was HORRIBLY translated.

I don't THINK there's any plans to release it stateside...even if it was, it would make some people angry because it doesn't really end...the anime ends right before they go to Nede...I don't think there are any plans to finish it either (such a shame...would have loved to have seen Chisato).

Anyone else want to contribute to this thread? *crickets chirp*

[Vyse]

Bad translation? No worries my friend, Genon's releaseing Star Ocean EX on DVD starting in January ^_^

[Kisa]

YAY! I love Star Ocean and I have been waiting for EX to be released for a long time! Ashton was actually one of my favorite characters. ^^
Yes January as Vyse said! Wish it was sooner so I could get it for Christmas! ><

[Nate]

January?! Hooray! But I still wanna know if they're going to finish the series...

Hey, two people actually responded! I feel better now. That's more than I thought would respond.

Veering SLIGHTLY off topic, if anyone else reads this, I want to know something. Claude was the son of Ronixis, the star of the first Star Ocean. That's how one and two were connected. Blue Sphere was a direct sequel to Star Ocean 2. But, um, what's the relationship between the characters in EoT? Are they related to Claude? Or did Square Enix go the Final Fantasy route with it?

[Kisa]

LOL only us cool people respond when the words Star Ocean are said! ^^'
I am pretty sure they are realeasing the whole SOEX series.... Chisato and all ^^
Yea BS has Claude and Rena in it, but EoT, I will have to ask my bro, who is playing it, if there is a connection.....

[Nate]

BS has Claude and Rena in it

Actually, Blue Sphere has EVERY PC from Star Ocean 2 in it, even characters that couldn't appear together such as Ashton and Opera and Ernest, Precis and Jean Bowman, and Leon and Dias, the two PC specific characters. I've tried to find the ROM on the 'net, but alas no luck...

only us cool people respond when the words Star Ocean are said! ^^'

Yep!

[Kisa]

OOOO all of the characters?! *cant wait*
I have been awaiting that game as well as the anime EX ever since I got the 2nd story years ago . . . such an awesome game! ^^

[MasterDias]

I'm slightly annoyed that the anime doesn't have a proper ending, but I will probably check it out as I am a fan of the Star Ocean series.

As for EoT, I do not believe that there is a direct connection to the plot events of Star Ocean 2 save for maybe a few cameos. Granted, I haven't finished EoT yet...

Star Ocean : Till the End of Time does take place in the same universe however...400 years after Claude, Rena, and company defeated the Ten Wise Men.

[Debitt]

I too was disappointed by the lack of anime closing. >.<; I also bought a bootleg DVD without knowing...oh well. >>;

I love Ashton?

[Kisa]

Ashton is awesome! I love his dragons too! ^^
O also there is a Star Ocean manga.... but I don't know if there will ever be a plan for its release here or whatever.... I HOPE SO! ^^'

[Debitt]

I got me the SOEX manga - it's BEAUTIFUL. You can pick it up at a Japanese bookstore and find text translations on the internet.

[Nate]

HOOORAY! People are posting on my thread!


Um, I like Ashton too. In fact, I always use him in my active party when I recruit him (I went after Opera and Ernest once...BIG mistake, they're both useless). The problem I have is that in the game, he's awesome. Yeah, he was portrayed as a bit of a loser and down on his luck, but he was still a great swordsman. The anime destroys this by portraying Ashton as a bumbling idiot who can only achieve something of importance when Gyoro and Ururun are the dominating force. So I HATE the anime for that. But January?! Woo-hoo!

P.S. Kisa, I don't think they're going to release Blue Sphere in the U.S. considering it's a Game Boy Color title.

P.P.S. I saw your picture on that thread today, Kokoro! You're cute!

[Debitt]

thanks, kaemmerite.

I didn't mind the way Ashton turned out in the series. True, he's a bit clumsier in the anime, but at least his noble personality remained intact, and that's what makes him Ashton. ^^

[Kisa]

Is the manga in English?! I want it! *chases kokoro for her copy*
Ashton is the best, hes so cool and nice, not to mention he is very bishie!

[MasterDias]

The manga hasn't been licensed but there are fan scanlations available of a little bit of it if you know where to look.

I've read the first two chapters of Star Ocean: Till the End of Time and the first chapter of Star Ocean: Blue Sphere. I enjoyed what I read...although there was strangely no mention of Noel and Chisato in what I read of the latter.

Yeah, Ashton was a good character, aside from a few techniques that were impractical. I think I had him in my final party.

[Kisa]

Wow, there is manga for the other star oceans too????!!!!!
Does anyone have any sites where I can get scantalations of any of them????
Post them please! ^^

[Gypsy]

I have the Star Ocean EX anime set ... I just haven't watched it yet.

[Debitt]

I'm not sure of any scanslations, and I don't know whether I'm allowed to post a link or not, but I know there are text translations at: http://kuruta.net/enchant

[MasterDias]

Wow, there is manga for the other star oceans too????!!!!!
Does anyone have any sites where I can get scantalations of any of them????
Post them please! ^^

The moderators might frown on posting scanlation links even if it's not licensed. So I'll go ahead and PM the names of the sites to you.

[Kenchii]

I still have to beat Star Ocean ><;; The manga will maybe makes it way when someone licences the anime. (or other way around) SO:Second Story was awesome. I've seen about three episodes of EX series. I need to buy SO Til the End of Time.. X3 ::glops::

[Nate]

Kenchii, am I to infer from that statement that you HAVE played the first Star Ocean game?! Like I said, I tried to find a ROM on the net for the original SO as well as Blue Sphere, and I came up empty-handed on both of them.

I am still slightly reluctant to buy EoT. I had heard the music will make you wish you were deaf, and that the story was pretty hackneyed (sp?).

Also, as much as I love Star Ocean 2, the voice acting was HORRENDOUS. Is EoT's any better?

And yes, I think that if the anime is released over here, the manga MIGHT come with it...that's usually (though not always) the case. I had no idea there was an EoT OR a BS manga...I'm with Kisa, is there one for Second Story or the original as well?

[Kenchii]

[quote="kaemmerite"]Kenchii, am I to infer from that statement that you HAVE played the first Star Ocean game?! Like I said, I tried to find a ROM on the net for the original SO as well as Blue Sphere, and I came up empty-handed on both of them.
[quote]
I have the unofficial US translation of the original Star Ocean. If you want it, PM me. (*noticed, I didn't state cartrage, or ROM..)

[MasterDias]

Kenchii, am I to infer from that statement that you HAVE played the first Star Ocean game?! Like I said, I tried to find a ROM on the net for the original SO as well as Blue Sphere, and I came up empty-handed on both of them.

I am still slightly reluctant to buy EoT. I had heard the music will make you wish you were deaf, and that the story was pretty hackneyed (sp?).

Also, as much as I love Star Ocean 2, the voice acting was HORRENDOUS. Is EoT's any better?

And yes, I think that if the anime is released over here, the manga MIGHT come with it...that's usually (though not always) the case. I had no idea there was an EoT OR a BS manga...I'm with Kisa, is there one for Second Story or the original as well?

I've enjoyed EoT quite a bit so far. The music is generally pretty decent. Certainly not terrible. It's typical Motoi Sakuraba after all. He's a fine composer although a lot of his works tend to sound the same.

The story is good, in my opinion. It's not particularly filled with a lot of huge plot twists (but then, neither was SO2), however, there is an air of mystery surrounding some of the events in the game. There are quite a few cutscenes in the game actually.

As for the voice acting, it's been very good so far aside from a few minor/secondary characters who made me wince (Farleen...no grown woman sounds like THAT) and a few timing issues. But generally I think the voice acting is just as good as the recent Tales of Symphonia (which also has excellent voice acting) and is probably one of the best gaming dubs this year.

They hired a lot of seasoned game and anime actors to do the voices:

Steve Staley (Captain Sagara in Kenshin, Koji in Digimon Frontier)
as Fayt Leingod
Michelle Ruff (Al Hamilton in Last Exile, Mai Manase in .hack//Liminality)
as Sophia Esteed and Mirage Koas
Dave Wittenberg (Mullen Shetland in Last Exile, Allen Ridgeley in Xenosaga)
as Cliff Fitter
Wendee Lee (Faye Valentine in Cowboy Bebop, Blackrose in .hack)
as Nel Zelpher
Sherry Lynn (Sasami in Tenchi Muyo, MOMO in Xenosaga)
as Peppita Rosseti
Crispin Freeman (Regal Bryant in ToS, Alucard in Hellsing)
as Albel Nox
Beau Billingslea (Jet Black in Cowboy Bebop, Helmer in Xenosaga)
as Adray Lasbard
Mona Marshall (Izzy in Digimon, Ascot in Magic Knight Rayearth)
as Roger S. Huxley
Dorothy Melendrez (Kaoru Kamiya in Kenshin, Naru in Love Hina)
as Maria Traydor

I haven't finished the game yet or even gotton past the first disk, but I definetly recommend SO:EoT. Now if only I could make up my mind on which two of the four optionals/temporary characters I want in my final party...

As for the manga, yes, there are SO:The Second Story, SO: Blue Sphere, and SO: Till the End of Time manga. I don't know about the original. Tokyopop did bring over Konami's Suikoden III manga so I guess there is always a chance someone might license it given the insane amount of manga that get licensed now.