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The Battle Athletes Victory Volume 1 DVD (Training) is the first Pioneer volume of the 1997 AIC anime. Akari Kanzaki, daughter of a former Cosmo Beauty, sets out on her road to the University Satellite. This Region 1 disc is a pre-owned copy in Good condition, in stock and dispatched within 2 business days. Add it to your cart today.
| Format | DVD |
|---|---|
| Discs | 1 |
| Studio | Geneon [Pioneer] |
| Released | August 29, 2000 |
| Run time | 1 hour and 25 minutes |
| Condition | Good Condition |
| Availability | In stock |
The Battle Athletes Victory Volume 1 DVD, subtitled Training, opens the 1997 sports-meets-science-fiction anime from studio AIC. Pioneer released this first volume on Region 1 DVD, starting the story of Akari Kanzaki and her dream of competing at the University Satellite.
This is a pre-owned copy in Good condition. It is a Region 1 DVD, so it plays in standard US and Canadian DVD players as well as Blu-ray players. Standard US shipping is $4.99, and orders over $50 ship free.
The series begins in the year 4999 at a school in Antarctica. Akari Kanzaki is the daughter of Tomoe Midou, a former Cosmo Beauty champion. Akari, however, starts out struggling as a weak student.
With help from her best friend Ichino, Akari reaches the University Satellite, where she competes for the title of Cosmo Beauty while training for a mission that will decide the fate of humanity. This first volume, Battle Athletes Victory: Training, starts her journey.
The TV series is a retelling of the earlier Battle Athletes OVA rather than a sequel, and it takes a more outrageous, comedic tone. It aired on TV Tokyo from October 3, 1997 to March 27, 1998.
In the English dub, Lia Sargent voices Akari, with Wendee Lee as Ichino, Julie Maddalena as Tanya, Bridget Hoffman as Anna and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as Ayla. In Japanese, Rio Natsuki voices Akari and Aya Hisakawa plays Ichino.
The Battle Athletes Victory anime blends sports drama, comedy and space-age adventure. This first disc is the natural starting point for fans of 1990s anime, and owning the Battle Athletes Victory Volume 1 DVD means the series is always ready to play.
Browse our full range of anime on DVD and Blu-ray or try another early-2000s anime release, Chobits Vol. 2: The Empty City. For more ideas, read our guide to the best anime on DVD. Series details are on the Battle Athletes Wikipedia page.
Battle Athletes Victory Volume 1 DVD: Questions Buyers Ask
Is this the first volume of the series?
Yes. This is Vol. 1, Training, the first volume of Pioneer's Region 1 release of the 26-episode series.
Will it play in my US DVD player?
Yes. It is a Region 1 DVD, the standard for US and Canadian players.
What condition is this copy in?
It is a pre-owned copy in Good condition, and our 30-day return policy covers your purchase.
Is this the OVA or the TV series?
This is Battle Athletes Victory, the 1997 TV series, which retells the story of the earlier OVA.
The Battle Athletes Victory Volume 1 DVD is in stock and dispatched within 2 business days. Standard US shipping is $4.99, and orders over $50 ship free. Check our 30-day return policy, then add it to your cart and start Akari's training.
Standard shipping is $4.99. Orders over $50 ship free.
You can still order it. Delivery may take 2–4 weeks because the item needs to be sourced from the manufacturer.
This is the DVD edition, 1 disc.
TAKENORI AKAMINE –
Originally posted on Amazon.com · not a MarioShroomed purchase
!!!
Nostalgic and interesting.
S. Warren –
Originally posted on Amazon.com · not a MarioShroomed purchase
Five Stars
If battling in the Olympics be this ridiculous there be a lot of casualties lol.
R. Thomas –
Originally posted on Amazon.com · not a MarioShroomed purchase
Deceptive Cover Art, Unusually Deep
Speaking on behalf of the entire series, and not just the Volume One, let me say that AIC produced a real gem here.
At first glance it might be hard to imagine how enthralling an anime about sports could be. The revealing sportswear the characters wear (Legs clearly visible from top to bottom) might give you the impression that the studio intended on using eye candy as a substitute for an engaging narrative. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is a general consensus in the reviews you read here that one of Battle Athletes’ most positive features is its Character Development. There is plenty to be had.
The first volume begins by establishing who the characters are, their relationship to each other, and what their ultimate goals are. It is relatively light hearted. A lot of the English voice actors will probably be familiar to you; VA Cameos from Cowboy Bebop and Outlaw Star most notably. So I was fairly impressed by the voice casting and how they handled the characters. So if you haven’t watched the Japanese version, you’ll probably be satisfied. Akari might take a bit to adjust to though 😉
The language can involve some mild swearing but it’s sparse (Read: Not Overused) and in 2012 where things are often subject to censorship or substituted stilted language like “Darn it,” I found it relatively refreshing.
Once we roll into Volume 2 we start to see where the emotional part of the journey begins. The conflict between Friendship and Self Interest is played out skillfully. And it snowballs from there. You’ll be surprised what happens to the characters, how they deal with the challenges that lay ahead of them, and how easy it is to feel concerned for them (Or at least I hope you will, ^__^)
Oh, and a great bonus to these DVD’s is that once you “Play all,” it plays the Opening credits once and you won’t see the ending credits until it’s played through every single episode. How cool is that? No pause in the action for a silly 3 minute opening/ending cutscene. And the previews don’t start until after the ending credits. This was a great idea and I’ve not seen anything similar to it.
CONS…?
If I had to level some criticisms against it… I would say that towards the end there is a poorly handled romance that feels a bit contrived for comedy but ultimately looks like it’ll create some trouble.
Volume 7 contains what would have been an okay way to end the series but for better or worse we get a subplot that was briefly hinted at earlier in the series. It does have the benefit of bringing together some characters for an interesting spectacle.
IN CONCLUSION:
If you’re looking for a very delightful anime to add to your collection and you can find this for a good price, I strongly recommend you give Battle Athletes Victory a shot. Hope my review wasn’t too vague, but going into something with as few expectations as possible can make your experience that much better. =)
Mr. Marvin –
Originally posted on Amazon.com · not a MarioShroomed purchase
This is the funniest anime. You will laugh.
The slapstick violence, the ridiculous back story, and the development of the characters bring entertainment to the sports anime genre that can be too serious at times. This series concentrates on the virtue of the fun of competition and not on just winning all the time. This theme plays out time and again in this series where all competitors who try to win at any cost and by any means are defeated. At first glance this may seem like a sports anime, but it actually is more about having fun and enjoying friendship.
samantha k –
Originally posted on Amazon.com · not a MarioShroomed purchase
sweet and funny
i LOVED this show! it was a million times better then i expected. i loved the humor and the characters (my fave was definitely the chinese girl, ling-pha, she is soo funny!) also i agree with the other reviews that this is deeper then it looks! it really says something about competetition in our society. i think that, along with “lain”, this is the best anime dvd release this year! go get it; you won’t regret a minute!