I got myself stuck by a case of bad DVD package design.
Let me start with a tiny bit of background first. I like to watch anime but I have to go out of my way to see it (this is normal for all my television/film viewing, so don't think I'm singling out anime). As a result, what anime I do see is normally force-fed by friends. This was the case when I was loaned "Outlaw Star" when I got back from my trip on Wednesday. I got home, set the three DVD cases down, and promptly forgot about them until the weekend, when I could set aside some time to start watching the series.
The appointed time came and I opened one of the three packages, fired up the DVD player and settled in to watch. I was pleased with what I saw. It had a nice balance of action and goofy humor, and I was particularly struck with how well the first episode played, especially how well it dropped the audience into the story in media res. So I continued watching, which is when I started noticing how the show was showing characters and plot points that the main characters seen but I had not.
I should have stopped right there, but waited until the I was done with all the episodes on the disc. Then I pulled it out, put it into the DVD case, and inspected the case itself. There, in an unobstrusive corner of the front artwork, was a small graphic with dark lettering on a darker star-like image which told me that this was the 3rd collection.
I'd been watching episodes from two-thirds of the way into the series!
Thinking rather unpleasant thoughts, I checked the other two DVD cases. They had the same dark-on-darker graphic, each in a different corner of the packaging, and each placed on a dark spot of the underlying artwork, which was terribly busy. I actually had to squint to find out which one was the first collection. For a product that was sold commercially—as was the case for these DVDs—a mistake like this is unthinkable. Yet there it was, in my hands. The important parts of the design, the title and the collection number, had been placed subordinate to the artwork.
Grumble.
I have not gone back to finish the series. I might (since the quality of the series was not the problem), but not until I wash out the awful taste of bad design I got from the packaging.
Anonymous said:
