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#### Big thanks to:
* **ghsushsu123**: planning help, various subtitle help, and the video comparisons
* **WPR**: providing the JP LD track and the JP 2009 Hypersonic remix
#### [Discord](https://discord.gg/PMrccmpYTu)
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### Akira v2
### Video
The video track is D-Z0N3’s v2 encode of the Dynit IT BD, which nicely improves on the raw BD video by getting rid of most of the haloing on it. A welcome upgrade in my opinion. See the screenshots linked down below in the "Comparisons" section to get a feel for how the encode compares to the remux and Scoped's encode. (A version of this v2 with Scoped's encode instead of D-Z0N3's is finished as well. I can put it up in addition to this one if there are folks who’d find a version using the more experimental encode worth the required drive space. Just let me know either in the comments here or on Discord if you'd be interested.)
### Audio
The big "star track" of this v2 is definitely the original Japanese 2.0 Dolby Surround remix that WPR provided from his capture of the 1988 JP LaserDisc. I originally synced this track for Scoped's v2, but since that project has been put on hold indefinitely, I decided to include it here and make it public instead of continuing to let it sit on the PC. What makes the track special is the exceptionally thunderous bass on it. We're talking [movie theater levels of low-end](https://slow.pics/c/geMRDtGX) in the 40-100 Hz range. It's supposed to be a near-field, home video remix, yet for some reason, its mastering is more like what you'd expect to hear on a theatrical mix meant for large-scale theater rooms. Playing this track loud on just a moderate system is already a pretty intense experience. I can imagine with a decent setup you'd tend to feel the low bass notes, big explosions, copters rumbling, etc.
And as far as I know, the LD(s?) is the only release to have this bass-heavy version of the track. The bass on the 2.0 tracks on the BDs has been reduced considerably (6-10 dB), causing them to sound a lot more subdued or even anemic in actiony scenes with heavier music or any type of bassy effects that reach below 100 Hz.
On top of the 2.0 LD remix, included are all the usual tracks:
* Japanese 5.1 2001 DVD remix from the 2019 IT BD
* Japanese 5.1 2009 Hypersonic remix from the 2011 UK BD, which is a clone of the 2009 JP BD (downsampled from 192 kHz 24-bit to 48 kHz 16-bit simply to cut down on the massive 12 Gb file size)
* English 2.0 (Streamline) dub from the 1992 US LD ([synced by scav](/view/1320871))
* English 5.1 (Animaze) dub from the 2013 US BD (downsampled from 96 kHz 24-bit to 48 kHz 16-bit due to being fake 24-bit and [cutting off](https://i.imgur.com/SgB4Juc.png) at ~23.2 kHz)
In addition to its infamous revisionism, the 2009 Hypersonic remix is also louder than the 2001 DVD remix and appears to slightly clip at points in channels 1-3. It does, however, seem to have less top-end noise reduction, so it at least possibly has some positive things about it (though it is unclear how much of that is simply EQ adjustment, as I don't hear much new detail or improved clarity. Someone with better hearing will have to verify). As for the 2020 Hypersonic remix, WPR really laid it out perfectly in his summary below. It is downright horrendous. It sounds to me like it's been heavily noise managed and then goosed with EQ, just awful all around. The spectrograms and mastering comparisons could be misleading in this case since they show a good amount of energy in the top-end on it, which, in reality, is all no doubt due to the significant 10-15 dB treble boost and not due to the track having any less noise reduction.
The 2001 DVD remixes on the UK/JP BD and 4K JP BD are the same as the IT BD track but lossy, not really worth comparing. Both English dubs are based on the original Dolby Surround remix with the exception of some redone SFX on the Animaze dub.
### Subtitles
The subtitles are US BD subtitles styled and fully retimed by me, with [these two lines](https://i.imgur.com/ETEN6Lj.png) edited by the [SoM](https://twitter.com/seedofmight) guys. I checked out THORA’s subtitles, and while the timing wasn’t bad, I wasn’t entirely satisfied with how they’d done it either. Mainly, they had left short, mildly infuriating gaps between many lines and hadn't snapped lines to keyframes in places where I'd really prefer them snapped. These newly timed subtitles should hopefully present a bit better.
Along with the overall timing refinements, a new track was made specifically for the 2.0 LD remix because the timing of the dialogue can vary by as much as 230 ms between the 2.0 and 5.1 mixes. I haven’t seen anyone do mix-specific subtitles for Akira before, so this should hopefully be a nice addition. (THORA's subtitles match the 2009 Hypersonic remix, which varies timing-wise not only from the 2.0 mix but from the 2001 remix as well.) Let me know of any errors and I'll get to them when I can!
### A brief history of Akira in the Digital Era written by WPR:
Akira has been one of the most re-released anime films of all time, with several editions, and tons of audio mixes in both its original Japanese, and with many languages having received multiple dubs.
Released theatrically in Japan in 1988, it wasn’t the animation masterpiece we know today. Around 200 visual fixes were produced for the Japanese Laserdisc released later that year, with the audio being fully remixed as well. Among said changes were the end credits; originally in Japanese, they were completely remade from scratch but now in English. This updated Laserdisc release is what we know and love, having been overseen by director Katsuhiro Otomo. The theatrical version has never been released on home video ever.
Despite the numerous releases, however, in the digital age, Akira has only been restored twice*. Once by IVC in Chicago using a newly made interpositive struck from the original camera negative by Bandai in Japan. The IP was scanned on a Spirit Datacine (the most common scanner of the era), and was restored using both automated and manual cleanup. Said restoration and simultaneously produced new English dub were examined and approved by THX. And secondly by Q-Tec in Japan, also using a newly made interpositive struck from the original camera negative, scanned at 16-bit HDR from a Lasergraphics 6.5K scanner, and restored using Q-Tec’s own FORS Master Process.
It’s a tale of two restorations; One, a respectable, but dated remaster with pure intentions to deliver the definitive presentation possible in said era, let down mostly by technological restraints… and the other, a disastrous restoration utilizing a superb scan (still of an IP, as Bandai are too scared to use negatives), only to be mutilated by destructive filtering to the filmic integrity of the source, resulting in a less detailed and refined presentation, with only a solid HDR pass as its saving grace (despite its colour grading being radically different and less accurate to original animation cels). As such, the 2001 restoration by IVC and THX is still the best source of the film to date, with the most recent Italian Blu-ray by esteemed distributor Dynit as the best encoded version of it on disc.
With regards to audio in Japanese, said original theatrical audio mix has never been released, and as such, the Laserdisc Dolby Surround track should be considered the “original” standard mix. Alongside the 2001 restoration, a new Japanese 5.1 remix was produced, staying mostly faithful to the sound design and mixing of the ‘88 LD track. However, fundamental changes begin here which persist in every subsequent remix.
In 2009, when Bandai Visual released Akira on Blu-ray for the first time, one of the major selling points was a brand new remix utilizing the full bandwidth of the Dolby TrueHD codec in lossless 5.1 surround, 192kHz at full 24-bit. Simply put, the 2009 Hypersonic mix is an absolute beast of a track, featuring absolute reference quality clarity and fidelity, resulting in one of the best sounding audio tracks to any film ever made on a technical level. With regards to the mixing, while masterful in its own right, it is far removed from the ‘88 LD track, with many changes both logical and illogical, producing a track both highly respected and criticized for its revisionist nature. Still, it deserves to be heard by any and all audiophiles with a caveat regarding faithfulness to the source material.
And lastly, for its 4K UHD Blu-ray release, a second Hypersonic track was produced, with a number of changes from its 2009 cousin, but with very few positives. Major noise reduction has been applied to the mix, resulting in less clear dialogue and distorted effects, and even more questionable mixing changes. Sound effects have been boosted to compensate for the severe NR, and audio levels are nowhere near as refined as the 2009 track, where an intricate balance of intensely crafted action and quieter, yet immersive sound mixing has been traded for a sonic whiplash of brash and distorted action with moments so filtered it’s hard to even hear the tiny background effects in less intense moments. Due to such sonic stupidity, the 4K hypersonic track has not been included.
As such, my personal suggestion is to watch the film with the 2.0 Dolby Surround track, as it is a faithful representation of how the film was intended to be heard on home video. If you demand discreet and not matrixed surround sound, the 2001 5.1 mix is a good alternative. Finally, the 2009 hypersonic mix is a must listen, but as an alternative track due to its many changes in the core design and elements at play.
*Bandai Visual claimed their 2009 Blu-ray featured a brand new restoration, however, when compared to the 2001 restoration, it appears the general qualities are very similar, if not nearly identical.
### Comparisons
|[Japanese 2.0](https://slow.pics/c/XKbIw842)|[Japanese 5.1 (2001 / 2009 / 2020)](https://slow.pics/c/tMCcXCBS)|[Video: IT BD / D-Z0N3 v2 / Scoped](https://slow.pics/c/tQLZwtkQ)|
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### Specifics (see comments ↓)
![[hydes] Akira (BDRip 1920x1032 x264 FLAC)](https://f.0c.mom/no-cover.webp)
