Merlin S1 UK, DE, JP DVD Set Comparison
First, thanks to gealach-ros for uploading the German DVD extras.
I use a 5-star scale.
UK (S1 Vol.1 + 2)DE (S1 Vol. 1 + 2) JP Version (S1 Vol. 1)Price52.51 (the most expensive, 5 times the price of the UK version)Extra43.54Package333.5 (The best-looking box set, but a little too bulky)
I still think the UK DVD set is the best. It's the cheapest, and it has the video diaries. \o/
In UK, the DVD was distributed by 2Entertain. Outside UK, the DVD rights were sold by Fremantle Media. There're huge differences between UK version and other international versions.
Here I will compare German version and Japanese version. I assume both countries got the same original material. Then it's up to their editors to choose the material to be included in their DVD sets.
Let's compare the length of the interviews.
DEJPColin13:3016:15Bradley12:0316:42Anthony15:458:15RichardX7:23Katie15:34 8:06Angel7:167:55Santiago12:30X
In Japanese version, sometimes they kept the interviewer's questions. I think it's good this way. Here is an example.
Bradley was asked about Gwen. In the Japanese version, you can hear the interviewer brought up that in S1 Gwen used to fancy Merlin. Then Bradley continued to say "She fancies everybody. Lancelot turns up, and she fancies him, you name it, she fancies him basically. She thinks Knight Valiant is quite fit, when he turns up, she says 'oh he's nice', she is, you know, GOD!"
In the German version (0:42-1:23), you cannot hear the interviewer prompted Bradley about Gwen's crush on Merlin, they also cut Bradley saying "she is, you know, GOD!". Although it is only one short sentence, it says a lot about what Bradley really thought of the character who became Arthur's love interest in S2. No wonder, he's always reserved when talking about A/G and keeps saying "no rush". Well, I may be biased on this issue, but check the clip from the Japanese DVD set and judge it yourself.
The German version switches between the interviews and scenes from the show a lot. Japanese people tended to include BTS footage here and there. I prefer the Japanese one. Check this vid (esp. 0:38 - 0:58). I also made some screencaps from this BTS footage, check here.
But I like the fact that the German version contains interview of Santiago. There's a part of Bradley talking about Santiago in the German version as well. The Japanese one seriously is lack of yummy Santiago.
However, in the Japanese version, you can hear Richard talking about A/M, and he said "one is blond, one is dark, they play off each other very well". LOL! Mr. Wilson, blond and dark! Check here (0:33-0:37).
I also noticed that the German DVD editors included more clips which are already available on the web (we saw some of the stuff when NBC started to air Merlin last June), and German version focuses more on CGI, stunt etc. The Japanese version contains more info about the actors and their interactions, e.g. Japanese version contains the part Colin talked about him and Bradley. Colin revealed Bradley was the first person he met, and they met before filming started (check the vid). The German version also doesn't have Colin talking about Camelot women. For Merlin x Morgana fans, Colin said "Morgana is the love Merlin can never have". (vid) The part of Bradley calling Colin's accent strange (he corrected himself and used the word "unfamiliar" instead) was cut in the German version as well.
I have only watched Bradley & Colin's interviews from the German version. I may write more when I finish watching the other clips.
At this time, I only got Vol.1 of the Japanese DVD set. I have to wait till March to find out what extra they will have in Vol. 2. I heard we will see actors answering the question "if you can have Merlin's magic for one day" or something like that.
Also in April, we North American fans can finally get the Region 1 DVD set. The original material will be the same. So it really depends on the editors. I hope they will include more BTS footage, esp. the ones with Bradley and Colin fooling around. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
Confirmed info about US DVD set is here.
I use a 5-star scale.
UK (S1 Vol.1 + 2)DE (S1 Vol. 1 + 2) JP Version (S1 Vol. 1)Price52.51 (the most expensive, 5 times the price of the UK version)Extra43.54Package333.5 (The best-looking box set, but a little too bulky)
I still think the UK DVD set is the best. It's the cheapest, and it has the video diaries. \o/
In UK, the DVD was distributed by 2Entertain. Outside UK, the DVD rights were sold by Fremantle Media. There're huge differences between UK version and other international versions.
Here I will compare German version and Japanese version. I assume both countries got the same original material. Then it's up to their editors to choose the material to be included in their DVD sets.
Let's compare the length of the interviews.
DEJPColin13:3016:15Bradley12:0316:42Anthony15:458:15RichardX7:23Katie15:34 8:06Angel7:167:55Santiago12:30X
In Japanese version, sometimes they kept the interviewer's questions. I think it's good this way. Here is an example.
Bradley was asked about Gwen. In the Japanese version, you can hear the interviewer brought up that in S1 Gwen used to fancy Merlin. Then Bradley continued to say "She fancies everybody. Lancelot turns up, and she fancies him, you name it, she fancies him basically. She thinks Knight Valiant is quite fit, when he turns up, she says 'oh he's nice', she is, you know, GOD!"
In the German version (0:42-1:23), you cannot hear the interviewer prompted Bradley about Gwen's crush on Merlin, they also cut Bradley saying "she is, you know, GOD!". Although it is only one short sentence, it says a lot about what Bradley really thought of the character who became Arthur's love interest in S2. No wonder, he's always reserved when talking about A/G and keeps saying "no rush". Well, I may be biased on this issue, but check the clip from the Japanese DVD set and judge it yourself.
The German version switches between the interviews and scenes from the show a lot. Japanese people tended to include BTS footage here and there. I prefer the Japanese one. Check this vid (esp. 0:38 - 0:58). I also made some screencaps from this BTS footage, check here.
But I like the fact that the German version contains interview of Santiago. There's a part of Bradley talking about Santiago in the German version as well. The Japanese one seriously is lack of yummy Santiago.
However, in the Japanese version, you can hear Richard talking about A/M, and he said "one is blond, one is dark, they play off each other very well". LOL! Mr. Wilson, blond and dark! Check here (0:33-0:37).
I also noticed that the German DVD editors included more clips which are already available on the web (we saw some of the stuff when NBC started to air Merlin last June), and German version focuses more on CGI, stunt etc. The Japanese version contains more info about the actors and their interactions, e.g. Japanese version contains the part Colin talked about him and Bradley. Colin revealed Bradley was the first person he met, and they met before filming started (check the vid). The German version also doesn't have Colin talking about Camelot women. For Merlin x Morgana fans, Colin said "Morgana is the love Merlin can never have". (vid) The part of Bradley calling Colin's accent strange (he corrected himself and used the word "unfamiliar" instead) was cut in the German version as well.
I have only watched Bradley & Colin's interviews from the German version. I may write more when I finish watching the other clips.
At this time, I only got Vol.1 of the Japanese DVD set. I have to wait till March to find out what extra they will have in Vol. 2. I heard we will see actors answering the question "if you can have Merlin's magic for one day" or something like that.
Also in April, we North American fans can finally get the Region 1 DVD set. The original material will be the same. So it really depends on the editors. I hope they will include more BTS footage, esp. the ones with Bradley and Colin fooling around. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
Confirmed info about US DVD set is here.