Five Ways re-releases & hardcore insertions

[elgringo14]

Five Ways was a japanese AV company that got involved with eroanime starting from 1998 with re-releases of other lost companies, then in 1999 started producing its own material, and got lost themselves around 2003.

But after some investigation, and considering what is available (mostly US DVDrips from their licensed stuff), I can say that the re-releases have been edited in such a way that material which was softcore in the first place was added extra hardcore shots. These new animation is easy to tackle, since it looks very rough and badly drawn compared with the rest of the episode.

Some of us already could figure out that their first three "releases" were indeed re-releases from lost 80s shows, where live action sex was inserted right in the middle of an episode, cutting the original part. These three shows from have been discussed already there.

I'm giving a list of the other shows affected, with all releases (jap & usa & sometimes others) and the status of what can be done to "restore" them.
I won't talk about DVDs there.



プリンセス・ロード
Princess Road

Original release 23.12.1994 by Taki (VHS: ? & LD: TCLA-1005)
Five Ways release 22.01.1999 (VHS: FW-0076)
USA release 23.03.1999 by Kitty/Media Blasters (named Erotic Torture Chamber)
Status/comments: Apparently the US release is unedited, nothing more to say, I would have to check again to be 100 % sure.



熱砂の惑星 ～女公安官ケイト～
Nessa no Wakusei: Onna Kouankan Kate (2 episodes)

Original releases by All Products
Episode 1 21.07.1994 (VHS: SAV-4022 & LD: SAL-4022)
Episode 2 25.03.1995 (VHS: SAV-4024 & LD: SAL-4024)
Five Ways releases
Episode 1 22.01.1999 (VHS: FW-0077)
Episode 2 22.02.1999 (VHS: FW-0080)
USA releases by Kitty/Media Blasters (Bondage Queen Kate)
Episode 1 17.11.1998
Episode 2 08.12.1998
Other countries: France, Germany, Spain
Status/comments: Despite the fact that american releases may have come before the Five Ways ones (some release dates may be wrong), the two episodes are edited, especially the first episode. I have found an old clip which shows the original edit, and also a french dub-only version which is based on the original one.

Here comes the first example, with video clips this time. The timing is almost identical so you can compare them side by side.

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=ee3d711210e378c25a3d773badf2143015293ef59474250fc95965eaa7bc68bc



ドラゴンナイト外伝
Dragon Knight Gaiden

Original release 25.02.1995 by Taki (VHS: ? & LD: TCLA-1006)
Five Ways release 22.02.1999 (VHS: FW-0079)
USA release 05.09.1995 by Softcel/ADV (Dragon Knight 2: Another Knight on the Town)
Other countries: Germany
Status/comments: Another heavy editing. The USA release may be unedited (& uncensored since it's softcore), it's almost not known to the public, and no DVD re-release was done. Germans got a Trimax DVD release based on the edited version.

Left original, right edited




臀撃おしおき娘 ゴータマン
Dengeki Oshioki Musume Gotaman (2 episodes)

Original releases by C Moon (Bandai Visual sub-label)
Episode 1 24.05.1994/23.06.1994 (VHS: NRS-2049 & LD: NRLL-1030)
Episode 2 24.10.1994/21.11.1994 (VHS: NRS-2050 & LD: NRLL-1031)
Five Ways releases
Episode 1 & 2 22.03.1999
USA release
none...
Other countries: Germany
Status/comments: No editing visible in the first episode, since there is hardly an opportunity to insert hardcore shots! And what's with all the beepings ? I have yet to watch the second episode (if it gets subbed finally).



ミネルバの検士
Minerva no Kenshi (5 episodes, but first 2 episodes only are concerned)

Original releases by Half Moon (another Bandai Visual sub-label)
Episode 1 17.12.1994/21.01.1995 (VHS: HOS-3003 & LD: HOLL-3003)
Episode 2 25.09.1995/25.10.1995 (VHS: HOS-3006 & LD: HOLL-3005)
Five Ways releases
Episode 1 22.04.1999 (VHS: FW-0093)
Episode 2 22.05.1999 (VHS: FW-0099)
USA releases by CPM (Fencer of Minerva)
Episode 1 & 2 11.04.2000
Other countries: France, Germany, Spain
Status/comments: For some reason Five Ways got only the first 2 episodes, probably because the original distribution of parts 3-5 changed hands, and went to Beam Entertainment (including other re-releases of parts 1&2). The american version may look unedited, but to make things more complicated, CPM did censor episode 1 to make it more suitable for 16+ ages.



A french dub-only version shows this semi-explicit shot.



聖ミカエラ学園漂流記Ⅱ
Sei Michaela Gakuen Hyouriryuuki II (2 episodes)

Original releases by All Products
Episode 1 21.10.1994 (VHS: SAV-4023 & LD: SAL-4023)
Episode 2 25.11.1995 (VHS: SAV-4025 & LD: SAL-4025)
Five Ways releases
Episode 1 22.04.1999 (VHS: FW-0094)
Episode 2 22.05.1999 (VHS: FW-0100)
USA releases by Anime 18/CPM
Episodes 1 & 2 11.01.2000 (Sins of the Sisters)
Other countries: Germany
Status/comments: It's not edited in the american subbed version, but the video file that I have has a poor quality. A higher quality version from german DVD is edited.

Left original, right edited


So to summarize, the situation is not that bad. Three releases are really concerned by editing, Bondage Queen Kate, Sins of the Sisters (for high quality files), and Dragon Knight Gaiden the only one missing any original footage.

About Bondage Queen Kate, the funny thing is that in AniDB, the only release that is labeled censored (french dub from Finalfan), is the only proper version for the video part !

If someone can identify other "proper" versions of these episodes, I'll be interested for restoration.

 

[redrooster]

Reg. Sei Michaela Gakuen Hyouriryuuki II: the original screenshot looks very familiar to me, I have seen this in one of my many Trimax DVD´s long ago, but it was a preview / trailer only, I think. I´ll check my DVD´s and my other files, perhaps I have got this piece of St. Michaela School somewhere in a "normal" quality...

It´s a futa scene btw...

edit: found and complete. The edited scene from your post is missing, but the "futa insertion" however is an edited scene too, but not that one you posted as a screenshot. See attachment...

Stupid move though, the whole scene is all grey and the edited moment is of normal flesh color, it would not have been a big effort to keep this "ad" in grey colors too, so everyone notices the fake on first sight...

reg. Dragon Night Gaiden I´ve got both versions.

 

[elgringo14]

Reg. Sei Michaela Gakuen Hyouriryuuki II: the original screenshot looks very familiar to me, I have seen this in one of my many Trimax DVD´s long ago, but it was a preview / trailer only, I think. I´ll check my DVD´s and my other files, perhaps I have got this piece of St. Michaela School somewhere in a "normal" quality...

It´s a futa scene btw...

edit: found and complete. The edited scene from your post is missing, but the "futa insertion" however is an edited scene too, but not that one you posted as a screenshot. See attachment...

What I posted was in episode 1 (around 13 mn 30). Your captures are from episode 2 I think. For some reason I have the shot censored !
The scene is very well done otherwise, the characters have a real "deepness".
Since the "heroine" and probably others characters are hermaphrodite-like, they own the best of both worlds...

Trimax got their hands on a large part of the early Five Ways catalog, including edited re-releases. For Michaela all "uncensored" versions are based on that release apparently. For Kate and DKG I have listed some DVDs with 16+ rating, who knowns what's inside ...
The chinese subbed MKVs for Michaela listed on AniDB are also edited...

Stupid move though, the whole scene is all grey and the edited moment is of normal flesh color, it would not have been a big effort to keep this "ad" in grey colors too, so everyone notices the fake on first sight...

I always suspected something suspicious with several releases, especially with Bondage Queen Kate, but I could not spot irrefutable facts up to now.
In general, the fact that all original video publishers are not known for any explicit sexual material, except the aforementioned ones, is very strange.
Why should they cross the borderline suddenly ?
All shows deal with sexual material, but it's always non-explicit (or implied).

reg. Dragon Night Gaiden I´ve got both versions.

You mean you can see the left screenshot in the video, or you have a complete unedited version ?
I took this example because the second screen is clearly an explicit copy of the first one (just showing everything), but they come from the same edited version.
I believe the non-explicit scene would look entirely as the left screen (with black background).

Now working on Bondage Queen Kate 1, with the french version. By the way the spanish version is edited too...

 

[redrooster]

What I posted was in episode 1 (around 13 mn 30). Your captures are from episode 2 I think. For some reason I have the shot censored !
The scene is very well done otherwise, the characters have a real "deepness".
Since the "heroine" and probably others characters are hermaphrodite-like, they own the best of both worlds...

My screenshots indeed are from episode 1, not from ep. 2, it is from a Trimax DVD rip made by Kokser, both files/eps were active long time ago on eMule and it took very long time to dl them at that times. (see edit: down below)

I always suspected something suspicious with several releases, especially with Bondage Queen Kate, but I could not spot irrefutable facts up to now.
In general, the fact that all original video publishers are not known for any explicit sexual material, except the aforementioned ones, is very strange.
Why should they cross the borderline suddenly ?
All shows deal with sexual material, but it's always non-explicit (or implied).

reg. Bondage Queen Kate I have (2) an english dubbed and an english subbed version only, although it´s with the A.P.all products label. From Trimax I only have the ages 16+ version as "SPACE of Hot Desert". If you can tell me for what I should have a look I´ll try to provide more information.

The rough sex scenes for ex near the end of ep 1 in the hovercraft (car) surely are edited, drawing style and video quality are totally different from the rest of the scene, it´s hot enough already without the edited scene parts added. But the original A.P. release did not show any explicit sexual parts, I think.

You mean you can see the left screenshot in the video, or you have a complete unedited version ?
I took this example because the second screen is clearly an explicit copy of the first one (just showing everything), but they come from the same edited version.
I believe the non-explicit scene would look entirely as the left screen (with black background).

Now working on Bondage Queen Kate 1, with the french version. By the way the spanish version is edited too...

I´ve got 2 versions, the uncensored version has the scene starting with your unedited pic followed by the edited pic, the censored version only has the unedited pic, the edited pic is missing. As this version is censored perhaps it is the original one... ...but even here are two shots of a censored pussy (one in each of both sex scenes) which are suspicious to me too.

edit: Just checked the (my) whole mess with St. Michael´s school - drifting story in my files. Both "eps" by "Kokser" I have are partly identical, but not completely, that´s very surprising, don´t know what Trimax did? One is Japanese and one is German dubbed. And as both versions are uncensored there´s no ages 16+ version among them. And you are right, it is from episode two, episode 1 only has something like a review of that scene already only. And the raw Japanese version of ep 2 altough named as original (無修正) is censored only, but the scene I ment. is present there already and you are right again, it is censored. So it was not Trimax which edited this, looks more like Five Ways possibly. Ep. 1 however is uncensored ???, named original too.

btw: why are (broken) angels in h-animes mostly futa characters? Just like in St. Michael´s school or Viper GTS...

att 1 = Trimax St. Michaela School
att 2 = Dragon Knight Gaiden (edited ?)
att 3 = Bondage Queen Kate (edited ? - for sure)
att 4+5 = shots from the start of both different versions of St. Michaela school ep. 2 by Trimax

 

[elgringo14]

My screenshots indeed are from episode 1, not from ep. 2, it is from a Trimax DVD rip made by Kokser, both files/eps were active long time ago on eMule and it took very long time to dl them at that times.

My episode 2 starts with a kind of flashback during WWII, anyway it's not that important.
Probably it depends what you call episode 1 & episode 2, even AniDB is mixing the two OAV series (each of two 45 mn episodes).
Only the second series came out of Japan. I have 48 % of a LDrip for the first series, through Winny :defeat:.

reg. Bondage Queen Kate I have (2) an english dubbed and an english subbed version only, although it´s with the A.P.all products label. From Trimax I only have the ages 16+ version as "SPACE of Hot Desert". If you can tell me for what I should have a look I´ll try to provide more information.

The rough sex scenes for ex near the end of ep 1 in the hovercraft (car) surely are edited, drawing style and video quality are totally different from the rest of the scene, it´s hot enough already without the edited scene parts added. But the original A.P. release did not show any explicit sexual parts, I think.

Five Ways may have left the A.P. screen, it doesn't mean much.
To check episode 1, use the video clip that I posted, the sequence must fit
exactly to claim an "unedited" version.
The second episode has also many inserts, one is when the main bad guy "check" the blue-haired girl, seven minutes after the title screen.

I´ve got 2 versions, the uncensored version has the scene starting with your unedited pic followed by the edited pic, the censored version only has the unedited pic, the edited pic is missing.

The scene appears twice, first normal, second partially edited (or not).
Otherwise, I have only the files listed on AniDB, tell me about yours. If it's not edited, it should be non-explicit so not censored.

EDIT: concerning the pictures 2 & 3, yes it is the edited (censored or not) version.
I remember what puzzled me in the first place, was the strange size of the mosaics in DKG, not square as usual but elongated...

 

[redrooster]

please re-check what I edited during you made your post.

 

[elgringo14]

Sorry, but after reading your last comments on St Michael, and this confused even more between the censored/uncensored, 16+, edited or not, I think we have to discuss in private about this particular series. Especially because it's forbidden material for upload.

For latest pictures, 4 is 昌和企画 "Masawa Kikaku (???)", the same screen can be seen in the intro of Dragon Knight Gaiden (that is preceded by a Green Bunny screen, WTF ???). Not much info about it on the web.
Picture 5 is one usual Five Ways screen, cannot say much about it.

That's it or today (tonight).:death:

 

[elgringo14]

Some news:

I've watched Gotaman R from [anime-classic] and it has edits ... one scene is censored even.
I have a german dubbed file for the first episode, where the mosaics are removed, but no japanese audio track...

And I've created an unedited version of Minerva no Kenshi, check on datorrents. I don't give the actual link so it's fine, isn't it ? :goodboy:

Bondage Queen Kate episode 1 finished, now working on episode 2.