![Project A-ko](https://i.imgur.com/jppSiTE.jpg)
This is a supplemental download for my remux of Discotek's 2021 Blu-ray of Project A-ko, which can be found here: https://nyaa.si/view/1547958
This is the widescreen version of the film, which was included as a separate file on the disc compared to the 4:3 version that I have already uploaded. It is essentially the 4:3 version cropped to 16:9 for widescreen television displays or projection systems. Also included are the theatrical teaser and trailer, which both had cropped 16:9 versions on the disc. Unfortunately the highest quality versions of these trailers were sourced from the laserdisc, but Discotek used them to test out Astro Rez, so they are AI upscaled.
![Project A-ko](https://i.imgur.com/Es06Cne.jpg)
Q: Why is there a cropped widescreen version?
A: Project A-ko was animated in a 4:3 aspect ratio, but was always intended to be displayed in a cropped 16:9, which is how it was presented during its original theatrical run.
It is possible to prove that this was always the intention as the storyboards are framed in 16:9.
Q: But doesn't that mean that there's perfectly usable stuff above and below the frame that's being cropped out? That's nuts!
A: Not as uncommon as you think. From the 80s until the 2000s it was not uncommon for movies to be made with both the widescreen theatrical version and the fullscreen home version in mind. Films from a wide variety of genres, such as Top Gun, The Shining, and The Princess Bride all were filmed this way. These "open matte" versions allowed these films to be shown on the standard 4:3 televisions of the time period without a need to either crop the film with Pan and Scan or to introduce letterboxing black bars to maintain the widescreen aspect ratio (at a cost of resolution).
However, once widescreen high definition televisions became widely available, it became more common to try and recreate the experience of the theater with new DVD and Blu-ray releases of old films. As such, a new Blu-ray release of an open matte film will be cropped to widescreen as it was in the theater, even if the old VHS release technically has more picture above and below the cropped frame.
Discotek's Blu-ray of Project A-ko is unique in the sense that it allows you to select between the 4:3 and 16:9 versions of the film.
![Project A-ko](https://i.imgur.com/pyDZU9E.jpg)
Q: Wouldn't the image be blurry since it's zoomed in?
A: Discotek commissioned a 4K scan of Project A-ko when they found the original film print. As such, both the 4:3 and 16:9 versions are downscaled from the 4K image, and provide the maximum amount of resolution possible through a 1080p Blu-ray with each aspect ratio.
Q: Aren't we missing important stuff with the film being cropped?
A: When a film is made in open matte, the priority is always given to the widescreen version, so the framing is almost always composed with widescreen in mind. In fact, it's not an uncommon issue for the 4:3 versions of open matte films to have odd framing choices for certain shots, such as large amounts of empty space above an actor's head. In fact, some productions can get a little sloppy and the 4:3 version can introduce mistakes, such as visible boom mics, special effects rigs, or in the case of animation, the unpainted edges of the animation cels.
Thankfully, Project A-ko does not have these issues, which is why I included the 4:3 version in my original release. At the same time, I rewatched this film in widescreen, and there were only one or two shots I would say felt like something was cropped off; the majority of the film looked great in the 16:9 framing. As such, if you are watching this with a nice big home theater, I would recommend the widescreen version.
![Project A-ko](https://i.imgur.com/mK8Ns6R.jpg)
Q: No! I don't like this! This is really really bad and it makes me really really mad!!!
A: Okay. Well, then, like, don't download it, stupid.
![Project A-ko](https://i.imgur.com/lLO90NI.jpg)
Media Summary:
Video Codec: AVC H.264
Audio Codec: DTS-HD (Main Feature), Dolby Digital (AC-3) (Bonus Features)
Subtitles: Discotek (From the Blu-Ray)
See you next time.
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StazCherryBlood
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