Princess Jellyfish: The Complete Collection (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

April 3, 2012 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

“Princess Jellyfish” is a crazy, fun but also captivating anime series that I enjoyed from beginning to end. You rarely see an anime with an odd storyline like this but that’s what makes “Princess Jellyfish” so enjoyable and addictive. It’s definitely one of the better anime series to be released on Blu-ray in America in 2012 and an anime series I highly recommend!

TITLE: Princess Jellyfish: The Complete Collection

DURATION: 11 Episodes (275 Minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (4:3), English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: FUNimation Entertainment

RATED: TV PG

Release Date: February 28, 2012

Originally created by Akiko Higashimura

Directed by Takahiro Omori

Series Composition by Jukki Hanada

Music by Makoto Yoshimori

Character Design by Kenji Hayama

Art Director: Mio Isshiki

Anime Production: Brains Base

Featuring the following voice talent:

Kana Hanazawa/Maxey Whitehead as Tsukimi Kurashita

Mitsuki Saiga/Josh Grelle as Kuranosuke Koibuchi

Akemi Okamura/Monica Rial as Mayaya

Junichi Suwabe/Ian Sinclair as Shū Koibuchi

Junko Kitanishi/Jamie Marchi as Shōko Inari

Kentarou Itou/Cris George as Sugimotchan

Kimiko Saito/Cynthia Cranz as Chieko

Mamiko Noto/Leah Clark as Jiji-sama

Motoko Kumai/Mariela Ortiz as Banba-san

Mugihito/Charles Campbell as Keiichirō Koibuchi

Shigeru Chiba/Jerry Russell as Prime Minister Saburōta Negishi

Sumire Morohoshi/Lara Woodhull as Kurara (Clara)

Takehito Koyasu/Christopher Bevins as Hanamori-san

Yasuhiko Kawazu/Christopher R. Sabat as Mr. Popo

Plain, timid and obsessed with jellyfish, Tsukimi is a far cry from her idea of a princess. Her tepid life as a jobless illustrator comes complete with roommates who harbor diehard hobbies that solidify their status as hopeless social rejects. These wallflowers run a tight, nun-like ship, but their no-men-allowed-not-no-one-not-no-how bubble is unwittingly burst after Tsukimi brings home a rescued sea jelly and a beauty queen… who’s actually a guy.

When the threat of losing their cozy convent inspires this glamour boy to turn the neurotic entourage into a portrait of success, will Tsukimi take her chance to bloom, or will she end up a hot mess?

In Nov. 2008, Akiko Higashimura’s josei manga “Princess Jellyfish” was serialized in Kodansha manga magazine “Kiss”. Two years later, an 11-episode anime TV series was produced by Brain’s Base and aired on television as part of Fuji TV’s “Noitamina” programming block.

To test the market in the United States, FUNimation Entertainment simulcast the series online as part of a deal with Fuji TV and received positive feedback from viewers on Facebook and sure enough, “Princess Jellyfish: The Complete Collection”, the Blu-ray/DVD collection was released in Feb. 2012.

The series was directed by Takahiro Omori (“Gakuen Alice”, “Fancy Lala”, “Hell Girl”), screenplay by Jukki Hanada (“CODE-E”, “Chobits”, “Gakuen Alice”, “K-ON!”), music by Makoto Yoshimori (“Baccano!”, “Durara!!”, “Gakuen Alice”), character designs by Kenji Hayama (“MazinKaiser”, “Nghtmare Campus”, “Getter Robo: Armageddon”) and art direction by Mio Isshiki (“Death Note”, “Dragon Ball Z”, “Kaze no Yojimbo”).

“Princess Jellyfish” is a series that revolves around an otaku 18-year-old girl named Tsukimi Kurashita who moved to Tokyo to become an illustrator.

When she was younger, her late mother would take her to see jellyfish at an aquarium and tell her that when she gets older, she will blossom and become beautiful like the jellyfish.

But Tsukimi didn’t blossom into a beautiful young woman, she’s just an otaku girl, who knows nothing about style, constantly wearing sweats and not wearing any makeup.

Tsukimi lives with four other women otaku at the Amamizukan:

Chieko – Chieko is the manager and an otaku obsessed with dolls dressed in traditional Japanese clothes. She runs Amamizukan in place of her mother who owns the building and is a groupie of Korean actor Bae Yong Joon.
Mayaya – A woman always wearing track clothes and is obsessed with the “Record of Three Kingdoms”.
Banba – A young woman with a large natural afro who is obsessed with trains and has the ability to spot good meat at the grocery store.
Jiji – A woman who is obsessed with mature, old men.

Together these five women form the Sisterhood of Amamizukan and they are currently looking for a roommate. But no matter who applies, the women vote against applicants because they are too pretty or cool and wouldn’t blend with the otaku women.

One day while walking to the pet store, Tsukimi spots two different kind of jellyfish that are not supposed to be put in the tank together. Unfortunately, because Tsukimi is not used to talking to men, part of her is too shy to tell the manager the problem but another side tells her that if she doesn’t do anything, the jelly fish will die.

So, Tsukimi tries to talk to the store employee during closing hours and thinking that she is a weirdo, the store employee pushes her down. And out of nowhere, a beautiful and stylish woman comes to defend her and goes as far as to save the jellyfish and buy it as a present for Tsukimi. Tsukimi names the jellyfish, “Clara”.

The woman walks with Tsukimi to her home at Amamizukan but Tsukimi knows bringing in a “beautiful woman” is something her roommate will not allow. So, she tries to kick the woman out but instead, the woman crashes in Tsukimi’s bedroom.

The following morning Tsukimi finds out the stylish woman is actually a guy named Kuranosuke Koibuchi and from that moment, the two develop a friendship and Tsukimi tries to hide his secret that he is a crossdresser.

We learn that Kuranosuke Koibuchi (aka “Kurako”) enjoys cross-dressing despite being a son of a rich and popular political family. We learn that Kuranosuke’s mother had introduce him to fashion at a young age and his life long dream is to work in the fashion industry. And despite having many girlfriends and any girl that he has wanted, he is drawn by challenges and his current challenge in life is to make Tsukimi (and her roommates) into beautiful princesses.

But while hanging out with the odd otaku’s, Kuranosuke finds himself possibly attracted to Tsukimi, who is unlike the beautiful women he has already been with. What is it about Tsukimi that makes him care about her?

VIDEO:

“Princess Jellyfish” is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:78:1). The anime series is vibrant and what I enjoyed the most about this series is that despite it being a TV anime series, there are a lot of scenery as we see Tsukimi and others entering various stylish parts of Tokyo. So, we get to see various shops and locations, something that most anime series tend to stay away from for TV series. Also, the character designs tend to showcase a lot of emotion, may it be Tsukimi’s various emotional moods to the wild and crazy faces that her roommates tend to give.

If anything, there is a beautiful look that “Princess Jellyfish” has and it’s a series that does look gorgeous on Blu-ray.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Princess Jellyfish” is presented in English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 with English subtitles. As one would expect, the English 5.1 lossless track has a bit more of a dynamic range than the 2.0 Japanese lossless track. But with that being said, there was something about the voice acting of the Japanese version that I enjoyed more. Perhaps mainly because I understood the Japanese jokes for example, when Tsukimi reacts and sings when Mayaya refers himself to a boy. But the English 5.1 lossless track does have better dynamic range but whichever version you prefer, I can easily say that both soundtracks are well-done. The English version for the most part is very good but it does try to add some jokes that may go over the heads of younger audiences such as a reference made by Mayaya about a situation being like the women of “Facts of Life” (an ’80s TV series).

It’s important to note that I couldn’t select audio or subtitles on my Blu-ray remote, I would have to bring up the menu and select Japanese with English subtitles.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Princess Jellyfish: The Complete Collection” comes with the following special features:

EPISODE 1 – Audio Commentary: Featuring voice director Christopher Bevins (voice of Hanamori) with Maxey Whtiehead (Tsukimi) and Josh Grelle (Kuranosuke).
EPISODE 11 – Audio Commentary: Featuring voice director Christopher Bevins with Cynthia Cranz (voice of Chieko), Monica Rial (vice of Mayaya), Leah Clark (voice of Jiji) and Mariela Ortiz (voice of Banba).
Princess Jellyfish Heroes – Featuring the following shorts: Part 1: Mayaya Chapter (5:05), Part 2: Banba and Jiji Chapter (6:01), Part 3: Chieko Chapter (5:21) and Part 4: Shu-Shu and Mr. Hanamori Chapter (6:01).
Go, Sisterhood Explorers! – More six shorts (about thirty seconds each) featuring the Sisterhood Expeditionary Party.
Tsukimi and Jiji’s Jellyfish Tour – (21:33) Voice actresses Kana Hanazawa (voice of Tsukimi) and Mamiko Noto (voice of Jiji) go to the Enoshima Aquarium for the jellyfish tour.
The Princess Jellyfish Field Guide – A text based feature about jellyfish and the characters of the series.
Promotional Video – (:34) The Japanese promotional video for “Princess Jellyfish”.
U.S. Trailer – (1:47) The FUNimation Entertainment “Princess Jellyfish” trailer.
Textless Opening Song “Kokodake no Hanashi” by CHATMONCHY
Textless Closing Song “Kimino Kireini Kizuiteokure” by SAMBOMASTER.
FUNimation Entertainment Trailers

EXTRAS:

“Princess Jellyfish: The Complete Collection” comes with a slipcase plus a DVD version of the series.

Once in awhile, you encounter anime series that are unique and unlike any other anime series that you have watched before. Anime series that when you watch one episode, you can’t help but watch all of them in a row.

That’s how I feel about “Princess Jellyfish”, an anime series that contains a lot of humor but also a lot of heart.

Afterall, who doesn’t enjoy a storyline about underdogs. In this case, a young woman who never knew her true beauty until she meets the son of a wealth and popular politician who happens to be a cross-dresser.

It’s definitely an odd storyline but it works! You can’t help but laugh and enjoy “Princess Jellyfish” because of it’s otaku characters but also root for them because they are usually seen as outsiders and fear the “pretty people”. But when they are befriended by one (and aren’t aware that “she” is actually a “he”), and the main protagonist Tsukimi trying to keep Kuranosuke’s secret is fun!

“Princess Jellyfish” has a lot going for it, despite it only being an 11-episode series. Fun characters, enjoyable storyline but also a storyline that may lead to a possible love triangle? Needless to say, after the series ended, I went online and hoping to see that there was a second season in the works. I enjoyed this series that much!

As for the Blu-ray release, the animation and art backgrounds for “Princess Jellyfish” is artistic, creative and just beautiful too look at. I love the character designs and the emotional expressions on the character’s faces, especially the use of colors. The voice acting was also well-done for both Japanese and English soundtracks. And fortunately, this is a series that does contain a good amount of special features as well.

Overall, “Princess Jellyfish” is a crazy, fun but also captivating anime series that I enjoyed from beginning to end. You rarely see an anime with an odd storyline like this but that’s what makes “Princess Jellyfish” so enjoyable and addictive. It’s definitely one of the better anime series to be released on Blu-ray in America in 2012 and an anime series I highly recommend!

Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

Puella Magi Madoka Magica Vol. 2 – Limited Edition Box Set (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Review)

April 2, 2012 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

A fresh, enjoyable yet dark storyline that is absolutely captivating and addictive! “Puella Magi Madoka Magica Vol. 2 – Limited Edition Box Set” is another must-own anime on Blu-ray release for anime collectors and the series itself is definitely one of the best anime TV series on Blu-ray released in America for 2012. Highly recommended!

Purchase this title from Rightstuf

TITLE: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Vol. 2 – Limited Edition Box Set

ANIME RELEASE DATE: 2011

DURATION: 5-8 Episodes: (100 Minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (16:9LB Wide Screen), Japanese Linear PCM Stereo, English Linear PCM Stereo, English subtitles

COMPANY: Aniplex, Inc.

Release Date: April 10, 2012

Series Directed by Yukihiro Miyamoto

Director: Akiyuki Shinbo

Series Composition: Gen Urobuchi

Music by Yuki Kajiura

Original Character Design by Ume Aoki

Character Design by Takahiro Kishida

Art Director: Kunihiko Inaba

Chief Animation Director: Junichiro Taniguchi, Mika Takahashi

Sound Director: Yota Tsuruoka

Director of Photography: Shinichiro Eto

Anime Production: Aniplex, Shaft

Featuring the following voice talents:

Aoi Yūki/Christine Marie Cabanos as Madoka Kaname

Chiwa Saito/Cristina Vee as Homura Akemi

Emiri Katou/Cassandra Lee as Kyubey

Ai Nonaka/Laura Landa as Kyōko Sakura

Eri Kitamura/Sarah Williams as Sayaka Miki

Junko Iwao as Kazuko Saotome

Kaori Mizuhashi as Mami Tomoe/Tatsuya Kaname

Ryoko Shintani as Hitomi Shizuki

Seiko Yoshida as Kyōsuke Kamijō

Tetsuya Iwanaga as Tomohisa Kaname

Yuko Goto as Junko Kaname

“Has a loving family and best friends, laughs and cries from time to time…” Madoka Kaname, an eighth grader at Mitakihara middle school, lives such a life. One day, she has a very magical encounter. She doesn’t know if it’s by chance or by fate yet, but this meeting will change her destiny. This is the beginning of a new story of magical girls…

At what price will one pay to become a Magical Girl? In Vol. 2 of “Puella Magi Madoka Magica”, Sayaka decides to become one, but at what price?

For anime fans who grew up with magical girl (majo shojo) anime series, “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” combines the sweet characters that many fans expect from a magical girl series, but this time around, also a darker and more tragic storyline.

Created in 2011, the anime TV series known as “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” is produced by Shaft and Aniplex.

The 12-episode anime TV series would feature a talented working staff which included director Akiyuki Shinbo (“Hidamari Sketch”, “Dance in the Vampire Bund”, “Starship Girl Yamamoto Yohko”) and series composition by Gen Urobuchi (“Fate/Zero”, “Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom”~, “Blassreiter”). Music composition is by Yuki Kajiura (“.hack” series, “Noir”, “My-HiME”, “Mobile Suit Gundam Seed”, “Fate/Zero”), character design by Takahiro Kishida (“Noein – to your other self”, “Macross Zero”, “Durarara!!”) and background art by Kunhiko Inaba (“The Girl Who Leapt Through Time”, “C-Control – The Money and Soul of Possibility”).

The series was well-received and it won the Television Award at the 16th Animation Kobe Awards, it won 12 NewType Anime Awards and also won the Grand Prize for animation in the 2011 Japan Media Awards.

When the series streamed on the Japanese video streaming site Nico Nico Douga in June 2011, it surpassed the previous record held by Lucky Star (at 570,000 viewers) with around 1 million viewers. Also, the first Blu-ray for “Puella Magica Madoka Magica” broke the record of “Bakemonogatari” by selling 53,000 copies in its first week, 22,000 copies on its first day.

The popularity of the series eventually led to a manga series, a Sony PSP video game released in March 2012 and also, a three-film project that is in the works.

In the United States, “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” Vol. 1 was released on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of Aniplex. And in April 2012, the second volume featuring episodes 5-8 will be released.

“Puella Magi Madoka Magica” Summary

“Puella Magi Madoka Magica” is a series about a young teenager named Madoka Kaname. She’s 14-years-old and comes from a loving family and hangs out with her best friend Sayaka Miki and Hitomi Shizuki.

But lately, Madoka has been having nightmares. A dark world filled with destruction and she watches these girls in battle. As she watches and wishes they would be stopped, she is told by a cat looking extra terrestrial known as Kyubey that Madoka can stop it if she makes a contract with him and become a “Magical Girl”.

Meanwhile, a new girl named Akemi Homura has transferred to Madoka’s school and during her introduction in class, she gives Madoka a hateful glance. Homura quickly becomes popular in school and excels in academics and athletics.

When she meets Madoka, Madoka tells her about her love for her family and friends and Homura responds by telling her her not to change.

One day, while Madoka and Sayaka were at a music store, Madoka hears a plea for help and she is led to a dark warehouse and finds a Kyubey that is hurt. She then sees Homura and is frightened that she is about to hurt it. Immediately, Sayaka comes to Madoka’s aid.

As the two are running away, both are whisked into a magical world where they meet a kind magical girl named Mami Tomoe who begins fighting against a witch in the magical world and defeats it with ease.

The Kyubey asks for both Madoka and Sayaka to sign a contract with him and become magical girls.

Magical Girls receive a soul gem which gives them their power. The contract of becoming a magical girl states that a girl will get one wish in exchange for her using magic to fight against witches (which are evil entities born from magical girls who have fallen into despair and failed to purify their soul gem). Each battle features a large amount of risk and during these fights, typically one dies.

Homura for some reason is trying her best to prevent Madoka from accepting the contract in becoming a magical girl. But will Madoka and Sayaka want to become one?

Volume 2 of “Puella Magi Madoka Magica”

In volume 2, Sayaka wants to make one wish come true and so she decides to become a magical girl. But becoming a magical girl comes at a price and Madoka will learn how someone as sweet as Sayaka can change after becoming one.

VIDEO:

A lot of time obviously went into creating the atmosphere of this TV Series and I have to give Takahiro Kishida (the character designer) and Kunihiko Inaba a lot of credit for the visual presentatio of “Puella Magi Madoka Magica. As for character designs, the character designs manage to keep with the “majo shojo” theme of characters looking young, even the older characters looking young. But they are nicely drawn, good amount shading and also at times showing a sketched look.

Typically, most TV series tend to focus on trees, skies, clouds and buildings but with “”Puella Magica Madoka Magica”, a lot of thought went into the series from objects, wallpaper (even Mami’s wall-paper was designed and not just a straight painted background). You see the changes during the day and night, you can see sunset with the orange sky illuminating the area,the magical world with its creative and artistic design.

And overall, these colors really pop via HD. Reds and pinks, greens…they come are absolutely vibrant. Comparisons between the Blu-ray and DVD are mostly in the vibrancy of the colors in HD, while things look a bit softer for the DVD version.

Black levels are nice and deep, the series features vibrant colors galore. If anything, the picture quality for “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” is very good considering this is anime TV series. Anime fans should be happy with the overall visual presentation on Blu-ray.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Puella Magica Madoka Magica” is presented in Japanese and English Linear PCM Stereo and subtitles are in English. While I would have hoped for a 5.1 soundtrack (as I would have loved to have more immersion with the surround channels and LFE), most anime TV series aren’t and are presented in stereo. Still, fans should be happy that two linear PCM tracks are included. They are front-channel driven and for the most part, dialogue and sound effects are quite clear and understandable.

The voice acting on both the Japanese and English soundtracks are well-done. I was expecting the Japanese soundtrack to feature high-pitch voices considering this is a magical girl series, but they kept the voices to the ages of Madoka and friends as 14-year-olds and older. Voice actress Aoi Yuki (“The World God Only Knows”, “Persona 4: The Animation”, “Dance in the Vampire Bund”) takes on the more emotional role as Madoka and her voice acting is wonderful as we see her going through various degrees of emotions from happiness to sadness. But for vol. 2, these are Sayaka-driven episodes and voice actress Ai Nonaka (“Air”, “Negima!?”, “R.O.D. – The TV”) has to play a wide-range of emotions like Aoi Yuki but also a more twisted version of the character as well.

English voice acting was well-done. Similar to the Japanese voices, Christine Marie Cabanos and Lauren Landa had to be much more emotional in these episodes and both voice actresses do a wonderful job for their characters.

And as mentioned in my last review, what stands out the most for me in the TV series is the wonderful musical soundtrack by Yuki Kajiura.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Puella Magi Madoka Magica Vol. 2″ comes with the following special features:

Textless Opening – Textless opening by “ClariS”.

EXTRAS:

Aniplex is a Japanese company that is well-known for their anime releases but also for giving fans wonderful additions with the limited edition releases.

“Puella Magi Madoka Magica Vol. 2 – Limited Edition Box Set” comes with the following:

3 Discs – Blu-ray, DVD and the original soundtrack

This second soundtrack (which came with vol. 4 of “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” in Japan) comes with the following tracks:

Decretum 1:49
Agmen clientum 1:44
Venari strigas 2:47
Signum malum 1:47
Amicae carae meae 2:02
Incertus 1:40
Inevitabilis 1:55
Serena ira 2:01
Anima mala 1:44
Pugna infinita 1:55
Vocalise Op. 34 no. 14 3:37
Ave Maria 4:49

Deluxe Collector’s Slipcase
Reversible 2-sided cover for BD/DVD case
2-sided cover for Soundtrack CD case
24-page booklet: Staff and voice actor interviews, character designs, special 4-panel manga by aokiume and art gallery by INUCURRY! (and more!)
Exclusive 2-sided poster (side 2: Magical Girls Group shot)
Exclusive postcards of “preview Illustrations” from episodes 5-8

In my last review, I talked about how I enjoyed this series because of how different the overall storyline was compared to other mahou shojo (magical girl) anime series.

With the second volume of “Puella Magi Madoka Magica”, I was surprised how things got even darker, especially how things change with the character of Sayaka after she decides to become a magical girl. Also, with many anime series with a cute alien or animal-type of character, these characters are most often pure and used for comedy purposes. For the character of Kyubey, it may look cute but let’s just say that we get to learn more about this being and viewers may be a bit surprised by some of the revelations made in this second volume.

Revealing anything else would be spoiling it, so all I will say is that fans of the first four episodes will be intrigued by the introduction of a new character but also revelations of the magical girl process, which is unlike any other magical girl anime series that I have seen within the last 30-years.

“Puella Magi Madoka Magica” is turning out to be a wonderful series with attention to character development but also a storyline that is fresh, unique and captivating.

As for the Blu-ray release, once again, production quality is fantastic, colorful and picture quality is very good for an anime TV series. The lossless soundtrack is Linear PCM Stereo and most series in Japan are released in stereo and while I would love to hear a lossless immersive soundtrack for “Puella Magi Madoka Magica”, dialogue is still crystal clear, as are the effects but most notably, for its wonderful music soundtrack.

And of course, with the limited edition, Aniplex returns with as many wonderful extras that the first limited edition came with. From a beautiful second soundtrack to cool postcards, poster and an informative booklet (and much more), fans of “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” will find this second volume limited edition to be another must-own release.

Overall, “Puella Magi Madoka Magica Vol. 2 – Limited Edition Box Set”, is another home run for Aniplex. The storyline is just as captivating and addictive as the last volume but also a bit more emotional and dark. And so far, I’m enjoying every episode. It’s definitely one of the best anime series to be released on Blu-ray in 2012.

“Puella Magi Madoka Magica Vol. 2 – Limited Edition Box Set” is highly recommended!

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Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

Okami-san and Her Seven Companions: The Complete Series (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

March 24, 2012 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

A lot of fun, original and outright addictive! “Okami-san and Her Seven Companions” has become one of my favorite anime series on Blu-ray for 2012. Highly recommended!

TITLE: Okami-san and Her Seven Companions: The Complete Series

DURATION: 12 Episodes (300 Minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (1:78:1), English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: FUNimation Entertainment

RATED: TV PG

Release Date: April 3, 2012

Originally created by Masashi Okita

Directed by Yoshiaki Iwasaki

Series Composition by Michiko Itou

Music by Megumi Oohashi

Original Character Design: Haruko Iizuka

Art Director: Teruhiko Niida

Cheif Animation Director: Haruko Iizuka

Sound Director: Jin Aketagawa

Director of Photography: Tomokazu Nakanish

Anime Production: J.C. Staff

Featuring the following voice talent:

Miyu Irino/Joel McDonald as Ryōshi Morino

Shizuka Itou/Brina Palencia as Ryōko Ōkami

Kanae Itō/Monica Rial as Ringo Akai

Aki Toyosaki/Caitlin Glass as Otohime Ryūgū

Ayako Kawasumi/Colleen Clinkebeard as Otsuu Tsurugaya

Hirofumi Nojima/Micah Solusod as Liszt Kiriki

Junichi Suwabe/Ian Sinclair as Shirō Hitsujikai

Kimiko Koyama/Lindsay Seidel as Majolica le Fay

Rie Kugimiya/Jad Saxton as Mimi Usami

Satomi Arai/Luci Christian as Narrator

Shintarō Asanuma/Todd Haberkorn as Tarō Urashima

Yui Horie/Terri Doty as Alice Kiriki

Yuko Kaida/Stephanie Young as Momoko Kibitsu

Ryoko Okami, the “wolf,” and her BFF Ringo, also known as Little Red Riding Hood, are members of Otogi Bank – a high school club that helps classmates out of grim situations. One day, a meek young man proclaims his love to Ryoko, who does nothing but bite him in return. “You’re much too weak for me,” she huffs. So the boy joins Otogi Bank to prove he has the stuff to protect his beloved – even if it means taking a blow to the head with a lead pipe. He’s no Prince Charming, but will Ryoko allow herself to have her own happily ever after?

Pleasantly original and outright addictive! “Okami-san and Her Seven Companions” has become one of my favorite anime series on Blu-ray for 2012. Highly recommended!

“Okami-San and her Seven Companions” is the title of the anime series based on the Japanese light novels “Okami-san” by Masashi Okita (feat. illustrations by Unaji). Released in 2006 and published by ASCII Media Works, the sereis received a TV series anime adaptation in 2010 courtesy of J.C. Staff.

The anime series was directed by Yoshiaki Iwasaki (“Best Student Council”, “Hayate the Combat Butler!!”, “Love Hina”), a screenplay by Michiko Itou (“Queen’s Blade 2: The Evil Eye”, “Bodacious Space Pirates”), music by Megumi Oohashi (“Blue Dragon”, “Transformers: Cybertron”, “Uta~Kata”), character designs by Haruko Iizuka (“Karin”, “Love Hina”, “Black Butler”) and art direction by Teruhiko Niida (“Doki Doki School Hours”, “Hayate the Combat Butler”, “Toaru Kagaku no Railgun”).

And now the 12-episode anime series will be released in the U.S. as a complete series on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment in April 2012.

“Okami-san and Her Seven Companions” is a series that revolves primarily around two characters, Ryo Okami and Ryoshi Morino. Both are high school students at Otogi High School and a member of the trading club in high school known as the “Otogi High School Bank”.

The club which begins with seven people are known for taking on projects in which students request for their help and hire the club, after completion, the student is not indebted by money but must pay the favor back when the club requests for it.

Ryoko Okami is the fierce and violent fighter, but the truth is that it’s all a facade. Deep inside, Ryoko is scared but due to something bad that happened to her earlier as a teenager, it changed her life forever and she went from innocent and happy to not so happy and always willing to fight kind of person. She carries two Neko Neko Knuckles made by club member Majolica that function as boxing gloves and a stun gun. Her best friend and roommate is Ringo Akai.

The other character Ryoshi Morino is Ryoko’s secret admirer. He is from the country and has always admired Ryoko from a distance. Unfortunately, Ryoshi is very shy and he has a phobia of people staring at him. But Ryoshi has declared his love for Ryoko and promised to be by her side no matter what. So, Ringo brings Ryoshi to the members of Otogi High School Bank to become a new member and prove his love to Ryoko and prove he can be strong enough to be his girlfriend.

The two are joined by Otogi Bank Club members Ringo Akai (petite and short and dresses like red riding hood), Liszt Kiriki (the president of Otogi bank who is great at research and cross dressing), Alice Kiriki (Liszt’s cousin and club secretary, equally good at obtaining research), Otsu Tsurugaya (the maid), Taro Urashima (the playboy), Otohime Ryugu (the girl that has a crush on Taro) and Majolica le Fay (the mad scientist).

The series focuses on the Otogi Bank Club members taking on various missions but we find out that a lot of the trouble is caused by a rival school, Onigashima High School which is led by their student council president Shiro Hitsujikai. And Shiro is tied to Okami through an incident that changed her life forever.

And throughout each episode and through different missions, we see how the shy Ryoshi Morino has a lot of positive features within him and how he eventually gains the respect of the Otogi Bank club members but also starting to capture the heart of the one girl he loves the most, Ryoko Okami. But because Okami is not good with her emotions and because of her past, can she ever fall in love with anyone ever again?

VIDEO:

“Okami-san and Her Seven Companions: The Complete Series” is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:78:1) and is what one would expect from a TV anime series in terms of softness. The series also features a colorful palette as well as vibrant and detailed art backgrounds. This is a series that focuses on a lot of closeups but also action sequences. I didn’t notice any banding or artifact issues with this anime series.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Okami-san and Her Seven Companions: The Complete Series” is presented in Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 and English Dolby TrueHD 5.1. I watched the series in both Japanese and English and felt that there was good use of surround through the English 5.1 soundtrack but in terms of voice acting, both are well done. But although there is quite a bit of action in this series, for the most part, a lot of the series is focused around dialogue. Dialogue is crystal clear and heard no problems on both soundtracks whatsoever.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Okami-san and Her Seven Companions: The Complete Series” comes with the following special features:

Episode 1 Commentary - Featuring Colleen Clinkenbeard (director) and Chuck Huber (writer) for the English dub.
Episode 6 Commentary - Featuring voice actresses Brina Polencia (Ryoko) and Monica Rial (Ringo).
Tokyo International Anime Fair Promotional Video – (2:47) Specialized TIAF promo for “Okami-san and Her Seven Companions”.
Promotional Video – (1:44) Promotional video for “”Okami-san and Her Seven Companions”.
Original TV Commercials – (1:08) The Japanese commercials for “Okami-san and Her Seven Companions”.
U.S. Trailer – (:59) FUNimation Entertainment theatrical trailer.
Textless Opening Song
Textless Closing Song
Trailers – FUNimation Entertainment trailers.

EXTRAS:

“Okami-san and Her Seven Companions: The Complete Series” comes with a DVD version of the series.

I have to admit that when I first began watching “Okami-san and Her Seven Companions”, I was thinking that this anime series was going to be the usual banal anime series about a club of friends kicking the butt of other rival high schools, etc. But it turns out I was wrong. In fact, “Okami-san and Her Seven Companions” features an original storyline that you just don’t find in other anime series and I found myself quite addicted to this anime series to the point that I couldn’t stop watching. I wanted more when it was all done!

You can’t help but want to support the underdog Ryoshi and hoping he can capture the heart of Ryoko Okami! And the anime series is so captivating because you have a group of characters that are just so odd, crazy and unusual but for this anime series, it somehow works in the overall efficacy of the series.

Yes, you get action, you get drama, you get a lot of comedy and you get a little fan service but the series is focuses on the dramatic portion of the series between Ryoshi and Ryoko but also the action/comedy segments as the group take on various missions to help these individuals with their requests. But what happens when a rival school of delinquents tries to get involved with Otogi Bank’s business.

So, while the series tends to focus on both Ryoko and Ryoshi, because of the involvement of the other bank members, you get to learn about each of them as there is a storyline-centric episode involving each or all of them.

Also, unlike other anime series, “Okami-san and Her Seven Companions” features an interesting type of narration that usually explains a scene, a character or just pokes fun of the characters in general. It was rather interesting, especially to see how things differ between the Japanese and English dub.

If there was one thing about “Okami-san and Her Seven Companions” that I was not expecting was how deep things got near the second half of the series as it is revealed to Ryoshi of what happened to Ryoko and why she changed long ago from this happy student to this colder, violent person (which both Ringo and Ryoshi can tell its a facade).

While the first half of the series can be seen as fun and more character development building episodes, the last four episodes alone are quite deep and action-packed. But most of all, the series focuses on its characters and builds a solid storyline around them. Too often these days, we see beautiful looking animation and backgrounds but the storyline is so-so.

“Okami-san and Her Seven Companions” was quite a surprise and was much better than I expected. In fact, I would go as far to say that the series is possibly one of the best anime series on Blu-ray in 2012 that I have seen so far!

While picture quality is what is expected from a TV series, the overall anime series does look good and the voice acting is also well-done in Japan and English. You also get two audio commentary tracks for the English dub and also promotional videos and original commercials in Japanese (with English subtitles).

Overall, If you are looking for an anime series that has it all…drama, action, cool characters, cool animation and a captivating and entertaining storyline, you definitely want to give “Okami-san and Her Seven Companions” a try! Especially for those who don’t want a long series, this is only 12-episodes long, so it’ll be easy to follow!

Definitely recommended!

Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

Dragon Ball Z Kai – Part Seven (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

March 11, 2012 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

All-out action! “Dragon Ball Z Kai” is DBZ in HD and this series looks absolutely wonderful on Blu-ray! In this seventh volume of DBZ Kai, the Z Warriors take on their most powerful adversary yet, Perfect Cell. If you are wanting an action anime series, I definitely recommend “Dragon Ball Z Kai”!

TITLE: Dragon Ball Z Kai – Part Seven

DURATION: (Episodes 78-88) 300 Minutes

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (4:3), English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: Toei Animation/FUNimation Entertainment

RATED: TV PG

Release Date: September 13, 2011

Originally created by Akira Toriyama

Directed by Yasuhiro Nowatari

Produced by Kazuya Watanabe, Kohei Obara, Kyotaro Kimura, Makoto Seino

Music by Kenji Yamamoto

Theme Song Arrangement: Seiichi Kyouda

Anime Production: Toei Animation

Featuring the following voice talent:

Masako Nozawa/Colleen Clinkenbeard as Son Gohan

Masako Nozawa/Sean Schemmel as Son Goku

Hikaru Midorikawa/John Burgmeier as Tenshinhan (Tien)

Hiromi Tsuru/Monica Rial as Bulma

Masaharu Satou/Mike McFarland as Kame-sennin

Mayumi Tanaka/Sonny Strait as Krillin (Kuririn)

Naoki Tatsuta/Bryan Massey as Oolong

Naoko Watanabe/Cynthia Cranz as Chi-Chi

Ryo Horikawa/Christopher R. Sabat as Vegeta

Brina Palencia as Chiaotzu/Puar

Tohru Furuya/Christopher R. Sabat as Yamcha

Toshio Furukawa/Christopher R. Sabat as Piccolo

Shigeru Chiba/Justin Cook as Raditz

Tetsu Inada/Phil Parsons as Nappa

Yasuhiko Kawazu/Christopher R. Sabat as Mr. Popo

The legendary Z reborn!

For the first time in history, experience the legendary Z as the master intended with this manga-centric, fresh take on Akira Toriyama’s original vision!

The last descendants of an evil race of warriors known as the Saiyans are on a collision course with Earth, and Goku – the strongest fighter on the planet – is all that stands between humanity and extinction. To save his friends and the world he loves, Goku must travel to a realm from which few return, but should he survive, he’ll discover the power to face the villainous Saiyan warlord – Prince Vegeta.

The action-packed anime series “Dragon Ball Z” is back with another HD version of “Dragon Ball Z Kai” (volume seven) as the Z-Warriors take on their most powerful adversary yet, Cell!

Having grown up with “Dragon Ball Z” and during my teenage years visiting the local Japanese video rental store and always in heavy anticipation of what was being shown on television in Japan that week and waiting the two weeks it would arrive in the US and watching it in Japanese, despite not knowing what was being said, I enjoyed the series tremendously.

The main protagonist Son Goku was Japan’s equivalent to America’s Superman. I’m sure the juxtaposition of both Superman and Dragonball can be seen as a baby from other planet comes to Earth, the baby growing up to becoming a boy with tremendous strength and abilities and raised by a loving person who instilled good in his heart.

Granted, Goku’s original mission when landing on Earth was to destroy humanity but learning kindness towards people, nature and animals, he became a hero that protected all that he loved from any evil. But most importantly, Goku was a character that was far from perfect. He was a character that was always learning about people, enjoying life but most of all, setting a goal to becoming stronger and developing his skills in order to protect the people and the planet that he loves.

I was captivated by the original “Dragon Ball” series (which featured Goku as a child) and later with “Dragon Ball Z” featuring Goku as an adult. The series would bring back the characters that were seen on the original “Dragon Ball” series but this time around, the series took on more of a serious tone as the enemies became more deadly and Goku and his friends were put into grave situations that they have never had to face before. “Dragon Ball Z” would feature wonderful character development, intense action sequences and most of all, knowing how to extend the series to tease fans and keep people in high anticipation of what would be happening next.

Since then, I have had the opportunity to see this DBZ fandom grow in the US from the very early ’90s and seeing “Dragon Ball Z” viewing parties at the early anime conventions and then seeing how the series exploded into American pop culture once the series began airing on television in the US and with its DVD releases. It’s hard to believe that this series I have followed for years and began in 1989 has celebrated its 20th Anniversary celebration in 2009.

But the celebration was fantastic news for fans as this time, “Dragon Ball Z” would be remastered for HD TV and would be called “Dragon Ball Z Kai” which would include a brand new opening and ending sequence, commercial cut scenes, new frames produced digitally, re-recording of the voice talent, new music and most importantly, focusing on the main story arcs and reducing the series 291 episodes to a total of 97 episodes (plus a bonus 98th episode or extra which was included in the Japanese release).

Needless to say, “Dragon Ball Z Kai” received rave reviews from fans in Japan, while some hardcore DBZ fans had a hard time watching a new interpretation of the series (especially with newer music) but when it was announced that the series would be released in the USA on Blu-ray and DVD, fans were happy and with the first volume, needless to say, I was quite happy with the first Blu-ray release of “Dragon Ball Z Kai” and if you enjoyed the past six volumes, there is no doubt that you are going to enjoy “Dragon Ball Z Kai – Part Seven”.

For my review of this Blu-ray release, I’m going to assume that many of the people reading this are familiar with the series. If you aren’t, if you want to experience the full “Dragon Ball Z” 291 episodes, FUNimation Entertainment currently has the full series of “Dragon Ball” and “Dragon Ball Z” available on DVD but at the same time, it is not imperative to watch the original “Dragon Ball” series to understand “Dragon Ball Z Kai”. But watching it completely is important if you want to know the relationships of each character.

As mentioned, currently available from FUNimation Entertainment is “Dragon Ball” which covers the younger years of Goku. “Dragon Ball Z” covers the adults years of Goku and have been released in nine volumes (seasons) via an “orange box release”. All nine volumes covers all 291 episodes and were remastered by FUNimation Entertainment but presented in 16×9 and utilizes both English and Japanese dub but caters to the English audience crowd who watched the series on television.

FUNimation Entertainment have also released the “Dragon Box Z” DVD box set releases (all eight volumes of “Dragon Box Z” have been released). These releases are to satisfy the hardcore Dragon Ball Z fans who wanted the original Japanese uncut episodes, original Japanese music score but most importantly, the series being presented in its original aspect ratio of 4×3.

Also, released from FUNimation Entertainment were the movies and specials (on Blu-ray and DVD) and also the next story arc known as “Dragon Ball GT” (which “Dragon Ball” manga creator Akira Toriyama had nothing to do with until the final episode) which follows the Z-Warriors ten years later and focuses on Goku, an adult Trunks and Goku’s granddaughter Pai. This series was released on DVD in 2009 by FUNimation.

So, here were are in 2012 with the seventh volume release of “Dragon Ball Z Kai” presented in HD. These episodes are without the non-essential scenes or filler episodes and instead of 291 episodes, “Dragon Ball Z Kai” has a duration of 98 episodes and with this latest volume, you have 11 episodes (Episodes 78-88).

It’s important to note that this is not a remake of the series, nor is it a new HD recreation of the animated version of the series. The series uses the original 1989 animation but is cleaned up of all damaged cels and blemishes. Only the opening, ending and commercial cut scenes feature new animation.

Here is a basic summary of “Dragon Ball Z Kai – Part Seven” (episodes 78-88) on the two Blu-ray discs:

Disc 1:

EPISODE 78 – Cell on the Verge of Defeat! Krillin, Destroy Android 18! – Goku trains Gohan while Cell tries to absorb Android 18.
EPISODE 79 – The Battle Turns For the Worst! Cell Attacks Android 18! – Trunk vs. Cell, Cell continues to try and absorb 18 to become a perfect Cell.
EPISODE 80 – The Tables are Turned! Witness the Power of Perfection! – Krillin and Vegeta vs. Cell.
EPISODE 81 – Vegeta’s Final Push! Defeat the Invincible Cell! – Vegeta vs. Cell.
EPISODE 82 – The Strongest Super Saiyan! Trunks Power Unleashed! – Trunks vs. Cell
EPISODE 83 – Cell Invades the Airwaves! Announcing “The Cell Games” – Cell arranges a tournament in anticipation to fight Goku.
EPISODE 84 – Training Complete! Goku Sizes up the Competition! – Goku and Gohan complete their training and plan to participate in the Cell Games.

DISC 2:

EPISODE 85 – The Truce is Broken! The Defense Force Strikes Back at Cell! – Piccolo and Vegeta train in the Hyperbolic chamber.
EPISODE 86 – A New Guardian! The Return of the Dragon Balls! – A new Kami and Mr. Satan challenges Cell.
EPISODE 87 – Mr. Satan Takes the Stage! The Curtain Rises on the Cell Games! – Mr. Satan tries to intimidate Cell.
EPISODE 88 – Showdown! Cell vs. Goku – Goku vs. Cell

VIDEO:

I always find it interesting when it comes to “Dragon Ball Z” because each review, I’ve always mentioned how things look much better when I saw the series especially comparing to my old Japanese TV recordings. But with the release of the series via the orange box season sets and then the Dragon Box Z releases, although they look good…nothing compares to how gorgeous “Dragon Ball Z Kai” looks. The picture quality is clean, no spotting, no blemishes, no dust, no speckles… Colors are absolutely vibrant, blacks are nice and deep and the series looks absolutely fantastic on Blu-ray.

Presented in 1080p High Definition and 4×3. As mentioned earlier, “Dragon Ball Z Kai” is not a remaking of the series in HD. The most noticeable addition is the opening and ending sequence and also the commercial cut scenes which use new animation and featured in HD. But ow awesome would it be if a “Dragon Ball” related series was re-created to look like those digital HD scenes? That would have been amazing.

But once the series begins, for those who have been watching “Dragon Ball Z” long enough or multiple times will just in awe of how beautiful and how clean the anime series looks in HD on Blu-ray. You’ll also notice scenes that you have never seen before.

First, lets discuss the picture quality. Not one blemish can be seen in these episodes. With the sketches and animation cels having since been discarded and anime series back in the ’80s and early ’90s not really being taken care of, Toei animation had new frames produced for this series and it was a laborious job of digitally tracing over still frames from existing footage and filling them with softer colors. Some scenes were cropped and new scenes were added.

But watching this series on Blu-ray, I can say that “Dragon Ball Z Kai” does not look like a series that came from 1989. Tohei Animation did a wonderful job with this animated TV series, editing these episodes and choosing what scenes to include and what new scenes to add to ensure that the pacing works out fine. In terms of picture quality, those ugly dust, speckles and blemishes are gone, I did not see any major edge enhancement or compression artifacts. I have no doubt that fans will enjoy this HD presentation of “Dragon Ball Z Kai”.

Of course, for those wanting the true anime on HD treatment, this is probably not the series one should look for as you do get the original late ’80s animation and this series was created long before animators considered HD let alone were making the series digitally. But it all comes down to how it looks compared to the original series released on DVD and I have to say that this is the best looking version of the series available despite it being a modified and shortened version of the “Dragon Ball Z” series.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

This is where “Dragon Ball Z Kai” shines on Blu-ray and its the lossless audio. The series is presented in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (English) and Dolby TrueHD 2.0 (Japanese).

Because the English is mixed and utilizes more channels, there is a dramatic difference in sound, although for those with a modern receiver and have a solid 5.1 or 7.2 setup, can easily switch their receiver to stereo on all channels for the Japanese soundtrack for a more immersive soundscape.

There are online stores showing that the Japanese is Dolby Digital 2.0 but this is incorrect, it is indeed a lossless Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 soundtrack. And both soundtracks sound great!

But here is the lowdown on the lossless audio. Sound effects are now heavily utilized on the surround channels. Obviously, the more noticeable uses of the surround channels are the music and whenever the Z Warriors are in flight. But the biggest and most noticeable difference when it comes to “Dragon Ball Z Kai” and its previous “Dragon Ball Z” releases on video is the music. As a hero like Superman or Batman will have its own musical orchestra driven theme song in a film, Goku now has a theme, the enemies have their theme and when a Z-Warrior passes away, there is a theme. Music is used to full effect in the series and the majority of it is orchestra driven and also utilized in the surround channels. You will hear the strings or brass playing through the surrounds and its done rather nicely. Some people may have an issue with the battle music as the music tends to incorporate the style that you hear from the most recent video games and transitions from jazz/funk to synthrock.

But these effects and music sound so delightful via lossless, its hard not to be impressed by it. Again, the English soundtrack is much more immersive because it utilizes a 5.1 lossless soundtrack versus the Japanese 2.0 lossless track. But I know fans who have wanted anime on Blu-ray with Japanese lossless should be happy. It’s important to note that this is a TV series and not an OVA or film, so the fact that there is so much going on with this TV series audio-wise is pretty awesome.

Granted, I know there are hardcore fans who will tell me that they loved the original Japanese music and I’m sure there will be fans including myself who love the new music, but of course, this is all subjective. And with that being said, for those who liked the Falcouner music, then buy the orange season box sets. If you want the original Japanese BGM, then the “Dragon Box Z” sets is for you. If you want a lossless soundtrack with outstanding music that is fully utilized with your home theater setup, “Dragon Ball Z Kai” is fantastic.

As for the dubwork, the voice acting has also been revamped with Colleen Clinkenbeard now providing the voice for Son Gohan, Monica Rial for Bulma and Brina Palencia for Chiaotzu and Puar. In Japan, the most noticeable difference is for Kame Sen’nin (Master Roshi) as Kohei Miayuchi passed away during the final season of “Dragon Ball Z” back in 1995 and for DBZ Kai is voiced by Masaharu Satou.

For the most part, both voice acting for the English and Japanese were very good. Of course, listening to both soundtracks voices are much different from each other especially the voice of the main character Goku. But depending on your preference, both Masako Nozawa and Sean Schemmel do a fantastic job as Goku. For those who watched the English dub and have played all the DBZ video games will probably see the most noticeable different with the character of young Gohan.

Overall, because of the clarity of the audio and how much it plays in the part of enhancing the enjoyment of the anime series, the lossless soundtrack for “Dragon Ball Z” is awesome! I enjoy the new BGM and if you have a 5.1 or 7.2 setup, you’re going to enjoy the soundtrack of this series.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Dragon Ball Z Kai – Part Seven” comes with the following special features:

Textless Opening Song
Textless Closing Song
Trailers – Trailers for upcoming or currently available titles from FUNimation Entertainment.

EXTRAS:

“Dragon Ball Z Kai” Part Seven comes with a slipcover case.

For many Dragon Ball Z enthusiasts, many have ranked the Cell saga as the best in the “Dragon Ball Z” series. There was no doubt that Cell was the most destructive adversary the Z-Warriors have taken on and I can easily remember how many episodes it took until we finally saw the matchup between Goku and Cell.

For anyone who has watched the original “Dragon Ball Z” series, it’s not a surprise of how much this battle was dragged out for a long period of time in Japan and even for “Dragon Ball Z Kai”, it’s taken quite a bit of episodes, even when shortened without the filler to get to this ultimate matchup and the buildup to this match has been exciting and quite riveting thus far!

All that went through my mind when I was watching “Dragon Ball Z Kai” was how awesome an experience it was to see this series finally in HD and how fantastic it looked and how incredible the lossless audio track was.

“Dragon Ball Z – Part Seven” features Krillin trying to save a woman that he has fallen for, Vegeta’s ego getting in the way and thus playing into the plans of Cell and of course, the heavily anticipated matchup between Goku and Cell.

Granted, you are losing a lot of the android saga especially the training episodes in the hyberbolic chamber in preparation for the fight against Cell in “Dragon Ball Z Kai”. So, I do emphasize that if you do want to watch the Android and Cell Saga, try to find the DVD release of the anime series (the awesome orange box series or even the Japanese uncut “Dragon Box Z” series).

As a person who has followed the series for nearly 20 years, watching “Dragon Ball Z Kai” was a bit surreal because everything looked so clean. Especially comparing with how it looks to the first movie on Blu-ray which had dust and scratches galore and HD enhancing those defects, it was great to see a blemish-free DBZ series.

Now does “Dragon Ball Z Kai” replace my feelings towards the original series? Of course not. But I can tell you right now that when watching “Dragon Ball Z” many years ago and even watching it again and again, part of the experience at the time was being kept at the edge of your seat because each saga lasted so long. We would literally have to wait weeks as it would come out to our Japanese video rental store and each VHS tape in bad quality would contain maybe two to four episodes. And this really tested your patience especially with each saga or battle lasting like 30 episodes or more.

If you were an original DVD purchaser of “Dragon Ball Z” when it was released per volume, not only was it an excruciating wait, it was expensive to collect all volumes. Sure, the DVD box set releases definitely have fixed the problem and is much cheaper than how things were back then. But what “Dragon Ball Z Kai” does is cut down all non-essential scenes, all filler episodes and focusing on the more important scenes of the story including the action sequences. Footage was re-edited to closely follow the manga and the action is now a more faster pace and I found the pacing for this series to be quite enjoyable and for those watching anything Dragon Ball related for the first time, especially on television, “Dragon Ball Z” makes it much easier for those viewers, especially those with a short attention span.

For long-time fans, this new revision of the series maintains the heart and soul of “Dragon Ball Z” but gives us the best looking and best sound version of the series. It’s not meant to replace the previous “Dragon Ball Z” series that we have enjoyed (and for many, have spent money for via the box sets) but to compliment it and also to bring the series to HD and now on Blu-ray.

“Dragon Ball Z” has been such a part of the lives of many people for two decades and with this release, hopefully will entertain a new generation of DBZ fans or hook fans who have been curious about the series for a long time. Because the series only lasts 98 episodes, part seven continues with the Cell saga and will conclude in the eight volume (note: “Dragon Ball Z Kai does not showcase the Majin Buu storyline).

Overall, “Dragon Ball Z Kai” is easily a must-own anime on Blu-ray series. Granted, I’m sure that many of us are quite biased towards the “Dragon Ball” series but for those who have always been curious about “Dragon Ball Z” and have no intention watching every episode made, then “Dragon Ball Z Kai” is definitely recommended, especially now that it’s in HD!

Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

Fairy Tail Vol. 4 (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Review)

March 2, 2012 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

The most intense, action-packed volume of “Fairy Tail” yet, volume 4 of this awesome series is highly recommended!

TITLE: Fairy Tail Vol. 4

ANIME RELEASE DATE: 2009

DURATION: (Episodes 37-48) 300 Minutes

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (1:78:1), DolbyTrue HD 5.1, Japanese DolbyTrue HD 2.0, English subtitles

COMPANY: FUNimation Entertainment

Release Date: March 20, 2012

Originally created by Hiro Mashima

Directed by Shinji Ishihara

Script by Atsuhiro Tomikoa, Fumihiko Shimo, Masashi Sogo, Shoji Yonemura

Music by Yasuharu Takanashi

Character Design by Aoi Yamamoto

Art Director: Junko Shimizu

Chief Animation Director: Takao Sano

Anime Production: A-1 Pictures, Satelight

Featuring the following voice talent:

Aya Hirano/Cherami Leigh as Lucy Heartfilia

Tetsuya Kakihara/Todd Haberkorn as Natsu Dragneel

Rie Kugimiya/Tia Ballard as Happy

Sayaka Ohara/Colleen Clinkenbeard as Erza Scarlet

Yūichi Nakamura/Newton Pittman as Gray Fullbuster

Shinichi Kotani/R. Bruce Elliot as Makarov

Akira Ishida as Zeref

Daisuke Kishio/Eric Vale as Loki/Loke

Daisuke Namikawa as Jeral/Mystogan

Eri Kitamura/Jamie Marchi as Kana Alberona

Hiroki Touchi as Pantherlily

Hiroki Yasumoto as Elfman

Kazuhiko Inoue as Gildarts Clive

Mai Nakahara as Juvia Loxar

Mariya Ise as Levi Macgarden

Miyuki Sawashiro/Lydia Mackay as Ultear Milkovich

Ryoko Ono/Monica Rial as Mirajane

Satomi Satou as Wendy

Sayaka Narita as Aries

Wataru Hatano as Gajeel Redfox

Yui Horie as Charle

Forced to face her demons at the Tower of Heaven, Erza is in real danger of becoming a live sacrifice in Jellal’s demented plan – which spells disaster for Fairy Tail’s strongest team! As the Council prepares to wipe out the island with the Etherion beam, Erza’s allies endure a heart-wrenching battle to get her back!

Big surprises await the comrades as they return for Magnolia’s annual Harvest Festival. But the celebrations are cut short when Master Makarov’s grandson hotwires a contest to determine who’s the fiercest wizard in a supercharged scheme to take over the guild!

The past of Erza Scarlet revealed and what happens when several members of Fairy Tail try to assemble a coup in order for Makarov’s grandson, Laxus Dreyar to become the new leader of the Fairy Tail guild?

Plenty of action and kick ass battles await you in the latest volume 4 of the popular anime series “Fairy Tail”!

For those who are not familiar with “Fairy Tail”, let’s just say that it’s one of the most exciting, long running anime magic/adventure series to be released in the U.S. on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment.

In Japan, “Fairy Tail” is a manga series which began in 2006 and was created by mangaka Hiro Mashima (known for his manga series “Rave Master”). Featured in Weekly Shonen Magazine, the manga series is still ongoing, meanwhile an anime adaptation of the manga series was created in 2009 produced by A-Pictures and Satelight. And similar to the manga series, is also ongoing!

With the fourth Blu-ray release of “Fairy Tail”, this latest volume features episodes 37-48.

The anime series is directed by Shinji Ishihara (“Aoi Kokuhaku”, “Tenbatsu Angel Rabbie”, “Tokyo Majin” and is written by Masashi Sogo (“Bleach”, “Yukikaze”, “Hunter x Hunter”). The anime series features character design by Aoi Yamamoto, art direction by Junko Shimizu (“Midori Days, “Blue Dragon”, “Trinity Blood”) and music by Yasuharu Takanashi (“Naruto Shippuden”, “Hell Girl”, “Gantz”, Ikki Tosen”).

A Quick Summary of what has taken place in “Fairy Tail” thus far:

“Fairy Tail” revolves around a 17-year-old celestial wizard named Lucy Heartfilia who dreams of joining a sorcerer guild known as Fairy Tail, a group known and feared for the destruction they cause. One day, she runs into Natsu Dragneel, a guy who is traveling to the land of Fiore along with his partner Happy (a talking blue cat with wings) who is searching for his foster parent, a dragon named Igneel who has disappeared.

While traveling to Fiore, both Lucy and Natsu encounter a sorcerer claiming to be the famous Salamander of Fairy Tail. Natsu is the first to object that the man is a phony but the fans of Salamander are dismayed by Natsu’s comments and beat him up, meanwhile Lucy finds out that this fake Salamander is using his sorcerer abilities to make young women fall for him.

As Lucy tries to show her gratitude to Natsu for breaking the spell that would have otherwise have hypnotized Lucy, the two become friends.

But when the fake Salamander tells Lucy that he would get her into Fairy Tail, she knows he is a fake but any chance of getting to join the guild would make her dream come true, so she decides to visit him.

But it’s all a ruse and the fake Salamander is just trying to find female slaves and because he is so powerful, Lucy does not have the magic necessary to beat him. But coming to Lucy’s rescue is Natsu, who is revealed to be a true member of Fairy Tail and also revealed to be the true “Salamander”. And he easily beats the fake Salamander up.

When Natsu discovers that Lucy’s dream is to become a Fairy Tail member, he asks her to join him and he can help her get into the guild and from that moment on, Lucy becomes Natsu’s partner in various Fairy Tail guild missions and for each mission they beat, the more income they make.

And more money means more keys to gain more powers, which would help Lucy become a powerful celestial wizard!

In “Fairy Tail Vol. 4″, the storyline of Erza’s past continues as the revolt against Jellal continues. Siegrain plans to resurrect Zeref in order to gain the Magic Council’s support in firing Etherion. But can Erza stop him? Meanwhile, Juvia has been possessed by Vidaldus and is being controlled against her will to fight against Lucy. Meanwhile, did the Fairy Tail guild lose a major member through tragic circumstances?

For the final storyline arc for season one of “Fairy Tail”, as the group is celebrating Magnolia’s annual harvest festival, the festival is interrupted by Laxus and his bodyguards of the Raijin Tribe. This pits members of Fairy Tail who support Laxus becoming the new leader of Fairy Tail versus those who are still loyal to their longtime leader Makarov (the grandfather of Laxus).

In the end, who shall be victorious?

“Fairy Tail” Vol. 4 features the following characters:

Natsu Dragneel – Also known as “Salamander”, Natsu is a kindhearted, always hungry wizard who travels with his partner Happy in search of Igneel, a dragon who raised Natsu but is now missing. Natsu is a dragon slayer and a wizard who can perform “Lost Magic and can have physical properties of a dragon. He specializes in Fire Dragon Slayer Magic which allows him to breath fire and ingest fire as a form of nourishment. He is also gifted with other powers not yet revealed in the first volume of “Fairy Tail”.
Lucy Heartfilia – A celestial wizard who can summon contracted spirits (with special abilities) through a set of keys known as Gatekeys. She treats these spirits as friends. Her dream is to join Fairy Tail and through meeting Natsu, now her dream can come true.
Happy – A blue cat with wings and a best friend to Natsu. He can fly and can carry a person while flying. He is also known to irritate Lucy.
Gray Fullbuster – A powerful wizard of Fairy Tail and the opposite of Natsu, in that he has control of ice. Gray has the power of Ice Make which can make him create weapons or anything out of ice. He was raised by the wizard Ur. He also has a bad habit of taking of all his clothes without realizing it.
Erza Scarlet – An S-Class wizard (high-ranked) and is the most powerful member of the Fairy Tail guild. She has magic known as “The Knight” which allows her to summon and equip weapons and armor and also has the ability to resist magic attacks. She is feared by others because of her lack of compassion.
Mirajane – A 19-year-old S-Class wizard who is the cover girl of Sorcerer’s Weekly magazine and helps Lucy understand what is happening with the members of the Fairy Tail guild. She has the ability to change her appearance to something she previously encountered.
Cana Alberona – A short-tempered heaving drinking woman. She uses card magic to cast her spells.
Elfman – Mirajane’s younger brother who is known for his physical strength. He can absorb the power of any monster he defeats.
Loke – A flirtatious wizard who is often seen in the company of many women.
Makarov Dreyer – The elder master of Fairy Tail. He is constantly busy because of his guild members becoming too violent.
Juvia Lockser – Originally a member of the Phantom Lord Guild and now a member of Fairy Tail and is obsessed with Gray. She becomes great friends of Lucy but also her rival (thinking that Lucy is interested in Gray).
Gajeel Redfox – Originally a member of the Phantom Lord Guild, Gajeel is similar to Natsu in the fact that he is a Dragon Slayer raised by the dragon Metalicana. He can transform his body into metal weapons.

VIDEO:

“Fairy Tail” is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:78:1). It’s important to note that this is a anime TV series, not a film or an OVA and is a weekly anime series. What that means is A-1 Pictures and Satelight, have their hands full, especially if they have other TV series to work on that week. Typically a lot of anime series are quickly done in order to make it by their weekly deadline and sometimes, they are done the day of deadline. So, production values for TV series are typically not that high if they are working on multiple series.

Fortunately A-1 Pictures has become one of the newer studios that have been doing production for quite a number of popular hit series such as “Blue Exorcist” and “Big Windup!” and Satelight does a lot of the in-between animation. So, while they are a smaller, growing company, they are not overburdened as other studios and that means, more time dedicated to the anime series.

“Fairy Tail” features cool production value. A lot of detailed artwork, because of the many adventures, you get so many locations and not the typical regurgitated scenery.

There is a lot of detail featured in the art backgrounds, a lot of characters featured and these characters have great detail and shadowing. Colors are absolutely vibrant, black levels are deep. I found no compression artifacts or any problematic issues with this Blu-ray release. If anything, the Blu-ray really brings out the details and colors of the series and looks fantastic!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Fairy Tail” is presented in English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0. Dialogue and music is clear through the front channels for the lossless stereo soundtrack but because the English is 5.1, there is better use of the surround channels.

In fact, I found myself listening to the English dub track for “Fairy Tail” much more than the Japanese soundtrack because of the 5.1 but also, FUNimation did a magnificent job with the casting of this series. I was very pleased especially with the casting of Lucy, Natsu, Happy, Grey and Erza and for the most part, I think whichever you prefer, you will be pleased with Japanese and English audio tracks.

But for the most part, for a TV series, lossless audio is crystal clear and while not the most immersive soundtrack (which I typically don’t expect TV series to boast incredible immersive lossless soundtracks, unlike a film or OVA series), “Fairy Tail” does sound very good on Blu-ray!

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Fairy Tail Vol. 4″ features the following special features:

DISC 1:

Episode 39 Audio Commentary – Featuring audio commentary by Tyler Walker (Director/Line Producer/Adapted Script Writer) with Rob McCollum (voice of Seagrain, Jalal and Mystigen).

DISC 2:

Episode 45 Audio Commentary – Featuring audio commentary by Tyler Walker (ADR Director/Line Producer/Adapted Script Writer) with John Burgmeier (head writer/voice actor) and Monica Rial (lead writer/voice actress).
Textless Opening Songs: “R.P.G. ~Rockin’ Playing Game”
Textless Closing Songs: “Kimi Ga Iru Kara”
Trailers – FUNimation Entertainment trailers

EXTRAS:

“Fairy Tail” vol. 4 Blu-ray also comes with the DVD version.

The most intense and action-packed volume of “Fairy Tail” yet!

For those who have invested their time in watching this anime series, the series has been building its character development around Lucy, Grey and now Erza. But Erza’s past is still a mystery and with this latest volume, we learn about her past and what kind of woman and person she was before she became a member of Fairy Tail.

Suffice to say, there are some major surprises in store for viewers because there were situations where, you just don’t know who will live and who will survive.

The latest volume also features the addition of former Phantom Lord members Juvia Lockser and Gajeel Redfox, who are now becoming part of the core group that the series is focusing on. Juvia as the girl who never had friends, discovering new friends who believe in her in Fairy Tail and the same can be said about the hardened Dragon Slayer Gajeel Redfox. Who like Gray is somewhat a friend/rival to Natsu, and the same can be said about Juvia and Lucy. So, their differences tend to be a bit hilarious at times, but with the addition of these two members, Fairy Tail no doubt has added two powerhouse characters to the guild.

And they are definitely going to need it as the final storyline arc for the first season concludes with a coup attempt by Fairy Tail guild members loyal to Laxus Dreyar, the arrogant grandson of current leader Makarov. And like his grandfather, for a 23-year-old guy, he’s very powerful and together with the other members of Fairy Tail loyal to him, will Natsu, Erza, Gray and friends be able to defeat them and prevent the coup attempt?

And despite the guild’s members going at each other, this battle is intense! There is no taking it easy just because they were friends now rivals.

“Fairy Tail” is an anime series that manages to have a lot of fun through the adventures of Natsu and Lucy and it has similarities to the action/adventure anime series “One Piece” and “The Slayers”.

For one, the adventure and action is big part of this series as the characters take on various rival wizard guilds, the problem is that they tend to get into so much trouble that they end up creating a lot of damage. And the object of these adventures are working guild jobs as the characters have bills to pay and each time they destroy something, it comes out of their paycheck.

With this fourth volume, you really get to see how these characters have grown since the first episode but also how dedicate they are to each other and think of each other as family members. In fact, this is probably one of the more dramatic episodes featured in a volume as one of the major members of Fairy Tail may or may not have died? You’ll have to watch and see for yourself.

With that being said, this series has over 100 episodes and is still ongoing in Japan. Next to “Dragon Ball Z” and “Yu Yu Hakusho” (which are older anime series), “Fairy Tail” is the most recent, longer anime series from Japan to be released on Blu-ray by FUNimation Entertainment. So, if you want a series to watch for the long haul, “Fairy Tail” is a series worth considering.

As for the Blu-ray release, picture quality is very good for a TV series and features a good solid lossless soundtrack. It’s important to emphasize that this is a TV series and not a film or OVA, thus the production quality of animated TV shows tend to be lower (and created in a short time) than a film/OVA, so there is a bit of softness and shadowing and detail are not utilized a lot for this series.

As for special features, you do get the English voice actors providing commentary for two episodes and the opening and ending theme song.

Overall, the fourth volume of “Fairy Tail” was intense, exciting and this series just continues to get better and better. If you are looking for a series on Blu-ray to watching in the long-run, definitely give “Fairy Tail” a try. Highly recommended!

Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings – Season Two (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

February 14, 2012 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

The second season of “Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings” surpasses the first season in story, action, better character integration and for fans of the video game series, a much more enjoyably experience. So, for anyone who watched the first season of “Sengoku Basara” or for those just wanting a feudal Japan, action-packed, samurai fighting storyline that is “kick-ass” awesome! Definitely give “Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings – Season Two” a try!

TITLE: Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings – Season Two

DURATION: Episodes 1-13 (325 Minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, English 5.1, Japanese 5.1, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: FUNimation Entertainment

RATED: NOT RATED 14+

Release Date: February 7, 2012

Directed by Kazuya Nomura

Screenplay by Yasuyuki Muto

Music by Hiroyuki Sawano

Original Character Design by Makoto Tsuchibayashi (CAPCOM)

Character Design by Tooru Ookubo

Art Director: Shunichiro Yoshihara

Chief Animation Director: Tooru Ookubo

Anime Production by Studio I.G.

Featuring the following voice talent:

Kazuya Nakai/Robert McCollum as Date Masamune

Norio Wakamoto/John Swasey as Oda Nobunaga

Souichiro Hoshi/Johnny Yong Bosch as Sanada Yukimura

Akiria Ishida/Chris Casn as Takenaka Hanbei

Keiji Fujiwara as Matsunaga Hisahide

Masakazu Morita/Eric Vale as Maeda Keiji

Ryotaro Okiayu/Christopher R. Sabat as Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Ryuuzou Ishino/Patrick Seitz as Chosokabe Motochika

Shigeru Nakahara/Sam Regal as Mori Motonari

Hiroki Shimowada/Maxey Whitehead as Ranmaru Mori

Kouji Tsujitani/Christopher Bevins as Nagamasa Asai

Mamiko Noto/Laura Bailey as Oichi

Natsuko Kuwatani/Stephanie Sheh as Kasuga

Romi Park/Greg Ayres as Uesugi Kenshin

Sho Hayami/Vic Mignogna as Akechi Mitsuhide

Takehito Koyasu/Michael Sinterniklaas as Sarutobi Sasauke

Tessho Genda/Chris Ayres as Takeda Shingen

Toshiyuki Morikawa/Travis Willingham as Katakura Kojuro

Japan’s toughest warlords are on the move, leading massive armies against their rivals in a thrilling quest for total domination. Wielding insane weaponry and unleashing the elements to boost their already awesome power, these warrior generals roar into the fray atop turbo-charged stallions, slicing through the enemy with six blades at once.

They brandish explosive shotguns and swing swords the size of men. They crush the opposition with rolling battle fortresses and incinerate their foes with solar death rays. Hordes of ninja assassins and samurai fight to vanquish every adversary in their sight. As loyalties crumble and new alliances are forged in the scorching heat of battle, heroes become conquerors and conquerors become legends. This is war!

When it comes to video games that feature samurai’s and a general taking on hoards of enemies, in the US, “Samurai Warriors” (similar to Dynasty Warriors) from KOEI is well-known. But in Japan, CAPCOM began their own series known as “Sengoku Basara” (Devil Kings) which takes place during the Sengoku period and a similar concept as their rivals and has also earned its strong fan following.

In 2005, the first game was released for the Sony Playstation 2 and was released in the U.S. (as “Devil Kings”) but unfortunately, CAPCOM tried to change the whole story of the Sengoku period by trying to connect it to their “Devil May Cry” series in order to attract players but because of the changes and the localization crew feeling they needed to make it more difficult in America, needless to say, it was a failure. People wanted the same game that was in Japan and within the last six years, there have been four video game releases and now CAPCOM has released “Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes” for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable and the Nintendo Wii in the US in October 2010.

In Japan, two seasons of “Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings” aired. And in 2010, to coincide with this videogame release, FUNimation Entertainment released the first season of the anime series “Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings” on Blu-ray and DVD (including the first 12 TV episodes + Blu-ray/DVD only 13th episode).

On Feb. 2012, with the release of the second season on Blu-ray and DVD, FUNimation Entertainment will be re-releasing the first season of “Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings” via a Blu-ray+DVD Combo Pack.

The anime series is produced by Production I.G. and is directed by Itsuro Kawasaki (“Arc the Lad”, “Rental Magica”, “Yumedamaya Kidan”), screenplay by Yasuyuki Muto (“Afro Samurai: Resurrection”, “Basilisk”, “Mobil Suit Gundam UC”), character designs by Tooru Ookubo, art direction by Shunichiro Yoshihara (“Gurren Lagann”, “Cromartie High School”, “Slayers”) and music by Hiroyuki Sawano (“Soul Link”, “Mobil Suit Gundam UC”).

The anime series takes place during the Sengoku Period (several years before the video game storyline). Various generals and their warriors are fighting each other. For the Takeda clan led by Lord Takeda Shingen, his young hot-headed warrior Sanada Yukimura has a rivalry with the cocky one-eyed warlord Date Masamune. Both are hot-headed that they fight against each other but they also value their battles with one another because they are equally matched.

And as the two sides begin to fight again, they are interrupted by the soldiers of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Toyotomi wants to unite Japan and make the country stronger but as each warrior supports their own clan and leader, he warns everyone that if they oppose him, they will be face his wrath.

Quickly, clans who try to take on Toyotomi Hideyoshi and his soldiers are quickly met with defeat. He is too powerful and for Masamune, Shingen and Kenshin, they stand no chance against him.

But as each clan tries to find a way to defeat Hideyoshi, Maeda Kanji who knows Toyotomi very well, tries to get his friends Maeda Toshiie and Matsu to stop Toyotomi’s tirade against the other clans, but he finds out that even his friends have aligned with Toyotomi.

Meanwhile, the other clans begin to visit others with the hope of rival clans joining forces to fight against Toyotomi Hideyoshi and his army.

VIDEO:

Personally, I expected nothing less from Production I.G., the series definitely looks absolutely awesome on Blu-ray! Also, I detected no banding, artifacting or anything negative about the picture quality of this anime series.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings” is presented in lossless English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD and lossless Japanese 2.0 Dolby TrueHD.

Personally, I enjoyed the Japanese soundtrack because the generals sound much more menacing while I felt the English dub, as good as it is, sometimes I feel certain voice talent are overly used and they sound the same for no matter what characters they play. In the first season, I mentioned that although I enjoy Johnny Yong Bosch’s acting work when it comes to “Bleach”, but his Yukimura (Sengoku Basara) sounds like an annoying version of Ichigo (Bleach). But with that being said, the English dub has grown on me and felt the FUNimation English dub actors did a fine job.

And when it comes to channel utilization, the English dubbed soundtrack is much more livelier because of its lossless 5.1 soundtrack. Personally, I felt that he Japanese soundtrack was my preference but it is all subjective to the listener and what language they typically prefer. Regardless, you get a very well done English dub with a better losless soundtrack. Japanese soundtrack is very good but it’s lossless 2.0 and is a bit low on the scale of dynamic range compared to its 5.1 counterpart.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings – Season Two” contains the following special features:

Episode 6 Commentary – Featuring a fun commentary by voice director and writer Christopher Bevins and Patrick Seitz (co-writer and voice actor for Chosokabe Motchika).
Episode 12 Commentary – Featuring Eric Vale (voice actor of Maeda Keiji), Robert McCallum (voice actor of Date Masamune) and Chris Cason (voice actor for Takenaka Hanbei).
New Anime – Sengoku Basara II Katakura-Kun - (26:00) Featuring seven episodes of a mini Katakura.
Textless Opening Song – Featuring the opening theme song “Sword Summit” by T.M. Revolution.
Textless Closing Song – Featuring the ending themes “El Dorado” and “Ruisen”.
Trailers - Trailers for upcoming FUNimation Entertainment releases.

EXTRAS:

“Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings – Season Two” comes with both the Blu-ray and DVD versions of the TV series. Included is a slipcase that will hold both season two and also season one (sold separately).

Quite often, when it comes to anime series, there is always a fictional account of traditional Japanese history and its warlords.

For “Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings”, it’s a popular video game series that has tried to make these warring clans (that happen to live in the same time period) and generals with amazing abilities take on each other.

Obviously, watching the anime series is a treat for those who have played the video games and I personally enjoy the video game series and its chaotic gameplay. But with the first season of the anime series, I have to admit that I was let down a little because I was expecting too much of the video game, but then again, having watched many anime adaptations of video games, may they be “Street Fighter V”, “Tekken”, “Virtua Fighter”, even the “Final Fantasy” anime series, they weren’t necessarily all great.

But by the end of season one, I started to appreciate the storyline a bit more, but still I felt it was lacking excitement. Too much action, but a slightly weak storyline that probably I enjoyed a bit more because of Production I.G.’s production quality.

But here we are with season two and this time, there is a new threat with the arrival of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a powerful man who just craves even more power, despite abusing it and thinking he is doing the country of Japan any good. And this is where, the series gets more exciting because the characters we watched in season 1, warring and rival clans now team up for the greater good in hopes of defeating Toyotomi and his army.

And of course, the first confrontation, everyone gets their butt kicked. How will Yukimura Sanada, Date Masamune and others fight against this new evil warlord.

For those playing the “Sengoku Basara” video game will enjoy how the writers tried to include so many characters from the video game into this anime series. So, Maeda Keiji, Maeda Toshiie, Matsu to pirate Chosokabe Motochika even Oichi have their part in this anime series.

But most importantly, the storyline doesn’t seem to banal, boring or overly-focused on the action. There are deep moments as characters like Yukimura Sanada will need to learn how life is outside of his clan, Katakura Kojuro (bodyguard of Date Masamune) being captured, Maeda Keiji having to deal with his beloved family (Toshiie and Matsu) joining forces with Toyotomi and knowing that he may need to fight them to the death. There are a few plot twists, darker moments and of course, plenty of humor. Yes, Yukimura and Oda Nobunaga punching each other out is still a big part of the series, including the screams of passion as Kasuga moans whenever Uesugi Kenshin compliments her.

But for those who watched season one on Blu-ray, I can easily say that this second season is much better when it comes to writing, even animation and art backgrounds look slightly better than the first season. You also get the DVD versions of the series, so you can compare and see how much vibrant the series is on Blu-ray compared to DVD.

As for special features, you get the chibi comedy anime series “Sengoku Basara II Katakura-Kun”. Also, it was great to see FUNimation Entertainment included two audio commentaries by those involved with the English dub.

Similar to the first season, picture quality of the Blu-ray is very good and vibrant. Audio is very good but not as immersive as I would have hoped, but it’s still good. The lossless 5.1 English dub is better when it comes to dynamic range compared to its 2.0 lossless Japanese counterpart as expected. But both are well-acted and have to say that the English dub grew on me.

Overall, I felt that “Sengoku Basara: Samura Kings – Season Two” was a major improvement over the first season. It utilized the characters much better than the first, integrating them into this deeper, action-packed storyline and I do believe that this series was created for those who love the video game, as they tried to include as many characters from the video game as possible.

Its important to note that while it does help to watch the first season or even play the “Sengoku Basara” video game series, it is not essential in order to enjoy this second season. You can easily jump on aboard the second season and still enjoy the series.

So, for anyone who watched the first season of “Sengoku Basara” or for those just wanting a feudal Japan, action-packed, samurai fighting storyline that is “kick-ass” awesome! Definitely give “Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings – Season Two” a try!

Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings – Season One (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

February 12, 2012 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

Plenty of action, characters galore…for those who loved the “Sengoku Basara” video games will definitely enjoy this action-driven storyline of warring clans!

TITLE: Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings – Season One

DURATION: Episodes 1-13 (325 Minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, English 5.1, Japanese 5.1, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: FUNimation Entertainment

RATED: NOT RATED 14+

Release Date: February 7, 2012

Directed by Itsuro Kawasaki

Screenplay by Yasuyuki Muto

Music by Hiroyuki Sawano

Original Character Design by Makoto Tsuchibayashi (CAPCOM)

Character Design by Tooru Ookubo

Art Director: Shunichiro Yoshihara

Chief Animation Director: Tooru Ookubo

Anime Production by Studio I.G.

Featuring the following voice talent:

Kazuya Nakai/Robert McCollum as Date Masamune

Norio Wakamoto/John Swasey as Oda Nobunaga

Souichiro Hoshi/Johnny Yong Bosch as Sanada Yukimura

Hiroki Shimowada/Maxey Whitehead as Ranmaru Mori

Kouji Tsujitani/Christopher Bevins as Nagamasa Asai

Mamiko Noto/Laura Bailey as Oichi

Natsuko Kuwatani/Stephanie Sheh as Kasuga

Romi Park/Greg Ayres as Uesugi Kenshin

Sho Hayami/Vic Mignogna as Akechi Mitsuhide

Takehito Koyasu/Michael Sinterniklaas as Sarutobi Sasauke

Tessho Genda/Chris Ayres as Takeda Shingen

Toshiyuki Morikawa/Travis Willingham as Katakura Kojuro

Sengoku Basara drops you directly into the burning battlefields of feudal Japan, where rival warlords hack and slash their way to total domination. Each conqueror wields a special attack that boosts their powers of devastation, and each commands a horde of relentless warriors. But when a supreme evil – the Demon Lord – threatens the land, these fierce generals launch a co-op campaign of annihilation and build an army of armies to obliterate their common foe.

As the front line grows crowded with gun-toting, mechanized samurai and mystical ninja, some will say that war is hell – but Sengoku Basara proves it can also be kick ass.

The anime series takes place during the Sengoku Period. Various generals and their warriors are fighting each other. For the Takeda clan led by Lord Takeda Shingen, his young hot-headed warrior Sanada Yukimura has a rivalry with the cocky warlord Date Masamune. Both are hot-headed that they fight against each other but they also value their battles with one another because they are equally matched.

As the two occasionally battle one another, all warring clans are worried about Oda Nobunaga, the devil king. The ruthless king who wants to destroy everything in his path and his followers Akechi Mitsuhide, a sadistic psychopath and the weapons master Nohime (Nobunaga’s wife) intend to carryout his wishes by killing the leaders of the various clans.

The only way to stop Nobunaga is for each of the warring generals to work and team up together in order to stop him. But can these warriors all work together or will their ego and pride get in the way?

“Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings – The Complete 1st Season” features 13 episodes on two Blu-ray discs. Here is a brief summary of each episode:

DISC 1:

EPISODE 1 – “Azure and Crimson, A Fateful Encounter!” - Takeda Shingen plans to attack his rival Uesugi Kenshin. Meanwhile, the “One-Eyed Dragon” Date Masamune wants to go after Kenshin but Takeda sends his young warrior Yukimura to go after Masamune.
EPISODE 2 – “Horrific! Confrontation at Okehazama!” – Sanada Yukimura vs. Date Masamune.
EPISODE 3 – “Vagabond, Maeda Keiji!” – Maeda Keiji wants to build an alliance with the generals to defeat the demon king, Oda Nobunaga.
EPISODE 4 – “Waverling Scarlet Flower – Loyalty that Brings Sorrow!” - Azai Nagamasa knows his brother-in-law Oda Nobunaga is a tyrant and wants to stop him from going to war with Akasaka. But Oda uses his sister as a bargaining chip for Nagamasa to fight alongside with him.
EPISODE 5 – “Brutal! The Righteous Battle of Nagashino and Shitaragahara! – With the new alliance by the Takeda, Date and Uesegi clan, they try to recruit Tokugawa Ieasu but Tokugawa believes in his alliance with Nobunaga Meanwhile, Nagamasa is betrayed.
EPISODE 6 – Bonds Torn Asunder – Mortifying Retreat for Masamune! – Ieyasu discovers the true nature of Nobunaga, meanwhile Date is critically injured.
EPISODE 7 – Marauding Villain! Two Dragons Duel in Earnest Under the Moon! – Date Masamune is recovering from his near-death injuries but his men have been kidnapped by Matsunaga Hisahide who wants Masamune’s six swords and his armor. Date’s right eye protector Kojuro goes to rescue the three men with help from Sanada Yukimura.
EPISODE 8 – Great Temple of Carnage! Kojuro in Dire Straits! -Kojuro vs. Matsunaga Hisahide.
EPISODE 9 – The Tiger of Kai Dies at Midaigawa! – A thunderstorm threatens to flood Takeda Shingen’s village and others try to help him. But unbeknown to Takeda, the psychopath Akechi Mitsuhide is preparing to kill him.
EPISODE 10 – Yukimura Beyond Recovery?! The Date Army’s Tearful Disbandment! – With Takeda Shingen nearly killed, Date Masamune wants to take on Oda Nobunaga alone. Will Yukimura join him or stay by the side of his lord.

DISC 2:

EPISODE 11 – Mitsuhide’s Betrayal! Jonnoji Temple Goes Up in Flames! - The psychopath Akechi Mitsuhide reveals his true intention.
EPISODE 12 – Azuchi Castle Keep – A Fight to the Death for Tomorrow! – Sanada Yukimura and Date Masamune vs. Oda Nobunaga. Kojuro vs. Mitsuhide.
EPISODE 13 – Clash in the Inland Sea of Seto! Fugaku, the Great Fire-Belching Fortress of the Sea! – Maeda Keiji tries to use his wit to unite other generals.

VIDEO:

“Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings” is presented in 1080p High Definition and like most Production I.G. releases, they always provide excellent artistic backgrounds for their series. Mountains, rocks, trees, skies are very well painted and the animation is also nice and fluid. Colors are absolutely vibrant and bold. Also, very good lighting effects throughout the series. Personally, I expected nothing less from Production I.G., the series definitely looks absolutely awesome on Blu-ray! Also, I detected no banding, artifacting or anything negative about the picture quality of this anime series.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings” is presented in lossless English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD and lossless Japanese 2.0 Dolby TrueHD.

Personally, I enjoyed the Japanese soundtrack because the generals sound much more menacing while I felt the English dub, as good as it is, sometimes I feel certain voice talent are overly used and they sound the same for no matter what characters they play. I enjoy Johnny Yong Bosch’s acting work when it comes to “Bleach” but his Yukimura (Sengoku Basara) sounds like an annoying version of Ichigo (Bleach). Also, I had to increase my center channel volume a bit more as well. But of course, when it comes to channel utilization, the English dubbed soundtrack is much more livelier because of its lossless 5.1 soundtrack.

Personally, I feel the Japanese soundtrack was my preference but it is all subjective to the listener and what language they typically prefer.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings – The Complete 1st Season” contains the following special features:

New Anime – Sengoku Basara Chosokabe Motochika-Kun and Mori-Kun - (43:02) Featuring seven episodes about two commanders who are not so happy that they don’t have a much bigger spot on the anime series. It’s important to note that the Blu-ray release has seven of these episodes while the DVD release has only three.
Textless Opening Song – Featuring the opening theme song “Jap” by Abingdon Boys School.
Textless Closing Song – Featuring the ending theme “Break&Peace” by Dustz.
Trailers - Trailers for upcoming FUNimation Entertainment releases.

I have to admit that I am quite biased towards “Sengoku Basara” because I am a fan of those type of video games and for me, it was quite interesting to see how the characters were integrated into the anime series and for the most part, they captured the action one hundred bodies flying all over the place type of mayhem which “Sengoku Basara” is known for.

But putting myself in the shoe for those who have never played the video game, I believe that one who watched it all the way through can appreciate it. But at the same time, I think that there are people who will watch the first few episodes and get confused by the many characters featured in the series and wondering how everyone fits in. Especially if they are not familiar with Japanese history and the “Sengoku Period”, one of the bloodies moments of Japanese history as various generals tried to conquer each other’s states for control of Japan. It’s also important to know that the creators of the series took liberties on Japanese history and included some wacky situations such as Date Masamune (who represents the element “lightning”) rides with a rag tag group of warriors that remind you of biker gangs with their hairstyle and their uncouth dialogue. In fact, Date tends to speak English at times.

Then the ninjas, as quick as they are, they are also quite interesting to watch as the female ninja Kasuga wears barely anything and she serves Uesugi Kenshin (who represents blue) and each time she is treated so nicely by him, she reacts with an unusual orgasmic reaction. Another character that is quite interesting to see is the huge giant robot samurai named Honda Tadakatsu (who represents lightning) and serves the young general Tokugawa Ieyasu. Tadakatsu has jet engines that make him fly and futuristic weaponry which makes him out of place with the other characters but I suppose in the context of the video game, it does work.

But possibly the most notable are Lord Takeda Shingen and Sanada Yukimura who represent “fire”. Yukimura is the young warlord trying to live up to Lord Shingen but sometimes he ends up questioning his Lord and ends up being pummeled. But somehow, the two get into this moment where they start yelling each other’s name very loudly, which is quite embarrassing but yet interesting to see.

So, each of these generals and warlords have a supernatural type of element that they use in battle. Yes, it’s crazy but this is what makes this series work is because the video game is so unbelievably wacky and cool, the anime pays homage to that. And some people may find it too ridiculous but others who are familiar with the game can just enjoy and see how much of those antics in the video game will make it into the anime series.

It’s important to note that there are differences with the video game and the anime series. Mainly with the character of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who is much younger and very different from his video game counterpart.

As for the Blu-ray release of “Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings”, the good news is that the picture quality is quite vibrant and looks very good on Blu-ray, audio I found it to be much more clearer and more balanced through the Japanese soundtrack but the English soundtrack is fine as well (despite having to increase the center channel volume). And also, you do get the mini-anime episode bonus features as well.

Overall, “Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings” is an enjoyable anime series but it was more enjoyable for me because I enjoyed the video game and I enjoy those type of games. For me, I enjoyed how the series pays homage to the video games but at the same time, those not familiar with the video games may find “Sengoku Basara” to be much more action eye-candy than a samurai TV series that is plot driven ala “Basilisk” or “Samurai Seven”.

Also, just a reminder to those who purchased the 2010 Blu-ray version of the first season, this is the same release (despite the different cover art to match the second season’s cover art), so you don’t have to buy it again. All you need is the second season.

With that being said, I’m quite sure the video game fans of the series will pick this Blu-ray up… but if you aren’t familiar with the series and are looking for an action-packed, feudal Japan with warring clans with characters with amazing special abilities, and yet a good amount of humor… then you will enjoy this anime TV series on Blu-ray. Definitely give “Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings” a try!

Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~ – The Complete Series (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

February 9, 2012 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

“Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~ – The Complete Series” is a dark, violent but yet captivating anime series. For those who have been wanting more deeper, darker anime series on Blu-ray will enjoy the twist and turns and violent nature of this series!

TITLE: Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~ – The Complete Series

ANIME RELEASE DATE: 2009

DURATION: 26 Episodes: (650 Minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (1:78:1), Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0, English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: FUNimation Entertainment

Release Date: January 31, 2012

Directed by Koichi Mashimo

Series Composition by Yousuke Kuroda

Music by Hikaru Nanase, Tatsuya Katou

Original Character Design by Kimi Yanguchi

Character Design by Minako Shiba, Mutsumi Sasaki, Tomaki Kado, Yoko Kikuchi, Yoshiaki Tsubata, Yoshimitsu Yamashita

Art Director: Yoshimi Umino

Mechanical Design: Kenji Teraoka

3D Director: Eiji Inomoto

Anime Production by Bee Train

Featuring the following voice talent:

Ayahi Takagaki/Lindsay Seidel as Ein

Miyu Irino/Newton Pittman as Zwei

Akeno Watanabe/Shay Moore as Lizzy Garland

Aya Hisakawa/Colleen Clinkenbeard as Claudia McCunnen

Hideo Ishikawa/Rick Keeling as Issac Wisemel

Isshin Chiba/Kent Williams as Scythe Master

Miyuki Sawashiro/Brittney Karbowsky as Cal Devens

Sōichiro Hoshi/Christopher Bevins as Toru Shiga

Susumu Chiba/J. Michael Tatum as Raymond McGuire

Tomoyuki Shimura/Phil Parsons as Daisuke Godo

A young man with no memories fights to salvage his humanity when he’s forced into a life of murder by a dangerous crime syndicate called Inferno. The organization gives him a new name, Zwei, and molds him into a perfect killing machine, a meticulous instrument of death created to obey his masters’ every deadly command.

Zwei’s not the only puppet controlled by Inferno; Ein is a girl as beautiful as she is brutal and as lethal as she is lost. While mafia violence escalates around them, the two assassins grow closer, and Zwei begins the struggle to reclaim his past and save Ein from a blood-soaked future.

Back in 2000, the visual novel game from Nitroplus known as “Phantom of Inferno” was a big hit and it was a video game that was dark in nature but allowed the player to have the two characters get involved in a romantic drama.

In 2004, a three-episode OVA was created by Earth Create and KSS titled “Phantom: The Animation” and in 2009, the 26-episode TV anime series “Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~” featuring anime production by Bee Train began airing in Japan. The series was directed by Koichi Mashimo (“.Hack//” series, “Sorcerer Hunters”, “Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE”) and series composition by Yousuke Kuroda (“Infinite Ryvius”, “Honey and Clover”, “Mobile Suit Gundam 00″, “Gungrave”).

And now, the complete series will be released on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment.

“Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom” begins with a young man named Reiji Azuma, a Japanese tourist in America meeting up with a journalist. Unfortunately,when Reiji arrives to meet with the journalist, he is assassinated by an Inferno assassin.

Reiji tries to elude his pursuer and is able to show his survival instinct to the pursuer and is shot and captured by Inferno.

Having no memory of the assassination that he witnessed, he is given a choice by Inferno. To join them and become an assassin or be killed. Wanting to live, he agrees and his new life by the name of Zwei begins.

Zwei goes through a strict training program with Ein, a female assassin who goes by the codename “Phantom”, a codename designated only for the best killer within Inferno.

Zwei was found by a man who goes by the name of Scythe Master and was a test subject for an assassin-processing treatment. While training Zwei, Zwei tries to ask her about why she kills, what memory she has of the past but for Ein, she has no recollection of her past and doesn’t care. All she cares is completing her missions which Scythe Master has assigned to her.

While training, the two have to pose as a couple and surely, Zwei’s training goes extremely well, to the point that Ein fears that the abilities he developed in months, took her years and is worried that he may surpass her.

Eventually, Zwei must prove his worth to Inferno, so he is sent on missions to assassinate a man, include a wife and her young child. Zwei hates the fact that he must kill, but in order to survive, he must do what Inferno tells him.

But behind the scenes of Inferno, Scythe Master appears to be working behind-the-scenes without informing Inferno and because of that, Inferno executive Clauda McCunnen begins getting closer to Zwei in order for him to keep a watch on Ein but also, to make sure she can depend on him in the future.

She also goes as far as giving Zwei information on his true identity and immediately, Zwei finds out that he is Reiji Azuma and that he was formerly a killer from Japan.

Eventually, Inferno finds out about the double cross by Scythe Master and because they know that Ein only follows Scythe Master, they want Zwei to kill her. While Inferno tries to kill both Ein and Scythe Master, Inferno assassin Lizzie Garland (who is also Claudia’s bodyguard), manages to wound her in a gunfight.

As Scythe Master has escaped, Ein has nowhere to go to but to Zwei’s apartment. Inferno wants him to kill Ein, but because Zwei has developed feelings for Ein, he makes the decision to protect her and to escape the control of Inferno.

So, Reiji and Ein (who he now has renamed “Elen”) try to escape from Inferno, but because Ein’s programming with Scythe Master is too hard to break, no matter how much Reiji tries to stop Ein from working with Scythe Master, she is unable to break the programming and reunites with him.

Reiji is captured by Inferno and finds out that Scythe Master once again has possession of Ein and now Reiji is determined to break that control by killing Scythe Master. But can he?

VIDEO:

“Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~ – The Complete Series” is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:78:1). It’s important to note that this is a TV series and not an OVA or film and thus, the series is not too vibrant or colorful and leans more towards the soft side. With that being said, the series is quite sharp and character designs and objects are well-shaded. While the art backgrounds tend to be banal with the usual trees, clouds and walls, there are some scenes that are well-designed.

But the animation does tie in nicely with the darker overtones of the entire anime series. There is definitely a much better level of sharpness and clarity (which one can compare with the accompanying DVD version of the TV series). But for the most part, picture quality is good. Didn’t see any artifacts, banding or edge enhancement while watching the series. Nothing distracting at all.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~ – The Complete Series” is presented in English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0. Because I wanted a better dynamic range while watching this anime series, I went with the English dub as it is in 5.1 lossless. While I do prefer the original Japanese vocal track, the English dub track is well-done and also has an edge because of its use of the surround channels and LFE.

For an action-based anime series with a lot of gunfire, you want to hear surround usage and thus the English dub soundtrack is where you hear it utilized.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~ – The Complete Series” comes with the following special features:

Picture Dramas – (1:17:33) Featuring hilarious and fun animated (and also live puppet) shorts. There are 12 picture dramas included.
Textless Opening Songs for “Karma” and “Senritsu no Kodomotachi”
Textless Closing Songs “Jigoku no Mon” and “Transparent”.
Trailers – FUNimation Entertainment Trailers

EXTRAS:

“Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~ – The Complete Series” comes with both the Blu-ray and DVD version of the TV series.

“Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~ – The Complete Series” is a dark, violent but yet captivating anime series. An anime series about the underworld and the use of programmed assassins, what I enjoyed about “Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~ – The Complete Series” is the fact that its protagonist, no matter how deadly (or how crazy) he can become, he just wants to find a way out and live a normal life.

But because he’s stuck within an underworld that relies on assassins, leaving on one’s free will is not going to be easy. And while the video games allowed the viewer to choose several paths, for the anime series, you never know what’s going to happen because there are so many twists, so much backstabbing that people who you think are friends are actually enemies and truthfully, aside from the viewer following Zwei/Reiji, you just never know about the intentions of any of the other characters.

I suppose, because this is the underworld that these characters live in, it’s life full of violence and deceit and for this anime series, what makes this different from other similar anime series is that these series are typically made to show various levels the protagonist has to go through and taking on various “bosses” or killers. It’s the banality that you often find in underworld/crime-based anime series. But for “Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~ – The Complete Series”, each time you think something good is about to happen, something terrible goes wrong. Each time you want to see some sort of closure or resolution, something bad happens. Each time you want to find good in the dark hearts of a character, they end up doing something audacious and unfortunately, it backfires on them.

So, I don’t want to classify this series as too dark that it’s depressing because it’s not. But it is a drama series that reminds me of Korean dramas in the fact that the writers would like to rip your heart out when you think things are going good. In the case of “Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~ – The Complete Series”, you wonder if these characters will ever find any peace before they are killed.

As for the Blu-ray release, considering this is an anime series from a few years ago, art backgrounds are good with the usual trees, clouds and walls that are detailed. If anything, character designs and object shading are well-done but it’s the storyline and its dark characters that are the showcase of this series.

There are several special features included, while not long, considering many anime titles on Blu-ray sometimes don’t carry any special features outside of the opening and ending themes, I’m sure anime fans will take what they can get.

Overall, “Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~ – The Complete Series” was a captivating, dark and violent series which will satisfy anime fans who have been clamoring for more darker and violent anime on Blu! It’s a really twisted anime series but nothing to psychological or creepy, just more frantic, chaotic with its full share of twists and turns.

If you are an anime fan who is wanting a more deeper and darker anime series on Blu-ray, definitely give “Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~ – The Complete Series” a try!

Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

Xam’d: Lost Memories – Complete Collection (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

February 8, 2012 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

If you are looking for one of the best anime series to come out on Blu-ray in the USA, know that “Xam’d: Lost Memories – Complete Collection” is one of those titles. Wonderful production quality, a captivating, deep storyline and an anime series on Blu-ray that I highly recommend!

TITLE: XAM’D: Lost Memories – Complete Collection

ANIME RELEASE DATE: 2008-2009

DURATION: 26 Episodes: (650 Minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (16×9), Japanese and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English subtitles

COMPANY: Aniplex/Sentai Filmworks

Release Date: February 7, 2012

Directed by Masayuki Miyaji

Script by Megumi Shimizu, Yuuichi Nomura

Music by Michiru Oshima

Original Character Design by Kenichi Yoshida

Character Design by Ayumi Kurashima

Art Director: Takashi Aoi

Anime Production: BONES

Featuring the following voice talent:

Atsushi Abe/Blake Shepard as Akiyuki Takehara

Fumiko Orikasa/Monica Rial as Haru Nishimura

Yuko Sanpei/Luci Christian as Nakiami

Ayumi Fujimura/Hilary Haag as Midori Nishimura

Keiji Fujiwara/Andrew Love as Raigyo Tsunomata

Michiko Neya/Maggie Flecknoe as Prois Sukakki

Motomu Kiyokawa/Andy McAvin as Reizo Kanba

Risa Hayamizu/Kaytha Coker as Fusa Takehara

Romi Park/Jessica Boone as Kujireika

Shinnosuke Tachibana/David Matranga as Furuichi Teraoka

Unshou Ishizuka/T. Postlewaite as Ryuuzou Takehara

Yasunori Matsumoto/Chris Hutchison as Toujirou Kagisu

Yumi Tamai/Shelley Calene-Black as Ishuu Benikawa

Set on a peaceful island during a violent terrorist attack, a young boy is suddenly transformed into a metal-cased mercenary. But with this great power comes even greater danger. Aiyuki must discover how to master this remarkable new power – or risk having this mysterious fusion of rock, metal and magic destroy him!

In 2008, anime studio BONES, Sony Computer Entertainment and Aniplex collaborated on a project known as “Xam’d: Lost Memories”.

The series would be featured on the PlayStation Network (PSN) at E3 (and also feature Sony Music Japan music artist KYLIE) and would air later in the fall on Japanese television. The series was directed by Masayuki Miyaji (“Eureka Seven”, “Scrapped Princess”, “Ghost Slayers Ayashi”), a screenplay by Megumi Shimizu (“Heroman”, “Soul Eater”, “Eureka Seven”) and Yuuichi Nomura (“Darker than Black”, “Overman King Gainer”, “Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion”). The music for the series is by Michiru OShima (“Arc the Lad”, “Gokusen”, “Fancy Lala”, “Le Chevalier D’Eon”), character designs by Ayumi Kurashima (“Eureka Seven”, “RahXephon”, “Wolf’s Rain”) and art backgrounds by Takashi Aoi (“Ergo Proxy”, “RahXephon”, “Samurai Champloo”, “Darker than Black”).

A total of 26-episodes were created and was released on Blu-ray and DVD (in two volumes) in the United States courtesy of Sentai Filmworks.

In Feb. 2012, Sentai Filmworks will be re-releasing “XAM’D: Lost Memories” as a complete collection.

“Xam’d: Lost Memories” is set in Sentan Island, a small island surrounded by the Yuden Sea and is cut off from the war between the Northern Government and the Southern Continent Free Zone.

We are introduced to teenager Akiyuki Takehara who lives with his mother Fusa in Sentan Island but is also dealing with the separation between his mother Fusa and his father, the town doctor, Ryuzo. While going to school and joining with his best friends Haru and Furuichi, he sees a girl (not knowing that she is from the religious cult of Ruikonism) who doesn’t have her armband (to show that they are students). So, Akiyuki comes up with a clever plan to get the girl into the bus.

As they arrive to school, while everyone is departing the bus to get to school, the mysterious girl that Akiyuki had helped get into the bus, detonates a bomb and killing and injuring people nearby. One of the lights which had extended from the bomb, hits Akiyuki in his right arm.

As he goes to check on the mysterious girl, she makes Akiyuki transformer. Immediately, Akiyuki’s right arm stars to change and then his whole body has turned into a creature known as Xam’d (an endosymbiotic organism known as Hiruko which merges with a human).

While soldiers are thinking that Akiyuki may be responsible for the blast, Haru can hear Akiyuki inside the beast, saying that he wants to live.

Akiyuki is then pursued by a monster and the two fight each other. And out of nowhere, a girl named Nakiami seems to know about his transformation and gives him a choice. If he comes with her, he will live. If he decides to say, he will turn to stone and die.

Wanting to live, Akiyuki joins Nakiami and a group of travelers who are members of the International Postal Ship Zanbani and while traveling to new lands on the airship Beat Kayak, Akiyuki is trained by Nakiami on how to control the beast within him and retain his humanity and also trained for postal work for the Zanbani crew.

Meanwhile, back on Sentan Island, Akiyuki’s parents worry that their son may be dead, but with inspiring words from Haru (who made a promise to Fusa that she would watch over Akiyuki), the three believe that Akiyuki is alive and will do what they can to find him. As for Furuichi, he continually becomes fueled by jealousy when he sees that Haru is constantly thinking about Akiyuki.

As for Akiyuki’s best friends, because the tranquility of Sentan Island is no more, his friend Furuichi and also Haru join the military in orders to stop any more of these Xam’d monsters from killing and hurting people. Meanwhile, a strange mad doctor is trying to develop more and monsters.

The main characters of “Xam’d: Lost Memories” are:

Akiyuki Takehara – The main protagonist of the series. A high school student who cares about his family and friends. But now that his body can easily change to a Xam’d and wipe away his human existence, through training by Nakiami and Raigyo, he hopes that he can be strong enough in order to stay human and co-exist with the “hiruko”. He also works for the International Postal Ship Zanbani after leaving Sentan Island behind in order to train with Nakiami.
Nakiami – A mysterious and serious person who has familiarity with Xam’d and quite knowledge about it. She trains Akiyuki on how to control the hiruko and also a member of the International Postal Ship Zanbani.
Haru Nishimura – Akiyuki’s childhood friend who cares deeply for him. She is great at martial arts and joins the Mainsoul military in hopes it will give her a chance to meet with Akiyuki once again.
Furuichi Teraoka – Akiyuki’s friend and also a martial artist. Since the destruction in Sentan Island, he has developed a hatred towards the Xam’d but also unleashing emotions such as jealousy towards Haru as she is constantly thinking about Akiyuki. He joins Mainsoul military in order to eliminate Xam’d.
Fusa Takehara – Akiyuki’s mother who is searching for her son and hopes he is still alive. She is separated from Ryuuzou Takehara.
Ryuuzou Takehara – Akiyuki’s father who is separated from Fusa. He is the town’s doctor but also a former military researcher who worked on Northern Continent to develop humanform weaponisation projects.
Ishuu Benikawa – The captain of the International Postal ship Zanbani. Always wearing a crop top and is strong-willed.
Raigyo Tsunomata – A Xam’d who left the Zanbani to work as a photographer but has now returned back to the group two-years later. He has control over his human and Xam’d form and tries to help Akiyuki.
Akushiba – Akiyuki’s roommate on the Zanbani and has a crush on Nakiami.
Yunbo – The cook of the Zanbai and mother of Hinokimaru but also a guardian to Kobako.
Ahm – The pilot of Zanbani.
Kisei – The mechanic for Zanbani.
Tenshin-Sama – An old sage who is a guide for Nakiami, Raigyo and Akiyuki.

VIDEO:

“Xam’d: Lost Memories” is presented in 1080p High Definition. BONES has done a fantastic job on this series and what is amazing is that for a TV series, it doesn’t look like a low-budget production, nor does it look like it was quickly made as the art backgrounds, mecha design are well-detailed. Character designs almost have a Ghibli style to them, especially for the character of Nakiami who has almost a “Nausicaa” style to her.

But overall, the picture quality is vibrant, clear and sharp. And while I usually put Production I.G. animated series to on top for their dedication of making their TV series look great and separate themselves from other anime series when it comes to detail, for “Xam’d: Lost Memories”, BONES did a fantastic job in creating this look and feel for the series.

“Xam’d: Lost Memories” is a beautiful anime series! And looks absolutely awesome on Blu-ray! No sign of softness, edge enhancement, artifacts, etc.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Xam’d: Lost Memories is presented in Japanese and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. I tested both soundtracks and audio from front channel to surround channels are exact on both soundtracks. There is a decent amount of surround channel usage during the action sequences and also some LFE.

Considering that viewers are getting two DTS-HD Master Audio lossless tracks instead of the typical 2.0 soundtrack that many TV series offer, for me, that’s pretty awesome! As for which I prefer, English or Japanese, I watched both but I have to say that although I’m quite biased towards the original Japanese soundtrack, the casting was well-done for this series and the English dub is very well-done!

Overall, whichever soundtrack you prefer, “Xam’d: Lost Memories” definitely outshines many anime series for its 5.1 lossless track and the fact there was good use of surround channels and LFE in trying to make the series much more immersive.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Xam’d: Lost Memories – Complete Collection” comes with the clean opening and closing animation and also the on-air opening and closing animations.

It’s true that many anime series tend to have a banality when it comes to storytelling and while there many kitschy titles released every year, there are TV series that stand out for its storytelling and production quality.

In 2009, that anime series was “Xam’d: Lost Memories”.

While the high school/terrorism storyline is nothing new, as anime fans have seen it before with “Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion”, this series is not about alien occupation but it’s about the state of war, terrible experimentation that go wrong and stopping that experimentation.

While there are many characters featured throughout the anime series, the writers do make things easy by focusing on Akiyuki, Nakiami and Haru. The other characters are more of providing the lightheartedness of the series but also to show a parent’s agony of having lost their child and hopes that he is still alive.

So, there are many adventures, battles and military/political intrigue that will keep anime fans glued to the TV series as it is one of the better, deeper anime storylines to come out to the U.S.

I can easily remember the buzz that surrounded “Xam’d: Lost Memories”. In fact, I was among the very few outside of Japan to interview the music duo BOOM BOOM SATELLITES who performed the opening theme and Kylee who sung the ending theme for “Xam’d: Lost Memories”.

But what I remember the most was how stunning the animation and art backgrounds especially the storyline was for this TV series. Bare in mind, BONES is one of the most well-known anime studios in Japan and one of the busiest, but for many anime studios, for a TV series, not many studios go all out in production because of budget and time constraints.

But for “Xam’d: Lost Memories”, this anime series featured a wonderful collaboration between BONES, Aniplex and Sony Computer Entertainment and it was one of the first earlier experiments of attempting at bringing an anime to an international audience.

It was indeed a breakthrough anime series that really took a TV series to greater heights by its production and was well-received both in Japan and with its Blu-ray and DVD release in the United States.

And as many people are now moving from DVD to Blu-ray, this re-release of “Xam’d: Lost Memories – Complete Collection” is a chance for many new anime fans to watch one of the better well-rounded anime series to come out in the last decade. And this is the complete collection, not the previous Blu-ray release which was split up into two volumes.

And this is great news for anime fans who have wanted to see Sentai Filmworks move towards full-season anime releases on Blu-ray! And this is a remarkable deal consider that in Japan, they broke these apart into eight Blu-ray volumes and one volume still costs significantly more than this US complete collection.

As for the Blu-ray release, while the picture quality is fantastic, the lossless soundtrack was very good (considering this anime TV series does provide a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack), special features are mostly the clean opening and ending animation. For an anime series of this caliber, you would hope for more special features but even in Japan, the Blu-ray releases were barebone releases.

Overall, “Xam’d: Lost Memories” is one of those rare, quality-based anime TV series that you don’t see often. The storyline is captivating, deep and a series that features higher production value when it comes to both animation, art background design and also sports a DTS-HD 5.1 lossless Japanese and English soundtrack.

If you are new to anime or just upgraded from DVD to Blu-ray and are looking for an anime series, “Xam’d: Lost Memories – Complete Collection” is one of the better anime on Blu-ray releases available in the U.S.

Highly recommended!

Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

Puella Magi Madoka Magica Vol. 1 – Limited Edition Box Set (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Review)

February 3, 2012 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

“Maho Shojo” (Magical Girl) anime series in Japan tend to be cute and sugary sweet but with the release of “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” on Blu-ray/DVD, audiences will quickly discover that this magical girl anime series incorporates that cute/sweet storyline with dark, tragic undertones as well. And because of that, this award-winning anime series is not only unique, it’s also creative and exciting! And for American anime fans, Aniplex Inc. absolutely delivers in swag with the Limited Edition Blu-ray release. Definitely one of the best limited edition anime box sets to come out in the U.S. Highly recommended!

Purchase this title from Rightstuf

TITLE: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Vol. 1 – Limited Edition Box Set

ANIME RELEASE DATE: 2011

DURATION: 4 Episodes: (100 Minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (16:9LB Wide Screen), Japanese Linear PCM Stereo, English Linear PCM Stereo, English subtitles

COMPANY: Aniplex, Inc.

Release Date: February 14, 2012

Series Directed by Yukihiro Miyamoto

Director: Akiyuki Shinbo

Series Composition: Gen Urobuchi

Music by Yuki Kajiura

Original Character Design by Ume Aoki

Character Design by Takahiro Kishida

Art Director: Kunihiko Inaba

Chief Animation Director: Junichiro Taniguchi, Mika Takahashi

Sound Director: Yota Tsuruoka

Director of Photography: Shinichiro Eto

Anime Production: Aniplex, Shaft

Featuring the following voice talents:

Aoi Yūki/Christine Marie Cabanos as Madoka Kaname

Chiwa Saito/Cristina Vee as Homura Akemi

Emiri Katou/Cassandra Lee as Kyubey

Ai Nonaka/Laura Landa as Kyōko Sakura

Eri Kitamura/Sarah Williams as Sayaka Miki

Junko Iwao as Kazuko Saotome

Kaori Mizuhashi as Mami Tomoe/Tatsuya Kaname

Ryoko Shintani as Hitomi Shizuki

Seiko Yoshida as Kyōsuke Kamijō

Tetsuya Iwanaga as Tomohisa Kaname

Yuko Goto as Junko Kaname

This limited edition combo box set includes the first soundtrack CD, an exclusive collector’s box, a double-sided poster, a Kyubey sticker, collectible postcards, and a deluxe 24-page booklet with character designs, a special short manga by Aoki Ume and more!

“Maho Shojo” (Magical Girl) anime series in Japan tend to be cute and sugary sweet but with the release of “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” on Blu-ray/DVD, audiences will quickly discover that this magical girl anime series incorporates that cute/sweet storyline with dark, tragic undertones as well. And because of that, this award-winning anime series is not only unique, it’s also creative, fresh and exciting! And for American anime fans, Aniplex Inc. absolutely delivers in swag with the Limited Edition Blu-ray release. Highly recommended!

For anime fans who grew up with magical girl anime series, from the “Magical Sammy” series spun-off from “Tenchi Muyou”, “Cardcaptor Sakura”, “Akazukin Cha Cha”, “Fancy Lala”, “Creamy Mami” to name a few, most of these anime series tend to be so sweet and sugary and cater to a niche group of anime fans.

While the series featuring older girls such as “Sailor Moon”, “Cutie Honey”, “Project A-Ko”, “Magic Knight Rayearth” had a bit of edge to the series and were known more for their action and characters which were designed as being a bit older than the “Maho Shojo” characters (which are typically young girls). And one thing about Maho Shojo anime series is that it tends to stay within the confines of storylines and characters that are typically safe, cute, bubbly and sweet.

Once in awhile, you do get the melding of cute and sweet with an atmosphere of edgy and darkness.

A 2011 anime series known as “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” took things in a much different direction that the past magical girl anime series because of its edginess and tragic elements.

Produced by Shaft and Aniplex, the 12-episode anime TV series would feature a talented working staff which included director Akiyuki Shinbo (“Hidamari Sketch”, “Dance in the Vampire Bund”, “Starship Girl Yamamoto Yohko”) and series composition by Gen Urobuchi (“Fate/Zero”, “Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom”~, “Blassreiter”).

Music composition is by Yuki Kajiura (“.hack” series, “Noir”, “My-HiME”, “Mobile Suit Gundam Seed”, “Fate/Zero”), character design by Takahiro Kishida (“Noein – to your other self”, “Macross Zero”, “Durarara!!”) and background art by Kunhiko Inaba (“The Girl Who Leapt Through Time”, “C-Control – The Money and Soul of Possibility”).

The series was so popular that it won the Television Award at the 16th Animation Kobe Awards, won 12 NewType Anime Awards and won the Grand Prize for animation in the 2011 Japan Media Awards.

When the series streamed on the Japanese video streaming site Nico Nico Douga in June 2011, it surpassed the previous record held by Lucky Star (at 570,000 viewers) with around 1 million viewers. Also, the first Blu-ray for “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” broke the record of “Bakemonogatari” by selling 53,000 copies in its first week, 22,000 copies on its first day.

The popularity of the series eventually led to a manga series, a Sony PSP video game planned for release on March 2012 and also, a three-film project which was announced late last year.

And on Valentine’s Day of 2012, “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” will be released on Blu-ray in the United States courtesy of Aniplex. The first volume of “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” features the first four episodes on Blu-ray and DVD.

When she meets Madoka, Madoka tells her about her love for her family and friends and Homura responds by telling her her not to change.

The Kyubey asks for both Madoka and Sayaka to sign a contract with him and become magical girls.

Homura for some reason is trying her best to prevent Madoka from accepting the contract in becoming a magical girl. But will Madoka and Sayaka want to become one?

VIDEO:

“Puella Magi Madoka Magica” is presented in 1080p High Definition and is presented in 16:9 LB. I have to admit that Shaft and Aniplex have done a fantastic job in this series. For one, the amount of detail for the art backgrounds is incredible. A lot of time obviously went into creating the atmosphere of this TV Series. Typically, most TV series tend to focus on trees, skies, clouds and buildings but with “”Puella Magica Madoka Magica”, a lot of thought went into the series from objects, wallpaper (even Mami’s wall-paper was designed and not just a straight painted background). You see the changes during the day and night, you can see sunset with the orange sky illuminating the area,the magical world with its creative and artistic design.

And overall, these colors really pop via HD. Reds and pinks, greens…they come are absolutely vibrant.

As for character designs, the character designs manage to keep with the “majo shojo” theme of characters looking young, even the older characters looking young. But they are nicely drawn, good amount shading and also at times showing a sketched look.

Blacks are nice and deep, the series features colors galore. If anything, the picture quality for “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” is very good considering this is anime TV series. Artistic backgrounds, creative magical worlds, cool character designs… “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” looks great!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Puella Magi Madoka Magica” is presented in Japanese and English Linear PCM Stereo.

While I would have hoped for a 5.1 soundtrack (as I would have loved to have more immersion with the surround channels and LFE), most anime TV series aren’t and are presented in stereo. Still, fans should be happy that two linear PCM tracks are included. They are front-channel driven and for the most part, dialogue and sound effects are quite clear and understandable.

But what stands out the most in this soundtrack is Yuki Kajiura’s music. Each time I see her name associated with an anime series, if you are familiar with her work, you immediately know that the soundtrack is going to be wonderful and beautiful. With “Puella Magi Madoka Magica”, once again Kajiura’s music is captivating and it really enhanced my enjoyment of the series.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Puella Magi Madoka Magica” comes with the following special features:

Ending Theme: “Magia” Music Video – (5:18)”Magia” music video featuring Kalafina.
Textless Opening – Textless opening by “ClariS”.
Trailers – The original Japanese TV commercials and trailers for “Puella Magica Madoka Magica”

EXTRAS:

Aniplex is a Japanese company that is well-known for their anime but also known for their releases which come with a lot of swag. And it’s one thing that I love about Aniplex because not many companies do that anymore and it’s something that fans in America tend to wish for, getting these limited edition art booklets, soundtracks, etc.

Well, with “Puella Magi Madoka Magica”, I can gladly say that this is possible one of the most impressive anime sets to come out in the United States.

This exciting limited edition set includes the Blu-ray and DVD of the first volume of “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” but also featuring the original soundtrack which comes with a 2-sided cover, a deluxe collector’s slipcase, reversible 2-sided DVD cover, a 24-page booklet featuring staff and voice actor interviews plus character designs and a 4-panel manga by aokume, a 2-sided poster, postcarts of “preview illustrations” from episodes 1-4 and exclusive KYUBEY stickers.

This is a very impressive release and it’s important for fans to know that the booklet is English translated and the CD soundtrack features a total of 13 songs (soundtrack duration is 28:06 minutes) and features the beautiful music by Yuki Kajiura.

The soundtrack comes with the following tracks:

Sis puella magica!
Salve, terrae magicae
Gradus prohibitus
Credens justitiam
Clementia
Desiderium
Conturbatio
Postmeridie
Puella in somnio
Umbra nigra
Terror adhaerens
Scaena felix
Pugna com maga

I have watched a lot of magical girl anime series and there are some that are just too sugary and sweet and some that are just flat out, bad.

“Puella Magi Madoka Magica” is one of the better anime series out there and for one, not only do you have a few very well-known anime industry talents from Japan working on this series, the production and look of the series goes far beyond what one would expect from an anime TV series. From the moment you watch this anime series, the first episode shows us the amount of detail that goes into the art backgrounds, the artistic creativity that goes into the making of the magical world during battles, the character designs and experimental ways of presenting it onscreen and of course, the fantastic music by Yuki Kajiura in combination with a storyline that is not only cute, but also dark and tragic.

You don’t usually see this in an anime TV series, let alone a magical girl anime series. “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” features wonderful production values and I can see why this series has won so many awards in Japan. It’s quite unique and creative in presentation and as for the storyline, what I enjoy is how things go from cute to dark really quickly.

And for American fans, once again, Aniplex has done a wonderful job by providing possibly one of the best anime box set releases that I have seen released in America. When you think about it, the days of the box sets have come and gone in the U.S., and although we see these limited edition sets for video games, I’m quite thrilled that Aniplex has chosen to release this Blu-release with a limited edition box set with so many cool swag. Soundtrack, booklet, postcards, stickers, etc. Possibly the icing on the cake for the near future for anime fans would be the inclusion of nenodroids and action figures, which hardcore anime fans are known to spend money on.

But there is no denying that this is a wonderful Blu-ray release and a limited edition box set worth owning. And it’s important for people to know that Aniplex releases are highly desired, not many are made and when they say limited, these are truly limited editions, so you may want to try your best in getting this release if you can before they run out!

Overall, you don’t usually come across an anime series especially a magical girl anime series that has wonderful anime production, doesn’t look rushed or simple. “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” is a creative, unique and captivating series that is not too banal or too sweet and shows that the character’s choices can lead to tragic circumstance.

As for the “Puella Magi Madoka Magica Vol. 1 – Limited Edition Box Set”, it’s one of the better anime swag-filled limited edition box sets to come out in the United States and for the anime fans who are collector’s, you definitely want to get this limited edition release.

Definitely recommended!

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Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

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