BANDAI ENTERTAINMENT ADDS SWORD OF THE STRANGER AND JIN-ROH TO HULU

April 23, 2012 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment

April 23, 2012 (Cypress, CA) – Bandai Entertainment announced today the availability of two theatrical films Sword of the Stranger (http://www.hulu.com/sword-of-the-stranger) and Jin-Roh (http://www.hulu.com/jin-roh) on the free, ad-supported Hulu and Hulu Plus subscription service.

About Sword of the Stranger

From acclaimed animation studio BONES (Eureka Seven, Cowboy Bebop, Full Metal Alchemist) Sword of the Stranger is the story Kotaro, a young boy hunted by the Mings from China, and his loyal dog Tobimaru. The two meet a nameless samurai who is haunted by his past – a memory so terrible he has vowed to never draw his sword again. Among the Mings is Luo-Lang, a ruthless Western swordsman with the Chinese name who has walked the earth in search of a worthy rival. When both groups clash with a feudal lord and monks torn between faith and survival, the truth behind the Mings’ pursuit of Kotaro tests the bond between the boy and the samurai.

About Jin-Roh

Originally released in 1999 and directed by Hiroyuki Okiura and written by Mamoru Oshii (Patlabor, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence) Jin-Roh is set in an alternate history of Japan. Constable Fuse is part of an elite Special Forces team whose mission is to maintain peace during a time of civil unrest. Entangled within a web of intrigue and politics, his decisions will determine the ultimate fate of the Capital Police and those dearest to him…

About Bandai Entertainment

Bandai Entertainment Inc., is a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings (USA) Inc., and is a distributor of Japanese animation on digital platforms, Blu-ray and DVD, and programming for television broadcast in North America. Titles include Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, K-ON!, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star, The Vision of Escaflowne, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Mobile Suit Gundam, and many more.

Filed Under: Anime Related News

Tales of the Abyss Vol. 4 (a J!-ENT Anime DVD Review)

April 12, 2012 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

The conclusion of “Tales of the Abyss”. Will Luke & comrades be able to stop Van and his generals in time to save the world? Find out in the final six episodes of “Tales of the Abyss” vol. 4!

TITLE: Tales of the Abyss Vol. 4

ANIME RELEASE: 2008

DURATION: (Episodes 21-26) 150 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0, 1:78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, Full English Subtitles/Songs & Signs

COMPANY: Sunrise/Bandai Entertainment

RATED: Suggested 13 and Up

RELEASED: February 7, 2012

Directed by Kenji Kodama

Series Composition by Akemi Omode

Music by Motoi Sakuraba

Original Character Design by Yoshihito Hishinuma

Art Director: Shigemi Ikeda

Mechanical and Monster Design by Junya Ishigaki

Sound Director: Eriko Kimura

Director of Photography: Shigemi Ogawa

Anime Production by Bandai Visual/Namco/Sunrise

Featuring the following voice talent:

Chihiro Suzuki as Luke Fone Fabre

Yukana as Tear Grants

Halko Momoi as Anise Tatlin

Jouji Nakata as Van Grants

Michiko Neya as Natalia L. K. Lanvaldear

Miki Maruyama as Mieu

Sho Hayami as Lorelei

Takehito Koyasu as Jade Curtis

Yasunori Matsumoto as Guy Cecil

Yukana as Yulia Jue

For now, Luke and his comrades have saved the world. However, Van Grants and his six God-Generals are far from being dead yet. Poisonous Miasma has started spreading all over the planet. Humanity is on the verge of being obliterated again. The only hope is Luke’s hyper-resonance, but it’s hardly powerful enough to save the world!

It’s the final battle between Van and his generals. Can Luke along with his comrades save the world before Van destroys it?

In Japan, one of the longest franchises for fantasy RPG is the “Tales” series from Namco Bandai games

The series began back in 1994 with “Tales of Phantasia” and as of 2011, the series currently on its 13th series with “Tales of Xillia”. But in 2005, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the series, Namco Bandai celebrated with “Tales of the Abyss”, a video game that was created for the Sony PlayStation 2.

While there has been anime adaptations primarily in OVA format, in 2008, a full 26-episode TV series was created and aired in Japan from Oct. 2008 through March 2009.

And now the third volume of the anime series has been released in the United States courtesy of Bandai Entertainment in Feb. 2012 featuring episodes 15-20.

A SUMMARY OF WHAT “TALES OF THE ABYSS” IS ALL ABOUT:

“Tales of the Abyss” the anime series begins with a prophecy made by a religious figure named Yulia Jue, a Seventh Fonist who is able to read the future. Yulia has written the future in scores that are documented in Fonstones. But something happened and the Fonstones were shattered and scattered around the world.

And this has led to infighting and long standing war between the nations of Kimlasca-Landvaldear and Malkuth who have been collecting the Fonstones in order to know about their future and finding out before the other nation does. Fortunately, there has been peace declared in the planet of Auldrant and the nations have ceased any war or battling for quite some time.

The series then focuses around the character Luke fon Fabre, the youngest son of Duke Fabre of the Kimlasca Kingdom. His Uncle has the family has literally kept Luke captive within the grounds of their home and has not been able to leave. All he looks forward to is learning to fight by his Master Van. But because of the royal duty of his parents, Luke rarely sees his father. So, his closest relationships are with the servants, Master Van, his good friend and swordsman Guy Cecil (who happens to be afraid of physical contact with women for some reason) and he is engaged to Princess Natalia of Kimlasca-Landvaldear. A promise that was made between both Luke and Natalia when they were younger.

The problem is that Luke has no such memory of what took place when he was younger. He was kidnapped by the Malkuth Empire and was found but have lost any memories prior to when he was a teenager.

Another problem that Luke faces is a recurring “hyperresonance” within him that makes him loses control of some unknown power or to give him visions of something he is not sure of yet. In fact, sometimes he is able to hear voices but has no idea where it’s coming from. These situations began not long after the kidnapping.

One day, as his Master Van is given orders to look for Fon Master Ion, the leader of the Order of Lorelei who is missing, Master Van promises Luke a good day of training before he leaves.

As the two are sparring, a mysterious woman named Tear Grants comes towards the home of the fon Fabres and she renders everyone to sleep through the use of Fonic Hymns. Her goal is to kill Master Van and as she begins to fight him, Luke quickly comes between them and blocs her strike.

But somehow Luke’s mysterious power and Tear’s mysterious power somehow combines and both are transported a long way from home to some unknown destination.

Now both Luke and Tear Grants, who is revealed to be a Locrian Sergeant of the Order of Lorelei’s Intelligence Division are in the middle of nowhere and must find a way to get back home.

As the two try to get a ride to the Capital city, they find out that they are headed to the capital of the Malkuth Empire not the capital of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear. And because Luke is a fon Fabre, his presence in Malkuth can be seen as hostile (and reignite the war). Fortunately, Tear is nearby to watch over him but she is surprised of how sheltered he had been because being out in the wide open, he has never seen animals, the ocean or villages ever in his life.

But through his adventures with Tear Grants, he begins to meet other people who end up joining him on his mission to return home but also to make sure there is peace in the world. Joining him are Jade Curtiss, a colonel of the Malkiuth Empire and is known as the feared “Jade the Necromancer”, Fon Master Ion who is trying to keep the piece between the nations, his bodyguard Anise Tatlin, a guardian of the Order of Lorelei (who is 13-years-old and has fallen for Luke), Luke’s good friend Guy Curtiss and a Cheagle named Mieu.

But there is a lot of deceit and corruption going on in the world, for some reason, the God Generals are trying to create trouble and kidnap Fon Master Ion.

Meanwhile, according to a score written by Yulia, a red-head child would be born to save the world. Because of his hyperresonance, a few who are familiar with Luke’s power feel that Luke may be the red-head child as prophesied to save the world. But one day, when the group are trying to rescue Fon Master Ion who was captured by the God Generals, Luke encounters Asch the Bloody. A man who has the same hair and same face as Luke?

WHAT HAPPENED IN “TALES OF THE ABYSS”:

The adventures continue with Luke and friends arriving to the land of Akzeriuth. Because Van has pretty much built Luke’s ego up to thinking that he will be the hero that will rescue everyone on Akzeriuth, while everyone is out helping the survivors who are suffering from the miasma (a poisonous pink cloud), Luke wanders away in a bit of anger that his friends are not listening to him and rather tend to the injured.

While roaming alone, Luke sees Van and Van lies to Luke that in order to protect Akzeriuth, he just needs to destroy the Sephiroth with his hyper-resonance.

Meanwhile, Asch arrives and tries to prevent Luke from destroying the Sephiroth but Luke doesn’t want to listen and thinks that what his Master Van is telling him is the truth and that he will save the land of Akzeriuth. But when Luke destroys the resonance, Van reveals that Luke is nothing but a replica and Luke and Ion both collapse.

Asch, Tear and friends manage to arrive just in time to protect Luke and Ion but unfortunately, Akzeriuth is destroyed in the process and thousands are killed.

When Luke awakens, he is not sure what happens but he can tell by everyone’s face that they are upset with him. Luke learns that because he destroyed the Sephiroth, he was the person responsible for destroying Akzeriuth.

Also revealed is that humans live in an area called the outlands and their lands are being held up in the air by Sephiroths because the original land was consumed by the poisonous Miasma. And that the intent by Van is to take revenge on the destruction of homeland by destroying humanity on the outlands by destroying each Sephiroth.

Also revealed is why Luke and Asch have this special connection and that Asch is the original Luke Fon Fabre and Luke is nothing but a replica.

And now with his friends upset, a distraught Luke realizes that he has been a person who never lived his own life but was constantly listening to others of how he should live his life. And now, knowing the truth that he is only a replica, he wants to make things right once again and create his own destiny by starting anew.

And nowit is a race against time as Van is trying to destroy the world. Obsessed of his homeland being destroyed and that everyone is trying to follow the words of the Fonstones, Van wants to to create a new world where Fonstones do not exist but also for all humanity to die and start over.

Luke and friends must stop Van, but Van sends out his six generals to confront the team. So, far Luke and comrades have defeated two.

With four more generals trying to stop them, will Luke and team get to Van before the world is destroyed?

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Tales of the Abyss” is presented in 1:78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 with English subtitles. For those who are familiar with the video game, the character designs are pretty much spot-on and the mechanical and monster designs are as well. A good balance of animation and CG, “Tales of the Abyss” is an adventure-based series which brings the characters to various locations and featuring a variety of characters. So, one of the major plus about the series is the constant moving around and scenery is not re-used over and over again.

Colors are vibrant, art backgrounds are well-painted and rendered. Character designs are very complimentary to the video game and for the most part, fans of “Tales of the Abyss” will find the overall animation to be quite solid for a TV series.

As for audio, “Tales of Abyss” is only in Japanese, no English dub and comes with English subtitles.

For the most part, I did enjoy the voice acting for the series but when it came to translations, I noticed a few changes to appeal to a Western audience, for example, when Luke tells Guy “Urusai!” (which means “shut-up!”), the English translation given was “Kiss my butt!”. Also, there were some English subtitles that I wondered if it was translated to sound a bit old English (with Master Van’s character), but I noticed it only happening in episode 1 but not on any other episode after.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Tales of the Abyss Vol. 4″ includes the following special features:

Textless Ending “Bouken Suisei” Version 2 & 3
Trailers – Bandai Entertainment Trailers

The end of “Tales of the Abyss” is here as it is the final battle between Luke and his comrades vs. Van and his generals. Who will live and who will die? And will the world be saved or will it be destroyed?

As one would expect from an anime series such as “Tales of the Abyss”, most battles will end with the heroes saving the world. But the question is how they are able to attain that and was it worthwhile? So far, the good news is that “Tales of the Abyss” has managed to be a very entertaining series that make you care for the characters and for some, may even lead them to purchasing the various video games based on these characters. But as for the final stretch of episodes, unfortunately “Tales of the Abyss” has run out of steam, or possibly time.

One of the most entertaining aspects of the series was the battles. They were not too long, nor were they too short, this time around, they are too short. The battle between Luke and his comrades vs. the generals hardly takes longer than a minute or two. And this is shocking considering in past episodes, they have went longer.

With only 26 episodes, you can tell the writers needed to focus on resolving the Luke/Asch arc and the group saving the world, and these last six episodes do that well, the problem was incorporating the final battles between the team vs. the generals and there was no doubt that the writer had to choose….important story or battle and he went with the former. While the shortened, quick battle does work, nevertheless you do feel that they were too short.

But the payoff of this series was seeing how things conclude and realizing Tear’s true feelings that she has been harboring inside. That was rather touching, especially to see how the Luke/Asch storyline concluded.

As for the DVD, there are six episodes and they are all presented in Japanese only with English subtitles. There is only one special feature and while I wish there were more, but it all comes down to the anime series and its storyline. And as a big fan of the “Tales” video games, “Tales of the Abyss”, the anime series has been entertaining since the first episode and I can’t wait to see how this series ends.

Overall, “Tales of the Abyss” was an exciting and enjoyable series! I wish it could have ran a little longer, so the Akemi Omode could have tied things over a bit better for the conclusion but I suppose if you want immersion, that is where the video game comes in and those who love the characters can play the Nintendo 3DS game.

Still, the series was entertaining from beginning to end and if you are a “Tales of” fan, “Tales of the Abyss”, the anime series is worth watching.

Filed Under: Anime on DVD

Tales of the Abyss Vol. 3 (a J!-ENT Anime DVD Review)

February 21, 2012 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

The third volume of “Tales of the Abyss” is the most emotional and tragic volume yet! If you have watched this far into the series, you definitely want to watch vol. 3. As the series is coming to a close, the final confrontation between Luke and friends vs. Van and the six generals begins. Who will live and who will die?

TITLE: Tales of the Abyss Vol. 3

ANIME RELEASE: 2008

DURATION: (Episodes 15-20) 150 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0, 1:78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, Full English Subtitles/Songs & Signs

COMPANY: Sunrise/Bandai Entertainment

RATED: Suggested 13 and Up

RELEASED: February 7, 2012

Directed by Kenji Kodama

Series Composition by Akemi Omode

Music by Motoi Sakuraba

Original Character Design by Yoshihito Hishinuma

Art Director: Shigemi Ikeda

Mechanical and Monster Design by Junya Ishigaki

Sound Director: Eriko Kimura

Director of Photography: Shigemi Ogawa

Anime Production by Bandai Visual/Namco/Sunrise

Featuring the following voice talent:

Chihiro Suzuki as Luke Fone Fabre

Yukana as Tear Grants

Halko Momoi as Anise Tatlin

Jouji Nakata as Van Grants

Michiko Neya as Natalia L. K. Lanvaldear

Miki Maruyama as Mieu

Sho Hayami as Lorelei

Takehito Koyasu as Jade Curtis

Yasunori Matsumoto as Guy Cecil

Yukana as Yulia Jue

Luke and Natalia have escaped from their home city after being accused of being imposters. They fnd out the Outer Lands are about to collapse, obliterating humankind unless someone stops the vibration of the planet’s core. But frst they need to overcome their pasts before saving the world, and Van Grants and his six God-Generals stand in their way.

It’s a race against time to prevent the world from ending in the third volume of “Tales of the Abyss”.

In Japan, one of the longest franchises for fantasy RPG is the “Tales” series from Namco Bandai games

While there has been anime adaptations primarily in OVA format, in 2008, a full 26-episode TV series was created and aired in Japan from Oct. 2008 through March 2009.

And now the third volume of the anime series has been released in the United States courtesy of Bandai Entertainment in Feb. 2012 featuring episodes 15-20.

A SUMMARY OF WHAT “TALES OF THE ABYSS” IS ALL ABOUT:

The problem is that Luke has no such memory of what took place when he was younger. He was kidnapped by the Malkuth Empire and was found but have lost any memories prior to when he was a teenager.

One day, as his Master Van is given orders to look for Fon Master Ion, the leader of the Order of Lorelei who is missing, Master Van promises Luke a good day of training before he leaves.

But somehow Luke’s mysterious power and Tear’s mysterious power somehow combines and both are transported a long way from home to some unknown destination.

Now both Luke and Tear Grants, who is revealed to be a Locrian Sergeant of the Order of Lorelei’s Intelligence Division are in the middle of nowhere and must find a way to get back home.

But there is a lot of deceit and corruption going on in the world, for some reason, the God Generals are trying to create trouble and kidnap Fon Master Ion.

Meanwhile, according to a score written by Yulia, a red-head child would be born to save the world. Because of his hyperresonance, a few who are familiar with Luke’s power feel that Luke may be the red-head child as prophesized to save the world. But one day, when the group are trying to rescue Fon Master Ion who was captured by the God Generals, Luke encounters Asch the Bloody. A man who has the same hair and same face as Luke?

WHAT HAPPENED IN “TALES OF THE ABYSS” VOL. 2:

While roaming alone, Luke sees Van and Van lies to Luke that in order to protect Akzeriuth, he just needs to destroy the Sephiroth with his hyper-resonance.

Asch, Tear and friends manage to arrive just in time to protect Luke and Ion but unfortunately, Akzeriuth is destroyed in the process and thousands are killed.

Also revealed is why Luke and Asch have this special connection and that Asch is the original Luke Fon Fabre and Luke is nothing but a replica.

In “Tales of the Abyss” Volume 3, it is a race against time as Van is trying to destroy the world. Obsessed of his homeland being destroyed and that everyone is trying to follow the words of the Fonstones, Van wants to to create a new world where Fonstones do not exist but also for all humanity to die and start over.

Luke and friends must stop Van, but Van sends out his six generals to confront the team.

But this time around, these battles are to the death and tragedy hits both sides. Who will live and who will die in this latest volume of “Tales of the Abyss”.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

As for audio, “Tales of Abyss” is only in Japanese, no English dub and comes with English subtitles.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Tales of the Abyss Vol. 3″ includes the following special features:

Textless Opening “Karma” Version 2
Trailers – Bandai Entertainment Trailers

Tragic, heartbreaking and the most intense “Tales of the Abyss” by far If you have invested your time in watching the previous episodes of this series, just know that after this volume, things will never be the same as there are a significant number of tragic deaths in this volume.

It was a given that Luke and friends would have to face the six guards again and again, but as the group must do all they can to stop the world from being destroyed, they have no choice but to fight to the death.

While volume 2 had more revelations of what Van was planning, the true identity of Asch and what Luke truly is. “Tales of the Abyss” also has a few surprises as we find out more about Fion Ion, Anisse’s actual role and who was responsible in the destruction of Guy’s homeland.

But it’s the battles that will captivate viewers and there are a good number of them, and surprisingly, a good number of people die. And it’s probably best to leave it at that.

Fans of the “Tales of the Abyss” anime series will probably be surprised and shocked by this emotional volume but it definitely sets the story up for the final conflict in order to save the planet from destruction.

Overall, “Tales of the Abyss” is an exciting and enjoyable series! While volume three is possibly the most intense, tragic and emotional volume yet, I definitely recommend this anime series for those looking for an action/adventure anime series that is well-written, features cool characters and most of all, is one of the better video game to anime adaptations out there!

Check it out!

Filed Under: Anime on DVD

Star Driver Vol. 2 (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

January 23, 2012 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

An anime series featuring all-out mecha action! The conclusion of “Star Driver” ends literally with a bang and I can only hope that Bones considers a second season. Exciting and overall an awesome mecha anime series on Blu-ray! Definitely recommended!

TITLE: Star Driver Vol. 2

DURATION: Episodes 14-25 (300 Minutes)

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (16:9 Widescreen), Japanese Linear PCM 2.0, English Subtitles

RATED: Suggested 13 and Up

COMPANY: Aniplex/Bandai Entertainment

RELEASE DATE: January 17, 2012

Directed by Takuya Igarashi

Series Composition by Yoji Enokido

Music by monaca, Satoru Kousaki

Original Character Design by Hiroka Mizuya, Misa Mizuya

Character Design by Yoshiyuki Ito

Art Director by Takeshi Waki

Anime Production by BONES

Featuring the voices of:

Jun Fukuyama as Sugata Shindou

Mamoru Miyano as Takuto Tsunashi

Saori Hayami as Wako Agemaki

Akira Ishida as Head

Ami Koshimizu as Keito Nichi

Ayana Taketatsu as Aragon Simone

Ayano Niina as Kanako Watanabe

Chiemi Chiba as Benio Shinada

Emiri Katou as Ruri Makina

Fumiko Orikasa as Sora

Haruka Tomatsu as Keta no Miko/Sakana-chan

Hiroko Ushida as Jaguar Yamasugata

Houko Kuwashima as Midori Okamoto

Kenichi Suzumura as Tsukihiko Bou/Stick Star

Kenji Akabane as Takashi Dai

Maaya Sakamoto as Sarina Endou

Mitsuki Saiga as Kou Atari

Nao Tōyama as Tiger Sugatame

Ooki Sugiyama as Tetsuya Gouda

Rina Hidaka as Mizuno You

Ryohei Kimura as Ginta Ryou/Camel Star

Ryou Hirohashi as Marino You/Manticore

Shinichiro Miki as Ryousuke Katashiro

Shun Takagi as George Honda

Yukana as Madoka Kei

Yuuki Kaji as Takeo Takumi/Sword Star

The Kiraboshi Order of Cross continues to search for the other shrine maidens using the cybody Ayingott’s special ability. One by one, the Western and Eastern Shrine Maidens are revealed and their seals are unlocked, bringing Vanishing Age closer to their ultimate goal, unleashing the king Cybody, Samekh, from zero time into the real world. In order to stop them, Takuto will have to finally confront his father and battle his own best friend!

The truth about the Kiraboshi is revealed and to save the planet, Takuto must continue to fight until the very end in this final second volume of “Star Driver”!

In Oct. 2010, the anime “Star Driver: Kagayaki no Takuto” began airing on Japanese television. Directed by Takuya Igarashi (“Ojamajo Doremi”, “Ashita no Nadia”, “Darker than Black”) and a screenplay by Yoji Enokido (“Neon Genesis Evangelion”, “Revolutionary Girl Utena”, “Ouran High School Host Club”), a total of 25 episodes were aired on TBS and now the second volume of the anime series will be released on Blu-ray in the United States courtesy of Bandai Entertainment.

“Star Driver” vol. 2 on Blu-ray features episodes 14-25 of the sci-fi action anime TV series.

A brief summary of what “Star Driver” is all about:

The story is set in Southern Cross Isle, an island in which Wako Agemaki and Sugata Shindo were on the beach one day. While talking to each other one night, they spot a teenager named Takuto who has washed up ashore.

Takuto happened to swim from the mainland to Southern Cross Isle to attend Southern Cross Island High School and all seems to be going well for the teenager as he makes new friends, especially with Wako and Sugata and is revealed to be the son of a famous painter (paintings which are featured throughout Sugata Shindo’s mansion).

Meanwhile, beneath the school is where Cybodies exist. These Cybodies are mecha that can be controlled by humans in an alternate dimension known as “Zero Time” and a mysterious group known as the “Kiraboshi Order of Cross” are currently trying to take possession of the island’s Cybodies for their own persona purposes and break the seal of the island’s four shrine maidens.

One day, as Takuto is trying to enter a private area (illegally), he notices that his friend Wako Agemaki has been taken hostage by the mysterious group. He tries to fight back but it appears that this group’s members are experienced fighters and it is revealed that some of these mysterious individuals are actual classmates and students of Southern Cross High School, people that Takuto have met and some he has befriended.

It is revealed that Wako is a one of the Shrine Maidens and she has the power to create the South Maiden Seal.

And as one of the members takes control of one of the Cybodies, the group is shocked that Takuto has managed to enter Zero Time and enter the seal. And he calls upon a Cybody known as Tauburn and reveals himself as a Star Driver or “Ginga Bishounen” (Galactic Pretty Boy).

He easily defeats one of the members of the Order of Glittering Stars and with each loss, each member must give up their badge and are literally lose their position of becoming leader of the Order. But they also realize that Takuto is not only a Star Driver with amazing power, he is also the biggest threat that stands in their way.

Now each member is willing to take on Takuto in order to see if they can defeat him with their special ability, while Takuto has dedicated himself into destroying every Cybody piloted by the Kiraboshi Order of Cross.

In the second volume of “Star Driver”, the Kiraboshi continue their quest to find the maidens in order to resurrect Samekh, meanwhile the fight continutes as the Vanishing Age and Glittering Star members of the Kiraboshi Order of Cross challenge Takuto.

Meanwhile, Marino Yo, a member of the Glittering Crux of the Kiraboshi Order is trying to hide her comrades that her sister Mizuno is the Western Maiden. And the Kiraboshi try to enlist Sugata as their leader to go against Takuto. Will they be successful? Will Takuto stand a chance against the more powerful members of the Kiraboshi Order?

The main characters of “Star Driver” (featured in Volume 2) are:

Takuto Tsunashi – The main character who is good friends with Wako Agemaki and Sugata Shindo. He is a member of the Night Flight drama club at Southern Cross Island High School and is also a pilot of the Cybody known as Tauburn and a Star Driver who plans to destroy every Cybody he fights against. He’s also popular among the ladies and many start to fall for him. He also loves to say words in English, is highly intelligent and has great athletic/fighting skills.
Wako Agemaki – A shrine maiden and her powers and existence creates the South Maiden Seal. If the seal was to break, all Cybodies would be able to leave the island. She is forbidden to leave the island and is engaged to Sugata out of family tradition. She is often hungry and takes care of a yellow fox known as Vice. She is also a member of the Midnight Flight drama club at Southern Cross Island High School.
Sugata Shindo – A member of the Midnight Flight drama club at Southern Cross Island High School, Sugata is from a very wealthy family and is engaged to Wako. He is calm, intelligent and a great fighter. He is able to use his First Phase powers to assist Takuto in battles. He has a mysterious side to him and an interest in Takuto for some reason.
Benio Shimada – A Pink-haired girl who is the kendo champ and the Resident Advisor of the school dorms. She is also a member of the Kiraboshi Order of Cross and likes to control people, but has interest in those who are stronger than her. Her code name is Scarlett Kiss and leads the Filament Squad and pilots the Cybody known as Peshent.
Kanako Watanabe – The green-haired promiscuous married student. Kanako is married to a 65-year-old tycoon named Leon Watanabe and lives in a a luxury cruise ship. She is a member of the Kiraboshi Order of Cross and wants her husband’s company to own all Cybodies on the island. She is an excellent fighter, but a very bored wife. Her code name is “The President and leads the fourth section, “Adult Bank” squad. Her Cybody is Betreida.
Simone Aragon – Kanako’s assistant who despises her. She is also a member of the Kiraboshi Order of Cross and a Cybody pilot. She is actually named Pamela Watanabe, the daughter of Kanako’s husband and Kanako’s step-daughter who lost her memory after an accident. A member of the “Adult Bank” squad, her Cybody is Daletos.
Takashi Dai – Kanako’s employee and a member of the Kiraboshi Order of Cross. A member of the “Adult Bank” squad, he is also a very good kendo swordsman and among the first to challenge Takuto via his Cybody Tzadikt.
Mizuno Yo – The twin sister of Marino and is known as the “witch girl” because she is always talking about magical spells. She is able to talk to birds and falls for Takuto because he saves a bird for her. She is also the West Maiden of the island.
Marino Yo – The twin sister of Mizuno. She is a member of the Kiraboshi Order of Cross and goes by the name of Manticore. But she uses her position to secretly hide the fact that her twin sister is the Western Maiden. She also has feelings for Takuto.
Keito Nichi – A childhood friend of Wako and Sugata and is known for wearing eyeglasses. She is Ivrogne, a member of the Kiraboshi Order of Cross and leads the third section, “Bougainvilleae” squad and likes Sugata. Unbeknown to the Kiraboshi, she is also the East Maiden.
Reiji Miyabi – Leader of the Glittering Star’s second section “Vanishing Age” squad and had kept the North Maiden locked in a cage. He proposes that anyone in the group who can beat Takuto can be the order’s main leader. He pilots the Cybody, Reshbal.
Tiger Sugatame – A student at Southern Cross High School who is a maid for Sugata (and secretly likes him) but she is also hired to keep watch on Sugata and kill him if he ever flees the island or joins the Kiraboshi Order.
Jaguar Yamasugata – A student at Southern Cross High School and a maid for Sugata. She is also hired to keep watch on Sugata and kill him if he ever flees the island or joins the Kiraboshi Order.

“Star Driver Vol. 2″ features the following episodes:

DISC 1:

EPISODE 14: Ayingot’s Eyes – The Kirboshi order tries to repair Manticore’s cybody with hopes to find out who the West maiden is.
EPISODE 15: Shrine Maidens of the Seals – When Mizuno and Marino’s mother returns back to the island, since Mizuno is a maiden, will she be able to leave the island? Meanwhile, Marino’s true identity is revealed.
EPISODE 16: Takuto’s Emblem – The Kiraboshi Order has captured Mizuno and break her seal to begin the Third Phase.
EPISODE 17: Vanishing Age – Head becomes the leader of Glittering Star and the Kiraboshi try to break the remaining two seals. Takuto takes on Madoka Kei.
EPISODE 18: Kate’s Morning & Night – Takuto get sa job at the karaoke bar that Keito Nich works, unaware she is the Eastern maiden and a member of the Kiraboshi.
EPISODE 19: The Trio’s Sunday – It’s Wako’s birthday and both Sugata and Takuto try to enjoy the day with her. Meanwhile, Kou Atari of the Kiraboshi intervenes.

DISC 2:

EPISODE 20: The Rainbow Painted That Day -Ryousuke Katashiro, Vanishing Age’s second in command reminisces about his past with Reiji and his former fiance Sora. Takuto vs. Ginta Ryo.
EPISODE 21: The Libidinal Age – Madoka volunteers herself to be an experiment for the Kiraboshi. But Takuto can’t fight back without hurting her.
EPISODE 22: On the Eve of the Legend – The drama club’s big day, meanwhile Keito reveals her powers to Sugata.
EPISODE 23: Emperor – Takuto must take on three members of the Kiraboshi.
EPISODE 24: Easter Shrine Maiden – Takuto and Wako are shocked to find out that both Keito and Sugata are members of teh Kiraboshi and that Samekh has broken free.
EPISODE 25: Our Apprivoiser – Takuto, Wako and the Kiraboshi Order learn the true reason of why Reiji needed Samekh freed.

VIDEO:

“Star Driver” is presented in 1080p High Definition (16:9 widescreen). What I love about this series is the fact that it’s vibrant and full of colors. A lot of orange and reds are used and the anime series looks fantastic on Blu-ray. While it is a TV series and not an OVA and film, still…the character designs are well-done (especially for a series that incorporates many characters) and painted backgrounds are also well-done and very detailed.

The mech design is also pretty cool to look at but I did notice that they do reuse Takuto and Tauburn’s introduction before each battle in every episode (reminiscent of the magical girl transformations in older anime series) but for the most part, for an action-packed series, I enjoyed the character and mechanical designs. Colors are vibrant and didn’t notice any banding or compression artifacts during my viewing of the series.

AUDIO:

“Star Driver” is presented in Japanese Linear PCM 2.0 and is a front channel-driven lossless soundtrack. Dialogue and sound effects and music are clear, but it would have been great to hear this TV series as a more immersive 5.1 soundtrack (since there is so much action featured) but since it’s a TV series, not many anime series straight from Japan are created in 5.1.

But overall, the 2.0 lossless track is good but if you have a receiver that can play stereo on all channels, choosing that setting may be to your liking.

It’s important to note that this anime release on Blu-ray does not come with an English dub track.

Subtitles are in English and are easy to read.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Star Driver Vol. 2″ comes with the following special features:

Textless Opening and Ending Themes – Featuring the opening plus two endings via “Mizuno” and “Kate” versions.
Bandai Previews – Bandai Entertainment trailers

The release of “Star Driver Vol. 2″ is an exciting conclusion to the anime series but also is quite bittersweet as Bandai Entertainment has announced that they are no longer releasing anime on Blu-ray and DVD (or manga) after February and will remained focused on licensing rights, especially in digital distribution and merchandising.

So, in essence, “Star Driver” will be the final mecha anime series and final TV anime series released on Blu-ray from Bandai Entertaiment in the United States.

But I suppose, if you have to go out in a bang, I will say that “Star Driver” was an anime series I have wanted to come to the United States and now that it’s over, I can easily let mecha fans know that this 25-episode series was definitely worth watching on Blu!

An anime series featuring all-out mecha action, “Star Driver” has a little bit of everything. Mecha action, a little harem plot but one teenager’s quest to defeat a mysterious group! “Star Driver” is an exciting anime TV series on Blu-ray.

My first introduction to “Star Driver” was through an iPhone app on iTunes Japan and because because it was being promoted along with a Gundam app, I looked at a few trailers online to learn more about the series and noticed the mecha action involved and also learning that the series has a pretty significant following Japan. Needless to say, I was hoping someday the series would be released in the U.S. and now it’s here on Blu-ray courtesy of Bandai Entertainment!

What’s cool about this Blu-ray release of “Star Driver” is that Bandai Entertainment included 12 episodes, which is definitely a major plus as their Blu-ray releases tend to have only 4-5 episodes per volume. So, that’s definitely great for anime fans who have been wanting Bandai Blu-ray releases with more episodes included!

The second volume has now gone past the introductory phase for its characters and now focuses on storyline arcs, specifically with the Yo sisters and also the Kiraboshi’s quest to revive Samekh. While the harem aspect is not as evident as it was in the first half of the series, this time around it focuses on Wako being confused if she likes her long-time friend and fiance Sugata or Takuto. And if anything, there was this sense that Sugata would emerge from his shell. We know the guy’s powerful and the writers would unleash him by the second half of the series.

What I enjoyed about “Star Driver” thus far, is the characters. A good variety of them with their own style and presentation. But most importantly, it’s a mecha anime series that tends to distinguish itself from various “Gundam” series, especially “Code Geass Lelouch” which deals with the student life but is far more darker than “Star Driver”. If anything, “Star Driver” is an easily accessible anime series that doesn’t try to become too deep or violent. It’s a bit free flowing and focuses a lot more on character development for the primary characters and then the action. So, writers typically had to divide the episode from focusing on the student life of Takuto, Sugata and Wako in the beginning and then the final half on the actual battle.

But definitely, “Star Driver” has a fresh storyline that distinguishes itself from the many mecha anime series that have been released in Japan within the last two decades.

So, overall… I’m quite content with the way the series had ended but it does leave things open for a second season which wouldn’t surprise me if “Star Driver” continues.

The Blu-ray release is beautiful as the animation is well-done, especially the character designs and also the painted backgrounds are full of detail. If anything, colors are vibrant and look great on Blu-ray. While the audio is only Japanese linear PCM 2.0, I wish it was 5.1 but most anime TV series are typically stereo straight from Japan. As for special features, you get the textless opening and endings along with Bandai Entertainment trailers.

Overall, “Star Driver” is an anime series full of mecha action, cool characters and vibrant presentation, “Star Driver” is definitely recommended!

Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

Tales of the Abyss Vol. 2: Limited Edition (a J!-ENT Anime DVD Review)

January 14, 2012 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

The story gets even deeper, more tragic but still this series remains addictive! Definitely one of the better video game to anime adaptations out there! If you love anime adventure anime series, “Tales of the Abyss” is recommended!

TITLE: Tales of the Abyss Vol. 2

ANIME RELEASE: 2008

DURATION: (Episodes 8-14) 175 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0, 1:78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, Full English Subtitles/Songs & Signs

COMPANY: Sunrise/Bandai Entertainment

RATED: Suggested 13 and Up

RELEASED: January 3, 2012

Directed by Kenji Kodama

Series Composition by Akemi Omode

Music by Motoi Sakuraba

Original Character Design by Yoshihito Hishinuma

Art Director: Shigemi Ikeda

Mechanical and Monster Design by Junya Ishigaki

Sound Director: Eriko Kimura

Director of Photography: Shigemi Ogawa

Anime Production by Bandai Visual/Namco/Sunrise

Featuring the following voice talent:

Chihiro Suzuki as Luke Fone Fabre

Yukana as Tear Grants

Halko Momoi as Anise Tatlin

Jouji Nakata as Van Grants

Michiko Neya as Natalia L. K. Lanvaldear

Miki Maruyama as Mieu

Sho Hayami as Lorelei

Takehito Koyasu as Jade Curtis

Yasunori Matsumoto as Guy Cecil

Yukana as Yulia Jue

War is aborted between the two dominant nations of the planet Auldrant, and the King of Kimlasca appoints Luke to be a goodwill ambassador in order to rescue a mining town in enemy territory. The noble heir apparent is excited with the chance to be a hero… but little does he know that General Van plans to use the spoiled kid’s hyper-resonance superpower to cause an enormous disaster.

Accompanied by magical warriors Jade the Necromancer, Colonel of the Malkuth Imperial Forces, and Tear Grants, Locrian Sergeant of the Order of Lorelei, Luke’s adventure continues through this alternate-reality world of swords and sorcery.

“Tales of the Abyss” Vol. 2 feature a more deeper, complex storyline as the truth about Luke and Asch is revealed!

In Japan, one of the longest franchises for fantasy RPG is the “Tales” series from Namco Bandai games

While there has been anime adaptations primarily in OVA format, in 2008, a full 26-episode TV series was created and aired in Japan from Oct. 2008 through March 2009.

And now the second volume of the anime series will be released in the United States courtesy of Bandai Entertainment in Jan. 2012 featuring episodes 8-14. A limited edition version of “Tales of the Abyss” vol. 2 will be released and will include the second and final part of “Tales of the Abyss: Asch the Bloody” (a side tale featuring Asch).

SUMMARY OF VOLUME 1:

The problem is that Luke has no such memory of what took place when he was younger. He was kidnapped by the Malkuth Empire and was found but have lost any memories prior to when he was a teenager.

One day, as his Master Van is given orders to look for Fon Master Ion, the leader of the Order of Lorelei who is missing, Master Van promises Luke a good day of training before he leaves.

But somehow Luke’s mysterious power and Tear’s mysterious power somehow combines and both are transported a long way from home to some unknown destination.

Now both Luke and Tear Grants, who is revealed to be a Locrian Sergeant of the Order of Lorelei’s Intelligence Division are in the middle of nowhere and must find a way to get back home.

But there is a lot of deceit and corruption going on in the world, for some reason, the God Generals are trying to create trouble and kidnap Fon Master Ion.

Meanwhile, according to a score written by Yulia, a red-head child would be born to save the world. Because of his hyperresonance, a few who are familiar with Luke’s power feel that Luke may be the red-head child as prophesized to save the world. But one day, when the group are trying to rescue Fon Master Ion who was captured by the God Generals, Luke encounters Asch the Bloody. A man who has the same hair and same face as Luke?

How can this be possible?

ONTO “TALES OF THE ABYSS” VOL. 2:

While roaming alone, Luke sees Van and Van lies to Luke that in order to protect Akzeriuth, he just needs to destroy the Sephiroth with his hyper-resonance.

Asch, Tear and friends manage to arrive just in time to protect Luke and Ion but unfortunately, Akzeriuth is destroyed in the process and thousands are killed.

Also revealed is why Luke and Asch have this special connection and that Asch is the original Luke Fon Fabre and Luke is nothing but a replica.

“Tales of the Abyss” Vol. 2 comes with seven episodes. Here is spoiler-less summary of each episode:

EPISODE 8: Collapse - Luke and friends arrive to Azkeriuth. Meanwhile, Van has a job for both Luke and Ion…what can it be?
EPISODE 9: The Usurped ONE – Luke awakens, to find out that his egotistical decision has led to unbelievable tragedy. And all is revealed of who Luke truly is.
EPISODE 10: Return of Atonement – Luke and Tear return to the Outer Lands and he realizes that he must atone for what he has done.
EPISODE 11: City of Falling Snow – Jade takes everyone to the port of Keterburg Bay for repairs. Where he meets with his sister Nephry, the governor.
EPISODE 12: Water Metropolis – The group arrives in Grand Chokmah and both must stop both the Malkuth and Kimlasca from going into war with each other.
EPISODE 13: Outbreak of War – As the group splits in half in order to stop the war, all is revealed of Natalia’s true identity.
EPISODE 14: Sealed Past – The group travels to Belken to stop the fallen lands from sinking into the Qliphoth. Meanwhile, something happens to Tear…

VIDEO & AUDIO:

As for audio, “Tales of Abyss” is only in Japanese, no English dub and comes with English subtitles.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Tales of the Abyss Vol. 2″ includes the following special features:

Textless Ending “Bouken Suisei”
Trailers – Bandai Entertainment Trailers

EXTRAS:

“Tales of the Abyss Vol. 2: Limited Edition” comes with a slipcase and a copy of “Tales of the Abyss: Asch the Bloody Vol. 2″ manga. The manga is the second and final graphic novel featuring the quest of Asch the Bloodyy not featured in the anime series.

In the beginning episodes of “Tales of the Abyss”, the series was lighthearted, humorous and all-out fun. But as the series progressed, the story became much more deeper and serious and with these episodes of vol. 2, “Tales of the Abyss” has become even more serious as major tragedies take place, the identities of Asch and Luke, as well as Natalia has been revealed. And not just that, we also get to know more about why Van, the man that Luke had trusted…has become the man he must stop.

Suffice to say, these episodes are much deeper than before and the adventures of Luke and friends have really become quite intriguing as there is a lot of conspiracy taking place and things are not as they seem.

“Tales of the Abyss” has everything that you look for in an adventure series based on the video game. A lot of action, monsters and the progression of a character through the adventure.

Also, featured are enjoyable characters such as the naive Luke, the mysterious Jade, the friend/enemy Tear, the chirpy Anise, to name a few… This is the kind of video game to anime adaptations that I tend to enjoy the most because it is based on a video game series and draws heavily on it, unlike another popular video game series which has had anime series that typically have no ties to a video game but only in title. It also helps that the series is coming out to the USA in coordination with the video game Nintendo 3DS release of “Tales of the Abyss” in Feb. 2012.

So far, this first volume literally kept me glued to the whole series and just watching episode after episode…I enjoyed it a lot and I can’t wait for volume 3. The adventures and also the challenges that Luke and the others must go through has continued to escalate more and more with each episode. It a complex series but easy to follow, enjoy and it’s so darn addictive! It’s that good!

As for the DVD, it’s only Japanese dialogue with English subtitles and there is only one special feature. But for a Bandai Entertainment release, I’m glad that there are seven episodes, rather than just four. So, I suppose to make up for the fact that there is no English dub or that many special features, we are treated with more episodes. The limited edition does have the “Tales of the Abyss: Asch the Bloody” vol. 2 manga which was a very cool addition, especially for those who are wondering what is happening to Asch behind the scenes when Luke and the others are on their adventures.

Overall, “Tales of the Abyss” is an exciting and enjoyable series! Definitely recommended for those looking for an action/adventure anime series that is well-written, features cool characters and most of all, is one of the better video game to anime adaptations out there!

Filed Under: Anime on DVD

BANDAI ENTERTAINMENT TO CHANGE COMPANY FOCUS IN FEB 2012

January 3, 2012 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment

January 3, 2012 (Cypress, CA) – Bandai Entertainment announced today that it will stop releasing new titles on DVD, Blu-ray and Manga formats starting in February of 2012. The company will continue to sell catalog titles and shift its operation to licensing which will include digital distribution, broadcast and merchandising.

As a result of this change in strategy for the North American Market, Bandai Entertainment’s organization will be restructured at the end of January 2012.

The following previously announced anime titles have been cancelled: TURN-A GUNDAM, NICHIJOU and GOSICK.

Similarly, the following manga titles have been cancelled: KANNAGI 4-6, CODE GEASS: RENYA, GURREN LAGANN VOL. 7, GUNDAM 00I, LUCKY STAR BOO BOO KAGABOO, NICHIJOU MANGA, CODE GEASS R2 NOVELS, and TALES OF THE ABYSS: JADE 1 and 2.

Additionally, Bandai Entertainment’s facebook and twitter will be shut down.

For more information go to:
www.bandai-ent.com

Filed Under: Anime Related News

Star Driver Vol. 1 (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

December 19, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

An anime series featuring all-out mecha action, a little harem plot but one teenager’s quest to defeat a mysterious group! “Star Driver” is an exciting anime TV series on Blu-ray and by the last episode on volume 1, you’ll definitely be craving for more. Definitely one of my favorite anime TV series on Blu-ray for 2011!

TITLE: Star Driver Vol. 1

DURATION: Episodes 1-13 (325 Minutes)

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (16:9 Widescreen), Japanese Linear PCM 2.0, English Subtitles

RATED: Suggested 13 and Up

COMPANY: Aniplex/Bandai Entertainment

RELEASE DATE: November 29, 2011

Directed by Takuya Igarashi

Series Composition by Yoji Enokido

Music by monaca, Satoru Kousaki

Original Character Design by Hiroka Mizuya, Misa Mizuya

Character Design by Yoshiyuki Ito

Art Director by Takeshi Waki

Anime Production by BONES

Featuring the voices of:

Jun Fukuyama as Sugata Shindou

Mamoru Miyano as Takuto Tsunashi

Saori Hayami as Wako Agemaki

Akira Ishida as Head

Ami Koshimizu as Keito Nichi

Ayana Taketatsu as Aragon Simone

Ayano Niina as Kanako Watanabe

Chiemi Chiba as Benio Shinada

Emiri Katou as Ruri Makina

Fumiko Orikasa as Sora

Haruka Tomatsu as Keta no Miko/Sakana-chan

Hiroko Ushida as Jaguar Yamasugata

Houko Kuwashima as Midori Okamoto

Kenichi Suzumura as Tsukihiko Bou/Stick Star

Kenji Akabane as Takashi Dai

Maaya Sakamoto as Sarina Endou

Mitsuki Saiga as Kou Atari

Nao Tōyama as Tiger Sugatame

Ooki Sugiyama as Tetsuya Gouda

Rina Hidaka as Mizuno You

Ryohei Kimura as Ginta Ryou/Camel Star

Ryou Hirohashi as Marino You/Manticore

Shinichiro Miki as Ryousuke Katashiro

Shun Takagi as George Honda

Yukana as Madoka Kei

Yuuki Kaji as Takeo Takumi/Sword Star

On the southern edge of Japan, the inhabitants of Southern Cross Island lead seemingly normal lives – but far beneath the surface of this quiet island lies an ancient secret that lays dormant until Takuto Tsunashi washes ashore one night…

Upon enrolling at Southern Cross Island High School, Takuto and his friends become embroiled in a conflict with a clandestine society to control giant machines, called Cybodies, sealed under the island whose powers are bound by special shrine maidens. What secrets will Takuto dig up, and how will he deal with the obstacles that lie ahead of him? This struggle will threaten to tear apart the entire island!

It’s one teenager taking on a mysterious group in the exciting mecha action anime series…”Star Driver”!

In Oct. 2010, the anime “Star Driver: Kagayaki no Takuto” began airing on Japanese television. Directed by Takuya Igarashi (“Ojamajo Doremi”, “Ashita no Nadia”, “Darker than Black”) and a screenplay by Yoji Enokido (“Neon Genesis Evangelion”, “Revolutionary Girl Utena”, “Ouran High School Host Club”), a total of 25 episodes were aired on TBS and now the anime series will be released on Blu-ray in the United States courtesy of Bandai Entertainment.

“Star Driver” vol. 1 on Blu-ray features the first 13 episodes of the sci-fi action anime TV series.

It is revealed that Wako is a one of the Shrine Maidens and she has the power to create the South Maiden Seal.

The main characters of “Star Driver” (featured in Volume 1) are:

Takuto Tsunashi – The main character who is good friends with Wako Agemaki and Sugata Shindo. He is a member of the Night Flight drama club at Southern Cross Island High School and is also a pilot of the Cybody known as Tauburn and a Star Driver who plans to destroy every Cybody he fights against. He’s also popular among the ladies and many start to fall for him. He also loves to say words in English, is highly intelligent and has great athletic/fighting skills.
Wako Agemaki – A shrine maiden and her powers and existence creates the South Maiden Seal. If the seal was to break, all Cybodies would be able to leave the island. She is forbidden to leave the island and is engaged to Sugata out of family tradition. She is often hungry and takes care of a yellow fox known as Vice. She is also a member of the Midnight Flight drama club at Southern Cross Island High School.
Sugata Shindo – A member of the Midnight Flight drama club at Southern Cross Island High School, Sugata is from a very wealthy family and is engaged to Wako. He is calm, intelligent and a great fighter. He is able to use his First Phase powers to assist Takuto in battles. He has a mysterious side to him and an interest in Takuto for some reason.
Benio Shimada – A Pink-haired girl who is the kendo champ and the Resident Advisor of the school dorms. She is also a member of the Kiraboshi Order of Cross and likes to control people, but has interest in those who are stronger than her. Her code name is Scarlett Kiss and leads the Filament Squad and pilots the Cybody known as Peshent.
Kanako Watanabe – The green-haired promiscuous married student. Kanako is married to a 65-year-old tycoon named Leon Watanabe and lives in a a luxury cruise ship. She is a member of the Kiraboshi Order of Cross and wants her husband’s company to own all Cybodies on the island. She is an excellent fighter, but a very bored wife. Her code name is “The President and leads the fourth section, “Adult Bank” squad. Her Cybody is Betreida.
Simone Aragon – Kanako’s assistant who despises her. She is also a member of the Kiraboshi Order of Cross and a Cybody pilot. She is actually named Pamela Watanabe, the daughter of Kanako’s husband and Kanako’s step-daughter who lost her memory after an accident. A member of the “Adult Bank” squad, her Cybody is Daletos.
Takashi Dai – Kanako’s employee and a member of the Kiraboshi Order of Cross. A member of the “Adult Bank” squad, he is also a very good kendo swordsman and among the first to challenge Takuto via his Cybody Tzadikt.
Mizuno Yo – The twin sister of Marino and is known as the “witch girl” because she is always talking about magical spells. She is able to talk to birds and falls for Takuto because he saves a bird for her. She is also the West Maiden of the island.
Marino Yo – The twin sister of Mizuno. She is a member of the Kiraboshi Order of Cross and goes by the name of Manticore. But she uses her position to secretly hide the fact that her twin sister is the Western Maiden. She also has feelings for Takuto.
Keito Nichi – A childhood friend of Wako and Sugata and is known for wearing eyeglasses. She is a member of the Kiraboshi Order of Cross and leads the third section, “Bougainvilleae” squad and likes Sugata.
Reiji Miyabi – Leader of the Glittering Star’s second section “Vanishing Age” squad and had kept the North Maiden locked in a cage. He proposes that anyone in the group who can beat Takuto can be the order’s main leader. He pilots the Cybody, Reshbal.
George Honda – A member of the high school’s boxing club and a member of the Kiraboshi Order of Cross “Filament” squad. He is the first opponent to take on Takuto.

“Star Driver Vol. 1″ features the following episodes:

DISC 1:

EPISODE 1: The Ginga Bishounen – Introduction to Takato and his confrontation with the ” Kiraboshi Order of Cross”.
EPISODE 2: Challenge of the Kiraboshi Order of Cross – Wako introduces Takuto to her drama club friends, meanwhile the Kiraboshi Order of Cross makes a plan that whoever defeats Takuto becomes the leader of the group.
EPISODE 3: The Otona Bank – Kanako gives Takuto a chance to earn some money, meanwhile one of her employees challenges Takuto in a Cybody fight.
EPISODE 4: Wako’s Song – Takuto learns about Wako’s duties as a Shrine maiden.
EPISODE 5: The Meaning of Mandrake – Takuto vs. Professor Green in Zero Space.
EPISODE 6: The King’s Pillar – It’s Sugata’s birthday and we learn that Sugata also has a Cybody and why he hates his birthday.
EPISODE 7: Faraway World – Takuto is challenged by another member of the Kiraboshi Order of the Cross, meanwhile Sugata is unconscious.

DISC 2:

EPISODE 8: Always Like a Shooting Star – After Sugata’s incident, Takuto and Sugata begin to fight each other. Meanwhile, Scarlet Kiss captures Sugata.
EPISODE 9: That Mizuno’s First Love – The Order of Cross tries to search for the west maiden, meanwhile Mizuno begins to fall for Takuto.
EPISODE 10: And Now Marino’s First Love for Personal Gain – After playing a baseball game against Takuto, is Marino developing feelings towards Takuto?
EPISODE 12: A Kiss Through the Glass – Takuto vs. The President
EPISODE 13: The Red Sword in Love – Takuto vs. Scarlet Kiss, fight #2.

VIDEO:

AUDIO:

But overall, the 2.0 lossless track is good but if you have a receiver that can play stereo on all channels, choosing that setting may be to your liking.

It’s important to note that this anime release on Blu-ray does not come with an English dub track.

Subtitles are in English and are easy to read.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Star Driver Vol. 1″ comes with the following special features:

Textless Opening and Ending Themes - Featuring the opening plus two endings via “Sakana-chan” and “Mizuno” versions.
Trailer – Original trailer for “Star Driver”.
Bandai Previews – Bandai Entertainment trailers

What’s cool about this Blu-ray release of “Star Driver” is that Bandai Entertainment included 13 episodes, which is definitely a major plus as their Blu-ray releases tend to have only 4-5 episodes per volume. So, that’s definitely great for anime fans who have been wanting Bandai Blu-ray releases with more episodes included!

What I enjoyed about “Star Driver” thus far, is the characters. A good variety of them with their own style and presentation.

The main protagonist Takuto is mysterious in his own right. How did he become a Star Driver and what is his past? We know he is gifted with heightened sense and intellect but he can also fight. So, I’m sure the second half of the season will delve into his past.

But then you get a bunch of characters, many that are female and in harem fashion, slowly these women who hate Takuto at first, begin to like him. One thing that I liked about this series is they made Takuto pretty brave, especially during the flirtation sequences made by these female characters. Usually, in a banal way, most guys get scared or you see the typical blood flowing out of their nose when excited by a female character but for “Star Driver”, he’s a pretty direct and brave guy. Cool and also very nice to the people that he meets.

Aside from Takuto’s supporting characters such as Wako and Sugata, you have the buxom green-haired student named Kanako, who could care less if she’s loud in class and wants to talk about her libido or what she wants to do to Takuto. No one dares speak out against her because she’s so rich and powerful but also, it’s this fetish of hers of wanting to fool around, not 100% but letting guys kiss her through a window.

Then you have Benio Shinada, the kendo champ and Resident Advisor of the school dorms. She is adamant to the students about the school rules but breaks them while entering the hot baths when Takuto is naked and alone or sneaking into his bedroom, before he is about to sleep. For a sweet looking girl, she also has this dominant personality.

You also have Simone Aragon, an assistant of Kanako Watanabe who despises her boss. The twins, Mizuno and Marino Yo who both are falling for Takuto.

And with all these women, they all happen to be members of the mysterious Kiraboshi Order of Cross, the group that Takuto wants to destroy.

Although obvious to the audience that these friends that Takuto has at school are members of the Order, you wonder if he is fully aware who they are and if he cares or not.

But so far, the series is an interesting mecha action anime series with plenty of humor and characters that are simply delightful to watch.

Overall, “Star Driver” is turning out to be among one of my favorite anime TV series to watch in 2011.

A series full of action, cool characters and vibrant presentation, “Star Driver” is definitely recommended!

Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

K-ON!: Volume 4 (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

December 14, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

Fun, exciting and all-out entertaining! “K-ON!” is definitely one of my top three TV anime series on Blu-ray for 2011 and with volume 4, the episodes are the conclusion to season one and what an awesome way to close out the season! This is too good of a series to pass up and if you are interested in watching a fun series about an all-female rock band…definitely give “K-ON!” a try! Recommended!

TITLE: K-ON!: Volume 4

DURATION: Episodes 12-13+OAV (75 Minutes)

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (1:78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen), Dolby Digital, Audio: Japanese 2.0 and English 2.0, Subtitles: English

RATED: Suggested 13 and Up

COMPANY: TBS Animation/Bandai Entertainment

RELEASE DATE: November 22, 2011

Originally Created by kakifly

Directed by Naoko Yamada

Series Composition by Reiko Yoshida

Screenplay by Jukki Hanada, Katsuhiko Muramoto, Reiko Yoshida

Music by Hajime Hyakkoku

Character Design by Yukiko Horiguchi

Art Director: Seiki Tamura

Chief Animation Director: Yukiko Horiguchi

Animation Production: Kyoto Animation

Production: TBS

Featuring the voices of:

Aki Toyosaki/Stephanie Sheh as Yui Hirasawa

Minako Kotobuki/Shelby Lindley as Tsumugi Kotobuki

Satomi Satou/Cassandra Lee as Ritsu Tainaka

Yōko Hikasa/Cristina Vee as Mio Akiyama

Asami Sanada/Karen Strassman as Sawako Yamanaka

Ayana Taketatsu/Christine Marie Cabanos as Azusa Nakano

Chika Fujitō/Laura Bailey as Nodoka Manabe

Madoka Yonezawa/Xanthe Huynh as Ui Hirasawa

The school festival is here again, but Yui is out sick! The girls try to make do with Azusa on lead guitar when suddenly Yui shows up. But her guitar playing is just too perfect and she’s seems to be too polite to everyone. What has happened to Yui, and will she be make it to the performance in time?

Melancholy has set in on a cold winter day, as all the girls face some troubles doing their own thing. But a sudden text message from Yui cheers them up and they are all able to rally together and rock in the New Year at their first live house performance!

The hugely popular animated series “K-ON!” is back with its third volume on Blu-ray and DVD and this time, a new member named Azusa Nakano joins the band!

So, what is “K-ON!”? Well, it happens to be one of the hottest anime series in Japan that has not only dominated in the TV ratings but also on Japan’s Oricon music charts!

The series has been a phenomenon as it has attracted fans all over the world, those who want to cosplay as the characters, those who want to sing like the characters and those who want to play the music of the characters. Just one look on YouTube and you can see how passionate people are for this series!

“K-ON!” began as a four-panel comic strip written and illustrated by kakifly and the manga would then be serialized in Houbunsha’s seinen manga magazine “Manga Time Kirara” between May 2007-October 2010. In April 2011, the manga was relaunched on both “Manga Time Kirara” and Houbunsha’s magazine “Manga Time Kirara Carat” with two separate storylines.

The popularity of the manga series led to a 13-episode anime TV series which aired in Japan on April-June 2009, an OVA episode in Jan. 2010 and a 26-episode second season titled “K-ON!!” which aired in Japan from April through Sept. 2010 and a new OVA released in March 2011.

The series would also lead to a Sony PSP music rhythm video game and now fans in Japan are awaiting for the film adaptation set for Dec. 3, 2011.

As for fans in the United States, there has been high anticipation for its anime release and the first two volumes are now available courtesy of Bandai Entertainment and in Sept. 2011, a third volume featuring episodes 9-11 is out on Blu-ray and DVD.

“K-ON!” is a play on the Japanese word “keiongaku” (light music) and the series follows four high school students of Sakuragaoka Girl’s High School who are members of the “keiongaku” club.

In the first volume, the four characters featured thus far in the series are Yui Hirasawa, a naive and clumsy student entering high school who is not entirely sure what she wants to do in terms of extracurricular activities. While she tries to figure out what she wants to do, two other students, Ritsu Tainaka and Mio Akiyama join the keiongaku club to find out that most of the members have graduated and the only way they can keep the club open is if they have four members.

Because Ritsu plays the drums and Mio plays the bass guitar, they hope they can find other musicians and form a band.

Fortunately, a new member joins the group, Tsumugi Kobobuki, a student from a wealthy family who plays a Korg Triton Extreme 76-key keyboard. Now all they need is one member.

While Yui is trying to think of activities to do, she sees a flyer for the keiongaku club and in her mind, she remembers light music as something she did when she was young student in elementary school and so she joins. Meanwhile, the other three members are happy because with a fourth member, the club will stay alive but also the fact that maybe Yui is a guitarist and now, they can start their own band.

But Yui is not a musician and if anything, what she loves about the club is the ability to eat desserts and drink tea with the other members but when the three members perform in front of her, she becomes inspired and wants to be a member of the club and be part of the band.

The second volume focuses on the club dynamics, having to find an advisor for the club in order for the club to exist and the band preparing for their very first live performances and preparing for another school year in which they hope to attract more members to the club.

The third volume is here and it focuses on the introduction of a new club member Azusa Nakano, a friend of Yui’s sister Ui and a guitarist and the group trying to make her feel comfortable around them.

The fourth volume of “K-ON!” marks the final volume for the first season and features the two final TV episodes plus the OVA.

With the band having practiced together for so long, especially with new member Azusa, it’s time once again for a new live performance at the school festival. But unfortunately, Yui has caught a cold and is very sick. The band wonders if Yui will be better before their live performance.

The final TV episode features a storyline that features a storyline of each member who have decided to do their own thing for winter vacation. Everyone is keeping their lips sealed of what their plans are, but Yui wants to have a hotpot party. Will the group eventually hang out before their winter break is over?

And the OVA features the band being invited to perform with other female bands for a live gig. Will Hokago Tea Time be ready for their first live performance outside of a school function?

“K-ON!: Volume 4″ features the following episodes:

EPISODE 12: Light Music! – The band has a new live performance but with Yui sick, will the band be ready to perform?
EPISODE 13: Winter Days! – It’s winter vacation and Yui hopes to get everyone together but unfortunately, everyone is busy and are out doing their own thing during vacation. Ritsu thinks she has a secret admirer, Mio travels in order to come up with inspiration to write lyrics, Azusa is taking care of a friend’s cat and Tsumugi takes a job at a fast food restaurant.
EPISODE 14 (OVA): Live House! – When Hokago Team Time are invited to perform with other bands for their first live gig, how will their first experience performing outside of a school function be?

“K-ON!: Vol. 3″ features the following characters:

Yui Hirasawa- Yui is a naive and clumsy student who likes to sleep, eat and go shopping. But when she joins the Keiongaku club, she becomes the group’s newest member and the band’s guitarist. She tries to learn how to play a Heritage Cherry Sunburst Gibson Les Paul standard electric guitar.
Ritsu Tainaka – The most vocal person of the Keiongaku club. She is a drummer that plays a yellow Rick Marotta Signature Yamaha hipgig drum kit and always upbeat, energetic, sarcastic and often always playing jokes on her good friend Mio. Sometimes she can get in the nerves of the other members but she is the most determined in wanting to make sure the club exists and that they form a band.
Mio Akiyama - The levelheaded person of the group and the smartest student among the four. She plays a Fender Jazz Bass. She originally was planning to join the literary club but her friend Ritsu tore up her applications and made her join the Keiongaku club. Although a person who knows quite a bit about music, she is also quite shy and is easy to scare. She can’t take anything that deals with anything scary, ghosts, blood, injuries or anything macabre.
Tsumugi Kotobuki - The daughter of a very wealthy family. Known as “Mugi”, she plays a Korg Triton Extreme keyboard and is a piano prodigy. She is known for her blonde hair and thick eyebrows. Because her father owns a variety of businesses including a maid cafe, she often brings desserts to the club meetings. She also has an intriguing interest in the club advisor, Sawako Yamanaga.
Azusa Nakano – The same class as Yui’s sister Ui, Azusa joins the Keiongaku music club but not sure if she wants to stay because the members do not appear to be taking their band practices that seriously.

OTHER CHARACTERS:

Ui Hirasawa – Yui’s younger sister who tends to get Yui out of a jam. Unlike Yui, Ui is more responsible and mature and takes care of her older sister.
Nodoka Manabe - Yui’s childhood friend and confidant. Smart and intelligent, despite how Yui is at times, Nodoka always supports her. She is also becoming good friends with Mio since they are in the same class.
Sawako Yamanaka – A beloved teacher known for her kind heart, she also carries a secret, she is a former member of the Keiongaku music club during her high school years and was a member of a death metal band known as “Death Devil” as the lead guitarist and vocalist. She has tried to hide her past but when the members find a photo and music of her past, as part of a deal for them to keep it a secret, she becomes their advisor. Despite seeming to be responsible, she is quite wild and an airhead like Yui. And also making the members dress up in costumes that she creates.

VIDEO:

“K-ON!” is an anime series that is stylishly created but also features beautifully painted art backgrounds. Presented in 1080p High Definition (1:78:1 anamorphic widescreen), one thing that I love to see when it comes to anime series is the attention to detail when covering a modern setting.

A lot of TV series tend to not make the backgrounds of a city landscape so detailed and tend to put a lot of recycled trees, dirt and sky but “K-ON!”, is not one of those anime series. There are scenes and also still images of natural settings that are beautifully painted and added to the series. There is detail for the instruments, for the desserts and I felt that with each episode, aside from the practice room and the wideshot image of their school, there was always something new being featured in terms of location. So, the color palette of the series is full of color and nothing is stale or seemed regurgitated.

With that being said, the colors are a bit saturated but for an anime TV series (which is expected) but the OVA does feature more vibrant colors and a bit more detail.

For the many decades I have watched Japanese animation, for anime series that are set in a modern Tokyo setting, I prefer anime series that focused on the smallest details, such as what is inside their bedrooms and home. What’s inside the stores when they go shopping, etc. I love seeing those details instead of the typical walls or trees that are part of the banality anime TV series.

“K-ON!” is one of those series where those little things matter and for me, those attention to small details enhanced my appreciation for the series.

AUDIO:

If there was a weak side of this Blu-ray release, I’m sure the audiophiles might be a bit cranky that the soundtrack is not Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD MA. What you get is an English and Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack. What surprised me is the fact that even with the work for the English dub version, there was no change to make it a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack or to increase the bitrate for Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD MA. But for a Blu-ray release, those who expect lossless audio are going to fret about it, while those who have been waiting for this series to come out to the U.S. will be perfectly fine with the Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack.

Personally, I chose to have my receiver play the anime series with stereo on all channels for a more immersive soundscape. But nevertheless, with the awesome music featured in the series, it would have been wonderful to hear that music via uncompressed lossless.

As for the voice acting, I am a bit biased to the Japanese voice acting but I did watch the series also with the English dub soundtrack and for the most part, the voice acting will appeal to both fans who prefer one over the other.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“K-ON!: Volume 4″ comes with the following special features:

Brush Pen, Ballpoint Pen Music Video – The English dub music video for “Brush Pen, Ballpoint Pen”.
Interview with Shelby Lindley – (6:00) English dub voice actress Shelby Lindley talks about how she got the part as Tsumugi Kotobuki but also her approach to voice acting and how different she is from the character.
Trailers – Bandai Entertainment trailers

And the final volume of “K-ON!” is here and the first thing that comes to my mind is how I want more episodes of this awesome, fun and exciting rock n’ roll anime series.

I love this series! And loved the progression of the Hokago Tea Time band and how each of these young ladies grew up together to become a band that can actually perform quite well and start playing their first major gig.

I love the fact that it focuses on normal high school life but also the formation of a band and the dynamics with each of the members as they go through their ups and downs but also the little cute quirks that come with each character.

I typically don’t go crazy over anime series, nor am I the hardcore fan that goes out and buys anything after I see a series but this is probably the first time since I watched an anime series such as “Ranma 1/2″ back in 1992, where I went out and started buying merchandise related to the series. In fact, I have purchased the PSP video game, the Figma figures and it has become one of my favorite series that I have really got into in a very long time in this manner.

The music is awesome! The characters are entertaining. The animation and art backgrounds were very good and for the most part, it has been a long time, possibly since “Azumanga Daioh” in which I really enjoyed gakusei-based anime series (student anime series – focused on a school setting).

If anything, while the episode “Light Music!” eventually shows us Azusa now playing live with the band, the growth is seen in the OVA episode “Live House!” as the band ventures out of the school setting and are performing with other bands who perform different styles of music. You sense their fear when they started out but eventually learned along the way.

So, I look at these two performance episodes as growth episodes for each of these characters. The final TV episode #13 was rather interesting because it is a story about individuals not relying on the group. For the majority of all episodes, these teenagers are together. But for “Winter Days!”, they are busy and want to do their own thing for winter vacation. You would never think of a wealthy daughter such as Tsumugi wanting to work at a fast food restaurant, Azusa’s fear of cats, Ritsu finally removing the headband and showing us how she looks with bangs and of course, there is Mio…trying to create more music.

So, I’m quite happy that this episode was created because it gives us insight to the characters outside of the group and the band.

The final volume of “K-ON!” was absolutely fun and entertaining and now is the big question, will Bandai bring the 26-episode+OVA to Blu-ray? I hope so!

But I’m loving “K-ON!” and if you are an anime fan who loves a straight-up, feel-good anime series with nothing dark, nothing to risque but something just all out-fun, give “K-ON!” a chance! It’s a wonderful anime series on Blu-ray and there is really nothing like it out there (although one may want to check out the live action film “Linda Linda” if they are interested in a storyline of all-girl rock bands).

Overall, another exciting, fun and entertaining volume of “K-ON!” and definitely one of my top three picks of must-own anime series on Blu-ray for 2011!

Definitely recommended!

Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

Tales of the Abyss Vol. 1 (a J!-ENT Anime DVD Review)

November 12, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

Addictive! Based on the popular PS2 RPG video game, “Tales of the Abyss” is an action adventure anime series with cool characters, an entertaining storyline and leaves you craving for even more after the first volume. Definitely recommended!

TITLE: Tales of the Abyss Vol. 1

ANIME RELEASE: 2008

DURATION: (Episodes 1-7) 175 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0, 1:78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, Full English Subtitles/Songs & Signs

COMPANY: Sunrise/Bandai Entertainment

RATED: Suggested 13 and Up

RELEASED: October 11, 2011

Directed by Kenji Kodama

Series Composition by Akemi Omode

Music by Motoi Sakuraba

Original Character Design by Yoshihito Hishinuma

Art Director: Shigemi Ikeda

Mechanical and Monster Design by Junya Ishigaki

Sound Director: Eriko Kimura

Director of Photography: Shigemi Ogawa

Anime Production by Bandai Visual/Namco/Sunrise

Featuring the following voice talent:

Chihiro Suzuki as Luke Fone Fabre

Yukana as Tear Grants

Halko Momoi as Anise Tatlin

Jouji Nakata as Van Grants

Michiko Neya as Natalia L. K. Lanvaldear

Miki Maruyama as Mieu

Sho Hayami as Lorelei

Takehito Koyasu as Jade Curtis

Yasunori Matsumoto as Guy Cecil

Yukana as Yulia Jue

On the planet Audlant, global war is imminent between the Kingdom of Kimlasca and the Malkuth Empire. Their conflict had been prophesied in the Scores, a complete history of this world from its creation to its destruction once written on the mysterious stones. It also predicts the appearance of a new savior-hero, who is a red-haired male child with the name of “the Light of the Sacred Flame.”

Luke fon Fabre, a son of a noble family who has been confined in his father’s palace for years, feels impatient and defiant like any teenage boy. When a beautiful young lady named Tear suddenly intrudes into his training session and attacks General Van, who he respects as a master swordsman, the spoiled kid is spirited away and forced into a series of great adventures through this alternate-reality world of swords and sorcery.

In Japan, one of the longest franchises for fantasy RPG is the “Tales” series from Namco Bandai games

While there has been anime adaptations primarily in OVA format, in 2008, a full 26-episode TV series was created and aired in Japan from Oct. 2008 through March 2009.

And now the anime series will be released in the United States courtesy of Bandai Entertainment.

The problem is that Luke has no such memory of what took place when he was younger. He was kidnapped by the Malkuth Empire and was found but have lost any memories prior to when he was a teenager.

One day, as his Master Van is given orders to look for Fon Master Ion, the leader of the Order of Lorelei who is missing, Master Van promises Luke a good day of training before he leaves.

But somehow Luke’s mysterious power and Tear’s mysterious power somehow combines and both are transported a long way from home to some unknown destination.

Now both Luke and Tear Grants, who is revealed to be a Locrian Sergeant of the Order of Lorelei’s Intelligence Division are in the middle of nowhere and must find a way to get back home.

But there is a lot of deceit and corruption going on in the world, for some reason, the God Generals are trying to create trouble and kidnap Fon Master Ion.

Meanwhile, according to a score written by Yulia, a red-head child would be born to save the world. Because of his hyperresonance, a few who are familiar with Luke’s power feel that Luke may be the red-head child as prophesized to save the world. But one day, when the group are trying to rescue Fon Master Ion who was captured by the God Generals, Luke encounters Asch the Bloody. A man who has the same hair and same face as Luke?

How can this be possible?

“Tales of the Abyss” Vol. 1 comes with seven episodes. Here is spoiler-less summary of each episode:

EPISODE 1: World of the Scores - Luke fon Fabre and Tear Grants are transported to an unknown area. How will they get back home?
EPISODE 2: Forest of the Sacred Beast – Accused of stealing food, Luke fon Fabre wants to prove that he is not a bad guy, so he wants to capture the real thieves, the animals known as Cheagles.
EPISODE 3: Oracle Knights Assault – Luke and Tear are captured by Colonel Jade and both he and Fon Master Ion request Luke and Tear to help them.
EPISODE 4: The Hidden Truth – Scared from the events from the last episode, the group encounter Arietta who wants revenge against Luke and Tear.
EPISODE 5: Chosen Hero – Jade deciphers the Fon disc, meanwhile the group is encountered by Dist the Reaper.
EPISODE 6: Desert Rain – Fon Master Ion is captured and Luke tries to get him back against Asch the Bloody, but is shocked when he sees Asch’s face.
EPISODE 7: Isolation – Luke is having another hyper-resonance situation and hears Asch telling him to go to Zao Ruins. But why would Asch request Luke to go to that location?

VIDEO & AUDIO:

As for audio, “Tales of Abyss” is only in Japanese, no English dub and comes with English subtitles.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Tales of the Abyss Vol. 1″ includes the following special features:

Textless Opening “Karma Version 1″
Trailers – Bandai Entertainment Trailers

Fun, action-packed and a good balance between humor with a deep storyline that will definitely entice action/adventure anime fans but also a solid series based on the popular RPG video game.

“Tales of the Abyss” has everything that you look for in an adventure series based on the video game. A lot of action, monsters and the progression of a character through the adventure.

So far, this first volume literally kept me glued to the whole series and just watching episode after episode…I enjoyed it a lot and I can’t wait for volume 2.

Overall, “Tales of the Abyss” is an exciting and enjoyable series by far. Granted, it’s only the first seven episodes but I enjoyed this first volume a lot and look forward to the next volume.

A series that I recommend to fans of the video game and also for those looking for an action/adventure anime series!

Filed Under: Anime on DVD

Tekken: Blood Vengeance (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

November 8, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

If you are a hardcore “Tekken” fan, finally a “Tekken” movie that does the video game justice! A film with plenty of action and destruction galore! Fans of the popular fighting video game will know the rivalries and no doubt will be excited for the amount of action and destruction featured throughout the film. Recommended for “Tekken” fans!

DVD TITLE: Tekken: Blood Vengeance

DATE OF FILM RELEASE: 2011

DURATION: 92 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Full English, 16:9, Japanese and English 5.1, English subtitles

COMPANY: Bandai Entertainment

RATED: Suggested 13 & Up

RELEASE DATE: November 22, 2011

Directed by Yoichi Mori

Screenplay by Dai Sato

Executive Producer: Masaya Nakamura, Shin Unozawa

Producer: Yoshinari Mizushima

Animated Production by Digital Frontier

Featuring the Voice Talent of:

Akeno Watanabe/Tara Platt as Anna Williams

Atsuko Tanaka/Charlotte Bell as Nina Williams

Isshin Chiba/Darren Daniels as Jin Kazama

Maaya Sakamoto/Carrie Keranen as Ling Xiaoyu

Mamoru Miyano/David Vincent as Shin Kamiya

Masanori Shinohara/Kyle Hebert as Kazuya Mishima

Yuki Matsuoka/Cristina Vee as Alisa Bosconovitch

The stage for a final showdown is prepared as Anna Williams and the G Corporation set a trap for her sister Nina, who works for Jin Kazama, head of the Mishima Zaibatsu. Both Jin and his father, Kazuya Mishima of the G Corporation, seek to possess and control the M Cell that will unlock the destructive supernatural powers buried within the Mishima bloodline.

Kazuya dispatches Ling Xiaoyu to a prestigious international school to spy on Shin Kamiya, a victim of secret genetic experiments and may hold the key to the M Cell. While investigating Shin, Xiaoyu befriends Alisa Bosconovitch who also shows an interest in Shin. Their new friendship is put to the test as they are caught in the middle of the Mishima family feud.

The final battle explodes in a three way battle. Who will claim the M Cell and unlock the full power of the Devil Gene?!

Ah, those days in college, playing “Tekken” on the PSX until my thumbs would be in pain and thinking that the game was the best fighting game on the planet!

But I know I’m not alone when it comes to being one of the many fans who grew up playing and still are playing “Tekken”.

The Bandai video game series which began in 1994 has always pushed the limit in fighting video games and we have seen six incarnation of the game for the major consoles, a Sony PSP version of the game as well as a “Tekken Tag” version.

And one thing that “Tekken” had always done so well was seeing Namco trying to make an awesome looking 3D game, giving its characters their own fighting style and gameplay that rivaled other fighting game competitors, including CAPCOM’s “Street Fighter” fighting game series (a rivalry that will lead to the upcoming “Tekken x Street Fighter”/”Street Fighter vs. Tekken” videogames).

But you have to give credit to Bandai for crafting a continuing storyline that revolved around the ruthlessness of the Mishima family which include the evil and dead (but manages to always come back alive) patriarch Heihachi; Kazuya, Heihachi’s evil son with the devil gene who will do anything to destroy his father and Kazuya’s son Jin, who also has the devil gene (but chooses to use his power to destroy his grandfather and his father).

Sure it sounds and reads quite wickedly and if you played the game, you can’t deny of how this family is the ultimate in dysfunctional relationships. Who can ever forget Kazuya Misushima grabbing his father and dropping him down a cliff? Wicked, I tell you.

But if there was one thing that “Tekken” has not lived up to its video game series is its video releases.

The video games had cool stories but with each game, each character had a CG-storyline that lasted for a few minutes and fans wanted more! Especially with “Street Fighter”, “Virtua Fighter” and “Final Fight” receiving some anime love, “Tekken” would receive some love in 1998 as anime fans were treated with a lackluster animated film titled “Tekken: The Motion Picture”, followed by a 2010 live-action film titled “Tekken” which even “Tekken” video game director Katsuhiro Harada had panned. With a poorly done animated and live-action film, fans can only wish these two never existed.

Fortunately, Bandai Entertainment had always wanted to create a CG-based animated film since the release of “Tekken 6″ (for the PS3 and XBOX 360) and what they created was the CG animated-film titled “Tekken: Blood Vengeance”, a storyline that actually will appeal to those who are familiar with the video game series.

The film was supervised by Youichi Mori (“Appleseed”) and written by Dai Sato (“Eureka Seven”, “Cowboy Bebop”, “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex”). In charge of animation production is Digital Frontier who created the sequences for “Tekken” 5 and 6.

And possibly the smartest decision made by Dai Sato was to not include every character in the “Tekken” universe but to focus on the characters that relate to the Mishima storyline: Heihachi, Kazuya, Jin and Lin Xiaoyu. And characters with storylines that have continued since the first video game: Spy Nina Williams and her enemy and sister, Anna but also the addition of the latest character, Alisa Bosconovitch (a robot created by Dr. Bosconovitch who has played a big part in the series storyline and his relation to other characters in the videogame).

“Tekken: Blood Vengeance” will be released in the U.S. on DVD on November 22nd. For those who want the Blu-ray release, will want to purchase “Tekken Hybrid” which contains the 3D Blu-ray version of the film, plus “Tekken Tag Tournament HD” and “Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Prequel” and will be released on December 27, 2011.

“Tekken: Blood Vengeance” begins with spy, Nina Williams who is now working with Mishima Zaibatsu (which is run by Jin Kazama) and is being targeted by her sister/enemy Anna Williams, who works with the G Corporation (ran by Kazuya Mishima). The two fight and despite being surrounded, Nina Williams has always had an edge over her sister and manages to escape.

But as these two work with their boss, both have a mission. To find a teenager named Shin Kamiya, capture him and bring him back.

But they will need someone to get close to him and as both Kazuya and Jin are raising their stakes against each other in trying to obtain Shin, G Corporation has their eyes set on a teenager named Lin Xiaoyu. Lin was once a classmate with Jin Kazama but due to circumstances, her grades are bad and due to the destruction she causes at school, the principal can’t wait to get rid of her.

And for that principal at Lin’s school, it appears that Anna Williams of the G Corporation wants Lin Xiaoyu. She ends up blackmailing teenager Lin Xiaoyu, in to becoming a spy at the school that Shin attends and spy on him.

While Lin attends her new high school with a GPS that tracks Shin, she notices the teen jumping off the top of the building. She manages to rescue him but maybe it wasn’t so much as a rescue as the cocky teen tells her that he can’t die. What does he mean by that?

Meanwhile, she meets a fellow student teenager named Alisa Bosconovitch who tells him that she had rescued Shin earlier, as he had tried to jump off a building. While Lin Xiaoyu and Alisa become friends, Shin is captured by someone (that is not related to G Corporation or the Mishima Zaibatsu) and immediately, Alisa suspects Lin Xiaoyu is involved and tries to kill her.

This leads to a fight between Lin and Alisa and Alisa reveals herself to not be human but a robot. And because Lin has failed her mission to get Shin Kamiya, Anna sends the G Corporation soldiers to kill both Lin and Alisa.

The two manage to escape and despite being at each other’s throats, they end up being friends and are rescued by a wealthy passer-by named Lee Chaolan (note: Lee is Kazuya Mishima’s foster brother and is a successful businessman and C.E.O. of a robotics corporation – this is not revealed in the film but an interesting backstory for those not familiar with the videogame).

Both Lin and Alisa eventually becoming good friends and as Alisa tries to learn about human interaction through Lin Xiaoyu and develop a strong bond.

Both feel they must rescue Shin Kamiya from whoever kidnapped them but meanwhile, Anna Williams has her sights set on killing Lin and Alisa, while Nina tries to find a way to stop her.

But if it isn’t Kazuya or Jin that kidnapped Shin, who could have been responsible for capturing him?

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Tekken: Blood Vengeance” is presented in 16:9 and is in Japanese and English Dolby Digital 5.1. For an action film, as expected with this explosive storyline, you can expect a good round of explosions and destruction galore with the soundtrack. And the picture quality is what one can expect on DVD.

While the CG looks fantastic and in par with the graphics of the “Tekken 6″ cut scenes, for those who are wanting to watch this in HD will have to purchase the PS3 “Tekken Hybrid” which contains the upcoming game “Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Prologue”, “Tekken Tag Tournament HD” and “Tekken: Blood Vengeance 3D”.

In fact, this film looks amazing enough that I would prefer to watch it in HD versus on DVD, especially since you get both “Tekken Tag Tournaments” for the PS3.

But for the DVD release, picture quality is good and as for the Japanese and English dub, I prefer the Japanese soundtrack as it syncs much better with the characters mouths. But for those who prefer English, you do have the English dub as an option.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Tekken Blood Vengeance” comes with the film trailer and the trailer for the “Tekken Hybrid” PS3 release.

“Tekken: Blood Vengeance” is a film that definitely brings the storyline to the video game fans who have grown up with this series. As the anime movie and the live-action film were made to be more accessible to those not familiar with the video games, I would imagine that “Tekken: Blood Vengeance” can be watched by someone not familiar with the series but at the same time, not feeling the impact compared to those who are familiar with the Mizushima families dysfunctional relationship.

As a fan of “Tekken”, I can easily recommend this to fans because the storyline literally relates to the video games. You can’t help but be excited when you see Nina vs. Anna, Lin Xiaoyu vs. Alisa and of course, seeing Kazuya and Jin going against each other. And there are also a few other short cameo appearances by a few other characters as well.

So, in terms of watching a film based on a video game, graphic-wise, I enjoyed this film as much as I enjoyed “Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children”. Mainly because I invested so much time in playing those games, you can’t help but be excited.

The storyline is easy to follow when it comes to Lin Xiaoyu but when it comes to the Mishima family, I know there are viewers not familiar with the video games who will feel they are missing a chunk of storyline because they don’t know the hatred between Jin and his father Kazuya and both towards their grandfather Heihachi.

And this is possibly one part of the release that can be problematic for some. For the release of “Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children”, to help viewers understand what had taken place beforehand, many of the CG animatics from the video game were included as a special feature and served as a wonderful primer to help people understand the film.

It would have been nice of Namco to include those CG clips as special features from the previously released video games, especially the cut-scenes regarding Heihachi, Kazuya and Jin. So, I felt that was one missed opportunity for this DVD release (Note: I am not sure if the Blu-ray release will contain extra features not included on the DVD version), as it would definitely help non-fans or new fans understand what is going on and possibly get them interested in the video game series.

But for those who are fans of the video game series, I can personally say that the film was exciting and fun to watch. Granted, if you are not fans of the Mishima clan, Nina Williams or Lin Xiaoyu, I can understand how those fans would be a bit bummed that there favorite characters were not fully featured.

But considering how I wished the video game cut-scenes were longer, to have 92 minutes of all story featuring these cool characters from “Tekken”, I can’t help but having this grin on my face because I enjoyed watching it.

And while the PQ and AQ were good for DVD, I wish there were more special features on the DVD but who knows? Perhaps the Blu-ray release may have extra features. And the fact that the PS3 “Tekken Hybrid” release comes with the 3D version of the film and two “Tekken Tag Tournament” video games in HD, I wouldn’t be surprised if the hardcore fans go for the Blu-ray release. I definitely would!

Overall, “Tekken: Blood Vengeance” may not be for everyone as it is truly geared towards fans of the “Tekken” video game series, but if you are a fan, I definitely recommend watching the film!

Filed Under: Anime on DVD, DVD Reviews