GUNDAM UC VOL. 4 NORTH AMERICAN RELEASE!

October 3, 2011 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment

October 3, 2011 (Cypress, CA) –Bandai Entertainment announced the specs today for Mobile Suit Gundam UC (Unicorn) Vol. 4 “At the Bottom of the Gravity Well” Blu-ray.
Mobile Suit GundamUC (Unicorn) Vol. 4 Blu-ray will be released December 2, 2011*. It will feature Japanese audio with English subtitles as well as an English language version.

It will be available at the Bandai Entertainment Store, http://store.bandai-ent.com/and Amazon Marketplace and other select online retailers. The SRP is $59.98. The pre-order price on the
store prior to street date is $39.98. From street date, the Bandai store price will be $44.99.

The episode will also be available as a download rental through PlayStation®Network in the USA and Canada, and Zune® (an entertainment platform by Microsoft for Xbox 360®) in the
USA, Canada and Mexico.

The struggle over Laplace’s Box spreads to Earth, where a force of Zeon remnants launches an attack on the Earth Federation capital at Dakar, spearheaded by the huge mobile armor Shamblo. Ronan Marcenas, chairman of the Federation’s Council on Colony Relations, takes this event very seriously. He contacts Bright Noa, commander of the Londo Bell unit, and dispatches him to recapture the Unicorn Gundam which serves as the key to the Box. Ronan’s son Riddhe is also assigned to the Ra Cailum, the flagship of Bright’s unit.

The detailed specs of the Blu ray are as follows:
Color / 80 min. / 16:9 [1080p High Definition] / BD50G / AVC

AUDIO:
1. Japanese Dolby TrueHD 5.1ch
2. Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0ch
3. English Dolby TrueHD 5.1ch
4. English Dolby Digital 2.0ch

SUBTITLES:
1. Japanese
2. English
3. French
4. Spanish

Filed Under: Anime Related News

The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya: Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

September 13, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

“The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya” is a fantastic anime film! The SOS Brigade are back in an animated film that is emotional, a bit darker than the TV series but by the film’s end, you realize how enjoyable this film is. The Blu-ray release is also fantastic as it comes with the DVD combo pack, features very good picture quality and lossless audio but also includes a good number of lengthy special features that were included on the original Japanese release. If you are a fan of Haruhi Suzumiya, then “The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya: Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack” is a must buy!

TITLE: The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya: Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack

DURATION: 164 Minutes

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p HD Dolby TrueHD English 5.1 and Dolby TrueHD Japanese 5.1, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: Bandai Entertainment

RATED: Suggested 13 and Up

Release Date: September 20, 2011

Chief Director: Tatsuya Ishihara

Director: Yasuhiro Takemoto

Screenplay by Fumihiko Shimo

Storyboards by Tatsuya Ishihara, Touko Taka, Yasuhiro Takemoto

Muisc by Satoru Kousaki

Oritinally created by Nagaru Tanigawa

Original Character Designs by Shoko Ikeda

Art Director: Seiki Tamura

Anime Production by Kyoto Animation

Featuring the following voice talent:

Aya Hirano/Wendee Lee as Haruhi Suzumiya

Minori Chihara/Michelle Ruff as Yuki Nagato

Tomokazu Sugita/Crispin Freeman as Kyon

Yuko Goto/Stephanie Sheh as Mikuru Asahina

Daisuke Ono/Johnny Yong Bosch as Itsuki Koizumi

Megumi Matsumoto/Brianne Siddall as Kunikida

Minoru Shiraishi/Sam Regal as Taniguchi

Natsuko Kuwatani/Bridget Hoffman as Ryōko Asakura

Sayaka Aoki/Kari Wahlgren as Kyon’s Sister

Yuki Matsuoka/Kari Wahlgren as Tsuruya-san

Ten days before Christmas, it seemed like just another ordinary day for the SOS Brigade; Haruhi came up with another one of her crazy ideas to hold a Christmas party in the club room. But things got weirder from there…

The next day Kyon woke up to a world in which Haruhi didn’t exist and no one besides him had any memory of her. How can someone like Haruhi Suzumiya, who’s supposed to be center of the universe, just vanish?

Haruhi, Kyon, Nagato, Asahina and Koizumi are back in the new movie “The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya”!

For those not familiar with the popular light novel/anime series, “Suzumiya Haruhi” is the name of a light novel series by Nagaru Tanigawa (featuring illustrations by Noizi Ito).

Created back in 2003 and published by Kadokawa Shoten, the series has received a TV series adaptation, two net animation, video gems and most recently an animated film.

But many fans are familiar with the 14-episode anime series “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya” which was released in the US by Bandai Entertainment back in 2007.

A 28-episode second season was made in 2010 featuring the original 14-episodes + an alternate re-telling of the 14-episodes ala time-loop featuring new footage which was released by Bandai Entertainment in 2010.

The series revolved around Kyon, the narrator and main protagonist of the series who is a member of the high school club known as the SOS Brigade. The series focused on Kyon’s perspective of the club and the members which include club leader Haruhi Suzumiya, an eccentric student who wants to meet aliens, time travelers and espers and thus the club search for weird phenomena around their city.

Other members include a Data Entity known as Yuki Nagato, who’s job is to monitor Haruhi and investigate events that took place three years earlier. She can manipulate the environment and is often seen in the club room reading books. Mikuru Asahina is the time traveler of the group who is assigned from the future to investigate the reason for the inability to travel at any point of time. She is very shy and her future, older version appears once in awhile if something is threatening the time paradox. And Itsuki Koizumi, is the other male member of the club who is an esper and acquired his knowledge and power three years prior to everyone meeting.

In 2010, the film “The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya” was released in Japan and is a film adaptation of the fourth light novel by Nagaru Tanigawa and now, the Blu-ray+DVD combo pack is set for U.S. release on Sept. 20, 2011 from Bandai Entertainment.

The film takes place on Dec. 16-Dec. 24th. The SOS Brigade is planning to have a nabemono party for Christmas but on Dec. 18th, something unusual happens to Kyon.

While going to school, what is thought to be a normal day is unusual as Haruhi is not a classmate, Itsuki Koizumi doesn’t go to his school, Mikuru Asahina doesn’t know who he is.

Needless to say, Kyon begins to freak out and wonder if it’s a dream and what has happened to his friends. To make things worse, his nemesis Ryoko Asakura sits behind him and because she was destroyed, it is not known why she exists in his time period.

Shocked and surprised of how the day is playing out, he goes to the SOS Brigade meeting room in hopes to find Yuki Nagato, and surely she will know who he is. But she doesn’t. In fact, the Yuki Nagato that he meets is a normal girl, not a Data Entity. Kyon starts to think that he is losing his mind and his classmates start to think that perhaps Kyon has been hit with a flu because he is behaving unusual.

The following day, Kyon is still trying to figure out what has happened. Is he in an alternate dimension? Why is Haruhi gone? What happened to his reality and his friends? As he looks at the books on the shelf of the literary club meeting room, he discovers a book and it’s a bookmark left by the Data Entity alien version of Yuki Nagato in which Kyon has a few days to gather “keys” that will initiate a program.

Meanwhile, as Kyon tries to piece together about the differences between the current world and his own world, he learns that in this world that he is in, Haruhi Suzumiya actually exists but she goes to a different school. Could this Haruhi be a key that is needed to initiate the program to bring Kyon back to his real world?

VIDEO:

“The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya” is presented in 1080p High definition. The picture quality of the film is vibrant and I felt the animation and also the artistic backgrounds were fantastic. I did love the use of CG which complimented the film but for the most part, having watched the anime TV series, the production of the film is wonderfully done. I loved the character designs for the film and the artwork.

Clarity and sharpness is a big positive for this animated film, I didn’t notice any compression artifacts nor did I see any blemishes. I did notice one short scene with banding at the beginning of the film but outside of that, I didn’t see any problems with the animation. Fans of the animated series will no doubt love the picture quality of the film!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya” is presented in Japanese Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and English DolbyTrue HD 5.1. First, let’s talk about the voice acting. The voice acting for this film is well-done. I have watched the series prior in Japanese and as I watched the film in English for the first time, I was quite pleased with the overall English dub. The voice acting was well done and felt that the talent were well cast for this film. Of course, the Japanese voice acting is well-done but as I am usually biased towards the Japanese vocal track, I have to say that I enjoyed the English dub a lot.

As for the lossless soundtrack, the music is fantastic for the film but also the use of the surround channels for ambiance. There are a few action sequences, so you can hear glass shattering, you can hear crowds and vehicles that compliment the environment. But for the most part, its the music that really sets the mood for the film and for the most part, the lossless soundtrack is well-done. Dialogue for both Japanese and English tracks are crystal clear and well-done!

Optional subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya: Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack” comes with the following special features on the second DVD (note: special features are not on the Blu-ray disc, only Bandai Entertainment trailers):

Location Hunting - (9:48) The crew scouting locations such as hospitals.
BGM Recording – (15:48) Pianist Seiji Honda in the recording studio recording the background music for the film.
Special Screening in Kyoto – (16:35) Featuring a Q&A hosted by Minoru Shiraishi (voice actor for Taniguchi) with animation director Shoko Ikeda, supervising animation director Futoshi Nishiya and producer Atsushi Ito.
Special Screening in Tokyo – (1:03:40) Featuring a Q&A hosted by Minoru Shiraishi (voice actor for Taniguchi) and voice actress Megumi Matsumoto (Kunikida), featuring voice talents Aya Hirano (Haruhi Suzumiya), Tomokazu Sugita (Kyon), Minori Chihara (Yuki Nagato), Yuko Goto (Mikuru Asahina), Daisuke Ono (Itsuki Koizumi), Natsuko Kuwatani (Ryoko Asakura), Yuki Matsuoka (Tsuruya-san), Sayaka Aoki (Kyon’s sister), supervisting director Ishihara, director Yasuhiro Takemoto.
Cutting, Dubbing, Editing – (29:09) Behind-the-scenes with the oost-production at Studio Gong recorded back in 2009.
DVD/BD Commercial – (00:34) Commercial for the Blu-ray and DVD release.
PV Making – (25:53) Featuring the behind-the-scenes filming of voice actress Minori Chihara’s (voice actress for Yuki Nagato) promotional video (music video) shot in Kobe.
Teasers – (2:21) “The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya” teasers.
Trailer – (1:03) “The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya” trailer.
TV Spots – (3:10) Featuring “The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya” TV spots.
A SOS Brigade Episode #A (Disappearance of Cristina) – (0:51) A Haruhi cosplayer watching clips of the movie.

EXTRAS:

“The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya” comes with the Blu-ray but also DVD version of the film. The DVD is presented in English and Japanese 5.1 Audio with English subtitles.

Exciting, fun and for “Haruhi” fans, what a great feeling to see the SOS Brigade together once again!

I have to admit, “The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya” was a pleasant surprise. For one, it’s probably one of the longest (in duration) anime films that I have ever watched and two, I was surprised to see how emotional and violent the film was.

For anyone who have watched the anime TV series, for the most part, the episodes of “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya“ were quite upbeat and hilarious, so you expect a similar situation with the film. And while the opening storyline of the film retains the craziness and fun from the series, once the date changes to October 18th, things change as we see Kyon in a world where life is much different. The SOS Brigade doesn’t exist, Haruhi and Koizumi do not attend the same school, Asahina doesn’t know him and Nagato is an actual shy girl.

And for Kyon, the thought of being displaced in an alternate reality of his life is too much to handle. Is he going crazy? Did something happen to him? And it’s a side of Kyon that we have never seen in the anime series. It’s not necessarily dark, but you get to see a more emotional side to him. A more anxiety-proned Kyon who is trying to piece together of what the heck is happening and how he can get back to his world, if possible.

The film also has its share of darker moments as there is one violent scene in which one of the members does get stabbed and blood is shown. While not as bloody as more violent anime series, the scene is in the film and just a slight warning for those who are sensitive to those type of scenes.

But overall, while the film is long at 164 minutes, I felt that the film went rather quickly because I enjoyed it so much! In fact, typically I don’t have high expectations on animated films that are derived from anime series but in the case of “Suzumiya Haruhi”, it is derived from the light novels and in this case, I was blow away from how deep this film was compared to the TV series. It was much more than I expected and I was pretty blown away. It’s a fantastic film and because I enjoyed the original series, I enjoyed the whole dynamic of the alternate universe and time-travel aspect of the film.

Aside from the entertaining story, I also enjoyed the overall look of the film, from its character design, art backgrounds, vibrant colors and just the closeups of the faces of the characters and capturing their emotional state. It was well-done!

A question I have been asked is if one has to watch the entire series to understand the film. Well, I only watched the first season of “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya” and it’s been quite awhile since I watched that there was an occasion where Kyon talked about being in a situation once before. Possibly from a past episode that I don’t recall but with that being said, because the film takes you out of the current setting of the S.O.S. Brigade and is more about Kyon trying to get back to his own world, watching the series is not necessary. It does help to learn about how each of the members except Kyon are not human and also to learn about the chemistry between characters, but also how time-travel comes to play in this film but aside from that, I think anyone who has never seen the series, can easily jump in and watching this movie and still enjoy it.

As for the Blu-ray release, the picture quality is very good and the lossless audio soundtrack is also wonderful. But I was amazed with the English dub track, as mentioned, I am biased towards the Japanese soundtrack and prefer to watch anime in Japanese but this is an instance where I watched in English and absolutely enjoyed the English dub, so great casting by Bang Zoom! Entertainment.

Also, the Blu-ray release contains a good number of special features. I know some may question why the special features were not carried out on Blu-ray but my feeling is that since the features were in standard definition to begin with, for budgetary reasons, there was no reason to take away from the picture or audio quality of the film on Blu-ray. So, at least Bandai Entertainment did include the special features on a separate DVD disc.

And of course, with this being a Blu-ray and DVD combo pack, you have that extra DVD, may it be to loan to a friend, watch on commutes or if you don’t have a Blu-ray player now, by purchasing this release, you don’t have to worry if you upgrade to Blu-ray in the near future.

Overall, “The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya: Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack” is a solid release from Bandai Entertainment! Fantastic film, great picture quality and lossless audio and also lengthy special features.

If you are a fan of “Haruhi Suzumiya”, then I’m confident to say that you will enjoy the animated film.

Highly recommended!

Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

K-ON!: Volume 3 (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

September 3, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

Highly contagious! Hilarious and outright enjoyable and fun! “K-ON!” vol. 3 features a new member joining the club/band and also what happens when Mio and Ritsu’s friendship is tested? Overall, another awesome volume of “K-ON!”

TITLE: K-ON!: Volume 3

DURATION: Episodes 9-11 (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: September 13, 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

Azusa has just joined the Light Music Club and she is shocked that all they do is drink tea and eat snacks instead of practicing. The rest of the band reassures her that they will practice hard at their training camp, but despite Azusa’s objections the girls end up playing all day at the beach.

Azusa soon learns that reason why the band plays so well is because they have so much fun together. With the school festival right around the corner, the girls still have some hurdles to clear, like filling out the stage use application, doing maintenance on Yui’s guitar, and coming up with a band name!

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.

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.

Now, 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.

Azusa is a long-playing guitarist who was inspired to join the club after watching the band perform live but when she joins the club, all she sees is them fooling around, eating desserts and drinking tea. For Azusa, she wants to be part of a band but with the members of the club having fun instead of practicing, she worries that maybe she made the wrong choice of joining the club.

Will Azusa stay in the club or leave?

“K-ON!: Volume 3″ features the following episodes:

EPISODE 9: New Club Member – Azusa Nakano joins the Keion music club but she is not sure if she wants to stay after observing how the club members rather eat dessert and drink tea than play music.
EPISODE 10: Another Training Camp – It’s training camp once again at Tsumugi’s family island resort and this time, the club members try to make Azusa feel comfortable.
EPISODE 11: Crisis!? – Yui’s guitar has gone rusty and Azusa tries to help her out. Meanwhile, Ritsu is becoming jealous because Mio is wanting to hang around Nodoka.

“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, 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 3″ comes with the following special features:

My Love is a Staple Music Video – (1:43) The English dub music video for “My Love is a Staple”.
Interview with Cassandra Lee – (6:26) English dub voice actress Cassandra Lee talks about how she was cast for the role of Ritsu and how she prepared for the role.
Trailers – Bandai Entertainment trailers

I love this series!

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 a gakusei anime series (student anime series – focused on a school setting).

I have been waiting for the introduction of Azusa Nakano. I have only read from fans how they really love her character and having not known too much about the character, I can see why “K-ON!” fans enjoy her addition to the show. She has that fiery attitude like Mio but also this caring and childish side as well. But seeing these new episodes, you can tell that she is going to be an awesome guitarist for the band.

The series continues to focus on the dynamics between the members but as the first two are Azusa-driven episodes, by episode 11, we get to see something that has not been featured and that is fall-outs between members. In this case, what happens when Mio and Ritsu’s friendship changes even slightly and to see how it affects the other members of the group.

The latest third volume of “K-ON!” was definitely fun but viewers may realize that there are only three episodes as opposed to four. And that is because there are only 13 episodes total plus one OVA. So, more than likely the final volume for the first season will feature episodes 12-13 and the OVA.

But overall, these latest episodes in volume three were so hilarious, fun and highly enjoyable. This is one of those light-hearted series that if you want to get away from the serious or dark anime or if you are having a long or tough day, “K-ON!” is the feel-good anime series because it’s all about having fun, enjoying life and doing your best! That’s what I love about this series!

I have seen music-based anime series, from the long running “Hummingbird” idol pop anime series to an anime series like “NANA”. But while “NANA” had its flair for the dramatic and also featured a more young adult theme, “K-ON!” is a series that attracts people of all ages. It captures the youth of one wanting to become a band, to be part of the band and to fit in.

In Japan, you can watch variety TV shows such as “Gakkou e Ikou” (Let’s go to School) or films such as “Linda Linda Linda” and there are many young people who want to play music. And its evident from the various young bands that have come from Japan straight out of high school that have become signed to a major label.

While here in the West, there are shows and events that spotlight this, in Japan, its a bit more magnified because these storylines are brought to television, film and manga. There are constant music auditions throughout Japan featuring many young teenagers who want to make it and these auditions are featured on television. Especially female students who create a rock band.

“K-ON!” captures that essence of those female students wanting to create a rock band and the series gives life to those characters and while keeping the stories fun and light-hearted, I was very impressed with how music is integrated into the series. From the instruments featured, the focus on chord progression and hand/finger movements. While there is an anime series such as “La corda d’oro ~primo passo~” that does focus on intricacies of instruments and focuses more on classical music, the show is more magical in a sense that a fairy gives the protagonist the power to play the violin.

As for the Blu-ray release, I know the more hardcore technical Blu-ray reviewers will probably be a bit more unforgiving to “K-ON!” and its saturated colors and lack of a lossless soundtrack and there will be some who may be critical that there are only four episodes on this Blu-ray release, but I enjoyed this anime series so much that I know I am a bit more forgiving towards it than other reviewers. Do I wish the whole first season was presented as a complete series, sure I do! But I understand that anime companies have different strategies, especially those who are closely tied to the Japanese business side of the anime industry. That’s how it is and I don’t see it changing any time soon.

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!

And for those who did purchase “K-ON!” volume 1 and 2, it’s a no-brainer volume 3 is a must-buy!

Definitely recommended!

Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie – A Wakening of the Trailblazer (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

July 6, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

Have you been waiting for all-out mecha action on Blu-ray? For fans of “Mobile Suit Gundam 00″ and fans of mecha, will definitely appreciate this film on Blu-ray. “A Wakening of the Trailblazer” looks and sounds incredible on Blu-ray!

TITLE: Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie – A Wakening of the Trailblazer

DURATION: 120 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (16×9), Japanese and English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0, English Subtitles

RATED: Suggested 13 and Up

COMPANY: Sunrise/Bandai Entertainment

RELEASE DATE: July 5, 2011

Originally Created by Hajime Yatate, Yoshiyuki Tomino

Directed by Seiji Mizushima

Screenplay by Yousuke Kuroda

Music by Kenji Kawai

Character Design by Michinori Chiba, Yun Kouga

Art Director: Eiji Wakamatsu

Art Design by Nobuhito Sue

Featuring the voices of:

Hiroshi Kamiya/Samuel Vincent as Tieria Arde

Hiroyuki Yoshino/Richard Ian Cox as Allelujah Haptism

Mamoru Miyano/Brad Swaile as Setsuna F. Seiei

Shinichiro Miki as Lyle Dylandy / Lockon Stratos

Arisa Ogasawara/Tabith St. Germain as Marie Parfacy / Soma Peries

Ayahi Takagaki/Chantal Strand as Feldt Grace

Chiwa Saito/Kelly Sheridan as Louise Halevy

Haruka Tomatsu/Andrea Libman as Mileina Vashti

Hiroki Touchi/Andrew Francis as Lasse Aeon

Kenji Hamada/Trevor Devall as Patrick Colasour

Minami Takayama/Cathy Wesluck as Kati Mannequin

Miyu Irino/Gabe Khouth as Saji Crossroad

Rie Kugimiya/Nicole Bouma as Mina Carmine

Ryo Katsuji/ as Descartes Shaman

Youko Honna/Lisa Ann Beley as Sumeragi Lee Noriega

Yuji Ueda/Kirby Morrow as Billy Katagiri

Yuuichi Nakamura/Paul Dobson as Graham Aker

It is the year A.D. 2314. Two years have passed since the defeat of the ruthless A-LAWs, and the new Earth Sphere Federation government has sought for peace by establishing a weapon-free world. However, a long forgotten ship that was sent to Jupiter 130 years ago somehow returns to Earth, seemingly with no signs of life onboard, but actually bringing with it a dangerous new alien threat—the Extraterrestrial Living-metal Shapeshifters (ELS), who have started assimilating Earth’s technology and inhabitants. Now, with humanity at risk of total destruction, the Celestial Being makes its return to defend against the invasion of the ELS.

For fans of the “Mobile Suit Gundam 00″ series, “A Wakening of the Trailblazers” film is a fitting, action-packed conclusion to the series.

For those who are wondering what “Mobile Suit Gundam 00″ is all about, it’s important to explain a few details on the “Mobile Suit Gundam” storyline. First, there is the Universal Century (UC) storyline which many people who grew up with the series back in the late ’70s and ’80s grew up with and is considered the true timeline.

And then the ’90s spawned “alternate timelines” which include the Future Century, After Colony, After War, Correct Century, Cosmic Era, Anno Domini and Advanced Generation timelines.

“Mobile Suit Gundam 00″ is the eleventh Gundam franchise created back in 2007 and is part of the “Anno Domini” timeline. The 50-episode TV series was directed by Seiji Mizushima and written by Yosuke Kuroda and takes place in 2307 AD.

Earth has depleted all fossil fuels and now, humanity is in the search of new power. The power they found were solar power collectors which have orbited the earth and serves power to three “power blocks” which include the Union (North America), the Human Reform League (China, Japan, Russia and India and the AEU (Europe).

And because the power benefits the larger countries, minor countries are at war with the bigger countries for fuels and energy and the result was countries being forced into poverty and resulted in a 20-year Solar War.

Because the world was at chaos, a private military organization had created the Celestial Being, which comprises of people piloting Gundams in order to eradicate war and unite humanity. The series would focus on Setsuna F. Seiei, one of the pilots who is a member of the Celestial Being and because of the technology that they possess, they would eventually fight against the countries that comprise three power blocks, who would later be known as the United Nations Army.

Season one of “Mobile Suit Gundam 00″ would focus on the battle between the Celestial Beings and the UN Army. While the second season would focus on life on Earth, four years later. Humanity has now established the Earth Sphere Federation and times have changed. Setsuna who has been living in piece is brought back to the fight to confront the A-Laws, the group whose duty is to unify the nations, detsroy terrorist cells and enforce the will of mankind. But the group has been misusing their power.

And now “Mobile Suit Gundam 00 The Movie: Awakening of the Trailblazer” now focuses on life two years after the turmoil. While all seems peaceful on Earth, Princess Marina Ismail of Azadistan, whose goal is to unite humanity and wanting to end the war. Both she and Setsuna have shared the same goal (in the TV series) but the film begins with many wondering what has happened to Setsuna and the Celestial Beings since it has been two years since the defeat of the A-Laws and the Innovators.

When someone tries to assassinate the Princess, Princess Ismail realizes that she has a long way to go in order to bring peace to the land but seeing the Celestial Beings rescue her, she realizes that they are watching over humanity and for the princess, she is happy.

But peace doesn’t last too long on Earth. An alien force has come towards Earth and when the Federation shoots it down, the debris falls on Earth and immediately machines begin to think on their own and start killing people.

For Amia Lee, when she returns home, her contact with the metal doorknob slowly starts to turn her into metal and when she is able to break free, she is encountered by a man who looks as if he will assimilate her.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, Saji who is visiting Louise at an Earth Federation Hospital notices that something bad is going on and a man begins going after Louise. Setsuna comes to the rescue and shoots several rounds at the alien and when he sees the face of the being, the face is of Ribbons Almark, the man that Setsuna killed and the man responsible for leading the innovators.

It appears that these new alien invaders who are known as ELS are targeting the living innovators on Earth for some reason and is willing to cause destruction along the way.

With humanity now in peril and the ELS now attacking Earth, can Setsuna and the other members of Celestial Being save the planet from destruction?

VIDEO:

“Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie – A Wakening of the Trailblazer” is an animated film and if there is one thing that Sunrise has have a positive track record, it’s that their Gundam and mecha films look absolutely fantastic. And because the film is on Blu-ray, watching this film in HD, you get the best of digital animation and CG animation. The colors are vibrant, blacks are deep and bold, character designs and coloring for the entire film is absolutely wonderful.

Where the film does shine is its battle sequences. The way these sequences are animated is well-done and for the most part, anyone who wants more mecha on Blu-ray will surely enjoy the picture quality of this film. I detected no artifacts, no banding and no problems whatsoever.

This film looks fantastic on Blu-ray!

AUDIO:

“Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie – A Wakening of the Trailblazer” is presented in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (English and Japanese) and Dolby Digital 2.0. Of course, the lossless soundtrack is much better than its 2.0 counterpart and because this film has so much mecha action, there is a good use of LFE and the surround channels.

You can literally hear all the various, different Gundam’s fighting other mecha and you can expect every laser shot, every explosion and the overall sounds of war really taking over the soundscape with great efficacy.

Voice acting is good for both vocal tracks but I prefer the Japanese soundtrack much more! But once again, it’s all subjective to the listener.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie – A Wakening of the Trailblazer” comes with the following special features:

Special Announcements – (5:18) Contains four special announcements for “Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie – A Wakening of the Trailblazer”.
Theatrical Trailers – (2:31) Theatrical trailer for the film.
TV Commercials – (2:15) TV commercials for the film.
Extra Promotional Video – (2:02) “Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie – A Wakening of the Trailblazer” promotional video.
TV Series Guide – (4:17) A brief primer to the “Mobile Suit Gundam 00″ series.
Trailer for “Celestial Being” The Movie Within a Movie” – (1:21) A fun special feature featuring the characters of the “Mobile Suit Gundam 00″.
Trailers – Bandai Entertainment trailers

For fans of “Mobile Suit Gundam 00″, the movie “A Wakening of the Trailblazer” has a lot to offer in terms of the many characters from the series that are featured plus for fans of mecha action, the movie does a great job in featuring plenty of that as well.

But typically, when I watch an anime-based film, especially one that is derived from a television series, the question that I often ask myself is “how friendly is it to those who have never watched the series before?”.

For Bandai Entertainment, with the film “Eureka SeveN: Good Night, Sleep Tight, Young Lovers”, we have a storyline that was an alternate storyline to help non-viewers get into the film, with “GUNBUSTER vs DIEBUSTER – THE GATTAI!! MOVIE – AIM FOR THE TOP”, these were condensed versions of the TV series, easy for non-viewers of the OVA’s to follow and these titles were accessible for American viewers who have never watched the series before but were purchasing them on Blu-ray.

With “Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie – A Wakening of the Trailblazer”, I can easily say that while many who have never series can understand its main plot, unfortunately it is not the most accessible film because you see so many characters that are featured in the film, some who are no longer alive or some that show up quickly for a cameo that may not mean much to the viewer who has not invested their time watching all 50-episodes of the TV series. There are a lot of references to the TV series as well as certain relationships that can explain why this person and that person acts a certain way towards each other. So, for those who haven’t seen the TV series, you may feel that you have missed out on something while watching the film.

With that being said, when it comes to these films, especially for a series lke “Mobile Suit Gundam 00″, because this is the 11th franchise for “Mobile Suit Gundam”, not everyone (except hardcore Gundam otaku) have watched every series in the last three decades and with “Mobile Suit Gundam 00″, those who would probably buy the film probably have invested their time watching the series. And for those who have, will definitely enjoy the film and how they try to include every character (even those who are dead) in the film, someway, some manner.

Also, the film is a conclusion to the series and after all the credits are done, viewers will be surprised to see an ending that takes place far into the future.

Last but not least, for fans of the series, whether or not they like the movie is all subjective, especially those who invested their time in watching all 50-episodes but for the Blu-ray itself, I can easily say that this film looks and sounds absolutely wonderful in HD. If I do have one irk, I do feel that the summary of what happened on “Mobile Suit Gundam 00″ the TV series, the TV Series Guide would have best been explained possibly in a longer featurette much longer than four minutes because its too short and it doesn’t do the series much justice because so much happened during the series which leads up to the movie.

Especially for those who have never seen the series before, the TV Series Guide featurette could have been better utilized. But there are other special features that are included on this Blu-ray, it would also have been great to have some commentary or a featurette that focuses on the screen premiere with the director and voice talent for the film.

Overall, if you are a “Mobile Suit Gundam 00″ fan or someone craving for more mecha action on Blu-ray, you can’t go wrong with “Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie – A Wakening of the Trailblazer”. Is it a great film compared to my favorites which are the first four Gundam UC films? Definitely not as the originals really showcased action and drama extraordinarily well. Not to say that “A Wakening of the Trailblazer” is all eyecandy and great for audiophiles but the story is good, just not great.

Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

K-ON!: Volume 2 (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

July 5, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

Highly contagious! Hilarious and outright enjoyable and fun! “K-ON!” has become one of my favorite anime series and I can’t get enough! Volume 2 is another must-buy and “K-ON!” is a series that is recommended!

TITLE: K-ON!: Volume 2

DURATION: Episodes 5-8 (100 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: July 5, 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

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

Minako Kotobuki/Shelby Lindley as Tsumugi Kotobuki

Satomi Satou/Cassandra Lee as Ritsu Tainaka

Yōko Hikasa/Cristina Vee as Mio Akiyama

As the Light Music Club rehearses for their performance at the school festival, they realize that they’re not officially registered as a club. They need to quickly find a faculty advisor, but that’s not something that a little blackmail can’t fix. As their new club advisor, Miss Yamanaka coaches Yui to become the frontman of the band and pushes her to the point of losing her voice. Mio is forced to be the lead vocalist in her stead, but can she overcome her stage fright?

Later, the Light Music Club celebrates Christmas with a party and gift exchange, and soon another school year begins. If they want the Light Music Club to live on even after they graduate, they’re going to have to recruit new members, and that means another performance at the freshman reception!

“K-ON!”, 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 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 season has been released with the first volume now in stores courtesy of Bandai Entertainment and now a second volume featuring episodes 5-8 out on Blu-ray and DVD.

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.

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

“K-ON!: Vol. 2″ 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.

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.
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.
Azusa Nakano – The same class as Yui’s sister Ui, Azusa is looking for a club to join and discovers the Keiongaku music club.
Jun Suzuki – Ui’s and Azusa’s classmate who is tempted to join the club. But will she?

VIDEO:

“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:

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“K-ON!: Volume 2″ comes with the following special features:

Fuwa Fuwa Time Music Video – (2:20) The English dub music video for “Fuwa Fuwa Time”.
Interview with Cristina Vee – (7:36) English dub voice actress Stephanie Sheh talks about her character (Mio Akiyama), how she got the part, if she is like her character and more!
Trailers – Bandai Entertainment trailers

As I wrote about in my last review, I personally have been waiting for “K-ON!” to be released in the U.S. and after watching the first volume, I absolute love this series!

I have heard so much about the series and even when I cover the weekly Japanese music sales charts for J!-ENT, I can’t help but notice how many times K-ON! has dominated the charts and even beating popular artists in single and album sales. Personally, I have never seen an anime series have this much success musically and I couldn’t figure it out until I watched “K-ON!” for the very first time!

In the second volume of “K-ON!”, we get to hear a new song “Fuwa Fuwa Time” from the band and for the story, we get to see a few things come into play.

In episode 5, titled “Advisor”, we are introduced to the club advisor Ms. Yamanaka and this calm and well-liked teacher turns out to be something else entirely when her secret is revealed to the keiongaku club. Of course, we get to see other sides to the characters as well. One, seeing Mugi actually having a crush on the advisor. Yamanaka, definitely brings comedy to the series and it will be interesting to see where her character goes in future episodes.

In episode 6, titled “School Festival”, we get to see how the vocalist is chosen for the band but also get to see more of Mio and her fears. She’s a fun character to watch because of her duality. She’s mature in front of the members when it comes to her school work but watching her get scared of blood, monsters, stage fright, etc. was quite interesting.

In episode 7, “Christmas!” is not only just a Christmas episode but it helps set the storyline for Yui’s younger sister Ui, who becomes a major part of the band and also as a friend to the other girls. We get to see how Yui’s younger sister is actually more mature and helps take care of her clumsy older sister.

And for episode 8 titled “Freshman Reception!”, this introduces viewers to Azusa and how she decides if she wants to join the club or not.

But overall, these four episodes were so hilarious, fun and highly enjoyable. This is one of those light-hearted series that if you want to get away from the serious or dark anime or if you are having a long or tough day, “K-ON!” is the feel-good anime series because it’s all about having fun, enjoying life and doing your best! That’s what I love about this series!

In “K-ON!”, the anime series keeps things real. Students having to deal with homework, the realization of the expense of the cost of a guitar, the amount of practice it comes to learning an instrument but also capturing youth and everyday life and interests and eventually showing the progression of these individuals being a band and playing good music.

And speaking of the music, “K-ON!” features awesome music! The ending theme “Don’t Say ‘Lazy’” is a wonderful song with awesome guitar playing and if you look on YouTube, you can see guys and girls, including some individuals who are pretty hardcore in playing “K-ON!” music. It’s catchy, enjoyable and I can understand now why the soundtracks, the singles have dominated the Japanese music charts. A lot of care went into the planning of this series and its music and it shows! And I also have to say that the animation for the ending theme of “Don’t Say ‘Lazy’” is stylish and very cool to watch! Often at times, I forward through the ending theme but in this case, I always look forward to it.

With this second volume, you also get “Fuwa Fuwa Time” and although you do get the dubbed version of the song as an extra, there is something exciting and enjoyable about the Japanese vocal tracks and the music that I just love listening to! But it’s all about preference but you do get the voice talent singing in English for the dub.

And for those who did purchase “K-ON!” volume 1, volume 2 is a must-buy! Recommended!

Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

ENGLISH CAST ANNOUNCED FOR TEKKEN BLOOD VENGEANCE!

June 20, 2011 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment

ENGLISH CAST ANNOUNCED FOR TEKKEN: BLOOD VENGANCE!

June 20, 2011, 2011 (Cypress, CA) – Bandai Entertainment announced today the English cast for the upcoming Tekken: Blood Vengeance 3D which will be premiere July 26, 2011 in a special event from NCM Fathom.

LING ZIAOYU: Carrie Keranen
ALISA BOSCONOVITCH: Cristina Vee
SHIN KAMIYA: David Vincent
KAZUYA MISHIMA: Kyle Herbert
ANNA WILLIAMS: Tara Platt
NIN WILLIAMS: Charlotte Bell
JIN KAZAMA: Darren Daniels

Tekken: Blood Vengeance will be released on DVD and a Hybrid Blu-ray later in 2011.

Filed Under: Anime Related News

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

May 7, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

Delightful, vibrant and wonderful! “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” is a beautifully animated film that looks and sound wonderful on Blu-ray. For those who owned the 2008 DVD release, its worth upgrading for the better visuals, audio quality but also for its new additional special features. Definitely recommended!

TITLE: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Toki o Kakeru Shojo)

DURATION: 98 Minutes

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen), English and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: Kadokawa Pictures/Bandai Entertainment

RATED: Suggested 13 and Up

Release Date: April 26, 2011

Original Story by Yasutaka Tsutsui

Directed by Mamoru Hosoda

Screenplay by Satoko Okudera

Producers: Takashi Watanabe, Yuichiro Saito

Character Designs by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto

Art Direction by Nizo Yamamto

Music by Kiyoshi Yoshida

Anime Production: Madhouse Studios

Featuring the following voice talent:

Mitsutaka Itakura/Alex Zahara as Kousuke Tsuda

Riisa Naka/Emily Hirst as Makoto Konno

Takuya Ishida/Andrew Francis as Chiaki Mamiya

Ayami Kakiuchi/Kristie Marsden as Yuri Hayakawa

Mitsuki Tanimura/Natalie Walters as Kaho Fujitani

Sachie Hara/Saffron Henderson as Kazuko Yoshiyama

Yuki Sekido/Shannon Chan-Kent as Miyuki Konno

Makoto Konno is having one of those days. After getting up late for school she’s hit with a pop quiz. She started a fire while cooking in her home economics class and then she gets knocked down by some of the guys while they wrestle. How much worse can this day get? While performing an errand for her mother, Makoto loses the brakes on her bike and barrels headlong down the street into an oncoming train. This would have been the capper for a horrible day, but for some reason something strange has happened. Time has suddenly stopped and moved her backward.

With her newly discovered ability to literally leap backwards in time, Makoto finds that tests become a piece of cake, embarrassing situations are corrected and she can have her favorite food anytime she wants. Unfortunately, her care-free time traveling has adverse effects on the people she cares for.

With every successful leap Makoto somehow alters the fate of those around her. This wasn’t supposed to happen! As she races back in time to fix everything, she notices that her abilities are not limitless, but with every successful jump she’s one step closer to discovering the most wonderful secret in her young adult life.

The series “Toki o Kakeru Shojo” has been a popular novel series in Japan for over four decades. Originally written back in 1965 by Yasutaka Tsutsui, the series has spawned several live action films and a Japanese drama series. As well as a manga series and now an animated film.

The 2006 animated film version of “Toki o Kakeru Shojo”, known in the US as “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” is not a direct adaption from the novel but a continuation of the original storyline. This time taking place 20 years after the original storyline featured in the novel.

Originally released on DVD in the U.S. back in 2008, “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” has now been released on Blu-ray in 2011.

“The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” is directed by Mamoru Hosoda (“Alice SOS”, “Digimon Adventure”, “Summer Wars”), a screenplay by Satoko Okudera (“Angel”, “Summer Wars”, “Miyori no Mori”) and music by Koyoshi Yoshida (“Martian Successor Nadesico”, “Shigirui: Death Frenzy”). Character design is by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (“FLCL”, “Evangelion” films, “.hack” series) and anime production by Madhouse Studios.

In this animated film, the main character is a teenager named Makoto Konno. Makoto’s life was as a typical high school girl, somewhat of a tomboy and her best friends happen to be two guys: Chiaki Mamiya, a calm, cool guy who happens to like Makoto and Kosuke Tsuda, the level-headed jock who is dedicated to his schoolwork.

The three like to spend time together and one of their past times is to play baseball in the field.

The story picks up one day while Makoto is out delivering books to the lab at school. While inside a lab and snooping around, after hearing a noise that scares her, Makoto falls and lands on some sort of walnut looking device that whisks her out to the unknown. She sees herself flowing through time but was it a dream?

Afterschool, while on her bike and surprised of what has taken place, Makoto rides quickly downhill. Unfortunately, Makoto forgot that her brakes on her bike are malfunctioning and while going downhill on a busy street, she tries to pull on the brakes of her bike and tries to stop her descent from the hill with her shoes but to no avail. Meanwhile, an oncoming train is coming.

Makoto hits the train guard rail and both she and her bike start floating in the air onto the path of an oncoming train. Sure enough, she should be killed but somehow, she is able to leap through time and avoid getting killed. What has just happened?

While visiting her “Auntie Witch”, ala Kazuko Yoshiyama (who is actually the main character of the original anime/manga series “Toki o Kakeru Shojo), Kazuko believes Makoto’s story and talks about how Makoto has experienced a “Time Leap”.

Surprised at first, Makoto wants to see if she can re-enact her special ability. May it be through running and tripping over things, Makoto discovers that she indeed has a new ability. By running and leaping, she can go back in time.

Thus, Makoto starts having fun and figuring out the type of things she can do by going back in time. Flunk a quiz, no problem, she can go back in time and make sure she gets a perfect grade. What about her favorite pudding being eaten by her sister? No problem, she can go back in time and eat it before her sister gets her hand on it. So, eventually Makoto loves going back into time. But each time she does, she notices a number on her arm. What does the number represent?

Meanwhile, Makoto starts to notice a change with her friends. Eventually, she and her friends are getting to an age where guys and girls start to view things differently with each other and Makoto is surprised when her best friend Chiaki asks her to be his girlfriend.

This freaks her out and Makoto not knowing how to respond to his question decides to go back in time (repeatedly) and make sure he is unable to ask the question and tries to change situations by having her friend fall for Makoto and also helping her friend Kosuke have a girlfriend.

But as Makoto’s aunt has warned her, that by changing time, does she realize that she can alter things for other people? And Makoto comes to learn that things that she has done, for example, switching places with a guy in class during a cooking class in order to advert disaster will cause him to get bullied by the guys in school. And other situations that she starts to notice.

Meanwhile, Makoto realizes that a number on her arm is constantly being shown and its changing each time she leaps through time. What can the number be for?

But one day, she notices that the number on her arm may be a counter and that she may have used up the ability to leap through time and now she has one left. At the same time, she realizes that the bike she rode (and nearly was killed on) was given to another friend and she may have inadvertently changed time and possibly resulting in the death of her good friend.

What will Makoto do?

VIDEO:

“The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” is presented in 1080p High Definiton (16:9 anamorphic widescreen). The animation features designs that are helped by the talented character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gunbuster 2, .Hack, etc.) and the beautiful, lush backgrounds courtesy of the art direction by Nizo Yamamoto (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Perfect Blue, etc.). And with Madhouse Studios responsible for the animation production, you know this film is going to look fantastic!

Watching “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” again on Blu-ray, while the background art was what captured my attention when watching the original DVD, this time around, I was struck by how detailed the background art was. How beautiful these painted backgrounds looked and how it complimented the characters. Also, how vibrant colors were, from the blue skies, to the sun going down with the reddish purple haze over the horizon. It’s one thing to watch this film on DVD but if you really want to experience this film and its beauty, I highly recommend watching the Blu-ray release version of this film.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” is presented in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 for both Japanese and English lossless soundtracks. When I first watched the DVD version, I spent most of the time watching it in Japanese because I enjoy the voice acting of Riisa Naka. But this time around, I wanted to watch this film with its lossless English soundtrack and I was very pleased with the voice acting. While, I do feel that Riisa Naka can capture the more emotional scenes of Makoto, I do feel that the English voice talent did a wonderful job with the acting.

As for the lossless audio, both Japanese and English soundtrack produced the same results when I was testing scenes, especially during the time travel scenes for the film’s utilization of the surround channels. “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” is able to capture Makoto’s class and the ambiance around the school but where you will notice the majority of the surround channels being utilized is during the time travel scenes.

For the most part, you do get a little immersive audio throughout the film but dialogue and music is crystal clear and I do feel that I noticed the ambiance much more, while watching the Blu-ray this time around!

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“The Girl Who Leap Through Time” contains the following special features on Disc 2:

Main Feature with Storyboards – While watching the film, you can see a picture-in-picture of the storyboard for the film.
Audio Commentary with Mamoro Hosoda (Director), Riisa Naka (Makoto), Takuya Ishida (Chiaki) ant Mitsuoka Itakura (Kousuke) - The commentary features Mamoru Hosoda (Director), Riisa Naka (Makoto), Takuya Ishida (Chiaki) and Mitsutaka Itakura (Kousuke). The director would talk about how the three main voice actors were somewhat similar to their animated counterparts. Naka talked about the re-recording of parts on their fifth and final day of voice over and how she developed as the days went on. It’s interesting because during the commentary, you would get some pauses and the staff would talk about how they were so drawn into the film while doing the commentary. Especially towards the end. Really interesting insight on the final quarter of the film.
Audio Commentary with Mamor Hosoda (Director), Toshihiko Ito (Assistant Director) and Hiroyuki Aoyama (Animation Director) – While the cast commentary gives you the cast interaction for the film, this time around, you get more of a technical insight towards the making of “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time”.
Direction File (A Talk with the Director Mamoru Hosoda) – (34:28) Kou Furukawa interviews director Mamoru Hosoda on the making of the film. Hosoda explains his “Do-Po” technique and explains the various scenes and why they were done that way.
Behind the Scenes at Premiere Event – (9:41) A look at director Mamoru Hosoda and the cast before the screening and press conference and the anticipation and tense nerves that the director and cast were feeling before meeting with the audience.
Premiere Event in Tokyo – (13:46) The premiere event was another great addition to the special features. The staff and the director presented the film to an audience and talked about working on the film and questions such as “what would they do, if they can go back in time?” So, it was a fun premiere event and also, it was the first time the staff watched the final film. So, that was great to see this featurette.
Hanako Oku – “Garnet” Music Video - (5:15) A music video featuring singer Hanako Oku.
Theatrical Trailer – (1:45) The original theatrical trailer for “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time”.
Promo Clip – (:32) A brief Japanese promo clip for “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time”.

A delightful film with a lot of heart and soul, Mamoru Hosoda’s “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” is beautiful film that looks and sounds much better on Blu-ray!

What I enjoyed about “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” especially watching it on Blu-ray this time around is how vibrant and detailed the film looks. I felt myself in awe when I watched the detailed paintings of the background art and how it complimented the characters. And the fact that the film utilized many scenes to make the film’s pacing and its overall look different.

But part of the efficacy of “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” goes to Mamoru Hosoda’s experience and technique and his good eye to capturing those scenes and bringing life to the characters. And just as important as having the look and feel of the series, finding voice talent was important and while the Japanese voice acting is excellent, I have to give credit to Bandai Entertainment for also casting the right people for the English dub soundtrack.

And as the Blu-ray release meant better picture quality and audio quality over its DVD counterpart, it is important to note that there are more special features on this Blu-ray release than the 2008 DVD.

As for the rating of 13 and up, there are no profanity nor are there anything sex related in this film but it deals with time travel and also high school teenage relationships and emotions that probably will go over the head of children if they watched this film. There is also one scene featuring Makoto running through the hill and falling and she does get a bit bruised and bloodied. Nothing too graphic, but I can understand the rating given.

But overall, I do feel that this Blu-ray release is a much more satisfying release than its 2008 DVD counterpart. The visuals of the film are absolutely beautiful and once again, I found myself more enamored by the painted backgrounds and how it complimented the characters of the film. I also noticed the audio and crowd ambiance and other sound effects coming from the surround channels this time around. And as mentioned, it’s so great to see new special features added to this Blu-ray release.

Highly recommended!

Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

Kurokami the Animation: Volume Six (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

May 1, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

The conclusion of “Kurokami the Animation” is here with the final sixth volume. Kuro, Keita and friends put up one final fight against the evil Masagami… who will survive and who will die? A fitting conclusion to this action anime series and also included is a bonus episode featuring the character Excel. Overall, “Kurokami the Animation” has become an entertaining, action-driven anime series from beginning to end. It’s worth checking out!

TITLE: Kurokami – The Animation – Volume Six

DURATION: EPISODES 21-24 (100 Minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (1:78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen), English PCM 2.0,

COMPANY: Sunrise/Bandai Entertainment

RATED: NOT RATED (Note: This anime does feature violence)

Release Date: May 22, 2011

Originally created by Dall-Young Lim, Sung-woo Park

Directed by Tsuneo Kobayashi

Series Composition by Reiko Yoshida

Original Character Design by Sung-woo Park

Character Design: Hiroyuki Nishimura

Art Director: Shunichiro Yoshihara

Chief Animation Director: Hiroyuki Nishimura

Art Design: Tomoyasu Fujise

Sound Director: Hiromi Kikuta

Director of Photography: Naoyuki Wada

Anime Production by Sunrise

Featuring the following voice talent:

Jason Griffith as Keita Ibuki

Laura Bailey as Kuro

Christopher Kromer as Daichi Kuraki

Crispin Freeman as Reishin

Emily Bauer as Riona Kogure

Eva Kaminsky as Nam

Julie Ann Taylor as Akane Sano

Kathleen McInerney as Yuki Kaionji

Marc Thompson as Hiyou

Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as Mikami Hojo

Michael Sinterniklaas as Punipuni

Patrick Seitz as Steiner

Stephanie Sheh as Excel

With the truth behind Reishin’s actions finally revealed, Keita learns the horrible secret behind Kuro’s power. Now Kuro must face not only the evil power behind everything but also fight against her very own nature. With their true enemy finally revealed, the Tera Guardians muster all their strength to defeat their foe… even if it costs them everything.

The final sixth volume of “Kurokami” is here!

In this final volume featuring episodes 21-24, Kuro and Keita have made a commitment to put an end to the Doppeliner System that has caused everyone so much misery! But the biggest surprise was that her brother Reishin was never an enemy, he was protecting her from being sacrificed by their village. But now, the Masagami, red and white incarnations that are part of Kuro have incredible power and wants to form with Kuro in order to rule the world and destroy the galaxy.

It’s the final battle where everything is put on the line. Who will live and who will die?

“Kurokami the Animation” Back Story

For those who have never heard of “Kurokami”, in the world of “Kurokami” (“Black God”), one sometimes think they see another person that looks exactly like them (doppelganger) but in reality, there are three (doppeliner) which share the same life force (known as Tera). If by any chance, one was to see each other, one would die and the others would have that life force equally distributed. Making sure this “Coexistence Equilibrium” is kept in check are the Tera Guardians.

This is the story of “Kurokami”, a 23-episode anime TV series which is an adaptation of a Japanese manga series by Dall-Young Lim and illustrated by Sung-Woo Park and is an ongoing series published in the magazine “Young Gangan”.

The anime series is directed by Tsuneo Kobayashi (“Glass no Kamen”, “Midori Days”, “Twelve Kingdoms”) and features series composition by Reiko Yoshida (“Aria”, “D.Gray-Man”, “Kaleido Star”, “Peach Girl”). Character designs are by Hiroyuki Nishimura (“Spirit of Wonder”, “Deltora Quest”) and music composed by Tomohisa Ishikawa (“Appleseed: Ex Machina”, “Kite Liberator”, “Innocent Venus”). And now the first volume of the anime series is released on Blu-ray and includes the first four episodes.

“Kurokami” revolves around a teenager named Keita Ibuki. When he was younger, his mother met someone that looked exactly like her and the next day she was hit by a car. So, the existence of a doppelganger has always been in his mind.

One night when he went out for ramen, he meets a girl named Kuro along with her dog Punipuni, they seem quite hungry. He offers her his ramen and all seems well until a madman comes out of nowhere and assaults her.

Keita tries to help her but is easily beaten by this madman. But what he sees is this girl’s incredible fighting power. After all is done and Kuro overcomes her assailant, she tells him that she is out to kill her brother.

The paths of both Keita and Kuro cross again and Kuro explains to her about the doppeliner and that she is a Tera Guardian. As Keita tries to deal with this and possibly learn why his mother died, his childhood friend Akane (who likes Keita) tries to help both Keita and Kuro as well.

One evening, a group of thugs with extreme power go after her again but this time, Keita tries to help but is mortally wounded. Kuro manages to escape with him but because he is dying, she decides to exchange hearts with him in order to keep him alive and thus a contract is created. But she warns him that they must be near each other at all times or her heart will become necrotic if its too far away from her. Keita has now become the contractee and his life is forever bonded with Kuro.

In volume 2 of “Kurokami the Animation”, Keita and Kuro confront a group of Tera Guardians in battle, meanwhile we learn about Kuro’s past and also information about Keita’s deceased mother. But most importantly, Keita is told the truth about his status of being a contractee and that contractees can easily be killed and are not invincible.

For Keita, his thought was that he wouldn’t die during a battle but now knowing that he is vulnerable may change his status of how he fights with Kuro. Meanwhile, Keita, Kuro and Akane left to Okinawa and confronted two survivors from the Hiba Clan.

In volume 3, it appears that others are looking for the survivors of the Hiba Clan and while Reishin makes his appearance. Keita discovers that contractees can be “negative roots” but would he ever dare going that direction. Also, a friend who had been dead has made his appearance once again and the news he has for Keita will surprise him.

As Kuro and Keita barely survive against their battle with Reishin, thanks to the help of Excel and Steiner, Kuro and Keita are able to escape. But unfortunately, in order for them to escape, Steiner sacrificed his life. Meanwhile, Kuraki and Raiga then take on Reishin to for the control of the Kaionji Group.

In volume four, this begins the second season of “Kurokami”. Kuro and Keita take on the powerful Shinra and both find a way to combine their life energy. Meanwhile, Akane is revealed to be a master root. Everyone in the world except Tera Guardians and contractee’s have collapsed for some unknown reason and the Pure Land has been created.

“Kurokami: The Animation” features the following characters:

Keita Ibuki – When Keita was young, he met a woman that looked like his mother. The following day, his mother died. One day, while trying to defend a woman who was getting beaten by a Tera Guardian, he is severely injured in the heart area and before he was to die, Kuro saves his life by forming a contract with him. As long as the two are close together, he has the ability to heal Kuro and also develops his skill as a contractee.
Kuro Shishigami - One of the last remaining members of the Shishigami clan and a Tera Guardian. She is after her brother Reishin Shishigami who murdered everyone in the clan (including their mother) except her. She now has formed a bond with Keita and together they take on other enemy Tera Guardians.
Reishin Shishigami - The older brother of Kuro who was thought to be the evil enemy ends up being a brother trying to protect his younger sister.
Akane Sano – A childhood friend of Keita, Akane is in love with him but has a hard time expressing it to him. She occasionally joins Keita and Kuro on their adventures.
Punipuni - Kuro’s small doberman pup and is always hungry. He also seems to understand people when they talk to him.
Excel - A veteran contractee who worked with the Tera Guardian named Steiner and later Mikami. She has the ability to create Hexagon shields.
Yakumo – A Tera Guardian that survived the massacre and does all he can to protect Kuro. His contractee is Riona Kogure and both are often traveling with Kuro and Keita.
Riona Kogure - A contractee of Yakumo. She escaped from the Kaionji group when she found out that she was going to be experimented on.
Mikami Houjou – A powerful Tera Guardian from the Ginko clan. She once worked for the Kaionji group for medicine to give to her dying contractee. She later forms a contract with Excel.
Nam – A Tera Guardian who has the sole job of not interfering but recording the history of the Tera Guardian. She is also very well-endowed, hungry and having discovered real food, begins to freeload at Keita’s home.

“Kurokami” vol. 6 features the episodes 21-24 of the TV series on one Blu-ray disc. Here is a brief, spoiler-free synopsis of each episode:

EPISODE 21 – Deity – The fight against the Masagami. Who will live and who will die?
EPISODE 22 – Destiny – The aftermath of the fight against Masagami… but was the Doppeliner System eliminated?
EPISODE 23 – Path - The final episode. A recap story that ends with us knowing what happened to Kuro, Keita and Akane.
BONUS EPISODE 24 – The Tigress and the Wing – The following is a bonus un-aired episode featuring a recap of Excel’s life and her becoming the contractee for Mikami Houjou.

VIDEO:

“Kurokami The Animation” is featured in 1080p High Definition. The series is quite vibrant and looks absolutely beautiful in HD. Blacks are nice and deep, colors pop and I didn’t notice any edge enhancement or compression artifacts during my viewing of the series.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Kurokami The Animation” is presented in English PCM 2.0. And as mentioned in my previous review of volume 1 of the series, “Kurokami” does not include the lossless Japanese audio while the DVD does include both soundtracks. It is discussed on various message boards that because the series is being released at the same time in Japan, to prevent reverse importation, the lossless Japanese soundtrack was not granted for the U.S. release (note: In Japan, the Blu-ray release costs about three times as more than the U.S. release and to prevent reverse importation over there, they didn’t include English subtitles).

Unfortunately with Japan and the U.S. on the same region for Blu-ray releases and people demanding simultaneous or near simultaneous releases, this is easily going to be an issue for American anime fans if more series continue to feature the lack of a Japanese audio track.

As for the English dub, for the most part the English dubbing was well-done. Jason Griffith (as Keita) known for his work for the character Shadow for “Sonic X” does a very good job but anime voice acting veterans Laura Bailey (as Kuro) and Julie Ann Taylor (as Akane) do a solid job as the voice of their characters.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Kurokami the Animation vol. 6″ contains the following special features:

Textless ending themes - Included are two textless ending themes for “Kurokami the Animation”.
Bandai Entertainment Previews

With the last fifth volume of “Kurokami the Animation”, the action-packed volume and also the final reveal about Reishin was a surprise and now here we are with the continuation but also the final volume of the series. While the last volume was all about the action, this final sixth volume concludes the action with episode 22 with the final fight against the Masagami but also knowing what must be done to end the Doppeliner System.

In the end, “Kurokami the Animation” gives fans closure to how the series ends and what happens to the characters. The ending of episode 23, the final episode of “Kurokami”, was quite touching but also sad at the same time. But by watching the series from beginning to end, I felt it was the only conclusion that had to happen. Especially having to conclude the Kuro – Keita – Akane angle. The final episode, features a narrative of the three protagonists of the series and gives us insight in the minds of Kuro, Akane and also Keita and it was a fitting end to this series.

Also included on the Blu-ray release (and DVD) is the un-aired episode about Excel and gives us good insight about her and the relationship she had with Steiner but also how she became a contractee for Mikami.

Although listed as “episode 24″, this is not the final episode, this is an unaired bonus episode that was created but has no place in the pacing of the series as the director kept the focus on Kuro and Keita. But it was a good bonus episode to have on the Blu-ray release and to also let us know why she is so wise despite being a teen.

“Kurokami – The Animation” is an enjoyable anime series sporting cool characters, cool animation/background art and also fight sequences. The series had its share of dark moments but also its fair share of hilarious, fun and upbeat moments. But the storyline while focusing on action, actually has a clever storyline about doppelgangers, fortunately the diverse characters in this series have made “Kurokami” worth watching.

While I know there are anime fans who are put off by the fact that this is the only Bandai Entertainment release thus far that does not contain a Japanese soundtrack, fortunately the English dub is well-done. I do wish that the Blu-ray releases had more special features outside of the usual textless ending themes but in the end, the anime series throughout its entire run was entertaining and with each release, had me wanting more and more.

Overall, “Kurokami the Animation: Volume Six” was a fun and enjoyable action series from beginning to end! Was it the best anime series, definitely not. But would I watch it again? Most definitely.

If you have been curious about this anime series, “Kurokami the Animation” is a series that I can easily recommend!

Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

K-ON!: Volume 1 (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

April 29, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

The immensely popular “K-ON!” anime series has arrived to the US and its on Blu-ray. While the features of the Blu-ray release may be limiting to some, I’m going to say that this series is one of the most entertaining anime TV series that I have watched in a long time and I’m so happy that it’s finally out in the US. After watching this first volume of “K-ON!”, I can now understand why this series has become a pop culture phenomenon not only in Japan but worldwide. It’s awesome and I can’t wait for volume 2!

TITLE: K-ON!: Volume 1

DURATION: Episodes 1-4 (100 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: April 26, 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

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

Minako Kotobuki/Shelby Lindley as Tsumugi Kotobuki

Satomi Satou/Cassandra Lee as Ritsu Tainaka

Yōko Hikasa/Cristina Vee as Mio Akiyama

When Yui Hirasawa enters high school, she wants to join a club but can’t decide which one is right for her. Fortunately, the Light Music Club is desperate to find another member or else they’ll be disbanded! With the enticement of delicious snacks and assurances that no musical experience is necessary, Yui joins up, becoming the guitarist in this all-girl high school rock band. Together with Mio Akiyama on bass, Tsumugi Kotobuki on keyboard, and Ritsu Tainaka on drums, they’re going to rock the school and someday make it to the Budokan! Now, if only they can just put down the snacks long enough to practice…

“K-ON!”, 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 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 now the first season will be released in separate volumes courtesy of Bandai Entertainment. With the first volume (featuring episodes 1-4) being released on Blu-ray and DVD in April 2011.

“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. 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.

The first four episodes features the startup of the new Keiongaku club, how the new members try to help Yui become a guitarist and how the four members become friends.

“K-ON!: Vol. 1″ 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.

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.

VIDEO:

With that being said, the colors are a bit saturated and uber-vibrant but for an anime TV series, 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 things such as what is tacked on a pinboard, posters in a room, the manga and books on Yui’s bookshelf, I prefer those small details rather than a vibrant close up of a character but with backgrounds that are stale, static and boring.

“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:

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“K-ON!: Volume 1″ comes with the following special features:

Interview with Stephanie Sheh – (10:21) English dub voice actress Stephanie Sheh talks about her character, how she got the part, if she is like her character and more!
Trailers – Bandai Entertainment trailers

I personally have been waiting for “K-ON!” to be released in the U.S.

In Japan, you can watch variety TV shows such as “Gakkou e Ikou” (Let’s go to School) or films such as “Linda Linda Linda” and there are many young people who want to play music. While here in the West, there are shows and events that spotlight this, in Japan, its a bit more magnified because these storylines are brought to television, film and manga. There are constant music auditions throughout Japan featuring many young teenagers who want to make it and these auditions are featured on television. Especially female students who create a rock band.

Overall, if you want a fun, entertaining anime series with cool characters, awesome music, “K-ON!” is a wonderful series thus far. I can’t wait for volume 2!

Filed Under: Anime on Blu-ray

K-ON! official English website and trailer launched; Vol. 1 Blu-Ray and DVD available for pre-order

January 31, 2011 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment

January 31, 2011 (Cypress, CA) – Bandai Entertainment announced today that their official English website and trailer for K-ON! is now live at www.kon.bandai-ent.com.

The Blu-ray and DVD for Vol. 1 are now available for pre-order at the Bandai STORE. http://store.bandai-ent.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=KON&Search.x=20&Search.y=26

The DVD and Blu-ray feature both Japanese audio with English subtitles as well as an English language version featuring the voices of fan favorites Stephanie Sheh, Cristina Vee, Cassandra Lee, and Shelby Lindley. For updates follow us at Facebook or on Twitter or visit us at:

www.k-on.bandai-ent.com
www.bandai-ent.com

K-ON!

Filed Under: Anime Related News

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