Video Quality: This show was produced at HD resolution (speculated to be 720p) so sharpness is decent. There's quite a bit of digital grain, and as you can see, grain particles are big so it was very noticeable. Not sure how this compares to the broadcast version but I think I read from the blog that they tried to reduce them a bit. Personally, I didn't mind but I can see how it might be bothering for some. I think there's slight edge enhancement but I could be wrong. Overall, pretty much what I expected. Not bad but pretty typical TV series PQ for today's standard. Considering that it came out in 2007 though, I'm very satisfied.
Audio Quality: 5.1 surroundtrack (DTS-HD MA 48kHz), still rare for a TV series, is included in this BD set. Quality is superb and mix itself is more than decent, I would say. Surround channels are effectively used and give quite a good directional feeling. Action scenes I checked out were pretty sleek. I was especially impressed with bass usage. Very satisfied.
I enjoyed this series a lot back when it aired. Top notch animation, solid story, and great BGM. Basically gave up on other big November releases to get this one. BD quality was superb so I'm pretty happy with the purchase.
Archer Blu-ray season 1 (Bestbuy Exclusive, regular retailers will have them on December 27).
Video Quality: This isn't a show where you would be awed by the high quality animation but production resolution is obviously high.While characters don't have much detail to show off, backgrounds do (surprisingly). I thought I saw banding but I think it is the result of the filtering used for the background. Overall, I think it looks very good.
Audio Quality: AQ itself is fine but I wasn't impressed with the surround mix. It feels like the track rarely uses the surround speakers.
Animation itself, I wouldn't rate it highly. I know it's part of the style, but I'm pretty sure its main advantage is the cheaper production cost (which was actually the reason why I was hesitant to check it out). However, the show is true to the genre. It's just freakin hilarious. One of the funniest show I've seen lately. So I can kind of overlook that. If you haven't watched it, I'm telling you, it's worth a try. My gripe on the set itself would be slim extras and a bit of a lacking audio track. Still, I'm very happy with the purchase. Looking forward to the second set :)
Packaing: That USB is so useless. I really hope they lose that thing when they release the next BD. Everything else looks fantastic though. Art box has a classy feel to it and I just love the rough finish. Cover art for the digipak looks good and I love the thick booklets.
Video Quality: Hmm... that's a LOT of grain. I'm still not sure if this is digital or film print telecine. For a digital grain, it looks too dirty and real but for a real film grain, it looks very consistent and the amount seems a bit too much. (It's digital grain) I don't know, either way, it's too much. Details are all there though as you can see from the screenshots. Grain does give the film a retro cyber dystopia feel to it and seems to make glowing parts of the screen (ex. Eufcoque) look quite natural.
Audio Quality: Surround mix is fantastic. It's quite directional and quality is superb. Great soundtrack to boot. During the action scenes, it really gives you the extra edge.
Special Features: On the disc, there are trailers and a long interview with Tow Ubukata. It was missing the making movie, which was listed in the official website product detail. No subtitles on the special features.
I KNEW I was going to get this movie one way or another when I saw the first trailer. It was just mind blowingly good (especially so because I was longing for a good sci-fi movie back then). Of course, then I had to wait one year and 5 months to actually watch the movie... (sigh...) Anyways, I finally got to watch it. To be honest, my first reaction was "CLIIIIFHANGERRRRRR!!!!!" :p I actually read the first volume in Korean long time ago, so I really hoped this movie would go a little further. Then again, with 69min running time, that's really pushing it. Speaking of which, while the movie is fast paced and compact, I wasn't confused or lost. It could be due to my previous knowledge from the novel but I think new comers should be fine. Despite my original concerns, the staff did a wonderful job with the given running time. The movie starts off slowly developing the relationship between Balot and Eufcoque, and giving viewers the background information of Balot. Emotion plays an important role in the movie and thankfully they spend time describing them in detail. It's only because I understand Balot's state of mind that the ending sequence becomes very powerful and I am able to sympathize with Balot and her actions. Production quality is probably appropriate for a movie. Action sequences were definitely top notch stuff and I was impressed with Eufcoque animation. Soundtrack was amazing as well, matching perfectly with each scene. Regarding the theater version vs. complete version, I believe it's mostly the sexual content. I haven't fully watched the theater version so I can't point out all the differences but rape sequences are removed in the theater version and slight changes in sex scenes. Personally, I felt that there was a tad too much sexual content (unnecessarily). Overall, I'm very satisfied with the movie. It was worth the wait. I guess my only problem is, like I mentioned, cliffhanger. Waiting for the second movie will be PAINFUL.
*p.s.: My package was opened during the customs clearance. Grrr...
Rurouni Kenshin Tsuioku-hen (a.k.a., Samurai X: Trust & Betrayal), arguably the best samurai film ever created, is now available in Blu-ray. Despite the popularity, I believe this is the first time this OVA got remastered, probably due to problematic source material (digital + film).
Video Quality: Perhaps DNR is on the heavier side than usual. It looks very clean but some might feel its too much. While I'm not a fan of DNR, this one didn't create any ringing and I think it was done decently. That's just my opinion though. Check the screenshots, see for yourself. Another important aspect is that some scenes were upscaled from SD master. Now the source material problem was discussed previously by Ai Abe (Producer of Rurouni Kenshin) so it wasn't too much of a surprise to me but it is still bothering, especially because telecine remastered scenes are extra clean and picture quality for the upscaled parts are poor (due to low quality master, probably). Now, good news is, these upscaled scenes are rare. First episode, I only noticed one brief moment where upscaled scene was used. Second episode, still very rare, I'd say 99% are from telecine source. Now episode 3, perhaps ~95%? Episode 4 though that probably drops to 75~80%. Epilogue (sequences after Kenshin says final good-bye) is mostly upscales. Again, check the screenshots for some examples. Ending credit sequence was replaced by black background and white credits but I don't think this is much of a problem. Overall, I'm quite satisfied and feels like they did what they could from the resource they have but PQ is not without flaws.
Audio Quality: Aniplex's specs for this BD did not list 5.1 audio track but it is there. DTS-HD MA 5.1. That said, I wasn't too pleased with the mix so I watched most parts in LPCM 2.0. English dub is in DTS 2.0.
Special features: Only special features you will find on the disc is a TV commercial in SD resolution.
Watching this OVA in HD was a truly pleasant experience, especially so since it has been a long time since the last time I watched this OVA (almost cried in episode 3 and 4). Sure, some flaws here and there but I think it's a HUGE upgrade from the DVD.
Video Quality: It's the same as the previous BD/DVD combo, so if you have seen the screenshots before, there's nothing new. Quite a bit of upgrade from R1 DVD but not a huge jump from R2 DVD (comparison). Windowbox, poor black level, and heavy noise. True, it's HD but it just doesn't feel "remastered".
*EDIT: I am being a little harsh here, I admit it, and for the record, I do prefer this over 2.0 PQ and I personally think this is a decent upgrade from the DVD. Why else would I buy it? But I think Bandai just didn't put in much effort in this release and this BD deserves some harshness.
Audio Quality: LPCM 2.0 Japanese audio and DD 2.0 English dub are available. Not having the usual Bandai quality 5.1ch mix is a huge downer. Sure, lossless original track is great but it doesn't quite give you the theater experience. If this was an old movie, I would understand but Ghost in the Shell premiered in 1995.
Special Features: 3 trailers and a thin booklet. Typical bare bone Bandai release.
*note: This release includes Japanese and English subtitles.
I used to like SAC better than the original movie. However, these days, I started to appreciate the movie a lot more. GITS is somewhat a legend among western anime fans. When we talk about "Japanimation" that really changed the view of western audience, two Si-Fi anime films that ALWAYS come up are AKIRA and GITS. I'm sure it's considered as such in Asia as well. So why such a poor treatment? No proper remaster, no new audio mix, nada. Only reason I can think of is to boost the sale of new GITS 2.0 which I personally found unappealing. There is a noticeable improvement over DVD PQ but it's hard to recommend this title due to lack of care from Bandai. Is the Japanese price worth it? It really depends on how much you want this film in Blu-ray.
(Review equipment: 55" Sony HX701, PS3, Denon AVR-789, Energy Take 5.1)
Amazon links. Left is the re-issued BD only release (the one I got). Right is the original BD/DVD combo:
Video Quality: For whatever the reason, there's windowbox (overscan black bars around the screen). I'm not happy about this but it's pretty thin and didn't really annoy me during the playback. Partially, because animation looked so friggin' awesome and dynamic that I didn't really have a chance to look elsewhere. That said, it shouldn't have been done. Period. Other than that though, I don't really have complaints. Black level is great. Color looks saturated and details are sharp. Not Disney/Ghibli sharp but typical HD anime sharp. Some details such as water sparks and textures seem to be in higher resolution than character drawings, perhaps higher than 720p (check shot 7). I noticed very slight aliasing once but nothing major. There are moments where even AVC codec with BD bitrate cannot keep up because there's SO MUCH detail present. Shot 8 is one of them but it's not noticeable when they are moving (All those people and papers are moving by the way). I know I should be objective but when you have this much detail, picture quality just looks better than it actually is. To sum it up, not the best PQ I've seen but it's satisfactory.
Audio Quality: DTS-HD MA 5.1ch. Quality is very good. I usually leave my volume on -23 but for this movie, I left it on -18. I couldn't hear any fault.
Main movie subtitles: English subtitles looks decent (though you have to understand that I'm not a grammar expert nor picky about it. Also, since I understand decent amount of Japanese dialogues, I tend to skim through subtitles). I did notice some discrepancy between subtitles and the actual dialogue but overall nothing major. I do think that some jokes would work better if they just translate it directly but that's just my opinion. Subtitles is white and size looks right to me.
Special features:
- Previews & CMs (BD): HD and without windowboxing but PQ isn't as good as the main movie.
- Making of REDLINE (DVD): 67min long clip with cast interviews, recording footage, premiere footage, rough conti with temporary voice over, etc, all with English subtitles. Only thing is that you'll need an all-region DVD player because special features disc is region locked. I could not play it on my PS3.
- UTAO REDLINE DAY (DVD): music video with live-action footage.
- Demo Movie (3 clips - DVD): 2 pilot movies with footages never used in the actual movie. One old trailer that still says "coming 2009".
- Booklet, stickers, and a figure raffle ticket (you can win one of the figures used in the production of the movie).
So now that all the technical stuff are done with... how was the movie? It was... AWESOME! Awesome animation, awesome soundtrack, and awesome script! AWESOME! Seriously, this movie will be cosidered as anime classics along with Ghost in the Shell and AKIRA for western anime fans for years to come. I've heard complaints like only thing worth watching is Yellow Line or later parts of the movie are so scattered that it ruins the pace. In my opinion, that's not really true. There was a long break during REDLINE but I think it was necessary for both story development and to give viewers a little break from non-stop action. After all, REDLINE race was very long. Plot is rather a simiple underdog/romance story but it does its job, and I think it's decent enough not to ruin the enjoyment. Besides, for REDLINE, story feels like an excuse to insert various types of animation sequence. Visual-wise, this is one of the most exciting animation I've seen on screen. Same can be said for the music. Also, it is perfect to test out your equipment. Just leave it louder than usual and enjoy the ride. Voice acting and script seemed very good to me. Oh, and I must say, director Takeshi Koike has a great sense of humor. Perhaps a little too un-Japanese-like and maybe that's one of the reason why this movie didn't do well in Japan (It bombed in Japan if you didn't know already). I felt like both the character design and directing sense were targeted at western audience and while that's good for us, it must have been a financial disaster for MADHOUSE. To be frank, one of the reason why I bought this release instead of waiting for a cheaper North American release was to support MADHOUSE because I know they took the risk of doing something different. In the movie, JP's supplier says "If you keep insisting spirit of fair play you will be left behind". Perhaps this movie was director Koike's answer and I would like to support that spirit. Highly, HIGHLY recommended.
(Review equipment: 55" Sony HX701, PS3, Denon AVR-789, Energy Take 5.1)
Video Quality: I'll be honest. Windowboxing in Cowboy Bebop Japanese Blu-ray is ridiculous. It is one of the thickest I've seen in Bandai releases and it is one of the reason why I avoided buying this BD for so long. My TV can do overscan and make those go away so it's not a huge problem but knowing that I'm losing out on resolution does bug me. That said, other areas of the release is not bad. Black level is very good and while some scenes are blurrier than others, ovearll, sharpness is decent for a cel anime. Grain level isn't bad either. CG parts look okay mostly becasue they are meant to look analogue-ish.
So JP edition is actually a little cropped, it seems. That's a little disappointing.
Audio Quality: This is the reason why I got the JP release instead of the US release. Bandai has been very good with their surround mixes and I just could not give that up. And surely, the audio quality did not disappoint. It's a very fun mix where you have lots of opportunities to clearly notice the separate channels.
Extras: Trailers and non-credit opening and ending. While it's not much, I'm glad they kept the non-credit OP and ED. Both are in HD with 5.1 lossless audio.
When I heard about the exclusion of 5.1 surround mix in US release, I was very disappointed. Disappointment was doubled when I saw the non-windowboxed screenshot. If only it had the surround track... :( I mean it's Cowboy Bebop! It's an action movie with one of the best soundtrack ever! Also, while US release got rid of the windowbox, it still used the same master and my guess is that bitrate is lower than the JP release. Since I have the overscan function on my TV, I just decided to go for the JP release. And I did not regret it.
(Review equipment: 55" Sony HX701, PS3, Denon AVR-789, Energy Take 5.1)
Product Description: (via Aniplex USA)
Based on the Dengeki Novel Prize-winning story Baccano! by avant-garde novelist Ryohgo Narita (Durarara!!), the popular light novel series-turned critically acclaimed anime series has come back like gangbusters in High Definition Blu-ray format!
Hot off the “Roaring Twenties” and headfirst into the uncertain volatility of the “Dirty Thirties,” criminal syndicates stormed into power by bootlegging alcohol during the Prohibition Era, but the most notorious “liquor” of all time is about to set off a violent chain reaction within the mafia underworld! Each of the gritty stories in Baccano! involves an eclectic cast of innocent and not-so-innocent, turbulent characters in several unrelated plots intersecting and crossing each other as events spiral further and further out of control. Immortal alchemists, mafia-operated speakeasies, and many other elements of pulp fiction are brutally mashed together for a explosive massacre straight out of crime noir movies.
*I have not watched the entire BD-BOX yet. PQ & AQ impressions are from the first episode.
Video Quality: While upscale does have a bit of a smudging + edge enhancement look, it's within a tolerable range. Also, due to the fact that DVDs had a bad video quality, upgrade to Blu-ray is worth it (comparison shots by hissatsu). Detail improvement is pretty obvious.
Screenshots (スクリーンキャプチャ):shot1, shot2, shot3, shot4, shot5
(C) Aniplex USA, Project Baccano!, Brains Base
Audio Quality: Too bad it's just 2ch and not a 5.1 remix but I can live with that. I'm quite satisfied with the mix and the quality of the audio tracks.
Baccano! is a unique series. Scrambled timeline, psychotic but mostly likable characters, and interesting setting with good back story. While production quality wavers at times, overall, animation is fluid and dynamic for a TV series. Action scenes are well done, and don't shy away from blood. Story development could be confusing at first but once you get the hang of it, the ending will deliver great satisfaction. Aniplex USA did a decent job in packaging. I'm actually not a digipak fan so I'm not so disappointed about the change from the Japanese release. I'm also having fun listening to the English dubbing. It's done well and fitting because of the setting. PQ & AQ are good as well, so considering the price, I'm very happy with what I got.
(Review equipment: 55" Sony HX701, PS3, Denon AVR-789, Energy Take 5.1)
Product Description: (via ANN)
Naota is a detached sixth grader afflicted by the pangs of puberty. He's fooling around with his brother's ex-girlfriend when a crazed girl on a motor scooter runs him over, brains him with a bass guitar, and moves into his house. She says she's an alien, and hurls Naota into the middle of a mega-corporation's secret agenda. Now giant battling robots shoot from his skull when he has naughty thoughts.
Video Quality: Aye, aye, aye... First of all, smudging effect/excessive edge enhancement makes the general look of the picture worse than the DVD upscale (PS3). But I already knew that beforehand, so why get it? DVD suffers from interlace error at times, aliasing, and low bitrate (well, limitation of DVD, I would say). I did not notice interlace issues from the parts I checked on the Blu-ray and obviously, having a high bitrate/better codec really helps as FLCL is one of the shows known for its dynamic animation. Aliasing though, has not been improved AT ALL. On top of that I found microblocking on some of the scenes (ex. shot5 below) though these are on DVD as well.
Audio Quality: To be honest, I wasn't impressed. I actually thought there was something wrong with the mix but when I played the DVD, I realized it has the same issue: low volume dialogues.
Well, I have nothing to say about the content, since 1) I already own the DVDs so there's nothing new, 2) we all know this is anime classic and 3) this is my all time favorite series and all I'm gonna ramble about is how perfect this show is. Anyways, BD picture quality really is a shame. While seeing all those action scenes without picture breaking down was neat, smudging effect can get really annoying at times. I'm just gald it only costed me $20.
(Review equipment: 55" Sony HX701, PS3, Denon AVR-789, Energy Take 5.1)
Product Description: (via amazon)
From the Director of the Oscar®-nominated classic The Triplets of Belleville, The Illusionist is a story about two paths that cross. While touring concert halls, theaters and pubs, an aging, down-on-his-luck magician encounters a young girl at the start of her life’s journey. Alice is a teenage girl with all her capacity for childish wonder still intact. She plays at being a woman without realizing the day to stop pretending is fast approaching. She doesn’t know yet that she loves The Illusionist like she would a father; he already knows that he loves her as he would a daughter. Their destinies will collide, but nothing – not even magic or the power of illusion– can stop the voyage of discovery.
Video Quality: Production resolution seems very good though character drawing loses sharpness in some scenes. While it is a beautiful looking transfer overall, I did notice aliasing (ex. the door from the first screenshot provided below, or in many of the CGI objects) and at times, it was quite glaring.
Audio Quality: I heard the french BD had a bit of a problem with the loseless track (apparently two of the channels had the exact same output). Not sure if the US edition shares the same problem. I personally found the audio quality to be flawless.
The Illusionist has been on my highly anticipated list since the moment I saw the trailer. Both animation and soundtrack were mesmerizing in that trailer. I heard great deal about The Triplets of Belleville so I went ahead and ordered the Blu-ray, hoping that it would live up to my expectation. Both animation and soundtrack were as good as, if not better than I expected. While I was fascinated by the atmosphere created by beautiful visual, audio, relaxing pace and non-existent dialogue, slow pace eventually did get a little tiring. Ending was a little hard to swallow at first. It really depends on the interpretation I guess but it has a dark, depressing bite of reality. It's a bit ironic how director Sylvain Chomet, a man now known for his beautiful work in hand-drawn animation, announced that he will be working in CGI animation after this film. Perhaps the movie is resonating with his feeling towards the industry as well (I'm not familiar with Jacques Tati so I can't say much regarding that aspect). The Illusionist can be summarized as a "beautiful film" and just for that, it was worth a watch for me.
*p.s: VERY slim on extra. Would have appreciated a commentry track.
(Review equipment: 55" Sony HX701, PS3, Denon AVR-789, Energy Take 5.1)
