Blu-ray Movie Reviews

In the 23rd Century, mankind has fled earth and emigrated to the moon. The last outpost of civilization is the Lunar Republic of Eden, where the omnipresent Citizens Administration Council grants residents everything they need... except their freedom.

Bandai Visual released this series on HD DVD in individual episodes but for the Blu-ray release they’ve put them all into one limited edition box set. Unlike the HD DVDs though, this set includes the unreleased episode 7. The film follows two explorers who take a journey from a home base on the moon after finding out there still may be life on Earth. Once on Earth they seek to find the inhabitants. The story was originally done as a series for “Cup-O-Noodles” but don’t let that fool you; this is a fully produced anime series with great production value. Some episodes are more entertaining than others but the series as a whole is definitely worth a look for fans of anime.

This was a great looking series on HD DVD and that seems to be exactly the same for this Blu-ray release. The CG animation lends itself really well to HD and features great color rendition and dimension. I noticed a slight amount of banding and line twitter, but they were rarely distracting. Background animations showcase great detail and the simple character animation works really well.

The HD DVD releases featured Japanese Dolby Digital Plus mixes. The Blu-ray release ups the ante with Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mixes in Japanese, English and French. The soundtrack is very well done and the sound design is way better than you would ever expect given the roots of this series. The first few episodes really shine in sound design during the race sequences and the last episode is no slouch. Dynamics are impressive and low end bass extension is nearly system threatening at times. Surrounds are used aggressively in the more action oriented sequences and voice work is balanced well within the mix. I still think the Japanese dub is a bit dramatic in tone and balance, but that seems to be a common characteristic for anime.

Bandai Visual’s boxsets have been quite impressive on Blu-ray and this is no exception. The packaging is quite nice and you even get a comic from the series. Each episode features an insight into the show and a look at the translation to US audiences. There is also a look at the promo campaign run for Cup O’ Noodles and a look at the Apollo Missions back in the day. Unfortunately the picture-in-picture animation comparisons from the HD DVD are not included in these versions so those with the HD DVDs may want to hold on to your copies if you liked that feature.

Considering its roots, this is a great anime series. The production values are high and the A/V presentation is excellent. I was elated to see Bandai include the final episode for the series since the HD DVD set ended on a rather short note. Highly recommended for anime fans!