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Feature Presentation:
I remember when it was first release, the series, on TV here in North America. Though, I know that I will be disappointed knowing that it will be cut, edited & censorsed like every other Anime airing on TV. This is the first movie feature of this high magicial series. This movie timeline is somewhere during the series, because this is where she captures the "Arrow" card & a little history about Clow Reed. Plus, you get to see Li's family & his hometown of Hong Kong. The story goes that Sakura wins a trip to Hong Kong, but find out that she is meant to win that contest. Now, she must fight someone from Clow Reed's past. This movie is action-packed & carries the same adventure as the series. I do note, there is two versions of this movie release, one is the edited version & this is the original uncut version, which have both the English dubbed & original Japanese version on it.
Video:
Geneon Entertainment did a very great job. However, it seems that the images is a little fuzzy, like there has static, when you look closely at it. The movie is feature on Widescreen format. If you got a Widescreen TV, you're going to enjoy this even more. The only thing that might be a little annoying, there is some logos right before the movie, but you can just press forward on your remote to skip them & go straight to the movie. Also, the angle option is used, so you can see the original Japanese title screen, as well the original Japanese credit. I do note that you can skip all those warnings & logos when you first load the DVD by just pressing the "Menu" button on your remote control.
Dubbing: English:
Well, the dubbing cast that did the series is back for this movie & kept the dubbing style the same. They pretty much change everything, including the names of the characters (they aren't Japanese anymore), the dialogues, the background music, a little more cooler sound effects & even added some new songs. I must say the English music is a little upbeat, make you want to dance. It's about 75% of the original Japanese.
Audio 01: English 5.1:
Unable to test it, since I don't have a 5.1 surround system, I can't really say much.
Audio 02: English 2.0:
No problem found.
Audio 03: Japanese 5.1:
Unable to test it, since I don't have a 5.1 surround system, I can't really say much.
Audio 04: Japanese 2.0:
No problem found.
Subtitle:
Geneon Entertainment have selected a great font, very easy to read. Yellow for the regular subtitling & white for Japanese signs & text. There is only one subtitling track, just for the Japanese track.
Menu Option:
The menu is also in widescreen format, but if got just a regular full screen TV, it will display in that format with no problem. The menu is pretty simple. You get to see Sakura dressing in a Chinese tradition clothes, holding her special Cardcaptor key. There is the "Play", "Setup", "Screen Access" & "Extras". If you go into other sections, it used clips from the movie. The background music is a little Chinese music, which is pretty good. I don't think this music is used in the movie.
DVD Extras:
There isn't much extras, just lots of trailers, the original Japanese version, as well the English trailer. That's pretty much it.
Packaging:
The package is pretty simple. On the cover, you see Sakura again, the same picture as the menu screen with a night time Hong Kong background. In the back, more of the same background, with Kero snacking in the corner. There is also a few screenshots. The insert is pretty cool. There is the same picture as the cover, plus the chapter listing. Inside the insert is list of all the characters, with both the original Japanese name & English name, as well the voice cast for each of them. Since the DVD case is a clear one, you can see the other side of the reversible cover, which is the original Japanese Cardcaptor cover. The DVD disc itself it's only just a dark blue background with Sakura printed on it.
PC Viewing:
Watching it on the PC is the same as watching it on the TV. The sound is just great. The movie is place on one single track, so loading time is really small. You can fast forward to the beginning to end with one move on your mouse! You might noticed a little static in the images during the movie, which is a normal. Like on your regular DVD player, you can skip the warnings & logos when you load the disc, just use the "menu" option to go to the menu screen.
Overall DVD Rating:
If you're a big fan of Cardcaptor Sakura & enjoy the series, this movie is a must have. Not only that, this movie is kinda part of the series, since it capture of the Clow Cards. I do note to get this version of the movie, so you have the chance to see the original Japanese version.
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