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Feature Presentation:
Special thanks to Geneon Entertainment for sending a copy for a review for this site. I find it very interesting series & a story line. The story is set in an alternate world from ours & the world is fill with amazing computers call a "Persocom". A Persocom is really cool. Not only you can surf the Internet, you can check your e-mail, make notes & phone calls, & you have a personal friend as well. A Persocom comes in all shapes, forms & sizes. The only problem, it's really expensive. Hideki is a really lucky guy to find one for free & a cute one, too. Too bad, Hideki doesn't know anything about computers. You wonder why who would throw something like that away. What a waste! As the series unfolds, hopefully it will explain the reason why & whatever secrets that this unique Persocom, Chi, which Hideki found, is holding. As Hideki tries to get used to having a persocom, school & finding himself a job! I did enjoy myself watching this series & I have my funny moments. I do note there is some little naughty parts, but it will make you laugh, like when Hideki tries to get some underwear for Chi! It's hilarious! I enjoy the music very much, you can really get hook to the main theme very easily.
Video:
Geneon Entertainment did a very great job. I found no problem, the image are clear & the color looks perfect. To top things off, the series is feature on Widescreen format. If you got a Widescreen TV, you're going to enjoy this even more. Each episode are split into 5 parts, introduction, part A, part B, ending & preview for the next episode. Since all the episodes are on one single track on the DVD, there is no loading time or changing tracks when you move on to the next episode. However, if you use the auto-replay track option, it will not work, it will just go back to the menu. 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:
The English dubbing is well done. The dialogue even includes Japanese terms, like "seipai". The cast they pick really suits the characters, sometimes, some even sounds like the original Japanese voices. Sumomo's voice is so like the Japanese one. They even able to capture Hideki's outburst reactions & the cuteness when Chi speaks. However, they did change the measurement of Yumi-chan. I wonder why? Geneon Entertainment left them so it can be as close to the Japanese dialogue. It's about 85% of the original Japanese.
Audio 01: English 2.0:
No problem found.
Audio 02: Japanese 2.0:
No problem found.
Subtitle:
Geneon Entertainment have selected a great font, easy to read. They use green for the introduction & ending themes, the rest is yellow & white for Japanese signs & text. There are two tracks of subtitling. One track is for the sign subtitling & the other one is for the Japanese dialogue. I might note that every even numbered episodes, the intro & ending subtitles are in English, while the odd numbered episodes are in Japanese original text.
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. I find the menu really cute. You log in when Chi powers up. It's very simple & clean. The menu is compose with an image of Chi in a school-like clothes. There is the "Play All", a selection of one of the 4 episodes, "Screen Access", "Set Up" & "Extras". Selecting any options, except if you pick the episodes directly, you will get a little computer changing animation. The karaoke of the main theme is playing in the background, but in the other section doesn't have any background music.
DVD Extras:
There isn't much extra, there is the original Japanese credit introduction & a very small art gallery of 5 images & they aren't screeshots, so that's nice.
Packaging:
I really like the packaging. You get to see a very night artwork of Chi sitting on a telephone pole, wearing a very cute dress. In the back, just a few screenshots, one from each episode on this volume, with a close-up shot of the cover picture. The insert has various pictures of Chi! You will get an episode list & no, it's not a chapter list. Inside the insert is a mini-poster with the cute Chi when Hideki found her for the first time! Since the DVD case is a clear one, you get to see Chi, seem to be walking in a field of cherry blossoms trees. To top things off, the insert match right up with it! On the DVD disc itself, it's a pink background with Sumomo on the right side.
PC Viewing:
Watching it on the PC is the same as watching it on the TV. Very clean, no problem at all, very little pixel (little squares popping in & out), both normal mode & full screen mode. The sound is just great. The episodes are place on one single track as you play the episodes, so loading time is really small. You can fast forward to the first episode to the last episode with one move on your mouse! 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:
I wish I can have my own Persocom. I find it really cute. It's worth picking up a copy. If you can, try getting the box with it.
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