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Feature Presentation:
Special thanks to ADV Films for sending a copy for a review for this site. Finally, one very sweet & nice episode to enjoy, nothing too creepy or out, but something wonderful & cheerful. The first episode on this volume is just that, all about the first flight & archiving a dream! However, it also the first time that Kino's isn't the main character, well, sort of not the main one. You will see. The other episodes, one is all about books. If you read lots of books, then you might understand that episode as a reader. It will make you think a bit & question reality. The last one is a strange episode, as the title apply, all about mechanical dolls. It's most of another story of a lost country with an ending surely to shock you.
Video:
ADV Films did a very great job. I found no problem, the image are clear & the color looks perfect. Just a note, it is very normal if you see the some sort of line effects throughout the series. It was set to make it feel that you're watching a video of Kino's journey. There's nothing wrong. 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. There is some watermarks done for the introduction & ending credits (they are translated in English). Each episodes are separated into 5 parts: the introduction, part A, part B, ending & the preview for the next episode! The episodes are on a different track, so there will be a small loading time when you move on to the next episode. 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 dubbing is really great. I think the dubbing is actually better then the original Japanese audio, give me the chills even more then reading & understanding what's going on. It's about 85% 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 XX: English 2.0:
Just letting you know, there isn't an English 2.0 audio track on this DVD. This is artificially made from the 5.1 audio track, that's why I noted it as "XX". I found no problem with the audio, but I bet it would be alot more interesting with the 5.1.
Audio 02: Japanese 2.0:
No problem found.
Subtitle:
ADV Films have selected a great font, very easy to read. They use yellow for the introduction, ending themes & the Japanese dialogue & 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 on this volume.
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 design is still the same, except it's another picture of Kino standing on the right with her motocycle, Hermes. The background is another scenery during Kino's journey. There isn't a "Play All" or any "Screen Access" features, just the selections of the 3 episodes on this volume, "Set Up" & "Extras". The main theme is playing in the background. Other sections, there wll be different scenery & other background musics will be played from the series.
DVD Extras:
As before, the same non-credit opening & ending, along with another batch of production sketches related to the episodes on this volume. By now, it would be nice to have the original Japanese opening & ending.
Packaging:
The package carries the same style. On the cover, you will see a mix theme with Nimya, a charater that you will see on the first episode on this volume, with a strange background of books, which reflect one the book episode. A great combo. On the back, another little poem with a little hint on what's going on on this volume, along with three screenshots from the episodes on this volume. The insert carries the same picture as the cover, along with a list what's on the DVD. Again, there isn't a mini-poster in the insert. On the DVD disc itself, the same design is used, the same green, a nice bed of roses. Nice, yet simple.
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. Just like watching it on TV, there is a line effect throughout the series. Don't worry about it, it's normal. The sound is just great. Since the episodes are on different tracks, it will take time to load when you move on to the next episode. 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 really enjoy the first episode on this volume. It's like you can feel the characters feeling, along with a nice music. The fun part is that this series make you think & reflect on some of its themes.
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