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Feature Presentation:
Special thanks to Geneon Entertainment for sending a copy for a review for this site. This is the second Anime movie release for the UMD format & what a great addition to an Anime classic. This is the fully restored & digitally re-mastered version of the classic Akira. It is so well done that you can't even tell that this was release in 1987! Not only that, if you have seen the original release, there are parts that has been cut off due to censorship, but now, see it what was meant to be. In additional to that, it also featured a brand new dubbing cast. This movie even started off with a bang! Somewhere in time, a unknown explosion hits Tokyo, destroying everything in its path. Years past, humanity rebuild their city, but it has been corrupted & violence seem to be the everyday routine. Two best friends, Tetsuo & Kaneda, are part of a motorcycle gang, causing trouble all over the city. One day, they ran into trouble when they got caught in the middle of a military operation to retrieve an escaped experimental subject. Tetsuo got captured & he was used as a test subject. He gains psychic powers, but since his new founded powers over takes him, he went out of control & started tearing the city apart, looking for an unknown called "Akira"! Kaneda must test their friendship, not only to save Tetsuo, but to prevent the same disaster that came upon the city before.
Video:
Geneon Entertainment did a very great job. The movie is feature on Widescreen format, so it fits right on the spot on your PSP screen. There is some watermarking done, translating the credits to English. Since the movie is fully digitally restored, it's almost perfect, crisp & clean. Since the movie is on one single track on the UMD, there is no loading time or changing tracks when you move on to the next chapter. I do note that you can skip all those warnings & logos when you first load the UMD by just selection the "Menu" on your PSP. There is already a DVD out already, if you wish you see it on your TV!
Dubbing: English:
As I mention before, there is a totally brand new dubbing track. The new cast fits each characters very well & gives it a whole new life for this Anime classic. It's about 85% of the original Japanese.
Audio 01: English 2.0:
No problem found. Recommended listening via headphones or an external speaker system.
Audio 02: Japanese 2.0:
No problem found. Recommended listening via headphones or an external speaker system.
Subtitle:
Geneon Entertainment have selected a great font, very easy to read, but as always, since the PSP has a small screen, you might have trouble reading it without looking closely. Of course, it varies from person to person. White is the prefer color for the regular subtitling & Japanese signs & text. There is only one subtitling track, which is for the Japanese dialogue.
Menu Option:
The menu is also in widescreen format, fits right on the PSP screen. The menu is pretty simple, you see Kaneda & his awesome red motorcycle. There is the "Play", "Audio Setup", "Subtitle Setup" & "Previews". When selected, each section will pop out the options you want to select. The background music is one of the battle music.
UMD Extras:
Even there is a section for extras, there isn't really any extras, just trailers for other Anime releases. This might be due that, well, UMD discs have a limited space, so you're pretty much stuck with none.
Packaging:
The package is almost the same as the DVD release, if you have seen it or own it. On the cover, Kaneda & his awesome red motorcycle in the middle of the road. Somehow, it is feature alot, but there is more then that to the movie. In the back, you will the "bang" part, the huge unknown explosion. The insert is simple, just all the chapters listing & for all you new to your PSP, there is instructions how to work an UMD disc! On the UMD disc itself, it's the same explosion scene, like the back cover. Since the UMD disc case is a clear one, you can see the red city.
Overall UMD Rating:
It's good to see a classic making a comeback. Even this Anime is old, the restoring process make it just like it's been release recently. With a brand new dubbed to boot, too. This movie is just awesome to watch. Action-packed & ready to go. Check it out & you will see what I mean. By now, most of you have seen the DVD version, so if you love that movie enough, this is perfect to bring along with your PSP to watch during long trip! For all who have not, this is a perfect addition to your UMD collection!
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