|
Feature Presentation:
This is one of five UMD releases by Bandai Entertainment . I always says that movies are more suited then series for this format. This movie base on the Escaflowne series, sort of. You will get to see your favorites characters Hitomi & Van once again to save the world of Gaea with a whole new twist. It's basically like a re-write of the entire 26 episodes series, keeping the central theme, such as the Wing Goddess is destined to save Gaea, while others are totally brand new, even some of the characters have been redesigned. Heck, there is even new music or remix taken from the series, which is all great. We started off with Hitomi, for some reason, sad & depressed, wishing that she could disappeared from the life she lives in. With the twist of fate, her wish came through & she vanish to a place called Gaea. As her fate was foretold, she is welcomed as the Wing Goddess & posses the power to summon Escaflowne that can be used to save the world or bring its destruction. Come see Escaflowne in a whole new light.
Video:
Bandai Entertainment did a very great job. All & running smoothly. There is also no touch up, they kept all the original Japanese credits at the ending. There is no English credit list was added at the very end of the movie. The movie is feature on Widescreen format. I think due how it was made, there doesn't fill the entire PSP screen. You will noticed a small black bar on the top & bottom. 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. However, there is the annoying FBI warning that you can't skip before the movie starts. There is already a DVD out already, if you wish you see it on your TV!
Dubbing: English:
Bandai Entertainment have taken the time to actually bring back the original voices from the Escaflowne series. So, if you seen the series before, get ready to hear them replaying their characters in a different story line. It's pretty interesting. 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:
Bandai 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. Yellow is used for the regular subtitling & Japanese signs & text, but it suit. There is only one subtitling track, which is for the Japanese dialogue, but it seems to be missing the translation for the ending theme.
Menu Option:
The menu is also in widescreen format, fits right on the PSP screen. The menu is a scene from the movie where Hitomi got caught up in water, looking up at Gaea. There is the "Play", "Screen Access", "Set Up" & "Previews". Selecting any of the options will have a small animation of white light. The "Screen Access" area takes a while to load, as it shows the clip of the chapter. 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 design is almost the same as the DVD release. On the cover, you will see the faces of Van, Hitomi & other characters throughout the series. It's dark & see the destruction in the back. In the back, you get some screenshots, along with a very long summary. There is no insert at all for this release, but you do have a PSP screen protector, but I suggest not to use it. On the UMD disc itself is the same as the cover. I do want to note that the UMD disc case is a clear one.
Overall UMD Rating:
If you're a Escaflowne fan, this movie will be a great addition. It brings a totally new twist that have something new & old. 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!
| 
