Aim for the Ace: Another Match Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Aim for the Ace: Another Match Blu-ray Movie Review

Aim for the Ace! Another Match continues the adventures of the classic anime series with the OVA continuation. Created by Sumika Yamamoto, the OVA sequel is a direct-to-video continuation. A compelling follow-up to the beloved classic.

 Produced by Masaaki Motomura (Robin Hood, Gense Shugoshin P-hyoro Ikka), Shin Unozawa (Patlabor: The Movie, Talking Head), Shiro Aono (Bionic Six, Fist of the North Star: Legend of Kenshiro), and Yutaka Takahashi (Dog Soldier: Shadows of the Past, Samurai: Hunt for the Sword), Aim for the Ace! Another Match features theme music composed by Hiroaki Serizawa (Blue Blink, Nozomi Witches). Aim for the Ace! Another Match features animation production by Tokyo Movie Shinsha (Akira, Golgo 13: The Professional). Distributor Discotek Media provides the entire 13 episode run.

Hiromi Oka (Yūko Mizutani) has learned a lot since beginning her journey as a tennis player. After all, years have passed since she first began to learn her craft from master tennis player Jin Munakata. Determined to continue to excel at the sport, Hiromi finds herself in victory-mode after winning championship at the nationals. Hiromi is at the peak of her game and she wants to be the best she possibly can be to represent her home country of Japan.

Yet there is one thing Hiromi never expected: coach Munakata finding himself in poor health as he struggles to get by following an unexpected hospitalization. Can Hiromi continue to win the game and be the hero her country needs as an exceptional tennis player without her coach to guide her? Despite new challenges and risks, the journey to winning the game is always believing in yourself – and never losing sight of your own strengths.

The characters are compelling and a big part of the fun of Aim for the Ace! Another Match. Hiromi is a fun and memorable leading character. Hiromi certainly makes the series more engaging with her fun sense of adventure and her desire to be the best tennis player she can be. This aspect of the series certainly enhances the story and makes the character all the more memorable. Hiromi sets forth: continuing her journey as she tries to push herself to be her absolute best.

The character designs by Akio Sugino (Ashita no Joe, The Legend of the Galactic Heroes) add to the series fun and sense of charm, too. The charming designs add a lot to the production. Sugino is a talented and noteworthy character designer for the anime. The character designs feel true to the original anime run and expand on the original animation.

The animation direction by Akio Sugino (Space Adventure Cobra, Black Jack) is a highlight and something that makes the production all the more engaging. The spirited animation style showcases something enormously special. The quality hand drawn animation adds a lot to the experience. The artistry showcases the fine efforts of the team of the animators involved on the production. The team understood the essence of the original and found ways to continue the series with effective, memorable, and compelling animation.

The score composed by Hiroaki Serizawa (Megazone 23 Part II, Nozomi Witches) is enjoyable and adds a lot of charm to the production. Indeed, the music is one of the most charming qualities of the series. There is a nice backdrop to the production with the compositions. The effort expands the original production with nice music pieces to highlight the tennis matches and the journey forward.

The cinematography by Hirokata Takahashi (The Rose of Versailles, Space Adventure Cobra) is compelling and provides a nice aesthetic style. Takahashi is a quality cinematographer with an understanding of the medium and the aesthetic that needed to be achieved. The effort is quite incredible. Aim for the Ace! Another Match continues to expand on the cinematographic style established in the original – though it sometimes adds a slightly daker visual aesthetic, too.

Written by chief screenwriters Makiko Mikami (Sazae-san) and Megumi Hiyoshi (Harlock Saga), Aim for the Ace! Another Match continues the game. Mikami and Hiyoshi have fun as the chief screenwriters working on the production. The writers certainly enjoy bringing back the beloved classic anime and exploring it more. Fans of sports anime will appreciate the balance of drama and sports matches as highlighted during the series.

Directed by Noboru Furuse (New Dominion Tank Police, Kaze o Nuke!), Aim for the Ace! Another Match continues the epic sports anime. Fans won’t want to miss the new installments in the saga. The epic quest is one that continues to explore the world of Hiromi and her dedication to her craft – as she journeys forward to be the best player of the game. A quality continuation of the original.

Aim for the Ace: Another Match Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Discotek Media, Aim for the Ace! Another Match is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The release is upconverted from standard definition. Discotek Media provides the series a upscaled high- definition release that isn't available in native high-definition. Unfortunately, Discotek was only able to utilize the video masters and not original film elements on the release. The result is the animation is not as crisp or as detailed as it may have been with the original camera negatives.

It seems such film materials were unavailable for the presentation and as such it is not as robust a presentation as native high-definition anime series would be able to provide to audiences. Nonetheless, the encode quality is decent and demonstrates some slight improvements with upscaling adding to the video quality. Despite imperfections in the source, the transfer still looks decent overall and the animation is better looking than expected. Could it look better? Possibly, but not with the source material Discotek was able to work with to create the release.

Aim for the Ace: Another Match Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Blu-ray release is presented in Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 (with English subtitles). The audio quality on the release is pleasing with good overall fidelity. The soundtrack sounds clear and the quality is certainly well reproduced. Even with a limited soundstage the fidelity is surprisingly good given the age of the materials and is effective during the tennis matches.

The set doesn't provide an English dubbed option. This is no major issue and fans who prefer the original Japanese language will understandably prefer seeing the series with the original audio intact. The subtitles on the release are well done.

Aim for the Ace: Another Match Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes a gorgeous o-card slipcover. The slipcover artwork is fantastic and it makes a wonderful impression. The slipcover artwork features unique key artwork that is different from the artwork highlighted underneath the slipcover. The additional key art adds an extra collectable quality to the release.

On disc supplements are somewhat sparse on the release. The release could have used a more robust supplemental package. The release may have benefited from including audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes material, art galleries, and cast interviews. Unfortunately, it's a close to barebones package. An expanded supplemental package could have added some extra value to the package and made it appealing to those who enjoy delving into the supplements more.

The on-disc extras include:

Clean Ending (HD, 1:31)

Aim for the Ace: Another Match Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Aim for the Ace! Another Match continues the journey of the original anime classic. The anime is a fun and ambitious one. Fans of the classic anime will want to continue the journey with more exciting adventures. The odyssey of Hiromi as she continues her quest to be the best tennis player is a compelling one and fans will want to see where the story picks up.

The Blu-ray release provides a high-definition upscale of the standard-definition video and as such it isn't as pristine looking as a native scan. The release includes a quality audio soundtrack. The release also sports a nice o-card slipcover with additional key art (different from the art underneath the slip). On disc supplements are somewhat limited. Fans wanting to own a permanent copy for their Blu-ray collection will want to consider a purchase. Recommended.