6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
From the moment twelve-year-old Misaki Suzuhara first arrives in Tokyo to live with her aunt, she finds herself swept away by the amazing world of Angelic Layer - a fast-paced high-tech game where dolls called "Angels" are controlled by the thoughts of their operator, or "Deus." Discovering that her new friends are as interested in Angelic Layer as she is, Misaki builds her own Angel, Hikaru, and begins competing in battles where will and determination count far more than size and strength. The competitions are going to be fierce and, with the national championships looming on the horizon, you can bet that not everyone Misaki meets will be on her side. Can Misaki handle the pressure of non-stop competition while struggling to adapt to life in an unfamiliar city?
Starring: Atsuko Enomoto, Jun Fukuyama, Satsuki Yukino, Yuri Shiratori, Masaya OnosakaAnime | 100% |
Foreign | 95% |
Comedy | 28% |
Comic book | 19% |
Action | 13% |
Sci-Fi | 13% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080i (upconverted)
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.33:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Japanese: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English
Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (3 BDs)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Battle Doll Angelic Layer, released in 2001, has proven to be something of a visionary program what with its premise centered around, essentially, the "toys to life" concept that was until recently all the rage in the video game industry but has since plummeted in popularity with all of the big boys -- Skylanders, Disney Infinity, and LEGO Dimensions -- throwing in the towel (that said, a newcomer of sorts, Starlink, is headed to store shelves this fall). The game depicted in Angelic Layer is a bit more complex, with players customizing their one and only doll and controlling it not through a plastic portal and a wireless game controller but a slick headset that telepathically moves the figure within the battle arena.
My angel...
Battle Doll Angelic Layer: Complete Collection features a 1080i transfer framed at approximately 1.33:1, which places "black bars" on the right and left hand sides of the HD display. Though this is an upconverted SD image, the results are very impressive. While occasional swaths of banding, shimmering along some solid objects (look at the Angelic Layer toys on the shelf at the 11:40 mark), and occasionally splotchy bursts of noise are present, Sentai's Blu-ray does a very good job of accentuating the positives and overcoming any source and native resolution deficits. The Blu-ray is in fact very pleasant, holding firm with quality textural integrity and revealing characters and environments alike with a good, appreciable level of sharpness and stability. Colors are punchy and while the source lacks the intensity and nuance fans will find on many newer animated high definition releases, the palette proves satisfyingly robust as it is, bursting with a barrage of bright, intensive colors throughout the run. Fans should be very pleased with the end result on Blu-ray.
Battle Doll Angelic Layer: Complete Collection's packaging and menu screen both claim that a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is
included, but playback offers only an English language DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 presentation. That's what the review Oppo BDP-203 and the Denon
AVR-X6400H both read and decode (with the same results testing through an Xbox One X and a PS4 Pro both connected to the same audio receiver),
so it appears that both the menu and packaging are incorrect. Regardless the English language 2.0 track is just fine, a pleasant listening experience
with intensive and engaging elements across all episodes.
The track is impressively large. The Angelic Layer battles -- beginning with the first one when Misaki watches the game with the crowd, fresh off the
train -- open
wide with impressive stage dominance, even limited to the front two channels only. There's a pleasing sense of movement and sound depth, impressive
given the lack of a subwoofer channel to handle the deepest details. The opening title music is generously wide and surprisingly potent; it thumps even
without a low end channel at its disposal. Clarity throughout the musical range is excellent, and every element -- instruments and lyrics -- present in
seamlessly blended and balanced excellence. The track opens with impressive ambience in various locations, such as at the store where Misaki buys
her doll in the opening episode. Good little bits of din flutter through, with some width, here and elsewhere throughout, as needed, including larger
crowd din at battles large and smaller alike. Dialogue is clear and precise, never missing a beat with its seamless front-center-imaged positioning.
Battle Doll Angelic Layer: Complete Collection contains extras on all three discs, highlighted by a handful of commentary tracks for select
episodes. No DVD or digital versions are included. The release ships without a slipcover.
Disc One:
One can only wonder if the future of human and digital interaction may some day look like this, when the realms of digital games, physical commodities, and human users are so tightly knit at a level beyond hand-eye coordination and physical inputs. But what's great about Angelic Layer is that it's not just a show with an eye for the future of tech. It's a very intimate, personal journey for a character who finds herself not necessarily in her avatar but certainly through her avatar. The show is fun, adventurous, creative, expansive, and very personal; this is a superior Anime. Sentai's Blu-ray release of Battle Doll Angelic Layer: Complete Collection offers solid video and audio and features a welcome allotment of bonus content that goes beyond the usual Sentai fluff in the form of half a dozen or so commentary tracks. Very highly recommended.
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