Bodacious Space Pirates: Abyss of Hyperspace Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Bodacious Space Pirates: Abyss of Hyperspace Blu-ray Movie Review

A solid follow-up to the popular series

Reviewed by Dr. Stephen Larson September 7, 2016

Bodacious Space Pirates: Abyss of Hyperspace (2014) marked the feature directorial debut of Tatsuo Satô, who also helmed the Bodacious Space Pirates 2012 TV series, not to mention several other series since the mid-1990s. Bodacious Space Pirates also became a manga adaptation so it was apt to follow it up with a big-screen version. Sato has telescoped selective material from the series' twenty-six episodes into a 93-minute narrative. The result is a colorful collection of characters with a number of intersecting storylines that feels crammed but delivers a moderately entertaining space adventure.

Marika Kato is a first year high school student residing on a planet called Uminoakeboshi. A member of the space yacht club, Marika also holds a part- time job at a posh retro café. Early in the film she discovers that her recently deceased father, Gonzaemon, once captained a space pirate ship known as the "Bentenmaru." Marika learns that she is next in line to inherit the captain's title (since she is a direct descendant) and becomes the Captain of the Space Pirates. Marika is joined by a crew of ragtag pirates and Kanata Mugen, a boy who owns a "galaxy pass." Marika's counterpart is Chiaki Kurihara, a young girl who is also an heir to a another pirate ship known as the Barbaroosa. Satô and his editor, Kentaro Tsubone, intercut the outer-space scenes with Kato's domestic affairs at the retro-maid cafe and the goings-on at the Hakuoh Academy. Although the narrative locus is often scattershot, the movie becomes more focused when addressing surveillance and data breaches into the spacecraft's firewall. The film delves into these aspects fairly well and I wish that it had sustained that focus.

The precocious Marika Kato assumes command of the Space Pirate vessel.

Overall, the animation created for the film is very good. The animators utilize a very wide color spectrum and when the spacecraft accelerates into hyperspace, the image takes on a three-dimensional look. A handful of snippets display a more conventional 2D cartoon aesthetic but that may have been on purpose due to the flashbacks. I wish that Satô and his filmmaking team had used longer takes. Some of the establishing shots are gorgeous but nearly every take lasts only a second or two. Satô may be appealing to a younger demographic but the animation design is so intricately textured in every aspect that the shots demand the audience's full attention. Bodacious Space Pirates: Abyss of Hyperspace is an extremely fast-paced space opus that picks up narrative momentum in its concluding act. Viewers will appreciate the aesthetic and cultural references to 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Barbarella (1968), and Harold Lloyd.

Bodacious Space Pirates: Abyss of Hyperspace Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Bodacious Space Pirates: Abyss of Hyperspace arrives on a BD-50 disc courtesy of Sentai Filmworks. The movie appears in an aspect ratio close to 1.85:1, thus replicating it theatrical exhibition. This is a sterling transfer showcasing the first-rate work of Satô's animation team. Primary colors look vibrant and it is only the lighter colors that lack some definition. There are no print flaws or source defects. My main quibble has to do with the dark yellow subtitles Sentai chose to translate the Japanese dialog. There is also English dialog which is is translated into white Japanese subtitles so occasionally there are dual-language subs on the screen. The yellow appears ugly and it would have been better if Sentai had flip-flopped the choice of colors or used a different color (off-white) for the subs. Sentai also has translated sign posts, placards, and songs so the label maximized its quality- control resources.

Bodacious Space Pirates: Abyss of Hyperspace Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Two DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks can be chosen: the original Japanese and an English dub. Dialog is predominantly clear and cogent, emanating from mainly the center channel. The surrounds get quite a workout for all of the outer-space scenes and accentuate the noises coming from the spacecrafts. Viewers will not need to turn up the volume too loud, regardless of receiver output. This is a very rich and dynamic mix.

Bodacious Space Pirates: Abyss of Hyperspace Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Sentai has included only a few special features:

• Japanese Promos - a compilation of promos advertising the DVD and Blu-ray releases of Bodacious Space Pirates (1:38, 1080p).

• Clean Opening Animation - first scenes of the movie without any credits or titles (1:34, 1080p).

• Clean Closing Animation - closing of the movie sans the final credits scrolling (5:18, 1080p).

• Also Available from Sentai Filmworks - trailers for MEDAKA BOX, Wake Up, Girls!, Log Horizon Season 2, and Wolf Girl & Black Prince.

Bodacious Space Pirates: Abyss of Hyperspace Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As a feature, Bodacious Space Pirates: Abyss of Hyperspace feels stuffy at 93 minutes. The myraid characters and plotlines could have used another half hour of development. Still, the animation is excellent and those who enjoyed the 2012 series or read the illustrated manga adaptation will want to add this Blu-ray to their collections. Sentai delivers a generally terrific transfer and a robust audio mix. RECOMMENDED to fans of the series.