Emma: A Victorian Romance: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Emma: A Victorian Romance: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie Review

Featuring a brand new English dub: a must-see for series fans.

Emma: A Victorian Romance is a charming and heartfelt animated romance with a big heart. The series is based on the award-winning manga by Kaoru Mori. Set in a Victorian period, the costume drama is full of class and romanticism. A must-see for anime fans with an interest in Victorian-era storytelling. Don't miss it.

Emma (Yumi Toma) is a hardworking maid with a passion for life and a heart for romance. While living out her days in 19^th century London, Emma meets William Jones (Tokuyoshi Kawashima), the eldest son in a well-off wealthy family. An unexpected romance begins to stir between Emma and William. Can the pair of affectionate love-birds find happiness while crossing the boundaries of class distinction circa the 19^th century?

The series has plenty of charm. One of the best things about the production is the exquisite animation. The team of animators involved in the production managed to convey the 19^th century aesthetic quite well. Under the art direction of Junko Sakurai (Ohedo Rocket) and Yuko Yano, the animation soars throughout the first season. The background art is detailed and highly sophisticated. The efforts are truly exceptional. The character designs are also exquisite. With exquisite cinematographic efforts by Atsuho Matsumoto (Midori Days, Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie).

The music score composed by Kunihiko Ryo (Beyond the Years, Yona of the Dawn) is a charming slice-of-life confection. The score has a melodic backdrop that is enormously serene and calming to listen to throughout the entire first season. The music is quite enjoyable and fits the tone of the series well. The romantic interludes are impressive and give a nice sense of charm to the production. The score is a joy and the efforts of the composer are greatly appreciated at every turn of the page.

A classic romance with heart and charm.

One of the best elements of the Blu-ray edition of Emma: Season 1 is the new English dub option. RightStuf/Nozomi Entertainment went to Kickstarter to see if there was market interest in a dub production for the Victorian era romance. Fans contributed in droves and the project was a stirring success. Experiencing the series in English is surprisingly enjoyable and the dub actors were well cast throughout the first season. An outstanding effort that dub fans will appreciate.

Emma: A Victorian Romance is a wonderfully well-written gem. The screenplays are entertaining and engaging. The characters are charming and the romance is heartfelt. The series manages to tug at the heart-strings on many occasions. The scripts are full of quiet charms and embellishments. Both Emma and William are well developed characters throughout the first season. The storytelling provides both of the characters plenty of great moments that embellish the Victorian-era landscape.

Directed with a sense of classical romanticism, Emma: A Victorian Romance is an engaging anime gem with plenty to offer audiences. The series is expertly edited by Seiji Morita (Code Geass, Urusei Yatsura) and flows well episode-to-episode. The series has plenty of fun with the concept. There is never a sense of the series dragging on unnecessarily or being diluted with unnecessary 'filler' episodes. The pace and rhythm are great and manage to carry the storylines well throughout the entire first season. Well worth checking out.

Emma: A Victorian Romance: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from RightStuf, Emma: A Victorian Romance: Season 1 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the television aspect ratio of 1.77:1 widescreen. The presentation is generally solid looking and has a nice clean aesthetic that pleases throughout. The encode doesn't look as crisp as full native high-definition and appears to have source-material which was upscaled but the efforts by RightStuf are commendable and make the series all the more beautiful in its Blu-ray debut. Fans of the series will have some minor qualms but the end results are certainly satisfactory.

Emma: A Victorian Romance: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of audio options: English uncompressed PCM 5.1, English uncompressed PCM 2.0, and Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 (with English subtitles).

RightStuf produced an exceptional new English dub for the Blu-ray release of Season 1 and the results are outstanding. Fans who contributed to the Kickstarter campaign will be pleased with the end results. The dub is exceptional and manages to fit the tone of the series perfectly. The cast of voice-actors brought the characters to life in compelling ways. A outstanding production and one that benefits from the lossless, high resolution audio. Dialogue is crisp, clear, and easy to understand.

Emma: A Victorian Romance: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Backer Thanks (HD, 2:44) features a special video-message thanking fans for supporting the production of the all-new English dub produced for the Blu-ray edition of Emma: A Victorian Romance. The dub was produced through a Kickstarter campaign and many fans of the series contributed to make the dub become a reality. A charming, quirky, and enjoyable 'thank-you' video that fans will appreciate.

Clean Opening (HD, 1:31)

Clean Closing (HD, 1:30)

Japanese Promo Commercial (SD, 00:17)

Japanese DVD Commercials (SD, 1:31)

Japanese Promo TV Spots (SD, 3:08)

U.S. Season One Trailer (SD, 1:31)

Season Two Trailer (HD, 2:11)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from RightStuf/Nozomi Entertainment: Sound of the Sky (HD, 1:35) and Revolutionary Girl Utena (HD, 00:18).

Emma: A Victorian Romance: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Emma: A Victorian Romance is a must-see anime gem destined to become a classic. The series is a perfect antidote to a rainy-day afternoon. The story has romance and plenty of heart. The animation is charming and fits the tone of the Victorian-era romance perfectly. No fan of classic romantic literature (with an affection for anime) should miss out. Highly recommended.