Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya: Vow in the Snow Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya: Vow in the Snow Blu-ray Movie Review

Action, adventure, science-fiction, and fantasy... a fun blend for anime enthusiasts.

Based on Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya 3rei!! by Hiroshi Hiroyama, Fate Kaleid liner Prisma Illya – Vow in the Snow is distributed in North America by Sentai Filmworks. An action-packed anime event film made for the die-hard fans of the series, Fate Kaleid liner Prisma Illya – Vow in the Snow is an exciting odyssey for viewers intertwined in the beloved Fate/stay night anime lore. The latest spin-off film in the popular franchise is produced by Hayato Kaneko (Dusk Maiden of Amnesia, WataMote: No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular!). With beautiful animation crafted with care from acclaimed production studio Silver Link (Baka and Test – Summon the Beasts, Tanaka-kun is Always Listless), Fate Kaleid liner Prisma Illya – Vow in the Snow is worth a watch for anime fans who appreciated a good science-fiction/fantasy yarn.

When a mysterious girl is found alongside the remains of an annihilated city, the head-strong boy Shiro Emiya (Noriaki Sugiyama) decides to take it upon himself to treat the girl as if she was a blood relative. Acting as a brother to Miyu Sakatsuki (Kaori Nazuka), the pair are tossed into a new world together and time begins to ebb by during the passage of time. As the pair grow older, past memories of Miyu's destructive capabilities arise when a mysterious group decide to enter their equation. Can Shiro, now a mature young man, help to save Miyu? Or is it far too late?

Fate Kaleid liner Prisma Illya – Vow in the Snow is one of the better entries in the acclaimed franchise. The filmmaking is quite intense at times and manages to make a splendid impression with a solidly explored storyline and interesting characters. The plot line made for an interesting diversion. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the way in which the story found ways to surprise the audience.

Eye of the tiger.

The animation is one of the central strengths of the feature-film. The character designs are distinctive and befitting for the respective characters. The background art is quite lush and detailed. There is an element of intrigue in how the dark color palettes of the filmmaking help to expand the style. This is a compelling visual experience and one that has some stirring imagery (even from the early scenes of mass destruction, which are quite complex). The animators bring a sense of character to the settings and it makes the story easier to engage with. The music score by Tatsuya Kato (Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere, Love Live! Sunshine!!) also adds a sense of character to the proceedings and should not be so easily overlooked.

The screenplay penned by Kenji Inoue (Grand Blue) and Hazuki Minase (Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya 3rei) is one of the elements of the production that sets it apart as a unique anime offering. The story isn't overly convoluted (nor does it feel side-tracked). The main focus on the two lead characters is so well explored that it gives the film a grounded sensibility that is more effective as a result.

Shin Onuma (A Sister's All You Need, Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars) capably directed the film with a sense of style that is befitting the genres. While the story could have easily lost its way if handled by a less competent filmmaker, under the guidance of Onuma there is little for audiences to worry about: action scenes are exciting and character-driven moments are given a chance to shine bright. While the film will appeal to long-time fans more than anyone else, newcomers may even find something fun to appreciate in the well-constructed Fate Kaleid liner Prisma Illya – Vow in the Snow feature-film. It is certainly worth a look.

Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya: Vow in the Snow Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks, Fate Kaleid liner Prisma Illya – Vow in the Snow features a robust 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The presentation is absorbing and beautifully detailed. The intricacies of the animation are brought to life with startling clarity. Colors are one of the most impressive elements of the presentation: the film features a nice range of vivid colors (sometimes with dark hues) and the subtle details of the line art become more impressive while watching the film unfold. The encode is exceptional: there aren't any issues with egregious banding or other compression anomalies. The video looks smooth and crisp at the same time. Anime fans hoping for a beautiful, high-definition presentation will be enormously pleased by the level of detail that went into the release. A top-notch encode.

Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya: Vow in the Snow Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented with a Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound audio track. The lossless sound design is robust and highly detailed. There is an organic nature to the audio track that makes it easy to listen to. It is crisp, clear, and easy to understand. Dialogue reproduction is simply exceptional. The music score is similarly well reproduced and is well implemented into the sound design. When the film has some intense action sequences, there is a depth to the track that is truly outstanding. The track soared across my expectations in detail and clarity and is a true home run.

Please note that the release does not include a English dub option. The included English subtitles are non-removable and the quality of the subs are impressive (with no issues with spelling or grammar).

Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya: Vow in the Snow Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Japanese Promos (HD, 9:05)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Sentai Filmworks: Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya Prisma Phantasm (HD, 1:31), Revue Starlight (HD, 1:33), Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? II – Familia Myth (HD, 1:31), and Beyond the Boundary (HD, 1:31).

Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya: Vow in the Snow Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Fate Kaleid liner Prisma Illya – Vow in the Snow is a surprisingly entertaining, engaging, and action packed anime film. The characters drive the story and make it a compelling experience. The animation is also exemplary and the character designs ring true. The Blu-ray release features an excellent audio-video presentation and is worth a watch for both fans and newcomers alike. Recommended.