Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko Blu-ray Movie Review

Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko is a charming and imaginative comedy-drama exploring the close bonds of family. Created by Kanako Nishi, Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko features animation production by Studio 4°C (Poupelle of Chimney Town, Genius Party). Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko is produced by Eiko Tanaka (Children of the Sea, Poupelle of Chimney Town) and Mitsugu Yamada (Maesetsu! Opening Act).

Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko received a limited engagement theatrical release in North America by Fathom Events. Distributed on home media by Shout Factory and GKids Entertainment (the chief distributor for the beloved Studio Ghibli films), Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko is a must-see gem with a heartfelt story. Fans of unique anime films with visually stunning animation will want to see the film.

Nikuko (Shinobu Ōtake) is a bright spirit with an uplifting heart and a sense of passion for the world around her. Kikuko (Cocomi) is the young daughter of Nikuko. Kikuko is also imaginative and has a wonderful sense of adventure she learned from her mother. Yet Kikuko wants to do her best with school, while trying to fit in with everyone else.

There is plenty of drama in the life of Nikuko – something which occasionally causes stress for her daughter. Yet the tale is one of family. An exploration of love and the bonds of family ties. Living in a seaside town (beside a harbor), an abundance of experiences test the enduring strength of this mother-daughter relationship. Can familial love conquer all hardships?

The bonds of family are at the heart of the film. The connection between Nikuko and Kikuko remains the essence of the story. These characters undergo a lot of obstacles and the characters personalities are a great testament to the filmmakers. Nikuko has had many suitors over the years and a lot of difficult experiences which her daughter has been able to see from her purview. Even despite some major difficulties, Nikuko has a spirit for laughter and adventure. Nikuko plays a big role in the life of her daughter, Kikuko. The characters and their personalities might not seem identical but their heart for family and each other forms an unshakable connection.

The character designs by Kenichi Konishi (My Neighbors the Yamadas, Tokyo Godfathers) are stunning and these designs stand as one of the best production elements of the film. Designer Konishi is one of the most talented designers in the industry (having worked on many high-profile and acclaimed anime features). The efforts contributed by Konishi for Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko are first-rate. Outstanding effort and the end results are full of inventive splendor.

The animation in Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko is imaginative and far more unique than an ordinary anime feature-film production. The art direction by Shinji Kimura (Project A-ko, Children of the Sea) is first-rate and provides a lot of lush detail to the production. Chief animation director Kenichi Konishi (Children of the Sea, Millennium Actress) imbues the landscape of the production with a sense of creative energy felt throughout the film.

The background animation is superbly detailed and the line art is exquisite. The art style feels ambitious and looks vibrant throughout. The animators delivered in spades and the film is all the better as a result. Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko is the work of a team determined to excel and bring their best forward. The result is something special and the visual wonderment of the filmmaking is undeniable.

The score composed by Takatsugu Muramatsu (Lu over the wall, When Marnie Was There) is engaging and magical. The music is full of enchantment and the score provides a perfect backdrop to the film. Charming, engaging, and moving, the score by Muramatsu is beautiful. The score adds to the film – providing a perfect balance of heart and adrenaline. The score has an exhilarating side during the adventurous sequences while the character-dynamics and heart of the story are enhanced well throughout the score.

Written by Satomi Ooshima (Hataraki Man, Raven of the Inner Palace), Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko is a special film with a heart for family. The script has a good balance of quiet character moments and fun comedic scenes. The tale is one that families of all shapes and sizes (or backgrounds) will find easily relatable. The heart of the tale is about the connections human beings have with one another and everything about the film is dedicated to this magic of human connection.

Directed by Ayumu Watanabe (Children of the Sea, After the Rain), Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko is a beautiful and under-the-radar gem. The film is a must-see anime and one that builds an outstanding tale. Watanabe is a talented filmmaker and the visual style of Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko is a superb showcase for their style as a director. Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko has a distinct visual style and the director creates compelling imagery for the tale. A must-see for fans of slice-of-life anime and for audiences appreciating character-focused storytelling.

Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray from Shout Factory and GKids, Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high- definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. A stunning high-definition video presentation and one that showcases vibrant and colorful animation. The animation is well preserved by the high bit-rate encoding. This is one of the testaments of the format, offering video presentations wish high bit-rates (easily surpassing offerings by digital video streaming services – which offer video that is more compressed by comparison).

The animation looks splendid and is enormously well-detailed on the release. The crisp line art makes the experience all the more rewarding. The animation is consistently vibrant and the encoding is free from compression woes or other video deficiencies. A strong presentation from GKids.

Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (with English subtitles). The lossless audio quality on the release is first-rate. The audio presentation is exceptionally detailed with crisp dialogue reproduction and overall sound clarity. The score is well reproduced and the music adds to the viewing experience.

Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko features an incredible sound design by Koji Kasamatsu (The Wind Rises, Children of the Sea). The surrounds are actively engaged on the release and the audio provides an aural experience that is enormously satisfying. The release does not provide an English dub option. The English subtitles by Aura are free from any egregious spelling or grammatical errors.

Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The first print run includes a o-card slipcover.

On disc supplements include:

Making Of (HD, 1:12:25) is a feature-length documentary exploring the production and making-of Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko. It is wonderful to have a lengthy and in piece documentary about the production of Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko and fans of the film who appreciate behind-the-scenes bonus features will appreciate the release including such an expansive piece rather than a short EPK style fluff piece.

Film Completion Press Conference (HD, 26:54)

Official Premiere Event (HD, 18:34)

Samma Akashiya Birthday Event (HD, 18:02)

Guest Speaker Event (HD, 19:55)

Trailers (HD, 4:22)

Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko is an imaginative and heartfelt tale about the strength of family and the close bonds between a mother and daughter. The filmmaking is exhilarating and the animation is breathtaking to behold. The script by Satomi Ooshima (Hataraki Man) does a great job of exploring these characters and acclaimed director Ayumu Watanabe (Children of the Sea) has a wonderful sense of style and an understanding of character-based storytelling.

The Blu-ray release features an exceptional video and audio presentation. The video presentation has a wonderful encode with crisp and colorful animation. The lossless audio track features a stunning sound design. The Blu-ray release also includes a nice selection of bonus features for fans of the film to explore further. Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko is a gem and fans of the film will want to own it. Highly recommended.