Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Giovanni's Island Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 16, 2023

The aftermath of World War II is explored in 2014’s “Giovanni’s Island,” with the Japanese production examining the changing ways of power, clashing cultures, and family ties. Director Mizuho Nishikubo has quite a story to manage, with the horrors of conflict and the warmth of friendship offering a tonal challenge for the helmer. The animated movie delivers on its emotional mission, giving viewers plenty of heartbreak and confusion to handle, and while the endeavor gets a little carried away when it comes to the experience of deep feelings and personal loss, “Giovanni’s Island” remains an interesting sit, touching on a corner of wartime history to help process such profound loss.

In 1945, brothers Junpei and Kanta live on an island with their father and uncle, which is soon overtaken by Soviet forces to claim the land as their own. The siblings try to carry on as normal, but the Russians gradually push the Japanese population out of their homes, forcing them to become resourceful with food and education. While the adults in the community struggle to make sense of all that’s been lost, Junpei and Kanta manage to befriend Tanya, a Russian girl whose spirit is brightened by the boys, making an unlikely connection during a time of occupation and, eventually, imprisonment.

The world of “Giovanni’s Island” isn’t bright, but a fantasy element is present in the form of a beloved storybook about a magical train, with Junpei and Kanta using thoughts of this literary universe to help lift their spirits and inspire their imaginations. The real world is decidedly harsher, and the story details the rising force of Russian soldiers and the dwindling spirits of Japanese people caught up in a post-war mess. “Giovanni’s Island” retains some humor, but it mostly tries to lead with heart, exploring an impossible friendship between the brothers and Tanya, with the writing making points about the ways of innocence in the midst of chaos.

Giovanni's Island Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Giovanni's Island" preserves the softer animation style of the feature, which deals with memory and hope. Artistry is preserved, with a slightly textured sense of backgrounds and character designs, and distances remain dimensional. Colors are lively, with fantasy hues supplying rich blues and golds, while greenery around the setting is appreciable. Clothing choices bring out brighter primaries. More mournful scenes offer a muted palette. Delineation is satisfactory. Mild banding and brief posturization is detected.

Giovanni's Island Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix is offered in English and Japanese. Dialogue exchanges are sharply defined, with crisp emotionality throughout the listening event. Scoring delivers clean instrumentation and aural support, capturing the shifting moods of the feature. Music also pushes into the surrounds for emphasis, joined by active atmospherics, including weather events. Low-end is capable, handling the weight of moving trains and explosives. Sound effects are distinct.

Giovanni's Island Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "The Making of 'Giovanni's Island': A Random Journal" (37:42, HD) features interviews with director Mizuho Nishikubo and some of the production crew. The documentary goes into the creation of art and development of the story, also spending quite some time with the young voice cast, offering a sense of such acting challenges with kids that need time to warm up to the process.

• Art Gallery (7:22) showcases design concepts for the world of "Giovanni's Island," with primary focus on character appearances.

• Interview (4:25, HD) is a brief discussion of "Giovanni's Island" with actress Polina Ilyushenko.

• "Troika" (4:13, HD) is a music video featuring the "male choir version" of the song.

• A Trailer is not included with this release.

Giovanni's Island Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Giovanni's Island" is artfully made, with expressive animation and lively voice work from the cast. The material gets a little carried away when trying to extract tears from viewers as things go from bad to worse for the siblings, but the horrors of war and endurance are vividly represented here, leading to a few powerful moments. "Giovanni's Island" is perhaps best for older children, giving them a chance to understand the nuances of World War II on a more global scale, but intimacy isn't sacrificed, with the feature making time to capture characters and their drive to survive.