7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
This time the blind swordsman is actually a swordswoman: Ichi, who is on a quest to find the man who taught her martial arts skills as a young girl. When she is confronted by a gang of bandits, Ichi becomes caught up in ridding the town of the unruly gang while also offering assistance to wandering samurai Toma, a fighter much less gifted than herself.
Starring: Takao Ôsawa, Haruka Ayase, Yôsuke Kubozuka, Shidô Nakamura, Akira EmotoForeign | 100% |
Action | 51% |
Martial arts | 44% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Japanese: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Based on Kan Shimosawa’s story, Japanese director Fumihiko Sori’s "Ichi" (2008) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Manga Home Entertainment. The only supplemental feature on this disc is the film’s original UK trailer. With imposed English subtitles. Region-Free.
Banished
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Fumihiko Sori's Ichi (2008) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Manga Home Entertainment.
Generally speaking, Ichi looks very good. Contrast is strong, clarity pleasing and detail convincing. Many of the panoramic shots, for example (take a look at the screencaptures), look lovely. On the other hand, the close-ups are clean and detailed. The color-scheme is also very impressive – reds, blues, browns, blacks and whites are rich and well saturated. For some reason, occasionally the greens look a bit weak. Edge-enhancement is not a serious issue of concern. Neither is macroblocking. However, I did spot a bit of mild digital noise that some of you are likely to detect as well. Disturbing artifacts do not plague the transfer. Large debris, scratches, or stains, are also nowhere to be seen. Blown through a digital projector, Ichi looks rather stable (there are only a couple of scenes where I noticed mild flickering in the edges). All in all, I think that fans of the film will definitely be pleased with Manga Home Entertainment's Blu-ray disc. (Note: Even though this disc is marketed as Region-B, it is in fact Region-Free. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no PAL or 1080i/50 material preceding the main menu).
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: Japanese: Dolby TrueHD 5.1. For the record, the English subtitles are forced (however, they are not burnt in).
The Japanese Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track is impressive. The bass is rich and active, the rear channels very effective, and the high frequencies not overdone. As expected, the action scenes sound fantastic. Additionally, the dialog is crisp, clear and very easy to follow. The music score - and especially Lisa Gerrard's singing - is terrific. In fact, I was so impressed with the sound that I went back a couple of times to hear some of the key songs again. This being said, there are no pops, cracks, or hissings to report in this review. There are no balance issues that I detected either. To sum it all up, the Japanese Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track is very strong, and I have absolutely no doubt that you would be enormously pleased with it.
Note: the UK trailer is in PAL. Therefore, if you reside in North America or another region where PAL is not supported, you must have a Region-Free player converting PAL to NTSC, or a TV set capable of receiving native PAL data, in order to view it.
UK trailer – in PAL, with forced English subtitles. (2 min).
I was pleasantly surprised with Japanese director Fumihiko Sori's Ichi. Not only is this film very well acted, but it also boasts a soundtrack to die for. Former Dead Can Dance member Lisa Gerrard's singing alone would have been enough of a reason to recommend it. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Manga Home Entertainment, looks good and sounds terrific. The lack of supplemental features is somewhat disappointing, but the film is definitely worth seeing. Region-Free. Recommended.
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