Knights of Sidonia: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Knights of Sidonia: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown May 22, 2015

One of Netflix's lesser known ventures in exclusive original programming, Knights of Sidonia is actually one of the better sci-fi anime series to come along in some time. A dark, surprisingly refined mingling of traditional mecha, Attack on Titan and Ronald D. Moore's Battlestar Galactica, the series' twelve-episode first season becomes more addicting with each episode, sacrificing characters in pursuit of story and gaining momentum with intense space battles, smartly penned conflict and a mythos worthy of investment. The story itself is a bit basic, and hardly original, and the animation, while certainly effective, isn't going to drop jaws. But there's a confidence and purpose in everything director Kōbun Shizuno and writer Sadayuki Murai commit to the screen. No decision is without consequence, no plot twist without proper groundwork, no suspense without a fitting build-up, no assault without a genuine fear that someone -- or everyone -- you've come to care about not be around to see Season Two. And believe me, the closer the first season comes to its climactic endgame, the more you'll want to dive into the series' second season.

A thousand years after the alien Gauna destroyed the Earth, a small remnant of humanity still fights on to survive, fleeing on the gargantuan asteroid-based spaceship Sidonia. But centuries of flight and warfare have changed mankind in incredible ways: genetic engineering has allowed humans to photosynthesize like plants, reproduction occurs through cloning, and a third gender has been created to balance the population. Even though it's been a century since the last encounter with the Gauna, military service is mandatory, with all those able enough enlisted to pilot the Garde robots that stand as Sidonia's front line of defense. For Nagate Tanikaze, whose grandfather secretly hid him in the forgotten bowels of the asteroid, it's a strange new world as he's forced to come to the surface and join the ranks of defenders. Yet his recruitment comes just in time, for the Gauna have suddenly reappeared, and what could be man's last battle will require every resource humanity has left. And what no one knows, yet, is that Nagate is not exactly what he seems, and a secret buried in his past may change the fate of all mankind.

Adapted from Tsutomu Nihei's manga of the same name, Knights of Sidonia isn't in any rush to prove itself, favoring slowburn developments that pit mankind's last living hope against a formidable alien enemy. Its rewarding, character-driven sci-fi too, with thought provoking ideas it's eager to explore... if, that is, you're willing to come to the series with the sort of patience typically reserved for more challenging premium cable dramas. It isn't pretentious either, establishing a convincing universe that isn't interested in anything other than weaving a good story. There's very little heady nonsense to endure, even though a great deal of intelligence and anime know-how has gone into its creation. A few too many crutches hinder some of the earlier episodes (flashbacks in particular), but none of it amounts to a lingering issue. As the series gains its footing, it takes off, dragging anyone willing to go the distance along for a gripping ride. It doesn't hurt that the Garda vs. Guana battles -- a very literal clash of the titans -- are thrilling enough to keep your eyes busy while your brain processes the finer points of the tale.

Knights of Sidonia: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Blu-ray release of Knights of Sidonia: Season 1 features a solid though not entirely impressive 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 video presentation. There's nothing wrong with the encode per se -- the banding, middling contrast, and softness that are present are inherent to the animation -- but it's also a bit underwhelming, with no prevailing crispness, depth or pop. Colors are suitably bleak, leaning heavily on pale blues, purples and greens, and black levels are muted. Again, the source, not Sentai's BD presentation. Otherwise, there isn't much to complain about. Detail is decidedly decent, with very little in the way of the aliasing you might expect from a CG-animated series, and each episode looks as good as it could, not to mention a bit better than the HD stream on Netflix. That may read like disappointment, and to some extent it is, but it's hardly a deal-breaker. Fans of Knights of Sidonia will be pleased with the results.

Knights of Sidonia: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The highlight of the set's AV presentation is, without a doubt, Sentai's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround tracks. Available in both English and Japanese, the lossless audio is perfectly suited to the series' sound design, with impactful low-end thooms and thrums, immersive soundfield support, and engaging rear speaker activity. Garda battles are especially involving, with attacks and counterattacks that seem to strike from all directions. Ambient effects, cockpit chatter and warning alarms, space dock chatter, and the hum of a command center are represented nicely, and voices are clean and clear at all times, not to mention well-grounded in the mixes. (Note: English, French and Spanish subtitles are available, but only for the Japanese-language audio track.)

Knights of Sidonia: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Behind the Scenes (HD, 15 minutes): Sidonia's supplemental package is a generous one (especially by Sentai standards), kicking off with a two-part behind-the-scenes documentary, which covers the breadth of the Polygon Pictures production, from the design phase and storyboarding stage to the series' 3D animatics, vocal syncing, character refinements, modeling, editing, action sequencing, and final animation.
• Press Conference (HD, 17 minutes): This English-subtitled press conference features an enthusiastic panel that includes director Koubun Shizuno, assistant director Hiroyuki Seshita, and voice actors Aya Suzaki (Shizuka), Aki Toyosaki (Izana), Takahiro Sakurai (Norio), Eri Kitamura (Honoka Series), Sayaka Oohara (Captain Kobayashi), Nanako Mori (Eiko), Tomohiro Tsuboi (Ichiro) and Atsuko Tanaka (Samari).
• Advance Screening (HD, 26 minutes): A lengthier, more insightful Q&A panel with Shizuno, Seshita, Suzaki, Toyosaki, Kitamura, Oohara and additional voice actor Ryota Oosaka (Nagate Tanikaze). Topics covered include the series' style and animation, voice performances, bringing the characters to life with everything at the showrunners' disposal, translating elements of the manga to the screen, and many more.
• Sound of Sidonia (HD, 11 minutes): Explore Sidonia's music with composer Noriyuki Asakura.
• Opening & Closing Animations (HD, 3 minutes): Clean opening and closing animations.
• Sentai Filmworks Trailers (HD): Soni-Ani: Super Sonico the Animation, Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse, Ninja Scroll and Altelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky.

Knights of Sidonia: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Knights of Sidonia: Season 1 was a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect anything more than an average mecha series. Instead, I was treated to an intelligent, suspenseful, character-driven sci-fi drama that takes its cues from Attack on Titan and Battlestar Galactica. I'm already itching for Season Two, and if Sentai's Blu-ray release of Season One is any indication, I think I'll skip Netflix this time around and wait for the second season's Blu-ray release. With a solid video presentation, excellent 5.1 lossless audio support, and a welcome selection of special features, it's easy to recommend a purchase.