7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
The year is U.C. 0096. Three years have passed since the end of the Second Neo Zeon War. It is said that the Vist Foundation manipulates the Earth Federation and Anaheim Electronics from behind the scenes...
Starring: Kôki Uchiyama, Ayumi Fujimura, Shūichi Ikeda, Yűko Kaida, Hiro ShimonoForeign | 100% |
Anime | 98% |
Action | 39% |
Sci-Fi | 36% |
War | 8% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
Japanese: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Japanese: Dolby Digital 2.0
English, French, Japanese, Spanish, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional)
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn is a newly developed OVA anime series courtesy of Bandai’s Sunrise anime studio, which will eventually consist of six one-hour episodes. This initial release contains the first episode of the series, which lays the framework for events to follow, and introduces long-time Gundam fans to new characters in the franchise universe. Directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi (Rurouni Kenshin), the anime is based on Harutoshi Fukui’s 10-part “light novel” series by the same name, and extends the long-running story of humanity’s colonization of space.
The Unicorn mobile suit in action.
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 34Mbps), Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn is a visual feast from start to finish. Fine object detail never displays a hint of weakness, allowing crisp lines and textured gradients to create an overall quality that appears almost three-dimensional. Likewise, the coloring of the first episode is truly a sight to behold given the bright palette that often contrasts with the darkness of space. For an example, look for the deep purple on Marida's outfit, or the bright blue shades on the surface of her rival MS suits. Adding to the visual spectacle on display, one of the key staples of the Gundam franchise is given a welcomed boost in the creation of this series. The effect I'm referring to is the use of beam lasers and swords throughout the mecha battles in space. Lighting techniques have come a long way since the release of Char's Counterattack, and it really begins to show as glowing lines appear in the midst of battle. The realization of these effects can largely be attributed to the depth of black levels, and the unwavering shade differentiation of the contrast-dependant animation style, which never reveals a shred of weakness. Lastly, given the high bitrate afforded to this feature-only release, issues such as aliasing, edge-enhancement, and other artifacts were completely absent. In fact, I never even detected the presence of light banding, which usually plagues animated features of this sort.
Bottom line, MSG Unicorn is everything we hoped it would be in high-definition, and well-worth the experience for any anime fan.
Unlike two recent North American Blu-ray releases from Bandai, this first episode of MSG Unicorn is undergoing a simultaneous release in multiple international territories (most notably Japan). As such, Bandai is offering the series with lossless versions of both the English and Japanese language tracks, in what I would presume is an identical disc for all "Region 1" territories. This presents an interesting pricing dilemma for Bandai, since their North American pricing strategy needs to correlate with the premium anime pricing in Japan. If you price it too low in the U.S., you run the risk of losing Japanese sales to importation, while pricing it as high as a typical Japanese release ($60-$80) would severely limit sales in North America (we like our anime, but aren't use to paying that kind of price). As a result, it appears Bandai is searching for that middle ground with the release of this first episode, and likely testing the market with Amazon.com as their sole sales outlet (perhaps due to Amazon's ability to track the location of their customers).
Now that we have that out of the way, I can begin the discussion of the lossless audio offerings on the disc. As usual, I began my initial viewing with the native language track (Japanese), and eventually switched to the English dub for the remaining portion of the episode. In between, I completed a number of A/B comparisons during both quiet and action-oriented segments, and eventually came to the conclusion that both tracks offer an equally proficient sound design. Dialogue, effects, and music are all afforded appropriate weight in the overall mix, regardless of whether we're listening to a subtle, dialog-driven sequence, or witnessing two towering mobile suits engaged in close-range combat. Surround separation is more than adequate, sending the piercing sound of laser cannons from one side of the room to another in unison with the onscreen action. In turn, the low rumble of spacecraft engines can be heard from the LFE channel, which also breaks in from time to time with the crashing thunder of explosions (especially toward the later stages of the episode). Clarity in every element of the mix never posed a problem, leaving me with an overall impression that this is one of the better tracks I've heard in recent months.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find a single supplement on the disc.
Offering a recommendation on the first episode of the MSG Unicorn series is a bit problematic at this point. On the one hand, I enjoyed almost every aspect of the episode, and hope the rest of the series maintains the same high standard set by the first hour. However, on the flipside I have to consider the relatively high sticker price (by North American standards), and the fact that you only get one hour-long episode on an otherwise bare-bones disc. Taking both sides of the coin into account, I'd only recommend this release to hardcore Gundam fans, or anime enthusiasts with deep pocketbooks. In a perfect world, we'd all run out and show our support for more anime releases on western shores (similar to Japan), but in reality each consumer will have to make a personal decision on the cost/benefit of this release schedule. I can only speak for myself, but I'm thrilled to have episode one in my collection.
2010
機動戦士ガンダムUC / Kidō Senshi Gundam Unicorn
2010-2014
2011
2011
2012
2013
2014
劇場版 機動戦士ガンダム00 -A Wakening of the Trailblazer-
2010
機動戦士ガンダム0083 ―ジオンの残光―
1992
1991-1992
機動戦士ガンダム 逆襲のシャア
1988
∀ガンダム
1999
機動戦士Ζガンダム / Kidō Senshi Z Gundam
1985
Part 1 / Episodes 1-4 / 機動戦士ガンダム THE ORIGIN
2015-2018
機動戦士ガンダム サンダーボルト DECEMBER SKY
2016
機動戦士ガンダム
1979
機動戦士ガンダムZZ
1986
2013
includes Movie: Miller's Report / 機動戦士ガンダム 第08MS小隊 & ミラーズ・リポート
1996-2013
新機動戦記ガンダムW Endless Waltz / Includes Movie & OVA versions as well as "Operation Meteor"
1998
機動戦士ガンダムF91
1991
2017
ガンダム Gのレコンギスタ
2014-2015
2015-2016
機動戦士ガンダム0080 ポケットの中の戦争 / Kidō Senshi Gundam 0080: Pocket no Naka no Sensō
1989
機動戦士ガンダ / Kido Senshi Gundam 1
1981
新機動戦記ガンダムW / New Mobile Report Gundam Wing
1995-1996