Natsume Yujin-cho The Movie Ephemeral Bond Blu-ray Movie
HomeNatsume Yujin-cho The Movie Ephemeral Bond Blu-ray Movie 
Aniplex | 2018 | 104 min | Rated 13+ | Nov 26, 2019
Movie rating
7 | / 10 |
Blu-ray rating
| Users |  | 0.0 |
| Reviewer |  | 4.0 |
| Overall | | 4.0 |
Overview
Natsume Yujin-cho The Movie Ephemeral Bond (2018)
Ever since he was little, Takashi Natsume has been able to see what others could not, namely monstrous spirits known as Yokai. Natsume's late grandmother, Reiko, would challenge Yokai to contests and the ones that lost had to sign a contract with her, binding their names to her "Yujin-cho." Ever since Natsume has inherited the book, together with Nyanko Sensei, his self-proclaimed bodyguard, he spends his days trying to return the names within the book to their owners. Natsume has been busy, navigating between humans and Yokai when he coincidentally reunites with an old classmate, Yuki. It brings back painful memories of a certain Yokai. Meanwhile, Natsume also became acquainted with Yorie Tsumura, a woman in the memories of a Yokai whose name he had returned. Yorie knew much about Reiko, but now lived a peaceful life with her only son, Mukuo. Being with this family was comforting for Natsume, but apparently a mysterious Yokai has been lurking in their town.
Director: Hideki Ito, Takahiro Ômori| Anime | 100% |
| Foreign | 92% |
| Comic book | 16% |
| Drama | Insignificant |
Specifications
Video
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Audio
Japanese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Japanese: LPCM 2.0
Subtitles
English
Discs
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Playback
Region A (B, C untested)
Review
Rating summary
| Movie | | 4.0 |
| Video |  | 4.5 |
| Audio | | 4.5 |
| Extras |  | 2.0 |
| Overall | | 4.0 |
Natsume Yujin-cho The Movie Ephemeral Bond Blu-ray Movie Review
An exceptional video-audio presentation from Aniplex.
Reviewed by Neil Lumbard May 19, 2021Natsume Yujin-cho The Movie Ephemeral Bond is a charming slice-of-life supernatural drama set in the universe of the anime series. The feature-film brings a new tale in the production to life – and the story unfolds with a magnificent splendor. A world of yokai and adventure awaits.
Takashi Natsume (Hiroshi Kamiya) meets up with an old friend named Yuki. The pair have an opportunity to reminisce. Natsume also meets Yorie (and a new mystery involving a yokai spirit unfolds in the wake of their encounter).
As the story continues, Natsume starts a friendship with Yorie and her family. Meanwhile, a mysterious yokai seed grows into a tree. The cat-like Nyanko-sensei eats a piece of fruit from the tree and suddenly multiplies in to three – and with three copies in tow, Nyanko-sensei is even more adorable than ever before. What other adventures await Natsume and friends?
The animation is one of the most breathtaking elements of the feature-film production. The art direction by Yukihiro Shibutani (Sakura Wars, Natsume's Book of Friends) shines. The background art work is well done and makes a big impression. The character designs are every-bit as distinctive and effective as on the anime television production. The beautiful cinematography by Hitoshi Tamura (Durarara!!, My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU) offers fans a bright and colorful animated palette that simply works wonders.
A charming tale for fans of the series.
One of the best components of the production is the original music score by Makoto Yoshimori (Princess Jellyfish, Hamatora) . The score is light and airy. The music adds a nice sense of tranquility to the production. As with the television series, the score is a element of the DNA in the series that is heartwarming and inviting. The music provides ample heart to the storytelling.
The screenplay by Sadayuki Murai (Steamboy, Millennium Actress) manages to take the core concept of the anime series and expand it in to a theatrical narrative quite well. The storytelling is compelling and the characters are well defined. The Natsume anime can often feel like a warm blanket: tranquil, hopeful, and moving. Natsume Yujin-cho The Movie Ephemeral Bond is full of quiet wonders.
With high quality direction by Takahiro Omori (Samurai Flamenco, Baccano!) and co-director Hideki Ito (Ping Pong, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0), Natsume Yujin-cho The Movie Ephemeral Bond is altogether moving: providing a expansion on the anime series that fans will be enormously pleased with. While it never attempts to re-write its formula, it delivers on what made the television series so great in spades. A must-see for fans.
Natsume Yujin-cho The Movie Ephemeral Bond Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality
Arriving on Blu-ray from Aniplex, Natsume Yujin-cho The Movie Ephemeral Bond is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The presentation quality on the release is top-notch and the video is consistently impressive. The encode has a high bit-rate and never struggles with the quality of the presentation. During fast-paced scenes and tranquil moments, the video consistently pleases and is a joy to watch. Fans will be enormously satisfied with the quality of the presentation.
Natsume Yujin-cho The Movie Ephemeral Bond Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality
The Aniplex USA Blu-ray release includes a selection of lossless audio options: Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 stereo. The high-resolution audio sounds outstanding and makes a huge impression. Dialogue is crisp, clear, and easy to understand throughout the feature presentation. The surround sound is nicely implemented and balances the music and sound effects well. Everything sounds clean and dynamic: the sound design working its magic throughout the presentation.
The release includes English subtitles. The quality is excellent and the subtitles were free from any glaring spelling or grammatical errors.
Natsume Yujin-cho The Movie Ephemeral Bond Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras
The release comes in an attractive clear case with inside art-work showing some impressive illustrations from the series. The package also includes four art cards and a sticker-sheet.
Teaser Trailer (HD, 1:01)
Special Commercial (HD, 00:16)
Trailer (HD, 1:33)
Extended Trailer (HD, 2:45)
Natsume Yujin-cho The Movie Ephemeral Bond Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation
Natsume Yujin-cho The Movie Ephemeral Bond is well worth a watch. Fans of the heartfelt anime series will find the theatrical feature to be a nice expansion on the original anime series. The story is heartwarming and the animation is beautiful to behold. The music score is also a perfect compliment to the production. Aniplex USA produced a high-quality release with exceptional video-audio quality. Fans won't want to miss it. Highly recommended.