Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Project A-ko 2: The Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group Blu-ray Movie Review

Project A-ko 2: Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group is an entertaining and action-packed sequel to the first Project A- ko feature-film. The second installment in the franchise is from producers Hisatoshi Maruyama and Naotaka Yoshida. Project A-ko 2: Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group features outstanding animation produced by APPP (Golden Boy, Crimson Wolf). Created by Katsuhiko Nishijima, Kazumi Shirasaka, and Yuji Moriyama, Project A-ko 2: Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group is an essential follow-up to the original film and there is an abundance of energetic fun for audiences. A must-see for Project A- ko fans.

It’s been three weeks since the aliens invaded and began to swarm the land of Graviton City. The aliens have been working on their spaceship and turning it in to a pleasure district. Yet there’s more going on than meets the eye. Eiko "A-ko" Magami (Miki Itō), Biiko "B-ko" Daitokuji (Emi Shinohara), and Shiko "C-ko" Kotobuki (Michie Tomizawa) are back for some new adventures.

The school season has entered the period of summer break and while on their summer vacation, the girls find themselves getting into a bunch of new mischief. The alien ship is open and ready for business. Yet things change unexpectedly as a sad tale unfolds about the aliens wanting to return home – needing help to get back to where they came from.

Can A-ko and B-ko manage to help the ship return to where it came from in the first place? Yet another question remains on the table – who will win the affections of C-ko? As the epic stage is set in another action-packed installment of Project A-ko, even more mecha, battles, and bikinis enter the equation. It’s a whole lot of fun.

The second installment in the franchise continues to reward with an incredible roster of characters. The cast of characters make a huge impression and manage to steal the spotlight of the filmmaking. All of these Ko girls are incredible leads and each girl has a unique and spunky personality. One can’t help enjoying the fantastic energy of these girls. The characters are also brought to life with wonderful character designs by Yuji Moriyama (Maison Ikkoku, Tokyo Underground). The designs fit each of the characters well and help to showcase the unique personalities.

Project A-ko 2: Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group is a beautiful looking feature-film and one that has an impressive visual quality that feels unique to the Project A-ko universe. The animation style is truly incredible and provides audiences with a thrilling viewing experience. Under the art direction of Junichi Azuma (Case Closed, City Hunter), Project A-ko 2: Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group is quite the artistic achievement.

The animation direction by Yuji Moriyama (Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, Urusei Yatsura: Beautiful Dreamer) brings out the best of the animation. The team of animators involved with the film provided a great deal of fun to the experience and to the charms of Project A-ko. Fans of classic hand-drawn animation will adore the work (and the effort here is unmistakable – the animation style is as impressive as the original feature-film).

The cinematography by Norihide Kubota (Royal Space Force - The Wings of Honnêamise, Appleseed) is engaging and beautiful. The cinematography brings out the best of the animation. The results are as serene as one might imagine. The cinematographer enhancing and visual experience.

The score composed by Maria Takeuchi is enormous fun and one of the most charming aspects of Project A-ko 2: Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group. The score brings out a lot from the film and manages to imbue some extra excitement in to the work. The music enhancing the tone and the energetic vibe of the action and spectacle.

The screenplay by Takao Koyama (Dragon Ball Z, Saint Seiya) is a great follow-up to the original Project A-ko feature-film. The second installment offers even more entertainment for fans of the original. The script does a great job of providing good character moments for each of the Ko girls. The writing is a essential part of the film and why it is so much fun. The results are excellent.

Directed by Yuji Moriyama (Shrine of the Morning Mist, Step Up Love Story), Project A-ko 2: Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group is a must-see continuation of the original feature. The second installment is bursting with even more energy. The action remains an essential component. Director Moriyama has fun exploring the world of Project A-ko and this is a great installment in the franchise. Working from storyboards by Tomomi Mochizuki (House of Five Leaves, Princess Nine), director Moriyama helped provide Project A-ko 2: Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group with the right ingredients for success.

Project A-ko 2: The Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Discotek Media, Project A-ko 2: Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The presentation is incredible on the release and provides the film in high definition on the format for the first time. As with the first film in the franchise, the presentation is sourced from the original film negative. Restoration work was done to the film. The image quality is remarkably sharp and detailed. Color reproduction is excellent on the release. The release does still showcase some occasional slight scratches and dirt. The drawbacks are minor compared to the strengths of the presentation. The high bit-rate encoding added a lot to the viewing experience. The encode quality from Discotek is excellent and met my high expectations.

Project A-ko 2: The Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless high-resolution audio options: English LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit) and Japanese LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit) (with English subtitles). The lossless audio encoding on the release is incredible and provides an engaging experience throughout. The sound direction by Yasunori Honda (Macross 7, Tenchi Muyo!) is first-rate and audiences are provided with an exceptional audio mix that works well with the sound effects and score. The music sounds crisp and engaging – even more-so than it might otherwise because of the 24-bit depth encoding. Please Note: the release also includes a music only LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit) track.

Project A-ko 2: The Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes an attractive o-card slipcover featuring key artwork and the inner artwork sleeve contains reversible art (so the main art-work underneath the slipcover can showcase additional key artwork). A nice touch for the release and it makes the release feel even more special in hand.

Music Selection 2.0 Audio Soundtrack (Music Only)

Trailers:

A-ko Festival Trailer (SD, 4:39)

Spring Break Campaign Announcement (SD, 4:16)

Taiwan Version Special Announcement (SD, 3:52)

"Love and Robots" Trailer (SD, 1:38)

Archival Material:

Digest Film Special Preview (SD, 8:16)

"My Heart Jumps" Music Video (SD, 2:58)

Custom LaserDisc Flip Animation (SD, 00:13)

Vintage Credit Sequence (SD, 4:17)

Production Art Galleries:

Keyart and Color Works includes 22 click-through slides.

Model Sheets includes 61 click-through slides.

Layouts and Storyboards includes 23 click-through slides.

Home Video and Merchandise includes 116 click-through slides.

PC-88 Game includes 28 click-through slides.

Liner Notes:

Trivia and Notes includes 12 click-through slides.

Mischief Gallery includes 21 click-through slides.

Project A-ko 2: The Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Project A-ko 2: Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group is an entertaining follow-up to the original Project A-ko feature-film. The second installment adds a lot to the first feature with even more comedic fun and action-packed adventure. Though the second film is perhaps a step beneath the original classic, it is a close call with the second film offering tons of fun for fans of the franchise. A must-see entry in the film saga.

The Blu-ray release features an excellent video presentation sourced from the original film negative. The restoration looks impressive and showcases excellent color reproduction and good detail. The audio is lossless and in 24-bit depth high-resolution. The lossless encoding also adds to the experience. The release also comes with a wonderful assortment of bonus features (rounding out the release). An excellent package from Discotek Media and one that comes with my highest recommendation.