Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		0.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Robot Carnival 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Robot Carnival is a brilliant collection of short films. The anthology feature-film comes from producer Kazufumi Nomura (Project A-ko, Golden Boy). Featuring stunning animation produced by APPP (Crimson Wolf, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure), Robot Carnival is visionary filmmaking at its finest. Fans of classic anime with a compelling style and sense of ambition will find this essential viewing. The film features the voice talents of Hikaru Kotono, Kei Tomiyama, Kouji Moritsugu, Chisa Yokoyama, Kaneto Shiozawa, Katsue Miwa, Toku Nishio, and others.

Robot Carnival is one of the most ambitious and captivating anime films to come out of Japan. The film is a visionary collection of nine short films all told through the storytelling lens of creative visionaries in the medium of anime. The short films explore the common connection of being futuristic tales about a different world and landscape – one that features robots as a central component of the storytelling.

An anthology film with a unique storytelling slant unlike anything else of its kind, the anime film combines the efforts of many talents – some of whom were not as well-established or well-known at the time of the production but who would go on to become acclaimed artists in the medium of anime. For anyone who cherishes short form storytelling and who has a passion for science-fiction and robots, Robot Carnival is an essential anime classic.

The character designs are fantastic. There were many talented designers involved in the anthology. The designs for Robot Carnival includes Atsuko Fukushima (OP, ED), Hidetoshi Ōmori ("Deprive"), Hiroyuki Kitazume (Starlight Angel), Mao Lamdo  (Cloud), Takashi Nakamura ("Nightmare"), Yasuomi Umetsu ("Presence"), Koji Morimoto ("Franken's Gears"), and Yoshiyuki Sadamoto ("A Tale of Two Robots: Chapter Meiji"). The ambitious feature-film has such a compelling assembly of designers involved and the production is all the more special as a result of their contributions to the film.

The animation is exquisite throughout the stories that are featured in the Robot Carnival anthology. The art includes contributions by Akira Yamakawa, Yuji Sawai, Yuji Ikehata, Yui Shimazaki, Nizo Yamamoto, Mao Lamdo, Hiroshi Sasaki, Kenji Matsumoto, and Mao Lamdo. The storyboards even feature some contributions by Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira, Memories).

The cinematography by Toshiaki Morita (Alice in Wonderland, Lupin the 3rd: The Mystery of Mamo) is evocative and hypnotic. The visual style of the film adds a sense of wonder to every frame of the production. The cinematography is sublime and there is a sense of ambition in every single frame of the film. The aesthetic adds depth and dimension to the art work and the style of the film is all the more noteworthy and compelling. Morita did fantastic work with the production and this is simply a brilliant work of cinematography.

The score features contributions by Isaku Fujita, Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke), and Masahisa Takeichi (Voltron, UFO Senshi Daiapolon). The music by Hisaishi was especially important. Composer Hisaishi is one of the best composers in Japanese film history and the contributions are outstanding in the film. The entire film is filled with great music and it helped enhance the film in meaningful ways – propelling the storytelling forward and raising the spirit of adventure in the film.

The script features contributions that include Hiroyuki Kitazume (“Starlight Angel”), Mao Lamdo  (“Cloud”), Takashi Nakamura ("Nightmare"), and Yasuomi Umetsu ("Presence"). Exploring the stories in a seamless and engaging way, the screenplay for the film flows with impressive ease as the film creates a dreamlike atmosphere that is memorable, beautiful, and profound. The storytelling is beautiful in the way only a great anthology film can sometimes provide. Fans of short stories will be thrilled with the contributions.

Directed by Katsuhiro Otomo (opening/ending), Hidetoshi Ōmori ("Deprive"), Hiroyuki Kitakubo ("A Tale of Two Robots: Chapte), Hiroyuki Kitazume ("Starlight Angel"), Koji Morimoto ("Franken's Gears"), Mao Lamdo ("Cloud"), Takashi Nakamura  ("Nightmare"), and Yasuomi Umetsu ("Presence"), Robot Carnival is masterful filmmaking. The anime classic is a gem of animation. Fans of Otomo’s Memories (which also provided an important selection of short stories in a similar anthology form) will find plenty to appreciate about Robot Carnival and the magic it offers. The ambitious filmmaking is epic in scope and full of visual splendor from first to final frame. Don’t miss it.

Robot Carnival 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on 4K UHD by Discotek, Robot Carnival is presented in 2160p in native 4K UHD. The release is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen or in a 1.33:1 full frame aspect ratio. Either option provides a full 4K encode of the feature-film. (The 16:9 widescreen version is the default.) The presentation is sublime. (Please Note: The "N/A" rating on the video is due to this being a 4K only release. No Blu-ray disc is included in the package.)

The high dynamic range HDR implementation is both subtle and beautiful throughout the entire presentation. The color reproduction appears excellent on the release. Even with some slight noise reduction, the presentation is beautiful looking. The print is in generally excellent shape and the quality of the animation shines. There are some specks of dirt on the print and the filmic quality is still retained. This was a wonderful 4K encode by Discotek.

Robot Carnival 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). The lossless audio encoding was spectacular and a great accompaniment to seeing the film on 4K. The music swept me away for a magical experience. The lossless mix added something significant to the viewing experience with this feature-film and made the score sound exquisite. The sound direction by Yasunori Honda (Black Lagoon, Dragon Ball Super) is also well reproduced. A beautiful presentation.

Robot Carnival 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes with a quality o-card slipcover. The art-work underneath the slipcover features impressive alternative art- work (if one chooses to display two forms of key art with the package).  

Documentary:

The Memory of Robot Carnival (HD, 22:30)

Trailers:

Original US Theatrical Trailer (HD, 1:41)

Blu-ray Teaser Trailer (HD, 00:57)

Blu-ray Menu Video (HD, 1:52)

Robot Carnival 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Robot Carnival is an ambitious and moving anthology. The filmmaking is spectacular and the epic quality of the production is on full display throughout the film. With Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira, Memories) on board, audiences can expect something special. The 4K UHD release features an impressive 2160p presentation alongside outstanding lossless audio. The release comes with some nice extras, too. Highly recommended.