Saint Tail Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Saint Tail Blu-ray Movie Review

Saint Tail is an exciting and old-school action-adventure anime series with a romantic element. Created by Megumi Tachikawa, Saint Tail features animation production by TMS Entertainment (Lupin the 3^rd, Case Closed). The series was originally broadcast on TV Asahi (Sailor Moon, Cutey Honey Flash). The series comes from producers Itsuo Ono, Masakazu Yoda, Masayuki Kameda, Satoshi Kojima, Shigeki Nakamura, Tetsuya Watanabe, and Yasumichi Ozaki. Saint Tail features the voice talents of Tomo Sakurai, Kikuko Inoue, and Kōsuke Okano.

Meimi Haneoka (Tomo Sakurai) seems to be an ordinary schoolgirl by day but when nighttime falls she transforms into a magical thief known as the elusive Saint Tail. The girl goes on one adventure after another as Saint Tail and the journey is one full of surprises. Joined by her best friend Seira Mimori (Kikuko Inoue), a nun-in-training who gives guidance, Saint Tail is determined to be an upright saint: finding and stealing treasures back from wrongdoers who wanted said treasures for all of the wrong reasons.

Meanwhile, a young boy named Asuka Jr. (Kōsuke Okano) seems determined to pursue her – could there be more to this pursuit with Saint Tail stealing his own heart? Even with romance in the air, the exciting adventures of Saint Tail aren’t without some dramatic complications. Saint Tail is pursued by the police as a mysterious thief (even though she only steals in the name of what is good). Can Saint Tail find the right calling card to serve her own brand of justice?

The series has a fun cast of characters at the forefront. The central characters are essential to the production and the storytelling. Meimi is an especially compelling lead character and when she transforms in to Saint Tail, the action-hero element of the series goes underway. The sense of adventurous spirit to the character is something that makes the role all the more compelling.

As supporting players, Seira Mimori and Asuka Jr. are important within the series as well – showing an element of comradery and friendship that is essential to the storytelling fundamentals. Without these supporting players, the cast wouldn’t be so well rounded. It is essential to the success of the series that both the lead protagonist and the supporting players have good moments to shine.

The character designs by Junko Abe (Umezu Kazuo no Noroi) are compelling elements of the production as well. The designs certainly are distinct looking and add a sense of charm and artistry to the series. A step above typical anime series produced in the time period, the work done here for the designs feels creative and forward-thinking. A lot to appreciate about the results.

The animation is one of the highlights of the series and one of the key reasons the production deserves a second life on home media. The series certainly shines with a bold and colorful aesthetic – this is a big component of the series. Under the exquisite art direction of Shichirō Kobayashi (Sweet Blue Flowers, Treasure Island), it is clear that the animation is vital to the experience.

The chief animation direction by Junko Abe (Bibliophile Princess, Azuki-chan) carries the production forward. The entire team of animators deliver exceptional work to the production and this is an area where the series finds overwhelming success. The art style is creative fun and the old-school cell-based animation looks overwhelmingly spectacular.

The cinematography by Hitoshi Shirao (Emily of New Moon, The Snow Queen) is a huge piece of the puzzle as well. Cinematographer Shirao helped to bring together a lot of the visual elements of the series. The artistic style is colorful and bold – adding to the charm. These elements make the series stand out all the better.

The score composed by Hayato Matsuo (Magic Knight Rayearth, The World God Only Knows) is a bit of a surprise. The music is wonderful and a big part of the series. The score has a unique style and it adds to the fun. A good score effort by Matsuo.

The script for the premiere episode is by Kanji Kashiwabara (Case Closed). Alongside the other staff writers, Kashiwabara has a solid understanding of the tale. The concept for the series is excellent. Exploring a brand of off-axis justice with the hero finding her own voice as a character, Saint Tail explores the action-adventure genre with a compelling blend of sleuthing fun.

Directed by Osamu Nabeshima (Yowamushi Pedal, Hamtaro), Saint Tail is well directed and there is a lot to appreciate about the visual aesthetic of the series. The classic hand-drawn animation makes a nice impression. The artistry of the series shines through really well and there is a lot worth enjoying here. Director Nabeshima has a keen visual style as a filmmaker and imbues the series with the right tone, balance, and sense of energy for an exciting time.

Saint Tail Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Discotek Media, Saint Tail is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The presentation is excellent and satisfying. The series cell-based animation looks impressively detailed with a nice, naturalistic, and filmic looking presentation. Fans of hand-drawn animation will be enormously impressed with the quality of the transfer provided on the release.

Color reproduction appears excellent on the release. A presentation that is pleasing on the eyes and free from any excessive print imperfections, Saint Tail is well encoded and preserved by Discotek. The transfer certainly benefits from good encoding and the release offers a superior presentation to streaming alternatives.

Saint Tail Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of audio options: the original Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 audio is the main selection on the release. The audio sounds remarkably crisp and clear on the release. The presentation is wonderful sounding and there is a lot to appreciate about the lossless encoding. The track sounds energetic, robust, and clear. There is a lot more vitality to the audio than some might expect given the age of the production – there are no egregious issues with audio fidelity.

The set includes a selection of English dub audio tracks as well. This audio selection option is only provided for episodes 1-15 as there were not more English dubbed audio tracks available. The set includes a selection of subtitle options as well. The two main subtitle options on the release: Full English and Songs & Signs.

Saint Tail Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes a beautiful looking o-card slipcover. The slipcover features alternate/additional art-work to the main art underneath the slipcover itself. The package also provides an inner art print with additional artwork displayed on the inside of the case.

On disc extras are as follows:

Disc 4:

Clean Openings (HD, 4:40)

Clean Endings (HD, 8:17)

Blu-ray Box Commercial (HD, 00:52)

Series Promos (SD, 00:47)

Display Promos (SD, 4:35)

Next Episode Promo: Eps 23-24 Special (SD, 00:31)

Episode Specific Promos (SD, 11:28)

Original Airing Special Offers (SD, 5:45)

Saint Tail Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Saint Tail is an enjoyable and energetic anime series with a fun concept and good execution. The series has a compelling lead. Meimi Haneoka (voiced by Tomo Sakurai) is a terrific protagonist with a goal of finding her own brand of justice. Though Meimi must go by the alias of "Saint Tail" and sleuth from those in her way, the character fights for what she believes in. The series has great hand-drawn animation and this is another compelling element of the production.

The Blu-ray release features an excellent video and audio presentation. The high-definition visuals are outstanding. The lossless audio encoding is terrific and satisfying. The release also includes some nice on-disc extras and the set includes an attractive o-card slipcover (and additional artwork under the slipcover). A well-rounded release from Discotek Media. Fans of classic hand-drawn animation, especially of the action-adventure anime variety, will find the set worthwhile. Recommended.