6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
In feudal Japan, many generals struggled for power in unending warfare, but one man proved to be too big a threat - the dark lord Oda Nobunaga. Sanada Yukimura and Date Masamune, two young warriors from different regions who become heated rivals, must form an unlikely alliance with the rest of the generals to take down the Devil King. Sengoku Basara is based on the PlayStation game Devil Kings by Capcom. The series was animated by Production I.G., and directed by Itsuro Kawasaki.
Starring: Kazuya Nakai, Sôichirô Hoshi, Toshiyuki Morikawa, Tesshô Genda, Takehito KoyasuAnime | 100% |
Foreign | 98% |
Action | 50% |
Adventure | 21% |
War | 3% |
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
Japanese: Dolby TrueHD 2.0
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Debuting as a video game for the Sony Playstation 2 system, Sengoku Basara (Samurai Kings) is a 12 episode series from the renowned Production I.G. studio. If you’re a fan of both anime and video games you’ve no doubt endured the somewhat tiresome formula that often accompanies the media crossover. Fighting games in particular translate into little more than a platform to introduce an astonishing headcount of quickly forgotten combatants that seem oddly placed within a paper thin plot. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, we can assume you’ve never been exposed to Tekken or Street Fighter spin-offs, which are rarely regarded as the finest anime has to offer. Fortunately, Sengoku Basara marks a new direction in the land of spin-offs, combining enough character integration to please die-hard fans, while simultaneously creating an engrossing experience for the uninitiated.
Notice the spark effects from the clash of blades.
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 21Mbps), Sengoku Basara is truly a sight to behold on Blu-ray. Similar to Eden of the East, this series from Production I.G. serves as a demonstration of how far high-definition anime has come in the past two years, delivering an unprecedented level of detail within the artwork. For example, there's a scene early in the show where Date Masamune takes council with his second-in-command (Kojuro) at dusk while sitting under the bright pink petals of a cherry tree. The contrasting shades allow the petals to glow against the dark backdrop, creating one of many visually arresting moments in the thirteen episode run. Furthermore, I'd encourage every viewer to pay close attention to the minor artistic details during action sequences, which often show an incredible level of creative design. From reflective effects on the surface of blades to epic displays of war, you'll quickly grow to appreciate the tremendous effort on the part of the animation staff.
Beyond the animation itself, this is another fine transfer from FUNimation, effectively capturing every detail in the animation without defect. Lines are razor sharp with no stairstepping or aliasing; colors are bold, incorporating a vivid spectrum in even the darkest of scenes; and black levels never display a shred of weakness. Furthermore, I couldn't identify any instances of color banding, the days of edge enhancement appear to be behind us, and given the precision of the texturing in the animation, I was left with zero concerns regarding the use of DNR. Taken as a whole, this is one of the finest visual presentations I've witnessed in Blu-ray anime to date, and deserves consideration by any fans growing tired of the abundant upscaled source material.
Released in stereo (2.0 channel) upon its original television run in Japan, FUNimation delivers a lossless upgrade of the native language variant on this release. In a perfect world we'd all hope for a lossless surround option on the superior dialog track, but since we're unable to turn apples into oranges, we'll simply have to appreciate the studio's continued dedication to lossless upgrades. Digging into the particulars of 2.0 audio mix, there's not much to say that you wouldn't expect. Dialog is clear and well-balanced next to the sound effects and musical selections, but there's a clear lack of immersion while becoming acclimated to the front-dominant sound design. In other words, there's nothing overtly wrong with the Japanese track, provided you temper your expectations to match the limitations of the source material. On the English side, we have clearly superior sound design (5.1) with excellent spatial separation and an overall level of immersion that effectively places viewers in the heart of battle. There still appears to be weakness in the lows on both tracks (gunshots, explosions, etc.), but aside from that one point, the English offering is technically the superior choice.
Despite the "on paper" strength of the English track, I'd still recommend you stick with the Japanese offering for one simple reason. Unlike many of the recent dubs completed by FUNimation, Sengoku Basara suffers from a subtle lack of writing precision that allows the lines from certain characters to grow a bit grating. Case in point, I found Sanada Yukimura (voice actor Johnny Yong Bosch) incredibly annoying as the series progressed, since his lines often involve lame ramblings about honor and justice. It wouldn't be so bad if the voice-work carried a more authoritative presence (such as the raspy texture of Soichiro Hoshi's rendition of the character), but the combination of the lines and voice decisions on the English side didn't reach the usual level of proficiency found on most FUNimation dubs.
New Anime "Sengoku Basara Chosokabe Motochika-Kun and Mori-Kun" (1080i, Dolby Digital 2.0, 43:02): Starring the two generals from the tacked on thirteenth episode of the series, this comical series of seven episodes chronicles the dissatisfaction of the two disgruntled commanders as they work toward securing their place in the anime series. The collection is presented in Japanese with English subtitles (see the final screenshot for a glimpse of the crude animation style).
Rounding out the extras, we have textless opening/closing songs, and a collection of previews for other releases from FUNimation.
Sengoku Basara is well worth your time, but not something I'd consider a life-changing experience. Every time I tried to fall in love with the series, I'd wind up feeling a twinge of disappointment that brought me back to Earth. Perhaps it's the curse of video game adaptations or simply a matter of my own personal bias, but there was a certain point when I began to feel the series could have been much better. Don't get me wrong, I still found it entertaining as a whole, but aside from the animation, it lack that "wow" factor to elevate it above your average anime production. If you can find Sengoku Basara for a reasonable price, consider it a worthwhile investment. Otherwise stick with a rental first.
2009
Limited Edition
2010
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