Space Sheriff Shaider Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Space Sheriff Shaider Blu-ray Movie Review

Space Sheriff Shaider is an exciting and action-packed Tokusatsu series. Created by Saburō Yatsude, Space Sheriff Shaider features new adventures within the beloved franchise. Developed for Japanese television by Shozo Uehara, the Space Sheriff adventures continue with this third installment in the beloved Japanese series.

Space Sheriff Shaider features opening theme music by Akira Kushida. The ending theme music is "Hello! Shaider" by Akira Kushida. Originally broadcast on TV Asahi, Space Sheriff Shaider aired between March 2, 1984 – and March 8, 1985. Produced by Toei Company and Asatsu-DK, Space Sheriff Shaider stars Hiroshi Tsuburaya and Naomi Morinaga.

New adventures await when Dai Sawamura becomes the legendary Space Sheriff Shaider. Trained in the skills necessary to fight evil, Space Sheriff Shaider becomes the ultimate hero the galaxy needs. With an abundance of evil befalling the galaxy with the Wonder Realm Fuuma causing chaos left and right, the stakes have never been higher.

Alongside the Great Emperor Kubilai, the Wonder Realm Fuuma has monstrous intentions. The evil Fuuma causes a dangerous threat against the entire planet Earth. Space Sheriff Shaider must also defend Earth and the entire galaxy, too.

Can Space Sheriff Shaider be an ultimate hero alongside his companion Annie and with the might of the Babylos ship? With a beam gun in hand and training under the belt, Space Sheriff Shaider will stop at nothing to save the galaxy. The universe depends on Shaider.

Space Sheriff Shaider is such an entertaining action series. Fans of the popular Tokusatsu genre will appreciate the fun adventures the series offers. Tokusatsu television was aimed at the fans: those audiences with a love for the thrills and adventure of Power Rangers and like-minded series.

Part of the fun is the production itself. Costumes are superb and are a wonderful highlight of the lead character and the supporting cast of characters. The costumes for the villains can be especially fun, engaging, and noteworthy. These stylistic elements are true to classic Tokusatsu genre series and audiences will appreciate the style exuded by the production.

The production sets are impressive, too. The sets are better than most television series and far exceed the production budgets. There is a nice testament to the work of the production crew and what these crew members bring to the table. Tokusatsu genre series are better with good design elements and it adds up to a more compelling production.

The special effects impress in spades. The effects add to the heroic undertone of the series. What a joy it is to see how wonderful the effects work is and the levels of heroism these special effects bring to the table. The special effects team brought something special to the production and make it an even more compelling action classic for genre fans. These aspects of the series add so much wonder and fun to the production.

The score composed by Michiaki Watanabe (Mazinger Z, Space Sheriff Gavan) is engaging fun and adds to the excitement. The music is energetic and a perfect backdrop to the action scenes. The music has whimsy and a sense of adventure. The score is certainly an integral aspect of the series production.

Directed by Shinichiro Sawai (Juukou B-Fighter, Getsuyo Wide Gekijo), Space Sheriff Shaider is a fun blast of action and adventure. Sawai is a talented Tokusatsu director and the filmmaking style adds so much badass wizardry to the production. There is a lot to celebrate in the style of Sawai. The fun energy is essential to the series. Space Sheriff Shaider finds the right notes for a good time.

One of the things the world needs now more than ever is heroes. It is important for people to remember that even those of us who might feel at a loss in the world can do something to make a difference. We should always pursue fighting for justice in all its shapes and forms. The world is better when we do something heroic, take a stand, and fight for a better tomorrow. Without heroes where would the generations of tomorrow be? What would our ancestors think of our action? It is good to be heroic, chasing the dreams of tomorrow, and fighting for a better future for everyone. Space Sheriff Shaider should appeal to those dreamers – those heroes – who fight for everyone.

Space Sheriff Shaider Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Discotek Media, Space Sheriff Shaider 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 impressive in spades and there is a lot to appreciate about the high- definition video.

Discotek has provided Space Sheriff Shaider with good encoding and the series looks filmic on the release. The series retains a filmic appearance. Sometimes the cinematography can look a bit soft because of the source but the overall clarity and detail is still quite good. The series visuals are well reproduced on the release.

Space Sheriff Shaider Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 (with English subtitles). The lossless audio quality is clear and engaging. The soundstage is well reproduced on the release. Dialogue is clear and well reproduced. The score is a highlight of the audio presentation. The English subtitles are well done and are free from egregious spelling or grammatical errors. The release does not provide an English dub option. Though some dub fans might feel a little left out by the lack of a English dub option, the original Japanese language audio is superb and those who prefer the original language audio will not feel any disappointment.

One of the best qualities of the Blu-ray disc format is the lossless audio encoding. Even in the age of streaming, physical media remains superior with the Blu-ray format providing lossless audio. The encoding quality is superior to streaming services. Streaming services often provide only lossy (non-lossless) audio in MP3 quality – especially on catalog and classic television series. For enthusiasts who want the best possible audio encoding and the lossless audio experience, the physical media format is advantageous with Blu-ray providing superior encoding and bit-rates. The difference can sometimes be notable and worthwhile for home theater enthusiasts and audiophiles alike.

Space Sheriff Shaider Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The first print run of the release comes with a nicely designed o-card slipcover. The slipcover features unique key artwork. The artwork looks fantastic and adds to the presentation of the package. The art underneath the slipcover is also unique. It is nice to see that the under-slip art provides additional key artwork as it adds to the fun and collectability of the release. The packaging is that much nicer as a result.

The Discotek slipcovers are well-done and add elegance to the package design. Slipcover fans will certainly appreciate the effort made on the slipcover. The release also features an impressive inner-art print on the reverse side of the cover-art. These sorts of design elements add to the fun. A set that looks great in person and will look great displayed on the shelf.

On disc supplements include:

Series Preview (HD, 00:31)

Liner Notes by Mike Dent includes 24 pages of click-through slides.

Photo Gallery includes 44 pages of click-through photographs.

35 Year Reunion – Shaider of My Youth (HD, 1:05:19)

Theme Song Karaoke (SD, 3:24)

It is nice to see Discotek provide some worthwhile supplements for the release. More and more often, one sees some fans opting for streaming because of a lack of meaningful supplements on some sets. Discotek Media makes sure to cater to fans who have an appreciation for bonus features. Discotek provides quality extras and goes the extra mile. As a result, the set is even more worthwhile.

Space Sheriff Shaider Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Space Sheriff Shaider is an entertaining and worthwhile Tokusatsu classic. The series has impressive action and production values. The heroic action-adventure has plenty to offer to genre fans who appreciate the Tokusatsu genre. The Blu-ray release provides a quality presentation and a nice supplemental package. The bonus features add to the quality of the release. The set also has wonderful cover-art and the package design is notable for its superb cover art and limited-edition slipcover. Highly recommended.