Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Star Blazers 2202: Part One Blu-ray Movie Review

Star Blazers 2202: Part 1 is a science-fiction anime sequel. The series is based on the original work by Leiji Matsumoto and Yoshinobu Nishizaki. Executive produced by Shoji Nishizaki (Space Battleship Yamato Resurrection), Star Blazers 2202: Part 1 is a reasonably compelling reboot featuring an interesting animation style produced by Xebec (Martian Successor Nadesico, Broken Blade).

 Susumu Kodai (Daisuke Ono) and Yuki Mori (Houko Kuwashima) are back in action on the Space Battleship Yamato. Joined by the Yamato navigations expert Daisuke Shima (Kenichi Suzumura), Susumu and Yuki find new challenges ahead. Following the last epic voyage, a sense of unity and peace was at last achieved. Yet a new threat is around the corner: the dangerous Gatlantis causes new risks for the Star Blazers crew. Can the Yamato and its heroes rise to the challenge once more?

The series revamp brings back fan favorites from the original. The cast of characters are distinct and engaging personalities. The characters are one of the focal points of the production and the reason audiences can to appreciate the series and what it has to offer anime fans. These central protagonists help bring an extra element of dimensionality to the production.

The animation is impressive for a modern production yet it pales when one compares it to the original anime. The hand-drawn cell-based anime is far superior to the modern CG art style integrated here. There certainly is a loss of an authenticity that simply cannot be duplicated without the traditional animation style. Even so, art director Yoshio Tanioka (Night Raid 1931, Akudama Drive) handles everything reasonably well for a reboot of a classic.

The character designs by Nobuteru Yuki (Record of Lodoss War, Heat Guy J) are a fascinating element within the production. The designs fit the characters nicely. There is a sense of the designs being well suited to each of the different character personalities on the program.

The mecha designs by Junichirō Tamamori (Star Blazers 2199, Master of Torque) and Yasushi Ishizu (Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory, Dirty Pair) add to  Star Blazers 2202: Part 1 as well. Showcasing an interesting design array, Star Blazers 2202: Part 1 delves into mecha better than expected.

The visual component brings audiences a bright and colorful production with cinematography by Daisuke Horino (Jewelpet Happiness, Future Card Buddyfight). The cinematographic style fundamentally showcases a sleek and modern aesthetic. While it’s not as analog as the original production, the cinematography fits the reboot aura.

The score composed by Akira Miyagawa (Space Battleship Yamato 2199, Star Blazers 2199) is a bit disappointing. The music doesn’t seem as engaging as one might hope to find – especially when compared to the iconic theme which made the original Star Blazers a fan-favorite anime series. Nonetheless, the score is adequate background music and doesn’t do anything “too wrong” – comparatively, it just isn’t as original.

Written by Harutoshi Fukui (Harlock: Space Pirate, Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative), Star Blazers 2202: Part 1 might not be the perfect reboot fans were hoping to find but the scripts do manage to bring audiences some new adventures set on the Yamato nonetheless. Fukui brings back the original characters fans came to know and love. The setting and concept are part of the charm of the production.

Star Blazers 2202: Part 1 aims for perfection even if it falls short. Directed by Nobuyoshi Habara (AMAIM Warrior at the Borderline, Fafner), Star Blazers 2202: Part 1 wants to be a great reboot of the original anime – even if there’s a wider gap than the producers likely anticipated. Fans of the original and newcomers alike may still wish to check it out.

Star Blazers 2202: Part One Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Funimation, Star Blazers 2202: Part 1 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. An impressive high-definition encoding, the results are exceptional. Color reproduction is top notch. The animation excels – everything from the background animation to the character designs is stunning to see. The line art looks wonderful. The encode adequately handles the action scenes and doesn't suffer from egregious compression woes as frequently seen on streaming.

Star Blazers 2202: Part One Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of audio options: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles). The lossless audio sounds pleasing. Dialogue is crisp, clear, and engaging. The score is well integrated in to the soundstage. The surrounds are well utilized on the dub presentation (giving the soundstage an added sense of ambiance and gravitas).

Star Blazers 2202: Part One Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc 1:

Episode 02 Audio Commentary

Disc 2:

Interview with Ken Meseroll & Christopher Wehkamp (HD, 16:26)

Special Theatrical Trailer (HD, 1:02)

Textless Opening Songs:

"Uchu Senkan Yamato 2202" Ver. 1 (HD, 1:32)

"Uchu Senkan Yamato 2202" Ver. 2 (HD, 1:32)

"Uchu Senkan Yamato 2202" Ver. 3 (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Songs:

"Yamato yori ai o komete" (HD, 1:51)

"Tsuki no Kagami" (HD, 2:04)

"Kimi, Hitohira" (HD, 1:59)

"Crimson Red" (HD, 2:06)

Trailers (HD, 4:15)

Star Blazers 2202: Part One Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Star Blazers 2202: Part 1 is only the beginning of the series but it already seems to be second-fiddle compared to the original classic. Even so, audiences looking for a decent anime with outer-space adventure and flight, will want to check it out. The Blu-ray release has a solid video/audio presentation and a better-than-expected supplemental package.