The Magnificent Kotobuki: The Movie Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		3.0

The Magnificent Kotobuki: The Movie Blu-ray Movie Review

The Magnificent Kotobuki: The Movie expands on the series with a feature-film adaptation bringing the series to a new threshold of entertainment. The film features animation produced by GEMBA (CG animation) and Wao World (2D animation). The CG and traditional art style blend feels ambitious. Produced by Kensuke Ōtani, Ryōya Arisawa, Shōhei Itō, and Yasuhiro Ebinuma, The Magnificent Kotobuki: The Movie will mostly appeal to series fans.

The “angels” of the sky are led by pilot Kirie (Sayumi Suzushiro). A gang of tough-as-nails girls with fighter pilot chops, these pilots soar the skies while helping to transport cargo to safety. Using the Nakajima Ki-43 fighter planes, the girls fight against the threat of annihilation from villainous and menacing sky pirates. The stakes are high with sky pirates attacking to steal and murder the cargo transporters like these “angels” of the sky. Can Kirie and her companion girls manage to stop these pirates from winning the battle?

The characters continue to be one of the main driving forces of the production. The central cast of pilots carry the adventurous series and its tone. Kirie is a strong protagonist. The character finds her own mission and takes on the sky pirates with plenty of spunk. A determined protagonist at the helm.

The animation is one of the ambitious elements. The art style is not always as successful as it aims to be, though. The art style is ushered in by art director Kazuo Ogura (Attack on Titan: The Final Season, Read or Die). The CG elements are the weakest link on the production. The CG animation seems low budget and out-of-place at times. The jerkiness of the animation seems instantly outdated and it is certainly lacking compared to a production created entirely by hand. Nonetheless, the CG art style demonstrates immense ambitions and the CG is actually well integrated for some of the action scenes. These scenes are far more engaging and effective with the art style than the dramatic scenes with the characters and their interactions – these components being the weak link of the animation and its own artistic approach.

The score composed by Shiroh Hamaguchi (One Piece, Final Fantasy: Unlimited) is one of the best and most engaging components of the production. The score is certainly energetic and full of life. This is an exciting score that is a worthwhile fit for an action production. Every time an action scene unfolds, the compositions of Hamaguchi fit the material. The score works well for character moments but mostly excels during the action beats.

The cinematography by Toru Shinozaki is fascinating. The cinematographer is usually in charge of the CG creative direction when involved on productions. Yet here, Shinozaki is in charge of the cinematography entirely. The results lean heavily on the CG elements and highlighting these visuals. Ambitious but the end result is average at times.

Written by Michiko Yokote (Squid Girl, Children of the Whales), The Magnificent Kotobuki: The Movie is not going to win over new fans. The film is animed at the same audience who appreciated the anime series. Screenwriter Yokote is focused on adapting the material for feature-filmmaking. This is an acceptable effort but it does not try to bring in new fans to the material. The end result is a bit uneven.

Directed by Tsutomu Mizushima (Girls und Panzer, xxxHOLiC), The Magnificent Kotobuki: The Movie could have been better with a bigger budget. The film certainly feels impacted by limitations of the budgeting. The direction is solid in terms of action filmmaking, though. The action-packed flight sequences with battles with the sky pirates are well directed by Mizushima. Mizushima also handles the sound design well. A solid effort from the filmmaker but the full potential of the franchise was not realized.

The Magnificent Kotobuki: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks, The Magnificent Kotobuki: The Movie is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The presentation capably preserves the colorful animation. The encode handles the hybrid mix of CG animation and more traditional art techniques. The cinematography is well reproduced on the presentation. The encode handles the action scenes well. Compression is well handled.

The Magnificent Kotobuki: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround sound (with English subtitles). The release does not provide an English dub option. Understandably, English dub fans will feel a little disappointed by the release. Nonetheless, the Japanese language audio sounds crisp on the release. Dialogue is clear and well reproduced. The surround sound design is exceptional and is one of the highlights of the entire film. The soundstage was developed by the director of the film. The series featured only a stereo sound mix while the film has an expansive surround sound stage which is significantly better than on most anime series (even those mixed in surround). A strong mix that demonstrates solid LFE. The sound of the whirring engines and the firing shots from the planes is energetic and fierce. The sound-staging is much more compelling as a result.

The Magnificent Kotobuki: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc 1:

Clean Closing Animation (HD, 4:27)

The disc also contains a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from Sentai Filmworks: The Magnificent Kotobuki (HD, 1:31), Dusk maiden of Amnesia (HD, 1:32), My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU Climax (HD, 1:34), and Magical Girl Site (HD, 1:33).

Disc 2: Special Features –

Stage Event (HD, 29:14)

LaLa Port Message (HD, 3:05)

TOHO Message (HD, 3:02)

Weekly Specials (HD, 8:09)

MX4D (HD, 6:57)

Air Battle (HD, 30:22)

Special Report (HD, 00:47)

Japanese Trailers (HD, 3:06)

Game Anniversary Previews (HD, 8:12)

Game Memorial Previews (HD, 26:28)

Game Story Previews (HD, 6:05)

Game System (HD, 2:09)

Game Team Previews (HD, 9:28)

The Magnificent Kotobuki: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Magnificent Kotobuki: The Movie is a feature-film aimed primarily at fans of the anime series. While it won't win many newcomers over, the film has some compelling production attributes (especially the great surround sound presentation). The release features stunning video and audio quality. The set has an outstanding selection of supplemental features. The set is jam-packed with extras for die-hard fans. Recommended.