Treasure Island Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Treasure Island Blu-ray Movie Review

Treasure Island is an exciting and engaging action-adventure classic with plenty to offer audiences. The series is based on the original story by Robert Louis Stevenson. Produced by Keishi Yamazaki (Nobody's Boy Remi, Silent Möbius: The Motion Picture) and Seiichi Ginya (The Rose of Versailles, Seishun Anime Zenshu), Treasure Island offers a bountiful assortment of treasures for audiences of all ages. The series arrives from production studio Tokyo Movie Shinsha (Lupin III: Part II, Cat's Eye). Broadcast on Nippon Television Network (Case Closed, Lupin the 3^rd), Treasure Island delivers charm and class for an old-school animated epic.

Jim Hawkins (Mari Shimizu) spends his quiet life alongside his mother, Karen and his pet leopard by the name of Benbow. Jim is an ordinary boy in most respects and he lives his day-to-day life in the sleepy town of Black Hill Cove. Helping to take care of the Admiral Benbow Inn alongside his mother, Jim finds his ordinary and uneventful life turned upside down when a storm blows in to town. The storm brings more with it than Jim ever expected.

Now the journey for Jim is one of adventure and the world of the fantastical begins to set shape. Jim meets Captain John Silver (Genzo Wakayama). The exciting adventure of a lifetime begins as Jim sets out in search of finding the legendary Treasure Island. With rumors suggesting bountiful treasures on the island, it is time to set sail – for fun! Can the crew of Hispaniola find the treasure of Captain Flint?

The characters are a huge part of the series and why it has managed to become such a popular cult classic with a certain segment of anime fans. There is a lot to appreciate about this and that is one reason the series has been successful. The characters are at the forefront of the production and are leading the narrative forward. Jim is a compelling protagonist and one can’t help but want to go along with the character on their epic journey. The character is taken on a wild ride full of twists and turns in the story. This is one of the reasons the series works as well as it does and the character finds strength alongside their pet leopard Benbow.

The character designs by Akio Sugino (Space Adventure Cobra, The Legend of the Galactic Heroes) play a fundamental part in the production as well. Sugino is certainly a talented character designer and a vital contributor to the production. The designer understands the fundamentals of the series and what is necessary to imbue in to these characters and make them shine – bringing the series to life with the compelling cast at the forefront of the storytelling. These designs have a classical quality to them and there is something magical about that – something audiences won’t be able to look away from. The results are outstanding and play an essential role.

The animation is charming and beautiful in the most subtle and elegant of ways. The art style is certainly impressive and a compelling piece of the puzzle. Under the exquisite art direction by Shichirō Kobayashi (Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, Kimagure Orange Road), Treasure Island finds some compelling and beautiful ways to highlight the drama and adventure. Combined with the top-notch animation direction by Akio Sugino (Dear Brother, Space Adventure Cobra), Treasure Island highlights the beauty of it all – a stunning canvas and backdrop to the action and the high-seas adventure. What would the series be without the team of animators working behind the scenes? The series is all the more invigorating because of the essential nature of the animation and what the animators bring to the table for the production.

The cinematography by Hirokata Takahashi (Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, Space Adventure Cobra) is gorgeous and eye-catching. The classic style of cinematography on the production is something that is essential to the experience, too. Takahashi does a great job with the visuals and the colorful, bright, organic quality of the experience is something that enhances the entire cinematic quality of this television classic. A terrific achievement by Takahashi.

The score composed by Kentarō Haneda (Sherlock Hound, Space Adventure Cobra) is an invigorating part of the series. The music is engaging and serene. The score also provides an entertaining, vital, enlivening, and essential sense of adventure to the saga. Without the score providing plenty of entertaining fun, Treasure Island wouldn’t stand out nearly as well. Yet the genre elements are dramatically enhanced by the score and this is essential to the experience.

Edited by Kazuko Takahashi (Space Adventure Cobra, Lupin III: Part II) and Masatoshi Tsurubuchi (Lupin III: Part II, Space Adventure Cobra), Treasure Island is a series with a good sense of rhythm. The series editing style approaches the material in a classical style. The end result is something all the more fun. Compelling.

Written by Haruya Yamazaki (Space Adventure Cobra, Space Pirate Captain Harlock) and Yoshimi Shinozaki (The Rose of Versailles, Jarinko Chie), Treasure Island brings the iconic classic tale to adventurous life and there is a lot to appreciate about these element – plenty to unpack. The screenwriting is creative, energetic, and charming. The storytelling finds a good balance between classic old-school adventure and the dramatic depth necessary to elevate the material and keep things moving. An impressive effort by Yamazaki and Shinozaki.

Osamu Dezaki (The Rose of Versailles, Space Adventure Cobra) brings the story to life while in the director’s chair. Dezaki has an impressive approach to the production. The dedication to the tale provides the series with plenty of excitement. Dezaki understands the fundamentals and as a result, Treasure Island delivers a thrilling experience – with plenty of heart, too.

Treasure Island Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Discotek Media, Treasure Island 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 impresses with robust and colorful animation. The classic style of animation is well reproduced. An excellent example of how classic animation can look exceptional in high definition – with the film presentation appearing naturally filmic and organic.

The encode quality on the release is excellent, providing superb detail. The transfer retains the cinematic language of the series and as a result the presentation appears more engaging. This type of high quality presentation is an example of how the Blu-ray format is a vital part of film preservation. A quality presentation like this is about preserving something in film history and making it available to future generations.

Treasure Island Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 with English subtitles. The original language audio track sounds excellent on the release. Dialogue clarity is exceptional. The audio presentation preserves the soundstage. The score is well reproduced and there is a lot worth appreciating – the detail and vitality in the presentation offering a robust audio presentation.

Considering the age of the materials, the track is surprisingly clear sounding and without any egregious issues with hiss, pops, or clicks. The track sounds excellent. The only potential drawback to the audio on the release is the lack of an English dub option for the production. Fans of English dubbed presentations may find this to be an underwhelming aspect. However, audio purists who are seeking the original language audio will find nothing to complain about here. A terrific audio encode from Discotek.

Treasure Island Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release doesn't come with an extensive supplemental package. Unfortunately, the release does not include any making-of featurettes, behind the scenes documentaries, or audio commentaries. A photo gallery would also have been something nice to see – it could have helped to expand the package in regards to the supplementals.

US Trailer (HD, 1:26)

Treasure Island Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Treasure Island is an entertaining and engaging classic anime. The series has a lot of fun adapting the original novel. The production has incredible animation and there is a lot to appreciate about the storytelling here. The journey is one of excitement and audiences will find plenty to enjoy here.

The Blu-ray release from Discotek Media features an excellent and robust high-definition presentation. The transfer capably reproduces and retains the naturally filmic aesthetic of the original cell-based animation. The lossless audio encoding capably reproduces the original Japanese language audio. Despite the lack of an English dub option, the release has a great Japanese audio track and audio purists should find the release well worthwhile. The supplemental package is the only arena that is significantly underwhelming.