Unboxing [US]: Children Who Chase Lost Voices - Sentai Selects (BD/DVD)
Monday, November 7, 2016
Amazon US had a pretty solid deal going so I decided to go ahead and acquire one of Makoto Shinkai's films. This film was also called Journey to Agartha over here in the UK for some daft reason.
Children Who Chase Lost Voices is a 2011 film directed by Makoto Shinkai (known for The Place Promised in Our Early Days, The Garden of Words and Your Name), and is considered by many fans to be his weakest to date. The direction of the film is what made people assume this is the case since it's been compared to Studio Ghibli quite a fair bit. I haven't seen the film so I'm curious to know more on this.
This particular set is actually a re-release by Sentai Filmworks called 'Sentai Selects'. This brand is a mix between Funimation's S.A.V.E. Editions and Anime Classics, where you have a border on the front cover but the reversible cover is very well handled - plus the spines are good on both sides. It's also worth noting that this Sentai Selects release is also re-authored so that they split the contents across two Blu-ray discs rather than one like the original release was. They placed the extra features on a separate disc, and keeping the main film and its commentary on the main disc.
The Blu-ray & DVD release includes the main film, plus commentary as well as a ton of extra features as stated. The film is available in English and Japanese with English subtitles. The Blu-ray is also geo-locked so you will need a Blu-ray player set to United States or simply a PlayStation to play them. The DVD is region locked to 1 and also has locked subtitles for the Blu-ray version (you can change audio via pop-up menu but not the subs).
Blu-ray Specs:
Languages: Japanese, English
Audio: DTS MA 5.1 [Japanese], DTS MA 5.1 [English]
Video: 1080p HD Native 16:9
Region: Geo-locked to United States
Subtitles: English
Subtitles Locked: Yes
Discs: 2
DVD Specs:
Languages: Japanese, English
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 [Japanese], Dolby Digital 5.1 [English]
Video: SD NTSC 16:9
Region: 1
Subtitles: English
Subtitles Locked: No
Discs: 2
Plot Synopsis (via Sentai Filmworks):
Life hasn't been easy for Asuna since the death of her father. With her mother forced to work long hours to make ends meet, Asuna spends most of her time alone, listening to the crystal radio her father left behind.
It's a curious thing, requiring neither electricity nor an amplifier, but the strange music that plays over it is an even greater mystery. Where does it come from? And what does it mean? The answers will lead Asuna into a hidden world filled with incredible dangers, where monsters roam and even the dead can be brought back to life.
But there's a price that comes with unlocking the secrets, and it may be more than Asuna can afford to pay! Join the journey to Agartha as the adventure of a lifetime begins when acclaimed director Makoto Shinkai unleashes CHILDREN WHO CHASE LOST VOICES!
On-Disc Extra Content:
Japanese Commentary [Blu-ray: DTS MA 2.0 / DVD: Dolby Digital 2.0]
Interviews
The Making Of
Japanese Promo Video
Japanese Teasers
The Works of Makoto Shinkai
Interview with Makoto Shinkai (text)
Here's the photos of the set:
Children Who Chase Lost Voices is available under the re-released Sentai Selects label by Sentai Filmworks for North America. The license for the UK is currently with Kaze.