Search - Tristia of the Deep Blue Sea on DVD

Superior Quality Release, With Minor Issues

Stephen Lerch | Elkton, MD United States | 12/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"So I saw a listing for Tristia of the Deep Blue Sea quite some time back and I preordered it without really knowing anything about it, since it was from a new company to Anime. I believe this is Pathfinder's first foray into Anime.



Having watched Tristia on DVD today, all I can say is WOW. They did an AMAZING job on this one! The video quality is SUPERB. No artefacts, no compression issues, nothing. I checked the bit rate for about 10 minutes of the show and the lowest I saw it drop to is 9.5!



One thing many people will probably step back from is the fact that this is a sub only release, there is no English dub. The subtitles are all soft-subs. They translate the opening and ending songs. They translate some signs with soft subs, but leave out some other on screen text. The extras are included at the end of each episode just like several Japanese R2 DVDs (Godannar comes to mind), and aren't really selectable from the menu (unlike R2 DVDs).



The opening/ending credits are in Japanese only and there is no option to see the English credits except by looking at the back of the DVD case. I don't mind this at all, given that I can easily see who did what any time I want by looking at the back of the DVD case. The only issue with the credits on the back of the box is that not all the voice actors are listed and they don't tell you who plays what part. All the production people's names are on the back, however. Kawasumi Ayako plays the lead, Nanoca Flanka, many of you probably know her from that little known show... Mahoromatic (she played Mahoro).



The menu is kinda slim. You can choose which episode you want to play, whether you want subs, check some really lame DVD credits (there are like 3 people named on the credit page) and look at some stills.



Chapter stops are nearly non-existent. You have to be willing to watch all 27 minutes of each episode as there are no chapter stops. It's one 27 minute chapter. I'm a bit disappointed in this, but given the quality of the release in terms of the video, I can over look this. I never skip around in a show anyway.



If someone wants to see what a Japanese R2 DVD looks like without having to pay the Japanese R2 prices, pick this one up. No lie, it's that good.



Animation quality, considering this is a 2004 OVA release, is really good. Lots of detail and plenty of motion. Good stuff.



As far as the story goes, it's an Anime based on a "best selling" PC game. Don't let that fool you, it's still a decent show. What you have is Nanoca who is a genius inventor. She builds all sorts of inventions to try and revitalize the economy of Tristia (the town the crew inhabits). The main focus of the Anime's story is the Golem Competition which will pit domestic Golems against one another (domestic being in terms of say, doing laundry and dishes). Nanoca is forced to put an entry into the contest, though what she enters is a fighting golem, not a domestic one. One thing leads to another (and her arch rival brings her fighting Golem to the party) and a chaotic battle ensues. That's a brief summary of the first episode, the second episode could best be described as a rematch.



It's not the most original story and it's not necessarily something that will impress your friends, but it is fun to watch and well done. I recommend this one if only for people to see what an R1 company can do when given the chance. I really hope Pathfinder sells enough of this title to warrant them jumping into the pool again!



For $20 MSRP, and as low as $13 on-line, this is a fine title to pick up, if you are willing to give it a chance."

What can I say?

M. Zacky | USA | 10/26/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This dvd is way to short and that is one of the reason I rated it 3 stars. This dvd is only sixty minutes long and it has a basic plot line. This dvd looks as if it could be a good starting episode for a good series. Also, this dvd is only sub so if you like dub only probably you might want to stay away from this. If you like to see robots fighting then you would probably like this.

The animation is beautiful but it doesn't have any extra content except for looking at character stils. All in all it is an alright anime, but I would suggest renting it if you can. If there were more episodes, I might suggest to watch the series."