The Blu-ray Blog » Ponyo

Studio Ghibli films Howl’s Moving Castle and Tales from Earthsea bound for Blu-ray in Japan

Brenden — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 02:38:24 +0000

Studio Ghibli is set to release two more films on Blu-ray in Japan this coming November 16th. Hayao Miyazaki‘s Howl’s Moving Castle and his son, Goro Miyazaki‘s Tales From Earthsea will debut on Blu with package art that matches the style of the previous Japanese Ghibli Blu-ray discs. Both titles will feature English language dubs and subtitles and cost 7140yen each (approximately…gulp…$93 USD!!) There’s word, as well, that Ponyo will be reissued on Blu the same day, featuring the same disc as previously released but with new, matching package art. A list of extras, artwork and links below:

UPDATE: It’s been confirmed that the Ponyo reissue will now include the North American dub starring Tina Fey and Liam Neeson.

HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE
(November 16, 2011 – MSRP ¥7140)
Video: 1.85:1 1080p
Audio: LPCM stereo and DTS-HD MA 6.1 JP, DTS 5.1 Eng

Special Features:

PinP Production sketch
After recording script
Howl goes international (9min)
Pete Docter interview (7min)
US premiere record (11min)
(John) Lasseter-san, Konnichiwa (16min)
This is how Howl’s castle moved (20min)
Howl’s castle music guide (28min)
Trailers (12min)

TALES FROM EARTHSEA
(November 16, 2011 – MSRP ¥7140)
Video: 1.85:1 1080p
Audio: LPCM stereo and DTS-HD MA 6.1 JP, DTS 5.1 Eng

Special Features:

PinP Production layout
After recording script
Gedo Senki guide vol.1 and 2 (making of Teru’s song 30min & making of movie music 60min)
Special program “How Okada Junichi met Gedo Senki” (44min)
Trailers

PONYO
(November 16, 2011 – MSRP ¥7140)

Via: muhootsaver.tistory.com

Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of March 8

Brenden — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 16:30:35 +0000

There aren’t a many new Blu-ray discs on the shelves this week but you’re really going to enjoy the few that are. In fact, I think I could’ve almost managed a Top 10 list this week, what with strong contenders like Four Lions, The Man From Nowhere and The Next Three Days hitting shelves today as well as those titles I’ve selected to spotlight. Oh yeah, there’s also a Jackass film out on Blu today. Hmm.

As always, clicking the Blu-ray package art will zip you over to Amazon where every purchase you make through our links helps the site stay on its feet. We appreciate every single click and thank you again for continuing to read The Blu-ray Blog.

1. NAUSICAÄ OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND

After a global war, the seaside kingdom known as the Valley of the Wind remains one of the last strongholds on Earth, untouched by a poisonous jungle and the powerful insects that guard it. Led by the courageous Princess Nausicaa, the people of the Valley engage in an epic struggle to restore the bond between humanity and Earth.

It’s no secret that the films of Hayao Miyazaki run as close to perfection as possible in my eyes. And Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was my first exposure to the brilliant filmmaker’s work. So, as you can imagine, this film holds a pretty special place in my cinephile-heart.

This new Blu-ray edition of the film is quite a sight to behold. Simply stunning. Those of you who’re familiar with the film will look on the transfer as something of a revelation, revealing bold colours and details on the linework not apparent until now. This hi-def presentation is true to the film, still exhibiting grain, soft-shots as well as the occasional flaw, dirt and jumped animation cel but it’s absolutely beautiful. Both the original Japanese soundtrack as well as the excellent English dub are available here in faithful, full DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 tracks.

Supplements are par for the course where Disney‘s Studio Ghibli releases are concerned. They’re fine, well-produced, short, digestible featurettes that seem to perpetually suffer from the notion that the viewer is completely ignorant of Ghibli, Miyazaki and quite often, the film included on the disc. Sigh… As much as I appreciate the interview clips with Miyazaki himself in these supplements, I’d kill for the subtitled commentary track and 44-minute producer interview included on the UK and Australian releases of the film.

At the end of the day, though, I’m just thrilled that Nausicaä is available here on Blu, looking and sounding fantastic. This is, without question, the release of the week. I hope you all rush out and grab yourself up a copy and support the domestic release of Ghibli’s films. There are a lot more where this one came from!

Highly Recommended!!

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The World of Ghibli: Visit Nausicaa’s world in this enchanted interactive experience
Behind the Studio: Discover the film’s fantastic origins in this fascinating documentary, including an interview with Hayao Miyazaki
Creating Nausicaa
Enter the Lands: Explore the many worlds of Studio Ghibl
Studio Ghibli Trivia Challenge: Test your Knowledge
Original Japanese storyboards
DVD of the film including:
- Behind the Microphone: with A-list voice talent
- The Birth Story of Studio Ghibli
- Original TV trailers

AMAZON: $24.99

ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK FROM STUDIO GHIBLI (ON DVD ONLY) : TALES FROM EARTHSEA

“Based on the classic Earthsea fantasy book series by Ursula Le Guin, Tales from Earthsea is set in a mythical world filled with magic and bewitchment. Journey with Lord Archmage Sparrowhawk, a master wizard and Arren, a troubled young prince on a tale of redemption and self discovery as they search for the force behind a mysterious imbalance in the land of Earthsea; crops are dwindling, dragons have reappeared, and humanity is giving way to chaos. ”

Goro Miyazaki is the son of the Master and this is his first film. It’s far from perfect but he’s tackling a well-loved, complex novel here and does an admirable job, in my eyes. It’s unfortunate that the film isn’t being released on Blu-ray yet but this DVD edition could use your support nonetheless. It’s a beautiful, if flawed film from an animator destined for greatness.

AMAZON: $17.99

2. THE WALKING DEAD: SEASON ONE

“After waking from a coma in an abandoned hospital, police officer Rick Grimes finds the world he knew gone – ravaged by a zombie epidemic of apocalyptic proportions. Nearby, on the outskirts of Atlanta, a small encampment struggles to survive as ‘the dead’ stalk them at every turn. Can Rick and the others hold onto their humanity as they fight to live in this terrifying new world? And, amidst dire conditions and personal rivalries, will they ultimately survive one another? AMC’s The Walking Dead is an epic, survival adventure series from the director of The Shawshank Redemption and the producer of The Terminator and Aliens. ”

I’ve been avoiding watching The Walking Dead, in anticipation of this Blu-ray release. The comic book from which it’s adapted is probably the best-selling indie title out there at the moment, closing in on it’s hundredth popular issue. The show, the brainchild of filmmaker Frank Darabont, is quite well done, and will debut it’s second season in the coming months. The Blu-ray disc set features fantastic, episode accurate transfers and ton of special features. I’m working my way through it now and will hopefully have a full review later this week!

AMAZON: $22.99

3. EXCALIBUR

“The legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table receives its most impressive screen treatment in Excalibur, from visionary director John Boorman (Deliverance, Hope and Glory). All the elements of Sir Thomas Malory’s classic Le Morte Darthur are here: Arthur (Nigel Terry) removing the sword Excalibur from the stone; the Round Table’s noble birth and tragic decline; the heroic attempts to recover the Holy Grail; and the shifting balance of power between wily wizard Merlin (Nicol Williamson) and evil sorceress Morgana (Helen Mirren). With Patrick Stewart, Gabriel Byrne and Liam Neeson in notable early screen roles. ”

I’ve been watching Excalibur since I was way too young to be watching Excalibur. There’s a lot of bloody, limb-rending violence and graphic, filthy sex in John Boorman’s epic re-telling of Le Morte d’Arthur. Thank goodness for my liberal upbringing! The film is a classic and is well represented on Blu-ray, looking better than it ever has. It’s still dark and grainy, but exhibits far more detail and truer colours than I’ve ever seen. The director’s commentary track is ported over from the previously available DVD and is excellent, as always but could really benefit from being supplemented by a documentary, some deleted scenes or any additional video content, for that matter on this, the 30th Anniversary of the film’s release.

AMAZON: $13.99

4. MORNING GLORY

“For Becky (Rachel McAdams, “The Notebook”), running a TV show in New York City was the big break she dreamed of…until star co-anchors Mike (Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones) and Colleen (Diane Keaton, “Something’s Gotta Give”) declare an all-out, on-air war. Making the show work with its cast of eccentric characters and outrageous story angles will take a major miracle, but Becky is ready to rise and outshine. ”

I really enjoyed Morning Glory. It’s like Broadcast News-lite, played as a modern Hollywood fare. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. Rachel McAdams is lovely and sweet throughout, providing the film a solid, likable base from which to pile on it’s comedy. A good deal of said comedy is provided by a very grumpy, cantankerous Harrison Ford, in what is likely his finest performance in years. I can see this leading to a lot more “get off my lawn” roles for the former galactic scoundrel. The Blu-ray disc looks and sounds better than you’d expect a modern comedy to, with a dazzling, vivid transfer and dynamic, playful DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack. Extras are slim here, with only a single deleted scene and a commentary track with director Roger Michell and writer Aline Brosh McKenna.

AMAZON: $22.99

5. INSIDE JOB and EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP

Inside Job may have scooped the Best Documentary Oscar from Exit Through the Gift Shop but both films have to share the same release date for their Blu-ray discs! They’re both fantastic films but don’t go looking for pristine, demo quality presentations on their Blu-ray disc releases. While both discs are faithful to their source material, the films use a lot of footage that isn’t very pretty to begin with, resulting in a fair amount of aliasing, compression artifacts and banding, Gift Shop being the least attractive of the two. But don’t be put off. See them for their content, not the image quality of the footage they use to tell the stories. Both discs are recommended!

AMAZON: $17.99 and $29.99

ANIME OF THE WEEK: DRAGONBALL Z KAI: PART FOUR

“After learning that Frieza murdered his father and destroyed his home planet, Goku takes aim at the putrid purple monster in the greatest grudge match the galaxy has ever seen! The bruises multiply at a furious rate as the two warriors trade blows in a battle that literally destroys planet Namek. As the slugfest approaches a standstill, Frieza forever silences Goku’s closest friend – sending Earth’s hero into a Super Saiyan rage that threatens to obliterate them both! ”

It feels a bit odd to include the ‘Anime of the Week’ section here, when my top pick of the week is anime. But I’ve been following this Dragonball Z Kai Blu-ray series since its inception and would be remiss if I allowed this newest edition to pass you by. This is the first set that I haven’t laid eyes on, so I can’t speak to the quality of its presentation or content directly, but I’ve little doubt that it matches up to the previous three releases in every regard.

AMAZON: $29.99

ALSO AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY THIS WEEK
Clicking an image will take you to Amazon.com where you can learn more about and purchase the Blu-ray disc:

Miyazaki’s Nausicaä US Blu-ray details and package art

Brenden — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 15:21:57 +0000

I was seriously only a few days away from placing my order for the Japanese release of Miyazaki‘s Nausicaä on Blu-ray, sick and tired of waiting to hear any news whatsoever about a domestic edition. And just as I’m about to finally pull the trigger, wouldn’t you know it, this news hits. So, it looks like Disney is finally getting their act together and delivering the goods – Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind will hit shops on March 8th with cover art and a feature set that’s in line with the Ponyo Blu-ray of this past year.

I’m sure Disney’s release is going to be fine and dandy but I can’t help but feel a pang of disappointment that we won’t be seeing any of the special features from the Japanese disc – specifically the Anno Hideaki and Katayama Kazuyoshi commentary track and the 44-minute “Anno Hideaki and Suzuki Toshio discussion from December 2009.“ Optimum‘s U.K. release (which is Region B locked) has included both extras subtitled in English, so I’m not sure why we have to go without.

Also, I can’t help but feel let down by the package art of the U.S. edition of the Blu-ray. The Japanese release (which you can see here in all its glory) is so classy and minimalist where ours just feels so…bland. I guess it could be worse. We could have gotten stuck with the U.K. cover art.

In the end, I feel like I’m going to have to get comfortable with the notion of ponying up the cash for all three versions of the release in order to have everything I want from the Blu-ray presentation of Miyazaki’s Nausicaä. Yes, I will be considerably poorer for it but these are the lengths to which I must go to satisfy my inner nerd. Damn you, Ghibli/Disney! DAMN YOU!

NAUSICAÄ OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND
(March 8, 2011 – MSRP $39.99)
Video: MPEG-4 AVC 1080p
Audio: DTS HD Master Audio

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The World of Ghibli: Visit Nausicaa’s world in this enchanted interactive experience
Behind the Studio: Discover the film’s fantastic origins in this fascinating documentary, including an interview with Hayao Miyazaki
Creating Nausicaa
Enter the Lands: Explore the many worlds of Studio Ghibl
Studio Ghibli Trivia Challenge: Test your Knowledge
Original Japanese storyboards
DVD of the film including:
- Behind the Microphone: with A-list voice talent
- The Birth Story of Studio Ghibli
- Original TV trailers

Via: The Digital Bits.com

Miyazaki’s Nausicaä announced for Blu-ray release in Australia and UK – US release soon?

Brenden — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:39:50 +0000

Hayao Miyazaki‘s first independently created film, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was released on Blu-ray in Japan a couple of weeks ago, selling a record 20,000 units in the first week alone. The disc is feature packed, super-well designed and sports a gorgeous transfer sourced from a 6K scan of the original elements. I can’t wait to own this thing. But my impulse to import has been stayed with the confirmation that the film will be hitting Blu in both the U.K. and Australia sooner than I suspected!

Japanese Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Blu-ray Packaging (images - asianblurayguide.com)

Optimum has announced that Nausicaä will be in UK shops on October 18th while Australian distributor Madman Entertainment has confirmed a November release down under. No details are known for either release yet, aside from Madman’s package art and their assurance to customers that their version will be given “the same treatment as we did with Ponyo. LOTS of extras!”

Austrailian package art for Madman's Blu-ray release of Nausicaä

What these two impending releases tell me, though, is that Disney will be gearing up to deliver their own edition of Nausicaä on Blu-ray to we poor souls caught between Atlantic and Pacific. A USA/Canada version should drop sometime before the holidays, if this pattern is any indication. And that release, though I’m certain it won’t be as feature-rich as the others, will be far more affordable than our alternative import options. So, I’ll hold off, for now. And compare the eventual domestic release of the Nausicaä Blu-ray with these others before deciding which is most worthy of my hard earned dollars.

Miyazaki’s Nausicaä announced for Blu-ray release in Japan (UPDATED)

Brenden — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:37:02 +0000

Disney was right – Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is officially set to be the next of Studio Ghibli‘s films to come to Blu-ray! When last we reported on the Japanese animation studio’s catalogue coming to Blu, it was still in question whether distributor, Disney would follow up the release of Ponyo with Miyazaki‘s Nausicaä or Takahata‘s My Neighbors the Yamadas. Today’s announcement confirms the former but details are still in question. Here’s what we’ve gleaned from the Japanese language post on AV Watch:

NAUSICAÄ OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND
(July 14, 2010 – MSRP 7,140円 – Aprx. $77.50 US)
Single-sided BD50
Video: MPEG-4 AVC 1080p
Audio: DTS HD Master Audio

Given the quality of their previous disc, Ponyo, and the bevy of special features they included on the Japanese edition we can fully expect this Blu-ray to be the best Nausicaä, the studio’s 1984 debut film, has ever looked – clean and bright in presentation, with a disc full of extras, both vintage and modern. Don’t be surprised to find English language subtitles either. And if we’re lucky, Disney might include their English language dub track in the package, starring the voices of mighty Enterprise and Galactica captains Patrick Stewart and Edward James Olmos!

There is, sadly, no word yet on any further North American releases of Ghibli films on Blu-ray.

UPDATE: GhibliWiki has a translation of producer Toshio Suzuki‘s comments revealing why Nausicaä was chosen as the next Ghibli Blu-ray and how the studio has approached the restoration process:

“I watched Nausicaa. Re-encountering the film for the first time in 26 years. There was Miya-san nearby. When a preview room became dark, I was tense. Then Nausicaa began. We never watch a film after it’s completed. I don’t watch it. Because we cannot go to the next film. However, there were special circumstances this time.

It was the end of last year that the reqest for the next BD title was given by Disney. I thought about nothing, but I answered immediately, “How about Nausicaa?” Ghibli and Disney staff’s faces were frozen. They seemed to have planned for Laputa and they thought Nausicaa would be “The Last BD Title” without permission. Then another thought appeared on me with an answer. I want to do a restoration from a clean negative. It was longtime homework for me who was concerned with Nausicaa.

Led by Okui-san of the photography department, an argument began about how to make an original negative of “Nausicaa”. However, Okui-san was not involved with the production of Nausicaa directly. What is the standard of the original negative? We can guess, but we do not understand this important part. Digital technology can do anything. It is very easy to change a used thing into a new thing. Then a conclusion came about become Miya-san decided it. Miya-san participated in a meeting. Miya-san’s opinion was simple and clear.

Miya-san was watching the Disney Channel in a house well after work. It was broadcasting a show on digital processing, a “makeover” of old works. That is profanity. Miya-san always sent forth a negative opinion about digital processing. A past masterpiece becomes a work without dignity through digital processing. That is quite disrespectful for the person who made it. It is natural for it to seem that a film looks timeworn by aging. Who has the right that makes it a new thing in technology? This was an opinion of Miya-san.

This is Miya-san’s opinion. Basically, respect a original thing. We do not clean it than the original, remove the wound of the process of the print, keep the color mistakes, etc.

Okui-san took two months in deference to the opinion of Miya-san and worked hard for data faithfully. It was enough work to lose consciousness.

In this way the preview of March 1 came about.

There is already little staff who remember those days at Ghibli. I persuaded Miya-san who hated watching. When I went to the preview room 10 minutes early Miya-san was already there. In fact, I know that the preview was in the mind of Miya-san for a few days. Miya-san who waited for a re-encounter with Nausicaa was clearly excited.

The screening was over. We waited for an impression from Miya-san in a meeting room. At first Miya-san spoke an impression “looked timeworn”, and he said in this way. “Suzuki-san, technically, we have come very far and wide.”

The order from Miya-san was one thing: I want a little green to increase where necessary.

Okui-san came my room next day. He said “Miyazaki-san cried, didn’t he?” I answered in this way, “Nausicaa is not yet over.” Both I and Miya-san remember all of the events and every cut.”
Previously on The Blu-ray Blog: Miyazaki’s Nausicaä to be the next Ghibli Blu-ray release?

Via: www.asianblurayguide.com

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Miyazaki’s Nausicaä announced for Blu-ray release in Australia and UK – US release soon? (2)

Miyazaki's Nausicaä to be the next Ghibli Blu-ray release? (3)

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Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of March 2

Brenden — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:08:37 +0000

This is a huge release week for me. One of the most important of the year. There’s not a lot hitting the shops today but a couple of films here number amongst my favourites. As always, your clicks matter. If you enjoy this weekly column and want to support it and the site, please make your purchases through our Amazon links. By doing so, you’re directly helping the The Blu-ray Blog stay alive…just like Johnny 5.

I can’t believe I just typed that…

1. PONYO

What more can I possibly say about the incredible Ponyo Blu-ray disc that I didn’t already cover in my review? This is an incredible film now available in a flawless, absolutely stunning Blu-ray presentation. If you’re not already a fan of Studio Ghibli and animation master Hayao Miyazaki this is the perfect place to start. If you’re already a fan, what are you waiting for? Get out there and pick up a copy of Ponyo on Blu-ray!!

Read my full review here: Ponyo Blu-ray Disc Review

Amazon: $24.99

Also available today: 3 more films by Hayao Miyazaki on DVD – My Neighbour Totoro, Castle in the Sky and Kiki’s Delivery Service.

2. CLASH OF THE TITANS

I love love love Clash of the Titans!!! Once upon a time I tried to make a giant papier mache head of Titans villain, Calibos. It didn’t turn out too well (Gimme a break…I was only 6 years old!) Needless to say, this is a much anticipated release for me. I haven’t seen the disc yet but I understand that, while being a very faithful film transfer and excellent encode, the quality of the source material itself leaves a lot to be desired. Expect to see a very healthy amount of grain and varying levels of detail on the Blu-ray, especially during the incredible stop-motion animation sequences by Ray Harryhausen. Despite its imperfections, you can feel confident picking this disc up as it’s probably the best Clash of the Titans will ever look on home video, barring a very expensive restoration.

Amazon: $26.99

3. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

The Maurice Sendak classic, Where the Wild Things Are has been a favourite book in my family for years and years. It became even more special when my sister named her son Max after the title character of the story (I was pushing for Maximus…it was 2000 after all, and Gladiator was a big hit at the time!) It kills me that I missed out on seeing Spike Jonze‘s adaptation when it was in theatres last year but I’m excited to finally get a chance to check it out on Blu-ray. I haven’t received my review copy yet so I can’t speak to the quality of the disc itself but I can tell you that this thing is packed with special features, the coolest of which is the NFB produced Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life.

Amazon: $19.99

4. THE NEVERENDING STORY

Geez, it’s been so long since I’ve seen the Neverending Story that I’m not sure I’m fit to even comment on it! All I can tell you right now is that when I was young I enjoyed the heck out of the film. I also remember spending a summer up at our cottage listening to the (admittedly crap) theme song ad nauseum for two months on my old cassette tape recorder (I believe I had recorded the track by holding the microphone of the machine up to the speaker of our family stereo system while the song played over the radio…those were the days…) Oh, and the film (specifically that wolf-like Gmork!) still scares the crap out of my pal, Karl. ATREYU!!

Amazon: $17.99

5. 2012

I hate disaster movies. And, as such, I have no desire to see Roland Emmerich‘s 2012. I include it here only because I realize that it’s a major studio release and a lot of people are interested in it. But honestly, if you can only afford one or two Blu-ray discs this week and you need to buy something new, you owe it to yourself to scan up a little higher on my Top 5 list. Do yourself a favour and pick up Ponyo. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. There’s a even a huge tidal wave in it, for you disaster flik fanatics!!

Amazon: $22.99

ALSO AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY THIS WEEK
Clicking an image will take you to Amazon.com where you can learn more about and purchase the Blu-ray disc:

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Ponyo Blu-ray Disc Review

Brenden — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:23:20 +0000

PONYO (2008, Blu-ray released March 2, 2010 – MSRP $39.99)

Stunning. Absolutely stunning. Yeah, I’m a a bit of an unabashed Miyazaki fan but the Blu-ray disc of his latest film, Ponyo has completely blown me away! I didn’t think 2-D, hand-drawn animation could look this good in my home!!

If you follow The Blu-ray Blog at all, I’m sure you’ve gathered that I’ve been waiting ages to get my hands on this disc. I’ve been following Ponyo (Gake no Ue no Ponyo, literally “Ponyo on the Cliff“) since before it was released in Japanese theatres in July of 2008 (writing about it for FPS Magazine too!) I’ve posted articles on the Japanese Blu-ray release, the North American disc and even a now-dated rundown of Studio Ghibli on Blu-ray. To say I’m excited to finally have Ponyo in my Blu-ray disc player is a bit of an understatement. And I’ve got to tell you, for the most part, I’m not let down by this release. Let me start with the good stuff.

The film itself is pure genius. As is everything creator Hayao Miyazaki touches. It’s very possible that I can’t be impartial here, as I’m such a fan of his work but Ponyo is wonderful, understated family entertainment that’s damn near perfect in every way. It’s essentially the familiar story of Hans Christian Andersen‘s The Little Mermaid, given that special Ghibli touch that turns a simple fairy tale into anime magic. It’s crafted to appeal to very small children but loaded with adult themes (the environment is always concern in Miyazaki’s work) and touches that hearken back to the director’s previous works. Much like My Neighbour Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service before it, Ponyo leaves you with an enchanted, magical feeling, like you’ve just seen the world through the fresh eyes of a child – a flavour of film making that, in my experience, only Miyazaki seems fully capable of harnessing.

Like I said off the top, Ponyo is absolutely stunning on Blu-ray. I would go so far as to say perfect. Yeah. Ponyo looks perfect! I’ve never seen anything look this slick in HD. I can’t find a fault! The audio, on the other had, is an issue for me. While the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English dub does sound spectacular, nearly matching the quality of the video encode, what irks me is the fact that the original language track (Japanese) is relegated to a mere, lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 track! Luckily, it’s pretty decent DD but it doesn’t really hold a candle to the lossless DTS-HD. Sigh… One of these days, Disney, you’re going to see the light and understand that the people who buy these films on Blu-ray are the people who care about film and the quality of the presentation of the original material!

The discs special features are actually a lot better than I was anticipating. And they’re all in HD! I was expecting typical Disney-style kids-fluff here. And there is some of that, to be sure (the clumsy, interactive The World of Ghibli – Enter the Lands, which I’ll be happy to never endlessly click-through again!) but what surprised me is the amount of content that actually features Miyazaki discussing his work! The World of Ghibli – Behind the Studio is a series of short pieces that, when viewed in succession, run almost 45-minutes and feature a ton of behind-the-scenes footage of Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki himself, intercut with a lot of film and interview footage, some of which has been culled from the 12-hour long Ponyo Was Produced Like This – Hayao Miyazaki’s Thinking Process Blu-ray (a Japanese release without English dubbing or subtitles.) There is also a Ponyo-related 1080i, English subtitled sequence from The Scenery In Ghibli : Japan in Miyazaki’s Work / European Journey To Meet Miyazaki’s Work Blu-ray, which is an incredible addition to this US/Canadian disc.

If you’re a Miyazaki fan, as I am, and love to look at his artwork, even when it’s not moving, you’ll really enjoy the excellent picture-in-picture track on the Ponyo disc as it allows you to view all of the master’s hand-drawn storyboards as the film plays in the background! Amazing! Almost as good as a commentary track in this case. The Ponyo Blu-ray disc is rounded out with an introduction to the film by its American producers Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy, previews of other Ghibli discs (sadly, all only available on DVD), trailers and BD-Live.

For a look at all the special features on the Japanese edition of the Ponyo Blu-ray read our previous article here: Studio Ghibli/Disney Ponyo Japanese Blu-ray Bonus Features, Release Date Confirmed
[See post to watch Flash video]

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Miyazaki's Nausicaä to be the next Ghibli Blu-ray release?

Brenden — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:31:14 +0000

Remember how we told you that it looked like My Neighbors the Yamadas would be the next Ghibli film to make it to Blu-ray? Well, it seems that Disney, Ghibli’s distributor has other plans. At the conclusion of an airing of the film on Japanese TV, the studio made the announcement that Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind would be the next Ghibli film to hit Blu! And it’s apparently going to be released this coming summer in Japan.

Now, that could mean any number of things for us. For certain, a plan is underway to bring all the Ghibli films to Blu-ray. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment confirmed as much during the ceremony for the 2nd annual Digital Entertainment Group Japan Awards/Blu-ray Prizes where they earned the top award for their release of Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (released December 8th in Japan.) What’s in question is the order that the catalogue titles will appear. And when and if we’ll see them on this side of the Pacific. Ghibli producer, Toshio Suzuki claims the next title up is Yamadas while Disney is claiming Nausicaä. To be honest, I’m happy either way. As long as the effort is being made to get Ghibli films onto Blu and the discs make their way here to North America I’ll be satisfied. I’m not holding my breath for a 2010 release though. If push comes to shove, I’ll import the Japanese releases. They may be expensive (think $80 US on average) but at least the discs include English subs and will play on my PS3.

Via: Anime News Network

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Studio Ghibli Blu-ray Update: No Lossless Japanese Audio, Ponyo Sale on Amazon, Yamadas up next

Brenden — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:05:35 +0000

All right. We’re only a month and a bit away from finally getting our grubby little hands on the US/Canadian edition of the Ponyo Blu-ray. I can barely contain my excitement. Seriously! But a couple of days ago I found out (via these great sites) that the Japanese language track on the disc will not be lossless. Only the English dub is receiving the royal treatment!

Seriously, Disney!?! Don’t you guys learn anything? We had to suffer this same poorly made decision in your recent batch of martial arts film releases on Blu (see our Ultimate Force of Four Blu-ray boxed set review) where all the original language audio tracks were compressed in 5.1 Dolby Digital. I mean, I know you’re proud of your new English dub and all but the audience who is buying Blu-ray right now is also the audience who will want to experience these films in their original language! Trust me, the kids don’t care whether they watch the film on DVD or Blu, or with compressed or uncompressed audio. For them to enjoy it, the film need only be watchable and in English. That’s all. It’s the enthusiasts, the otaku who care about formats here. It’s the Blu-ray and film fans who want these movies presented in their original audio, in the best format possible. There’s still time to come to your senses, Disney! Give us a Japanese audio track in DTS-HD Master Audio!

Sorry for the rant (I’m sure the suits at Disney feel properly scolded now!) If this less than grand news about the Ponyo Blu-ray hasn’t put you off the disc and you still plan to pick it up come March 2nd, you might want to take advantage of this special offer at Amazon.com:

“For a limited time, pick up Miyazaki’s latest masterpiece Ponyo on DVD or Blu-ray with another classic Studio Ghlibi release and save $10. To receive the $10 discount, add both titles to your cart and enter the promotional code “PONYOTEN” at checkout.
Order the special edition 2-Disc DVD gift set of Ponyo with a plush toy along with one of the Studio Ghlibi titles below and save $12. To receive the $12 discount, add both titles to your cart and enter the promotional code “PONYOSPE” at checkout.”

And finally, to those of you who, like me, are dissapointed that we haven’t heard rumblings of more Ghibli on Blu-ray lately, we’ve got this rumour from our friends over at The Ghibli Blog.com:

“According to (Producer, Toshio Suzuki’s) comment in the radio show, Ghibli’s next BD is Yamada (My Neighbors the Yamadas). This is not official announcement.”

My Neighbors the Yamadas is a great film by Isao Takahata. And while I’d be happy to see it on Blu I’d much rather get some of his partner, Miyazaki‘s best films on the format first! And seeing as Disney is re-releasing Totoro, Laputa and Kiki on DVD along with Ponyo, perhaps these amazing movies will top the list!

An otaku can dream…

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Ponyo Blu-ray officially Announced and Detailed

Brenden — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 00:57:04 +0000

No sir! It’s no longer just a rumour or a dream. This is for real. It’s official, Ponyo is coming to Blu-ray on March 2nd, 2010 (as disc producer Frank Marshall had revealed to us a couple of months ago.) We may not be getting the sheer cornucopia of special features that the Japanese Blu-ray release received but with the collection of short documentary features Disney has announced, we’re certainly seeing more content included than previous domestic Ghibli disc releases (remember those old 2-disc DVDs with barely any extras on them?)

Details below:

PONYO
(March 2, 2010 – MSRP $39.99)
Video: TBA
Audio: TBA

Special Features:

The World of Ghibli – Allows fans to immerse themselves in the amazing worlds from each film created by legendary filmmaker, Hayao Miyazaki in this multi-layered interactive experience. Lands to explore include:

• PONYO’S Land
• KIKI’S Land
• CASTLE’S Land
• TOTORO’S Land

Behind the Studio – Unprecedented access to all the background, inspiration and process behind he making of Ponyo and the inner workings of Studio Ghibli through a series of documentaries. They include all new interviews with Hayao Miyazaki, and composer Joe Hisaishi. Also included in this feature are:

• Creating Ponyo
• Ponyo & Fujimoto
• The Nursery
• Behind the Microphone: The Voice of Ponyo
• Producers Perspective: Telling the Story
• Scoring Miyazaki
• The Scenery in Ghibli
• Original Japanese Trailer

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