Basilisk: The Complete Series Blu-ray

Basilisk: The Complete Series

 (TV) (2005)

Action | Adventure | Anime | Drama | Fantasy | Romance



The year is 1614 AD. Two warring ninja clans, each supporting a son of Hidetada Tokugawa as the next shogun, send ten representatives each to fight to the death for the possession of a scroll. The prize: the annihilation of the other and the staunch support of the Tokugawa government for the winning clan for the next thousand years.

For more details about Basilisk: The Complete Series on Blu-ray, see the Basilisk: The Complete Series Blu-ray Review

Basilisk: The Complete Series Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 19Mbps), Basilisk isn’t on par with the best television series from Funimation, but still delivers a reasonably smooth presentation that only hits minor hiccups along the way. First off, I should mention my experience with the prior DVD collection of Basilisk is limited, since I never owned any of the discs, and viewed a portion of the series almost three years ago. However, I feel confident this is a substantial step up in the visual department, with lines appearing crisp despite the occasional emergence of compression artifacts. I wouldn’t say the visual presentation is as detailed as Full Metal Panic: Second Raid, since a degree of softness is present throughout the feature, but it does offer a minor increase in clarity when stacked up to the recent Blu-ray release of Samurai Champloo. From a color standpoint, the show has a tendency to appear muted from time to time, with a large number of sequences taking place under a canopy of moonlight. When the spectrum occasionally turns bright, the palette appears well-saturated, mirroring the tone of the more light-hearted scenes. A perfect example is episode #16, titled First Impressions, which takes viewers back in time to witness the comedic interactions between the various Ninja in the Kouga and Iga clans (before the pact was lifted). It’s one of the few segments in the series where the tone shifts away from a serious mood, and allows the artists the opportunity to stretch their use of color. Given the darker setting for most of the episodes, it’s imperative that black levels exhibit sufficient depth in order to create subtle variations in contrast. Thinking back on the series, I can only remember a handful of scenes where contrast appeared less than stellar, and I believe most instances of weak contrast were the result of intentional lighting effects found in the source material. On the downside, I did notice some compression artifacts from time to time, and there’s awful aliasing on the static “Next Episode” screen. Color banding rears its head on occasion, but never to the extent I’d consider obtrusive, and some fine diagonal lines reveal a touch of stairstepping. None of the complaints I’ve noted are very noticeable unless you’re concentrating on their appearance, so I wouldn’t let a few minor quibbles prevent you from enjoying what is otherwise a thoroughly enjoyable presentation.

Basilisk: The Complete Series Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


Considering the original DVD release of Basilisk contained a Dolby Digital 2.0 mix in the native language of Japanese and a 5.1 surround mix dubbed in English, I’m assuming it would have required a complete remastering of the Japanese track to incorporate the use of surround sound. On this Blu-ray release we have the same Dolby Digital 2.0 Japanese track, accompanied by a lossless 5.1 dubbed track. In a perfect world, I’d hope for a lossless surround option in the native language of the series, but considering the limitations of the original recording, my only disappointment with this effort lies in the decision to stick with a lossy 2.0 track, rather than providing a lossless 2-channel option. As always, I prefer the native language on any foreign produced series, so I was somewhat disappointed in the diminished quality of the Dolby Digital 2.0 track. The front-heavy mix lacks the depth of finely tuned surround separation, leaving us with an experience that’s merely adequate at getting the job done, but not what I’d consider a value-added audio experience. The English dub on the other hand, demonstrates a more robust feel, separating nuances in the audio effects to create an immersive experience. Several of the weapons and/or skills utilized by the Ninja incorporate projectile attacks, which bounce around the room from speaker to speaker in unison with the onscreen action. Even the swordplay between two opponents generates sound effects that dance across the front soundstage from left to right, depending on proximity of each character to the sides of the screen. During the occasional moments when the series strays from the intensity of multiple stand-offs, you’ll find subtle use of environmental effects such as water trickling down streams, crickets in the distance, or the crackle of a burning fire. From a balance standpoint, every element in the mix is given appropriate weight, without one aspect overpowering another.

All in all, my only real complaint about the audio experience isn’t even related to the proficiency of the track itself. If you’ve ever watched a marathon of anime, you’ll know the importance of a good theme song to kick each episode off. For a show that’s set during a historical period and incorporates supernatural elements, I was dismayed to find a heavy metal infused opening theme song that seems entirely out of place given the genre of the show. It’s merely a matter of personal preference, but is worth mentioning as something that let me down.

If I had the option of scoring the audio offerings separately, I’d give the English track a 4/5, and the Japanese track a 2.5/5. The differences between the two tracks are certainly noticeable, but the lack of surround separation on the Japanese mix didn’t downgrade my overall enjoyment of the show.

Basilisk: The Complete Series Blu-ray, News and Updates

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