- Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
- Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
- Resolution: 1080i/60 (29.970Hz)
- Audio Codec: Japanese LPCM 2.0 Stereo (48kHz/16-bit)
- Subtitles: English
- Subtitles Color: White
- Region: A (Region-Locked)
- Rating: E
- Run Time: 294 Mins.
- Discs: 4 (2 x Blu-ray + 2 x DVD)
- Studio: NIS America
- Blu-ray Release Date: July 3, 2012
- List Price: $69.99
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Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Series
[Rating:3.5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(All TheaterByte screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG at 100% quality setting and are meant as a general representation of the content. They do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)
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The Series
[Rating:3.5/5]
Volume 3 of Kimi ni todoke: From Me to You (君に届け) concludes this often charming anime adaptation of a shōjo manga (少女漫画) from Karuho Shiina. Opening with a “0” episode that sums up the previous two volumes from the perspective of the character Ume, Volume 3 starts with a new beginnings for these high school teenagers.After years of following her crush Kazehaya, Ume loses him to the strange and awkward Sawako, whom everyone calls “Sadako” owing to her resemblance to the ghost from The Ring and rumours that she can cast spells and curse people. In fact, Sawako is a kind and shy girl who has anxiety issues. It are thee traits that attracts the popular Kazehaya to her. After ringing in the new year together at their local shrine, the two can’t seem to work oput their relationship owing to Sawako’s insecurities and inability to tell Kazehaya her true feelings. Even the help of her newfound friends Ayane Yano and Chizuru Yoshida can’t seem to help. Misunderstandings between the two young sophomores and a newcomer, Kento Miura, who gets between them, complicates matters. The entire 13-episode arc is dedicated to their misfires with one another, young love, and whether or not they will actually connect.
I have to admit that I was completely unfamiliar with this series before this package arrived in my mailbox. I come to it with completely fresh eyes and did not have a chance to go back and check out the previous two volumes to get up to speed. With that being said, it did hold my attention up to a point. I did feel that the story dragged a bit, but then this is squarely aimed at pre-teen and teen girls, which is well outside of my very male, very near middle age demographic. On the other hand, it always pleasant to relive the rush of young love. Where Kimi ni todoke let me down the most was its character design, which did nothing for me at all, although I do understand the point that Sawako is meant to look both like a kokeshi (こけし) doll and a horror movie ghost. There’s also an overuse of chibi, in my opinion, which always bothers me; I feel this interrupts the mood and flow of the series more than it adds any necessary dose of comic relief.
Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Kimi ni todoke‘s 1080i/60 AVC/MPEG-4 encodement doesn’t always yield the crispest detail and it occasionally suffers from some visible motion artifacts and banding, but overall it still has a pleasing and effective image.
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
The original Japanese LPCM 2.0 (48kHz/16-bit) soundtrack has clear dialogue and effective, directional sound effects and distinct stereo panning of its musical soundtrack.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]
The premium edition is housed in a sturdy, glossy slipcover and comes with a collectible hardcover art book entitled, Their Memories, which offers a recap of the series.
The supplements:
- Mini Todo Theater – these two OVAs feature Ume in variations on popular fairytale characters.:
- Ume-derella (1.78:1; 1080i/60; 00:03:57)
- Sno-Ume White (1.78:1; 1080i/60; 00:05:31)
- Creditless Themes:
- Opening
- Ending
- NIS America Trailers
- DVDs – Two standard DVDs of the content are also included.
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:4/5]
While I can find faults with Kimi ni todoke: From Me to You, I have no doubt in my mind that this series will hit the mark with its target demographic of teen girls with its sugary romance, bittersweet heartbreak, and heavy focus on female characters. This Premium Edition set is also a good if not overwhelming value for collectors.
Additional Screen Captures
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Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Series
[Rating:3.5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]
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