The Series (5/5)

    I'm not usually one for remakes, at least in the last 20 or so years, where they seem to be a cash-cow, and less of a way for filmmakers and artist to try a new spin on an old concept. However, I kept hearing great things about the new version of the Space Battleship Yamato series, and this month Funimation finally got around to releasing it to Blu-ray, so needless to say I needed to get this in front of my eyes.

   The series like the original takes place in a reality where Earth is in its last days.  It has undergone a period of assault from an alien race known as the Gamilas. Their only hope is a technological infusion from another alien race known as the Iscandar, who have given them the technology to build the Space Battleship Yamato. However, in order to truly save them, the survivors of Earth need to board the Yamato and get other technology from the Iscandar, which cannot be sent across the galaxy. As such they have to undertake an extensive intergalactic voyage to retrieve it and save Earth. The first half of Season 1 shows the crew of Yamato attempting to reach the Iscandar all the while attempting to fight off the Gamila, and deal with an assortment of conflicts from the personal to the political.

    So I'll cut to the chase. Star Blazers 2199 is already about 4 years old, so I can't say it's the best series of 2018, but it is the best anime series I have SEEN in 2018, and probably one of the best anime series I have seen in the entirety of the 2010's. The show is absolutely engaging all the way through with stellar action, a well-written narrative that does engage in some of the clichés of the original show, while subverting others. Using excellent character, and narrative moments in place of action all the way through, and if that wasn't enough having some of the finest animation I have seen in quite some time.  This is a show that demands to be seen in the highest quality possible, and that would be on this Blu-ray edition.

Audio/Video (5/5)

    Funimation presents Star Blazers 2199 in a immaculate 1:78:1 1080p AVC encoded transfer preserving the OAR of the series. Everything here looks fantastic, colors pop, blacks are deep, and detail is excellent.

    Audio is presented with Dolby TrueHD 2.0 for the Japanese track and 5.1 for English. Everything of course sounds excellent with crisp and clear audio, and great balance of sound.

Extras (2.5/5)

    Extras include interviews with the English voice cast, commentaries, promos and more.

Overall

    This is one of the finest space operas to be released anywhere period this decade. You need this in your life. The Blu-ray looks and sounds amazing, and comes with a nice slate of extras. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.