The Soultaker: Flickering Faith (2002)
Pioneer Entertainment
Cast:
Extras: Art Gallery, Non-credit Opening and Ending, Trailers
Rating:

Pioneer Entertainment is continuing the release of ’Soultaker’ episodes on DVD with their second collection of episodes from the series wit the release ’Flickering Faith.’ Once again we visit the world of atmospheric world of monsters, demons and heroes in this gothic horror Anime series. It features the episodes ’Bloody Journey’ and ’Sister in Danger’ which send Kyosuke into new adventures that are as dangerous as before, and once again shows off the strengths of this series – exciting storytelling, inventive world and superb visuals.

The episodes on this DVD are once again presented in anamorphic widescreen in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The transfer of ’The Soultaker’ is pristine and entirely devoid of defects or blemishes. The result is a stable presentation that underscores the impressive visuals. Color reproduction is strong and vivid, rendering the powerful art without bleeding or oversaturation. The image is very sharp and lines are finely delineated without edge-enhancement. Some minor compression artifacts are evident in selected frames where the low contrast tends to break up the shadows, but other than that, the visual presentation is absolutely beautiful.

The original Japanese language track, as well as an English dub, is supplied on this DVD, both presented in Dolby Stereo with optional English subtitles. The audio is well-balanced and clean, without distortion or hiss. The frequency response is good and creates a natural sounding sonic image. The English dub is also well-produced, but as with most dubs of Anime releases, it is horribly synched and acted.

As on the previous release, this DVD also contains the movie’s opening and closing sequences without credits as well as an image gallery from the episodes, plus an introduction to the ’Soultaker’ action figures by McFarland Toys, as well as promo trailers.

Once again, ’The Soultaker’ proves that it is a top-notch Anime series that goes beyond the typical genre stereotypes and weak animation. This series is chock-full of ideas and stunning visuals, combined with some dark horror and science fiction themes that create an exciting blend. Check it out!