I've canceled my future orders for this series. Keep reading to see why.
Limited edition comes with high quality 380 page conte book and another DVD containing making-of documentary, Yasako + Fumie interview (Orikasa Fumiko + Kojima Sachiko), promotion video, and creditless opening/ending sequences. Regular edition drops the conte book and the second disc, BUT instead adds a Densuke strap (first-pressing only) and meta-tag cards.
And that is my problem. It's a marketing game to not make the regular edition a subset of the limited edition and I refuse to play their bullshit game. The world keeps getting more and more unjust and unrighteous, or maybe I'm just getting better at recognizing such. Either way, the stronger they BS, the harder I'll fight against it.
It turns out, novel version of the story isn't all that different from the anime version, so I'll do just fine with just reading the novels. If anything, novel version is much more detailed. And I can continue to imagine Yahagi Sayuri's voice for Fumie. Seriously, I really think Yahagi Sayuri would have been a great fit for Fumie's role. I'll consider an R3 if I don't lose interest by then. Of course, if history is any indication, unless R3 comes out really quick, I'll have lost interest by then.
Animation is very good, with MadHouse's traditional feel combined with flawlessness of recent technology. No doubt a lot of effort went into its production. Too bad they won't be getting any more of my money. It's also too bad that I won't be able to watch it. Well, one of the local anime clubs started showing it, so maybe I'll watch it there.
5.1ch sound is very subtle. Effects are so minor, I can't tell if it's any better than just 2ch -> Prologic II.
Bonus disc is not particularly interesting. I got the impression that the production staff work too many hours straight. I'd rather see them work 8 hours/day in high spirits than work overtime in low spirits. Conte book is really nice and all, but I can't imagine anyone but the most serious maniacs actually reading through it.
Ikeda Ayako (musician), Orikasa Fumiko (CV: Yasako), and Kuwashima Houko (CV: Isako) in front of Sacchi.
Orikasa Fumiko (holding Densuke) and Kojima Sachiko (holding Oyaji) interview.
