Redline

This Movie has reminded me why I started watching Anime in the first place. I usually decide on how good a film is by it's storyline and characters, and while this film does have a decent plot where it really shines is it's art, designs and race scenes. The film took 7 years to make and is composed of 100,000 hand drawn pictures, no CG. The film uses an experimental art style which looks amazing. because of the long development every scene is great and is full of life. The designs for the characters, locations and vehicles are very creative, the film even has some what-the-heck moments. The middle section of the film is kind of slow moving, the section between the two races, there are some funny scenes and watching the characters interact is very fun. The story, in my opinion is the weakest part of the film, it's very predictable and there is little to no character development. Now for the races and this is where the film really pays it's way, The animation is unbeatable with mind bending chases and physics, each crash, explosion, nirtos speed boost and hair pin turn is executed perfectly. You should defiantly watch this as it is a one of a kind film.

It maybe a typical racer story where the driver is the hero and features an American pop art style all the way thru but that's not the reason why I recommend this anime! Everything in this anime is original and stands out, from the vehicles style to the characters, major and minor, which the anime doesn't spare itself from! All the characters and it's designs are likeable despite some being as weird in typical cartoon fashion and minor. The best part about it (in my opinion), it's original. It's not compared to the other animes in the past that features real life vehicles or some video game that became an anime adaption and that's something worth noting! Redline really draws you into a world and wants you to explore a bit more of it! If it comes down to an anime, Redline is the one you have to watch and tops all the other racer anime out there and that's why I strongly recommend Redline!

Redline is a must see for anyone who is a fan of animation! Produced without the aid of any 3D modelling but only reference figurines of the vehicles themselves, it took 7 years to produce this movie and it was certainly worth it. Everything about this movie was more than I expected, the unique art style, likable characters and upbeat soundtrack. The only downfall of Redline is that the pace is so mind-numbingly fast that the scenes with no racing aren't quite as exciting. However ever frame is a visual treat. I would definitely recommend watching this in HD. This double pack is perfect for compatibility and is great to bring a disc to your friends house. All the extras are included from the Japanese special edition which is great, only one extra doesn't appear which is James Shimoji's Redline Day night club footage, however that is more of a music video than anything else. This is the definite edition of Redline as you get all the extras subtitled and an amazing dub to boot, so it is a great advantage over the Japanese Special Edition. If you loved Redline than I suggest you check out 'Trava' which contains characters from the same universe. 'Dead Leaves' is a definite watch if you enjoyed the speed and style of the animation, not to mention it is also a whole lot of fun. Dead Leaves [DVD ]

Get a big screen, turn up the volume, turn off the lights, no phones, no pauses. Just the race.

I acquired the Japanese Special Edition when it was released (put it on preorder as soon as it became available) and it is the Blu-Ray to beat for Audio/Visual quality of anime. The Audio and video are just about perfect and reference quality. The only thing truly not quite up to par on the Japanese release is the English subtitles. When the date for the UK release was FINALLY finalized, I had to decide whether to wait for the US version at a later date or import the UK release. Well it became obvious the US was not going to get a collectors edition (confirmed by Manga themselves) and the UK Collector's Edition cost is right about the same as the US release pre-order list price... so I went with this UK release. The subtitles are noticeably improved and I do enjoy the Japanese w/ English subtitles a lot more now (my preferred way to watch for other reasons discussed later.) English Dub was ok as far as acting, but JP's character comes across more goofy with mannerisms like a surfer/greaser combined rather than cool and collected. And Sonoshee has some really b****y dialog moments that changes her character into something less classy and charming than she was before. With much more language and innuendo added in the English dub it definitely deserves an R/Mature rating now - the Japanese with English subtitles would still be PG-13/R borderline equivalent. Below is text of my review from Blu-Ray.com for the UK Collectors Edition release of Redline, no need for me to rewrite a new review from scratch: MOVIE Redline is an anime movie with a rather straightforward plot about racing and goals, it's not a deep or serious movie. It was made for the sole purpose to have a fun experience watching...and it excells greatly in doing this. Almost entirely composed of 2D hand-drawn animation, it's a visually told story that keeps ratching up the action while maintaining a super high level of detail that has just has to be seen to appreciate. This UK release has English subtitles that are better than the earlier Japanese release - they are of a slightly smaller font size, yellow instead of white, and seem to better flow with and describe what is being said in Japanese along with giving more information with background dialog. 1. Story: [4/5] ( premise/plot execution of the movie) 2. Acting: [5/5] ( how the actors portray the characters) 3. Cinematography: [5/5] ( how the camera-work adds to the telling of the story) AUDIO QUALITY UK release of Redline has a Japanese 5.1 Dolby True HD track that is very well done, basically comparable to that of the Japanese release 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio track. The English 5.1 Dolby True HD track doesn't quite fare as well - it is more muffled sounding and set at a lower dB level. Dialog is harder to make out with everything that is going on in the dynamic scenes on the English 5.1 track. For all 5.1 tracks there is a directionality and smooth transition of the enveloping surround landscape that is quite rare in anime - this has to be the best audio I have heard from an Animated feature (Japanese 5.1 Audio Track). Little details like fluids draining back into the pans after shutting off an engine and the cooling of the driveline and powerplant all add up as does a scene where a small earring is dropped on the ground with quite an impressive clarity at such a low sound level. When things are hectic (which is most of the time) the audio is right there with a bombastic precision whether it's a bombardment of weapons, jostling race sequence, or fight/scuffle sequence and thumping/quick paced music is right along with it. Very nice low end presence from some special weapons and vehicles too. Overall a very good frequency range presented. Japanese 5.1 Dolby True HD track with English subtitles is the one to watch for top audio quality experience. 1. Lossless Codec: [4/5] ( overall quality of the audio format used) 2. Extension: [5/5] ( dynamic range available of the audio, high to low frequencies) 3. Clarity: [4/5] ( clearness/seperation of sound, high to low frequencies ) 4. Immersion: [5/5] ( audio ambience and surround use) VIDEO QUALITY Almost perfect transfer with no image problems noticed...what more can be said? There is overscan of the image with a narrow black band around the entire image just like in the Japanese release, so the screen area is not fully being utilized. Other than that, image quality is what I'd consider perfect, just like the Japanese release. No banding at all was noticed and neither was any color issues that can sometimes be present in anime. Style of this film is bold and highly detailed...there is an animated crowd scene with what looks to be be thousands of spectators with thousands of pieces of paper, and everything is in motion! 1. Clarity: [5/5] ( resolution and sharpness of image) 2. Contrast: [5/5] ( how defined the black/white levels are) 3. Colors: [5/5] ( how clean the colors are of bleeding or other issues) 4. Noise/Artifact: [4.5/5] ( how clean the image is of blocking, banding, aliasing, and other issues) EXTRA FEATURES The Blu-Ray disc features 2006 Trailer (Promotional Concept trailer), Perfect Guide to Redline, and Quick Guide to Redline. The DVD has 2006 Trailer (Promotional Concept trailer) and Quick Guide to Redline. Packaging extras just include a 20 page booklet with information on the director's intent, author's direction, and origins of the story. Not as good as the Japanese Collectors Edition is for content, but what it does have is of good quality at least. CONCLUSION & OVERALL BLU-RAY GRADE Redline is a unique anime movie that is very hard to accurately describe...but when you see it, it is an experience to behold - a visual and audio feast that you will not forget. So this UK Collectors Edition release is very good, just not as good as the Japanese Special Edition. But at less than 1/3 the price it's a much better bargain! If you have Region B Blu-Ray playback capability I highly suggest this version, unless you want the region free Japanese "uber" collectors edition which is better in extras content but over 3x the cost...

this movie has no equivalent, its the only one that touches this subject , and any anime lover should watch this at least once. its voluptuous colors and forms are equaled only by its outrageous soundtrack. It has an easy going story with characters which you can easily relate to and for which you get to care for. lovely story, excentric settings , perfect

Awesome movie, hyper-stylized Anime Action explosion, pumping soundtrack. A delight for Anime Fans

I love this anime, truly! I find the animation and voice acting a joy to watch and listen to. Now the story is nothing spectacular or brand new but still engrossing enough to pay attention to. I would certainly recommend this if you're an anime lover, race enthusiast or between 15 - 25.

I can't believe it took this long to get to America but thank god it actually got here, and in Blu-Ray. This movie is such an amazing, breathtaking accomplishment of modern Japanese animation that it makes it a must-see for anyone looking to see something new and exciting. The animation style is a seriously stylish mix of Samurai Champloo (the director was an animator for it), Heavy Metal, Speed Racer, J-pop neon color, F-Zero. This is the first anime I think I've seen that has a clear homage to American animation influences like Heavy Metal and Speed Racer, also to American Rock music (JP's hair is clearly Elvis-style). But what it does is mix all of this together with the Japanese style in such a cool and, ultimately, unique and visually captivating way. Since the movie has the advantage of being released in the digital, blu-ray age, we are given a COMPLETE SOURCE transfer. That means absolutely no specs, grains, washed-out colors, etc... This is the cleanest a hand-drawn animation can look without being done on a computer. That's why this movie is such a success. The sheer imagination and heart that went into the artwork makes a greatly convincing argument for the beauty and potential of hand-drawn artwork that has completely been absent from American animation. The music is the next best part. It starts out with the main anthem, "Yellow Line" and gets into the action right away with about an 8-minute race opening that right away captures the awesome feel that the rest of the movie will throw at you. It captivates the tone and emotions at the right points and even gets a little touching at some points as there is a small amount of melodrama to keep this movie from being without any depth, not that it's totally needed but it's a nice touch. The music captures that Redline has this soulful heart to it that you just latch on to. The story itself is not complex, but that's good because is if it got TOO convoluted in talking then we couldn't really enjoy the limits of animation that this movie pushes so well. The melodrama with JP and with himself and Sonoshee it makes the movie come together in the end that brings out the heart of the creators and staffers on the project that just makes this film special. I'm so happy this movie came out because I was really starting to mourn the end of Japanese animation, especially with the loss of Satoshi Kon. This movie has a soul and that makes it so much more necessary to witness. That brings me to my only complaint. The dubbing in English was done by Manga Entertainment. That means the dub was given a "typical anime" dub in English. While JP, Sonoshee, and Frisbee's voices are all fine there are other voices that are awkward and too anime that distracts from the universality of the animation. In Japanese, the voices are less cartoonish and more realistic, which makes the movie much better and more in line with the creator's vision. Thankfully, the English and Japanese tracks are both True HD so you can choose which one you like. Bottom Line: Get Redline. It's beautiful. It's inspirational. It's great. These animators deserve the money for making such an amazing work of art. It doesn't matter whether or not you like anime, this isn't an "anime" it's a Japanese animation and appeals to a wider swatch of people. It's exciting and the movie just goes by so quick because of how awesome it is. BUY THIS MOVIE!!!!!!!!!

Nonostante sia stato un flop commerciale da tutti gli appassionati di anime viene considerato un must ( e di conseguenza oggetto cult ) Un anime atenpore interamente disegnato a mano ed una volta visto si rimane a bocca aperta da quello che è stato creato Edizione semplice ma con qualità audio e video degni di tale capolavoro Consegna perfetta

Hallo liebe Anime Fans und Freaks hier habt Ihr ein etwas anders als ein Anime die Darstellung erinnert an eine Kunstart auf Retro getrimmt viele Farben und Computeranimation. Die Geschichte ist einfach erzählt es ist eine Gruppe Rennfahrer die um die Wette fahren. Der Rennfahrer JP fährt gerne Rennen und dabei betrügt er gerne, mit seinen Partner kassiert er dann ab um Seine Schulden abzubezahlen. In den Rennen verliebt er sich dann in eine andere Rennfahrerin. Tippt das bei YouTube ein: Redline 2009 Eng Dub Full und ihr könnt euch einen Eindruck für den Film verschaffen. Ein gelungenes Kunstwerk der Animekasse.Gekauft hier für 12,97 Euro. Beschreibung der Box: Ein Digi-Pack mit festen FSK-Logo mit Pappschuber ohne FSK-Logo und 2 Disks Hauptfilm und Bonus. Bild und Tonqualität: Super Bild Super Ton Animeart ist teils Computer animiert was deutlich zu sehen ist. Sprachen:Deutsch Japanisch Mein Fatzit: Wenn Ihr wisst wie der Film so ist könnt Ihr euch den Film in eure Sammlung hollen. MfG Turbo-Galant

私の嫁さんは映画に誘っても作品に相当興味が湧かないと一緒に来てくれない。 今作が映画館で公開された後、前情報が少ない状況で今作を一緒に見に行こうと誘ってみた所珍しく嫁さんが賛同。 正直な所自分自身も今作がどの程度楽しめるのか期待半分不安半分であったが・・・・ ただただ最高な作品でした！！！！ とにかく素晴らしいクオリティの作画で動く動く！ 映像も素晴らしいが音響も負けない位素晴らしい！！ 全方位から大音響で重低音がズンズン響き、体の芯まで揺さぶられる大迫力の音響！！！ 映画館では一回しか楽しめなかったのが心の底から悔やまれる・・・・。 当時は嫁さんも本作の音響の良さにテンション上がってました。 しかし客入りが悪く上映期間も短かった為、ブルーレイ版のリリースも危ういのではないか・・・と、 勝手に不安な気持ちになったりもしました。 冗談抜きで本当にこの傑作がブルーレイ化されて良かったです。 二度と見れないんじゃないかと悲観していましたので（汗） 事前情報では確かDTS HDマスターオーディオ音声は収録されない予定だったと思うのですが、 途中で音声表記が切り替わり大喜びしました。 今作のBDが自宅に届いた際には可能な限り大音量で自宅のホームシアターにて鑑賞。（勿論隣近所に迷惑をかけない程度にですが） さすがに映画館の迫力には及びませんでしたが、重低音を強めに聞かせると自室がビリビリ震える位にはなり、良い塩梅で楽しめました。 音ばかりについて感想を書いてしまったので音響以外についても書かせて頂きます。 今作は見た目で分かる通り画風が濃い目です。 アニマトリックスでランナーのエピソードを作った方が作ったそうでタッチは近い感じです。 アメコミチックなメリハリのある影付けですが自分としてはこういうタッチも好きです。 個々のキャラクターは非常に個性豊かで見ていて楽しく、声を当てている皆さんもキャラとマッチしており不満無し。 ソノシー役の蒼井優さんは特に演技が素晴らしかった。 サブキャラも味があり見ていて楽しいです。 レッドラインの開催地でタバコを売っていたおばあちゃんとか良い味出してますw レッドライン戦ではレースというより戦争の様になっておりますが、スタッフ陣が描きたい物を盛りに盛ってくれており良い意味でお腹イッパイになります。 理屈とかは抜きにして、この作品の映像と音響の激流に身を任せて楽しむのが本作の正しい楽しみ方だと思います。 正直この作品にケチを付けたく無いのですが、数少ない不満点としては レース が二回しか描かれていない点。これが残念。 もっともっと本作の迫力あるレースを見たかった。 本作は非常に手間をかけた作りの為、続編や関連作は恐らく作られないのでしょうがこんな作品を送り届けてくれたスタッフの方々に大感謝です！！ 日本のアニメは世界一だと実感出来る一作です。

Redline is probably one of the best anime films I've seen to date. Being stuck in development hell for a long time, it came bursting onto the scene with gorgeous visuals, a banging soundtrack, and a pretty fun story to boot. This is a great film to watch if you want to see some freaking fantastic animation.