Pandora Hearts Premium Edition Part 2

Animé and Toons
Pandora Hearts Premium Edition Part 2
By Chris Zimmerman
March 31, 2011 - 09:00

$59.98 US
Starring: Junko Minagawa, Ayako Kawasumi, Toriumi Kousuke
Directed by: Takao Kato
Produced by: Xebec
Running Time: 312 minutes
Release Date: January 25, 2011
Distributors: NIS America

I haven’t been the biggest fan of Pandora Hearts. The manga feels as though its dragging whereas the anime moves at a breakneck pace. When I wasn’t lost, I was bored. Fortunately, the premise was interesting enough to merit a return to the world and its characters and thus I walked into the second half of the anime with an open mind.

With this release, we see the Cheshire Cat making life difficult for Oz and the crew. Trapped in the Cat’s dimension, Oz struggles to find a way to free himself. The Cat’s realm is a twisted reality, brimming with abnormal images and contradictions that threaten to unhinge Oz, despite everything he’s seen already.

Later on, Oz’s devotion to Alice is put to the test when she become’s trapped in a memory. Gil and Break do their best to offer assistance to the young noble and as one would guess, it’s all a setup to bring the characters face-to-face with Pandora. From there, the series gears up for the conclusion in which Oz’s sin is revealed and an explanation in regards to his father is finally revealed.

This set went a long way in making me a fan of the franchise. I found the build up to the mysteries pervading the show excellent. Likewise, the climax was pleasantly satisfying. Too often, series like this that are built around a central mystery tend to fall flat or end in an anticlimactic fashion. Pandora Hearts however delivered a conclusion that didn’t feel forced nor did it feel as though it came out of left field.

This release is on par with NIS’ past efforts. The series comes in a slender black box with an dart book and two DVD cases. I really like the effort NIS puts into their releases and can only hope they continue this trend.

The picture quality is the biggest downside to the release. As I understand it, when the series originally aired, the image was clear and free of enhancements. Unfortunately, what we get here is an overly grainy picture that hurts the presentation of the show. This is by no means NIS’ fault, as it was a decision by the show runners as a means to add depth.

All in all, I wouldn’t say this release saved Pandora Hearts for me so much as it reinvigorated my interest in the story progression. When taken as a whole, the series is a solid mix of fantasy and mystery that will have audiences on the edge of their seat. It’s definitely not for everyone and might even lose some viewers before it has a chance to get going, however those who stick with it will find themselves rewarded with fascinating characters and a deep story that is as enthralling as it is epic.

A