Summer Wars (Japan - VAP)

[kannisto]

I got Summer Wars last Sunday. (Note: The linked Wiki page contains some potential spoilers...). It won the Japanese Academy Prize for Animation of the Year and it's been the all time bestselling anime BD release in Japan on first week of release (54K units sold on the first week). There are possibly also Korean and U.S. and UK releases coming out later this year.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1474276/

The BD has been released in Japan only as a special set which includes various physical extras and has a rather high price with MRSP of 10290 yen. Amazon JP has been selling it for about 7500 yen. As I'm on a bit restricted budget now, I didn't want to pay that much for it. Yahoo Japan auctions have a lot of sellers who have split the sets into parts and are selling the parts separately. I bought the BD (unused) only from one seller there at 4500 yen.

Case Pics:



Basic specs:
Region free BD50
Video: AVC 1080p/23.976 fps 1.78:1
Audio: Japanese DTS HD MA 5.1 (16-bit), Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (16-bit), LPCM 2.0 and DD 2.0 (commentary track)
Subtitles: Optional Japanese
Extras: Audio commentary + 3 HD teasers/trailers on the main disc
Extras: A separate extras BD (I didn't check the contents yet)

English subs can be found e.g. in opensubtitles.org, but they require some retiming and they have some technical problems (no line wrapping, some garbled characters, some lines with zero duration, some with too short and some with too long duration, some timing overlapping). I retimed them and fixed most of the issues with Subtitle Workshop and watched the movie with those. The subs were very good after the finetuning, the translation quality is excellent.

BD info scan:

                                                                                                                Total   Video                                             
Title                                                           Codec   Length  Movie Size      Disc Size       Bitrate Bitrate Main Audio Track                          Secondary Audio Track
-----                                                           ------  ------- --------------  --------------  ------- ------- ------------------                        ---------------------
(JP) Summer Wars                                                AVC     1:54:13 38,041,356,288  39,279,746,954  44.41   34.62   DTS-HD Master 5.1 2048Kbps (48kHz/16-bit) Dolby TrueHD 5.1 1522Kbps (48kHz/16-bit)

DISC INFO:

Disc Title:     SUMMERWARS
Disc Size:      39,279,746,954 bytes
Protection:     AACS
BD-Java:        Yes
BDInfo:         0.5.2

PLAYLIST REPORT:

Name:                   00002.MPLS
Size:                   38,041,356,288 bytes
Length:                 1:54:13 (h:m:s)
Total Bitrate:          44.41 Mbps
Description:            

VIDEO:

Codec                   Bitrate             Description     
-----                   -------             -----------     
MPEG-4 AVC Video        34617 kbps          1080p / 23.976 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1

AUDIO:

Codec                           Language        Bitrate         Description     
-----                           --------        -------         -----------     
DTS-HD Master Audio             Japanese        2048 kbps       5.1 / 48 kHz / 2048 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Dolby TrueHD Audio              Japanese        1522 kbps       5.1 / 48 kHz / 1522 kbps / 16-bit (AC3 Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps)
LPCM Audio                      Japanese        1536 kbps       2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit
Dolby Digital Audio             Japanese        640 kbps        2.0 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps

SUBTITLES:

Codec                           Language        Bitrate         Description     
-----                           --------        -------         -----------     
Presentation Graphics           Japanese        43.584 kbps                     

FILES:

Name            Time In         Length          Size            Total Bitrate   
----            -------         ------          ----            -------------   
00002.M2TS      0:00:00.000     1:54:13.179     38,041,356,288  44,407          

CHAPTERS:

Number          Time In         Length          Avg Video Rate  Max 1-Sec Rate  Max 1-Sec Time  Max 5-Sec Rate  Max 5-Sec Time  Max 10Sec Rate  Max 10Sec Time  Avg Frame Size  Max Frame Size  Max Frame Time  
------          -------         ------          --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  
1               0:00:00.000     0:00:49.048     24,962 kbps     49,600 kbps     00:00:13.346    37,226 kbps     00:00:09.217    36,549 kbps     00:00:04.337    130,028 bytes   613,616 bytes   00:00:14.014    
2               0:00:49.048     0:04:39.487     32,686 kbps     38,949 kbps     00:02:46.791    36,361 kbps     00:02:48.418    36,056 kbps     00:03:06.811    170,410 bytes   577,550 bytes   00:01:54.948    
3               0:05:28.536     0:04:23.012     30,368 kbps     38,919 kbps     00:08:55.034    36,381 kbps     00:09:23.187    36,109 kbps     00:09:15.471    158,323 bytes   638,313 bytes   00:09:28.192    
4               0:09:51.549     0:04:53.167     35,722 kbps     39,101 kbps     00:13:16.754    36,433 kbps     00:13:10.790    36,072 kbps     00:13:04.825    186,241 bytes   606,290 bytes   00:13:17.755    
5               0:14:44.717     0:02:55.466     35,732 kbps     38,719 kbps     00:16:50.134    36,290 kbps     00:16:32.616    36,017 kbps     00:15:05.154    186,292 bytes   500,310 bytes   00:14:45.676    
6               0:17:40.184     0:01:59.077     35,775 kbps     37,500 kbps     00:19:17.823    36,159 kbps     00:19:13.861    35,975 kbps     00:19:11.859    186,514 bytes   434,285 bytes   00:19:21.827    
7               0:19:39.261     0:03:19.991     35,780 kbps     37,996 kbps     00:20:15.756    36,298 kbps     00:20:10.918    36,016 kbps     00:21:42.926    186,539 bytes   498,192 bytes   00:20:16.757    
8               0:22:59.252     0:01:34.803     35,756 kbps     38,852 kbps     00:23:29.825    36,389 kbps     00:23:25.821    35,996 kbps     00:23:04.716    186,417 bytes   568,607 bytes   00:23:27.864    
9               0:24:34.055     0:04:08.665     35,729 kbps     38,697 kbps     00:24:43.982    36,422 kbps     00:24:48.403    36,048 kbps     00:24:36.016    186,277 bytes   562,737 bytes   00:24:44.983    
10              0:28:42.720     0:02:41.244     35,534 kbps     38,405 kbps     00:29:16.504    36,279 kbps     00:29:12.500    35,995 kbps     00:29:19.674    185,257 bytes   484,731 bytes   00:29:17.964    
11              0:31:23.965     0:02:36.781     35,663 kbps     38,870 kbps     00:33:15.201    36,417 kbps     00:33:11.197    36,146 kbps     00:33:06.734    185,929 bytes   575,346 bytes   00:33:07.777    
12              0:34:00.747     0:04:04.244     35,720 kbps     40,366 kbps     00:34:37.992    36,634 kbps     00:34:34.155    36,236 kbps     00:34:29.150    186,230 bytes   635,163 bytes   00:38:00.069    
13              0:38:04.991     0:05:07.765     35,503 kbps     38,861 kbps     00:40:10.699    36,508 kbps     00:40:57.288    36,148 kbps     00:40:52.283    185,096 bytes   623,411 bytes   00:41:02.293    
14              0:43:12.756     0:04:22.470     35,741 kbps     38,191 kbps     00:46:24.740    36,342 kbps     00:46:38.921    36,071 kbps     00:44:34.880    186,335 bytes   552,287 bytes   00:46:46.720    
15              0:47:35.227     0:06:03.905     35,687 kbps     38,986 kbps     00:50:30.444    36,410 kbps     00:50:25.105    36,135 kbps     00:50:21.143    186,055 bytes   635,808 bytes   00:50:30.944    
16              0:53:39.132     0:03:18.823     35,756 kbps     38,178 kbps     00:54:43.989    36,251 kbps     00:54:40.068    36,015 kbps     00:54:35.063    186,414 bytes   456,843 bytes   00:54:44.948    
17              0:56:57.956     0:01:31.174     34,774 kbps     38,098 kbps     00:57:15.140    36,161 kbps     00:57:49.299    35,985 kbps     00:57:49.299    181,294 bytes   493,444 bytes   00:57:16.141    
18              0:58:29.130     0:02:58.219     35,781 kbps     37,919 kbps     00:59:25.186    36,261 kbps     00:59:05.833    36,015 kbps     00:58:59.869    186,544 bytes   473,736 bytes   00:59:16.844    
19              1:01:27.350     0:02:30.900     35,779 kbps     38,441 kbps     01:02:09.267    36,480 kbps     01:03:53.246    36,057 kbps     01:01:32.271    186,537 bytes   605,409 bytes   01:03:58.251    
20              1:03:58.251     0:06:06.240     35,734 kbps     39,429 kbps     01:05:54.575    36,500 kbps     01:09:05.057    36,156 kbps     01:09:00.052    186,299 bytes   641,054 bytes   01:09:16.026    
21              1:10:04.491     0:04:50.748     35,434 kbps     39,031 kbps     01:12:24.131    36,544 kbps     01:13:32.241    36,086 kbps     01:13:36.036    184,735 bytes   542,670 bytes   01:13:40.958    
22              1:14:55.240     0:03:57.278     35,709 kbps     38,835 kbps     01:15:13.800    36,279 kbps     01:15:06.627    36,033 kbps     01:15:02.915    186,169 bytes   599,055 bytes   01:15:14.801    
23              1:18:52.519     0:02:59.846     35,754 kbps     38,659 kbps     01:19:38.398    36,352 kbps     01:19:34.394    36,031 kbps     01:21:15.620    186,403 bytes   545,034 bytes   01:19:33.435    
24              1:21:52.365     0:03:00.138     35,640 kbps     44,944 kbps     01:22:29.819    36,776 kbps     01:22:25.815    36,035 kbps     01:22:32.822    185,809 bytes   488,571 bytes   01:22:57.555    
25              1:24:52.504     0:04:45.118     35,750 kbps     38,321 kbps     01:24:53.463    36,300 kbps     01:27:47.804    36,040 kbps     01:27:42.799    186,384 bytes   509,865 bytes   01:27:52.809    
26              1:29:37.622     0:01:27.045     35,769 kbps     37,934 kbps     01:29:59.102    36,210 kbps     01:30:37.515    35,974 kbps     01:30:07.693    186,483 bytes   466,743 bytes   01:30:40.434    
27              1:31:04.667     0:02:51.212     35,701 kbps     38,255 kbps     01:33:31.689    36,349 kbps     01:31:42.622    36,018 kbps     01:31:40.620    186,131 bytes   521,628 bytes   01:31:47.627    
28              1:33:55.880     0:06:10.328     35,547 kbps     40,857 kbps     01:35:31.684    36,493 kbps     01:35:21.590    36,115 kbps     01:35:04.532    185,324 bytes   640,951 bytes   01:35:16.544    
29              1:40:06.208     0:06:05.156     35,161 kbps     45,058 kbps     01:41:54.817    37,196 kbps     01:43:12.311    36,536 kbps     01:43:07.347    183,316 bytes   641,042 bytes   01:43:38.921    
30              1:46:11.365     0:02:48.543     35,281 kbps     39,144 kbps     01:46:32.010    36,464 kbps     01:46:28.006    36,096 kbps     01:46:27.005    183,938 bytes   622,581 bytes   01:46:29.049    
31              1:48:59.908     0:05:12.270     22,359 kbps     41,741 kbps     01:54:09.050    36,089 kbps     01:53:17.791    35,895 kbps     01:53:10.950    116,570 bytes   639,318 bytes   01:54:05.713    
32              1:54:12.178     0:00:01.001     1,997 kbps      0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    0 kbps          00:00:00.000    10,865 bytes    187,689 bytes   01:54:13.137    

STREAM DIAGNOSTICS:

File            PID             Type            Codec           Language                Seconds                 Bitrate                 Bytes           Packets         
----            ---             ----            -----           --------                --------------          --------------          -------------   -----           
00002.M2TS      4113 (0x1011)   0x1B            AVC                                     6853.013                34,618                  29,654,967,713  161,265,034     
00002.M2TS      4352 (0x1100)   0x80            LPCM            jpn (Japanese)          6853.013                1,542                   1,321,293,104   8,223,816       
00002.M2TS      4353 (0x1101)   0x86            DTS-HD MA       jpn (Japanese)          6853.013                2,048                   1,754,730,116   10,598,356      
00002.M2TS      4354 (0x1102)   0x83            TrueHD          jpn (Japanese)          6853.013                2,162                   1,852,071,086   14,387,823      
00002.M2TS      4355 (0x1103)   0x81            AC3             jpn (Japanese)          6853.013                640                     548,254,720     3,212,430       
00002.M2TS      4608 (0x1200)   0x90            PGS             jpn (Japanese)          6853.013                44                      37,336,042      214,987

More info to be added soon.

[kannisto]

[kannisto]

[kannisto]

The story goes like this (adapted from the Wiki page with some editing):

The story centers on high school student Kenji Koiso, a child prodigy in mathematics who spends his time immersed in OZ, a massive computer-simulated virtual reality world. Kenji is a genius with numbers but ill-adept socially. He is working part time on maintenance of OZ at the school when Natsuki from an upper class comes to ask for volunteers to do some "part time work", and Kenji volunteers as he has a bit of a crush on Natsuki.

This "part time work" involves travelling to Natsuki's grandmother's birthday party in the countryside in Ueda, Nagano prefecture. Natsuki introduces Kenji to her grandmother as her fiancé / boyfriend, as she has promised to make such an introduction, but Kenji had no pre-knowledge of this plan and is taken by surprise.

As Kenji tries to act the part, meets Natsuki's dozens of relatives, and deals with the advances of computer expert Wabisuke Jinnouchi, Natsuki's uncle and "first love", he receives a mysterious e-mail with a mathematics code. He cracks the code and returns it to the sender but finds himself at the center of a developing news story the following day. Overnight, OZ has been hacked and turned into a digital deadzone, and he is the prime suspect. Using Kenji's account and avatar, the real "hacker" has stripped the virtual world empty and wreaks havoc in the real world. With car navigation systems disabled and computers malfunctioning, Japan grinds to a halt. In order to fight back, Kenji enlists the help of Wabisuke, Natsuki's family, and his best friend using an army of avatars.

I watched this earlier this week and enjoyed it quite much, it has very nice and life-like animation (especially in the parts that take place in the real world), whereas OZ (the virtual reality world that resembles internet) is presented in a very different style with white backgrounds and with somewhat simplistic avatars and graphics. The director Mamoru Hosoda has a style that somehow resembles Hayao Miyazaki and the story is very rich in a feel-good way. I preferred the parts in the "real world", a lot of the imagery resembled rural Japan and people very truthfully / convincingly.

PQ and AQ were fine.