Freedom Vol. 2 (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]

Freedom Vol. 2 (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]
by Shuhei Morita

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DVD Cover Information

Actor: Daisuke Namikawa
Director: Shuhei Morita
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Subtitled); Japanese (Original Language); English (Original Language); Japanese (Dubbed)
Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.77:1
Running Time: 24 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-09-25
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Bandai Visual

Movie Reviews of Freedom Vol. 2 (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]

Movie Review: Wait for the box set
Summary: 3 Stars

This second disk shares the numerous drawbacks and few strengths of the first one. The manufacturer bizarrely believes that they should release these disks one at a time and charge a high price for a 22-minute episode. It's crazy and it is the primary reason why you should not buy this disk. Eventually Geneon will release all the episodes in a single box set and then it may be worth buying (depending upon the price). But right now if you buy each disk you will end up spending over $150 for what amounts to about two hours of entertainment. Is it really worth $80 an hour? No.

There are other odd things about this release. The first disk had English dubbing. This one does not. That means that you have to read the subtitles all the way through the episode. I know that anime fans insist that this is the only proper way to watch, but while you are reading the words you cannot watch the action, and vice versa. Why are the two disks inconsistent in format? Similarly, disk 2 has some background explanation (as an intro to the episode) that was missing--and badly needed--on disk one.

I also did not find any extras on this disk (and did not find them on the first disk either). I've read about all the "great extras" but they are either hidden behind confusing menus or they are only unlocked by going to a website. To repeat: I cannot find any of the extras on either disk.

That said, the story for disk two is better and more engaging than disk one. Disk one was more subtle and simply introduced the characters and it was only at the end did we get an intriguing mystery. That mystery is explored much more in disk two and the story darkens. The benign government of the lunar colony appears to be hiding a big secret.

The imagery is great (even without HD-DVD), the colors are bold, the animation is top notch. This would be a very enjoyable series if only the studio would come to its senses and release it properly, as a box set, with real extras, and at a reasonable price. How long will we have to wait for them to do that?

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Summary of Freedom Vol. 2 (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]

Experience the next generation of anime with Freedom in HD DVD/DVD twin format!
During routine maintenance on the lunar surface, Takeru finds a strange capsule containing a single photograph. Captivated by the enigmatic girl in the photo, he scours the city in vain for clues to her identity. In desperation, Takeru and friends turn to old man Alan - and are shocked by what he reveals. In search of the truth, Takeru and Kazuma escape Eden, but are soon pursued by mysterious robots. Will they head back to safety - or speed past the point of no return?

As the sci-fi adventure Freedom continues, the story expands and becomes much more interesting than the initial chapter about street racing suggested. While doing mandatory "volunteer work" on the lunar surface, 15-year-old misfit Takeru discovers a photograph of a girl he doesn't recognize. He and his friends Kazuma and Bismark comb the city of Eden for her; computer searches for the background in the photo yield no results. Takeru even forges a grudging alliance with rival racer Taira, hoping to learn about the mysterious girl. Alan, the eccentric collector of astronaut memorabilia, reveals the picture was taken on Earth. But the citizens of Eden have been taught that the surface of the Earth was reduced to uninhabitable rubble long ago: Humanity can only exist in Eden on the Moon. Although the influence of Akira remains a little too obvious in some scenes, the second episode of Freedom is far more entertaining than the first. But dribbling out the series in single installments, even in double format, seems needlessly slow and pricey. (Rated 13 and older: minor violence) --Charles Solomon

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