Final Fantasy Unlimited: Phase 1 (DVD)

Connect to Facebook/Twitter, recommend via email and much more.

---

Audio:
You can watch the show in either Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo Japanese or Dolby Digital 5.1 surround English. There is an option for English subtitles. I watched it in Japanese with English subtitles. The sound in this series is exceptionally good. This much I have come to expect from any project under the Square Enix name (formerly Squaresoft). The sound can be as integral to the series as the video, and Square Enix realizes this. The theme music and even the background music are well composed and very carefully placed. Most of the music is very reminiscent of the video game series. Some of the music is directly taken from the game series, such as the victory music.

Without the wonderful sound in this series, it would not be the same. The composers, musicians, voice actors and sound mastery teams have gone beyond the call of duty. Excellent job Square Enix and excellent job ADV, in preserving such a good track.

Extras:
"Final Fantasy: Phase 1" comes with quite a few extras. This disc comes with a clean opening and closing, preliminary sketches for the series, production sketches, location sketches, and a commentary of episode 1. This alone is very impressive. I spent almost as much time watching the first two episodes, as I did on the extras section of the disc. I highly appreciate the multitude of extras on this disc.

This disc has another "extra" that I found both very appropriate, and very amusing. This is the navigation system on the DVD. The navigation system looks very similar to a sphere grid or selection menu as in "Final Fantasy X". This really brought the disc home for me. This continuity, added by ADV actually enhanced the experience of watching. It made me feel like I was playing the DVD, like I played the games.

--Miscellaneous--
The DVD comes with a single-page, colored insert with character profiles, character flow charts and summoning lists on it. The DVD also comes with a reversible cover.

Film Value:
"Final Fantasy Unlimited" is both a masterpiece of art, but also of story. I can't wait to watch disc two of this series. I can only guess at what comes next for the adventuring party. This disc left off on a bit of a cliffhanger. But what Final Fantasy didn't come to an abrupt action or boss fight right before it was time to change discs?

At this point in the series, we have already been introduced to Chocobos, and met the series' requisite "Cid". The only thing that seems to be missing is a moogle and two characters named Biggs and Wedge. These occurrences are required of almost every Final Fantasy. "Final Fantasy Unlimited" seems to be no exception. I would not have it any other way. It brings out my love of videogames, and combines it for my love of anime. While these things do not seem that separate, it still requires a little work to pull of successfully.

I can only hope that "Final Fantasy Unlimited" can keep up its current level of excellence in the second disc. While the first disc seems amazing, I can only see the story getting better. And that is a feat unto itself.