Re: Hamatora: The Animation - Series 2 (2014) (NTSC)

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General		Extras
Category	Anime	More…-Textless Opening (1:33) More…-Textless Closings (3:04) More…-Japanese Disclaimers (3:14) Trailer-x 4 for other anime
Rating
Year Of Production	2014
Running Time	315:56 (Case: 300)
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered Multi Disc Set (3)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Seiji Kishi
Studio Distributor	Madman Entertainment	Starring	Ryota Ohsaka / Adam Gibbs Wataru Hatano / David Wald Hiroshi Kamiya / Leraldo Anzaldua Yuuki Ono / Chris Patton Jun Fukuyama / Blake Shephard Yuichi Nakamura / Andrew Love Eri Kitamura / Margaret McDonald Katsuki Murase / George Manley Emiri Kato / Christina Kelly Kiyono Yasumo / Nancy Novotny
Case	Amaray-Transparent-Dual
RPI	?	Music	Makoto Yoshimori

Video (NTSC)		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s) Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	480i (NTSC)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.78:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English	Smoking	Yes
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	Yes, some episodes

     It has been three months since the events in Yokohama Bay which ended season one of Hamatora where Minimum Holder Nice (voiced by Ryota Ohsaka / Adam Gibbs) was apparently killed by Art (Hiroshi Kamiya / Leraldo Anzaldua) and there were riots in the streets and attacks on Minimum Holders. The rest of the Minimum Holders who hang out at Café Nowhere, Murasaki (Wataru Hatano / David Wald), Birthday (Jun Fukuyama / Blake Shephard), Ratio (Yuichi Nakamura / Andrew Love), Honey (Eri Kitamura / Margaret McDonald) and Three (Katsuki Murase / George Manley) plus Hajime (Emiri Kato / Christina Kelly), Koneko (Kiyono Yasumo / Nancy Novotny) and café owner Master (Atsushi Ono / Carl Masterson) have held a memorial service to farewell Nice. Murasaki and Hajime have reconstituted the Hamatora detective agency but jobs are not forthcoming. But then, unexpectedly, Nice reappears.

     It seems that for the last three months Nice has been pretending to be dead so that he could track Art, who clearly is on a mission. When Art attended the Facultas Academy, where special children have their minimums tested and developed, he did not seem to have a minimum. But now Art has found a way of absorbing the minimums of other Minimum Holders, making for a powerful combination indeed. Minimum Holders in the society are feared by normal humans and treated as criminals, leading to oppression and discrimination likened by one Minimum Holder to the Nazi treatment of minorities. Indeed, within the Minimum Agency, which controls Minimum Holders, there is a belief that the Minimum Holders should be eliminated. Art, in contrast, states that he wants to “change the world” and makes contact with a group of stray Minimum Holders who are not controlled by the Minimum Agency led by Ishigami (Ryouta Takeuchi / John Gremillions). They have banded together as a special society / cult for protection and they agree to work with Art to create in Yokohama a zone for Minimum Holders, and are prepared to attack the government to get it. Art, however, has his own agenda including becoming powerful enough to kill Nice. The key to everyone’s plans, surprisingly, is Hajime and her special ability. And, somewhere in the shadows, is the mysterious Saikyou who is pulling everyone’s strings.

     Re: Hamatora is the second season of Hamatora (which I reviewed on this site here.) It is based on the manga by Yuki Kodama and Yukinori Kitajima and is a different take on super hero powers. This second season is still funny in places, with one especially comedic episode, and amusing digs at popular culture although overall it is darker in tone with themes including discrimination, alienation, persecution, haves and have nots and government sponsored scientific experiments on children that can lead to horrible deformities. This is quite heavy stuff, although mostly delivered with a lighter touch, while the climax is generally upbeat rather than depressing, suggesting an opportunity for a more inclusive society.

     This series of 12 episodes aired on Japanese TV between July and September 2014. This release, Re: Hamatora: The Complete Collection, contains all 12 episodes of this second season on three DVDs.

Video

     Re: Hamatora is NTSC formatted and presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, the original broadcast ratio, and is 16x9 enhanced.

     This is a nice looking anime. The lines are strong and the backgrounds detailed but with a general softness of look. The colours are bright and solid in the normal segments but become far more unusual and vibrant, with changes in contrast and brightness in action scenes. Blacks are frequently more grey scale, done for effect.

     I did not notice any marks or artefacts.

     The English subtitles are a clear yellow font unless more than one person is speaking when subtitles in a white font appear simultaneously on the screen! As well, a small white text sometimes appears on the top of the screen to explain Japanese cultural references or special slang words. They do flash by very quickly however which makes them hard to read, especially while trying to read subtitles as well!! Small white subtitles also translate Japanese signs, making sometimes for a very cluttered screen. The subtitles are not burnt in when the Japanese dub is selected so they can be removed for Japanese speakers. I noticed no obvious errors.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    Audio is a choice between the original Japanese or an English dub, both Dolby Digital 2.0 at 224 Kbps. The audio and subtitles can only be changed by returning to the menu.

     Both tracks are surround encoded and have similar effects, although the English is recorded at a slightly louder level. Dialogue is clear. Most effects are from the front with only music and some ambient effects in the rears. The sub-woofer added some bass to the Minimum Holder action.

     The English voice cast were good although I still prefer the intensity of the Japanese cast.

     The music by Makoto Yoshimori is varied and nicely supports the visuals.

     This is anime so lip synchronisation is approximate in either audio track.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Disc 1

Clean Opening (1:32)

     The opening song without the credits.

Clean Closing (1:32)

     The closing song without the credits.

Disc 3

Japanese Disclaimers (0:49)

     Two Japanese copyright and health warnings voiced by characters from the anime.

Japanese Promos (2:53)

     An extended trailer.

     Our Region 4 release of Re: Hamatora has the same specifications and extras as the US Region 1 version. Buy local.

     Re: Hamatora continues to be a funny and off-beat anime with some serious things to say about society, pop culture, discrimination, alienation and scientific experimentation, although this second season is rather darker in tone.

     The video is very good, the audio fine. The extras are not extensive but are the same as are available in the US.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall