Customer Reviews

Blue Drop: The Complete Collection

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Blue Drop is an unique, character driven anime series that combines elements of space opera with slice of life high school drama.
The story focuses on the relationship between Mari Wakatake, orphaned five years earlier, and Hagino Senkouji, who cannot forget the horrific tragedy that links them.
Hagino, wracked with guilt for the loss of her crew, as well as the deaths of Mari's family and home. Mari, unable to remember her past, but sensing some connection to Hagino from the past.
With vibrant animation, a compelling story, and fully fleshed out characters, including several lovable background characters, Blue Drop is not a series one would easily forget.

Take note that the series does not have an English dub, and is subtitled only. Don't let that hinder your enjoyment though of this amazing and heartfelt series.

To start with this comes in a standard size DVD case with one DVD on each side,widescreen and the sound is done very well.
If you need to have a ton of action in every episode then this is definately not for you. There is action but there are episodes that deal with real life situations,since this takes place at an all girls school. You see the new girl,Mari whom has never been to school before, struggle at first to make friends and then how she has bonded with them.

I found this a very likable series. When it comes to the CGI it is incredible in spots,Gonzo had a hand in it, like when Mari first sees Hagino. As a whole the series mixed in real life situations and blended them seamlessly together with "The Hunt for Red October". It has suspense,drama and some great visuals when they battle.

Even though the it is a subtitle only the voices are excellent as is the music. Both help set the mood of what you are watching.
Replay value is all right. I gave it 4 stars because there were a couple of episodes seem to lag a little. Even with that being said I am pleased with the series and was glad that I bought it.

As stated in the title. I reviewed the November 17th 2009 release of Blue Drop. I do not know why Amazon imports your reviews when something is re-released as things are subject to change which can change what you are reviewing.

However I have ordered the September 7th 2010 release of Blue Drop because it states that it is in both Japanese and English. I myself prefer English and I will update this review after I watch the newest version. I just wish this would have come out in Blu-Ray as some of the colors are so vibrant and this would even better.

Yes this is in English 2.0 and they used well known voices like Luci Christain - Monica Rial - Hillary Haag & Britney Karbowski. I am glad to see this out in English. Remember "English" applies only to the 2010 release. Also this is the same style of case as the previous release..a single size DVD case with one Disc on each side. Other than it being in English now....nothing has changed that I noticed.

Blue Drop is a title that I quite surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I'm not normally one for yuri or "yuri-ish" titles, but this one was quite exceptional. The relationship between the two girls was handled quite well, and despite the often targeted audience for these titles, there was no overabundance of fan service.

The sci-fi story line is also excellent and quite intriguing. It pulled me in right away and left enough of a lasting impression for me to wish the series had been longer, or hope for an eventual follow-up. Basically, women from an alternate dimension cross into ours with intentions of conquering our world. There are no men left in their world, and their population is slowly dying. However, one Captain finds herself quite taken with the humans she encounters and decides to fight for them. Yeah, it sounds a bit trivial, but it is told and handled beautifully.

You also can't discuss Blue Drop without mentioning the amazing artwork. The animation, character and location designs are all beautiful. There is an amazing amount of detail in the art of this series that truly allows it to shine. The ship designs in particular stand out as a cut above the norm.

Despite the action, mytery and sci-fi elements, it's the relationship between the two main characters and the surrounding cast that really make this show something special. They're very sympathetic characters who truly make you care about them. In the end, when one of them is forced to make an unimaginable sacrifice, the moment is very touching and heart felt. It is one of the better anime endings I have seen in some time, despite leaving the story a bit open. (The anime only deals with the very beginning of the manga.)

Also, for those interested in a dub, Sentai Filmworks has produced a dub for this show. It was not available when this set was released last year, but will available in a later set. So if you must have a dub, you should give the upcoming set a try.

Taking place in an Earth-based science fiction setting, Blue Drop's story unfolds in the time just before an impending invasion by an all female race of humanoid aliens. Hagino is the captain of a scouting vessel with a tragic story behind it. Mari is a young girl whose memories have been erased due to the shock of a terrible accident which she alone survived. These girls' lives intertwine as they seek to face their pasts as they learn from and heal one another. But what will happen as danger and chaos closes in around them?

Blue Drop has a number of aspects that recommend it. The soundtrack fits the flow and pace of the show quite well and Suara's opening theme is fittingly haunting and tragic. While the plot can drag at times and the emotional triggers are a tad cliché, Blue Drop packs an emotional punch at the right points. The relationship between Hagino and Mari is really sweet and isn't over sexualized. I did find the sci-fi setting to be quite intriguing and, though it isn't unpacked enough, it kept me quite entertained. I was less than pleased with the ending - mostly because there is too much backdrop left unclear and some main plotlines whimper to a finish instead of ending with a bang (honestly, a story shouldn't leave too many areas to ask "but wait, what about ...?"). But it comes together well enough. Fans of sci-fi and emotionally driven romance stories (BD reminded me of Maria Watches Over Us - Season 1 on more than one occasion) will find this satisfying.

One last note: being all female, the alien race mates with their own "gender", meaning this is definitely in the yuri/shouju-ai genre (as might have been obvious from my above comments). However, like Maria Watches over Us, the relationships depicted in the film are almost exclusively emotional (the relationship between two side characters being the only obvious exception) and are very tame (especially in relation to how explicit the manga adaptations are). Regardless, this may make some viewers uncomfortable, so be aware.