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I’m not writing this review to say anything in particular about the series.  You can read all that in the series review.  This DVD review is more to prove a point, mainly that localization and legitimate buying can lead to great things.

As far as extravagant packaging goes, this really takes the cake.  The box is like some kind of intricate puzzle, with little rewards as you peel back each colorful layer.  And what do you get if you vouch for the deluxe set?  A t-shirt iron-on image, a pencil board, the “Hare Hare Yukai” single, and a hair ribbon (do you really want the typical Haruhi viewership to cosplay as her?).  Hell, I consider the amazing box reward enough.

Traditionally, all you got by way of anime extras was maybe a creditless opening/ending, and some trailers.  With this DVD, though, there are actually a decent number of (albeit odd) featurettes.  Kadokawa Pictures USA and Bandai really worked to add in the value, especially since the set can get pricey.  But don’t worry, DeepDiscount.com has you covered.

Unfortunately, during some scenes, the image quality left a lot to be desired.  If you understand MPEG compression, then this is hardly a surprise.  But looking at shots like the one above, you wouldn’t think the picture was quite up to par with “DVD quality.”

The good news is that you won’t have to wait for a high definition release, because the picture quality was pretty good most of the time.  It even scaled well to 720p.  So really, there are still good reasons to buy anime on DVD, even if you’ve been living off fansubs.  Being a collector, I usually can’t say no to little trinkets like the ones included in the box.  It seems like localization companies are understanding their demographics better these days, and they’re working harder to offer things you can’t get from BitTorrent.

Tags: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu