Time to break my last anime Blu-ray acquisition of the year out of its box and into the harsh light of public scrutiny.
Today the spotlight falls on the Amazon-Japan-exclusive version of the limited edition of the Blu-ray release of (whew, so many qualifiers) of the 2010 animated film The Disappearance of Suzumiya Haruhi.
This is just an unboxing session, not a full review – I’m here to show what’s in the package without going into an in-depth discussion about the actual film.
The specific release version featured here is (or, given that it’s now completely sold out, was) exclusive to Amazon Japan. It includes all of the contents of the limited edition Blu-ray set (more on that later) plus a special metal case for the Blu-ray discs decorated with a scene from the film.
The inside of the case (sans discs).
The complete package as it originally arrived, with the case and the main set shrink-wrapped together.
The discs and related extras were bundled together in a thin cardboard slipcase.
The set comes with a copy of the screenplay in hardbound book form.
The front and back of the disc case, which opens like a reporter’s notebook.
The inside of the disc case. There are two Blu-ray discs in this set: one with the film itself and another packed with bonus features. (Warning – To the best of my knowledge and from what I’ve seen of the discs thus far, there are no English subtitles in this original Japanese release.)
A couple of extras were tucked away in the pocket on the left side of the spread above – the usual information booklet and a sheet of postcards.
Not counting postage and taxes (which were astronomically high as usual), I paid a pre-order price of just 8,000 yen for this limited-limited-edition Blu-ray set – a bargain considering that the standard limited Blu-ray version lists for 9,450 yen and retails for 6,930 yen. This Amazon edition is now sold out – unless you count the resellers who are peddling it at upwards of 16,000 yen each – but as of this writing the standard limited Blu-ray edition can still be ordered from Amazon Japan. As a further alternative, there’s also the plain vanilla Blu-ray edition, and if you’re happy with a DVD version then that’s available in both limited and regular flavours.
UPDATE (24 Dec 2010): The product page for the Amazon special edition set has been updated to reflect a new availability date of 30 Dec – in short, they’ll be restocking soon.
Filed under: Anime, Blu-ray, Suzumiya Haruhi | Tagged: The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, The Disappearance of Suzumiya Haruhi, 涼宮ハルヒの消失 |
ディエゴの日々 
That set looks lovely~ I haven’t gotten into blu-ray yet but I’ll be getting the U.S. release of the regular DVD when it comes out =)
I hope they’ll use that splendid steel-case cover for the US release as well.
Happy Christmas!
The steel case is awesome 😀
Indeed it is. The layout is really well done – very slick and modern.
I bought the exact same copy, and I’m just wondering, is the screenplay book supposed to be the final version of the script, or not? Because the dialogue in the script and the series of events protrayed in it doesn’t seem to follow exactly with the movie itself.
Good chap, I knew I wasn’t imagining things! I had the same thought when I was comparing the text of the screenplay against the finished product. Close, but not quite identical.
I could be mistaken, but my view is that this is indeed the final version of the script (or as final as it could get in print form, not counting last-minute tweaks, scribbles and strike-outs in the middle of production). After all, differences between the plan and the outcome are all par for the course in filmmaking. I’ve seen the “final” version of the screenplay for “Titanic” and in certain parts it seems as if it’s for a completely different movie.
Diego:
I’ve been looking for an email address for you, but couldn’t find one, so I’ll ask this here: I’m looking for a list of the chapter timecodes on this BD. Just the times at which chapter breaks fall. Is it possible you can give me that information?
I would very much appreciate it. Thanks.
Sorry mate, I’m afraid I don’t have that list and I’m in no condition to compile one at present. Regrettably, with the Christmas/New Year holidays over, time is a commodity in seriously short supply around here. I haven’t even given this film a complete end-to-end watch yet: just a quick skip-here-skip-there screening shortly after the package arrived.
Understood. Thanks anyway.
Wow, looks pretty awesome. I’m definitely going to buy it as well (the regular ver is fine too – pity I missed out on the limited ed).
Also, a belated Christmas and happy new year lol.
I wouldn’t give up on the limited edition just yet. For this particular item Amazon Japan have developed a rather annoying habit of running out, then stocking up, then running out and stocking up again. (I’ve seen it go through this cycle several times over the last few weeks.) As of today it will be available (again) on 19th Jan.
Belated Christmas greetings to you as well, and my best wishes for the new year.