From Production I.G, the studio behind Ghost in the Shell, and director Mizuho Nishikubo comes the award-winning historical drama Giovanni’s Island, winner of the Satoshi Kon Award at the Fantasia Film Festival.
Brothers Junpei and Kanta live on Shikotan, a tiny fishing island, that has been spared from the devastations of World War II. The two children are named after Giovanni and Campanella from their late mother’s favorite book, Night on the Galactic Railroad, which becomes a source of solace in the aftermath of Japan’s defeat. When Soviet forces arrive with their families to settle on the island, Junpei meets Tanya, the daughter of the commander. Despite their language barrier and growing tension, the children soon form an unlikely friendship.
For thoughts on Giovanni’s Island, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:
Video Quality
Giovanni’s Island comes to Blu-Ray courtesy of GKIDS and Shout! Studios with a fetching 1080p transfer that captures the nuances of this period drama. Even with the occupation, the colors on the island are bright and vibrant as they brilliantly saturate the screen. There is a depth to the hues that truly works to the film’s benefit. When our characters are taken away to another land in the latter half of the film, a gloomy palette pervades the screen that is represented faithfully. Black levels are very strong at all turns, and there are no worrisome signs of banding or compression issues. Delineation is firm and impressive with no unnatural jagged lines or color bleed. The textures of the character designs and the environments are memorable and give the films a nice sense of space. One of the areas where the animation shows off is the unique facets of the character designs. This presentation is a winner.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in the original Japanese along with an English dub. The vocal performances sound full and clear without environmental effects or the gentle score impeding important information. The modest sonic ambitions mean it is not a particularly grandiose presentation, but it presents everything accurately without anything in the way of damage or other unwanted issues. The surround sound channels expand the world in welcome ways to make the world feel immersive and lived-in. There is nothing in the way of age-related anomalies or damage to report. The track handles these atmospheric effects quite capably. This one easily handles everything that is thrown at it. Optional English, English SDH, and Spanish subtitles are provided.
Special Features
- Making Of: A 38-minute making-of featurette that gains insights from the director, the production crew, the young performers and more about the narrative development, the artistic inspirations, capturing the performances, the challenges of production, and more.
- Interview with Polina Ilyushenko: A nearly five-minute interview with the young actress in which she discusses working with the Japanese animation team, portraying the character of Tanya, her hopes for the film, and more.
- “Troika” Music Video: A four-minute male choir version of the song is provided.
- Art Gallery: A seven-minute look at the concept art for the film.
Final Thoughts
Giovanni’s Island is an emotional reflection on a horrifying moment in history and the lingering memories that never escape us. The film has some very tough moments that it tackles with grace, but it is balanced out with a note of hope that helps keep things palatable. Yet, this is also what keeps the film from landing as emotionally as it should in key moments. The animation is stunning and used to tell the story in a way that would not work as effectively in live-action form. It is a very good film, but it never quite makes the leap to greatness. GKIDS and Shout! Studios have released a Blu-Ray with a first-rate A/V presentation and a couple of decent special features. If you are an anime fan who appreciates a well-told historical drama, this is a decent investment. Recommended
Giovanni’s Island is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: GKIDS and Shout! Studios have supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.