Plot: What’s it about?
As if the adventures shown in a few animated movies, a live action feature film, and a slew of video games weren’t enough, now you can check out more action from the Street Fighter characters. This series is made up of half hour episodes, each of which is packed with new and old faces, all in search of elements to make them the best. Of course, the series goes down many different paths, but the main focus seems to be on Ryu and Ken, as they trek across the lands to improve their skills and learn from those willing to teach them. As you can imagine, the two often bicker with each other and various others, which means some butt kicking is always bound to surface. But the action never ceases here, from fights, to difficult journeys, to mystical forces, it seems as though time stops for no man, even in a cartoon series. This is the fourth disc in the series, which means episodes 22-29 are on deck and as usual, the series continues to improve. The episodes included here are Rising Dragon Into The Sky, The Icy Light of Their Eyes, Nightmare Reunion, Fight To The Finish (Round One), Fight To The Finish (Round Two), Fight To The Finish (Round Three), Fight To The Finish (Round 4), and Fight To The Finish (Final Round).
By the time I sat down to review this disc, I was knee deep into this series, so I knew what I was in for. As usual with the prior volumes however, the series keeps improving and you have to like that idea, right? I think the storylines have been pretty good, given the nature and length of each episode, and it was nice to see a wide variance between episodes as well. I have more taken as the series continues and in this newest installment, that is never more true. I like the directions in which the story evolves here, very cool indeed. The animation is on the same level as most morning cartoons, which means decent enough, but by no means dazzling to the eyes either. I also like the treatment given to this series by Manga, which includes both English & Japanese language tracks, as well as a total of eight episodes. Not much in terms of extras to be seen, but with four hours of content, you have to be pretty pleased in the end. I know this series has hooked me and I’ve even gotten some friends tuned in, so I am giving this release a solid recommendation, especially for fans of Street Fighter who need a quick fix.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are shown in the original full frame form, just as they were presented on television. As has been the tradition with this series of discs, the transfer is very good and much better than I had expected. The prints used seems clean and show minimal debris, which allows for the colors and contrast to shine through. And that they do, as contrast is stark and accurate, while colors look vivid and also natural, when needed. When you talk about animated television shows, it doesn’t get a whole lot better than this, very good work indeed.
Audio: How does it sound?
Also in fine form is the audio, although not as impressive as the video, by just a shade, however. The music sounds solid and as immersive as stereo allows, while the various sound effects are also well presented here. I do think some scenes, especially the fight sequences, could do with some surround sound, but given the limits of stereo, I am content with the included mixes. The volume is always well balanced, so even when the music is blasting and sound effects are booming, you’ll hear all the dialogue with no problems. This disc houses audio options in both Japanese and English, so both camps should be pleased with this release. If you need English subtitles, those have been provided also, which is nice.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Aside from a remixed theme song, this disc has no feature specific extras, but the usual Manga weblinks, previews, and such can still be found here.
