Whether you are currently enjoying Christmas or are counting down the hours until the day, I would once again like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. I hope everyone enjoys the day, whether it is one with your entire family getting together or a nice relaxing one by yourself / with a few close family members/friends. Things are pretty quiet on my end, so I have decided to put together this unboxing post for something I just received today – a copy of Madman Entertainment’s 25th Anniversary Edition of Kiki’s Delivery Service.
Priced at just under $100 this 25th anniversary edition is not cheap by any stretch of the imagination. This is especially where you consider that the film on DVD alone would set you back just $29.95, and $39.95 for the recently released blu-ray edition. I hope this unboxing post will give you some idea of what to expect from your purchase, and help you determine if the added extras are worth the extra cash.
If you have already seen copies on the shelf of your local anime retailer, you will already know that the 25th Anniversary Edition of Kiki’s Delivery Service, in addition to similar editions for The Wind Rises and Howl’s Moving Castle, comes in a large, sturdy hardcover slipcase. Both sides of the slipcase feature unique promotional artwork for the film, but asides from that are fairly minimalist and tidy in design.
Both the build and print quality are of a high standard in my opinion, and it is clear that Madman has meant for everything to be stored in this packaging indefinitely. However there is a minor grievance that this collection shares with Nippon Ichi Software America’s larger Premium Edition anime releases. Given how big the box is, you will likely need to pick up several editions to make it not look out of place on your shelf.
The gap of the slipcase is big enough to snugly fit two items: the first being an artbook which matches the exact dimensions of the packaging and a second cardboard container (Pictured above) which is themed after the bakery Kiki works in and contains everything else in the collection. In this container is a copy of Kiki’s Delivery Service on DVD and Blu-ray (Contained in DVD Packaging), a Collector’s Coin and six collector’s postcards stored behind the DVD case.
This is currently the only collection that contains Kiki’s Delivery Service on both DVD and Blu-ray, although I would question if most people would need both. Either way, the discs included in this set are pretty much identical to what is contained in the original releases on both formats – including the little pamphlet listing each scene and additional DVD/Blu-ray releases in Madman’s Studio Ghibli range.
The six postcards included in this collection are stored in a nicely designed envelope featuring Kiki and Jiji flying in the night sky. The postcards themselves each portray a different scene from the film or a piece of artwork. I have no issue with the quality of the cards and I don’t disapprove of their inclusion. However as Madman and other publishers have included postcards with a number of their releases over the last few years, I am curious if anyone actually sends these cards out to others or simply collect them. If not, I am wondering if it wouldn’t have been better for them to produce art cards rather than postcards.
One of the more profound inclusions in this set is the Collector’s Coin which features Kiki on one side and her Delivery Service logo on the other. I would have preferred it to be stored in something more than a simple box and styrofoam packaging, but the coin itself is pretty nice.
The last addition to this collection is the official English-language artbook “The Art of Kiki’s Delivery Service” which was first published by Madman Entertainment individually in 2010 and is still available for purchase standalone for $44.95. I will save my comments on this book for a later review, but I can say that it contains quite a lot over its 208 pages including concept artwork, finalized designs and a full English screenplay of the film coupled with scene art. As I only received the collection a few hours ago I cannot comment much on it, but my first impressions are positive.
Overall, this is a well designed collection from Madman Entertainment that complements the film’s 25th Anniversary nicely. It is clear that this was not something put together at the last minute, but had thought and effort put into its construction and contents. Its value however, especially when you consider the price of the film by itself, may differ between people.
For those going out shopping during post-Christmas sales and are interested in picking this collection up, JB Hi-Fi seem to have it listed for $75.18 during their Boxing Day sales (According to their website). Other retailers might also have it available for a reduced price as well. At this point in time, the Madman Entertainment website does not have any of the three recent Studio Ghibli collections listed for direct purchase.
