Video:

I didn't see any problems with the video at all in this set in fact even on my comp it looked great

Audio:

this series has some great audio in general and also i didnt find any problems. It's too bad it's not in 5.1 surround sound. Oh well maybe one day

Subtitle:

i only watch an episode or two with subtitles but from what i saw they were ok but i encourage you to read others reviews to make sure since i could of and probally did miss things

Comment:

This series is excellent. If you like stuff like Lain Boogiepop Phantom and from what ive heard Technolyze then you should like this anime. It's done by Satoshi Kon who is amazing in the first place. He did Perfect Blue which is superb. Every episode is good and there are a few in particular that are just amazing. I would say grab the R1 ASAP but since it's so much and this series is only 13 eps definately pick this set up. It's all thriller no filler

Video:

I was awed by the quality of the video. I was watching on a standard Toshiba TV, and couldn't see a flaw. (And I can be picky.) The animation is beautiful in this series, so you actually get to enjoy it and appreciate it to the fullest.

Audio:

Sounded fine.

Subtitle:

These seemed perfect to me. They get speedy, but as another reviewer noted, this series can be conversation intensive. I also didn't notice losing any subs below screen as did another reviewer. It all played well for me.

Comment:

This is one of the best import sets I've seen. Also, one of the best animes. Although I was exhausted when I put disk 1 in my Panasonic player (figuring I'd watch just one episode), I ended up watching the whole series. I couldn't stop. PA is that compelling. It also has one of the best openings I've seen, with great music and a cryptic sense to it that becomes clear (and very powerful) as the series develops. In fact, this is one of the few series I've seen where I watched the OP with each episode. An additional highlight (to me) was PA's soundtrack, with music by Susumu Hirasawa--the same person who did the music for Berserk. All and all, this set is a gem that I really value.

Video:

Super slight grainy-ness in a few dark scenes not bad enough to even take a half star off for. Great video quality.

Audio:

No worries here, sound quality is fine. I think the English dub and soundtrack fit the series well.

Subtitle:

R1 ripped subs so the spelling etc. is good. But when there is a sub for a sign on screen and a sub for dialogue at the same time the dialogue sub will show up to low on screen and you will only be able to see the top half of the line or less making it unreadable. It does not happen often but it should not have to happen at all. Directer's commentary subs are included on the second disc but there are two or so people talking on it and when the person that is talking changes they put their name on the top part of the screen and the line that's being said at the same time as the name is on screen will be cut off at the bottom, like how I was saying about the sign subs before...

Comment:

Notes* *I watched this series on a COBY brand DVD player (DVD-224 model) with AV cable on a 25 inch RCA TV *This collection is a R1 rip.

Video:

Watching this on my 29" TV I saw no sign of pixellation. The video also had vibrant colours without any sort of bleed. With only seven episodes on the first disc and six on the second it didn't suffer from any sort of compression problems that I could see.

Audio:

Great sound levels and clear stereo seperation (I only have two speakers so I can't attest to any surround sound).

Subtitle:

There are two sets of English subtitles. The ones that start automatically with the show only display subtitles for words shown on screen while the second set translate all spoken words as well. There are one or two moments where I felt the timing of the subs was a little on the fast side but this is a conversation intensive show at times and I don't think it's the fault of the subtitler for not being able to keep up. Overall... easy to read, excellent translations and well timed. Just what I want my translations to be.

Comment:

It's nice to see the interview with Satochi Kon translated in the extras. This is probably included on the R1s because the translation is so well done. The dub job is also very well done so if you enjoy watching shows spoken in English then you wont have to suffer through awkwardly done dubbing. A final word about this series. I loved it and my wife is asking for those six hours of her life back. That means the point of the series isn't clear at first glance. It's easy to lump this show in with the likes of Lain, Kino's Journey and Evangelion as far as the fact that it requires thought to enjoy. The whole thing is masterfully directed but it's easy to see how some people may not enjoy it as it's not intended to be light viewing.

Video:

Perfect for most viewers- it is an R1 rip, though, so if you try to watch it on Hi-Def or something you can pick up pixelation.

Audio:

2 ch English and 2 Ch Japanese- Again, good for most viewers, however a 6ch English would have been nice.

Subtitle:

R1 Rip Subs- so pretty much the best commercial translation you can get. There are some contextual clues to the story that get lost in the translation though...

Comment:

This is one of my favorite animes in recent memory. That being said, it's also mind-bogglingly strange at points. The trick is that even though the some characters- like the detectives- are consistent, each episode is a different story, each for a different victim. Kind of like a series of Twilight Zone Episodes where you know someone is going to get beaten at the end of every episode, yet the fun part is who and why. Then at the end, the plot wraps up nicely... well, nicely for a crazy anime, at least. Gives you closure... then makes you realize how superficial that closure was. (Make sure you watch the tag at the end of the last episode!) Also contains extras, such as an interview with Satoshi Kon. All in all, great set, can't recomend it enough!