<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/2010-09-3015453804m.jpg">
<b>Review of Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva by Raz112</b>
Professor Layton, for those who are unaware, is the protagonist of a very successful series of puzzle detective adventure games created by Level 5 for the Nintendo DS. The series has sold 7.3 million copies worldwide, and its success has led to the small indie company gaining in status, leading to a higher demand for its services from bigger companies such as Capcom and the anime heavyweights Studio Ghibli. This series was praised for its great, varied puzzles, as well as engrossing 'whodunit?' storylines; full of twists and turns, all depicted in a beautiful anime style that feels as European as the title characters and setting. Many saw all of these features as key ingredients to a fun, fulfilling feature film, and now it has arrived. So how does this fully animated debut in the form of 'Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva' fare?
The film begins with the final act of a case, which sees Professor Layton solving the silencing of Big Ben through the theft of its bell, with the culprit being Don Paolo - the nemesis of the first two games, between which this movie is set. With the narration of Luke - Layton's apprentice - giving us an introduction as to who the Professor is, this sequence of events ends with Professor Layton asking Luke if he remembers a particular song which he starts playing. It is 'The Eternal Diva' by Jenis Quatlane, a former student of the Professor who became an opera singer. The song triggers a flashback to a letter sent by her three years ago, initiating a mystery that becomes the main focus of the film.
Tickets are sent to both the Professor and Luke for an opera about eternal life, entitled 'The Eternal Kingdom'. This is based off the Legend of Ambrosia, which was created by the famed composer Odlaw Whistler, at the Crown Petone off the White Cliffs of Dover. The mystery that Jenis asks Professor Layton to solve is the reappearance of her friend Melina - Whistler's daughter - as a young girl, when in fact she had died years before. Furthermore, two little girls have disappeared in London. Something which Jenis thinks is related...
The opera tells the story of a queen adored all by her people who falls ill. Her citizens desperately search for a cure, but although they finally find one - an elixir that grants eternal life - they are too late and the queen dies. The whole kingdom mourns, and the citizens decide to drink the elixir themselves, to wait for all eternity in the hope that the queen will one day be reborn and return home to them once again. After it ends, the opera receives a very lukewarm and bored response from the rest of the audience, aside from the two protagonists. Just then, a masked figure appears on stage and announces a game for everyone to play - a game to where the winner will gain eternal life, and the rest shall die. With everyone trapped in the opera house, the Professor and Luke realise that they have no choice but to play, to win, and to solve the case as quickly as possible in order to survive. In short, they must solve the mysterious legend of the Eternal Kingdom known as 'Ambrosia'.
The game consists of puzzles, like the video games, and they do require a little thought. However, here lies a problem. This is not a video game, but a film, and there is none of the interaction that made the games so riveting; the satisfaction upon correctly solving one of many, many puzzles, helping to unravel the mystery with your own hands and intellect. Instead, we watch a perpetually calm and reserved Professor solve each puzzle with relative ease and efficiency. So much efficiency, in fact, that at times the viewer has no time to think about it themselves, which is a shame. Furthermore, being set within the game timeline as well as incorporating cameos from key characters from the games raises the issue that a general viewer may be missing the significance and relevance of certain characters and events. They may also miss the signature fan service moments, such as the mannerisms and phrases of characters, and particularly some of the familiar music themes from the games.
Despite all this, one can rest easy as the story itself does stand alone well. Although, as mentioned above, people new to the series may not recognise the significance of some of the characters, there is enough development of the main characters for a general viewer to be able to empathise and care for them.
One of the great things that the Professor Layton games are particularly known for is the unique, wonderful art style. In the games, there were video sequences, and although they did look very pleasing on the small DS screen, they had potential to be much more. With a little more money, Level 5 and OLM, Inc (the guys behind Pokemon) have delivered with this film. Its style is simple yet eloquent, much like Ghibli, but perhaps with less painstaking detail in the environments. These environments however - from the hustle and bustle of London to the English countryside; the White Cliffs of Dover, and the waters of the English Channel - are all beautifully drawn in a warm depiction which shows the love and care the Japanese staff had for England. Warmth which can be appreciated by any British citizen. It's not often we get to see England receive the anime treatment, and such a romantic one at that.
There are two things which are problematic about the video. The first is the use of CGI near the end of the film which doesn't quite fit with the traditional 2D art style. It seems that at certain points the budget must have run out, and therefore it looks slightly rubbery and ugly, although the particular thing in question was never meant to be pretty. The second issue is a fault with the distributors rather than the filmmakers, and that is the DVD transfer. There were instances where fuzziness and banding in the picture could be seen. It was infrequent, and overall the picture was decent, especially when upscaled in full HD.
Another popular aspect of the games was the wonderful complementary audio; both the music and voice acting. The music alone is noteworthy - full of beautiful, joyful and sorrowful classical pieces which fit the film very well indeed. In 5.1 surround sound, the timings and crescendos are often spot on and fill you with such overriding emotion. In addition, the main opera song is beautiful in itself, and although sung in Japanese even in the English dub, subtitles are provided for your listening pleasure.
The voice acting, whilst having noticeable differences, is still equally decent. The English tracks are voiced by the game's actors, giving fans of the originals a further sense of continuity. Some may say that the voices are awfully British, and they are, with many of the accents, especially Luke's, being perhaps a bit too strong and exaggerated. However, over time it is managable, and even likable and amusing at times. The Professor is voiced well, even if he sounds a little too calm and assured at all times. Even when he raises his voice, you don't really get a sense of danger or anger at times when it is present. That is what Japanese voice actors always tend to do better - emote with their voices. Even though this is the case, and even noting the fact that the title and the opera song are in Japanese, one gets the sense that this film was meant to be watched in English, simply because of the film's context. Moreover, both audio tracks are presented in 2.0 and 5.1 surround sound, which makes a welcome change for anyone wanting to enjoy the Japanese dub to its fullest. 5.1 is the way to go, whichever language you choose.
There isn't much to say about the extras, primarily because there were none with the single disc reviewed. Technically there is a single extra - a trailer for the upcoming Nintendo DS game 'Professor Layton and the Unwound Future'. You almost wouldn't know though, as it's played before the root menu and is so exhilarating that you don't even realise it's a trailer until near the very end, when some game footage is shown. In doing this, it can inadvertently raise your expectations for the upcoming feature, possibly unintentionally jeopardising one's experience of the film. Along with the introduction to the film mentioned earlier in this review, it further drills home the message the creators seem eager to convey - that all this originated from a game. This seems to hamper the feeling of watching a feature film rather than a glorified piece of fan service. It seems clear what Level 5's true agenda is - to introduce and get more people into the franchise. There's nothing wrong with that, except it could have been more tactful, like putting trailers in a trailer section within the non-existent extras menu.
Though the single disc edition I have reviewed has no extras, Manga Entertainment have gone all out for this movie, with both a release here before the US, and the very luxurious limited edition treatment. That edition is limited to 3000 copies, containing both blu-ray and DVD versions of the film, as well as 36 minutes of extras and a 630 page storybook, which will be no doubt full of beautiful sketches and tons of interesting information - very collectable indeed. There is also the more affordable option of a 3 disc combi pack, which has everything the limited edition has except for the storybook and the sturdy luxury packaging.
I would recommend these options rather than the single vanilla disc reviewed here. Though one should never assume things, I would expect the blu-ray picture quality to be better than the decent but slightly flawed DVD release, so when you make the jump you can appreciate Level 5's art and animation even more. The degree of enjoyment ultimately depends on the level of interaction one has had with the franchise in the past, with various references to and cameos of characters and events, as well as knowing the satisfaction one gets when solving the puzzles themselves and watching the mystery unfold with its various twists and turns. Level 5 could not truly implement and deliver this experience the way that they do in their games, however this film doesn't leave newcomers completely in the dark, and mostly succeeds in its aim - to introduce people to the wonderful world of the archaeologist/detective and true gentleman, Professor Layton, and his trusty sidekick/apprentice Luke, as they attempt to solve mysteries around the world.<br>
Extra note: Since this review was originally posted, I was able to watch blu-ray footage of Professor Layton at HMV Piccadilly Circus and can confirm that the blu-ray's video quality is near-flawless, brimming with vivid colours and crisp animation - definitely the way to go.<br>
<b>Final score: 7 out of 10</b>
<b>Additional screencaps</b>
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2010-09-30vlcsnap-2010-09-30-21h30m17s104.png">
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2010-09-30vlcsnap-2010-09-30-21h31m06s82.png">
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2010-09-30vlcsnap-2010-09-30-23h54m30s217.png">
<b>Review of Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva by Raz112</b>
Professor Layton, for those who are unaware, is the protagonist of a very successful series of puzzle detective adventure games created by Level 5 for the Nintendo DS. The series has sold 7.3 million copies worldwide, and its success has led to the small indie company gaining in status, leading to a higher demand for its services from bigger companies such as Capcom and the anime heavyweights Studio Ghibli. This series was praised for its great, varied puzzles, as well as engrossing 'whodunit?' storylines; full of twists and turns, all depicted in a beautiful anime style that feels as European as the title characters and setting. Many saw all of these features as key ingredients to a fun, fulfilling feature film, and now it has arrived. So how does this fully animated debut in the form of 'Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva' fare?
The film begins with the final act of a case, which sees Professor Layton solving the silencing of Big Ben through the theft of its bell, with the culprit being Don Paolo - the nemesis of the first two games, between which this movie is set. With the narration of Luke - Layton's apprentice - giving us an introduction as to who the Professor is, this sequence of events ends with Professor Layton asking Luke if he remembers a particular song which he starts playing. It is 'The Eternal Diva' by Jenis Quatlane, a former student of the Professor who became an opera singer. The song triggers a flashback to a letter sent by her three years ago, initiating a mystery that becomes the main focus of the film.
Tickets are sent to both the Professor and Luke for an opera about eternal life, entitled 'The Eternal Kingdom'. This is based off the Legend of Ambrosia, which was created by the famed composer Odlaw Whistler, at the Crown Petone off the White Cliffs of Dover. The mystery that Jenis asks Professor Layton to solve is the reappearance of her friend Melina - Whistler's daughter - as a young girl, when in fact she had died years before. Furthermore, two little girls have disappeared in London. Something which Jenis thinks is related...
The opera tells the story of a queen adored all by her people who falls ill. Her citizens desperately search for a cure, but although they finally find one - an elixir that grants eternal life - they are too late and the queen dies. The whole kingdom mourns, and the citizens decide to drink the elixir themselves, to wait for all eternity in the hope that the queen will one day be reborn and return home to them once again. After it ends, the opera receives a very lukewarm and bored response from the rest of the audience, aside from the two protagonists. Just then, a masked figure appears on stage and announces a game for everyone to play - a game to where the winner will gain eternal life, and the rest shall die. With everyone trapped in the opera house, the Professor and Luke realise that they have no choice but to play, to win, and to solve the case as quickly as possible in order to survive. In short, they must solve the mysterious legend of the Eternal Kingdom known as 'Ambrosia'.
The game consists of puzzles, like the video games, and they do require a little thought. However, here lies a problem. This is not a video game, but a film, and there is none of the interaction that made the games so riveting; the satisfaction upon correctly solving one of many, many puzzles, helping to unravel the mystery with your own hands and intellect. Instead, we watch a perpetually calm and reserved Professor solve each puzzle with relative ease and efficiency. So much efficiency, in fact, that at times the viewer has no time to think about it themselves, which is a shame. Furthermore, being set within the game timeline as well as incorporating cameos from key characters from the games raises the issue that a general viewer may be missing the significance and relevance of certain characters and events. They may also miss the signature fan service moments, such as the mannerisms and phrases of characters, and particularly some of the familiar music themes from the games.
Despite all this, one can rest easy as the story itself does stand alone well. Although, as mentioned above, people new to the series may not recognise the significance of some of the characters, there is enough development of the main characters for a general viewer to be able to empathise and care for them.
One of the great things that the Professor Layton games are particularly known for is the unique, wonderful art style. In the games, there were video sequences, and although they did look very pleasing on the small DS screen, they had potential to be much more. With a little more money, Level 5 and OLM, Inc (the guys behind Pokemon) have delivered with this film. Its style is simple yet eloquent, much like Ghibli, but perhaps with less painstaking detail in the environments. These environments however - from the hustle and bustle of London to the English countryside; the White Cliffs of Dover, and the waters of the English Channel - are all beautifully drawn in a warm depiction which shows the love and care the Japanese staff had for England. Warmth which can be appreciated by any British citizen. It's not often we get to see England receive the anime treatment, and such a romantic one at that.
There are two things which are problematic about the video. The first is the use of CGI near the end of the film which doesn't quite fit with the traditional 2D art style. It seems that at certain points the budget must have run out, and therefore it looks slightly rubbery and ugly, although the particular thing in question was never meant to be pretty. The second issue is a fault with the distributors rather than the filmmakers, and that is the DVD transfer. There were instances where fuzziness and banding in the picture could be seen. It was infrequent, and overall the picture was decent, especially when upscaled in full HD.
Another popular aspect of the games was the wonderful complementary audio; both the music and voice acting. The music alone is noteworthy - full of beautiful, joyful and sorrowful classical pieces which fit the film very well indeed. In 5.1 surround sound, the timings and crescendos are often spot on and fill you with such overriding emotion. In addition, the main opera song is beautiful in itself, and although sung in Japanese even in the English dub, subtitles are provided for your listening pleasure.
The voice acting, whilst having noticeable differences, is still equally decent. The English tracks are voiced by the game's actors, giving fans of the originals a further sense of continuity. Some may say that the voices are awfully British, and they are, with many of the accents, especially Luke's, being perhaps a bit too strong and exaggerated. However, over time it is managable, and even likable and amusing at times. The Professor is voiced well, even if he sounds a little too calm and assured at all times. Even when he raises his voice, you don't really get a sense of danger or anger at times when it is present. That is what Japanese voice actors always tend to do better - emote with their voices. Even though this is the case, and even noting the fact that the title and the opera song are in Japanese, one gets the sense that this film was meant to be watched in English, simply because of the film's context. Moreover, both audio tracks are presented in 2.0 and 5.1 surround sound, which makes a welcome change for anyone wanting to enjoy the Japanese dub to its fullest. 5.1 is the way to go, whichever language you choose.
There isn't much to say about the extras, primarily because there were none with the single disc reviewed. Technically there is a single extra - a trailer for the upcoming Nintendo DS game 'Professor Layton and the Unwound Future'. You almost wouldn't know though, as it's played before the root menu and is so exhilarating that you don't even realise it's a trailer until near the very end, when some game footage is shown. In doing this, it can inadvertently raise your expectations for the upcoming feature, possibly unintentionally jeopardising one's experience of the film. Along with the introduction to the film mentioned earlier in this review, it further drills home the message the creators seem eager to convey - that all this originated from a game. This seems to hamper the feeling of watching a feature film rather than a glorified piece of fan service. It seems clear what Level 5's true agenda is - to introduce and get more people into the franchise. There's nothing wrong with that, except it could have been more tactful, like putting trailers in a trailer section within the non-existent extras menu.
Though the single disc edition I have reviewed has no extras, Manga Entertainment have gone all out for this movie, with both a release here before the US, and the very luxurious limited edition treatment. That edition is limited to 3000 copies, containing both blu-ray and DVD versions of the film, as well as 36 minutes of extras and a 630 page storybook, which will be no doubt full of beautiful sketches and tons of interesting information - very collectable indeed. There is also the more affordable option of a 3 disc combi pack, which has everything the limited edition has except for the storybook and the sturdy luxury packaging.
I would recommend these options rather than the single vanilla disc reviewed here. Though one should never assume things, I would expect the blu-ray picture quality to be better than the decent but slightly flawed DVD release, so when you make the jump you can appreciate Level 5's art and animation even more. The degree of enjoyment ultimately depends on the level of interaction one has had with the franchise in the past, with various references to and cameos of characters and events, as well as knowing the satisfaction one gets when solving the puzzles themselves and watching the mystery unfold with its various twists and turns. Level 5 could not truly implement and deliver this experience the way that they do in their games, however this film doesn't leave newcomers completely in the dark, and mostly succeeds in its aim - to introduce people to the wonderful world of the archaeologist/detective and true gentleman, Professor Layton, and his trusty sidekick/apprentice Luke, as they attempt to solve mysteries around the world.<br>
Extra note: Since this review was originally posted, I was able to watch blu-ray footage of Professor Layton at HMV Piccadilly Circus and can confirm that the blu-ray's video quality is near-flawless, brimming with vivid colours and crisp animation - definitely the way to go.<br>
<b>Final score: 7 out of 10</b>
<b>Additional screencaps</b>
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2010-09-30vlcsnap-2010-09-30-21h30m17s104.png">
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2010-09-30vlcsnap-2010-09-30-21h31m06s82.png">
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2010-09-30vlcsnap-2010-09-30-23h54m30s217.png">