Melody of Oblivion Box Set

I randomly picked out a title from my backlog of anime to watch recently. It was a good opportunity to try something out. Especially since I needed to break up my play through of Bio-shock which was frustrating me. This time around Melody of Oblivion took center stage; I was not disappointed.

In true Geneon fashion, the artbox afforded by Geneon is high quality. Wonderful artwork, featuring the Melos warriors and Sayoko, adorns the sides of the box. I find the dark red (almost maroon) colored background to be very elegant. The best feature comes in the from the wire framing and border details around the box. It gives a very sophisticated look. I'm a fan of these kinds of details. The cover art for the individual volumes is nothing short of spectacular and the reversible covers ensure you have alternate options to chose from. The one drawback to this release was the use of Scanavo hubs, this was however a problem across many releases. Just be aware and careful when removing your discs. I switched my cases with M-lock's to prevent any issues.

If you like the scores in anime, not just the OP and ED music, you won't be disappointed with Melody of Oblivion. I found the scoring to be top notch, very subdued and serene creating a terrific atmosphere for this series. It's more than just something to fill the background that most series do, it's part of the charm and character. If only the audio could have been 5.1 would it have been even better. Most anime is 2.0 so we just have to make due and take what was provided. Now comes the english dub versus japanese point. In all due true, both are remarkable for this series. Each had a couple casting choices I didn't like, nothing terribly annoying, regardless you'll be happy whatever your preference for anime is.

The video quality of Melody of Oblivion is also a top notch effort. Keep in mind that this series was not created in widescreen, so full frame is what you'll be getting here. J.C. Staff is definitely one of the very best in designs and animation and Melody of Oblivion is no exception. From Bocca to my personal favorite in Tone, the designs are not conventional and not what you would expect their personalities to look like in other anime. Bocca is far from what you would expect a hero to look like. One mild complaint I have is the re-use of particular fight sequences of firing the arrows. I would like to have seen more variations and approaches to this.

Only in the depths of an otaku's backlog can someone find a true gem. Melody of Oblivion went largely unnoticed when it was first released by Geneon. It didn't sell the best, not many even spoke about it let alone knew anything about it. The story aspect takes a little time to really shine through, but once the series gets moving you understand all the time devoted to character development was important. It's also the best element of series giving Melody of Oblivion a series with heart. You can see the love and pride that was put into it. Produced by J.C. Staff, this is one series that deserves to be in your collection. I give Melody of Oblivion 4.5 arrows out of 5, for my Melos!