Toradora! and Persona -trinity soul- (Vol. 1) Reviewed

Last February, NIS America announced their intention to bring four anime title to western shores. With a passionate fanbase forged from the competent localization of a number of key Japanese role-playing games, the venture seemed like a insightful undertaking for the company. Recently, the first two releases- Toradora! Volume 1 and Persona -trinity soul – Volume 1 arrived at our offices, immediately impressing us with the quality the box sets.

The two sets come packaged in an oversized thick cardboard case, adorned with detailed art from each respective series. Both cases are roughly the size of a sheet of paper, and nearly an inch thick. As such, the editions  demand a prominent display- at the very least they should be placed in a stylish bookcase. Each of the two DVD’s in each set is packaged in a THINpak case, allowing amble room for a hardcover text in each package.

Whereas accompanying extras can often seem superfluous, and geared toward the most adamant collectors, both editions include a indispensable episode guide. Readers are given a myriad of information- from meanings of Japanese colloquialisms, relationship diagrams, names of voice actors, artwork, and a brief synopsis of each show. The Persona book even flips over to reveal The Whale’s Feather, an illustrated story ‘created’ by Shigeru and Haruka Kanzatio- the deceased parents of the series’ protagonists. Personally, both books were instrumental in my enjoyment of the two series- each allowed facilitated immersion into the two series distinct realms.

Admittedly, I approached Toradora! With slight trepidation. Typically, anime centering on the whimsy or uncertainty of high school offers little of the smoldering intensity found  in Cowboy Bebop or the intrigue fostered by Death Note. Yet, after just two episodes of Toradora!, I was absorbed by the anime’s quirky charm and unorthodox representation of relationships- smartly, the title focuses less on slapstick humor and more on the comical complexities of romantic bonds.

As the series commences, viewers are introduced to Ryuji, an agreeable second year student. While he’s an exceptionally loyal and industrious teenager, his social capacity is stunted by his appearance- Ryuji inherited his father’s piercing eyes. At the start of the school year he bumps into a diminutive girl named Taiga, known as the Palm-Top Tiger, due to her contradictory stature and ferocity.  After a few comical missteps, the duo establishes a relationship in an effort to court two potential partners. However, once romantic progress has been made by Ryuji and Taiga, the duo becomes aware of their own symbiotic relationship, complicating the bonds between the quartet of characters.

Having played a majority of the stateside Persona releases (and being currently entrenched in Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable‘s goodness), I ventured into trinity soul‘s box with enthusiasm. Although the series is set ten years after the events of the third game, not of the SEES members make a reappearance; instead the anime focuses on the relationship of the Kanzato brothers. The two younger brothers move back in with their elder sibling, a police chief investigating a series of connected cases where one victim have been turned inside out, and another stricken with Apathy Syndrome. Unexpectedly, trinity’s soul‘s narrative trajectory is fueled by a multitude of subplots, rather than visceral action. In fact, when the Personas do butt heads, following the struggles can be difficult due to the apparition’s transparent nature. 

Casual enthusiasts may bemoan the lack of a dubbed voice track on the two box sets.  Hopefully, they will take solace in the fact that English tracks rarely match the nuances of their Japanese counterparts, and in some cases, are drastically inferior. Following the precedent of other anime publishing upstarts, NIS America has concentrated in winning over fans with a capable translation, incorporating a handful of Japanese expressions into each series which defy conversion between languages. At the same time, the translation team embedded enough slang in Toradora! to keep conversations lively. 

While the overall video quality of both the Toradora! and Persona sets is typically solid, a few niggling occurrences of ghosting and artifacting are noticeable. Additionally, Trinity Soul’s navigation controls  aren’t always accurate; several times I was returned to the disc’s top menu when attempted to move to a preceding chapter. It should be noted that NIS America is aware of the problem and is sending out replacements to any unsatisfied owners.