I've got to admit it. I like the idea of "premium" editions of my favorite show, with attractively designed boxes, goodies, and lots of on-disc extras. It's a concept that is still fairly new to the US anime market, especially the more "mass media" licensors/publishers, such as Funimation. They hadn't really done "premium" editions before, at least not in the same way as some of their competitors. (Aniplex of America is notorious for "premium editions" that contain extras of dubious desirability, and pretty much anything released by NISA gets a premium set with a chipboard box and a goodie.) 2014 saw Funimation experimenting and trying out premium editions with two of their hottest shows: Psycho-Pass and Kamisama Kiss.
I pre-ordered this from The Right Stuf back in November in 2013, and got it that following February. Because TRSI offers special pre-order discounts for many of their products, I was able to get it for $78. This "Goddess Edition" is limited to only 2,500 copies but is still available for purchase from several other retailers for a slightly higher price. At this moment, TRSI has it for $98, and RACS has it for $89, as does Amazon. Funimation has also released it in a basic DVD/BD combo pack for a $30-40 price point for more price-conscious fans.
We'll go over the actual show in a moment, let's just focus on the goodies for now.
First and foremost is that chipboard box, the staple of premium/limited edition releases since time immemorial. The pastel-shaded box (it goes from pink to purple to blue, and is very pleasing to the eyes) features lush, beautiful artwork of the show's characters. There's the obligatory group shot on one side, but my favorite is the image on the other:
Tomoe (with his long hair back, dreamy sigh) and Nanami in kimono. They're arranged in a pose that reminds me of a yin-yang symbol, and highlights their opposing natures. Every surface of the box is decorated with character art. (Viz, if you are reading, THIS is how to decorate an art box.)
The box is designed to hold both of the cases; remember that the show is a combo-pack, which means you get all 13 episodes on both BD and DVD. There are five discs total, and they are colored in stunning, rich jewel tones.
Each of the cases feature a different main character: Nanami and Mizuki on the BD cases, and Tomoe and Kurama on the DVD cases. There is also space included for the paper box that contains the rest of the extras. So yes, you pretty much have to leave the paper extras box in if you don't want the cases rattling around in the art box. (Most of Funimation's art boxes are designed to hold parts one and two of a series...this one has two separate cases and room to spare.) It's not very well-thought out, and irks me a little bit.
Also as a fun little "addition," this is stamped on the back of the cases. Just in case you were curious where your disc was made! Not exactly something I want on a "premium" release, I'm just saying...
At the very least, the extras box is attractive. It's shaded in purple, and again, loads of character art. It's not terribly sturdy, and is like a slightly thicker type of cardstock. It opens easily, and you can find a plethora of Kamisama Kiss merchandise inside.
The first of these are character postcards. These are quite popular in limited editions of almost anything, because of how relatively cheap they are to make, and how easy they are to fit into the packaging. Lightweight, too. These feature the four main characters, and each one has a different character pairing. My Mizuki/Nanami card got cut off, but you can see a peek of it in the pictures below. These are cute, and really capture the dynamic that each character shares with each other. Kurama is flirty with Nanami and antagonistic with Tomoe, Nanami and Tomoe are super love-hate with each other, and Mizuki annoys the crap out of everybody. (But you gotta love him, nevertheless, lol.)
I don't know how well you can see the design, but the fan has a piece of key art that's used in basically all of the advertising for this show ever. Nice soft, subtle colors used, but the paper feels a bit flimsy. Doesn't feel or seem different than any Oriental Trading Company paper fan out there. The green doohickey is an omamori, a traditional Japanese good-luck charm you can get at Shinto shrines, like Nanami's. It has an image of Tomoe, so maybe it's mean to fulfill the fangirls' desires for a smoking hot fox demon familiar of their own. I like the inclusion of this piece because it is something that the characters actually use, and something that'd unique and different to us in North America. I can run out to Kinko's and get postcards made, or pick up a folding fan at the dollar store, but I can't jaunt over to my local shrine for an omamori.
A...tote bag. It's not big enough for a grocery tote or something similar. Maybe big enough for library books? the lighting here is wonky, but it's a pale lavender shade. Same character art at the extras box, actually, just in full color.
This little darling is a replica of the decorative hair stick that Tomoe buys for Nanami in one of the episodes. It's sturdy but heavvvvvy. This is one case where I would have been okay with plastic instead of metal. Great for cosplaying! Don't know if I'll be able to use it, since my hair probably wouldn't sustain enough of a bun to use this with. I do really, really admire how Funimation makes extras that relate to the show, however.
As for the show itself, it's a supernatural romantic comedy firmly aimed at teenage girls and young women (a demographic type referred to as "shoujo," or "young female/girl"). It's very steeped in Japanese tradition and lore, so if you're not familiar with it, or willing to look up some of the elements discussed in the show, you might feel lost or disinterested. The basic premise is this: a teenage girl named Nanami winds up homeless after her father abandons her. A kind stranger offers to give her his home...but when she arrives there, she discovers that it's a Shinto shrine, the stranger was a Shinto land deity in disguise, and that she is now the new deity of the shrine and expected to work as such and grant the wishes of the townspeople under her watch. The shrine comes with a very grumpy, standoffish fox spirit called Tomoe who initially refuses to serve her, but is later bound into a contract to do so. All kinds of supernatural hijinks ensure as Nanami begins to learn how to be a land deity, and falls for Tomoe in the process. But Tomoe keeps claiming that he has no interest in romancing humans...
.... It really, strongly reminds me of Inuyasha, if it were a romantic comedy, of course. The humor is sharp and fast-paced, and Nanami is cheerful and plucky. The second season is airing on Hulu right now, too, and I'm eagerly awaiting its home video release. Of course, we won't get it until next year--it hasn't finished airing and these licenses can take months to fully go through--but I'm going to look forward to marathoning it in the future.
The colors of the show are beautiful; soft but but rich pastels abound everywhere, and the character designs are particularly attractive, especially the demon boys (wink, wink). This looks quite good on BD, and it was a smart decision on Funimation's part to offer the show in this format. The audio is clear, and an English dub track is offered in addition to the original Japanese track. For my part, I prefer the Japanese cast, with Suzuko Mimori's gentle alto voice (she plays Nanami) and Shinnosuke Tachibana's strong and haughty portrayal of Tomoe. But your tastes may vary: the English dub is certainly competently acted.
In summation, fans who *really* *really* love Kamisama Kiss, this is a nice release with all sorts of goodies. If you can wait and pick it up closer to the holidays or during a Funimation sale, it might be available for a reduced price. I really wouldn't pay much more than $80 for it at the maximum
Miss Scarlett suggests: If you like supernatural romantic comedies, check out Kamisama Kiss; and if you reallllllllllllllly like it (like I do), think about picking this up for a great show and some fun goodies!
