Packaging Spotlight 042: The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake
If you're a fan of historicals and martial arts movies, be sure to give FUNimation's recent release of C-film The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake a try. Directed by Herman Yau, the film tells the story of Chinese feminist and revolutionary QIU Jin and how she became involved in the uprising against the Quing Dynasty. It stars HUANG Yi as Qiu Jin and Yu-hang (Dennis) TO as XU Xilin and hit retailers last Tuesday, May 15 in a Blu-ray DVD Combo.
I wasn't a big fan of Yau's The Legend Is Born - Ip Man, which was also distributed in the U.S. by FUNimation (I much preferred Wilson Yip's Ip Man films), but Woman Knight really steps up the game. The emotional drama inherent in movies about revolution is punctuated with well-choreographed and filmed action sequences that perfectly fit the personalities of each protagonist. Qiu's feature a fluid, almost ballet-like grace and Xu's a controlled and focused force not to be reckoned with.
FUNi's release of the movie features a kick-ass cover and includes a 23-minute "Making Of" featurette, as well as a ton of previews for the company's other live-action titles. The Blu-ray DVD Combo comes in a standard Blu-ray case and a slipcover.
As you can see, nothing's been added to the slipcover with regard to art, but it's a pretty awesome shot, regardless.
See what I mean?
Both the front and back of the cover have a great feel to them.
I'm so glad FUNi has stopped releasing films with the cover art style it used on Goemon and Tajomaru. I love that each film now looks and feels like an individual entity - not something popped into a ready-made frame.
The disc on the left is the DVD, and the one on the right is the Blu-ray.
The reverse side of the insert features the movie's poster art, and is another nice addition to the packaging. I really like that while FUNi included the art for fans, it didn't use it as the cover. The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake is definitely Qiu Jin's story, but the poster art doesn't separate her from the pack enough to make an impact. The cover FUNi put together, however, is fantastic and immediately identifies her as the lead.
Back of the box:
From director Herman Yau (The Legend is Born - Ip Man) comes the thrilling story of one woman who dared to fight for her ideals, even in the face of certain death. Filled with intense scenes of martial-arts action, The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake burns with the fires of revolution.
In late-19th century China, Qui Jin was many things: a defiant rebel armed with both blades and guns; a paramilitary leader dedicated to overthrowing an unjust government; a non-conformist who boldly donned men’s attire in spite of tradition; a radical poet whose words inspired the oppressed; a heroic martyr whose views on equality altered history. Her steadfast resolve to improve the plight of women and her bravery in the face of tyranny led her to the executioner - but her determination to topple the status-quo changed a nation forever.
Special Features:
Making Of
Previews
Specs:
U.S. Region 1, NTSC / Region A, NTSC
FUNimation
$29.98 SRP
1 DVD / 1 Blu-ray
115 minutes, plus 23 minutes for special features
16:9, anamorphic widescreen
Mandarin audio, English audio
English subtitles
Trailer:
A review copy of this Blu-ray DVD combo pack was provided by FUNimation.
Have I missed a deal out there? Let me know via email or twitter!
I wasn't a big fan of Yau's The Legend Is Born - Ip Man, which was also distributed in the U.S. by FUNimation (I much preferred Wilson Yip's Ip Man films), but Woman Knight really steps up the game. The emotional drama inherent in movies about revolution is punctuated with well-choreographed and filmed action sequences that perfectly fit the personalities of each protagonist. Qiu's feature a fluid, almost ballet-like grace and Xu's a controlled and focused force not to be reckoned with.
FUNi's release of the movie features a kick-ass cover and includes a 23-minute "Making Of" featurette, as well as a ton of previews for the company's other live-action titles. The Blu-ray DVD Combo comes in a standard Blu-ray case and a slipcover.
As you can see, nothing's been added to the slipcover with regard to art, but it's a pretty awesome shot, regardless.
See what I mean?
Both the front and back of the cover have a great feel to them.
I'm so glad FUNi has stopped releasing films with the cover art style it used on Goemon and Tajomaru. I love that each film now looks and feels like an individual entity - not something popped into a ready-made frame.
The disc on the left is the DVD, and the one on the right is the Blu-ray.
The reverse side of the insert features the movie's poster art, and is another nice addition to the packaging. I really like that while FUNi included the art for fans, it didn't use it as the cover. The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake is definitely Qiu Jin's story, but the poster art doesn't separate her from the pack enough to make an impact. The cover FUNi put together, however, is fantastic and immediately identifies her as the lead.
Back of the box:
From director Herman Yau (The Legend is Born - Ip Man) comes the thrilling story of one woman who dared to fight for her ideals, even in the face of certain death. Filled with intense scenes of martial-arts action, The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake burns with the fires of revolution.
In late-19th century China, Qui Jin was many things: a defiant rebel armed with both blades and guns; a paramilitary leader dedicated to overthrowing an unjust government; a non-conformist who boldly donned men’s attire in spite of tradition; a radical poet whose words inspired the oppressed; a heroic martyr whose views on equality altered history. Her steadfast resolve to improve the plight of women and her bravery in the face of tyranny led her to the executioner - but her determination to topple the status-quo changed a nation forever.
Special Features:
Making Of
Previews
Specs:
U.S. Region 1, NTSC / Region A, NTSC
FUNimation
$29.98 SRP
1 DVD / 1 Blu-ray
115 minutes, plus 23 minutes for special features
16:9, anamorphic widescreen
Mandarin audio, English audio
English subtitles
Trailer:
Click to viewA review copy of this Blu-ray DVD combo pack was provided by FUNimation.
Have I missed a deal out there? Let me know via email or twitter!