Releases Reviewed:

Animanics volume 1 is going to be an easy guide to write.

There is 1 and only 1 TVD package out for it. There is no series box set.

I’m mostly impressed with this Volume 1 5 disc TVD set, although I have a few complaints.

Video:

1.33: This is the standard TV ratio. Perhaps it stands out to me more since I’ve been watching my terrible VHS copies for so long, but I’m loving the quality of this presentation.

Audio:

5.1 surround: You read that right, Animaniacs is offered in 5.1 surround sound! The orchestration sounds fantastic!

Packaging:

Unfortunately, the case design uses the worst tray layout ever. Honestly, I don’t know why some designers keep using this. The discs are stacked on top of each other. That means to get disc 2 you have to first take out disc 1, likewise for putting it back. There are numerous designs out there that are so much better than this one.

The artwork on the folder and box is original and fun. A list of the major skits in each episode lines the flaps, though no other information is provided (meaning no air dates, guest stars, or other such things).

The interface is simple but colorful with a few cute graphics. The chapter selection menu gives you the titles of the main skits in each episode which is helpful if you’re looking for a particular one. Not all chapters are included on the list so it’s more of a general guide than an exact list. Precise detail would have been nicer.

Extras:

-Animaniacs Live: This is an interview segment hosted by Maurice LaMarche (Brain). He talks to the 3 Warners, Slappy, and the 2 composers. This is fairly long and great fun to watch. I’ve seen some of these actors on discussion panels before and they are ALWAYS good for laughs. I hope they have more of this on the next set.

-Trailer: The Animaniacs trailer is nothing special really.

-Previews: Check out some other available collections.

Other Editions:

There are none.

Final Thoughts:

While the Animaniacs Live feature is really a terrific bonus feature, the extras here are sadly few. This is my primary disappointment with the set. I know there is some great Animaniacs promotional material out there. Cartoon Network in particular did a few that were very creative and amusing. I would love to have those in a DVD collection. I was hoping that Animaniacs would get a treatment more akin to some of the great Looney Tunes releases. So you're not missing much by streaming the episodes instead of buying the set although I personally find it worth the purchase price just to have all the episodes within arms' reach at all times.

Review

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Episodes:

You'll get 25 episodes clocking in at about 22 minutes each. There is a play all option for them.

Surely you know already the format of Animaniacs. It's comprised of skits, songs, and short jokes raging from under a minute long to an entire episode. Quick, easy access to all of this is one of the promises of DVD. The set does an almost, though not quite, perfect job of this. Unfortunately, sometimes the shorter segments are tacked on to the end of chapters. Skipping the theme song (unless you WANT to see it 25 times in a row) is usually as easy as jumping to chapter 2, but you'll sometimes end up jumping past those short bits. The last few episodes in general seem to have fewer chapter stops than the others, almost like the designers got rushed and quit paying as much attention meaning that skipping chapters may cause you to miss things you didn't intend to pass over. More consistency and precise chapters would have really impressed me.