This is a great looking DVD, especially considering the fact that the animation contained within is over twenty years old. Be warned: This is not your typical modern eye-candy anime; it does not have 64 frames per second smoothness or pulse-pounding 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. None the less the remaster is a top-notch job, as a result the colors are bright, the animation is smooth, clear and vibrant, and even the antique mono soundtrack rings out loud and clear every gasp, bonk, and slide-whistle effect of someone falling ala Wiley Coyote.

If you care to count cels more than you care to enjoy a true masterpiece of animation by one of our century's greatest artists, stay the heck away!

As mentioned earlier, there is an element of simplicity to the story that lends to Castle of Cagliostro a certain timelessness. The movie can be enjoyed by everyone in the family, from children to great-grandparents.

The packaging, however, leaves something to be desired; while Cagliostro comes in the standard plastic keepsake case, the artwork is decidedly inferior to the original Japanese VHS packaging. Nowhere on the cover does it state that the movie involves Lupin III, although it does give credit to Hiyao Miyazaki at the top. Still the dark navy blues could lead someone to believe this movie is altogether serious, when in fact their are plenty of moments of action and slapstick comedy to balance out the drama. Similarly, the insert is nothing special, merely listing chapter stops and showcasing a few neat screen-captures. The silkscreening of the disk itself is outright dull; nothing but pure black color and the title of the movie itself. Ugh.