The fifth volume of Saint Tail brings some significant changes to the series, as far as the technical aspects of the release are concerned. Overall, these changes are for the best even though a few negatives creep in. Concerning the story, this is one of the best Saint Tail DVDs so far.

Concerning the technical changes, there is one major positive, but it's a whopper. TokyoPop has changed the format from 4 episodes per disc, which was an excellent number, to the amazing seven episodes per DVD, at no change in price. This makes Saint Tail an unbelievable bargain for anime collectors. Not only do you get more mahou shoujo goodness per disc, you'll end up buying less discs in the long run to get the complete series.

There is a downside, though. The dub has been removed. To the purist, this is a major blessing as the dub was not the best. In fact, I found it difficult to listen to. However, Saint Tail is an excellent show for children, espousing many positive role models from Meimi herself to her parents (more on this later) to Seira, who chooses a path based on her beliefs rather than what is popular.

The second downside is that the extra number of episodes may have had a slight effect on the quality of the audio and visual presentation. On one DVD player, I heard a distinct hissing that was not present on any of the previous discs. The sound was not overly distracting, nor is Saint Tail the apex of auditory technology in anime, but it may be experienced on other players. There seemed to be a slight degradation of the picture quality, but nowhere near the level as on the first disc.

The episodes this time were much, much better than the frankly boring collection on the last disc. The qualities that make these shows better are simple. First, the relationship between Asuka and Meimi continues to evolve every episode. Second, the minor characters serve to show that both Meimi and Asuka have other admirers, prompting the two to constantly reevaluate their relationship.

Finally, Meimi's parents appear in almost every episode this time around. While I have mentioned this before, it is even more clear on this disc that they serve as one of the rare couples in anime that have a normal, positive relationship. The parents are very loving of each other, but not in a lecherous sense. They respect each other. They are nurturing of Meimi and not condescending. They are aware of their surroundings and not totally ignorant of their child, as many parents in anime and on TV are.

Pretty much, they serve as the role-model for parents. How rare is something like that? Once again, Saint Tail shows that a show with absolutely nothing objectionable, and even some very positive elements, can be entertaining.

Now for a quick run down on the seven episodes. In the first, Memi has to steal a person for the very first time! An old woman's final wish is to taste the cooking of a former flame, so Saint Tail is off to steal the iron chef. Next, a misinterpreted letter and a misplaced notebook collide on Valentine's Day as Saint Tail attempts to retrieve a shy girl's diary from the boy she likes. The third episode gets back to Saint Tail's roots as she attempts to recover a piece of artwork stolen from the artist.

The fourth episode is Saint Tail's biggest heist as she attempts to steal a comet. Some bits are a little silly, but it works due to the character interaction and the fact that she doesn't really steal a comet. In the fifth episode, Saint Tail works to recover an egg from a professor that likes to debunk magicians. He promises to reveal Saint Tail's identity.

The sixth show has Saint Tail recovering a stolen harmonica so that a young girl can perform to win a scholarship. The final show deals with the recovery of a photograph of a UFO taken by a young boy stolen by a dishonest showman.

The disc retains the wonderful motion menus and continues with the nice voice actor bios. The number of extras precludes any other extras, I would expect. The insert is disappointing as it doesn't even contain the chapters, instead it is simply a generic advertisement one-sheet. Worse, the back side advertises Saint Tail 1-4, which I've obviously purchased if I'm watching disc 5.

In summary, this is an excellent collection of Saint Tail episodes, far surpassing the last mediocre disk. Excellent for the young and the young at heart, however be aware that there is no longer any English dub. Still, at seven episodes, this is an excellent value.

Video Quality: B+
Audio Quality: B+
Presentation: A
Content: A-
Overall: B+