Death March To The Parallel World Rhapsody Vol. #03 Manga Review

Misunderstandings are the spice of love.

Creative Staff:

Art: Ayamegumu

Story: Hiro Ainana

Character Design: Shri

Translation: Jenny McKeon

Lettering: Rochelle Gancio

What They Say:

Satou's purchased Arisa and Lulu from their slave owner. However, Arisa seems out to take Satou out right from the start, and what's more, she seems to know a lot about Japan!

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

Oh man, it's been quite some time since I've reviewed a Death March volume. I mean, after the anime showed up and sort of killed my interest in the franchise for a while, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little burnt out on it. But, the manga does have a pretty consistent track record of being better than its adaptation, so let's see how things have been in this good ole' parallel world of ours!

When we last left off, Satou was in the midst of an encounter with two new prospective party members. Currently in the possession of the travelling merchant, Nidorin, Lulu and Arisa seem a bit...foreign when compared to the other slaves. Not only are neither of them beastfolk but they both have distinct Japanese features, something incredibly uncommon in the world Death March has built. Slightly skeptical from this, Satou speaks to each of them in Japanese and, what do you know, Arisa understands him.

After a short expository dump detailing her backstory (And some nice, old-fashioned loli fanservice), Arisa teaches us that there are several different ways to be summoned into this world. And while there are many factors that both directly and indirectly impact this, it really boils down to either being resurrected here as a baby or transported out of reality and spawning here as an adult. Of course, the fact that no one beside Arisa or Satou mentions this even once heavily hints at their situations being abnormal. It's highly probable that the vast majority of characters encountered thus far have actually lived here their entire lives. There is no way of proving this right now, though, so we'll have to put that in the back of our minds for a bit.

While book three lacks the same clear-cut conflict as its predecessors, there are still several issues that are brought to light within it. The first of which being- no one wants friggin' beast girls in their house. I have no idea why, considering all three of them are adorable (Liza is total wife material, by the way) but its something that doesn't look like it's going to change any time soon. As a result of this, Satou relinquishes his current room at Martha's inn to Lulu and Arisa and takes the girls to the stables in order to sleep with them there. No, not like that.

The bigger (And slightly stranger) conflict lies in the hands of a rogueish rat-man who recently escaped with an elvish princess in his arms. We spend a small portion of the book's second half learning that this man is essentially a wanted criminal but, when Satou finally encounters him, he takes him to a nearby inn for shelter instead of turning him in. This all transpires in the course of just a few pages so, if I hadn't already been exposed to the anime, I'd probably be a little confused here. Regardless, both the rat man and the elf girl are safe for the time being. Now, it lies in the hands of Satou and the innkeepers to keep them out of harm's way.

In Summary:

The third installment of the Death March manga series is a bit frantic in nature, which is surprising because I'm pretty sure it is several steps ahead in the word count department when compared to the others. Regardless, book three serves as a good set-up chapter for the next major conflict. In a world that gets more convoluted by the second, Satou's deadpan reactions and steadfast resolve carry the series toward the more serious side of the isekai genre. And while it isn't as unique or exciting as many of those worlds, the characters are interesting enough to make this worth reading.

Content Grade: B-

Art Grade: B

Packaging Grade: C+

Text/Translation Grade: B+

Age Rating: 13+

Released By: Yen Press

Release Date: July 18, 2017

MSRP: $12.99

Parasyte Collection 2 Blu-Ray Review

When I took over this human's brain, I received a directive. It said, Devour this species.

What They Say:

They seem like the perfect killing machines: taking the form of their latest victim as they move on to hunt their next meal, blending invisibly into the chaos of human civilization.

But as the human race becomes aware of the invaders, the rules unexpectedly change. Because, while the predators may be far more deadly individually, human beings hunt in packs… and no species in the universe has spent more time perfecting new ways to kill than man.

As the military secretly mobilizes and a shadow war erupts, Shinichi and Migi find themselves trapped in the escalating purge. Born from a merging of both sides and yet belonging to neither, the best they can do is merely hope to survive as the lines between friend and foe cease to exist.

The war between the planet's two apex species spills into the streets as human sheep reveal the wolves hidden inside in the apocalyptic second collection of PARASYTE- THE MAXIM!

Parasyte - the maxim Collection 2 contains episodes 13-24.

The Review:

Audio:

Parayste: The Maxim's second collection boasts an English dub brought to you in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 as well as the original Japanese dub in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Both the English and Japanese dubs come in crystal clear and equalized at all points throughout the series. There is no clipping, overmodulation, or anything of the sort. Even when jumping to the opening and ending portions of the episodes, the audio remains equalized so you don't have to keep adjusting your volume every three seconds. Also, I just want to note that the OST of this series is phenomenal, so hearing it loud and clear is always a good thing.

Video:

As per usual, the video quality of this Blu-Ray collection comes in 1080p HD with a default aspect ratio of 16x9. The video, which is uncensored on the Blu-Ray release, comes in crisp and colorful at all points throughout the series. Character outlining is well-defined and everything just looks flat-out beautiful all around. The show's art style is reminiscent of those older shows from when Sci-Fi reigned supreme in the anime world but don't let that fool you- Parasyte still has a modern day twist for all of those who are afraid to look back to a time when anime was less "anime."

Packaging:

Much like its predecessor, Parayste Collection 2's box art is pretty darn red. This one, however, has significantly more teeth than the one before it. But even with its grotesque and parasitic imagery on the front cover, the set isn't all that visually appealing. The rear cover seems rather jumbled and, as a whole, the Blu-Ray doesn't do much in terms of jumping out at you. Even the discs themselves look rather boring when compared to similar releases. But then again, things like this sit sideways on your shelves anyway, so only true collectors will care.

Menu:

Guys, guys, guys! Guess what? You know how I'm always complaining about how Sentai's DVD and Blu-Ray menus are always the same, boring thing? Well, in Parasyte, we actually get some real video content! The series' opening theme plays on loop in the background while the episode titles are displayed in small boxes beneath it. It's one of the tidiest menus I've seen in a while (Considering DVD menus are a dying breed) and they even added in a feature where you can just scroll over the "Back" button instead of clicking on it to return to the title screen. It may seem like a minuscule detail but its things like this that set apart normal menus from great ones.

Special Features:

In the usual fashion, Parasyte is a bit lacking in terms of special features. It contains only the clean opening/ending songs as well as four aptly-chosen trailers for other Sentai releases (Akame Ga Kill, Chaika The Coffin Princess, The Fruit Of Grisaia, and Higurashi/When They Cry). There is nothing else to report as far as features go.

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

So, Parasyte is kind of a big deal. Not only did it show up almost twenty years after its manga release in 1989 but it friggin' blew up fast and it blew up hard. Back in Fall of 2014, if you weren't watching Parasyte, people wouldn't even listen to your opinion. It's one of those shows that kind of just appeared and captivated not only new audiences but old audiences will- and very few titles actually reach both of those groups nowadays. But even with its incredibly heavy (And gory) start, Parasyte couldn't stay perfect forever. In fact, the latter half of the series runs into several issues. This collection, while still a mainstay in many households, holds each and every one of those flaws.

Now, don't get me wrong- I really like Parasyte. Its got one of the most interesting and brutal stories in all of the sci-fi genre. And even if Migi is potentially the weirdest character ever created, the overall tone and the questions that the series raises are nothing short of incredibly important and thought-provoking. Shinichi is actually one of the most dynamic characters of that year, going through so many changes (Both physical and mental) that he is literally a different person by the end of the series. As far as everyone else goes? Well...Not so much.

You see, Parasyte spends the bulk of its second half emphasizing the idea that humans are, in a really roundabout way, the true bad guys. I mean, the Parasytes are really just doing everything their power to try and survive. And we really know this is the case because Migi reminds us of it every five minutes. The series tries so hard to beat into these ideas into the viewer that it neglects several of the characters who were instrumental to the story just episodes ago. And after all of this time is ultimately consumed and things finally boil over into complete, utter panic...Parasyte does a 180 and backtracks on everything. It finally displays true side effects of neglect and, even with the string of fatalities earlier in the series, it finally appears that the consequences are going to be actual consequences rather than just dots on a timeline in Shinichi's life.

The problem with Parasyte's second cour is by no means a reflection of its content but the manner in which said content played out and how it was all executed. You can't spend so much time trying to teach us a lesson only to turn around and say that the lesson was a joke. And maybe this wasn't the intention of the writers- maybe its a simple result of condensing the series too much and overclocking the pace? But the way it appeared to me, and what makes it divisive to the community as a whole, is that Parasyte waits until the very last moment to be sympathetic to its characters. Its disregard for its own teachings is not only a directorial misstep but something that causes its final arc to feel more like a confused mess rather than an actual conclusion.

Of course, I wouldn't like the series without its fair share of good points. The animation is phenomenal, the soundtrack is arguably the best in all of 2014 and, despite some qualms I have with him, Shinichi is honestly a great hero. Parasyte is packed with drama, action, a touch of humor, and tons of violence that is sure to shock some and amuse plenty of others. With so many good qualities, it's no surprise that it reached such a high pedestal so quickly. Do yourself a favor and check it out because who knows? Maybe you won't hate the ending as much as I did.

In Summary:

Parasyte runs into some late-cour issues and struggles in its final moments to reach the same heights as the rest of the series. And even though its conclusion may leave some confused or upset, the bulk of the series is good enough to have myself and many others overlook that. While divisive in nature, Parayste has a lot to say and even more to show. I'd go ahead and recommend this to any fans of the sci-fi genre as well as anyone interested in that raunchy, 90's vibe. This is a series unlike any other and, even with its issues, it lives up to the hype.

Features:

English DTS-HD Master 5.1 Audio, Japanese DTS-HD Master 2.0 Audio, English/English SDH subtitles, clean opening/ending songs, Sentai Filmworks trailers.

Content Grade: B-

Audio Grade: A

Video Grade: A

Packaging Grade: B-

Menu Grade: A

Extras Grade: C

Released By: Sentai Filmworks

Release Date: July 5, 2016

MSRP: $69.98

Running Time: 300 Minutes

Video Encoding: 1080p High Definition

Aspect Ratio: 16x9

Magical Girl Site Episode #08 Anime Review

Today is about making memories.

What They Say:

Aya Asagiri lives a life of torture. Bullied by her peers and physically abused by her brother, she contemplates suicide as a means of escapism. One particularly harsh night, her laptop abruptly turns on and beckons her toward it. There, a website known simply as the 'Mahou Shoujo Site' offers her a chance to sculpt her own fate with the help of a stick that will grant her powers. But will something as simple as a magic wand truly be enough to save her from a life not worth living?

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

If you had asked me a few weeks ago, "DJ, what show is least likely to have a beach fanservice episode this season?" I would have answered Mahou Shoujo Site without even thinking. However, it's clearly apparent that the writers of this series are just going to do whatever the hell they want until the cour ends so...here we are. But hey- this anime is filled with adorable girls and I am not about to be that guy complaining about seeing each of them in swimsuits. By the way, when did Yatsumura get so adorable?

Anyway, in case you haven't guessed, this week's episode is a bit lacking in terms of plot when compared to the rest of the series. And while it may be filled with a different type of 'plot' (Albeit relatively lacking in that department as well), there are still several moments that add to the story overall. Of course, it is finally confirmed that (SPOILER) Yatsumura will probably die if she uses her stick again. Yes, this was hinted at heavily at the end of last week's episode (And is actually the reason all of the girls went to the beach in the first place) but now that's out in the open- it's safe to say that her days are numbered.

It isn't just Yatsumura who gets the short end of the stick (Pun not intended) this week, though. Remember how Aya stole Nijimin's panties last week? Well, apparently, she's still hanging on to them. And even though I'm pretty sure this is an offense that could warrant legal recourse, Nijimin is pretty much useless for the time being. That is, until Aya's brother friggin' breaks into her locker and steals them back because that's a totally normal thing to do. At the end of the day, we discover that Kaname and Nijimin have formed some weird sort of alliance that thrives simply off of the fact that she wants to bone him. 

The problem is, Kaname is a little busy screwing someone else this week. That stalker dude who's been following Nijimin is finally fed up with life and decides that the only way to preserve his sanity and the sanctity of his idol is to, you guessed it, kill Kaname. Normally, this would have worked. Unfortunately for the stalker, Kaname not only stole Nijimin's panties but straight-up wore them as well. And given their power...Well, I'm sure you can figure out how that predicament ended up.

In Summary:

Mahou Shoujo Site's beach fanservice episode is...well, a beach fanservice episode. Don't go in expecting a heavy dose of plot and I'm sure you'll come out at least slightly satisfied. It's definitely fun seeing the girls not overcome with despair, even for a brief period of time, and I honestly enjoyed checking out a different side of both Yatsumura and Aya. But with Kaname becoming more of an antagonist every episode and the administrators starting to get a bit more mysterious, I can't imagine the lightheartedness of episode eight will last another five minutes. Of course, this series never ceases to jump all over the place, so there's no true way of confirming where it goes next. If I had to take a guess, though, I think it's safe to say that someone will probably die next week.

Episode Grade: C+

Streamed By: Prime Video

My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU Too! Complete Series DVD Review

The good, the bad, and the socially maladjusted.

What They Say:

The stampede of recent events may have herded the awkward members of the Service Club into something closer to a real bonding, but the upcoming field trip to Kyoto threatens to reverse those tiny steps forward. Alongside a list of attractions to see, they'll also be taking along a lot of emotional baggage, and helping others with their personal and romantic issues may just cause the entire luggage rack to collapse.

Between Hachiman's growing realization of how much he can manipulate others, Yukino's underlying battles with responsibility, and Yui's shifting needs and insecurities, the tenuous thread that holds their relationship together is more fragile than ever.


Even as the path ahead is strewn with psychological traps, the feelings that each of them refuse to acknowledge may end up being the true pitfall in MY TEEN ROMANTIC COMEDY SNAFU TOO!

The Review: 
Audio:
Just like its first season, SNAFU comes to us in pure Japanese audio without an English dub treatment. It sports typical Dolby Digital 2.0 audio that is pretty much synonymous with DVD releases and does not have any dropouts throughout all three discs. While the audio quality is not as crisp and clear as its blu-ray counterpart, it still does not detract from the overall viewing experience.

Video:
Broadcast in 480i with an aspect ratio of 16x9, SNAFU looks pretty much as good as a DVD release is able to. The coloring is a bit faded and the overall aesthetic is diluted but the series looks good enough on its own to not make these changes unbearable in any way. I will say that the studio-switch from season one to season two worked highly in the series' favor and that this particular version looks quite better than its predecessor.

Packaging:
The complete series release of SNAFU is actually one of the better-looking DVDs I've seen in recent years. The front cover clearly and neatly displays the primary three girls as well as good ole' 8-man in all his glory. Its color palate mirrors the graphics normally seen in the anime itself and goes on to paint the rear cover a vibrant pink. Instead of throwing thumbnails at us in horizontal lines like we'd normally see in Sentai releases, SNAFU wraps its thumbnails in a circle around the series' synopsis and an illustration of Yuigahama. The entire set looks very well organized and is truly one of the better Sentai releases in that aspect.

Menu:
Despite being yet another example of how DVD menus (Specifically Sentai's) are always boring now, SNAFU is equipped with original character designs that change with each disk. You can expect a heavy dose of the series' opening theme as it accompanies each menu but considering how darn good that song is, this is not a problem in any way, shape, or form. Just like the packaging, the menus are very well organized and somehow seem a bit more exciting than the usual lifeless afterthoughts they are.

Special Features:
Don't get your hopes up for anything cool in the special features department. As per usual, this standard DVD set comes with nothing more than textless opening and ending themes as well as a few trailers from other Sentai shows. The trailers in this particular collection are Rin-Ne, When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace, Monthly Girls' Nozaki-Kun, and Wolf Girl & The Black Prince.

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)
Following an extensive delay and a change of studios, Oregairu's second season seemed like it was going to be rather bleak in terms of quality. Well, at least that's what everyone thought before its pilot aired back in April of 2015. Once it did, however, the audience was quickly reminded of its prior bonds with the characters and, despite several small changes in character design, they were all exactly the same as they were when we left them.

The series picks up shortly after the events of season one. Hachiman has [sort of] assimilated into the service club alongside Yui and Yukino. And even though the group is still a ragtag jumble of misfits, their chemistry with one another works wonders in carrying the show. Oregairu relies heavily on not only social philosophy and commentary but on the idea of relationships in all their different forms. If you were a fan of the first season's attempt at deconstructing societal norms, this season will hammer that home even more. From artwork to writing, Zoku (Or "Too" if we're working off the English title) is leaps and bounds ahead of the 2013 release.

While the first season centered heavily around the plotlines and character development for both Yukino and Yui, Zoku actually uses a new character (Iroha Isshiki) as the primary focal plot in terms of subplot. Iroha, while not necessarily being a love interest for Hachiman, quickly develops a bond with him as he gets roped into helping her with a unique slew of problems. The interesting part of this relationship really lies in the fact that these two characters could not be further apart in terms of personality. Iroha is extremely outgoing, overly-flirtatious and surprisingly manipulative. And, despite seeing through all of this, Hachiman is almost incapable of separating himself from her. She is literally the embodiment of all of the things he hates, so when the two become inadvertently connected, our protagonist's overly cynical disposition toward literally everything starts breaking down one step at a time.

Of course, Oregairu would not be Oregairu if it focused only on Iroha. Yukino and Yui still have their respective character arcs. For the most part, Yui's relationship does not go through the same dramatic changes it did in season one. This time around, it's actually Yukino who begins to bump heads with Hachiman. Yes, yes- I know what you're thinking. They bumped heads for thirteen whole episodes back in 2013, but that was more attributed to a personality clash than anything else. This time around, their clashing seems to come as a result of both characters subconsciously realized that they're not as different from one another as they originally thought they were. It's clear that each of them wants to develop a relationship with the other but, considering how naturally antisocial they are, this winds up pushing them even further apart. Through a sheer cinematographic standpoint, this distance is illustrated beautifully. There are a plethora of wide shots in this season that show them on opposite sides of the screen while still remaining almost symmetrical. It's the perfect example of emphasizing similarities and separation simultaneously. 

What's even more beautiful about this is that the series composition and cinematography mimics the actual themes of the series. None of this would be possible without near flawless direction.


In Summary:
Oregairu's second season, while still spending a large chunk of its time fine-tuning romantic subplots, isn't all just drama, however. As always, there is plenty of comedy and witty banter that creates the same realistically toxic high school environment that most of us dealt with in real life. And while this may seem taxing to some, having a school so realistically portrayed is a glorious change of pace from the typical school-based slice-of-life series we're used to seeing in the world of anime. Everything about this series is pretty much a cynically supercharged iteration of something we've already seen before, but the way that all of these things are presented is so calculated and so well-written that comparing Oregairu to a normal slice of life show just isn't fair. And just like I did with the first season, I'd recommend this installment to pretty much anyone. There's a little bit of all of us in SNAFU. Finding those parallels is what makes the series so special.

Content Grade: A

Audio Grade: B-

Video Grade: B-

Packaging Grade: B+

Menu Grade: B

Extras Grade: B-

Released By: Sentai Filmworks

Release Date: October 18, 2016

MSRP: $49.98

Running Time: 325 Minutes

Video Encoding: 480i Anamorphic

Aspect Ratio: 16x9

Magical Girl Site Episode #07 Anime Review

I want to see the ocean with you.

What They Say:

Aya Asagiri lives a life of torture. Bullied by her peers and physically abused by her brother, she contemplates suicide as a means of escapism. One particularly harsh night, her laptop abruptly turns on and beckons her toward it. There, a website known simply as the 'Mahou Shoujo Site' offers her a chance to sculpt her own fate with the help of a stick that will grant her powers. But will something as simple as a magic wand truly be enough to save her from a life not worth living?

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

Pretty much every episode of Mahou Shoujo Site thus far has introduced us to a new character. And while this week's installment does not break that pattern, it amps it up a level or two by introducing an entirely new sect of makeshift superheroes. While Aya and Yatsumura have been assembling their own Avengers-style team of magical girls, Kosame has apparently been doing the same on the other side of town. So now, we have a gigantic squadron of magical girls ready to band together and take down a site administrator. Will this endeavor go down well? Oh, not a chance- but at least they're out here trying to make some sort of a difference.

On the opposite side of things, however, the admins continue their push to cut off the girls before they try and make any moves. The key to this operation, at least in Nana's part of town, lies in the hands of Sarina. But even though Sarina seems to be a sort of errand-girl at the moment, she shows off a bit of gall in straight-up telling Nana that she wants to do things her own way. And while she has no qualms with offering up her assistance, Sarina makes it clear that she wants to hold on to all of the magic-sticks she's stolen up until the moment that she kills Aya and Yatsumura. Also, while I have a second, can I just say that I really wish there was a cooler way to word "magic sticks?" I can not get over how stupid that sounds.

Sarina's alliance with the administrators isn't the only conflict this week, though. You see, Nijimin is still entirely gung-ho about killing Rina and, in a slightly expected turn of events, Rina also transfers into Aya's class. Of course, this prompts the blue-haired dog-idol to jump on top of her desk and have a mental breakdown in the middle of class as she shouts out about murdering her in front of everyone. How is this problem diffused, you ask? The answer is simple. Yatsumura tackles her and Aya straight-up pulls Nijimin's underwear off so she can't command Rina to kill herself or whatever. And while this scene is in stark contrast to the tone of the series as a whole, it was actually pretty funny. The mood shift, while incredibly noticeable, is welcome as it converts a high-intensity scenario into what is arguably the highlight of the episode.

While panty-thievery may just be that highlight, the most significant occurrence in all of episode seven is really the fact that the Avengers (Better name under construction) have finally assembled. The new girls are just as unique, if not even more so, than the pre-existing ones and each of them seems kind of overpowered in their own way. Hell, one of them can straight up insert himself (Yup, it's a dude) into another's mind through telepathy. That has to come in handy somehow, right?

Oh, also, Yatsumura is probably going to die soon because there was a hell of a lot of foreshadowing for it and I'm pretty sure Kosame even told Aya this during a random-ass phone call. How she's going to die is still unclear but, honestly, Yatsumura is in way too good of a mood right now to not be cut down in the next few episodes. But hey, I guess we'll just have to see how things play out, won't we?

In Summary:

The inclusion of several new characters bumps an already diverse roster to new heights and is sure to make the coming attack against the administrators quite exciting. Of course, more characters means more chances for fatalities and, apart from Yatsumura's impending death, I'm excited to see who else gets cut down. Nana has made it clear that she is quite terrifying when she wants to be so, if she's the one that the girls try to take down, I can't really imagine anything going over well. The shock value has died down a bit this week and this may be indicative of things getting significantly more intense in the near future. Of course, myself and anyone else who hasn't read the source material can not confirm this in any way, but let's just say it's always safe to assume that something ridiculous is about to happen in Mahou Shoujo Site.

Episode Grade: B

Streamed By: Prime Video

Trinity Seven Complete Series DVD Review

Imagine the seven deadly sins all wanted to bang you. This is that, but also good.

What They Say:

Things have been looking sunny for Arata Kasuga lately. Unfortunately, it's been the wrong sun in the sky, and the mysterious Breakdown Phenomenon that accompanied it destroyed his town and stole his beloved cousin Hiijiri, leaving Arata in a fantasy world of his own creation!

There's still a chance to save her, however, as the appearance of the Black Sun also revealed Arata's potential abilities as a mage, placing him in the powerful Demon Lord class.

But first, since Arata and his newfound magical talents are far too dangerous to leave to their own devices, he's immediately whisked off to the Royal Biblia Academy. That's where he'll meet seven beautiful female mages whose powers are intrinsically tied to the same sins that Arata has to master to put his world back together. Of course, the tricky part is that they have their own plans for him as well! The lessons in sin are about to begin as Arata takes on the Trinity Seven!

The Review:

Audio:

Let's be real for a second. No one goes into a DVD release expecting to be blown away by audio quality anymore. It's not like Dolby Digital 2.0 is dreadful or anything- I'm just so spoiled by blu-ray quality everything that DVD audio always seems lackluster after immediate jumps. This just so happens to be one of those unfortunate times where I move from blu-ray to DVD so quickly that imperfections and impurities jump out at you like a rogue camel cricket. Apart from lackluster audio, however, both dubs are viable for viewing. The staff isn't packed with huge names or anything like that- but it does have Brittney Karbowski and I will easily seize any opportunity put in front of me to rave about her. Other than that, there are no major dropouts and the majority of the series has equalized levels. Things can get kind of quiet at random intervals but it's nothing to cry over.

Video:

Much like the audio portion, the visuals on this release aren't anything to write home about. Trinity Seven was never the most aesthetically pleasing show to begin with but seeing everything dialed down really hammers in its simplistic color palate and lack of detail. Of course, 480i doesn't help at all and from a sheer visual perspective, this is on the low side even for the DVD spectrum. If you're going to buy this series, just get the blu-ray. Yes, this is something I would say for literally every DVD with a blu-ray copy available, but this time I'm highlighting it. The video quality really isn't great here.

Packaging:

The standard DVD collection of Trinity Seven leaves everyone but Lilith off its main cover. Considering that she was the poster girl for the series, this really isn't all that surprising. And even though it's clear that a more simplistic approach was taken in designing this particular graphic, its distinct lack of detail leaves something to be desired. In many cases, the rear cover will make up for this. Unfortunately, the rear of this release suffers the same issue. Lack of detail is compensated by several fanservice-heavy thumbnails and one character design that would be off-putting to the typical viewer. Trinity Seven is in no way a wholesome show, but I believe that its posterior design paints it as a lot trashier than it really is and may be slightly misleading.

Menu:

As always, the menus on this Sentai release are pretty darn boring. This section of the review is honestly getting kind of irrelevant considering no one even pays attention to menus beside me anymore...but look where we are. I get that there are better uses of money than creating interesting designs that people will just skip over immediately, but that doesn't change the fact that the menus are flat-out boring. This is no exception.

Special Features:

As has become the industry norm for standard releases, Trinity Seven's complete series comes with nothing more than textless themes and trailers for more Sentai shows. The trailers included for this release are Magical Warfare, Wizard Barristers, Blade Dance of the Elementalers, and Log Horizon 2. There is no commentary or anything cool. 

Content:

Harems are a magical thing, aren't they? The beta protagonist, the girls who exist only to fall in love with said protagonist, and the giant evil sun that steals your childhood friend and tosses the world into utter ruin. Oh, also, the protagonist in Trinity Seven is totally not beta, but I felt obligated to toss that into the mixture because that's how harems are probably 99% of the time. 

Trinity Seven follows the life of Arata Kasuga after, you guessed it, his childhood friend is taken from him. But just before she meets an untimely demise, she gifts him a relic that he can use to 'reshape humanity'. In this particular case, that relic happens to be a grimoire which bestows incredible magic power unto him. How his childhood friend got that grimoire? Not a big deal. What is a big deal, however, is that Arata's new world is filled with a plethora of hot girls that are essentially lining up for him the moment he gets there. Instead of acting like any other anime protagonist would in this situation (IE: Not even realizing it's happening), Arata totally accepts it and borderline seduces these girls any chance he gets. Now, before you interpret that persona in the smuttier fashion, it is important to note that the driving force of Trinity Seven is comedy rather than ecchi stuff. Sure, the ecchi stuff is probably a close second, but you can't dismiss Trinity Seven as pure smut without seeing what else it has to offer.

Each of the girls in Arata's new school represents one of the seven deadly sins. I don't think they ever come out and say who is who but it's relatively easy to surmise and theorize for the most part. In addition to being personifications, these girls are instrumental in Arata's journey to save humanity from....something (The sun, I guess?) and bring his semi-girlfriend back to life. Each of them possesses a certain skill set that, through the power of his grimoire, he is able to learn at a surprisingly quick rate. Of course, it wouldn't be any fun having just twelve episodes of training, so things start going off the rails rather quickly when it is revealed that Arata is damn close to becoming some sort of demon.

At the end of the day, friendship prevails and we're left with plenty of room for a sequel that will probably never happen. I'm not really sure how this series fared in Japan but if it's anything close to how it was treated in the US, I think it's safe to say it may have been overlooked. You see, Trinity Seven sounds pretty bad and cliche on paper but, in all actuality, it's one of the most well-rounded harems I've seen. The soundtrack is tight, the characters (Despite being very archetypical) are all fun and interesting, the story is an actual story, and the protagonist is pretty damn awesome. For an ecchi comedy, Trinity Seven somehow manages to never feel like senseless sex-pandering and, instead, comes across simply as a damn fun time.

If you're into harems, magic, or both then I definitely recommend giving this series a shot. There really isn't any part of it that's inherently bad. That being said, don't expect anything to blow you away either. It's memorable and likeable enough to purchase but I can't imagine anyone ever citing it as their absolute favorite. With that in mind, I say give it a shot. If worse comes to worst you can just go back to watching Dragonball Z or whatever it is you do.

In Summary:

Trinity Seven sports a memorable character roster and one of the more interesting and entertaining harem protagonists out there. While the story may seem overly convoluted or nonsensical at times, the series possesses a lot more substance than others of the same genre and it's important to keep that in mind when evaluating it. Based on the sheer enjoyment I was able to leech from this series, I'd go ahead and say that it's pretty darn good. And for a studio as small and new as Seven Arcs, I'd also say this is a solid glimpse into the type of product we should be expecting from them. Both this series and the studio itself has immense potential for growth and, based on Trinity Seven alone, I'm excited to see what the future may hold.

Features:

English Dolby Digital 2.0 Audio, Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 Audio, English Subtitles, Textless Opening/Ending Songs, trailers from Sentai Filmworks.

Content Grade: B

Audio Grade: C-

Video Grade: C-

Packaging Grade: C

Menu Grade: C-

Extras Grade: C+

Released By: Sentai Filmworks

Release Date: August 16, 2016

MSRP: $59.98

Running Time: 300 Minutes

Video Encoding: 480i Anamorphic

Aspect Ratio: 16x9

Magical Girl Site Episode #06 Anime Review

Have a pleasant apocalypse.

What They Say:

Aya Asagiri lives a life of torture. Bullied by her peers and physically abused by her brother, she contemplates suicide as a means of escapism. One particularly harsh night, her laptop abruptly turns on and beckons her toward it. There, a website known simply as the 'Mahou Shoujo Site' offers her a chance to sculpt her own fate with the help of a stick that will grant her powers. But will something as simple as a magic wand truly be enough to save her from a life not worth living?

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

After everything had begun to crumble and fall apart following last week's episode (Please excuse the 5/10 destroyed-building joke), the entire world that our protagonists inhabit had begun to look even bleaker than normal. With their magic sticks lost in the wreckage of Yastumura's apartment and both girls in a slight coma, there's really nowhere to go but up. Luckily for everyone, that crazy girl who was introduced in the final moments of episode five is apparently one of the good guys. In fact, she's so good that she even heals the antagonist back to full health. Hooray! But what we're slowly beginning to uncover is that Shioi and Sarina (And now Nijimin?) might not be the true evil after all. This week's episode pokes holes into the site itself, shining a negative light on Nana and the other administrators (Yup. there are more of them now.) that persists all throughout this installment.

As it turns out, the new girl (Kosame Amagai) is actually a magical girl from a different region or prefecture. I believe they referred to it as a 'jurisdiction' in the series. That being said, Nana isn't the one who granted her her stick. Kosame's administrator is a lot less unsettling, appearing as a slightly more comical samurai-apparition rather than a terrifyingly disfigured young girl. The sticks for this specific jurisdiction seem to work a little differently as well. Not only are all of them easily concealable and made to look like normal accessories, but some of them are meant to be used to the magical girl herself. For example, Kosame's stick is a magical razorblade. It emits healing power but only after she cuts herself and feeds her blood to the party she wishes to heal. Yup. You read that correctly. This girl literally cuts herself open and pours her blood into other girls' mouths- and we're lucky enough to see her do it firsthand in this episode!

After Shioi, Yatsumura, and Aya are all healed up, Kosame goes on to explain a bit more about the Tempest. Her jurisdiction's girls were able to uncover, via another backdoor on the site, that the Tempest does not spell immediately death for everyone. There is a way that the girls can be saved. The bad part is that in order to be saved, they must present a fully charged magic stick to the site on the day of the Tempest itself. Now, this might seem all fine and well, but its a double-edged blade in the fact that in order to charge the stick, the girls must risk their lives and use it past its limit. They are essentially being forced into draining their life away in order to...save their lives.

If you think it seems like this isn't really going to work, then you're right. And based on what Kosame plans to do, you're not alone in this mindset. You see, Kosame thinks the best course of action is for all of the girls to band together and actually kidnap one of the site administrators in order to force more information out of them. I thought this might be a totally fine idea until we see Nana and two of the other admins literally annihilate several of the other magical girls like they're swatting flies out of the sky. Nana can literally shoot holes in people through finger guns. What kind of overpowered nonsense is that? At the end of the day, Shioi somehow turns into a good guy as Aya and friends decide to move forward against an equally active (And overly suspicious) administrative staff.

The only other thing really worth mentioning about this week's episode is that Nijimin apparently has a mega-crush on Aya's brother now. Great, now we get to see that guy again. Just when I thought he was beginning to phase out of the picture, too...

In Summary:

Without beating around the bush, this is probably the best episode of Mahou Shoujo Site thus far. I believe this is purposeful as well considering this is the only episode where they've skipped out on the opening theme. And as much as I hated missing out on that song, there really wasn't time to breathe during this addition to the series. The plot isn't just magical girl battle-royale anymore as the faces behind the actual Mahou Shoujo Site have begun to leak into the bigger picture. With a ticking clock counting down the last few days of their lives, Aya and company need to get themselves together or face an untimely demise.

Episode Grade: A-

Streamed By: Prime Video

Sakura Trick Complete Collection Blu-ray Review

Haruka and Yuu's lips aren't just sealed, they're lip-locked!

What They Say: 

Haruka and Yuu have been best friends forever and they've sat next to each other in class since junior high. But, on the first day of high school, the new seating plan has them separated!

So, since everyone knows that long distance relationships don't work unless the parties involved put extra effort into it, they decide they need to do something special to permanently seal their friendship. However, deciding to kiss each other awakens a whole new level of feelings, and it doesn't help that some of their classmates seem to be "involved" in similar circumstances.

What's a girl to do when her best friend suddenly seems more like a girlfriend? It's a life lesson that the school curriculum isn't normally prepared to teach, but our two young heroines are about to get a private education you'll never forget! Discover the truth about the birds and the... er… birds, as two young ladies learn to deal with the pros and cons of intramural osculation in SAKURA TRICK!

The Review: 

Audio:

Sound quality for the complete collection of Sakura Trick remains crystal-clear throughout with no noticeable interruptions or peaking. Audio levels remain equalized at all times and I can personally promise you that the kissing is so audible that it will feel like someone actually loves you. Both discs are brought to us in DTS-HD Master with only the Japanese dub available.

Video:

As someone who watched this show while it was airing, the blu-ray release's crisp video quality actually surpassed my expectations for the series. I never considered Sakura Trick  to be all that visually appealing (Apart from the making out) so seeing how defined this release was is still very impressive to me. Of course, it comes in 1080p HD and sports a normal 16x9 aspect ratio. The color levels are gorgeous and the entire series' simplistic art style really adds to its atmosphere.

Packaging:

There's nothing remarkable to report in the packaging department. Here we have a typical Sentai release with no slipcover, box, or anything fancy- just a bunch of adorable lesbians hanging out with one another on the front an overwhelmingly cutesy back cover. The layout on the rear portion of the case is actually one of the better designs I've seen in recent memory and I'm surprised that so much detail was able to fit into such a small space while still maintaining a level of simplicity. Once again, though, bonus points for the lesbians.

Menu: 

Sentai Filmworks isn't exactly known for their extravagant DVD/Blu-ray menus and, as expected, that reigns true here as well. Both discs in the complete collection follow the typical format of "Just pick your episode and get on with it." The original art that accompanies them is, of course, adorable but the lack of depth leaves yet another unmemorable selection-screen.

Special Features:

In terms of special features, there isn't really anything to write home about. Yes, we get the textless OP and ED songs and yes, the OP is fantastic, but there isn't really much else apart from a few trailers. If you're looking to check out previews for Wake Up Girls, Gourmet Girl Graffiti, Strawberry Marshmallow (OVA), and Tonari No Seki-Kun, though, you're in luck! Disc two has all of these trailers available for your viewing pleasure.

Content:

Oh man, where do I begin? For those of you that are unfamiliar with me, I love yuri. And even though I've started almost every single yuri review I've written with that disclaimer, I really need to force that one in this time. You see, Sakura Trick isn't like Citrus or NTR- it's on the pure side of the spectrum. The interesting thing about yuri as a genre is that you normally get one of two things: a hypersexualized make out-session or a pure, joyous trip to the park on a Sunday where two girls accidentally hold hands. Sakura Trick is both of these things. The end result? Well, let's just say that this series is so cute that it is actually vomit-inducing. Allow me to explain.

Sakura Trick follows a group of girls who had just finished with middle school and are looking to move on in life and love. The primary focus amongst this group, however, is the pairing of Haruka and Yuu. Haruka and Yuu have been friends for as long as they can remember. But when the evils of high school rear their ugly faces (Spoiler alert: They don't get to sit next to each other anymore), they realize that they need to do something in order to kill the distance growing between them. And what do they do, you ask? Well, you guessed it- they kiss. And then they kiss again. And then again and again and again for twelve whole episodes. If I had to take a guess about what percentage of this series is spent with these two making out, it would probably be around 25%. And you know what? Everything about it was fantastic. Despite the constant lip-locking, there isn't really any moment that feels hyper-sexual. It's just some good, old-fashioned girl-on-girl tongue wrestling. I'm not going to complain about that. Are you?

It isn't all just kissing, however. Sakura Trick also comes equipped with a plot just as simple as its art style. Haruka and Yuu, although clearly loving each other, try to keep their relationship a secret. And even though they're absolutely terrible at it, it does add the lovey-dovey factor in that often times they'll feel distant from one another only to come tumbling back into the other's arms an episode (Or half-episode) later. Eventually, all of the other girls start to get in on the lesbian thing too- some couples more so than others (Though none are particularly as open as Yuu and Haruka). So at the end of the day, we now have an adorable yuri kissing-fest filled with so many cherry blossoms that you will actually be blinded by purity.

Now, here's one more thing that I feel like most people want to hear. This is, by no means, the kind of show that you should watch with your friends. In fact, you shouldn't even tell anyone that you're watching this. That will just lead to them asking, "What's that?" and then you'll show them and they will never look at you the same way again. Sakura Trick ended my last relationship. Okay, that's a lie- but I'm sure this has been the case for at least one couple somewhere out there. The point is, this is something you should watch when you are alone and sad just so you can feel like there is some good in the world again. In fact, the world only sucks so much to begin with because it wasted all of its affection on creating Sakura Trick- one of the most adorable and endearing yuri series on the market. Hell, if the plot of the show was just a bit more interesting, this might even be a top anime overall for me.

Do you like cute girls? Watch Sakura Trick. Don't like cute girls? Watch Sakura Trick anyway. You will change your mind. I guarantee it.

In Summary:

It's hard to do justice to a series like this as its really something you need to experience firsthand. Sakura Trick won't blow you away with its story, its art, or even its characters- but the entire twelve-episode journey will give you that feeling of butterflies in your stomach that you haven't felt since giving up on life. It is so cute that it is actually infuriating and this is something you really don't get to see anymore. It's yuri being executed exactly the way it's supposed to be. Sakura Trick possesses an equal blend of innocence and intimacy that parallels the subconscious of anyone that still has a heart. It doesn't matter if you're looking for something different to watch or if you're a seasoned shoujo-ai fan, Sakura Trick is the perfect demonstration of how powerful the world of moe can be and is an essential watch for fans of the genre.

Features:

Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, English Subtitles, Textless Opening/Ending Songs, Trailers from Sentai Filmworks.

Content Grade: A-

Audio Grade: A-

Video Grade: A-

Packaging Grade: A-

Menu Grade: C

Extras Grade: C+

Released By: Sentai Filmworks

Release Date: September 13, 2016

MSRP: $59.98

Running Time: 300 Minutes

Video Encoding: 1080p High Definition

Aspect Ratio: 16x9