Anime Review Roundup

Stuart McLean has embarked on an adventure almost as epic as the legendary story of Journey to the West, itself the original inspiration for Dragon Ball. For Stuart is reviewing Dragon Ball Z - The 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set. This month you get the review of season 1 of 9. It’s a big, big boxset with hundreds and hundreds of episodes, and it’s going to take a lot of time. I reviewed Dragon Ball Z when it was originally released here on DVD, and I had my problems with it, but this is such an iconic series that its thirtieth anniversary release couldn’t go unmarked. Step in Stuart McLean to experience the adventures of Son Goku for the first time. It’s also the first time the show has been released on Blu-ray in the UK, and in the original aspect ratio. Click on the review to get stuck in.

It really is a week of re-releases and double-dips, as next up came One Punch Man Collection 1. This was originally released here by Kazé back in 2017, but Kazé discs come with a bunch of problems, not least of which is the size of the print run. To get the show back on shelves, Manga Entertainment have sourced new masters from Viz and you can see how the new release stacks up against the original by clicking on my review. It’s still the same, fantastic superhero comedy though, so if you’ve missed out thus far, you now have a chance to discover the delights of Saitama and his one punch.

This is one of the most retina destroying series out there. The visuals of No Game, No Life on DVD melted my eyeballs. The SD format just couldn’t do the show justice. I’ve now taken a look at the Australian Blu-ray, and it still melts my eyeballs, but I don’t feel so bad about it. It’s another isekai show, characters lost in a fantasy world, but this one transcends its genre somewhat by crafting its story around gaming. If you’ve only seen this show in standard definition, then you’ve really never seen No Game, No Life.

Negima Spring and Summer OVAs. This is an odd show. There were two Negima anime series that made it to the West, differentiated by a question mark. The first, Negima! was made by Xebec, and it didn’t meet with creator Ken Akamatsu’s approval. The studio took it in the same direction as Love Hina, and focused on the harem comedy, ditching most of the plot, and in the manga, the story is really good. The second series, Negima!? was made by Studio SHAFT, and it also dispensed with the story, and went in a completely weird direction. It’s an early show helmed by Akiyuki Simbo of Monogatari and Madoka Magica fame, and if you’re obsessed with the Chupacabra, check it out. The Spring and Summer OVAs were made in the hiatus between the series, from SHAFT and directed by Simbo, but which play out as following on directly from the Xebec series narrative. When it comes down to it, they are typical OVAs, a beach episode and a communal baths episode. It’s all about harem antics and fan service, but when you come down to it, the SHAFT style and Simbo’s direction leads to the most uninspiring, sexless fan service you can see in an anime, and it’s no surprise that it was toned down completely in Negima!?