Gakuen Basara - Samurai High School: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Gakuen Basara - Samurai High School: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

A comedic spin on a video-game franchise

Based upon the bestselling video-game series created by CAPCOM, Gakuen Basara: Samurai High School is an action-packed adrenaline rush of testosterone with plenty of strength to be found with every flex of a muscle. The series is a downright silly adaptation and spin-off of the popular anime series Sengoku Basara. Produced by the popular animation studio Brain's Base (Natsume's Book of Friends, Demon Prince Enma), comedic hijinks ensue as the characters are no longer living in medieval times and are instead battling it out... on school grounds!

Gakuen Basara: Samurai High School is without-a-doubt the comedic spin on a previously “serious” anime and the entire production is in a similar mold to other such anime sequels and reboots (take for example, a comparison of the serious Full Metal Panic! to it's comedic counterpart Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu). As the storyline unfolds, the samurai high school and its students find new challenges lay ahead when the student president takes a turn towards stupidity when he causes an unconventional rivalry with a school faction opposing the samurai school. Former student-body leader Toyotomi receives a full suspension that can't be overturned and it's up to his classmates to barrel through the chaos left behind. Who will become the new leader of the student government?

As the anime series progresses with comedy aplomb, the storyline unfolds episode-to-episode as the overarching plotline focuses on the election of a new student government leader. Will the new pres be the captain of the school's baseball team (the ever-vigilant Masamunme Date) or the star player of the soccer field, Yukimura Sanada? Principal Nobunaga is around for the competition while students like Mitsunari Ishida and Leyasu Tokugawa also remain involved in the student-government. Will a capable president be elected for the school body or will it be the end of times for this samurai high school?

Having reviewed the original anime series production (Sengoku Basara) when it was released several years ago, I was seriously struck by how the adaptation upped the action quotient on display while forgetting to even find a moment to laugh or chuckle at itself. Though the series had some nice sequences of action-packed excitement, it wasn't the most humorous or charming series. This production remedies some of those issues as a comedic reboot with the same core characters.

"Who wants to play dodgeball?"

The high-school take on the CAPCOM game is significantly more entertaining as a result of the retooled format. The characters are given a chance to shine. There is much more energy to the story even considering the samurai element is kept to a bare minimum this go around. (Though blades do eventually swing on the show, it's mostly a samurai anime in name only this time.)

The production keeps to the same visual aesthetic of the original series while utilizing character designs by Haruhito Takada (Hunter x Hunter: Phantom Rouge, Kaiji). Each of the core characters has a clear and distinctive look with the stand-out characters being Masamunme Date and Yukimura Sanada. Its interesting how the formula switch-up has made such an impact. Though the series looks like it is a sequel, Gakuen Basara: Samurai High School feels renewed.

Naoki Aisaka (Naruto Shippūden, Hoop Days) capably handles animation direction duties and its clear that the animators involved in the production have invested their time and energy into making this an entertaining program. From the background artwork to the action-sequences, the animation seems crisp, detailed, and invigorating. Matching the visual aesthetic is a energetic score by Akiyuki Tateyama (Sword Dynasty, Soul Buster).

While Gakuen Basara: Samurai High School is no instant-classic, the series is full of entertaining episodes and some undeniable charm. It's worth a look for fans of anime series which mix comedy with action-adventure in good measure. Directed by Minoru Ohara (Lupin III: Episode 0 – First Contact, Glass Fleet) from the episodic screenplays by Kouji Miura (Hamtaro, Dinosaur King), fans of the original Sengoku Basara anime will find the new series to be a nice twist on the original concept and newcomers will find it to work even without being accustomed to the original. The comedic version is a clear improvement over what came before and while the series is ultimately far from being a perfect experience, Gakuen Basara: Samurai High School has a fun concept that is simply hard to ignore. Worth a watch.

Gakuen Basara - Samurai High School: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks, Gakuen Basara: Samurai High School features a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original 1.78:1 widescreen. The series is enormously pleasant to watch with the lush high-def visuals increasing the quality of the viewing experience. Colors are punchy without ever being over-the-top while the animation is reasonably detailed. The image is a tad soft from time to time and is perhaps a notch below perfection but it ultimately excels as a worthwhile presentation. Shadow details are never obscured and black levels throughout the program are sufficient. This is a consistent picture-quality presentation that preserves the aesthetic with ease.

Gakuen Basara - Samurai High School: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a standalone audio presentation option: Japanese 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio. The track includes non-removable English subtitles (in order to prevent reverse importation from Japan). I found the audio clarity to be pleasurable throughout the presentation. Dialogue was consistently clear and highly detailed. The track has some compelling sound effects for the action-sequences and there is moderate gusto to the sound-field. While it's a bit unfortunate that no English dub option is provided, it shouldn't deter fans from experiencing the series with this high-quality lossless audio presentation.

Gakuen Basara - Samurai High School: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Japanese Promos (HD, 3:41) showcase the series characters and promote the debut of the program on television.

Clean Opening Animation (HD, 1:32)

Clean Closing Animation (HD, 1:32)

The release also includes trailers for other releases available from distributor Sentai Filmworks: Seven Senses of the Reunion (HD, 1:32), Seitokai Yakuindomo (HD, 1:18), Haikyu!! 3^rd Season (HD, 1:34), and Tsurune (HD, 1:33).

Gakuen Basara - Samurai High School: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While Gakuen Basara: Samurai High School isn't a classic by any stretch of the imagination, the anime provides fans with a comedic diversion that follows in the footsteps of the CAPCOM adaptation Sengoku Basara. In my estimation, the new comedic take is a much more entertaining and engaging series than the original. Though it's a bit disappointing that the release has Japanese audio only (with no English dub option), the Blu-ray release features an impressive audio-video presentation and is worth a pick-up for fans. Recommended.