Mr. Osomatsu: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Mr. Osomatsu: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

The return of the Matsuno brothers.

Mr. Osomatsu returns with more comic mischief. The anime series adapts the original work of creator Fujio Akatsuka. Streamed on the Crunchyroll platform, Mr. Osomatsu was licensed for home media release by VIZ Media in North America. The animation is produced by Pierrot (Yu Yu Hakusho, Kimagure Orange Road).

A lazy day of mischievous fun is in the cards again for Osomatsu (Takahiro Sakurai). Taking charge over his brothers Todomatsu (Miyu Irino), Jushimatsu (Daisuke Ono), Ichimatsu (Jun Fukuyama), Choromatsu (Hiroshi Kamiya), and Karamatsu (Yuichi Nakamura), the eldest brother Osomatsu manages to excel at having fun (in all the wrong ways). The sextuplet brothers are back with a vengeance.

Unlike most hardworking citizens living in Japan, the Matsuno brothers don't have as strong of a work ethic. The brothers would rather spend their time hanging out and goofing off than being productive citizens. The laziness of the brothers translates into trouble for the entire family – with the brothers finding themselves in unexpected scenarios time and time again. Can the Matsuno family survive imminent chaos?

The second season of Mr. Osomatsu continues to demonstrate an exceptional animation style. The series has a wonderful visual aesthetic throughout the program. The animation on the second season is ushered in from art director Seiki Tamura (Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya). The art is fantastic – showcasing the efforts of the team of animators throughout the production. The quality of the artistry is apparent from the get-go: background animation showing the detail the animators invested in to the production.

Mr. Osomatsu benefits from superb character designs by Naoyuki Asano (Magical Circle Guru-Guru, Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!). The designs fit the central characters well and manage to imbue a sense of creative energy into the production. The design for the Matsuno brothers are especially important and make a solid impression. The results are a perfect DNA match for the series.

"Renewed!"

The cinematography by Toru Fukushi (Fullmetal Alchemist, Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone) is exquisitely realized. The animation is bright and colorful. The animation shines through: a testament to the cinematographer and the careful use of lighting on the production. The production never struggles to convey the visual cues of the animators and Fukushi delivers on the experimental style the comedy series demands.

For a comedy series, Mr. Osomatsu continues to showcase a nice energy and enthusiasm which was necessary for the production. Though not strictly an action series, Mr. Osomatsu showcases the animators understanding of physical comedy and the importance behind translating such comedic antics within the world of animation. The animators showcase the energy of the central characters – the Matsuno brothers – effectively. The series plays around with action tropes: providing Mr. Osomatsu with noteworthy stylistic flourishes.

The original music makes the experience of Mr. Osomatsu all the more charming. The music score composed by Yukari Hashimoto (Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Tada Never Falls in Love) shines. Hashimoto has fun with the series concept and delivers music that fits the comedy tone in spades: enhancing (rather than detracting) from the experience. The score fits the bill.

Mr. Osomatsu is written by Shu Matsubara (Mori no Ongaku-dan, ClassicaLoid). Matsubara has enormous enthusiasm for the material. Though the anime series diverts from the original manga, adapting the concept, the core ideals of the series are still intact. Matsubara plays with the core storyline: changing up the ages of the cast of characters to explore the production in new areas. Nonetheless, the storytelling core remains rooted in comedy and the misadventures of the Matsuno brothers.

Directed by Yoichi Fujita (Good Luck Girl!, Gintama), Mr. Osomatsu is an entertaining program. The production manages to provide traditional comedy staples and parody elements. Fujita makes this an engaging anime: the sense of creativity is abundant. Mr. Osomatsu is a series that simply won't slow down. Fans of high-energy comedy series will want to explore the series. The second season builds upon the first season and fans of the first season will want to continue the journey.

Mr. Osomatsu: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from VIZ Media, Mr. Osomatsu is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The series looks beautiful in high-definition. The animation shines through with great background art and superb character designs. The encoding is impressive and showcases the animation well. A colorful anime production, VIZ did well with the release.

Mr. Osomatsu: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of audio options: the original Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles) and English DTS- HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo. The lossless, high resolution audio sounds impressive on the Blu-ray release. Dialogue remains crisp throughout. Everything from the original music to the sound effects is well integrated in to the experience.

Mr. Osomatsu: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc 1:

1. Announcement (HD, 5:53)

2. Totoko the Abalone Diver (HD, 1:48)

3. Bath House Quiz 2 (HD, 1:46)

More from VIZ (HD, 3:17)

Disc 2:

4. Osomatsu Broke His Bone (HD, 3:26)

5. After All That (HD, 5:30)

6. Anime Fan Appreciation Day (HD, 6:40)

More from VIZ (HD, 3:17)

Disc 3:

More from VIZ (HD, 3:17)

Mr. Osomatsu: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mr. Osomatsu returns with more comedy mayhem. The series has enormous fun with the concept and explores the misadventures of the Matsuno brothers once more. The production is a genre mashup in some regards (and excels as a parody of other properties as well). The second season has excellent animation. The Blu-ray release from VIZ Media features a strong video-audio presentation and a worthwhile selection of bonus features (rounding out the release). Recommended.