Onipan!: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Onipan!: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Onipan! is a cute animated comedy with some genre elements tossed in to the equation. Based on the original concept by Norihiro Naganuma, the series offers a bright and colorful blend of animation. The series features a theme song performed by Kokona Nonaka, Mika Negishi, and Yume Nozaki (as OniPanzu!) and features animation produced by Wit Studio (Attack on Titan, Vinland Saga). A compelling visual style that will appeal to fans of cute and vibrant anime series.

Tsuyukusa (Kokona Nonaka), Himawari (Mika Negishi), and Tsutsuji (Yume Nozaki) are three Oni who become part of the human world in order to try and win over the hearts and minds of ordinary human beings and ease tensions between demons and humankind. The Oni are on a big mission with their new travels and plenty is at stake. Can the Oni manage to win over the ordinary girls and become part of the club?

The Oni are full of energy and even manage to work some magic with Oni-Pants that allow for the demons to be more fashionable – with nice looking shorts – and also grant them special super abilities channeling their powers. Can the girls succeed at their mission and make things better between the Oni and people? These Oni are determined to make the world a better place and will do whatever they can while wearing their fashionable tiger-striped short shorts. The stage is set for adventure!

The animation is one of the most rewarding elements of the production. The series benefits a great deal from impressive art. The series highlights superb art direction by Shunsuke Suzuki (Yuruyuri - Happy Go Lily, DearS) and chief animation direction by Ryuuta Yanagi  (Zombie Land Saga, Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us). Yanagi also plays another vital role in handling the character designs for the series. With exceptionally talented animators and chief behind-the-scenes animation directors, the series is something beautiful to behold. The animation style is exquisite and a core reason for the series being charming.

The cinematography by Shinji Tonsho (Saga of Tanya the Evil, FLCL Alternative) is a key highlight of the series as well. Tonsho helped to make the series a more vibrant and colorful creation. The animation stands out in a wonderful way through the expert cinematography contributed to the production. Outstanding visuals – the cinematography enhances every component of the animation and is a wondrous thing to behold.

The score composed by Yasuhiro Misawa (Himouto! Umaru-chan, Yuruyuri - Happy Go Lily) is a fun and delightful part of the equation. The music is an important piece of the puzzle. The score provides the series with a fun and charming backdrop – a wonderful accompaniment to the series style.

Written by Takashi Aoshima (If Her Flag Breaks, The Troubled Life of Miss Kotoura), Onipan! is a series with a fun concept. This is certainly one of the things that stands out about the series. The concept excels. The idea of the Oni embarking on a mission to alleviate tensions between human beings alongside demon Oni is a compelling one. The idea helps the series to find some more fun and compelling elements.

Directed by Masahiko Ohta (Brighter than the Dawning Blue, The Troubled Life of Miss Kotoura), Onipan! is a visually rewarding production. There is a lot to appreciate about the series and what it has to offer visually. Much of this visual quality is achieved because of the work of director Ohta. This makes the production stand out as a more colorful and robust program for anime fans looking for something viewers might describe as cute. A good effort at finding this tone.

Onipan!: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks, Onipan! is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The series has crisp, colorful, and vibrant animation. The aesthetic of the production is top- notch. The encoding on the release is superb as well. The encode capably handles the animation style and helps it to look both smooth and crisp at the same time. The video quality is certainly satisfying for those looking for a pleasing presentation highlighting the colorful animation.

Onipan!: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The audio on the release is presented in Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). The series sounds crisp, clear, and engaging on the release. Dialogue is well reproduced. The sound design from sound director Yasunori Ebina (Naruto, A Certain Magical Index) makes an impressive mark.

A noteworthy lossless audio mix for the release. The only potential drawback to the release is the lack of an English dubbed version. Fans of English dubs may walk away feeling a little disappointed in that arena. However, purists seeking the original language audio will be pleased with the results.

Onipan!: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Japanese Promo (HD, 1:14)

Clean Closing Animations (HD, 3:04)

Onipan!: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Onipan! is a cute and colorful anime with a vibrant aesthetic. Fans of brightly colored and imaginative animated works will find there is something to appreciate about the series. The series certainly benefits from its visual style. The Blu-ray release features a strong video and audio presentation. Recommended.