The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess is a supernatural action-comedy. The anime features animation production by project No.9 (High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even In Another World, Shironeko Project: Zero Chronicle). Created by Kotei Kobayashi, The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess features original character designs by Riichu. Distributed by Sentai Filmworks in North America, the release arrives on physical media with a two-disc collection.

Produced by Akihiko Okada (Restaurant to Another World, Wish Upon the Pleiades), Genta Ozaki (Late Night! The Genius Bakabon, Mission: Yozakura Family), Hiroyasu Oyama (Joran: The Princess of Snow and Blood, A Nobody's Way Up to an Exploration Hero), Kazuhiro Kanemitsu (Izetta: The Last Witch, Tokyo Ravens), Kazuki Matsumoto (Goblin Slayer II, The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten), Kentarō Hattori (A Certain Scientific Railgun T, Seraph of the End: Battle in Nagoya), Misuzu Kinashi (Scar on the Praeter), Mitsuhiro Ogata (Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious, Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World), Norio Fukui (Giant Beasts of Ars, Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle), and Takuji Wada (The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior, Villainess Level 99). The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess features voice-performances by Tomori Kusunoki and Sayumi Suzushiro. Fans of offbeat anime series with a horror-bent will want to consider looking into the odd charms of The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess.

Terakomari Gandesblood (Tomori Kusunoki) is no ordinary vampire. Being a vampire has its downsides and Gandesblood knows more about these things than the average vampire does. For one thing, the experience of being a vampire isn’t satisfying to her – she doesn’t enjoy the taste of blood, she lacks magical abilities, and she doesn’t want to even get out of bed. There’s not a lot of fun in the world of vampirism for her and as a result the experience can be a bit dull. In other words, sometimes it sucks to be a vampire. As a result of her vampire lineage, Terakomari Gandesblood is expected to be a leader to other vampires. Terakomari Gandesblood is placed in charge of an entire army. Can Terakomari lead the way with the help of her close friend and maid Villhaze (Sayumi Suzushiro)?

Terakomari Gandesblood makes for a compelling lead character for the horror-anime. The concept of the character being a sort-of reluctant vampire who doesn’t enjoy the duties or life of a regular old-fashioned vampire is something that brings out the quirkiness in the vampire and her duties. The character elements showcase the zaniness of the vampire and her existence. Not only does Terakomari Gandesblood struggle with being a vampire but she doesn’t enjoy her reluctant role as a leader due to heritage. The role as a leader to others is sometimes overwhelming and something that she doesn’t quite grasp a hold of.

The character designs by Tomoyuki Shitaya (Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout, Food Wars! The Second Plate) are an impressive part of the production. The character designs add some charm to the production. The style of the character art is certainly enhanced by the series designs – designs that emphasis the quirky comedy aspect of the anime. The end result works well for the production.

The animation is one of the strengths of the production. The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess is a well-animated series. The art style is one of the distinct qualities of the series. The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess features art direction by Lin Ge (My Stepmom's Daughter Is My Ex, My Tiny Senpai). An effective effort by the team of animators. The animation team showcases both the gothic undercurrents as well as the comedy aspects and these stylistic elements ebb and flow together to create the final style of the series.

The cinematography by Tomoya Kamijō (The Asterisk War: The Academy City on the Water, Monster Hunter Stories RIDE ON) is an effective part of the production. The cinematography is crisp and also colorful. The vibrant aesthetic is something that works well for the vampire-comedy and it isn’t as brooding or dark as one would find on a more serious or gothic horror undertaking.

The score composed by Gō Shiina (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Juni Taisen: Zodiac War) is a solid addition to the series. The music adds to the series sense of style. Composer Shiina is a talented and effective composer with good credits to their name. The music for The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess works well as background music and adds to the vampire-style.

Written by Keiichirō Ōchi (The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses, The Demon Girl Next Door), The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess is going to appeal more to comedy fans looking for a decidedly offbeat production. The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess is not a standard cookie-cutter vampire series in the sense that it is not just about brooding vampires seeking victims – it’s about the journey of the protagonist and their unexpected role.

Directed by Tatsuma Minamikawa (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind, The Testament of Sister New Devil), The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess is a worthwhile effort for genre fans seeking some different action-comedy fun. The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess might not be a total slam dunk, but there is enough merit to the series for anime fans to check it out. The series might just actually win over some fans.

The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Sentai Filmworks, The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The series presentation is crisp, colorful, and enormously engaging. The animation for the series is superb. There is much to appreciate about the bold colors and the vibrancy on display with the series art. The cinematography is well reproduced and it the encoding capably handles presenting these details.

One of the best things about the Blu-ray disc format is the video encoding quality and how it stacks up when compared to streaming video services. Blu-ray disc can provide a superior video experience for enthusiasts seeking the best possible presentation quality. The presentation offers some modest and notable advantages. For enthusiasts and home theater aficionados seeking the best possible video to experience the series with, the format rewards fans and collectors alike.

The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). The release provides solid sound direction by Tsuyoshi Takahashi (Ikki Tousen, The Testament of Sister New Devil). The lossless audio encoding on the release is well-done and the presentation provides fine detail and clarity on the release. The audio has something special to offer enthusiasts – dialogue is well reproduced and there is plenty of finesse in encoding.

The Blu-ray release benefits a great deal by providing lossless audio encoding. One of the foundational aspects of the format is the lossless audio. The high-resolution audio gains provided help showcase a more detailed and crisper audio experience. Both audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts will be appreciative of the increase in resolution. Higher bit-rates can yield a more pleasing encoding.

The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes in a standard Blu-ray case. The release does not include an o-card slipcover. The set doesn't provide any collectables or bonus pack-ins. These kinds of bonuses might have added some notable collectability for the release that is unfortunately missing from the standard case edition.

On disc supplements include:

Clean Opening Animation (HD, 1:32)

Clean Closing Animation (HD, 1:30)

Unfortunately, the release has a lackluster supplemental package. The release could have been more well-rounded with a better supplemental package. The release could have benefited from including audio commentaries, making-of featurettes, behind-the-scenes interviews, cast/crew interviews, production galleries, art galleries, photo galleries, and more. Alas, the lackluster extras don't add anything of significant value to the release. Fans weighing the pros and cons of consider to make a purchase may opt to stream instead as a one-time watch due to the lackluster supplements. It is always something fans will have to consider when making purchase decisions.

The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess is a decent vampire-anime series with some spooky aspects for audiences. Fans of quirky and offbeat vampire comedies will find something of value with the series. The Blu-ray release provides a excellent high-definition presentation and lossless audio encoding. The release also includes clean opening and ending animations as a bonus. Fans of the series might be interested in a purchase for their permanent collection and may wish to consider the somewhat average supplemental package in their considerations. Recommended.