Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle is an action-packed anime series with a sex-romp element at play. The production is based on the original work of creator Senri Akatsuki. Featuring animation produced by studio Lerche (Radiant, Unbreakable Machine- Doll), Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle is a silly and decidedly over-the-top production. The anime was originally broadcast on Tokyo MX. The series was licensed for North America distribution by Sentai Filmworks.

Lux Arcadia (Mutsumi Tamura) is the prince of the esteemed Arcadia Empire. Despite Lux’s privileged role within the Empire, Lux finds more trouble than he ever imagined when he accidentally spots newfound Princess Lisesharte Atismata (Lynn) seductively bathing herself in her royal bathhouse. An opportunity for potential nosebleeds has arrived – and that is only the start of the newfound trouble.

Yet Lux soon finds himself in the midst of a challenging battle involving otherworldly mechanical dragons (engaged in fights referred to as the Drag Rides). Monster battles and epic sexcapades ensue, with both royal families put to the test. Can Lux survive to see Princess Lisesharte Atismata nude once more? As school days and dragon battles entwine, more girls and blitz awaits.

The characters on Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle feel uninspired. There isn’t much to make these characters feel distinct or memorable. Instead, the core cast seems to simply drawn on a myriad showcase of traditional anime roles without giving the characters more distinct personalities. Nonetheless, the characters suit the genre and are more-or-less what one might expect (bare minimum) from this type of anime. The roles are fairly straightforward: aloof boy and sex-goddess girls.

The animation on Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle is decent enough and seems to be about on par with many other similar productions done in the same anime genre. Under the animation direction of Keiko Kurosawa (Assassination Classroom, Astra Lost in Space) and Mayuka Itou (Hakumei and Mikochi, Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun), Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle is a reasonably well-animated series with solid art designs. The background art is reasonably engaging and makes the scope of the series seem a little more interesting.

The art direction by Kuniaki Nemoto (Futakoi Alternative, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid) helps the series seem better than the concept achieves alone. The animation showcases some compelling art designs and Nemoto manages to highlight the monster battles. The character designs are based on original designs by Ayumu Kasuga. The character designs by Keiko Kurosawa (Konohana Kitan, Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School: Hope Arc) aren’t that memorable but nonetheless seem decent-enough and well suited to the style of the series and the aesthetic the animators wanted to achieve with the production.

The cinematography by Naoki Serizawa (School-Live!, Konohana Kitan) is underwhelming and not as distinct as one might hope to find. The series has a somewhat average looking use of lighting and it doesn’t seem to shift much in any direction (highlighting some compelling visuals for the program). Nonetheless, the cinematography capably showcases the animation and that is one element that is effective enough.

The originsl score composed by Akito Matsuda (Holmes of Kyoto, Sound! Euphonium) was decent and seems better than expected for the production. The score fits the action scenes and also makes the character moments seem a bit more compelling. While not a home run, the score seems to fit the production.

Written by Yuuko Kakihara (Heaven's Lost Property, Unbreakable Machine-Doll), Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle is less compelling than some other anime series in a similar genre and style because it isn’t something that tells a particularly interesting story. The concept and execution both leave something to be desired. The ideas behind the series simply seem average and aren’t particularly inventive. If one has seen any episodes of Heaven’s Lost Property before, one has an idea of what to expect from Kakihara and his style of storytelling.

Directed by Masaomi Andō (Astra Lost in Space, Mini Hama: Minimum Hamatora), Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle isn’t a total misfire but it also isn’t as unique as it wishes to be. The action sequences are reasonably engaging and are one of the decent components of the production. Yet the core execution is average and doesn’t simply pack as many creative punches as one might hope for. The series doesn’t find a perfect tonal balance nor does it draw one in to the world of the anime with total ease. Even so, there are certainly worse anime series out there, and some viewers might consider it worth a look.

Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks, Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The presentation is solid and does a good job of showcasing the efforts of the team of animators involved on the production. The encoding is solid and capably handles the action sequences. The color reproduction also handles the art style nicely. The cinematography is somewhat uninspired looking on the series and not as inventive as expected but the encoding handles the animation well nonetheless.

Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles). The release does not include an English dubbed option and dub fans will need to stick with the original Japanese audio selection. The lack of an English audio option is certainly something that English dub fans will find to be disappointing. There is certainly good reason for some anime fans to feel disappointed by the lack of a produced dub. Nonetheless, the original audio track is crisp, clear, and engaging sounding. Dialogue is well reproduced and integrated in to the sound mix. The presentation capably hands the soundstage and the music is well integrated in to the encode.

Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Clean Opening Animation (HD, 1:32)

Clean Closing Animations (HD, 7:46)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Sentai Filmworks: Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya: Vow in the Snow (HD, 1:06), Revue Starlight (HD, 1:33), Z/X Code Reunion (HD, 1:33), and Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? II (HD, 1:31).

Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle is an average action-anime series. The series has a decent approach to the genre but it also doesn't seem terribly inspired. The effort seems average-at-best and there isn't much to make the series stand out from the crowded sea of other anime series. Nonetheless, the presentation by Sentai Filmworks is excellent and showcases solid video and audio. Fans of the production will find it a worthwhile release to add to their growing anime collections. Other audiences might wish to check it out first before buying.