7 Seeds Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

7 Seeds Blu-ray Movie Review

7 Seeds: Part 1 includes the first half of the production. The series is an action-packed adventure-mystery science-fiction series exploring an apocalyptic vision of the future. The series is a Netflix production and was first available on the streaming platform. The series features animation by production company GONZO (Afro Samurai, Strike Witches). Created by Yumi Tamura, fans of complicated and ambitious science-fiction will want to consider checking out the series.

Can the human race survive to see a better future? Natsu Iwashimizu (Nao Tōyama) awakens next to complete strangers: Arashi Aota (Jun Fukuyama), Botan Saotome (Yoko Soumi), and Semimaru Asai (Katsuyuki Konishi). A secret “7SEEDS” plan is revealed and the strangers face new challenges as a mission to survive goes underwaty in a jungle terrain surrounding the strangers with giant bugs, dangerous plants, and other otherworldly obstacles. Is humanity on the brink of total disaster? Impending doom led to the project and now its participants must fight to stay alive.

The series relies on having a big ensemble cast of characters and this is a core reason behind the success of the program. The production does have a big group of unique protagonists and audiences will find a character to relate to. The journey of these characters is one filled with obstacles to overcome and the adventure pushes the story forward.

The character designs by Youko Satou (Saiyuki Reload Blast, Dog & Scissors) are effective at providing the animated series with a more compelling backdrop. Each of these central leading characters has a unique design aesthetic. The animators certainly work well with the material designed by Sato and ultimately this makes the program more compelling. These designs are certainly key to the series successfully crafting a group of compelling leads.

The animation is one of the most compelling elements of the series. While it isn’t the best-looking series around the art style is nonetheless distinct and creative. The series features art direction by Yusuke Ikeda (Chronos Ruler, The Orbital Children). The team of animators involved on the series provide an impressive level of dedication to the production and to the aims of the storytellers. The art style is something compelling in that it reflects the gritty nature of the series and its science-fiction elements.

The cinematography by Shigeki Asakawa (Attack on Titan: The Final Season, Samurai Girls) is bright and bold. The artistic sensibilities of the cinematography highlight the colorful and ambitious elements of production. Asakawa has a solid understanding of the visual nature of the series and explores it with aplomb dedication.

The score by MICHIRU (Ascendance of a Bookworm, Mitsuboshi Colors) is one of the best components of the anime. The score is inspired and does a solid job of expanding the storytelling with a solid backdrop provided for the characters on their adventures. The music certainly provides a strong foundation for exploring the series and its science-fiction attributes.

Written by Touko Machida (Is This a Zombie?, A Centaur's Life), 7 Seeds: Part 1 is far from a perfect production. The writing could be much more engaging and organic but instead dialogue is often an underwhelming component. The concept of the series is impressive but the dialogue of Machida certainly could have been improved at times. Nonetheless, the writer has fun with the wild ideas explored on the series.

Directed by Yukio Takahashi (The Prince of Tennis, Dog & Scissors), 7 Seeds: Part 1 brings together the first section of the production. The saga is ambitious and director Takahashi has a lot of goals for the program. The series is a blend of action, adventure, drama, mystery, and science-fiction. Thus the production has plenty of genre roots to keep audiences entertained. Takahashi has fun with the storytelling universe and provides a unique visual eye for the animation.

7 Seeds Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks, 7 Seeds: Part 1 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original streaming aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The release has a strong presentation with solid color reproduction. The video quality is excellent outside of some banding. Compression could have been a bit better but the end result is still certainly watchable and is serviceable. The animation is well preserved.

7 Seeds Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles). The audio quality on the release is certainly worthwhile. The soundtrack is well preserved and the score is well highlighted on the set. Dialogue remains clear and crisp. Even as a stereo audio soundtrack, the audio sounds engaging.

7 Seeds Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Clean Opening Animation (HD, 1:32)

Clean Closing Animation (HD, 1:32)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Sentai Filmworks: Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? II (HD, 1:31), Akame ga Kill! (HD, 1:31), Beyond the Boundary (HD, 1:31), and Revue Starlight (HD, 1:33).

7 Seeds Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

7 Seeds: Part 1 comprises the first half of the action-packed science-fiction animated series. The series is ambitious and has a big concept. The production has some interesting animation and some creativity on display. Writer Touko Machida (Is This a Zombie?) has fun with the science-fiction elements in the story while exploring the key cast of characters on the program. Director Yukio Takahashi (The Prince of Tennis) has fun with the production concept and provides some exciting adventure.

The Blu-ray release has a good video and audio presentation and a selection of extras. The release could have used some more expansive behind- the-scenes but at least the presentation quality is engaging. Fans of the Netflix streaming series who want to own a copy of the show will find this to be a worthwhile release. Recommended.