86: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

86: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie Review

86 (Eighty-Six) is a dystopian political-drama. Created by Asato Asato, 86 (Eighty- Six) features character designs by Shirabii. 86 (Eighty-Six) features theme song performances by Hitorie (opening) and Hiroyuki Sawano (ending). 86 (Eighty-Six) highlights animation production by A-1 Pictures (anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, Blue Exorcist). Featuring the voice-work of Shōya Chiba and Ikumi Hasegawa, 86 (Eighty-Six) will appeal to fans of science-fiction dystopian anime.

The 86^th district is considered as a non-district in the eyes of some in the Republic. The 86ers are looked down upon as less human and less important than other peers in other districts in the San Magnolia Republic. Despite the poor treatment of those involved in the 86^th district, the young warriors still continue to fight for the future of tomorrow. Juggernaut drones go up against Legion drones. Shinei Nōzen (Shōya Chiba) will do whatever he can do in order to lead the 86ers Spearhead Squadron for a better future – if everyone can survive the war ahead.

The character designs by Tetsuya Kawakami (The Asterisk War: The Academy City on the Water, Nanana's Buried Treasure) are well-done. Kawakami provided worthwhile character designs. A remarkable design effort, the designs by Kawakami aided the production with good detail and production merit – enhancing the aesthetic of the main cast of characters. Highlighting the main characters visual styles, the designs fit the genre roots well and also feel modern for a political-drama.

The animation features solid art direction by Masanobu Nomura (Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, Girls Band Cry) and Yumi Horikoshi (Fire Force, Sōkyū no Fafner Behind the Line). 86 (Eighty-Six) also has impressive chief animation direction by Mio Inoguchi (Blend S, Black Butler: Public School Arc) and Tetsuya Kawakami (The Asterisk War: The Academy City on the Water, A Certain Magical Index). Impressive background art and landscapes make the series look compelling visually. The art style explored by the animation team is something that makes the series a bit more interesting from an animation standpoint and the animators certainly brought something compelling to the table with the action and mecha elements – the drones and designs playing a nice role in the series style. Fans who appreciate dystopian anime will appreciate these aesthetic aspects about the series and what it can manage to bring to the table.

The cinematography by Masaharu Okazaki (Space Brothers, Blue Exorcist) is one of the most compelling elements of the series. The cinematography is sleek, bright, and colorful. The beautifully vivid looking animated landscape is an impressive part of the production. One thing I find particularly interesting is that the dystopian element of the series is reflected without taking away a somewhat more vibrant aesthetic quality that one might not expect to find in the genre itself. These genre aspects are still reflected without being the one tonal element on display in the cinematography. The bright colors and visual sensibilities can surprise but still manage to make a solid impression for the production.

The score composed by Hiroyuki Sawano (Attack on Titan, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress) and Kohta Yamamoto (Dark Gathering, The Girl in Twilight) is engaging fun. The music is one of the qualities audiences will find some engaging. The score by Sawano and Yamamoto is well-done. Sawano is especially essential as a composer with the legendary Attack on Titan on the resume, one can’t help but be impressed by the grand scale of the music and what it brings to the table. The score is an essential undercurrent of the action and the grandiose themes are important for the storytelling.

Written by Toshiya Ono (Blue Exorcist: Beyond the Snow Saga, Land of the Lustrous), 86 (Eighty-Six) is not a perfect concept but it is a decent one that provides some engaging entertainment for dystopia fans. Fans of political series and dramas will find something of note with the scripting. Dialogue is an important element of the series. The dialogue is entertaining and well-done. Ono is a talented and entertaining writer for the production and someone who enjoys the genre undercurrent as well as political elements.

Directed by Toshimasa Ishii (Space Brothers, Interviews with Monster Girls), 86 (Eighty- Six) is a reasonably entertaining drama. 86 (Eighty-Six) will appeal to a specific sub-set of anime fans. Impressively realized visuals by Ishii contribute to a compelling art style for the production. Director Ishii did a solid job working with the production team and animators to make a series with an impressive art style that fits the genre and tone the director was hoping to achieve with the anime series. While 86 (Eighty-Six) might not be perfect in every arena it does succeed with some impressive style and the series benefits by having a talented director behind-the-scenes of the production.

86: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by VIZ Media, 86 (Eighty-Six) is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The high-definition transfer looks crisp and pleasing. The visuals are an impressive part of the presentation and there is plenty to appreciate with the aesthetic style. The animation looks impressive on the release and the colors are robust and bold. The background animation and line art make a big impression overall and there is plenty to enjoy about the style of the series and how it is reproduced on the physical release. Encoding is well handled by VIZ. The action is fluid and well highlighted on the release.

One of the notable strengths of physical media is the advantage it has over streaming video services. Streaming video services often have lower video bit-rates compared to physical media. For home theater enthusiasts seeking out the best possible presentation quality, there can be a notable difference. Audiences wanting to eek out the absolute best in the presentation can find some subtle differences and this can sometimes make a nice impression. There are also other streaming variables making physical media superior (different data-plans, streaming caps, and number of users on each plan). Variables sometimes make a subtle difference in streaming video quality.

86: The Complete First Season 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 sound direction by Jin Aketagawa (anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, Bodacious Space Pirates) is well reproduced. The lossless encoding is one of the impressive qualities of the release. Dialogue is well reproduced and plays a nice role in the presentation. The score sounds crisp and is well integrated into the soundstage. The sound design effects make a solid impression.

Blu-ray provides a distinct advantage over streaming video services – lossless audio encoding. Streaming video services only provide lossy (non-lossless) audio encoding. For home theater enthusiasts with nice equipment and gear, physical media offers a clear difference in quality for enthusiasts wanting to get the best possible sound quality out of a presentation. These audio quality differences can make an impression and aid the quality of a release. Fans will appreciate knowing that they own the best possible sound quality on a release.

86: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The first print run of the release comes with an o-card slipcover. The slipcover does add a nice element of collectability for slipcover fans. The release does not include a digital copy code.

On disc supplements include:

Art Galleries:

Characters includes 15 click-through slides.

Weapons includes 5 click-through slides.

Locales includes 8 click-through slides.

Clean Opening/Ending (HD, 6:09)

More from VIZ highlights trailers for other VIZ Media releases (including Sailor Moon and Naruto).

Unfortunately, the supplemental package is a bit sparse overall and could have been more well-rounded. The extras on the release could have been expanded with audio commentaries, cast/crew interviews, convention panels, making-of featurettes, and more. Alas, the supplements aren't that in-depth and could have been better overall. In an age of streaming services, sometimes a significantly more in-depth supplemental package can make the difference between a purchase and a one-time stream. This is something fans often have to consider when considering both the pros and cons of making a purchase.

86: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

86 (Eighty-Six) is a decent dystopian-drama with some compelling attributes. The production features solid animation and the series style is well highlighted on the release. Fans of the genre will want to check it out. The Blu-ray release features a solid high-definition presentation and lossless audio. The release also includes an o-card slipcover on the first print run of the release. Fans of the series who want to own a permanent copy for their collection will be tempted to pick up a copy. Recommended.