A Certain Magical Index III: Season Three Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

A Certain Magical Index III: Season Three Blu-ray Movie Review

A Certain Magical Index III is the third season of the action-packed saga. The anime series explores more adventures in the realm. Created by Kazuma Kamachi, A Certain Magical Index III features original character designs by Kiyotaka Haimura.

A Certain Magical Index III features animation production by J.C. Staff (Alice & Zoroku, Aria the Scarlet Ammo). Broadcast on AT-X, Mainichi Broadcasting System, Nippon BS Broadcasting Corporation, and Tokyo MX. A Certain Magical Index III features voice performances by Atsushi Abe and Nobuhiko Okamoto.

A Certain Magical Index III is produced by Hiroshi Anan (Adachi and Shimamura, Love Is Indivisible by Twins), Kazuma Miki (Ground Control to Psychoelectric Girl, Sword Art Online), Kentarō Hattori (My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU, Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign), Kozue Kananiwa (Blue Exorcist, Dance with Devils), Michihisa Abe (Hi Score Girl, Starship Girl Yamamoto Yohko), Tokutoshi Tôya, Yasutaka Kimura (Blast of Tempest, Classroom For Heroes), and Yūichirō Shiji (Selector Destructed Wixoss, Sirius the Jaeger). An impressive production with a lot of wonderful merits. A Certain Magical Index III is a continuation sure to please enthusiasts.

The Academy City finds new journeys for the adventurers. The Roman Orthodox Church is engaged in a feud with the Academy City. The dueling groups are at odds with one another and independent groups have also been intertwined in the ongoing saga. Tōma Kamijō (Atsushi Abe) is embarking on a new journey and finds himself dealing with both the Index and the powerful Right Seat of God. As the stakes of the season unfold, the quests continue. World War III now looms on the horizon and the characters have more journeys in store than ever anticipated.

The character designs by Yūichi Tanaka (Natsuiro Kiseki, My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU Climax) are well- done. The designs certainly add a lot to the production. A Certain Magical Index III features top-notch designs. The main characters and supporting players are all well highlighted on the series. Impressively done.

The animation is one of the best qualities of the production. A Certain Magical Index III features art direction by Tomonori Kuroda (Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House, Minami Kamakura High School Girls Cycling Club) and chief animation direction by Hiroshi Tomioka (Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World, Momokyun Sword). The animation direction is wonderful and is one of the best qualities of the series. A Certain Magical Index III features excellent artistry and style – adding to the charms of the production. The animators did solid work throughout the production – providing the type of great animation necessary to help the storytelling unfold. The background animation and line art are well reproduced.

The cinematography by Shingo Fukuyo (Hi Score Girl, Ikki Tousen) is well-done. Fukuyo is a talented cinematographer and is someone with an impressive stylistic approach for the series. Fukuyo adds wonderful visual sensibilities and the results help to bring out the best in the animation. A superb, impressive, and well-done effort by Fukuyo.

The score composed by Maiko Iuchi (Tokyo Ravens, Waiting in the Summer) is well-done and adds a lot to the production. The music is a vital element of the production. The score offers wonderful depth to the music. The characters are given moments to shine with the score. The action-adventure element enhanced by the original score, too.

Written by Hiroyuki Yoshino (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Macross Frontier), A Certain Magical Index III is well-written with good dialogue and characterizations. The writing handles the storytelling well. The approach to the production is something worthwhile. The action writing being essential, fundamental, and of note for the anime saga.

Directed by Hiroshi Nishikiori (Honey Lemon Soda, Trinity Seven), A Certain Magical Index III is well-done and provides solid directing. Nishikiori is a talented director for the production and someone with an impressive vision. The vision for action storytelling and a sense of adventure brings the thrills. Fans continue to enjoy the anime for this reason. A Certain Magical Index III is well worthwhile for the established fanbase.

A Certain Magical Index III: Season Three Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Crunchyroll, A Certain Magical Index III is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The production features impressive animation. The production values are outstanding and add a lot to the series. The animation is bold, colorful, and engaging. The artistry superb throughout. The level of detail present in the image is also of note. The encoding by Crunchyroll is well handled throughout.

One of the strengths of the physical media format is the video quality. Physical media sometimes offers an advantage over streaming video services. The picture quality can see some extra refinement and subtle improvements. The video quality offering more robust details – including higher bit-rates. An improvement. There are fewer outside variables such as streaming fluctuations caused by service speeds, number of connected users, weather issues, and other variables.

A Certain Magical Index III: Season Three Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 (with English subtitles). The sound direction by Takayuki Yamaguchi (Anonymous Noise, Classroom For Heroes) is well reproduced. The music plays a nice role, too. Outstanding clarity and detail. Dialogue is well reproduced on the release. The clarity of the audio presentation is fantastic.

One of the greatest benefits of physical media is the lossless audio encoding. Streaming video services only provide lossy (non-lossless) audio quality. For home theater enthusiasts who want to receive the best possible audio quality, the physical media format offers distinct advantages over streaming and there certainly is an improvement to be had. The robust audio clarity allows for a wider soundstage. Impressive.

A Certain Magical Index III: Season Three Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

A Certain Magical Index III includes a nice o-card slipcover. The slipcover adds to the collectability of the release. The slipcover features a nice design. The artwork remains the same as the artwork highlighted underneath the artwork. The package design is nice and will make a nice collectable for fans of the series.

On disc supplements include:

Disc 1:

Special Feature:

Episode 1 Audio Commentary

Disc 2:

Special Features:

Textless Opening Song "Gravitation" (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Song "Kakumei Zenya" Ver. 1 (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Song "Kakumei Zenya" Ver. 2 (HD, 1:32)

Disc 4:

Episode 26 Audio Commentary

Promo Video (HD, 1:25)

Textless Opening Song "Gravitation" (HD, 1:32)

Textless Opening Song "ROAR" (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Song "Kakumei Zenya" (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Song "Owaranai Uta" (HD, 1:32)

The set is a step above the bare-minimum output of some anime box sets by including some audio commentaries and other supplements. In the era of streaming, providing more supplements can sometimes make a box set all the more enticing compared to a one-and-done stream. Fans are consistently looking for more value in box sets and the more extras the better.

A Certain Magical Index III: Season Three Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A Certain Magical Index III offers more fun action-adventure. Fans of anime series with a genre bent will appreciate the series. The ongoing adventures will appeal to established fans looking for more fun with the series. The animation is one of the greatest highlights and the visual style of the series is certainly well reproduced on the release. There is plenty to celebrate about the series – for fans, it should be considered well worthwhile.

The Blu-ray release features an impressive video presentation, lossless audio, and a decent assortment of bonus features, too. Though the supplemental package could still be more robust overall, it manages to provide a decent number of extras compared to sets with a more average supplemental package. The release also includes a nice o-card slipcover. An impressive box-set. Recommended.