A Galaxy Next Door: The Complete Season Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

A Galaxy Next Door: The Complete Season Blu-ray Movie Review

A Galaxy Next Door is a comedy-drama series. Created by Gido Amagakure, A Galaxy Next Door features animation production by Asahi Production (Sugar Bunnies, Peach Boy Riverside). Originally broadcast on Tokyo MX and BS11, A Galaxy Next Door aired between April 9th, 2023 and June 25th, 2023. The series theme songs were performed by Chinatsu Matsumoto (opening) and Yū Wakui (ending).

Ichirō Kuga (Taku Yashiro) is a stereotypical struggling manga artist. Not only does Ichirō struggle with the process of making his manga, Ichirō struggles to meet his manga deadlines. The struggle is real and Ichirō finds his own process always gets in the way. Yet things change for the better when Ichirō meets the beautiful Shiori Goshiki (Yū Wakui) and the two connect.

As it turns out, Shiori is no ordinary girl at all. Shiori comes from afar – a different planet altogether – and not only is she now his new assistant, perhaps there is more between them than meets the eye. Is there a romance destined for greatness between them? Tradition on Shiori’s planet suggests the pair are already engaged.  

The characters are charming. This is one of the strengths of the series and something that audiences will appreciate about the production. The central protagonist is a character that people can relate to – with struggling with his work and managing deadlines he sets for himself. The character is a nice guy who is struggling with his art and it is nice to see this element of the character. Shiori Goshiki is also a charming and compelling character and a good opposite to Ichirō. The dynamics between these two characters is something to appreciate.

The character designs by Yasuka Ōtaki (Gushing Over Magical Girls, 3D Kanojo Real Girl) are well-done. The designs are certainly a key highlight of the animation. Ōtaki is a talented character designer and certainly the elements at play with the character aesthetics help the series designs to shine.

The animation is one of the forefront qualities of the series. A Galaxy Next Door is a well-animated series and one that anime fans will appreciate for its beautiful art style. The series animation has excellent art direction by Arisa Taira (Gushing Over Magical Girls) and chief animation direction by Yasuka Ōtaki (Girls' Frontline, Peach Boy Riverside). The animation team did excellent work with the production. The animators certainly brought something special to the table. The series has compelling background animation and nice art – the effort of the animators certainly makes a solid impression.

The cinematography by Ryō Kujirai (Gushing Over Magical Girls, Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us) is a wondrous part of the production. Kujirai is a talented cinematographer and someone with a keen visual sense. The stylistic flourishes of the cinematographer help to bring out the best in the art and certainly that helps the visuals to be their absolute best.

The score composed by Takatsugu Wakabayashi (Majin Bone, Dragonar Academy) adds to the series charm and subtle wonders. Wakabayashi made a fun and cute score for the series and it is a nice background score for the series. The music helps the charming energy of the series to impress.

Written by Gigaemon Ichikawa (Duel Masters!, Bakutsuri Bar Hunter), A Galaxy Next Door is a well done concept and it certainly helps to explore the struggles of manga artists in meeting their goals. The series also explores romantic life and this is a compelling part of the story. Ichikawa has fun with the series characters.

Directed by Ryuichi Kimura (Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari, Ah! My Goddess), A Galaxy Next Door is a fun and sweet-natured series. The filmmaking style is something that helps the production and the storytelling. Director Kimura enjoys the charming and laidback sensibilities of a drama series and the comedy that comes along with it. A Galaxy Next Door is geared more towards fans of quiet and charming slice-of-life style anime series. A Galaxy Next Door is certainly not going to win over fans of action-packed adventures the same way. Audiences who prefer a quieter drama that is character-focused and with some romance will be more interested in the anime. Fans of the drama genre will want to check it out.

A Galaxy Next Door: The Complete Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Crunchyroll, A Galaxy Next Door is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The series has impressive animation and the presentation capably showcases the texture and detail of the art. An impressively bold and engaging presentation. The colors "pop" with considerable detail. The line art looks well refined and detailed with the encode, too. A crisp and well-done effort by Crunchyroll.

One of the strengths of the Blu-ray disc format is the superior encoding quality of physical media. Blu-ray discs provide superior picture-quality compared to streaming services. Streaming services tend to provide lower video bit-rates compared to physical media. Physical media is also more reliable without needing to rely on a strong high-speed internet connection constantly or worrying about dropouts or a family member draining the streaming quality while throttling a video-game in the next room. Blu-ray is superior for home theater enthusiasts who want the best possible presentation quality.

A Galaxy Next Door: The Complete Season 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 release showcases the sound direction by Ryō Tanaka (My Isekai Life, Mysteria Friends). The lossless audio encoding helps to highlight the series. A terrific lossless encoding with crisp dialogue and clear fidelity. The higher fidelity of the lossless audio encoding helps to bring out every nuance of the audio and the sound design – providing a richer and more rewarding audio experience.

One of the hallmarks of the Blu-ray disc format is the lossless audio encoding. Streaming video services only provide lossy (non-lossless) audio quality compared to physical media options. For audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts with expensive gear who expect the best possible experience, Blu-ray provides a significant advantage over streaming platforms. The lossless encoding especially is important and beneficial with regards to the score reproduction. Score fans will appreciate the higher quality of the music and the impact and detail the lossless audio provides.

A Galaxy Next Door: The Complete Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes with a nicely designed o-card slipcover. The release has nice key art on the slipcover. The set also includes different artwork on the main cover-art underneath the slipcover. These are nice design touches that add extra value to the package. These slipcover editions (available during the first print run) look and feel much nicer in hand than standard editions. The additional slipcover adds some extra collectability and fun to the package for physical media fans.

Promo Videos (HD, 6:32)

Textless Opening Song (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Songs (HD, 3:04)

The release does not have a more robust supplemental package. Unfortunately, the extras on the release are sparse and uninteresting. There are no special bonus features to add extra value to the package. The release could have been more well-rounded with some audio commentary tracks, a making-of featurettes, cast/crew interviews, art galleries, and more.

This is certainly a key area Crunchyroll should consider in the future to make purchasing a physical copy even more value oriented and appealing to collectors. Collectors highly value anything extra to entice a purchase – and bonus features add significant value. Slipcovers are wonderful and make a difference – so do on-disc supplements.

A Galaxy Next Door: The Complete Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A Galaxy Next Door is a sweet and charming anime. The characters of the series are certainly nice and audiences will enjoy spending some time with these characters. The animation is beautiful. Excellent production values help the series to excel.

The Blu-ray release features a solid high-definition presentation and lossless audio encoding. Unfortunately, the release is barebones in the supplementals. The release could be more well-rounded in regards to extras. The set does come with a slipcover. The slipcover looks nice and features additional key artwork. Fans of the series may still wish to consider a purchase for ownership and the nice presentation quality. Recommended.