All Out!! The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

All Out!! The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

All Out!! is an entertaining sports comedy drama. The series features animation produced by Madhouse (Trigun, The Ambition of Oda Nobuna) and TMS Entertainment (Case Closed, Between the Sky and Sea). Created by Shiori Amase, the sports series is a successful franchise. Produced by Hiroshi Kamei, Hiroyuki Aoi, Takahiro Koda, and Yoshihiko Yamazaki, All Out!! will appeal to sports fans looking for something a bit different from the usual genre fare.

The game is on and the stage is set. The year of sports has something interesting in store for players: the incredible game of rugby. The intense game is a special kind of fun that anyone can be good at if they put their mind to it. First-year student Kenji Gion (Shōya Chiba) is new to the sport of rugby but is prepared to do everything he can as a starter player.

Sumiaki Iwashimizu (Yūto Adachi) is another player of rugby and he delves headfirst into the game and comes in to contact with Gion. Unlike Gion (who is short), Iwashimizu is tall and formidable while on the field. As the two pair up as one incredible (dynamic) duo (in a team that is struggling to win the game), the pair find themselves in for a wild thrill ride with the fun sport of rugby.

One of the most fun components of the production is the charming cast of characters at the forefront of the series. Sumiaki and Gion are both determined to do well with the sport of rugby and there is plenty of compelling reasons to enjoy time with these fun characters. The characters are certainly invigorated from the sport of rugby and fans of the game will be especially pleased with the characters developed here.

The animation is exceptional on the production. The art direction by Tsutomu Nishikura (School Rumble Sangakki, Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino) is compelling to behold and there is plenty to appreciate about these production merits. The team of animators involved on the series helped the series to be an exceptionally animated production. Combined with the excellent character designs and chief animation direction by Masanori Shino (Gungrave, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean), All Out!! impresses in spades.

The cinematography by Hiroshi Inoue (Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory, Black Butler) is a decidedly fun and compelling element of the series. The cinematographic approach for the series presents viewers with bright and colorful animation. The art style is vibrant and sunny with a sense of ambition for exploring the rugby sport. Inoue certainly aims for creating an upbeat atmosphere with the series (rather than something dark or mundane).

The score composed by Yasuharu Takanashi (Fairy Tail, Ikki Tousen: Dragon Destiny) is engaging and provides the series with a compelling backdrop. The score certainly helps to highlight the action on display with the sport. The score provides moments for the characters to shine and for the rugby excitement to excel.

The series is written by Masahiro Yokotani (Magi: The Kingdom of Magic, Wasteful Days of High School Girl). The scriptwriting for the series is strong and the storytelling does a good job of being character centric while maintaining the atmosphere requisites of a sports drama. These elements help to enhance the experience and the end results are satisfactory.

Directed by Kenichi Shimizu (Fantastic Children, Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher), All Out!! is energetic fun. Director Shimizu has a ton of energy and enthusiasm for the world of rugby. Sports fans will appreciate the dedication from the filmmaker to the sports saga and the stylistic flourishes given to the production.

All Out!! The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Funimation, All Out!! is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The video quality on the presentation is superb. The colors "pop" with considerable depth and there is plenty to find appreciable. The animation shines with excellent color reproduction and depth. The character designs and line art are well reproduced. The action of the sports play is well encoded.

All Out!! The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles). The lossless audio quality on the release is top-notch and helps the series to be more engaging. The English dub audio sounds great on the release. The surround sound mix helps the series to be al the more enticingly engaging. A solid encode by Funimation.

All Out!! The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes a selection of bonus features. Unfortunately, the release does not provide any extensive documentaries or behind-the-scenes material. Fans of the series hoping to find a more comprehensive supplemental package will be disappointed to find the release lacking a bit. The supplements are mostly comprised of textless opening and ending themes.

Disc 2:

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

Textless Opening Song "Shouka no Koushin" (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Song "Zenryoku Shonen produced by Tamio Okuda" (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Song "No Side" (HD, 1:32)

Trailers (HD, 5:04)

Disc 4:

Textless Opening Song "Seija no Koushin" (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Song "No Side" (HD, 1:32)

Trailers (HD, 6:15)

All Out!! The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

All Out!! is an entertaining and fast-paced sports anime. The series has excellent animation and a compelling cast of characters. The production is impressive on numerous levels and fans of sports anime will appreciate the unique thrills the series offers. Directed by Kenichi Shimizu (Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher) offers plenty of excitement with the directorial approach to the sports anime. Screenwriter Masahiro Yokotani (Magi: The Kingdom of Magic) offers a compelling balance of action and character emphasis. The Blu-ray release provides a strong video and audio presentation alongside a selection of exclusive extras. Recommended.