Ascendance of a Bookworm: Seasons 1&2 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Ascendance of a Bookworm: Seasons 1&2 Blu-ray Movie Review

The magic of reading.

Ascendance of a Bookworm is a high concept fantasy adventure custom-made for book aficionados. The series features outstanding animation produced by Ajiado (Chibi Maruko-chan: Watashi no Suki na Uta, Anime Rakugo Kan). Based on the original work created by Miya Kazuki, Ascendance of a Bookworm is a charming series distributed by Sentai Filmworks in North America.

The sickly Myne (Yuka Iguchi) forms an obsession with invention: making a world consisting of her own belongings. With Myne's family confused by her changing interests, a mystery unfolds – and soon it becomes clear that another person has inhabited her body. Myne now loves books more than anything else in the entire world.

Possessed by a librarian who passed over and in to her body after a tragic and unexpected death in one of Japan's earthquakes, Myne now helps the librarian fight for books – determined to have books be accessible to everyone in the public stratosphere (not as banned books or only as allowed to the privileged elite). As Myne fights for literature, can she bring books to the masses before potentially passing on to the other world herself?

The emphasis on a passion for literature is at the heart of Ascendance of a Bookworm. Myne, the lead character (and central protagonist), has an unending enthusiasm for literature and this clear passion for storytelling is a central component of the entire production. The series uniquely explores the importance of literature through the main character and her journey to save books and bring them to all people. Book lovers can rejoice while experiencing Ascendance of a Bookworm – the concept and execution will delight. Literature is a important part of society.

The animation on Ascendance of a Bookworm is superbly beautiful. This is one of the best components of the series and its multifaceted filmmaking. The animation on Ascendance of a Bookworm is ushered in with chief animation direction by Emiko Endo (Brave Beats, How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord), Toshihisa Kaiya (Bunny Drop, Genshiken Nidaime), and Yoshiaki Yanagida (Genshiken, Kaiketsu Zorori). The background art on the series shines through. The level of detail in the animation is impressive and manages to help the storytelling to unfold.

The journey of imagination.

The cinematography by Naoki Kitamura (The Book of Bantorra, Desert Punk) is one of the reasons the animation looks so breathtaking. The colors shine nicely during the presentation because of the quality lighting. The series doesn't cast a dark haze and instead focuses on brighter visuals to make the series more charming and fun. The aesthetic fits the tone of the storytelling well.

The character designs also played a central role in the success of the animation. The original character designs by You Shiina (Sagrada Reset, Honzuki no Gekokujo) helped pave the way for the series to explore further. The designs are well transitioned to the anime adaptation. The series has character designs by Toshihisa Kaiya (Immortal Grand Prix, World Trigger) and Yoshiaki Yanagida (Spirit of Wonder Scientific Boys Club, Tribe Cool Crew) and each of the central characters seems to be drawn with an aesthetic that fits the respective personalities.

The original music score composed by MICHIRU (Mitsuboshi Colors, Izetta: The Last Witch ) adds charm to the production as well. The music is light and airy when needed while also being able to imbue the production with dramatic depth as well. The score is one of the most enjoyable parts of Ascendance of a Bookworm. The music enhances the personality of the production and of the main characters.

Written by Mariko Kunisawa (One Week Friends, A Certain Scientific Railgun), Ascendance of a Bookworm is series with an entertaining concept. The idea behind the series is well executed. A storyline with creativity in spades, Ascendance of a Bookworm has a lot of fun with its fantasy-adventure elements. The characters are well written and provide the series with a sense of unique charm.

Director Mitsuru Hongo (Outlaw Star, Deltora Quest) balances the high-concept fantasy elements with a charming tone that audiences can get swept up in. Hongo balances these elements to make a more entertaining production. Ascendance of a Bookworm is an effective showcase for the director's suave creativity. Hongo managed to help the filmmaking excel – with a compelling sensitivity as a director (while showcasing the evocative animation at the forefront of the production). Ascendance of a Bookworm is a series aimed at book-fans and that audience will be pleased with the results.

Ascendance of a Bookworm: Seasons 1&2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks, Ascendance of a Bookworm is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The presentation is generally impressive and does a good job of showcasing the animation nicely. Details are clear and well defined. The cinematography is well balanced and showcases the bright and colorful aesthetic of the animation. The encoding is similarly noteworthy – showcasing the quality animation without any egregious compression artifacts or banding. A solid encode by Sentai Filmworks.

Ascendance of a Bookworm: Seasons 1&2 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. The lossless, high resolution audio tracks help the experience to be more engaging and enveloping. The music score sounds beautiful on the release. Dialogue remains clear and easy to understand. The stereo imaging might be a bit less dynamic compared to a 5.1 surround sound mix but the presentation is nonetheless impressive.

Ascendance of a Bookworm: Seasons 1&2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Clean Opening Animations (HD, 3:04)

Clean Closing Animations (HD, 3:04)

Japanese Promos (HD, 14:38)

The release also includes a selection of trailers from Sentai Filmworks: Granbelm (HD, 1:35), Flying Witch (HD, 1:32), Killing Bites (HD, 1:33), and Chidori RSC (HD, 1:33).

Ascendance of a Bookworm: Seasons 1&2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Ascendance of a Bookworm is an entertaining anime series with a clear passion for storytelling and the importance of literature. The series is penned by Mariko Kunisawa (One Week Friends) and the screenwriting is impressive. The music score composed by MICHIRU (Mitsuboshi Colors) is an effective component of the production as well. As directed by Mitsuru Hongo (Outlaw Star), Ascendance of a Bookworm is a beautiful looking anime series with outstanding animation. A worthwhile series.