Bananya and the Curious Bunch Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Bananya and the Curious Bunch Blu-ray Movie Review

Bananya and the Curious Bunch is a cute and sweet-natured anime. The anime mini-series is the kind of bubbly and cute series that one might wish to share with their entire family. Streaming on Crunchyroll and Tubi TV, Bananya and the Curious Bunch is a charming series. Created by Q-LiA, Bananya and the Curious Bunch features animation produced by Gathering and TMS Entertainment. Licensed for home media in North America by Discotek Media, Bananya and the Curious Bunch is now available with the complete collection containing all twelve bite-sized episodes.

Bananya (Yuuki Kaji) is the hero of the cute-as-a-button tale of a kitty’s life. The little kitty-cat kitten lives inside of a cute banana peel and lives out his lives as a banana kitten having fun in the sun. The kitten loves his beautiful and colorful environment and pals. Spending time with his buddy Droopy-eared Bananya (Ayumu Murase), Bananya has plenty of feline adventures while traveling around in his enjoyable banana peel.

The feline fun doesn’t end as Bananya tries to make life as purr-fect as possible! Bananya is on a mission to live the best life in a banana peel and visits his friends while learning the art of ninja martial arts, going to rock concerts, and exploring the endless world that surrounds him! It’s a kitty paradise! There’s even fun to be had exploring lost artifacts and Meow-teor sightings. What more could any kitty cat ask for?

Bananya and the Curious Bunch also features Ayumu Murase as Baby Bananya, Bananya Bunch, Bananyako, Cat, Emo Bananya, Flower Bananya, Mackeral Bananya, Maid Bananya, Maine Coon Bananya, Metal Bananya, Mice, Ninja, Ninja Bananya, Ragdoll Bananya, Rainbow Bananya, Scientist Bananya, Scottish Fold Bananya, Sheriff Bananya, Siamese Bananya, and Tabby Bananya. Phew! A big assortment of kitty-bananyas! Yuuki Kaji also stars as Bengal Bananya, Black and White Bananya, Calico Bananya, Daddy Bananya, Elder Bananya, Long- haired Bananya, Mountain Munchkin Bananya, Night Rainbow Bananya, Pirate Bananya, Police Bananya, Robot Cat, Russian Blue Bananya, Translator, Vampire Bananya, and Zombie Bananya. Is that enough Bananyas to keep audiences smiling?

The animation is cute and cuddly. The kind of the charming production that one would want to share with just about anyone who enjoys Chibi style anime series and other cute Kawaii creations. The fun element of the series charm has translated over into the animation well. The art style is enormously enjoyable and the cute-as-pie kitty-cats in banana peels look adorable. One can’t help but have an enormous smile while watching the kitties at play.

The score composed by Akiyuki Tateyama (How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom, I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World) is charming and a nice backdrop for the cute animation. The score adds to the charming fun and the laidback sense of enjoyment the series creates. An adorable score to accompany the many adorable visuals.

Written by Masahiro Takata (The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague, Super Seisyun Brothers), Bananya and the Curious Bunch isn’t the most complicated series out there. That is putting things politely, perhaps. The scripting is mostly focused on simply showcasing the adorable kitties in their Bananya outfits. The writing is basic and light but it works well. There is plenty of charm and that is where it counts with this series.

Directed by Kyō Yatate (Bananya, Mitchiri Neko), Bananya and the Curious Bunch is an adorable and cute creation. Yatate clearly had a blast making cute visuals with these kittens. The adorable and fun animation is well-done and director Yatate brought forth great contributions by the production team. Bananya and the Curious Bunch is worthwhile for fans of Kawaii anime series.  

Bananya and the Curious Bunch Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray from Discotek Media, Bananya and the Curious Bunch is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. A beautiful looking presentation. The animation is well reproduced on the release. Colors have excellent "pop" and detail is preserved as well. The colorful art style stands out well. A quality encoding on the release.

Bananya and the Curious Bunch Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented with a selection of lossless audio options: English uncompressed PCM 2.0 stereo and Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles). The lossless audio is excellent sounding. The track sounds crisp throughout. The sound effects and sound direction are by sound director Nobuyuki Abe. The audio quality on the release is excellent and there were no glaring issues with the presentation.

Bananya and the Curious Bunch Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There are no bonus features on the release. The only "bonus feature" is the exclusive o-card slipcover. The slipcover does feature some beautiful key artwork from the production. Additional art is also highlighted underneath the slipcover.  

Bananya and the Curious Bunch Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Bananya and the Curious Bunch is an adorable and charming anime. Bananya and the Curious Bunch is clearly a production aimed at all audiences – both young and old. The animation has enhanced the entire viewing experience. The Blu-ray release features an outstanding video and audio presentation. The release also comes with a nicely designed o-card slipcover. The release looks great in hand and on the shelf. Recommended.