Bastard!! Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy - Season 1 Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Bastard!! Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy - Season 1 Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Bastard!! Heavy Metal Dark Fantasy: Season 1 is an action-adventure fantasy. Created by Kazushi Hagiwara, Bastard!! Heavy Metal Dark Fantasy: Season 1 is a dark fantastical series with a quite different approach to the genre. Bastard!! Heavy Metal Dark Fantasy: Season 1 features theme performances by coldrain (opening) and Tielle (ending).

Featuring series production by Medicos Entertainment, The Klockworx Co., Ltd., and Warner Bros. Japan. Bastard!! Heavy Metal Dark Fantasy: Season 1 features animation production by LIDEN FILMS (Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout, Blade of the Immortal). Bastard!! Heavy Metal Dark Fantasy features the voices of Misty Lee, Erin Yvette, Aaron LaPlante, and Wendee Lee. Fans of gothic and pitch-black style will find something of note.

The world encountered devastation and destruction in a mere seven days.  The God of Destruction known as Anthrasax (Misty Lee) wreaks havoc around the clock during these seven days and then ultimately seals everything away. Flash forward hundreds of years and Dark Schneider is now the calculating leader of those who wish to claim control over the entire planet. More chaos ensues.

A sealed fate, Dark Schneider ends up taking over a young child. As time goes on, 15 years later, Dark Schneider is now the older Rushe Ren Ren. Now more of these minions are working overtime to unseal Anthrasax and bring back a state of chaos and control to the entire world.

Determined to be a legendary hero, Tia Noto Yoko (Erin Yvette) aims to be savior to the entire kingdom of Metallicana by releasing the sealed Dark Schneider from her close friend. With a new awakening, Dark Schneider is now helping out Yoko with her goal and has a different agenda on his mind. Can Yoko reign in the formerly turbulent and chaotic Dark Schneider or will this collaboration ultimately cause the total annihilation of the world?

The character designs by Sayaka Ono (Wistoria: Wand and Sword, Cap Kakumei Bottleman DX) are well done and add to the production aesthetic. Ono is a talented character designer and the style of these leading characters adds to the gothic sensibility of the anime. The end result is a series that has more overcast darkness and a sense of eerie surrealism from the style. Ono did an effective job with these anime designs and the characters fit the mold of the series as a result.

The animation is one of the more impressive elements of the production. The series may not have the greatest series animation but the style is still reasonably engaging and works well enough for the art style the series required. Bastard!! Heavy Metal Dark Fantasy: Season 1 features art direction by Kazuhiro Inoue (The Eden of Grisaia, Tenkai Knights). The animation direction by Ayako Suzuki (Call of the Night, Idol Memories) is also relevant to the production style. The animators and production team brought something notable to the series.

The gothic style is apparent and fans of dark, gritter anime styles will find something to appreciate. The art style is different from the clean-cut style of most action anime or non-genre fare. The animation may not be a slam-dunk compared to the best action anime like Dragon Ball Z or Yu Yu Hakusho and other genre classics, but it is solid, decent-enough animation for the production. The style is apparent and is creates the brooding style that one might be looking for in the series.

The cinematography by Junpei Takatsu (Suppose a Kid From the Last Dungeon Boonies Moved to a Starter Town, Cells at Work! Code Black) adds some depth and dimensionality to the visual style. Cinematographic style on Bastard!! Heavy Metal Dark Fantasy: Season 1 is well conveyed by the cinematographer, Takatsu. Takatsu offered the dark and grittier style and it feels in line with the animation process.

The score composed by Yasuharu Takanashi (Fairy Tail, Ikki Tousen: Dragon Destiny) may be the best part of the production. Composer Takanashi is a talent when it comes to action scores. The music is engaging and good background music for the action scenes. The music is effective as being a good backdrop to the animation.

Written by Yōsuke Kuroda (Battle Girl High School, Gundam Build Fighters), Bastard!! Heavy Metal Dark Fantasy: Season 1 does not have an intriguing story and the writing is not the best. The writing may be sub-par for most audiences. Though the writing may not be the main appeal of an anime like this one. Audiences are looking more for other measures, such as a simple diversion to turn their brains off to relax or unwind.

Directed by Takaharu Ozaki (Goblin Slayer, Girls' Last Tour), Bastard!! Heavy Metal Dark Fantasy: Season 1 will appeal to genre enthusiasts simply wanting a light action-fantasy anime to enjoy despite some of the imperfections of the production. Ozaki is a solid enough director and the style evokes action and fantasy for the genre crowd. Bastard!! Heavy Metal Dark Fantasy: Season 1 may be a far cry from a classic but for audiences seeking something to unwind to this may be a suitable option for some.

Bastard!! Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy - Season 1 Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Sentai Filmworks, Bastard!! Heavy Metal Dark Fantasy: Season 1 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 a robust and detailed high-definition style that is crisp and clear on the presentation. The color reproduction is effective on the release. The detail apparent is well-done. Animation has gothic undertones and the encoding capably handles these aspects of the art and presentation. The encoding by Sentai handles the efforts of the animation team and action is still fluid and works well.

One of the strengths of physical media is the superior bit-rates compared to streaming video services. Even when the bit-rate difference isn't always as high during some series presentations, there is still more data and better visual clarity on physical media. The physical format provides a more robust presentation option.

Bastard!! Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy - Season 1 Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). The sound direction by Yasunori Ebina (Date A Live, Ghost Hunt) is well reproduced and integrated into the soundstage. Dialogue is well reproduced on the release. The soundtrack score is a highlight of the audio presentation. The English subtitles are well done and free from egregious issues with spelling or grammatical errors.

Lossless audio is one of the best qualities of the Blu-ray disc format. Streaming video services only offer lossy (non-lossless) compressed audio. Compressed audio has lower audio bit-rates and bit-depth is similarly different, too. Home theater enthusiasts with higher-quality equipment and an appreciation for a more refined audio experience appreciate the audio clarity differences the physical media format can provide. This is one of the gifts and strengths of physical media over streaming video platforms.

Bastard!! Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy - Season 1 Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Japanese Promos (HD, 4:27)

Japanese Trailer (HD, 00:27)

Unfortunately, the release has a sparse and underwhelming supplemental package. The Blu-ray release could have had a more robust selection of bonus features. The extras on the release are of the cookie cutter variety and do not add any more depth or relevance to the release. The set could have been superior with some audio commentaries, cast/crew interviews, behind-the-scenes featurettes, documentaries, photo galleries, art galleries, and more. Alas, it was not to be – the set is almost barebones entirely and fans will feel disappointed by the lackluster extras offering.

Bastard!! Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy - Season 1 Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Bastard!! Heavy Metal Dark Fantasy: Season 1 isn't as thrilling as it wants to be but it is an action series that will appeal to audiences looking for a diversion. The series has a gothic style in animation and production. The Blu-ray release provides a solid high-definition presentation and a lossless audio encode. The release has a lackluster supplemental package. Fans of the series might consider a purchase despite the almost barebones extras package – perhaps only to have a permanent copy for their physical media shelf.