Dances with the Dragons: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Dances with the Dragons: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Dances with the Dragons is an action-anime with a magical backdrop. The series is based on the original work created by Labo Asai with art by Miyagi and Zain. The opening theme to the series is by fripSide and the closing theme is by Maon Kurosaki. Produced by Junichirō Tanaka, Shunsuke Hasegawa, Atsushi Chiku, Toshiyasu Hayashi, Ryō Yasumura, and Reo Kurosu, Dances with the Dragons features animation from studio Seven Arcs Pictures (Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Detonation, Idol Memories). Fans of magic series will want to consider checking it out.

Gayus (Nobunaga Shimazaki) and Gigina (Yoshimasa Hosoya) are two of the strongest bounty hunters in the entire land. Determined to excel as bounty hunters, these experts fight to survive while fighting an onslaught of dangerous foes. Set in the mysterious Dragon Empire, the city of Eridana is tossed in to unexpected challenges when a possibility of incoming war begins. Can Gayus and Gigina manage to survive the dangers that lurk around every corner?

The central characters drive the series forward. The dynamics between Gayus and Gigina is one of the reasons the series works conceptually. The bounty hunters are constantly struggling to even pay the rent and get by. Living life on the edge, the two fight for their survival while dealing with magic in spades. Each character fits a specific role in the framework of the production.

The character designs by Masaru Kitao (My Roommate is a Cat, Death Note) contribute to the success of the characterizations. The designs are hip and make a good visual impression. The style of the designs certainly is edgier than on some productions with a darker vibe and energy given by the character designs. Certainly the designs are distinctly different from Chibi style character designs – and it works in the context of an action-fantasy series.

The animation is interesting if not as ambitious as one might hope to discover for an action production. The background art isn’t as distinct as one might anticipate. Nonetheless, the series still showcases decent effort from the animators involved in the production. The results work well enough and showcase the designs of the animation team.

The score composed by Takashi Ohmama (Castle Town Dandelion, Convenience Store Boy Friends) is reasonably engaging and manages to imbue the production with some extra sense of creativity too. With energy and excitement, the score provides a solid backdrop to the action elements within the production. A good effort by Ohmama.

Written by Takayo Ikami (Penguindrum, Magical Girl Site), Dances with the Dragons has a decent concept and storyline. Ikami explores the characters and the world inhibited by them. With the production, the story explores the dangers faced by the bounty hunters and the push forward. Expanding the stage of the series.

Directed by Hiroshi Nishikiori (A Certain Magical Index, Azumanga Daioh), Dances with the Dragons is a series which combines action and drama to tell the tale and the filmic style achieved by the filmmaker helps set the tone. The directing is dark and grittier than on some anime series and that works well within the genre. Nishikiori achieved the desired effect with Dances with the Dragons.

Dances with the Dragons: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Funimation Entertainment, Dances with the Dragons is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The presentation has impressive color reproduction, detail, and depth. The picture quality preserves the work of the animators: both the character art and the background animation. The action scenes are enhanced by a solid encode.

Dances with the Dragons: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes two lossless audio options: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound or Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 stereo. The English dub expands the soundstage with some extra ambiance for the soundtrack. The sound effects are well balanced within the mix as well. The dialogue is clear and is exceptionally crisp. A solid audio presentation by Funimation.

Dances with the Dragons: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes a small selection of extras. The first pressing of the release includes an attractive o-card slipcover.

Disc 2:

Promo Videos (HD, 2:56)

Textless Opening Song "divine criminal" (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Song "decadence" (HD, 1:32)

Trailers (HD, 4:02)

Dances with the Dragons: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Dances with the Dragons is an entertaining action-fantasy anime series involving a duo of bounty hunters. The characters go on an epic journey. The animation is one of the strengths with some compelling attributes – even if it doesn't reach the degree of ambition some viewers might want. Nonetheless, a compelling effort and the presentation does a solid job of showcasing the original animation. The Blu-ray release includes a strong video and audio presentation. Fans of the series should consider the release worth picking up. Recommended.