Dead Mount Death Play - Part 1 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Dead Mount Death Play - Part 1 Blu-ray Movie Review

Dead Mount Death Play Part 1 begins the journey of the action-fantasy anime series. The anime series features animation production by Geek Toys (Adventurers Who Don't Believe in Humanity Will Save the World, Fantasia Sango - Realm of Legends). Created by Ryohgo Narita and Shinta Fujimoto, Dead Mount Death Play Part 1 features original character designs by Shinta Fujimoto.

Dead Mount Death Play features theme song performances by Sou (opening) and Inori Minase (ending). The series features voice-performances by Yuki Sakakihara, Inori Minase, and Yūma Uchida. The series has been licensed for home media release by Crunchyroll.

Death isn’t always what one expects it to be. The Corpse God necromancer went head-to-head with a legendary hero in an epic battle that left the necromancer at death’s door. Yet the necromancer had surprised up his sleeve and whipped up a reincarnation spell in order to avoid the pits of death. The Corpse God finds himself reincarnated as the boy Polka Shinoyama (Yuki Sakakihara).

Now living in another world in another body, Polka is the reborn necromancer – the Corpse God awakened. Something isn’t quite right, though. Polka has more cut out for him than he first expected. Necromancer or not, dangers await – could Polka soon find death approaching his door? Knock knock.

Dead Mount Death Play has a dark setting exploring the characters of the series. Polka Shinoyama is an interesting reincarnation of the Corpse God. With the character being a version of the necromancer of death, the series has fun with the idea and how it plays into the character of Polka. Polka Shinoyama is well designed. The character designs by Hisashi Abe (Gunslinger Girl, Psycho-Pass: Sinners of the System) add to the series aesthetic and sense of style.

The animation is one of the central highlights of the production. Dead Mount Death Play Part 1 features animation direction by Cyrus Rebello (Magical Destroyers), Grand Guerilla (Undead Unluck, One Piece), Junko Matsushita (Fortune Quest L, A Galaxy Next Door), Majin Bro (Urusei Yatsura), and Yūichi Nakazawa (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2, Fullmetal Alchemist). The series animation showcases the darker and grittier aesthetic of the production. The sleek and grim elements of the animation reflect the darkness of the Corpse God. These qualities help to create a production that has a somewhat hip and fun aesthetic energy even while exploring the darkness of the Dead Mount Death Play Part 1.

The score composed by eba (Skeleton Knight in Another World, The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You), Kana Utatane (Nights with a Cat, Love Is Indivisible by Twins), and Yūki Nara (The Legendary Hero is Dead!, Cuticle Detective Inaba) adds to the action-packed mayhem of the series. The music is a solid backdrop to the fight scenes and the action beats of the series. Fans of such action oriented scores will appreciate these tonal qualities and what it contributes to the production.

Written and directed by Manabu Ono (Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere, The Asterisk War: The Academy City on the Water), Dead Mount Death Play Part 1 begins the saga with the action-packed fantasy fans are looking for. Ono has a good time exploring the necromancer and the tale of the Corpse God with the spin on the tale. Dead Mount Death Play Part 1 might not be the full story yet but it does create a starting point for newcomers to dip their toes into and see how the saga begins. Fans of other works by Ono may be especially intrigued to check out the series.

Dead Mount Death Play - Part 1 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Crunchyroll, Dead Mount Death Play Part 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 production has fantastic merits in regards to the animation reproduction. Colors are showcased nicely within the presentation. The presentation capably highlights both the background animation and the line artwork. With a darker and more gritty visual aesthetic compared to some of the more upbeat anime offerings out there, the presentation capably highlights these colors pallets and tones.

One of the highlights of the Blu-ray disc format is the superior video encoding compared to streaming platforms. Streaming video services usually provide the video with lower video bit-rates compared to Blu-ray disc. A comparison usually showcases higher data rates and better compression for the physical media option. Enthusiasts with an appreciation for eeking out the best picture-quality attainable will be pleased with these benefits of the format. Streaming video just doesn't compare especially when one has to factor in internet speeds and connectivity. Not only do some suffer from bandwidth issues in rural areas but large househounds may also encounter streaming issues (such as a family all attempting to be streaming something different at the same time – streaming video, streaming video-games, streaming music all at once.)

Dead Mount Death Play - Part 1 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 (with English subtitles). The release also includes optional French Dolby TrueHD 2.0 and German Dolby TrueHD 2.0 audio selections. The release capably highlights the series sound direction by Takayuki Yamaguchi (Classroom For Heroes, Matoi the Sacred Slayer). The sound is well- defined on the format. The English surround sound option provides a slightly more robust surround soundstage with more emphasis on the sound effects and details in the rear channels. The release also has a pleasant Japanese audio presentation. The English subtitles are effective and are free of egregious spelling or grammatical errors.

The Blu-ray format has a noteworthy advantage over streaming video services. Streaming video services provide only lossy (non-lossless) audio encoding. For home theater enthusiasts and audiophiles, the lossless audio encoding provides a distinct advantage with more detail and depth than what can be found on streaming platforms. For those with nice soundsystems it can make a notable difference in quality. (Look for home theater audio/video receivers and speakers with notations of being high-resolution certified). The difference is sometimes substantial and can mean the difference between MP3 quality audio and something more refined on physical media counterparts. Though the difference isn't always night-and- day it can be commendable and is something of value to audiophiles seeking the advantages of lossless.

Dead Mount Death Play - Part 1 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes with a nicely designed o-card slipcover. The slipcover has a wonderful cover-art. The key artwork is fantastic and showcases an impressive visual of the series. Crunchyroll has done a nice job with the package design and the cover-art underneath the slipcover features additional artwork (adding the sense of 'double artwork' for the release). These design touches certainly help the package to add some extra collectability for fans.

On disc supplements include:  

Textless Opening Song (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Songs (HD, 3:04)

Unfortunately, the on-disc supplements are rather sparse and unexciting. The bonus features package is quite slim. The release could have benefited significantly from having a more robust and in-depth set of bonus features. The set could have been more well-rounded with audio commentaries, cast/crew interviews, behind-the-scenes featurettes, making-of documentaries, roundtable discussions, convention panels, photo galleries, and so much more. It is a bit of a missed opportunity.

Dead Mount Death Play - Part 1 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Dead Mount Death Play Part 1 begins the action-packed fantasy with the journey exploring the world of Polka Shinoyama as the reincarnation of the Corpse God. Fans of dark and gritty anime series will be more entertained and will find the series something of note. Writer-director Manabu Ono (Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere) brings his vision for the series to life with the saga only getting started with Dead Mount Death Play Part 1.

The Blu-ray release provides quality high-definition video and lossless audio encoding. The release also comes with a nicely designed o-card slipcover. Fans of the series wanting a permanent copy for their collection with nice packaging and quality video and audio will want to consider a purchase. The only noteworthy drawback to the release is a mediocre supplemental package without much in the way of meaningful bonus features.