Dororo: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Dororo: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

An adaptation of the classic manga by Osamu Tezuka.

Dororo is a new adaptation of the beloved classic manga. The original manga was created by the legendary Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy). Produced by Masato Matsunaga (Attack on Titan: The Final Season, Terror in Resonance) alongside co-producers Makoto Kimura (House of Five Leaves, Your Lie in April) and Yūdai Kanno, the new interpretation features original animation by MAPPA and Tezuka Productions. Osamu Tezuka fans will want to check out Dororo.

Dororo (Rio Suzuki) is a young orphan living in the streets of Tokyo, Japan. Struggling to survive and get by, Dororo is rescued from the mysterious Hyakkimaru. An alliance is formed and Dororo joins Hyakkimaru on a quest to fight demons in Japan.

Hyakkimaru (Hiroki Suzuki) was born in an unnatural state of being. Hyakkimaru's father, Daigo Kagemitsu (Naoya Uchida), made a pact with hordes of demons in order to become even more powerful and wealthy as a leader over all the lands. The result of the cursed agreement? Hyakkimaru lost most of his limbs at birth.

Hyakkimaru is missing arms, legs, sight, and sound. Hyakkimaru doesn't even have natural skin. Now wearing a mask and using artificial body parts to help him maneuver, Hyakkimaru is determined to restore his body. Seeking out the demons who made the pact with his father in order to break the original curse, Hyakkimaru will stop at nothing to reverse his cursed fate.

The animation is one of the highlights of Dororo. The series is well drawn and the efforts of the team of animators is commendable. The series art direction is by Mari Fujino (Dance Dance Danseur, Sonny Boy). The animation is creative and colorful. There is a sense of ambition in the production. This is certainly an interesting spin on the manga and the animation showcases the unique world well.

An epic journey unfolds.

The character designs on this production are compelling. The designs by Hiroyuki Asada (The Girl in Twilight) and Satoshi Iwataki (Ghost Hunt) make a solid impression. The central protagonist has a distinctive appearance. Hyakkimaru is a uniquely animated character with all the missing limbs: the art showcasing the intricacies of the design. Dororo was a uniquely animated character as well.

The cinematography by Yoshihisa Oyama (Kids on the Slope, Flowers of Evil) is invigorating. The cinematography is a great showcase for the unique animated world of the production. The darker aesthetic of the series is a good match for the grim reality of the central character and his own struggles. Hyakkimaru is on a quest that tests his limits and the cinematography helps to reflect that.

The score composed by Yoshihiro Ike (Ergo Proxy, Freedom) enhanced the production as well. The original compositions aided the storytelling. The music provides a solid background to the action sequences. Ike understands how to add tension and dramatic depth to the material and his work on this series is no exception.

Yasuko Kobayashi (Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: Live-Action, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure) adapts the original story. Kobayashi manages to showcase the ambitious nature of the storyline and the quest Hyakkimaru is on. The story explores some difficult concepts about human nature. An intriguing exploration of the world Osamu Tezuka created.

Directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi (You're Under Arrest, Getbackers), Dororo is a compelling anime. Furuhashi explores the world of the characters in a unique way. There is a sense of ambition to the production. The filmmaking is compelling and worthwhile. Furuhashi has a keen sensibility as a filmmaker and audiences will recognize these contributions.

Dororo: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks, Dororo is presented in MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The release has impressive depth and detail. This is a native high-definition presentation and not a simple upscale. Line art looks crisp on the release. The animation is well reproduced. The color spectrum is impressive. The encoding is solid and there aren't any egregious compression woes on the release.

Dororo: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: the original Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles) and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo. The high resolution audio sounds fantastic. Dialogue is remarkably clear – pristine sounding. The score composed by Yoshihiro Ike sounds exceptional on the release. The stereo audio has impressive mixing.

Dororo: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release is light on bonus features. This is one area where Osamu Tezuka could have used some sort of tribute or exploration of the original manga. It would have been interesting to see some behind-the-scenes featurettes exploring the processing of adapting the classic and the effort undertaken to honoring the legacy of Osama Tezuka. Unfortunately, these sorts of featurettes aren't too common on anime sets.

The on-disc extras are as follows: 

Clean Opening Animation (HD, 1:32)

Clean Closing Animations (HD, 6:08)

Japanese Promos (HD, 4:39)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Sentai Filmworks: Swordgai (HD, 1:02), Babylon (HD, 1:34), World Trigger (HD, 1:30), and Karakuri Circus (HD, 1:30).

Dororo: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Dororo is a compelling series. A new adaptation of the beloved classic from creator Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy), anime fans will enjoy the ambitious production. There is a lot to appreciate about the series. The animation looks wonderful. The Blu-ray release has a strong video- audio presentation. Featuring solid direction by Kazuhiro Furuhashi (You're Under Arrest) to compelling screenwriting from Yasuko Kobayashi (Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: Live-Action), Dororo is worth checking out. Recommended.