Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte is a charming comedy-fantasy that is set within the world of video games. Based on the original manga by Rumiwo Sakaki, the series was created by Suzu Enoshima. The original character designs are by Eihi. The series features animation production by Tezuka Productions (How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord Omega, The Quintessential Quintuplets). Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte features a theme song performance by DAZBEE (opening) and Anna (ending).  The series features voice performances by Tomori Kusunoki and Yūichi Nakamura.

Video games can mean so much to the lives of those who play them. Sometimes a video game is far more than just a simple diversion from reality. Video games can become a new reality, forging an incredible impact on the players. Roto Endo joins Shihono Kobayashi for a fun game of Love Me Magically. The game unfolds with the tale of Lieselotte Riefenstahl (Tomori Kusunoki) and Siegwald Fitzenhagen (Yūichi Nakamura).

Lieselotte seems to be a lot more complex as a character than the initial entry point in the game suggested. Rather than being an evil being, Lieselotte is far more complex and complicated. Siegwald, Lieselotte’s finance, begins to take a different tune because of the gameplay maneuvers of Roto and Shihono. Who can win the video game and will the tale reveal true love?

The characters are entertaining and add to the sense of fun of the series. This is true for both the real human characters and the video game characters. The characters add to the series style and there is something appreciable about the role these characters fulfill in the series – fantasy or not. The series also features compelling character designs by Miyuki Katayama (Young Black Jack, Black Jack 21). The designs are excellent and there is a lot to appreciate with them. The artistry of the designs is certainly wonderful and adds a sense of fantasy to the series (with the blend of the video game world adding to the production).

The series features impressive animation and the art adds a lot to the series. The series features chief animation direction by Hideyuki Usutani (Adachi and Shimamura, The Beast Player Erin), Junko Matsushita (Dr. Stone, Fortune Quest L), Miyuki Katayama (Arakawa under the Bridge × Bridge, Chihayafuru 3), Nanae Yonemoto (How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord Omega, Yowamushi Pedal), Shosuke Shimizu (Attack on Titan, Monster Hunter Stories RIDE ON), Zenjirou Ukulele (How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord Omega, Naruto Shippūden), and Zi Jing Zhuge (My Home Hero, Tōsōchū: The Great Mission). The animation is engaging and certainly adds to the video game storyline with the art well showcased by the team of animators involved with the production. The team of animators added unexpected charm to the series.

The score composed by Junko Nakajima (The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!), Kanade Sakuma (The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!), Natsumi Tabuchi (Castle Town Dandelion, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!), Sayaka Aoki (My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! , I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss), and Tatsuhiko Saiki (The Dawn of the Witch, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!) adds fun to the adventure. Fans of video game music and anime scores will find the series style works for the production and adds something interesting to the series. The score has to balance the “real world” and “video game world” elements and the composers and musicians do a good job handling the task.

Written by Tomoko Konparu (Kakuriyo -Bed & Breakfast for Spirits-, Les Misérables - Shōjo Cosette), Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte explores the tropes of video gaming and the manner in which the world of fantasy and the fantastical in games can lead to big experiences in the real world. The writing is entertaining and the characters are a big part of the script. Konparu has fun playing in the sandbox.

Directed by Fumihiro Yoshimura (Black Jack, Dear Brother), Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte showcases a blend of fantasy elements with a “realism” that is also entertaining. The directing is charming and the emphasis on video gaming will appeal with video gamers. Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte might not be a perfect series but it does have some fun things going for it and it is worth checking out.

Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Sentai Filmworks, Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The high-definition presentation features compelling detail. The video quality looks excellent on the release. Color and clarity are great during the presentation. The encoding capably preserves detail in the animation and helps to showcase the artistry of the animation team. A worthwhile presentation by Sentai Filmworks overall.

The Blu-ray format continues to be the best way to experience something in the age of streaming content with the Blu-ray disc format offering superior video quality (with higher bit-rates compared to streaming video services). For those looking for the absolute best presentation quality and to eek out every detail in the image, the Blu-ray disc format offers what videophiles are looking for. Streaming services continue to cut corners and streaming data sometimes varies in quality depending on one's internet streaming plan and connectivity, too.

Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). The release does not provide an English dubbed option. The lossless audio quality on the release is engaging and worthwhile. The subtitles are excellent, too. The subtitles are free from egregious spelling or grammatical errors. The lossless audio sounds crisp and clear on the release. The audio has outstanding clarity and capably preserves the soundstage of the presentation. The encoding handles the fine detail in the audio. The score and sound mix are preserved.

For audiophiles seeking the absolute best audio quality possible, the release provides what one is looking for – with more immersive audio compared to streaming video services (which tend to only offer lossy – non lossless – audio). Streaming video services tend to provide audio in MP3 or CD quality at best, whereas Blu-ray provides higher bit-rates. There is simply no comparison for someone who demands the absolute best quality that is obtainable.

Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The one area of the release that is underwhelming is the supplemental package. The bonus features on the release are lackluster compared to other aspects of the release. The Blu-ray release could have benefitted from the inclusion of in-depth behind-the-scenes documentaries, audio commentaries, exclusive featurettes, and cast & crew interviews. Photo galleries or art galleries might have been something worth including on the release as well. Unfortunately, these types of bonuses aren’t provided, and the supplemental package remains average. A slipcover might have been a nice touch, too.

On disc supplements include: 

Clean Opening Animation (HD, 1:32)

Clean Closing Animation (HD, 1:32)

Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte is a fantasy anime with a video game world setting. Fans of video game anime series with a lot of theme elements will find that this series has something fun to offer. The Blu-ray release provides an excellent video and audio presentation. The release could have used more bonus features but for fans of the series wanting to have a permanent physical copy for their collection alongside the best possible video and audio quality, the Blu-ray release is worth consideration. The release contains the entire collection of the series across two discs. Recommended.