Hero Mask Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Hero Mask Blu-ray Movie Review

A compelling police procedural mystery.

Hero Mask is a police procedural anime. The production comes from acclaimed animation studio Pierrot ( Bleach, Flame of Recca). Fans of police procedural dramas who enjoy solving a mystery should consider it worthwhile. Hero Mask is a unique production in the police procedural arena (combining elements of futuristic science- fiction).

James Blood (Yasuyuki Kase) is a detective working with the Special Service of Crime on a large scale investigation. When a new and dangerous technology is used to create masks granting wearers the ability to change their face, crime increases at an alarming rate. Another mysterious mask grants users the ability to increase their natural senses.

The mysterious masks may be connected to an international security company known simply as LIVE. Working alongside assistant attorney Sarah Sinclair (Yuko Kaida), detective James Blood is now determined to find out who is responsible for the masks. The mystery deepens.

The masks are making everything more dangerous for everyone in Japan – including those wearing the masks. The masks take off years of the lives of those who decide to wear them (in exchange for the power the masks grant users). The masks might be linked to an even larger conspiracy involving a killing machine as well. Can James and Sarah discover who is behind these advanced-tech masks before it is too late for everyone?

As a police procedural, Hero Mask is an interesting anime production. One doesn't see as many anime series in this genre and there is plenty to explore within the realm. The series manages to take some inspiration from V for Vendetta as well as other genre productions at the same time. To be a good police procedural, the series has to have a compelling central character at the forefront – in this regard, Hero Mask succeeds.

James Blood is a compelling lead detective. As a part of the Special Service of Crime unit, Blood is a determined detective who wants to stop the spread of the masks and uncover the mystery behind them. The character is tough-as-nails in times of need. The central protagonist of the tale, Blood helps make the storytelling more intriguing.

The masks are on.

The animation is another strength of the production. The art direction by Takashi Nakamura (Fairy Tail the Movie: Phoenix Priestess, Looking Up At The Half-Moon) was handled alongside co-pilot Yuki Sonoda. The art style of the series is intriguing. The series has a vibrant aesthetic when it wants to have one. Yet Hero Mask is also capable of being a dark-looking series with a style that vibes well within the world of film noir. There is something intriguing about how these elements help Hero Mask to stand out from the crowd.

The series features character designs by Takahisa Katagiri. The character designs are interesting and manage to showcase the unique characteristics of the central leads. Both James Blood and Sarah Sinclair have unique personalities and the character designs help to reflect this element of the storytelling.

The cinematography by Toshikazu Kuno (Cardcaptor Sakura: The Movie, Banner of the Stars) is compelling as well. The visual element of the series helps to showcase the futuristic world of the storytelling. The series has a lot of futuristic visuals – and the lighting reflects the art well (with decidedly bold aesthetics).

The series score is composed by Hisaki Kato. Kato has no other credits for other anime productions but the music on the series is adequate for the procedural. The score is a weak point compared to some of the other elements and is somewhat standard police-procedural music. Nonetheless, it suits the action and mystery elements of the anime adequately.

Written and directed by Hiroyasu Aoki (Hunter X Hunter, Ushio & Tora) alongside co-screenwriter Tsuzuko Mikuni (who penned the second half of the season), Hero Mask isn't a total home run in every regard but it is an intriguing and well executed police procedural in some respects. Fans of police procedural dramas will find it a compelling anime series with enough mysterious plot twists to keep one guessing.

Hero Mask Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks, Hero Mask 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 decent looking presentation. Colors on the release are vivid and well reproduced. The line art looks crisp and detailed. The action scenes are well reproduced as well.

The release does have some drawbacks as well. There are occasional compression artifacts that are slight but noteworthy nonetheless. Most viewers will not find these elements too distracting but it is something to be noted. There is heavy banding in some scenes as well.

These compression elements could be source-related or it might be the result of the series being a Netflix production (perhaps the streaming company provided materials which were less than the standard level of quality I have come to expect from Sentai Filmworks). Regardless, the set is worthwhile on the whole and most viewers will be satisfied with the results.

Hero Mask 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 clear and dynamic. The stereo sound design suits the procedural series well. Dialogue remains crisp throughout. The music score is well reproduced.

Hero Mask Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc 1:

Japanese Promos (HD, 3:12)

Character Costume Designs (HD, 2:46)

Character Settings (HD, 5:52)

Prop Settings (HD, 1:42)

Art Settings (HD, 1:42)

Episode Key Frames (HD, 4:02)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Sentai Filmworks: Assassins Pride (HD, 00:45), Kaiji (HD, 00:52), Gate (HD, 1:32), and 7Seeds (HD, 1:37).

Hero Mask Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hero Mask is a compelling police procedural from Netflix. The series is worth checking out for mystery fans. Though the series isn't a total home run in every respect, the production does benefit from some compelling elements – including a good concept and quality animation. The Blu-ray is worth a pick-up for series fans. Recommended.