Insomniacs After School Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

Insomniacs After School Blu-ray Movie Review

Insomniacs After School is a beautiful and moving slice-of-life anime series. Created by Makoto Ojiro,  Insomniacs After School is a unique and creative anime series with a compelling artistic voice and storytelling approach. The series features animation by LIDEN FILMS (Blade of the Immortal, Poco's Udon World). The theme music is performed by AIKO (opening) and Homecomings (ending). The English voice cast includes lead performances by Jad Saxton and Adam Gibbs. The supporting voice cast includes performances by Blake Weir, Brandon Hearnsberger, Brittney Karbowski, Elissa Cuellar, Hilary Haag, Natalie Rial, Olivia Swasey, and Patricia Duran. Sentai has reissued the set specifically to add the new English dubbing. The box-set reissue is entitled Insomniacs after School – New English Dub Collection.

Isaki Magari (Jad Saxton) is an insomniac who finds a perfect getaway for nap-time in the school observatory. The observatory was built for the (now-defunct) Astronomy Club but it's a room with a dual purpose for those in need – naps await! Ganta Nakami (Adam Gibbs) is a fellow insomniac who stumbles upon meeting Magari and her slumbering self.

When the two insomniacs meet and become close with one another, unexpected friendship begins. Magari invites Nakami to stay in the observatory with her for nap time. Could the friendship lead to romance? As the two insomniacs enjoy their time in the observatory, the school steps in the way as the observatory is not supposed to be used as a place for naptime – now it's up to these insomniacs to re-open the Astronomy Club and perhaps work on their insomnia in the process!

The supporting cast of characters (with new English dubbing) includes Tao Ukegawa (Blake Weir), Rui Haida (Brandon Hearnsberger), Motoko Kanikawa (Brittney Karbowski), Yui Shiromaru (Elissa Cuellar), Mina Nono (Hilary Haag), Haya Magari (Natalie Rial), Kanami Anamizu (Olivia Swasey), and Usako Kurashiki (Patricia Duran). The supporting characters add some extra fun to the series, too. The supporting characters help to round out the anime more.

One of the things that sets Insomniacs After School apart from other anime series is the fantastic cast of characters. The two central protagonists on the series are both great leads. The characters are smart, charming, and relatable. Who doesn't love to nap? The characters feel genuine and that makes a big difference. These types of relatable characters can sometimes be found in slice-of-life anime series such as this one and that is wonderful to see as part of the series DNA.

The character designs by Yuki Fukuda (Plunderer, Mieruko-chan) are exceptional. The character designs are ambitious and creative. The characters feel like real characters on the series with their compelling designs rather than simply feeling like caricatures. The designs add a sense of dramatic realism and creativity at the same time.

The animation is one of the most essential and compelling elements of the production. The series has fantastic animation. The series features art direction by Tatsurō Ōnishi (Platinum End, Zombie Land Saga Revenge). The series art style is exceptional and there is so much to appreciate about the evocative and colorful animation. The art style highlights the beauty of the outdoors and the night skies. The animation exudes confidence and a sense of creativity that is a perfect fit for the slice-of-life style of storytelling. The animators brought their A- game to the production and the subtle intricacies of the artwork adds something significant to the story.

The score composed by Yuki Hayashi (My Hero Academia, Pokémon: To Be a Pokémon Master) is an engaging highlight of the series, too. Hayashi is a talented composer who has a knack for creating an energetic and fun score. For Insomniacs After School, the composer explores the characters and the journey they go on in a dramatic way. The music fits the series tone and it works well to build on the concept explored on the series.

The cinematography by Megumi Himeno (Midnight Occult Civil Servants, Vampire Dormitory) is lush and serene. The visuals aid the series in significant ways. The cinematography is one of the great strengths highlighted by the series. The cinematography helps to bring out the best in the animation and to make everything shine.

Written by Rintarou Ikeda (The Banished Former Hero Lives as He Pleases, Magical Sempai), Insomniacs After School is a series with a great voice. The storytelling is charming and heartfelt. The scripting adds emotional weight to the series. Ikeda is a talented scriptwriter and the series manages to highlight the wonderful cast of characters – something that adds a great deal to the series.

Directed by Yuki Ikeda (Layton Mystery Tanteisha: Katori no Nazotoki File, Arad Senki),  Insomniacs After School is a compelling and heartfelt series wearing its heart on its sleeve. There is a real sense of charm with the series. The storytelling is told in a beautiful way and the director highlights the characters in a believable and moving way. The emotional gravitas is heightened by the directing and the style of the storytelling evoked by Ikeda. These elements help to set Insomniacs After School apart from other anime series. Audiences can expect to find something a little bit different from the norm with this slice-of-life series and it certainly isn't about flashy action scenes or spectacle – it's the quiet moments between these characters that carries the series. The sublime wonders of living in the moment and what the characters go through together. Fans of the slice-of-life genre with appreciate these qualities.

Insomniacs After School Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Sentai Filmworks, Insomniacs After School 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 is exceptional on the release. The presentation showcases the animation at its finest with great color reproduction and overall clarity on the encoding. The background art looks so warm and inviting – the night skies look terrific and far more visually immersive than even expected. Colors are beautiful. The artistry is well showcased on the release with such a stunning and clear presentation. The reissue is entitled as "Insomniacs after School – New English Dub Collection" – containing a similarly pleasing (and likely identical) video encode to the previous edition (which contained only the Japanese language version).

The Blu-ray release provides a strong encode that is superior to streaming. One of the great things in owning a Blu-ray disc is knowing that you have a top-notch presentation – with the format besting streaming video services. Streaming offers video with more compression and physical media has superior encoding and higher bit-rates. The result? An even greater presentation on physical media, something to be appreciated by viewers and especially those with quality home theaters. For home theater enthusiasts who have high-end gear worth thousands, streaming simply can't compare to the joy of a physical disc with top-notch video quality.

Insomniacs After School Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release provides a selection of lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). Insomniacs After School sounds crisp and clear on the release. Dialogue is exceptionally well reproduced too. The score sounds warm and inviting during the presentation. The lossless clarity capably handles the soundtrack and soundstage.

The sound direction by Satoshi Motoyama (The Ambition of Oda Nobuna, Bibliophile Princess) makes a mark. Please note that there is no English dubbed option provided on the release and the release is limited to the original Japanese language version. The English subtitles provided on the release are impressive and are free from egregious spelling or grammatical errors.

The English dub option is new to the release. The reissue includes a newly produced English dub. The English dub was not available on the previous issue (which only included the Japanese language audio option and no English dub). English dub fans will appreciate the reissue. It is nice to see Sentai go back and add an English language option for anime fans who prefer to watch their anime with English dubs. The dubbing itself is quite good and though it might not be preferable to the original language version for some audiences, it is still nice to see the English language option for those who would rather opt to watch dubbed.

Physical media rewards audiophiles with superior audio quality. Streaming video services only have lossy (non-lossless) audio on all streaming video platforms. For audiophiles seeking the absolute best possible sound quality for their home theater, Blu-ray disc provides the best option with crisper sounding audio and a more immersive soundstage.

Insomniacs After School Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release ships in a standard Blu-ray case. The release does not come with an o-card slipcover. The release doesn't come with a digital copy. There are no pack-ins or extras added to the package. The packaging has a new cover-art to differentiate it from the first edition – which only had Japanese language audio. The new edition is subtitled as the "New English Dub Collection" – making it clear to potential purchasers that it now included an English language audio option.

Clean Opening Animation (HD, 1:31)

Clean Closing Animation (HD, 1:31)

Unfortunately, these standard bonus feature offerings don't add much value to the package. It would have been nice to see the "New English Dub Collection" reissue add some new bonus features. The first release did not have many extras at all. The reissue is also lacking in this department.

The release could have benefited by adding some additional supplemental features. The inclusion of some audio commentaries, making-of featurettes, behind-the-scenes, and cast/crew interviews would have certainly added something special to the release. Even some photo galleries or art galleries may have significantly bolstered the supplemental package and made it more appealing.

Insomniacs After School Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Insomniacs after School – New English Dub Collection provides the beloved anime with a new English dubbed option. The original release only included the Japanese language version. It is nice seeing distributor Sentai Filmworks go back to the anime and produce a new English dub for fans who anticipated and wanted a dubbed version.

The anime is well-done and has a lot of beautiful components. The anime has a nice cast of characters and the concept is compelling. The production features beautiful animation. The series manages to evoke a good dramatic depth and works as slice of life storytelling.

The Blu-ray release offers the same quality high-definition video presentation alongside lossless audio – both in Japanese and English. The set also includes a small selection of bonus features. The reissue also includes a new cover art (noting the new English dub) to differentiate the set from the previous release. Fans of the series who want to experience the anime with its new English dub will be the most compelled to purchase the set and add it to the collection. Recommended.