Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?: Arrow of the Orion Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?: Arrow of the Orion Blu-ray Movie Review

A fun action spectacle for fans of the anime

Taking place after the action-packed events of the first season of the series, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Arrow of the Orion (Danjon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darō ka - Orion no Ya -) picks up with a brand new action-adventure quest. As the story takes place above the ground residing over the land of the dungeons of Oratio, the series explores the strength and will from the young lad and adventurer Bell Cranel (Yoshitsugu Matsuoka).

Having won a special vacation (which promises him more adventures to embark on), Bell sets out on his new mission alongside his trusty goddess companion Artemis (Maaya Sakamoto). However, though the trip sounds promising at the start (at least on some level) there is also the dangerous possibility that the events which unfold may become more problematic than what once seemed possible. Encountering the goddess Hestia (Inori Minase) as well, Bell must work alongside these kick-ass babes to take down the bad guys as creepy-crawly creatures lurk around every corner of the dungeons.

The anime production features a lot of interesting aesthetics which start with the animation. The feature film has some impressive character designs by Shigeki Kimoto (Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?) as well as monster designs by Hiroyasu Oda (Dog Days, The Familiar of Zero) which showcase some eerie creatures during the second half of the film and its action-packed conclusion. These visual elements bring unique components to the universe of Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? that add to the fun.

Time to Fight!

Throughout the theatrical film, the art direction by Yasuhiro Okumura (Flying Witch, The Urara of Labyrinth Town) gives fans some awe-inspiring locations and world-building views which make the experience more immersive and impressive to behold. Accompanying the expansive animation on display, the music score by Keiji Inai (Tokyo Ravens, Alderamin on the Sky) helps to highlight the action-scenes with bristling energy which keeps the momentum going at a brisk pace.

Considering the fact that the film is a follow-up to the fan-favorite anime series, the screenplay written by Fujino Omori (who also helmed the television series which inspired the anime film: Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?) wisely involves the same expanding universe fans have come to love and expect to experience.

While newcomers to the series and its universe may occasionally find themselves scratching their heads in momentary confusion from the myriad of characters, dedicated fans should have a blast with the characters going on some new missions with danger and mystery at every turn in the adventure. Directed by Katsushi Sakurabi (One Punch Man, Lunar Legend Tsukihime), Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Arrow of the Orion might not re-invent the wheel but it doesn't have to in the end: with action, adventure, and some impressive visuals accompanying some kick-ass action scenes, there's a whole lot of excitement for anime fans to explore!

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?: Arrow of the Orion Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from anime distributor Sentai Filmworks, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Arrow of the Orion features an impressive 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation. The release is presented in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. It certainly is a robust looking transfer with an organic and beautiful range of colors on display. The sublime blue color hue gives the transfer a majestic appearance which highlights the animation.

Throughout the entire presentation, the encode quality is generally impressive and highly detailed (bringing out the best elements of the visuals). Though there are a few scenes with some erroneous banding (especially on gray colors), the transfer otherwise impresses and looks remarkable. This is a high quality release with a nearly perfect encode (minor banding aside). Another impressive effort by Sentai Filmworks.

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?: Arrow of the Orion Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release features both English and Japanese 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio surround sound presentations. These are superb audio options which feature lossless sound quality. The Japanese language track has excellent English subtitles free from any glaring spelling or grammatical errors. Throughout the Japanese presentation, it struck me how refined the audio track was at giving the film some interesting dimensions with careful attention to the details in the sound design coming from each of the speakers.

The surrounds were sparingly used during the film's more dramatic scenes (though the music score can impress even in these moments) and the action scenes kick things up a notch with impressive LFE and a robust soundstage which fully utilizes the surround sound dynamics to great effect: from the flying dragons swooping through the blue skies to the swords thrashing through the air, the action-packed scenes were much more dramatic, intense, and satisfying with the surround usage. This is a superb lossless presentation which fans will be quite pleased with overall.

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?: Arrow of the Orion Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Japanese Promos (HD, 2:50) showcases a compilation of theatrical trailers promoting the release of the film. Presented in Japanese.

Trailers promoting other releases available from Sentai Filmworks: Tada Never Falls in Love (HD, 1:19), Sword Oratoria: Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? On the Side (HD, 1:33), The Book of Bantorra (HD, 1:34), and Devils' Line (HD, 1:33).

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?: Arrow of the Orion Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Taking place between the first and second season of the hit anime series, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Arrow of the Orion is an action-packed event film which should greatly please series fans with the sheer volume of intense action sequences and the superb soundtrack accompanying the visuals. With high quality animation on display and the series fan-favorite characters at the forefront, the film is a sugar-rush confection of dragons, blades, and non-stop excitement. The Blu-ray release features an excellent A/V presentation and comes recommended.