Is the Order a Rabbit??: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Is the Order a Rabbit??: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

Is the Order a Rabbit? Season 2 continues the journey of the comedy anime. Created by Koi, Is the Order a Rabbit? Season 2 celebrates its anniversary with a new reissue by distributor Sentai Filmworks. Is the Order a Rabbit? Season 2 features animation production by Kinema Citrus (Made in Abyss, Scorching Ping Pong Girls) and WHITE FOX (Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious, Arifureta - From Commonplace to World's Strongest). Produced by Hiroyuki Kobayashi (Castle Town Dandelion, The Demon Girl Next Door) and Mitsutoshi Ogura (High School of the Dead, Black Lagoon), Is the Order a Rabbit? Season 2 has voice-performances by Ayane Sakura, Inori Minase, Maaya Uchida, Risa Taneda, and Satomi Satou.

Cocoa Hoto (Ayane Sakura) is back for more adventures at the Rabbit House restaurant and boarding house. The restaurant has been Cocoa’s constant place of employment and it doubles as a boarding house she calls home. The Rabbit House is a merry place full of tasty food and incredible drinks for everyone to enjoy.

Cocoa came to the Rabbit House a while ago with no idea what it would bring into her life when she ventured forth: good employment, nice housing, and wonderful friends. Cocoa spends her time at the restaurant with her friends and coworkers Chino Kafū (Inori Minase), Sharo Kirima (Maaya Uchida), Rize Tedeza (Risa Taneda), and Chiya Ujimatsu (Satomi Satou). Time flies when you are having fun! With an abundance of good food, drinks, and nice company, Cocoa and friends are in for another time of fun adventure! This time around, the girls are experimenting with some new adventures such as going camping and boating. There’s always plenty of fun for the Rabbit House girls! And, of course, the wonderful rabbit mascot returns!

What a wonderful cast of characters! The characters are one of the joyous qualities of the series. The production just wouldn’t be the same without such a fun group of characters – each brimming with personality and a sense of joy. Fans of kawaii anime exploring the simplicity of slice-of-life anime, featuring the characters enjoying time with each other at the restaurant will appreciate how the characterizations are handled. It’s a total 180 compared to more mature and grittier anime series – these characters are simply fun to spend time with at the Rabbit House.

The character designs by Yousuke Okuda (Shironeko Project: Zero Chronicle, Blend S) add a lot to the production quality. The character designs fit the respective characters quite well, showcasing their charming personalities. Okuda is a talented designer and he added something of value to the production.

The animation is vibrant and enjoyable. The animation style is one of the strengths of the series. Is the Order a Rabbit? Season 2 features solid art direction by Satoru Hirayanagi (Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl, Blue Giant) and chief animation direction by Takahiro Sasaki (Chronicles of the Going Home Club, The Gymnastics Samurai) and Yousuke Okuda (High School Fleet, Celestial Method). A wonderful production effort by the team of animators. The animators do a good job with bringing forward fun aesthetic charms to the series.

The cinematography by Kentarō Minegishi (Yuki Yuna Is a Hero, The Dangers in My Heart) is a big part of the fun. The cinematography highlights the visuals in a creative way. The aesthetics emphasis the kawaii elements and the cinematographer highlights bright and colorful animation with plenty of pizzazz. The result is something with more warmth and radiance.

The score composed by Ruka Kawada (The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague, If Her Flag Breaks) is enjoyable, too. The music by Kawada offers charm and a laidback slice-of-life style. The score works its magic and enhances the comedy series with a light and airy soundtrack.  

Written by Kazuyuki Fudeyasu (How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord, Black Clover), Is the Order a Rabbit? Season 2 continues the series adventures at the Rabbit House. Screenwriter Fudeyasu enjoys adding a sense of charm and splendor to the production. The characters have good dialogue. Simplicity on the surface but it is certainly enjoyable.

Directed by Hiroyuki Hashimoto (Magical Girl Raising Project, Classroom of the Elite), Is the Order a Rabbit? Season 2 will continue to impress fans of the anime series. The second season brings back beloved characters while building on what came before – and expanding the character journeys. Director Hashimoto adores the characters and Is the Order a Rabbit? Season 2 will fit the bill for devotees.

Is the Order a Rabbit??: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Sentai Filmworks, Is the Order a Rabbit? Season 2 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The second season has received a new anniversary reissue. I do not have the original release to do an A/B comparison. For season one, the original release was presented on one disc and was re-encoded for the new 10th anniversary reissue with two discs. The second season is also part of a new 10th anniversary reissue campaign by Sentai Filmworks but both editions (the original release and the new reissue) are presented across two discs. The video quality is good on the reissue and with nice color reproduction. The animation looks lush on the release with colors that pop and stand out.  

One of the highlights of the Blu-ray format is superior video encoding compared to streaming video services. Streaming services tend to offer a more compressed image. For home theater enthusiasts seeking to eek out the best in the presentation quality, Blu-ray offers a distinct advantage to video streaming services.

Is the Order a Rabbit??: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Blu-ray release is presented in Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). The release capably preserves the sound direction by Jin Aketagawa (Bodacious Space Pirates, anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day). The soundstage is excellent for a stereo audio design. The quality is good on the release. Dialogue is crisp and clear. The English subtitles are well done and are free from egregious spelling or grammatical errors.

One thing that is surprising about the new anniversary reissue is that the reissue doesn't include an English dub option. The original release didn't provide an English dub, either. One can't help but wonder why Sentai didn't use the reissue as an opportunity to go back and add an English dub to the anniversary edition. Nonetheless, the Japanese language audio option is pleasing, alongside the English subtitles.

Is the Order a Rabbit??: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes a standard Blu-ray case. The release does not include an o-card slipcover. The release does provide a newly designed cover- art. The new cover-art highlights the color green. The cover-art is a vast improvement over the original Blu-ray release. Some fans may wish to consider a possible double-dip for the improved cover-art alone. The artwork is designed to be aesthetically in unison with the other anniversary reissues.

On disc extras include:

Clean Opening Animation (HD, 1:32)

Clean Closing Animation (HD, 15:43)

Unfortunately, the supplemental package on the release is sparse. The bonus features selection could be a lot better. The release would have benefited by including audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes documentaries, making-of featurettes, cast/crew interviews, photo galleries, and more. This can sometimes make or break the value to certain collectors – those who highly covet supplements.

Is the Order a Rabbit??: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Is the Order a Rabbit? Season 2 arrives with a new anniversary reissue by Sentai Filmworks. The series has wonderful animation and a charming cast of characters. The production values are excellent. A slice-of-life series for fans of kawaii anime.

The Blu-ray release provides a worthwhile high-definition video presentation and lossless audio encoding. The only surprising downside to the anniversary reissue is that Sentai didn't use the anniversary as a reason to surprise fans with a new English dubbed option. The release only offers lossless Japanese audio (with English subtitles). Nonetheless, the Japanese option is well-done and has good subtitles. The release also includes a nice new cover-art (which may manage to sway some fans to double-dip for the superior cover art). Recommended.