Karakuri Circus: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Karakuri Circus: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Fast-paced action-packed fun.

Karakuri Circus is an action-packed anime with fantasy elements. Created by Kazuhiro Fujita (Moonlight Act, Ushio & Tora), the series will appeal to fans of fast-paced action-packed fun. Entertaining action awaits.

Masaru Saiga (Chihiro Ueda) becomes wealthy beyond belief – inheriting a massive fortune from his departed father. Yet villains all over the map want to steal Masaru's fortunes for themselves. Narumi Kato (Rikiya Koyama) risks her life to help protect him from approaching enemies.

With additional help from Masaru's close watcher, Shirogane Saiga (Megumi Hayashibara), a battle against wooden puppets ensues. Meanwhile, a mysterious history involving a shadowy war starts to unfold. Can Masaru survive the onslaught of villains with the help of Narumi and Shirogane?

The animation is stellar in Karakuri Circus. The production features stunning character designs by Takahiro Yoshimatsu (Overlord, Trigun) and the distinctive aesthetics of each character makes the experience more worthwhile. The chief animation direction by Takahiro Yoshimatsu (Slayers: The Motion Picture, Trigun) is remarkable and provides the series with a vibrant aesthetic that highlights the action scenes well. The bright, vivid, and engaging cinematography strikes a perfectly sophisticated tone.

Time for action!

The original music by Yuki Hayashi (My Hero Academia, Welcome to the Ballroom) manages to make the series even more engaging. The score is action-packed. The entertaining music backdrop helps the fight scenes soar with energy that is enormously engaging. The score packs a mighty punch – and the music delivers.

Written by Kazuhiro Fujita (Ushio & Tora, Moonlight Act) and Toshiki Inoue (Ninja Scroll, Urusei Yatsura), Karakuri Circus is a series with some compelling characters and a unique scenario. The storyline might not be the most original around – there are many action-oriented anime series like Karakuri Circus – yet it entertains and delivers.

Directed by Satoshi Nishimura (Trigun, Hajime no Ippo), Karakuri Circus is fun (in part) because of the energy of the direction. The production aesthetics seem expansive – with background art that is detailed – and cinematography that delights. Nishimura directs the series with a creative approach: helping the characters to find a rhythm. Karakuri Circus is worth checking out.

Karakuri Circus: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks, Karakuri Circus is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition. The series is bright and colorful. The vibrancy of the picture-quality is outstanding. The colors almost seem to leap off the screen – adding a great deal to the presentation. A immersive high-definition encode, the image looks crisp and clean. Anime fans will be impressed by the crisp animation.

Karakuri Circus: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). The lossless audio on the release is exceptional. Dialogue is crisp, clear, and easy to understand. Even as a stereo audio track, the presentation has a vibrancy that is dynamic. The track has surprising depth and detail for a stereo track. The audio sounds exciting, energetic, and fun – making the viewing experience all the more worthwhile. A top-notch audio presentation.

Karakuri Circus: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Clean Opening Animations (HD, 4:36)

Clean Closing Animations (HD, 4:36)

Episode 14.5: Intermission – The Opening Bell Rings Again (HD, 25:12)

Japanese Promos (HD, 8:19)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Sentai Filmworks: Babylon (HD, 1:34), BAKI (HD, 1:31), Sword Gai (HD, 1:02), and Dororo (HD, 1:32).

Karakuri Circus: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Karakuri Circus is entertaining action-packed fun. The series has impressive animation and a cool cast of characters. The production aesthetics are top-notch (with the animation making a huge impression). Directed by Satoshi Nishimura (Trigun), Karakuri Circus is worth checking out. Give it a spin. There is plenty of action! The Blu-ray release features a strong video-audio presentation. Recommended.