Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible is a sweet and charming romantic-comedy anime. Created by Nene Yukimori, Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible features impressive animation produced by acclaimed studio PINE JAM (Gamers!, Tawawa on Monday). The theme music is by Katsutoshi Kitagawa (OP) and Tomoya Tabuchi (ED). The series features vocal- performances by Kengo Kawanishi and Kana Hanazawa. Fans of sweet and laidback romantic anime will find Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible to be a charming series worth discovering.

Life can be miserable sometimes and with the kind of deep depression life can bring one can’t help but wish to be invisible once in a while. Junta Shiraishi (Kengo Kawanishi) faces the issue of being invisible himself – he is literally never one to stand out or to be noticed by anyone around him. In fact, he is so invisible that he becomes a legend himself since no one can seem to see him.

The only person who can seem to see Junta is Nagisa Kubo (Kana Hanazawa) – the girl sitting right next to him in his classroom. It surprises Junta that Nagisa can even see him and that she also takes it upon herself to help him be seen by others, too. Yet Nagisa does exactly that – aiming to help Junta be seen by others and to perhaps be in his life, too. Is it possible that Junta will someday no longer feel invisible?

The characters on Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible are charming and add a lot to the romantic series. The main protagonists are both wonderful characters and audiences will enjoy their vibrant personalities. In fact, without such strong leads it would be difficult to make an effective romantic-comedy anime series. These characters are certainly a big part of the reason the series works and why it matters to fans.

The voice-work for the characters impresses, too. Kengo Kawanishi and Kana Hanazawa are both solid in their respective roles. It takes a good voice cast to bring out the best in the characters and to add more charm for a romantic-comedy. Both of the voice actors highlight the characters in compelling ways and bring something to the table.

The character designs by Yoshiko Saitō (Comic Girls, Farming Life in Another World) are effective, too. The designs are better than on some other romantic-comedy anime series. The designs certainly are effective even if not the most original. The designs still impress and as a result the series is that much more charming for romantic-comedy fans.

The animation is one of the highlights of the series and one of the key reasons the romantic-comedy aspects work so well. The animation features art direction by Sumiko Aihara (Eiga Jewelpet Sweets Dance Princess, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation) and chief animation direction by Kou Aine (Fate/strange Fake -Whispers of Dawn-, She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man) and Yoshiko Saitō (Assassins Pride, Kandagawa Jet Girls). The animators certainly managed to do something special here – showcasing the series vibrant aesthetic with nice background animation and detailed line art. The art shines and fans of sleek and modern looking anime series will appreciate the style showcased on the series.

The cinematography by Shinya Matsui (Blue Exorcist: Shimane Illuminati Saga, World Break: Aria of Curse for a Holy Swordsman) helps to bring out the best in the animation. The visuals are clearly impressive and on full display with the production. Matsui is a talented cinematographer: the production showcasing a remarkable sense of splendor and the visuals aiding the storytelling.

The score composed by Kujira Yumemi (In the Land of Leadale, Reign of the Seven Spellblades) is enjoyable and adds a nice backdrop to the romantic-comedy aspects of the series. The score is unquestionably light and airy and fans of these types of anime scores will be enormously pleased with the results. The score by Yumemi adds to the charm and provides something special for the production.

Written by Yūya Takahashi (Laughing Under the Clouds, Lupin the IIIrd: Fujiko Mine's Lie), Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible is a calming series. Fans of quiet and sweet romantic anime series will appreciate this series. The writing is well-done with the characters and their interactions adding to the series quiet wonders. A charming series and the writing is going to appeal to fans of slice-of-life anime series.

Directed by Kazuomi Koga (Rent-A-Girlfriend, The Banished Former Hero Lives as He Pleases), Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible is certainly going to win over fans of romantic anime series. It is a nice romantic-comedy and it adds something special to the table. Director Koga is talented and the production certainly highlights the quiet wonders of the series.

Though romantic anime series might not appeal to everyone, for the target audience it is an enjoyable and charming genre that can yield some great results. Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible will certainly hit the right notes for some – exactly as intended – and there is something worth celebrating in that. Well worth checking out for any romantic-comedy fans. Time to cozy up – especially for anime fans with a significant other.

Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Sentai Filmworks, Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high- definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. An impressive high-definition presentation with a lot of wonderful aspects to the release. The quality is outstanding. The animation looks crisp and colorful. The background art and line art also shine and impress in spades.

The visual style fits the bill for the genre and looks great in high-definition. Sentai provides excellent encoding. One of the benefits of the physical media format is the superior video presentation quality. Streaming platforms only provide series with a more compressed picture – the presentation is not quite as crisp as on the physical media format. For audiences wanting the best of the best, physical media highlights these advantages.

Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible: 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 excellent sounding. The score sounds crisp and engaging and is an impressive highlight of the release. Dialogue is well reproduced and sounds excellent on the release. Sound direction by Yuichi Imaizumi (Fluffy Paradise, The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic) is well reproduced.

Fans will appreciate the high quality of the audio encoding. One thing about physical media is that it provides superior audio quality to streaming platforms, which only provide lossy (non-lossless) audio by comparison. The sound quality is superior. If you want the best of the best, the release provides that to audiences.

Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The supplemental package is one of the more lackluster elements of the release. The release could stand to include a more feature-oriented extras package. The release does not come with any audio commentaries, featurettes, or art galleries. These types of bonus features would have added a lot to the package.

On disc extras include:

Japanese Promo Videos (HD, 2:14)

Clean Opening Animation (HD, 1:32)

Clean Closing Animation (HD, 1:32)

Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible is a charming anime series and it has a big heart. The anime series is colorful and vibrant. The animation makes a wonderful impression and there is a lot to appreciate. Certainly, the slice-of-life and charming vibes of the series add a lot to the anime. Anime fans will appreciate these quiet qualities of the program and the manner in which it aids the storytelling.

Sentai Filmworks provides fans with a quality high-definition video presentation and a lossless soundtrack. The Blu-ray release could have used more bonus features but fans who want to own the series and also get the best possible presentation quality will consider the release well worth adding to their collection. Sentai delivers a package that fans of the series will be pleased with. Recommended.