Loner Life in Another World: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Loner Life in Another World: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Loner Life in Another World is a compelling fantasy-comedy anime. Created by Bibi (manga) and Shoji Goji (novel), with original character designs by Saku Enomaru, Loner Life in Another World is aimed directly at genre fans looking for some comedic fantasy fun. Featuring animation production by Hayabusa Film (The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy, From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman) and Passione (Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World, The Island of Giant Insects), Loner Life in Another World is well worth exploration. Loner Life in Another World features theme song performances by Yoshino (opening) and Kujiragi (ending). Loner Life in Another World features a leading voice performance by Shūichirō Umeda.

Haruka (Shūichirō Umeda) is the only student in his entire class who wasn’t given a coveted “cheat” skill from God during a trip to another world. Haruka wasn’t given a single opportunity at one of the best skills. The only skills left over are considered “bad skills” or average skills. As a result of there being absolutely no more cheat skills to hand out, God gives Haruka all the remaining average skills. Can Haruka somehow survive without a cheat skill and an over-abundance of average skills? What will the Class Rep (Haruka Shiraishi) have to say about it?  

Haruka is a compelling lead character for the series. The journey of Haruka is one that audiences will be able to easily relate to. The idea of being left with only the “leftover” skills and no special abilities is an idea that many audiences will find intriguing and in how it plays out with the central character. Haruka certainly gets more than he bargained for when he ends up with all of the remaining skills, though. The quest is one that challenges him to survive and to find ways to be creative with his peers having more advanced skills. Even so, Haruka pursues and pushes himself forward – to do the best he can and to be the best he can be.

Featuring a score composed by Shūji Katayama (Promise of Wizard, Saga of Tanya the Evil), Loner Life in Another World is a well-done score. The music by Katayama is well done and plays a big role in the production. The score is top-notch and the action-packed energy of the score is something that is compelling in spades.

The character designs by Keiya Nakano (AOKANA: Four Rhythm Across the Blue, Hamidashi Creative) are well done across the board. The character designs are effective for the leading characters and for the supporting cast of characters. The designs certainly feel effective on the whole. The results are well done.

The animation is one of the greatest strengths of the series. Loner Life in Another World features superb animation and the art style is something that is compelling from beginning to end. The animation style showcases the radiance of the production team. The team of animators did fantastic work and this is something well worth commending. The series features art direction by Takeshi Sekino (Steins;Gate: The Movie - Load Region of Déjà Vu, Interspecies Reviewers). The animators brought their A-game to the table here and made something special. The background animation and line art make a nice and impressive difference. The results are subtle at times but well worthwhile and the artistry stands out as something compelling.

The cinematography by Kōji Hayashi (The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy, Spice & Wolf: merchant meets the wise wolf) is another worthwhile highlight of the production. Loner Life in Another World features engaging cinematography by Hayashi. The cinematography showcases the bright and dark aesthetic qualities in good measure. The efforts are highly commendable and make the series production all the more engaging.

Written by Kenta Ihara (Saga of Tanya the Evil, Uncle From Another World), Loner Life in Another World is well-done script wise. The scripting provides good comedy and fantasy in equal measure. The series  concept is compelling. The characters are well done and are well scripted. There is a sense of imagination and adventure in the writing.

Directed by Akio Kazumi (Ronja the Robber's Daughter, Fist of the Blue Sky Regenesis), Loner Life in Another World is a fun action-adventure anime and one that finds a good balance. The series has abundant creativity and therein is one of the greatest strengths. Director Kazumi did a terrific and impressive job handling the series. Loner Life in Another World is well-done. Fans of the genre will be entirely impressed and find there is a lot worthwhile and to offer.

Loner Life in Another World: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Sentai Filmworks, Loner Life in Another World is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The fun series animation style is well showcased on the release. Colors "pop" with considerable depth and overall clarity. The robust art style makes a big impression. There is plenty worthwhile here and audiences will find these elements are well highlighted by the video encoding quality. Sentai did solid work on the release.

One of the strengths of the physical media format is the superior video quality. Streaming video services, for example, often have a lower video bit- rate compared to the physical media option. Audiences will appreciate the higher video bit-rates and the improved presentation that can be achieved as a result. Though the differences are often subtle there can still be occasional upticks in detail that fans can appreciate.

Loner Life in Another World: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Loner Life in Another World includes a selection of lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). The release capably preserves the sound direction by Hisayoshi Hirasawa (The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy, Love Flops). Presentation quality is excellent on the release. Dialogue is crisp and clear and well reproduced. The soundstage is excellent and well handled across the board. The score and sound effects are also well integrated into the audio presentation.

Home theater enthusiasts and audiophiles alike appreciate the lossless audio encoding provided on physical media. Streaming video services only offer lossy (non-lossless) audio encoding. For fans of physical media, one of the coolest things is the lossless encoding and how it provides a more robust soundstage and presence compared to streaming services. The lossless audio can even achieve true theatrical audio quality - something that makes a big difference on some releases.

Loner Life in Another World: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes in a standard case. The release is a standard edition release. The release only includes Blu-ray discs and is not a combo pack edition. There is no slipcover or additional bonus physical goodies to find included with the standard edition release.

On disc supplements include:

Disc 2 –

Clean Opening Animation (HD, 1:32)

Clean Closing Animation (HD, 1:32)

Japanese Promo Videos (HD, 3:26)

Unfortunately, the supplemental package is a bit sparse. Sentai Filmworks could have made a more robust package by including behind-the-scenes documentaries, making-of featurettes, cast/crew interviews, roundtable discussions, comic con panel featurettes, and more. Alas, the extras that were provided are of the standard variety and don't add much to the package on the whole. In the age of streaming, some fans will consider a one- time stream over a purchase if there aren't a lot of good supplemental features. This is something every boutique label and company needs to consider in addressing the benefits of physical media.

Loner Life in Another World: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Loner Life in Another World is an entertaining and comedic fantasy anime. The series has a compelling lead protagonist. The anime series features imaginative animation and compelling production values. The series is worth a look for fantasy fans. The Blu-ray release provides excellent high-definition video, lossless audio encoding, and a small selection of bonus features. The release may be worth a purchase for fans of the series. Despite the small supplemental package there is still the benefit of ownership, better video, and lossless audio. Recommended.