Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Lord Marksman and Vanadis: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Lord Marksman and Vanadis is an action-adventure exploring a time-period on the cusp of war and chaos. Created by Tsukasa Kawaguchi, the series features notable animation by Satelight (Bodacious Space Pirates, Aquarion Evol). Produced by Kazuo Ōnuki, Keigo Nakamichi, Mika Shimizu, Shō Tanaka, Tatsuya Ueki, and Yasuhiro Kamima, fans of action-packed series will want to consider checking it out.

Tigrevurmud "Tigre" Vorn (Kaito Ishikawa) must learn how to survive when kidnaped by the beautiful Eleonora "Ellen" Viltaria (Haruka Tomatsu). Ellen is a leader of the town and she is a general herself – powerful and commanding in her presence. Count Tigre finds himself dealing with far more than he originally bargained for when by her side.

Tigre seeks to get some help from her and to turn the tides from being her captor to being her ally as he seeks to fight a war for his home nation. Determined to survive his quest, Tigre must face the perils of many beautiful war maidens while seeking to make it through war and danger at every turn. Can Tigre and Ellen overcome their differences and make an outstanding team?

The characters on the series are an important part of the production and why the series is a success on the whole. The central leads of Tigre and Ellen are interesting and their back-and-forth demeanor with each other is one of the reasons audiences will want to check out the series. There is certainly some compelling character dynamics here and it makes the series more compelling as a result. The unique characters have distinct roles to play in the war and the mission at stake. These elements of the series help to bring out more interesting aspects of the character personalities.

The animation is worthwhile and impressively realized on the production. The series has worthwhile art direction by Masatoshi Kai (Blue Exorcist, Astra Lost in Space). The animation certainly fits the action-packed element of the series and its core style. The animators managed to showcase background animation and character animation in good measure. The line art is fluid and well detailed on the production and there is a sense of ambition to the series art style.

The character designs by Yousuke Kabashima (The Girl Who Leapt Through Space, Uma Musume Pretty Derby) are another highlight that helps the series to stand out from the pack. The characters feature unique designs that seem distinctly in tune with the type of character personalities on the series. A worthwhile effort by Kabashima and something that keeps the production quality higher and more robust.

The cinematography by Atsushi Iwasaki (Bodacious Space Pirates The Movie: Abyss of Hyperspace, The Good Witch of the West) contributes to the series tone and aesthetic as well. The visual component is essential to the production. The sleek cinematography highlights the animation style and is a strong fit for the series and its sense of scale.

The original score composed by Masaru Yokoyama (Arakawa Under the Bridge, Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches) and Nobuaki Nobusawa (Battle Spirits Double Drive, Astra Lost in Space) is one that manages to imbue some extra layers of fun to the series. The music is enjoyable and makes this a production with a better sense of creativity and something that fits well within the action- adventure narrative. A solid effort from Yokoyama and Nobusawa.

Written and directed by Tatsuo Satō (Bodacious Space Pirates, Lil' Red Riding Hood Cha-Cha), Lord Marksman and Vanadis is a series that will appeal to fans of action-adventure series of a certain style. The series is well directed and Sato understands the right tonal balance needed to keep the series fun and engaging with interesting visuals and action cues. The series is worth checking out.  

Lord Marksman and Vanadis: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Funimation, Lord Marksman and Vanadis is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The presentation is impressive and has a solid video encode. The picture-quality highlights the vivid animation and the colorful design aesthetics assembled by the animators involved on the series production. The encode capably handles the action sequences and the more ambitious elements displayed on the series – the scope and scale handled well by the encoding.

Lord Marksman and Vanadis: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of audio options: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles). The lossless high resolution audio is impressive and adds to the experience. The lossless English dub has a bit of an advantage with surround sound. The Japanese language track is limited to 2.0 stereo but is still an excellent choice for purists who want the most authentic and original experience. Either way, the release delivers what fans want: clean, clear, and pure audio.

Lord Marksman and Vanadis: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc 1:

Episode 6 Audio Commentary

Disc 2:

"Tigre and Vanadish" Chibi Theater:

• An Encounter with the War Maiden (HD, 2:32)
• Strike Hard! (HD, 2:32)
• The Snacking War Maiden (HD, 2:32)
• The Teddy-Bear Wakeup Call (HD, 2:32)
• The Bear-Lover (HD, 2:32)
• The Cute Bear and the Soft Something (HD, 2:32)
• A Warm Something and a Pretty Something (HD, 2:32)
• The Naturally Brilliant Princess (HD, 2:32)
• Cynicism vs. Baldness (HD, 2:32)
• Secret Assembly (HD, 2:32)
• The Truth About to Come to Light (HD, 2:32)
• The Truth Come to Light (HD, 3:02)
• Intermission (HD, 3:02)
• One More Epilogue (HD, 3:02)

Preview for Episode 1 (HD, 00:32)

Promotional Video (HD, 1:42)

Blu-ray/DVD Commercials (HD, 00:34)

Episode 13 Audio Commentary

Textless Opening Song (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Song (HD, 1:27)

U.S. Trailer (HD, 1:30)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Funimation Entertainment: Kingdom (SD, 00:53), Terror in Resonance (HD, 2:03), Noein (HD, 1:13), A Certain Scientific Railgun S (HD, 1:15), No-Rin (HD, 00:54), Psycho-Pass (HD, 1:37), Riddle Story of Devil (SD, 1:01), and Fairy Tail (HD, 1:18).

Lord Marksman and Vanadis: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Lord Marksman and Vanadis is a series with an action-packed undercurrent. Fans of genre series with these types of action-oriented components will find the series worth exploring. The series has strong animation and a nice score. The Blu-ray release has a surprisingly robust supplemental package and includes a solid presentation (in regards to both video and audio). The release will certainly be of value to fans of the series. Recommended.