Lovely Complex: The Movie Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Lovely Complex: The Movie Blu-ray Movie Review

Lovely Complex is an entertaining and moving comedic gem from Japan. Lovely Complex is adapted from the popular and bestselling manga created by Aya Nakahara. Lovely Complex comes from production studio Tohokushinsha Film Corporation.

Executive produced by Banjirō Uemura (The Phoenix: Chapter of Yamato, Onmyoji) and Junichi Sakomoto, Lovely Complex is well-worth seeing for fans of quirky Japanese cinema. Produced by Naoto Fujimura (The Deer King, Dragon Quest Your Story), Lovely Complex features a theme song performance by Misono. Lovely Complex stars Ema Fujisawa and Teppei Koike.

An unexpected school romance unfolds. Risa Koizumi (Ema Fujisawa) is considered to be the tallest girl out of her entire class. Making matters more interesting for Risa, Risa befriends Atsushi Otani (Teppei Koike), who is a male student who has gained a reputation as being the shortest guy at school. The two goofballs both have body dysphoria about their unusual heights. Some might even call it a complex.

An unlikely romantic pairing, the two find themselves in an unexpected romantic whirlwind together. Perhaps the two goofy height-obsessed students can find romance between each other? Romance sometimes comes in the strangest of ways – bringing love between tall and short lovers!

The performances by the two lead actors are fantastic. Ema Fujisawa impresses as Risa Koizumi. Risa is a wonderful lead character for the story. Risa has a sense of determination to do well in school and to be herself. Despite her body dysmorphia about her unusually tall height, Risa wants to succeed.

Teppei Koike is similarly compelling in Lovely Complex as Atsushi Otani. Atsushi is a good opposite to Risa and the characters manage to have great chemistry together in the film. The on-screen chemistry is essential to the storytelling.

Lovely Complex is a beautifully produced feature-film. The production values are excellent throughout. Lovely Complex features art direction by Kazuna Iida. The art direction by Iida is top-notch and carries the filmmaking well. Lovely Complex has such a beautiful vibrancy and a sense of wonder on display.

Featuring a score composed by Daisuke Kawaguchi (Cara to Otamajakushi Shima), Lovely Complex features wonderful music. The score is one of the essential ingredients of the production. The fun original score has great character moments for the cast of characters. The music swells with great emotion and vitality. The score also provides a perfect backdrop to the most invigorating sequences in the feature-film.

Written by Osamu Suzuki (Jungle Emperor Leo, One Piece Film Z), Lovely Complex is a wonderfully well written screenplay. The heart of the filmmaking is in the script. The screenplay creates well written characters and the dialogue is excellent. The script has great comedic scenes, too. There are many charming sequences throughout the entire film.

Directed by Kitaji Ishikawa (Detarame Hero), Lovely Complex is a wonderful film and one that will appeal to fans of quirky and offbeat cinema. Ishikawa is a gifted filmmaker and Lovely Complex is well done throughout. Lovely Complex is beautiful and moving. A must-see for those who enjoy offbeat and adventurous Japanese comedies.

Lovely Complex: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Discotek Media, Lovely Complex is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the theatrical aspect ratio of 1.77:1 widescreen. The high-definition presentation impresses in spades. Colors are robust and engaging on the release. The transfer is crisp and clear throughout the entire presentation. The cinematography is beautifully reproduced and makes an impression that is well-worthwhile. The transfer is free from any egregious issues with banding. A worthwhile scan and encode by Discotek Media.

One of the best qualities of the release is the high-quality video. Streaming is sometimes inconsistent and can vary in presentation quality. Physical media provides a consistently pleasing option for home media fans and enthusiasts wanting the best presentation. Streaming can sometimes run into issues related to plan tiers, internet speeds, number of connected users, weather issues, internet outages, and other similar problems. With physical media, collectors can get a consistently pleasing presentation that is well-preserved on the physical format.

Lovely Complex: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The release provides excellent high-resolution audio encoding. The lossless audio is crisp and well-detailed on the release. The score is enormously well reproduced. English subtitles are provided on the release.

One of the hallmarks of physical media is the lossless audio. Streaming video services only provide lossy (non-lossless) audio encoding. Especially with regards to catalog titles, streaming often limits the audio presentation to MP3 quality between 192kbps and 320kbps. The Blu-ray format provides a full lossless audio presentation with higher bit-rates and audio preservation. For enthusiasts wanting the best audio experience possible, the physical format offers an advantage.

Lovely Complex: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes an incredible o-card slipcover. The beautiful o-card slipcover features compelling key artwork. The artwork underneath the slipcover is fantastic, too. The end result is an even more impressive package. The packaging design is fantastic and makes a huge impression on the release. Collectors and slipcover fans will appreciate the quality of the o-card slipcover and the added fun collectability. Indeed, the Discotek slipcovers are nice quality and add to the collectable aspect of physical media.

On disc supplements include:

After School Christmas Bonus Shorts (SD, 14:47)

Hello Girlfriend (SD, 3:28)

"Is This All Right?" By Umibozu – Music Video (SD, 1:20)

"Is This All Right?" By Umibozu – Karaoke Video (SD, 1:20)

"Is This All Right?" By Umibozu – Behind the Scenes (SD, 2:40)

Trailers and Promos (SD, 4:57)

Lovely Complex: The Movie Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Lovely Complex is a wonderful comedic slice-of-life gem. The filmmaking is exquisite and the storytelling is well done. Ema Fujisawa and Teppei Koike deliver excellent performances and their on-screen chemistry is excellent throughout. The screenplay is well-done and the direction is impressive throughout. The Blu-ray release features excellent high-definition video and lossless audio encoding. The first print run includes a wonderful o-card slipcover, too. Highly recommended.