Monster Girl Doctor: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Monster Girl Doctor: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

A monstrous doctor's visit.

Monster Girl Doctor is a fantasy-horror anime created by Yoshino Origuchi. The series features animation produced by Arvo Animation (Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut, We Never Learn: BOKUBEN). Produced by Kazuyoshi Nishikawa (Maria the Virgin Witch, Celestial Method) and Shintarō Tani, Monster Girl Doctor is an unusual series with a unique concept that will appeal to some genre fans.

Glenn Leitbeit (Shunichi Toki) isn’t the kind of doctor you would take your pets to. Glenn isn’t simply some sort of veterinarian. Yet doctor Glenn specializes in a field that many wouldn’t date to even attempt to tackle: treating monsters. Glenn is joined at his practice by his voluptuous assistant, Saphentite “Sapphee” Neikes (Saori Ōnishi).

The two find themselves in more trouble than bargained for when more-and-more monsters come to them seeking treatment. If that wasn’t complicated enough, the examination room becomes heated with Glenn and Sapphee developing feelings for each other. Can the workplace romance survive the monstrous setting?

The characters are a solid component of the production. The central protagonists of Glenn and Sapphee make the series more enjoyable. While these characters aren’t as complex as some drama series might have provided, the characters still seem well suited for the genre roots of the production. There is an element of zaniness to the leads and their monster-doctor undertaking.

The character designs by Hiromi Kato (Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut, Fantasista Doll) certainly enhance the aesthetic of the series. The characters seem distinctive for this type of series and manage to fit the material well. The leads are well animated with designs that showcase their distinct personalities. An impressive effort by designer Kato.

"Fight on!"

The art direction by Satoru Kuwabara (This Ugly Yet Beautiful World, New Fist of the North Star) is one of the forefront elements of the production and it manages to enhance the storytelling on the series. The animation has impressive background animation and there certainly is something worthwhile about it. The art style is effective and well realized. The series is colorful and vibrant and a bit different than expected for a horror genre production involving monsters.

The cinematography by Motohiro Kunishige (Tsugumomo, My Roommate is a Cat) certainly enhances the look of the series as well. Kunishige provides a bright aesthetic for the romantic elements of the series. Despite being a fantasy-horror series, the tone isn’t as dark as some might expect and the cinematography by Kunishige reflects that element well.

Unfortunately, the score by TO-MAS (Alice & Zoroku, Flip Flappers) doesn’t make much of an impression. The music is adequate background music but it doesn’t provide much originality to make the series as engaging as one would hope to experience. The score fits the material well enough yet it lacks the cohesiveness one hopes to find.

The series is written by Hideki Shirane (Aria the Scarlet Ammo, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? ) and there is certainly a sense of a creative spark in Shirane’s composition. The writing is effective at exploring the two central characters and their journey. The series offers audiences an unusual blend of romance and horror and there is something interesting about the manner in which the characters become intwined in romance while exploring a “monster doctor” concept. The idea is certainly something that is interesting and provides audiences something unique to chew on.

Monster Girl Doctor is directed by Yoshiaki Iwasaki (Ōkami-san & Her Seven Companions, Doki Doki School Hours). The direction fits the anime material and makes the most of the series concept. Director Iwasaki explores the concept with a unique visual eye. Focusing on the cinematic quality of a monster-doctor, Iwasaki plays with the concept and brings anime fans something worth a look.

Monster Girl Doctor: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks, Monster Girl Doctor is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The presentation capably preserves the original series animation. The colors are well reproduced. The animation appears bright and colorful – a more unique visual approach for a genre series. The art certainly is well reproduced with the solid encoding of Sentai Filmworks.

Monster Girl Doctor: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes two lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles). The lossless audio encoding sounds clear and impressive. Dialogue is crisp and well reproduced. The score is well integrated in to the stereo sound imaging. The sound effects are surprisingly effective for a stereo audio sound mix. Sentai provided a solid audio encode.

Monster Girl Doctor: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Clean Opening Animation (HD, 1:32)

Clean Closing Animation (HD, 1:32)

Insert Song: Water flows down passages (HD, 4:27)

Japanese Teaser (HD, 00:44)

Web Previews (HD, 5:10)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Sentai Filmworks: Monster Musume: Everyday Life with Monster Girls (HD, 1:33), Samurai Girls (HD, 00:59), Mushibugyo (HD, 1:32), and My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! (HD, 1:32).

Monster Girl Doctor: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Monster Girl Doctor is certainly a different type of anime series in the genre realm. The series combines a concept rooted in the horror genre with romance. The animation is impressive and is one of the most interesting elements of the production. Director Yoshiaki Iwasaki (Ōkami-san & Her Seven Companions) explores the concept in a interesting way. The Blu-ray release features a strong video and audio encode. Fans of the series will be enormously pleased with the quality of the release. Though the release is relatively light on supplements, the set still includes more bonus features than many anime sets. Recommended.