Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

My-Hime: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

My-Hime is an action-adventure anime with a compelling and exciting concept for anime fans. The series features animation produced by acclaimed studio Sunrise (Cowboy Bebop, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing). From the original concept by Hajime Yatate, My-Hime is produced by Hisanori Kunisaki (Macross Frontier, Aquarion Evol) and Naotake Furusato (Outlaw Star, Gear Fighter Dendoh). Originally broadcast on TV Tokyo, My-Hime is the beginning of a popular anime franchise and a saga full of exciting action for animation fans.

Mai Tokiha (Mai Nakahara) has begun her school year at the Fuka Academy. Attending the school alongside her brother, Mai discovers a world that is far more complex than she ever expected to discover. The school gathers HiMEs, special girls who have an ability to summon.

As these powerful girls are still unlocking the full potential of their unique powers, the journey is one that continues to be full of surprises. Mai meets the surprisingly cat-like lady Mikoto Minagi (Ai Shimizu) and the blue-haired Natsuki Kuga (Saeko Chiba). As the girls end up working together, the experiences at Fuka Academy provide experiences that none of these gifted HiMEs will ever forget. Can Mai master her uniquely powerful abilities?

The characters are one of the main reasons the series is as compelling and entertaining as it is. The cast of characters on My- Hime certainly help to enhance the series and make it a more fun and thrilling ride. Audiences will find the characters to be relatable in some respects. The central protagonist of the tale, Mai, certainly is a headstrong young woman. Her character is full of determination to succeed and this wonderful quality is something that makes the tale more compelling for viewers. A strong protagonist and one that viewers will enjoy getting to know. The supporting cast of characters is interesting as well (providing the series with a more robust sense of depth and character development).

The animation is one of the most rewarding elements of My-Hime as well. The art style is simply stunning. The art direction by Shinji Takasuka (Koihime Musō, Lupin III vs. Detective Conan) is a outstanding element of the production. It is obvious that the team of animators involved on the production did an exceptional job with the series and bringing it to life. The series was made in a transition period for the anime industry and as such some of the animation looks a little bit dated by modern standards (with some CG elements looking particularly dated at times). Nonetheless, the main elements of the animation look remarkably impressive and this is where the series shines the best. An excellent effort overall and a great showcase for the gift of art director Takasuka.

The character designs by Hirokazu Hisayuki (My-Otome Zwei, Queen's Blade: Rebellion) certainly help to enhance the animation and the storytelling. The character designs are distinct and creative looking for these characters. The design element is one of the reasons the series became such a popular success. Becoming a franchise, the character designer understood how to make compelling characters with interesting animation. These designs certainly fit the respective personalities of the characters well.

The cinematography by Takashi Suehiro (Dinosaur King, My-Otome) is another impressive and rewarding element of the production. The series has an outstanding visual element to it and this is inherit in the cinematographic style. The results by Suehiro are effective and certainly provide the production with robust visuals and a flair that is undeniably compelling. Any good production needs a strong visual language to succeed and the cinematography for the series certainly fits the bill.

The score composed by Yuki Kajiura (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Sword Art Online) is an impressive and beautiful aspect of the release. The music is a highlight of the entire series production and the series simply would not have been the same without the effective score composed by Kajiura. The score finds a perfect balance of action and character-based storytelling. The composer has a great knack at giving action sequences the right ingredients for a compelling and exciting experience.

One of the compelling elements of the series is the action sequences. My-Hime has a nice and robust sense of action-packed energy. These sequences certainly provide action-anime fans with some pulse pounding excitement. The battle sequences are entertaining and are well staged (with a good sense of action choreography to keep the series more exciting). While not as good as some of the best action series, the results here are still impressive and add to the fun.

The series was written by Hiroyuki Yoshino (Sound of the Sky, World Trigger). My-Hime has a fun and exciting sense of energy. The scriptwriting reflects the exciting elements of the production. This is a remarkably effective script for a fun action-anime franchise and the results certainly help the series provide a good balance of adrenaline-infused fun and character-centric elements as well.

Directed by Masakazu Obara (Accel World, The Girl Who Leapt Through Space), My-Hime is a success. The anime has all the right ingredients. The production benefits from the keen visual sensibilities of director Obara. The director has fun exploring the action-packed world of My-Hime and providing audiences with a thrilling experience. The series looks incredible with a strong creative style: the animation soaring and the production merits working exceptionally well.

My-Hime: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Anime Limited, My-Hime is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The series has an impressive animation style and it translates well for the high-definition presentation. This is an exceptionally animated series and the colorful animation is well reproduced with the high-definition encoding. The colors certainly look remarkable on the release and this is one of the strengths of the encoding.

The release does have some drawbacks, though. Some scenes and selections of animation appear softer than ideal (which is no surprise given the time-period in which the anime was produced) and there are also examples of aliasing detracting from the overall viewing experience. These elements certainly are disappointing and show some of the inherent limitations of the animation and its transfer to high-definition. Though the source animation has some flaws that the presentation cannot bypass, the release still looks reasonably crisp and engaging. A solid encode for the release.

My-Hime: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English Dolby TrueHD 2.0 and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 (with English subtitles). The audio presentation is wonderful and is a nice presentation for experiencing the series. Dialogue sounds crisp and clear on the release. The score is well reproduced. The sound effects are well balanced within the sound presentation. Though a surround sound audio option might have been nice, the stereo audio sound imaging is pleasing and works well for the series presentation.

My-Hime: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The one area where the release could have been improved more is the supplemental package. The release has a somewhat lackluster supplemental package. Even so, the release still has some nice supplements (the release simply isn't packed with a lot of enticing extras).

Textless Closing Episode 15 (HD, 2:58)

Episode 26 Director's Cut Ending (HD, 4:38)

Textless Opening Song "Shining Star Days" (HD, 1:33)

Textless Closing Song "You Were the Sky" (HD, 1:32)

Trailers (HD, 5:40)

My-Hime: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

My-Hime is an exciting and thrilling action-adventure anime series. The series is the beginning arc of a popular franchise. The production benefits from a wonderful sense of style – featuring great artistic animation and a fun sense of cinematic direction. Fans of classic anime series will appreciate these qualities. The characters are entertaining and make the series a more well-rounded production.

When I was much younger, I used to own a nice collectors DVD set of My-Hime. It is nice to see the anime transition to the Blu-ray format. Though the packaging on the original DVD sets was elaborate when compared to the new Blu-ray versions, Anime Limited did release both a standard edition and a limited-edition collection. The release benefits from a better video and audio presentation and comes with a selection of bonus features for series fans to enjoy. Recommended.