Oshi no Ko: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.5

Oshi no Ko: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

Oshi no Ko Season 2 is a drama, mystery, and psychological anime with elements of comedy and romance. Oshi no Ko Season 2 is from creators Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari. The series has impressive theme song performances by GEMN (OP) and hitsujibungaku (ED). Oshi no Ko Season 2 features animation production by Dōga Kōbō. Featuring the voices of Manaka Iwami, Megumi Han, and Takeo Ōtsuka.

Executive produced by Manami Kabashima (Girly Air Force, Somali and the Forest Spirit), Ryū Ishiguro (Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian, Natsuyuki Rendezvous), Shō Tanaka (Bibliophile Princess, The Eminence in Shadow), and Shōtarō Usui (Captain Tsubasa: Junior Youth Arc, The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You). Produced by Hajime Kamata (Aria the Scarlet Ammo AA, Asteroid in Love), Hiroki Okagawa, Shinpei Yamashita (Bloom Into You, Non Non Biyori Nonstop), Takuya Yoshioka (Ron Kamonohashi's Forbidden Deductions, My Happy Marriage), and Yōsuke Aomura (Apocalypse Hotel, COLORFUL STAGE! The Movie: A Miku Who Can't Sing). Oshi no Ko Season 2 is well produced as an anime series.

A new stage is set. The rehearsals have begun for the big theatrical adaptation of the popular manga entitled Tokyo Blade. The actors are working together to bring the manga to life. Kana is determined to do her best with her role. Akane starts to recognize the talents of Kana while still considering her as a major rival. Aqua also participates in the play and is pursuing more information about the murder of Ai. Can the team of actors bring the popular Tokyo Blade manga to life successfully?

The characters are a big part of the production. The ensemble cast is fun and the voice performances are excellent across the board. The ensemble brings their all to their respective characters. The end result is an even more engaging anime series.

The music by Takurō Iga (Asteroid in Love, Magical Girl Raising Project) is engaging and fun. The score is a big part of the production. The score elevates the material and adds so much to the series.

The character designs by Kanna Hirayama (Rent-A-Girlfriend, Selection Project) are first-rate. The designs work well for the entire cast of characters. There is a lot of wonderful design work and each of the main and supporting characters is given an opportunity to shine. The results are terrific and fans will be quite pleased overall.

The series features stunning animation. Oshi no Ko Season 2 features art direction by Tetsuya Usami (PERSONA 5 the Animation: Proof of Justice, Sing "Yesterday" for Me). Oshi no Ko Season 2 also has exceptional chief animation direction by Ayaka Muroga (Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian), Haruka Inade (Captivated, by You, Summer Time Rendering), Honoka Yokoyama (Kaguya-sama: Love is War -Ultra Romantic-, Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence), Kanna Hirayama (The Stranger by the Shore, Seven Senses of the Reunion), and Satomi Watabe (Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari, Hula Fulla Dance). The team of animators brought something special to the table. The production looks sleek and sophisticated. The entire anime animation style is exceptional and makes a big impression.

The cinematography by Takafumi Kuwano (Jellyfish Can't Swim in the Night, Majestic Prince) is another key element of the series. The cinematography by Kuwano has great visual sensibilities are showcases everything done by the animation team exceptionally well. The results are fantastic and the crisp and colorful cinematography is a bold showcase for the vision of the series.  

Written by Jin Tanaka (Laid-Back Camp, One Piece), Oshi no Ko Season 2 is compelling and creative drama. The second season has a great setting against the backdrop of working on the play. The big theatrical event is something fun to unfold as the characters work to bring the manga to life while experiencing more mystery along the way.

Directed by Daisuke Hiramaki (Asteroid in Love, WATATEN!: an Angel Flew Down to Me), Oshi no Ko Season 2 is well done. The directing is one of the key strengths of the production. The series has exceptional creative energy and the style is sophisticated. Oshi no Ko Season 2 showcases great creativity in spades. The series has a unique sensibility that is unlike most other productions. Fans won’t be disappointed.

Oshi no Ko: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Sentai Filmworks, Oshi no Ko Season 2 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 robust and colorful. The presentation capably preserves the cinematography of the production. The visuals are creative and lush throughout.

One of the strengths of physical media is the encoding quality. Streaming video services tend to provide a more compressed image. Physical media tends to provide higher video bit-rates and a consistent and pleasing quality. There is less compression on disc and the series can shine as a result. The colors pop and the encoding provides a lot of vibrancy. The encoding quality of physical media is one of the strengths that appeals to fans and collectors alike.

Oshi no Ko: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release 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 sound direction by Takeshi Takadera (Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian, Kamisama Dolls) is well preserved on the release. The presentation provides quality encoding throughout. Dialogue is crisp and clear on the release. The English subtitles are well done and are free from egregious spelling or grammatical errors. The presentation is dynamic and enjoyable.

One of the key selling points of Blu-ray disc is the lossless audio encoding. The lossless audio remains a key area of the release. Streaming video services only offer lossy (non-lossless) audio encoding by comparison. For home theater enthusiasts and audiophiles alike, the physical media option has superior audio dynamics and it makes quite the difference for collectors.

Oshi no Ko: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The limited edition comes packaged with deluxe steelbook packaging. The steelbook looks gorgeous in hand and is one of the nicest looking steelbooks I have seen for an anime release. The design is top notch and the aesthetic is perfect for the series. A wonderful collectors edition.

Disc 2:

Clean Opening Animation (HD, 1:31)

Clean Closing Animations (HD, 4:35)

Disc 3 – Bonus Features Collector's Edition Disc:

Behind the Scenes: Promotion (HD, 9:04)

Behind the Scenes: Season 2 Voice Recording (HD, 11:52)

Behind the Scenes: Film Scoring (Part 1) (HD, 13:18)

Behind the Scenes: Film Scoring (Part 2) (HD, 15:07)

Behind the Scenes: Season 2 Highlights (Staff Ver.) (HD, 35:27)

Behind the Scenes: Cast Commentary (HD, 28:57)

Japanese Promo Videos (HD, 3:50)

Season 3 Announcement (HD, 00:34)

Thankfully, Sentai Filmworks has gone "all out" with the supplements and provided numerous wonderful supplements to make the package all the more engaging and special. Sentai has managed to go above and beyond for the bonus features. In the era of streaming, sometimes a nice supplemental package is needed for fans to consider opting for a physical media option compared to streaming something "one time" before moving on. Sentai did well here with numerous enticing behind the scenes – from promotional video, to recording sessions, to film scoring, and cast commentary, and more. The release is jam-packed with bonuses for fans of the series to enjoy.

Oshi no Ko: Season 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Oshi no Ko Season 2 is an entertaining anime and the production values are outstanding. The series is certainly a stunner. Fans of the first season will want to continue the journey.

The Blu-ray release features stunning high-definition video, lossless audio encoding, and a plethora of bonus features (for the special edition release). The special edition is not only jam-packed with bonus features, it also includes deluxe steelbook packaging. Fans of the series wanting a more ultimate set should consider picking up the steelbook release. Recommended.