Phantasy Star Online 2 The Animation: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Phantasy Star Online 2 The Animation: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 28, 2017

The synergy between video games and other forms of entertainment has reached a fairly deep marketplace saturation. Novels that don't simply retell a game's story but greatly expand on their universes, heroes, and villains are commonplace, with lengthy (and very good) series available for both the Halo and Gears of War franchises, for example. Video game-based films may not be all the rage these days, but everything from Resident Evil to Warcraft has earned a turn on the big screen, in the former's case enjoying an entire cinematic series. Game translations into the Anime universe are springing up, too (other examples include BlazBlue and Steins;Gate), with Phantasy Star Online 2 The Animation one of the latest, and best. The series isn't exactly about the just the game (and it never feels like a multi-episode advertisement for it, either; in fact, Sega's game isn't even available in the West) but rather the people who play the game, their relationships inside of its visual world and, more important, their relationships outside of it. A well done and fascinating view into the dual realities of modern high school-aged students, it's a wonderful fusion of the modern digital and real worlds that's entertaining and substantial beyond, simply, its depiction of in-game action.

Itsuki is the new kid at Seiga Academy. He's not in any clubs and he's not a particularly remarkable student beyond his exemplary grades and attendance. But he immediately catches the eye of the most popular girl at school, Rina, a "once-in-a-decade" student who is also the student council president. She asks Itsuki to serve as her vice president, making him a fairly instant celebrity around school. His first task, beyond handling odd jobs and filling in at various functions that need an extra body, is to write a report on Phantasy Star Online 2, the popular game that is all the rage at school. It seems the school administrators are concerned that it's having a negative impact on the student body, and it's up to Itsuki to offer his perspective as a novice and outsider. He creates his very lifelike avatar and jumps right in, fancying himself as a fairly good player out of the gate. In the game world, he's befriended by Sora, a powerful and popular figure who is known as a "soloer," someone who usually plays the game alone. Meanwhile, yet another new student, Suzuki, arrives, who is herself very accomplished at the game. Despite her fairly robotic cadence, she's promoted to Itsuki's special adviser. As he become more submerged in the game, his real and digital realities come more into focus as the worlds intersect in sometimes expected and sometimes unexpected ways.

Although the series takes place a decade or so in the future, it could essentially pass for 2017. PSO2, as it's often called in the show, is often played on a small handheld device that looks like a PlayStation Vita or Nintendo Switch. There's no great, unfamiliar, whiz-bang technology. The show is very relatable in that regard, feeling grounded in the present and never pushing itself to clobber the audience with future tech and risk losing the message. That Itsuki's task is to figure out how the game is impacting students at the school -- with school officials threatening to shut it down -- feels rather timely. Games have often been a target of the political types. But the show is more immediately concerned with concepts of individual choice, freedom, and association. In some ways the game is a large metaphor, in some ways it's a very direct plot device. As Itsuki finds himself increasingly immersed in the game world, he finds his real life world not shrinking but rather expanding. He meets new friends, sees new sides of people, and learns valuable real-life lessons along the way. There are negatives and drawbacks, too, but the show explores it all with impressive balance and with a deeper purpose.

The show offers excellent characterization and depth, particularly as Itsuki learns about the real world through the digital world, and vice versa as well. And it shines brightest away from the game. To be sure, PSO2 is always lurking -- characters discuss it, they want to better understand it, they want to know the identity of those whom they are playing alongside, and they sometimes meet others who play it in the real world, even at a convention -- and drives parts of the story, but it's not always central to the narrative. This is a series about relationships, about how the game facilitates relationships but also how it has the power to destroy relationships or, at least, significantly alter how one is perceived. One of the most popular players in the game is Soro. Soro's "IRL" (In Real Life) identity isn't kept from either the audience or the characters for more than a few episodes, but it's an interesting example of the balance necessary between an avatar representation and the flesh-and-blood behind it. Another student is "outed" as a "troll," someone who joins the game but negatively impacts the experience for others. But for the protagonist Itsuki, he creates an avatar that looks just like him, and he uses his real name in the game, too. He doesn't do it out of vanity. He simply doesn't know any better. He's the prototypical outsider sucked into the game, and that he is often the only one that's truly "open" and "honest" about who he is in both realms makes him the perfect fulcrum between real and digital.

The presentation of the PSO2 gameplay offers an interesting method of exploration whereby Itsuki and his friends -- gradually reveled as to who they really are IRL -- are represented in the game as if they were not in the game. They're not depicted as computer graphics but rather in (mostly) the same art style as the rest of the show. They're dressed in costume and armed for battle and exist on the game's various planes, and they explore the game world as if they are actually in it rather than simply outsiders manipulating it from a device. It's not a Tron scenario, and characters are not literally sucked in (metaphorically, maybe, but not literally), but the show gives equal credence to the digital realm, offering fully-fleshed character representations that are an extension of the real people behind them, furthering and facilitating core plot drivers and thematic details along the way.

Phantasy Star Online 2 The Animation: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Phantasy Star Online 2 The Animation: Complete Collection's 1080p transfer can be heavy on the banding, particularly in lower light environments and especially in some of the video game world sequences, but Sentai's presentation is otherwise very good. Detailing pleases, with the Blu-ray bringing out just about all of the information the artists put into the film; it never feels wanting for a greater textural push. Lines are clean and well defined, character are sharp, clothes are adequately intricate, and environments please, even if the original artwork can leave objects like leafy trees a little clumpy. Colors favor pastels in the real world; they're delicate and simple, but the palette finds a little more vibrance and flair in the game world where colorful characters and costumes are commonplace. It's most notable in the "commons" area of the game where players gather upon logging in. The image is stable and clarity is excellent. Black levels satisfy in darker scenes. Fans should be pleased with Sentai's transfer.

Phantasy Star Online 2 The Animation: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Phantasy Star Online 2 The Animation: Complete Collection's Japanese language DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack (forced English subtitles included) handles its duties well, but not flawlessly. The track sees three primary components. First is music, which is very aggressive at reference. Clarity satisfies even through the barrage of energy, and the blend of lyrics -- which enjoy a natural front-center image -- and instrumentals is largely effortless, both very well balanced and in well prioritized harmony. Action effects are second. Gunfire in the game world can go a little crunchy and poorly defined, with some shots sounding more like crumbling tinfoil rather than distinct and discrete bangs. Energy is certainly there, however. Third is dialogue, which is presented with, like the music's lyrics, quality "phantom center" positioning between the two main front speakers. Definition and prioritization are fine. The track also folds in some lighter ambient effects at times, most of which appear purely in a supportive, environment-shaping form that never quite draw the listener into any given location given the lack of wider stage presence.

Phantasy Star Online 2 The Animation: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Phantasy Star Online 2 The Animation: Complete Collection contains a highlight reel commentary track and clean opening and closing sequences.

• Japanese Commentary (1080p, 34:12): Japanese language commentary over "a selection of especially memorable scenes." Participants include Shouta Aoi, Takuya Sato, and the game's director, Kimura. English subtitles are included.
• Clean Opening Animation (1080p, 1:32): The opening sequence without text.
• Clean Closing Animation (1080p, 1:32): The closing sequence without text.
• Also Available from Sentai Filmworks (1080p): Additional Anime titles: Amagi Brilliant Park, Re-Kan, Hakuoki Record Of The Jade Blood, and Busou Shinki.

Phantasy Star Online 2 The Animation: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Online multiplayer certainly isn't anything new -- this reviewer was playing Warcraft II with friends over the school's network back in the mid-late 90s -- but what is new is the variety of games, the super-easy access, and the very real blurring of the real and digital worlds. Phantasy Star Online 2 The Animation maneuvers through the intersections of real and digital existences with surprising depth and entertainment value alike. Enjoyable characters, strongly developed plot lines, and timely and relevant content make this an Anime well worth checking out, particularly for gamers but also anyone interested in the hows and the whys of the way real and digital cross paths in modern times. Sentai Filmworks' Blur-ray is a little short on supplemental content but video is strong and audio is active and agreeable. Recommended.