Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren't They: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren't They: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Parents, it's 10 p.m. Do you know where your problem children are?

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 26, 2014

If you have kids (boys, most likely) who ever played any of the incredibly convoluted card games like Yu-Gi-Oh or Magic, you may have a brief sense of déjà vu when a character named Black Rabbit in Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren't They? launches into a several minute diatribe detailing the ins and outs of contests on her home planet. The fact that some of Black Rabbit's explanations only include actual cards makes the whole thing all the funnier (at least for parents who might grow nostalgic at the thought of their little tots "dueling" at the table with cards), but it's an introductory gambit that at least attempts to provide the viewer with a lot of information in a relatively short amount of time. Perhaps too much information when you get right down to it, for Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren't They? is not exactly the most intricately plotted of anime, and the fact that the "games" that are part of the overall plot are so arcane gives the series a somewhat top heavy feel in its early going. While the title of the series may seem to imply that some kind of truant alien kids are coming to Earth to wreak havoc, in truth quite the opposite is what's going on. Three uniquely powered teens from Earth are given mysterious invitations (which just fall out of the sky), luring them to a place called Little Garden. The kids don't really have a chance to RSVP, for within the blink of an eye, they're more or less hoisted into a kind of wormhole that delivers them to this alien world. And that's when they first encounter Black Rabbit, a buxom young woman in scanty attire (you expected anything less?) with large blue bunny ears who is the trio's tour guide (in a way) around this strange new world.

The series gives the viewers very brief glimpses at the three Earthlings before they arrive in Little Garden, and certain personality traits are apparent in the trio virtually from the get go. We first meet Izayoi Sakamaki, a kind of sullen teenage boy, as he complains about being bored as he lounges on the banks of a river (in a scene that from a design perspective is oddly reminiscent of Arakawa Under the Bridge). There's another kid getting the crap beaten out of him down closer to the river, and out of no greater motive than to dispel his ennui, Izayoi rises up and fires rocks at the kid's tormentors, causing huge explosions. Yō Kasukabe seems to be a fairly sweet young girl who is able to "converse" with her pet cat, an animal which actually brings her invitation to Little Garden to the girl. Asuka Kudō is the third character, and receives probably the least introductory content here, though it's readily apparent she's privileged, used to being obeyed and does not suffer disobeyers kindly.

In what turns out to be not much of a surprise (though it's played as one, including a supposed cliffhanger at the end of the first episode), the three Earthlings have not been chosen to be spirited away to Little Garden merely by chance. Little Garden is a kind of medieval aggregation of quasi-feudal communities, communities which are bound together almost like guilds, with attendant skills and other identifiers that set them apart from other communities. There are huge (again, almost medieval feeling) tournaments where the various communities engage in so-called Gift Games, with prizes increasing not just their prestige but their actual physical comfort and personal wealth. The three Earthlings are in fact "gifted" (in the terminology of the show), and they are tasked with helping a lowly community regain some of its former glory.

Despite Black Rabbit's unintentionally humorous tirade explicating the ins and outs of Little Garden's caste system and its Gift Games, part of the problem with Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren't They? is that it plops the viewer down in an alien world without a lot of overall context, kind of like the three main characters themselves. While there's picayune detail offered in the first episode, after that, things just kind of unfold, including revelations about the villains of the series, so-called Demon Lords (culled from various folktales, again lending a kind of "old world" feel to the series at times). While this is a temporary stumble, the strength of the series is actually the well articulated characters at the core of the story, and once the three Earthlings, who do not instantly band together, do decide to create a team, the results, while largely predictable, are never less than entertaining.

What ultimately annoy some longtime anime fans is how completely Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren't They? falls into a pretty rote tournament format. That predictable element tends to undercut some genuine surprises the series offers now and again, including some interesting revelations about the backgrounds of the three Earthlings now toiling in Little Garden. The other major detriment here is a certain imbalance between Izayoi and his two female counterparts. Izayoi is instantly the most memorable character, even before he gets to Little Garden, and the two girls tend to come off as relatively bland by comparison. That in turn tends to make arcs involving the girls less compelling than they really should be, and in fact it's Izayoi's exploits that provide most of the series' best moments.

The ironic thing about Izayoi is how he initially complains about how boring life on Earth is, and then seems to perk up, at least a little, once he's confronted by the roiling interactions and tournaments in Little Garden. Many anime fans who have grown up on various "battle" themed shows may be having an equal and opposite reaction, thinking the emphasis on an endless round of combat is less than thrilling.

Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren't They: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren't They? is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Sentai Filmworks with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. This is often an incredibly handsome anime, filled with interesting and at least relatively unique character designs (especially with regard to some of the bad guys), and filled with eye bursting colors. Blues and greens pop especially well throughout this series and give it a distinctive aesthetic. There's also a kind of interesting faux soft focus that the animators use at times that offers an interesting variance from the otherwise very sharp and well detailed ambience. Backgrounds are sometimes a bit on the Impressionistic side, especially with regard to some of the forest scenes, but there's also great attention paid to dappling light effects that are quite evocative at times. Line detail is strong and steady, and contrast is equally consistent. The only issue here is some minor banding that crops up from time to time.

Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren't They: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren't They? offers lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mixes in both English and Japanese. The mixes here are largely interchangeable save for the obvious differences in voice actors. This is one series that probably would have benefited significantly from a surround mix given its emphasis on tournament play, but what's here suffices quite nicely, providing a boisterous and involving experience that prioritizes dialogue and effects very well. Fidelity is excellent on both of these problem free tracks.

Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren't They: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Problem Children Bumpers (1080p; 2:21)


• Blu-ray Spots (1080p; 00:48)


• TV Spot (1080p; 00:17)


• Promo Video (1080p; 1:37)


• Clean Opening Animation (1080p; 1:32)


• Clean Closing Animation (1080p; 1:32)

Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren't They: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren't They? is a kind of interesting throwback to "battle" anime of yesteryear, but filtered through a post-modern sensibility that places an emphasis on dislocated characters trying to come to terms with a completely new reality. Some of the goofy humor isn't especially remarkable, but the three main characters are quite interesting, especially Izayoi, who proves that being a sullen teenager doesn't depend on living on Earth. Technical merits here are generally very strong, and Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren't They? comes Recommended.