Sakura Quest: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Sakura Quest: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

A slice-of-life city-to-country tale.

Sakura Quest is an anime drama-comedy. The series comes from acclaimed animation studio P.A. Works (True Tears, Tari Tari). The production adapts the work of original creator Alexandre S.D. Celibidache. Produced by Hiroyuki Kobayashi (Castle Town Dandelion, Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Side Story), Masaya Saitou (Psycho-Pass, FLCL Progressive), and Shoji Soma (Red Data Girl, Shirobako), Sakura Quest is fun for anime fans looking for a charming slice-of-life comedy.

Yoshino Koharu (Ayaka Nanase) begins a new journey in life when she decides to move to a small town. After speaking to her family (who urged her to move out of the big city and come out to the simple countryside) Yoshino embarks on a new path – after struggling for some time to get a job. Everything begins to take on a new shape.

Entering the peaceful environment of Manoyama, Yoshino now commits to spending the next year exploring the different landscape offered (despite her affections for city life). As Yoshino finds work within the community, she discovers a new passion: helping the community to expand its tourism industry and bring more interest to the area. Can Yoshino become a small town hero?

The lead character on Sakura Quest is charming and entertaining. Yoshino Koharu is a strong central protagonist. The character helps to carry the storytelling. There is something innately wonderful that resides within Yoshino: the drive to be successful and the passion to help others.

Sakura Quest is not an action-heavy production. The series is about more quiet moments in life and the journey one is taken on. The focus is on the unexpected quest some go on – as Yoshino Koharu finds herself navigating life. An anime series for fans of more laidback and charming productions, Sakura Quest is not about stuff blowing up or tournament battles: it is about a life in motion and the art of growing up.

"Nap time!"

The series has impressive animation. The quality of the animation is top-notch. The production has art direction by Ayumi Sato (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, The World God Only Knows) and the animation has many nice elements to commend – especially in regards to background art-work Showcasing the contrast between the city-life and the countryside lifestyle, the animators did a compelling job of showcasing these contrasting artistic elements.

Sakura Quest benefits from the original character designs by BUNBUN (Yuki Yuna Is a Hero, Izetta: The Last Witch). The series uses character designs by Kanami Sekiguchi (Hanasaku Iroha: Home Sweet Home, CANAAN) to enhance the storytelling. The designs are effective and fit the main characters nicely.

The cinematography by Tsubasa Yokoyama (Towanoquon, Tari Tari) gives some nice ambiance to the production. The visual elements enhance the tone and mood. The series is quite colorful and vibrant. Yokoyama enhances the slice-of-life atmosphere. A nice effort by Yokoyama.

The music score composed by [K]NoW_Name (Dorohedoro, Fairy gone) is reasonably good and adds some nice atmosphere as well. The score is not a home run effort but it works well for the production. The music adds something – without taking anything away.

The series is written by Masahiro Yokotani (Magi: The Kingdom of Magic, Saint Tail). Sakura Quest is a series with a fun concept exploring the differences between city-life and countryside cultures. The writing is fun, charming, and character-driven.

Directed by Soichi Masui (Scrapped Princess, Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV), Sakura Quest is an anime series with plenty of style. Sakura Quest is an anime with a great idea and Masui has a great time exploring that thematic backdrop. Well worth checking out for fans of slice-of-life anime.

Sakura Quest: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Funimation Entertainment, Sakura Quest is presented in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The series has an impressive presentation. Colors are vibrant and beautiful: showcasing the wonderful tapestry of the animators. The encoding works well and doesn't suffer from any significant issues – and the high-definition imagery makes a wonderful impression. The animation is stylish and the release showcases that artistry in a wonderful way. The series has all the strengths of a modern anime production – and luckily bypasses the early to mid 2000's CG drawback era (where animation was completed in standard-definition or at levels that were in-between full HD resolution). The results are thereby more impressive and Sakura Quest is easier to enjoy.

Sakura Quest: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of audio options: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles). The lossless audio sounds great. The original score is well reproduced. Dialogue sounds crisp and engaging. The English surround presentation is somewhat average sounding – not too much effort on the surround channels. Nonetheless, a reasonable 5.1 mix with music expanded to the rears for more ambiance.

Sakura Quest: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release is light on extras – the only bonus features are some promotional trailers advertising other anime releases available from Funimation Entertainment.

Disc 2:

Trailers (HD, 4:58)

Disc 4:

Trailers (HD, 6:29)

Sakura Quest: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Sakura Quest is an animated tale of transition. The series explores the journey of the lead character: moving on from city-life to the peaceful countryside. The anime is a nice slice-of-life production. Yoshino Koharu (Ayaka Nanase) is a charming leading character and she imbues the storytelling with plenty of pizzazz. Written by Masahiro Yokotani (Magi: The Kingdom of Magic, audiences looking for something charming and entertaining should consider checking it out. The series also has effective direction by Soichi Masui (Scrapped Princess). The Blu-ray release features a solid presentation and a light selection of extras. Recommended.