Shikizakura: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Shikizakura: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Shikizakura is an action-adventure anime exploring a thrilling world of demons and monsters. The series comes from producer Tomoyasu Nishimura (Library War, Moribito - Guardian of the Spirit). The series animation is produced by Sublimation (Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop, Dragon's Dogma). Created by Sublimation (Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop, Dragon's Dogma), Shikizakura is a thrilling action production that may please fans of the genre.

Kakeru Miwa (Yūdai Noda) doesn’t have the most glamorous lifestyle and he isn’t particularly popular (with the ladies) either. Yet the seemingly mundane life of Kakeru finds new and unexpected direction when he meets the glamorous maiden Ōka Myōjin (Miho Mashiro). The duo find themselves facing off against demons known as Oni.

The Oni are unlike some demons in that instead of simply manifesting, the demons take over the bodies of those individuals possessed. Unlike traditional old-school exorcism methods, these demons can’t be annihilated by classic methods – the demons must be destroyed using battle armor known as Yoroi. Fighting against powerful demons using the tough Yoroi armor, Kakeru and Ōka face some tough obstacles but the battle for the planet is one that is well worth fighting.

The series has a compelling cast of characters at the charge of the production. Kakeru is a strong lead character and manages to imbue the production with a sense of urgency as the hero of the tale. The drive to defeat the villains and push forward to create a better future makes the character one that instills a sense of drama in to the action-packed animated adventure. Ōka is a compelling character as well, providing more kick- ass energy against the demons taking over the planet. Using the Yoroi armor, headstrong Ōka fights with a sense of determination.

The character designs by Manabu Nakatake (Sket Dance, Barom One) are one of the more compelling aspects of the production as well. The design elements certainly are noteworthy with solid animation. These designs provide the main cast of characters with a creative and distinct aesthetic which fits the production well. These design attributes are more inventive than expected and are certainly good for the action-packed series.

The art direction by Toshihiko Kojima (TenPuru) is impressive as well and makes the experience all the more effective. The animation is vibrant, colorful, and dynamic looking. The art style is certainly truly compelling and effective. The results imbue the series with a sense of charm and there is a lot worth appreciating about the aesthetic. The designs for the Yoroi armor make a strong impression as well and the animation style used for the production certainly evokes a sense of adrenaline-infused mecha action. While the mecha builds aren’t as unique or distinctive as Gundam the effort is still nice.

The cinematography by Tadaaki Yamazaki (Black Clover, Zoids: Fuzors) is one of the strengths of the series and is certainly something that stands out well for the production. The cinematographic style imbues the production with colorful and vibrant animation. The use of lighting on the series looks quite evocative and compelling for an action series.

The score composed by chick tack corea isn’t as memorable or worthwhile as some of the other production elements. The music just isn’t as compelling and it lacks creativity and vision. This is nonetheless a decent enough score as background music and it fits the action scenes with enough energy to keep things moving.

Written by Naruki Nagakawa (Puzzle & Dragons X, Battle Spirits: Shōnen Toppa Bashin), Shikizakura isn’t a perfect series by any stretch of the imagination, but it does have some compelling elements. With an interesting series concept and decent execution of said concept, Shikizakura is entertaining as a series exploring mecha robots and a fight for humanity against demons overtaking the world. Nagakawa has fun exploring the world of the demons. The lead characters are also compelling as part of the script.

Under the chief direction of Shin'ya Sugai (Dragon's Dogma, Onimusha) and Gō Kurosaki, Shikizakura might not be a perfect antidote to boredom for everyone, but action-adventure fans who enjoy the compelling genre roots of the production will find it has some interesting things to offer audiences. Shikizakura is interesting in its directorial style and the visual flair helps the series stand out as worth checking out.

Shikizakura certainly isn’t anything groundbreaking or revolutionary yet the series does provide action fans with some quality excitement and there is merit in that. The action is arguably the best reason to check out the series. An exciting sense of adrenaline with the mecha fight scenes, the action might not rival the likes of Gundam or My Hero Academia but it does offer some excitement for fans of the action genre. The series is a unique spin on demon series with the exorcisms occurring with the mecha suits fighting the monsters and that also aids the action-adventure.

Shikizakura: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks, Shikizakura is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The release has a good encode. The high-definition visuals of the presentation are worthwhile. The animation looks bright, colorful, and crisp. The line art is well reproduced on the release. The results are impressive and satisfying.

The high definition encode capably handles the action sequences and the mecha action is a highlight of the video presentation. Streaming bit-rates tend to be significantly lower on streaming and are not quite as crisp or detailed as on disc releases. This is one of the best advantages of the Blu-ray disc format. The presentation looks superior to streaming.

Shikizakura: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles). The lossless audio quality on the release is satisfying and enjoyable. The lossless encoding is certainly a significant step up over the standard audio quality on streaming services. The lossless audio offers fans a higher bit-rate with detailed sound reproduction – crisper, vivid, and engaging. Dialogue is well reproduced. A good encoding by Sentai Filmworks.

Shikizakura: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The bonus features are one of the more disappointing arenas of the Shikizakura Blu-ray release. The collection doesn't include any in depth supplemental features and that is something unfortunate when supplemental features can and often do add an extra sense of worth to a release. The release lacks significant extras such as making of featurettes, audio commentaries, and scans of background animation and character art work – which would have been appreciated. These types of extras might have been nice additions to the release but unfortunately the set is almost entirely barebones instead. On disc supplements are as follows:

Clean Opening Animation (HD, 1:32)

Clean Closing Animations (HD, 3:04)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Sentai Filmworks: Girls und Panzer das Finale (HD, 1:02), Magical Warfare (HD, 1:32), Is It Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? III (HD, 1:36), and Getter Robo Arc (HD, 1:31).

Shikizakura: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Shikizakura isn’t the best action-adventure series out there and it is far from a classic and that is something that might make it a harder sell for some. Nonetheless, the anime series does have some rather compelling elements that will appeal to some anime fans seeking some action-packed fun. The production benefits from impressive animation under chief art director Toshihiko Kojima (TenPuru).  The series has compelling mecha designs as well. The Yoroi suits are well designed and add a sense of action-packed fun to the production.

The Blu-ray release benefits from a quality 1080p high-definition presentation with solid video encoding and lossless audio. The release has few supplemental features but those wanting the best presentation and ownership will be pleased to pick up the release. Fans of the series will certainly be thrilled to be owners of the release. Recommended.