Sky Wizards Academy: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.0

Sky Wizards Academy: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Sky Wizards Academy is an action-fantasy anime created by Yū Moroboshi. The anime series features animation produced by diomedéa (Chio's School Road, Domestic Girlfriend). Produced by Chika Takagi (Anti-Magic Academy: The 35th Test Platoon) and Jun'ichirō Tamura (The Rising of The Shield Hero), Sky Wizards Academy will appeal to anime fans who enjoy a blend of comedy and fantasy in their offerings.

Kanata Age (Yoshitsugu Matsuoka) engaged in an epic war against the Devil Beetles and the results of the battle led to Kanata finding new success in unexpected ways – even if only momentarily. Some even came to know Kanata by the nickname of “Black Master Swordsman” and it is with this nickname that he became known as a traitorous lad in some circles. Yet when asked to serve students as a teacher of the Fireteam E601 squad, Kanata soon becomes a new man.

With students Rico Flamel (Iori Nomizu), Lecty Eisenach (Nao Tōyama), and Misora Whitale (Nozomi Yamamoto) become his new pupils, the lessons learned will be complex. Yet Kanata runs the risk of being mistaken as a pervert surrounded by the beautiful ladies of E601. Can Kanata survive his pupils and forge a new destiny as a hero teacher?

The series has some interesting characters at the forefront. Kanata is a compelling central protagonist with a unique role as the renowned Black Master Swordman. With the balance of comedy and drama inherit, the character finds moments to shine. The character has experiences that bring along some unexpectedly goofy antics at times and this is also a component of the characterization – that odd journey forward as an instructor.

The animation is arguably the best element of the production. The series has nice character designs by Osamu Horiuchi (Full Metal Panic!, Hayate the Combat Butler). The design elements are quite compelling and showcase the characters in a distinct way. Though not the best character designs around, the designs are distinct enough to make a solid impression – enhancing the production. A compelling effort by Horiuchi.

Another layer of the animation that is particularly effective is the art direction by Hirofumi Sakagami (A Sister's All You Need, Farming Life in Another World) and Hiroshi Katō (Ah! My Goddess, Cat Planet Cuties). The art directors did a solid job of making the fantasy elements come in to play with some compelling visuals. The art style certainly is effective at building up the fantasy world of the story.

The cinematography by Yasuyuki Itou (Domestic Girlfriend, My Girlfriend is Shobitch) is bright and colorufl. The cinematographic approach is one that makes the series more lighthearted and fun in comparison to some of the “doom and gloom” series out there. Anime fans who enjoy series with brighter and more light or airy artistic components will appreciate the efforts of cinematographer Itou. The style is a good component of the production.

The score composed by Daisaku Kume (MoonPhase) might not stand out as anything too significant but it serves just fine as background music. The score isn’t one of the more memorable elements of the series but it is still decent enough. The music provides a backdrop to the action and the comedy. A unspectacular but decent score by Kume.

Written by Hiroshi Yamaguchi (All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku, Rosario + Vampire), Sky Wizards Academy isn’t breaking any new ground as an anime but it does have some interesting enough characters and the storyline is somewhat compelling. Not a total home run but the script has components which anime fans might enjoy. The focus on characters is a good element.

Directed by Takayuki Inagaki (Desert Punk, World Break: Aria of Curse for a Holy Swordsman), Sky Wizards Academy has enough interesting and compelling visual elements to make it worth checking out. The animation has colorful and vibrant animations (and it is clear director Inagaki did a solid job of working with the team of animators to bring forth some nice visuals). Sky Wizards Academy isn’t a particularly great anime by any stretch of the imagination but it is a decent one and some fans may enjoy indulging in it.

Sky Wizards Academy: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Funimation Entertainment, Sky Wizards Academy is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The release provides viewers with an impressive high-definition presentation. The series looks bright and vivid. A wonderful encode with excellent color reproduction. Detail looks excellent on the release. Clarity is exceptional. The encoding does have some slight banding on occasion but looks great overall. A strong effort.

Sky Wizards Academy: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles). The release provides a nice selection of audio options. The encoding is solid and the lossless sound provides a far more enjoyable experience than any lossy audio options can provide. Dialogue remains crisp and clear on the release. The score is also well integrated in to the series sound presentation.

Sky Wizards Academy: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes a decent selection of extras, including audio commentaries, and a special OVA episode. The on-disc supplemental features are as follows:

Disc 1:

Episode 1 Audio Commentary

Episode 7 Audio Commentary

Disc 2:

OVA: Lecty, Animal Caretaker (HD, 24:34)

Promotional Videos (HD, 3:37)

Commercials (HD, 00:34)

Textless Opening Song "D.O.B." (HD, 1:31)

Textless Closing Song "Hallelujah" (HD, 1:24)

Trailers (HD, 8:30)

Sky Wizards Academy: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Sky Wizards Academy is a decent enough anime series with some compelling elements (fantasy and otherwise). The series has compelling animation and a unique visual style. The character designs are effective. The series has good cinematography with a colorful and vibrant art approach. The series looks great in high definition on the Blu-ray format. The release includes lossless audio sound quality. The set even includes an OVA episode and some other nice supplemental features to keep fans of Sky Wizards Academy entertained. Fans will certainly want to consider a purchase. Recommended.