Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		1.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

Supernatural: The Anime Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Carry on my wayward son! There'll be peace when you are done...

As an anime, Supernatural: The Anime Series isn't scary or bizarre enough to hack and slash its way past the hit CW show of the same name. As a redux of Supernatural's earliest (and weakest) seasons, it's strong enough to give fans a thrill but not enough to enthuse newcomers. As an adaptation, it somehow clings too closely and steers too far from creator Eric Kripke's Supernatural to fully engage either audience. That said, diehards like myself will still enjoy the bloody trip down memory lane and appreciate the freedom an animated adaptation offers a cable horror show that's long been limited by modest budgets and visual effects. The Anime Series revels in shadow, gore, Japanese-American demon hybrids, and Lovecraftian monstrosities, offers a perkier take on the brooding Winchester Brothers, adds a long list of new and original stories into the mix, and even features the voicework of Supernatural stars Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles (although scheduling conflicts reduces Ackles' involvement to just two episodes). All told it's a flawed but fascinating experiment, one that warrants further episodes that adapt later seasons of the show; seasons that deliver far more frightening creatures that would be better suited to an anime spin.

Disc One


1. The Alter Ego (Supernatural Season One, Episode 6): Originally titled “Skin” a demonic shape-shifter commits a gruesome murder. When the brothers investigate, the being borrows Dean’s form to continue its killing spree.

2. Roadkill (Supernatural Season Two, Episode 16): A woman named Molly and her husband are driving down the highway and swerve to miss a farmer who’s walking down the road. Their car hits a tree and when Molly wakes up her husband is missing. Sam and Dean discover Molly and find out that the farmer haunts the highway and Molly is most likely his next victim. Sam and Dean set off to stop the farmer before he can claim her.

3. Home (S1, Episode 9): When Sam has nightmares of their old home, the brothers return to Lawrence, Kansas to investigate. They discover that a new family has moved into the Winchester’s home, and the woman is the one that Sam has been dreaming about. The family has been hearing and seeing frightening things, and the brothers think it might be haunted by the thing that killed their mother. They enlist the help of their father’s psychic to rid the house of the angry poltergeist.

4. Ghost on the Highway (Anime Series Original): Sam and Dean are driving along the highway and are suddenly chased by a cop car from behind. They discover that there have been numerous unexplainable car accidents in the area. All accident involved a Chevy Impala. Sam and Dean have to investigate to prove themselves innocent. We discover that an evil spirit has taken the form of an Impala is trying to take revenge on the town.

5. Savage Blood (Original): Sam and Dean help out a young boy, who is being bullied by the older kids at school. We discover that the boy’s father is actually a “peaceful” vampire who has sworn not to attack humans and survived by drinking cattle blood. The boy also has vampire blood in him but he is just not yet aware of his true nature.

6. Till Death Do Us Part (Original): Back in 2004, when Sam was studying at Stanford. Sam hears about a suspicious death case occurred in Stanford from Jessica, a girl he’s becoming friendly with. John and Dean smell something evil in the case and start investigating behind Sam’s college life. They first presume that it is caused by a ghost called “Bloody Mary” but it turns out to be caused by a different ghost.

7. Temptation of the Demon (Original): Maria, a faithful Christian is lured by a yellow-eyed demon to become its servant in return of curing her sick daughter. She refuses at first, but is quickly drawn in.

8. Everlasting Love (Original): Multiple murders in Illinois and the dead are all blond women in their 20s and formaldehyde is at the scene of the crime. Sam and Dean discover fingerprints of a female in 1940, and a sad love of an insane doctor.

9. The Spirit of Vegas (Original): Dean is taken over by a Japanese “poverty” spirit. He tries to rid himself of the spirit and discovers he must fight the spirit of “prosperity”, because these two spirits are really two sides of the same coin.

10. Moonlight (S2, E17): Originally titled “Heart” Sam and Dean come across werewolf activity when they investigate the death of lawyer who was believed to have been killed by a wild animal. While Dean tracks the werewolf on the outside, Sam offers to protect Madison who is likely to be the werewolf’s next target.

11. Nightmare (S1, E14): Sam has a premonition in which a man is killed, but the murder is made to look like a suicide. Sam convinces Dean that they must investigate the case, but the two are puzzled when they fail to find anything that indicates that the death was supernatural in nature. That is, until they find out that Max, the reclusive son of the first victim, has been using his recently acquired power of telekinesis to kill the family members that once abused him. Sam also discovers Max’s mother was killed by the same fiery demon that took his own mom.


Disc Two


12. Darkness Calling (Original): Drawn to a town lighting up with demonic signs, John meets Lily, a girl whose mother died in a fire years ago, much like the one that killed Mary. John learns Lily has a fatal gift: if she touches someone they die. Convinced that the Yellow-Eyed Demon will soon appear, John sets to watch Lily's every move. But the demon proves to be a powerful foe, leaving tragedy in his wake.

13. What Lives in the Lake (Original): When the Impala breaks down in Louisiana, the boys learn the town has been suffering from a series of demonic omens and accidents. In each incident, no one is actually hurt or maimed. Sam concludes that the creature is a harmless, friendly beast that lives in the lake. But is he right?

14. Reunion (S1, E20): Originally titled "Dead Man's Blood," Sam and Dean are finally reunited with their father. But happy endings aren't in their family's future. John tells them about "The Colt," a gun that can kill anything, and right now, it's in the wrong hands. The three Winchesters set out to find the weapon.

15. Devil's Trap (S1, E22): When Meg boasts that John is her prisoner, the boys visit a friend of their father’s to get information about demonic possessions and ways to trap a demon. It turns out Meg is not what she appears.

16. In My Time of Dying (S2, E1): In the aftermath of the car crash, the surviving Winchesters go to the hospital, where one is stalked by a Reaper while another must consider sacrificing himself to save the others.

17. Rising Son (Supernatural Comicbook Series): Dean visits Missouri after struggling with a warning from his father. There, old photos remind Dean of Sam's teacher, Mrs. Lyle. Dean makes up his mind to protect Sam from any harm.

18. Crossroad (S2, E8, "Crossroad Blues"): An architect commits suicide, leaving behind a message that reads "I will be killed by a black dog." Sam and Dean follow the clue and find others who had bargained with a crossroads demon. However, they're soon hunted down by a hellhound and dragged to hell.

19. Loser (Original): Jake, a foot soldier, helps his fellow soldiers with superpowers and evacuates them from the battlefield. Sam suspects that the Yellow-Eyed Demon plans to kill Jake's family and drag him to the dark side. Will Jake have the strength to fight the demon?

20. What Is and What Should Never Be (S2, E20): Dean is attacked by a Djinn… and finds himself in a new reality where his mother is still alive and a mysterious woman holds the key to everything.

21. All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1 (S2, E21): Sam and other “special children” are abducted by the Yellow-Eyed Demon and taken to a ghost town, where the ultimate battle must start.

22. All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 2 (S2 E22): After the fight between Jake and Sam, Dean has to make the ultimate sacrifice for his brother. Meanwhile the Yellow-Eyed Demon has his new servant and plans to unleash the hordes of Hell.

Supernatural: The Anime Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Ouch. With twenty-two episodes and roughly three hours of high definition extras spread across just two discs, Supernatural: The Anime Series is a crowded set, and it shows. Warner's 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation is racked with issues; glaring eyesores, unsightly anomalies, compression beasties and other things that go bump in the poorly encoded night. Banding and artifacting are out in ungodly force. Aliasing is a frequent offender. Contrast is dull and black levels rarely plunge below dark charcoal grays. And clarity? Soft, hazy, foggy and everything in between, and not of the evocative, atmospheric sort. The entire series looks as if it's been upscaled from standard definition. There isn't a single episode that screams "HD!", and very few scenes that boast much of an upgrade from the Blu-ray edition's DVD counterpart. With such striking live-action seasons available on Blu-ray, The Anime Series is a massive disappointment.

Supernatural: The Anime Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

More problems arise in regards to The Anime Series' audio, although not nearly to the extent that plagues the video presentation. Two options are available -- an English-language DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track and an original Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 mix (at 192kbps) -- which means fans of original language tracks are out of luck in terms of lossless power. Still, Padalecki and Ackles are featured on the English dub, so that certainly helps offset the loss. In both cases, dialogue is clean and clear, and effects have enough punch and well-prioritized presence to leave an impression. Of course, the lossless dub is the undisputed winner, as it offers a fuller soundfield and LFE support. However, neither the rear speaker activity or the low-end output are all that impressive, making it more of a toss-up than it could, or perhaps should, be. In a perfect world, two Master Audio tracks would be available and the series' sound design would take the utmost advantage of every channel. Instead we're left with a passable but imperfect duo.

Supernatural: The Anime Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Episode Introductions (HD): Supernatural stars Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles pop up briefly at the start of each episode to provide a quick, factoid-laced overview of the accompanying animated monster hunt.
• The Making of Supernatural: The Anime Series (HD, 69 minutes): One of the more extensive trips behind the scenes I've encountered on an anime release, this lengthy two-part documentary touches on just about every aspect of the production, from the project's genesis to the development of the episodes to the recording of voices to the final animation. Highly recommended.
• Interviews (HD, 98 minutes): Last up is a sprawling collection of interviews, starting with a twenty-minute chat with Supernatural overmind Eric Kripke, and continuing on with Padalecki, Ackles, a Padalecki/Ackles combo, anime directors Atsuko Ishizuka and Shigeyuki Miya, and Japanese voice actors Hiroki Touchi and Yuuya Uchida. Great stuff from all involved.
• TV Spots (HD, 1 minute): Three promos.

Supernatural: The Anime Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Supernatural: The Anime Series isn't the impervious animated adaptation fans have been hoping for, but it gets better and better as it goes along, finding its groove -- and balance -- with each passing episode. By the end of its run, I was left itching for more, particularly since later seasons of the show offer more intriguing territories to explore. Angels. Heaven. Hell. Castiel? Yes, please. Unfortunately, Warner's Blu-ray release is a letdown. While it features an unexpected array of fantastic extras, its video presentation is a mess and its audio options are far from ideal. Even so, Supernatural junkies won't entirely regret a purchase, particularly if they nab the 2-disc set at a low price.