The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy is an action-fantasy anime series. Created by Yū Shimizu, The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy features animation production by Passione (Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World, Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers). The series theme song performances are by Chiai Fujikawa (opening) and Kaho (ending).

Produced by Chiaki Kondo (Stardust Telepath, Happy Sugar Life), Fumihiro Ozawa (Ascendance of a Bookworm, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean), Hisaya Takahara, Keigo Nakamichi (Why Does Nobody Remember Me in This World?, Lord Marksman and Vanadis), Masahiko Nagano (After School Dice Club, Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire),Ryō Hino (My Roommate is a Cat, Black Clover), Shinji Ōmori (Ascendance of a Bookworm, Mob Psycho 100), Shōno Ishikawa, Tsuyoshi Miyamoto, and Yasuichiro Shinpo (Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time – A Tale of the Eight Guardians), The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy features voice-performances by Marina Inoue, Aya Suzaki, Hiromi Igarashi, Honoka Kuroki, and Yui Ishikawa. The original character designs are by Asagi Tōsaka and Asuka Keigen. The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy also features several Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, The Boy and the Heron) collaborators in key production roles.

A powerful demon was trapped for 1,000 years of solitude. The demon lord was unable to use his power for 1,000 years while being in a frozen state of being. The sealed fate of the demon lord is changed when the demon finds himself newly reborn in the form of a 10-year-old boy, Leonis (Marina Inoue). Reincarnated as Leonis, the demon now discovers a whole new world that surrounds him. Things just aren’t as the same as they were 1,000 years ago. A new era has begun.

Now that the world has entered a different era altogether, Leonis is faced with new things to discover – such as how to be a good student while attending the Excalibur Academy. Now Leonis finds himself surrounded by a swarm of gorgeous ladies at the academy. Can Leonis learn some new skills at the academy after awakening from 1,000 years of slumber? Or will being surrounded by beautiful girls get in the way?

Leonis is a decent lead character for the series. The character has a sense of ambition and fun. The demon lord turned student at the Excalibur Academy has a lot of challenges to face alongside the students of the Academy. The character has a sense of energy that exudes some fun. The character designs by Satsuki Hayasaka (Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki, Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki 4 Satsume) and Takayuki Noguchi (Cinderella Nine, Girls Beyond the Wasteland) are well-done and add to the anime series sense of production style. The designs certainly add charm to the series cast of characters and this element is an important ingredient of the series.

The animation is well done. The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy features art direction by Nozomu Koga and Satoshi Ōkubo (Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out!, Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Venturing Out). The series art style is a big part of the production. The art style is better-than-average and has some impressive elements. The series features chief animation direction by Keiya Nakano (AOKANA: Four Rhythm Across the Blue, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind), LAZZ (Show Time! , I Want to Be His Prey), Satsuki Hayasaka (High School DxD Hero, Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki), and Takayuki Noguchi (Cinderella Nine, Girls Beyond the Wasteland). The animators certainly have fun in the sandbox.

The cinematography by Kōji Hayashi (Ojisan to Marshmallow, Spice & Wolf: merchant meets the wise wolf) and Maki Satake (Wandering Witch - The Journey of Elaina, Lonely Castle in the Mirror) is an essential highlight of the aesthetic. The cinematography helps to highlight the crisp and colorful animation. The animation provides a bright and vibrant aesthetic that makes a nice difference. Emphasizing bright and colorful animation, the aesthetic has more vibrancy that darkness – an ingredient that is a big part of the fun energy the series has. Much of this is due to Hayashi and bringing out the best in the animation.

The score composed by Yūji Nomi (Royal Space Force - The Wings of Honnêamise, Whisper of the Heart) is a highlight of the series. Nomi is a talented composer and someone who has crafted classic scores to legendary anime feature-films. What a surprise to see a score by Nomi for The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy. The addition of such a wonderful composer to the production is certainly something that will make the series more appealing to classic anime fans who have enjoyed the scores of Nomi as used in classics.

Written by Kunihiko Okada (The Eminence in Shadow, Yowamushi Pedal New Generation), The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy has a fun concept. The series has a good concept and some fun characters. The characters make the series more engaging and a lot of this is conveyed with the screenwriting.

Directed by Hiroyuki Morita (The Cat Returns), The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy is an interesting project for the director to take on. Though The Cat Returns might be considered by some anime fans as a lesser Studio Ghibli film, it’s nonetheless a charming classic in its own right. It is nice to see The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy provide a new avenue for Morita to explore their skills as a filmmaker. The series has a fun energy and audiences will appreciate that about the series.

The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Sentai Filmworks, The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The release presents a native high-definition presentation of the series. The series nice animation and colorful aesthetic is well-reproduced. The art makes a big impression.

The Blu-ray format provides superior video encoding compared to streaming video services. Though this difference is not always night and day, for home theater enthusiasts who want the best possible video quality, the difference is well worth mentioning. The encoding provides higher video bit- rates and a more impressive presentation overall compared to streaming video.

The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). The sound direction by Hisayoshi Hirasawa (I Want to Be His Prey, Loner Life in Another World) is preserved by the audio presentation. Both of the audio selections are 2.0 stereo so either option will be comparable. The original Japanese language version is still going to be the preference of anime fans wanting the original language version. The English subtitles are well done and are free from egregious spelling or grammatical errors.

An essential ingredient of the Blu-ray disc format is the lossless audio encoding. The lossless audio encoding has always been an important part of the Blu-ray format – even before streaming even became a thing. Now in the streaming era, it is nice that Blu-ray provides lossless encoding. No streaming video services provide lossless audio. Streaming video services only provide lossy (non-lossless) audio encoding. This is a noteworthy difference of the Blu-ray format and it adds a lot of value for home theater enthusiasts and audiophiles.

The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes in a standard Blu-ray case. The release does not include a slipcover. The release does not include any bonus collectables or pack-ins.

On disc extras:

Clean Opening Animation (HD, 1:32)

Clean Closing Animation (HD, 1:32)

Unfortunately, the supplemental package is slim. The release only comes with a few standard inclusions. There are no in-depth extras on the release. Bonus features can add a lot of value for collectors when done right. The set could have used some audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes, cast/crew interviews, photo galleries, and more. Alas, a lackluster supplemental package makes it a bit more difficult for collectors to consider a purchase and fans will need to weigh this aspect of the release in their purchasing decisions.

The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy is an entertaining action-fantasy anime series with some compelling production merits. It is wonderful to see a new anime series arrive from the director of The Cat Returns. The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy also features a score composed by Yūji Nomi (Whisper of the Heart). As a result, Studio Ghibli fans will want to check out the series.

The Blu-ray release provides a high-definition presentation and lossless audio encoding. The release doesn't have any meaningful supplements, though. Nonetheless, those considering a purchase will appreciate the quality presentation provided alongside ownership of the series. Recommended.