The Eminence in Shadow: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.0

The Eminence in Shadow: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

The Eminence in Shadow is a fantasy-action anime series. The Eminence in Shadow features animation production by Nexus (Granbelm, Chivalry of a Failed Knight). The series features music production by Kadokawa. The anime series features ending theme song music performed by Ayato Shinozaki and Ryōsuke Tachibana. The opening theme is performed by Tom-H@ck.

Created by Daisuke Aizawa, The Eminence in Shadow is executive produced by Akira Kubota (In/Spectre, RPG Real Estate), Asuka Yamazaki (Bloom Into You, Date A Live IV), Hiroaki Arai (Sky Wizards Academy, Deca-Dence), Masahiko Takeuchi, and Shō Tanaka (Date A Live IV, The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess). With series production by Hajime Maruyama (Demon King Daimao, My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU), Hiroto Utsunomiya (A Place Further Than the Universe, Deca-Dence), Kazufumi Kikushima (Overlord, Shōnen Maid), Shota Watase (Girly Air Force, Vermeil in Gold), and Takeo Mizuguchi, The Eminence in Shadow draws from original character designs by Tōzai. The Eminence in Shadow features voice-performances by Seiichirō Yamashita, Kana Hanazawa, and Yōko Hikasa.

Cid Kagenou/Shadow (Seiichirō Yamashita) is not an ordinary hero – being such wouldn’t be even remotely close to reality! Cid is much more than a mere hero. Cid has different ambitions (and it doesn’t come down to being a hero – or a villain). Cid wants to be able to use his powers to work his magic and be controlling over society. Cid will use his incredible intelligence to pull some hidden strings over the people of society (any way he can).

When Cid travels into another dimension, Cid finds himself using remarkable magic powers to form the notorious Shadow Garden. The Shadow Garden uses incredible skills in order to help fight down the villains of a diabolical cult with evil intentions. Yet the dangers of the cult are real, indeed. The cult poses more risks than gains and things won’t be the same as the cult shakes things up! Can Cid overcome his wild imagination, take on the cult, and be the anti-hero of the tale?

The series features notable character designs by Makoto Iino (Suppose a Kid From the Last Dungeon Boonies Moved to a Starter Town, Reikenzan: Hoshikuzu-tachi no Utage). The character designs add something compelling to the production. Though the designs might not be the most original ones around, the design work still feels a cut above average and adds to the production. The designs are visually interesting and the style fits the genre well.

The animation is one of the main highlights of the anime series. The animation features art direction by Beom Seon Lee (Lupin III: Goodbye Partner, Lupin III: Prison of the Past). The chief animation direction by Makoto Iino (Cells at Work! Code Black, Hanebad!) and Yasuyuki Noda (Chivalry of a Failed Knight, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. ) enhances the production in a number of ways. The animators added considerable weight to the production with the series utilizing the storyboards by Daisuke Takashima (Comic Girls, Honey and Clover), Hazuki Mizumoto (Fuuka, Real Girl), Kazuya Nakanishi (Darwin's Game, Granbelm), Susumu Nishizawa (Classroom Crisis, Girly Air Force), and Yoshinobu Tokumoto (Chivalry of a Failed Knight, Lupin III: Seven Days Rhapsody). The animation is certainly something effective. The style adds a gothic style and tone that fits the emo sensibilities of the anime. This is something that makes things work well for the series aesthetically.

The cinematography by Takeshi Hirooka (Brave Witches, Chaos Dragon) is a highlight of the series, too. The cinematography showcases a gothic and brooding atmosphere. The aesthetic feels right at home within the genre. The art style provides a compelling atmosphere and this is something fans of the production will notice right away. A good effort by Hirooka.

The score composed by Kenichiro Suehiro (Goblin Slayer, Fire Force) is a noteworthy aspect of the anime series. Composer Suehiro is a decent composer with a good understanding of action scoring. The score adds some dimensionality to the production. The music might not be as epic as the best anime series. However, the score is still engaging for the genre and fits the tone of the action filmmaking well. A compelling effort.

Written by Kanichi Katou (Jewelpet Happiness, Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure), The Eminence in Shadow is a series with a compelling concept. The concept will appeal to the primary audience and those anime enthusiasts will appreciate the darker tone of the series and the action beats brought to the table. Certainly, Katou enjoys playing in the sandbox with these characters. This is something essential to the series success.

Directed by Kazuya Nakanishi (Comic Girls), The Eminence in Shadow isn’t a perfect anime by any stretch of the imagination. The series is not a total home run. Yet there are some compelling elements at play. Director Nakanishi has a lot of fun with the action elements and brings forth some good work from the animation team. Despite the series having some more average qualities, The Eminence in Shadow still offers some exciting fun for the main demographic.

The Eminence in Shadow: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Sentai Filmworks, The Eminence in Shadow is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The anime series features a compelling high-definition presentation. Color reproduction is one of the main highlights of the presentation. The colors look great on the release. There is a lot to appreciate regarding the aesthetic and how it is rendered with the encoding. Line art is well reproduced as well.

 The video does have some soft moments that appear source-related. The series isn't quite as sharp as one may wish to experience but it appears to be a part of the production aesthetic. The encode also shows occasional banding on the release. Though not a perfect presentation, the good far outweighs the bad. Fans will be pleased overall.

The Eminence in Shadow: 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 lossless audio encoding on the release is compelling. Dialogue sounds crisp and clear on the release. The score is well reproduced and is one of the main highlights of the presentation. The soundstage is impressive for a stereo audio soundtrack. Featuring excellent sound direction by Jin Aketagawa (Aldnoah.Zero, Aria the Scarlet Ammo), the presentation capably enhances the audio experience. There is plenty to appreciate about these elements by Aketagawa.

The Eminence in Shadow: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Clean Opening Animations (HD, 6:08)

Clean Closing Animations (HD, 10:44)

Em-Shade! Shorts:

The Seven Shadows Want Their Mission to Succeed! (HD, 3:02)

The Seven Shadows Want the War Chronicles to Be Perfect! (HD, 3:02)

The Seven Shadows Want to Make Delicious Chocolate! (HD, 3:02)

The Seven Shadows Want to Procure the Legendary Coffee! (HD, 3:02)

The Seven Shadows Want to Make an Artifact! (HD, 3:02)

The Seven Shadows Want to Recommend Cute Underwear! (HD, 3:02)

The Seven Shadows Want to Choose Cute Underwear! (HD, 3:02)

The Seven Shadows Want to Soak in the Best Bath! (HD, 3:02)

The Seven Shadows Want to Get Along! (HD, 3:02)

The Seven Shadows Want to Get Amazing Muscles! (HD, 3:02)

The Seven Shadows Want to Understand Economic Bubbles! (HD, 3:02)

The Seven Shadows Want to Create a New Taste Sensation! (HD, 3:02)

The Seven Shadows Want to See Each Other Getting Along! (HD, 3:02)

The Seven Shadows Want to Receive Words of Praise! (HD, 3:02)

The Seven Shadows Want to Enjoy Pleasant Melodies! (HD, 3:02)

The Seven Shadows Want to Wear Impressive Undergarments! (HD, 3:02)

The Seven Shadows Want to Continue the Mission! (HD, 3:02)

Episode Previews (HD, 12:50)

Alternative Previews (HD, 12:12)

The Eminence in Shadow: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Eminence in Shadow is not a perfect anime series but it does have some fun action-beats and there is something worthwhile for the target audience. Fans of the genre and anime series with a brooding animation style will find something worthwhile in the production. The Blu-ray release provides a worthwhile video and audio presentation alongside a surprisingly good supplemental package. Recommended.