The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World: The Complete Season Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World: The Complete Season Blu-ray Movie Review

The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World is an energetic and fun action-adventure series. Created by Nana Mikoshiba, The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World features original character designs by Riko Korie. Executive produced by Shin Furukawa (My Life as Inukai-san's Dog, A Couple of Cuckoos) and Shinya Watanabe (After-School Hanako-kun, Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion the Animation), The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World features series animation production by Cloud Hearts (Whisper Me a Love Song, The Great Cleric).

The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World features series production by Atsushi Aitani (Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear, Wolf Girl & Black Prince), Junichiro Tanaka (The Demon Girl Next Door, The Quintessential Quintuplets), Kōji Sawahata (Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World, Vermeil in Gold), Nobuhiko Kurosu (Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World, The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter), Shūichi Takashino (My Stepmom's Daughter Is My Ex, Blue Reflection Ray), Tomoyuki Ōwada (The Demon Girl Next Door, The Helpful Fox Senko-san), and Tsutomu Tachibana (Rent-A-Girlfriend, A Couple of Cuckoos). The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World has theme song performances by Sizuk (opening), AYAME (opening), and Maaya Uchida (ending). Featuring voice-performances by Junya Enoki, Nana Harumura, and Iori Saeki.

Ray White (Junya Enoki) is in a unique predicament. It is a situation that Ray never foresaw being in. Ray manages to inherit the role of The Iceblade Sorcerer. The coveted role of The Iceblade Sorcerer is one that few individuals ever possess. Not only does Ray possess the rare title of Iceblade Sorcerer, he begins attending the Arnold Academy of Sorcery.

In order to attend the Arnold Academy of Sorcery, Ray decides to go undercover at the Academy as he pretends to be a commoner attending the school. Little do his classmates know: students surrounding Ray have no idea that he is actually an all-powerful Iceblade Sorcerer – one of seven coveted sorcerers regarded as extremely powerful in the field of sorcery. Before joining the Academy, Ray fought a good fight in the battle of the Far East War. As epic a war as the Far East War was, did it prepare Ray for going back to school? Can Ray earn good grades or get a shot with the ladies?

The series explores the world of Ray White and his exploration of the Arnold Academy of Sorcery. The character has a lot cut out for himself and the school life plays a vital role in the world of being an Iceblade Sorcerer. The character goes on the hero’s journey. There is plenty to explore for Ray.  

The character designs by Makoto Shimojima (Kingdom) are decent and add to the production merit. The designs certainly fit the bill. The designs don’t look as original or interesting as some of the best anime productions do. However, the designs are decent- enough and work well for an action-adventure. A reasonable effort by designer Shimojima.

The animation is a highlight of The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World. The series features art direction by Ayumi Kojima (The Elusive Samurai, Spy×Family) and chief animation direction by Itsuki Takemoto (Naruto Shippūden, Azur Lane: Slow Ahead!), Makoto Shimojima (Black Clover, Hayate the Combat Butler: Can't Take My Eyes Off You), Miyako Nishida (By the Grace of the Gods, In Another World With My Smartphone). The animation is certainly bold and has an ambitious style with some compelling aesthetic qualities. The animators have fun with the animation landscape and add something nice to the table.

The cinematography by Natsumi Uchida (The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt, Legend of Mana: The Teardrop Crystal) is one of the best qualities of the series, too. The crisp and vibrant animation is highlighted well with the cinematography. The lush colors are a clear quality highlighted by the animation. Cinematographer Uchida is a gifted cinematographer capable of presenting the animation at its best.

The score composed by Natsumi Tabuchi (My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, The Quintessential Quintuplets) and Tatsuhiko Saiki (Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!) is well-done for the action series. The music works well as background music for the production. The score helps to add to the adventure. Fans of action-adventure scores will appreciate the music for what it adds to the series background and action scenes.

Written by Masahiro Takata (Bananya and the Curious Bunch, The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague), The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World is a decent enough series. The writing is entertaining with solid dialogue. The script lacks somewhat in originality but it does have fun with exploring the central protagonist and the setting of the series. The world of the production is well explored and these elements help to enhance the adventure.

Directed by Masahiro Takata (The Family Circumstances of the Irregular Witch, Super Seisyun Brothers), The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World isn’t a perfect anime by anime stretch of the imagination. Nonetheless, The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World has solid animation – crisp and colorful – highlighted by solid direction by Takata. Takata adds energy to the action scenes and the series tapestry. Fans of action series looking for a fun diversion might want to check it out.

The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World: The Complete Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Crunchyroll, The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World: The Complete Season is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The series animation looks impressive on the Blu-ray release. Colors are vibrant, crisp, and bold. The cinematography is well highlighted on the release. The action scenes are fluid and well highlighted by the solid encoding.

One of the hallmarks of the Blu-ray disc format is the superior video encoding. Physical media and the Blu-ray disc format offers a noteworthy advantage over streaming video services. Streaming video services provide video with lower bit-rates and more compression. The video isn't as crisp on streaming and compression means the picture-quality isn't quite as good. For enthusiasts wanting to eek out every extra detail possible, Blu-ray disc provides an advantage.

The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World: The Complete Season 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 (with English subtitles). The sound direction by Masahiro Takata (The Family Circumstances of the Irregular Witch, Let This Grieving Soul Retire!) is well reproduced and highlighted on the release. Dialogue sounds crisp and clear on the release. The score is well highlighted and has crisp fidelity.

For high-fidelity audio enthusiasts, the Blu-ray disc provides a distinct advantage over streaming video services. Streaming video services provide only lossy (non-lossless) compressed audio. The streaming audio quality is more compressed by comparison and has lower bit-rates. Blu-ray provides superior encoding, higher bit-rates, and often superior bit-depth. For audiophiles and home theater fans, enthusiasts will be quite pleased with the quality the format offers.

The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World: The Complete Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes a nice o-card slipcover. The limited print-run slipcover is only available on the first print run of the box-set. The slipcover artwork is eye-catching and makes a solid impression. Collectors who appreciate slipcovers and the aesthetic quality slipcovers add to box-sets will certainly find some appreciation for the slip.

On disc extras include:

Character Promo Videos (HD, 2:18)

Promo Videos (HD, 2:58)

Web Trailer (HD, 00:17)

Textless Opening Song (HD, 1:31)

Textless Closing Songs (HD, 3:41)

Unfortunately, the bonus features on the Blu-ray release are lackluster. The extras aren't much to write home about. The extras only include a small selection of promotional videos and standard clean opening/closing credits. The set would have been more impressive and well-rounded with additional supplements including audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, making-of documentaries, cast/crew interviews, art galleries, and more. Alas, the set doesn't add much extra value for collectors or fans in regards to bonus features.

The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World: The Complete Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World features a colorful and robust animated world. Fans of action-adventure anime series will find something to appreciate. The series has an engaging and effective production aesthetic. The series might not be a total home run but it does have some entertainment value for action fans looking for a nice distraction.

The Blu-ray release provides a solid high-definition presentation and lossless audio encoding. The slipcover adds some extra collectability to the release, too. The only drawback is a weak bonus features selection. Fans of the series might want to indulge anyway. Recommended.