The Pet Girl of Sakurasou: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

The Pet Girl of Sakurasou: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Featuring a new English dub.

The Pet Girl of Sakurasou is a romantic comedy anime with a fun concept. The series is based on the original Japanese light novel by Hajime Kamoshida. The anime features original character designs by Keeji Mizoguchi. With animation produced by J.C. Staff (Aria the Scarlet Ammo, Bondage Queen Kate), The Pet Girl of Sakurasou is a charming series for fans of light anime comedies.

Produced by Atsushi Iwasaki (Children Who Chase Lost Voices), Hitomi Araki (The Devil Is a Part-Timer!), Kohei Miyajima (A Lull in the Sea), Masatoshi Ishizuka (Non Non Biyori), Nobuhiro Osawa (Daphne in the Brilliant Blue), Takashi Iwasaki (Yuyushiki), and Toshihiro Maeda (Attack on Titan), The Pet Girl of Sakurasou is a series with an abundance of quirky scenarios. Fans of goofy anime series will be entertained. Kawai!

Sorata Kanda (Yoshitsugu Matsuoka) is in over-his-head when he discovers a sweet and cuddly stray cat named Hikari. Yet the school Sorata attends doesn’t allow him to keep the pet in his dorm room and it causes unexpected commotion with school officials. After the issue arises, Sorata is made to leave his normal dorm room and become a part of the “misfits” group of outcasts at the school.

The group includes the playboy Jin, wanderer Ryunosuke, and a girl named Mashiro Shiina (Ai Kayano) – who unexpectedly is assigned to Sorata in order for him to help take care of her needs because of her air-head ways. So now Sorata gets to care for an actual girl (and some stray cats tag along as well). Despite being an outcast of sorts, things seem to be looking up for Sorata with his own pet girl to call his own.

The Pet Girl of Sakurasou benefits from having a likeable cast of central characters. Sorata is a nice lead and is not a mean- spirited character or one that would make the series less likable (with regards to the concept of The Pet Girl of Sakurasou). Mashiro is a charming character and she imbues the series with the sense of naiveté and that makes the concept more believable. These characters and their unusual dynamics forms a central component of the production.

The series certainly includes a plethora of sexual innuendos and hijinks which are often over-the-top but part of the central concept. These elements make the series funnier and more entertaining – providing audiences with the right laughs to keep things worthwhile.  The scenarios involve off-beat scenes that revolve around “how to dress oneself” and other curiosities.

Kawai!

The series has excellent animation. The creative animation is one of the core strengths of the entire series. The art direction by Kōichirō Bizen (Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma, Lupin the 3rd Part 6) is engaging and fun. The animation showcases impressive background animation and there are fun elements to the line art and overall aesthetics to keep the production compelling.

The anime benefits from superb character designs as well. These character designs are by Masahiro Fujii (Dream Eater Merry, The Familiar of Zero). The effort put in to the production is commendable and the results help the storytelling excel in the comedy arena. Fujii puts forth a great effort and these designs certainly feel worthwhile within the framework of the production.

The original score composed by Yuzo Hayashi (Honey and Clover, Samurai: Hunt for the Sword) is one with plenty of charm. The score provides the anime with a serene element that helps the production excel as a light and charming comedy. The music certainly is a fun component and it helps the story unfold.

The cinematography by Yūki Kawashita (The Ambition of Oda Nobuna, A Place Further Than the Universe) is bright and colorful. The cinematographic style on The Pet Girl of Sakurasou is exceptional and the production benefits enormously from the effort utilized. Kawashita is a gifted cinematographer and the results are superb. This is a unique looking series and the lighting of the cinematography helps highlight the animation with aplomb detail.

Written by Mari Okada (A Lull in the Sea, True Tears), The Pet Girl of Sakurasou is a series with a fun concept and the execution makes it all the better (as the series is more kind by nature than gross). Audiences will appreciate the comedic elements and enjoy the comedic sensibilities of Okada.

Directed by Atsuko Ishizuka (A Place Further Than the Universe, Prince of Stride: Alternative), The Pet Girl of Sakurasou is worth a look for comedy anime fans. The series plays around with many different ideas while exploring the relationship between pet girl Mashiro Shiina and Sorata Kanda. Those interested might find the series a cute and charming distraction.

The Pet Girl of Sakurasou: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks, The Pet Girl of Sakurasou is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The release showcases a wonderfully bright and colorful presentation. The encode preserves the quality high-definition visuals and helps the anime series showcase the efforts of the animators. Everything appears crisp and clear on the release. Sentai Filmworks has done a solid job.

The Pet Girl of Sakurasou: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles). The English dub option is new to the release. The English dub sounds excellent and is a nice addition for fans of the series. The original Japanese language audio is a wonderful inclusion and option as well. Both of the presentation selections are in lossless audio and the high quality encoding benefits the experience.

The Pet Girl of Sakurasou: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Clean Opening Animations (HD, 3:04)

Clean Closing Animations (HD, 2:58)

Extended Previews (HD, 6:16)

The Pet Girl of Sakurasou Japanese Premiere Event (HD, 44:51)

Japanese Promos (HD, 7:15)

Japanese Commercials (HD, 2:12)

Japanese Song Promos (HD, 2:09)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Sentai Filmworks: Domestic Girlfriend (HD, 1:11), Beyond the Boundary (HD, 1:31), Fragtime (HD, 1:03), and The Demon Girl Next Door (HD, 1:31).

The Pet Girl of Sakurasou: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Pet Girl of Sakurasou is an entertaining anime series with an over-the-top concept. The series will appeal to fans of goofy anime series. The animation is beautiful looking and there is a lot of creativity on display in the production. The Blu-ray release features a strong video and audio presentation. The release includes a new English dub (as the previous edition was subtitled only). Fans of English dubs will appreciate the added bonus of the new dub option and the release certainly deserves some extra credit for adding this to the new release. Fans of the series won't be disappointed. Recommended.