Tonari no Seki-kun: The Master of Killing Time - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.5

Tonari no Seki-kun: The Master of Killing Time - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

A charming anime comedy with plenty of surprises

Tonari no Seki-kun: The Master of Killing Time (also known as My Neighbor Seki) is a charming and delightful animated series. The anime aired on TV Tokyo in Japan. The production was created by anime studio Shin-Ei Animation (Crayon Shin-can: Pursuit of the Balls of Darkness, The Puzzling Challenge Letter of the Mysterious Thief Dorapan). The series is an ode to the frivolities of youth as it explores the simplicity of having a good time (in school). A must-see animated oddity that is well worth being discovered by anime fans of all ages.

The series centers upon the classroom activities of two high school students who sit beside one another in class. The mild-mannered and intelligent Rumi (Kana Hanazawa) notices her goofy classmate sitting beside her, playful boy Seki (Hiro Shimono), is making the most of his time. Seki doesn't pay attention during class and just goofs off for hours on end. Having the time of his life, Seki creates elaborate ways to drain away the hours: board game matches where he chaotically plays with the pieces as if he is in a fantasy world with real-life warriors, playing with giant robot action figures akin to Transformers or Gundam, and drilling holes in his desk so he can play golf on the table-stand. Rumi is constantly impressed (and mortified) by the activities going on across from her. What will Seki do next?

The Master of Killing Time is a joy to watch. The plot-line is simple but highly effective. Every episode has a new creative spin on how Seki will waste time and drain away the hours at his desk. Obsessed with unending diversions, Seki is a true goof-ball and Rumi is totally blown away by how he manages to come up with so many elaborate fantasies when he should actually be studying or working on school work. The story picks up every episode with the pair in their desks and each episode focuses on a new strange adventure of Seki goofing off to himself (and Rumi noticing the events or sometimes getting involved in the action herself).

The animation is somewhat simplistic in style yet it is enormously charming and delightful. The art looks perfectly befitting this type of production. The series is zany, offbeat, and creative. The art manages to reflect that well. There is something remarkable about how well drawn the unique characters are. These characters seem to fit in the world of the story with total ease and it is undeniably impressive to behold.

The master of being cool, dude.

The music score composed by Akifumi Tada (Pikachu's Island Adventure, Pikachu's PikaBoo) is fun and charming. Tada, who has worked in many anime mediums (including Pokemon) has a good time playing with the zany scenarios. The action beats are drawn out to comedic effects and viewers will be glued to their seats during the zany process that unfolds before them. There is something utterly charming about Tada's scores and it really helps one to become involved in watching the series. He is a good composer and he brings a nice sense of “charm” to the entire production.

The series features scripts by Takuma Morishige. The screenwriter brings a unique blend of distinctive humor to the table. The series is perfect for fans of short sketch-form comedy. It is almost like a anime version of SNL. The sketches are creative and can go in a number of enticing directions during each episode. There is something special about how inventive the scripts get. Morishige was the right screenwriter for the task.

Directed by Yūji Mutoh (City Hunter, Kureyon Shinchan: Arashi o Yobu: Utau Ketsudake Bakudan!), Tonari no Seki-kun: The Master of Killing Time is a must-see anime diversion. It is not like a normal anime series in any sense of the word. There is no plot being built. There are no long-form arcs. The characters mostly exist in one setting. Yet the magic is real. The series is a great comedy diversion to explore and Mutoh brings viewers something special with each and every episode. A true delight to experience. Don't miss out on this hilarious gem of a series.

Tonari no Seki-kun: The Master of Killing Time - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks, The Master of Killing Time has received a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The series is a beautiful looking production and the encode presents the animation in the best quality possible. The encodes are bright, crisp, and colorful. The source animation occasionally is somewhat soft but the appearance of these textures seems to be source related. The animation is a joy to see in high-definition. The presentation shines and manages to convey the artistry of the animators who tolled away at the production behind the scenes. An impressive encode by Sentai.

Tonari no Seki-kun: The Master of Killing Time - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes two lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The stereo audio presentations are impressive and manage to give the experience an extra jolt of energy. The sound design is surprisingly robust for a stereo audio track. Throughout the entire program, the stereo track delivers some interesting sound effects which play directly in to the storyline and the fun quirks that the characters have on the series. The track is quite effective and a perfectly satisfactory lossless audio presentation. Dialogue remains crisp, clear, and easy to understand.

Tonari no Seki-kun: The Master of Killing Time - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Clean Opening Animations (HD, 3:53)

Clean Closing Animation (HD, 00:47)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Kino Lorber: Gugure! Kokkuri-san (HD, 1:31), Rail Wars! (HD, 1:31), Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun (HD, 1:32), and Shirobako (HD, 1:32).

Tonari no Seki-kun: The Master of Killing Time - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Tonari no Seki-kun: The Master of Killing Time is an engaging, hilarious, and must-see anime. There is something remarkably special about the series. The characters are charming and the scenarios are entertaining. It is a joy to revisit the series on Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks. The set features excellent video-audio and comes highly recommended. Don't miss it.