Twin Star Exorcists: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Twin Star Exorcists: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Neil Lumbard June 19, 2022

Twin Star Exorcists: The Complete Series is an action-fantasy series with a genre slant for anime fans. The series is produced by Maiko Isogai, Naoto Tani, Teruaki Sanemitsu, and Tomohiko Iwase. Created by Yoshiaki Sukeno, Twin Star Exorcists: The Complete Series is a compelling take on exorcism storytelling with a twist. The series originally aired in Japan on TV Tokyo (Bleach, Fairy Tail). The animation is produced by Pierrot (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society, Blue Dragon: Trials of the Seven Shadows).

Rokuro Enmadō (Natsuki Hanae) once aspired to be the greatest exorcist of all time. Setting out on a mission to be the best in the field, Rokuro found himself eventually hanging up the mantle when an unexpected and horrific accident left his best friend dead. Traumatized by the loss of his friend, the journey to becoming the top exorcist was put aside.

Yet when Rokuro meets the mysterious girl Benio Adashino (Megumi Han), the mission begins to take shape again. Benio is an all-powerful exorcist with similar capabilities. A destiny foretells the two exorcists of eventual marriage and a child who will go on to become the best exorcist of all time (and bring peace to the entire world). Can Rokuro and Benio lead the world to safety and exorcise their demons?

The Twin Star Exorcists series explores a unique cast of characters. The central protagonists of the tale are interesting and provide the anime with some compelling components to keep the series unique within the genre. The cast of voice-actors excel with their respective roles and manage to bring the characters to life (pun intended, given the series).

The score composed by Mikio Endo (K: Missing Kings, K: Return of Kings) is enjoyable and imbues the series with nice background music to enhance the action and mood. The tone of the series is all the more effective as a result. Endo does a solid enough job with the series. The music fits the action.

The animation is stylish and enjoyable on Twin Star Exorcists. The series features impressive animation direction by Itsuko Takeda (Basilisk, Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign). Under the effective art direction of Junichi Higashi (Descendants of Darkness, Puni Puni Poemy) and Yuki Maeda (Black Clover, Meitantei Conan: Excalibur no Kiseki), the series manages to explore its unique landscape is a uniquely compelling way. The art style is a smash success for the genre.

The character designs by Kikuko Sadakata (Princess Resurrection, Corpse Princess: Kuro) are one of the most effective components of Twin Star Exorcists. The character designs fit the series and enhance it exponentially. There is a compelling blend of dark and light elements in these designs: showing the genre elements and the more typical designs one can expect from a modern anime production.

The cinematography by Hideki Imaizumi (Date A Live, Chance Pop Session) is a unique creation. The animation is often grim and dark – imbuing the series with a gritty aesthetic – while at the same time, there is often a sense of the series being light as well. This is a surprising aesthetic for the series and it certainly helps the anime to stand out from the crowd. The concept is well executed by Imaizumi.

The action direction by Sho Yamamoto is an aspect of the series that simply works. The action scenes are interesting and compelling. The fight scenes are vigorous and exciting. There is a sense of action director Yamamoto understanding the rhythm necessary to keep anime fans enthralled.

Written by Naruhisa Arakawa (Blue Seed, Spice and Wolf), Twin Star Exorcists features a unique concept and the script does a good job of exploring it. The characters help the ride and screenwriter Arakawa is confident as a storyteller. These elements make the series entertaining.

Directed by Tomohisa Taguchi (Persona 4 the Golden Animation, Akudama Drive), Twin Star Exorcists is a often wild experience. The action packed saga has high stakes. The series production builds and builds to new levels. The experience has twists and turns. A compelling adaptation of the manga.

Twin Star Exorcists: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Funimation Entertainment, Twin Star Exorcists is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. A impressive video presentation with a strong encode. The video looks clear and vibrant. The high definition imagery is impressive during the presentation. The color reproduction is excellent. A wonderfully vivid and compelling aesthetic, Twin Star Exorcists looks lovely on the format. The presentation exceeds expectations for Funimation.

Twin Star Exorcists: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of audio options: Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles) and English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound. The high resolution audio sounds crisp, engaging, and dynamic. Dialogue remains enjoyably crisp and well-resolved. The dynamics are compelling. While fans of the original language track will want to stick to the Japanese audio, Funimation surprises with the 5.1 surround sound offering on the English dub option.

Twin Star Exorcists: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc 2:

Hanae Natsuki &Han Megumi's Twin Star Room:

Hanae Natsuki &Han Megumi's Twin Star Room: Vol. 1 (HD, 8:08)

Hanae Natsuki &Han Megumi's Twin Star Room: Vol. 2 (HD, 12:47)

Hanae Natsuki &Han Megumi's Twin Star Room: Vol. 3 (HD, 6:56)

Opening Making-Of (HD, 1:39)

Textless Opening Song (HD, 1:31)

Textless Closing Song (HD, 1:32)

Trailers (HD, 8:53)

Disc 4:

Hanae Natsuki &Han Megumi's Twin Star Room:

Hanae Natsuki &Han Megumi's Twin Star Room: Vol. 4 (HD, 12:00)

Hanae Natsuki &Han Megumi's Twin Star Room: Vol. 5 (HD, 3:38)

Hanae Natsuki &Han Megumi's Twin Star Room: Vol. 6 (HD, 2:52)

Textless Opening Song "Re: Call" (HD, 1:31)

Textless Closing Song "Yadoriboshi" (HD, 1:32)

Trailers (HD, 6:51)

Disc 6:

Textless Opening Song "Sync" (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Song "Hide&Seek" (HD, 1:32)

Trailers (HD, 5:52)

Disc 8:

Hanae Natsuki &Han Megumi's Twin Star Room: Vol. 7 (HD, 2:04)

Textless Opening Song "Kanadeai" (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Song "Hotarubi" (HD, 1:32)

Trailers (HD, 8:19)

Twin Star Exorcists: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Twin Star Exorcists is a compelling genre anime. The series has a unique sense of style. The animation is one of the most compelling elements of the production. The series is also enhanced by an entertaining aesthetic with strong visuals and animation. The Blu-ray release from Funimation includes a solid video-audio presentation. The release includes a nice selection of supplements. Fans of the series will be quite pleased. Recommended.