Wise Man's Grandchild: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Wise Man's Grandchild: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

An entertaining action-comedy with adventure and magic.

Wise Man's Grandchild is a fun comedy-adventure which explores the world of magic in a whole new way. The series features impressive animation from production studio Silver Link (Non Non Biyori Nonstop, Mitsuboshi Colors). The anime series features a story by Tatsuya Takahashi (Domestic Girlfriend, Dropout Idol Fruit Tart). Fans of action-adventure anime with a nice dose of funny elements tossed in to the equation can look no further: the complete series is at your disposal. (Unfortunately, Wise Man's Grandchild truly is at one's disposal – the series was canceled.)

Shin Wolford (Yūsuke Kobayashi) is not your average boy. The young lad is the reincarnation of a deceased average-Joe from the regular world. Reborn in to a fantastical land of magic across every corner, Shin is rescued and raised by a wise man who aims to bring up the lad properly and help his past average-joe life become something of the past alone.

As Shin ages, the boy turns in to a young 15 year old man. Shin learns the ways of the trade in magic and becomes an expert in every major skill set (and he learns it all from the great wizard, Merlin). Yet there was no skill he somehow never managed to obtain throughout all his years of training: the under-appreciated skill known as common sense. Can Shin someone survive his future as a student at Magic Academy?

Blue hairdo will do.

One of the best elements of the production is the impressive animation featured throughout the entire program. The series has some fantastic world-building elements that are outstanding to see unfold in the course of the anime. The character designs by Yuki Sawairi (Two Car, Masamune-kun's Revenge) manage to make the cast of characters fun. The lead character, Shin, has a distinctive design. All of the animators brought something special to the table.

The score composed by Kow Otani (Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Outlaw Star) also brings some action fun to the adventure. The music manages to highlight the epic fight scenes. There also seems to be a light, airy breeze to the score during the comedic moments. The balance between the various music styles needed for the production showcases the importance of the efforts by Otani.

Tatsuya Takahashi is the head screenwriter of Wise Man's Grandchild. The story gets off to a slow start in some respects. The reincarnation aspect seemed a little rushed and unnecessary. The second episode is in fact more entertaining than the first. As the story progresses, it became more fun and the kooky characters were entertaining. Takahashi did craft a fun series that is worthwhile. Unfortunately, the conclusion of the series seems to leave too much up in the air. It is a bit disappointing that not every element was wrapped up.

Masafumi Tamura (The Misfit of Demon King Academy, Ange Vierge) did a solid job directing Wise Man's Grandchild. The anime is fun, charming, and action-packed. There is a lot of great things throughout the program: the characters are interesting and the fight-scenes are intense. While it ultimately is only a decent series (given the lack of total resolution), it is fun while it lasts.

Wise Man's Grandchild: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Funimation Entertainment, Wise Man's Grandchild: The Complete Series is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The transfers from the set are exceptional. Color reproduction is superb. There is certainly an emphasis on bright and vibrant colors throughout the production. A visually rewarding series, the anime art work is brought to life with the top-notch encoding.

The action scenes of Wise Man's Grandchild are free from any glaring compression artifacts. There are only a few moments sprinkled throughout the entire anime production where banding is visible on the animation. Altogether, Wise Man's Grandchild: The Complete Series is a well-presented anime that fans will be pleased with having in high-definition on the format.

Wise Man's Grandchild: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes two audio options: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 stereo with English subtitles. The lossless audio encoding gives the series an enormous amount of breathing room for the series to sound its absolute best. The English dub presentation sounds especially engaging with the use of surround sound.

The rear speakers are consistently engaged and are used to expand the music throughout the entire room while the occasional sound effects have a more prominent placement in the action. Dialogue is crisp, clear, and easy to understand. The tracks manage to bring audiences in to the storytelling with relative ease. During the action scenes, the surrounds are given prominence that makes the series all the more entertaining. Though the track does not have heavy LFE, the surrounds do make things much more intense. Overall, Wise Man's Grandchild: The Complete Series sounds excellent with these lossless audio tracks and it is hard to imagine fans being disappointed.

Wise Man's Grandchild: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Please Note: The release is a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital combo pack release.

Disc 1:

Episode 08 Audio Commentary

Disc 2:

Promo Videos (HD, 4:31)

Textless Opening Song (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Song (HD, 1:32)

Wise Man's Grandchild: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Wise Man's Grandchild is an entertaining anime series that manages to pack a hefty punch in to each and every episode. The characters are engaging and fun. The animation is another element of the series which impresses throughout the entire run of episodes. The one downside to the anime is that the ending ultimately leaves too many loose threads. That is something to bear in mind. On the plus side, the Funimation release has a strong video-audio presentation. Fans of Wise Man's Grandchild might consider it worth picking up. Recommended.