- Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
- Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
- Resolution: 1080p/24 (23.976Hz)
- Audio Codec: Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 Stereo, English Dolby TrueHD 5.1
- Subtitles: English
- Region: AB (No Region C)
- Rating: TV-MA
- Run Time: 350 Mins.
- Discs: 5 (2 x Blu-ray + 3 x DVD)
- Studio: Funimation Entertainment
- Blu-ray Release Date: January 3, 2012
- List Price: $64.98; $69.98 (Limited Edition)
[amazon-product]B005W2BWMG[/amazon-product]
Also Available:
BestBuy.com:
Purchase Sekirei 2: Pure Engagement on Blu-ray+DVD at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Series
[Rating:4/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:3/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(Screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG thus are meant as a general representation of the content and do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)
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The Series
[Rating:4/5]
Based on the original manga series Sakurako Gokurakuin, Sekirei is set in the near future and follows a hapless and listless yet brilliant young man, Minato Sihashi, with an uncertain future due to his inability to handle pressure and pass his college entrance exams. Minato’s existence will be changed, however, when one day a beautiful and buxom young woman literally falls into his life from out the sky. It is Musubi, and she is a Sekirei who has chosen him as her Ashikabi. Sekirei are futuristic, extraterrestrial beings with superpowers who crashed to Earth in 1999. Only 108 of them landed, some fully developed, others in embryonic form, but most of them in the form of beautiful, busty women, though some are also bishōnen, “pretty” or androgynous boys. They can only fully awaken and harness the full reserve of their powers when linked to their Ashikabi through a kiss.
In Season 2 of Sekirei, Minato is drawn further into the wild and often dangerous world of the Sekirei and what is known as the “Sekirei Plan,” a violent game created by the powerful MBI corporation and its leader, Hiroto Minaka. The game pits the Sekirei against each other in an endless battle. Now, Minato has accumulated numerous Sekirei to whom he is their Ashikabi and they his devoted servants, but when it is found out that the rules of the games have shifted and all Sekirei without a victory will be killed, Minato, “The Northern Ashikabi” and his faithful and beautiful Sekirei find themselves in a gut wrenching battle against friends and enemies. They must take down MBI to save the ones they love.
A well scripted sci-fi epic with lots of charm and funny characters, Sekirei 2 will appeal to those who enjoy fan service, fantasy, and martial arts. It reminds me a bit of Samurai Girls as it shares much of the same plot devices, and certainly a lot of the naughtiness.
Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Sekirei 2: Pure Engagement arrives on Blu-ray with an AVC/MPEG-4 1080p/24 transfer that keeps artifacts at a minimum, but still doesn’t quite look like the very best of the reference quality hand drawn animated releases in high definition. Detail is a bit soft and colors aren’t always very vibrant. Aliasing can be spotted here and there as well.
Audio Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
I chose to view Sekirei 2 with the Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 mix and English subtitles engaged, but an English dub in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 is also available. Either way, you get strong sound with clean dialogue and good dynamics. High frequencies are only slightly tweaked and lows are tight, extended down to the upper regions of the range in the surround mix.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:3/5]
The two audio commentaries and OVA make the extras on Sekirei 2 worthy of going through, but everything beyond those aren’t mandatory.
The supplements:
- Episode 05 Commentary
- OVA: “Two Gossip Topics”
- Episode 10 Commentary
- Textless Opening Song: “White-Winged Vow ~Pure Engagement~”
- Textless Closing Song: “The Same Feelings”
- Textless Closing Song: “I Remember, After All”
- Trailers
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:4/5]
Cute, sexy, and packed with action, Sekirei 2: Pure Engagement is a successful second season to this sci-fi fan service adventure. The animation is solid, the story develops cohesively, and there’s plenty of titillating action.
Additional Screen Captures
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[amazon-product]B005W2BWMG[/amazon-product]
Also Available:
BestBuy.com:
Purchase Sekirei 2: Pure Engagement on Blu-ray+DVD at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Series
[Rating:4/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:3/5]
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